Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo and Serbia without an agreement on the dinar in Brussels (RFE)
• Kurti met British emissary Stuart Peach, discussed developments in Kosovo (media)
• Gervalla meets Japan’s Speaker of Parliament, bilateral relations highly valued (Klan)
• Haxhiu: 31 vehicles of "Banjska" case have been given to police for use - court's decision must be awaited for the villa (Klan)
• Weller: Lands of Serb churches in Kosovo should be managed by institutions (RTK)
• German MEP: I hope Lajcak will not cloud EU-Swiss relations as well (Reporteri)
• EULEX's donation helps reactivate KP substation in Suhodoll (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic from the Government extraordinary session (RTS, Tanjug)
• Belgrade-Pristina dialogue – trilateral meeting started in Brussels (RTS)
• Petkovic: We reiterated our proposal, Pristina not ready for compromise (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Bouyx visited Visoki Decani Monastery, Father Petar says Serbs currently experience most severe form of ethnic repression (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, social media)
• Pantic Pilja: Admission of Kosovo to Council of Europe would represent violation of international law (Tanjug)
• UNS: Inaccurate information about March violence against Serbs for longer than two weeks on RTK2 website (Radio KIM, media)
• Andric Rakic: Voting by mail is problematic, it can call into question impeachment of mayors (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR: We are ready to take all necessary measures for safety, regardless of where danger comes from (Kosovo Online, social media)
• EULEX: Kurti's visit to the municipalities in the north was not announced to us (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

International:

• Bridging Borders: Roma NGOs Unite For Peace And Inclusion In Serbia And Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Kosovo and Serbia without an agreement on the dinar in Brussels (RFE)

Kosovo and Serbia have not been able to agree on the issue of the Serbian dinar, which was banned in Kosovo, even after the third meeting in a row on Thursday in Brussels, confirmed the chief negotiators, who accused each other of a lack of will to find a solution.

"Unfortunately, even today we had big differences", said the chief negotiator of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, speaking to journalists after the meeting with his Serbian counterpart, Petar Petkovic, under the mediation of the EU envoy for dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak.

"While the Kosovar side has been discussing options for how Kosovo Serbs can receive financial support from Serbia even further, the Serbian side has been working as a lawyer for Postanska Banka (Serbian Post Office Savings Bank) and all the time has been discussing how to license it" , Bislimi said.

Meanwhile, Serbia's chief negotiator, Petar Petkovic, said that Pristina did not show "sufficient will" for an agreement and that another meeting is expected on this topic.

"We once again reiterated our position and proposal, which is balanced and implies a compromise solution. On the other hand, there was not enough will on the part of Pristina. I will not talk more about this, since there will be another meeting on this topic", he said.

Kurti and Osmani meet British emissary Stuart Peach, discuss developments in Kosovo (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, met today with the British emissary for the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach, who is visiting Pristina. They discussed the current developments in Kosovo. 

"The security of Kosovo was also discussed at the meeting. The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the security of the border with Serbia, from where the aggression towards Kosovo comes from, as was proven in September of last year", announced the Prime Minister’s Office.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister, Peach also met the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani. 

"On the subject of the Council of Europe, President Osmani emphasized that Kosovo's membership would be a triumph for democracy and human rights not only in Kosovo, but throughout Europe. Furthermore, President Osmani reiterated that through the various mechanisms offered by the Council, it would be possible to protect and guarantee the rights of all citizens of Kosovo, without distinction", it is stated in the announcement of the presidency.

Peach also met with Defense Minister Ejup Maqedonci.

“We discussed the security situation in the country and the region, the development of the KSF as well as the Interflex operation that is taking place in the United Kingdom with the participation of the KSF troops,” Maqedonci said.

Gervalla meets Japan’s Speaker of Parliament, bilateral relations highly valued (Klan)

In the framework of the official visit to Japan, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, met the Speaker of the House of Representatives (Parliament) of Japan, Fukushiro Nukaga.

