Albanian Language Media: 

• Osmani will soon summon parties to a joint meeting (media)
• Vlora Citaku says PDK will attend a meeting called by Osmani (Gazeta Blic) 
• Hargreaves: People expect action; form the Assembly and Government (Telegrafi)
• Tahiri: A government by opposition and led by Bedri Hamza (Express)
• Antonio Costa to visit Kosovo on May 14 as part of Balkans tour (Klan)
• Gervalla: Appeasing policy toward Serbia must stop (Koha)
• Osmani congratulates Pope Leo XIV on his elections (media)
• Rexhepi: IMC has always been politically influenced (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: I expect tough reactions from EU, but I will not remain silent (Tanjug)
• Vucic welcomed by billboards in Moscow (media)
• Vucic presents Order of Serbia to Russian Patriarch Kirill (N1)
• EU foreign affairs ministers: Peace supporters should be in Ukraine, not Moscow on May 9 (N1)
• Djuric: Warsaw meeting confirms Serbia’s clear European future (Kosovo Online)
• Invisible to system: Problems faced by Serbs with residence in Kosovo in obtaining documents (Kosovo Online)
• Zubin Potok: Wildfire at Lucka Reka landfill still burning (Radio KIM, Alternativna.com)
• Brnabic receives Norwegian MFA's Western Balkans envoy (Tanjug)
• Belgrade University chief says no progress after 3rd meeting with PM (N1)
• Dacic: No reason for elections (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

Osmani will soon summon parties to a joint meeting (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will soon organize a meeting with political parties in order to solve the current political deadlock. The information comes one day after the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) called on Osmani to organize a roundtable that would help constitute the new Assembly of Kosovo. “The President of the Republic of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has expressed full readiness starting from April 16 to host the leaders of political parties if they find this necessary. Until yesterday we had no such request. Now that some parties have asked the President to call a joint meeting of leaders, the Office of the President will very soon contact the political parties to see what an appropriate time for everyone will be to hold such an inclusive meeting,” a media advisor to Osmani said. 

Vlora Citaku says PDK will attend a meeting called by Osmani (Gazeta Blic) 

Senior member of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Vlora Citaku said that the PDK would attend a meeting called by President Vjosa Osmani to break the political deadlock in the Assembly. “Yes we will attend,” she told Gazeta Blic on Thursday. 

The news website reported that the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) too have confirmed they will attend the meeting. Meanwhile, representatives of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) said they would decide after receiving an invitation to the meeting.

Hargreaves: People expect action – form the Assembly and Government (Telegrafi)

British Ambassador to Kosovo, Jonathan Hargreaves, said on Thursday that Kosovo’s political leaders need to engage immediately in forming the new assembly and a functional government. “More than three months after the people of Kosovo voted in the elections, Kosovo urgently needs an Assembly and a functional government. The people have the right to expect their political leaders to work together for the national interest,” he said.

Tahiri: A government by opposition and led by Bedri Hamza (Express)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri said on Thursday that Kosovo needs a government consisting of political parties that were in the opposition and that the government should be led by PDK’s candidate for Prime Minister Bedri Hamza. He argued that a national transitional government proposed by LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku has no room in Kosovo now. “I think that in the current circumstances, a unity government including all parties and a consensual Prime Minister, does not have room now in the Republic of Kosovo. We need a government that serves the people and has an emergency plan with four or five points,” he said. “A government that would be led by Hamza is a government that Kosovo needs and it would include parties that were in the opposition in the previous mandate”.

Antonio Costa to visit Kosovo on May 14 as part of Balkans tour (Klan)

President of the EU Council, Antonio Costa, will visit Kosovo on May as part of his Balkans tour, the news website reported on Thursday citing an article by Italian media Ansa. Costa will also visit Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania. Costa will have an informal dinner with six leaders of the Western Balkans in Tirana. A senior EU official told Ansa that “for Costa, enlargement is the main geostrategic investment of Europe, an investment for peace, stability and prosperity”.

Gervalla: Appeasing policy toward Serbia must stop (Koha)

Kosovo’s acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said on Thursday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to Russia is a message for the western world that it needs to stop its appeasing policy toward Serbia. During her stay in Warsaw, Gervalla mentioned the 2023 attack against Kosovo Police in Banjska as proof of Serbia’s destructive approach. “Vucic has sent destructive messages in the past too. You remember when in September 2023 we faced an attack that came directly from Serbia with paramilitary troops who were heavily armed and had even anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons. You know that Kosovo doesn’t have tanks. These weapons were designed to threaten your troops in KFOR who protect peace and the people of Kosovo,” she told reporters. 

Gervalla also said that “one should ask what price will Europe pay, if the EU and our western partners continue the appeasing policy toward Serbia while the latter has hegemonistic objectives and is a threat to all neighbors in the region”.

