UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 16, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

KLA war veterans protest in front of assembly and government buildings (media)
Assembly of Kosovo resumes session amidst opposition calls to cancel it (media)
Protest on withdrawal of pension trust funds joins that of KLA veterans (Kallxo)
Osmani to attend Prespa Forum in North Macedonia (media)
Slovenian president calls for visa liberalisation for Kosovo (Paparaci)
Bomb threats in 30 schools were false, police say (Kallxo)
Hoti: Government did not use ‘Office of Veterans’ for dialogue with them (media)
Kurti meets journalists and academics from Greece and Cyprus (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic to Cavusoglu: Serbia committed to promoting cooperation (N1)
Christoph Heusgen: An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is possible (DW)
Kosovo Police: Citizens not to panic, some schools checked, threats false (Kontakt plus radio)
Office for KiM: 71 Serbian schools in Kosovo received threatening emails (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Conference "Position and Challenges of Non-Majority Communities in the Pec Region" (KiM Radio)
Petkovic: "Mutual recognition" is not and cannot be part of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)
EWB: ''The amendment on mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo was submitted by the MP of the European People's Party'' (N1)
Von Cramon: Sanctions and recognition of Kosovo to join EU (N1)
Jovic: Viola von Cramon's ultimate messages destabilize the Balkans (Kosovo Online)
Leaders of the Western Balkans at the Prespa Forum in Ohrid (Kosovo Online, RFE)

Opinion:

Serbia’s sanctions standoff with the EU (Politico)

International:

Global Peace Index 2022 (reliefweb.int)
Paper Shows France's Vision Of New 'Community' For All Of Europe (RFE)
Kosovo stunned as Dua Lipa festival shifts to Albania (BIRN)
EU leaders to debate France’s halfway house for Ukraine idea (Politico)
“Z” makes Ukrainians feel unsafe in Serbia, ambassador says (Euractiv)

Humanitarian/Development:

Dittrich: Kosovo Accreditation Agency to be soon readmitted to ENQA, EQAR (Koha)
Serbia donates 1.5 million Euro for Ukrainian children (N1)
Serbia: Growth Momentum, Policy Discipline Cushion Economic Blows From War in Ukraine (fxempire.com)

Albanian Language Media

KLA war veterans protest in front of assembly and government buildings (media)

One of the main stories in the media today is the protest by war veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in front of assembly and government premises in downtown Prishtina. The veterans are protesting the adoption of a draft law on the minimum wage increase arguing that the government wants to exclude them from the scheme.

Acting leader of the KLA war veterans, Faton Klinaku, said that protesters have no problem with the police “because the police come from the people”. “If [Prime Minister] Kurti thinks he can put us on the ground, he is wrong, because we will not back down from our demands,” he said. Klinaku also said that if needed they would put up tents and stay in front of the assembly and government premises until their demands are met.

Most media published images of police officers giving water bottles to the protesters.

Xhavit Jashari, leader of the Association of Families of Martyrs of KLA, called on the government, institutions, and the MPs to reflect on the current situation. “We will end the protest peacefully to give one more chance to these institutions to correct their actions, otherwise we will be forced to undertake measures that no one needs,” he said.

Several news websites note that Dardan Molliqaj, leader of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), was seen at the protest although an arrest warrant has been issued against him over an assault against now Vetevendosje MP Haki Abazi in 2019. “Molliqaj challenges the Kosovo Police,” reads a headline in Indeksonline.

The EU Office in Kosovo issued a statement about the protest saying “the right to peaceful gathering is guaranteed by international & Kosovo law. While recognizing the right to protest, we call on all protesters in Kosovo today to refrain from any form of violence & cooperate with the Police to maintain public order while having their voices heard.”

Blerim Latifi, political commentator, is quoted as saying in Gazeta Express that there is a double insult against the war veterans, “by the regime which has brought them to a point where they have to protest for a minimum wage” and “by the opposition which is openly playing with the veterans for their own objective of getting to power”. “Unfortunately, this is not a protest by the veterans, but a political action by the opposition, according to methods that Kurti used before: protest outside the Assembly and block the work of the Assembly from the inside! A veteran that protests outside the Assembly for a minimum wage (which he must absolutely have) would not allow his voice to be represented inside the Assembly by war and post-war profiting millionaires,” Latifi writes.

Assembly of Kosovo resumes session amidst opposition calls to cancel it (media)

The Assembly of Kosovo resumed its session today while opposition parties called on its cancellation saying that there can be no session until a solution for KLA veterans protesting over the minimum wage law is found.

