UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 28, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

COVID-19: 3,617 new cases, four deaths (media)
Minister Murati meets with U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier (ATV)
Customs: U.S. has become Kosovo's main export market (media)
Haradinaj: Any option that ignores Constitution and borders, severely damages Kosovo (Reporteri)
Aliu in Presevo: Belgrade can stop us, but we will continue to insist (media)
Molliqaj: PDK will not participate, LDK, AAK support Saturday’s protest (media)
Deliu-Kodra criticizes President for remaining silent about electricity crisis (RTK)
Hoti: Decision on three doses of vaccine to enter Kosovo does not make sense (media)
Over six thousand students currently infected with COVID-19 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Escobar to Pristina: Respect court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)
Petkovic: It is necessary to hold April 3 elections in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
Trajkovic: Claims that independence of Kosovo is fact are disincentive for negotiations (Kosovo-online)
Community in a new package for Kosovo (RFE)
Another witness in case of Dusko Arsic interviewed (Kosovo-online)
Efraim Zuroff: Comparison of Kosovo Albanians with Holocaust inaccurate (Kosovo-online)
Ombudsman says textbook denies national minority languages (N1)

International:

Kosovo Suspends Judge Filmed Acting Illegally by BIRN (Balkan Insight)
Kosovo Special Court Extends Ex-President Thaci’s Detention (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

COVID-19: 3,617 new cases, four deaths (media)

3,617 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths have been recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said in its daily report. 1,344 persons recovered during this time.

There are 31,021 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Minister Murati meets with U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier (ATV)

The Minister of Finance, Labor and Transfers Hekuran Murati received today the Ambassador of the United States of America in Kosovo, Jeffrey M. Hovenier.

Minister Murati congratulated Hovenier on the start of the diplomatic mission in Kosovo and thanked him for the support and continuous contribution that the U.S. has given to the economic development of Kosovo.

Ministry of Finance informed through a press release that Murati informed Ambassador Hovenier about the work of the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers, as well as the main priorities of the Ministry for 2022, which include the reform of social and pension schemes. as well as the formalization of the economy, expressing the full will to achieve these objectives in cooperation and coordination with the U.S.

On the other hand, Ambassador Hovenier congratulated Minister Murati on the measures taken by the MFPT and underlined the support in deepening the partnership between the U.S. and the Ministry of Finance, Labor and Transfers.

Finally, Minister Murati and Ambassador Hovenier agreed to further intensify cooperation in the field of direct investment and economic stability.

Customs: U.S. has become Kosovo's main export market (media)

The General Director of Kosovo Customs Agron Llugaliu said in the meeting held with the members of the committees of the American Chamber of Commerce that the communication between the institution he leads and businesses is always welcome, adding that suggestions and recommendations from businesses are important to this institution.

Llugaliu stressed that in 2021, the United States of America has already become the main export market of Kosovo.

"One of the main strategic objectives of the customs is the facilitation of trade in which there has been significant progress last year, but there are always issues that need to be focused more," Llugaliu said adding that Customs aims to setting new standards in relation to manufacturers' requests which will receive a response within two weeks.

Regarding foreign investments, Director Llugaliu said that recently there is a great interest from foreign investors for cooperation with Kosovo producers. He added that customs is available and open to all requests so that investors do not encounter obstacles or barriers in Kosovo.

The meeting also discussed many important issues related to aspects that were considered essential for the operation of businesses, including increasing cooperation to combat the informal economy.

Haradinaj: Any option that ignores Constitution and borders, severely damages Kosovo (Reporteri)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has reacted to the interview of President Biden's envoy for the Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, given exclusively to the Reporteri.net.

In this interview, Escobar was asked about the controversial issue of the possibility of exchanging territories between Kosovo and Serbia.

"Any final agreement and its elements must be acceptable to the people of Kosovo and Serbia. The United States never has and will never impose conditions and parameters on either Kosovo or Serbia. Both Kosovo and Serbia are sovereign states," Escobar said.

