Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 249 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Kosnett meets Kurti and Osmani (media)
• Former KLA leaders face the Special Court (media)
• DiA: February 14 elections in line with democratic standards (Koha)
• KSF in a six-month peacekeeping mission in Kuwait (Express)
• Italian President congratulates Kosovo on 13th anniversary of independence (media)
• Italian Ambassador congratulates LVV (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 28 newly infected in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• UNS: Detention of RTS crew at Jarinje a blow to the freedom of press (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online, RTS)
• Office for KiM: It is inadmissible to prevent journalists to report (Danas)
• Office for KiM: 20 long years there is no justice for the crime in Livadice (Kosovo Online)
• Dacic: No government in Pristina is to the liking of the Serbian people, but Serbs should be in institutions (Kontakt plus radio, TV Pink)
• RTK: Leaders of Bosniak parties on Adrijana Hodzic’s victory, she unavailable for comment (KoSSev)
• Fila: Campaign against Special Court empty story, the West decides, not Albanians (Kosovo Online)
• McCarthy: Not only Serbia to blame for the increasingly difficult accession to the EU, but also Brussels and the United States (Danas, VoA)
• Bilcik: Vote on Serbia report next week (N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo’s next foreign policy: A wish list (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Will Biden bring changes to the Western Balkans? (EWB)
• Facebook, Twitter Struggling in Fight against Balkan Content Violations (Balkan Insight)

 

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

COVID-19: 249 new cases, three deaths (media)

Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health announced that 249 cases of COVID-19 and three deaths have been confirmed in the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 316 recoveries have been reported over the same period. Currently, there are 6,876 active cases in Kosovo.

Kosnett meets Kurti and Osmani (media)

Media report that the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett has visited this morning the offices of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) to meet with their leader Albin Kurti.

Kosnett did not make any statement for the media after the meeting, however he took to Twitter to write that he urged the parties to work quickly to establish a government and Assembly.

“Pleased to meet with Albin Kurti to congratulate Levizja Vetevendosje on its victory and discuss Kosovo’s path forward.  We urge parties to work quickly to establish a government and Assembly to serve all citizens and address pressing challenges,” Kosnett tweeted.

LVV on the other hand issued a press release which says among other things that Kurti shared the conviction that a new government will establish soon. He also expressed conviction  on cooperation on ‘concrete projects that help the democratic state building, economic development of Kosovo and the deepening of bilateral relations between our two countries.’

Later, Ambassador Kosnett held a separate meeting with the acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani. The latter, informed through a tweet that ‘with the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, we discussed about the outcome of the elections. I stressed that the people of Kosovo have clearly voted for change. We agreed that the constitution of the new institutions must be a priority to ensure stability and a steadfast commitment to a post COVID-19 recovery.’

The visits occurred a few days after parliamentary elections, where LVV is the winner of these elections. After the elections, Kosnett congratulated Kosovo for free and democratic elections, saying that America stands by Kosovo. 

Former KLA leaders face the Special Court (media)

The third conference about the court case of the former KLA leaders is currently taking place in the Specialist Chambers of Hague.

Media report that David Hooper, lawyer of former President Hashim Thaci, has stated that 124 testimonies have been made known in the case of his client, however 124 witnesses in the case have been disclosed only under pseudonyms. 

"There are witnesses who have not been made public, no summary has been given on what these witnesses will discuss. No witness has been identified along with the evidence because when there is a witness, there must be data," he said.

Kadri Veseli's defense lawyer, Ben Emmerson, accused the Specialized Prosecutor's Office for issuing materials ‘in an unorganized and chaotic manner’ hampering thus investigations.

According to Emmerson, there could be two reasons behind this, one is that those in the Prosecutor's Office are incompetent for this job, which he said he doubts, and the second is that this is done intentionally only to convict the accused at all costs.

"There are 34 different scenes where the Prosecution claims that crimes were committed and my client Kadri Veseli, is not mentioned to have been present in any of them," Emmerson said adding that the defense investigations are being hindered, while a group of investigators engaged by his team are working on the issued materials since January.

