UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 5, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti: It will be known within this week about claims on weapons in the churches (Koha)
KFOR: No evidence of weapons in churches; Kosovo responsible for rule of law (Koha)
Kurti: There is no solution because the agreement is not being implemented (Koha)
Lajcak on meeting with Osmani (media)
Szunyog: Measures to be lifted when Kosovo contributes to de-escalation of situation in the north (Reporteri)
Kurti refuses to meet with Rama without a meeting of the governments (Koha)
Citaku slams Kurti for refusing to meet Rama (media)
Kurti appreciates the role that the UN has played in Kosovo (Klan)
Jablanovic detained for illegal crossing of the border (Koha)
Journalists Associations head express concern about Klan Kosova situation (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic to Lajcak: Serbian people in Kosovo exposed to worst torture in last 15 years (NMagazin, N1)
Vucevic: Peter Stano makes irritating statements, empty shell of bureaucratic vocabulary (Beta, NMagazin, TV Pink)
Dacic with the chargé d'affaires of the Great Britain Embassy regarding the statement of MP Kearns (Kosovo Online, Danas)
KFOR: There is no evidence of the alleged smuggling of weapons into Orthodox churches (KiM radio, RTS)
Cvijanovic: Even KFOR has to refute lies of “ferocious Albanian lobbyists in Britain” (RTRS, Kosovo Online)
Serbian Minister of Defence: Serbian Orthodox Church target of Albanian lobbyists (N1, FoNet)
Elek: We are threatened by humanitarian disaster, we can’t deliver medicines, let alone weapons (Novosti, Kosovo Online)
Krasniqi: New directors have been appointed in the Municipality of Leposavic (Kim Radio)
Sretena Bojovic denies that she took over the position of director in the Municipality of Leposavic (KiM radio)
While the public’s attention is on three other northern municipalities, what is happening under the table in N.Mitrovica? (Part II, KoSSev)
Muhaxheri compares Kurti’s approach to north with that of Milosevic on Kosovo in 1989 (KoSSev)
Jablanovic refutes being at illegal crossing (Tanjug)
KFOR Commander visits Leposavic today (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

Moving—bottom-up—beyond the crisis in Kosovo (socialeurope.eu)

International:

First effects of EU sanctions sting Kosovo (Euractive)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: It will be known within this week about claims on the weapons in the churches (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said today that after the meetings with the security institutions, representatives of NATO and KFOR, within this week it will be known about the claims that there are weapons smuggled in the Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo.

"I will have a meeting with representatives of NATO and KFOR and with the security bodies on this matter. After the meetings, we will be able to give the final word. We are now collecting information. This issue will be known within this week", Kurti said.

The NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has said that there is no evidence of arms smuggling from Serbia to Kosovo and the use of Orthodox churches to store them. This mission has said that the security organisations of Kosovo are responsible for the rule of law.

KFOR: No evidence of weapons in churches; Kosovo responsible for rule of law (Koha)

NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said today that there is no evidence about the smuggling of weapons from Serbia to Kosovo and the use of Orthodox churches to keep them. The mission said that Kosovo’s security organisations are responsible for the rule of law.

An alarm was raised at the UK Parliament on Tuesday that Serb churches were used as places to store weapons smuggled from Serbia into Kosovo. MP Alicia Kearns, who also heads the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the UK government was informed by KFOR that the weapons arrive in ambulances from Serbia.

Asked to comment on the claims, KFOR said that the allegations refer to the time when a British battalion was engaged in the north of Kosovo in support of KFOR in 2022. “The illegal presence of weapons was reported to KFOR offices but following additional investigations to confirm this, no evidence came out from what had been reported. There is also no evidence about the alleged smuggling along the administrative boundary between Kosovo and Serbia in Orthodox churches with ambulances. For full information, this kind of activity pertains to the rule of law, and this is under the responsibility of Kosovo’s security organisations,” the KFOR response notes.

Kurti: There is no solution because the agreement is not being implemented (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said that there is no solution for the de-escalation and normalisation of relations with Serbia because the basic agreement reached in Brussels on February 27 is not being implemented.

Kurti blamed Serbia for not respecting the agreement, while repeating that Kosovo was ready to sign the agreement in Brussels.

