UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 7, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: Railway line with Albania, MCC programme, two capital projects (media)
Elektrosever violates deadlines set by the energy agreement (Radio Free Europe)
Assembly fails to review draft laws due to lack of quorum (Kallxo)
Kosovo approves fourth COVID-19 shot for over 60s (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Municipality of Strpce: There is no question of espionage, illegal cameras, and structures (KiM radio)
Vucic: Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia or recognize Kosovo (N1)
Edi Rama: Serbia will have to recognize Kosovo and get rid of the burden (NMagazin, Danas)
Office for KiM: “ROSU raided school, post office, TV Hertz, Provisional Authority, pressure on Serbs to leave their homes” (KoSSev, RTS, Blic)
Supreme Commander of NATO Naval Forces and COM KFOR visit Decani Monastery (KoSSev)
Northern Kosovo residents on Pristina’s request to change licence plates (KoSSev)
Lajcak: We prepare Vucic-Kurti meeting for July (Tanjug)
Vucic, Bom Jesus discuss advancement of cooperation (Tanjug)
Cyprus Ambassador: Relations between Cyprus and Serbia founded on a firm friendship (RTS)

International:

Kosovo Police Remove Surveillance Cameras in Mainly Serb Town (Balkan Insight)
North Macedonia Arrests Armed Man at Ethnic Scuffle in Capital (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Risk of insufficient wheat supply in Kosovo (RFE)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Railway line with Albania, MCC programme, two capital projects (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said that the Government approved two agreements on capital projects in its meeting last night, that on the railway line with Albania and the Millennium Challenge Corporation programme.

He said the Durres-Pristina railway line project is moving forward with "certain steps" after the joint meeting of the two governments and once ratified in the Assembly, the exact procedure and cost will be known.

In addition, "following successful negotiations between the Government of the Republic of Kosovo and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), authorisation from the President will be required for signing the co-financing agreement in the amount of USD 236.7 million in what is the biggest investment in the field of energy to date," Kurti said on Facebook.

Elektrosever violates deadlines set by the energy agreement (Radio Free Europe)

The Serbian company, Elektrosever, has not submitted the latest customer data to the Company for Electricity Distribution in Kosovo - KEDS and to the Operator of the System, Transmission and Electricity Market in Kosovo - KOSTT. The company has also not yet signed the required technical agreements with KEDS and KOSTT to operate in Kosovo’s energy market. These obligations derive from the roadmap for the implementation of the energy agreement reached by Kosovo and Serbia as part of the EU-facilitated talks in Brussels. As a result of these obligations, Elektrosever was licensed by Kosovo’s Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) on June 24. This company will do both the supply and billing of electricity used in the north of Kosovo – an area inhabited mainly by Serbs. The company is owned by the energy company of Serbia (EPS) but in Kosovo was established according to Kosovo laws.

The roadmap which was made public by EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, specifies that within seven days from the issuance of the license, Elektrosever will provide the latest data for customers to KEDS and KOSTT, under the mediation of the EU. The roadmap also specifies that ten days after the supply license is issued, Elektrosever will sign the technical agreements with KEDS and KOSTT.

In a written statement to the news agency, EPS said that the license that Elektrosever received from the ERO “is not yet functional” and that “the company currently has no customers”. No further details were given.

KOSTT confirmed that they did not receive the customer data. In a statement to the news agency, the transmission operator said that Elektrosever has not acted in line with the second point of the roadmap for the implementation of the energy agreement. KOSTT said they signed the required technical agreements “in accordance with the standard forms of these agreements, approved by the ERO” and that they sent them for signing to Elektrosever in the timeline set out by the roadmap. “However, we have not yet received the signed agreements from the company Elektrosever. We are waiting for confirmation from the supplier Elektrosever,” KOSTT said.

The news agency sent questions to KEDS and the Government of Kosovo on the matter but received no answers.

The EU, as mediator of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, says that they expect “both sides to adhere to the agreed steps and implement them in due time”. “The EU also calls on both sides to make progress on all other outstanding matters related to the implementation [of the agreement],” the EU Foreign and Security Police Office told the news agency.

Assembly fails to review draft laws due to lack of quorum (Kallxo)

The lack of quorum in the Assembly of Kosovo prevented the review of four draft laws that were in the agenda of today's plenary session.

