• Rubin on Kosovo-Serbia normalization: Some difficult decisions are needed (media)
• Osmani travels to Italy invited by Arberesh community (media)
• Kosovo’s presidency reacts to Vucic’s statement (media)
• Hill: The key moment for the implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreements (ekonomia)
• Police: We have not injured anyone in the north (media)
• Dacic complains to head of UNMIK about "frequent attacks on Serbs" in Kosovo (Klan)
• Extraordinary elections in the north, still no activities (RTK)
• Kosovo, Serbia Hold Rival Commemorations of Vital 1999 Battle (BIRN)
• War crimes tribunal centres on how much former Kosovan president knew (The Guardian)
• Vucic: Kosovo will ‘remain in Serbia’ until mandate end (Euractiv)
• Zarko Korac comments why Vucic did not sign in Ohrid (euronews.al)
• Spike Milligan’s mansion to become embassy for Kosovo (The Telegraph)

  

Rubin on Kosovo-Serbia normalization: Some difficult decisions are needed (media)

The special envoy of the U.S. State Department James Rubin has assessed that there is a brighter perspective for the Western Balkan region if the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is implemented. Rubin spoke at a press conference during his visit to Montenegro.

As he said, the U.S. welcomes the agreements in which the European Union is working and is helping Kosovo and Serbia to have normal relations.

On Monday, Rubin started his visit to the Western Balkans, while after Podgorica he will visit Belgrade, Skopje and Tirana.

Rubin was an assistant to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright from 1997 to 2000.

He spoke about the differences in the region between then and now.

"I see great differences compared to the time of war, misery and mass slaughter of innocent civilians. Now we can see the European perspective of Kosovo and Serbia, if the leaders accept the opportunity that has been given to them. They simply have to make some tough decisions. Nothing good happens in the world unless hard decisions are made. Some difficult decisions have already been made, but some more need to be made," Rubin said.

Rubin also spoke about the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.

"There are differences. Aleksandar Vucic is working with Kosovo officials for normalization," added Rubin, saying that Russia would not want the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. 

Osmani travels to Italy invited by Arberesh community (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has traveled to Calabria, Italy, at the invitation of the Arberesh community of this region. According to the announcement of the Presidency, Osmani will be awarded the "Gjergj Kastrioti" award.

"During her stay in Calabria, President Osmani will have separate meetings with the president of the Calabria Region, in Catanzaro, with the president of the Province of Cozenza, as well as with the mayors of Arberesh municipalities in this region, with whom she will discuss the possibilities of the further deepening of the cooperation of our country with the municipalities of Arberesh of this region", the communique informs.

Kosovo’s presidency reacts to Vucic’s statement (media)

The President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic has reiterated that he will not fully implement the agreement recently reached with Kosovo in Ohrid. His statements that some points will not be implemented by Serbia, given to Serbian public television, have prompted the reaction of the Kosovar side. Citing Vucic's statement, the chief of staff of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Blerim Vela, said that the West should now impose sanctions on Serbia.

“Vucic on Serbia's RTS speaking about implementation of the agreement with Kosovo: ‘We will implement some parts (of the agreement), while others will not. I made it clear what I won't implement.’

A clear contradiction with what has been agreed and the EU's stance. Sanctions should follow!” Vela tweeted.

In another tweet, Vela wrote that “Serbia’s institutions are systematically denying access of family members to Kosovo citizens currently detained in detention centers in Serbia with a pretext that they don’t recognize Kosovo IDs.

This is a violation of Brussels agreements and the basic human rights by Vucic’s regime.”

Hill: The key moment for the implementation of the Kosovo-Serbia agreements (ekonomia)

The American ambassador in Belgrade Christopher Hill said that the key moment has come when we have to wait for something to happen regarding the implementation of the agreements between Kosovo and Serbia, which according to him were not easily reached.

"As for the Ohrid agreement and other deals, at no point have I said it's easy and that it's going to be easy, but I think we've reached a key point in the sense that we have to wait for something to happen in terms of implementation," Hill said, reports "Tanjug".

He added that the moment is difficult, but that he considers the moment full of hope, as well as that he expects implementation in the future. Hill added that the issue of Kosovo should be seen as a regional issue in the context of the Open Balkans and according to him, with the initiative of the Western Balkans, the countries cooperate and work together.

