UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 10, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Kosovo (media)
FAZ on Scholz's visit: Two days, five countries, many conflicts (Telegrafi)
Kosovo insurance bureau hopes to join Green Card in weeks' time (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: Serbia, Montenegro need to reset relationship (Tanjug)
Serbian Government to provide EUR 3 million aid to Ukrainian children, refugees (Tanjug)
Botsan-Kharchenko: There is no dependence and inequalities in Moscow-Belgrade relations (Danas)
NGOs from central Serbia and Kosovo call for rule of law to be respected in Decani (Danas)
Scholz to visit Belgrade (Tanjug)
EEAS: Open Balkan Initiative full effects only if truly inclusive (N1)
US Ambassador says Serbians chose path to EU (FoNet, N1)

Opinion:

It’s time to get European enlargement back on track (Politico)

International:

Germany's Olaf Scholz visits Greece: Crisis management takes center stage (DW)
Data Delay Casts Shadow over Kosovo Government’s Jobs Claim (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

Finance Ministry, GIZ sign €11 mil agreement for Innovation and Training Park (media)
Kosovo Mother Declares: ‘I am Proud of My Gay Son’ (BIRN)
Media tragedy of family tragedy (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Kosovo (media)

The leading story in the media today is the visit to Kosovo by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his remarks at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Scholz said Kosovo would move toward the European Union by resolving the dialogue with Serbia. He said that two countries that do not recognise one another cannot join the European Union. “It is important for Kosovo for the EU-facilitated dialogue to move forward. In times like these, the value of security and freedom become even clearer … this is an additional reason for Kosovo and Serbia, through a comprehensive settlement, to find a political solution that contributes to regional stability. Dialogue is the only road that further opens Kosovo’s European perspective. A constructive position in this dialogue is in the interest of all citizens of Kosovo. A political agreement between the two countries is an important requirement for investments, jobs, and the future of young people in Kosovo. The agreement must also resolve the recognition of Kosovo because it is unthinkable for two countries that do not recognise one another to join the European Union. Both parties must reach out to one another,” he said.

Scholz said “visa liberalization for Kosovo must move forward and Kosovo must do its part. We are working hard with our partners”. He also said that Kosovo is a trusted partner and that it proved this with its position against the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Scholz said that the fact he started his visit to the region with Kosovo proves how close the bilateral relations are between Germany and Kosovo.

He said he wants to revive the Berlin Process and invited Prime Minister Kurti to a conference in Berlin in autumn.

Radio Free Europe highlights Scholz’s remarks that “the agreement with Serbia needs to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s recognition”. Indeksonline reports in its coverage that “Scholz has ignored the Open Balkan and talked about reviving the Berlin Process”. Gazeta Express reports that when asked to comment on the Open Balkan, Scholz said “as far as the Open Balkan is concerned, I want to say that we give great priority to the Common Regional Market, as we think that it can move forward”. Nacionale notes that “Scholz implied to Kurti that the agreement with Serbia requires a pragmatic compromise”.

Kurti thanked the German Chancellor for Germany’s continuous support for Kosovo and said that Kosovo will remain a trusted ally of Germany. “Germany has played an exceptional role in the reconstruction of Kosovo. I assured Chancellor Scholz that Kosovo will remain a trusted partner of Germany,” he said.

Kurti said he asked for Scholz’s support on Kosovo’s integration in the European Union, adding that by the end of this year Kosovo will apply for the candidate status. “In line with our promises and the European perspective, we are working on implementing the reforms that are needed for membership in the EU. We will continue with our aspirations to apply for the candidate status by the end of this year,” he said.

Kurti said Kosovo needs NATO until it becomes a member of NATO. “We believe the presence of NATO is needed in Kosovo. We want to join the Partnership for Peace. We need NATO in Kosovo until Kosovo becomes a member of NATO. There must be no vacuum of peace and security,” he said.

FAZ on Scholz's visit: Two days, five countries, many conflicts (Telegrafi)

The German daily paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported on the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to Kosovo, Serbia, Greece, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria.

The paper says that expectations from the visit are great but the results could be meagre. "But this is not so much the fault of the chancellor as it is of Europe's deadlocked policy in the Balkans."

"The fact that Scholz begins his journey in Pristina and only then travels to Belgrade is highly regarded in Kosovo. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock did the same: first Pristina, then Belgrade. Attention is paid to such details in the Balkans. But the Kosovar expectations of the German chancellor are otherwise high, perhaps too high. The Kosovars are hoping for two things from Berlin in particular: support for the visa liberalisation that has been sought in vain for years and for Kosovo's recently submitted application for membership to the Council of Europe," FAZ continues.

