UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 16, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti says KFOR had a mandate to prevent the incident (media)

U.S. State Department calls for unconditional release of police officers (media)

"We were not in the area", KFOR refers to "arrest" of police officers (media)

Jetish Jashari not allowed to visit the three police officers (Klan)

Blasts near police stations in Mitrovica North and Zvecan, no injuries (RFE)

Government brings details about Kurti’s meet with ambassadors (Reporteri)

Borrell to organize crisis meeting between Kosovo and Serbia next week (media)

Lajcak: We don’t want another Ukraine (media)

Von Cramon: Entry of Serbian forces into Kosovo, illegal (media)

Rohde: I would like to see a government that listens to the allies (Koha)

Escobar to hold press conference today on events in Kosovo and Serbia (media)

Kurti expected to attend Prespa Dialogue Forum today (Gazeta Express/Alsat)

Kosovo media show solidarity with Klan Kosova, place logo on screens (Klan)

RTK vehicle attacked in Zvecan (media)

Study by Marc Weller: What went wrong in the Brussels dialogue (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

KFOR sends team to area where Kosovo Police troopers were arrested (N1)

Vucic thanks UAE president for engagement (N1, Tanjug)

State Dept spokesman says release Kosovo Police officers (N1)

Borrell to call Kosovo crisis-management meeting (media)

Lajcak: Both Serbia and Kosovo say - let the other side work, it doesn't work that way (Beta, N1)

Serbian army was not involved in arrest of Pristina's police officers – MoD (Tanjug)

International Media:

Kurti Says Kosovo Tightened Border Controls After Three Kosovar Police 'Kidnapped' (RFE)

Kosovo tightens controls on its border with Serbia, PM Kurti says (Reuters)

US: Kosovo, Serbia must both take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions (Reuters)

Kosovo tightens border security over claims police were 'kidnapped' (euronews)

Kosovo Tightens Border Security With Serbia Amid Incursion Row (Bloomberg)

Rama: KFOR won’t come up with conclusions, our focus is on release (euronews.al)

‘More oil on the fire’: Serbia-Kosovo heats up again (Politico)

Unrest threatens Kosovo Serbs’ ‘Last Bastion’ (Politico)

Texas guard unit’s training time in Germany prepares them for what may come in Kosovo (stripes.com)

Kosovo Crisis May Affect German Investments, Economic Chamber Warns (BIRN)

US and EU need a new roadmap to solve the Serbia-Kosovo conflict (emerging Europe)

Exhibition in Kosovo Showcases Wartime Civilian Invalids’ Pain (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti says KFOR had a mandate to prevent the incident (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in his address to the Kosovo Assembly on Thursday that he is still “waiting for KFOR to order Serbia to return the kidnapped policemen to Kosovo and to punish this flagrant violation of point 4 of the Kumanovo agreement”.

Kurti said that KFOR cannot be silent about this attack and that it should have been prevented.

Kurti also said he has spoken with the ambassadors of QUINT. “The government will do everything possible to free the three kidnapped policemen. I had phone conversations last night with the American special emissary Gabriel Escobar, with the ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier and I am coming after this meeting, a meeting with all the ambassadors, deputy ambassadors, heads of missions and other diplomats in the Republic of Kosovo where we informed them wide and long for the situation. Now, it has been 30 hours since the kidnapping of the three policemen and we still don’t have the statement of KFOR who was at the scene, I have expressed my protest for this silence, but also the request for an urgent response. At the scene of the incident, traces of shoes heading towards Serbia, cars without license plates and especially plastic handcuffs of the Serbian forces were found. So they not only carried out the kidnapping, but also wanted to leave a trace. This is an aggression with arrogance, their aim was to make it known that they were there at that time,” he said.

Kurti said that such an act by Serbia is an aggression against Kosovo and KFOR. “Two of them [the police officers] had health problems. The operatives were not part of the elite units as Serbia is trying to present. The fact that internationals are mobilizing for their release shows that everyone knows that the abduction took place in our territory, otherwise no one would talk about their release. This is aggression against our republic and KFOR. We will respond to such reprisals with law and order. There is neither going back nor submitting,” he said.

