UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 1, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Prime Minister Kurti invites citizens to convert licence plates to RKS (media)
Osmani met with Deputy Prime Minister of Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra (media)
The EU asks Kosovo to give "sufficient time" for licence plates (RFE Albanian)
Kurti on the energy crisis: We are doing our best, but the situation is dire (Koha)
BSPK: There is no withdrawal from strike, Government's intervention is illegal (media)
LDK: The decision to freeze wages is illegal and undemocratic (media)
PDK: Today we are in energy and educational darkness (media)
Banners against re-registration with RKS licence plates appear again in north (Koha)
COVID-19: One death and 64 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Kurti calls Kosovo Serbs to replace license plates (N1)
Petkovic: Kurti continues to threaten with abolition of KM plates (NMagazin, Beta)
Vucic discusses Kosovo dialogue with UK, US officials (N1)
Ashton could join Lajcak's team for dialogue – portal (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
Arsenijevic: With a Serbian ID of the cities in Kosovo, still impossible to cross General Jankovic (KoSSev)
US Ambassador says Serbia should turn West (N1, FoNet, NIN, KiM radio)

International:

Kosovo pushes ahead with car licensing rule resisted by Serbs (Reuters)
Kosovo's car licensing rule resisted by ethnic Serbs takes effect (Aljazeera)
Serbia under growing pressure from West to allow EuroPride to go ahead (intellinews.com)
The Open Balkan Wine Fair opens today in Belgrade (serbianmonitor.com)

Albanian Language Media

Prime Minister Kurti invites citizens to convert licence plates to RKS (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has invited the citizens of Kosovo, owners of cars with licence plates "PR", "KM", "PZ", "GL", "UR", "PE", "DA" and "ĐA " to convert them to RKS licence plates in the next two months during which they are exempted from taxes and duties up to 5,000 euros.

"From today until October 31, for a total of 61 days in 34 municipal Vehicle Registration Centres, we will carry out the process of converting car licence plates issued by Serbia to those of the Republic of Kosovo. There are a total of 401,945 cars with licence plates in Kosovo RKS. Tens of thousands of them are owned by minority communities. Those that need to be converted make up only about 2% of them," Kurti wrote on Facebook.

Osmani met with Deputy Prime Minister of Netherlands Wopke Hoekstra (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, during her official visit to the Czech Republic, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and at the same time the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands mr. Wopke Hoekstra.

The central topic of discussion was the visa liberalisation process. Osmani has reiterated that Kosovo has already met all the criteria for visa liberalisation and in this context, asked for Dutch support. She also called on the Netherlands to, together with other EU member states, commit to visa liberalisation for Kosovo to be completed during the Czech presidency.

Osmani also spoke about the commitment of Kosovo's institutions to continue working on important reforms in all areas, and at the same time prepare the application for the EU candidate country status. She also asked for Dutch support for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, the Partnership for Peace and NATO.

President Osmani and Deputy Prime Minister Hoekstra also discussed the latest developments in the region and Europe, as well as the further advancement of bilateral relations between the two countries.

The EU asks Kosovo to give "sufficient time" for licence plates (RFE Albanian)

The European Union said on September 1 that Prishtina should give sufficient time to the implementation of the decision on the re-registration of vehicles with licence plates issued by Serbia to those of Kosovo.

The period of re-registration of cars with licence plates issued by Serbia, which are used in the north of Kosovo (KM, PR, PZ, etc.), started on September 1 and will last until October 31.

"It is important that sufficient time is given for the implementation of this plan and that it be prepared and implemented in close consultation with the citizens affected by the decision, in line with good European practices," said a spokesman for the European Commission.

"The 2016 conclusions on freedom of movement included a longer timeframe for re-registration, which should provide guidance for the current process," the spokesperson added.

In 2016, an agreement was reached to finalise the implementation of the Freedom of Movement Agreement - reached in the Brussels dialogue in 2011 - between Kosovo and Serbia.

According to that agreement, Kosovo had committed to extend the validity of KS licence plates for five years. Consequently, KS licence plates were valid until 2021.

These licence plates have a neutral status towards Kosovo and the Government of Kosovo has rejected Serbia's requests made recently, that these licence plates be returned to use, insisting that cars with Serbian licence plates should be converted to RKS - Republic of Kosovo.

The spokesman said the European Union calls on "both sides to use the EU-mediated dialogue as a platform to address and resolve all open issues between them... including issues related to vehicle licence plates.

Kurti on the energy crisis: We are doing our best, but the situation is dire (Koha)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti was asked by the media during a press conference in Gjakove about the energy crisis in Kosovo and the current reductions that are taking place.

He said that the situation is difficult, and they are doing the best they can.

"Kosovo A thermal power plant has three units that are 60 years old, Kosova B has two units that are 40 years old. Necessary repairs, unpredictable breakdowns are reducing generation, increasing imports, and adding to our reductions. Energy prices on the stock market have gone up to 1,000 euros per megawatt hour. This situation that is happening now was unimaginable last year. We were worried last year when the prices went to 500 euros per megawatt hour. Even before the arrival of winter, we have cases when the prices on the international stock exchange have reached 1000 euros. The situation is very serious. But we are doing the best we can. I am convinced that we will succeed. But strikes, boycotts and unemployment do not take us anywhere," Kurti said.

BSPK: There is no withdrawal from the strike, Government's intervention is illegal (media)

The Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo (BSPK) announced that the general strike is underway and that it has been extended to all levels of schools and municipal administrations throughout Kosovo, without problems and fully according to legal rules and norms.

According to the BSPK, the striking employees are even more determined in their right, especially after threats that are not at all good and destructive to democracy.

