UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, September 18, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani says Vucic’s demands should not be taken seriously (media)
Hovenier: Our support for Kosovo is strong and does not change (media)
Regional Center for Excellence of Women, Peace and Security launched (media)
No trilateral meeting between Lajcak, Bislimi and Petkovic in Brussels (media)
NATO reiterates its full support to EU efforts in Kosovo (media)
Hoxhaj: Lajcak represented Serbia’s interests; Kurti fell for the trap (KTV)
Serwer: Kurti’s requests are reasonable (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Petkovic: Bislimi rejected trilateral meeting (Tanjug, media)
Lajcak regrets "the most pressing issues" were not addressed in trilateral format (Tanjug, media)
Goffus in Brussels with delegations from Belgrade and Pristina (Kosovo Online, media, social media)
Petkovic on meeting with Goffus (media, social media)
Dacic says Pristina not implementing Brussels Agreement (media)
SRSG Ziadeh visits Mitrovica region (media, social media)
Group of women from northern Kosovo informed SRSG Ziadeh about consequences of Serbian institutions’ closure (Kosovo Online)
Serbian Democracy representatives met SRSG Ziadeh (Radio KIM)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani says Vucic’s demands should not be taken seriously (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said on Tuesday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s recent demands on Kosovo should not be taken seriously, because according to her he does not really want the Kosovo Serbs to return to the institutions. “When Vucic talks about their return [of Serbs to the institutions], he only says that rhetorically to attract the attention of the democratic world from what is happening in reality and that is his efforts, and the efforts of his government and army to continuously train paramilitary forces whose only purpose is violence,” she argued.

Osmani said that Kosovo’s institutions should make sure that all its citizens, regardless of their ethnicity are equal. “This [not believing Vucic’s statements] does not mean that we as the institutions of Kosovo must not work closely with all our citizens of Serb nationality so that in line with the legal procedures, they are present in all institutions of Kosovo,” she added.

Hovenier: Our support for Kosovo is strong and does not change (media)

Most news websites cover U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier’s remarks at the 25^th anniversary of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Pristina on Tuesday, highlighting his statement that the U.S. support for Kosovo is strong and will not change.

“In 2008 the United States recognized Kosovo as a sovereign, independent state. We did so on the basis of firm commitments from the authorities of Kosovo that they would implement fully the Ahtisaari Plan to establish a democratic, multiethnic, and inclusive state. That position is unchanged and firm. We therefore do not give credence to efforts to call into question the status of Kosovo or its institutions. Kosovo’s constitution is legitimate, and we’re proud of the role we played in supporting its development. The institutions of Kosovo are legitimate, and again – we are proud of our support in helping establish and consolidate those institutions, including with assistance from NDI and many other partners. But I also want to reiterate a related and key point – the promise of Kosovo is as a sovereign, independent, democratic, and multiethnic state, with particular protections for its minority communities. Again, we are proud of the rule we have played with our partners to advance this vision. And we continue to call on the current government of Kosovo to be a more committed partner in working with us and other members of the international community to see this vision realized – that Kosovo enjoys a society in which all citizens live in conditions of dignity and security – including Kosovo’s ethnic Serb citizens,” Hovenier said.

Regional Center for Excellence of Women, Peace and Security launched (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani launched on Tuesday in Pristina the Regional Center for Excellence of Women, Peace and Security, highlighting “the alliance between Kosovo and the United States in action”. Osmani wrote in a post on X that with the strong support of U.S. Secretary of State Blinken and the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, “Kosovo is now leading regional efforts to advance the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. This is a powerful recognition of the tireless work by the President’s Office in cooperation with our partners from different sectors, and a reminder that when we come together, we can make lasting change. We look forward to the many initiatives the Center will undertake, with the ultimate goal of ensuring women's equal participation in peace, security, and decision-making processes, which is crucial to achieving sustainable peace”.

No trilateral meeting between Lajcak, Bislimi and Petkovic in Brussels (media)

EU Special Envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, met separately with chief negotiators from Kosovo and Serbia, Besnik Bislimi and Petar Petkovic, in Brussels on Tuesday, but a trilateral meeting was not held. Lajcak said in a post on X: “Hosted the two Chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia and their delegations for separate meetings in Brussels today. I regret we did not address the most pressing issues in a trilateral format today. I remain at the disposal of the Parties and we will continue in the next weeks”.

Bislimi said that the trilateral meeting did not take place because of Serbia’s refusal to take part. He said that Kosovo agreed to the trilateral meeting according to the agenda set by the facilitator and where the only topic of discussion was foreseen to be the path forward for the implementation of the Basic Agreement and the Implementation Annex.

