Albanian Language Media:

• RTK Workers Union asks Assembly to complete RTK Board ASAP (media)
• EU without decision on lifting of measures against Kosovo (media)
• Government: Keeping EU measures in force is pointless (media)
• DW: After Bosnia and Serbia, CIA director is visiting Kosovo (Gazeta10)
• Plane in which CIA chief is believed to have traveled to region, seen at Pristina Airport (RFE)
• CBK expects 3.9% economic growth during 2024 (Koha)
• Digitization of the election process begins, CEC receives software from OSCE (media)
• Grenell criticizes Kurti: The whole world has condemned his unilateral actions (media)
• Tahiri: Kurti has damaged, punished, and isolated Kosovo (Ekonomia)
• Musliu: Veseli and friends facing the most anti-national and anti-KLA government (media)
• Osmani: Honored to be awarded M100 Media Award alongside Tusk (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Macron visiting Serbia on August 29 and 30 (Kosovo Online, media)
• Vucic discussed the Ibar bridge with Botsan-Kharchenko (Danas, media) 
• CIA Director William Burns arrives in Serbia (N1, nova.rs, media)
• Lawyer: We have offered bail for Milenkovic to be released pending trial (Kosovo Online)
• Shqiprim Musliu: Bujanovac will be part of Kosovo, learn to live with that (KoSSev, Bujanovacke)
• French President Macron to visit Belgrade next week amid uncertainty over CIA Director Burns’ itinerary (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Belgrade - Pristina normalization talks: the west must bridge the divide (Kosovo Online)                          

Albanian Language Media  

RTK Workers Union asks Assembly to complete RTK Board ASAP (media)

The Workers Union of the Radio Television of Kosovo has called on the Kosovo Assembly, namely the Media Committee, to complete with new members the RTK Board as soon as possible and by following the procedures of law. The Union said that credible local and international organizations should monitor the completion process.

The Union called on the Assembly to increase the budget for the TRK saying that it is impossible to transform and develop the public broadcaster. 

The Union also called for a stop to attacks against the public broadcaster and called on political parties and certain individuals to keep their hands off of the public broadcaster. “A powerful and independent public broadcaster is in the interest of the broad public in Kosovo and we all need to engage in this. The current situation in the RTK without the completion of the Board, is almost dysfunctional because we are in a time when many important decisions need to be made for the future of the public broadcaster,” it said.

EU without decision on lifting of measures against Kosovo (media)

It has been two months since the high representative of the EU, Josep Borell, submitted to the European Council the report on the lifting of the measures against Kosovo, and there is still no decision of the member countries on this matter. The spokesperson of the EU, Peter Stano, told RTV21 that the discussions on the removal or not of these measures are continuing. As for the possibility of new measures, as the EU warned, after the recent actions of the government in the north, Stano did not give a concrete answer but requested from the Kosovo authorities to refrain from unilateral and uncoordinated steps. 

"Discussions of the EU member states in the Council on the report of the high representative, on the fulfillment of EU requirements from Kosovo are continuing. They are internal and confidential. The EU and its member states continue to urge the Kosovo authorities to refrain from unilateral and uncoordinated steps that could further escalate tensions, and we expect Kosovo to address and resolve open issues in the Facilitated Dialogue from the EU," Stano said. 

Meanwhile, the authorities in Kosovo have said that the measures against Kosovo continue to be unfair as long as they are in force and that their addition would only deepen the injustice. The political scientist, Albiniot Maloku, does not expect the measures to be lifted for now, as he does not rule out the possibility of their addition. "The measures were as a result of events incited in a way by the Kosovar side that is constantly lacking coordination," said Maloku. 

The Chamber of Commerce of Kosovo, meanwhile, estimates that as a consequence of the EU measures, Kosovo was damaged over 300 million euros and that any delay in their removal and any increase in them will deepen the damage. 

Government: Keeping EU measures in force is pointless (media)

The Kosovo government considers that keeping the punitive measures against Kosovo in force despite the positive recommendation of the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, is meaningless. Klisman Kadiu, adviser of the deputy prime minister Besnik Bislimi, said that the measures should be removed immediately and completely 

"The measures have been unfair since the first day. Keeping these measures still in force despite the positive recommendation from the EU High Representative, Mr. Josep Borrell is already nonsense. It was the letter of Mr. Borrell of June 3, 2023, the one that set the conditions for the imposition of measures against Kosovo, which followed the Bratislava agreement, and the high representative Borrell himself, who initially proposed them, more than a month ago concluded that all the conditions are met, and the measures should be lifted. Since it has been established that the conditions have been fulfilled, there is no need for a gradual removal, let alone keep them, but a complete and one-time removal of the measures is needed", said Kadiu to RTV21.