“The intervention of the Social Partner - Government in the course of the strike is illegal and our Social Partner - Government should know this well. It is the law that gives the striking employee this right, which should not be infringed upon and cannot be infringed upon or taken away by anyone, least of all by our Social Partner - the Government, which has for the duty to protect and stand by the legal actions, by creating the right and healthy environment for the normal and legal functioning of the society,” it is stated in the announcement of the BSPK.

LDK: The decision to freeze wages is illegal and undemocratic (media)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has expressed concern about the recent developments regarding strikes and non-execution of salaries for the month of August by the Ministry of Finance.

Jehona Lushaku-Sadriu, from the LDK, said that the collective ban on wages is happening for the first time in Kosovo and this decision of the government is illegal, undemocratic and harms the order of citizens at this time when inflation is very high in Kosovo.

“The government has created discontent and created an unprecedented situation. I call on the Government to call the parties to address the demands and find a solution for the teachers and to take this matter seriously. Starting tomorrow, the execution of salaries should be done, and the children should return to school," she said.

PDK: Today we are in energy and educational darkness (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), today, through a press conference, reacted strongly to the Kurti government's decision to leave students without lessons and teachers and civil servants without salaries.

Eliza Hoxha, MP of this political party, said that Prime Minister Kurti who once promised the return of brains to Kosovo, today is making brainless decisions, declaring war on teachers, because he does not want social dialogue, but yielding.

Hoxha said that today Kosovo is in the energy and educational darkness, as a result of the darkened minds of the Kurti Government.

Meanwhile, the Coordinator of the Department of Finance in the Cabinet for Good Governance, Arben Mustafa said that Kosovo is going through a serious economic crisis, due to the incompetence of the Kurti Government, which has surrendered to these difficulties.

Banners against re-registration with the RKS licence plates appear again in the north (Koha)

Banners against the re-registration of vehicles with RKS – (Republic of Kosovo) licence plates have appeared again in North Mitrovica.

Stickers with inscriptions "No delivery, the KM remains," referring to the KM licence plate (Mitrovica of Kosovo), which is issued by the Serbian authorities and is considered illegal by Kosovo, were seen on the windshield of some vehicles.

Also, the symbol of Kosovo on some vehicle license plates has been covered with sticking papers that say KM.

This is the second time that such messages appear in northern Mitrovica. The first time they appeared was on July 30 of this year. However, there was no announcement of the Kosovo Police about these posters, Koha reports.

COVID-19: One death and 64 new cases (media)

One person died as a result of COVID-19 on Thursday in Kosovo. The Ministry of Health reported 64 new cases in the last 24 hours.

363 people are estimated to have recovered. There are 1025 active cases with coronavirus.

Serbian Language Media

Kurti calls Kosovo Serbs to replace license plates (N1)

Kosovo PM Albin Kurti published a video in Serbian on Thursday calling Kosovo Serbs to replace their vehicle licence plates issued by Serbian institutions to Kosovo (‘RKS’) plates issued by Pristina authorities, reported N1.

Kurti said that just 2 percent of about 400,000 cars registered in Kosovo have Serbian registration, adding that new plates are being issued in 34 local vehicle registration center until October 31. He said that owners of vehicles with Serbian-issued license plates are exempt from taxes and duties for up to 5,000 Euro.

He said that Serbian-issued plates are a “heritage of the Milosevic regime”. “That heritage should not be a burden on your backs. It keeps you isolated and in the past,” Kurti said and added that the change to RKS plates secures freedom of movement across Kosovo.

According to Kurti, the government wanted people living in the north of Kosovo, whose vehicles have KM plates, to be citizens everywhere, not just of those municipalities.

Kurti’s video was published on his Facebook page on the day of the implementation of the agreement on IDs between Belgrade and Pristina, reported N1.

Petkovic: Kurti continues to threaten with abolition KM plates (NMagazin, Beta)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, assessed today that the PM of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, continues to threaten the Serbs in the north of Kosovo with the abolition of KM plates by calling them to re-register vehicles to RKS plates, reported portal NMagazin.

In a statement, he told Kurti that official Belgrade will also fight for KM license plates "just as it saved Serbian identity cards in Kosovo and Metohija", the KiM office announced.

Petkovic assessed that the fact that Kurti records video materials in the Serbian language, and Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla takes photographs for social networks in the north of Kosovo, will not hide "the fact that Pristina is on the verge of an energy collapse".

He called on Kurti and Svecla not to "try to train their muscles" in the north of Kosovo because, as he assessed, "they only show how modest their strength is, and their range is even smaller", reported the portal.

Vucic discusses Kosovo dialogue with UK, US officials (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue with officials from the United Kingdom and United States on Wednesday.

According to separate press releases from the president’s cabinet, Vucic discussed global and regional issues, the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, and bilateral relations” with UK envoy for the Western Balkans Stuart Peach and “Serbia’s European integration and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue” with US Congressman Michael Turner.

Vucic is quoted as telling Peach that Serbia is “committed to intensifying cooperation with Great Britain” and thanking the UK Good Governance Fund for its financial support to rule of law reforms and economic development.

International

Kosovo pushes ahead with car licensing rule resisted by Serbs (Reuters)

Dozens of U.S. NATO peacekeepers patrolled northern Kosovo on Thursday to preserve calm after Pristina announced that around 50,000 ethnic Serbs in the region would have to switch their car license plates to local ones within two months.

Kosovo, which is predominantly ethnic Albanian, has sought to compel Serbs to accept Pristina's authority in routine bureaucratic matters since winning independence in 2008 after nearly a decade-long uprising against Serbia's repressive rule.