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said his government has always expressed deep appreciation for those that contributed to the liberation of Kosovo. "I don’t think we differ in our respect for KLA war veterans but we may differ in what we think about their number and this is a debate in our society and in the Assembly," he told MPs.

He said the Government has set aside 120 million euros for KLA veterans, "which is more than Kosovo's defence budget and makes 1.55 percent of the GDP." At the same time, he noted that the list with the number of KLA veterans is not realistic and needs to be addressed. "We need to stick to the truth. There were enough KLA veterans and no one needs to inflate this number." Kurti said he is ready to cooperate with KLA organisations to come to the true number of veterans who, he noted, deserve higher appreciation than the minimum wage.

Kurti further said that he would be cancelling his participation at the Prespa Forum tomorrow and will meet the protesters today along with Finance Minister Hekuran Murati.

Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group Abelard Tahiri said the veterans should be met by Prime Minister Kurti. "For the sake of those standing outside in these temperatures, this session needs to be stopped and representatives of veterans be called for consultations," Tahiri said. He added that a dialogue between the Assembly's budget committee, the Ministry of Finance and KLA veterans representatives should begin in an effort to reach a compromise solution.

At the same time, head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group Besnik Tahiri also called for a compromise solution but warned that there will be no session of the Assembly unless the situation with KLA veterans is resolved.

Protest on withdrawal of pension trust funds joins that of KLA veterans (Kallxo)

Protesters demanding withdrawal of funds from the pension trust have joined the protest of the KLA War Veterans Organisations.

The pension trust protesters have been joined by Bekim Haxhiu, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bekim Haxhiu who is the initiator of the motion for withdrawal of 30% of the trust funds. The acting chairman of the KLA veterans, Faton Klinaku, said they support the demands for pension withdrawal and called on the protesters to join in their protest.

Osmani to attend Prespa Forum in North Macedonia (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani confirmed participation at the Prespa Forum Dialogue.

President Osmani is expected to address a panel during the main official opening session on the topic: "What after the war in Ukraine?" which will discuss the new geopolitical reality created by the war in Ukraine, the strengthening of transatlantic unity as well as the joint response against Russian aggression. She will also be one of the keynote speakers at the discussion panel "Summit for Democracy: The Importance of Women in Governance", where she will discuss the need to advance the agenda of women, security and peace, Kosovo presidency announced.

Apart from Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti was also supposed to travel to North Macedonia but he said at the Assembly today that he was cancelling his participation to address the protest by the KLA war veterans over the minimum wage draft law.

Slovenian president calls for visa liberalisation for Kosovo (Paparaci)

President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, sent a letter to the European Council President Charles Michel advocating for visa liberalisation for Kosovo and EU candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Paparaci reports quoting Slovenian paper Delo.

In the letter, Pahor said the European Union needs to take concrete steps towards enlargement in the Western Balkans. He also said that North Macedonia and Albania should be given the green light to begin EU accession talks. "I am very much convinced that the EU is the answer to all Western Balkans questions," he noted.

Bomb threats in 30 schools were false, police say (Kallxo)

Kosovo Police said in a statement today that it has already checked around 30 suspected locations in different parts of Kosovo after receiving bomb alarms. Police said it evacuated all persons that could have been at threat. Police said the school premises were mainly in areas inhabited by the Serb community and that the bomb threats came in electronic form and through telephone lines. “Kosovo Police has managed to address and verify some of the school facilities and the threats turned out to be false, so we call on the citizens not to create any panic, as Kosovo Police is present and engaged in addressing, investigating and providing security in all locations all over Kosovo,” the police statement notes.

Hoti: Government did not use ‘Office of Veterans’ for dialogue with them (media)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo and LDK MP, Avdullah Hoti, said today that the Kurti-led government did not engage in dialogue with veterans of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). He argued that disagreements are solved through dialogue and that the government is not taking this approach.

“Disagreements on issues of public interest must be resolved through dialogue, which needs to be inclusive and based on arguments. Only when dialogue is exhausted there can be political decision-making on these issues in the government and the assembly. The government has an ‘Office of Veterans’ within the Office of the Prime Minister. It did not use this mechanism for dialogue with the veterans. It did not exhaust the dialogue either with the veterans or with the opposition,” Hoti said.

Kurti meets journalists and academics from Greece and Cyprus (RTK)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti had a discussion session with a group of journalists and academics from Greece and Cyprus who are currently on a visit to Kosovo.

