Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Foreign Minister travels to U.S. (Kallxo)
• Haradinaj: Cross-border organised crime should not be tolerated (media)
• British embassy: KFOR explained why the aircraft landed in Pristina (Express)
• Specialist Chambers expected to make new arrests (Indeksonline)
• Ruling and opposition parties clash at Assembly's committee meeting (Kallxo)
• Clark after meeting Kurti: We discussed energy projects (T7, media)
• Haradinaj: We do not participate in any voting until Energy investigation commission is established (TeVe)
• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 100 million allocated to citizens, could be invested in other forms (KosovaPress)
• COVID-19: 3 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• The Kosovo situation report before the UNSC tomorrow (Tanjug, media) 
• Petkovic on Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, anniversary of Brussels agreement (Tanjug, RTV)
• Time to successfully end Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, EU spokesman Stano says (Tanjug, media)
• Hill: Senators' visit underscores importance of US-Serbia partnership (Tanjug, media)
• Office for KiM: Reciprocity not mentioned in agreement on licence plates (Radio KIM)
• Kurti on attacks against police, Petkovic on Kurti’s statements (Radio KIM, Danas)
• Vucic: Talks about Russian gas supplies to follow (Tanjug)
• Vucic meets US Ambassador, talks about improving relations with US (N1)
• Dacic meets Botsan-Kharcheko (Tanjug)
• Minister Ceku on Visoki Decani Monastery land case (KoSSev)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy reacts to Ceku’s statement, says it is an open call to disrespect court’s decision (Kosovo-online, media)
• Visoki Decani Monastery: Kosovo authorities incompetent to protect SOC heritage (Kosovo-online, media)
• Serbian Mission to UNESCO: It is necessary to protect Serbian mediaeval monuments in Kosovo (Kosovo-online, media)
• Moscow daily says Vucic turning West but not away from Russia (N1)
• Vucic: No one has right to supply arms to Pristina (Tanjug)
• Lack of translators, unverified diplomas obstacles in the Basic Court in Mitrovica functioning, says Radakovic (RTV Puls, Slobodno Srpski)
• Vulin: Bomb threats are economic assault on Serbia (N1)

International:

• Kosovo, the Albanians, the Serbs and Crimea (ekathimerini.com)
• Serbian President Accepts Opposition Demand for New Polls in Capital (Balkan Insight)
• Alexander Vucic’s victory: What is next for Serbia? (trtworld.com)
• Stefanov: Engaging civil society is a critical ingredient of successful anticorruption policies (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kurti: €1.5 million grant for businesses of Turkish community (Indeksonline)
• Poverty and school dropout main causes behind early marriages (RFE)
• ‘Hidden Violence’: Polygamy in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kosovo Foreign Minister travels to U.S. (Kallxo)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, has travelled to the United States of America where she will attend the United Nations Security Council session scheduled for tomorrow. Gervalla’s chief of staff told the news website that the minister will hold several meetings there. “Meetings with ambassadors of Security Council members, countries that have recognized Kosovo and also non-recognizing countries, as well as representatives of U.S. and international institutions,” the chief of staff said.

Haradinaj: Cross-border organised crime should not be tolerated (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said on Facebook that since intervention in Kosovo in 1999, the United States of America, United Kingdom and all NATO countries have been committed towards a peaceful and safe region.

He said the rule of law is in the interest of every citizen. "Organised crime has no political or ethnic background and threatens us all. It is the interest and the duty of the two governments, of Kosovo and Serbia, to fight cross-border organised crime. Such acts should not be tolerated," he wrote.  

British embassy: KFOR explained why the aircraft landed in Pristina (Express)

The British Embassy in Kosovo had ruled out claims by Serbian officials that the aircraft that landed in Pristina last week was transporting heavy armament dedicated to the Kosovo Security Force, Gazeta Express reports. 

"KFOR has already issued a statement explaining that the purpose of the flight was to conduct a relief-in-place operation for British military land forces deployed in Kosovo," the Embassy told the news website. 

