UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 5, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti meets leaders of Mitrovica North municipality (media)
Sources: Lajcak to visit Kosovo on September 6 (RFE)
Stano: Kosovo to avoid uncoordinated actions that can increase tensions (EO)
Gervalla: Iber bridge must be opened; committed for rule of law everywhere (EO)
UK advises its citizens “against all but essential travel” to Kosovo north (media)
People from Kosovo, diaspora advised to avoid Kosovo-Serbia crossings (media)
Serbian List: The institutions did not violate any law (RFE)
Haradinaj: Kurti is instrumentalizing the police for electoral interests (media)
Orav: Honor to meet PM Kurti; looking forward to our cooperation (media)
Waitz: It would be an honor to be selected EP Rapporteur for Kosovo (media)
Hoti: No coalition with VV; “if we don’t win election, we’ll be in opposition” (media)
“Wrong if someone thinks north can be integrated with police measures” (RTV21)
Grennell: 4 years ago we brought Kosovo and Serbia leaders together (media)
Football Federation reacts to Romanian fans’ chants against Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian List: Political persecution of the Serbian people and part of a wider plan of institutional repression (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, TV Most, KoSSev)
Zaporozac after questioning by KP: This is a political process against me and my colleagues (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Rector's Office: The University of Pristina with its temporary seat in North Mitrovica remains (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)
Maliqi: Kosovo Serbs in a position like the Albanians during the time of Milosevic, Kurti plays similar to Vucic (NMagazin, Beta, Nedeljnik, Danas, media)
How will Serbs living outside Kosovo vote in the February elections? (Kosovo Online)
Serbian PM: Kurti pressuring Kosovo Serbs (N1, media)
Vucic refuses Putin’s invitation to BRICS summit (N1)
Vucic asks Scholz about lithium project in Germany (N1)

International:

Herzog to visit Serbia and Albania next week (timesofisrael.com)
Serbian Deputy PM assures Putin that Russia an 'ally' (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti meets leaders of Mitrovica North municipality (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti together with the Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, and the Minister of Local Government Administration, Elbert Krasniqi, welcomed today at the Open Balcony for a working breakfast, the Mayor of the Municipality of Mitrovica North, Erden Atic, deputy mayor Katarina Adancic and heads of municipal directorates of this municipality.

They discussed municipal governance, achievements and challenges, and cooperation with the central level.

A press release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister notes that Kurti and the ministers were informed about the works of the directorates, municipal services which were continually being added, investments in the maintenance of roads, public spaces and cooperation with central agencies. The municipal directors singled out the progress and cooperation for the start of the process of the legalization of facilities and drafting of the development plan, the creation of a database for social cases that need institutional support, the recruitment of new professional staff, the functionalization of the municipal office of the Registration Agency of Businesses where 89 businesses have been registered fo far, the internet's functionalization and the start of digitalization of the archive as well as the plans for the first time offering digital services through the e-kiosk.

During the meeting, it was also discussed about the possibilities of new collaboration, including those between the municipalities in the north of Kosovo and the new projects, for which the support of the government is necessary.

Prime Minister Kurti congratulated the leaders and staff of the Municipality of North Mitrovica for the work and improvement of services for citizens, without distinction, for the multi-ethnic composition of the governing cabinet and for the good and professional cooperation with the ministries and the Office of the Prime Minister in the realization of projects of interest of the municipality. He offered the mayor Atiq and the deputy mayor Adancic his and the ministries full support in addressing their requests and proposals aimed at the economic and social development of the Municipality of North Mitrovica and the increase in the quality and efficiency of services to the residents.

Sources: Lajcak to visit Kosovo on September 6 (RFE)

The EU Special Envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, will visit Kosovo on September 6, the news website learns from its sources in Brussels. The visit, as Lajcak announced last week, is aimed at preparing a meeting at the level of chief negotiators. Sources also said that this time Lajcak will not visit Belgrade after his stay in Pristina.

