UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 25, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani: Kosovo ready to join the European Union (media)
Osmani congratulates Zelensky on Ukrainian independence day (media)
Durmishi: 54 days later, asphalt on new bridge over Iber River (media)
Pamphlets calling for “resistance” in front of Mitrovica North buildings (media)
Kosovo Prosecution seeks detention for 2023 attack suspect (AP)
Hoti: EU measures cost Kosovo over €613 million (Dukagjini)
Presheva Valley with platform to report passivisation of addresses (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic and Li Ming: Serbia and China strongly lean to one another on preserving peace and stability matters (media)
Petkovic: Is there a statement of Osmani which doesn’t start with the attack on Belgrade? (Kosovo Online, media)
Murals dedicated to tragically died youth in Leposavic and Socanica painted over (Alternativna, KoSSev)
“Kurti’s reckoning with murals demonstrates hatred and obsession of his anti-Serb policy” (Tanjug, media)
Students: Why did you not defend graffiti, was it because you were busy gathering against non-existing blockades? (KoSSev)
Students protest held in Sremska Mitrovica (N1)
Video released targeting lawyer Ivan Ninic as a CIA spy and associate of Albin Kurti (N1, social media)

International:

“Difficult, but unique:” Foreign scholars study Albanian in Prishtina (PI)

Humanitarian:

‘Worst nightmare’: Serbia’s failure to deinstitutionalise people with disabilities (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani: Kosovo ready to join the European Union (media)

Most news websites cover an interview that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani gave to TVP World, highlighting her remark that Kosovo is ready to join the European Union. “In terms of our alignment and in terms of our European spirit, and in terms of our political will and the will of our people to join the EU, we’re 100 percent in terms of proximity because we are a country that fully aligns with the European Union, we are at a 100 percent alignment. 97 percent of the people of Kosovo are pro-European, pro joining the European Union and NATO. In terms of reforms, whether its rule of law reforms, economic reforms, fundamental rights, human rights reforms, we are the country in the Western Balkans that is doing best. So when it comes to values we are quite close but when it comes to politics, procedures and hurdles, we are still quite far away because as you know there are still five countries within the European Union that have not recognized Kosovo and that is one hurdle but then there is other hurdle where despite Kosovo being fully in alignment and despite Kosovo being a country that truly sees the European Union as a values-based system, unfortunately this doesn’t seem to catch the eye of so many member states and it looks that those of us have aligned with the EU whether on sanctions against Russia or sanctions against Iran or other things that really take you out of your comfort zone, but you stand with what is right, these haven’t been important for the European Union, because if you look at how our region has been progressing, Serbia, which is our neighbor, despite being at a 40 percent alignment with the European Union, despite not adopting sanctions against Russia, or the other adversaries of the European Union, they are still moving on towards EU membership, so it feels like the criteria and the values do not truly matter for some member states at least. So, we’re trying to convince them, and it doesn’t mean that our patience will end, quite the opposite, we are working on it. It’s quite a long process and of course there are a lot of people who are frustrated. But for us there has never been any other alternative but the European Union. We don’t flirt with other powers, we don’t mess with malign powers, quite the opposite, the European Union and NATO are our only path and we are going to work as hard as it is required until we get our rightful place in these two organizations that as I said are most important,” Osmani said.

See more at: https://shorturl.fm/W4HFZ

Osmani congratulates Zelensky on Ukrainian independence day (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, in a post on X, congratulated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the people of Ukraine on their independence day. “Kosovo stands firmly with Ukraine in its heroic fight for freedom. We remain committed to strengthening our friendship and supporting your path toward recovery, justice, and lasting peace,” Osmani said.

Durmishi: 54 days later, asphalt on new bridge over Iber River (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Hysen Durmishi, said today that asphalt is being laid on the new bridge over the Iber River in Mitrovica. “Only 54 days since we started. Today asphalt is being laid on the bridge and on the roads that connect the bridge on the south and the north side of the Iber,” Durmishi said in a Facebook post.

Durmishi said in an interview with Telegrafi that they are waiting for the preliminary test report to make sure that the bridge is ready to be opened. “We are working intensively. The asphalt is being laid, the signs will be set tomorrow, and we are waiting for the preliminary test report,” he said. When asked if the bridge will be opened in early September, he said: “definitely in the beginning of September”.

Pamphlets calling for “resistance” in front of Mitrovica North buildings (media)

Citing reports in Serbian media, some news websites report that pamphlets with the message “Resistance” were seen this morning in front of several buildings in Mitrovica North. The pamphlets also called on Serb residents of Mitrovica North to place the flag of Serbia on their windows and houses. The news website also notes that Kosovo Police in the north confirmed that they have been informed about the pamphlets but that there is no decision from the prosecution.

Kosovo Prosecution seeks detention for 2023 attack suspect (AP)

The Special Prosecution of Kosovo has requested a 30-day detention for suspect Lj.M. for attacking the Kosovo Police and KFOR in 2023. “According to the request of the Special Prosecution, the defendant Lj.M is suspected that on 29.05.2023, in front of the Zvecan municipal building, together with other suspects, he attacked with stones, Molotov cocktails, and firearms the KFOR members, Kosovo Police, and journalists reporting on the event,” reads the announcement of the Prosecution.

“The Special Prosecution assures the citizens of the country that it remains committed to the full investigation and prosecution of all perpetrators of these criminal acts,” the statement said.

