Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Mass digitization of archival material underway in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani meets German ambassador Jorn Rohde (media)
• Osmani receives Hargreaves, confirms participation at EPC Summit (media)
• Kurti calls for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian youth: Apply for employment (media)
• Govt insists draft on Association to be sent to Venice Commission (Telegrafi)
• Ziadeh in Belgrade highlights importance of constructive engagement for regional peace and stability (Albanian Post)
• KFOR MSU conducts crowd riot control training activities in Pristina (media)
• Albanian President Begaj on a two-day visit to Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Heads of EU diplomacy in Luxembourg about the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever, Danas)
• At the meeting with Jenca, the SL pointed out the problems of the Serbs in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever) 
• Serbia’s FM to Borrell: EU membership is Serbia’s strategic commitment (N1, Beta)
• The trial of the accused for assisting in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic ended, verdict on June 28 (St. Vitus Day) (RTS)
• One-month detention to a Serb arrested for attack on KFOR; Lawyer claims decision prejudiced against Serbs (KoSSev)
• Equality of Albanian and Serbian languages in Kosovo: Do institutions respect bilingualism? (Kosovo Online)

International Media: 

• UEFA fines Serbia, Albania, and investigates Croatia as Euro 2024 reignites Balkan feuds (euronews.com)
• Serbia’s mining gambit could boost EU hopes (The Brussels Times)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Mass digitization of archival material underway in Kosovo (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Sunday that “a mass digitization of archival material is under way in Kosova, for the very first time. With state-of-the-art, high-resolution scanners already in place, in 3 years, we expect to have more than 7 million digitized documents. In our day & age, digital archive is an essential means to preserving our institutional and collective memory, as well as to making them more accessible to the public”.

Osmani meets Rohde, discus current political and security developments (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted on Sunday the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Jorn Rohde. They discussed the current political and security developments in Kosovo, as well as the latest developments regarding the Berlin Process. According to the press release, President Osmani and Ambassador Rohde discussed other topics which are aimed at further deepening bilateral relations and cooperation between Kosovo and Germany.

Osmani receives Hargreaves, confirms participation at EPC Summit (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani received on Sunday the ambassador of the United Kingdom in Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves. They discussed the latest political developments in Kosovo, the preparations for the Summit of the European Political Community, as well as the bilateral cooperation between Kosovo and the United Kingdom.

A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that she will represent Kosovo at the Summit of the European Political Community. Osman and Hargreaves discussed the topics that will be addressed at this Summit, as well as Kosovo's contribution to these topics. The summit will be held at Blenheim Palace in the United Kingdom in July.

"The meeting also discussed bilateral cooperation between Kosovo and the United Kingdom in various fields. In particular, Osmani expressed her gratitude for the continuous support of our British partners in the field of defense", announced the Presidency.

As the Supreme Commander of the Kosovo Security Force, Osmani has said that she is proud of the continuous achievements of the girls and boys of the KSF in the most prestigious military academies in the United Kingdom.

Kurti calls for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian youth: Apply for employment (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has called on all young people from the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities to apply for employment in the public institutions of Kosovo. “I invite young men and women, all members of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities to apply to the open calls for employment in the public institutions of Kosovo. Your contribution and participation in the institutional life is essential for the state, the republic, and our society,” Kurti said in a video message. He also called on them to report every case of discrimination.

Kurti said that “the meetings, conversations and regular interactions with KSF soldiers, Kosovo police, civil servants, and medical personnel from non-majority communities every day deepen” his conviction about the essential contribution these communities give to Kosovo and its society.

Govt insists draft on Association to be sent to Venice Commission (media)

Kosovo government officials say that the EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, can send the draft on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities to the Venice Commission. These statements come three days before the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels, Kosovapress reported.

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Justice Vigan Qorrolli said in an interview with the news agency that in its current form, as a non-paper and without signatures, the government cannot send the draft to the Constitutional Court. “Since the European Union is insisting on this and they are not officially submitting the draft statute to Kosovo’s institutions. The draft has a content but it does not have a form in which it can be interpreted by the Constitutional Court … The EU institutions, in this case Lajcak or Borrell or their mechanisms can send the draft to the Venice Commission … Lajcak needs to legitimize his reason and legalize it otherwise it makes no sense,” he argued.

