Albanian Language Media:

•    Borrell submits report on possibility of lifting measures against Kosovo (RTK)
•    Bislimi meets Lajcak, discuss way forward for agreement implementation (media)
•    Lajcak: Implementation of agreement on normalization must be accelerated (RFE)
•    Osmani did not meet Lajcak due to different agendas (Telegrafi)
•    Meeting between Kurti and Lajcak in Pristina does not take place (media)
•    Kurti, Arbel discuss strengthening economic cooperation (media)
•    Israel removes visas for Kosovars (RTK)
•    Maqedonci: Radoicic’s group is still organized; “poses threat to Kosovo” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

•    Vucic to meet Lajcak today (Kosovo Online, media)
•    Lajcak met KFOR commander: Decisions about the bridge in Mitrovica should be made in Brussels (KoSSev, N1, NMagazin)
•    Rasic: The silent surrender of Kosovo, especially of the Kosovo Serbs, continues (N1, NMagazin)
•    Serbian List: Rasic tells lies about Vucic and our party (Kosovo Online)
•    Festival "Mirdita, Dobar dan" – Aims for dialogue, accompanied by disagreements (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media

Borrell submits report on possibility of lifting measures against Kosovo (RTK)

EU High Representative Josep Borrell submitted to EU member states his report on the possibility of lifting the measures in Kosovo, EU spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed on Tuesday. It remains unknown if Borrell has recommended the lifting of measures. Ambassadors of EU member states will discuss the report today.

Bislimi meets Lajcak, discuss way forward for agreement implementation (media)

Kosovo’s Principal Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi met on Tuesday in Pristina with EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak. They discussed the way forward for the implementation of the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Implementation Annex. A press release issued by the government quotes Bislimi as saying that Kosovo remains a constructive party in the dialogue and committed to the full normalization of relations and mutual recognition. Bislimi outlined the importance of signing and full implementation of agreements through a sequenced, balanced, and equal plan for the parties. He also argued that Serbia has continuously violated most articles of the agreement, especially Article 4 when it voted and lobbied against Kosovo’s membership in international organizations.

Lajcak: Implementation of agreement on normalization must be accelerated (RFE)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said on Tuesday in Pristina that Kosovo and Serbia need to move forward on the implementation of the Agreement on normalization of relations reached in February last year. He said that the EU penalty measures against Kosovo must be removed and that the bridge over Iber River in the north of Kosovo should be opened in a way that does not escalate the situation.

After meeting Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, Lajcak said that “there is an agreement, and we need to accelerate its implementation. This was the first topic we discussed with Bislimi and the second point was the EU plan for Economic Growth of the Western Balkans”. Lajcak said that a condition for Kosovo and Serbia to have access to the funds is to constructively engage in the Brussels dialogue.

Osmani did not meet Lajcak due to different agendas (Telegrafi)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani’s adviser, Bekim Kupina, announced that the meeting of the President with EU emissary for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, will not take place due to the inconsistency of the predetermined agenda. “President Osmani does not have a meeting with Mr. Lajcak, the reason being the non-compliance with the President’s predetermined agenda,” he said.

Meeting between Kurti and Lajcak in Pristina does not take place (media)

Reporteri news website reported on Tuesday that the meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, did not take place. The news website tried to contact the Kosovo government spokesperson for comment, but he did not respond.

Kurti, Arbel discuss strengthening economic cooperation (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Tuesday in Pristina with the Interior Minister of Israel, Moshe Arbel. As announced, Kurti first welcomed Minister Arbel, especially on the occasion of the agreement which was signed today between Kosovo and Israel for the lifting of the visa regime for citizens of Kosovo.
The importance of further strengthening economic cooperation, growth and promotion of trade exchanges was underlined, for which the Prime Minister invited Israeli companies and investors to research and familiarize themselves with the suitable environment for doing business that Kosovo offers.
Kurti also mentioned the initiative for the renovation of the Jewish Cultural Center in Prizren, a project financed by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