"Regarding the requests made to us by Brussels, I want to say that, first, of course when the mayors of the municipalities are asked to leave their offices, this is done with new elections. We are not against leaving, but against leaving without an election. After the new local elections, other mayors will surely win if the participation is high, there is no doubt that it will not be these mayors, but there will be some others. I was ready, regardless of what they have done against Kosovo and the government, to accept them to compete with the Serbian List, but they refused. The mayors there are constantly trying to have deputy mayors from the communities," Kurti said.

U.S. State Department calls for unconditional release of police officers (media)

The U.S State Department has reacted after the kidnapping of the policemen in the north of Kosovo. “To immediately and unconditionally release the three Kosovo policemen detained by Serbia”, said the U.S. State Department in a statement on Thursday. “We believe that Kosovo and Serbia should take immediate steps to reduce tensions,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.

"We were not in the area", KFOR refers to “arrest” of police officers (media)

KFOR said on Thursday that it was not in the area when the three Kosovar policemen were taken by Serbian forces, referring to the incident as an arrest. In the press release issued to the media, KFOR has indicated that they are in contact with the authorities of Kosovo, Serbia and EULEX.

"The NATO-led KFOR mission was not in the area when three Kosovo Police officers were arrested yesterday by the Serbian Police. KFOR has sent a team to the area and established contacts with the representatives of the institutions in Kosovo and the Serbian authorities. KFOR is also in regular contact with the EU-led mission for the Rule of Law, EULEX", the response states.

Furthermore, KFOR asks the parties to reduce tensions immediately. "We call on both sides to immediately reduce tensions and refrain from unilateral actions that could lead to further escalation. KFOR is monitoring the situation and continues to fully implement its UN mandate – based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. It also continues to provide the necessary security framework to advance the EU-led dialogue on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina," the KFOR statement said.

Jetish Jashari not allowed to visit the three police officers (Klan)

Head of the Liaison Office of Kosovo in Belgrade, Jetish Jashari, has tried to visit the three policemen who were taken by Serbian forces in the north of Kosovo. However, as Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said, he was not allowed to make this visit because, according to Serbian laws, it cannot happen without 48 hours from the moment of their "arrest".

The visit can be carried out when the case goes to the Ministry of Justice and the judiciary. The USA, EU and international organizations have also been informed about the case.

Blasts near police stations in Mitrovica North and Zvecan, no injuries (RFE)

Kosovo Police spokesperson Veton Elshani told Radio Free Europe that on Thursday night blasts were heard near police stations in Mitrovica North and Zvecan. According to police the blasts came from shock bombs and no injuries were reported.

Government brings details about Kurti's meet with the ambassadors (Reporteri)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti and First Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, invited on Thursday the ambassadors, charge d'affaires, heads of diplomatic missions and deputy ambassadors accredited to Kosovo for an informative meeting.

“The central topic of the conversation and discussion was the security situation in the north of the country after yesterday's Serbian aggression against the Republic of Kosovo. The Prime Minister informed them about the meeting of the Security Council of Kosovo, which was held this morning, and about the security measures that the country's institutions have undertaken, as well as shared with them the evidence documenting that we are dealing with Serbia's aggression towards Kosovo and that the kidnapping of the Kosovo Police officers had taken place deep within the territory of Kosovo. The Prime Minister said that this act is a violation of the constitution, legal order, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo. He reiterated his request for an urgent and punitive reaction of international factors to this act of aggression against Kosovo, as he also repeated the request for the immediate release of the three policemen whose families Prime Minister Kurti visited today,” a press release issued by Kurti’s office notes.

Borrell to organize crisis meeting between Kosovo and Serbia next week (media)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Thursday that he will invite the representatives of Kosovo and Serbia next week in Brussels, in an urgent meeting for crisis management. He made this statement before a meeting with NATO ministers.

“Cooperation between the European Union and NATO goes beyond Ukraine. For example, in Kosovo in recent days it was seen how important this cooperation is and I would like to thank KFOR and the commander of KFOR for the work they are doing in the north of Kosovo”, Borrell said. “You know that there was an incident with the arrest of three policemen from Kosovo and we are trying to understand what exactly happened. We are in close contact with the KFOR command and with both sides, in order to see what exactly happened that led to this arrest. In the meantime, I have to call for calm on the ground, and seeing the situation deteriorating every day, we are – again – in crisis management mode. I will call the two parties – Kosovo and Serbia – for a crisis management meeting here in Brussels next week.”

