UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 18, 2022

President Vjosa Osmani’s interview with Channel 4 (media)
Kurti: Kosovo will apply for EU membership this year (media)
U.S.: We expect immediate engagement in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Reporteri)
Bislimi: Agreement needed on April 3 Serbian elections (Kossev/Kallxo)
President Osmani to meet White House delegation, Austrian Chancellor (media)
In Kosovo, fears that Russia could inspire a new Serbian offensive (Euronews)
President Osmani meets COMKFOR Kajari (media)
Kurti: Committed to social policies centering on citizen and equality (media)
Kosovo Parliament approves draft law on financing parties (BIRN)
Prosecutors seek six-year jail terms for Kosovo veterans’ leaders (BIRN)
Serbs commemorate victims of deadly 2004 unrest in Kosovo (BIRN)
Half of poll respondents say they would leave Kosovo (Klan Kosova)
COVID-19: 33 new cases, two deaths (media)

President Vjosa Osmani’s interview with Channel 4 (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in an interview with Channel 4 that “there is growing concern in the region that Russia might try to cause tensions and conflict in our region in order to diver the attention of NATO and the international community”.

Commenting on the conflict in Ukraine, Osmani said: “What we see is exactly the kind of scenes that we had to see and go through back in 1998 and 1999 when Kosovo and its people were victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. And unfortunately it’s not like it’s getting better. We not only show our solidarity with them but at the same time we are the very first country in the region to have joined sanctions of the European Union and sanctions from the United States and we are doing more by being open to admitting refugees from Ukraine as well as helping journalists from Ukraine. We understand how difficult it is.”

See interview here: https://bit.ly/3whTj3k

Kurti: Kosovo will apply for EU membership this year (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in an interview with Swiss TV station Blick that Kosovo will apply for membership in the European Union this year. He said he hopes that the five non-recognizing EU member states will make the major step toward recognizing Kosovo. “We will apply to become a member of the European Union this year. It would be very good for Kosovo to be admitted in the Council of Europe and the NATO Partnership for Peace programme … We are in contact with the non-recognizing countries. Four of these countries are in NATO: Spain, Slovakia, Greece and Romania. I hope this year they will make the major step of recognizing Kosovo’s independence and join the majority of countries that have recognized Kosovo’s independence who are part of EU and NATO,” he said.

U.S.: We expect immediate engagement in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Reporteri)

A spokesperson for the United States Embassy in Prishtina told the news website on Thursday that immediate engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue is the best way to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “The United States believe that the immediate, open, honest and flexible engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue is the best way not only to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia through an agreement centered on mutual recognition, but also for both these countries to get their merited place alongside their neighbors in European and Euro-Atlantic institutions,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson also said that the Russian invasion in Ukraine has highlighted the importance and the need for the US and European partners to work in ensuring the full integration of Western Balkans countries in their institutions.

Bislimi: Agreement needed on April 3 Serbian elections (Kossev/Kallxo)

Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, in an interview with Kossev, talked about the possibility of the April 3 Serbian elections being held in Kosovo. He said Serbia needs to file an official request with Kosovo authorities to collect the votes and that then an agreement is needed too. Bislimi said Belgrade “agreed” to send a request for “assistance in holding the elections” through Prishtina’s liaison office in Belgrade. “In fact, not elections, because there would be no campaign, but to collect votes in the territory of Kosovo,” Bislimi is quoted as saying.

Bislimi also said that the Kosovo Government cannot in any way limit the rights of citizens with voting rights in Serbia but that this is a matter of an agreement. “The government’s response was that there are practices in European countries in cases when a country wants to organise elections for its citizens with double nationality outside its territory and that there is a clear way of organisation,” he said.

President Osmani to meet White House delegation, Austrian Chancellor (media)

All news websites report that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will meet with a delegation from the White House today. Osmani is also scheduled to meet Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

In Kosovo, fears that Russia could inspire a new Serbian offensive (Euronews)

Kosovo had celebrated the 14^th anniversary of independence from Serbia just one week before Russian soldiers crossed into Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

As a small, south-eastern European country not very far from Ukraine, the invasion found Kosovo in a precarious and uncertain position. The war, now in its 22nd day, presents a wide range of possible implications for Kosovo’s future.

During the tense months when Russian units began assembling near the Ukrainian border, Kosovans were already debating whether Belgrade might use the conflict as an excuse to attack Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

Indeed, there are few Europeans that better understand what Ukrainians are currently going through than the people of Kosovo, who had to endure a conflict waged by a neighbouring state and fuelled by nationalist ideology a little over 20 years ago.

If Russia had been able to advance quickly in Ukraine, the Balkans would be in real trouble.

The 1998 Kosovo war was a culmination of years of state repression of Yugoslavia against ethnic Albanians; nine years after Slobodan Milosevic had revoked Kosovo’s autonomy bringing the province under the direct control of Belgrade.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/3Inb1o6

President Osmani meets COMKFOR Kajari (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Thursday with KFOR Commander, Major General Ferenc Kajári, with whom she discussed the security situation in Kosovo, and recent developments in the European continent in light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

“President Osmani expressed her gratitude for the work of KFOR and their contribution towards peace and security. Meanwhile, Major General Kajári highlighted KFOR’s commitment to supporting a safe and peaceful environment throughout the country,” a press release issued by Osmani’s office noted.

Kurti: Committed to social policies centering on citizen and equality (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said that the Government of Kosovo considers social protection of citizens through adequate programmes to be a priority.

In his remarks at a conference marking the World Social Work Day, Kurti said that a number of measures have been taken by his government to directly help members of vulnerable groups, "starting from increasing the amount of social assistance, increasing pensions and starting the implementation of the program for maternity supplements and supplements for children.” Kurti added that as a result of these measures, about 26,000 families have benefited from social assistance, over 300,000 pensioners, 12,000 new mothers and over 140,000 children.

"As the Government, we remain committed to the design and implementation of social policies that focus on the citizen and social equality," Kurti said. He noted that work is already underway in reforming the social assistance scheme which he said will focus on eliminating discriminatory eligibility criteria.

Kosovo Parliament approves draft law on financing parties (BIRN)

Kosovo’s parliament on Wednesday approved the Draft Law on Financing of Political Entities, with 63 votes in favour, none against and no abstentions.

One of the goals is to increase the transparency of political parties in the way they manage and spend public money during election campaigns.

“One of the main objectives that is expected with the entry into force of this law is to increase transparency and accountability of political entities in the management and spending of public money which is spent during the financing of campaigns … before, during and after elections,” says the explanatory memorandum of the draft law.

It is further stated that the law will strengthen the controls of competent institutions over political parties.

Before the draft law was backed in principle by MPs, representatives of civil society organized a press conference, stressing the importance of changing the law.

Non-governmental organizations demanded adoption of a law “which opens the wallets of political parties” to scrutiny.

According to them, the new draft law largely addresses their concerns about the lack of financial transparency of political parties.

“Knowing the many failures and delays in the selection of auditors by the Assembly, through this draft law the competence for the selection of auditors is transferred to the Office for Political Party Registration and Certification, which is provided with a high level of functional independence and budget,” noted Eugen Cakolli, from the Democratic Institute of Kosovo, KDI.