UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 25, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: Elections for Zvecan and Leposavic municipal assemblies on Dec 25 (media)
Kurti travels to Spain, to attend congress of the Socialist International (media)
Dynamic of dialogue will increase in coming days, political commentators say (RTK)
The Assembly of Kosovo for the first time is represented in the APE Committee (RTK)
Molliqaj: We oppose French-German plan, it does not include recognition (EO)
Tahiri: Wrong practice not to publish reached agreements (media)
Albania, Kosovo parliaments to hold joint session on Nov 27 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: We don’t want Kosovo in UN – will you bomb us, make threats? (N1)
Lazarevic on licence plates agreement, situation in northern Kosovo (Danas, N1)
Brnabic: Licence plates deal positive signal for stability (Tanjug)
Larcher urges full implementation of Brussels Agreement (Tanjug)
Vucic meets Larcher (Tanjug)
“Everything Kurti has asked for so far, Vucic has fulfilled” (Radio kontakt plus)
Petkovic: Part of Serbian opposition wishes conflicts in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

International:

Kosovo PM Says 'Time For Big Steps' In Normalisation Talks With Serbia (RFE)
Albin Kurti hit with cherries by several PSD activists (euronews.al)

Humanitarian/Development:

Kurti: Domestic violence and gender-based violence, not a private matter (Nacionale)
International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women marked today (KP)
Haxhiu: 2,500 cases of domestic violence reported since beginning of year (Klan)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: Elections for Zvecan and Leposavic municipal assemblies on Dec 25 (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has set December 25 as the snap election date for the municipal assemblies of Zvecan and Leposavic in the north of Kosovo.

Below is the press release issued by the President’s Office:

“After the Decision taken by of the Government of Kosovo on the dissolution of the Municipal Assemblies of Zvecan and Leposavic and following the consultations with the political parties and taking into consideration the provision of sufficient time for the Central Election Commission in carrying out the organisation and proper proceeding of the elections, the President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, in accordance with the time constraints and legal impositions, has set the December 25th as the snap elections date for the Municipal Assemblies of Zvecan and Leposavic.”

“She has called upon the political subjects to lead a calm campaign, without tensions and respect the Electoral Code and their political rivals.”

“The elections for the Municipal Assemblies of Zvecan and Leposavic will be held following the resignation of the members of the Municipal Assemblies and their dissolution on November 18th by the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.”

Kurti travels to Spain, to attend congress of the Socialist International (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has travelled to Spain today where he will attend the congress of the Socialist International, a government press release notes.

Dynamic of dialogue will increase in coming days, political commentators say (RTK)

Political commentators in Pristina believe that the dynamic of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia will increase in the coming days and that both parties will be asked to be more constructive in the process. However, they are not optimistic that a final settlement including mutual recognition can be reached soon, because Serbia does not want this.

Blerim Bujrani, political commentator, said: “I am not optimistic that there will be a final solution soon, because Serbia has made it known for long now that it is not interested in a final solution, and instead it plays games with the internationals, claiming that it is in favour of peace and stability, but on the other hand it wants to maintain the political status quo”.

Artan Muhaxhiri, political analyst, told the news website that the European Union and the United States of America will ask Kosovo and Serbia to be more constructive. “Dialogue will continue with a greater dynamic, and the parties will be asked to be more constructive and lose time with political performances the way they have done so far,” he said.

The Assembly of Kosovo for the first time is represented in the APE Committee (RTK)

A delegation from the Assembly of Kosovo is participating in the Permanent Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (APKE), which is being held in Reykjavik, Iceland, where about 60 members from different parliaments are participating. This participation marks the first time that the delegation from Kosovo is represented in a meeting of this level.

Molliqaj: We oppose French-German plan, it does not include recognition (EO)

Leader of the Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSD), Dardan Molliqaj, said in an interview with the news website that the PSD is against the French-German plan because it does not include mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia and that is detrimental for Kosovo. According to him, a final agreement with Serbia cannot be achieved with this plan because it takes Kosovo back to zero. He also argued that the only alternative for a final settlement with Serbia is border correction.