Lajcak: We don’t want another Ukraine (media)

EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak, said in an interview for Euronews Albania that they do not want another Ukraine, referring to the war there, while emphasizing that they are working intensively to calm the situation in Kosovo.

“Let’s wait for NATO to tell us what happened and where it happened. We want to clarify the facts. We don’t want to make decisions without knowing all the facts. We are doing everything to prevent another Ukraine from happening, on the contrary. For this reason, we are promoting the normalization process. Normalization is the opposite of Ukraine. And why are we calling for de-escalation? Because we don’t want people on the street. We don’t want violence. We want normalization! We are waiting for information from KFOR,” Lajcak said.

Von Cramon: Entry of Serbian forces into Kosovo, illegal (media)

European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, said on Thursday that it is illegal for the Serbian forces to enter the territory of Kosovo, arrest the three border policemen as war criminals and send them to Belgrade.

“What do autocrats do when they are under pressure domestically? They look for ways and means to divert attention from the problems at home. A classic case of this seems to be yesterday's incident in the border area between Kosovo and Serbia. But presumably on foot in the 1000m corridor to the Serbian border. Even if this operation is legally subject to notification, it is unlawful to enter Kosovar territory with special Serbian police forces and tie up police officers like war criminals, take them to Belgrade. Preparing to become a member of the EU, Serbia should follow Rule of Law, respect international law, honour agreements and release the policemen ASAP. In the course of a further de-escalation, the unilateral import ban from Serbia imposed by Kosovo must also be lifted,” Von Cramon tweeted.

Rohde: I would like to see a government that listens to the allies (Koha)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has expressed dissatisfaction with the government of Kosovo and the non-fulfillment of the demands of the allies to de-escalate the situation. The German ambassador asked Prime Minister Kurti to listen to the international partners. "I would like to see a government that listens to its closest allies and unfortunately that has not happened in the past weeks. During very, very serious developments, we need an urgent solution and we don't need to talk about each other, but with each other", he said.

Rohde is also quoted as saying on the front page of Koha Ditore that the case of the three police officers is another escalation and that statesmen like behavior is needed from both parties.

Escobar to hold press conference today on events in Kosovo and Serbia (media)

U.S. Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will hold an online press conference today about the latest developments in Kosovo and Serbia. The briefing is scheduled to start at 15:00.

Kurti expected to attend Prespa Dialogue Forum today (Gazeta Express/Alsat)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is expected to attend the Prespa Dialogue Forum in North Macedonia today. According to Alsat, the information has been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia. It also quotes Montenegro Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic as saying that he will discuss with Kurti the situation in Kosovo and to find a solution to the situation as soon as possible.

Kosovo media show solidarity with Klan Kosova, place logo on screens (Klan)

TV Dukagjini, T7 and First Channel have expressed solidarity with Klan Kosova TV station after the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s decision to suspend its business certificate. The TV stations have placed the Klan Kosova logo on their screens. Other media such as RTV21 and Infokus news website have also expressed their solidarity. Many reporters in Kosovo have shown support for Klan Kosova too. The ministry’s decision meanwhile has been condemned by both local and international organisations that protect the freedom of speech and free media.

RTK vehicle attacked in Zvecan (media)

While the RTK team was reporting from Zvecan, their car was attacked and damaged, breaking the windows and flattening the tires. The same team was also hindered in the morning by the protestors, who created difficulties for them during reporting.

"While we were previously reporting on the situation in the municipality of Zvecan, some people threw stones at the RTK vehicle, which was parked a little further from the municipal facility," said journalist Arbëreshe Berisha, adding that the windows of the RTK car were broken and the tires of the car were also flattened.

"Fortunately, none of the team was in the car at those moments," she announced, while adding that "a group of protesters were observing the movements of our team."

Study by Marc Weller: What went wrong in the Brussels dialogue (Koha)

Study by Professor Dr jur, Dr phil Marc Weller, MA, MALD, PhD, CIArb. The author is Professor of International Law and International Constitutional Studies in the University of Cambridge. He has advised on dozens of international peace negotiations and constitutional processes, is the author, editor or co-editor of some 25 books in this area, including co-editor of International Law and Peace-settlements (Cambridge University Press, 2021), and has served as occasional advisor to the governments of Kosovo since 1992, starting with President Ibrahim Rugova.

