UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 10, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

President Osmani travels for official visit to Paris (RTK)
Gervalla: EU should not tolerate criminal actions (media)
Borrell to meet Kurti and Vucic separately in Paris on Friday (Klan)
CEC replaces the ten resigned MPs of the Serbian List (Koha)
EULEX chief: Seven EU countries ready to send police to the north (Paparaci)
Kusari-Lila: Even when in parliament, SL did not address needs of Serb citizens (Klan)
Haxhiu: For first time, Kosovo has dignified position in talks with Serbia (Klan)
Tahiri: We don’t want early elections, but solution to problem in north (Indeksonline)
Haradinaj mentions four actions to overcome current situation (Telegrafi)
PDK MP: I believe today we’ll have much-anticipated visa liberalisation date (media)
Buja: North will never be quiet, only land swap brings stability (Nacionale)
Analysts: Ambassador Hovenier's appeal should be taken seriously (RTK)
Bislimi claims Tahiri insulted and threatened him, Prosecutor's Office invited to investigate (media)
11 officials of Serb nationality resign from Kosovo Customs (RTK)
Possibility of transferring prosecutors in the north being considered (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Rakic and Simic spoke with Sarrazin, Franges (media)
Dacic met Colomina, UK ambassador (Tanjug)
DefMin Vucevic to NATO official: No obstacle to cooperation (N1)
Ambassador of Cyprus: Pristina does not respect obligations; we do not change stance on Kosovo (Tanjug)
Vucic to begin two-day visit to France (Tanjug)
Stano: Borrell will meet in Paris tomorrow with Vucic and Kurti in separate meetings (Kosovo Online)
Hovenier on visits of Kosovo ministers to US (Kosovo Online)
Brnabic to meet Sarazzin today (Kosovo Online)
Hovenier on situation in northern Kosovo, Community of Serb Municipalities (KoSSev)
Customs staff at Jarinje and Brnjak submit resignations (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

Jaksic: Kurti lost advantage; the question is whether the Serbian negotiators will know how to use it (N1, KoSSev)
Why Albanians are Leaving, and What They Leave Behind (Balkan Insight)

International:

Friend or Foe? For Balkan LGBT Community, TikTok is Mixed Blessing (BIRN)
Kosovo Court Approves Confiscation of ‘Illegal’ Villas in National Park (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Berlin Declaration of the WB Youth Forum: An example of youth agency and commitment (EWB)

Albanian Language Media

President Osmani travels for official visit to Paris (RTK)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has travelled to France to participate in the Peace Forum in Paris alongside other world leaders and leaders of international organisations.

According to a press release issued by the Office of the President, she will participate in the reception organised by President Macron and the First Lady of France for world leaders, and she will also address the discussion panel on cooperation at a critical time for Europe together with the president of Hungary Katlin Novák, as well as Jean-Marie Guéhenno.

“In addition to the activities of the forum, President Osmani will hold bilateral meetings with other leaders to discuss the deepening of cooperation for overcoming the current challenges of peace and security," announces the presidency.

Gervalla: EU should not tolerate criminal actions (media)

During a meeting with Germany's emissary for the Western Balkans Manuel Sarrazin, and Slovenia's special envoy for the Western Balkans Anzhej Frangesh, Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gervallarequested from the European Union not to tolerate criminal actions that act against European principles and the rule of law.

“Open and constructive exchange with Western Balkans Envoys of Germany, M. Sarrazin and Slovenia A. Franges.

I urged the EU not to tolerate criminal obstruction against European principles and rule of law. Kosovo will not back off from protecting its citizens in the north from threats by Belgrade-backed extremists,” she tweeted, attaching a definition of the rule of law.

"The law is the final authority in all matters. No one can break the law, no matter how rich or powerful they are, and the consequences are the same for everyone. No one gets special treatment and no one is treated unfairly. Leaders cannot use their powers to break the law or betray the people," reads Gervalla's post.

Borrell to meet Kurti and Vucic separately in Paris on Friday (Klan)

The High Representative of the European Union, Josep Borrell, will meet separately tomorrow in Paris the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

"In an effort to de-escalate and soften the recent tense situation, and to advance the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Josep Borrell will meet in separate meetings with Albin Kurti and Aleksandar Vucic tomorrow in Paris," informed the EU spokesperson of Peter Stano.