Tahiri: Wrong practice not to publish reached agreements (media)

Kosovo’s former chief negotiator, Edita Tahiri, took to Twitter to say that agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels should be published. “Wrong practice of the Brussels Dialogue' EU facilitators Josep Borrell and Miroslav Lajcak for not publishing reached agreements/arrangements between Kosovo and Serbia. The agreements are for people of the two states and not for facilitators,” Tahiri tweeted.

Albania, Kosovo parliaments to hold joint session on Nov 27 (media)

The parliaments of Albania and Kosovo will hold a joint session on November 27 in Tirana, Albania, to mark the 110th anniversary of the declaration of the independence of Albania, several news websites report. Presidents of the respective parliaments will address the MPs, followed by speeches by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: We don’t want Kosovo in UN – will you bomb us, make threats? (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbs in the north will not be returning to Kosovo institutions before the Community of Serb Municipalities is established, which was their second condition, in addition to the one regarding the licence plate fines. He said people will be able to extend their Serbia-issued licence plates as usual. Commenting on the European Union’s (EU) proposal for a final agreement, Vucic said Serbia has its own “red lines”, N1 reports.

“We say we don’t want Kosovo in the UN and then what – you bomb us, threaten us with sanctions, what?” Vucic told a media conference in Belgrade, adding that “it is not a problem” to immediately suspend negotiation, but “how do you think you will resolve those problems then.”

Asked what will happen with the snap elections for mayors of four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo, scheduled for December 18, which the Kosovo Serbs have said they would boycott, Vucic said that the Kosovo Serbs have stipulated their condition – the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

He noted that this was one of their conditions for their return to the institutions, in addition to their request not to be fined for using Serbia-issued licence plates.

“Even if I wanted to – and I don’t – I couldn’t convince Serbs in Kosovo to do something like that”, Vucic said. He added “not an easy period of time lies ahead”, but that he believes “we will manage to preserve peace and stability”.

Lazarevic on licence plates agreement, situation in northern Kosovo (Danas, N1)

A day after licence plates agreement was reached in Brussels there is an impression in Mitrovica North that people are strongly disappointed and embittered by what has been achieved, KoSSev Editor-in-Chief Tatjana Lazarevic told N1 Iza Vesti broadcast yesterday.

She opined that expectations of people in northern Kosovo were boosted up, and they left Kosovo institutions with a thrill, hoping that in upcoming weeks and months north of Kosovo shall return to the constitutional and legal order of the Republic of Serbia.

“Their expectations went in the direction that ‘Serbia has embraced us back’”, Lazarevic said, adding that in harsh words this meant division of Kosovo. She said the reason for disappointment in what has been agreed in Brussels is that Serbia said it will no longer issue new KM licence plates.

“They believed when one says ‘there is no surrender, KM stays’ it means those 9.000 vehicles, that KM licence plates will remain, and they will continue registering their vehicles with KM plates as well. A true shock occurred when President (Aleksandar Vucic) said Serbia was ready to give up and it will not issue new nor extend existing ones”, Lazarevic said.

In his addresses following the agreement President Vucic said that Serbia won “a small tactical victory”, while Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said end of March 2023 is the deadline to reach agreement on normalisation.

Commenting on the possibility that the Community of Serb Municipalities could be a part of the French-German proposal, Lazarevic said it was frustrating and bothers her professionally that no one had an insight into that document, although she understands the need of high diplomacy not to make everything public.

“However, it is bad because a crisis takes place on the ground all the time parallelly. If in parallel to that there is a secret process ongoing at some high-level table, citizens have the right to demand in particular transparency and to know what is in that document”, she said.

Brnabic: Licence plates deal positive signal for stability (Tanjug)

Serbian PM Ana Brnabic said Thursday that the Belgrade-Pristina vehicle licence plates deal reached in Brussels was "a positive signal of stability for the whole region."

