Albanian Language Media:

• Bislimi: Elections in north shouldn’t be announced until penalty measures lifted (media)

• Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry does not permit Petkovic visit (media)

• War veterans suspend opposition to minimum wage law pending Court decision (Koha)

• Kurti on wildfires in Greece: Our government ready to assist any way we can (media)

• Osmani: Austria remains an important ally of Kosovo (RTK)

• Products from Serbia being replaced with products from other countries in region (Koha)

• Feith: U.S. is losing patience with Kosovo (Teve1)

Serbian Language Media:

• N.Mitrovica Municipality, with police assistance, halts construction of at least one more building (KoSSev)

• Office for KiM: Mitrovica mayor halts social projects because beneficiaries are Serbs (Kosovo Online, Novi Magazin)

• Brnabic: Serbia to boost cooperation with Suriname in all fields (Tanjug)

• Dacic thanks Al-Maliki for principled stance of Palestine on Kosovo (media)

• New Kosovo police officers join service (KoSSev)

• Pieter Feith: US losing patience with Pristina (Tanjug)

Albanian Language Media

Bislimi: Elections in north shouldn’t be announced until penalty measures lifted (media)

Kosovo’s First Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in the EU-facilitated talks with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, said on Monday that Kosovo should not announce new elections in the four northern municipalities until the EU penalty measures against Kosovo are lifted.

Asked if there is consent with internationals on how to go to elections, Bislimi said “these are Kosovo’s internal affairs”. He confirmed that the government will not ask the four mayors in the north to resign.

Commenting on the penalty measures introduced by the EU, Bislimi said he has received a pledge from EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, that with the Bratislava agreement the conditions have been met to lift the measures. 

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry does not permit Petkovic visit (Albanian Post)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday that it has not permitted the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, to visit Kosovo. “We can confirm that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has not approved this time the request of Serbian official Petar Petkovic to enter the Republic of Kosovo,” the ministry told Albanian Post news website. The reason for not giving Petkovic a permit was not revealed. 

The news website also recalls that last year Petkovic was denied a visit request on two occasions. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs then said that the language that Petkovic uses was the reason for banning the entrance. “Petkovic was repeatedly warned that the language he uses falls in contravention with the agreement and that the repeated use of this language consequently leads to the refusal of requests to enter the territory of the Republic of Kosovo,” a statement noted.

Albanian Post notes that “Petkovic, whenever he comes to Kosovo, holds speeches in opposition with the Constitution of Kosovo and denies the existence of the state”.

War veterans suspend opposition to minimum wage law pending Court decision (Koha)

The KLA War Veterans Organisation have decided not to protest or impede the work of the Kosovo Assembly until the Constitutional Court decides on the Law on the Minimum Wage. Xhavit Jashari from the Association of Families of Martyrs of the KLA, said on Monday that there is an agreement with the representatives of the other war categories. “Being that it has been sent to the Constitutional Court and until the latter makes a decision, we will not undertake any action at this point that we might not need … But the dignity of every citizen has been affected, and not only of this category,” he said.

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has asked the Constitutional Court to decide on the Law on the Minimum Wage, from which the KLA war veterans were excluded. AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj said they would support the demands of the war veterans, but not by undertaking violent actions. “It would not be good for the veterans to protect their right on their own … I will protect the right of the veterans, but not by destroying our state,” Haradinaj said on Monday. 

Kurti on wildfires in Greece: Our government ready to assist any way we can (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti commented in a Twitter post on Monday on the wildfires in Greece, saying “we hope for the safety of all of those affected and are saddened by the destruction and the hardship that the fires have brought to the islands. Our government is ready to assist in any way we can.”

Osmani: Austria remains an important ally of Kosovo (RTK)

Kosovo President Osmani hosted on Monday the outgoing ambassador of Austria in Kosovo, Christoph Weidinger, thanking him for his continuous efforts to strengthen partnership between Kosovo and Austria, and for his support to further cooperation in many areas through different projects and initiatives. A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that “Austria remains an important ally of the people and institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, and its support has been important in different steps of our history, and also for the Euro-Atlantic future of our country”.

Osmani and Weidinger also discussed political and security developments in Kosovo and the region, with Osmani highlighting “the readiness of institutions to overcome the current situation in coordination with the allies of the Republic”.

Products from Serbia being replaced with products from other countries in region (Koha)

Kosovo has imported and exported less goods last month compared to the same period last year. The decision to introduce a security measure on the import of goods from Serbia has led Kosovo traders to reorient the market. The head of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, Lulzim Rafuna, says that Serbian products have been replaced with products from other countries in the region.

“The majority of products that were imported from Serbia are products produced by European companies, and because of the measure that is in force, and which was not introduced because of the importer or exporter, according to some information we have received several German companies have reoriented Kosovar companies to buy from other countries where those companies operate for example in Sofia,” Rafuna said.

The largest share of goods in Kosovo are imported by European Union countries, which during June were around €200 million or 43 percent of overall imports. Germany, Italy, and Greece are still Kosovo’s main trading partners.

Kosovo has spent around €200 million in Asian countries, by purchasing products mainly from Turkey, China, and India.

Feith: U.S. is losing patience with Kosovo (Teve1)

Former EU special representative in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, said in an interview with the TV station on Monday that he does not see sufficient readiness from Kosovo and Serbia to implement the Ohrid agreement, and that Pristina could suffer more consequences from the lack of progress in the dialogue with Serbia. He argued that the Ohrid agreement is of great importance because it would pave the way for Kosovo’s membership in international organizations.

“It is regrettable because there is no political readiness from any of the parties to make sufficient progress, but I think that Kosovo in particular will suffer more consequences. If the parties are serious about the Ohrid agreement, then things will move forward and this would help Kosovo to join different international organizations, including the United Nations,” he said.