Emmerson added that the Prosecution is focused on definitely convicting the four accused and presenting the group as an organized criminal enterprise.

Prosecutor Jack Smith has requested that the submission of the preliminary file be linked to the date of the trial, in order not to have a large gap between these, as witnesses are endangered.

“Protection measures have been put in place, edits have been made, the risk has been reduced, but it has not been completely eliminated,” Smith said expressing concern about eventual intimidation of witnesses.   

The former president of Kosovo, the two former parliament speakers and the former MP of the Vetevendosje Movement, are facing the Special Court since the beginning of November, when the indictments against them confirmed on October 26, were published.

In their first appearances before the pre-trial judge, they all pleaded not guilty to all counts of the indictment.

DiA: February 14 elections in line with democratic standards (Koha)

The NGO network Democracy in Action (DiA) is assessing that the February 14th snap elections were organized in line with democratic standards.

The only thing that overshadows this process based on the preliminary results, according to Eugen Cakolli from DiA, is the large number of votes of the Bosniak and Egyptian communities in areas where the demographics are inconsistent with the votes won.

"The early elections of February 14 were organized and conducted in accordance with all democratic standards. Election day went well without compromising electoral integrity, but it was accompanied by some recurring problems. Based on the preliminary results, the loss of some political entities of non-majority communities and the victory of some others cast a shadow over this process, as the votes won are inconsistent with the demographic community that is in those areas," he said.

In addition, Cakolli said that there was direct interference in the work of the CEC in these elections, mentioning further the statements of the acting president, Vjosa Osmani towards the head of this institution, Valdete Daka.

KSF in a six-month peacekeeping mission in Kuwait (Express)

Kuwait is the country in which the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) will serve a peacekeeping mission, alongside the US military. KSF Commander, Lieutenant General Rrahman Rama, has confirmed that the agreement has been signed with the state of Kuwait and that in March, the KSF contingent will start a six-month mission.

“We are now in the technical phase of the procedures. In March we will have a symbolic number that will serve together with the US military on a peacekeeping mission in Kuwait,” he said in an interview with Kosova Press. “We are about to finalize the procedures of completing the documentation of all our members who will be part of this mission.” Rama also said that the selection is made in accordance with the partner country and the US military.

Italian President congratulates Kosovo on its 13th anniversary of independence (media)

The President of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, has written a letter to the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, congratulating her on the 13th anniversary of independence.

"On the occasion of the national holiday, I convey to you and the friendly people of Kosovo the best wishes from the Italian Republic. The stability of relations between our countries is evidenced by the high intensity of political dialogue and bilateral cooperation, which has marked a significant increase over the past year even in the context of common challenges posed by the pandemic. Italy stands by Kosovo on the path of reform and institutional consolidation. We consider Pristina's integration into European institutions as a step of primary importance in completing the construction of the European common house and with the same conviction we continue to support the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, facilitated by the European Union. Reaffirming the determined Italian commitment towards regional stability through participation in the KFOR mission, I once again convey my heartfelt wishes for well-being and prosperity for the Republic of Kosovo," Mattarella wrote in his letter.

Orlando congratulates LVV (media)

The Ambassador of Italy in Kosovo, Nicola Orlando, congratulated through Twitter the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) for the result achieved in Sunday's elections and the people of Kosovo for the successful election process.

“The people have spoken! On preliminary results, congrats to Levizja Vetevendosje, Albin Kurti, Vjosa Osmani and the people of Kosovo for a successful electoral process. Everyone wins when democracy thrives. We look forward to the timely formation of government and presidential election,” he wrote.

 

 

 

Serbian Language Media

 

28 newly infected in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

North Mitrovica Crisis Staff announced today that in Serbian communities in Kosovo out of a total of 71 tested samples, 28 are positive for coronavirus, reported portal KoSSev. 

Of the total number of newly infected, 27 are from northern Kosovo, while 1 is from central Kosovo.