During this meeting, Gervalla expressed appreciation for the support that Japan has given to Kosovo throughout the state-building and integration processes, donations and investments in certain areas, expressing readiness for the expansion of cooperation in new projects such as in the employment of young people, in the field of digitization and other sectors of the economy.

Furthermore, Gervalla informed the President of the Assembly of Japan about the progress that Kosovo has achieved in democratization, rule of law, economic development, respect for human rights and other areas.

At the end of the meeting, Minister Gervalla and President Nukaga also discussed the organization of the "Osaka EXPO 2025" where Kosovo has already confirmed its participation.

Haxhiu: 31 vehicles of "Banjska" case have been given to police for use - court's decision must be waited for the villa (Klan)

The Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, has said that the 31 vehicles confiscated in the "Banjska" case have been given to the Kosovo Police for their needs.

Haxhiu said that they have recently begun to implement the court order related to the management of the seized property, which is the villa of the terrorist Milan Radoicic, his restaurant and the apartment in the name of his wife.

"These will be closely monitored by the Kosovo Police and by security cameras. As the Minister of Justice, we have the responsibility to manage these assets and we will carry out the work as defined by the legislation in force", said Haxhiu.

Regarding the possibility that Radoicic's villa will be used by the police, Haxhiu said that this will be done as soon as there is a final decision from the court.

"As for the means of transport, they have all been given to the Kosovo Police, but as for the seized assets, at this stage the legislation does not allow us to use them for the police, but as soon as we have the final decision from the court, of course they will be used by the Kosovo Police", she said.

Weller: Lands of Serb churches in Kosovo should be managed by institutions (RTK)

Nora Visoka Weller, lawyer and researcher at the University of Cambridge, said in "RTK Prime" that Kosovo institutions should manage the properties of Serb monasteries and churches.

Speaking about the decision of the Constitutional Court on the properties of the monastery of Decan, she said that the decision should have been implemented a long time ago. According to her, Kosovo must prove that it is a state that applies its own law. However, Weller said that the problem exists in the management of this land in the future.

"What needs to be done now is to talk about the management of this land, what will be done on that land. Because the church even now on the lands it owns, produces wine, produces different things, but no one knows how much and what is done there, because the church is completely closed", she said.

According to Weller, an open communication should now be established between the church and the local and central authorities of Kosovo.

"The door can no longer be kept closed, and there is no need to communicate through different embassies. Now it is not possible to have such a communication and see how the land will be managed", she stressed.

Speaking about the building on the property of the University of Pristina, Weller reiterated that that building cannot be called a church, because it was built in a violent and illegal manner and is not considered as a building that has any value but as a symbol of the methods that the Milosevic regime had to occupy as much territory as possible.

"It is not a church, it is a building that represents the violence of the 90s, nothing more than that. Of course, for the Serbian Orthodox Church they can claim that it is a church, but what can this church represent? Did something historically important happen there? The only fact that happened is that it was built at a time when there was a violent regime from Serbia", she said.

Among other things, Weller said that the goal of the Serbian Orthodox Church is not only to protect the buildings but to create Serbian identity in all the countries where there are Serbian Orthodox churches.

Weller said that the main problem is the fact that these churches in Kosovo are protected by UNESCO as the territory of Serbia, because UNESCO does not recognize Kosovo and treats these buildings as in the territory of Serbia.

"One of the biggest failures of Kosovo in recent years is the passivity towards the issue of UNESCO membership. I really don't understand why nothing has been done about UNESCO in recent years," she said.

Weller also spoke about the destruction of Kosovo's heritage objects during the war, where she recalled that religious buildings, artifacts and Persian literature were destroyed. She emphasized that Kosovo has not done much to document the destruction of cultural heritage during the war.