DW: After Bosnia and Serbia, CIA director is visiting Kosovo (Gazeta10)

William Burns, director of the CIA, is staying in the Western Balkans. Yesterday, Burns stayed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then in Serbia. According to the German medium, Deutsche Welle, Burns will also visit Kosovo.

"Burns visited Bosnia and Herzegovina on several occasions in the capacity of the US Assistant Secretary of State, but also other countries in the region. The director of the CIA, William Burns, visits Belgrade and Pristina after BiH", DW wrote.

Plane in which CIA chief is believed to have traveled to region, seen at Pristina Airport (RFE)

At noon on August 22, a U.S. military plane, with which the head of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, is believed to have traveled to Bosnia and Serbia, was seen at Pristina International Airport "Adem Jashari".

The U.S. Embassy in Pristina has not responded to the question of whether Burns is visiting Kosovo. Neither the Presidency of Kosovo nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs gave an answer to Radio Free Europe on this issue. The RFE team photographed the American army plane parked in front of the "VIP" area at Pristina Airport on Thursday afternoon.

Burns is believed to have traveled from Sarajevo to Belgrade on this plane. Meanwhile, on August 22, this plane traveled from Belgrade to Bulgaria, North Macedonia and finally Kosovo, according to flight tracking website Flightradar.

RFE journalists also saw a motorcade leaving the "VIP" area of ​​the "Adem Jashari" airport towards Pristina. This motorcade was escorted by Kosovo Police cars.

CBK expects 3.9% economic growth during 2024 (Koha)

The Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) predicts economic growth of 3.9% for 2024. According to the announcement of the CBK, predictions suggest that Kosovo’s economy is expected to grow faster during 2024, supported by the increase in real disposable income, thanks to the decrease in inflation and the increase in financing sources.

"CBK prediction for 2024 suggest that Kosovo's economy will be supported by the increase in real disposable income, thanks to the decrease in inflation, and the increase in financing sources. The CBK predicts economic growth of 3.9 percent for 2024, which is expected to be supported by the increase in consumption, investments and export of goods and services, against the negative impact of the import of goods and services on GNP", reads the report of the CBK, for Quarterly assessment of the Economy.

The CBK announces that according to the preliminary estimates of the KAS, the economy of Kosovo has recorded an increase of 5.6 percent in Q1 2024.

Digitization of the election process begins, CEC receives software from OSCE (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has received from the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, the software which will digitize some of the election operations. The software will enable voters at any time, not only during elections, to change the Voting Center within the municipality.

Also, through it, voters with special needs will be able to register from home and on the day of the elections, the CEC will send the mobile team to enable them to participate in the elections.

Meanwhile, for voters abroad, the electronic platform will enable the application for their registration.

Grenell criticizes Kurti: The whole world has condemned his unilateral actions (media)

Richard Grenell, former special emissary of former U.S. President Donald Trump, commented on a meeting between the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and Congressman Chris Murphy. 

“The entire world has condemned his unilateral actions destabilizing the region.  Everyone - NATO, the Germans, the French, the EU, the Trump Administration and the Biden Administration - has made clear that Albin Kurti is causing problems,” Grenell wrote on X platform.

Tahiri: Kurti has damaged, punished, and isolated Kosovo (Ekonomia)

Edita Tahiri, former chief negotiator of Kosovo in the dialogue with Serbia, has said that Kosovo is damaged by the government of the Prime Minister, Albin Kurti. She said that Kurti is playing "small games in the north", thus leaving Kosovo isolated and punished. 

"Kosovo is quite damaged by this government, completely isolated. There has been no high-level visit from important countries to Kosovo since January. Our Prime Minister has not made any official visits outside of Kosovo. Kosovo remained without joining the Council of Europe. We are isolated, punished, attacked and still the games and propaganda for small games in the north continue. He sends teams for the bridge to the north, while six years ago the EU carried out the restoration, then he issues these statements that he is opening the bridge, that it is rightful, of course the American ambassador must react. The situation is not good, but democracy has political rotation. There are elections in February, he has a chance to stay for a few more terms, but he failed Kosovo. We hope that this rotation will remove Kurti", Tahiri said. 

She also spoke about the invitation she had to become part of the dialogue team, "In the case of Kurti, when he sent to me an emissary to participate in the negotiations, I told him I am politically against cooperation with Kurti because we don't understand each other, he has eastern ideology, I am western, he is anti-American, I am pro-American", said Tahiri.