"In an open conversation, Prime Minister Kurti informed them about the progress made this year in economic and democracy indicators, proving that they go hand in hand, the successful management of the pandemic, the decisions and social policies aimed at increasing the well-being of citizens, and the goals of the Republic of Kosovo for membership in the Council of Europe and the NATO Partnership for Peace programme," a press release issued by the Government of Kosovo said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic to Cavusoglu: Serbia committed to promoting cooperation (N1)

President Aleksandar Vucic told Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu that Serbia remains committed to promoting cooperation in all fields of mutual interest, reported N1.

A press release from the President’s cabinet said that they discussed bilateral relations, regional issues and promoting economic cooperation with focus on investments, the energy industry and infrastructure projects. They also discussed an agreement which would allow Serbian and Turkish nationals to enter both countries with just their personal ID cards.

“We see Turkey as a strong partner and are very committed to developing and deepening overall relations. We have common economic interests and it’s important that Turkey has been helping the development of less developed parts of Serbia through large investments,” Vucic is quoted as saying. He added that he appreciates Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s personal contribution to bilateral cooperation and the arrival of Turkish investors.

“The construction and exploitation of the Turkish flow (gas pipeline) which supplies the region with natural gas is of exceptional significance for Serbia,” Vucic said.

He said that the peace and stability of the region are of key interest to Serbia adding that only intensive cooperation of all Western Balkan countries can bring prosperity and development.

The press release quoted Cavusoglu as saying that President Erdogan will visit Serbia and the region soon. He thanked Serbia for its support to Turkish investors. “You are doing an excellent job for your country and the region,” he said.

Christoph Heusgen: An agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is possible (DW)

''Serbia and Kosovo must find a compromise, and the agreement between the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR can serve as a model,'' the president of the Munich Conference told DW in Serbian. He also mentioned the German model as a solution to the CSM (ZSO).

The president of the Munich Security Conference, Christoph Heusgen, is optimistic and believes that an agreement can be reached between Kosovo and Serbia. In a conversation with foreign correspondents in Berlin, Heusgen told DW that Kosovo and Serbia will first have to do their homework, reported DW.

One of them is the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia, which was called for by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during his visit to Belgrade last week. Heusgen told DW that this is not a new request.

For Serbia and Kosovo - a model of two Germanys

''That is why I am a little surprised that the President of Serbia showed to be so surprised. This has been a request for many years. We have the possibility of an agreement on the model of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR. The 1971 agreement opened the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations between the two Germanys, which later enabled the GDR to be recognized and become a member of the UN. These issues have been on the agenda for a long time. So, I was very surprised that the President of Serbia was surprised. But, of course, we must also make progress on the issue of recognition of Kosovo by the five EU states."

According to Heusgen, for Kosovo to be recognized, it needs to make progress in the dialogue with Serbia. He said Kosovo should implement the agreements adopted in Brussels, including the agreement on the Community of Serbian Municipalities. Kosovo PM Albin Kurti has so far refused to implement the agreement because he sees the danger of "Bosnianization" of Kosovo, wrote DW.

Heusgen did not see such a danger, and told DW that there are other federal states that can serve as a model - such as the German model - where the federal states have jurisdiction over certain issues, such as culture or regulatory issues, etc. Only big issues, such as foreign and defense policy, should be in the hands of the government in the capital, Heusgen told DW.

An agreement on the Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) was reached in April 2013 between the then Prime Ministers of Kosovo and Serbia, Hashim Thaci, and Ivica Dacic, with the mediation of former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, recalled DW.

Kosovo Police: Citizens not to panic, some schools checked, threats false (Kontakt plus radio)

The Kosovo Police Headquarters confirmed that so far part of the schools that received bomb threats have been checked and that it has been confirmed that the reports were false, reported Kontakt plus radio.

They state that the threats were sent mainly in areas inhabited by Serbs, by phone and email, at about 30 locations.

"Referring to the information received, the Kosovo Police immediately took all necessary measures and police actions in order to resolve and investigate these cases, engaging relevant police units, including the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (K-9)," they said.

"Until this stage, the Kosovo Police has managed to verify some of the school facilities that have been shown to be false threats, so we urge citizens not to panic, because the Kosovo Police is present and engaged to investigate and secure all locations across the country," they added.

Office for KiM: 71 Serbian schools in Kosovo received threatening emails (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Anonymous bomb threats arrived in all Serbian primary schools in Kosovo last night, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

''Threatening e-mails were sent to the addresses of 71 schools in Kosovo, and this was the first time that an e-mail with such content has been sent to Serbian educational institutions in the province,'' it was said in the statement.