"There has been a systematic destruction of any history except the Serbian one. And these are best documented by two American researchers who were also witnesses in Milosevic's trial. And there is the documentation of Kosovo," said Weller, who emphasized that documenting the destruction of cultural heritage is a very important national issue.

Among other things, she also spoke about her study on the "atrocity legacy", which has to do with the tragic events of the war, such as the mass cemeteries and the places where the remains of those massacred during the war in Kosovo are discovered. She said that there may still be remains of those massacred in Kosovo in Batajnica.

Regarding the statements that Kosovo will file a lawsuit for genocide against Serbia, she said that Kosovo should learn a discreet method, not to make quick conclusions and not to publish them.

German MEP: I hope Lajcak will not cloud EU-Swiss relations as well (Reporteri)

The Member of the European Parliament, Reinhard Butikofer, has not made a good assessment for the work of the European Union Envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, at a time when the Slovak diplomat has a few months left as an EU mediator in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Lajcak has been an unmitigated disaster in his previous job. Hope he doesn't mess up relations between Switzerland and the EU, too,” Butikofer wrote on X platform.

EULEX's donation helps reactivate Kosovo Police substation in Suhodoll (media)

The Acting Head of Mission of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), Emily Rakhorst, handed over today two containers to Kosovo Police Colonel Aferdita Mikullovci, to be used for the re-activation of the Suhodoll police sub-station.

By enabling the reactivation of the sub-station, EULEX supports the Kosovo Police in their community-oriented policing efforts, aiming at addressing local needs and preventing crime, and based on the principles of trust, confidence building, accountability, information sharing and communication.

Once re-activated, the Suhodoll police substation will enable all communities living in the area to better access community-oriented police services in both of Kosovo's official languages and to directly reach out to the Kosovo Police to lodge applications or complaints, as well as to receive policing support.

 

 

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

Vucic from the Government extraordinary session (RTS, Tanjug)

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said, during the extraordinary session, a part open to the public, that difficult and important tasks lie ahead, and asked all members of the government to do their work seriously, responsibly, and called for the formation of teams for the cooperation of all forces, reported RTS. 

He requested the formation of a special team that will fight for Serbia regarding the initiative on the admission of Pristina to the Council of Europe, which will be discussed at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on April 16.

Vucic told the government ministers that there is no pre-election campaign for them until May 16 or 17, when the Committee of Ministers of the CoE makes a final decision, and to focus all their efforts on ensuring Pristina's non-admission to the CoE. 

"Prepare for those elections when this is over with the CoE. There will be a long enough campaign, people will understand that you are fighting for the most important things, that's what we're talking to ministers, and there on the ground let people do whatever they think is right and let them fight," said Vucic. 

He added that, even though there are strong supporters of Pristina's membership in the CoE at any cost and without rights and justice, he thinks that there is still little chance which is why he asks the ministers to fight harder than ever.

"I don't want to be unpleasant in front of the cameras, I just ask you to dedicate yourself to it. It is of crucial importance for us and that you do everything you can, to talk to everyone, because there will also be EU members who have recognized the independence of the so-called Kosovo, which I am sure we can ensure that they are not positive about Kosovo's membership in the CoE. And Hungary is not the only one, and Hungary is our great friend,'' he said. 

He stated that the team for CoE should be formed on the model of the team formed for the UN and for Srebrenica.

"It is not at all important to me that I fight for our country, and if you want, for the interests of our people as a whole. I am asking you urgently, as soon as today, to form your team, I am ready for people from my cabinet to help you," he said. 

As he stated, Serbia's key argument should be that the authorities in Pristina do not even plan to form the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

"Therefore, as early as this afternoon or tomorrow evening at the latest, prepare a team that will deal with it, prepare a non-paper that should be sent to everyone, so that everyone is informed about Serbia's position. Prepare new papers, then go and talk," he said. 

President Vucic stated that on April 22, the UN SC will hold a regular session on Kosovo, and that he will discuss the situation in Kosovo with French President Emmanuel Macron and at least 10 other European leaders.