"I appeal to everyone not to harm Kosovo in this final phase. Why are you opening the dilemma of what Kosovo should accept? Never forget that the Republic of Kosovo has its Constitution and its borders", Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

"Any revealed option that does not respect the Constitution and borders, severely damages Kosovo. Do not do it," he said.

Aliu in Presevo: Belgrade can stop us, but we will continue to insist (media)

The Serbian authorities have allowed the Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure Liburn Ali to pay an official visit to Presevo. However, Aliu in a joint conference with the mayor of Presevo, Ardita Sinani said that Belgrade can set obstacles but that they will constantly make requests to visit the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

"We will constantly make requests to visit Presevo. Authorities in Belgrade may stop us, but we will constantly insist, so if they rejected this request now that I came, I would make another request a little later, so I will not hesitate to make requests to come and visit Presevo, the same as other ministers. On November 28 we planned to bring four ministers, now I came alone but we will probably be together again, in other visits,” he said.

Aliu stated that in addition to the personal obligation, it is also the obligation of the government of Kosovo to look after the rights and well-being of Albanians living in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja.

The Minister stressed that it is the duty of the government of Kosovo to raise the issue of the rights of the citizens of the Valley in the negotiations with Serbia, taking into account the principles of reciprocity.

Molliqaj: PDK will not participate, LDK, AAK support Saturday’s protest (media)

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) will protest on Saturday against the increase in electricity prices.

The leader of PSD Dardan Molliqaj in an address to the media said that the protest will be peaceful, but that actions are expected against ERO's proposal for higher electricity prices.

"Tomorrow we invite every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo, political parties and government organizations, because we are convinced that a large number of citizens will reverse the decision of ERO. The protest is peaceful, but we will also have symbolic actions that will express the revolt of the citizens against this proposal of ERO," Molliqaj said.

He explained that he also met with representatives of political parties to get support about the protest.

According to him, PDK, LDK and AAK have stated that they will support the protest, but except for PDK which has stated that they will not participate, there is no information if the other political parties will be present in the protest.

"I met with Lumir Abdixhiku, Vlora Citaku and Ramush Haradinaj. Haradinaj has stated that he will support the protest, while the LDK has said the same that it agrees with our demands. PDK has said that there are reasons to protest but that it will not participate," Molliqaj said.

On Thursday, the leader of PDK, Memli Krasniqi confirmed that they support the protest, but that PDK will not participate in the protest.

Deliu-Kodra criticizes President for remaining silent about electricity crisis (RTK)

Blerta Deliu-Kodra, MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has criticized President Osmani for not making any announcement with regards to the energy crisis in Kosovo.

"For more than two months in a row, the country is facing an energy crisis, while only last month, the situation is alarming facing the government's efforts to increase the price of electricity to unbearable proportions for citizens. We are a few days away from the decision of ERO, to endorse the request of the Kurti government for increase of the price, and with it, the reductions to continue. But, for such an important issue that aggravates the lives of all our citizens, Mrs. Osmani, who exercises the function of President, the highest state position in Kosovo, remains silent," she wrote in a post on Facebook.

She further said that Osmani is constantly yields to the government.

"I consider that Mrs. Osmani, by constantly yielding to the government, is proving that she cannot go beyond the subjective and biased political views, which could be justified while she ran in the electoral list of Vetevendosje Movement, but not after being elected in the current function," she wrote.

Hoti: Decision on three doses of vaccine to enter Kosovo does not make sense (media)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti has said that the decision with three doses of vaccine to enter Kosovo is does not make sense.

“These days I have received messages and calls from Kukes, Presevo Valley, Skopje and Tetovo. The request for three doses of vaccine to enter Kosovo is really meaningless.

The daily movements from Presevo to Gjilan, or from Kukes to Prizren, are like the movements from Prizren to Gjakova or from Gjilan to Ferizaj. Therefore, every decision that is taken must be seen as it affects the lives of citizens across the border, because it is our state obligation.

Lack of coordination of the government of Kosovo with the governments in Tirana and Skopje as well as with the Mayor of Presevo in making such decisions, is concerning,” Hoti wrote on his Facebook account.