The new cases by municipalities: North Mitrovica - 15, Zvecan - 8, Leposavic - 3, Zubin Potok - 2 and Strpce - 1.

During the past day, there were no deaths from the consequences of Covida-19, so the total number of deaths since the beginning of the epidemic remains 104.

UNS: Detention of RTS crew at Jarinje a blow to the freedom of press (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online, RTS)

Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and its branch, Journalists’ Association of Kosovo and Metohija (DNKiM), have launched a public protest due to the fact that the team of TV show “Right to Tomorrow” of the Serbian Radio and Television (RTS) is still not allowed to enter Kosovo and opined that the freedom of movement and freedom of speech are fundamental human rights which must not be restricted by administrative measures, reported Kontakt plus radio. 

Editor of the show “Right to Tomorrow”, Svetlana Vukmirovic, confirmed to UNS that the RTS team has been at Jarinje administrative crossing since yesterday at noon, and ever since they cannot enter Kosovo, that the Kosovo police told them to wait for an answer from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pristina.

Kontakt plus radio reported that for more than two years, Kosovo police have been preventing journalist Svetlana Vukmirovic from reporting by regularly keeping her at the crossings. 

UNS will inform international institutions and associations about this attack on freedom of press and reminded that this was the third case in the last three days that the Kosovo authorities were not allowing journalists to report. 

UNS recalled that on the Election Day in Kosovo, the crews of the Regional Television Kraljevo and Television Pink were detained at the administrative crossing Jarinje, and they were not allowed to enter Kosovo. 

Office for KiM: It is inadmissible to prevent journalists to report (Danas)

Today, the Office for KiM condemned the attempt of the Pristina institutions to prevent the media team of the Radio Television of Serbia from entering the territory and assessed that it is inadmissible to prevent journalists of any media from reporting from Kosovo, reported daily Danas.

As it was announced, this is the third case that the Kosovo police do not allow journalists from central Serbia to report from Kosovo.

"RTS journalists had the same treatment as RTV Pink and RTV Kraljevo journalists, when they were forbidden to cross the administrative line in Jarinje, who were prevented from performing their journalistic task without explanation," it was stated.

The Office for KiM announced that they expect European representatives to "clearly determine toward the policy of bans and ramps implemented by the institutions in Pristina and enable the media from central Serbia to perform their task."

Office for KiM: For 20 long years there is no justice for the crime in Livadice (Kosovo Online)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija issued a press release on the 20th anniversary of the attack on the “Nis Express” bus near Podujevo, in which 12 displaced Serbs were killed and 43 were injured 20 years ago, reported portal Kosovo Online. 

''Today marks 20 long years since one of the most monstrous crimes was committed by Albanian terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija, when in a terrorist attack on Nis Express bus in Livadice near Podujevo, twelve displaced Serbs were killed and another forty-three displaced Serbs were injured, who went to mark the All-Souls’ Day in Gracanica. 

Sunčica Pejčić, Živana Tokić, Slobodan Stojanović, Mirjana Dragović, Veljko Stakić, Nenad Stojanović, Milinko Kragović, Lazar Milkić, Dragan Vukotić and Nebojša, Snežana and Danilo Cokić, who was only two years old, were killed in the attack. Even after two decades, neither the direct perpetrators nor the instigators/those who commissioned it were held accountable for this crime, and the families of the victims are still waiting for justice for their loved ones,'' the Office statement reads.  

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that “the crime in Livadice is the most painful example that there is still no readiness in Pristina to deal and face the committed crimes, as evidenced by the glorification of crimes of the terrorist KLA, which we have witnessed in previous months”. 

Among other things, the statement reads that “this crime is both a mirror and a defeat of the international community in Kosovo and Metohija, which has shown to be unprepared and uninterested to ensure security for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and justice for all victims, especially because this crime took place in presence of the international security forces”. 

“We expect that those responsible for this and other crimes against Serbs will be brought to justice, and in that sense we ask the international community to reopen this and other unsolved cases of crimes against Serbs and victims, at least after two decades, to bring peace and comfort to families”. 