Stano: Kosovo to avoid uncoordinated actions that can increase tensions (EO)

Spokesperson for the European Union, Peter Stano, said today that Kosovo’s authorities need to avoid any unilateral and uncoordinated steps that can further increase tensions. Asked about the closing of Serbian-run institutions and the summons for interviews by Kosovo Police of five Serbian List officials for falsification of documents, Stano said: “we have a situation that is already very unsustainable, and our main concern is … and this is the main message for Kosovo’s authorities – to avoid any unilateral and uncoordinated steps and even further escalation. Therefore, we are engaged with partners in Kosovo, we are sending messages, and we hope we will be able to resolve these issues as part of the EU-facilitated dialogue”.

Gervalla: Iber bridge must be opened; committed for rule of law everywhere (EO)

Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said today that in her meeting with her Finnish counterpart, Elina Valtonen, they discussed the security situation in the north of Kosovo and the situation surrounding the main bridge over Iber river. “The bridge, which symbolized division for many years, must be opened. Only by being open can it turn into a symbol of reconciliation and unity. Kosovo is committed to enforcing the rule of law in every corner of its territory, while guaranteeing equal rights for all its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity,” she said.

Gervalla said that their discussions also focused on “the current security challenges in Europe, the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and the aggressive and hegemonistic behavior of neighbors in Europe, which constitute a major and serious threat to peace and stability in Europe. We in Kosovo perhaps know better than anyone else the importance of protecting democratic values and the right to self-determination”.

Gervalla also said that Kosovo aims to strengthen relations with NATO and become a full member of the alliance.

UK advises its citizens “against all but essential travel” to Kosovo north (media)

Most news websites report that the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has advised UK citizens “against all but essential travel” in the Kosovo north municipalities of Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic, and areas of Mitrovica North of the Iber River. “This is due to violent incidents and heightened tensions in these areas,” the travel advice notes.

People from Kosovo, diaspora advised to avoid Kosovo-Serbia crossings (media)

All news websites cover a Facebook post by Kosovo’s National Centre for Border Management which notes that “all nationals of the Republic of Kosovo and members of the diaspora planning to travel transit through the territory of Kosovo, are advised to avoid border crossing points between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia”. The call comes after statements by the Organizational Council for Blockades in Serbia which said that on September 6 it plans to block the roads leading to crossings with Kosovo.

Serbian List: The institutions did not violate any law (RFE)

Representatives of the Serbian List told a press conference today that they will positively respond to summons for interviews from Kosovo authorities. The latter said they would interview five persons from the Serbian-run institutions that were closed in late August. The people that received the summons are officials of the Serbian List, the biggest party of Serbs in Kosovo that has Belgrade’s support.

On behalf of the people that received the summons, Igor Simic, told reporters that they view the summons as “political persecution” because the closed institutions provided services for the people. “It is not a matter of what Igor Simic or Ivan Zaporozian will do tomorrow, but what will the people that we served through these institutions do. As far as these institutions are concerned, Kosovo’s authorities always knew about their existence. It is nothing new that these institutions existed in this city, and they were a topic of discussion at the international level, and a subject of negotiations in Brussels on how these institutions will function in the future,” he said.

The news website notes that on August 30, Kosovo’s authorities closed five Serbian-run institutions in the north of Kosovo saying that they violated the constitutionality and laws of Kosovo.

Simic however argued that these institutions offered legal services for all people and that they did not violate any law.

Haradinaj: Kurti is instrumentalizing the police for electoral interests (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, said in a Facebook post today that while Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was in the opposition he attacked the Kosovo Police with rocks and that now “he is instrumentalizing the police for electoral interests while he is in government”. He also argued that the government does not care about the police force and that the latter is under the government’s political pressure.

Orav: Honor to meet PM Kurti; looking forward to our cooperation (media)

The new head of the European Union Office in Kosovo, Aivo Orav, said in a post on X today that he met Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “to reiterate today to reiterate the EU’s strong support for Kosovo’s EU path and EU-related reforms. I expressed my readiness to work closely with Kosovo’s institutions to advance EU-Kosovo relations. Looking forward to our cooperation!”

