UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, August 16, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Government officials ask Lajcak why EU changed its stance on Iber bridge (Koha)
Patel: USA will do "everything" to protect American soldiers in Kosovo (Albanian Post)
Kearns: It's unfair to punish Kosovo for opening a bridge, ignoring Banjska (Koha)
Kupchan: Kosovo has right to unilaterally open Iber Bridge, but better to resolve issues through dialogue (Kallxo)
MoJ: Serbia's request on Banjska case illegal, we demand international investigation (media)
Serbia demands an explanation from North Macedonia on Ramadani's escape (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

Main bridge: Graffiti and murals created by Serbs and Albanians to cover hate messages have been painted over (Alternativna.com, social media)
Arsenijevic reacts to Osmani’s remarks about EU official (social media)
5.982 requests for conversion of Serbian driver’s licences submitted thus far (Radio Mitrovica Sever)
Former KLA members welcome Ramadani’s escape from detention, one claims he is in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Opinion:

Gazivode, a Lake of Cooperation or Conflict (Kosovo Online)

International Media:

Kosovo and Serbia Trade Blows Over Deadly Banjska Attack Probe (Balkan Insight)
Vedant Patel: U.S. Will “Not Hesitate” To Protect American Troops In Kosovo (The Pavlovic Today)

Albanian Language Media

Government officials ask Lajcak why EU changed its stance on Iber bridge (Koha)

Kosovo’s Minister of Local Government Administration Elbert Krasniqi asked EU emissary Miroslav Lajcak what happened that the EU changed its position from "opening the Bridge without further delays" to "more talks are needed".

"Earlier, he repeatedly stated that the Bridge should be opened for vehicle traffic without further delays, according to the Country Report (CR) between 2018-2022. It is clear that there is a difference in the EU's position on the same issue. So, would it be correct to tell people why this change? What has changed in 2023 from 2022 for the EU to go from 'opening the bridge without further delays' to 'need more talks?'", Krasniqi wrote on Thursday.

Government officials have deepened the controversy with the European mediator of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, regarding the disagreements over the opening of the Central Bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica.

Emissary Lajcak responded to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi regarding the discussions that preceded the government's warning about the opening of the Bridge that divided the city of Mitrovica into the Albanian-inhabited south and the Serb-majority north. In a post late Wednesday on the "X" social network, Lajcak wrote that the claims that the European Union (EU) is against the opening of the Bridge are misleading.

"The EU has repeatedly emphasised that the issue of the Mitrovica Bridge should be discussed in the dialogue facilitated by the EU. Claims that the EU is against the opening of the Bridge or has changed its position are misleading", wrote Lajcak in "X".

Patel: USA will do "everything" to protect American soldiers in Kosovo (Albanian Post)

The deputy spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State (DASH), Vedant Patel, stated in a press conference on Thursday that the United States of America will do "everything necessary" to protect American personnel and soldiers serving within the NATO Force in Kosovo (KFOR), following recent developments in the northern part around the bridge over the river Iber.

Patel made this statement when asked by a Serbian journalist about the latest developments in the northern part of Kosovo: "We certainly will not hesitate to do everything that is needed to ensure that American personnel and our people are protected", he said.

Kearns: It's unfair to punish Kosovo for opening a bridge, ignoring Banjska (Koha)

British MP Alicia Kearns has considered it unfair to punish Kosovo for opening the Iber Bridge and ignoring the Banjska attack at the same time by the European Union. According to her, the dialogue process needs urgent reforms. Kearns, through a post on the "X" platform, said that like the United Kingdom, the EU should make it clear that they support the construction of bridges in Kosovo and not the blocking of roads and separation.

"Horrified to see that the EU threatens Kosovo with further measures if the Iber Bridge is reopened. The new UK government and the new EU team must make it clear that they support building bridges in Kosovo, not roadblocks and separation. The EU has yet to take any meaningful action against Serbia, despite ample evidence linking Milan Radoicic and the Banjska attackers to the Serbian state. Punishing Kosovo for opening a bridge, while ignoring Banjska, shows that the process itself is deeply unfair and needs urgent reforms", she wrote.