Dacic: No government in Pristina is to the liking of the Serbian people, but Serbs should be in institutions (Kontakt plus radio, TV Pink)

The fact that a large number of Serbs went to the early parliamentary elections in Kosovo and that they voted for the Serbian List is a positive fact, because that list represents a connection with Serbia, said today Ivica Dacic, the President of the Assembly of Serbia, quoted Kontakt plus radio. 

Dacic told Pink TV that by winning all ten parliamentary seats in the Kosovo Assembly intended for Serbs, the Serbian List has become a factor that "cannot be bypassed" when forming the future government.

He said that no government in Pristina "is to the liking of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija", but that it is in their interest to be represented in the institutions, reported the radio. 

When asked how he assesses that the Self-Determination movement winning the largest number of votes, whose leader Albin Kurti stated that his priority was not to continue the dialogue with Belgrade, Dacic said that the statement "does not surprise him at all", adding that if Kurti forms a government "there will be no easy times for dialogue".

"He has never given statements that are too optimistic when it comes to relations with Serbia. It is important that we have the unity of the Serbian people, which means that we can pursue a serious policy," said Dacic.

He said it was important to preserve "peace and stability in the region and to stick to an agenda that is sustainable at this time", such as the free flow of goods and people, the so-called mini Schengen, "if no agreement can be reached on a more permanent solution ".

RTK: Leaders of Bosniak parties on Adrijana Hodzic’s victory, she unavailable for comment (KoSSev)

The CI ''United community-Adriana Hodžić'', according to RTK2, won 6,379 votes in the elections, followed by VAKAT coalition 5667, NDS-2760, SDU-2433 and Nasa inicijativa/Our initiative 1290. 

RTK in Bosnian language tried to analyse how it happened or why the VAKAT coalition weakened. 

RTK reported that some of its interlocutors tried to question the legitimacy of Hodzic’s result, portal KoSSev reported.

Rasim Demiri, president of VAKAT Coalition said that they were not surprised much. 

''Considering that we had an opportunity to hear, when there was a debate between the president of NDS, Emilija Redzepi, and Adriana Hodzic on TV Klan Kosova. So, that evening, I was surprised to hear where this idea for Adrijana Hodzic to run in this election came from. As we had the opportunity to hear, this idea was proposed by Emilija Redzepi, this according to Adriana Hodzic, I don’t know how true it is,'' Demiri said. 

On the other hand he was not surprised and reiterated: 

''We all know the number of Bosniaks in Mitrovica. It is true that she also had some number (of votes) in the municipality of Prizren and in Dragas, but all that is too little for the result that Adriana got,'' Demiri said. 

Emilija Redzepi, on the other hand, claims that these were ''one of the dirtiest elections''. 

''Yesterday was just unbelievable on the ground. A large, large, large amount of money was spent by all Bosniak political parties. You see what the results are. Adrijana Hodzic, led by the Serbian List and the state of Serbia, took our place, that’s what I said as a precaution a month ago, no one took me seriously, because I see it as a national problem, I don’t see it as Vakat coalition does, ‘let’s bring down Duda to get rid of something’, I see it more as a long-term issue, which can be a very big problem''.  

Redzepi said that this was the “individual plan” of Rasim Demiri and Adrijana Hodzic, reported portal KoSSev. 

''What is important for me to present to the public is that this is a political plan, I can't say it was the plan of the Vakat Coalition, this is an individual plan of Rasim Demiri and Adrijana Hodzic from a month ago,'' she said. 

But Redzepi agreed with Demiri on one thing, and that was the votes that Adrijana Hodzic received. 

''Look at her votes in the municipality of Prizren, there are no more than 50 of them, look at the municipality of Dragas, look at the municipalities of Pec and Istok, but look at them in the Serbian municipalities,'' Redzepi said. 