Ziadeh in Belgrade highlights importance of constructive engagement for regional peace and stability (Albanian Post)

The Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and the head of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Caroline Ziadeh, on Sunday, announced that during her stay in Belgrade she met the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ivica Dacic, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marko Djuric, and the director of the Office for Kosovo in the Government of Serbia, Petar Petkovic.

Through a post on the social platform, X, Ziadeh, emphasized that during these meetings she emphasized the importance of "constructive engagement for regional peace and stability".

"During these meetings, current issues were also discussed."

KFOR MSU conducts crowd riot control training activities in Pristina (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that its Multinational Specialized conducted crowd riot control training activities in Pristina. “KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to provide a safe and secure environment for all people living in Kosovo. KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law (EULEX) mission, respectively, with whom we work on close coordination,” the post notes.  

Albanian President Begaj on a two-day visit to Kosovo (media)

Albanian President Albania Bajram Begaj started on Sunday a two-day visit to Kosovo and is scheduled to visit the municipalities of Decan, Junik and Drenas. On Sunday, Begaj paid homage at the Martyrs' Memorial Complex in Gllogjan and then received the title of “honorary citizen" of the municipality of Decan. During the visit Begaj also paid honors to the former fighters of the Kosovo Liberation Army who died during the war.

Serbian Language Media 

Heads of EU diplomacy in Luxembourg about the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever, Danas)

The meeting of EU foreign ministers, during which, among other things, the Western Balkans will be discussed, will be held today in Luxembourg.

As stated in the announcement of the EU Council, during the meeting opinions will be exchanged on the Western Balkans, with the participation of the foreign ministers of Serbia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.

The meeting of the EU Council for Foreign Affairs will be chaired by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric confirmed earlier that he will speak at the meeting of EU foreign ministers. The heads of EU diplomacy will also discuss the war in Ukraine, the situation in the Middle East, Georgia and the Great Lakes region.

At the meeting with Jenca, the SL pointed out the problems of the Serbs in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever) 

The Serbian List delegation led by President Zlatan Elek met on Friday in North Mitrovica with the Assistant Secretary General of the UN for Europe, Central Asia and the Americas, Miroslav Jenca, to whom they conveyed the problems faced by the Serbs in Kosovo due to the physical and institutional violence perpetrated against them by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, it was announced from the Serbian List. 

"The delegation of the Serbian List pointed out the problems of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, against which Kurti's regime carries out physical and institutional violence every day and does everything to expel as many Serbs as possible from those areas through fabricated accusations, unfounded arrests, seizure of ancestral property through false expropriations, cancellation of all of human and civil rights," the announcement read.

As it was stated, they clearly pointed out to Jenca all the examples of violations of the rights of the Serbian people without any specific reaction of the international community, which is obliged to do so, especially considering Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council.

"The urgent formation of the Community of Serbian municipalities is one of the ways to institutionally protect the Serbs from attacks from Pristina, but at the same time, it is necessary to stop Kurti's provocative and escalating actions, which threaten the peace in these areas, as a matter of urgency," said the representatives of the Serbian List.

Serbia’s FM to Borrell: EU membership is Serbia’s strategic commitment (N1, Beta)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Marko Djuric, met in Austria with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and told him that membership in the European Union is a strategic commitment and priority of Serbia's foreign policy.

Djuric met with Borrell after the meeting of foreign ministers of the informal group „Friends of the Western Balkans“ and partners from the Western Balkans in Austria. He pointed out that Serbia shares European values and stands up for them, as well as that it wants to contribute to the peace, stability, and prosperity of Europe.

Referring to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, he said that Belgrade is fully committed to the dialogue with Pristina under the auspices of the EU, and assessed that at this moment it is necessary, above all, to ensure the safety of the Serb population and without further delay to implement all obligations from of the agreements reached.

The minister emphasised that the situation regarding Kosovo and Metohija is extremely difficult and pointed out that the Serbs are suffering unbearable pressure because of the culmination of long-term and systematic unilateral actions of the Pristina authorities, according to a statement by the ministry.

The trial of the accused for assisting in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic ended, verdict on June 28 (St. Vitus Day) (RTS)

The verdict for those accused of assisting in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic will be announced on June 28, the Basic Court in Pristina announced. Previously, the prosecution and the defence presented their closing arguments at the hearing.

