UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 4, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Germany confirms it supports Kosovo membership bid at CoE (media)
Osmani departs for official visits to Panama and Costa Rica (media)
German Defence Minister visits Sarajevo, plans to visit Kosovo too (Gazeta Express)
Mehaj: Kosovo should have a voluntary military reserve of 20 thousand people (media)
Prosecution: no ethnic motives in the armed incident in Badovc (Kallxo)
PDK: Kosovo imported only 0.56 percent of energy in March, 100 percent increase of price continues (Reporteri)
COVID-19: 3 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic arrived in Berlin (RTV, Kosovo Online)
Vucic: Conversation with Mitsotakis good, grateful for his support (Tanjug)
Session of the Holy Synod held in Patriarchate of Pec (RTS, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
Serbia increased exports of goods to Kosovo by ten million euros (KiM radio)
Gracanica Mayor seek from KFOR more effective protection for Serbs (Kosovo Online)
The pandemic affected the census process in Kosovo (KiM radio, RTK)
Kurti's softening of stances would not be well received in Pristina (KiM radio, N1)

Opinion:

DW: Vucic and Kurti in Berlin, symbolic encounters in the shadow of Ukraine (Danas, Kosovo Online, RTK2)

International:

Prosecutors Add More War Crime Charges Against Kosovo Ex-President (Balkan Insight)
Can the war in Ukraine lead to a faster EU integration of the Western Balkans? (EWB)

Albanian Language Media

Germany confirms it supports Kosovo membership bid at CoE (media)

The German Government has confirmed it would support Kosovo's membership bid at the Council of Europe, most news websites report. German MP Knut Abraham asked the government if it would support the membership bid. The government said in a reply: "The German Government supports Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe. It is important for this to remain in close coordination with our partners in the European Union and the Council of Europe".

Osmani departs for official visits to Panama and Costa Rica (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has departed for official visits to Panama and Costa Rica, most news websites report. A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that in Panama, she will be received by her counterpart Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, where she will also hold meetings with a number of other institutions and organizations. During the visit, Osmani is expected to attend the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Mother Teresa, as well participate at a joint Forum with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Mrs. Erika Mouynes. During her stay in Costa Rica, Osmani will attend the inauguration of the new president of this state, Mr. Rodrigo Chaves.

German Defence Minister visits Sarajevo, plans to visit Kosovo too (Gazeta Express)

German Defence Minister, Christine Lambrecht, will stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, and is also planning to visit Kosovo and Serbia. Lambrecht will meet Defense Minister Sifer Podzic and EUFOR commander Anton Wessely. Talks will focus on the current political and security situation in Europe and the impact on the Western Balkans.

Mehaj: Kosovo should have a voluntary military reserve of 20 thousand people (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defence Armend Mehaj told today the Committee for Security issues that he was working on drafting a new law on the Voluntary Military Reserve.

"First of all, let me inform you that through military work, every action is related to the strategy. Through the need to change the security strategy, the state need for military service has been harmonized, an assessment that will be made, but I have seen fit that there should also be a Law on Voluntary Reserve. I see that in the future, Kosovo should have a voluntary reserve of 20 thousand people who are in service through needs and have special trainings within the year. I have looked at the possibility of what is the possibility of the Subject on Security, Defense and Peace in schools to have an education from a certain age, on how one gives first aid, how one should react to earthquakes, etc. etc. All these are in line with the Security Strategy," he said.

"My main message is that Kosovo is a reliable partner, takes responsibilities in certain circumstances and the main goal is NATO membership. And we can achieve this with an army that meets the criteria. In the framework of this goal, an inter-institutional group for the Partnership for Peace process has been formed and we have formed a special group in the Ministry of Defense. In order to increase the interaction of the KSF with NATO countries and the USA, the KSF during this time has participated in international exercises," Mehaj said.

Asked whether the creation of the Security Fund was necessary, Minister Mehaj said that this action was taken in full coordination with partners.

Prosecution: no ethnic motives in the armed incident in Badovc (Kallxo)

Two people were injured by a gunshot that occurred on May 1 in Mramor, Prishtina, at Badovc Lake, where a police officer was also involved. The Basic Prosecution in Prishtina in a response to the news portal, says that based on initial suspicions, the case is not related to ethnic motives.

"According to initial suspicions, this incident is not related to ethnic motives, but the case continues to be investigated until the circumstances are fully clarified," the spokesperson of this Prosecution Laureta Ulaj said.

She has indicated that they are undertaking investigative actions in coordination with the Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Police Inspectorate, in order to fully clarify the circumstances of this case. According to Ulaj, by order of the State Prosecutor, investigations for the criminal offenses "Causing general danger" and "Unauthorized possession, control or possession of weapons" have been opened against two injured citizens.

