UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, July 12, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

NATO: Security situation in Kosovo has not stabilised, there is possibility of deterioration (VoA)
Osmani honours U.S. soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of freedom (Kosovapress)
Stano: EU does not participate in blame game, parties must fulfil their obligations (VoA)
Assembly adopts laws on Prosecutorial Council and Independent Media Commission (media)
PDK, LDK say they will send two laws to Constitutional Court (media)
Reactions to adoption of draft law on the Independent Media Commission (media)
Hamza: Kosovo must return to coordination with its partners (Reporteri)
Haliti: We are not negotiating recognition with Serbia, but relaxation of relations (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbs from north facing eviction from their apartments: We are not criminals, but we will end up on streets (Kosovo Online)
Stano: For Kosovo urgent priority is to establish CSM (Kosovo Online, VoA, media)
Djuric with Blinken: Political dialogue between Serbia and USA prerequisite for continued economic growth and development (media, social media)
NATO official: Deterioration of situation in Kosovo still possible (VoA, media)
Sentic welcomes establishment of commission for better integration of non-majority communities in public administration (KoSSev)
Rapajic: Life of Serbs in Kosovo has become very complicated (Kosovo Online)

International Media:

Kosovo MPs Adopt Independent Media Commission Law Despite Misgivings (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

NATO: Security situation in Kosovo has not stabilised, there is possibility of deterioration (VoA)

A NATO official stated on Thursday that the alliance is "very concerned" about the aggravated security situation and the potential for "deterioration" between Kosovo and Serbia, while adding that it is necessary for Pristina and Belgrade to engage in the dialogue process facilitated by the European Union to find a political solution.

"We are of the opinion that the solution and stabilisation of the security situation in the future will completely depend on political solutions. We have repeatedly emphasised the need for dialogue mediated by the EU and constructive diplomatic engagement", an official of the alliance told reporters in the framework of the Washington summit of the United States (USA).

"We also emphasised the need to avoid unilateral actions that could provoke security incidents", he added, while speaking about the security situation in Kosovo. "We continue to urge both sides to engage in the most constructive way possible, because the only real solution to the situation is a political solution," he reportedly emphasised.

Osmani honors U.S. soldiers who sacrificed their lives in service of freedom (Kosovapress)

Within the framework of the NATO Summit in Washington, the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani in Arlington has honoured the American soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the service of freedom and peace. Osmani said that their courage and dedication is an inspiration for a free and safe world.

"The deep ties and common values between Kosovo and the United States have also been established on this contribution. Remembering these heroes, we reaffirm our commitment to support the principles for which they fought", she wrote on Facebook.

Stano: EU does not participate in blame game, parties must fulfil their obligations (VoA)

Peter Stano, spokesperson of the European Union, has said that blaming each other between Serbia and Kosovo in the dialogue is very counterproductive and instead both sides should look at what they have not fulfilled from what they have agreed and to work to fulfil the obligations.

He reiterated that without progress in the dialogue for the normalisation of relations, neither Serbia nor Kosovo can advance towards the European Union.

Responding to a question regarding the statement of the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani to the Voice of America, that Serbia is not implementing its part of the agreement by not recognizing Kosovo's independence and that Prishtina is seeking international guarantees to fulfil its obligations, Stano said that "the EU is a mediator and does not deal with the recognition of independence".

Stano told the Voice of America that both parties have obligations and that in March 2023 they agreed in Ohrid how to implement them, but this is not happening. "We do not participate in blame-shifting, this is very contradictory and counter-productive. One party constantly blames the other and vice versa. Everyone must see what their duty is and fulfill it. Both parties have a lot to accomplish," he said.

"For example, the establishment of the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority is an urgent priority for Kosovo. It is an obligation undertaken by Kosovo a long time ago that is not being fulfilled despite the calls of the EU, American partners and others. Serbia should also start fulfilling its obligations, the Serbian parties still have deficits when it comes to issues arising from the agreement. The point is that both sides, instead of blaming each other and opening new issues, should focus on implementing what they agreed to in Ohrid in March 2023," says Stano.

