UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 9, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Scholz: EU to keep promises for integration of Western Balkans (RFE)
Abdixhiku: Management Team proposed a state within the state (media)
Gervalla: One Republika Srpska enough for the region, no need for another one (media)
Radman: Croatian model for Serbian minority can serve Kosovo (media)
Szunyog: EU playing crucial role in promoting Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Telegrafi)
Osmani on Europe Day: Kosovo is an embodiment of European values (media)
Govt on Europe Day: Step by step, Kosovo is getting closer to EU (media)
Lajcak: EU and Western Balkans to seriously address enlargement (media)
Bajqinovci accuses LDK for corruption deals, interest groups with PDK (Paparaci)
Kica-Xhelili tells what govt is trying to do in the Prosecutorial Council (Nacionale)
Two people arrested in Zvecan for trying to block the municipality building (Telegrafi)
Nebi Qena and Associated Press win two Pulitzer Prizes (Albanian Post)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic on northern Kosovo, Council of Europe, mass shootings in Serbia (Kosovo Online, media)
Protest ‘Serbia Against Violence’ held in Belgrade (N1)
Serbian Parliament vice-president Bozic after ‘Serbia Against Violence' protest: "Parliamentary and local elections in one term" (Danas, Beta, NMagazin)
Vucic on protest in Belgrade (N1, media)
New anti-violence protest on May 12 (N1, media)
Person suspected of tearing Serbian flags apart at Grabovac hill brought in (Radio KIM, Radio kontakt plus)
What slows down the European path of the Western Balkans according to Lajcak? (Danas, FoNet, Hina)
Russian Ambassador: Strategic partnership with Serbia increasingly important (Politika, BETA, N1)
Giaufret: Serbia’s place is in EU (FoNet, N1)
Serbian Defense Ministry marks Victory Over Fascism Day (BETA)

International:

Serbians rally against violence after two mass shootings (Reuters)
Montenegrins Urged to Hand Over Weapons After Mass Shootings Rock Serbia (Balkan Insight)
Child Pornography, Hate Speech and Cybercrime Surge in Balkans (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Scholz: EU to keep promises for integration of Western Balkans (RFE)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on the European Union today to keep its promise for the integration of the Western Balkans. In his address at the European Parliament, Scholz also called for the continued normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Europe must open itself to others too. The crucial decisions for Europe were those of last year, when we decided to work for an enlarged Europe. We have told the countries of the Western Balkans, and also to Ukraine, Moldavia and perhaps even Georgia, too, that their place is in Europe,” he said.

“Geopolitical Europe must keep its promises. Promises must be kept toward the countries of the Balkans, who have been promised membership for 20 years now. The normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia must continue. Reforms for integration must continue. The process of negotiations with North Macedonia must advance. Enlargement should not be the only motive for reforms but must be considered.”

“The success of the enlargement policy of the European Union requires the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and continued implementation of reforms in candidate countries. Europe will be a better place to live, equal with other regions and places in the world,” Scholz said.

Abdixhiku: Management Team proposed a state within the state (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, said today that the draft statute for the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo is a state within the state and that it projects the federalization of Kosovo.

“The document of the draft statute, prepared by the Management Team, and published in the media, is more than an Association and more than Autonomy – it is a state within the state; a Republic within the Republic. This draft statute, in its 67 articles and nine chapters, projects the federalization of Kosovo as a new organisational concept after the declaration of independence.”

“A body that promulgates laws, manages national assets, public wealth and natural resources, a body that organises elections, holds referendums and takes away competencies from the Assembly and the Government of Kosovo – has no room in our state and constitutional regulation”.

“As such, it should be both rejected as a basis for negotiations and as a political ambition. There will be no party or government or person in Kosovo that can accept such an organisation”.

“The Government of Kosovo, meanwhile, must take ownership in the ensuing process. The Association is formed by our institutions and only within our constitutional order. Any avoiding of responsibility is surrender and any surrender results in such documents and concepts, as has happened so far”.

