UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 14, 2023

Govt treating modalities offered by EU for non-majority communities (Koha)
Weller: Crunch-point at Upcoming Ohrid Negotiations on Normalization (Koha)
'We have to normalise relations' with Serbia, Kosovo PM tells Euronews
Kurti visits Kapia: Serbia not implementing 2011 agreement in Brussels (media)
Abbott: This week is important for Kosovo; real steps are being made (Klan)
Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Klan)
Krasniqi expresses ‘reservations’ on European plan to Hovenier (Albanian Post)
Von Cramon: We have no interest in creating a new “Republika Srpska” (RTK)
Wigemark meets Kurti, discuss rule of law and security situation (media)
11 parties say they will not participate in elections in north, but not SL (Klan)
Kosovo and Serbia Backtracking on EU-Brokered Deal (europeanconservative)
Kosovo Seeks Extradition of War Crimes Defendants from Serbia (BIRN)
Share Your Experience: Domestic Violence in Kosovo (BIRN)
Kosovo parliamentary delegation in Taiwan for 1st time ever (TaiwanNews.com)

Govt treating modalities offered by EU for non-majority communities (Koha)

Five days before the meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said his government is treating modalities offered by the European Union for non-majority communities. Kurti told reporters on Monday that there are 15 models that are used in EU countries and that Kosovo needs to see what it can take from them. “They [the models] are being treated by my advisors and by several ministers so that we can see what is more favorable. Certainly, we will never make compromises with regards to the constitutionality, legality, equality, and the functioning of the state,” he said.

Weller: Crunch-point at Upcoming Ohrid Negotiations on Normalization (Koha)

Opinion piece by Mark Weller, Professor of International Law and International Constitutional Studies in the University of Cambridge and the author of Contested Statehood: Kosovo’s Struggle for Independence (Oxford University Press and Koha Press). He was invited by President Ibrahim Rugova to act as an advisor for Kosovo in the Rambouillet negotiations and also served in the Ahtisaari process that led to the declaration of independence.

Article 7, or indeed the entire Basic Agreement, does not mention the term Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities at all, not with one single word. That concept has now been modified by what sounds like the more modest reference to ‘self-management’ for the Serbian community in Kosovo. In the final version of Article 7, the term ‘self-management’ replaces the words ‘self-government’ in the initial proposal for the Basic Agreement, emphasizing the more modest functions that are envisaged.

This coming weekend the high-pressure negotiations on normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia will continue. At the end of February, the parties already accepted the Preamble and 11 substantive Articles of the Basic Agreement as the final text that will no longer be negotiated. However, the next step remains a crucial one: reaching agreement on provisions on implementation of the Articles in an annex which will be considered an integral part of the instrument. The Basic Agreement will only be complete, and ready for formal signature, once that task has been achieved.

It is by now generally understood that this agreement will only represent a step on the ‘path’ to full normalization. It would not yet amount to formal, mutual recognition of the two states. Yet, it would clarify that Serbia and Kosovo would treat each other according to international law, including the principle of sovereign equality of states, the prohibition of threats and uses of force and the obligation to settle all disputes peacefully.

Read full piece at: https://bit.ly/3JE4VUm

'We have to normalise relations' with Serbia, Kosovo PM tells Euronews

Ahead of highly anticipated talks between Serbia and Kosovo on the 18th March in North Macedonia, Euronews reporter Sergio Cantone met with Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti for the latest episode of The Global Conversation.

The European Union expects the former wartime foes to reach a deal on how to normalise their relationship, after both countries endorsed an 11-point plan at the end of February.

But Kurti told Euronews he is sceptical that the agreement will be signed next week: “We were supposed to sign the agreement on the 27th of February. Unfortunately, President of Serbia did not want to, and to this end, this basic treaty which has been proposed by EU 27, is a solid ground to move forward, and we hope to finally achieve it on the 18th of March.”

Background: a long conflict

Kosovo has changed hands throughout history, being absorbed into Yugoslavia after the second world war, however in 1963 it became an autonomous province.

The large Albanian community in Kosovo repeatedly resisted incorporation into Serbia and Yugoslavia, given their status as a large non-Slav minority in the “land of the Slavs”, so in 1974, Yugoslavia granted six republics, including Kosovo, theoretical autonomy.

However, throughout the 1980s, tensions grew between the Albanian and Serbian communities in the province, with the Albanians favouring greater autonomy for Kosovo, while the Serbs favoured closer ties with the rest of Serbia.

In 1989, Slobodan Milosevic, then head of the Serbian community party’s central community, reimposed Serbian rule in Kosovo, prompting strikes and violence.

Read more at: http://bit.ly/3JeNLLv

Kurti visits Kapia: Serbia not implementing 2011 agreement in Brussels (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited on Monday the border crossing that connects the municipality of Kamenica with Medvegja. As Kurti writes on the social network Facebook, the gate in Kapia, requires implementation, as he emphasizes that Serbia is the one that is not respecting the 2011 agreement in Brussels.

"Kapia wants implementation. On December 2, 2011, the Brussels Agreement for Integrated Border Management was signed, which is still not implemented by Serbia," he wrote.