"Serbia and Kosovo have announced European integration as a strategic priority. They also committed to linking dialogue on the normalisation of relations with progress on the road to EU accession. If there is no progress in dialogue, there is no progress in EU membership, it is very simple. We are mediators and we help them reach a consensus, but in the end, both sides must reach an agreement, reach a compromise, normalise relations, because only in this way will they be able to move forward and get closer to the EU ", concluded the EU spokesperson.

Assembly adopts laws on Prosecutorial Council and Independent Media Commission (media)

The leading news in most media is the adoption by the Kosovo Assembly of the law on the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the law on the Independent Media Commission on Thursday. The vote on the law on Public Officials was postponed for another session due to lack of quorum. Present at the assembly session were 61 MPs, all from the ruling party, as opposition MPs had earlier left the session.

Vetevendosje MP Valon Ramadani said there were many comments about the draft law on the IMC and that they were seriously analysed. “In the end it resulted with 93 amendments that change the content of the draft law,” he said. Two MPs from the ruling party abstained from the vote.

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu said after the adoption of the law on the prosecutorial council that “the much awaited reform will reorganise the Prosecutorial Council by eliminating the corporatization and clan groups in the Council, with increased accountability, integrity, and professionalism, in the system. The amendments voted today in the second reading in the Assembly were made in full compliance with the recommendations of the Venice Commission and the ruling of the Constitutional Court. We remain committed to our reforms path, for an accountable and professional system that is free from influence and accessible for all citizens”.

PDK, LDK say they will send two laws to Constitutional Court (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) – the two biggest opposition parties in Kosovo – said they would send the two laws adopted by the Kosovo Assembly – the law on the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the law on the Independent Media Commission – to the Constitutional Court for assessment of constitutionality.

PDK parliamentary group chief, Abelard Tahiri, said that this party would use all constitutional mechanisms to send the two laws to the Constitutional Court to make sure the Constitution is respected. He also said that “the repeated efforts of the majority to capture and subdue the independent judiciary institutions and to control the media and the freedom of speech got their final form in today’s session”.

LDK said in a statement that the adoption of the two laws “reveal the tendency for the anti-constitutional capture of independent institutions” and that the LDK would “neither accept or tolerate this”.

Reactions to adoption of draft law on the Independent Media Commission (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (ACJ) issued a statement on Thursday expressing concern after the Kosovo Assembly adopted the draft law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC). “Vetevendosje Movement of PM Kurti has voted the Law with a minimum quorum, with opposition boycotting the voting. The ruling political party ignored the concerns of media and civil society, as it did with the Council of Europe Expert report, which concluded most of the Laws are not in line with European standards, including those of CoE which Kosovo aims to join. This was brought to the attention of the lawmakers, by Speaker Glauk Konjufca, as well. Today’s decision is one of the worst attacks of the Kosovo Government and Vetëvendosje against media freedoms in Kosovo, in an attempt to discipline and control the media, which started when they took power. Today’s decision will have a negative impact on Kosovo rankings in the media freedom index of the related organisations. AJK calls for all legal and constitutional means to be used, to prevent the implementation of the law as it is,” the statement notes.

EU Head of Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said in a post on X that the Kosovo Assembly “missed an opportunity today to have two good laws in place, the amended Law on Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and the Law on Independent Media Commission, failing to fully incorporate the recommendations of the EU and other international organisations. Ultimately, good laws are not just about Kosovo's path towards the EU. They are about ensuring the rule of law, fairness, and the protection of citizens. We regret that the Assembly failed to address these key concerns and align with EU and European standards”.

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, shared Szunyog’s post, adding that “every missed opportunity is one too many. Kosovars want to be part of the EU family and if the Kosovo government wants to accelerate its path towards the European Union, any new law should be fully in line with EU standards. EU, CoE and OSCE have given their opinions on the laws, but have been ignored”.