Over six thousand students currently infected with COVID-19 (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Edona Maloku-Berdyna said today that currently there are 1 thousand 489 teachers and 6 thousand 687 students infected with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

She informed that students are physically attending classes in 672 schools, while the others are working based on A,B,C, scenarios.

"With scenario return with physical presence there are 672 schools, with scenario A 7 schools, with scenario B there are five schools, while in scenario C there are 90 schools," she said.

She however did not possess data on the number of students who have already been vaccinated against the virus.

The Deputy Minister of MEST has called for compliance with the measures in schools and for vaccination of children over 12 years of age.

Serbian Language Media

Escobar to Pristina: Respect court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)

Assistant Deputy of the US Secretary of State for Europe and Euroasian Affairs, Gabriel Escobar told Pristina authorities to implement a decision of the Constitutional Court and registered in cadaster land belonging to Visoki Decani Monastery, Radio KIM reports today.

In an interview with Pristina-based Raporteri Escobar said he will express commitment during upcoming visits in Pristina and Belgrade that the EU facilitated dialogue should be a priority to both sides.

He stressed that the stance of Washington when it comes to the Visoki Decani Monastery case was clear and persistent. “In this case it is about the rule of law. We continue urging the government to implement the Constitutional Court decision from 2016 and register the land”, Escobar added.

He recalled that Albin Kurti’s government was elected based on the platform of strengthening rule of law, adding that respecting court decisions is not a matter you can choose between, and certainly it is not a matter of negotiations, creating politics or bargaining.

He also listed establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (ZSO) as one of Pristina’s obligations, adding the US encourages the government to consider numerous models of the ZSO.

“Elections organized by Belgrade authorities are no threat to Pristina”

Radio KIM further reports Escobar said he sees nothing disputable that Serbs in Kosovo until now had the right to vote in their areas in elections organized by Belgrade authorities.

“We have supported all previous OSCE’s endeavors, not only to conduct the voting, but also to directly facilitate the voting process, and this way ensure their adequate holding to be acceptable for the Kosovo government. The United States of America had not and does not consider it a threat to Kosovo sovereignty, which is, if I may add, inviolable”, he said.

He added he welcomed the opportunity to talk with the government in Pristina on identifying solutions and arrangements which are acceptable to it, offering the possibility of voting for eligible voters.

However, he underlined that Kosovo was a “sovereign state and as such has the right to determine under which conditions elections of another state can be held on its territory”.

Petkovic: It is necessary to hold April 3 elections in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic spoke in Berlin today with the State Secretary of the German Foreign Ministry Andreas Michaelis, Kosovo-online portal reports. On this occasion, the portal continues, Petkovic expressed concern over “destructive acts of Pristina which endanger the security of Serbs in Kosovo”.

Following the meeting with Michaelis, Petkovic had a working lunch with Christiane Hullman, head of the Western Balkans division at the German Federal Foreign Office and Alexander Jung from the German Federal Chancellery. Petkovic wrote on Twitter that he has informed his interlocutors on Belgrade’s stances relating to the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities and voiced concern for the safety of Serbs in Kosovo.

“We have conveyed our stances on the need for consistent implementation of the so far reached agreements from the dialogue on which Pristina refuses to talk, including Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, concern over destructive Pristina’s acts which endanger security of the Serbs and necessity of holding elections in Kosovo and Metohija on April 3”, Petkovic wrote.

Trajkovic: Claims that independence of Kosovo is fact are disincentive for negotiations (Kosovo-online)

President of the European Serb Movement from Kosovo and Metohija, Rada Trajkovic posted on Twitter it was not helpful to hear voices in diplomatic and academic circles who say that Kosovo independence was a fact, whether Serbia accepts it or not, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“Unhelpful to hear voices in the diplomatic/academic circles say that the independence of Kosovo is a fact, whether Serbia accepts it or not. This is not only a clear disincentive to negotiations but also goes against international law principles that we are defending in Ukraine”, Trajkovic wrote on Twitter.

Community in a new package for Kosovo (RFE)

Ahead of the visit to Pristina and Belgrade of the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and the EU Special Representative for Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, the public is talking about some new models of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM). On January 26, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier said this to local media. He did not provide other details.