"Then on 22 (April) we have a session of the Security Council on Kosovo, which is a regular session of the Security Council on Kosovo. At UNMIK's proposal, the report is very bad, because it does not reflect the actual situation on the ground," Vucic pointed out at the meeting of the Government of Serbia.

Vucic referred to the resolution on Srebrenica, saying that it was unfair.

"Imagine that, for example, there is no such act in the United Nations that would say that Germany committed genocide in the Second World War. It does not exist. It was never voted on," he said.

On today's continuation of talks between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels, he said that although the Serbian side is well prepared for dialogue, nothing good can be expected.

"We have nothing personally to blame the people who conduct the dialogue, but all that in Brussels turned into a matter of putting a bow on the criminal acts of Albin Kurti, and that in the end it is necessary to legalize it, and get Serbian consent,'' said Vucic, among other things. 

We thought that reasonable and rational behavior was something that would change the relations of the EU and Western powers towards Pristina in the future, but we realized that this did not happen, that it will not happen, and we will act accordingly,'' added Vucic. 

He also mentioned that the position of the Serbian people will be increasingly difficult.

"Those problems will continue, and you can count them as constant, as problems that we will face in the coming months, because Kurti will continue his aggression against the Serbian people, especially in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. Europe and America will continue their loud silence, and all the others have no influence on the Pristina authorities, nor are they currently able to help us much," said Vucic. 

He also stated that he demands the members of the Government and the President of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Brnabic, to continue working on the implementation of ODIHR's recommendations and on preparation for the upcoming Belgrade and local elections, but also not to agree to the opposition's ultimatums.

Vucic announced that from April 19 domestic kamikaze drones will become part of Serbia's regular armament and that he will be visiting Paris on April 7, where he will have large and strategically important talks with President Emmanuel Macron on April 8.

Belgrade-Pristina dialogue – trilateral meeting started in Brussels (RTS)

Talks within Belgrade-Pristina dialogue related to the ban on dinar continued today in Brussels, RTS reported. A trilateral meeting between Belgrade and Pristina delegations and the EU started following a meeting that Belgrade chief negotiator Petar Petkovic had with EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak.

This is the fourth meeting in more than a month period in Brussels held between Belgrade and Pristina under EU’s mediation on dinar ban in Kosovo, RTS recalled. 

Petkovic: We reiterated our proposal, Pristina not ready for compromise (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director and Belgrade chief negotiator in dialogue with Pristina, Petar Petkovic told the media that Belgrade delegation in today’s meeting in Brussels presented a balanced proposal to resolve the payment transactions issue, but that Pristina was not ready for compromise, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“We have once again reiterated our stance, our proposal that envisages a compromise solution, there was no sufficient will on the side of Pristina, to put it that way”, Petkovic said. He also said the Belgrade delegation once again stressed the difficult position of the Serbian people in Kosovo because of inability to receive their wages, allowances and pensions.

“Once again we strongly advocated to form the Community of the Serbian Municipalities as soon as possible, and I stressed that 4.000 days had passed since Pristina signed that agreement”, he added. He also said he expects in ten days one more call from EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajcak regarding dinar issue and payment transactions.

He noted that Belgrade remains a committed party and it looks for solutions within the dialogue but that Pristina Prime Minister Albin Kurti takes actions that could not contribute to normalization of relations.

Bouyx visited Visoki Decani Monastery, Father Petar says Serbs currently experience most severe form of ethnic repression (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, social media)

Representatives of the French delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, led by head of delegation Bertrand Bouyx visited Visoki Decani Monastery, Kosovo Online portal reported. The delegation, including French Ambassador in Pristina, Olivier Guerot was welcomed by Father Petar who briefed them about challenges facing the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian people in Kosovo. Father Petar highlighted that currently Serbian people in Kosovo are experiencing the most severe form of ethnic repression for the last 25 years.