The agenda included the second review of the criminal procedure draft code, second review of the draft law on execution of penal sanctions, second review of the draft law on Kosovo correctional service, and the second review of the bill on probation service of Kosovo.

MPs from the three opposition parties - the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) - did not take part in the voting of the bills.

Kosovo approves fourth COVID-19 shot for over 60s (media)

Kosovo's Ministry of Health has approved to begin offering the fourth COVID-19 vaccine to everyone above the age of 60, if at least four months have passed since the administration of their last shot.

The Ministry said the decision is based on the recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination and credible information from relevant organisations such as the EMA and the CDC. The Ministry also called on citizens to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Kosovo has recently witnessed a surge of new COVID-19 infections.

Serbian Language Media

Municipality of Strpce: There is no question of espionage, illegal cameras, and structures (KiM radio)

After this morning's action by the Kosovo police by order of the court and the prosecution from Urosevac in Strpce, the municipality held an emergency meeting called by the president Dalibor Jevtic. As stated in the announcement, reports KiM radio, "for the purpose of truth and full transparency", the management wants to inform the public that in the territory of the municipality of Strpce, in the villages of Drajkovce, Strpce and Jazince, video surveillance has been installed in accordance with valid legal procedures and the public procurement process and on three occasions - in 2013 in Strpce in the stretch from St. Jovan's church through the main streets to the exit from Strpce, in 2016 in Drajkovce near the church of the Holy 40 Martyrs and in 2017 in Jazince, near the elementary school "Šarski odred".

At the very entrance to Strpce, in accordance with the current law, a sign, a notice, was placed, stating that entering the part of the municipality is under video surveillance, KiM radio cited the announcement.

"In one traffic incident, at the beginning of 2014, the video surveillance cables on the pillars in Strpce were damaged and broken. From that moment on, the cameras were not in operation. The Kosovo Police was also informed about the incident itself," the announcement states.

The law on public video surveillance, as further stated, was amended a little more than a year ago, and the fact is that video surveillance has not been in operation for a long period of time. On several occasions in 2022, the Kosovo Police requested all information related to cameras, inspected the server, and personally made sure that the video surveillance was not working.

"Due to all of the above, the management of the Municipality of Strpce sees this morning's action by the Kosovo Police by order of the Court and the Prosecutor's Office in Urosevac as another form of pressure on the citizens of the Municipality of Strpce with the aim of intimidation. The fact that the action was carried out on a major holiday in Strpce, in honour of St. Jovan, which is otherwise the village saint holiday, where a large number of citizens go to church from early in the morning. After the actions of the third day of the religious holiday of St. Nicholas in December 2021, Christmas Day 2022, then on March 16 this year, the day before Pogrom Day, now also on St. Jovan, the implementation of such actions and the large presence of the Kosovo Police not only brings unrest but also great distrust in the very institutions that carry out such actions. It is even more worrying that the court order talks about some kind of espionage, illegal cameras, and structures, and it is clear that there is not even a word of truth in that, on the contrary, the cameras were installed by the Municipality, which works and functions according to the laws of Kosovo. With this order, in a certain way, it is claimed that the Municipality of Strpce, which functions according to the laws of Kosovo, is illegal. Also, after the last session of the Strpce Municipal Assembly, where the initiative was voted to enable the work of the Temporary Authority of Strpce, we see today's intrusion into this institution with the order to "permanently close it" as a confirmation that the entire action with a political background is directed against the interests of the citizens of the Strpce municipality and Municipality as institution itself,'' the announcement states.

Once again, as an institution of local self-government, we call for an end to this type of pressure on the citizens of Strpce, to stop jeopardising safety and security and thereby endangering the living conditions of the citizens. We invite the representatives of international institutions to react and protect the right to a peaceful life of the citizens of Strpce, the announcement concludes, KiM radio reported.

Vucic: Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia or recognize Kosovo (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Wednesday Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia adding it will neither accept the demand that Serbia recognizes Kosovo, FoNet news agency reports.

The European Parliament adopted Wednesday a resolution on Serbia recommending new negotiating chapters with Serbia be opened once it aligns its foreign policy with the EU and expressing regret that Belgrade did not align with the EU sanctions policy on Russia.

For the first time, the resolution mentions mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo and calls on the two sides to reach an agreement on normalisation “based on mutual recognition”, FoNet news agency added.