"We must continue to lead by example and put peace before politics", Brnabic wrote in a post on her official Twitter account.

She also thanked Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic "for always being a statesman and for being so dedicated to leading us all on the path to peace".

Larcher urges full implementation of Brussels Agreement (Tanjug)

French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Thursday urged implementation of all agreements under the Brussels Agreement between Belgrade and Pristina and added that the dimension of a Community of Serb Municipalities was clear and close to him, Tanjug news agency reports.

A situation in Kosovo that could have been very dramatic has been resolved, bringing relief to everyone, he said in a comment on a Belgrade-Pristina deal on vehicle licence plates, reached in Brussels late on Wednesday. Larcher is the first president of the French Senate to visit Serbia.

At a joint press conference with Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic, Larcher said they had also discussed the attack on Ukraine.

He added that it was important not to forget that the path to peace led through respect for the integrity and sovereignty of independent states.

Orlic thanked Larcher for urging full implementation of all agreements from the dialogue with Pristina and for saying a Community of Serb Municipalities must be established without any excuses.

"We also discussed the terror Kosovo and Metohija Serbs are facing on a daily basis, as well as the fact that we have been waiting for a Community of Serb Municipalities for 10 years", Orlic said.

Vucic meets Larcher (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with French Senate President Gerard Larcher on Friday to discuss advancement of Serbia-France cooperation, the situation in the region and Serbia's European path, Tanjug news agency reports.

Vucic thanked Larcher for visiting Serbia and noted that his visit was the best indicator of continued bilateral political dialogue, especially as France was one of Serbia's most significant political and economic partners and a country with which it maintained firm friendly and close historical ties.

Vucic also informed Larcher of the latest developments in Kosovo and Metohija, noting that Belgrade remained fully committed to dialogue as the only mechanism for finding a compromise solution and maintaining peace and stability in the region.

"We appreciate France's active approach and expect understanding for our position that all existing agreements must be implemented, above all, the part relating to the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities, which is crucial for the security and normal life of the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija", Vucic noted, once again thanking France and, in particular, Macron for the attention devoted to Serbia and the Western Balkans.

“Everything Kurti has asked for so far, Vucic has fulfilled” (Radio kontakt plus)

Head of the Movement for Defence of Kosovo and Metohija board Nebojsa Jovic, reacting to licence plates agreement reached in Brussels said that cancellation of the issuance of KM plates is “severing another link with Serbia”, for which he accused the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The Movement in a press release issued yesterday said that “everything Kurti has asked for so far, Vucic has fulfilled - reciprocity, stickers, disclaimers, recognition of identity cards, diplomas, non-issuance of KM plates...”.

The Movement alleged that there are are two sides in the negotiations on Kosovo and Metohija - one is, as they said Albanian (Pristina), the other is pro-Albanian (Belgrade), asking if “there is a party anywhere that will defend Kosovo and Serbs in Kosovo?”.

The Movement, following the latest agreement on licence plates and previous agreements on identity cards and diplomas signed by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic as part of the Berlin process called on all relevant institutions and general public to react to the acts of “high treason” and ask if Constitution of Serbia was suspended, how come President Vucic “seized all the powers that do not belong to him according to the Constitution”, were the Assembly and the Government dissolved and whether Kosovo and Metohija were put “on stock market”.

The Movement called on all parliamentary groups to urgently request convening of a session of the National Assembly, where they “would consider and cancel all the unconstitutional decisions made by the President of Serbia and the Prime Minister over the years, regarding Kosovo and Metohija”.

Petkovic: Part of Serbian opposition wishes conflicts in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

“Belgrade and its representatives by resolving the most acute issue of the licence plates managed to prevent Albin Kurti from realisation of his plan to destabilise Kosovo and Metohija, escalation of the situation on the ground and potential tragic consequence”, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said in a press release, Radio KIM reports.

He added that incapability on the part of Serbian opposition to comprehend severity of the situation in which Serbian people in Kosovo were resulted in “a series of senseless statements accusing Serbia for retreating before Pristina”.