Specialist Chambers expected to make new arrests (Indeksonline)

The news website reports that the Specialist Chambers are expected to become active again and cites unnamed sources as saying that new arrests, ordered by the Specialist Chambers, are expected. The names of those that will be arrested are not known. The news website also recalls that several weeks ago, 92 members of the European Gendarmerie Forces (EUROGENDFOR) deployed in Kosovo.

Ruling and opposition parties clash at Assembly's committee meeting (Kallxo)

There was a heated debate during today's meeting of the Kosovo Assembly's committee on economy between representatives of the ruling and opposition parties, Kallxo reports.

Minister of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, Rozeta Hajdari, reported to the members of the committee on World Bank's competitiveness and export readiness loan project for Kosovo. 

Committee's chair, Ferat Shala from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said the agreement is unlawful because, he argued, the document has undergone changes after ratification from the Kosovo Assembly. Pal Lekaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) echoed Shala's view noting that only the Kosovo Assembly can sign off on such changes to the agreement.

At the same time, Mimoza Kusari-Lila from the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), said the debate derailed and did not result in a "qualitative reporting". 

Clark after meeting Kurti: We discussed energy projects (T7, media)

The U.S. General in pension and former NATO Commander Wesley Clark met today with the Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti.

After the meeting, he told the media that they did not discuss security in Kosovo and the region.

“The issue of security of Kosovo and the region was not the topic of discussions at the meeting with Prime Minister Kurti. We discussed energy projects,” Clark told T7.

He further stated that it is good that the government of Kosovo is careful towards the security situation, ‘but it should not be forgotten that KFOR is also present in Kosovo.’

Former NATO Commander met also with the Minister of Defense Armend Mehaj. 

Haradinaj: We do not participate in any voting until Energy investigation commission is established (TeVe)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj has announced that his political party will not participate in any vote in the Assembly of Kosovo, until the Commission of Inquiry for the management of the electricity crisis is established.

"The government prevented the Parliament from voting on the formation of a Commission of Inquiry into the expenses for energy subsidies, the payment of electricity in the north. For these and many other issues, the AAK Parliamentary Group will not participate in any voting to make a quorum to the majority until the establishment of this Commission of Inquiry," Haradianj said at a press conference.

He has also expressed concern about the delay in the entry into force of the National Security Strategy, and the non-approval of the Law on Wages.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce: 100 million allocated to citizens, could be invested in other forms (KosovaPress)

The executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo, Arian Zeka, has stated that the proposal to increase the minimum wage to 250 euros net is a fair decision of the government.

However, regarding the new measures to support 800 thousand citizens with 100 euros each, Zeka estimates that it would be better to invest these funds in other forms that would have multiplying effects on the Kosovo’s economy.

Zeka in an interview for KosovaPress said that there is no denying the fact that these additional funds will have an impact on the economy, while adding that the problems arising from this fund of 100 million euros should be taken into account, with the further increase of consumption, rising inflation and deepening trade deficit.

“What we have expressed our concern about is that there has not been a prior consultation with the relevant stakeholders. Perhaps there would have been much more creative ideas for a support to citizens who are facing difficulties these days as a result of rising prices. However, there could have been other fiscal policies thatcould have been applied by the state so that all citizens, without exception and without differentiation, can equally face these difficulties caused by the current crisis…” Zeka said. 

COVID-19: 3 new cases, no deaths (media)

3 new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 28 persons recovered from the virus in this period. There are 447 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

     

Serbian Language Media

  The Kosovo situation report before the UNSC tomorrow (Tanjug, media)

The United Nations Security Council will consider the regular six-month report of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on the situation in Kosovo, reported Tanjug agency. 

In a report from September 16th to March 15th this year, the UN SG expressed regret that only "limited progress" has been made in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue so far, noting that EU-mediated dialogue remains a key framework for the normalization of relations. 

Guterres encouraged both sides to engage constructively towards achieving concrete results, reported Tanjug.