Musliu: Veseli and friends facing the most anti-national and anti-KLA government (media)

Ganimete Musliu, MP of Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has reacted after the departure of Kadri Veseli's lawyer, Ben Emmerson from the defense in the trial in The Hague.

“Kadri Veseli and his friends are facing multiple battles in The Hague. On one side, the battle with the political trial that is being made at the court in The Hague, on the other side with the most anti-national and anti-KLA Government that is misgoverning the country. The lack of funds for the protection of the KLA and the withdrawal of Attorney Emerson should have been an alarm for the country and was addressed today in an urgent and extraordinary session in the Assembly of Kosovo. The State of Kosovo is taking revenge on these men by jeopardizing our people's right to freedom,” Musliu wrote.

Osmani: Honored to be awarded M100 Media Award alongside Tusk (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in a post on X that she is honored “to be awarded the M100 Media Award alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Moments like these remind us that the fight for democracy, freedom, and justice is never over—it’s something we must work for every day. Kosovo’s journey has been one of courage and determination, and this recognition speaks to the bright Euro-Atlantic future we are building together. Thank you to the M100 Colloquium Advisory Board for this incredible honor. Together with our transatlantic partners, we will continue to champion the values that make us stronger”.

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, shared Osmani’s tweet congratulating her on the award. “Your firm commitment to our common values, freedom and multilateralism make Kosovo a critical and much-needed voice in the European Union and beyond,” Rohde said.

French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guerot, too congratulated Osmani noting that “freedom of expression and of the press is a cornerstone of democracy and justice. Happy to see your efforts recognized”.

Serbian Language Media 

Macron visiting Serbia on August 29 and 30 (Kosovo Online, media)

French President Emmanuel Macron will pay an official visit to Serbia on August 29 and 30 at the invitation of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, reported Kosovo Online. The portal recalled that Vucic pointed out during his visit to Paris, for the opening of the Olympic Games, that he was expecting Macron's visit in the next 50 days.

France strongly condemned the increase in unilateral actions of the Kosovo authorities in the north of Kosovo, which affect the daily life of the Serbian community, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs announced earlier, indicating that these actions threaten efforts to normalize relations with Serbia.

The portal also recalled that on April 8, while hosting Vucic in Paris, Macron said that the agreements reached in Brussels and Ohrid should be implemented, and that Pristina must make progress in establishing the Community of Serbian Municipalities, in accordance with its aspirations to join the CoE. Macron, in a joint address with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic then emphasized that France will do everything so that all the agreements reached were implemented. Each side, he emphasized then, must contribute to that path, and said that he welcomed "the gesture made on both sides".

"Now we need to go a step further. I know you are ready for it, and you repeated it to me during our last meeting in Brussels. We need to overcome the tensions that arose after the decision regarding the transfer of money. It is necessary that the elections in the north take place as soon as possible and that new democratically legitimate mayors will be elected. Pristina must advance in the formation of the A/CSM, in accordance with its aspirations for membership in the CoE," he said.

Macron said that he wanted the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, because this was a promise and pledge for the stability of the region and Europe.

Vucic discussed the Ibar bridge with Botsan-Kharchenko (Danas, media) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today the Russian Ambassador to Serbia Alexander Botsan-Khrachenko, and thanked Russia for its consistent diplomatic support for UNSC Resolution 1244, but also expressed deep concern about the possible consequences of the opening of the Ibar bridge in Mitrovica, reported Danas daily. 

"An open and honest conversation with Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko on all topics of interest to Serbia and the Russian Federation, as well as Serbia's positions regarding current global geopolitical developments", wrote the President of Serbia in a post on Instagram. 

Vucic highlighted the situation in Kosovo as a special topic of conversation and expressed "deep concern about the possible consequences of the forced opening of the bridge on the Ibar, as well as other planned activities of the Pristina regime, directed against the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija", cited Danas.

"I reiterated my gratitude to Russia for its consistent diplomatic support for Resolution 1244, as the only international guarantee for the survival of Serbs in Kosovo", Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

CIA Director William Burns arrives in Serbia (N1, nova.rs, media)

After his visit to Sarajevo, the director of the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William Burns came to Belgrade. There is no official information about Burn's visit to Serbia, nor is it known what topics are on the table, reported nova.rs yesterday.