Jovana Filipovic, the lawyer of Silvana Arsovic, the secretary of the murdered Oliver Ivanovic, points out that the prosecutor Berim Qerkinaj repeated the allegations during the presentation of the closing argument, without absolving a single piece of evidence supporting the indictment.

She added that, on the other hand, the defence explained in detail the lack of evidence to confirm the indictment. Filipovic, among other things, said that all the witnesses stated that they did not know what Arsovic was being charged for and that they had no knowledge or that there was any possibility that she could be connected to the persons from the indictment.

The defence hopes for an acquittal for Silvana Arsovic. 

The third amended indictment for his murder was filed in 2020. The indictment was not brought against the perpetrator or the principal, but against persons who were allegedly part of an organised criminal group that participated in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic. Nedeljko Spasojevic, Marko Rosic, Silvana Arsovic, Dragisa Markovic and Zarko Jovanovic were accused of involvement in the murder of Oliver Ivanovic, and they are released pending trial.

One-month detention to a Serb arrested for attack on KFOR; Lawyer claims decision prejudiced against Serbs (KoSSev)

Forty-five-year-old Serbian citizen L.D. from Zvecan, who was arrested last week at the Bistrica checkpoint, had a one-month detention ordered by the Basic Court in Pristina on Friday. 

He is suspected of four criminal offences allegedly committed in front of the Zvecan municipality on May 29th last year, when a group of Serbs clashed with KFOR members.

This information was confirmed by his lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic to KoSSev, emphasising his defence stance that “there are actually no criminal offences”.

L.D. is charged with the criminal offences of “association for unconstitutional activities”, “endangering persons under international protection”, “participation in a crowd committing a criminal offence and hooliganism”, and “assault on an official”.

The detention was assessed by the court due to the belief that “there is a risk of flight” if he were released, given that “he works in Serbia and could be inaccessible to judicial authorities in Kosovo” – reported KoSSev, citing Koha. 

Moreover, L.D. is employed by the Customs of Serbia and is currently held at the Grdini prison near Podujevo.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/4rv9sbn2

Equality of Albanian and Serbian languages in Kosovo: Do institutions respect bilingualism? (Kosovo Online)

In 2007, the Assembly of Kosovo adopted the Law on the Use of Languages, making Serbian, alongside Albanian, an official language. This law mandates that both languages must be treated equally, meaning every document issued by institutions must be translated into both languages. However, after 17 years, the institutions themselves do not primarily respect the law, creating significant communication issues for Serbs in Kosovo. Interviewees from Kosovo Online believe there is much room for improvement in the law and that the responsibility largely lies with the Government of Kosovo.

The right to use one's language, as one of the fundamental human rights, was guaranteed by the 2007 law. According to it, Serbs in Kosovo have the right to be informed in their native language regarding institutional announcements, both politically and judicially.

"All institutions and public service providers are required to ensure the equal use of Albanian and Serbian in central and local institutions, the judicial system, the media, education, and public enterprises, as well as in the private sector," states the Law.

Due to non-compliance with the law by some institutions, this right is denied to Serbs, making language rights one thing on paper and another in practice.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/pevcx3fp

International Media

UEFA fines Serbia, Albania, and investigates Croatia as Euro 2024 reignites Balkan feuds (euronews.com)

The latest disciplinary proceeding hit Albania's Mirlind Daku as he chanted anti-Macedonian and anti-Serbian slogans on Wednesday.

UEFA, Europe's football governing body, has handed down a series of disciplinary actions to Balkan nations as their teams have been involved in nationalist incidents at the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany.

The latest measure was targeted at Albania's striker Mirlind Daku who was suspended for two games after leading fans in chanting anti-Macedonian slogans after Albania-Croatia on Wednesday.

Albania's football federation was slapped with a €47,250 fine because of the incident.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4d2yr239

Serbia’s mining gambit could boost EU hopes (The Brussels Times)

Serbia's plan to open a lithium mine is about more than the energy transition, it could help the Balkan nation move closer towards EU membership.

Serbia wants to be one of Europe’s top lithium suppliers and is resurrecting a controversial shelved mining project to realise those ambitions. The knock-on impact on its EU membership bid cannot be ignored.

Back in 2022, mass protests hit the streets of some of Serbia’s biggest cities, as environmental groups and local residents demonstrated against a proposed lithium mine in the country’s north.

There was scientific evidence that the project would cause detrimental harm to the environment, communities near the site and agricultural land in the surrounding area. 

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4yfnrspm