"The dialogue process and efforts to achieve normalization have the full and undoubted support of the United Nations," the UN Secretary-General said in a report.

He said maintaining an open, transparent, and inclusive process was key in this regard to reach sustainable agreements and encouraged Belgrade and Pristina to "ensure significant participation of a wide range of participants" in the dialogue process.

Guterres reiterated his call to the government of the institutions in Pristina to fully implement the decision of the Constitutional Court from May 2016 on the property of the Visoki Decani Monastery, without further delay.

That would be an important step in strengthening people's trust in institutions, he said.

Guterres also called on Pristina and Belgrade to continue co-operating within the existing Working Group on Missing Persons.

Guterres called on the Pristina institutions at all levels, civil society organizations and local communities to continue their efforts to create an environment conducive to the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all IDPs and returnees and their reintegration. 

The report also recalled that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti talked on October 6 on the sidelines of the European Union-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia, reported Tanjug. 

The report stated that after the meeting, Vucic said that Belgrade will continue the dialogue with Pristina, with a focus on establishing the Community of Serbian Municipalities, as envisaged by the First Agreement on Principles Regulating the Normalization of Relations from April 2013.

This report is accompanied by a report on the work of EULEX in the same period.

Petkovic on Community of Serb-majority Municipalities, anniversary of Brussels agreement (Tanjug, RTV)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic in an interview with Tanjug news agency today pointed out that the Brussels Agreement was “a cornerstone” in the defence of Serbian national interests in Kosovo and Metohija.

He added Belgrade will not give up insisting on the key point of the document – establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM), emphasising that the implementation of the agreement is a condition to further normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Petkovic also recalled that 3,287 days have passed since the Brussels Agreement was signed and Pristina still refuses to implement it. He described the CSM as “the heart of the dialogue” adding it was because of it that Belgrade entered the process of normalising relations with Pristina.

“At this difficult moment, when Europe and the entire world are facing the Ukrainian crisis, it is shown how important it is to form a Community of Serb-majority Municipalities as soon as possible, which provides collective rights for the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. If we want peace and stability, we must have CSM”, Petkovic underlined.

According to Petkovic, the refusal of Pristina to establish CSM nine years after the agreement was signed indicates that the latter does not want to provide collective rights for the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Petkovic added that since Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti came to power, there were 167 incidents against the Serbian population in Kosovo, and this shows that CSM was much needed as a framework in which the rights of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija would be protected.

Petkovic opined that the EU also bears responsibility for the fact that CSM was not established yet, adding it should exert pressure on Pristina to fulfil the obligations it undertook.

Time to successfully end Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, EU spokesman Stano says (Tanjug, media)

In a statement to Tanjug agency, Stano pointed out that by signing the Agreement, Belgrade and Pristina undertook important international obligations and pointed out that both sides must fully implement everything that was agreed, cited Serbian media.

"The EU and member states expect rapid progress from both sides, as well as Belgrade and Pristina to get seriously involved in it. The European Union and member states also expect both sides to fully implement all agreements already reached," Stano said.

He added that the EU continues to work with the parties in the dialogue to reach, as he said, "a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia", while dealing with all remaining key issues, cited Serbian media.

Hill: Senators' visit underscores importance of US-Serbia partnership (Tanjug, media)

US Senators Chris Murphy, Jeanne Shaheen and Tom Tillis arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday for a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, reported Tanjug.

At Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport, they were welcomed by US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill.

In a Twitter post, Hill noted that their visit underscored the importance of a US-Serbia partnership.

"Serbia plays a vital role in the region’s progress and prosperity. The US stands ready to support stronger alignment and ties between Serbia and its EU neighbours," Hill added.

Office for KiM: Reciprocity not mentioned in agreement on licence plates (Radio KIM)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija called on representatives of Kosovo institutions, to show, as they said, the point of the agreement made on September 30, in Brussels relating to the licence plates which includes the word “reciprocity”, and a point of the same agreement saying that the current “stickers regime” will be valid for six months only, Radio KIM reports.