Petkovic also said that the agreement made by decisiveness, consistency and responsibility of Belgrade also made the international community to finally admit who is the source of instability in Kosovo.

Petkovic noted that Albin Kurti was spared from critics by the Serbian opposition and instead of a unified approach of its political public to the warmongering acts of Pristina, Belgrade is facing criticism because it attempts to remove danger from Serbian people in Kosovo.

He said that part of the Serbian opposition wishes for conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija, however, the policy of the Serbian Government is to focus on peace and development.

International

Kosovo PM Says 'Time For Big Steps' In Normalization Talks With Serbia (RFE)

Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti on November 24 defended a late-hour deal with Serbia to avert a crisis and possible ethnic violence over license-plate restrictions and said it paves the way for "big steps" to normalize relations between the Balkan neighbors.

He told a session of Kosovo's national legislature, the Assembly, that "we will not impose fines" for Serbian-era license plates in the former Serbian province, which declared independence in 2008 that's been recognized by more than 100 countries.

Kurti told lawmakers that "we will give space for negotiations to the European proposal, which was previously called the 'French-German' [proposal]."

Serbia still refuses to acknowledge Kosovar sovereignty and is blocking its membership to international institutions.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell hailed the deal -- mediated by Brussels between Kosovo's and Serbia's chief negotiators -- as a way "to avoid further escalation" amid fears the vehicle-registration row could spark ethnic violence.

Kurti also tweeted his thanks to international mediators and expressed hope that normalization talks could achieve results.

"No time for small ambitions," Kurti tweeted. "It's time for big steps."

"Yesterday's accordance paves the way for intensive talks on the full normalization of relations w/ Serbia based on the EU's Proposal supported by [France, Germany, and the United States]," he added.

Humanitarian/Development

Kurti: Domestic violence and gender-based violence, not a private matter (Nacionale)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, through a video message today, has called on all girls and women in Kosovo to report cases of violence against them. He said that domestic violence and gender-based violence is not a private matter.

“Domestic violence and gender-based violence are punishable. Cases of violence must not be kept silent; they need to be reported. One in three women, during their lives, regardless of origin, age, or profession, are touched by some kind of violence. Domestic violence and gender-based violence is not a private matter. It cannot be kept behind doors or isolated. Violence is not tolerated,” he said.

Kurti also called on the line institutions to treat these crimes with priority. “The security, well-being, and dignity of women must be protected. The chain of reaction in the cases of domestic violence will be strengthened, so you need to report cases of violence,” he added.

International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women marked today (KP)

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will be marked today in Kosovo with the launch of the UNiTE campaign to end violence against women (25 November – 10 December) – an initiative of 16 days of activism which will conclude on the day commemorating the International Women's Rights Day Human on December 10.

Several public events are being coordinated and iconic buildings and monuments will be lit up in orange to remind of the need for a future without violence. The campaign, which is led by the UN Secretary-General and UN Women since 2008, aims to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls worldwide, calling for global action to raise awareness, promote advocacy and create opportunities for discussion on challenges and solutions.

A new report from UN Women, based on data from 13 countries since the pandemic, shows that 2 in 3 women reported that they or a woman they know has experienced some form of violence and are more likely to face food insecurity. Only 1 in 10 women said victims would go to the police for help.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent, and devastating human rights violations in our world today, which remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame that surrounds it.

Haxhiu: 2,500 cases of domestic violence reported since beginning of year (Klan)

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, said today that 2,500 cases of domestic violence have been reported since the start of the year in Kosovo. During a meeting with pupils of an elementary school in Pristina, as part of the global campaign against violence against women, Haxhiu said: “it is especially important for us not to have these meetings only during these 16 days, but to hold them continuously so that we can discuss phenomena that are destroying our society”.

Haxhiu called on the pupils to respect one another, not to bully anyone and to report cases of violence.

She also said that the government has adopted a series of laws to be closer to the families and victims of domestic violence, and added that the perpetrators must face justice.