Kosovo insurance bureau hopes to join Green Card in weeks' time (Koha)

Executive director of the Kosovo's Insurance Bureau, Sami Mazreku, said that on 28 July the bureaus council will meet in Brussels and is expected to give a green light to Kosovo joining the mechanism.

He said that to reach this goal, several issues between Kosovo's Insurance Bureau and insurance agencies in the region had to be resolved.

At the same time, one of the obstacles Mazreku emphasised was the updating of the database by the Ministry of Interior regarding registration of vehicles since 2002. He said that by 2021 the database showed over 200,000 unregistered vehicles but with the recent update the number has fallen to just over 20,000.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Serbia, Montenegro need to reset relationship (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says Serbia and Montenegro need to reset their relationship as they can do many things together in the future to the benefit of their citizens, Tanjug news agency reports.

"I hope we can do many things together in the future, even make next winter easier for each other and help each other as it will be a very tough winter for both countries", Vucic said in a statement to Montenegro's Adria TV.

"We need to slowly reset our relations and start building them to restore the emotion, the respect and the love we used to have because hardly anyone is closer to us than we are to each other", he added.

When asked if he would visit Montenegro soon, Vucic responded affirmatively.

"I will definitely come to Montenegro, but whether that will be an official or a private visit is another matter. Montenegrin PM Dritan Abazovic has received an invitation to pay an official visit to Serbia on June 29, and he is welcome", Vucic said.

There are many talking points and many things to deal with in the interest of all, he noted.

Serbian Government to provide EUR 3 million aid to Ukrainian children, refugees (Tanjug)

The Serbian Government decided on Thursday to provide Ukrainian children and refugees with financial aid totaling EUR 3 million, Tanjug news agency reports.

The Government said in a statement that EUR 1.5 mln euros will be provided to children in Ukraine in a disbursement via UNICEF.

The same amount, to be disbursed via UNHCR, has been earmarked for assistance to refugees from Ukraine, the statement added.

Botsan-Kharchenko: There is no dependence and inequalities in Moscow-Belgrade relations (Danas)

Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said there is no room for dependence and inequalities in the Moscow-Belgrade relations, adding that the cooperation in the field of energy was mutually beneficial, Danas daily reports.

“By attempting to inflict damages to Russia, the West displays indifference towards countries such Serbia is, gets isolated from the rest of the world more and more, undermines its credibility, nearing the end of its global dominance”, Botsan-Kharchenko wrote in an op-ed for Belgrade-based Politika daily.

Commenting on the text published by ambassadors of Great Britain, Canada, Norway and Poland, Botsan-Kharchenko said before making any statement on Ukraine, they should rather ought to deal with violations of the international law by their own states.

He also expressed hope that Serbia will continue its joint path with Russia in a policy based on international law.

NGO from central Serbia and Kosovo call for rule of law to be respected in Decani (Danas)

Several non-governmental organisations from central Serbia and Kosovo today called on the authorities in Pristina to implement the decision of the Kosovo Constitutional Court to return the land to the Visoki Decani Monastery, Danas daily reports.

“We, the undersigned, are concerned by the negative and lasting consequences of the recent statement by the mayor of Deçan/Dečani, Bashkim Ramosaj, vowing that the decision of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo on Dečane Monastery's land ownership will never be implemented. All judgments of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo should be upheld. The Constitution provides important guarantees to all Kosovo's citizens, yet such guarantees only have real meaning if court decisions are implemented by physical and legal entities throughout Kosovo. A failure to implement legal judgments only leads to uncertainty for all Kosovo's citizens, and only serves to undermine faith and trust in the rule of law in Kosovo. We urge all those holding elected office to refrain from giving statements which only serve to undermine confidence in the rule of law”, the statement reads.

The signatories of the statement include: Aktiv, Građanske inicijative (Civic Initiatives), Center for Peace and Tolerance, Democracy+, Forum for Development and Multiethnic Collaboration (FDMC), Gorazdevac Media Group, Jelena Loncar, Academic, University of Belgrade, Kosovo Law Institute, Media Center Caglavica, New Social Initiative (NSI), NGO Be Active from Presevo, The Future, Bujanovac; Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VoRAE), Vjollca Krasniqi, Academic, University of Pristina, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Serbia, Youth Initiative for Human Rights Kosovo, YUCOM, Valon Arifi, civic activist, EMEG Group, Humani Centar and RTV KIM.

