UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 19, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Kosovo, Serbia chief negotiators to meet next week in Brussels (Kanal 10)
Kurti: Spain should recognise Kosovo; Catalonia is not the same case (media)
Haradinaj: EU should hand over to President Biden portfolio for final agreement (media)
Kosovo’s Special Prosecution investigating “illegal organisations” from Serbia (RFE)
519 new cases with COVID-19, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

We are looking for a solution, Vucic to addresses the public on Sunday, said Petkovic (RTS)
Hill: The Serbian side came to the talks in Brussels in a positive spirit (Tanjug, RTS)
Petkovic: Vucic to make no statements in Brussels, to speak on Friday (Tanjug, media)
Vucic sends message from Brussels (N1)
Grenell: Kurti rejected every idea proposed by the EU and the US so far (KiM radio, N1)
Bishop Teodosije with Hovenier about the problems of the Serbian Orthodox Church (KiM radio)
In the neighbourhood of Suvi Do the flag of "KLA" and "Greater Albania" (KiM radio, Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

Negotiations in Brussels, where is the room for compromise (RTS)

International:

Open Balkan initiative risks aggravating political problems in the region (DW)
Twitter Suspends Accounts of Serbian Ruling Party MPs, Officials (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kosovo, Serbia chief negotiators to meet next week in Brussels (Kanal 10)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi and Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo head Petar Petkovic will meet to discuss the issue of reciprocity in Brussels next week, the TV station learns from unnamed sources.

Kurti: Spain should recognise Kosovo; Catalonia is not the same case (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in an interview with El Pais today that Spain should recognise the independence of Kosovo, because the cases of Catalonia and the Basques are not the same as the Kosovo case. “Spain should agree and recognise Kosovo. I know there are some complains, but as our great writer Ismail Kadare said when he won The Princess of Asturias Award ‘Spain should never compare itself to Serbia, because Serbia committed genocide in Kosovo’. I believe that precisely by recognising Kosovo, Spain will prove that Catalonia and the Basques are different cases,” Kurti said.

Read full interview at: https://bit.ly/3whmNx8

Haradinaj: EU should hand over to President Biden portfolio for final agreement (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said today that now is the right time for the European Union to hand over to U.S. President Joe Biden the portfolio for a final agreement on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia. “The enforcement of order and law throughout the country needs to happen in line with the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Kosovo. The dialogue so far must not be dimmed, and we must not resort to talking about the same topics again. The United States again gave an impetus to the EU-led process and helped and restored normality in relations between Kosovo and Serbia. While appreciating the role of the EU in facilitating the dialogue, now is the right time for the EU to hand over to President Biden the portfolio for a final agreement on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia,” Haradinaj argued.

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution investigating “illegal organisations” from Serbia (RFE)

Kosovo Police confirmed to the news website that they have information that “illegal groups or organisations” from Serbia are operating in the territory of Kosovo and that the Special Prosecution in Prishtina is conducting investigations into some of them. Police did not disclose further details because of the ongoing investigations. “Kosovo Police, in cooperation with other security institutions in Kosovo, but also with international partners, treats all information related to illegal groups that may threaten public order and security,” the police said. The prosecution did not reply to questions from the news website.

RFE recalls that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in late March this year that around ten far-right organisations from Serbia were trying to destabilise the security situation in Kosovo but did not elaborate further. In an interview with the news website on August 8, Kurti did not want to reveal the names of these organisations.

519 new cases with COVID-19, one death (media)

519 new cases with COVID-19 and one death from the virus were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. There are 4,586 active cases with COVID-19.

Serbian Language Media

We are looking for a solution, Vucic to addresses the public on Sunday, said Petkovic (RTS)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said at a press conference today that President Aleksandar Vucic will address the public on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., after a meeting with Serbs from Kosovo, reported RTS.

According to Petkovic, Vucic defended Serbia's position in Brussels and looked for compromise solutions to preserve peace, but also that he knew how to answer the representatives of the international community and Albin Kurti in a calm and wise way.

