UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 17, 2022

Osmani: I have insisted for Council of Europe to be a top priority (Kosovapress)
Kurti for Milliyet: Kosovo is in danger (media)
Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt draft law of new Civil Code (media)
Lajcak: We are close to an agreement on several concrete topics (RTK)
“A model for Serbian elections in Kosovo, without flag or posters” (Klan Kosova)
Kosovo Police raid Serb-run office in anti-corruption operation (BIRN)
Poll: 95 percent of respondents in favor of NATO membership (Kallxo)
EULEX Police strengthened following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (BIRN)
Kosovo veterans’ leader didn’t threaten war crime witnesses: Lawyer (BIRN)
COVID-19: 51 new cases, one death (media)

Osmani: I have insisted for Council of Europe to be a top priority (Kosovapress)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Wednesday that she has insisted that membership in the Council of Europe to be a top priority for Kosovo institutions and that work is being done with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this regard. “I think the momentum is now. Since my election as President and as head of the foreign policy, I have insisted for the Council of Europe to be a top priority in terms of international organisations. We are working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has drafted a strategy about the procedures, starting with submitting the application and then the Council of Europe would appoint envoys to come to Kosovo to assess the implementation of criteria in different areas,” she said.

Osmani said that in terms of membership in NATO, it should be viewed from the security dimension. “Given the latest developments, especially after the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the war there, we are insisting that the membership of new countries in NATO should be viewed from a security dimension and not only in terms of political criteria because today the security dimension is the most important. This is why I wrote to the President of the United States on this matter, and I have also communicated with other countries given the latest developments and the fact that Kosovo is the most pro-NATO country in the world and the membership of all countries in this part of Europe in NATO would mean more security and stability in our region. I know the final decision requires unanimity, but this doesn’t mean we should sit and wait and make no steps toward convincing the four non-recognizing NATO member states. On the contrary, we are working hard with these four countries so that they don’t block our membership in NATO,” Osmani said.

Kurti for Milliyet: Kosovo is in danger (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kuti said in an interview with Turkish newspaper Milliytet that Kremlin could use Belgrade and Serbs in Bosnia to spread conflict in the Western Balkans. “I believe that Serbia and the Serb entity in Bosnia could be used by Kremlin to spread the conflict. Because they want to produce a new Yalta Conference that causes division and to create a violent imposition. This is why I think that the Balkan Six in general, and Kosovo in particular, are at risk,” he said.

Drawing attention to Serbia’s military proximity to Russia and Belarus, Prime Minister Kurti said: “Serbia has been seeking EU money and Russian weapons for more than 10 years. It also continues to buy military equipment from Russia and Belarus. I hope the EU tells Belgrade as soon as possible that EU funds will not be given without EU values,” he said.

Kurti said that “Serbia has allocated 3 percent of its national income for military equipment and training. There are 14 Mig-29 fighter jets, 8 of which were provided by Belarus and 6 by Russia … The ties between Serbia and Russia are wide and deep. I think that in order to ensure security and lasting long-term peace, the entire Western Balkan Six should join the EU and NATO as soon as possible.

Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt draft law of new Civil Code (media)

Members of the Kosovo Assembly failed on Wednesday to adopt the draft of the new Civil Code, with 29 MPs voting against, 28 in favor and four MPs abstained. There were 77 MPs present during the voting, but 16 of them did not take part in the process. Radio Free Europe reports that there were disagreements between the MPs about an article of the draft law that would enable the drafting of a special law that would pave way to the registration of civil union between members of the same sex or gender.

Gazeta Express reports that commenting on the new draft of the new Civil Code, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he believes in human rights and that all citizens must be equal. “I don’t believe that we have to earn rights. We are all entitled to our rights,” he said. Kurti also said that the draft of the new Civil Code does not include same sex marriages and the issue of children adoption by same sex couples. “Let us remove all dilemmas. This is an announcement for the law on civil communities. We are announcing that there will be a special law on this,” he added. “Secondly, as Prime Minister and leader of the biggest political party in Kosovo, I believe in human rights. I don’t think we must earn our rights. Rights derive from our being. We are different, but we are all human. I believe in human rights.”

EU Head of Office in Kosovo, Ambassador Tomas Szunyog, took to Twitter to say: “following the promising beginning of the Kosovo Assembly session today, with the adoption in the first reading of the draft laws on Political Party Financing and Disclosure of Assets, failure to do the same with the Civil Code is disappointing. Important legislation should not wait.”