Gervalla: One Republika Srpska enough for the region, no need for another one (media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Donika Gervalla, spoke to the media after the meeting with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grliq Radman.

Gervalla emphasised that they have reviewed Croatia's model for dealing with communities, stressing that they expect Serbia to be more serious in the dialogue process and that they expect the EU to be more persistent in the decisions that are made in their presence.

"We have dealt with the model we have seen, no type of association, mechanism can not be implemented in Kosovo if it violates our Constitution, and violates the functioning of our state. What we saw in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Serbs cannot happen here. This region has enough of a Republika Srpska, it does not need a second one. Of all the models we have seen, we have found that the Constitution of Kosovo gives many more rights to the communities," she said.

Gervalla also stated that she has talked with Croatia’s Foreign Minister about Kosovo's European perspective for membership in the European Union.

"We agreed that it is a process that has taken an unfairly long time but that citizens will finally be able to travel without visas in January 2024. I thanked him for the support that Croatia has given to Kosovo since the first day of the application to the Council of Europe. We talked about Kosovo's European perspective for EU membership for the application that has started to take shape. We also talked about the political consultations that we will have in a few weeks".

Radman: Croatian model for Serbian minority can serve Kosovo (media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Gordan Grlic Radman has said that the Croatian model of regulating the Serbian minority can serve as an example for Kosovo as well.

He said during the press conference with Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla that this model has been successful in Croatia, but that it depends on the states how it can be applied to other systems. The minister stated that Croatia supports any agreement between the parties that leads to the improving of the relations.

"At the meeting, we also mentioned the importance of the remainder of a small colony of about 150 people living in Janjeve, which is a poor community that we need to help. Let's make efforts to provide their personal security and their property...Croatia was among the first to accept Kosovo's independence. We also welcome the recent decision of the Council of Ministers that voted and supported the application for membership in the Council of Europe. We think that this will be a big step for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe", declared Radman.

Szunyog: EU playing crucial role in promoting Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Telegrafi)

EU Head of Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said today that the EU is playing a crucial role in the Balkans by promoting the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “The EU plays a crucial role in the Western Balkans in promoting dialogue and reconciliation, especially between Kosovo and Serbia. It is very important for negotiations on normalisation of relations to continue within the EU-facilitated dialogue and to bring long-term solutions for the benefit of the people on the ground and at the same time build bridges between the communities,” he said.

Szunyog said that “the unresolved issue of visa liberalisation loomed like a dark cloud over the EU-Kosovo relations in the last decade and I am very pleased to say that starting from January 1, 2024, Kosovars will no longer need visas for short-term tourist visits in the Schengen Zone”.

Osmani on Europe Day: Kosovo is an embodiment of European values (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a statement on Europe Day that Kosovo is an embodiment of European values. She said that Europe Day is an opportunity to reflect on values that unite us as European peoples – freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

“Let us use this opportunity to reflect on all successes we have achieved so far and to reconfirm our readiness for new successes on the road toward European integration”.

“Kosovo and its people have always been, they are and will forever remain an embodiment of these values. And while we get closer to the European Union, our commitment remains unwavering, because our determination for democracy, peace, human rights, and the rule of law, also remains unwavering”.

Govt on Europe Day: Step by step, Kosovo is getting closer to EU (media)

The Kosovo Government said in a press release on the occasion of Europe Day that they reaffirm Kosovo’s projection toward integration in the European Union. “Last year alone, our country has made important steps on the path toward European integration, as the first positive step in the phases toward membership in the Council of Europe, conclusion of the visa liberalisation process, and application for membership in the European Union,” the statement notes. “Step by step, Kosovo is getting closer to the European Union. The citizens of our country, who embrace and embody European values, can now feel closer to Europe. Kosovo is on a determined trajectory in the path toward the EU, in an irreversible process”.