When asked how Serbia will respond to these requests, Vucic said: “Nicely, decently and politely – we won’t, or even more politely – we won’t even consider it”.

Edi Rama: Serbia will have to recognize Kosovo and get rid of the burden (NMagazin, Danas)

We need the EU, as much as they need us. We can lift each other up or pull each other down. We all have done our work for this phase, but of course, there is still a lot to be done and no one is denying that. The only problem is that for each phase that we deliver, the EU has to deliver its part, and that has not happened recently, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in an interview for NMagazin., cited daily Danas.

He states that he would like the Union to be a Union and follows the vision of the founders towards the full implementation of their European project, which includes the full integration of the Western Balkans into the Union.

- We need the EU as much as they need us. We can lift each other up or pull each other down. As far as we are concerned, we have all done our work for this phase, but of course, there is still a lot to be done and no one is denying that. The only problem is that for each phase that we deliver, the EU has to deliver its part, and that has not happened recently - said Rama.

Asked how he sees the awarding of status candidates to Ukraine and Moldova, whether it is just a gesture of kindness, he replies that he does not understand the reasons for such a decision on Bosnia and Herzegovina, while he fully supports the decision on Ukraine and Moldova.

- But to leave Bosnia and Herzegovina again with nothing, while it was unanimously requested by all the MPs of Bosnia and Herzegovina representing all communities, once again shows that instead of firmly leading the whole of Europe in these turbulent times, the EU is guided by the inertia of current events instead of a vision. We hope that another war will not be necessary for Bosnia and Herzegovina to get candidate status - he says.

When asked what in his opinion the reason for the EU was to connect Albania and North Macedonia and whether it was fair to both countries, he states that he believes that this is not another reason to blame the EU. In this case, their idea to keep the two countries together and open accession negotiations to both was not unfair at all.

When asked how he sees the fact that there is still no visa liberalization for the residents of Kosovo, he states that whatever the reasons, it is a shameful attack on the human dignity of the entire population.

- In any case, I would exclude the factor of non-recognition because I have never heard your president and prime minister declare against it. On the contrary, they always said that Serbia supports the abolition of the visa regime for the population of Kosovo - says Rama.

On the statement that he strongly defended and praised the Open Balkans as an initiative, and when asked why some countries in the region, including Kosovo, still do not want to join, Rama says that they are very wrong.

When asked why he thinks that Macron's political community could be good for countries that are not members of the EU, and whether it is a trap and a substitute for EU membership, he asks a substitute for what, the non-existent membership door.

- No! It is not a problem. The problem is that some people do not want to face the reality of enlargement, which has become a means of fantasizing of some other countries for the sake of domestic politics. Bulgaria was only the most brutal example, not the only one - says Rama.

Does he think it will be good for Belgrade if Serbia refuses to join the EU sanctions against Russia, he says it will not be good.

- But I think it should not be bad. Serbia's refusal to join EU sanctions is not Serbia's consent to aggression. On the contrary. Three times in a row, Serbia joined the ranks of the democratic world by voting against Russia in the United Nations. Turkey is another country that did not comply with the sanctions but is against Russia in the UN and makes a unique contribution to all of us by engaging with Ukraine, the UN and Russia itself for humanitarian purposes - Rama believes.

As he says, at some point Serbia will have to recognize Kosovo and get rid of the burden that should not undermine the bright future of Serbia as a country for too long.

- I understand the difficulties in solving such a burning issue, but Kosovo is gone forever. When it comes to Putin's Russia, neither war nor Putin's rule will last forever. But history matters. Economics matters. Public opinion is important. And looking at all of this in the case of Serbia helps to understand why asking Serbia to comply with sanctions is simply not wise. It is also dangerous for the entire region. In any case, there is more understanding now than a month ago - he said.

When asked why the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is going so slowly and hard, he says that there is a lot of unwillingness on both sides.

Office for KiM: “ROSU raided school, post office, TV Hertz, Provisional Authority, pressure on Serbs to leave their homes” (KoSSev, RTS)

KoSSev reported that since this morning, members of the Kosovo police have been conducting a new police action in Štrpce, confiscating, as reported by the Kosovo media, surveillance cameras and files, as they state, of "parallel bodies of Serbia". Officials, among them the most influential man in Štrpce, Bratislav Nikolic, who has already been arrested, were accused of anti-constitutional activity and espionage, according to the statement of the prosecutor from Uroševac, Rasim Maloku, on whose order the action is being conducted.