Bislimi said that in his meeting with Lajcak they discussed the sequencing plan and the implementation of agreement. He expressed Kosovo’s constructive and active engagement for the implementation of agreements and its comments to the sequencing drafts, and according to him, Serbia did not make a single step forward in this regard and it did not even accept the agreement. Discussions were also held about the issue of forcibly disappeared persons, telecommunications, the IBM and freedom of movement. According to Bislimi, on the issue of forcibly disappeared persons, Serbia was being destructive by intentionally delaying the process and presenting new requests even after the final agreement.

On the main bridge over Iber river, Bislimi said that for the EU too it is clear that there is no other alternative but to open the bridge. He said that even in the reports of the European Commission after 2014, the EU said that the bridge must be opened without delay. He said that the issue was already agreed upon in Brussels, as part of the dialogue process, and that the bridge should be opened in line with the existing agreements where it is treated as a symbol of normalization.

Bislimi told reporters that he learned from Lajcak that the letter of former Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic against the implementation of the points of the agreement “that confirm Kosovo’s statehood” was not withdrawn. “Today we learned from Lajcak that the letter has not been withdrawn. So what he wanted to say in Pristina is that they are working with Serbia to withdraw the letter. The letter has not been withdrawn. There is no request for its withdrawal, but work is being done on withdrawing the letter,” he said.

NATO reiterates its full support to EU efforts in Kosovo (media)

NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Tom Goffus, joined Mr. Stefano Tomat, Civilian Operations Commander at the European Union External Action Service, in separate meetings with the chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina. The meetings took place in the margins of the EU-facilitated Dialogue hosted by the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkans issues, Mr. Miroslav Lajcak, a press release issued by NATO on Tuesday noted.

The Assistant Secretary General for Operations discussed the security situation in Kosovo and addressed security concerns on the potential opening to road traffic of the Ibar River Bridge in Mitrovica. Mr. Goffus stressed the need for an inclusive and lasting solution. He pointed out that “decisions must be taken through dialogue, in timely and effective coordination with the International Community, and in way that does not put at risk the security of local communities or of NATO troops.” He added that “the NATO-led KFOR mission is bound by its UN mandate to address any security concerns and ensure a safe and secure environment.” KFOR maintains its fixed presence on the bridge and continues to conduct regular patrols in the surrounding areas.

Mr. Goffus reiterated NATO’s full support to the EU-facilitated dialogue for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. This is the framework to resolve outstanding issues and reach solutions that respect the rights of all communities, which is key to lasting security in Kosovo and to stability across the Western Balkans.

KFOR continues to implement its mandate – based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to contribute to times and impartially. KFOR and the EU Rule of Law (EULEX) mission maintain close coordination, in their respective roles as security responders.

NATO has a long standing cooperation with the European Union and will continue to cooperate closely in support to regional stability.

Hoxhaj: Lajcak represented Serbia’s interests; Kurti fell for the trap (KTV)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and former Foreign Minister of Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, said in an interview with KTV on Tuesday that EU Special Envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, “represented Serbia’s interests” and that Kosovo’s “Prime Minister Albin Kurti fell for the trap”. “I think that Lajcak delivered the worst blow to Kosovo, he represented Serbia’s interests and Kurti fell for the trap when he supported the basic agreement and not the agreement for mutual recognition, a legally binding agreement. It was a request of the EU, Germany in 2012 came up with the idea of a legally binding agreement,” he argued.

According to Hoxhaj, the EU made terrible mistakes in the way it led the dialogue. “The EU also slammed the Ahtisaari Package. This is my concern. The EU also slammed the very dialogue that it initiated, when Lajcak came up with the French-German plan that there shouldn’t be mutual recognition, there shouldn’t be a legally binding agreement, and that there shouldn’t be contractual relations that would seal off the 200-year-old conflict between Kosovo and Serbia … In fact they completely slammed the idea of a multiethnic Kosovo in the north of the country, they also slammed the core of the idea for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and this is my concern,” he said.

Serwer: Kurti’s requests are reasonable (media)

U.S. commentator on the Western Balkans, Daniel Serwer, said in a post on X on Tuesday that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s requests for Serbia to hand over Milan Radoicic, sign the Basic Agreement and withdraw Brnabic’s letter, are reasonable. “These are reasonable requests. Two require nothing more than a signature. The first requires handing over a criminal at least some of whose (self-confessed) crimes were committed inside Kosovo. They would all require Aleksandar Vucic to accept Kosovo sovereignty. He won't do them,” Serwer wrote.

Serbian Language Media

Petkovic: Bislimi rejected trilateral meeting (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said in Brussels a trilateral meeting in Tuesday's round of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina had not taken place after being rejected by Pristina's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi, adding Belgrade's delegation had insisted on topics such as a Community of Serb Municipalities, services and implementation of agreements, presenting measures for protection of Serbs in Kosovo.

