UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, September 24, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani meets with Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as with Sultan of Brunei (media)
Gervalla arrives in New York, starts with the meetings (media)
KFOR commander and ambassadors discusses security in Kosovo (RTK)
Kusari-Lila: Ban on Serbian products will be lifted when illegal smuggling can be prevented (Klan)
Prime Minister Kurti met ambassador of Finland, discussed cooperation (RTK)
Svecla from Banjska: According to the law, attackers can be tried even in absentia (media)
KFOR, together with Kosovo Police, increase patrols in the north (Klan)
Sarrazin next week in Kosovo (Albanian Post)
AJK: Number of attacks on journalists in 2023 has increased significantly (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: Cypriot President interested in resolution of Kosovo issue (Tanjug, media)
Djuric: Reinforcing Serbia’s position at UN (N1)
Djuric: Serbia continues to be responsible, constructive partner in Western Balkans (Tanjug, media)
KFOR, Kosovo police step up patrols in northern Kosovo (N1, media)
Rizvanolli and Krasniqi visited yesterday Mitrovica North, Svecla in Banjska (KoSSev)
EU formalises visa-free access for Serbian Coordination Directorate passport holders with Official Journal announcement (KoSSev)
Seized archives in Leposavic – Serbian cultural heritage being processed in Pristina (Kosovo Online)

International Media:

Kosovo risks deeper isolation over ban on Serbian imports: German diplomat (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani meets with Bill and Hillary Clinton, as well as with Sultan of Brunei (media)

Kosovo President, Vjosa Osmani, during her stay in New York, met former U.S. President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"Thank you, President Clinton and Secretary Clinton, for everything you have done and continue to do for the Republic of Kosovo! The freedom of our people also bears the stamp of your incomparable contribution", President Osmani said.

Osmani met during her visit to New York the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. In a post on Facebook, Osmani said that during the meeting she expressed Kosovo's commitment to intensifying relations with Brunei.

Gervalla arrives in New York, starts with the meetings (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla, has arrived on Monday in New York, to participate in the week of High-level Meetings of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

According to the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Minister Gervalla together with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, will hold various meetings with the Albanian community in the USA, representatives of various associations and social mechanisms.

On her first day there, Gervalla participated in the "Friends of the Western Balkans" meeting, held on the sidelines of the 79 session of the UN General Assembly. She presented the perspective of Kosovo in the EU integration process and emphasised that Kosovo is a proven leader in the region both in the field of the rule of law and democratic standards, as well as in economic growth and that it is the country with the greatest support for the EU and NATO.

"Minister Gervalla invited the "Friends of the Western Balkans" group to support Kosovo's application to the EU and specifically help in handling the request of December 2022, highlighting the fact that Russia and its allies in the region should not be allowed to dictate the pace of EU expansion", says the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Gervalla also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francophonie and Citizens of Central Africa Abroad, Sylvie Baipo-Temon, on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the General Assembly of United Nations (UNGA 79).

KFOR commander and ambassadors discusses security in Kosovo (RTK)

The commander of KFOR, Ozkan Ulutash, has met the ambassadors and heads of missions from the 28 allied countries that contribute with KFOR troops. It is reported that the discussion focused on a number of topics, including the security situation, KFOR's current activities and KFOR's cooperation with the wider international community.

"This meeting is another tangible demonstration of our collective and unwavering commitment to sustainable security for all communities living in Kosovo and regional stability," KFOR's statement said.

Kusari-Lila: Ban on Serbian products will be lifted when illegal smuggling can be prevented (Klan)

Germany's emissary for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, has said that Kosovo may be faced with requests to leave the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), but also with other punitive measures, if the decision to ban imports of Serbian products is not lifted.

Asked about this, the head of the Parliamentary Group of the Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, has said that “Kosovo is awaiting security screenings that screen in detail the trucks and barges that enter from Serbia at the border points due to security problems in the northern part".

"When we have complete certainty that any illegal smuggling can be prevented, the security measures can be removed, which is a matter of national security", said Kusari-Lila.

Prime Minister Kurti met ambassador of Finland, discussed cooperation (RTK)

Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, received in his office the ambassador of Finland in Kosovo, Matti Nissinen. According to an announcement from the Prime Minister's Office, they focused on the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Elina Valtonen, to Kosovo on September 5.

“As a continuation of the September 5 meeting, the Prime Minister and Ambassador Nissinen talked about the necessary preparation for the visit of a delegation of Finnish business representatives to research the opportunities and advantages that our country offers to foreign investors,” the announcement of the Prime Minister’s Office states.

Svecla from Banjska: According to the law, attackers can be tried even in absentia (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of the Interior, Xhelal Svecla, paid on Monday a visit to Banjska, one day before the one-year anniversary of the attack, where the police officer Afrim Bunjaku was killed.

"In one of these drones, there are recordings previously deleted, but returned by our training experts of this group in the official barracks of the Serbian Army in Paslonjske Livade", Svecla said at the beginning.

