Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti on Europe Day: Kosovo should join  EU to contribute even more (media)
• Kastrati: Kosovo expected to have 1.5 million residents (KTV)
• Rohde: Kurti was aware of our positions on the Association (media)
• Reuten: Kosovo deserves to become a member of the Council of Europe (media)
• UK Ambassador to OSCE calls for establishment of Association (Klan)
• Knaus: The text is next week. Will Germany fail it? (media)
• Serwer: Farewell to failure (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Europe Day marked in Belgrade (Tanjug, media)
• Serbia marks WWII Victory Day (Tanjug)
• Lajcak met Guterres, discussed situation in Western Balkans (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Djuric: Strengthening ties with US among Serbia's foreign policy priorities (media)
• Djuric thanks his Cypriot counterpart for consistent stance on Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)
• Brnabic: Xi's visit additional impetus to relations with China (media)
• FSS: Serbia and Albania jointly applied to host European Championship for junior football players (Kosovo Online, B92)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti on Europe Day: Kosovo should join EU to contribute even more (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Thursday on the occasion of Europe Day that Kosovo should be part of the European family and that its progress should be based on merits. He argued that Kosovo has continuously demonstrated its readiness to contribute to the defense of democracy. “The Republic of Kosovo not only joins calls and the mission to defend democracy across Europe, but also continuously demonstrates its readiness to contribute to this, both by aligning its foreign policy with that of the European Union and also by supporting all measures taken against Russia’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine,” he said in a Facebook post. “In order to contribute even more, Kosovo needs to be part of the European family … With the EU focusing back on engagement after many years, Kosovo has applied for membership in the European Union. Our country’s advancement on the path toward the EU would be a positive signal for democratic values,” he said.

Kastrati: Kosovo expected to have 1.5 million resident (KTV)

Acting executive director of the Kosovo Agency for Statistics, Avni Kastrati, said in an interview with the TV station on Thursday that after the completion of the population census Kosovo is expected to have 1.5 million residents without including the diaspora. He said that until May 9, around 1.3 million residents have registered. “We have another week left until May 17,” he said. 

Kastrati said that since 2012, Kosovo is expected to have 200,000 fewer residents and that this is mainly due to emigration. 

Rohde: Kurti was aware of our positions on the Association (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said in an interview with Kallxo on Thursday that he did not expect Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti would be surprised with the position of Germany and France that Kosovo should send the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities to the Constitutional Court as a condition for joining the Council of Europe. He argued that Kurti was aware that for Germany and France this was the only step to secure the required majority of votes to join the organization. “I am surprised that he was surprised. Because Prime Minister Kurti spoke to French President Macron, he spoke to my Chancellor, he also met with my Foreign Minister ten days ago in Berlin, and we had the same message for him: do something about the Association and this will help us to secure a majority,” Rohde said.

Rohde said he hopes Kurti will change his opinion before the meeting of the Committee of Ministers scheduled for May 16-17. “First, will there be a vote? Because we said that a failed vote would be a misfortune. Kosovo has a unique opportunity to become a member soon. And we would like for Kosovo to make the right decision, so I would prefer not to have a decision now if Kosovo does not take the step we are expecting from it,” he said.

Reuten: Kosovo deserves to become a member of the Council of Europe (media)

Dutch member of the European Parliament, Thijs Reuten, said in an interview with TeVe1 on Thursday that Kosovo has met all the requirements to become a member of the Council of Europe and that the conditioning with the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is unfair. “I hope that Kosovo will return on the agenda for next week when the Committee of Ministers meets, because Kosovo has really met the criteria to become a member of the organization. Dora Bakoyannis’ report was supported by the majority of member states in the Council of Europe, and this is why Kosovo must be returned to the agenda,” he argued.

“With disappointment I see that some important member states are now asking for something from Kosovo that was not foreseen earlier. I really think this is an unfair approach. This is why I am calling on these countries to change their position. Kosovo has agreed to work on the establishment of the Association, but this issue should not be included in the process for the Council of Europe,” Reuten said.

UK Ambassador to OSCE calls for establishment of Association (Klan)

UK Ambassador to the OSCE, Neil Holland, during a session on the six-month report on Kosovo, expressed concern over the lack of progress on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia saying that this has a negative implication for stability in the Western Balkans. “While the UK welcomed in December the progress on the energy roadmap and the license plates, many fundamental issues remain unresolved. We encourage both parties to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue and to work on their respective obligations, including the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities,” Holland is quoted as saying.

Knaus: The text is next week. Will Germany fail it? (media)

Several news websites cover a post on X by Gerald Knaus, chairman of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), who writes that the test on Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe and will Germany fail it. “Right now, Germany, France and Italy plan to veto the recommendation by 82 percent of MPs in PACE, which followed the most meritocratic scrutiny by three committees and experts. It would be a diplomatic Waterloo. After this, why trust in the fairness of EU members, whatever the merit?” Knaus argues.

Serwer: Farewell to failure (media)

Several news websites cover an opinion piece by U.S. commentator on the Balkans, Daniel Serwer, who writes that “State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary Escobar and EU Special Representative Lajcak, both with mandates for the Western Balkans during the past three years, are saying their farewells in Washington this week. These are two experienced diplomats who know the Balkans well. They have collaborated without much friction. The biggest visible issue has been American support for “Open Balkans,” a scheme for facilitating trade. The Europeans rightly viewed it as unnecessary and duplicative of their own efforts in what is known as “the Berlin process”.”

But Lajcak and Escobar failed to produce the political normalization between Kosovo and Serbia that they made their top priority.

What went wrong?