Kupchan: Kosovo has right to unilaterally open Iber Bridge, but better to resolve issues through dialogue (Kallxo)

Charles Kupchan, former director of European affairs at the U.S. National Security Council, said that Kosovo has the right to unilaterally open the Iber Bridge. However, the professor of International Relations at Georgetown University in Washington, said that if Kosovo wants to normalise relations with Serbia, it is better to solve this issue at the Brussels table.

"Even though Kosovo has the right to exercise sovereignty and unilaterally open the Iber River bridge, Pristina, as it ultimately aims to normalise relations with Belgrade, it is better to act through the dialogue process" - Kupchan told the news website.

Kupchan said that Kosovo and Serbia face a difficult and long dispute that needs to be resolved.

"In a dispute of this type, unilateral actions tend to backfire and hinder progress, not improve the situation," added Kupchan.

MoJ: Serbia's request on Banjska case illegal, we demand international investigation (media)

The Deputy Minister of Justice, Vigan Qorrolli commented on Kosovo's refusal to provide Serbia with information on the Banjska case.

"Serbia's request is legally meaningless and contrary to all the legal and constitutional basis of Kosovo, especially with the Law on international legal cooperation in the criminal field. We demand an international investigation to shed light on the issues that happened in Banjska...", Qorrolli told RTV21.

Serbia demands an explanation from North Macedonia on Ramadani's escape (Koha)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, has requested an explanation from the state authorities of North Macedonia for the escape of Blerim Ramadani, who was arrested in this country on the basis of an arrest warrant issued at the request of Serbia. Dacic called Ramadan's escape from house arrest "scandalous".

"The escape of terrorist and war criminal Blerim Ramadani from house arrest in North Macedonia is scandalous. How is it possible for someone who was arrested with a valid Serbian, international arrest warrant to escape from house arrest", he said, reported the Serbian MFA. "Or international justice does not apply to Albanian terrorists and war criminals. When they kill Serbs, everything is allowed and forgiven," he added.

Former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Blerim Ramadani - arrested last month by the North Macedonian police - has escaped from house arrest from his relatives' home in North Macedonia.

Serbian Language Media

Main bridge: Graffiti and murals created by Serbs and Albanians to cover hate messages have been painted over (Alternativna.com, social media)

After graffiti on the walls beneath the main Mitrovica bridge on the southern side was painted over, along with other work on the bridge itself in preparation for its reopening, workers began painting over graffiti on the northern side yesterday morning.

Among the graffiti in question were those jointly created by both ethnic Serbs and Albanians, as well as international volunteers. These had originally been done to cover up nationalist and hate-filled messages previously written on the bridge’s pillars.

These particular graffiti works and murals were the subject of two reports by Alternativa: “Mitrovica: When Grey is Painted with Friendship” and “Changing the Walls of Mitrovica.” Both of these artistic efforts on the main bridge took place in 2019. One of the art projects was organised as part of an initiative by the NGOs Local Initiative “Link” and “Futja Ngjyrë” through the “Artivism” project. This initiative gathered over fifteen artists, both Serbs and Albanians, from the northern and southern parts of Mitrovica.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/0uMXy

Arsenijevic reacts to Osmani’s remarks about EU official (social media)

Leader of Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic took it to X platform to react to the statements of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani saying EU’s spokesperson remarks about the main Ibar Bridge were “racist”. Arsenijevic also said Osmani is the first Kosovo president since 2008 without a single Serb or other non-Albanian in her team.

“Ms. Osmani joined her former party colleague, Ms. Gërvalla-Schwarz, with whom, in addition to politics, she shares the same ideology, in accusing EU officials, calling them racists. I remind Ms. Osmani that the EU is the most inclusive international organisation in Europe and one of the most inclusive in the world, which she has now labelled as racist. She said this in her capacity as the President of Kosovo, an institution that, according to its position, should be an example of inclusiveness. However, Mrs. Osmani is at the helm of a monoethnic cabinet and is the first President of Kosovo since 2008 who does not have a single representative of Serbian or other non-majority communities in her team, which clearly reflects her attitude towards racism. A similar example is her former female party colleague who also recently criticised the EU. So, those who are best known for inclusiveness are now being accused of racism by those who pursue an exclusively monoethnic and discriminatory policy towards the Serbian community.