Scholz to visit Belgrade (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will on Friday host a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with whom he will also hold a separate meeting, Tanjug news agency reports.

After arriving at Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport at 3 pm on Friday, Scholz will be ceremonially welcomed outside the Palace of Serbia.

Vucic and Scholz will then have a closed-door meeting, the presidential press office announced. Plenary discussions between Serbian and German delegations headed by Vucic and Scholz, respectively, are scheduled to take place after the meeting.

Vucic and Scholz will speak to reporters after the discussions.

EEAS: Open Balkan Initiative full effects only if truly inclusive (N1)

All regional initiatives that contribute to closer ties and cooperation are welcome but their full effects are possible only if all Western Balkan participates, the European External Action Service (EEAS) told N1.

The Berlin Process and the Open Balkan Initiative (OBI) are compatible because the results of the Berlin Process have contributed to the results of the OBI, said EEAS and added: “Regional integration, based on EU rules and truly inclusive, can bring tangible benefits for the Western Balkans and for the European Union. This is why the EU cares strongly about regional cooperation”.

The EEAS said it welcomes that the participants of the Open Balkans Initiative are committed to promoting increased regional integration, but that “it remains however clear that the greatest benefits will come at six.”

Opinion

It’s time to get European enlargement back on track (Politico)

By Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece

Today’s South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit in the ancient port city of Thessaloniki, a great center of trade and ideas over many centuries, comes at a critical moment. It presents an opportunity to meet and exchange in-depth ideas with my fellow leaders, and take stock of where we are and what urgently needs to be done.

History teaches us there are periods of rapidly accelerating change that demand an immediate awakening. The world has changed a great deal in recent months, and as a result, we’re at a defining moment — particularly for the Western Balkans and wider Southeast Europe.

It’s time for the European Union to acknowledge the existential importance of integrating this region in the European family, and it must step up confidently in order to do so — starting with the Western Balkans.

International

Germany's Olaf Scholz visits Greece: Crisis management takes center stage (DW)

In Thessaloniki, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes to resolve tensions between Turkey and Greece. Plenty of other issues await him as well.

Before heading to Thessaloniki, German Chancellor Scholz will have visited Pristina and Belgrade. While Serbia is at the top of the EU membership candidate list, serious problems remain before accession can happen.

Serbian President Aleksander Vucic has demonstrated autocratic tendencies, and observers hope Scholz will be able to make Vucic finally accept Kosovo independence. Vucic also maintains close ties with Russian President Putin — a fact that Berlin and Brussels accepted, albeit begrudgingly, until Moscow invaded Ukraine. Now, Belgrade will be expected to clearly state that it is looking West toward the EU.

Humanitarian/Development

Finance Ministry, GIZ sign €11 mil agreement for Innovation and Training Park (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, and Director of GIZ Kosovo, David Oberhuber, and ITP project manager Hans-Juergen Cassens, signed today a co-funding agreement for the project “Innovation and Training Park in Prizren”. The agreement amounts to €11 million, with the Kosovo Government contributing with €6 million, and the German Government with €5 million. The Innovation and Training Park in Prizren is a joint Kosovo-German project aimed at creating an innovative business environment for small, medium and large enterprises (SMEs), which is expected to contribute to the overall economic development of Kosovo.

Kosovo Mother Declares: ‘I am Proud of My Gay Son’ (BIRN)

Shemsije Musa-Cerkini surprised onlookers when she took to the stage at a Pride parade in Kosovo's capital to declare support for her gay son and other members of the LGBT community in the socially conservative country.

Shemsije Musa-Cerkini left many people stunned when she told the crowd at Thursday’s Pride parade that she supports her gay son.

“I am proud of what my son is,” she declared.

Later in the evening, Musa-Cerkini told BIRN in an interview that she went to the Pride parade “to protect my kid and give support to many other kids who do not get support from their parents”.

“I just wanted to convey a message that parents should be proud of their children whatever their orientations are,” she said.

The parade through the streets of Pristina was the culmination of Kosovo’s Pride Week and was joined by diplomats and civil society activists.

“We are here to show support to the LGBTI community because we think that these are human rights,” US ambassador Jeffrey M. Hovenier said.

Kosovo has often been praised for its legislation on paper when it comes to LGBT rights but criticised on its implementation.