UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, August 10, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

EU calls for further steps to lift punitive measures (RTK)

Knut Abraham supports the letter of European and American MPs (RTK)

Initial draft for withdrawal of mayors in north discussed (Kosovapress)

Zubin Potok mayor doesn’t want petition, proposes resignation of mayors (media)

German Ambassador Rohde meets media representatives (media)

U.S. General: We will continue to support the Kosovo Security Force (Telegrafi)

Ragmi Mustafi appointed adviser to Bislimi (Koha)

Kurti's visit to Skopje provokes reactions in Albanian political spectrum (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Petković: MTS.doo has legal mechanisms to overturn decision, serious consequences for Pristina in telecommunications possible (KoSSev)

Serbian companies in Kosovo stripped of certificates due to "unconstitutional content" (media)

EULEX chief meets Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije (Kosovo Online, social media)

Vucic: Serious discussion with Peach about situation in Kosovo, region (Tanjug, media)

Brnabic: Fulfillment of obligations precondition for continuation of normalization with Pristina (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Armed Forces team heads to Slovenia to join flood relief efforts (media)

International Media:

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions (AP)

Kosovar PM Welcomes European, U.S. Warning Against 'Belgrade-Centered' Policy (RFE)

Pristina Asked to Explain Bar on Serbian Journalist Entering Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Calls Grow for Kosovo Community Funding Call to be Annulled (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

EU calls for further steps to lift punitive measures (RTK)

The European Union has welcomed the recent announcement by the government of Kosovo for a further 25% reduction in police presence in and around municipal buildings in northern Kosovo.

"The decision was taken after a technical level meeting between the Kosovo Police and EULEX, with the aim of defining common parameters for the assessment of the security situation in the northern municipalities", the EU spokesperson Peter Stano told RTK on Wednesday.

However, the European Union is considering that this is not enough for the removal of punitive measures against Kosovo. "These are steps in the right direction, but further steps are needed," Stano said.

Knut Abraham supports the letter of European and American MPs (RTK)

German MP Knut Abraham from the ranks of the CDU/CSU has given support to the joint letter of over 50 pro-Kosovo European and American MPs.

"This open letter has my full support. A very good initiative and at the right time", wrote on the social network "X" (former Twitter), the Bundestag MP who shared the post of the British MP Alicia Kearns.

In a letter addressed to the Secretary of the United States of America, Antony Blinken, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, James Cleverly, 50 MPs, including American senators and congressmen, 10 chairs of parliamentary committees on foreign policies of 16 countries, including Ukraine, have expressed their support for Kosovo and called for a tougher approach towards Serbia. They have also warned of the danger posed by its actions for security in the Western Balkans.

Initial draft for withdrawal of mayors in north discussed (Kosovapress)

The working group for the drafting of the administrative instruction for the removal of the mayors of northern municipalities held the first meeting. The head of this group, Besim Myrtezani, told KosovaPress that the initial draft was discussed in this meeting. He announced that the next meeting will take place on Wednesday while adding that the administrative instruction as a whole will be ready on September 1.

Its conclusion paves the way for the steps for the petition for the removal of the mayors, which requires the signature of 20% of the voters in the municipality.

This working group includes representatives from the Presidency, the Government and civil society. A week ago, the Ministry of Local Government Administration started the procedures for the resignation of four mayors in the northern municipalities.

Zubin Potok mayor doesn’t want petition, proposes resignation of mayors (media)

The mayor of Zubin Potok does not prefer the initiative of the central government to dismiss the mayors of the municipalities, through the petition procedure. Izmir Zeqiri, who was elected to this position in the April 23 elections that were boycotted by the majority of Serbs in the north, prefers another idea for new elections.

"In my opinion, it would have been better if there was a political agreement, so to speak, and a will for the resignations of the mayors", Zeqiri told Klan Kosova.

In fact, he continues to perform the duties of the mayor not from the central office, but from an alternative one in the village of Caber. He physically went to his office in Zubin Potok only on May 26, when the mayor of Zvecan and that of Leposavic, with police assistance, allowed them to enter the municipal buildings.

"We have daily information about the situation in and around the municipality. So at certain or right moments, we will go when the right conditions are created. We will go there with the whole cabinet, but at the moment we are also operating from here", he added.

Meanwhile, according to the claims of some politicians and local activists, someone intentionally removed the inscription of the municipality, which was in the Cyrillic alphabet in the building of the municipality.

Zeqiri says that the letters were knocked down by the wind and that the claim that the police removed them does not stand and that when the conditions are met, the inscription will be repaired.

German Ambassador Rohde meets media representatives (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, met with representatives of Kosovo media on Wednesday. “Had a productive meeting with representatives from Kosovo media and the press today. In democracies, the media’s role as the 4th pillar of power is undeniable. Their contributions are indispensable for driving public debate and offering critical perspectives. Grateful for the insights gained,” Rohde said after the meeting.