Several news websites report that the Human Rights Watch wrote to a letter to Kosovo leaders noting that the Constitution of Kosovo allows same-sex marriages.

Read the letter here: https://bit.ly/3ic8pyU

Lajcak: We are close to an agreement on several concrete topics (RTK)

The European Union Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in an interview with the TV station on Wednesday that they are very close for the two parties to agree on several concrete topics.

“I cannot say that the meeting was not held, because we spent 11 hours discussing separately on different topics and issues with Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic. Several rounds of topics were discussed and there was agreement on most of them, and I believe we will very soon reach an agreement on most of them, especially on the issues of missing persons and the management of electricity in the north. So, we are continuing bilateral meetings between Brussels and Prishtina and Brussels and Belgrade. Because when we are close to an agreement on concrete topics, a tripartite meeting will be held, and we need to avoid conditions and disagreements at the meeting. This is why we are continuing the bilateral meetings,” he said.

Lajcak said they are in daily contact with institutions in Kosovo and Serbia to find a solution for the April 3 Serbian elections to be allowed in Kosovo. Lajcak said that Kosovo and Serbia must reach a political settlement fast that would not threaten Kosovo’s constitutional order, and which would allow Serbs in Kosovo to exercise their right to vote. He also said that such a settlement would create another atmosphere for the high-level political dialogue which is expected to resume after elections in Serbia.

“A model for Serbian elections in Kosovo, without a flag or posters” (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said recently that together with representatives of the Quint countries they are trying to find a solution for April 3 Serbian elections to be held in Kosovo. Klan Kosova learns that a European official has suggested a neutral “mini model” on how the Serbian parliamentary and presidential elections could be held in Kosovo too. “The flag of Serbia would not be seen on the box, while at the voting centers there would be no posters or manuals of the Serbian election commission which often referred to Kosovo as ‘Kosovo and Metohija’,” the European official said.

Kosovo Police raid Serb-run office in anti-corruption operation (BIRN)

Kosovo Police closed the Serb ‘parallel administration’ office in Shterpce/Strpce on Wednesday and raided several other locations in an operation connected to the alleged illegal issue of construction permits for villas on Mount Brezovica, a winter tourism destination in the Sharri National Park in south-east Kosovo.

“Today operation ‘Brezovica’ was held, in which seven different locations in Shterpce/Strpce were raided, including the facility of the parallel structures municipality in Shterpce/Strpce,” said the Ferizaj/Urosevac Basic Prosecution.

“Two suspects have been arrested… N.G., a customs officer, and S.I., chairman of the board of the Ski Centre Brezovica,” the prosecution added.

The suspects were remanded in custody for 48 hours on suspicion of “committing the criminal offence of accepting bribes”.

The prosecutor ordered the closure of the Serb ‘parallel administration’ office, which is one in a network of Belgrade-run and funded institutions in Serb-majority parts of Kosovo that operate independently from the Kosovo government.

Poll: 95 percent of respondents in favor of NATO membership (Kallxo)

95.1 percent of respondents in a poll conducted by UBO Consulting said they are in favor of Kosovo’s membership in NATO. 93.9 percent of respondents also said they are in favor of membership in the European Union. The poll included 1,065 respondents from all ethnic communities in Kosovo.

EULEX Police strengthened following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (BIRN)

The European Gendarmerie Force EUROGENDFOR will temporarily add 92 members to EULEX’s Police Unit, 'to maintain security if necessary,’ amid growing jitters in the Balkans.

The EULEX Formed Police Unit in Kosovo will strengthen its capacities with a Reserve Formed Police Unit consisting of 92 members drawn from the European Gendarmerie Force EUROGENDFOR.

The reserve unit will consist of 42 officers from Portugal, 28 from France and 22 from Italy. A preliminary team was scheduled to arrive on March 14, EULEX said in a statement.

Asked if this deployment was related to the war in Ukraine and fears of a “second front” opening in the Balkans, EULEX told Prishtina Insight that the deployment is a response to EULEX’s need for “additional forces on the ground and [to] better support its Kosovo counterparts if requested and if necessary.”

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts everything in a different light. As the EU High Representative/Vice President, Josep Borrell said, Russian influence can have an impact on the Western Balkans,” it added in response to Prishtina Insight.