“There are models that we think can function and we have encouraged the Government (of Kosovo) to consider those models and consider that issue,” Hovenier said.

The Government of Kosovo didn’t respond to inquiries from Radio Free Europe (RFE) as to whether anyone has introduced new CSM models to them. At the same time, the government of Serbia, Office for KiM emphasized that “the only model of existence of the Community of Serbian Municipalities is the one agreed and signed by Belgrade, Pristina and the EU”.

What does the Government of Serbia say?

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija did not give a precise answer to RFE’s question whether new models for the formation of CSM were presented. Instead, it is stated that, in the Brussels agreements on the formation of the Community reached so far, “there is the only model of the existence of CSM, as agreed and signed by Belgrade, Pristina and the EU”.

“And Belgrade firmly adheres to the general international principle ‘Pacta sunt servanda’ (“agreements must be kept”), the Office underlined in its written reply.

The Office for KiM added that the issue of establishment of CSM is fully defined by the agreements from 2013 and 2015.

“These are the first six points of the Brussels Agreement and 22 provisions of the ‘General Principles’, which clearly define the existence of the structure, goals, executive powers, as well as the competencies of the Community of Serbian Municipalities”.

The Government of Serbia also reminded that the Management Team for drafting the Statute of the Community, based on EU approval, drafted the Statute in accordance with point 21 of the agreement entitled “Community of Serb-majority municipalities - General principles / key elements”.

It is specified that the Management Team completed the work on the Draft Statute within the prescribed period of four months. Then, on August 9, 2018, it officially informed the EU that it had finished the job. In accordance with the aforementioned Article 21 of the “General Principles”, the draft Statute was supposed to be presented at a high-level political dialogue in Brussels.

“However, that meeting, which should be convened by Brussels, and at which only the draft Statute can be presented, was not convened or held”.

What will Escobar and Lajcak talk about?

Dusan Radakovic, executive director of NGO Advocacy Centre for Democratic Culture from North Mitrovica, stated that, according to his sources from Kosovo and Serbia, Escobar and Lajcak would present the models of the Community of Municipalities with Serb majority in Pristina and Belgrade.

“The two of them will present several modalities, which will be acceptable for both American and European institutions, the Community model, and after that it is up to both sides whether they will accept it or not,” Radakovic told RFE.

Radakovic emphasized that the establishment of the Community was allowed by the laws of Kosovo and that something like that is mentioned in the Ahtisaari plan, the document based on which Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and drafted the Constitution.

According to Radakovic, the Albanian public has created a false image that the Community could be harmful to Kosovo and could become the new Republika Srpska.

“That is the goal of Escobar and Lajcak, to explain that this is not an idea (creation of Republika Srpska), that is why the American ambassador (to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier) said that there cannot and must not be a new Republika Srpska in Kosovo. However, the rights (of communities) ought to be respected, as stated in the Ahtisaari plan but also in the laws of Kosovo, especially in the Law on local government administration,” he stated.

Radakovic also said that he has read several versions of the draft statute of the Community, but that a new one would probably be drafted in the next period, based on the new model of the Community that would be presented.

“They are bringing a new package that may be more attractive to Kosovo, Kurti in particular, than it has been so far,” Radakovic said.

About comparisons with Republika Srpska

On the other hand, Violeta Haxholli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute stated that the Albanian civil sector has no information about the new models for Association mentioned by the US Ambassador, or whether they have been presented to the Government of Kosovo.

“What is important in the statement of the US Ambassador is that he has repeatedly emphasized that the Community will not have executive powers, that no one is interested in creating a new Republika Srpska in Kosovo, that (Kosovo’s) integrity is guaranteed. That is very important for the Government of Kosovo until it decides to consider the issue of Community,” Haxholli said.