However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the work of the Special Prosecutor's Office, which has indicted 45 people, including Milan Radojcic, as the organiser of the attack, for crimes against the constitutional order, terrorism, terrorist financing and money laundering.

"It is surprising how the indictment does not include the officials of Serbia who were directly implicated in this case, when Paslonjske Livade is mentioned, where is its commander, where is its deputy commander, where is the commander of the Army of Serbia? With the equipment of the Serbian Army, Radojcic's group was trained, the recordings are public,” he said.

"Always, based on the law, there are possibilities for someone to be tired in absentia, and depending on the Court's decision, the case will proceed further," he said.

"The situation is calm and stable, we will continue to work even harder, so that Kosovo can move forward despite the challenges it has", he added.

KFOR, together with Kosovo Police, increase patrols in the north (Klan)

The soldiers of the NATO Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo have increased their patrols in the north of Kosovo.KFOR announced that these patrols are taking place in cooperation with the Kosovo Police.

"The Eastern Regional Command of the NATO-led KFOR mission increased their patrols, together with the Kosovo Police in northern Kosovo. KFOR continues to implement its mandate – based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and the freedom of movement, at any time, and KFOR is the third security responder, after the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law mission (EULEX), respectively, with whom we work in close coordination," the announcement reads.

Sarrazin next week in Kosovo (Albanian Post)

The Special Envoy of the German Government for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, will stay in Kosovo again next week, within the framework of the Second German-Kosovar Economic Forum, which will be held between October 2 and 3 in Pristina.

The German-Kosovo Chamber of Commerce has announced on Monday that the focus of the discussions will be geopolitical developments and their impact on the global and regional economy, and German-Kosovo relations, while this forum will gather around 700 guests from Kosovo and Germany including senior officials from both countries.

"High-level representatives from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, together with executive representatives of major German companies, will be part of the panels that will discuss solutions for energy, technology and industry," the Chamber of German-Kosovar Commerce announced.

The German Economic Chamber of North Macedonia and the German Association of Industry and Trade of Albania will also participate in the Second German-Kosovar Economic Forum. The

AJK: Number of attacks on journalists in 2023 has increased significantly (RTK)

During the year 2023, Kosovo has experienced an unprecedented decline in terms of journalists' safety and media freedom, while reporting from the north of Kosovo has been a challenge, where journalists there have been attacked and threatened.

This was announced by representatives of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo who published the annual report "Indicators of the level of media freedom and safety of journalists" for the year 2023.

According to AJK, the threat to media freedom was the government's attempt to revoke the licence of KLAN Kosovo television.

Getoarbe Mulliqi from AJK said that the allocated Budget for 2023 is the lowest budget in recent years, presenting a direct form of pressure on RTK, and with this budget, RTK can only afford the salaries of its own employees. She also spoke about the attacks on journalists, citing figures.

"Compared to 2022 where a total of 33 cases were reported, the number of attacks on journalists increased by 41, making 2023 the year with the highest number of media freedom violations and attacks on journalists. Journalists who reported from Northern municipalities have faced threats to life, verbal and physical attacks, as well as damage of personal and professional property," Mulliqi said.

Whereas Yll Zeka, legal official said that there is a lot of dissatisfaction about the implementation of the legislation in force, which has not been updated.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Cypriot President interested in resolution of Kosovo issue (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday in New York that the meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides had addressed the good bilateral cooperation, adding that Christodoulides had been “especially interested in a resolution of the problem in Serbia's autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija”, Tanjug news agency reported.

"A cordial meeting with Nikos Christodoulides. We exchanged views on the current geopolitical situation and the importance of the UN as well as on the contribution all member states can make to finding solutions to future challenges. I thanked Cyprus for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, noting that our country, by respecting the UN Charter and international public law, is giving full support to the sovereignty of Cyprus", Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

"With Philip Morris, I discussed economic topics, they will invest 100 mln euros in Serbia, which is a huge thing for us. They are investing in Nis and they will continue to invest and we will advance our cooperation. They will be producing smokeless cigarettes", Vucic told reporters.

He said he had also spoken with the Kenyan President William Ruto and that he expected him to pay a visit to Serbia that would certainly contribute to better cooperation. "I also spoke with (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan. It was a substantial discussion; we disagree on Kosovo and Metohija. We expect an important visit in the coming months, we share many interests, and we should resolve all problems in good spirit", Vucic said. He also said Serbia had begun establishing diplomatic relations with three new states - Tuvalu, Kiribati and Guyana.

Djuric: Reinforcing Serbia’s position at UN (N1)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said that Serbia’s delegation at the 79th UN General Assembly reinforced the country’s global position. Djuric told Serbian reporters in New York that President Aleksandar Vucic will meet more than 40 world leaders on the margins of the session, N1 reported.

According to him, Serbia has established diplomatic relations with several unspecified countries which it had no prior communication and interaction with. “These are smaller countries, but countries that have membership in both the UN and UNESCO, as well as in other international organisations, where every vote is important to Serbia, which is defending its monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija and its territorial integrity and sovereignty”, he is quoted as saying in a government press release.