CEC replaces the ten resigned MPs of the Serbian List (Koha)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) decided on Thursday to replace the ten Serbian List MPs who resigned. They have been replaced by nine names from this political party and another from the citizens' initiative, SPO. The replacement comes after the request of the president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, submitted on November 8.

During the meeting, CEC also discussed the resignation of the officials of the Election Commissions (ECC) in the four northern municipalities: North Mitrovica, Leposaviq, Zvecan and Zubin Potok. The head of the secretariat of the CEC, Burim Ahmetaj, has said that the secretariat will take the necessary legal actions for the functionalization of the offices of the CEC.

Ahmetaj has also announced that he is continuing his work with the drafting of the budget and the operational plan for extraordinary elections in the four northern municipalities.

EULEX chief: Seven EU countries ready to send police to the north (Paparaci)

EULEX chief Lars Gunnar Vigemark said that currently, seven member states of the European Union are ready to contribute and join the EULEX patrols in the north of Kosovo.

"On Saturday we had a meeting with the commander of KFOR, Minister Svecla and the acting director of the police," said Vigemark.

He added that he received a written request from the Kosovo police to continue to be on the ground and monitor the situation, especially in the north. As he said, 23 carabinieri arrived from Italy on Tuesday and police members from at least two other countries are expected as part of the European Police.

"Last week we already added troops on the ground and yesterday we reinforced the unit," Vigemark said, stating that the situation on the ground is currently calm.

Kusari-Lila: Even when in parliament, SL did not address needs of Serb citizens (Klan)

Head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said today that Kosovo’s institutions in the north are faced with new circumstances which came as a result of influence and pressure by Serbia and Aleksandar Vucic. In her address to the Kosovo Assembly, she said that this is happening due to Serbia’s inability to accept the inevitable reality of a final solution and normalisation of relations with Kosovo.

“Men and women, boys and girls of all ethnic communities are faced with continuous pressure and violence projected and orchestrated by Serbia to leave their jobs and civic obligations which are their primary responsibility. Unfortunately, through the lack of law and order, there are attempts to impose new circumstances which would not make the lives of Kosovo Serbs easier but would increase the negotiating leverage which Vucic has now lost in relation with Kosovo.”

“What we have seen so far is a continuous attempt to offer solutions not based on values and civic rights regardless of their ethnicity, but the exact opposite. It should be clear that the mechanisms of the rule of law should not differentiate citizens on ethnic basis but must ensure basic human rights and the services of a democratic state that is equal for all.”

Commenting on the resignation of Serbian List MPs, Kusari-Lila argued that even when they were in parliament, they did not represent the interests of Kosovo Serbs. “The rights and interests of non-majority communities are clearly defined by the Constitution and the laws of the Republic of Kosovo, including the reserved seats in the Kosovo Assembly, which the Serb MPs resigned following orders from Vucic. Even when they were here, they did not even minimally represent the interests of Serb citizens in Kosovo. During this mandate, they never addressed the needs or talked about the interests of Kosovo Serbs,” she said.

Haxhiu: For first time, Kosovo has dignified position in talks with Serbia (Klan)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said today in the Kosovo Assembly that for the first time Kosovo has a dignified position in the negotiations with Serbia. “Something that we have not seen earlier and for the first time the heads of the three main institutions in Kosovo are unified in their positions vis-à-vis Serbia. I would certainly like for the opposition to join this unification too, because we can have differences on different ideological and programmatic issues, but not in our position toward Serbia,” she said.

Haxhiu argued that concessions were made to Serbia before. “Based on what happened in the past, we saw concessions to Serbia. Whenever there were requests from Belgrade and Vucic, you [to the opposition] never said no, you always said yes, and we are feeling the consequences of your governance to this day. You forced the institutions of justice to enter political negotiations with Serbia, this was your biggest violation of the Constitution of Kosovo and the justice system, and we are feeling the consequences now. For the first time, Kosovo has a dignified position, we are stronger with our political arguments in face of Serbia’s constant threats which are also orchestrated by Russia,” Haxhiu said.

Tahiri: We don’t want early elections, but solution to problem in north (Indeksonline)

Head of the parliamentary group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri said in the Kosovo Assembly today that the opposition does not want early elections but a solution to the problem in the north of Kosovo. “As the opposition, we will not tolerate under any circumstance or at any moment, the withdrawal of wielding the sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo in that part of our country too,” he said.