Israel removes visas for Kosovars (RTK)

The news website reported on Tuesday that Kosovars will no longer visas to travel to Israel. The signing of the agreement on the waiver of visas was made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, and the Minister of the Interior of Israel, Moshe Arbel. Israel becomes the 50th country that enables free movement for the people of Kosovo. The agreement will start to be implemented from September 19 of this year. Kosovo and Israel formalized diplomatic relations in February 2021.
Maqedonci: Radoicic’s group is still organized; “poses threat to Kosovo” (media)
Kosovo’s Minister of Defence, Ejup Maqedonci, said in an interview with RTK on Tuesday, that the group led by Milan Radoicic, which carried out the attack against Kosovo Police in the north of Kosovo in September last year, is still organized and poses a threat to Kosovo. He argued that although there is calm and rule of law in the north now, the security situation is still fragile. “There is more order and rule of law. The smuggling routes have been cut off. But I think that the threat remains present because some members of Radoicic’s group, who carried out the terrorist attack, are still at large. These paramilitaries are in the Republic of Serbia, and they remain organized,” he said.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic to meet Lajcak today (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will meet today the European Union's special representative for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and other regional issues of the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajcak.
Vucic and Lajcak will meet at 6 pm, and after the conversation, a press release will be sent to the media.
Lajcak was supposed to meet with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in Pristina yesterday, but that meeting did not take place. Although planned for yesterday at 4:45 p.m., the meeting was missed, and the Kosovo president's media adviser, Bekim Kupina, stated that the reason was "disagreement with the predetermined agenda of Vjosa Osmani."
Lajcak's meeting with Kosovo PM Albin Kurti has not been confirmed either.
The only confirmed meeting was with Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, yesterday at 6 p.m.

Lajcak met KFOR commander: Decisions about the bridge in Mitrovica should be made in Brussels (KoSSev, N1, NMagazin)

In addition to talking with Kosovo officials, the EU envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, during yesterday's visit to Pristina, also met with KFOR commander Major General Ozkan Ulutas at the EU Office in Pristina.

"They considered very close cooperation and regular coordination between KFOR and the EU on the ground. They discussed a number of topics of common interest that affect the security and safety environment for all communities throughout Kosovo,'' stated this NATO mission after the meeting.
Both also indicated commitment to continued cooperation for the benefit of security throughout Kosovo and regional stability.
On the other hand, they also touched the issue of the bridge on the Ibar River that divides the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica. This issue has become relevant again, after the announcements of representatives of the Kosovo Police and the authorities in Pristina, that it "will be opened soon".
KFOR maintains a constant presence on the bridge

Just like other representatives of the EU, i.e., the West, Lajcak and Ulutas "reconfirmed that any decision regarding the bridge in Mitrovica should be made within the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which NATO continues to support, including through the efforts of KFOR," the statement of this mission said, emphasising that this is crucial for the safety of all communities.

On the other hand, they underlined that KFOR maintains a permanent presence on the bridge in Mitrovica and conducts regular patrols in the surrounding areas.
From this NATO mission, they say that they continue to implement their mandate in accordance with Resolution 1244 - with the aim of providing security, a safe environment and freedom of movement for everyone. They also remind that they are the third in the response chain after the Kosovo Police and EULEX, with whom they closely cooperate.
Rasic: The silent surrender of Kosovo, especially of the Kosovo Serbs, continues (N1, NMagazin)
Kosovo's Minister for Communities and Return, Nenad Rasic, told N1 that "the silent surrender of Kosovo, especially of the Kosovo Serbs, continues." "I often know to say to such representatives of ours - you don't understand the basic essence, the point, there is as much Serbia in Kosovo as there are Serbs in Kosovo; you want to completely displace the Serbs so that there would be no Serbia, a farce that continues on their part," he says.
N1 recalls that Rasic expressed his willingness to be involved in drafting the statute of the A/CSM. Petar Petkovic says that Rasic does not represent anyone else "except his boss Albin Kurti". Rasic explains that "the fact that he said that international agreements have a force that is legally superior to local laws, which is a statement that he keeps repeating, more for domestic use."

