UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 25, 2025
Albanian Language Media:
Kurti: We stand with Ukraine in its fight for freedom (media)
Osmani: From day one, we stood with Ukraine (media)
Hargreaves: Kosovo should have close coordination with NATO partners (Koha)
UNMIK reacts to closure of Serbia financed offices in north of Kosovo (media)
- Germany “parallel structures must be closed”, disagrees on way of closure (AP)
France calls on Kosovo to prioritize coordination and dialogue with Serbia (AP)
Prosecution says there was court order for “control in structures in north” (Koha)
Former U.S. Special Representative for Kosovo, Frank Wisner, dies (media)
Kurti congratulates Friedrich Merz on election victory (media)
Serbian Language Media:
Ziadeh: The closure of institutions funded by Serbia negatively impact the people who rely on their services (Kosovo Online)
North Mitrovica: Ugljanin vows to expose Serbian List’s alleged abuses (KoSSev)
Prelec: Collapse of institutional capacities in Kosovo - less than a million voters, and votes are still being counted (Kosovo Online)
- Office for KiM: Petkovic at the UN Human Rights Council (Kosovo Online)
Picula: Serbia needs to demonstrate strategic orientation towards EU (N1, Beta)
- Students head to Nis for March 1 rally (N1)
Albanian Language Media
Kurti: We stand with Ukraine in its fight for freedom (media)
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti wrote in a post on X on Monday that Kosovo stands with Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy. “Today marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—an event that has inflicted immense suffering on those bravely defending their country and has shaken Europe and the democratic world. In Kosovo, a country that has endured genocide, we deeply understand the pain and resilience of the Ukrainian people. Our solidarity is not just in words but also in action—hosting Ukrainian journalists in our country, sending military equipment, and together with our allies like Great Britain, contributing to the training of Ukrainian soldiers. We stand with Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy,” Kurti said.
Osmani: From day one, we stood with Ukraine (media)
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X on Monday that “three years ago, war returned to Europe. On February 24, 2022, the world woke up to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, we’ve witnessed immense suffering—lives stolen, cities destroyed—but also the extraordinary resilience of the Ukranian people. Ukraine fights for its homeland, dignity, and freedom. Kosovo knows this pain. We have lived it. That’s why, from day one, we stood with Ukraine. We have opened our doors, trained their soldiers, supported survivors of wartime sexual violence, and given all we could—knowing that Ukraine’s fight is our fight, too. It is a fight for a Europe whole, free and at peace!”
Hargreaves: Kosovo should have close coordination with NATO partners (Koha)
UK Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, in an editorial published on Monday, on the third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, said that Europe must do more for security, describing this as a testing time. He said that Kosovo should have close coordination and cooperation with its NATO partners, as they guarantee its security and protection. “And for Kosovo, whose security and defense are guaranteed by its NATO partners, this means careful coordination and cooperation with these partners to minimize security risks and accelerate the path towards a minimal presence,” he wrote.
UNMIK reacts to closure of Serbia financed offices in north of Kosovo (media)
Special Representative of the Secretary General and head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, in a post on X on expressed concern “about the closure of the Serbia financed offices in north #Kosovo & the negative impact of these closures on the daily lives of individuals & on people who rely on these services for critical support”. Ziadeh reiterated her calls “for these closures and other outstanding issues to be discussed constructively and in good faith within the EU-facilitated Dialogue”.
Germany “parallel structures must be closed”, but disagrees on way of closure (AP)
Representatives of the German Embassy in Kosovo said on Monday that they agree “that parallel structures” should be closed, “but institutions of healthcare, education and those that offer basic social services should not be closed in this way”. “The closing of the existing structures without a previous agreement about the alternatives can have a negative impact on the daily lives of Serbs and other communities,” a spokesperson for the embassy said.
France calls on Kosovo to prioritize coordination and dialogue with Serbia (AP)
At an event organized by the embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the EU to mark the third anniversary of the start of the war in Ukraine, French Ambassador Olivier Guerot called on Kosovo to prioritize coordination and to return to the EU-facilitated dialogue with Serbia. “The situation in Kosovo cannot seen separately from the broader security picture of our continent. Therefore, I call on Kosovo to prioritize coordination and dialogue for the sake of their own country and the whole continent,” Guerot is quoted as saying.
Prosecution says there was court order for “control in structures in north” (Koha)
Investigative authorities told the news website on Monday that police entered the Serbian-run structures in the north of Kosovo on Friday following an order by the Basic Court in Mitrovica. Court officials said that four suspects who were stopped and then released in regular procedure are charged with “forging documents”. “The control in these centers was done with the court’s order. Investigations have been initiated against four people for continuously committing the offence ‘forging documents’. We cannot comment on the confiscated evidence for the time being, because there are some additional procedures that need to be completed,” the prosecution said.
Former U.S. Special Representative for Kosovo, Frank Wisner, dies (media)
Frank Wisner, the former special representative for Kosovo in the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush, has died at the age of 86. Wisner served as ambassador to four countries and was the U.S. envoy in the Kosovo status talks. In an interview with KTV in 2022, Wisner said that over the years since Kosovo’s independence, he has nothing to add except satisfaction with what Kosovars and Kosovo have achieved. “I believe that you have a vibrant democracy, with free media, the rule of law is being firmly implemented. I take my hat off to everyone for that. More attention to the economy would be welcome, but you have built a respectable, functional state. And I would like to say the same things about Serbia, but I think it is mired in the past, unwilling to accept that the page of history has been turned, and that there is no return to the status quo where it was, when Kosovo was part of Serbia,” he had said.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani expressed condolences saying that Wisner left an indelible mark on Kosovo's history.
