UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 23, 2021

EU voices support for "Open Balkan” initiative (Koha)
Zulfaj: Four freedoms of the "Open Balkan" embodied in the common regional market (Koha)
Konjufca: This is the "Open Balkan" they're trying to sell to us (media)
RECOM: Unacceptable Conduct of the BIA towards Regional Reconciliation Activists (media)
AJK condemns conduct of Serbian authorities towards journalist, Adriatik Kelmendi (media)
Kelmendi reveals details of his encounter with Serbia’s security authorities (Klan)
Croatian President Milanovic to begin Kosovo visit today (media)
Kosovo Ex-Mayor Suspected of Taking Over €1 Million in Bribes (BIRN)
Kosovo Experts Refute Danish Prison Cell Renting Plan (Exit News)
COVID-19: Twenty new cases, no deaths (media)
Kosovo introduces power cuts due to energy crisis (Reuters)
EBRD extending 4 mln euro loans to Kosovo's KEP Trust (SeeNews)
North Macedonia’s prime minister formally steps down (AP)

EU voices support for "Open Balkan” initiative (Koha)

The European Union has officially confirmed support to the "Open Balkan" initiative, Koha reports quoting a spokesperson.

"Regional integration, based on EU rules and truly inclusive, can bring tangible benefits to the Western Balkans and the European Union. This is why the EU is very focused on regional cooperation. Lack of progress in implementing the regional common market has hampered significant benefits, especially for businesses, investors and consumers. We welcome the fact that the participants of the 'Open Balkan' initiative are committed to promoting greater regional integration," said Ana Pisonero, spokesperson for the European Commission.

Zulfaj: Four freedoms of the "Open Balkan" embodied in the common regional market (Koha)

Jeton Zulfaj, advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, said that four freedoms that the "Open Balkan" aims to promote are already embodied in the EU's common regional market scheme and Kosovo therefore sees no added benefits to joining the initiative which comprises of Serbia, Albania and North Macedonia.

Speaking at a debate on KTV, Zulfaj added that Kosovo supports regional cooperation but that the "Open Balkan" represents a parallel platform to the Berlin Process and rivals the common regional market. "If we want to integrate our countries before joining the EU, we already have the platform for this. There is no need to step out of this platform where we all are," he said.

Konjufca: This is the "Open Balkan" they're trying to sell to us (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca reacted to journalist Adriatik Kelmendi being interviewed by Serbian authorities as he entered and left the country. He said such actions are unacceptable.

"Today, journalist Adriatik Kelmendi was interviewed by the Serbian secret service. During Milosevic's time these were called 'informative conversations'. Really sad and unacceptable. Only yesterday, Vucic once again invited us to participate in the Open Balkan, adding that Serbia will be a 'second home' for Albanians. This is the Open Balkan of the last 24 hours that is trying to be sold to us as 'good neighbourhood'," Konjufca wrote on Facebook.

Konjufca also commented on the Belgrade court ruling legitimising the use of offensive term for Albanians. "Serbia is led by political figures that deny the massacres Serbia has committed in Kosovo. Albanians in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja are banned the institutional use of the national flag even though they live in their lands. Our people there are the most discriminated national minority in Europe."

RECOM: Unacceptable Conduct of the BIA towards Regional Reconciliation Activists (media)

The RECOM Reconciliation Network, initiative launched by the Humanitarian Law Centre, has called on Serbia's Security Information Agency (BIA) to refrain from all further situations and actions that it said threaten the freedom of political expression and freedom of movement and activism concerned with confronting the past and reconciliation in the region.

"For the past several years, on every occasion of his arrival at the airport or other place of reception in Belgrade, BIA inspectors have interviewed journalist Adriatik Kelmendi, a public advocate of regional reconciliation and director of the Klan Kosova television station, based in Pristina, questioning him about the reasons for his trip and his political views. During his last visit, the BIA questioned him on his arrival at the Nikola Tesla Airport on 17 December 2021, and at his departure on 19 December 2021, following his participation in the XIV Forum for Transitional Justice in post-Yugoslav Countries, which was held in Belgrade," said Belgrade-based human rights activist Natasa Kandic, speaking for RECOM. “Such actions confirm that BIA is a "completely perverted, semi-private institution that continues to treat citizens of Kosovo with suspicion and disregard for their basic human dignity, as was the case during the 1980s and 1990s."

RECOM said that it will notify EU facilitators of the Belgrade–Pristina dialogue, as well as the European Parliament, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Guarantees of Non-Recurrence, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, and the US State Department Special Envoy for the Serbia–Kosovo dialogue, of any further activities of such a nature.

AJK condemns conduct of Serbian authorities towards journalist, Adriatik Kelmendi (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo has expressed concern over reports that Kosovo journalist Adriatik Kelmendi was questioned by the Serbian Information Agency (BIA) during a recent trip to Belgrade.

AJK said in a statement that Kelmendi has reported experiencing similar situations in all his trips in Serbia in the last years and that he was asked by Serbian officials to clarify his public statements.

"AJK deems this behaviour unacceptable coming against a journalist and a regional reconciliation activist. AJK calls on European Union to react against this behaviour that undermines freedom of expression and reconciliation process in the region."