Lajcak: EU and Western Balkans to seriously address enlargement (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in an interview with Hina that countries of the Western Balkans still have unresolved issues that impede their road toward the European Union. “Countries of the Western Balkans, unlike countries in Central Europe, still have unresolved issues from the past. For my country (Slovakia) and the rest of Central Europe, integration in the EU was an absolute priority, so we were fully committed to achieving it,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about anyone’s faults, but there have been factors both in the EU and in the Balkans that lead us to a situation where we talk about the future of the EU, but without progress.”

Lajcak said that it is ungrateful to talk about the dates of the next enlargement of the EU. “What I would like to see is for our partners in the Western Balkans to start taking more part in EU partnership programs. To be in the same room. Not only when we discuss the Western Balkans, but for them to be part of discussions on other topics too, in order to see how serious we are,” he added.

Bajqinovci accuses LDK for corruption deals, interest groups with PDK (Paparaci)

MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, Mefail Bajqinovci, accused the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) today of setbacks and cooperating in joint interest groups with the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). “The LDK, in the last 15 years, is not an important political centre in Kosovo because it chose to serve as a party of underground deals, with joint business groups with the PDK and other older parties,” Bajqinovci writes in a Facebook post. “As a leverage for corruption deals, the LDK stands no chance to win a single political battle. By using methods and lines that were installed in the captured judiciary and independent institutions, the LDK is trying to make up for lost battles by waging legal battles at the Constitutional Court … and to delay the government and ruling majority in building a framework for long-term reforms in the economy and judiciary,” he argued.

Kica-Xhelili tells what govt is trying to do in the Prosecutorial Council (Nacionale)

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Doarsa Kica-Xhelili, took to Facebook today to criticise what she called “experimental reforms” by the Kurti-led government in the judiciary. According to her, through the draft law for the Prosecutorial Council, the government is trying to have its own people in the council. “I have said this before, and I will say it again: this does not have to do with the independence of the judiciary. This has to do with including individuals selected and voted by the majority in parliament as members of the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, in order to make sure that the government’s instructions in the judiciary are heeded,” Kica-Xhelili argued.

Two people arrested in Zvecan for trying to block the municipality building (Telegrafi)

The Kosovo police detained two people last night in Zvecan, as the same were welding iron bars in the Municipality building.

The spokesperson of the Police for the northern region, Veton Elshani, informed Telegrafi that the suspects were working on the doors of the building of the Municipality of Zvecan.

"Around 01:00 in the morning, the police patrols came across two people working on the doors of the building of the Municipality of Zvecan. Due to the disruption of public order and peace and with the aim of understanding what they were doing there, these two people were brought to the station and interviewed. The same were released after the interview," he said.

Days ago, parallel illegal structures surrounded the main entrance to the Municipality building in Zubin Potok, placing iron fences.

Otherwise, a few days ago, the security expert and director of the "Octopus" Institute, Agim Musliu, said that according to the data that this institute received from the Serbian opposition in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ordered Milan Radoicic to start a rebellion of the Serbs in the northern municipalities of Kosovo.

Nebi Qena and Associated Press win two Pulitzer Prizes (Albanian Post)

The news website reports that The Associated Press teams led by Albanian reporter Nebi Qena, who is AP manager in Washington, have won two Pulitzer Prizes, in public service and breaking news photography, for its work in Ukraine. “So proud of this lot! And happy to have witnessed their outstanding work during those tough days in Ukraine!” Qena wrote on Twitter.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic on northern Kosovo, Council of Europe, mass shootings in Serbia (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke last night for TV Happy Cirilica (Cyrillic) broadcast about the situation in northern Kosovo, mass shootings that struck Serbia, Pristina’s application for Council of Europe and pressures he is exposed to.

Commenting on the situation in northern Kosovo, following April 24 snap elections there, Vucic recalled once again that only 3 percent of the voters cast the ballots, and only 13 Serbs were among them. According to him the plan EU mediators in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue proposed to overcome the impasse there was fair, but that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti refused it, because he, as Vucic said, wishes only for a crisis.