According to the statement of the Office for KiM, based on the instructions of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia, students will be sent to online classes until the allegations about threats are checked, and it was added that the work of schools in Serbian communities now depend on how efficiently the Kosovo Police would undergo the search of schools.

The Office strongly condemned this act as anti-civilization actions, obstruction of the work of schools and harassment of children who attend these educational institutions.

Conference "Position and Challenges of Non-Majority Communities in the Pec Region" (KiM Radio)

The Deputy Prime Minister's Office for Minority Issues and Human Rights organised a regional conference yesterday on the rights of non-majority communities in the municipalities of Pec, Istok and Klina today, reported KiM radio.

The Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Emilija Redzepi, addressed the session.

"We are usually used to the international factor to organise events like this for us, but this is a good example that we can do it ourselves," Redzepi said.

She thanked the representatives of the communities who took part in discussing the open topics.

"I had various receptions and visits during this term, be sure that I raised my voice where it was needed. I tried to point out all the problems, and whether the government affirms all its citizens in the right way," said Redzepi.

She asked, "Is Kosovo a real multiethnic state and are all equally represented?", adding that she was there to hear all the problems that citizens have.

Mayor of Klina, Zenun Elezaj, directors and advisors to the Mayor for Communities in the municipalities of Pec, Istok and Klina, as well as numerous community representatives were attending the conference.

Addressing the audience, Klina Mayor Zenun Elezaj said that he expected to hear more from those present about the position and rights of communities in the region.

The Deputy Mayor of Istok welcomed this conference in order to improve the position of minority communities.

Skender Kandic pointed out as a problem that the mayor of Pec, Gazmend Muhaxheri, as well as Decani, Bashkim Ramosaj, did not attend the conference.

Such and similar gatherings have been announced in other places in Kosovo, reported KiM radio.

Petkovic: "Mutual recognition" is not and cannot be part of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic said in a statement yesterday that ''any attempt to interpret the normalization of relations as a way to recognize the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called. "Kosovo" by Serbia is taking us a step further from normalization,'' RTS reported.

The statement added that a chase of democratically elected representatives of the Serbian people in Kosovo also took us away from normalization, and that mutual recognition "is not and cannot be part of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina'', cited RTS.

Petkovic stated that "Belgrade has a genuine desire to normalize relations with Pristina in a way that will enable the inhabitants of our southern province, both Serbs and Albanians, to live safely, in a society where human rights are respected and where there will be preconditions for economic development and prosperity of all kinds, but Belgrade and Pristina cannot negotiate so-called 'mutual recognition', because Pristina's unfulfilled desire is not, nor can it be part of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue ".

He added that it was not written in "any document that constitutes the negotiation process conducted under the auspices of the EU".

He added that "daily satanization of Serbs and Serbia by representatives of the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina, the deepening of the interethnic gap, the daily looting of Serbian property, the desecration of churches and cemeteries or unilateral acts and provocations, such as the incursion of long-barreled armed special Pristina formations into the north of province".

"Vjosa Osmani is happy to talk about normalization, but everything she does is directed against normalization, and it is high time that in the interest of all residents of Kosovo and Metohija, Pristina to stop playing a dangerous double game that could nullify all positive effects of the EU-led dialogue and so provoke dangerous security destabilization," said Petar Petkovic.

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated that "Belgrade will not in any way hinder the development of our southern province, on the contrary, we will try to contribute to resolving disagreements and open issues, but we will use all legitimate political means to fight against Pristina's attempts to seize current geopolitical opportunities to promote and strengthen the project of self-proclaimed 'Kosovo'," reported RTS.

EWB: ''The amendment on mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo was submitted by the MP of the European People's Party'' (N1)

The text of the European Parliament's report on Serbia, which was adopted at the session of the Committee on Foreign Affairs this week, also calls on Serbia and Kosovo to reach an agreement on the normalization of relations "based on mutual recognition". Part of the sentence on mutual recognition was not in the draft report, but was added through an amendment submitted by Lukas Mandl, a member of the European People's Party (EPP), reported N1, citing European Western Balkans (EWB) in Serbian.

Mandl has been a member of the European Parliament since 2017, and is a member of the Austrian People's Party, which was led by Sebastian Kurz until last year, reported EWB.

The draft report was written in April by Serbia's rapporteur, Vladimir Bilcik, also an EPP MP. It mentioned only the agreement on the comprehensive normalization of relations, which was subsequently amended by Mandel's amendment. This amendment was also supported by MPs from other groups, including the Social Democrats and the Greens.