Fila: Campaign against Special Court empty story, the West decides, not Albanians (Kosovo Online)

Lawyer Toma Fila considers unnecessary the warning of the president of the Specialized Chambers in The Hague, Ekaterina Trendafilova, that the campaign against that court could lead to the release of the accused, or the relocation of the court to Pristina. He added that these were empty stories of Albanians, who cannot affect the work of the Court, reported portal Kosovo Online. 

"This is nothing new, there were such proposals while Thaci was in power. They said that they would decide in the Kosovo Assembly to move the court to Pristina. They said that the mandate of that court had expired. However, the European Union and the United States have entered it very seriously. The prosecutor is an American. So, it won't work out for them," Fila told portal Kosovo Online.

He recalled disputes in Serbia, at one time, to the work of the "ad hoc" tribunal in The Hague, but the West believed that it should exist, so it did. 

"Any decision in the Kosovo Assembly, with or without Kurti, means nothing. Trendafilova warns again that it could happen, but we know very well that they have already tried that story. It's not worth anything to them. The West has entered this game. Americans always give a prosecutor, which proves that they want the matter under control," he said.

However, the campaign against the court could affect witnesses, says Fila.

"They will start intimidating witnesses. They had the example of Haradinaj, they killed witnesses and the others were scared. The judge said in his explanation that they could not convict him because there was no one to testify. They had that bad experience and that is why they are not letting them go from detention," said Fila.

He explained that Albanians in Kosovo still have a ''tribal organization'' and will try to put pressure on witnesses through it.

"But many Albanians were killed by all four indictees in The Hague, and they will not get over it so easily. No Serb exists as a witness to what happened in those camps, because none survived. But the Albanians survived, and they will take revenge. They can't be intimidated by them. This time I don't think they will succeed in intimidating witnesses," Fila said, adding that if the United States wants that court to exist, it will exist, reported Kosovo Online.

McCarthy: Not only Serbia to blame for the increasingly difficult accession to the EU, but also Brussels and the United States (Danas, VoA)

Serbia is not solely responsible for the increasingly difficult accession to the European Union, to some extent Brussels and the United States are to blame, said Paul McCarthy, director at the International Republican Institute (IRI) for Europe - a non-governmental organization focused on promoting freedom of democracy, reported Belgrade based daily Danas. 

McCarthy told the Voice of America that the current coronavirus pandemic influenced Serbia to be even more east-oriented, which was contributed by "vaccine diplomacy", because, like other countries, due to greater availability, it turned to the procurement from Russia and China.

I cannot say that I consider Serbia responsible for that, because it was not offered much, and the Serbian authorities must necessarily think about their people. Regardless of that - from the views of the leaders of the European Union in Brussels, it is quite clear that they are not satisfied with Serbia's progress, he added.

There are clear shortcomings in the development of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. Powerful parties are on the scene in Serbia and political pluralism is not expressed and we would like to have more of it. It is necessary to carefully analyze and discuss those topics with the leaders in Serbia, McCarthy said.

I hope, he pointed out, that Serbia will make the right decisions, turning not only to membership in the European Union, but also to Euro-Atlantic structures in the long run.

Serbia is a partner of the West and it is necessary to strengthen its path, McCarthy underlines.

McCarthy explained that a vacuum has been created that Russia and China are filling by presenting themselves as well-meaning parties that offer help, and he does not think that they are well-intentioned.

I think their influence is very harmful. I can understand the reasons why Serbia turned to the East in terms of vaccines, even other types of support, such as investments from China. It is important for the West to step forward: opening the office of the American International Development Corporation is the first step in securing investments, he reminded.

The next thing that would be good to see are vaccines - Pfizer and AstraZeneca, which would be more accessible to the population, McCarthy pointed out and noted that the structures of the EU and America could only be blamed if Russia and China fill the empty space.

Commenting on the messages received from the new administration for Sretenje (Statehood Day), mentioning Kosovo as well, McCarthy reminded her that this is not the first time that the president or other Serbian leaders have been offended by the communication coming from Washington.