“They (EU) wanted something that was relatively fair, and (Josep) Borrell tried to explain to Kurti it makes no sense to brag about elections with three percent turnout and that there will be problems. Kurti responded that police will resolve that, because criminal structures are there”, Vucic said.

He noted that Borrell’s proposal was to establish an interim solution in order to have new elections taking place in a few months, establish a Community of Serb Municipalities, Serbs return to the institutions and to have legitimate authorities.

“Kurti wants a crisis. That is why we need to stand up quickly, in order to have strength and faith to preserve the country”, Vucic added.

Asked if there could be clashes during change of municipal authorities in northern Kosovo, he replied that – he hopes there would be not - adding the fact that he hopes for something – means nothing.

Asked if there are guarantees by international actors for the situation there, he replied that KFOR and EU reacted correctly to the issue of the Ibar River bridge opening.

Speaking about interlinks with Europe, Vucic said Serbia has 60 percent of its economic trade with the EU, the biggest investments come from Europe, while hundreds of thousands people work at their companies.

He also said he is exposed to pressure to impose sanctions on Russia at every meeting, but that demands for Serbia to recognize Kosovo became less frequent.

When it comes to the Council of Europe in light of Pristina's membership bid, Vucic said that Serbia submitted an amendment to the Council of Europe resolution on Russia, adding if it is not accepted he will not travel to attend the summit at Reykjavik.

“There is a resolution in which they attack Russia and say they are protecting the territorial integrity of Moldova, Georgia, Ukraine. By our amendment we do not ask Serbia to be mentioned, but only to add to that resolution and territorial integrity of “all other Council of Europe members”, Vucic said.

“If they do not accept that, I won’t be travelling to Reykjavik, because it would be clear then that they have no principles at all”.

Speaking of two massive shootings that struck Serbia in just two days, leaving 17 people dead and 20 injured, Vucic said that those tragedies hit the county hard, but that the country must preserve its freedom, values, remembers the children who died and not those who carried out attacks, never forget the tragedies but also try to live normally.

He also said he had no role in the decision of the Education Minister Branko Ruzic to submit irrevocable resignation to his post in the aftermath of the first shooting at Belgrade elementary school.

Protest ‘Serbia Against Violence’ held in Belgrade (N1)

A peaceful and silent protest organised by the Serbian opposition against violence in Serbian society following two mass shootings last week was held Monday in Belgrade, N1 reports.

The organisers said that, according to police estimates, the ‘Serbia Against Violence’ protest was attended by over 50 thousand people. Protest rallies were also held in other Serbian cities.

The organisers include the Democratic Party, the People’s Party, the Green Left Front – Don’t Let Belgrade D(r)own, the Together party, Party of Freedom and Justice Party, the Movement of Free Citizens, United Unions Sloga and Movement for Reversal.

Ahead of the protest the opposition noted that “the protest is not partisan,” and that the rally would take place without party symbols and speeches.

The protesters assembled at 6pm Monday outside the Serbian Parliament building where a Serbian language teacher read out their demands, following which they headed, in silence, to the Serbian Government building.

Read demands at: https://bit.ly/3VOrDgX

Serbian Parliament vice-president Bozic after 'Serbia Against Violence' protest: "Parliamentary and local elections in one term" (Danas, Beta, NMagazin)

The vice-president of the Serbian Parliament and an official of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Sandra Bozic said that the goal of the "Serbia against violence" protest was not to show respect for the victims of recent mass crimes, but for the organisers from the opposition to "get the seats (positions)", reported Danas daily.

"Everything that they were looking for even before this tragedy happened, regarding the election, will be absolutely available. But they will not choose how and when the elections will be held," Bozic told TV Prva.

According to her words, when the elections are called, "they will be held at all levels, that is, parliamentary and local - in one and the same term".

Bozic also said that everyone in the party wanted Vucic to remain at its head, when talking about the upcoming SNS assembly and added that she hoped he would change his decision.