The action is being conducted at four locations, and photos from the Kallxo portal, which follows the police in action, show that one of the locations is the Elementary School "Šarski odredi".

This was confirmed by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, which has the details, announcing following the media reports.

More than 30 members of the special units of the Kosovo Police, which the Office for KiM still calls ROSU, stormed into Štrpce early this morning "in full gear with the aim of new intimidation and harassment of Serbs in this municipality" - Belgrade described this morning's action, wrote the portal.

"ROSU specialists were deployed to several locations, they blocked the entire municipality, they broke into the Šarski Odredi elementary school in Brezovica, the post office in the village of Drajkovce, they broke into and searched the building of the Provisional Authority from where they took all the documentation and computers, they broke into the TV building Hertz, the only Serbian-language television station in Štrpce, they climb lampposts removing the surveillance cameras that have not been working for several years," they state, with the question "What justification do they have for breaking into the Serbian elementary school in Štrpce?"

The Office claims that the action was purposefully chosen to be conducted today, on St. Jovan, when a fair is organised in Štrpce, reminding that it has been done in the past.

"There is no doubt that this is a new attack and pressure on the Serbs to leave their homes because there is no justified reason for a new action by ROSU in this Serbian environment," the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced once again.

The police have not yet made an official statement, reported KoSSev.

The Kosovo police have intensified actions in Štrpce since the arrival of Albin Kurti as prime minister in this mandate.

Since December last year, several actions have been conducted in connection with the illegal issuance of construction permits in the "Šara" National Park, when 19 people were arrested on December 21, including the former mayor of Štrpce, Bratislav Nikolic.

During March, also in several actions, the building of the institution that functions in the Serbian system - the Provisional Authority of the Municipality of Štrpce - was searched, recalled KoSSev.

Supreme Commander of NATO U.S. Naval Forces and COM KFOR visit Decani Monastery (KoSSev)

Supreme Commander of NATO U.S. Naval Forces for Europe and North Africa, US Admiral Stuart Munsch and KFOR Commander Major General Ferenc Kajari visited Visoki Decani Monastery, KoSSev portal reports.

Abbot of the Monastery, Father Sava Janjic received them and explained security problems that Monastery is facing as well as the importance of KFOR peacekeeping forces presence.

On a day prior to the visit, Abbot Janjic also discussed security problems of the Monastery with the Europa Nostra delegation that was visiting Kosovo.

Members of this delegation also spoke with COM KFOR General Kajari about the need of protecting the Monastery. Delegation had a number of meetings with international and local representatives and visited other cultural heritage sites in Kosovo, including the fortress in Novo Brdo.

Europa Nostra included Visoki Decani Monastery on the list of the seven most endangered cultural heritage localities in Europe in 2021. The Monastery has been on the List of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage in Danger since 2004.

Northern Kosovo residents on Pristina’s request to change licence plates (KoSSev)

Pristina’s request to change the licence plates bearing the names of towns in Kosovo and Metohija and replace them with “RKS” plates has become one of the current issues in northern Kosovo, KoSSev portal reports.

The portal interviewed a number of people in Mitrovica North to hear their stances on Pristina’s decision and also on statements from Belgrade that Pristina prepares new attacks and expulsion of Serbs from the north.

All interviewed persons expressed a negative stance regarding Pristina’s decision. Some said they will change the plates, some said ‘they would do it if they really must’’ and some said they will wait to hear what Belgrade says in this regard.

On the other side, people living in the north said they believe there will be no new ‘Storm’ (Croatian military operation that led to massive expulsion of Serb civilian population) in northern Kosovo.

“I do not believe in it, one says one thing, others say something else, one should opt for a middle ground and enjoy”, one of respondents in northern Kosovo said, commenting on the statements on expulsion of Serbs.

Another one said “shall they really do it or do they make jokes”, adding that he “trusts his Vucic”.

Commenting on Pristina’s request to change the licence plates people termed it as “disastrous”, “we live here, we were born here, and now they blackmail us”.

Some of them said that Pristina with its request “endangers Serbs and their survival in Kosovo”.

“People should live in freedom and peace and this re-registration is not good for us, our valid KM plates should remain”, one of respondents said. He also said that Serbia “will not allow new ‘Storms’ and expulsion of the Serbian population from there”. “Belgrade is ready for compromise, while Pristina is ready to provoke Serbs and Serbia to war”, he opined.