"As for normalisation, we need the implementation of the agreement. And let's not forget that we have an agreement. Much that is trumpeted in the local, Serbian and international media has created the impression that there is no agreement. There is no solution because the agreement is not being implemented. I requested from Lajcak yesterday for normal relations with Serbia to be possible without abandoning European values. I requested that everything that is in the basic agreement to be also in the sequence of implementation", Kurti said at the media conference on Wednesday.

Regarding Tuesday’s meeting with the EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak, Kurti said that he expressed his willingness to organise early elections in the north.

"They are the only way to change power [early elections]. The change of power cannot be done by violence, injuring KFOR soldiers, journalists or policemen. Article 72 of the Law on Local Self-Government clarifies how to act. The institutions will respect all procedures", he said.

Kurti has said that he, as Lajcak, left with a positive impression from yesterday's meeting.

Lajcak on meeting with Osmani (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Twitter post on Tuesday evening that as part of his visit to Kosovo, he met with President Vjosa Osmani. "We had a useful discussion about the situation in the north of Kosovo and possibilities for de-escalation along the 3 June request, as well as the importance of coordination with Kosovo’s friends and allies," Lajcak tweeted.

Szunyog: Measures to be lifted when Kosovo contributes to de-escalation of situation in the north (Reporteri)

The head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, has said that the European Union's measures against Kosovo will be removed as soon as Kosovo takes steps towards de-escalating the situation in the north. Szunyog said that Kosovo should organize new local elections and fully engage in dialogue.

He made this statement after the meeting he had with the MPs of the Assembly of Kosovo within the European Integration Commission.

"I explained to the Commission that the EU continues to support Kosovo on its European path and these measures will be cancelled as soon as possible so that Kosovo contributes to the de-escalation of the situation in the north, organizes new local elections and engages completely in Dialog", Szunyog wrote.

Kurti refuses to meet with Rama without a meeting of the governments (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said at a press conference on Wednesday that he is ready to meet with the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama ‘within the framework of the meeting of the two governments, not without that meeting.’

Kurti has invited the Prime Minister of Albania to hold the cancelled meeting of the two governments this week.

Rama will be in Pristina on Thursday as part of the preparations for the Berlin Process that will be held in Tirana in October.

Citaku slams Kurti for refusing to meet Rama (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, said Prime Minister Kurti's refusal to meet with his Albanian counterpart, Edi Rama, is "foolishness".

"How is it possible that Prime Minister Kurti refuses to meet the Prime Minister of Albania?!! How is it possible?! This is foolishness. A shame. He meets Vucic without condition, and he sets conditions to Rama," she writes.

Citaku also tells Kurti that "Kosovo is not a toy" and that he should set aside "personal grudges."

Kurti appreciates the role that the UN has played in Kosovo (Klan)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that today they held the third meeting of the Joint Steering Committee for the Development Framework of UN Cooperation.

“Today we held the 3rd Joint Steering Committee meeting for the UN Cooperation Development Framework. We appreciate the role that UN Kosovo has played in our country and remain committed to tangibly advancing SDG targets, including climate action, gender equality and education,” Kurti tweeted.

Jablanovic detained for illegal crossing of the border (Koha)

Serb politician and former Minister for Return in the government of Kosovo Aleksandar Jablanovic, was detained by the Kosovo Police on Tuesday night, for illegal crossing of the border.

Koha sources within the Police have announced that Jablanovic was detained after entering the territory of Kosovo through illegal routes. He was arrested in Izvore of Zvecan.

After the interview, he was released in a regular procedure.

The Kosovo Police also announced the arrest of a person for illegal crossing of the border in the 24-hour report.

"Zvecan 04.07.2023 - 21:50. While the police unit was at a static point on the road to Izvore, they stopped the vehicle with foreign licence plates which was being driven by the Kosovar male suspect and the Kosovar female passenger as well as two children. The suspect illegally entered the territory of Kosovo by car from the territory of Serbia through alternative routes outside the border crossing. After the interview by order of the prosecutor, the case was opened, the detainees were released in a regular procedure", the Police report states.