Another witness in case of Dusko Arsic interviewed (Kosovo-online)

As per order of Pristina special prosecution another witness in the case of Dusko Arsic was interviewed in Pristina yesterday, accused of allegedly committing war crimes in the village of Butovac, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Arsic’s defense lawyer, Jovana Filipovic told the portal the witness said he has never seen Arsic wearing a uniform or carrying a weapon. Filipovic also pointed out a number of facts she sees as contradictory in this case.

“According to the findings we have, there is a high number of persons reported for committing war crimes, almost one hundred. Among them, the name of Dusko Arsic was in no time mentioned. It was mentioned for the first time on September 23, 2021, when the affected party filed a report to the police, three days after we filed a lawsuit to the court relating to the usurped property of Arsic and protection of his property rights. It is concerning, and how is it possible that one such crime is reported after more than twenty years, respectively not to mention perpetrator for so many years, and we know that EULEX and KFOR were present in Kosovo and those cases could be reported”, she said.

She added witnesses of prosecution were making fair statements and have not confirmed the allegations of prosecution that Dusko Arsic committed war crimes. The interview of new witnesses will continue today.

Efraim Zuroff: Comparison of Kosovo Albanians with Holocaust inaccurate (Kosovo-online)

Director of Simon Wiesenthal Center from Israel, historian and Nazi hunter dr. Efraim Zuroff told Kosovo-online portal that comparison of the destiny of Kosovo Albanians with sufferings of Jews “was completely inaccurate and on the verge of absurdity”. The same way he assessed the statement of Kosovo politicians who compare Serbia with Nazi Germany, the portal said.

“Both statements are completely inaccurate and on the verge of absurdity. Holocaust was a unique case of genocide, unprecedented. The attempt to describe the Serbs as Nazis, is also completely ungrounded”, he said, according to the portal.

Answering the questions the portal sent to Zuroff, he further said that such claims were one of the problems we face when it comes to the Holocaust.

“We have managed to determine that the Holocaust was the worst tragedy in history, but also every nation that feels endangered in any way wants to claim that their sufferings can be compared to Shoah even if such comparison was ridiculous”, Zuroff said, according to the portal.

Earlier, Kosovo defense minister Armend Mehaj on the International Holocaust Remembrance Day wrote that Albanians and Jews share similar destiny.

“Our historic experience and the experience of Israeli people merge at one point: survival despite attempts of our enemies to exterminate us. Our centuries-long confrontation with extermination was one of the powerful reasons for historic solidarity between two peoples. We remember and shall never forget”!, Mehaj wrote on Facebook.

Former Kosovo foreign affairs minister, Meliza Haradinaj-Stubla wrote similar statement on Twitter on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“We share the same fate. The same images of genocide: victims of hatred, saddened refugees and mass deportations by train - that are the embodiment of our common pain. #NeverAgain”, Haradinaj-Stubla wrote, the portal reported.

Ombudsman says textbook denies national minority languages (N1)

Serbian Ombudsman Zoran Pasalic called the Education Ministry to withdraw a grade 8 textbook which denies the existence of the Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin languages, N1 reports.

Pasalic wants the Serbian language textbook withdrawn to show respect for those national minorities in Serbia, a press release said. The Ombudsman launched proceedings in October 2021 following a complaint by the Croatian National Council which claimed discrimination and denial of that minority’s language. The Office of the Ombudsman found that the Education Ministry approved the publication of the 8th grade textbook which said that Croats, Bosniaks and Montenegrins use the Serbian language but call it Croatian, Bosnian and Montenegrin.

The Ombudsman said that approval for that textbook violates the rights of those national minorities, recalling the Croatian and Bosnian are in official use in Serbia.

International

Kosovo Suspends Judge Filmed Acting Illegally by BIRN (Balkan Insight)

The Kosovo Judicial Council has suspended a judge in Kacanik after BIRN filmed him illegally negotiating with the parties outside court.

The Kosovo Judicial Council, KJC, has suspended Kacanik Judge Riza Livoreka, only 24 hours after BIRN’s Kallxo Pernime show revealed footage of the judge illegally negotiating a deal between parties involved in a trial outside of court, warning that otherwise their property would be confiscated.

“The investigative panel for the disciplinary case … has been established and it has been decided to suspend judge R.L,” the KJC said.