The Foreign Minister said that the visa regime with several smaller countries has also been liberalised.

Djuric: Serbia continues to be responsible, constructive partner in Western Balkans (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric attended on Monday in New York a meeting of Western Balkan FMs with the FMs of the Friends of the Western Balkans group, noting that Serbia continued to be a responsible and constructive partner in the Western Balkans.

"Thank you to Antonio Tajani for hosting an informal gathering of the 'Friends of the Western Balkans' Group with representatives from our region this morning. Serbia continues to be a responsible and constructive partner in the Western Balkans, demonstrating openness and readiness for regional cooperation. Specifically on regional policy, we are working actively to create a friendly environment for Serbia to be able to continue its economic and overall societal development", Djuric posted on X social platform.

"We are also very supportive of regional integration processes, from the Berlin Process to our homegrown cooperation initiative which has already yielded results — the Open Balkan — enabling a single labour market with our neighbours Albania and North Macedonia", Djuric added in a post.

KFOR, Kosovo police step up patrols in northern Kosovo (N1, media)

NATO-led KFOR Regional Command East said Monday that it has stepped up patrols in the north of Kosovo, in collaboration with Kosovo police, N1 reported.

KFOR continues to implement its mandate – based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 – to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially, KFOR said in a press release.

Tuesday marks one year since the armed incident in the Banjska village in northern Kosovo in which a Kosovo police officer and three armed Serbs were killed.

Rizvanolli and Krasniqi visited yesterday Mitrovica North, Svecla in Banjska (KoSSev)

On Monday the northern part of Mitrovica saw the brief visit of two Kosovo Government ministers, Artane Rizvanolli, the Minister of Economy, and Elbert Krasniqi, the Minister of Local Government Administration. Their visit included a stop at the recently opened office of the Kosovo Energy Efficiency Fund, KoSSev portal reported.

The ministers’ stay was short-lived, as they proceeded over the Ibar Bridge towards the southern part of the city. This time as well, their presence was met with protests from activists of the Serbian Democracy Party, who expressed their discontent by blowing whistles. The portal added the visit was not announced to most local media outlets in the north.

Meanwhile, on the same day, in the nearby village of Banjska, another Kosovo minister, Xhelal Svecla was also present, speaking to a small group of media representatives, again without prior notice. During his interview conducted in Albanian, Svecla switched to Serbian to address the journalists, acknowledging the significance of his visit just a day before the anniversary of the armed incident that happened in this area a year ago. According to Svecla the life in Banjska has “returned to normal“, and that “Kosovo police demonstrated professionalism during the previous conflict by ensuring that no civilians were harmed”.

Only a day before, Dejan Nedeljkovic, civil society activist from Banjska told KoSSev portal that one year since the armed incident and seizure of tourist-medical spa complex Rajska Banja in this village the place turned “into ghost town” with no people on the streets, but cats only. Recalling the thriving life with numerous tourists’ visits prior to the armed incident and later seizure of the health-spa Rajska Banja complex he called on relevant bodies to reopen and return this complex to people and the municipality. “For Banjska to thrive again, we need that complex to be operational. If the international community and Kosovo authorities genuinely care for the people in the North, they should facilitate this“, he added.

EU formalises visa-free access for Serbian Coordination Directorate passport holders with Official Journal announcement (KoSSev)

In a landmark decision, as KoSSev portal reported, the European Union has officially abolished visa requirements for holders of passports issued by Serbian Coordination Directorate, as stated in a regulation published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Monday morning. It was noted that the decision will enter into force 20 days after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU, i.e. Monday. This follows the signing of the regulation by senior EU officials on September 18, 2024.

The regulation, titled Regulation (EU) 2024/2495 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 September 2024, introduces amendments to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 regarding Serbian passport holders issued by the Coordination Directorate of Serbia (referred to locally as Koordinaciona uprava).

The announcement, available in the Official Journal, marks a significant milestone in the EU’s evolving relationship with Serbian passport holders from Kosovo, the portal added.

International Media

Kosovo risks deeper isolation over ban on Serbian imports: German diplomat (Balkan Insight)

Kosovo could face calls for exclusion from the Central European Free Trade Agreement, and other penalties, if it continues to ban Serbian imports, Germany’s Balkan envoy Manuel Sarrazin told BIRN.

As Germany prepares to host the Berlin Process summit on October 14, marking the tenth anniversary of the EU-linked platform for high-level cooperation between Western Balkan states, the German envoy to the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, has visited Kosovo twice on a mission to clear up problems with the Central European Free Trade Agreement, CEFTA.

On September 5, Germany’s ambassador to Pristina, Jorn Rohde, said that Sarrazin, on his second visit to Kosovo in a short timeframe, had urged Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, to scrap the ban imposed in June 2023 on the import of products of Serbian origin, which Sarrazin says is blocking free trade in the region and obstructing CEFTA.