"On the other side of the border, Serbia refuses to build a similar police booth for the official crossing of citizens. In the middle of the road they have placed a barricade with stumps. And, on both sides of the border is the same village Svirce. This border without a crossing also divided the members of the same families who are forced to travel over 15 km away to Mutivoda to cross to the other side. Kapia wants implementation, the gate must be opened," he added.

Abbott: This week is important for Kosovo; real steps are being made (Klan)

British Ambassador to Kosovo Nicholas Abbott took to Facebook to write that this week is important for Kosovo, as according to him, real steps are expected to be reached for the relationship between Kosovo and Serbia.

“This week is an important one for Kosovo. A real step towards a normalization of relations and mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia is within reach. This agreement will bring some practical benefits and some political ones. The government wants to achieve a realistic implementation timetable and I welcome that some opposition parties are providing helpful support. Now is the time to get behind an agreement and its implementation to secure an agreement that works for Kosovo. We believe it does,” Abbott wrote.

Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Klan)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Monday the U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier and discussed the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. They also discussed the continued coordination between Kosovo and U.S. institutions.

Krasniqi expresses 'reservations' on European plan to Hovenier (Albanian Post)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasnqi met with the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Jeffrey Hovenier. Krasniqi reiterated the position of the party he leads regarding the reservations they have for the European plan, now accepted by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti.

“Further, the leader of the PDK emphasized that the agreement accepted by Prime Minister Kurti is insufficient and considered it as "a lost opportunity to reach a final, comprehensive agreement with mutual recognition at the center."

"Despite the support that the PDK has given Prime Minister Kurti for two years in a row in the dialogue process and in relation to Serbia, through mistakes and rebellious actions and in disagreement with the political context, has failed to achieve the fulfillment of the state goals of the Republic of Kosovo," he added.

Krasniqi also thanked Hovenier for the visit and for the continuous support of the USA for Kosovo, and underlined that "I assured him that PDK will always act in accordance with the state and citizen interest of Kosovo."

Von Cramon: We have no interest in creating a new “Republika Srpska” (RTK)

European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, in an interview with RTK on Monday said that she “hopes to see signatures” at the upcoming meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on March 18 in Ohrid. “This would be an agreement and a very great step forward for both countries, especially for Kosovo within the European Union,” she said.

Von Cramon said that the agreement is not only about the EU proposal but also for the annex agreement. “If the annex is signed, then it is highly likely that the agreement will be signed and I believe there are real chances for this to happen during the meeting in Ohrid,” she added.

Asked to comment on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, Von Cramon said that the EU would not allow a new “Republika Srpska”. “There are different modalities in the EU and none of them is similar to ‘Republika Srpska’ because we have no interest whatsoever to create a second body such as ‘Republika Srspka’ and this is true. What we have offered to parties in Kosovo is something which cannot lead to partition,” she argued.

Wigemark meets Kurti, discuss rule of law and security situation (media)

Head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, said after meeting Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Monday, that they discussed the rule of law and security situation. “The fight against high level corruption and organized crime remains a top priority for the Kosovo government and EULEX will continue to support reforms and monitor the judiciary,” Wigemark tweeted.

11 parties say they will not participate in elections in north, but not SL (Klan)

Spokesperson for Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) Valmir Elezi has confirmed that the deadline for the certification of political entities has ended on Monday.

"Relying on the deadlines set by the Central Election Commission, starting from March 9 and until today, March 13, the registered political parties were able to notify the CEC that they do not wish to participate in the April 23 elections in these municipalities," Elezi said.

"Within this deadline, the Central Election Commission has accepted declarations of non-participation in the elections from 11 political parties: the Democratic Party of the Diaspora, the New Democratic Initiative of Kosovo, Pokret za Gora, the Social Democratic Union, Fjala, the Party of Ashkali for Integration, Kosovaki Nevi, The Romani Party, the Democratic Party of Unity, the United Goran Party and the Kosovo Democratic Turk Party and the Ballist Party," he said.

Meanwhile, five parties have confirmed that they will be part of the elections with candidacy, of which PDK and LVV will participate.

"Within this deadline, we received the confirmation notification from all certified political entities: Mitrovica Civic Initiative, Democratic Party of Kosovo, Kosovskih Srba Party, Sladjana Pantovic (independent candidate) and Vetevendosje Movement," Elezi said.

Kosovo and Serbia Backtracking on EU-Brokered Deal (europeanconservative)

Serbia-Kosovo relations are breaking down once again, as both leaders back-track on their endorsement of the EU-sponsored deal from February. With further talks due on Saturday, March 18th, it appears the EU is still powerless to break the long-running diplomatic deadlock, in spite of both countries’ desire to join the bloc.

The majority-Albanian Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Since then, Serbia has not only refused to recognise Kosovo, it also systematically campaigns against both Kosovo’s recognition by other countries and its membership in international organisations. However, the EU has made the end of this standoff a precondition for Serbian and Kosovar membership the likes of which Serbian national-conservatives called “blackmail” while speaking to the European Conservative.

The breakthrough that appeared to loom at the end of February, in which Serbia would de facto recognise Kosovo’s independence in exchange for political rights for Kosovo’s Serbian minority, now looks unlikely.