UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 2, 2022

Pressure mounts on dialogue process as Lajcak and Escobar visit Kosovo (euronews.al)
Lajcak pleased with understanding and support of opposition for dialogue (media)
Lajcak and Escobar meet with the Serbian List (media)
Civil society representatives meet Lajcak (media)
What kind of association did envoys ask of Kurti? (Klan)
EU, US Unified over Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Say Envoys (Exit.al)
PSD: Molliqaj arrested without arrest warrant (media)
Kosovo’s opposition parties react to Molliqaj’s arrest (media)
Szunyog: Financial sustainability, problem for domestic violence survivors (Kallxo)
Pupovci: No salaries this month for Serb officials paid without working (Telegrafi)
Kosovo: Daring to think about the Future of Europe (EWB)
COVID-19: 2,033 new cases, six deaths (media)
WHO warns it is 'premature' to declare victory or stop fight against Covid-19 (France 24)

Pressure mounts on dialogue process as Lajcak and Escobar visit Kosovo (euronews.al)

Miroslav Lajcak and Gabriel Escobar entered Tuesday on the second day of their official visit to Kosovo where the main theme of their agenda is the dialogue process with Serbia.

Sources near the opposition emphasize that the United States has been pressuring political actors to push forward with the dialogue process, something signaled in all three meetings with high-ranking state officials.

The EU and US envoys began their three-day visit by meeting with opposition leader Memli Krasniqi. The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo commended the meeting and released a statement strikingly similar to that posted later by PM Albin Kurti.

“PDK supports the dialogue as a means to achieve a final comprehensive Kosovo-Serbia agreement, which guarantees mutual recognition, without undermining the sovereignty of the state, territorial integrity and constitutional order”, Krasniqi said.

Another statement, which didn’t really differ from that of PDK, was released by the office of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the other opposition party that met with the Lajcak and Escobar.

“LDK supports the dialogue process between the Republic of Kosovo and Serbia, which must conclude with mutual recognition and fully normalized ties between the two countries – by respecting territorial integrity and the constitutional order of Kosovo”, said Lumir Abdixhiku, the leader of LDK.

The only one to maintain a different stance after meeting the two diplomats was Ramush Haradinaj, the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo.

Haradinaj reiterated the importance that the United States in the dialogue table.

“I reiterated our commitment for an inclusive and legally binding agreement, whose epilogue is reciprocal recognition according to existing borders, and that respects the constitutional order of the Republic of Kosovo, something that can only be achieved with the active role of the United States of America”, Haradinaj said.

On Monday, US Special Envoy Gabriel Escobar said that talks mediated by the European Union should continue.

The EU and US Envoys, respectively Lajcak and Escobar, will hold a press conference on Wednesday to discuss the outcome of their 3-day visit.

Lajcak pleased with understanding and support of opposition for dialogue (media)

The EU Special Envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, said that he was satisfied with the meeting he had with the opposition parties in Pristina, during his joint visit with the U.S. Envoy Gabriel Escobar.

"Today, DAS Gabriel Escobar and I met with opposition political parties in Kosovo. Pleased to hear their understanding of the importance of and support for the Dialogue on normalisation of relations," Lajcak wrote.

This Tuesday, the two emissaries held separate meetings with Kosovo's opposition parties, PDK, LDK and AAK, as well as the Serbian List. On their first day of visit, Escobar and Lajcak met with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Lajcak and Escobar meet with the Serbian List (media)

The two envoys for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak and Gabriel Escobar met on the second day of their visit to Kosovo with representatives of opposition parties in the Assembly of Kosovo, including those of the Serbian List.

In a press release of the Serbian List, it is said that the leader of this party Goran Rakic during the meeting with the two international envoys noted the "obligations" of Pristina for the association.

"Rakic stressed that the Brussels agreement is clear and that the Serbian people oppose Pristina's intentions to reduce their obligations regarding the competencies of the association of Serb-majority municipalities, such as those in the field of judiciary, energy, diplomas and implementation of visits for Serbs in these regions," it is said among other things in the communiqué.

RTK reports that in December 2015, the Constitutional Court of Kosovo found that the Serbian association was not in line with the spirit of the Constitution, referred to in Article 3, for "equality before the law" and the chapters "fundamental rights and freedoms", and the rights of communities and their members.”

Civil society representatives meet Lajcak (media)

European Union Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak met on his second day of visit to Kosovo representatives of civil society organisations.

"Pleased to meet with representatives of civil society in Kosovo. They have an important role to play in communicating the benefits of normalisation to the citizens, promoting reconciliation and building bridges between communities," he wrote on Twitter.