Former diplomat and former US ambassador to Russia, and now a key figure in the administration of US President Joseph Biden, William Burns, began his "Balkan tour" with a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Burns arrived in the capital city of Sarajevo on August 20, where he met with colleagues from the intelligence community, members of the Presidency of BiH, as well as with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country.

A US Government official confirmed for N1 Sarajevo that they discussed issues of common interest, which includes the territorial integrity and sovereignty of BiH. 

The "worrying secessionist rhetoric and actions of the President of the Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and the Government of the Republika Srpska," was also discussed, a US Government official told N1 Sarajevo earlier.

Immediately after the visit to Sarajevo, the media reported that the first CIA man was also traveling to Belgrade. He came to the Serbian capital from Sarajevo two nights ago. As reported by the media, he will be hosted by the Security and Information Agency (BIA), headed by Vladimir Orlic.

The president of the Serbia Center (SRCE) party, Zdravko Ponos, told N1 that Burns' arrival in Belgrade was a "return visit" but also with the aim of "telling Belgrade to pay attention to what is being done in Banja Luka".

"The villains would say that Burns' arrival is a return visit, (BIA director Vladimir) Orlic made a secret visit a month ago in Washington. He went there for a scan, he went there as a 'white tulip', to see what they could do with him," Ponos said.

Another reason, he added, was the difficult situation in the region.

"BiH is a fireground that has not calmed down, and many people around have buckets of gasoline, Belgrade and a bucket of water. Burns came to draw attention to the fact that they are not playing with it, that Belgrade should pay attention to what they are doing in Banja Luka," said Ponos, the former chief of the General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces.

It turned out, he added, that NATO Assistant Secretary General Boris Ruge was also visiting Serbia.

"It is unusual, because August is not a very common time when this happens. But the Brussels administration has not even settled in yet, and in the USA, there will be elections... And Belgrade and the region look like Casablanca, many interests are competing there," Ponos said.

As he said, the question for the government is why Burns' visit was hidden from the public, given that we learned about it from a source in BiH. 

Kosovo and Bosnia - hot spots in the Balkans

The research director of the Belgrade Center for Security Policy, Predrag Petrovic, told the Nova.rs portal that this visit was unusual, bearing in mind that it was the director of the most powerful intelligence service in the world who comes to two small Balkan countries.

"On the other hand, this is also understandable, given that the Balkans are among the possible problematic points. Specifically, these are Kosovo and BiH. Therefore, it is an annual threat assessment issued by the American intelligence community, and it mentions Bosnia and Kosovo for the year 2024. Milorad Dodik and his secessionist aspirations were also explicitly mentioned. Given that Dodik's statements about the secession of RS from BiH have been frequent lately, it is understandable that America reacts in this way," says Petrovic.

He also states that the Balkans as such are not a priority for America, there are other, more serious hotspots, but certainly that they do not need a new escalation.

"This visit should be interpreted as a kind of disciplining of all possible actors who can destabilize the region," said Petrovic, and added that Burns would try to send messages in a way that everyone understood. 

Stojanovic: The mission in question much broader

The former director of the Military Security Agency, Momir Stojanovic, also agrees that such a visit by the head of a foreign security service to officials in other countries has not been a practice until now.

"It is unusual for the head of a foreign service to visit other countries. It is especially unusual for such a visit to be disclosed to the public. There have always been such visits in the past, but far from the public eye. Usually, the heads of those powerful services met with the head of the host service," said Stojanovic.

Stojanovic added that now, for the first time, we have a situation where the head of a powerful American service was meeting with officials of other countries who are not from the security sector.

"This indicates that the mission of the gentleman in question is much broader than the cooperation of the security services in confronting the security challenges, risks and threats that humanity is faced with today," Nova's interlocutor stated.

Stojanovic also said that Berns's stay in Bosnia, and then in Serbia, showed that events in Kosovo would certainly be discussed in Belgrade.

"I am referring to the announced opening of the Ibar bridge, and when it comes to Bosnia, there was probably talk about the rhetoric that has been present in recent years, and which is embodied by Milorad Dodik. I'm referring to the non-compliance with the Dayton Agreement and the announcement from RS that they will leave BiH if this continues," said Stojanovic.

In his opinion, this visit was much broader than the cooperation of the security services.

"The fact that he met with the members of the Presidency of BiH shows the hypocrisy and arrogance of the country he comes from. If you look at the conflict in the Middle East, you will see that it has moved to a higher stage, which is being resolved by the security chiefs, and that was previously done by the presidents of the republics," said Stojanovic.