As part of the amendment, Mandl also supplemented the call for the implementation of all previous agreements, calling for it to be done "in good faith and in a timely manner."

Lukas Mandl was one of the MEPs who was more intensively dealing with the region. He drafted a resolution on cooperation in the fight against organized crime in the Western Balkans, which was adopted by the European Parliament in December 2021, reported EWB.

EWB recalled that Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is an associate member of the European People's Party (EPP), which brings together European center-right parties, since 2016. In the past, EPP deputies had a milder attitude towards the SNS than other groups in the European Parliament, wrote the portal.

EWB reported that, ''for example, in 2021, EPP deputies voted against the inclusion of the Krusik, Jovanjica and Telekom Srbija scandals in the report on Serbia. However, the scandals were included in the report because the deputies of the Social Democrats, Liberals, Greens, and the Left voted for it''.

The Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) did not attend the May EPP congress in Rotterdam, where Manfred Weber was elected president of this European party. The SNS also missed the congress in Zagreb in 2019, which also elected the president of the EPP, reported EWB portal in Serbian.

Von Cramon: Serbia has to impose sanctions and recognition of Kosovo to join EU (N1, Nova)

Viola von Cramon MEP said on Thursday that “Serbia has to impose sanctions on Russia and recognize Kosovo if it wants to join the European Union”, reported N1.

She told the Nova daily that “this was not an either/or question”, adding that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic explained all the difficulties but that the EU still did not see that Belgrade was committed to dealing with the sanctions and its dependence on Russian fuels. According to Von Cramon, the EU expects a final agreement to include Serbia recognizing Kosovo, reported N1.

She said the Kosovo authorities have to implement court rulings on the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Decani monastery and draw up a plan to form the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Jovic: Viola von Cramon's ultimate messages destabilize the Balkans (Kosovo Online)

Professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences in Zagreb, Dejan Jovic said that the ultimate messages of MEP Viola von Cramon that Serbia must impose sanctions on Russia and recognize Kosovo's independence if it wants to join the EU destabilize the Balkans because they strengthen the influence of Russia, China, and Turkey in the region, reported Kosovo Online.

Jovic believes that the EP should strengthen the EU support in the region.

"Such messages, uttered in this ultimative way (" must ") destabilize the Balkans because they strengthen the influence of Russia, China and Turkey in it. The European Parliament is increasingly appearing as an actor of destabilization, instead of strengthening EU support in the region. It weakens the positions of Greens. It's a pity, "Jovic said on Twitter.

Leaders of the Western Balkans at the Prespa Forum in Ohrid (Kosovo Online, RFE)

The leaders of the Western Balkan countries gathered on Thursday at the Prespa Forum in Ohrid. The forum will last for three days, and the topic of conversation will be "Building the future of the Western Balkans in a modern European security architecture", reported Kosovo Online, citing Radio Free Europe.

President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski is the host, and the list of announced participants includes the presidents of Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, as well as the prime ministers of Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo.

Also, the Prime Minister of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, as it was announced, will participate in the Prime Minister's panel "65 years after the Treaty of Rome: Is Europe economically renewed and integrated?"

The forum is also attended by international officials, including Council of Europe President Charles Michel, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo and Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Helga Schmid.

The Prespa Forum was launched last year as a framework for building trust and political dialogue between the Western Balkan countries

Authorities in Skopje also marked the event as a platform for protecting and promoting political agreements.

This year, the forum is being held on the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Prespa Agreement, which ended the name dispute between North Macedonia and Greece. The agreement, signed on June 17, 2018, paved the way for North Macedonia's membership in NATO.

However, four years later, the public was divided over whether the Prespa Agreement, in addition to removing the blockade on joining NATO, also opened prospects for the European integration of North Macedonia, reported the portal, citing RFE.

Opinion

Serbia’s sanctions standoff with the EU (Politico)

In the impasse between Brussels and Belgrade, it’s disputable what the bloc has to gain.

When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz traveled to Belgrade last week, he reiterated that, as a candidate country to the European Union, Serbia must adhere to the sanctions regime the bloc imposed against Russia over its war in Ukraine.

Only two European countries are yet to impose meaningful sanctions against the Kremlin: Belarus and Serbia. And Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, whose country just signed a new three-year contract with Gazprom in May, rebuffed the chancellor’s demands, remaining steadfast in his refusal to take action against Moscow.

