UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 25, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Lajcak in Mitrovica North: There can be no more barricades (RFE)
Escobar from the North: We take into account the concerns of Serbs (Albanian Post)
France calls for talks in spirit of compromise, implementation of agreements (Express)
Citaku: Kurti in dialogue should convince Washington and Brussels, not Vucic (media)
New graffiti in the north: “NATO go home, this is Serbia!” (Nacionale)
Strike in public sector in Kosovo begins today (Kosovapress)
Confirmed: Ministry of Finance will not pay a salary to anyone who protests even for 1 hour (Klan)
COVID-19: 203 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Lajcak: All important topics were discussed with Serbian List; Escobar hopes to announces more details later in Belgrade (Kosovo Online)
Vucic: KFOR should protect Serbs, not remove barricades (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Petkovic: Kurti's series of falsehoods again, Pristina unlawfully and unilaterally abolished KS plates a year before the deadline (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Batuse village: The name in Serbian crossed out, graffiti of the KLA written (Kosovo Online)
Office for KiM: Organized and planned intimidation of the remaining Serbs south of the Ibar (Kosovo Online)
Wisner advises Pristina to drop the recognition request (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)
KFOR in regular contact with Serbian Armed Forces representatives (Tanjug, media)
18 new coronavirus cases in Serbian areas (Kontakt plus radio)

Opinion:

Muharremi: Association helps wield sovereignty throughout Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

International:

‘Time Is Ripe’ for Final Deal With Serbia, Kosovo Premier Says (Bloomberg)
Picturing War: Fleeing Roma Find Refuge at Montenegro Tent Camp (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Lajcak in Mitrovica North: There can be no more barricades (RFE)

The EU Special Representative in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said today that there can be no repetition of tensions on July 31 when some local Serbs set up barricades to prevent the Kosovo government from implementing its decisions on ID cards and licence plates.

Lajcak, together with U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and the U.S Ambassador in Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier met this morning with Serb representatives in the north of Kosovo.

“This is why we are here today, so that people are not afraid for their lives, and to have normal lives … We are doing everything we can to make sure that there are no more barricades,” Lajcak said after the meeting.

Lajcak did not want to talk about possible solutions and proposals saying that “the mission continues” and that peace must be maintained. He also did not respond to questions from reporters if the international community has asked Kosovo to postpone the implementation of reciprocity for another three months. “There is so much speculation about the process, I don’t want to go into that,” Lajcak said.

The EU diplomat also did not comment on Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s statement that the decision on travel documents and licence plates will be implemented from September 1. “I am optimistic, I must be optimistic. We want September 1 to be a normal and ordinary day,” he said.

Escobar from the North: We take into account the concerns of Serbs (Albanian Post)

The U.S. Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said after the meeting he had with the representatives of the Kosovo Serbs in the North that the USA takes into account the concerns of the mayors of the municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo and the heads of the Serbian List.

"I just want to say that we take into account the concerns of the representatives of the Serbs. Now we will continue to Belgrade, hopefully we will be able to issue a press release in Belgrade later today," Escobar said briefly to the media.

France calls for talks in spirit of compromise, implementation of agreements (Express)

The news website notes that France, as one of the most important member states of the European Union, has called on Kosovo and Serbia to hold talks in the spirit of compromise and to implement the agreements that have been reached so far.

Asked to comment on the situation created after the Kosovo government’s decision on reciprocity for licence plates and documents, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the news website that Kosovo and Serbia must refrain from any unilateral actions that can lead to tensions. “We call on both sides to continue their discussions in the coming days in the spirit of compromise, to implement the agreements reached so far and to refrain from undertaking any unilateral measure that may incite tensions,” the ministry said.

Citaku: Kurti in dialogue should convince Washington and Brussels, not Vucic (media)

The deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Vlora Citaku took to Facebook to write today that Kosovo's audience in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is the European Union and NATO, not Vucic.