"It is part of the process that will lead Serbia to a greater cooperation and eventually to its membership in the EU," stated Hill and added that the U.S. strongly supports the process of cooperation within the framework of the Open Balkans and rapprochement with the EU.

Police: We have not injured anyone in the north (media)

The Kosovo police have denied reports about an individual injured in the north of Kosovo on the evening of April 10. In a public reaction on Facebook, the Kosovo Police said that it was not involved in any case of exchange or firing of firearms against any specific group or person.

On Monday evening, local Serbian media reported an injury, while it was said that police officials were at the exact place where the incident happened.

"The relevant police units have taken urgent police actions on investigating and verification of the received information, also by sending a police unit to Mitrovica North hospital, where they have received information that a person, who is suspected of being wounded with a firearm in the chest has been hospitalized, but the circumstances and motives of this case remain unknown.

It is worth highlighting and explaining that the KP was not involved in any exchange of fire against any certain group or individual. Therefore, writings or questions addressed to the KP by some Serbian-speaking media, that allegedly the KP was involved, or the suggestive questions whether the KP was involved in wounding a person at the Bistrica bridge in the municipality of Leposavic, we would like to inform and reiterate that the KP was not involved in any case of exchange of fire or opening fire in any location in northern Kosovo, including the above-mentioned location," the press release reads.

Dacic complains to head of UNMIK about "frequent attacks on Serbs" in Kosovo (Klan)

The head of Serbian diplomacy Ivica Dacic has expressed his concern to the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Caroline Ziadeh regarding the security and political situation in Kosovo.

During their meeting in Belgrade, he also complained to the head of UNMIK about the "frequent incidents against Serbs" and the "unilateral movements of Kosovo," announced the Serbian Foreign Minister.

Dacic, according to the announcement, told Ziadeh that "Belgrade is committed to dialogue as the only way to normalize relations" between Kosovo and Serbia, but added that "the essence is to respect what was agreed before."

According to him, "there is still no progress in the implementation of the obligations taken by the other side, first of all in relation to the establishment of the Association" of the Municipalities with a Serbian Majority, and once again mentioned the "red lines" of Serbia in the dialogue process.

With the "red lines", Serbian officials mean that Serbia is not ready to recognize Kosovo's independence or agree to Kosovo's entry into the United Nations.

Extraordinary elections in the north, still no activities (RTK)

 Although the Election campaign I n northern Kosovo has officially started, there is still no election atmosphere as the parties participating in the elections have not yet started the pre-election activities.

According to the U.S. expert on Balkan issues, Daniel Serwer, these elections are a difficult issue because, as he said, on the one hand stable and free conditions for elections must be created, while on the other hand the municipalities need legitimate representatives.

The political subjects, certified for participation in these elections, three Albanian, PDK, LVV and Mitrovica Civic Initiative as well as two Serb, have not informed the media about any election rally with their supporters. RTK has contacted some of the candidates for mayor by phone, to ask them if they are holding meetings with citizens as part of the election campaign. They said that they have not yet organized rallies and that they do not think of doing such a thing, while some of them prefer to unfold the program through social networks.

The election campaign in these municipalities will last until April 21, while banners with photos of the candidates have not been seen in the municipalities as in the past.

"Ideally, Belgrade should cooperate with Pristina to restore law and order in the north, withdraw Serbian clandestine security forces and their organized crime partners operating there, and enable Kosovo Police forces to take control. But none of this seems to be possible," Serwer said.

Speaking about the political situation, Serwer said that Kosovo is a living democracy, but that it is facing difficult challenges: the economy needs more investments and jobs, the judicial system still needs to fight corruption and the part of the Serbian population must be convinced that it can flourish without political ties to Belgrade.

Kosovo, Serbia Hold Rival Commemorations of Vital 1999 Battle (BIRN)

Ceremonies were held in Kosovo and Serbia to mark the anniversary of the 1999 Battle of Koshare/Kosare, a showdown that saw the guerrilla Kosovo Liberation Army seize important territory near the Albanian border from Yugoslav control.