"I was appointed on December 1, 2022, before the appointment I was in talks with PM Kurti, we talked that my involvement in the entire negotiation process would be very significant. As such, we forwarded it to other parties from Brussels and Belgrade. Unfortunately, our proposal was not accepted. Facilitators from Brussels say that both sides should agree on that, obviously the other side most likely did not want to have another representative within that technical dialogue, the only thing left is that we will be sidelined again, we will not be asked about our fates, our lives," said Rasic to N1. He said that every time a journalist asks him if he would be ready, he says - probably reluctantly.

"Who, after 12 years of the negotiation process, would eventually want to enter the entire process and take responsibility, but if there was room, of course, I would have to accept that obligation, to influence the technical pillars of the implementation of a document or an initiative such as the A/CSM. It is obvious that from the very beginning they constantly insisted on this, unfortunately the ruling structure in Belgrade, which completely removed all Serbs from here and did not allow any voice of reason, pragmatically, to apply all those agreements and deals, they should keep it as quiet as possible, that we just disappear, because it bothers them, any critical thought, of course, bothers them, that's why they want to shut down any kind of reasonable behaviour that would be most necessary in our case," he says.
He adds that "all you hear from the Office for KiM are criticisms without a solution."

"You have a mass displacement of Serbs, I guarantee you that the main reason for the displacement is precisely that Serbian List, which does everything it is ordered from Belgrade, the bigots, they passed strong laws in the Assembly of Kosovo that directly or indirectly harm the Serbs, and they talked about how everyone else was bad, and they were God-given to defend the interests of the Serbs. If you asked normal citizens, who unfortunately moved out, they would tell you that they moved out precisely because of nepotism, money laundering, and abuses that are happening precisely on the part of the SL, which prides itself on supposedly defending the interests of Serbs. A farce, a lie, unfortunately, the silent surrender of Kosovo, especially of the Kosovo Serbs, continues, I often know to say, to such representatives of ours - you do not understand the basic essence, the point, there is just as much Serbia in Kosovo as there are Serbs, you want to completely displace the Serbs so that there would be no Serbia, a farce that continues on their part," he told N1 among other things.

Serbian List: Rasic tells lies about Vucic and our party (Kosovo Online)

Serbian List announced that the Minister for Communities and Return in the Kosovo government, Nenad Rasic, is telling lies about Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbian List, because, as they claim, he is aware of the level of corruption in which he participates through his associates.
They said that Rasic, ''Kurti's running back in the Kosovo jersey'' brags, so that he, ‘’without a single Serbian vote, this conceited politician, tells lies about President Vucic and the Serbian List. Because he is aware of the level of corruption in which he participates through his associates," the SL stated.
In a press release, the SL reminds Nenad Rasic that "no Serb considers him to be their representative."
"We remind Nenad Rasic that no Serb considers him to be their representative, nor did he vote for him to be in that position, and that his statements are for the sole purpose of flattering his boss, Albin Kurti, and concealing a direct connection with criminal circles under the baton of his boss, Radoica Radomirovic, in which directly is involved the Minister of Police Xhelal Svecla, who to this day has not established who used drugs in the premises of the municipality of Leposavic, headed by Lulzim Hetemi from Kurti's party, nor has he answered when he will arrest Radoica Radomirovic, who, by his own admission, knows best how to set cars on fire, plant explosives, etc.," the announcement of the SL states among other things.

Festival "Mirdita, Dobar dan" – Aims for dialogue, accompanied by disagreements (Kosovo Online)

Organisers view it as a place for dialogue and a symbol of cooperation and communication between Pristina and Belgrade, while critics see it as a provocation, undermining the constitutional order of Serbia, and a smokescreen for promoting Kosovo's independence. The "Mirdita, Dobar dan" festival has been held for ten years, and certainly, indifference is not a word associated with it.

Read more at: https://t.ly/R-mKU