Escobar and Lajcak started badly and ended worse. They promised Belgrade that they would prioritize the creation of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities inside Kosovo. They ended without significant progress on that mistaken priority.

Pristina had committed to the Association in a 2013 Brussels agreement. But Escobar and Lajcak neglected to get Belgrade to deliver the quid pro quo. In addition to the Association, the Brussels agreement acknowledges the validity of the Kosovo constitution and justice system in its entire territory, commits the Serbs to participating in Pristina’s governing institutions, and pledges that Kosovo and Serbia will advance to the EU without interfering with each other.

Belgrade has reneged on all those commitments. It has maintained de facto governance over the Serb population in the Serb-majority communities of northern Kosovo. It organized the boycott of municipal elections there. Belgrade also withdrew Serb officials from the police and courts. And Serbia has done everything possible to hinder Kosovo entry into the Council of Europe.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/gkuB4

Serbian Language Media 

Europe Day marked in Belgrade (Tanjug, media)

A solemn reception on the occasion of Europe Day, celebrating peace and unity in Europe was organized in Belgrade yesterday by the EU Delegation to Serbia Head, Emanuele Giaufret in attendance of numerous guests including the Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The solemn reception began with playing of national anthems of Serbia and Europe, after which Ambassador Giaufret and President Vucic addressed the audience.

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, Assembly Speaker Ana Brnabic, ministers Goran Vesic, Ivica Dacic, Tanja Miscevic, Marko Djuric, Maja Popovic, members of the government, MPs, representatives of diplomatic corps, including ambassadors of Italy, France, Egypt, US, representatives of institutions, religious communities and opposition were present in a ceremony.

Serbia marks WWII Victory Day (Tanjug)

Serbia's main state ceremony commemorating 79 years since the WWII victory over fascism was held at the Memorial to the Liberators of Belgrade on Thursday, Tanjug news agency reported.

Led by Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs Nemanja Starovic, Serbian Government ministers and other officials as well as representatives of the Ministry of Defence, the Serbian Armed Forces, the Interior Ministry, the City of Belgrade, an association of war veterans and foreign diplomats laid wreaths at the memorial. The event began with a gathering at the monument to Vuk Karadzic in central Belgrade and continued with a walk of the Immortal Regiment to the Cemetery of the Liberators of Belgrade.

As part of an event organized by the Russian Embassy, wreaths were also laid at a memorial to Red Army soldiers and the Eternal Flame memorial. Serbian Minister of Family Welfare and Demography Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski noted that, regardless of political contexts, no one could break the Serbian-Russian friendship due to inseparable, centuries-long historical ties that would forever remain in the memories of Serbs and Russians.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/puW15

Lajcak met Guterres, discussed situation in Western Balkans (Kosovo Online, social media)

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak met in New York with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, briefed him about his ongoing work and discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Very happy to meet with 🇺🇳 SG @antonioguterres in New York today. I had the opportunity to brief him on my ongoing work, and I'm grateful for his keen interest and deep understanding of the developments in the Western Balkans”, Lajcak wrote in a post on X social media platform.

Djuric: Strengthening ties with US among Serbia's foreign policy priorities (media)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric met with US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Hill on Thursday to outline the foreign policy priorities of the Serbian new government, which he noted included strengthening the cooperation with the US. Djuric said bilateral political, economic and cultural ties had seen a positive transformation in recent years.

"The significant advancement of Serbia-US relations is a direct reflection of Serbia's strengthened global position - first as the regional leader and then also as a trusted partner in the international sphere. We intend to especially step up that policy of creating friendships and partnerships in the coming period", Djuric said.

He said the partnership with the US rested upon not only regular high-level political dialogue but also upon constantly finding new economic and investment opportunities opening up new paths to strengthening the ties between the two peoples.

Djuric thanks his Cypriot counterpart for consistent stance on Kosovo (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric in a first phone conversation with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos thanked him for the consistent stance of Cyprus on Kosovo issue and informed him about the course of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue as well as problems Serbs face in Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reported. Djuric also said Serbia extends full and unreserved support to the efforts of Cyprus to resolve its most important national issue, aiming at preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty. He noted that political relations of Serbia and Cyprus are based on firm and reliable friendship as well as mutual understanding and support on the matters of state and national importance, the portal added. 

Brnabic: Xi's visit additional impetus to relations with China (media)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic told Tanjug on Thursday Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Serbia was an additional impetus to advancement of Serbia-China relations. She said the important topics of the discussions included a joint commission on advanced technologies as well as biotech, artificial intelligence and a potential investment in a train and rail car factory in Serbia.

"It really seems to me that, in every sense, this visit is really an additional impetus to building our relations with the People's Republic of China, on three pillars - politically, economically and technologically", Brnabic noted. She said China was a global political, economic and technological superpower that respected other countries, their sovereignty and their right to independent decision-making.

"Many superpowers do not do that. Unfortunately, there is a trend where those who are politically and economically dominant want to impose their system of decision-making and their way of life on others. They do not respect their sovereignty to make decisions. The People's Republic of China is different in that sense and I think that is a good legacy for the future", Brnabic said. She noted that China was a rising global superpower that respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.

FSS: Serbia and Albania jointly applied to host European Championship for junior football players (Kosovo Online, B92)

Vice President of the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) Branislav Nedimovic confirmed that Serbia and Albania jointly applied to host the European Championship for junior football players, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Belgrade-based B92.

The Football Association of Albania said it submitted candidacy to host final European Championship tournament for junior football players (U21) for 2027 and that they addressed the Football Association of Serbia with intention that the two federations jointly organize the tournament given that Albania does not have enough number of football stadiums that meet highest European standards.

Their current competitors are Belgium and Turkey, the portal also said.