Hundreds of Kosovo Albanians and troops gathered on Sunday in the village of Koshare/Kosare to commemorate the anniversary of a key battle 24 years ago near the Kosovo-Albania border between the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA fighters and Yugoslav Army troops.

“Along with its size in terms of the fighting, troops and territorial reach, the Battle of Koshare is one of the largest and most important in our struggle for freedom,” Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a Facebook post commemorating the anniversary.

The battle started on April 9, 1999 when the KLA attacked a border post between Yugoslavia and Albania. It continued until June 10 that year, when Milosevic agreed to pull his forces out of Kosovo after a 78-day NATO bombing campaign intended to stop his campaign of repression against Kosovo Albanians.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3GuJUta

War crimes tribunal centres on how much former Kosovan president knew (The Guardian)

Once feted by Tony Blair and Madeleine Albright, Hashim Thaçi stands accused in The Hague of complicity in torture and murder.

A quarter of a century ago, in the midst of the war in Kosovo and in its aftermath, senior international figures beat a path to the door of Hashim Thaçi, the Kosovo Liberation Army commander who would later become the country’s most prominent politician.

Thaçi hosted the former UK prime minister Tony Blair, one of the KLA’s most prominent international supporters. He met the late Liberal Democrat leader Sir Paddy Ashdown for a beer. Madeleine Albright, then US secretary of state, was a vocal admirer, and Hillary Clinton met Thaçi later when she occupied the same position.

Last week, however, Thaçi – who served as both prime minister and president of Kosovo – appeared in the dock of a Hague court alongside three prominent colleagues, all accused of war crimes committed during the conflict, including complicity in the murder of 102 people.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/3o4Qtg0

Vucic: Kosovo will ‘remain in Serbia’ until mandate end (Euractiv)

Kosovo will remain in Serbia until the end of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s mandate, Vučić stated on live TV where he also said his country would implement parts of the European proposal regarding the normalisation of relations with Pristina.

“Kosovo will probably remain in Serbia during my mandate, and after that, it is a question for someone else. I think we will have to suffer a lot, especially our people in Kosovo and Metohija”, Vučić said on RTS.

Serbia will implement some parts of the European proposal for the normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations but not others, Vučić said, adding that this is something that has been made very clear to Western politicians.

“I have clearly told them which ones we will not accept. All of them. Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz, and Anthony Blinken, to their face. And what can they say to that? They see me being decisive, looking into their eyes and directly saying that ten times. What can they say”, Vučić said on live TV.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/3My4ddc

Zarko Korac comments why Vucic did not sign in Ohrid (euronews.al)

Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Zarko Korac commented in an interview for “Balkan Talks” in Euronews Albania about the reason why Vucic did not sign in Ohrid.

“He said a couple of weeks or months ago that he will not sign anything. So, it was only for his public that he did not sign it and can claim that nothing serious happened, let’s say, from the legal and political side. But he is very worried about the demonstrations. So far there have been pretty small groups of people on the streets, mostly a few hundred, sometimes a few thousand, but Belgrade has 1.5 million inhabitants.

He is afraid of the small parliamentary parties that are much more nationalist than him and accuse him of being a traitor, betraying the constitution of Serbia. Therefore, as I said, it was the good will shown to him, that he was forced to sign, but in the end, it is a signed agreement, so to speak, it is a signed agreement without a signature,” said Korac.

Spike Milligan’s mansion to become embassy for Kosovo (The Telegraph) 

Kosovo is moving its London embassy to a £6.5m Hyde Park mansion once owned by the comedian Spike Milligan.

The arts-and-crafts property in Bayswater has been bought by Kosovo after a deal agreed by the country's ambassador Ilir Kapiti. Kosovo’s embassy is currently located on John Street in Holborn.

Milligan and fellow writer Eric Sykes bought the 5,697 sq ft property in 1962, making it the headquarters for their comedy co-operative Associated London Scripts.

The Doctor Who writer Terry Nation came up with the idea for the Daleks while working on the building's second floor, and it was used by Dennis Spooner to draft scripts for the Thunderbirds and Stingray series.

Milligan – co-creator of The Goon Show and the author of Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall – sold his interest in the mansion at 9 Orme Court in the early 1970s to Sykes, who continued to work in its first floor office until shortly before his death in 2012. The property then passed to the Sykes family.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/3UlM8RD