The study analyzes the reasons for the present deadlock in the Brussels negotiations on normalization between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. It demonstrates that the dialogue is being conducted by the present EU Facilitator in a highly unbalanced way, to the point of risking its continuation. Having accommodated Serbia’s refusal to sign the Brussels Basic Agreement of 27 February, the process appears to focus only on issues the Republic of Serbia is willing to discuss, and which require sacrifices on the part of the Republic of Kosovo alone. The entire process, including the German-French Initiative of a Basic Agreement, appears to have been transformed into a machinery to press Kosovo into compliance with the demands of Serbia, while ignoring entirely the intended balance of obligations in the Brussels Basic Agreement. This fact is compounded by a loss of faith in the EU Facilitation and its erratic, unbalanced and at times unprofessional approach throughout.

Summary:

The Facilitation has not acted in a way that is neutral in its approach to the sides. Its overall aim is to entice Serbia into Europe, especially in view of the crisis triggered by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Hence, the focus is on attracting acceptance by the Republic of Serbia. This means ignoring the interests and inputs of the Republic of Kosovo which, it is thought, can be pressed into accepting whatever outcome emerges as being acceptable for Serbia.

For instance, the Annex to the Basic Agreement was fundamentally changed to the detriment of Kosovo just hours before the Ohrid negotiations of March, in an evident attempt to accommodate Serbia. Despite these major concessions, Serbia still frustrated the process, refusing to sign any outcome, whatever its contents. Nevertheless, even then, the EU decided to proceed as if the agreement had been signed by the sides.

This means that Kosovo lost the key benefit that it expected from the Brussels Basic agreement: a clear acknowledgement by Serbia of mutual relations conducted on the basis of United Nations principles, including non-use of force, sovereign equality and territorial integrity, in legally binding form. This change in the balance of obligations expected from the Basic Agreement has not been addressed in any way.

While maintaining that the Basic Agreement is in fact binding on the sides after all, the Facilitation has effectively acted in accordance with Belgrade’s claim to be able to pick and choose which of the obligations contained in the Agreement, if any, it may or may not implement. This is the antithesis of a treaty relationship which requires equal implementation of all provisions on the basis of a balance of interests between the sides.

The process now exclusively focuses on addressing the issue of implementing Article 7 of the Basic Agreement concerning cooperation of ethnic Serb majority municipalities in self-management in relation to service delivery. This is the one issue of interest to Serbia, and the one issue where Kosovo is now expected to give all, unilaterally and in advance.

In fact, the proposed format even for this discussion only addresses one aspect of Article 7 and ignores the other of interest to Kosovo, concerning support for the parallel structures of governance by Serbia. It also ignores the framing of the issue in Article 7.

The Facilitator has gone back on his own firm assurances, formally and repeatedly made, and the assurances given earlier by the EU, on the criteria for the mechanism to implement Article 7. In another context this would be considered a breach of faith.

The Facilitator claims absolute powers to shape the result of these discussions, whether Kosovo agrees in the end or not. This cannot be accepted on an issue falling withing Kosovo’s sovereign jurisdiction.

There is no firm implementation plan balancing the concessions expected on the part of Kosovo with counterveiling concessions on the part of its negotiating partner. Kosovo alone is meant to deliver. Initial violations of the Basic Agreement by Serbia have been left unaddressed by the Facilitator.

There is no prospect of advancing recognition-centred, full, final and comprehensive normalization in a legally binding way as is required by Article 6 of the Basic Agreement.

Read full text at: https://t.ly/aEgQ

Serbian Language Media

KFOR sends team to area where Kosovo Police troopers were arrested (N1)

KFOR said on Thursday that its personnel were not in the area where three Kosovo Police troopers were arrested by the Serbian Police, reported N1 last night.

“The NATO-led KFOR mission was not in the area when three Kosovo Police officers were arrested by the Serbian Police yesterday. KFOR has sent a team to the area and established contacts with representatives of the Institutions in Kosovo and of the Serbian authorities. KFOR is also in regular contact with the EU-led Rule of Law Mission, EULEX,” a press release said.

It called on both parties to immediately reduce tensions and refrain from unilateral actions that could lead to further escalation.

“KFOR is monitoring the situation and continues to fully implement its UN mandate – based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities in Kosovo. It also continues to provide the necessary security framework to move the EU-led dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina forward,” the ress release said.