Journalists Associations head express concern about Klan Kosova situation (media)

Head of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo, Xhemajl Rexha, posted on Facebook about his meeting with the Prime Ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg on Tuesday. "Honored to meet today the prime ministers of the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Mark Rutte and Xavier Bettel. With the heads of these two EU states, in the capacity of the head of the AJK, I spoke, among other things, about the state of media freedom in Kosovo as well as the program for housing journalists from Ukraine and Afghanistan. I thanked them for raising concerns about the attacks on journalists while reporting in the north, and I expressed deep concern about the attempts of the Government of Kosovo to close Klan Kosova television, which would be a serious blow to media pluralism and media freedom in Kosovo, these values are the centre of the democracies of these two European states," Rexha wrote.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic to Lajcak: Serbian people in Kosovo exposed to worst torture in last 15 years (NMagazin, N1)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, conveyed to the EU's special representative for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and other regional issues of the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajcak, that the Serbian people in Kosovo are exposed to the worst torture and persecution in the last 15 years, reported portal NMagazin.

Vucic met Lajcak today and spoke about the situation in Kosovo, ways to calm tensions on the ground, and the implementation of the agreements reached so far.

"Once again, I warned that the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija are exposed to the worst torture and persecution in the last 15 years and reiterated the demands for respect for their rights and security. I called on the international community to engage more concretely on all these issues," the President of Serbia said on Instagram.

Vucevic: Peter Stano makes irritating statements, empty shell of bureaucratic vocabulary (Beta, NMagazin, TV Pink)

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic assessed today that the statements made by European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano are "irritating", reported portal NMagazin.

"If someone wants to study the empty shells of administrative bureaucratic vocabulary, then Stano's announcements are ideal," Vucevic told TV Pink.

Commenting on Stano, Vucevic said that it is irritating "when you call both sides to calm down", stating that the Serbian side has already "calmed down".

"We reduced the combat readiness of the army, we reduced its presence on the move towards the administrative line, but we have it enough, God forbid. We calm down and influence as much as we can the Serbian community in Kosovo, which is increasingly difficult because they are persecuted," said Vucevic.

As he stated, at the same time, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is "creating chaos" and "is ready to go all the way".

"Kurti is a fanatic who acts irrationally, lives for ideas that are catastrophic, genocidal towards our people in Kosovo," said Vucevic.

Yesterday, when asked whether it makes sense to organise a new meeting between Vucic and Kurti, given that they refused to meet at the last meeting in Brussels, Stano replied that was precisely the meaning of all the efforts that are being made at this moment based on the sent requests to both sides by leaders of all 27 EU member states.

"Both sides are required to immediately de-escalate, and they are expected to start behaving in a European manner and return to dialogue. The order of moves is as follows: immediate de-escalation, resolution of the situation and reduction of tension and return to normal dialogue," said Stano.

Dacic with the chargé d'affaires of the Great Britain Embassy regarding the statement of MP Kearns (Kosovo Online, Danas)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, today invited the Chargé d'Affaires of the Great Britain Embassy, Dominic Otway, to a meeting regarding the statement of the British MP and President of the Foreign Policy Committee of the British Parliament, Alicia Kearns, who, during her presentation in the British Parliament, accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of ‘arms smuggling’, reported Kosovo Online.

As stated in the press release, Dacic rejected such accusations and expressed deep concern over Kearns's allegations that weapons are being smuggled through administrative crossings from Serbia to Orthodox churches in Kosovo in ambulances.

Due to the seriousness of the claims, he underlined that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia acts with full seriousness and responsibility and expects more information and urgent verification of the mentioned allegations, both from the British side and from other competent authorities, including the KFOR mission.

The head of Serbian diplomacy emphasised that Serbia will always react to such things, protecting its state and national interests.

KFOR: There is no evidence of the alleged smuggling of weapons into Orthodox churches (KiM radio, RTS)

KiM radio reports that the KFOR mission responded to the Serbian Orthodox Church's call to verify the allegations of British MP Alicia Kearns, who accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of participating in arms smuggling from Serbia to Kosovo.

"There is no evidence of the alleged smuggling that was carried out across the administrative border line between Kosovo and Serbia into Orthodox churches in ambulances," they stated in a statement delivered to the media, KiM radio cited.