Osmani congratulates Pope Leo XIV on his elections (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X on Thursday that “on behalf of the people of the Republic of Kosovo, I extend my sincere congratulations to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on his election”. She also said that “at a time when the world yearns for peace, unity, and compassion, his voice will carry great weight. May his pontificate be marked by moral clarity, steadfast leadership, and a deep commitment to the dignity of all humanity”.

Rexhepi: IMC has always been politically influenced (Koha)

Editor-in-chief of KOHA Group, Brikenda Rexhepi, said in a debate on KTV on Thursday that the Independent Media Commission (IMC) has been politically influenced ever since it was established. “Since its establishment, the Independent Media Commission has never been politically independent. There were always individuals who were appointed by political groups in the Assembly. Even though the Constitution foresees it as an independent institution, board members have always belonged to one party or another, not all of them. When someone has been politically unaffiliated, it has mostly been accidental. There was coordination in the Assembly in terms of appointing certain political figures. And if we ever had a credible Independent Media Commission, then it was last year,” she said.

According to Rexhepi, Kosovo is not in a worse position than other countries in the region regarding media freedom, as it was ranked by Reporters Without Borders. “Based on my overall experience, I don’t believe Kosovo is worse off than regional countries when it comes to media freedom and professionalism. There are those who argue we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others but focus on fixing our own issues. We truly have many problems within the media sector and in our political and economic context. But when you see Kosovo on the Reporters Without Borders map in a darker color than Serbia, for example, it doesn't reflect reality. I’m not just talking about Serbia, but also Albania and Bosnia, specifically Republika Srpska, which has passed laws that are absolutely unacceptable,” she said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: I expect tough reactions from EU, but I will not remain silent (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday he expected tough EU reactions to his visit to Moscow but that he would not remain silent after those reactions, and that he personally - not Serbia - would pay the price, if necessary, Tanjug news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters in the Russian capital, where he will attend the Victory Day parade on Friday, Vucic said he knew "how things go when two or three people from a war-threatened area come out with initiatives" against him.

"But if they thought I would remain silent like some people did at the last European Political Community meeting after being verbally attacked over their visits to Moscow, I will not. My response will be serious, responsible and prepared in advance", Vucic noted. "Serbia will continue on its path - the European path and every other previously set path. If anyone needs to pay the price, it will be me, not Serbia", he added.

Vucic welcomed by billboards in Moscow (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who is in Moscow for Friday's Victory Day parade, is welcomed by billboards placed around the Russian capital. "Welcome, Your Excellency President of the Republic of Serbia Mr Aleksandar Vucic!" reads a message on the billboards, written in both Serbian and Russian.

Other international officials who will attend the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the WWII victory over fascism, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, are also welcomed by messages on billboards.

Vucic presents Order of Serbia to Russian Patriarch Kirill (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic presented the Order of the Republic of Serbia, First Class on a grand collar, to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia during a visit to Moscow, describing the gesture as an important step in strengthening Serbia-Russia relations, N1 reported.

“It is a great honour for me to present the Order of the Republic of Serbia, First Class, to Patriarch Kirill. This marks another significant step in the continued development of Serbia-Russia relations. I had the privilege of learning much from Patriarch Kirill about the position of the Russian Orthodox Church, and I was also pleased to hear his kind words about cooperation with the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian state”, Vucic wrote in a post on Instagram.

Vucic is visiting Moscow to attend the military parade commemorating the victory over fascism in World War II, scheduled for Friday, May 9.

EU foreign affairs ministers: Peace supporters should be in Ukraine, not Moscow on May 9 (N1)

Anyone who truly wants and supports peace should not be standing alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin in Red Square on May 9, but rather be in Kyiv, European Union (EU) foreign affairs ministers said Thursday in Warsaw at their regular informal meeting, N1 reported.

“Tomorrow we are going to Ukraine, and we are going to make available one billion euro for Ukraine’s defence industry. All those who truly support peace cannot stand side by side with Putin who has started this full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine. Those who truly support peace should be in Ukraine rather than in Moscow tomorrow”, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas told reporters after the meeting on Thursday.

When asked what message she had for Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who will attend the 80^th anniversary of the victory in WWII on May 9 in Moscow, Kallas said that “on the positive side, Serbian military is not participating in the parade”.

“That would have been really a next level step. But of course, it weighs on the conscience of all those people who are going to stand side by side with Putin who is waging a war right now, not in history, but right now, the biggest war in Europe since the Second World War. Like I said before, member states are not taking this lightly. When we are discussing next steps, member states have a lot of questions: who is your friend, who are you really dealing with”, Kallas said.

Djuric: Warsaw meeting confirms Serbia’s clear European future (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Marko Djuric stated that Thursday’s informal meeting of foreign ministers of the EU and candidate countries in Warsaw once again confirmed that Serbia has a clear European future. He noted there were also attempts at, as he said, distortion of the truth by representatives of Pristina, which were not well received.