Vucic thanks UAE president for engagement (N1, Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that he discussed developments in Kosovo with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan.

“I discussed current events in Kosovo with Sheikh Mohamed and thanked him for his personal engagement on the peaceful resolution of all open questions,” Vucic wrote in an Instagram post. “Thank you, dear friend Mohamed, bin Zayed for the huge support to Serbia and our people and encouragement in setting ever higher goals which were once unattainable for our country,” he said.

Vucic added that the partnership and friendship between Serbia and the UAE is based on mutual respect and understanding.

State Dept spokesman says release Kosovo Police officers (N1)

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday that Washington expects Belgrade and Pristina to ease tensions in the north of Kosovo.

“We believe that Kosovo and Serbia must both take steps to de-escalate tensions,” Miller told a press briefing.

He added that this includes “the unconditional release of the three recently detained Kosovo Police officers”.

Borrell to call Kosovo crisis-management meeting (media)

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said on Thursday that he would invite top officials from Belgrade and Pristina to a crisis-management meeting in Brussels next week.

Borrell said that the situation in the north of Kosovo is deteriorating every day. “We are again in crisis management mode….I will call the two sides – Kosovo and Serbia – for a crisis management meeting here in Brussels next week,” the EU’s top diplomat said after a meeting at NATO headquarters with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Borrell said that the European Commission is in close contact with the KFOR command and with both parties following the arrest of three Kosovo Police troopers by the Serbian police “to see what really happened there that led to this arrest”. He called for calm on the ground in the meantime.

Lajcak: Both Serbia and Kosovo say - let the other side work, it doesn't work that way (Beta, N1)

The EU envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said that the parties do not trust each other on the way to the normalization of relations.

"Both sides are telling us: Let the other side do what you want, and we promise to do our part. But that's not how it works. Our philosophy is that you have to do something in order to get something, step by step, building trust," said Lajcak at the "Prespa Forum for Dialogue" in Struga, North Macedonia.

He added that there must be reconciliation, dialogue, courage, and vision for the process to move forward, RFE reported.

"The best thing that can happen to the peace accords is to implement them as soon as possible," he added.

Serbian army was not involved in arrest of Pristina's police officers – MoD (Tanjug)

The Serbian Ministry of Defence said on Thursday the Serbian Armed Forces had in no way been involved in an arrest of three officers of Kosovo Police in central Serbia on Wednesday, reported agency Tanjug, citing the statement.

In a statement, the ministry said insinuations by Pristina's PM that the Serbian Armed Forces had been involved in a "kidnapping" of the three inside the territory of Kosovo-Metohija were just a continuation of a campaign of lies, manipulations and the Pristina authorities' unlawful violence against Serbs in the province.

"The Serbian Armed Forces are performing tasks on controlling the Ground Safety Zone and securing the administrative line with Kosovo-Metohija while fully complying with UNSCR 1244, the Military Technical Agreement and all other signed agreements. In carrying out the tasks, the Serbian Armed Forces are cooperating closely with other security forces of the Republic of Serbia and with Kfor, with which they maintain professional contact at all levels with a view to monitoring the situation on the ground and maintaining a safe and secure environment," the ministry said.

The ministry also said that, under an agreement on interim operating procedures for cooperation and coordination along both sides of the administrative line, Serbian forces were authorised to deploy inside the Ground Safety Zone and that it had been agreed that the parties to the agreement would "prevent illegal crossings of the administrative line."

The agreements in force do not recognise forces other than KFOR, the Serbian Armed Forces and the Serbian police, which means that presence of other armed persons or formations in the vicinity of the administrative line is impermissible, the ministry also said.

International Media

Kurti Says Kosovo Tightened Border Controls After Three Kosovar Police 'Kidnapped' (RFE)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on June 15 that Kosovo was still allowing Serb vehicles to cross its border but only after tightened controls following what Pristina said was the "kidnapping" of three of its police officers by Serbian forces in the predominantly ethnic Serb northern part of Kosovo -- a region where tensions have been running high for weeks over the installation of ethnic Albanian mayors.

"For security reasons, as an immediate and necessary step, border controls with Serbia have been tightened, limiting traffic and increasing controls on vehicles coming from Serbia, especially road freight vehicles," Kurti told a news conference in Pristina.

Kosovar police said on June 14 that the three officers went missing during a patrol aimed at preventing the illegal use of roads for smuggling.