What kind of association did envoys ask of Kurti? (Klan)

The United States and European Union envoys for dialogue, Gabriel Escobar and Miroslav Lajcak, came with clear messages to the Kosovo authorities, Klan Kosova reports, adding that the main one concerns the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities.

It adds that officials from Washington and Brussels are urging Kosovo authorities to establish a type of community of municipalities based on the "European models" of self-government in countries like Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland.

"I think there is potential to achieve a winning agreement for both sides. It is not about any federalism or necessarily a path that makes the state dysfunctional, as we see in Bosnia. There may be things that make the state function better as it does in many federalized states in Europe. It is not about border changes or partitions that Serbia has pushed forward in the past. It would be possible to discuss this if both parties are willing. At the moment, they are not ready," Marko Prelec, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG), told Klan Kosova.

The former Minister of Local Government, Sadri Ferati, said meanwhile that Kosovo should accommodate the demands of the Serb community through the creation of the association but that these demands must be accepted if their purpose is the integration of the Serb community and not their disintegration which he said Belgrade wants.

EU, US Unified over Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Say Envoys (Exit.al)

The European Union and United States share the vision for the advancement of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, their envoys Miroslav Lajcak and Gabriel Escobar have stressed during their ongoing visit in Prishtina.

The two senior officials met with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Monday, while more meetings with political parties and civil society are scheduled for today.

In a press conference with Kurti, Lajcak said that this joint visit of the two diplomats was unique, as it sent a clear message regarding the EU and US collaboration and their shared vision for Kosovo and the normalization of relations with Serbia.

Escobar added that the dialogue will still be facilitated by the EU, and highlighted the US full support for Kosovo’s independence and territorial integrity.

The statements follow what many considered separate approaches to the Kosovo-Serbia dispute by the EU and US during the Trump administration, with suggestions for the two countries to swap lands before reaching a final agreement.

Prime Minister Kurti stressed that his government will defend the Constitution and rule of law in the country, possibly hinting at the pressure on Kosovo to establish the Association of Serb Municipalities (ASM), which the Constitutional Court has deemed in breach of the constitution.

A Brussels agreement from 2013 between Kosovo and Serbia prescribed the establishment of an association for Serb-majority towns, but a second agreement in 2015 added to it what the current Kosovo government and presidency consider to be executive powers. In the same year, the court also found the second agreement in breach of the constitution.

While Serbia insists on its formation as a condition for the dialogue to move on, the EU top diplomat Josep Borrell has also pressured Kosovo by prioritizing the implementation of this single agreement over the 32 others most of which Serbia has implemented only partially or not at all.

Lajcak and Escobar’s joint visit is rumored to aim at discussing possible formats for establishing the ASM in compliance both with the Brussels agreements and the Kosovo court decision. It remains to be seen whether this is possible at all, and at what costs and benefits for Kosovo. No proposal has been made public to date.

In their meeting with President Osmani, the two envoys promised to speed up the process for finding the over 1,600 Albanians missing since the defeated genocidal Serbian regime left Kosovo in 1999.

PSD: Molliqaj arrested without arrest warrant (media)

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) reacted after the arrest of its leader Dardan Molliqaj, saying that the police compiled the arrest warrant only after the arrest took place.

Molliqaj was arrested Tuesday evening while going to a TV debate. During a Saturday protest against energy price increase, Molliqaj is reported to have slapped a police officer. He later apologised but said the police officer had insulted him. Police said the suspect, whom the media identify as Molliqaj, was arrested for involvement in an attack against an official person. It also said that the arrest came after the suspect failed to voluntarily report to the police as requested.

PSD in a press release said that Dardan Molliqaj was arrested in connection with the incident in the protest against the increase of electricity prices and that the invitations for interviews were not realized in accordance with the Code of Criminal Procedure.

"Violent deprivation of Dardan's freedom constitutes an abuse of power by the entire responsible chain within the justice system. His arrest is completely disproportionate and inconsistent with the legal conditions for such an action. This arrest could happen today at any time. He has been in the office and in various meetings in Pristina during these two days. However, the arrest, without a warrant, was made on the premises of a television station. Now that he has been arrested, we understand that a police arrest warrant is being drafted. This clearly shows that the justice authorities, by arresting illegally and scandalously Dardan Molliqaj, have been put in the service of Kurti's power," it is said in the reaction.

The Social Democratic Party said that it will take all legal actions against all those who abused their power to deprive Dardan Molliqaj of his liberty on Tuesday evening. "Today's unnecessary arrest is politically motivated and is a direct attack on our opposition actions," concludes the PSD reaction.

Kosovo’s opposition parties react to Molliqaj’s arrest (media)

Lumir Abdixhiku, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) called the arrest of PSD leader Dardan Molliqaj a pure political revenge and as such considers unacceptable and against democracy.