According to Feith, the United States of America are losing their patience with Kosovo because the latter is not making sufficient progress. He said that the U.S. never had such a critical approach toward Kosovo and that this is concerning. “It is clear that the Biden administration is losing patience with Kosovo because of the slow progress. I have never seen such a critical approach by the U.S. toward Kosovo ever since it declared independence in 2008. It would be a real tragedy for Kosovo if it loses the support of the United States,” he added.

Feith also said that “people in Kosovo need to understand that a harsh war is happening in Europe, and the focus of world centers is there. Therefore you need to take into account that things are not what they used to be and you cannot count on the sympathy and support you once had. I also don’t think that the U.S. and EU are supporting Vucic in the process. I know it is not easy but I would suggest Prime Minister Kurti to make more efforts to engage in dialogue with Serbs in the north of Kosovo instead of sending special units there”.

 

Serbian Language Media

N.Mitrovica Municipality, with police assistance, halts construction of at least one more building (KoSSev)

Inspection department of Mitrovica North municipality suspended the construction of another building yesterday. Kosovo police, however, provided assistance to municipal authorities in at least five locations throughout town, but until this news was published, KoSSev portal was unable to obtain any further details from the municipality regarding those events.

The construction of a multi-story building on Vlade Cetkovica Street was suspended.

During the day, red and white tape was placed around the building, and all works halted. Veton Elshani, the Kosovo police region North deputy commander, confirmed for KoSSev that the municipal inspector was accompanied by Kosovo police.

Elshani underlined that Kosovo police provided assistance to municipal inspectors at a total of five locations that had been previously requested. However, he could not specify the exact locations or the facilities in question, nor what exactly the inspectors did.

KoSSev portal also said it was unsuccessful in obtaining details from municipal authorities regarding those events, despite several attempts throughout the day.

New Albanian mayor Erden Atic, director of infrastructure of Mitrovica North Fatir Berzati, and former mayor and Serbian List head Goran Rakic did not answer the portal's calls and messages.

Office for KiM: Mitrovica mayor halts social projects because beneficiaries are Serbs (Kosovo Online, Novi Magazin)

After municipal inspectors halted construction at yet another residential building in Mitrovica North, Office for Kosovo and Metohija in reaction to it said “that fake mayor Erden Atiq continues to behave as an occupying administrator, by halting the projects aiming at assisting socially vulnerable families, only because future beneficiaries are Serbs”, Kosovo Online portal reports.  

The Office recalled that prior to, as they said, local authorities were usurped by “gauleiters of Albin Kurti” a number of significant infrastructure projects and projects with strong social component were underway in Mitrovica North.

“There is no rational reason that something which would unequivocally benefit citizens be banned by political dictate. It has been clear that Pristina would attempt to use all leverages of power to prevent normal lives in four municipalities northern of the Ibar River and continue to mistreat and provoke Serbs in the province under the pretext of establishing some sort of fake legality”, the Office said in a statement.

They also said it is more than necessary for international civilian and military representatives to put an end to the mistreatment of Serbs by Pristina authorities.

Mitrovica North municipality last week also halted works on construction of a residential building for socially vulnerable families, school building for children from marginalized groups, and University building. 

Brnabic: Serbia to boost cooperation with Suriname in all fields (Tanjug)

Serbia and Suriname are working together on improving their bilateral cooperation, the Serbian Government said in a statement after Prime Minister Ana Brnabic received Surinamese Foreign Minister Albert Ramdin on Monday.

In a friendly and cordial conversation, Brnabic noted that Serbia and Suriname were connected by close diplomatic and political ties, the government added in a statement.

Work is underway on strengthening regulations on agreements to enable better cooperation in areas including the economy, trade, science, health care and agriculture, it also said.

"Serbia extremely appreciates and respects the fact Suriname was the first country to suspend its recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, which set an important standard that was later applied by many other countries", Brnabic noted.

Dacic thanks Al-Maliki for principled stance of Palestine on Kosovo (media)

Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic welcomed last night at Belgrade airport Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyadh al-Maliki and thanked him for the principled stance of Palestine not to recognize Kosovo, Serbian media reported.

As the Ministry said in a statement, the two officials agreed that relations between the two countries are good, with traditional friendship among them, adding that such relations are fostered by mutual support in international forums and organizations. 

New Kosovo police officers join service (KoSSev)

In early November 2022, Kosovo police Serb officers in the north took off their uniforms and collectively resigned due to dissatisfaction with Pristina authorities attitude towards Serb community in northern Kosovo. Their chief of operations back then said that they decided to stand by their people, adding “enough is enough“.

Nine months later, new Serb police officers entered the same service, however, less than 10% of the number of those who resigned in November last year, KoSSev portal reports. 

The police station in the north received 74 new police officers yesterday, all of them from non-Albanian communities. More than half (45) are ethnic Serbs, 16 are Bosniaks, 3 are Turks and 8 are members of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities.

The news was confirmed for KoSSev by the deputy commander for the region North, Veton Elshani. He added that the new Kosovo police Serb officers come from different parts of Kosovo, noting that the majority of them, as he said, are from the north – Mitrovica, Leposavic and Zubin Potok.

Pieter Feith: US losing patience with Pristina (Tanjug)

Former head of the International Civilian Office in Pristina Pieter Feith said the US is losing patience with Pristina, adding Pristina authorities will lose the most because of lack of progress in dialogue with Belgrade, Tanjug news agency reports.

“United States is losing patience with Kosovo because it is not progressing enough. I see that the US has a critical attitude towards the Kosovo government and that is unprecedented. It seems clear that Biden’s administration is losing patience with Kosovo”, he said.

He added he has not seen such a critical attitude of Washington towards Pristina ever since Pristina declared independence in 2008.