"No trilateral direct meeting with the Pristina side took place because Mr Bislimi refused to meet with Belgrade's representatives as we insisted on topics such as the Community of Serb Municipalities, services and the issue of implementation, or application, of agreements", Petkovic told reporters after a meeting with the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

He said the meeting had addressed full implementation of all previous agreements and comprehensive measures recently outlined by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the aim of protecting the Serbian population in Kosovo and reviving the dialogue process. He also said the Serbian delegation had addressed the issue of the Ibar River bridge, postal services, energy, telecommunications, missing persons and integrated management of crossings. Dialogue is much needed "as we are confident it is only through dialogue that we can find a compromise solution to the Kosovo and Metohija issue", Petkovic said.

He also said he had presented to Lajcak a list of all Serbs arrested by Pristina authorities, composed mostly of people who, as he said, were political prisoners despite "EU and US guarantees that no one who protested at barricades would be arrested".

Lajcak regrets "the most pressing issues" were not addressed in trilateral format (Tanjug, media)

After separate meetings with the chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels, the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said he regretted that “the most pressing issues" in the dialogue had not been addressed in a trilateral format, and announced that the discussions would continue in the coming weeks, Tanjug news agency reported.

"Hosted the two Chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia and their delegations for separate meetings in Brussels today. I regret we did not address the most pressing issues in a trilateral format today. I remain at the disposal of the Parties, and we will continue in the next weeks", Lajcak wrote in a post on X social platform after no trilateral meeting took place in Tuesday's round of the EU-facilitated dialogue.

Earlier, Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said Pristina's chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi had rejected a trilateral meeting because Belgrade's delegation had insisted on topics such as a Community of Serb Municipalities, services and implementation of agreements, presenting measures for protection of Serbs in Kosovo.

Goffus in Brussels with delegations from Belgrade and Pristina (Kosovo Online, media, social media)

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Thomas Goffus, held separate meetings in Brussels yesterday with delegations from Belgrade and Pristina, stating that the Alliance fully supports the EU-led dialogue process. He emphasised that decisions regarding the opening of the Ibar Bridge must be made through dialogue, with timely and effective coordination with the international community, and in a way that does not jeopardise the safety of local communities or NATO troops, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The meetings took place on the sidelines of the EU-facilitated dialogue, hosted by the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan issues, Miroslav Lajcak, the portal added citing a statement from KFOR. Goffus discussed the security situation in Kosovo with representatives from both sides and addressed the security concerns related to the potential opening of road traffic on the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica North. He stressed the need for an inclusive and lasting solution.

"Decisions must be made through dialogue, with timely and effective coordination with the international community, and in a way that does not endanger the safety of local communities or NATO troops. The KFOR Mission, led by NATO, is mandated by the UN to address all security concerns and to ensure a safe and secure environment", Goffus stated, as reported by KFOR.

He added that KFOR will continue to maintain its constant presence at the bridge and conduct regular patrols in the surrounding areas. Goffus reiterated NATO’s full support for the dialogue on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, with EU support. "This is the framework for resolving outstanding issues and achieving solutions that respect the rights of all communities, which is key to lasting security in Kosovo and stability across the Western Balkans", the statement added.

The full KFOR statement is available at: https://shorturl.at/5f905

Petkovic on meeting with Goffus (media, social media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said the meeting with NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Thomas Gofuss in Brussels was good and constructive, adding that arguments of Serbia about endangered security in the north were listened to, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“Very good & constructive meeting w/ NATO Asst SG Thomas Goffus on issue of North K&M endangered safety in the light of Ibar bridge opening. Bg delegation is satisfied because the interlocutors listened to our arguments on security challenges in reference to this sensitive issue”, Petkovic wrote in a post on X social platform.

Dacic says Pristina not implementing Brussels Agreement (media)

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said in Berlin on Tuesday the Brussels Agreement had remained “a dead letter due to Pristina's failure to meet its commitments, and that, 11 years after the signature of the agreement, a Community of Serb Municipalities had still not been formed in Kosovo and Metohija”, Tanjug news agency reported.

Dacic made those remarks responding to the statements made by Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla. Addressing a ministerial meeting of the Berlin Process, Dacic refuted claims by Pristina's representative that Kosovo was a "frontrunner" in implementation of international agreements and a serious partner in the fight against crime and irregular migration.

Dacic noted that the Berlin Process had been a result of a positive atmosphere created in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue by the signature of the Brussels Agreement in 2013, an official statement said.

"I signed that agreement on behalf of Serbia, Hasim Taci signed it on behalf of Pristina and Catherine Ashton signed it on behalf of the EU, with direct support from then (German) Chancellor Angela Merkel and US State Secretary Hillary Clinton. I must say that, ten years after the launch of the Berlin Process and 11 years after the Brussels Agreement, I could not agree with that statement - I would say the situation is completely the opposite of what I heard from Pristina's representative - that 'Kosovo' is a frontrunner in implementation of reforms", Dacic said.