UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 21, 2022

Chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia to meet today (media)
Hoti: Declaration, not agreement, on missing persons expected (Klan)
Rama vows to submit resolution to Council of Europe about Marty's claims (media)
Kurti does not visit detainees in The Hague, but meets with their lawyers (RTK)
Prime Minister Kurti met with Ukrainian journalists housed in Kosovo (media)
RTK Board selects broadcaster’s new general director (media)
Albania-Kosovo to temporarily facilitate border crossings (euronews.al)
Critical Voices in the Balkans Still Feel the Heat (BIRN)
Media watchdogs blast EU funds for Balkans 'mouthpieces' (EUobserver)
FactChecker Kosova presents report on fighting misinformation (KP/Telegrafi)

Chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia to meet today (media)

European Union has confirmed that chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic respectively, will be meeting in Brussels today.

European Union foreign policy spokesperson Peter Stano said that the meeting will be hosted by the EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak and “will focus on finalizing a roadmap that will facilitate in implementation of agreements on energy from 2013 and 2015 as well as other issues, including preparations for a next high-level meeting.”

Hoti: Declaration, not agreement, on missing persons expected (Klan)

Andin Hoti, head of Kosovo’s delegation on missing persons, said the issue will be amongst the topics to be discussed in today’s meeting between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels.

He said that a joint declaration is expected to be reached. “It is a declaration, not an agreement, on what we have negotiated since September 2021. If agreed, it will be a document between the two countries, as a final document that will be signed by the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia,” Hoti noted. He added that Serbia is hesitating to agree to certain points of the declaration such as the wording that the missing persons have been forcibly disappeared.

Rama vows to submit resolution to Council of Europe about Marty's claims (media)

Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, said from Pristina that he intends to personally go to Strasbourg and address the Council of Europe concerning allegations contained in the report of former Swiss senator Dick Marty against the KLA leaders, which he said served as the basis of the Specialist Chambers formation.

Rama said Albania was preparing a resolution on the issue, adding that Marty's report was "totally groundless".

Kurti does not visit detainees in The Hague, but meets with their lawyers (RTK)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti did not give a clear answer whether he will visit the former KLA leaders in the Special Court when asked at the joint press conference with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, RTK reports.

“I have assessed that it is more appropriate to meet with the defense lawyers of all KLA fighters who are in detention in The Hague, in a prolonged detention," he said, adding that a year and a half have passed since the former members of the KLA were detained.

"The Speaker of the Assembly met them there and I still have not managed to meet with him, after his visit," said Prime Minister Kurti. "I will not delay this meeting with Konjufca later than tonight."

Otherwise, on Saturday and Sunday, the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca stayed in The Hague where he met with former KLA leaders. He is the highest Kosovo official to visit these detainees.

Prime Minister Kurti met with Ukrainian journalists housed in Kosovo (media)

On World Refugee Day, the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti met with Ukrainian journalists housed in Kosovo.

“Forced to leave Ukraine after the Russian invasion, Lyudmila Makey, Daria Meshcheriakova, Lyudmila Mekh and Serhi Shevchenko now reside in Pristina, as part of the Journalists in Kosovo Residence program. They expressed gratitude for the hospitality and the opportunity to continue the profession of journalism from our country," reads a statement from the Prime Minister's Office.

According to this statement, Kurti reiterated solidarity with the Ukrainian people and the liberation struggle against the military aggression of the Russian Federation and the invasion of Ukraine. He stressed the commitment of the government of Kosovo to contribute to lasting peace, long-term stability and global security.

RTK Board selects broadcaster’s new general director (media)

Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj has been selected as the new general director of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) for a three-year term.

A statement issued by the RTK notes that the assessment and selection process was fully transparent and monitored by civil society and international organizations. Ahmetxhekaj was acting director of RTK since the board dismissed the former director, Ngadhnjim Kastrati, early this year.

The EU Office in Kosovo commended the Board of RTK for "ensuring a professional and transparent selection process" and noted that the EU would continue supporting media freedom and development in Kosovo. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) also welcomed the appointment of Ahmetxhekaj to the post, saying: "He was elected based on his professional skills through a transparent process."

Albania-Kosovo to temporarily facilitate border crossings (euronews.al)

“From June 1 until September 30, every weekend, or state holiday, the citizens of Albania and Kosovo will be allowed to pass the borders without going through registrations at border authorities”.

This was the declaration made by Albania’s Interior Minister Bledi Cuci at the joint meeting of the two governments in Prishtina.

According to him, this agreement will avoid traffic and long line-ups at border crossings.