“There are simply no such provisions in the Agreement made on September 30, 2021 in Brussels, and it clearly says that a provisional solution with stickers will be implemented “as long as the final agreement on a lasting solution is made”. The final solution is also clearly described in point 3, of the Agreement and can be adopted only within the dialogue at high political level, and not on the basis of the “findings” made by the working group under the EU mediation (…)”, the Office said in a statement.

The Office for KiM also underlined that in light of this, April 21 is not a deadline when the validity of “stricker regime” will expire, as Pristina representatives are trying to depict it.

The Office called on politicians in Pristina “not to use this topic as an attempt to generate a new destabilisation of the situation on the ground and unilateral acts, as they have no grounds for something like that in the signed agreement”.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti earlier said the final agreement of licence plates will be made “only on the basis of reciprocity”. 

Kurti on attacks against police, Petkovic on Kurti’s statements (Radio KIM, Danas)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that Kosovo will not tolerate “illegal structures of Serbia and organized crime”, and called the attacks against the police in northern Kosovo “terrorist attacks”, Radio KIM reports. He also said statements coming from Belgrade should not be taken as facts.

On the other hand, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic reacting to Kurti’s statements said that Kurti “sends (Kosovo special police units) ROSU to the Serbian areas and manifests this way his dangerous and militant intentions and ideas, among which is the one on creating “Great Albania””.

He also said that Belgrade as responsible party preserves peace and stability, takes care of the Serbs in Kosovo, who, as he said, since Kurti came to power are constantly enduring institutional violence and terror as well as violations of their basic human rights.

Last week reacting to the allegations that Serbia was behind attacks on the Kosovo police in northern Kosovo, Petkovic urged “all actors in Pristina” to refrain from “irresponsible and unverified speculations about events” in Zubin Potok. Petkovic also said that speculations could endanger stability on the ground.

"Orchestrated attacks against Serbs and official Belgrade, prior to the conclusion of the investigation, bring into question motives of those events”, Petkovic wrote on Twitter, Danas daily reported. 

Vucic: Talks about Russian gas supplies to follow (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced late on Sunday talks with Russia about natural gas supplies were to follow, Tanjug news agency reports.

"Whatever contract we sign, it will be much better than the ones European countries have, but the gas will definitely not be for free or sold at the price we have been paying so far", Vucic said on a Pink TV talk show.

When asked how much it costs Serbia not imposing sanctions on Russia, Vucic replied that "everything costs us, the fact that we have not imposed sanctions costs us much more than you think. But imposing sanctions would cost us our principle because we ourselves know it is immoral and produces no result".

He recalled that, since 2001, Russia had always supported Serbia and its territorial integrity, vetoing a British resolution in the UN in 2015.

"Our duty is to act according to international public law and to respect principles", Vucic said.

Reacting to calls for Serbia to cease passenger flights to Russia over the Ukraine crisis, he said the Air Serbia flights were not maintained for profit as there was really no profit at all.

"Our plane took off and when it was flying over Slovakia, there was another bomb alert, but the pilot kept going because we knew it was a false one. The alerts are coming from a European country and from Ukraine - they do that all the time. There is no profit and we are maintaining the flights out of principle, to show that we are a free, freedom-loving country that makes its decisions on its own", Vucic said.

Later, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson denied allegations Ukraine was behind false bomb threats targeting Air Serbia for weeks now. 

Vucic meets US Ambassador, talks about improving relations with US (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told US Ambassador Christopher Hill that he hopes relations between the two countries will improve further, a statement said, N1 reports.

The statement said Hill and Vucic agreed that preserving peace and stability are the conditions for the progress of Serbia and an entire region, adding that US support in that regard is of great importance. It also said they discussed bilateral cooperation, unspecified global issues and the situation in the region.

Mining and Energy Minister Zorana Mihajlovic told Ambassador Hill in a separate meeting that the two countries would benefit greatly from an agreement on a strategic partnership of the kind that Serbia has with Russia, China, France, Italy, the UAE, Azerbaijan and Hungary.

