UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 26, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Gervalla on Kosovo's membership in CoE: We expect good news in the fall (Paparaci)
Kosovo leaders remember Enver Zymberi (media)
Two French citizens arrested, entered Kosovo illegally in a vehicle with Russian license plates (Koha)
1,187 infected with coronavirus today, number of active cases reaches 10,000 (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Varhelyi: Serbia taking little steps in aligning with EU foreign policy
Vukcevic on Albanian resolution on Marty’s report (Kosovo Online)
Bujanovac mayor on upcoming census and Kosovo government permission (Kosovo Online)
Covid-19: 20 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo Online)

International:

EU’s Varhelyi: Will for enlargement is back, we’re ready to move fast (EURAKTIV)
Balkan Ports Becoming ‘Growing’ Magnets for Smugglers, Report says (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Balkan Flyers Suffer From Europe’s Airport Chaos (Balkan Insight)
Average net salary in Serbia in May 74,168 Dinars (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani and Kurti in a one-hour meeting with the U.S. Secretary Blinken (RTK)

The news portal informs that the meeting between President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will take place at 16:30 hours, which will mark the first joint meeting of this format at the State Department, in Washington D.C.

President Osmani reportedly has said that the meeting will focus on deepening the strategic partnership with the U.S., addressing the challenges the region is facing, the reforms of institutions and on strengthening Kosovo's international position.

According to the agenda, the meeting is expected to end within an hour, at 17:30 local time.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday Kurti and Osmani will participate at the signing ceremony of the Compact Program Agreement with the Millennium Challenges Corporation (MCC).

Gervalla on Kosovo's membership in CoE: We expect good news in the fall (Paparaci)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gervalla spoke in a press conference today about the process that Kosovo is going through, after the application to the Council of Europe.

She has said that she expects that in the autumn Kosovo will be included in the agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. She has said that she cannot give many details about this process as it can be damaged by different actors, but that it has support from many countries even from non-recognising ones.

“As for the application for candidate status in the European Union, we think that Kosovo meets all the conditions for this and we will wait until the end of the year to choose the appropriate moment to submit the application," she said.

Kosovo leaders remember Enver Zymberi (media)

On the 22 jubilee of establishment of Kosovo Police, political leaders remembered police officer Enver Zymberi, killed 11 years ago during a police action in the north.

"He was killed by the Serbian criminal structure, which to this day has never been discovered and brought to justice. A soldier of the KLA in the war in 1999, Enver Zymberi was martyred wearing a police uniform, in the performance of his official duty and carrying out the mission for the full extension of sovereignty,” Kurti wrote on his Facebook account.

Chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo Glauk Konjufca in a memorial ceremony said that Zymberi ‘gave his life in defense of the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo.’

Telegrafi reports that Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla, under increased security measures, visited today the place where Enver Zymberi was killed.

PDK leader Memli Krasniqi also remembered Enver Zymberi saying that he gave his life in defense of the sovereignty of Kosovo.

Two French citizens arrested, entered Kosovo illegally in a vehicle with Russian license plates (Koha)

The Kosovo Police have detained two foreign citizens, suspected of illegal border crossing.

According to the police announcement today, police units on Monday stopped a Land Rover vehicle with Russian license plates in village Jashanice, municipality of Leposavic. The two people who reportedly entered Kosovo illegally from Serbia, are of French citizenship.

"It is suspected that they entered the Republic of Kosovo using illegal routes, in which case they have committed the criminal offense of 'Unauthorized crossing of border crossings or the border line," the announcement states.

The competent prosecutor of the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Mitrovica was notified of all actions, and he authorized detention.

1,187 infected with coronavirus today, number of active cases reaches 10,000 (Koha)

The Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 1,187 positive cases of coronavirus have been registered in the last 24 hours, out of 3,022 tests performed.

According to the Ministry of Health, in the last 24 hours, 613 patients have recovered, while the total number of active cases is now 9,820.

Serbian Language Media

Varhelyi: Serbia taking little steps in aligning with EU foreign policy

European Union’s (EU) will for enlargement is back and Serbia is taking “little steps” in aligning with EU’s foreign policy, European Union Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said in an interview with EURACTIV.

Serbia, an EU candidate since 2009, has kept close ties with the Kremlin during President Aleksandar Vucic’s 10-year rule and has been reluctant to join the sanctions against Russia despite Western pressure, EURACTIV quoted Varhelyi as saying.

Asked whether the EU would be interested in speeding up accession processes with Belgrade, Varhelyi said that “Serbia has always been in a very special relationship with Russia“.

”What we see from Serbia is that they are in a very difficult situation, because of their vulnerability when it comes to energy supply and because of the unsettled nature of their security framework“, he said, pointing out the country is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas, and its main energy companies are under Russian majority ownership, EURACTIV reported.

Varhelyi said that, despite the alignment concerns, there have also been positive signs over the past few months, one of them being Serbia voting with the West in the UN General Assembly on Ukraine.

International

EU’s Varhelyi: Will for enlargement is back, we’re ready to move fast (EURAKTIV)

Russia’s war on Ukraine has sobered up debate around the EU’s enlargement process and shown the need to speed up the procedures, essentially halted by the previous Commission, Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

The comments came after EU leaders in June granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova as a signal of solidarity in response to Russian aggression and member states in July green-lighted the start of long-delayed accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania.

”Maybe it is the only positive impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine because it sobered up the discussion around enlargement as well as the EU’s absorption capacity”, Várhelyi said.

Humanitarian/Development

Balkan Flyers Suffer From Europe’s Airport Chaos (Balkan Insight)

Huge delays at European airports this summer – due to revived demand for flights and staff shortages – have had significant consequences also for travel in the Western Balkans.

Lorik Gjyrevci, 23, was coming home from Chicago to Kosovo. With an injured foot, he was keen to make it to Pristina as fast as possible. However, his flight was delayed and left two hours late, which resulted in him missing the connecting flight to Pristina.

His carrier, Turkish Airlines, compensated by putting him on the next direct flight. “This was around 12 hours later,” Gjyrevci said, explaining that the airline also booked him a hotel room to wait.

However, the replacement flight was late, too. “I spent approximately 48 hours in airports. With an injured foot, it was not a good experience,” Gjyrevci told BIRN.