“Today at Visoki Dečani #Monastery, Father Petar Rojević welcomed the French representatives led by Mr. Bertrand Bouyx, the head of the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (#PACE), along with the Ambassador of #France in Kosovo, Mr. Olivier Guerot. Father Petar briefed the French representatives on the challenges facing the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church and our people in #Kosovo highlighting that Kosovo Serbs are currently experiencing the most severe form of ethnic repression in the last 25 years.

The visitors from France were also given a tour of the church built by the Serbian King Stephen III Dečanski, whose grandmother was the Norman princess Helen d'Anjou. Helen d'Anjou, the mother of Serbian medieval Kings Dragutin and Stefan Milutin, was proclaimed a saint in the Serbian Orthodox Church”, the Monastery said in a post on X social platform on Wednesday.

Pantic Pilja: Admission of Kosovo to Council of Europe would represent violation of international law (Tanjug)

Members of the Serbian Parliament Delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) said today in a meeting with Swiss Ambassador to Serbia, Urs Schmid that possible admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe would represent deep violation of the international law, statute and the principles this organization’s work rests upon, Tanjug news agency reported.

Head of the Serbian Assembly Delegation to the PACE, Biljana Pantic Pila said that discussion on admission of Kosovo will be on the agenda of this body session in April, adding that Serbia, should that happen (approval of admission), will reconsider further participation on the work of PACE, statement from the Serbian Parliament reads.

She also emphasized that human rights of the Serbs are the most grossly violated in Kosovo by the Pristina regime.  

“Serbian currency and Serbian goods are banned in Kosovo and Metohija, and because of constant pressure and attacks, more than 11 percent of Serbs have left this part of the Serbian territory, since (Albin) Kurti came to  power”, Pantic Pilja said. 

UNS: Inaccurate information about March violence against Serbs for longer than two weeks on RTK2 website (Radio KIM, media)

Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) said in a statement that more than two weeks had passed since an article on anniversary of the March 2004 pogrom in Kosovo, containing inaccurate interpretation of the violence, was posted on the Kosovo public broadcaster (RTK) websites in Serbian and Albanian languages, Radio KIM reported.

UNS said that RTK on March 17 this year repeated its fake news published 20 years ago, that three Albanian boys drowned in the Ibar River “while running away from a group of Serbian young men”.

“It was precisely this sentence being the trigger for the eruption of violence in 2004 in which 19 people were killed and 39 churches and monasteries destroyed, villages and urban areas set of fire, more than 900 persons beaten up and mistreated, and 4000 Serbs expelled”, UNS said in a statement.

Following initial reaction of UNS and its branch in Kosovo (DNKiM), RTK slightly amended the news, removing the part saying that Albanian boys drowned “while running away from a group of Serbian young men”, but failed to mention that March 17 violence in 2004 targeted the Serbs. Destruction of Serbian Orthodox Church temples and monasteries is described “as an event accompanied with burning Orthodox religious objects and houses in Kosovo”. The article makes no reference to Serbs at all, but highlights that “on the other hand property and hundreds of private objects of Albanians were destroyed”.

UNS said it addressed the RTK Director General Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj telling him that “amended” news is still on the RTK websites in Albanian and Serbian languages, reminding him of the consequences that happened upon that news was published in 2004, noting it is unacceptable as its publishing.

“(…) We have not received a response from the RTK director general”, UNS said.

As UNS unofficially learnt a meeting of journalists and RTK director general Shkumbin Ahmetxhekaj was held, and demands were made to remove the disputable article from RTK website in Serbian language. It was also requested that the website in Serbian is managed by RTK2 in Serbian language, that authors sign the articles and that the public is informed who the editor of the online edition is.

“On this occasion the journalist Jelena Markovic, who was a member of Advisory group of RTK audience on behalf of the Serbian community, resigned from her post, following the meeting of the group at which she pointed out that an article published on RTK website in Serbian and Albanian languages on the occasion of March pogrom anniversary disturbed the public expressing the hope that degree of violation of professional standards will be determined”, UNS added.