Waitz: It would be an honor to be selected EP Rapporteur for Kosovo (media)

Several news websites cover an interview that Austrian member of the European Parliament, Thomas Waitz, gave to Belgrade-based Danas and highlight his remarks that he would be honored to be selected as EP Rapporteur for Kosovo. He said he would be happy to contribute to stability throughout the region and to good neighborly relations. “If I get the honor to do this through reporting on the country of Kosovo, I would do everything in my power to contribute to a non-violent, respectful and prosperous development of the region in general and in Serbia and in Kosovo in particular,” Waitz is quoted as saying.

Hoti: No coalition with VV; “if we don’t win election, we’ll be in opposition” (media)

Senior member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Avdullah Hoti, in an interview with Avdullah Hoti, was asked about the possibility of a post-election coalition with Kurti’s Vetevendosje Movement. “We are working to win the elections [due in February next year]. If we win the people’s trust, we need to lead the government of Kosovo, and the eventual coalitions that can be formed are another issue. We need to build sustainable and those that are similar to the LDK’s program. This is if the LDK wins the elections. And if it doesn’t, the LDK needs to remain in the opposition,” Hoti was quoted as saying.

“Wrong if someone thinks north can be integrated with police measures” (RTV21)

Lulzim Peci, head of the Pristina-based Kosovo Institute for Policy Research and Development (KIPRED), said in an interview with the TV station that if anyone thinks that the north of Kosovo can be integrated with police measures, they are very wrong. “The north will be integrated when the hearts and minds of the Serb population in that part of the country are won,” he argued.

Peci also said that integration can be achieved by trust-building and added that the Kosovo Serbs are afraid. “This may seem illusionary to us, but we need to understand that they are caught between expectations and ambitions from Serbia as a state and the reality of living in an independent Kosovo,” he said.

Grennell: 4 years ago we brought Kosovo and Serbia leaders together (media)

Richard Grenell, former U.S. Presidential Envoy for the Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, said in a post on X that “four years ago today we brought the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia together in the Oval Office with Donald Trump - and they signed an historic agreement to normalize and expand their economies. The Biden-Harris team failed to implement it”.

Football Federation reacts to Romanian fans’ chants against Kosovo (media)

Most news websites report that the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) said in a statement on Wednesday that it expressed indignation and reacted harshly against the unacceptable behavior of Romanian fans during a UEFA Women’s Champions League match between Farul Constanta and Mitrovica. “The displaying of Serbian flags and chants against the state of Kosovo are unacceptable and condemnable actions that fall against the spirit of football and fair play. The FFK will send an official note of protest to the Romanian Football Federation and UEFA, asking for concrete penalties and actions against such provocations and to prevent similar situations from happening again. We are confident that cooperation and mutual respect are key to safeguard the true values of football,” the statement notes.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian List: Political persecution of the Serbian people and part of a wider plan of institutional repression (Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, TV Most, KoSSev)

At an extraordinary media conference, representatives of the Serbian List said that they see it as political persecution.

“Not only the political persecution of us as individuals, who were at the helm of those institutions, but the persecution of the Serbian people because those institutions provided services to citizens,” said Igor Simic, director of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PIO) for Kosovo, one of the institutions closed by the KP on August 30, since then they have been prevented from working.

“This is not a question of how Igor Simic, Ivan Zaporozac or anyone else will work tomorrow, but how the people will live without the services of the institutions that we were leading. When we talk about those institutions, the Kosovo authorities have always known about them. It is absolutely nothing new that such institutions exist in this city, and it was discussed at the international level, and negotiated in Brussels, how these institutions will function in the future,” Simic said.

He said that the Serbian institutions that were closed by the Kosovo authorities were not parallel institutions, but the only ones that provided such services and that there was no substitute/counterpart to those institutions.

“Either they provide these services, or no one else does. This is also a question for our citizens, where will they register the birth of a child tomorrow, get a death certificate, where will they get married? We will come to a situation, if it continues at this pace, and obviously it will, where there is no one to determine where the burial place is. Who will bury the people who passed away? The intentions that we have heard in the past few days are to open the bridge and have raids in other institutions. Even the University is threatened. This is the moment in which the international community will show its face. Whether it will show its face and whether it will do anything remains to be seen,” Simic said.

He added that they will respond to invitations for questioning by the police, and that they share the fate of the people.