Last night Serbian media reported that President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vuvcic said in an interview for TV Happy that extraordinary parliamentary elections in Serbia would take place whenever the opposition asks for them.

He said that it was a problem that the government of Ana Brnabic “at times resembles an out-of-tune orchestra” and that now the only question was whether to first go for parliamentary elections or first carry out a government reshuffle, with the elections taking place soon after that.

He said that much more about this would be known in twenty days or so.

Vucic on protest in Belgrade (N1, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he expected to hear some proposals at the ‘Serbia Against Violence’ protest held Monday in Belgrade, but that “people’s emotions were abused” instead.

“They say there weren't more than six thousand people outside the Parliament, and nine thousand at the protest march at the most”, Vucic is quoted as saying to Happy TV.

He stressed that, as the President of Serbia, he had asked for an event of this kind not to be organised “not because I was in any way scared or felt threatened, but because I believed it was bad for the country”.

“In the end, everything boiled down to politics, they were not concerned about the future of our children even for a second”, he said.

The Serbian President said the children in schools will be safer since police officers will be deployed to every school in the country as part of the new measures.

“I think both the teachers and the children will feel safer”, said Vucic.

He announced that approximately seven million euros will be allocated for the refurbishment of the Vladislav Ribnikar elementary school in Belgrade in which a 13-year-old boy killed eight students and a security guard last Wednesday.

New anti-violence protest on May 12 (N1, media)

Organisers of the anti-violence protest in Belgrade said a new protest would be organised on May 12 unless their demands are met. ‘Serbia Against Violence’ protest will be held in the southern city of Nis on Wednesday.

“Serbia should stop unless the demands of the ‘Serbia Against Violence’ gathering are met by Friday, May 12. We are calling the public to make sure there are as many of us as possible,” the press release said. It thanked everyone who turned up for the protest to pay homage to the victims and show a better face of Serbia with deep piety.

Person suspected of tearing Serbian flags apart at Grabovac hill brought in (Radio KIM, Radio kontakt plus, KoSSev)

A man suspected of taking down and tearing apart two Serbian flags placed on a hill above Serb-populated village of Grabovac in Zvecan municipality was brought in by Kosovo police, Radio kontakt plus reports.

A suspect of Albanian ethnicity, from Boljetin village in the same municipality, appears in a video published by Veriu.info tearing the flags apart, calling their placement provocation, swearing at Serbia, while an object that resembles a rifle stock can also be seen in the video, Radio kontakt plus adds.

The house of the suspect was searched, but police found no weapon, it was said in a statement. Police also said the suspect was brought in and interviewed, adding that by order of the prosecutor he is charged with criminal offences of illegal weapon’s possession and inciting intolerance and discord.

KoSSev portal reported earlier that on Friday an Albanian flag was posted on that hill, while the cross painted on one of the rocks there much before, was defaced. Later on, an Albanian flag was removed, and two Serbian flags posted.

What slows down the European path of the Western Balkans according to Lajcak? (Danas, FoNet, Hina)

Support for joining the European Union in the countries of Southeast Europe is falling because the residents of those countries believe that the Union does not want them, but accession to the Union cannot be achieved if one side takes it seriously and the other does not, said the EU's special representative for the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajcak, in interview published today by Croatian agency Hina.

Hina agency recalled that 20 years have passed since the EU and the countries of Southeast Europe stated in a joint declaration for the first time that "the future of the Balkans is in the EU", and that since that meeting in Thessaloniki in 2003, only Croatia managed to, 10 years later, become a member of the Union, reported Danas daily.

"My personal opinion is that Europe had to digest the huge enlargement in 2004 and 2007. It brought many positive effects but also elements that complicated the EU, especially because it is more difficult for it to make unanimous decisions with 28, or now with 27 countries, than it was when there were 15 of them," Lajcak said.

He assessed that some countries deviated from European norms and values, which also generated scepticism towards further expansion. Lajcak also pointed to the crises that followed - from the financial and migrant crisis to Brexit and the withdrawal of Great Britain.