Kurti congratulates Friedrich Merz on election victory (media)
Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has congratulated the CDU/CSU on their victory in the federal elections in Germany. Kurti wrote on the X platform that Kosovo and its people are eagerly awaiting the continuation and deepening of Kosovo-Germany cooperation, while he also specifically congratulated Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be the next Chancellor. “Congratulations to Friedrich Merz and the CDU/CSU on their victory in the German federal elections. Kosovo and its people are eagerly awaiting the continuation and deepening of our cooperation,” Kurti wrote.
Serbian Language Media
Ziadeh: The closure of institutions funded by Serbia negatively impact the people who rely on their services (Kosovo Online)
The Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, expressed concern about the closure of Serbian-funded institutions in the north of Kosovo due to the negative impact it has on people's daily lives, reported Kosovo Online.
“SRSG Ziadeh is concerned about the closure of the Serbia financed offices in north Kosovo and the negative impact of these closures on the daily lives of individuals and on people who rely on these services for critical support. The SRSG reiterates her calls for these closures and other outstanding issues to be discussed constructively and in good faith within the EU-facilitated Dialogue,” read this mission post on X.
North Mitrovica: Ugljanin vows to expose Serbian List’s alleged abuses (KoSSev)
The 38th regular session of the North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly was held yesterday, featuring five agenda points and an additional item introduced during the session. Despite not being previously announced to the media, the meeting remained open to the public.
Among the key discussions was the presentation of a report by the Kosovo Police commander for the northern region. Assembly members also approved the implementation of the municipal organogram decision and adopted a new regulation on job classification and organization.
However, the session’s most heated moment came at its conclusion when Assembly Chair Nedzad Ugljanin addressed the floor with strong accusations against Srpska Lista (Serbian List), the leading political party representing Kosovo Serbs.
“Srpska Lista seeks to return, but workers remain jobless“
Speaking in Serbian, Ugljanin criticized Srpska Lista for allegedly forcing municipal employees to resign, only to now seek a return to power while leaving those same workers unemployed.
Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/5n6etxk3
Prelec: Collapse of institutional capacities in Kosovo - less than a million voters, and votes are still being counted (Kosovo Online)
Senior analyst for the Balkans of the International Crisis Group, Marko Prelec, pointed out that the fact that the results of the parliamentary elections were known in Germany after just a few hours after their maintenance, and that the counting of votes has not yet been completed in Kosovo, even though the election process was held on February 9, testifies to the collapse of Kosovo's institutions and their capacities.
He commented on the social network X, to the statement of Aleksandar Sljuka, associate of the NGO New Social Initiative, who pointed out that in Germany the counting of votes was completed within a few hours of the end of the election, while in Kosovo it remains unfinished - 15 days later.
“I was thinking the same thing. What a collapse of state capacities in Kosovo. Note: Almost 50 million people voted in Germany, less than a million in Kosovo," said Prelec.
Office for KiM: Petkovic at the UN Human Rights Council (Kosovo Online)
Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, will participate tomorrow in the 58th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which is being held in Geneva, during which he will have several important meetings about endangered human rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo, announced the Office for KiM.
Petkovic will have a special bilateral meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the Office stated.
The session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, together with the session of the UN General Assembly, is one of the most important multilateral events in the world and is held in the presence of a large number of representatives of the member states of the UN.
Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and the Permanent Mission of Serbia to the UN in Geneva, a special event called "Serious violations of the human rights of Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija" will be held on the sidelines of this session tomorrow, where Petkovic, together with his associates, will introduce the representatives of the UN member states to the violation of the human rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo.
"The Vice President of the Serbian List and the President of Strpce Dalibor Jevtic, and Kosovo Serbs, who were victims of the regime's terror in Pristina, will also take part in this event, and will have a special reference to the impossible living conditions of the Serbian people in Kosovo," added the statement of the Office for KiM.
Picula: Serbia needs to demonstrate strategic orientation towards EU (N1, Beta)
European Parliament (EP) standing rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula said in Belgrade that Serbia needs to seriously demonstrate that it is strategically oriented towards the European Union (EU) and communicate objectively and unambiguously about the EU.
According to a press release by the Serbian Ministry of European Integration, Picula said in a meeting with Minister Tanja Miscevic that “major shortcomings persist in critical areas such as the rule of law, freedom of media, electoral framework, persistent prevalence of corruption in many areas, and public administration reform.”
Picula condemned unsubstantiated allegations against the EU and its member states that they are involved in organizing the ongoing student-led protests in Serbia.
The EP rapporteur for Serbia reiterated the readiness of the EP to support to restart of the political and democratic processes related to Serbia’s European path, by “using the existing democracy support tools and initiatives.”
Miscevic said that European integration is a key priority of Serbia’s foreign policy and that the country “is ready to take advantage of the new enlargement momentum by fulfilling its accession obligations,” said the press release.
“Serbia is actively working on achieving full alignment with the EU acquis and practice by the end of 2026,” the press release quoted Miscevic as saying, adding that she highlighted the importance of the Growth Plan and the Reform Agenda, which list priority measures to accelerate the process.
The two officials also discussed the draft Report on Serbia, which is currently in the process of being adopted by the EP.
Once approved in a plenary session of this European institution, the report will take the form of a Resolution, which is neither legally nor politically binding for EU institutions and member states, said the Serbia Ministry of European Integration.
Picula was in his first visit to Serbia in his capacity as rapporteur.
Students head to Nis for March 1 rally (N1)