"Serbia may not agree with the final agreement with mutual recognition at the centre. Ultimately, they did not agree either in Rambuje (agreement which brought us freedom) or in Vienna (agreement which brought us independence). Our audience is Washington and Brussels. We must convince them that we are serious and prepared. They hold the key to Kosovo's membership in the EU and NATO,” Citaku wrote.

New graffiti in the north: “NATO go home, this is Serbia!” (Nacionale)

According to the news website, parallel structures in Mitrovica North continue to paint new graffiti on the main squares in the north. The latest graffiti seen today reads “NATO go home, this is Serbia!”

Strike in public sector in Kosovo begins today (Kosovapress)

The general strike in the public sector of Kosovo has begun today. The unionists have not managed to reach an agreement with the institutions that would prevent their strike. Education Union leader Rrahman Jasharaj has warned that the entire educational system will join the strike if their demands are not met.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti told a press conference on Wednesday that now is the time for work and not for strikes. “Threatening to paralyse the institutions and public services now that the draft law on wages has been submitted and conditions with additional demands are wrong. Now is not the time for strikes, now is the time for work. We want the unions to take part in processes and not to be spectators … Some of the unions have new leadership. Mutual emancipation is needed. We support social dialogue without threats and ultimatums. We want to continue the social dialogue, but we don’t think that now is the time for strikes and boycotts,” Kurti said.

Confirmed: Ministry of Finance will not pay a salary to anyone who protests, even for 1 hour (Klan)

The Ministry of Finance, Labour and Transfers has announced that in case there will be strikes in the public sector, then every striker will have his salary stopped even due to one hour of strike.

This was confirmed for Klankosova.tv by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Finance, Enis Spahiu, who said that this is being done in compliance with Article 18, point 1.

"We have guaranteed the right to strike, but we have announced that the legal provision that requires the suspension of the labour contract must also be implemented. Article 18, paragraph 1 is clear. Article 18, point 1: During the development of the strike, the obligations arising from the Labor Contract are suspended, including the right to payment and the obligation to obey to work," says Spahiu's answer.

In this regard, the president of SBASHK, Rrahman Jashari, has said that the situation can worsen if it is acted in this way.

The Union of Independent Trade Unions of Kosovo, through its response, has announced that they are on a general strike, but they consider the government's threat illegal and a violation of the law on strikes.

Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) also emphasises that the government's threat to stop the salary is a violation of human rights.

Opposition parties react to government’s decision not to pay salaries to strikers (media)

Former Minister of Finance, currently MP of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Hikmete Bajrami took to Facebook to write that the party in power and Prime Minister Kurti have been stuck on the subject of licence plates and meetings with Vucic, despite their claims in the past that this does not present a priority. According to her, they are not dealing with any other problem, such as education, energy, economy, or health.

MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Blerta Deliu-Kodra, said that the government's actions towards the strikers are scandalous.

She added that when the Vetevendosje Movement was in opposition, it supported the initiatives of unions for strikes.

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), also addressed Kurti saying:

"Prime Minister, don't blame the workers but yourself. For more than a year and a half you have been mocking them, not to say stealing them. You do your job. Urgently approve the Wage Law and reflect the changes that have taken place. The law should reflect the enormous increase in prices and inflation, which has officially reached 19.2%. Any other formula will backfire. Patience is over!!!"

COVID-19: 203 new cases, no deaths (media)

203 new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. There are 2,549 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Lajcak: All important topics were discussed with Serbian List, Escobar hopes to announces more details later in Belgrade (Kosovo Online)

The EU's special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, said after the meeting in North Mitrovica that all important topics were discussed with the representatives of the Serbian List, reported Kosovo Online.

Lajcak assessed the meeting with the representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo as very important.

"A very important meeting for us with the representatives of the Serbs in Kosovo. We had discussions on all important topics, and we are continuing our journey to Belgrade," Lajcak told reporters after the meeting.