Hill is quoted as saying that the Western Balkans has great potential for economic development. He said that efforts, including the Open Balkan initiative, must be invested to attract American investors.

Dacic meets Botsan-Kharcheko (Tanjug)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic and Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko met on Monday to discuss the current situation in Europe and the Western Balkans, as well as further development of Serbia-Russia bilateral ties, Tanjug news agency reports.

Botsan-Kharchenko said Russian MPs and senators who had been members of election observation missions of the Russian parliament as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation and the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States had given positive assessments of recent elections in Serbia, noting that they had been transparent and well-organised, the Serbian Parliament said in a statement.

Speaking about the current situation in Ukraine, Dacic noted that Serbia was advocating respect of international law and would always be committed to peace, and that it would be governed by its own national interests and continue to maintain its traditional friendship and partnerships with Russia and China on its European path.

Dacic also said he hoped the Ukraine conflict would end soon and would be resolved by diplomatic means.

Minister Ceku on Visoki Decani Monastery land case (KoSSev)

Even though in principle a decision from the Constitutional Court should be implemented, we should never get anything for granted, Kosovo Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Ceku told Kanal10 on Thursday evening, commenting on the fact that although six years have passed since the 2016 Kosovo Constitutional Court ruling to return 24 ha of land to the Visoki Decani Monastery, the decision has not been implemented to date, KoSSev portal reports.

“We need critical thinking to analyse what is in the decision“, Ceku said when asked about the ruling of the Constitutional Court on the return of the land to Visoki Decani.

As KoSsev further reported during the interview with Kanal10, Ceku once again criticised the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Europa Nostra organisation for including the monastery, which has been under UNESCO’s protection for twenty years now, among the 7 most endangered European cultural monuments last year.

The portal recalled that Minister Ceku, in addition to Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti, wrote to Europa Nostra last year, protesting against the decision of this European organisation dealing with the protection of cultural heritage to include Visoki Decani on its most endangered list.

Read more at:  https://bit.ly/37uh1iH Raska-Prizren Eparchy reacts to Ceku’s statement, says it is an open call to disrespect court’s decision (Kosovo-online, media)

Serbian Orthodox Church Raska-Prizren Eparchy expressed deep disappointment over  the statement of Kosovo Minister of Culture, Hajrullah Ceku who said that decision of the Constitutional Court should be implemented but not taken for granted in relation to the Visoki Decani Monastery land case, Kosovo-online portal reports.

The Raska-Prizren Eparchy added the statement represents an open call to disrespect the Constitutional Court decision.

“Raska-Prizren Eparchy is deeply disappointed over the statement of Mr. Ceku who openly calls for disrespecting the Constitutional Court decision regarding the Visoki Decani Monastery’s land. Such irresponsible statements undermine even a minimum of trust in the legal system and encourage even greater intolerance towards the Serbian Orthodox Church among Kosovo Albanians”, the Eparchy said.  

Visoki Decani Monastery: Kosovo authorities incompetent to protect SOC heritage (Kosovo-online, media)

In a series of posts on Twitter, Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) Visoki Decani Monastery said that Kosovo authorities haven’t only shown incompetence when it comes to protecting the SOC heritage in Kosovo, but are also creating an environment which calls for violence, Kosovo-online portal reports.

The Monastery also said refusal to implement the Constitutional Court decision on returning the land to the monastery, infringes the legal rights of the SOC.

“For 22 years #Serbian #Orthodox #Church in #Kosovo has been facing open discrimination, destruction & desecration of her heritage. Kosovo authorities haven’t only shown incompetence in protection of the #heritage but are constantly creating an atmosphere which calls for violence”, Monastery posted on Twitter.

“Such a behaviour together w/blatant denial of our legal rights, rejection of implementation of C/Court decision despite int’l criticism & violation of laws has created an atmosphere of zero confidence in their readiness & good will to build an inclusive society for all communities”, the Monastery added.