This is nothing new. Vucic can buy time - especially because the topic of recognizing Kosovo is quite unpopular with the Serbian public. There is also a somewhat more ambiguous position of the European Union, whose five members have a different opinion on the sovereignty of Kosovo, he reminded.

So, Vucic can buy time - especially bearing in mind the support of Russia and China, if things get to the United Nations Security Council. I think that the step forward for the USA in this case would be to act more directly towards Serbia, and that is what we could expect from the new administration, McCarthy concluded.

Bilcik: Vote on Serbia report next week (N1)

European Parliament rapporteur Vladimir Bilcik MEP told N1 on Monday that the Foreign Affairs Committee will vote on his latest report on Serbia next week.

He said that the entire text of the report has been agreed, adding that the vote will take place on February 23 in two parts – first on the amendments and then on the report as a whole.“There has been no postponement of the vote in the Foreign Affairs committee; this date (Feb 23) has been known for some time now and if there was an initial change, that is only due to the technical process in the committee,” he said. Bilcik said the Foreign Affairs Committee had one instead of the customary two slots to vote on February 4 and could not complete the vote in two parts. “This concerned other reports as well, not only the Serbia Report,” he said.

He said that the Committee vote will be followed by a vote in the plenary. “The vote on the Serbia Report will take place on 24rd and 25th of March during the so-called „mini-plenary“ session taking place in a semi-remote regime in the European Parliament in Brussels,” he said adding that this vote will be in two parts as well.

See at: https://bit.ly/2ZmXZ6g

 

 

 

Opinion

 

Kosovo’s next foreign policy: A wish list (Prishtina Insight)

Sunday’s electoral earthquake must also translate into a reimagining of Kosovo’s approach to foreign affairs, one that enables the country to truly behave like a sovereign, independent state.

On Sunday, Vetevendosje won Kosovo’s latest parliamentary election in a landslide, in part on a ticket of socio-economic and political justice, and in part as a result of citizens’ dissatisfaction with previous governments’ poor performances.

The party focussed its election campaign domestically, and made only modest promises on foreign policy. In its election manifesto, the party made commitments to pursue an active, innovative, and principled foreign policy and signalled its willingness to retain strategic relations with Albania, the US, the EU, and the UK. 

In regard to the European Union, Vetevendosje focused on the need to reach standards required for EU membership through education and development assistance, and pledged to restore the Ministry of European Integration. As for Albania, there is a brief reference to joint economic and political cooperation mechanisms, including on foreign policy and national security.

However, the party did not make any reference in its manifesto to the dialogue with Serbia, nor the country’s struggle to consolidate its international subjectivity by expanding diplomatic ties and access to international organizations. Essentially, Vetevendosje’s election manifesto outlined a niche and minimal foreign policy. To help flesh this out, here is my wish list for what an active, innovative and principled foreign policy should include.

First and foremost, the next Kosovo Government’s policy on foreign affairs should enable the country to start acting like a sovereign and independent state. This means changing the custodian and vassal relationships that Kosovo has developed towards its Western partners and allies, and pursuing a more multifaceted foreign policy. 

Ultimately, when countries recognized Kosovo they recognized it as a sovereign and independent state, and not as a territorial extension of great powers or other regional forces. The time is now ripe to develop a distinct and niche foreign policy, which reflects Kosovo’s own interests and values.

It can be anticipated that Kosovo’s relationship with Albania might deepen in the coming years, as it seems that the more isolated Kosovo is internationally, the higher the desire for some sort of neofunctionalist unification. However, as with other countries, cooperation with Albania should be pursued on the grounds of mutual respect and not create new and unequal hierarchical relations between the two. 

As for Serbia, the next government should not oppose the dialogue for normalization of relations entirely. But it should insist, as it has promised, to pursue it based on a detailed, structured, and transparent plan which promotes and protects Kosovo’s vital interests, and addresses many of the unresolved legacies from the past which have been so far ignored by the EU and past representatives. 