Kelmendi reveals details of his encounter with Serbia’s security authorities (Klan)

Director of Klan Kosova, Adriatik Kelmendi, commented on his encounter with Serbian authorities during a recent trip to Belgrade. He said that it is likely that security authorities questioned him in connection to the criticism he voiced on the state of democracy in Serbia at an international forum in Belgrade.

Kelmendi said security authorities questioned him about the purpose of his visit to Serbia, the duration. Kelmendi said he was stopped twice for 40 minutes each time as he entered and left the territory of Serbia.

Kelmendi added that he is reluctant to go to Serbia as he has had similar experiences in the past with authorities there but that this time he chose to go as he was panellist at a conference organised by the regional reconciliation network, RECOM.

Croatian President Milanovic to begin Kosovo visit today (media)

President of Croatia, Zoran Milanovic, is expected to arrive to Kosovo today for a two-day visit. He is set to meet President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca.

Milanovic is also planned to meet representatives of the Croatian community in Janjeve while on the second day of the visit, he will meet KFOR officials, including Commander Ferenc Kajari and spend Christmas with the Croatian army troops serving under KFOR.

Kosovo Ex-Mayor Suspected of Taking Over €1 Million in Bribes (BIRN)

The Kosovo prosecution suspects that Bratislav Nikolic, the recently arrested former mayor of the Shterpce municipality, accepted money and other assets worth over a million euros in return for construction permits.

Prosecutors suspect former mayor Bratislav Nikolic of receiving money and assets worth 1,318,000 euros from 2014 to 2018 to provide construction permits for villas at a tourism site in Brezovica and at the Sharri National Park in Kosovo, according to files obtained by BIRN.

Nikolic, the former mayor of the Shterpce/Strpce municipality, was arrested on Tuesday for suspected influence-peddling, bribe-taking and abuse of office.

Prosecutors suspect him of receiving money in the amount of 940,000 euros, five villas worth 300,000 euros and a Range Rover car worth 78,000 euros in return for issuing construction permits in Brezovica.

Nikolic is also suspected of receiving a bribe of 210,000 euros for issuing 21 construction permits for weekend houses for the investor Stella Consulting, as well as another 200,000 euros for a construction permit for a hotel resort for Stella Consulting.

Nikolic was among ten people arrested on Tuesday on suspicion of bribery and misuse of office over permits for the construction of villas on Brezovica mountain, a winter tourism destination in south-east Kosovo.

The ex-mayor has not commented on the allegations so far.

Police also arrested Shterpce/Strpce urban planning director Dimitrije Racicevic; Shterpce/Strpce construction inspectors Dragomir Milosavlevic and Hysni Barjami; the director of the cadastral register in the municipality, Sasa Milosavlevic; the director of the inspectorate of the municipality, Raif Bajrami; two representatives of two companies, plus two others who are suspected of having assisted in the offences.

The director of the Serbian government’s office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, claimed on Tuesday that the arrests of Nikolic and the others were “another brutal attempt to intimidate the Serbian people in Kosovo”.

The Belgrade-backed Serb political party in Kosovo, Srpska Lista, also condemned what it called a “brutal” police operation, and demanded an end to “provocations” in Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo.

The suspects are being held in police custody and the court of Ferizaj/Urosevac has accepted the prosecution’s request for detention.

Kosovo Experts Refute Danish Prison Cell Renting Plan (Exit News)

Experts and opinion leaders have told Danske Radio journalists they oppose the Danish-Kosovo deal under which Denmark will rent 300 prison cells to accommodate Danish prisoners in the town of Glijan at a cost of €210 million over the next ten years.

“We are very much against this agreement because our prison system cannot handle the prisoners who are being sent here. For Denmark, it is easy to find 300 prisoners you don’t want and send them to another country,” said Behxhet Shala, executive director of the NGO Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms.

According to Shala, sending prisoners to other countries is unacceptable because, under international law, inmates have the right to serve prison sentences as close to their families as possible.

Fatmire Haliti, an expert on Kosovar prisons from the Kosovar Rehabilitation Centre for Torture Victims, pointed to poor conditions in Kosovo prisons.

“We know of a large number of self-inflicted injuries. There are fights in prison and there are also deaths. Until recently, conditions in Kosovar prisons generally did not meet international or European standards, and in the last five years, only three new prisons have been built which do,” said Haliti.

Denmark’s Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup responded to the criticism, saying Kosovo will do with its prisoners what it sees fit and that the Danish agreement with the country only applies to the rent of this specific prison.

People convicted of terrorism, war criminals, as well as people who are terminally ill or who need treatment because of mental disorders will not be transferred to the prison, however.

It is expected that the first Danish inmates will be transferred to the Gjilan detention facility in early 2023.

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

Nine new cases with COVID-19 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo, the Ministry of Health said in its daily statement. Twelve persons recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 322 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Kosovo introduces power cuts due to energy crisis (Reuters)

Kosovo's energy distribution company KEDS said on Wednesday it would introduce power outages across the country as a result of low domestic production and high energy import prices.

In a statement, the KEDS said that two hour-long power outages hours would affect everyone within the next 24 hours and would last until further notice.

"As we are facing world's worst electricity crisis, the Transmission System and Market Operator - KOSTT, based on applicable laws, has instructed us to start with electricity restrictions," KEDS said in a statement.