Haradinaj mentions four actions to overcome current situation (Telegrafi)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said today in the Kosovo Assembly that four actions are needed to emerge from the current situation. He argued that the first step is to agree to the international request to postpone the decision on licence plates until an agreement is reached. “The second step we need to make together is to engage in dialogue with the Kosovo Serbs; an intensive dialogue to return them to the institutions. The third action is the dialogue between the government and the opposition, and the fourth action is a several-day meeting in the United States of America until a final agreement is reached between Kosovo and Serbia,” Haradinaj said.

PDK MP: I believe today we’ll have much-anticipated visa liberalisation date (media)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Blerta Deliu-Kodra, said in a Facebook post today that the working group on visas of the EU Council will meet today and discuss the waiving of visas for Kosovo’s citizens. “Hoping that the great injustice against the citizens of Kosovo and new conditions are coming to an end, I believe today we will have the much-anticipated date for visa [liberalisation],” she said.

Buja: North will never be quiet; only land swap brings stability (Nacionale)

Former deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Rame Buja, in an interview with the news website, said that he is certain after the latest developments in the north that the situation there will never be quiet. He also argued that even the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities would not help in this respect and that stability in Kosovo can be secured only through a land swap with Serbia.

Buja argued that the Association is the main problem in the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia and that it will be problematic for Kosovo even if it is formed in line with the recommendations of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo. According to Buja, the Association would be used by Serbia to continuously destabilise Kosovo.

Analysts: Ambassador Hovenier's appeal should be taken seriously (RTK)

After the call of the ambassador of the United States of America Jeffrey Hovenier for the government of Kosovo to urgently start negotiations for the formation of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, experts in political affairs say that the calls should be taken seriously. The professor of international negotiation in Paris, Valon Murtezaj, told Radio Kosova that Kosovo's institutions should take the calls of internationals seriously.

"What is important is to work on the final agreement with the recognition of Kosovo's independence and not to separate segments or separate elements, creating different fragments, because this then increases the potential for compromise, which would be difficult to stop one after the other. Therefore, the focus should be on the general agreement, where each element is then addressed separately in this framework, including the Association and other agreements," Murtezaj said.

Meanwhile, the professor of political sciences, Nexhmedin Spahiu, told Radio Kosovo that Kosovo should not grant the Association without receiving recognition from Serbia, as according to him, Serbia may ask for something else later.

"If the recognition of Kosovo by Serbia has only been a promise in the future, then the association should only be a promise for the future and never an immediate implementation as happened with the Ahtisaari Plan,” Spahiu said.

Bislimi claims Tahiri insulted and threatened him, Prosecutor's Office invited to investigate (media)

The first deputy prime minister of Kosovo Besnik Bislimi, has said that the MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Abelard Tahiri, insulted and threatened him after stopping the microphone in today's session of the Assembly of Kosovo. He has invited the Prosecution to investigate the case.

However, Tahiri denied the accusations claiming the Bislimi was not telling the truth.

11 officials of Serb nationality resign from Kosovo Customs (RTK)

Kosovo Customs confirmed that 11 members of the Kosovo Customs from the Serb community have resigned today at the border points in Jarinje and Bernjak. According to Customs, not all customs officers have resigned.

Possibility of transferring prosecutors from other cities in north is being considered (Koha)

Acting Chief State Prosecutor Besim Kelmendi has said during the meeting at the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Mitrovica that he will examine all possibilities to address the issue of resignations of prosecutors and administrative staff from the Serb community in the north.

The representatives of the Prosecution Council of Kosovo have also pledged that they will take all measures to ensure the necessary conditions for the Basic Prosecution to function in Mitrovica, and that there will be no gaps in the work process.

Serbian Language Media

Rakic and Simic spoke with Sarrazin, Franges (media)

Serbian List President Goran Rakic and Vice President Igor Simic talked today in North Mitrovica with the special representatives for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin from Germany, and Anzej Franges from Slovenia, about the current political and security situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

The meeting was also attended by the ambassadors of Germany Jorn Rohde and Slovenia Minca Benedejcic, announced the Serbian List, reported Serbian media.