Kosovo Police Inspectorate also announced that the police officer, Sh. E., who has been involved in the case at this stage of the investigation remains in the capacity of witness.

PDK: Kosovo imported only 0.56 percent of energy in March, 100 percent increase of price continues (Reporteri)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has again considered unfair the decision of the government of Kosovo to increase the price of electricity.

PDK Deputy Chairman Uran Ismaili said in a press conference today that this decision was unnecessary and that it does not make sense for the people to pay increased electricity bills when there is sufficient energy production for domestic consumption needs.

"Today we are here to present and decipher these facts and we took as an example the month of March when our citizens have paid for electricity with 100 percent increase. Power generation has covered consumer demand. In fact, during March alone, according to the figures you see, Kosovo has produced 170 thousand megawatts more than consumption demand. Meanwhile, it has imported only 0.56 percent of electricity," he said.

COVID-19: 3 new cases (media)

Three new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 23 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 394 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic arrived in Berlin (RTV, Kosovo Online)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, arrived in Berlin, where he will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz late in the afternoon, RTV reports.

President Vucic's visit is the first visit at the highest level after the political changes in Germany.

Tanjug recalls Scholz will receive the Kosovo PM, Albin Kurti, in Berlin today.

The German Chancellor also invited the EU envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, to separate meetings with Vucic and Kurti.

It was previously announced from Scholz's cabinet that the talks are aimed at supporting the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, therefore a meeting between Lajcak, Vucic, Kurti is planned in the evening.

Apart from Kosovo, expected topics between Vucic and Scholz are the situation in Ukraine, regional issues, and bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Germany.

Tomorrow morning, the President of Serbia will also meet with the head of German diplomacy, Annalena Baerbock.

Vucic: Conversation with Mitsotakis good, grateful for his support (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday said he had had a good conversation with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Alexandroupolis, Greece, about bilateral relations, as well as about respect of Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty, reported agency Tanjug.

He said he was grateful to Mitsotakis for his support and added that he expected no negative surprises over the short or medium term.

Vucic, who was in Alexandroupolis for a ceremony that marked the start of works to build an LNG terminal in the city, also met with the PMs of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, as well as with European Council President Charles Michel, with whom he discussed the situation in Ukraine and developments in Brussels.

He said he had a lengthy conversation with Michel about Serbia's European perspective and added that new prospects and opportunities were opening in that regard.

"It was good that we were here and that we are looking into how we can meet our needs from all sides. Even though the things we discussed are not simple, I believe we will be able to offer citizens a normal life in the years to come," Vucic said.

Session of the Holy Synod held in Patriarchate of Pec (RTS, Kosovo Online, KoSSev)

The stauropegic lavra of Serbian patriarchs - the Patriarchate of Pec, a regular session of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church will be held today in Patriarchate of Pec, as well as a session of the Patriarchal Board of Directors, reported Serbian media.

A regular session of the church government and a session of the Patriarchal Board of Directors will be held in the Patriarchate of Pec today, after the Holy Hierarch’s Liturgy.

SOC informed the public in a press release that the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, together with members of the Holy Synod of Bishops, arrived last night in the Patriarchate of Pec, the ancient seat of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

“Here we are again, we have come home again. May God grant us to always be here and that everything that we are thinking, saying, and doing has its roots here,” the Patriarch said upon arrival.

The patriarch said that since “that root is very deep here, it means that regardless of storms, thunder, lightning and winds, we will not break”.

“If the root is not here, no matter where we would be and no matter what we have and no matter what power we temporarily seem to carry within us, all that is small and short-lived” he said.

Serbia increased exports of goods to Kosovo by ten million euros (KiM radio)

From January to March, 32.2 million euros of goods were exported from Serbia to Kosovo, the Agency for Statistics of Kosovo announced. That is more than one third of the imports of all CEFTA member countries and ten million euros more compared to the same period last year, reported KiM radio.

At the same time, imports of goods to Kosovo from CEFTA countries in March amounted to 93.2m euros

Serbia is among the members of CEFTA (Albania, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, and Kosovo) and remains the main exporter of goods to Kosovo.

Albania exports 28.4m euros of goods to Kosovo and N. Macedonia 26.4m euros.

The total value of Kosovo's imports in the period January-March 2022 is over 493.9 million euros, of which 205.4 million euros or 41.6 percent are imports from EU countries.

CEFTA countries are the second largest exporters of goods to Kosovo, with 18.9 percent, and 72.9 million or 14.8 percent are imports of goods from Turkey, Great Britain, and Ukraine.

Three Asian countries, Japan, China, and India, participate in exports to Kosovo worth 56.6m euros or 11.4 per cent.