Lajcak was asked by journalists if it was true that he and the US special envoy for the Western Balkans, Escobar asked Pristina to postpone the implementation of the decision on plates and documents for three months.

"There is a lot of speculation, I don't know anything about it," Lajcak replied, reported the portal.

Shortly after the meeting, Escobar also addressed the journalists, who expressed the hope that, after the meetings he will have later today in Belgrade, he will be able to announce more details, reported Kosovo Online.

"I just want to say that we have considered the mayor's concerns. Our mission continues in Belgrade. I hope we will be able to make an announcement in Belgrade later today," Escobar said.

The portal recalled that today in North Mitrovica, Lajcak and Escobar spoke with the president of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, as well as with the mayors of four municipalities in the north of Kosovo. The American ambassador in Pristina, Jeffrey Hovenier, also attended the meeting.

KiM radio reported that Lajcak said the international community's message regarding the barricades was clear.

"We cannot be in the same situation on August 31 as we were in on July 31. That is why we asked for and got that delay, which is why we were in Brussels and that is why we are here today, so that people do not fear for their lives. We are doing everything so there would be no barricades. Do not ask me to comment on individual statements. I am here, together with our American friend, to do everything so that there are no barricades, no unrest, that there are no injuries," he said.

"We want the first of September to be a normal day, an ordinary day, I am an optimist, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't an optimist," added Lajcak.

Asked when Kurti and Vucic will go to Brussels again for a meeting, he answered:

"I assume very soon. They agreed, agreed that they should see each other, approximately once a month. There are many topics they should discuss," he concluded at the end of a short address to numerous media, reported KiM radio.

The radio reported that US Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier remained at the meeting with Serb representatives for about 40 minutes after Lajcak and Escobar left the building of the North Mitrovica Municipality. When he came out, he did not address the media.

KiM radio recalled that the Serbian President Vucic's promise from Sunday that representatives of the Serbian List "will speak to the media almost every day" and noted that it was not fulfilled by the President of SL and Kosovo's Minister for Return and Communities Goran Rakic and the mayors from the north this time either. None of them spoke to the press.

Vucic: KFOR should protect Serbs, not remove barricades (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last night after the meeting of the Presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) that he knew who the mandate holder for the composition of the new government would be, but that he would announce his/her name in 48 hours, as the president of Serbia, not the party.

He said that in the next two to three days he will send a letter regarding KFOR's announcement that they will not allow barricades on the roads in Kosovo, and said that freedom was not threatened by barricades, but by those who want to introduce a visa regime for Serbs from Kosovo, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

He said that he would send the letter after the upcoming talks with EU and US mediators Miroslav Lajcak and Gabriel Escobar, and that Serbia interpreted differently the role of KFOR and NATO.

He also asked who they are fighting against when they remove the barricades between the two Serbian towns.

"Your goal should be to protect the Serbian population; they are in the minority. Why do you help the Albanians to oppress the minority? Why do you practice with the Albanians mistreating the Serbs, is that your job or to help the Serbs", asked Vucic.

He pointed out that the crisis cannot be solved that way, but through political talks.

"How are you going to change the will of teachers, doctors...miners? Are you going to shoot them? We ask that you respect the agreements that you signed," said Vucic.

He added that some other people also need to understand that they are literally playing with fire.

"In Kosovo, you have power outages every day. We are looking to help, to give you electricity when we have it. Let us talk about such things, not about the fact that Vucic is not ready for normalization, which means that Vucic will not recognize Kosovo," he said, reported the radio.

He pointed out that he wants to increase trust with Albanians, increase understanding and solve problems, and the rest will be discussed in happier times.

"And not if you don't want to recognize Kosovo, then you are against normalization. You are lying, normalization is not recognition," said Vucic.

He also pointed out that it is incomprehensible that the world media write that Vucic threatened to attack Kosovo, adding that he only said that he would not allow the pogrom of the Serbs if NATO and KFOR did not protect them.