Dacic met Colomina, UK ambassador (Tanjug)

Serbian FM Ivica Dacic spoke with NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy Javier Colomina on Wednesday about the security situation in Kosovo-Metohija.

They exchanged views on the activities of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Serbia's partnership cooperation with NATO and prospects for its advancement, as well as on current European security issues.

Dacic informed Colomina in detail of the latest developments in Kosovo-Metohija and especially noted the significance of unbiased and status-neutral engagement by KFOR towards maintaining peace and security in the province and averting potential incidents, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Colomina noted that the alliance fully respected the policy of Serbia's military neutrality and confirmed KFOR would continue to perform its mandate in keeping with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and was ready to react in case security was jeopardised.

Dacic and Colomina said they were pleased with the achieved level of political dialogue and partnership cooperation between Serbia and NATO on issues of mutual interest, established with the aim of preserving peace and stability in the region.

Dacic with UK ambassador to Belgrade

Serbian First Deputy PM and FM Ivica Dacic met with UK Ambassador to Belgrade Sian Macleod on Wednesday to discuss advancement of bilateral ties and current geopolitical affairs.

According to the Serbian MFS statement, Dacic said the bilateral ties were good and noted that political dialogue with the UK was particularly significant for Serbia, especially as this year marked 185 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

On the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Dacic and Macleod agreed that all efforts must focus on continuing the dialogue as dialogue was the only right way to solve open issues and reach a sustainable agreement.

They also discussed further advancement of cooperation in energy security, defence and culture, the statement said.

Dacic said he hoped the good cooperation with the UK government would be continued in the future and that exchanges of visits at various levels would be stepped up and noted that Serbia was interested in further advancement and diversification of bilateral goods trade and in attracting new investments from the UK.

Macleod noted that the UK was interested in strengthening the political dialogue and economic cooperation, which she said had been seeing dynamic development in recent years.

DefMin Vucevic to NATO official: No obstacle to cooperation (N1)

Defense Minister Milos Vucevic told NATO official Javier Colomina that Serbia is strategically committed to military neutrality which is not an obstacle to cooperation with the Alliance.

A ministry press release quoted Vucevic as telling the NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy that Serbia does not want to become an Alliance member state, adding that the country’s priority is membership in the European Union.

Vucevic told Colomina that official Belgrade is deeply concerned over the situation in Kosovo, adding that the crisis was caused by Pristina’s failure to implement the Brussels Agreement and form the Community of Serb Municipalities.

Vucevic said that the Serbian authorities are committed to peaceful solutions for all issues and expects NATO to maintain its neutral position on “the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo” and expects KFOR to be the first and only response when the non-Albanian population is in danger.

Opinion

Jaksic: Kurti lost advantage; the question is whether the Serbian negotiators will know how to use it (N1, KoSSev)

"A solution in which one side would win is out of the question, if both sides would lose, it is possible. Each side must bear the cost of its own victory, '' said journalist and foreign policy analyst Bosko Jaksic, commenting on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

According to Jaksic, Albin Kurti irritated the West and thus lost the advantage.

"In recent months, he only talked about democracy and had one solid ally - the Americans. In contrast to Vucic who manoeuvred, who goes between Washington, Brussels, Moscow,'' he said.

"Kurti is losing that advantage with a series of reckless moves, now the question is whether the Serbian negotiators will know how to use the space that Kurti has left for them," concluded Jaksic.

Regarding the exit of Serbs from institutions in Kosovo, Jaksic opinionated that it did not have to be a bad move

"It maybe even came late. Because until now we were faced with the blackmail capacity of Pristina, now we have a conflict between two capacities, because the Serbs leaving the institutions, is a pressure on Kurti's Government, and we know that his position is not very stable, and on the other hand, it is a pressure on the EU to speed up and try to implement the decree on CSM (ZSO)", said Jaksic.

The Franco-German proposal, which foresees the final agreement on the normalisation of relations in the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, was leaked to the public, and the journalists of the portal Nova.rs, as well as the Brussels portal EUractiv, had access to that document.

According to the knowledge of the portal Nova.rs, the version they had access to will be subject to changes and additions during the negotiations between the two parties.