They note that the event mentioned by the British MP Alicia Kearns refers to the year 2022, when the Royal Fusilian Battalion was engaged in the north of Kosovo in support of the KFOR mission.

"The alleged illegal presence of weapons was reported to the KFOR headquarters, but after further investigation to find confirmation for it, no evidence of what was reported appeared," they stated.

They pointed out that there was no evidence of the alleged smuggling that was carried out across the administrative border line between Kosovo and Serbia into Orthodox churches in ambulances.

"This type of activity belongs to the rule of law, and it is within the competence of the Kosovo Security Organizations," KFOR concluded.

KiM radio recalls that the British parliamentarian and the president of the Foreign Policy Committee of the British Parliament, Alicia Kearns, accused the Serbian Orthodox Church of participating in the smuggling of weapons from Serbia to Kosovo. The Diocese of Raska-Prizren asked KFOR to verify these allegations.

Cvijanovic: Even KFOR has to refute lies of “ferocious Albanian lobbyists in Britain” (RTRS, Kosovo Online)

Serbian member and Chairwoman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Tripartite Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic said today that “ferociousness of the Albanian lobbyists in the Great Britain Parliament goes so far that they are able to lie to the extent to further destabilise the situation in the Western Balkans, so that even KFOR has to refute them”, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS)

An MP and Chairwoman of the British Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns presented allegations yesterday by which she alleged that weapons from central Serbia are being smuggled by the ambulance vehicles to the Orthodox churches. Those allegations were refuted by NATO peacekeeping mission KFOR today.

“There is no evidence about alleged smuggling of weapons across an administrative line between Kosovo and Serbia to Orthodox churches with ambulance vehicles”, KFOR told Kosovo Online portal.

Serbian Minister of Defence: Serbian Orthodox Church target of Albanian lobbyists (N1, FoNet)

Serbian Minister of Defence, Milos Vucevic said today in reaction to the allegations voiced by British MP Alicia Kearns, about alleged smuggling of weapons from central Serbia to Kosovo with the help of Serbian Orthodox Church, said the Church is being a target of the Albanian lobbyists because it has been pillar around which Serbs assemble, N1 reports.

“I have seen that our Church has requested all those allegations be checked, all those accusations and to verify the true situation. SOC is an apostolic church, and it has become a target of the attack because it has always been a pillar of assembling our people. It has been the target of all those wishing no good to Serbia. You will also hear accusations that it meddles into all affairs, and that it has differign opinions on certain topics”, Vucevic said.

Commenting on the arrest list with the names of the Serbs, including of the Serbian List leaders as reported by some Belgrade-based media, Vucevic said it represents pressure on people aiming to expel entire families from Kosovo.

“Tensions run high. There are worse things. They continue with stories about new lists of accused Serbs. We have seen that matrix in the XX century, to create the list of those wanted and people are intimidated”, he added.

Elek: We are threatened by humanitarian disaster, we can’t deliver medicines, let alone weapons (Novosti, Kosovo Online)

Reacting to the allegations of the British MP Alicia Kearns that weapons are allegedly being smuggled from central Serbia to Kosovo with ambulance vehicles to Orthodox churches, Mitrovica North Clinical Hospital Centre Director Zlatan Elek told Novosti daily that despite rigorous controls by the Kosovo police not a single weapon was ever found in any ambulance vehicles.

He warned that this health institution, providing services to the people in the north but also to those living across Kosovo is threatened by humanitarian disaster should the ban on delivery medications and other medical equipment continues, adding that because of the Pristina’s ban to import products from Serbia, the hospital is facing the problems with delivery of medications, sanitary materials, and recently with oxygen and physiological solution.

Despite appeals to the international community for help, reactions were lacking, he said.

Krasniqi: New directors have been appointed in the Municipality of Leposavic (Kim Radio)

Kosovo Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government, Elbert Krasniqi, met with the Minister of Communities and Return, Nenad Rasic, and informed him that the newly elected mayor of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi, had appointed four more directors of municipal directorates, reported KiM radio yesterday.

"Violeta Sakiv, Nikola Radomirovic, Nenad Radosavljevic and Miroslav Minic will be part of the cabinet of President Hetemi from today," Krasniqi wrote on his Facebook account.

The Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government added that he also talked with Rasic about the inclusion of Serbs in the work of local self-governments.

"I informed him about the creation of opportunities for citizens from the Serbian community, and we also discussed the inclusion of local Serbs in the local government."

Krasniqi emphasised that the ministry headed by him will continue to cooperate with all municipalities in Kosovo in cooperation with the government in Pristina, reported KiM radio.

Sretena Bojovic denies that she took over the position of director in the Municipality of Leposavic (KiM radio)

"I am not a director in the Municipality of Leposavic, I had an offer, but I did not accept it", resident of this municipality, Sretena Bojovic, denied the statements of the Kosovo Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government, Elbert Krasniqi, reported KiM radio.

KiM radio recalls that on June 16, Krasniqi visited the new mayor of Leposavic, Lulzim Hetemi.

After the visit, he confirmed on his Facebook profile that they talked about the events in the municipality, but also that Hetemi "informed him about the last decisions he made".

"President Hetemi continued to complete his cabinet, as a result he appointed directors in the relevant departments: Sretena Bojovic, Andjela Simic, Valton Peci and Arjeta Tahiri," said this minister on June 16, recalled KiM radio.

While the public’s attention is on three other northern municipalities, what is happening under the table in N.Mitrovica? (Part II, KoSSev)

While the public’s attention has been focused on the municipal buildings in Zvecan, Zubin Potok, and Leposavic for the second month now, in North Mitrovica meetings are held and decisions are voted in silence in the municipal building, garnering practically no interest from the public and local officials or official Belgrade.

According to the Assembly’s sole Serb councillor, aside from decisions that directly affect citizens themselves, especially in the period of the January floods, decisions that were the source of additional worry among the local residents were made by the administration. Moreover, this councillor claims that 30 decisions have been voted during a total of seven sessions so far, which are kept stashed away, saved for “trade between Belgrade and Pristina“.

Opinion

Moving—bottom-up—beyond the crisis in Kosovo (socialeurope.eu)

By Ian Bancroft

Assaults on KFOR peacekeepers in north Kosovo in late May, which were followed by a grenade attack on the police station in north Mitrovica and other explosions late last month, constitute the most serious violence in the area since 2011. That episode set in motion a diplomatic process culminating in the 2013 Brussels agreement, a landmark of recent European diplomacy. The situation in Kosovo however remains volatile and, without compromise on key issues, there is a very real prospect of repeated clashes.

Tensions have been brewing for a year and a half, particularly following Pristina’s decision to deploy heavily armed ‘special operations units’ to the north. Accumulated grievances over various issues, including illegal land expropriations and vehicle licence plates, led Serbs to withdraw last autumn from Kosovo institutions in the north—including the police, judiciary and local government.

This has constituted the biggest setback to integration in over a decade. Despite considerable diplomatic pressure, Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, has resisted calls to establish the Association/Community of Serb-majority Municipalities signalled in 2013, widely viewed as a prerequisite for further progress.

The long-term cause of peace is being severely affected by such episodes, which are breeding mistrust and antagonism. For the sake of normalisation between Kosovo and Serbia—a process which should have been reinforced by the roadmap and implementation annex agreed between the two under European Union facilitation in February—civil society must urgently consider how it can contribute to de-escalating tensions and pursue confidence-building measures that can rebuild trust.

International

First effects of EU sanctions sting Kosovo (Euractive)

Kosovo could lose some €500 million in EU funds by the end of 2023 due to sanctions adopted by the European Union following unrest in the north between Kosovar Albanians and Serbs and Pristina’s non-compliance with demands laid down by Brussels and Washington.

The Alliance of Kosovar Businesses has warned that the sanctions imposed by the European Union would damage Kosovo diplomatically, economically and politically and are one of the most concerning moments since the country’s independence declaration in 2008.

“The Alliance of Kosovar Businesses warned how serious these measures are because they will seriously damage the economy by limiting funds from IPA funds, programs of the European Commission, as well as by suspending the Stabilization and Association Agreement and suspending all bilateral meetings with the EU. The government must come to its senses when it comes to relations with the EU and the US,” the announcement of the group states.