This enduring standoff between Brussels and Belgrade has now led to calls for an end to Serbia’s long-stalled accession process. And should this happen, Serbia would deserve little sympathy — the moral argument for sanctions is indisputable. What is disputable, however, is how much damage Serbian sanctions are likely to cause Putin’s war machine, and what exactly the EU has to gain by pushing this issue.

It’s easily arguable that the EU doesn’t need Serbia to impose sanctions. Overall, Serbia’s significance to the Russian economy is negligible, and halting purchases would be little more than a symbolic gesture that would hurt Belgrade more than Moscow.

In 2020, Russia’s total export revenue is estimated to have been $330 billion. Its main export to Serbia is petroleum gas, which earned Russia $343 million that year — that’s just 0.1 percent of its total earnings.

However, though the government’s position may be immoral, it is logical. Serbia’s almost wholly energy dependent on Russia, and although its economy is firmly oriented toward the EU, its functioning relies on Russian fossil fuels. A recent survey also suggests that 82.1 percent of Serbs oppose sanctions. So, not only would Vučić’s government anger its electorate, but spiking fuel prices could also wreak havoc upon their living standards.

Additionally, Serbia relies on Moscow’s support in blocking the international recognition of Kosovo’s independence, which is the single most contentious issue in Serbian politics — in much the same way the EU membership debate poisoned British politics for decades before Brexit.

Serbia’s often depicted as an instinctively Russophilic nation, but the Kosovo issue is ultimately a far greater driver of anti-Western sentiment in the country than any other factor. And fearing they could lose Russia’s support by imposing sanctions, many don’t think it’s worth taking the risk. In fact, most would prefer to remain unaligned, like in Yugoslavia’s heyday.

Along these lines, a recent study by Belgrade-based polling agency Demostat found that just 21 percent of voters believe Serbia should back Russia in the Ukraine crisis, whereas 50 percent support nonalignment, regardless of the cost.

International

Global Peace Index 2022 (reliefweb.int)

Peacefulness declines to lowest level in 15 years fuelled by post-Covid economic uncertainty and Ukraine conflict

London, June 15, 2022, Today marks the launch of the 16th edition of the Global Peace Index from the international think-tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP).

Humanitarian/Development

Dittrich: Kosovo Accreditation Agency to be soon readmitted to ENQA, EQAR (Koha)

Kosovo's Accreditation Agency (AKA) is expected to rejoin the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), Karl Dittrich, EQAR President, said at a press conference in Pristina today.

However, Dittrich noted, Kosovo institutions should continue to work in fulfilling criteria to rejoin the organisations. "It is a pleasure to be in Kosovo again after the tragic moment we had in 2018 when AKA left ENQA and EQAR. We have come here and discussed with members of the committee on education, with the civil society as well as with the central institution. We are absolutely convinced that with the work that is being done, AKA will return to ENQA and EQAR within a short period of time. We are optimistic and encourage the AKA to work to join European organisations," he said.

Kosovo's Minister of Education, Arberie Nagavci, said the Government has worked hard to ensure Kosovo rejoined these European organisations. "We have guaranteed the institutional independence of the Accreditation Agency, we finalised the law on AKA and I consider that we have sent a very good draft law on which we have received confirmation and praise from the president of ENQA," she said.

Kosovo's membership in the organisations was revoked following allegations of political interference by then Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj, Koha notes.

Serbia donates 1.5 million Euro for Ukrainian children (N1)

UNICEF expressed its gratitude to the Serbian Government for the donation of 1.5 million Euro for the emergency response to the needs of children and families from Ukraine.

“The funds received today will ensure that help reaches those most in need in Ukraine and surrounding countries,” said a UNICEF press release.

“Three months into the war, three million children inside Ukraine and over 2.2 million children in refugee-hosting countries need humanitarian assistance,” UNICEF said.

Serbia: Growth Momentum, Policy Discipline Cushion Economic Blows From War in Ukraine (fxempire.com)

Serbia is on course for solid growth of 3% and 4% in 2022 and 2023, as government policies help the economy to withstand shocks from Russia’s war in Ukraine and rising inflation.

The Russia-Ukraine war represents a substantial exogenous shock to Serbia’s small, open economy. Effects of the war add to strong inflationary pressures in the short term by raising international prices for commodities and food, squeezing household and corporate budgets and placing pressure on external finances.

We forecast average yearly headline inflation of around 9% in 2022 (Figure 1), broadly in line with that of peer economies, with Serbia’s current-account deficit to widen to 6% of GDP this year from 4.4% of GDP in 2021, mainly due to the impact of higher energy and other commodity prices.