"We cannot say with certainty that this is the plan, there are many controversies, according to the information I have, from people who are familiar with the original document, they told me that the interpretation of Vucic is wrong. That it does not contain any particular acceleration of Serbia's integration, and that extensive financial aid is not mentioned in the document. If you ask me whether the status quo is still being maintained, which is fatal for everyone, or whether we are on the way to something being resolved, something tells me to be optimistic. It is no coincidence that Gabriel Escobar said that the issue of the agreement is a matter of weeks, and a serious diplomat does not say that just like that. What he knows, Vucic also knows," said Jaksic.

As he said, the stories in the media were not convincing to him, "that the commotion in Kosovo was created to camouflage the fact that Vucic rejected the Scholzz-Macron plan".

"I don't believe that he refused. The fact that there is no promise of an accelerated process and that there is no financing, this opens room for Vucic to say - OK, let's come to an agreement. The EU set a precedent to admit Bulgaria and Romania, when you set the same precedent to grant candidate status to Ukraine, can't that political will be shown in the case of Serbia. Vucic could ask for the political will to accelerate integration and for it to be accompanied by serious financial support. A few billion euros is not a lot of money for Europe to get a solution to the problem that has been pressing it for decades," said Jaksic.

If the plan mentions territorial integrity and borders, it is a clear distinction that it is about borders between two states, added Jaksic.

"The tentative interpretation was that Kosovo would enter the UN without having to reach mutual recognition. This would mean that Vucic swallows the bitter pill and says Kosovo has gone, and on the other hand, Kurti should be asked to give up his maximalist demands. Personally, I think that the proposal on the UN is the most realistic thing on the basis of which it is possible to solve the problem, and we will hardly get a better proposal," he said.

Manoeuvring space exists on both sides, Jaksic believed, but noted they must understand that there is nothing from maximisation - this proposal "cuts the blades".

"For the Serbs, there is no reintegration that some academics and leaders of nationalist parties dream about, and for Kosovo there is also a whole list - you can't help but form the CSM (ZSO), to blackmail because of the car plates, that whole plan seems realistic. But the question is whether realism exists in Pristina and Belgrade. I think that we are now on the test, it is more difficult for Vucic because he has to explain to the public, which he has formatted - that we will never give Kosovo away, now he has to explain why he accepts something that is the recognition of Kosovo's independence," said Jaksic.

Why Albanians are Leaving, and What They Leave Behind (Balkan Insight)

Albanians are crossing the Channel for a variety of reasons – desperation, crime, disillusionment… Whatever is driving them, the consequences for the society they leave behind will be dire.

It’s a figure that’s hard to ignore – 12,000. That’s the number of Albanians that UK officials say have crossed the Channel in small boats from France to the UK so far this year.

This has apparently triggered a wave in the other direction, of British journalists ‘parachuting’ into Albania in search of clues, each armed with a set of preconceived ideas about what causes people to emigrate. Poverty and crime are the most common answers.

International

Friend or Foe? For Balkan LGBT Community, TikTok is Mixed Blessing (BIRN)

Milica Crkvenjakov from Novi Sad, in the Serbian province of Vojvodina, is one of many LGBT activists in the region who have embraced the Chinese social platform TikTok to reach out to her community.

TikTok was launched in late 2016, and reached the international market the following year.

According to Influencer Marketing Hub, as of January this year it now has many as a billion active users. Almost 170 million TikTok videos are viewed per minute and the average user spends more than 14 hours a month on the platform.

Milica runs the TikTok channel Dragadjevojcice [Dear girl].As well as topics related to the LGBT community, her TikTok page focuses on the prevention of violence in partner relationships, feminism, the female body, sexuality and other topics that interest young women.

“Thanks to this platform, most people in the region are exposed to the LGBT community for the first time, because there is no such visibility in traditional media,” she told BIRN.

But she says there is a downside to this extended visibility; through her TikTok page she also gets more hate speech, verbal attacks and threats.

Humanitarian/Development

Berlin Declaration of the WB Youth Forum: An example of youth agency and commitment (EWB)

Building resilient democracies, working together towards achieving inclusive peace and security and taking action for sustainable future of our planet are the topics of great importance to the youth of the Western Balkans, as shown in the Berlin Declaration of the Western Balkans Youth Forum 2022. Young people want to take part in solving the most pressing issues of today and make their voices heard on all levels of decision-making, with this Declaration being an example of that commitment.