Petkovic: Kurti's series of falsehoods again, Pristina unlawfully and unilaterally abolished KS plates a year before the deadline (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, reacted yesterday to Albin Kurti's statement in his first address. Petkovic said that “Kurti, after once again trying to humiliate and make the Brussels dialogue senseless, presented yesterday a series of untruths and lies, being so obvious that even respected international representatives denied him, and that he himself got involved in his own lies”, reported Radio Mitrovica sever.

"The only and true truth is that the Belgrade delegation led by President Aleksandar Vucic came to Brussels well prepared, with concrete, constructive and sustainable solutions for solving the crisis we are facing in the area of Kosovo and Metohija, which was unequivocally confirmed by the US ambassador last night in Belgrade, Mr. Christopher Hill."

''However, Kurti hysterically rejected every offered solution, because in his militant mind he was clearly ready for anything but dialogue and compromise.''

''With his statement that the status-neutral "KS" plates were valid until September 2021, Kurti showed that he does not even know what he is talking about and was caught in another fat lie because those plates were illegally and unilaterally canceled by Pristina on September 17, 2020. year, i.e., one year before the expiration date, after which it was planned to discuss this topic and seek a solution.''

''Furthermore, Kurti has no right to issue any paper to Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, be it A4 or other sizes. No one can issue a visa to Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija for their houses and centuries-old hearths, and Kurti knows this very well, he is just pretending to be unskilled.''

''He acts according to the same principle and in the case of the agreement on missing persons, which he deliberately sabotages and conditions, because he does not want to give the families of the victims the peace they need and enable the search for potential locations but wants to mark official Belgrade as the culprit. This is what his entire policy boils down to, and therein lies the reason for his refusal to form the ZSO, but he knowingly violates all other agreements signed in Brussels.''

''It is obvious that it took Kurti as much as six days to devise a new campaign of lies and misinformation with which he will try to justify his crazy, unilateral, illegal actions that he wants to implement in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and thereby push the entire region into new tensions, conflicts and escalation," said Petkovic.

He added that ''this will not sway Belgrade and President Vucic to continue to search with all their power for a peaceful and compromise solution to the current crisis, but it is also the responsibility of the international community to try to reason with Kurti, because, time is running out, and his announcements of conflict and crisis escalations are getting louder'', reported the radio, citing the statement.

Batuse village: The name in Serbian crossed out, graffiti of the KLA written (Kosovo Online)

The sign on which the name of the village of Batuse was written has been painted blue, and "KLA" was written over it, Kosovo Online learned.

The village of Batuse is located near Kosovo Polje, with about 300 Serbs living there.

The portal recalled that recently the inscription in the Serbian language on a board in the Kisnica settlement was crossed out.

Office for KiM: Organized and planned intimidation of the remaining Serbs south of the Ibar (Kosovo Online)

On the occasion of crossing out the inscription of the village of Batuse and writing the name "KLA", the Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced that "this year alone, graffiti has been written or the flag of this notorious terrorist organization has been displayed 10 times throughout Serbian areas in Kosovo, with the aim to expel the remaining Serbs south of the Ibar from their homes", reported portal Kosovo Online.

"Due to the frequency of these incidents, they can no longer be seen as isolated cases, but as organized and planned intimidation of the remaining Serbs south of the Ibar with the aim of expelling them from their homes," read the statement of the Office.

"The Office for Kosovo and Metohija persistently points out the degree of danger to the Serbian people of Kosovo and Metohija and appeals every day to calm tensions and improve the security situation, but it is evident that the politicians from Pristina do not care about the Serbs because they have not even publicly condemned any incident. On the contrary, they are fueling violence with statements towards the Serbian people, hoping to cause an excessive reaction from the Serbs with provocations, but such a plan will not succeed," the statement concluded, cited the portal.

Wisner advises Pristina to drop the recognition request (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kosovo Online)

Former US special representative for dialogue Frank Wisner called on Pristina to, considering that Belgrade does not agree to the recognition of Kosovo's independence, redirect their attention to the economy and construction and the principle: "Live and let others live", reported Serbian media.