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo said in a statement that it is concerned by certain aspects of today’s adoption by the Assembly of Kosovo of a new Law on the Independent Media Commission (IMC). “The IMC performs a key role in Kosovo’s media regulatory framework. Its ability to operate independently and professionally has been key to its credibility and authority. International experts on media law therefore provided – on behalf of the Council of Europe, the European Union and the OSCE - detailed recommendations on aligning the law with international standards. Unfortunately, however, the majority of these recommendations have not been reflected in the law adopted. Key expert recommendations which have not been taken into account reflected concerns about new provisions which will have an impact on the IMC’s composition, role and responsibilities, as well as on procedures for electing new members and terms of service for those elected. Recommendations on the role and responsibilities of the IMC during election campaigns were also disregarded. The extension of the IMC’s jurisdiction to social media, coupled with the absence of clear criteria for blocking harmful content, raises concerns about proportionality and has potential implications for freedom of expression. Some attempts were made to revise certain articles to achieve legal clarity and introduce procedural safeguards, but the law still lacks effective self-regulation mechanisms. While we welcome the introduction of regulations concerning media ownership and concentration, we also note that, as drafted, they lack procedural robustness. International experts offered their comments and recommendations in an effort to ensure that this new legislation would not only reflect international standards and best practice, but also be fit for purpose, strengthen the Independent Media Commission, and safeguard this body’s all-important independence. The OSCE Mission remains committed to supporting Kosovo in aligning its legislation to meet the highest international standards. It will be important for the law now adopted to be the subject of a comprehensive review, during which the views of both Kosovo and international experts should be sought. Meanwhile we stand ready as ever to support the IMC with expert advice and capacity building,” the statement notes.

General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, Ricardo Gutierrez, said in a post on X that the law on the IMC was passed “despite advice from the Council of Europe, EU, OSCE and EFJ not to do so”. He also argued that “today is a dark day for media freedom and democracy in Kosovo. Opposition political parties boycotted the session”.

Hamza: Kosovo must return to coordination with its partners (Reporteri)

The candidate for prime minister from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Bedri Hamza, on Thursday received the Italian ambassador to Kosovo, Antonello De Riu.

"Today I had a cordial meeting with the ambassador of Italy in Kosovo, Antonello De Riu. We talked about the political situation, peace, security and stability in our region. We also talked about economic and cultural cooperation and Italian investments, but we paid special attention to the need to restore Kosovo's coordination and cooperation with its partners.

Every achievement so far in Kosovo is the result of close cooperation with our partners. This has been and should be the way of Kosovo! We will deepen the cooperation between Kosovo and Italy even more in the future!", Hamza wrote.

Haliti: We are not negotiating recognition with Serbia, but relaxation of relations (Telegrafi)

PDK MP, Xhavit Haliti, has spoken about the relations between Kosovo and Serbia, saying that we are in negotiations to relax them. Haliti also said that he does not believe that there is any distrust of American policy.

"We are in negotiations, not for Serbia to recognize Kosovo and Kosovo to recognize Serbia, but we are to relax relations. I'm surprised, either they don't know about politics, or they don't know about American positions", said Haliti for Klan Kosova.

"I don't believe that there is mistrust towards American politics, but it would be necessary to talk to them if there is any concern and I believe that they are open to address every problem that interests us in these reports", said Haliti.

Serbian Language Media

Serbs from north facing eviction from their apartments: We are not criminals, but we will end up on streets (Kosovo Online)

The meeting organised yesterday at European House in Mitrovica North, according to Serbs facing eviction from their apartments, did not provide any solution to their problems.

More than 30 people attended the meeting, which was closed to the public. According to the residents, this is just another disappointment, as only members of the Property Verification and Comparison Agency were present, who reiterated that the decision is final and that the Serbs must vacate their apartments within the stipulated time frame. The portal reported that representatives of the EU were present but did not take part in the discussion.

Nenad Vucetic told Kosovo Online that his five-member family has been living in the apartment, which they are supposed to leave, since 1966, and he has all the documents for that apartment.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/djdRU

Stano: For Kosovo urgent priority is to establish CSM (Kosovo Online, VoA)

EU spokesperson Peter Stano told Voice of America that for Kosovo an urgent priority is to establish the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities (A/CSM), recalling that it was a long-time undertaken obligation which Kosovo did not fulfil, despite calls from EU, US and other partners. Stano also said Serbia must start fulfilling its obligations, adding there are still “shortcomings on the Serbian side” when it comes to matters deriving from the agreements.