He pointed out that Vucic has been talking to his associates since this morning and continues to work with the Serbian negotiating team on finding compromise solutions.

All possible solutions are being considered that will be in the interest of the Serbian people in Kosovo that will not trample on the interests of our country and will go in the direction of a compromise solution, said Petkovic.

"That is the reason why I am addressing you today, and not President Vucic, who will address the public on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. from the 'Serbia' Palace, and the reason is that Vucic never goes to the podium, does not say what is unrealistic and does not "promises proposals and solutions that he cannot fulfil, although many things here do not depend on us. We need another side that must agree and move in the direction of compromise solutions," said Petkovic.

Two proposals on freedom of movement

"Yesterday, our side came out with two proposals when it comes to freedom of movement. That is, how to find a solution before September 1," he said among other things.

"In terms of identity cards, we were ready to issue an entry-exit document for citizens of Serbia who reside in central Serbia when they go to the territory of Kosovo and Metohija at the Pristina administrative crossing. And in that agreement, which is not good for us, it does not say that that question refers to the Serbs who live in Kosovo and Metohija, specifically those who live in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. The Serbs who live in Kosovo and Metohija are not Serbs from the Pristina side, Belgrade represents them. That is what the president said that they are citizens of Serbia who feel that they live in their own country," says Petkovic.

“They were ready, he added, given that since 2011 we have been issuing the document to Albanians with Kosovo identity cards, that such a document should also be issued to Serbs living in central Serbia, but that this does not apply to citizens living in Kosovo and Metohija,'' he said.

"Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija are not Serbs travelling in transit to a third country. The final destination of Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija is not Albania, North Macedonia, but their doorstep. As Kurti imagined, Serbs who have always lived in Kosovo and Metohija and live in their own homes had to, after 90 days, leave the area of Kosovo and Metohija in order to get that paper again, which is completely unacceptable. We do not accept that someone is trampling on agreements, humiliating the Serbian people, creating security problems," Petkovic said.

They proposed, he added, that the vehicles be re-registered with status-neutral plates according to Resolution 1244, and that Kurti categorically refused, reported RTS.

Hill: The Serbian side came to the talks in Brussels in a positive spirit (Tanjug, RTS)

The US Ambassador to Serbia, Christopher Hill, assessed that, although many were disappointed that yesterday in Brussels there was no progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the result of those talks was still positive, reported RTS.

Christopher Hill said yesterday was a very long day in Brussels.

"There were a lot of discussions, meetings, and negotiations. Obviously, everyone is disappointed that we could not solve short-term and long-term issues, but I think those talks resulted in positive developments," Hill said in a video message sent to Tanjug.

He emphasized that it was clear that the US and the EU cooperate closely, and that there was a common understanding of issues, as well as good "chemistry".

This, he believed, will help to achieve progress.

"It is clear that the Serbian side came to the talks in a positive spirit. They worked a lot on that issue, prepared to talk and negotiate, with the aim of progress," said Hill.

Hill said that this was important, "not only for future talks about Kosovo, but in general for relations between the USA and Serbia".

"We have numerous common bases for cooperation. Not everything that the USA and Serbia do together has to be related to Kosovo," said Hill.

He said that the two countries must cooperate also regarding Kosovo, but he reminded that there are many other issues for cooperation.

"I'm encouraged by the aspect I saw yesterday," Hill concluded, reported RTS.

Petkovic: Vucic to make no statements in Brussels, to speak on Friday; Vucic on Instagram (Tanjug, media)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, said on Thursday in Brussels that President Aleksandar Vucic would give no statements following the conclusion of a trilateral meeting with EU facilitators and Pristina PM Albin Kurti, but make a public address on Friday, reported Tanjug.

"We thought it was possible to reach a compromise. No one from our delegation will make statements," Petkovic told reporters in Brussels.

"President Vucic will make a public address tomorrow after returning to Belgrade, and it will be one of his most significant public addresses," Petkovic said, adding that Vucic would speak in the afternoon or in the evening.