Also, during her mandate, Ms. Osmani often expressed anti-Serb stances, completely ignoring the second largest community in Kosovo - the Serbs. She has not shown the slightest readiness for dialogue or communication with this community. In the end, I have a question for Mrs. Osmani: what does she call her actions towards the Serbian community and her monoethnic cabinet, which is contrary to the spirit and letter of the Constitution of Kosovo?”, Arsenijevic wrote in a post.

5.982 requests for conversion of Serbian driver’s licences submitted thus far (Radio Mitrovica Sever)

Kosovo police said yesterday that a total of 5.982 requests for conversion of Serbia-issued to Kosovo driver’s licences have been submitted in all Serbian areas across Kosovo, Radio Mitrovica Sever reported.

Out of this number 1.449 requests were submitted in Mitrovica North, 1.099 in Zvecan, 908 in Zubin Potok and 1.824 in Leposavic.

Former KLA members welcome Ramadani’s escape from detention, one claims he is in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Former KLA member Blerim Ramadani escaped from “house arrest” in Skopje on Thursday, following a decision of North Macedonian court to return him to detention and possible extradition to Serbia, KoSSev portal reported.

Vice president of KLA veterans’ association in Urosevac, Luan Jahiri told Frontal broadcast on T7 that Ramadani is in Kosovo currently. “We did not talk much today with Blerim. I commended him for the decision he made, it is hard to return to detention, let alone be extradited to Serbia. Ramadani is in Kosovo. We did not see him, we will see him in the coming days, it should be shown that he has support from all. We will recommend him to report to our institutions, in order to clarify this entire issue”, Jahiri is quoted as saying.

He added their requests to Ramadani to escape from “house arrest” were frequent. “Ramadani is well. He was of the opinion that he should stay till the end, until the trial is over. Decision on escape was made after it was published that he will return to detention and that he could be extradited. He made a good decision; I would do the same. Many friends told him to leave North Macedonia, although he was under house arrest, but we want to know what is going on with this issue, in a sense to passivise this veterans’ list”, he added. In addition to Jahiri, acting president of KLA veterans’ association, Faton Klunaku also welcomed Ramadani’s escape.

Opinion

Gazivode, a Lake of Cooperation or Conflict (Kosovo Online)

By Dragisa Mijacic, Director of InTER and Coordinator of the RG NKEU for Chapter 35

The hydro-accumulation and energy facilities of the "Ibar-Lepenac" system are a strategic resource of enormous importance for the social, economic, and energy development of Kosovo. Without the water from Lake Gazivode, created by damming the Ibar River with one of the largest earth dams in Europe, Kosovo has almost no alternative for securing water, which is a necessary resource for all segments of development and life in general.

Geographically, Lake Gazivode is located in the far northwestern part of Kosovo, in Ibarski Kolasin (municipality of Zubin Potok), which is inhabited by Serbs. A smaller part of the lake is located within the municipalities of Tutin and Novi Pazar because the Ibar River flows from Montenegro and through these two municipalities into Kosovo. After Gazivode Lake, the Ibar's course continues eastward to Kosovska Mitrovica, and then north to Raska and Kraljevo. This detailed geographical description is important to understand the strategic significance of the lake and river, as the Ibar, in its short course through Kosovo's municipalities, where Serbs mainly reside, represents the lifeline of Kosovo's overall development.

International Media

Kosovo and Serbia Trade Blows Over Deadly Banjska Attack Probe (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo rejected a request from Serbia’s prosecution to provide details of the investigations into businessman Milan Radoicic, who led an armed group in an attack in northern Kosovo last year, insisting he surrender to the Pristina authorities instead.

The Kosovo authorities have rejected a request from Serbia’s prosecution to provide information from the investigation into the involvement of Kosovo Serb kingpin Milan Radoicic in the armed attack in Banjska, northern Kosovo, on September 24 last year, which left a Kosovo Police sergeant and three members of a Serb armed group dead.

Radoicic, a powerful businessman who was deputy leader of the Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb political party Srpska Lista, has admitted leading the armed group. But he remains at liberty in Serbia, which has refused to give him up.