KoSSev also interviewed a person living south of the Ibar River who was visiting Mitrovica North and he said that “new ‘Storms’ are very likely”. “It is likely to happen, in particular to us living in the south”, he said.

Respondents also voiced different stances on changing their registration plates. Some said things will remain as they are, others that licence plates will be changed, but also that Serbs will “listen to Belgrade and mother Serbia” prior to making decisions.

Meanwhile, Radio KIM reports that graffiti “No Surrender, KM remains” appeared on main street in Mitrovica North.

Lajcak: We prepare Vucic-Kurti meeting for July (Tanjug)

Touching upon talks held two weeks ago in Brussels that caused dissatisfaction of Western Balkans countries, EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina talks, Miroslav Lajcak said it was important that regional cooperation here was successful, Tanjug news agency reports.

“I came to Pristina and Belgrade with an idea to prepare the meeting of President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Albin Kurti in July already, as we think that in addition to the level of chief negotiators which is functioning, we need to elevate to the level of the leaders”, Lajcak said.

He also told the latest edition of Serbian weekly magazine Nedeljnik “there is a mood for something like that with the both, Vucic and Kurti”.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said yesterday that the news he is meeting Kurti in July was not true and that nobody asked him for that.

Vucic, Bom Jesus discuss advancement of cooperation (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received Sao Tome and Principe Prime Minister Jorge Bom Jesus on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, economic and multilateral cooperation, as well as geopolitical and regional affairs, Tanjug news agency reports.

The parties discussed potentials for development of economic cooperation, as well as cooperation in various fields such as education - specifically, studies for Sao Tome and Principe students in Serbia.

In particular, Vucic thanked Sao Tome and Principe for its principled support for Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Bom Jesus said he hoped the cooperation with Serbia would be advanced, in particular in agriculture, and noted that his country was very interested in importing Serbian agricultural and food products, as well as in exporting vanilla, coffee and other products to Serbia, the presidential press office said in a statement.

Cyprus Ambassador: Relations between Cyprus and Serbia founded on a firm friendship (RTS)

Bilateral relations between Cyprus and Serbia are founded on a firm friendship, mutual solidarity, and strict respect of international law. Officials of the two states in all their meetings express unequivocal and lasting support to preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty of the two states, RTS reports today. Cyprot Embassy to Serbia together with the Ministry of Tourism of this country organised Cyprot Evening in Belgrade last night.

Cyprus supports territorial integrity of Serbia and Serbia supports Cyprus, and this is not going to change, Ambassador Demetrios Theophylactou told RTS.

“Cyprus and Serbia have traditional and lasting very good friendly and brotherly relations. And tourism is one of the ways to get to know each other better and be connected”, he added.

Serbia concluded eight agreements on realisation of investment projects with companies from Cyprus, in the amount of EUR 165 million, providing employment to around 3.000 people.

International

Kosovo Police Remove Surveillance Cameras in Mainly Serb Town (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo police on Thursday removed surveillance cameras in the mainly Serbian Shterpce/Strpce municipality on suspicion that they were controlled by Serbia's security services – which the Serbian government has denied.

Kosovo police on Thursday removed surveillance cameras in the southern Serb-majority municipality of Shterpce/Strpce, acting on the orders of the Ferizaj/Urosevac Basic court and prosecution.

They were told to remove surveillance cameras allegedly controlled by the Serbian authorities, and empty a previously closed municipal building.

Humanitarian/Development

Risk of insufficient wheat supply in Kosovo (RFE)

Farmers estimate that about 50 percent of the Kosovo population's wheat needs are normally secured from the harvesting season but are unable to guarantee the exact amount and quality of this year's harvest due to unfavourable climatic conditions and the increased price of plant protecting products.

At the same time, farmers warn of difficulties with wheat supply from import due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the blocking of the country's exports by Russia.

Isuf Cikaqi, director at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development department on agricultural policies, said that based on preliminary data the amount of wheat production will be within the average of 3,500-4,000 kg per one hectare of land. He said around 70,000 hectares of wheat are expected to be harvested this year.

Official data indicate that Kosovo spends on average 410,000 tons of wheat annually while university professor Imer Rusinovci considers that the price of wheat will increase significantly as of September.