"Kurti and his government must not use police power for political threats and arrests; especially when they have as an alternative the normal and human pursuit of procedural paths according to the already known rules. I call on law enforcement agencies to maintain their professional and independent integrity and not to become part of this political theater of a paranoid government," Abdixhiku wrote on Facebook.

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj also commented Molliqaj’s arrest.

"Kosovo Police and the Prosecution have the procedures provided for these cases if there is a violation of the law, I think they could not arrest him, but they could have sent an invitation. The issue of arrest is a bit strange to me. The cause of the protest was quite right, for the increase of the price of electricity," Haradinaj said.

Behgjet Pacolli, leader of the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) said that Dardan Molliqaj’s arrest is unfair and unnecessary for the democratic state built so far. “Such arrests are not seen in a democracy. This is bad news for Kosovo democracy," Pacolli wrote.

He said that he always shows solidarity with the Kosovo Police, but not with "its politicization". "I am convinced that if Mollqaj had been invited, he would have shown up himself," he said.

Szunyog: Financial sustainability, problem for domestic violence survivors (Kallxo)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said many women in Kosovo cannot report domestic violence as they remain financially dependent on their partners.

"Survivors will not have the possibility to start a new life if they are not financially sustainable. In Kosovo, the economic empowerment of women in still a challenge," he said at a conference organised jointly by the EU and OSCE on long term solutions for victims of gender-based violence.

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who were also in attendance, said there has been an increase of cases of domestic violence in Kosovo and underlined that economic empowerment of women remains a challenge.

Pupovci: No salaries this month for Serb officials paid without working (Telegrafi)

Telegrafi quotes Hykmete Bajrami, MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), saying in the meeting of the Kosovo Assembly's committee for oversight of public finances that Kosovo spent €135,000 for salaries of 32 Serb officials, former members of the Civil Protection, who in fact did not work at all.

Kosovo's Deputy Minister of Education, Dukagjin Pupovci, said that these officials, registered as employees of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, will not be paid next month. "We had a lot of difficulties, we initially tried to contact everyone by phone, but only three answered the phone numbers they left. For the vast majority we do not even have contact information," he said.

"One action we have taken is that this month their salaries will be cut to zero in order to make them reach out to us," Pupovci said, adding that once contact is established "we will look into how to manage their situation."

Kosovo: Daring to think about the Future of Europe (EWB)

Kosovo does not enjoy the equal EU perspective in comparison with other countries in the Western Balkans. While the neighbouring countries discuss about different stages of the EU integration process, Kosovo remains in search for visa liberalization. Nonetheless, the approval and support for the EU and integration process remains among the highest in the region, thus showing persistence to continue the reforms and complete the democratization process under the structured EU conditionality.

In addition to the multi-tiered challenges which are related to the lack of EU perspective, in the past two years, Kosovo has dealt with multiple political crisis which halted the EU related reforms. The change of four governments in the timespan of three years has had an impact on all relevant segments of life in the country.

This vacuum was further amplified with the COVID-19 pandemic which impacted the pace of commitments and dedication in delivering on the reforms on both – the Kosovo and the EU side. During this period, managing the pandemic with an underdeveloped healthcare system and securing vaccines took an immense amount of energy and dedication. Whereas the impact of the pandemic seriously challenged the already weak economy of Kosovo.

Just before the most unprecedented crisis of Covid-19 pandemic which shook the EU and the regions closely linked to the EU, the Conference on Future of Europe has been launched across the EU. It was heralded as one of the most important ongoing debates to shape the future of Europe. The debate left the Western Balkans formally excluded. This – of course – has been considered symbolically a very discouraging message for the region which aspired to be part of the EU, although does not enjoy the privilege of having a say in shaping the future of Europe.

The reaction to this has been lukewarm, the political elite did not engage actively in sending strong messages to the EU showing political will to be included in the Conference. Reactions predominantly came from the civil society organizations which have actively advocated to be included in the process. Being left out, had a detrimental impact in Kosovo – which has been long taught by the EU on the importance of inclusiveness in decision making.

Kosovo has been introduced with the EU practices of public consultation, has been conditioned to follow strictly all EU practices in the process of policy making, has been invited to have a say on how the future of Europe (not of the EU) should look like. Thus, the practices pushed by the EU using the top-down approach through conditionality gradually started to fade out.

Not included by the EU and neglected by the Government of Kosovo, which has done minimal efforts to advocate for inclusion – similarly to other countries in the region – left the process in the hands of civil society initiatives to gather inputs through track two initiatives. Thus, this initiative support by the European Funds for the Balkans (EFB) has one aim, amplifying the voices of youth across the region, gather inputs on the vision of the youth for the future of Europe.