UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, September 8, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: We will work for the Kosovo flag to fly in NATO (media)

Bislimi: Agreement with Serbia should implement without delay and conditions (Koha)

Lajcak intensifies meetings on dialogue before Kurti-Vucic meeting (media)

CEC "confused" by Administrative Instruction for mayors’ dismissal (Klan)

New threat from the "Northern Brigade" (Koha)

Deadline to vacate property used by illegal structures expires today (RTK)

Reactions after NATO SG’s statement on deployment of Police in north (Klan)

Haradinaj: Kurti is waging a hybrid war against Kosovo's achievements (Klan)

Delawie calls on five EU countries to recognize Kosovo (RTK)

Konjufca calls for more commitment to rights of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Stoltenberg: KSF for the North needs consent; we are also looking for consultations for KP actions that can affect security (KoSSev)

Petkovic: Clearly stated that KSF cannot go to the north (Tanjug)

NATO chief welcomes steps to ease tension in Kosovo (N1)

Momirovic: I will reopen the issue of the blockade of Serbian goods in Brussels (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Vucic receives Ohio National Guard commander (N1)

International Media:

Kosovo's president says Serb investigators are dragging their feet over attacks on NATO peacekeepers (AP)

NATO chief calls for accountability over attack on NATO’s mission in Kosovo (Anadolu Agency)

Fehlinger Wants Kosovo in EU in 2029, Calls for ‘Isolation’ of Serbia (SchengenVIsa)

‘It Crushed Me’: Loneliness of Suffering Image-Based Sexual Abuse in Kosovo (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: We will work for the Kosovo flag to fly in NATO (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, paid an official visit to the NATO headquarters, where she was received by the Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, as well as other dignitaries of this alliance. Through a live presentation from the NATO headquarters, she spoke about the meeting she had on Thursday with senior officials of this alliance.

As stated at the beginning of this presentation, President Osmani had busy meetings with the NATO Secretary General and his associates, whereas she also had an important meeting with Admiral Bauer, chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

"The discussions were very substantive and I am happy that we once again received the full commitment of our allies to continue working with Kosovo, to continue their presence in Kosovo, in the framework of our joint work for security and stability in our entire region. Kosovo, as you know, is the most pro-NATO country not only in the region, but in the whole world, because our vision and that of our citizens is for Kosovo to join NATO, which in 1999 saved our lives and, even today, enables for our citizens to live in peace", Osmani said.

She further highlighted some of the challenges Kosovo is facing, especially in the north, ‘due to Serbian organized criminal groups.’

"Because of the Serbian organized criminal groups, which we discussed today, we must cooperate with our partners and allies in order to solve all these security challenges, because this is a collective matter ", she added further.

Further, she recalled that throughout these 25 years, Kosovo has proved that it is a partner of NATO, adding that it still continues to prove, while emphasizing that it will continue to coordinate with its partners, for the benefit of all citizens and the sovereignty of Kosovo, but also peace and regional stability.

Bislimi: Agreement with Serbia should be implemented without delay and conditions (Koha)

Kosovo’s first Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue Besnik Bislimi, spoke on Thursday to the students at Leiden University in The Hague. He said that Kosovo deserves the status of a candidate country for membership in the European Union, adding that the road to the EU is Kosovo's destiny and vision.

“Bislimi also spoke about the background of the dialogue process with Serbia and the Basic Agreement reached this year. He said that the agreement must be implemented in full, without delays and without conditions, through a fair, balanced and comprehensive sequencing plan", informs a press release issued by the government.

According to the communiqué, Bislimi also spoke about Kosovo's potential for development.

"He spoke about the broad support of citizens towards membership in the European family. It is important to strengthen the message that Kosovo, through its mature and prepared institutions, is ready to take further steps in this process".

Lajcak intensifies meetings about dialogue before Kurt-Vucic meeting in Brussels (media)

The EU's special representative Miroslav Lajcak, informed through X social network about his meetings with German diplomats in Berlin, whom he thanked for their commitment and support in the dialogue process.

"Had important discussions with representatives of German diplomacy today about the state of play in the Dialogue and the way forward ahead of next week’s meeting. Focused on the need for progress on implementing the Agreement on the path to normalization. Grateful for strong support,” Lajcak wrote.