Other non-European countries supply Kosovo with goods worth 11.9m euros, with the fewest being imported from EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, with a total of 3.2m euros or 0.7 per cent.

About 50.4 million euros are categorized as imports from other countries, which falls to 10.2 percent of total imports, cited KiM radio.

Gracanica Mayor seek from KFOR more effective protection for Serbs (Kosovo Online)

The president of the municipality of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, met today with the KFOR lieutenant colonel from the liaison and surveillance team, Fedja Vranicar, and the meeting discussed the security situation and the latest incidents that occurred near Gracanica Lake, the municipality of Gracanica said, cited Kosovo online.

The president of the municipality of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, asked for greater protection for the Serbian community.

As stated, Subaric expressed concern for the Serbian community and appealed to KFOR members to act in a timely manner so that such incidents would not happen again.

The president of the municipality once again called on the competent institutions to react and prosecute the attackers on Serbian children as soon as possible.

The pandemic affected the census process in Kosovo (KiM radio, RTK)

It is not yet known when the census of population, housing, and households in Kosovo, which was supposed to take place in 2021, will begin. The Kosovo Statistics Agency officials said that this institution has made all the necessary preparations, but due to the pandemic and the situation with the central and local elections, this process has been postponed indefinitely, reported KiM radio.

A spokeswoman for the Kosovo Agency for Statistics, Hazbije Qeriqi told Radio Kosovo that due to the pandemic, but also the holding of elections at the central and local levels, this process has been postponed indefinitely.

"Once the Law on Census is adopted in the Assembly of Kosovo, then within nine months, this process must take place," she said.

Speaking about the novelties envisaged in this process, Qeriqi said that the registration will be done in electronic form and that digital maps will be introduced for the first time.

"Data collection will be traditional this time as well, door to door. But, unlike the paper questionnaires that were made for the previous registration, this time we will do it electronically. Also, for the first time, we are preparing to introduce the use of digital maps in Kosovo during the census," explained Qeriqi.

Among other things, she said that the census was planned to be conducted on the entire territory, including the north of Kosovo.

Residents of Serb-majority municipalities in northern Kosovo rejected the 2011 registration process.

The last census in Kosovo was conducted 11 years ago. According to this process, the total population of Kosovo was about 1.8 million.

Kurti's softening of stances would not be well received in Pristina (KiM radio, N1)

RTV KiM director Isak Vorgucic told N1 broadcaster that it is possible that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will be "restarted" with the support of Berlin but stressed that any softening of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's position would not be well received in Pristina, especially on the issue of EU mediation.

In the show "N1 Studio Live", Vorgucic recalled intensive activities of the US lately, and that "it often happens" that the EU wants to be more actively involved when it sees increased US engagement in the region.

"It is possible to exert some pressure and restart that dialogue. After several meetings between Vucic and Kurti, we saw that dialogue between them is not possible. The announcement of an informal conversation, with the presence of Lajcak, gives hope," Vorgucic said.

Without the continuation of the dialogue, he warned, there is no solution to key issues such as the Community of Serbian Municipalities or the issue of license plates.

However, he recalled Kurti's firm position that after more than 20 years, Belgrade and Pristina can only talk on equal footing, i.e., that Serbia should first recognize Kosovo's independence, and then the two sides negotiate open issues as two independent states.

For such an attitude, Vorgucic explained, Kurti has the great support of the majority Albanian population in Kosovo.

"Any softening of this attitude will not be well received in Pristina, especially when it comes to EU mediation. When it comes to US influence, then Pristina has more understanding," he said.

The director of RTV Kim pointed out that the atmosphere in Kosovo, since the arrival of Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani to power, "is not great" and that the rhetoric towards Serbs has sharpened, which, according to him, reflects on the majority population which believes that it can behaves "arrogantly" towards Serbs without consequences.

Speaking about holding a regular synod session of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Patriarchate of Pec, Vorgucic said that it is not unusual for such events to be held in the traditional seat of the patriarch.

He also pointed out that the Serbian Orthodox Church is practically the only institution that has been operating continuously in Kosovo since 1999, and which is recognized by both Belgrade and Pristina, and that the visit of high church officials is important for the Serbian population, especially in enclaves where the Church provides great assistance to the local population.

Vorgucic also reminded that the Serbian Orthodox Church supports the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, but with the expectation that resolving open issues concerning the Church will come to the negotiating table.

Opinion

DW: Vucic and Kurti in Berlin, symbolic encounters in the shadow of Ukraine (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti will meet Olaf Scholz. Nobody expects a sensation from those meetings, but Berlin still sends a clear signal: the Western Balkans are still important to us, not in spite of, but precisely because of Ukraine, wrote reported DW.

Obviously, the confirmation of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic was awaited. In the relatively short term, at the end of last week, it was confirmed that the new-old leader of Serbia is coming to visit the new German chancellor.