“We will not be the first Serbs who were taken there, harassed, interrogated. We share the destiny of the people, which is what we have always said and today we will show it. We will respond to the invitation and clearly state that we worked for the benefit of citizens, of all nationalities, and in no way and never have we acted in a way that anyone can qualify, as they did ‘falsification of documents’,” said Simic.

He also said that in 2013, the Assembly in Pristina adopted a law ratifying the Brussels Agreement, which, as he stated, deals with the functioning of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia in the area.

“And about the ways, how to solve their functioning in some way, so that they would be accepted in the Kosovo system as well. Which means absolutely legal and in accordance with the law”.

On behalf of the Serbian List, he called for peace and restraint.

“We will respond to the summons, and I will say once again, this is political persecution of the Serbian people and this is part of a broader plan of institutional repression with the aim of persecuting everything Serbian from Kosovo and Metohija,” he concluded.

Simic confirmed that invitations for the questioning were delivered to three representatives of the SL, who are at the helm of Serbian institutions, him receiving on Viber and Zaporozac in person.

Simic said that “the situation is changing dramatically from hour to hour, and that they cannot foresee the moves to come, but that they know that it will be to the detriment of the Serbs”.

He also said that responsibility for “everything that happens to the Serbian people” rests with the international community.

“They received mandates from the UN, the UN GA, and the Security Council to ensure peace, security, and safety for all citizens. I believe that we will all agree that there is no peace, safety, and security in these circumstances, while international organizations are still on the ground,” Simic said.

President of Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, said that the goal of the political parties, primarily VV, is discrimination and the closure of SL, and that the work of the Serbian Orthodox Church, educational institutions, and health care is compromised to render the Community of Serb Municipalities meaningless.

He said that in talks with high-ranking representatives of the international community and ambassadors of the Quint countries, they “warn about Albin Kurti’s next step, talk about the interests of the Serbian community”.

Mentioning several times the cooperation of journalists with the international community, Simić took advantage of the opportunity to ask journalists to raise the issue of responsibility with international representatives.

"It's a simple matter. They guaranteed this nation and committed themselves that there will be peace here, that the Community of Serbian Municipalities will be formed, that the institutions they invaded with guns will be part of that Community, that the citizens will be safe, that they will be able to exercise their rights".

Reminding the journalists of "the occupation" of the Provisional Authority in Strpce two years ago, which was the first occupation of these Serbian institutions, with the remark that "many have forgotten", although the journalists were not informed about it at the time, Simic also reminded of the international condemnation of such and other actions, but also what, he claims, they told them then:

"How many more announcements do you have in your drawer until the last one - No Serbs in Kosovo?"

Simic also recalled several statements by the former US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, that Serbs in Kosovo have the right to dual citizenship, i.e., that they have the right "to vote and participate in the economic and cultural life of Serbia."

"And not to double discrimination, those are his words."

Zaporozac after questioning by KP: This is a political process against me and my colleagues (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The President of the Provisional Body of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica, Ivan Zaporozac, was questioned at the police station in Mitrovica.

After the questioning, he declared that he was absolutely sure that this was a political process against him and his colleagues.

"I am proud that I performed and continue to perform the job of president of the Provisional Authority honorably and that I absolutely think that I did my job honestly. What they accuse me of is falsifying documents, and I can't say anything else about that," said Zaporozac.

He adds that big things have happened in a few days and that the pressure that the citizens bear is very strong.

"The only thing I can say is that I am here, that the entire Serbian people in the territory of Kosovska Mitrovica should be there, that they should be calm and that we believe that all this will pass and that we will survive and stay in these areas," said Zaporozac.

The Zaporozac arrived at the hearing accompanied by a lawyer.

The member of the presidency of the Serbian List and the director of the PIO Fund Directorate, Igor Simic, will be questioned today at 16:00, while it is not known when Ivan Todosijevic, the president of the Provisional Authority of the Municipality of Zvecan, will appear before the police, who also received an invitation for an interview.

Rector's Office: The University of Pristina with its temporary seta in North Mitrovica remains (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)

"The University of Pristina with its temporary seat in North Mitrovica remains in Kosovo and continues its mission of educating young people, without any changes in the schedule of exams, classes or enrollment activities," the Rectorate of this university said, after the last session of the Rector's College, held yesterday in North Mitrovica.