Serbian Mission to UNESCO: It is necessary to protect Serbian mediaeval monuments in Kosovo (Kosovo-online, media)

The Permanent Delegation of Serbia to UNESCO recalled on Monday the importance of preserving world cultural heritage and the necessity to protect Serbian mediaeval monuments in Kosovo inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage in Danger List, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“International Day for Monuments and Sites is yet another reminder of importance of preserving world heritage and necessity to protect #Serbian mediaeval monuments of inestimable beauty and value in #KosovoAndMetohija, inscribed on the @UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger”, Serbian Mission wrote on Twitter.  

Moscow daily says Vucic turning West but not away from Russia (N1)

Moscow daily Komersant said on Monday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is taking steps towards the West but will not turn away from Russia despite the increased pressure to impose sanctions, N1 reports.

It said that Vucic is caught in the diplomatic crossfire between the West and Moscow and recalled that the President of Serbia’s key European Union ally Germany Frank Walter Steinmeir told Vucic that the coordination of Belgrade’s foreign policy with the EU, especially towards Russia, is crucial.

“From the very start of the current crisis in Ukraine, the West believed that it’s not right for Serbia to be the only EU candidate country which has not imposed sanctions. Belgrade was granted a silent reprieve only to the April 3 elections. The West was not satisfied with the fact that Serbia lent support to three anti-Russian resolutions in the UN”, Komersant said.

It noted that a new and very unpleasant issue for Vucic who is trying to sit on two chairs is the dissatisfaction expressed by Moscow. It quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zaharova who said that Moscow does not understand officials of states who want independent, balanced policies but are saying that they have to compromise because of unprecedented pressure.

“Vucic could show his friendly attitude towards Russia very soon even if he does not join in the Western sanctions by including more Russia-oriented politicians in the new government”, the daily continues, adding that Ivica Dacic (considered to be a key Serbian pro-Russian politician) and his Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) are the main partners of Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

Vucic: No one has right to supply arms to Pristina (Tanjug)

Under UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and other acts, no one has the right to supply arms to Pristina, yet Western countries are doing that and supporting that, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said late on Sunday, Tanjug news agency reports.

"No one has the right to supply arms to Pristina, but they (Western countries) do not care (about international law)", Vucic said on a Pink TV talk show when asked to comment on criticism in the region about arms purchases by Serbia.

He noted that the 1999 Kumanovo Military Technical Agreement envisioned KFOR as the only armed force in Kosovo and Metohija.

Commenting on Pristina's acquisition of British-made anti-tank missiles, Vucic said the UK was not the first to supply weapons to Pristina.

"The Americans have provided them with various vehicles and the Turks are training pilots for aeroplanes they will probably get", Vucic said.

All those countries are the very same ones that want Serbia to support international law when it comes to Ukraine, yet they themselves are trampling it underfoot brutally when it comes to Serbia, Vucic said, noting that Serbia was buying defensive weapons.

Later today, the British Embassy in Belgrade refuted media reports on delivering arms to Pristina.

“Completely fabricated allegations on exporting the arms from the UK to Kosovo appeared in some Belgrade media. These allegations are untrue”, the Embassy said in a statement. 

Lack of translators, unverified diplomas obstacles in the Basic Court in Mitrovica functioning, says Radakovic (RTV Puls, Slobodno Srpski)

The executive director of the Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), Dusan Radakovic, said in 'Slobodno Srpski' TV Show that the latest report of the State Department on the human rights situation in Kosovo reflects the real situation, especially when it comes to the problems of the Serbian community in Kosovo, reported RTV Puls.

"Perhaps for the first time, we have a more comprehensive and realistic report on the current situation. I think that many problems are covered: property, detainees, land, war crimes trial based on two statements, the situation in the media, attacks on churches, ethnic problems. I think this is perhaps the best report so far."

Radakovic, who heads the ACDC NGO, an organization that implements numerous projects in the field of rule of law, believes that the agreement on justice is one of the most successful agreements reached in Brussels between Belgrade and Pristina.