"The meeting confirmed Serbia - as a country that prioritizes strengthening institutions, reducing societal tensions, fostering social dialogue, boosting the economy and infrastructure, and improving the regional climate - will soon be accepted as a full-fledged member with the right to participate in decision-making at the very table we are sitting at today", Djuric said. He added that, following this meeting, he views the pace of Serbia’s European integration with greater optimism.

He pointed out that the meeting also “saw labelling and disappointing distortions of the truth by the representatives of Pristina”. "This was presented in such a rudimentary and self-defeating manner that - if it hadn’t been unpleasant to listen to - we could almost be satisfied with the tone and style, which were self-destructive. From the reactions of other ministers, I saw that it was not well received", he said.

Invisible to system: Problems faced by Serbs with residence in Kosovo in obtaining documents (Kosovo Online)

People who possess only documents issued by Serbia bearing the names of cities in Kosovo find themselves in an increasingly difficult position. These individuals, often born in central Serbia but residing in Kosovo due to marriage, education, or property, have for years attempted to obtain Kosovo documents, only to encounter administrative barriers, inconsistent application of laws, and refusals by the competent authorities to recognize Serbian birth certificates, Kosovo Online portal reported.

Despite a decision by Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs in November last year that enabled the issuance of documents based on Serbian documentation, many remain "invisible" to the system - without citizenship or identity cards, unable to move freely, gain employment, or access assistance.

The deadline for obtaining Kosovo documents based on those issued by Serbian institutions for cities in Kosovo expired on April 30.

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

Zubin Potok: Wildfire at Lucka Reka landfill still burning (Radio KIM, Alternativna.com)

For more than ten days the wildfire at sanitary landfill Lucka Reka in Zubin Potok municipality continues burning, Radio KIM reported.

It remains unknown if and when the wildfire will be extinguished. Zubin Potok mayor Izmir Zeqiri told Alternativna.com portal they are trying to solve the problem. “Teams are on the ground, we are trying to solve the problem”, Zeqiri said in a response to the portal whether there are attempts to extinguish the wildfire, without providing further details.

InTer NGO confirmed to the portal that wildfire was still burning and shared the video recording of it. Previously InTer warned of the danger it poses to the health of people and living environment, demanding urgent action to extinguish it. InTER also said evening and night hours were particularly dangerous, when smoke and toxic fumes descend through the Ibar Valley, spreading towards Zubin Potok and further to Mitrovica, polluting the air and seriously endangering the public health of people. They pointed out that it is urgently needed to extinguish the wildfire to prevent a large-scale environmental disaster with, as they pointed out, unfathomable consequences for the health and safety of the local population.

Brnabic receives Norwegian MFA's Western Balkans envoy (Tanjug)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with the Norwegian MFA's special Western Balkans envoy Eirik Nestas Mathisen in Belgrade on Thursday to discuss the importance of preservation of peace and stability in the Western Balkans. Brnabic and Mathisen discussed the current political situation in the region, Serbia-Norway bilateral relations and Serbia's EU integration, an official statement said.

Brnabic noted that the Kosovo issue is an important national issue for Serbia, as well as that Belgrade remained consistently committed to the EU-facilitated dialogue. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of preservation of peace and stability in the Western Balkans, and Brnabic noted that Serbia remained committed to regional cooperation and economic connectivity. She reiterated that full-fledged EU membership was Serbia's strategic commitment, and added that she especially appreciated Norway's readiness to help advance the EU integration process through its experience and expertise.

Belgrade University chief says no progress after 3rd meeting with PM (N1)

Belgrade University Rector Vladan Djokic said on Thursday he sees no progress after his 3rd meeting with Prime Minister Djuro Macut, N1 reported. “The students who set conditions are the people who should be making the decisions and they were not at the meetings”, he said, adding that the students are not giving up on their demands.

Djokic said the meeting did not discuss elections and that the university delegation unsuccessfully asked the prime minister to revoke the government decrees which led to financial instability at universities. He said the meeting included 2 cabinet ministers, the rectors of the Nis, Kragujevac, Novi Sad, Novi Pazar and Arts Universities.

Djokic explained that PM Macut and ministers insisted on resuming classes, adding that only students can make such a decision. According to the Rector students should be included in the meetings, adding participants also agreed to meet again.

Dacic: No reason for elections (N1)

Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic spoke out against early elections, saying there is no reason for them when the parliamentary majority is stable, N1 reported. Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic said earlier on Thursday students need to address President Aleksandar Vucic personally if they want early parliamentary elections.

Speaking live on TV Pink, Dacic asked if the protesting students know what standing in elections means. According to him, the students’ demand for early parliamentary elections is hypocritical because they said earlier their original demands are not within his (Vucic’s) competencies. The students demanded accountability for the Novi Sad railway station disaster which claimed 16 lives.

The minister said things are gradually going back to normal after the public was under pressure with violence and blockades for months. “This was more a blockade of normal life than a political crisis… Serbia needs political stability as a condition for any progress”, he added.