Wisner said in an interview for KTV that Pristina should focus on other goals - trade, free movement of people, finance, scientific and cultural cooperation.

He says that he has always feared that "Serbia will not recognize Kosovo" and was convinced that this would not happen in the near future either, because, as he added, public opinion in central Serbia did not allow it.

Therefore, he believed, the principle should be followed: "Live and let others live".

"We missed this goal. That is why I suggest and believe that this is the way negotiators try to solve this issue, which is to achieve what is practical instead of what is impossible," said Wisner, the media cited.

His advice to the Pristina authorities was to find, as he said, a way to improve life "next to each other".

"I was always afraid that there would be no recognition from Serbia and that happened. Even the international community has not found a solution. That is Serbia's policy. But for this very reason, I recommend that you focus on other goals," Wisner said.

He also said that ''status recognition would not build highways or railways''.

He added that the USA was very engaged in solving all issues between Belgrade and Pristina, and were fully involved in the dialogue, citing the example of US President's envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, cited the media.

KFOR in regular contact with Serbian Armed Forces representatives (Tanjug, media)

The KFOR mission said on Thursday the commanders of its regional commands maintained regular contact with all main interlocutors, including Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) representatives.

"KFOR maintains a visible and agile posture on the ground and Regional Commands Commanders are in regular contact with all the main interlocutors, including the representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces," the KFOR mission said in a post on its official Twitter account that also included a photo from a meeting with SAF representatives, reported Tanjug.

18 new coronavirus cases in Serbian areas (Kontakt plus radio)

Crisis Management Committee of Kosovska Mitrovica published today that according to the latest data from the majority-Serbian areas in Kosovo, 18 new cases of the coronavirus were registered.

Opinion

Muharremi: Association helps wield sovereignty throughout Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

Robert Muharremi, assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Prishtina, argues in the conclusion of his legal opinion about the Association of Serb-majority municipalities that “forming the Association … is not only a legal international obligation of the Republic of Kosovo but that it also was and remains politically important for wielding sovereignty and government authority throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo”. “The failure to respect this obligation would give the Serbian side a legal and political pretext to challenge the wielding of the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo in Serb-majority municipalities,” he argues.

Muharremi further notes that forming the Association according to the First Agreement of Principles and in line with the instructions of the Constitutional Court guarantees that the Association will act within Kosovo’s constitutional and legal framework on local self-government and that it does not risk creating another form of government that can threaten the functioning of Kosovo’s institutions. “Kosovo’s legal system provides sufficient mechanisms to ensure that the Association will act in accordance with the law and under the administrative and legal supervision of the government,” he concludes.

International

‘Time Is Ripe’ for Final Deal With Serbia, Kosovo Premier Says (Bloomberg)

Kosovo and Serbia have no alternative but to reach a final agreement on normalizing ties, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said, adding that the “time is ripe” to do so during his term in office.

The dispute -- born of the 1998-1999 war and Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia almost a decade later -- continues to thwart efforts to integrate the two Balkan nations into the European Union while fueling tensions that risk boiling over into renewed conflict.

Kurti, who won half of all votes in Kosovo’s elections last year, said he’s ready for an agreement to move both nations closer to their joint dream of membership in the EU, which insists can only happen once they normalize their relationship.

“We have to have an agreement -- and the time is ripe during the mandate of our government,” he said in an interview on Wednesday at his office in Pristina. “I see possibility. This autumn, we will find out whether we are going there. This autumn is quite decisive to see whether we should be optimistic.”

Kurti’s comments indicate the potential for new momentum after years of EU-mediated talks failed to produce a breakthrough in one of Europe’s most intractable geopolitical puzzles. The main sticking points are Serbia’s refusal to recognize its neighbor’s sovereignty and its demands that Kosovo grant autonomy to the roughly 100,000 ethnic Serbs who live there.