Kosovo should seek Serbia’s recognition, but it should not be obsessed by it. First, Kosovo should demand from Serbia respect, non-aggressive conduct and an absence of interference in Kosovo’s internal affairs. It should also seek respect for Serbia’s ethnic Albanian minority, whose rights are systematically ignored by Belgrade. 

Ultimately, mutual recognition must be a by-product of principled and constructive talks to resolve outstanding issues, which currently remains unattainable due to incompatible goals. 

Kosovo’s next government should also continue the pursuit of reciprocal economic and trade relations with Serbia, and the principle of reciprocity should be built into all aspects of its new sovereignist yet interdependent foreign policy. 

Kosovo needs to be treated as an equal member of the international community and not as a site for international experimentation and a never-ending norm-taker that satisfies the desire of other states to endlessly govern others. 

These principles must also be applied to relations with the European Union. So far, the relationship between the EU and Kosovo has been unidirectional. The EU has run the show and Kosovo has been the spectator. This must change. 

For example, there are sufficient grounds within Title II of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and Kosovo to conduct a political dialogue on issues of mutual interests and on equal footing. This hasn’t happened so far, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be utilised in the future. 

Kosovo should no longer accept the EU’s excuses to endlessly delay visa liberalization and must make it clear to the EU that its biased, unfair, and unjust policies towards Kosovo are no longer acceptable. 

If the EU wants to be taken seriously, it must develop a unified stance towards Kosovo, and ensure that all its members recognize Kosovo. Otherwise, the time is now ripe to search for alternatives to EU membership and open up to other possibilities that first and foremost preserve the dignity and rights of Kosovo citizens, and not allow them to be treated as regional leftovers. 

The same is true for the US. Kosovo should insist that the US take a leading role and work with the remaining four NATO member states to change their position on Kosovo and accept the country as an independent state and future NATO member, as well as lobby the EU on behalf of Kosovo for visa liberalization. 

If Kosovo were to join NATO, which the Biden Administration can deliver if it wants, then this would be a game-changer for Russia’s destabilizing efforts and China’s divisive policies in the region. Kosovo could even live without UN membership for a while. 

Beyond its existing partners, Kosovo must also develop a niche foreign policy and cultivate bilateral cooperation with other non-western countries that have recognized Kosovo. It should establish an agency for international cooperation and retain relations with countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and the Pacific through non-financial humanitarian and development assistance and cooperation. 

This would preserve existing diplomatic recognitions and prevent the derecognitions that have occurred in the past three years, as well as help Kosovo’s efforts to join international organizations.

If Kurti’s government manages to achieve the wishes listed here it would not only achieve internal self-determination, but also realize external self-determination, and complete two vital pillars of a sovereign and independent statehood. 

 

 

International

 

Will Biden bring changes to the Western Balkans? (EWB)

With the change of the US administration, the question arose in the Western Balkans whether the new President Joe Biden would bring a change of US foreign policy in the region. Other than that, we have heard experts saying that the United States will coordinate its actions in the region with the European Union and that it will leave the leadership in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to the EU.

The change and return to traditional US foreign policy became evident when Biden announced that he intends to fill out his State Department team with a group of former career diplomats of the Obama administration, who would serve under the new U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken also served during the Obama and Clinton administrations.

Assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade Milan Krstić explained for European Western Balkans that the Western Balkans will not be among the key priorities of the new administration, but it will not be completely “off the radar” either.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3desCmx

Facebook, Twitter Struggling in Fight against Balkan Content Violations (Balkan Insight)

A BIRN investigation reveals serious holes in content policing by Facebook and Twitter in the Balkans.

Partners Serbia, a Belgrade-based NGO that works on initiatives to combat corruption and develop democracy and the rule of the law in the Balkan country, had been on Twitter for more than nine years when, in November 2020, the social media giant suspended its account.

Twitter gave no notice or explanation of the suspension, but Ana Toskic Cvetinovic, the executive director of Partners Serbia, had a hunch – that it was the result of a “coordinated attack”, probably other Twitter users submitting complaints about how the NGO was using its account.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3beAx0B