UNS also said it sent complaints to Kosovo Press Council, embassies and international organizations in Pristina but received no response yet. 

Andric Rakic: Voting by mail is problematic, it can call into question impeachment of mayors (Kosovo Online)

Mitrovica North-based New Social Initiative Programme Manager Milica Andric Rakic told Kosovo Online portal that success of the vote for impeachment of mayors in northern municipalities can be affected by the fact that procedure stipulates voters who are outside Kosovo to vote by mail, because, as she said, this type of voting has proven to be very problematic and in the past years was poorly organized.

"Votes that arrive by mail are very important, bearing in mind that a lot of people left Kosovo in the past months, and there were the most problems with that type of voting. After 2019 and the affair with the alleged poisoning of votes from Serbia, in election cycles the practice was that votes were sent through post offices in North Macedonia and Montenegro because there is no cooperation between the Post of Serbia and the post office in Kosovo. Many votes arrived late, after the stipulated legal deadline, and were not accepted in the end. Therefore, a very small number of votes after 2019 was accepted in that way. It can greatly affect the number of voters who turned out and can call into question the result of the vote for impeachment of mayors precisely because such a high level of turnout, higher than 50 per cent, is required", she said.

Commenting on the decision to install cameras at polling stations where citizens will vote on April 21 on impeaching mayors, Andric Rakic pointed out that this is not a common practice adding it is problematic from several aspects.

"Primarily because of the privacy of voter data. It is possible a number of voters will feel intimidated because of this, but I do not believe it would be a large percentage. It is certainly not pleasant, because in general there is no level of trust between the Serbian community and the Kosovo institutions to do so an important process was filmed. It is unusual that cameras are being introduced at this moment and citizens can rightly ask why they are being introduced now if such a practice did not exist in any previous cycle, especially in other places in Kosovo”, she said.

“Introducing it (the cameras) in the voting for impeachment of mayors, which is a non-standard process and when voting is held in majority Serbian areas in the hope that the situation will be de-escalated, is not a move that shows good will or which shows that institutions are ready to build trust with the citizens. It simply calls into question the motives for such an intrusive practice", she added.

KFOR: We are ready to take all necessary measures for safety, regardless of where danger comes from (Kosovo Online, social media)

The NATO-led KFOR Mission published a video showing it is ready to take all necessary measures for a safe environment. In a video published on Facebook, they remind that 4,600 soldiers from 28 NATO allied countries and partners are serving in Kosovo.

"A high level of operational readiness to prevent the risk of a new escalation, regardless of where the threat comes from. We are ready to take all necessary measures to continue fulfilling our UN mandate at any time and in an impartial manner", KFOR said in a published video. 

EULEX: Kurti's visit to the municipalities in the north was not announced to us (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

The European Union Mission for the Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) announced today it was not informed that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti would visit four municipalities in the north of Kosovo with a Serbian majority, reported Kosovo Online, citing Tanjug agency. 

"No, we were not informed", answered the EULEX press service when asked by Tanjug whether anyone had informed them about Kurti's visit to the municipalities of North Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok.

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, and Serbian List reacted to Kurti's visit to the north, which condemned the visit.

 

 

 

International 

 

Bridging Borders: Roma NGOs Unite For Peace And Inclusion In Serbia And Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the end of hostilities in Kosovo, the plight of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in the region remains one that NGOs on both sides of the border are working to improve.

As the 25th anniversary of the cessation of hostilities in Kosovo approaches on June 11, the landscape of the region remains a tableau of lingering strife juxtaposed with pockets of precarious tranquility.

Amidst this uncertain tapestry, the quest for basic human necessities in Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities persists as a haunting refrain, echoing through the collective consciousness of a fractured society.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/sAMO2