U.S. General: We will continue to support the Kosovo Security Force (Telegrafi)

Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Lieutenant General, Bashkim Jashari, hosted on Wednesday the Deputy Commanding General for U.S. Army Europe and Africa, Andrew Rohling. A press release issued by the Ministry of Defence notes that Jashari briefed Rohling about the achievements of the Kosovo Security Force so far and the focus on the development in the coming years. “General Jashari highly appreciated the cooperation between the KSF and the Command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa, thanking him for the continuous support, both in the trainings and in different infrastructural projects,” the press release notes.

Jashari and Rohling agreed to intensify cooperation and implement projects aimed at the professional and tactical development of the KSF. “At the end of the meeting, the U.S. General said that the Command of U.S. Army Europe and Africa will continue to support the KSF in military capacity building and cooperation with U.S. forces,” the statement said.

Ragmi Mustafi appointed adviser to Bislimi (Koha)

The former chairman of the Albanian National Council in the Presheva Valley has been appointed adviser to the Kosovo deputy prime minister, Besnik Bislimi.

"This extraordinary opportunity to serve Kosovo and the Valley within Mr. Bislimi’s team once again reaffirms the commitment of the government of the Republic of Kosovo to the Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja," Mustafi wrote on Facebook.

On Wednesday, Mustafi posted on Facebook a photo with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, saying that the government of Kosovo has allocated 254,562 euros to supply with textbooks in the Albanian language the Albanian students of primary schools in Presheva, Medvegja and Bujanoc.

"We paved the way for cooperation, the fruits of which continue for the Albanians of the Valley. We are proud of the commitment and assistance of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo in the Valley", Mustafi wroteamong other things.

Kurti's visit to Skopje provokes reactions in Albanian political spectrum (Koha)

Officials in Skopje have qualified the lack of meetings of Prime Minister Albin Kurti with representatives of the government of North Macedonia during his stay planned for Friday in this country, as a party visit. But the government of Kosovo has said that Kurti’s visit is as prime minister, at the invitation of the mayors of Cair and Tetova municipalities.

However, Kurti's meetings with Albanian representatives of the opposition in North Macedonia will take place at a time when the Albanian parties there have increased efforts to create a bloc against Ali Ahmeti's DUI.

The announced visit of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to North Macedonia on Friday has provoked reactions in the political spectrum in Skopje.

The Foreign Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, has said "I have no official information. So, he probably doesn't come as prime minister. We see on social networks, some party communication, so I really have no information. We are a free country and anyone can come", Osmani emphasized.

According to the Kosovo government spokesperson Perparim Kryeziu, Kurti will participate on the occasion of the re-naming of a street in Skopje with the name of Adem Demaci and the inauguration of an important road segment of the Prizren-Tetovo connection.

Serbian Language Media

Petković: MTS.doo has legal mechanisms to overturn decision, serious consequences for Pristina in telecommunications possible (KoSSev)

MTS.doo has at its disposal legal mechanisms to overturn ‘absurd’ decision of the Kosovo Business Registration Agency, however, Pristina because of its unilateral acts may suffer serious consequences in the field of telecommunications, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement yesterday after Ministry of Industry, Trade and Entrepreneurship confirmed it has revoked license certificate of MTS.doo company, KoSSev portal reports.

“At the times when MTS.doo regulated its operations in Kosovo and Metohija in line with agreements in Brussels and all valid procedures in Pristina, procedurally everything was alright”, Office for KiM Director Petar Petkovic said.

Petkovic recalled all agreements based on which registration of MTS.doo in Kosovo took place, adding that all of this “capricious Albin Kurti destroyed in an attack of his arbitrariness”.

“In order to demonstrate that nothing that has been agreed in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue thus far obliges him”, Petkovic added. He also said this decision represents not violation of the rights of one company to carry out its work unobstructed, but also an attack on the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo, preventing mobile phone connections of Serbian people in Kosovo with the rest of Serbia and also abolishing TV signal and mobile internet thus isolating current MTS.doo users in Kosovo.

Serbian companies in Kosovo stripped of certificates due to "unconstitutional content" (media)

Kosovo Business Registration Agency has revoked the registration certificates of 15 Serbian companies operating in Kosovo including Telekom Srbija's daughter company MTS doo, due to "unconstitutional content”, Tanjug news agency reported.

In a statement, Pristina's Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade said the companies had displayed content such as "Pec, Republic of Serbia", "Pristina, Serbia", "Djakovica, Republic of Serbia", "Kosovska Mitrovica, Republic of Serbia", "Gnjilane, Serbia", etc. calling this content "unconstitutional".

Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic said earlier MTS would continue to operate and provide services to its customers despite a decision by the Pristina authorities to shut down the company.

He said MTS had been set up under the Brussels Agreement and that any attempt to stop its operations by force would result in hefty damages being awarded to Telekom Srbija by an international court.

EULEX chief meets Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije (Kosovo Online, social media)

EULEX Head Giovanni Barbano visited Serbian Orthodox Church Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodsije in Gracanica Monastery, Kosovo Online portal reports. During the meeting Giovanni reassured Bishop Teodosije that EULEX will continue supporting rule of law and monitor closely the justice system in terms of all the rights compliance, including an equal treatment for non-majority communities in Kosovo.

In a post on Twitter Brabano said that he paid a courtesy visit to Bishop Teodosije of Raška and Prizren Eparchy at the Gracanica Monastery.

“During an open discussion, I heard his concerns regarding the overall security situation in Kosovo & the respect for human rights of non-majority communities.

I reassured him that #EULEX will continue to support the rule of law & to closely and robustly monitor the justice system in terms of procedural, legal, & human rights compliance, including equal treatment for all communities”, Barbano wrote.

Vucic: Serious discussion with Peach about situation in Kosovo, region (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he had had a serious and substantial discussion with the UK's Special Envoy for Western Balkan Sir Stuart Peach on Wednesday on the situation in Kosovo and across the region.

"A serious and substantial discussion with Lord Stuart Peach. We discussed the situation in Kosovo and Metohija as well as across the region. Also, we agreed that Serbia and the UK need to invest more effort in the development of our economic and overall political relations", Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram profile.

Brnabic: Fulfillment of obligations precondition for continuation of normalization with Pristina (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said during a meeting with the UK's Special Envoy for Western Balkan Sir Stuart Peach in Belgrade on Wednesday that fulfillment of agreed obligations was a precondition for a continuation of the process of normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations, Tanjug news agency reports.

She said this was the only way of overcoming outstanding issues and reaching a mutually acceptable solution, the Serbian Government said in a statement.

Brnabic said preservation of peace and stability was Belgrade's fundamental priority.

Peach said the UK was committed to preservation of peace and progress in the region and that London supported the Berlin Process and all other initiatives that helped to advance concrete cooperation in the region. The meeting was also attended by the UK's Ambassador to Belgrade Edward Ferguson.

Serbian Armed Forces team heads to Slovenia to join flood relief efforts (media)

Twenty-two Serbian Armed Forces servicemen departed for Slovenia on Wednesday to join flood relief efforts in the country.

The servicemen, who come from the Serbian Air Force and the 63rd Parachute Brigade, took off from the Colonel Pilot Milenko Pavlovic Air Base in Batajnica near Belgrade aboard H-145 and Mi-17 helicopters.

Defence Minister Milos Vucevic noted that, following requests by Serbian President Aleksadnar Vucic and the Government of Serbia, the army was sending its first team to flood-hit Slovenia to help the country and its people.

Vucevic said 34 other Serbian Armed Forces servicemen and a convoy of four fuel cisterns and four water cisterns would also head to Slovenia by land on Thursday.

International Media

Top US and EU lawmakers say West is too soft on Serbia when it comes to easing Kosovo tensions (AP)

Senior lawmakers from the United States and Europe are calling for a change in the Western diplomatic approach toward Serbia and Kosovo amid concern that tensions between the two could rapidly spiral out of control.

In the letter, signed by U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his counterparts in Germany, the U.K., Ukraine and other countries, the lawmakers said U.S. and European Union negotiators were not putting enough pressure on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Serbia and its former province of Kosovo have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refuses to recognize the move.

“It is hugely underestimated how serious the situation is that the EU and allies have brought themselves into with the continued appeasement of autocrats in the region like Vucic and (Bosnian Serb leader Milorad) Dodik,” one of the letter’s signatories, Dutch EU lawmaker Thijs Reuten, told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Kosovar PM Welcomes European, U.S. Warning Against 'Belgrade-Centered' Policy (RFE)

Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in Pristina on August 9 that he welcomed a letter this week from dozens of European and U.S. legislators to the top EU, U.S., and U.K. envoys urging the international community to avoid a "Belgrade-centered policy for the Balkans."

Kurti, who rose to power three years ago vowing greater reciprocity in the former Serbian province's relations with the nationalist government in Belgrade, told a government session that the foreign lawmakers' initiative "strengthens our commitment to the full de-escalation of the situation in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo, commitment to democracy, legality, and constitutionality."

Tensions between majority Albanians in Kosovo and local Serbs supported by Belgrade erupted into ethnic violence that injured dozens of NATO peacekeepers in northern Kosovo in late May, after municipal elections a month earlier that were boycotted by ethnic Serbs.