“The essence is that both sides, instead of mutually blaming one another and open new topics – focus on implementation of what they agreed upon in Ohrid in March 2023”, Stano said.

He said neither of them can progress towards the EU if there is no progress in the dialogue on normalisation of relations. Asked to comment on the statement of the Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani that Serbia is not implementing its part of the agreement by not recognizing Kosovo, and that Pristina requests international guarantees in order to fulfil its obligation, Stano said the EU is a mediator and does not deal with recognition of independence.

Djuric with Blinken: Political dialogue between Serbia and USA prerequisite for continued economic growth and development (media, social media)

The Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said after talks with the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, that political dialogue between Serbia and the United States is a prerequisite for continued economic growth and development.

Djuric expressed his gratitude to Blinken via the social network "X" for hosting him at the Library of Congress on Wednesday as part of the NATO Summit in Washington. "Political dialogue at the highest level between Serbia and the United States is a prerequisite for us to continue our economic growth and development as a regional leader", Djuric said.

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric expressed hope that there would soon be an opportunity to continue the discussion on Serbian-American relations with Blinken in Belgrade.

NATO official: Deterioration of situation in Kosovo still possible (VoA, media)

Security situation in Kosovo, after last year’s violent incidents, has not been stabilised, and deterioration is still possible, which concerns NATO and KFOR, an official of the Alliance said, according to VoA in Serbian.

The official who addressed the media, under condition of remaining unanimous, recalled that after the violence in the north of Kosovo, the number of NATO-lead KFOR Mission members has been increased from 3.700 in 2022 to 4.600 this year, which is the biggest increase over the last decade, the VoA said. This official is also quoted as saying it is expected that the current number of troops remain in Kosovo for the “foreseeable future”.

He said it is important that Belgrade and Pristina undertake concrete steps to de-escalate the situation and restrain from unilateral acts “which create an environment for spreading violence”, but also from rhetoric causing division and tensions.

Sentic welcomes establishment of commission for better integration of non-majority communities in public administration (KoSSev)

Kosovo Deputy Ombudsperson Srdjan Sentic welcomed yesterday the decision of the Kosovo Government to establish a new commission aiming at better integration of non-majority communities in the public administration. Expressing hope that this time communities will be rightfully included, as the Constitution and the laws stipulate, Sentic in particular pointed out that, in this case, quotas must be followed and determined as based on Constitution and must be proportional to the representation of minorities in the Kosovo Assembly, KoSSev portal reported. He proposed this manner because of the lack of precise numbers of the non-majority population, adding he doubts there would be a precise number any time soon.

Rapajic: Life of Serbs in Kosovo has become very complicated (Kosovo Online)

Aleksandar Rapajic, Program Director of the NGO Centre for Advocacy of Democratic Culture from North Mitrovica, stated that the life of Serbs in Kosovo has become very complicated in the past few years and that all systems of protection for Serbs have been destroyed.

Rapajic told Kosovo Online portal while Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti claims Serbs in Kosovo "enjoy the benefits of the work of the Kosovo Government," the authorities in Pristina are doing everything to destroy every protection system for Serbs.

He added that Pristina's goal is to sever all forms of communication between Serbs and Belgrade.

International Media

Kosovo MPs Adopt Independent Media Commission Law Despite Misgivings (Balkan Insight)

As Kosovo's parliament voted for a bill extending the powers of the Independent Media Commission to cover online media in the same way as TV and radio channels, the OSCE Mission and Kosovo Journalists’ Association said it does not reflect important concerns.

Kosovo’s parliament on Thursday adopted a controversial law on the Independent Media Commission, IMC, ignoring international calls for stricter safeguards.

Under the terms of the new law, among others, online media will be subject to state licensing and control by the IMC. Online media outlets will be forced to register in the Online Media Register, which will be managed by the IMC. They will also now be subject to a regime of sanctions, including potential fines of up to €40,000.