In the statement delivered to the media, the public's attention is expressly drawn to, as they say, rumors and misinformation about the alleged relocation of the university from the territory of Kosovo.

"Due to increasingly frequent rumors and misinformation about the alleged relocation of the University of Pristina with its temporary headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, we inform the academic and general public that the University remains with its people on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, firmly determined to carry out its mission of educating young people even more persistently, within the educational system of the Republic of Serbia, in which it has the undivided support of all state authorities," the announcement states.

It is added that the second enrollment period for the admission of students in the academic year 2024/25 is underway at the University. year, which is implemented in accordance with the established plan and deadlines, without changes.

The University appeals to citizens not to attach importance to rumors and to contact them for all information.

"Students, parents and citizens are requested not to attach importance to malicious misinformation and that, if they have caused any doubts or dilemmas, for all information, contact the University administration or its faculties," the statement read at the end.

Maliqi: Kosovo Serbs in a position like the Albanians during the time of Milosevic, Kurti plays similar to Vucic (NMagazin, Beta, Nedeljnik, Danas, media)

Analyst and publicist Shkelzen Maliqi assessed that without the full and sincere cooperation of the Kosovo and Serbian authorities, it is impossible to guarantee security and prosperity to the Kosovo Serbs.

He added that the Serbs are now in almost the same position as the Albanians were in Kosovo during the time of Slobodan Milosevic.

"(Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic's biggest mistake is that he hastily forced the Serbs to leave the structures of the Kosovo system, where they were still a factor, decisions could not be made without them in solving practical issues on the ground," Maliqi said in an interview for Nedeljnik weekly.

As he explained, "Serbs remained in an empty space where the only reliable guarantee is the presence of KFOR, but it is a military and not a police formation, it intervenes only in extremely dangerous situations, which was abused by extremists when barricades were set up".

"The Kosovo Serbs are almost in the same position as we Albanians were in the nineties when Milosevic imposed the apartheid system, only the Serbian police and paramilitary groups were on the ground, and we were protected by foreign diplomatic missions," Maliqi said.

He stated that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti portrays himself as a firm and principled politician who does not give in to Western pressures.

"His game is similar to Vucic's, populist. His internal politics are disastrous. He tries to adapt all power and laws to party interests, just like Vucic. He pumps up his popularity among those layers of society who have vindictive sentiments towards Belgrade and the local Serbs," Maliqi said.

How will Serbs living outside Kosovo vote in the February elections? (Kosovo Online)

By car or bus to the polling station in Kosovo on February 9, or a bit earlier to the post office, where they can send their ballots and hope they safely reach the Central Election Commission. These are the two options available to Serbs with Kosovo documents who have the right to vote in Kosovo but live in Serbia if they wish to participate in the Kosovo parliamentary elections. Neither option guarantees that their voting rights will ultimately be fulfilled.

There have been enough examples of Serbs being mistakenly arrested at border crossings to discourage some from traveling to Kosovo for the parliamentary elections. Voting by mail in previous years has also proven unreliable.

Since the postal services of Serbia and Kosovo do not cooperate, mail-in ballots from Serbia must be routed through North Macedonia or Montenegro to reach the CEC in Pristina. If these votes arrive after the deadline, they are rejected.

While there were cases in 2019 where votes arrived on time, they were labeled as "poisoned" after 12 election verifiers in Kosovo experienced symptoms that required hospitalization. Later, it was stated that this was an allergic reaction to the envelopes from Serbia. The CEC members processed around 3,700 votes in hazmat suits, but later declared the ballots as unlawfully delivered, removing them from the final results.

Some analysts in Pristina suggest a third option for Serbs voting from outside Kosovo—using the office of the liaison officer between Pristina and Belgrade. However, this option is questionable. In November of last year, Ivica Dacic, then Serbia’s Foreign Minister, stated that liaison officers, as per the dialogue agreement, are physically located in the EU delegation offices in Belgrade and Pristina, but they do not have diplomatic status.