Lajcak also met the United Kingdom’s special envoy for Western Balkans, Lord Stuart Peach.

“After landing back in Brussels, I caught up with the UK's Western Balkan envoy Lord Peach. Always good to hear about his latest activities, exchange assessments of recent developments in the region and brief him on our efforts in the Dialogue,” Lajcak wrote.

CEC "confused" by Administrative Instruction for mayors’ dismissal (Klan)

The news website reports that the Administrative Instruction for the removal of municipal mayors from office can end up in judicial institutions, as the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) considers the document to be illegal and unconstitutional. The organizational secretary of this party, Betim Gjoshi, told Klan Kosova that they will use all legal instances to oppose this document.

There is a dilemma whether the Directive can be sent to the Constitutional Court. But the latter, according to lawyer Qendrim Arifi, does not deal with bylaws, and according to him, another way is to seek the interpretation of the Law on Local Self-Government, where the petition is mentioned.

Article 7 of the Administrative Instruction assigns the Central Election Commission (CEC) the organization of the process to remove the mayors, which requires the votes of 50% plus of local voters.

The CEC has not responded for two days on what the basis for this process is. However, Klan Kosova has learned unofficially that they are considering drafting an internal regulation in the CEC to adapt it to the Administrative Instruction.

On the other hand, Naim Jakaj from the Kosovo Law Institute has doubts about this method, adding that the CEC operates according to the Constitution, the law, and the President’s decree, not according to the Administrative Instruction of a Ministry.

Given all these dilemmas, if the document of the Ministry of Local Government Administration is submitted to one of the courts, experts consider that they will impose a security measure and could delay the holding of elections in this form in the north.

New threat from the "Northern Brigade" (Koha)

On Thursday, a photo full of weapons was posted on the Facebook profile of the "Northern Brigade" organization. The municipality adjacent to Pristina, Gracanica, has been set as the location.

"Look at this Kurti and cry, even more arrived in our bunker last night, there are enough," it is written in this account.

The message of this organization, which the Government of Kosovo has declared terrorist, was left two days after the police action, when a base full of weapons was discovered in Zvecan.

After the action, the Minister of the Interior, Xelal Svecla, was threatened with death by the same profile.

Deadline for vacating property currently used by illegal structures expires today (RTK)

Today is the deadline for the vacation of the property in the northern municipality of Mitrovica by institutions operating under the system of the Government of Serbia, which was previously postponed by two weeks. The property located in the Bosnjak neighborhood is currently being utilized by four institutions functioning as parallel structures.

A few days ago, in an interview with RTK, Erden Atiq emphasized that the vacation of this property would take place conclusively on September 8, with no further postponements.

For the Chairwoman of the New Social Initiative, Jovana Radosavljevic, this may bring a repetition of the scenes witnessed on May 26 if no compromise is reached.

"What is more realistic and what we can expect at this moment is a possible scenario similar to May 26 when the mayors of municipalities and members of special units of the Kosovo Police forcibly entered municipal buildings in Leposavic, Zvecan, and Zubin Potok. Until a compromise solution or postponement of this decision by Kosovo institutions, we may potentially expect incidents, but learning from the experiences of the past months, I hope that in this situation, KFOR will be on standby and react more quickly compared to May 26," she said.

Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of the Northern Police, told RTK that there is no official request for them to assist in the property's release.

The European Union also reacted to Atiq's decision, assessing that the current mayors in the northern municipalities of Kosovo have an administrative role, and such decisions impact the escalation of tensions in the north.

Meanwhile, throughout the day, the mayor of the municipality, Erden Atiq, has not responded to the editorial questions about whether he stands by this decision, as he declared earlier when he stated that the decision would not be postponed to another date.

Reactions after NATO SG’s statement on deployment of Special Police in the north (Klan)

Enver Hoxhaj, former foreign minister of Kosovo, through a status on the Facebook social network, assessed that it was clearly seen once again that with the Osmani-Kurti duo, the dialogue process, has been reduced to Kosovo's strategic mistakes and not its interests.

He noted that this happened after the NATO headquarters said that Kosovo must now request permission from KFOR to deploy police forces in the north. Hoxhaj called this bad news!

Fatmir Collaku, expert in the field of security, stated that limitation of the mandate of special units to operate, gives a signal that that part of northern Kosovo is gradually coming under the control and protectorate of the international military mission, KFOR.