Lawyer: We have offered bail for Milenkovic to be released pending trial (Kosovo Online)

One of the lawyers defending Milun Milenkovic Lune, who is charged by the Special Prosecutor’s Office with allegedly committing “a terrorist act” in relation to the attack on CEC office in Mitrovica North, Predrag Miljkovic, requested during yesterday’s trial that the court replace Milenkovic’s detention measure with a bail, Kosovo Online portal reported.

He said they offered a higher amount than last time, €70,000 as a guarantee that Milun Milenkovic will not flee during this trial. “{…} I am confident that if the court grants our request, Milun will actively participate in his defense. He will not miss any trial. I am convinced and certain of this, and I would like the court to make such a decision”, Miljkovic said.

He added that the prosecutor expressed concerns Milenkovic might allegedly influence some witnesses. “We have only heard about these witnesses today; they were proposed just today, and I think that’s nonsense. We don’t know who these witnesses are, who these people are, so this danger is purely hypothetical”, Miljkovic said.

Milenkovic was arrested on June 13 of last year and has been in detention since then. In addition to Milenkovic, Aleksandar Vlajic is also in detention, while Dejan Pantic and Miomir Vakic are released pending trial. The next hearings are scheduled for October 4, 11, and 29 at 9:30 AM, when the testimony of the witness for prosecution is expected, followed by the testimony of defense’s witnesses.

Shqiprim Musliu: Bujanovac will be part of Kosovo, learn to live with that (KoSSev, Bujanovacke)

Bujanovac belongs to Albanians and Kosovo, and will be part of Kosovo, head of Democratic Movement for Progress (PDP) Shqiprim Musliu, until recently deputy mayor of this municipality in southern Serbia, said KoSSev portal reported citing Bujanovacke news.

He also told Serbs in Bujanovac “if they want to live with us, you will live with this reality”. He added they should not forget that and he would remind them of it until the end of life.

“But we will not discriminate against you in such a way, but you will be treated in dignified manner as European citizens”, Musliu wrote on Facebook after another message of hate targeting Albanians ‘mysteriously’ appeared at the Health Center in Bujanovac, the portal added.  

Musliu’s party along with the parties of Shaip Kamberi and Nagip Arifi lost the authority in Bujanovac last month, and soon after that they organized a protest of Albanians against alleged discrimination. Following the protest, within one week, in the health center in Bujanovac two hate messages targeting Albanians appeared, and authors have not been identified yet. 

French President Macron to visit Belgrade next week amid uncertainty over CIA Director Burns’ itinerary (KoSSev)

As official details about CIA Director William Burns’ visit to Belgrade remain scarce, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić is preparing to host French President Emmanuel Macron for an official visit on August 29 and 30. This will mark Macron’s second visit to Belgrade in the past five years, following Vučić’s own official visit to Paris in May.

The visit of CIA Chief Burns, however, has generated significant public interest and speculation across the Balkans. Burns, who was in Sarajevo yesterday, is rumored to have arrived in Belgrade later the same day. Serbian authorities have not yet commented on his presence.

Unofficial sources suggest that Burns is being hosted in Belgrade by the Security Information Agency (BIA), headed by Vladimir Orlic. There has been no confirmation from the Serbian side regarding the details of Burns’ meetings or his agenda.

In parallel, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has been confirmed to have met with Russian Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2rxvu9kc

Opinion

Belgrade - Pristina normalization talks: the west must bridge the divide (Kosovo Online)

By Helena Ivanov, associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Research Center

Another month, another challenge in Kosovo – this time, it is the reopening of the Ibar River bridge. The bridge, which divides the town of Mitrovica, separates the predominantly Serb north from the mostly ethnic Albanian south. Despite numerous discussions within the ongoing normalization talks between Belgrade and Pristina, progress has been minimal. As it stands, a temporary solution has been reached: the bridge is open to pedestrians but remains closed to all other traffic.

Earlier this year, the Kosovo government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Albin Kurti, decided to fully reopen the Ibar River bridge, sparking outrage and protests among the Kosovo Serb population. Many in Serbia, including the Serbian government and Serbs in northern Kosovo, have condemned the move as a unilateral action by Kosovo, arguing that it could escalate existing tensions in the region. The international community shares these concerns, with the Quint countries (the US, UK, France, Germany, and Italy), along with the EU and KFOR (NATO's peacekeeping force in Kosovo), expressing clear opposition to the decision. They have insisted that any decisions regarding the bridge’s reopening should be addressed within the framework of normalization talks between Belgrade and Pristina, mediated by the EU.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/5eikN