Vucic sends message from Brussels (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who had talks Thursday in Brussels with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and EU representatives, said that the day was difficult and that he cannot say that it ended successfully.

“A difficult day is behind us, it was a difficult day for all Serbian citizens, for our whole country, and I cannot say that it ended successful but I refrain from all other comments, because I hope and I want to believe that it is possible to reach, by some miracle, some kind of a compromise solution in the days ahead, and that is why I will continue to fight for peace and stability,” said Vucic in a video posted on The Future of Serbia Instagram account.

He added that he will address the Serbian public in the next 48 hours and present all the facts.

“And before I address you, I just want to tell you that we are fighting for our country, that we are continuing that fight and that I can’t wait to get back to our Serbia,” said the Serbian President.

Following talks between the two sides in Brussels on Thursday only European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell held a press conference at which he said: “Unhappily, we did not reach an agreement today, but it is not the end of the story, both leaders agreed that the process needs to continue and the discussion will resume in the coming days.”

Grenell: Kurti rejected every idea proposed by the EU and the US so far (KiM radio, N1)

The former special envoy of the US president for negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Richard Grenell, stated that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti "rejected every idea that has been put forward by the EU and the USA so far" in Brussels, reported media.

"Kurti rejected every idea put forward by the EU and the US so far. The EU is really frustrated," Grenell wrote on Twitter yesterday.

He added that "representatives of the EU asked Kurti and Vucic to stay longer in order to continue trying" in order to reach an agreement, media reported.

Bishop Teodosije with Hovenier about the problems of the Serbian Orthodox Church (KiM radio)

The Gracanica Monastery was visited yesterday by the American ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier. The Bishop of Raska-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija informed him about the problems faced by the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo, reported KiM radio.

"US Ambassador to Kosovo Geoffrey Hovenier visited the Gracanica monastery today. Bishop Teodosije informed the ambassador about the numerous problems of the Serbian Orthodox Church that it is facing amid the continuous disrespect of laws, court decisions, religious rights, and freedoms by the Government of Kosovo," Visoki Decani monastery announced on Twitter.

As stated, US Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier emphasized that it should be ensured that every citizen of Kosovo can worship without discrimination and that respect for diverse religious and cultural heritage was an ideal in every modern, multi-ethnic democracy.

Vicar Bishop of Novo Brdo Ilarion also attended the conversation with the American ambassador, reported the radio.

In the neighbourhood of Suvi Do the flag of "KLA" and "Greater Albania" (KiM radio, Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

In the Suvi Do neighbourhood in North Mitrovica, the "KLA" and "Greater Albania" flags were raised, and the Kosovo Police say that no investigation has been launched into the case, reported KiM radio, citing portal Kosovo Online.

According to Kosovo Online, the flag of the KLA and the flag of "Greater Albania", with the figures of Ismail Qemaili and Isa Boletini, are located on a mast placed on a traffic sign, between two lanes in Suvi Do.

The police stated that there is no information regarding the event in Suvi Do.

"There is no information that an investigation has been launched in this regard, the police officers are on the ground every day and perform their duty, if there is a report related to this event, we will inform the public," the spokesperson of the Kosovo Police for the North region, lieutenant Branislav Radovic, told Kosovo Online.

Petkovic said that the representatives of the EU, as well as Gabriel Escobar, were correct during the conversation and that they understood the situation with identity cards and license plates.

Opinion

Negotiations in Brussels, where is the room for compromise (RTS)

Nemanja Starovic, State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior, told RTS that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was not actually about ID cards or license plates, but about Kurti's plan to cause an escalation on the ground. He assessed that the circumstances were such that expecting any progress was difficult. Assistant professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, Stefan Surlic explained that Kurti was satisfied with Belgrade's reaction to protect the Serbs, but also with the absence of a reaction, since in this way he would strengthen his position in Kosovo.

Negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina with the mediation of the EU continued in Brussels, after more than a year. An agreement was not reached, and President Aleksandar Vucic continued his talks yesterday afternoon with the EU's special envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak and the US special representative for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, reported RTS.

Starovic, said in the RTS TV Show 'Oko', that in the speech of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, it was characteristic that he spoke about the fact that yesterday's meeting was called because of the escalation of the crisis on July 31.

"He talked about some kind of crisis management, he said that there was no agreement and that the talks will continue," said Starovic.

"The official optimism of the mediator has also melted away"

Starovic pointed out that the most important thing was that Borrell said that he could not talk about any progress.

"We see that even the implied official optimism of the mediator has melted away, and all together this is actually a reason for serious concern about what may await us in the coming days," added Starovic.

He believed that it was not actually about identity cards or license plates, but about Kurti's plan to deliberately provoke an escalation on the field at any cost. He added that in such circumstances it was difficult to expect any progress in the negotiations.

"Borrell and Lajcak had the opportunity to convince themselves once again that it is impossible to conduct a dialogue process when on the other side you have someone like Albin Kurti, who really does not believe in dialogue," the state secretary pointed out.

"A very worrying message from Brussels"

Surlic assessed that the messages from Brussels sound very discouraging. "We are going back to the very beginning of those conflicts that took place in 2011, in some timid expectation that such conflicts could be repeated," says Surlic.

"In that sense, this is a very worrying message coming from Brussels today, because Borrell could not hide behind diplomatic formulations, but showed his disappointment that even in extraordinary circumstances, both leaders could not agree on a minimum guarantee that there will be no escalation unless a compromise solution is reached regarding the plates," explained Surlic.

"Reciprocity is a very dangerous word"

Pristina talked about reciprocity, which, he noted, was a very dangerous word.

"What does reciprocity mean when the two sides, Belgrade and Pristina, are not equal in the dialogue", pointed out Surlic, citing as a symbolic example the fact that yesterday, at the meeting between Kurti and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the flag of Pristina was absent.

According to him, Kurti wanted to wipe out every element of the Serbian state in Kosovo.

"Kurti satisfied with both, Belgrade's reaction and non-reaction"

Surlic added that Kurti wanted to use the war in Ukraine to somehow portray the situation as a kind of reflection on the Balkans. He indicated that since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Kurti has sharpened his rhetoric.

According to Surlic, Kurti was satisfied with Serbia's reaction in order to protect the Serbs, but also with the lack of reaction.

"He is in a winning combination, because Serbia's non-reaction means that he is strengthening his position in Kosovo and Metohija," said Surlic.

The third thing that was important to Kurti, said Surlic, was internal political reasons.

"He did not achieve any success in Kosovo and Metohija, except for the confrontation with the Serbs, who are anyway powerless and systematically discriminated against for years. If he does not achieve what he set out on September 1, he will lose the internal political battle," said Surlic.

"Messages from the West, victory for Serbia"

Nevertheless, he believed that the messages from the West about the responsibility of "both sides" represent a victory for Serbia, because the countries of the Quint still stand behind Kurti and his decisions, which should be implemented on the first of September.

"If the representatives of the EU and NATO say - both sides are invited and will be held responsible, then this is certainly a message to Kurti that something cannot be applied by force if it is not a matter of dialogue and agreement," said Surlic.

International

Open Balkan initiative risks aggravating political problems in the region (DW)

Balkans analyst Edward P. Joseph tells DW that the Open Balkan initiative, which is supported by Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia, has "dangerous implications" for the region.

The Open Balkan initiative was launched three years ago by the leaders of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia to facilitate the free movement of people, goods, services and capital in the region. To date, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina have refused to join, arguing that the initiative is unnecessary because regional economic cooperation is already part of the EU integration agenda and initiatives such as the Berlin Process. This process was set up in 2014 as a platform for high-level cooperation between the six countries of the Western Balkans, EU member states and institutions, international financial institutions, and regional civil society and businesses.