However, Blerim Vela, Chief of staff of Kosovo president Vjosa Osmani, told RTK that such agreement was reached in 2013, by previous governments.

"They have been direct actors in reaching that agreement from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, while regarding the Kosovo Police, the president has discussed it with the NATO Secretary General and this situation has been clarified, and, in fact, prior approval of KFOR or NATO is not required for the deployment of the Police in the north, but that it is a request of KFOR for coordination within the competences related to the first, second and third responders that prevent any escalation of the situation in the north", Vela said.

Haradinaj: Kurti is waging a hybrid war against Kosovo's achievements (Klan)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, has accused the Kurti government of a hybrid war against Kosovo's successes.

"Kurti has not only failed to achieve success where it was lacking, but he fought against the previous achievements, he also denied them while he was in the opposition. A hybrid war position similar to that of Kosovo's enemies, a hybrid war against achievements of the country", Haradinaj said.

The head of AAK further said that Prime Minister Kurti continues to deny the existence and successes of the country.

“The highway to Skopje exists, the army exists, Trepca, the property of Kosovo, exists. Kurti could have continued the projects left halfway or in quarter, but none of these projects that have been beneficial for Kosovo have continued. What's even worse is that Kosovo has managed to build trust with its allies because the formation of the army is a result of trust," he added.

"Kurti has turned Kosovo from a state in the making, a member of the family of nations in the process of achieving international subjectivity, into a party that is condemned by those who are crucial for us to move forward in internal processes," said Haradinaj on Klan Kosova's Rubicon program.

"Those who love Kosovo, should not mind the Alliance's haste, if it is haste, because we are late, but if it is haste, I believe that the union of the opposition with a vote on the motion is a victory for democracy in Kosovo, it is a victory for Kosovo, only the unification of our vote is a respected achievement", said Haradinaj.

Former ambassador Delawie, calls on five EU countries to recognize Kosovo (RTK)

The former ambassador of the United States of America in Kosovo, Greg Delawie, has called on the five member countries of the European Union to recognize the independence of Kosovo.

"It is definitely time for Spain, Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia and Greece to recognize the reality of Kosovo's independence and contribute to lasting peace in the Balkans," Delawie wrote.

Konjufca calls for more commitment to rights of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities (media)

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, participated on Thursday in the Multicultural Festival "Let's celebrate our similarities", organized by the Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VORAE). Speaking in front of the audience, he asked to work harder and fight the eventual injustices against the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, for better welfare and education.

"Each of us enjoys our constitutional rights. We enjoy the right to be equal in front of the law, we enjoy the right to have access to what are the greatest achievements of humanity and are universal, such as the right to education, the right to health, the right to social protection. However, if we look at these rights and if we look at the statistics in the Republic of Kosovo, then we come to some results that do not seem satisfactory to me", said Konjufca.

According to the results and conclusions drawn, the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities have weaker welfare and social protection from the institutions, while their children, especially girls, have less access to education.

The head of the Assembly emphasized that all shortcomings, including those of the institutions, must be identified together, so that none of the members of these communities in Kosovo feel discriminated against. He was optimistic that these shortcomings could be overcome.

Serbian Language Media

Stoltenberg: KSF for the North needs consent; we are also looking for consultations for KP actions that can affect security (KoSSev)

Portal KoSSev reported last night that the Secretary General of NATO, Stoltenberg at the conference in Brussels with the president of Kosovo said that any deployment of special forces requires the consent of KFOR and there is a need for coordination and close consultation between the authorities in Pristina and the KFOR commander regarding any deployments that may affect security in Kosovo. That every dispatch of the KFS to the North of Kosovo requires the consent of KFOR, consultations are expected for any actions of the KSF, but also for the actions of the Kosovo Police that could affect the security environment.

Stoltenberg said that KFOR is ready to react, if necessary, at the same time calling on the parties not to use inflammatory rhetoric and fulfill their obligations.

Vjosa Osmani, however, used this opportunity to present a series of accusations against Serbia - from cooperation with Russia, to destabilization and "violation of territorial integrity" in the North of Kosovo, which, she says, "was and will remain part of Kosovo." She asks official Belgrade to "do its homework" before receiving EU money and offers NATO cooperation to bring "Serbian criminal organized groups" to justice for the attack on KFOR soldiers, stating that "it is known who ordered it ".