"All of that pushed enlargement down the list of priorities. Public opinion in many Western European countries was not positive towards the opening of the labour market to new members, so the political leaders did not want to promote further expansion," added Lajcak.

He assessed that the countries of the Western Balkans, unlike the countries of Central Europe, still have unresolved issues from the past that continue to occupy them.

Serbia, which does not recognize the independence of Kosovo unilaterally declared in 2008, opened 22 negotiation chapters out of 35, but closed only two, Hina recalled.

Greece first blocked North Macedonia because of its name, and when it added "North" to its name, France blocked it ahead of its local elections, and then by Bulgaria, disputing its national identity and language. The Union only jointly opened negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia in 2022, after the decision of Skopje to join NATO in 2020.

"I don't want to speak in terms of someone's guilt, but there were factors both on the EU side and on the Balkan side that lead us to a situation where we are talking about the future of the EU, but without progress," said Lajcak.

He emphasised that now, after Russia's attack against Ukraine, it is clear that "both the EU and the Balkans must take enlargement seriously."

"It cannot be achieved if one side takes it seriously and the other does not," said Lajcak.

He assessed that BiH is a "complex issue", and that Montenegro is a leader in the process of European integration and that it has advanced the farthest in negotiations with the EU.

Russian Ambassador: Strategic partnership with Serbia increasingly important (Politika, BETA, N1)

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko said on Tuesday that the strategic partnership between Moscow and Belgrade is gaining importance in light of the irreversible changes in the world.

“That friendly, equal cooperation based on trust, respect and mutual interests secures conditions for a peaceful, balanced development of all mankind in its civilization diversity and allows us to preserve the sovereignty and independence left to us by the generation of winners”, he said in an op-ed piece for Politika daily on the occasion of the Victory Day.

He said that Victory Day is a firm link in Russia-Serbia relations. “Our people fought together for freedom, resisted the Nazi aggressor together and won victory together”, he wrote.

“This Victory Day should remind us of the need for peaceful co-existence and solidarity among nations for overall peace, prosperity and well-being. We will do everything we can to make that a reality”, the ambassador wrote.

Giaufret: Serbia’s place is in EU (FoNet, N1)

European Union Ambassador to Serbia, Emanuel Giaufret said that the EU, its institutions and all member states unanimously support Serbia’s membership in the Union.

The EU Delegation chief unveiled a floral installation in the Kalemegdan fortress park in Belgrade which symbolically represents the EU and Serbia as an expression of solidarity with the families and friends of the victims of two mass shootings in a Belgrade elementary school and villages outside the town of Mladenovac.

Giaufret said that Serbia’s place is in the EU, adding that the EU stands with Serbia in these difficult times. He said that the EU delegation is not organising the traditional reception and concert for Victory Day because Serbia is mourning its children and other victims of the shootings.

Europe Day is the right time to send messages of solidarity, he said.

Serbian Defense Ministry marks Victory Over Fascism Day (BETA)

Marking Victory Over Fascism Day, members of the Serbian Armed Forces (SAF) Guard executed Monday a gun salute from the Sava Terrace at Belgrade's Kalemegdan park by firing ten volleys from six artillery weapons, the Serbian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The salute was preceded by the raising of the state flag and the intoning of the Serbian national anthem.

The event was attended by State Secretary at the Ministry Defense Nemanja Starovic, SAF Deputy Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Petar Cvetkovic and SAF Guard Commander Brigadier General Nikola Dejanovic.

International

Serbians rally against violence after two mass shootings (Reuters)

Tens of thousands of Serbians protested on Monday, demanding better security, a ban on violent TV content and the resignation of key ministers, days after two mass shootings killed 17 people.

Crowds in numbers not seen in the Balkan country for years solemnly marched through the centre of the capital Belgrade behind a banner reading "Serbia Against Violence".

"We have gathered here to pay our last respects, to do our best so this never happens again, anywhere," said Borivoje Plecevic from Belgrade.