However, the circumstances around this visit do not allow a classification of a routine bilateral ritual. And for several reasons.

A new face in the chancellery

After many years of Chancellor Angela Merkel's rule, with whom Vucic shared not only belonging to a joint faction of European progressives, but also personal trust gained through countless meetings, both bilateral and as part of numerous summits, now for the first time two politicians will meet in Berlin that do not share neither ideological background nor political style, Danas reported, citing DW article.

The Social Democrat Scholz may resemble his predecessor and former boss Merkel in his sober and analytical approach to the issue, but this should not be linked any more with their common North German mentality than with political beliefs. The fact also should be added that since the arrival of the new Social Democratic-Green-Liberal government, there has been persistent talk that, after the departure of Angela Merkel, "a new wind will begin to blow" in relation to the authorities in Belgrade.

However, so far it could not be said that there has been any significant change. Moreover, Vucic, as before, is considered one of the key figures when it comes to security and stability in the Western Balkans. Among other things, the new German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, informed Vucic about that when she visited Belgrade a few weeks ago as part of her Balkan tour.

A logical Balkan package?

However, the fact that an hour before the meeting with Vucic, Scholz will welcome the Kosovo PM, Albin Kurti, the visit of the President of Serbia to Berlin additionally was placed out of the classic bilateral talks on further development of economic and political relations. Berlin obviously cared, as the progenitor of the idea of the Berlin Process and bringing the Western Balkans closer to the West and the European Union, to hit perhaps the hardest nut of the Balkan security complex: Belgrade-Pristina relations and move negotiations from the deadlock. Negotiations which, as a well-informed source in Brussels told DW, "were not in worse shape than the signing of the Brussels Agreement". DW recalled that the Brussels Agreement was signed almost ten years ago, in 2013.

At first glance, it is unusual that in the official announcement the two bilateral meetings are mentioned in the same breath. This shows that it is no coincidence that they are held in such a short period of time. In addition, the meetings should be "rounded off" by a meeting between the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo with the EU special envoy for negotiations, Miroslav Lajcak.

However, a source of DW in Brussels believes that it would be a miracle if from these meetings - apart from some general statements such as "it was concluded that the dialogue must take place" - there would be some significant progress in the negotiations. "This political combination primarily serves Berlin to emphasize its focus on the Western Balkans and problem-solving," said a source in Brussels.

Political analyst Janusz Bugajski made a similar statement in a conversation with Radio Television Kosovo, for whom the negotiations are "a ritual that can be delayed indefinitely without results".

In the shadow of Ukraine

In any case, it is indisputable that the shadow of Russian aggression in Ukraine has been hovering over the entire diplomatic process in Berlin since February 24. Last week, the deputy spokesperson of the German government, Wolfgang Buchner, said at a regular government press conference that the talks with Vucic and Kurti would serve to "coordinate further reactions to the Russian aggression against Ukraine".

This was confirmed in a conversation with DW by the new rapporteur of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Bundestag for the Western Balkans, Social Democrat Adis Ahmetovic. "The visit of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti sends the right message in the background of the war in Ukraine," says Ahmetovic. He also repeats the mantra that has been heard so often since the beginning of the Russian aggression, that the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries is gaining in importance right now.

The question of energy connects?

But for Vucic, one aspect currently lies in the heart more than to side declaratively with the EU. In the shadow of the threatening embargo on the import of Russian oil, it is still very important for Belgrade to exclude the transport of Russian oil via the "Janaf" oil pipeline to the refinery in Pancevo.

Vucic, also emphasized the issue of energy the day before leaving for Germany, when he attended the beginning of the construction of a new terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Alexandroupolis, Greece. He spoke about the "difficult winter" that is coming and about how the Germans are a "serious people" who are already preparing for that winter.

It is obvious that the question of how to keep the apartments warm next winter will be crucial when setting future political guidelines. When asked by DW about the main goal of today's intensive diplomatic activity in Berlin, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit brought the issue of European unity into play, and not only those that are already in the EU.

"Part of the dynamics we are experiencing now due to the Russian attack on Ukraine is to say: Europe must be more united. Now we must perform several tasks, and one of them is the integration of the Western Balkans into European alliances. This should start now, starting this Wednesday, and gain its momentum."

International

Prosecutors Add More War Crime Charges Against Kosovo Ex-President (Balkan Insight)

Prosecutors in The Hague have filed an updated indictment including new charges of alleged crimes against civilians committed by wartime Kosovo Liberation Army guerrilla leaders including former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci.

The Kosovo Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has added fresh war crime charges to the indictment of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other guerilla Kosovo Liberation Army leaders turned politicians who have been awaiting trial in detention in The Hague since November 2020.