"About 34-35 agreements have been reached so far in Brussels, but none of them has been completed one hundred percent. I think that in the judiciary over 95% has been implemented."

Currently, the Basic Court in Mitrovica employs 45 judges, 25 of whom are Albanians and 20 Serbs. According to the agreement on justice, the same number of judges from the Serbian and Albanian communities is expected to be in this court, which was the case until recently, but a number of Serbian judges, according to Radakovic, have retired.

"We have over 30 young lawyers who applied, but who did not receive verification of diplomas in order to pass the bar exam, so these are systemic problems where the administration and the government are stopping work to integrate the Serbian population into the institutions. I expect the diplomas to be verified very soon, at least for the people who handed them in by December 31."

The court in Mitrovica lacks translators

According to Radakovic, the Basic Court in Mitrovica is one of the most successful courts when it comes to resolving cases, but it is facing a serious shortage of interpreters.

"Thousands and thousands of pages of documents are in question, and the Basic Court in Mitrovica has only seven translators for 45 judges. Through a project funded by UNMIK, we have 10 translators working in the court, and paid through us. They help a lot in the work, translating all those pages, so that the court functions."

Radakovic expects that the suspended president of the Basic Court in Mitrovica, Ljiljana Stevanovic, will soon be returned to that position. The Kosovo Judicial Council suspended Stevanovic from the position of president of the Basic Court in Mitrovica because she attended a meeting of representatives of Serbs from Kosovo with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic last month.

"This is the first violation of the President Ljiljana Stevanovic and my opinion that at this moment we do not have a better president of the Basic Court, i.e., a better candidate in Mitrovica. She has excellent relations with Albanian judges, with Albanian staff, there are no problems. Given that this is her first violation, I expect that this case will end with a warning and that she will be returned to the position of court president," said Dusan Radakovic, reported RTV Puls.

Vulin: Bomb threats are economic assault on Serbia (N1)

Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin said that the false bomb threats on Air Serbia flights to and from Moscow and shopping malls are an “economic attack on Serbia” because it didn’t impose sanctions on Russia, N1 reports.

Vulin said that the latest bomb threats came from VPN servers in Switzerland, from several European Union member states and Ukraine. Air Serbia flights were forced to turn back about a dozen times, Belgrade airport was evacuated twice and four shopping malls received bomb threats.

“This is a purely economic attack. Huge economic damage is inflicted when we evacuate everyone and conduct a search”, Vulin told TV Happy. He added that bomb threats cause people to avoid the affected shopping malls on subsequent days. “We are trying to act to prevent, conduct searches of shopping malls before they open”, he added.

The Serbian police said earlier that it was requesting assistance through international cooperation on the false bomb threats. A press release said that Monday’s bomb threats which closed four shopping malls came from the same Switzerland-based Protonmail address. The same address was used to send the false bomb threats that grounded Air Serbia flights and forced the evacuation of Belgrade airport. The police said that the threats came from a European country and Ukraine.

See at: https://bit.ly/3xDRWN1      

International 

  Kosovo, the Albanians, the Serbs and Crimea (ekathimerini.com)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti talks to Kathimerini about unification plans, Western Balkan challenges and the way forward for Pristina

Albin Kurti is a prime minister with an unusual history. The former student activist spent two and a half years in a Serbian prison in 1999-2001, he was jailed again by the authorities of Kosovo in 2007, while in 2018 he was convicted of perpetrating or instigating at least five tear-gas attacks against the Kosovo Parliament, in order to stop the law that would have granted limited autonomy to the Kosovo Serbs.

In his first foray at the Delphi Economic Forum earlier this month, Kurti advocated for the full recognition of Kosovo and its admission into the European Union and NATO, even without a deal normalizing Serbia-Kosovo relations.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/37rqGqc Serbian President Accepts Opposition Demand for New Polls in Capital (Balkan Insight)

President Aleksandar Vucic, leader of ruling Serbian Progressive Party, said he is willing to propose new elections for the Belgrade city assembly as the largest opposition coalition has demanded.

Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday evening that if the largest opposition coalition in Belgrade, United for Serbia, wants to have new elections in the capital, he will propose it to the main board of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party, SNS.

Polls were held across the country on April 3 and the opposition won more votes in Belgrade, but despite this, it will get fewer seats than the ruling parties because of the electoral system.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3rDf62e Alexander Vucic’s victory: What is next for Serbia? (trtworld.com)

It was like choosing the lesser of two evils for many Serbians.

On April 3, the incumbent Serbian President Alexander Vucic succeeded in winning almost 60 percent of the votes in the presidential election. Remaining in power for another five years means he must deal with the region’s burning issues.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3xDkIwY Stefanov: Engaging civil society is a critical ingredient of successful anticorruption policies (EWB)

The governments in the Western Balkan region have been announcing numerous efforts to fight corruption for years. Yet, it continues to be widespread.

According to the 2021 SELDI Corruption Monitoring System (CMS) data, the anticorruption progress in the Western Balkans from the 2000s until the mid-2010s has been halted or even reversed. Although the success of the countries varies, corruption remains an issue of concern influencing many areas of everyday life.

On new corruption trends in the Western Balkans, the role of CSOs and international actors in combating this problem, political will and other important conditions for fighting corruption, we spoke with Ruslan Stefanov, Program Director of the Center for Study of Democracy, during SELDI.net’s Annual Regional Policy Forum at the end of March 2022 in Skopje.

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Humanitarian/Development

  Kurti: €1.5 million grant for businesses of Turkish community (Indeksonline)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met with representatives of the Turkish community today to discuss their challenges and opportunities and promised them government support with a €1.5 million grant. “Women and vulnerable groups in this community will have priority. Strengthening the roles of communities remains one of our priorities. We are thinking about the best ways to help these businesses without discriminating anyone,” Kurti said.

Poverty and school dropout main causes behind early marriages (RFE)

The difficult economic conditions, dropping out of school and domestic violence are among the main reasons behind early marriages in Kosovo which mostly affect Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian communities, Kosovo civil society representatives told Radio Free Europe in Albanian.

Early marriages has also been raised as a concern in the recent human rights report of the U.S. State Department which quotes figures from the Kosovo Agency of Statistics and UNICEF indicating that 1 in 25 women and 1 in 50 men between the ages of 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18 in Kosovo. This figure is much higher for members of the Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian communities.

Gjyljeta Devolli from the organisation for rights of Roma, Ashkali, Egyptian women and girls, said information and awareness of the families on the issue of early marriages is crucial to preventing this phenomenon. "Those girls drop out of school, remain financially dependent throughout their lives, are subjected to unlawful marriages, bear children at the age of being children themselves and have no knowledge how to raise children. They often are victims of domestic violence and other forms of abuse," she said.

Muhamet Arifi from the Balkan Sunflowers NGO said unemployment is the leading cause of early marriages. "We have many people who have graduated from college and are unemployed. Others, younger, see that those that have studied are jobless [so] they get married, create families and live on social welfare like that." 

‘Hidden Violence’: Polygamy in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)

Polygamy is illegal in the Balkans, but the practice still exists.

They met through friends, Emine recalled. He was from Macedonia, she an orphan from Kosovo, both part of what was then socialist Yugoslavia.

“I didn’t know him,” Emine said, but she would spend the next 36 years with him. And his three other ‘wives.’

Three years after his death, 56-year-old Emine is scarred by the physical and mental abuse she endured.

“When he got drunk, he would lose himself,” she said. Once, “I sat outside with the children all night. I was not allowed to go inside until he fell asleep.”

“It was constant. He was drunk every day. Every day the same.”

Emine’s account provides a rare glimpse into polygamy in the Balkans, a practice known as ‘ortaklek’ and still present – albeit in small numbers – among some Muslim communities.

As in most countries around the world, polygamy is illegal in North Macedonia, where Emine lives, and there is no official data on how prevalent it might be. Unofficial estimates suggest there may be hundreds of cases.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/37uCCYj