The President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, was in Brussels yesterday. At NATO headquarters, she met with the Secretary General of this Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg.

Petkovic: Clearly stated that KSF cannot go to the north (Tanjug)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said that Vjosa Osmani, did not have a good time in the conversation with NATO representatives in Brussels, because, among other things, she was clearly told that KSF cannot go to the north of Kosovo, reported Tanjug.

As Petkovic said, Osmani "in a fit of panic and helplessness once again resorted to lies and conspiracy theories, accusing Belgrade of everything and anything, which is why she once again came off as frivolous and ridiculous."

"Guided by the belief that one should lie as blatantly as possible in order for a lie to pass as the truth, Osmani deceived herself because she allowed herself to think that she was talking to uninformed and gullible people in Brussels, who, however, clearly see the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and without a doubt in Pristina recognize the culprit for destabilization on the ground. Pristina's effort to find an alibi for the attempted ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija in some kind of malign influence of Belgrade can no longer pass anywhere, and Osmani found out about it in an immediate way - by having a lesson by the Secretary General of NATO at the press conference, where she was introduced as ‘Mrs. Osmani from Kosovo’ and where she was clearly told that the so-called KFS cannot go to the north of the province," said Petkovic, reported Tanjug.

NATO chief welcomes steps to ease tension in Kosovo (N1)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday welcomed Pristina’s steps to reduce tensions in Kosovo, an Alliance press release said.

“I welcome recent steps taken by Pristina to lower tensions, including reducing the number of special police in the north, and plans to facilitate new municipal elections. But it’s essential to avoid further escalation. So, I urge all parties to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, and to act with restraint and in line with their commitments,” he said after a meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani at NATO Headquarters.

The press release said that they discussed the recent tensions in the north of Kosovo and the importance of NATO’s KFOR peacekeeping mission under its UN mandate.

“Stoltenberg welcomed the next round of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina taking place next week”. He said that the dialogue is the “only way to resolve outstanding issues and to reach a solution that respects the rights of all communities. This requires patience, perseverance and compromise”, it added.

“We expect timely and meaningful consultation on any actions of the Kosovo Security Force or Kosovo Police that could impact the security environment,” Stoltenberg said.

Momirovic: I will reopen the issue of the blockade of Serbian goods in Brussels (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The Minister of Internal and Foreign Trade, Tomislav Momirovic, announced that in Brussels he will reopen the issue of the blockade of Serbian goods In Kosovo and expressed the expectation that this problem will be resolved very soon, as it is in the interest of both Serbian and Albanian companies, as well as long-term peace and stability.

MomiroviC, at the panel "Serbian-American relations", said that this will be the topic of discussion in Brussels, where he will travel in the next two or three weeks.

Vucic receives Ohio National Guard commander (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told a meeting with Ohio National Guard Commander Major General John Harris that Serbia is committed to strengthening relations with the US and that the years-long successful cooperation with the Ohio National Guard strongly contributes to this, said a press release issued by the President’s office.

It quoted Vucic as saying that many military cooperation, economic and business projects have been launched or carried out through a state partnership program.

The Serbian President said economic ties between Serbia and the US are constantly intensifying thanks to an increasing inflow of investments by US companies, growing trade, and major financial support through development aid programs, said the press release.

Major General John Harris said Ohio’s partnership with Serbia is one of the ways in which the US demonstrates its commitment to cooperation with Serbia and presented concrete proposals for its advancement.

Vucic and Harris also discussed various regional and global issues.

International Media

Kosovo's president says Serb investigators are dragging their feet over attacks on NATO peacekeepers (AP)

Kosovo's president on Thursday accused Serbian investigators of dragging their feet over an inquiry into attacks on NATO peacekeepers earlier this year in which dozens of troops and police officers were injured, some of them seriously.

President Vjosa Osmani also called on European Union officials to refrain from showing any favoritism in talks next week aimed at improving Kosovo's tense relations with Serbia.

"Those who attacked NATO on the 29th of May are clearly known to law enforcement agencies," she told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels after talks with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Video footage, Osmani said, shows that some "are police officers who came all the way from Serbia."