Hoti: EU measures cost Kosovo over €613 million (Dukagjini)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti announced that a measure set to Kosovo by the EU for the period June 2023 – April 2025, cost Kosovo a total €613.4 million. “613.4 million euros is the total cost of EU measures towards Kosovo for the period June 2023 - April 2025. This includes projects suspended indefinitely. Of this amount, 7.1 million euros are completely lost, which were foreseen for agriculture, rural tourism, enterprises, etc. The most affected sectors are environment 351 million euros, energy 114 million euros, digitalization 57 million euros, culture 15 million euros, etc.," Hoti wrote on Facebook.

Presheva Valley with platform to report passivisation of addresses (RTK)

Albanian member of the Serbian Parliament, Shaip Kamberi, announced on Sunday the activation of a platform for reporting the passivisation of addresses of Albanians in Presheva Valley. “We need to raise the awareness of the national and international public every day so that we can eliminate this process and its detrimental consequences. Every citizen affected by the passivisation of addresses needs to engage in order for our international awareness-raising engagement to be successful. This is why in order to report cases or ask for legal advice, they need to visit the platform opened especially for passivization by the Council for Human Rights in the Valley,” he said in a Facebook post.

Kamberi said that creating equal living conditions through the fair and proportional inclusion in public and state institutions was one of the basic positions of all three signed agreements which were not respected by the Serbian government. He also argued that there is an attempt to use the passivisation of addresses of Albanians to create a false overview of the demographic structure, “which does not correspond with the actual situation on the ground”. “The passivization of addresses results in the loss of many civil rights and also the right to vote,” he warned.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic and Li Ming: Serbia and China strongly lean to one another on preserving peace and stability matters (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said during the meeting with China Ambassador to Serbia, Li Ming that the two states strongly lean to one another when it comes to preserving stability and peace, as well as providing mutual support on the international arena.

In a post on his official Instagram account, Vucic described the meeting with the Chinese Ambassador as splendid. The meeting touched upon details and priorities of Vucic’s upcoming meeting with China President Xi Jinping agenda, and other topics of mutual interest.

“I have emphasized in particular that Serbia and China continue developing cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, energy and trade, but that we also lean to one another when it comes to preserving peace, stability and mutual support on the international arena”, the post also said.

Petkovic: Is there a statement of Osmani which doesn’t start with the attack on Belgrade? (Kosovo Online, media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Petar Petkovic, reacting to the claims Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani made that “with NATO’s support, Kosovo had repelled all attempts at destabilization from Serbia”, asked was there is a single statement of hers “that does not begin with lies and an attack on Belgrade”. He remarked that “such an obsession with Vucic and Serbia is unbelievable”.

“Is there a single statement by Vjosa (Osmani) which doesn’t begin with lies and an attack on Belgrade? This obsession with President (Aleksandar) Vucic and Serbia is unbelievable! Many in the international community recognize this pathological symptom of Vjosa and (Albin) Kurti, saying it has become a rule that the first 15 minutes of any conversation with them are wasted”, Petkovic wrote in a post on X social platform.

Murals dedicated to tragically died youth in Leposavic and Socanica painted over (Alternativna, KoSSev)

After murals and various graffiti were painted over in Mitrovica North and Zvecna, some murals in Leposavic municipality have also been defaced, including those dedicated to tragically dead young people from this municipality, Alternativna.com portal writes today.

According to the information from the ground, the portal added, one mural was painted over in Leposavic town and the other one in Socanica. Residents from Socanica informed the portal that a mural in their settlement was painted over. It was about a mural dedicated to the young person from this village who died, and his young peers collected the money to have the mural dedicated to their late friend painted.

Marko Milenkovic, from New Social Initiative (NSI) also confirmed to the portal that the mural in Leposavic was painted over.

“This morning murals dedicated to tragically died young people in Leposavic, created as per initiatives of their friends and families, as remembrance of them were painted over. These murals contained no messages of hatred or intolerance, on the contrary they were expressions of compassion and remembrance”, Milenkovic wrote in a post on X.

The mural in Leposavic, which was painted over, was dedicated to Jovan Milanovic Dzin, a young man who died five years ago from carcinoma. The mural was painted by his friends. The other one in Socanica was dedicated to Djordje Lukovic.

Meanwhile, KoSSev portal reported that murals are being painted over in Lesak and Zubin Potok as well, in addition to Leposavic and Socanica.

“Kurti’s reckoning with murals demonstrates hatred and obsession of his anti-Serb policy” (Tanjug, media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija said today “reckoning of Kosovo provisional institutions of self-governance prime minister Albin Kurti with the murals in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, starting from Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan to Leposavic demonstrates all the hatred and obsession of his anti-Serb policy”, Tanjug news agency reported citing the statement.

As the Office said while suffering debacle after debacle on political grounds in Pristina, Kurti attempts to conceal that with provocations in the north of Kosovo by which he wants to induce new tensions, intolerance and discord among communities in Kosovo.

“In his bared hatred Kurti fails to understand that each honorable Serb carries the Serbian flag in his heart, remembers their Church dignitaries, tragically died Serbian youth and lives for the idea “There Is No Back From Here”, as the defaced mural was saying. These all create the foundation of Serbian determination to remain on their own land, preserve their homes and no actions carried out disguise of night can prevent that”, the statement added.

Students: Why did you not defend graffiti, was it because you were busy gathering against non-existing blockades? (KoSSev)

Various murals, graffiti and other messages inscribed across Mitrovica North and Zvecan were painted over in the night between Saturday and Sunday, with assistance of Kosovo police, providing the safety. On Saturday a gathering was held in Mitrovica North supported by Serbian List leaders, as part of counter-rallies against blockades held simultaneously in more than 70 cities across Serbia, KoSSev portal writes today.

These events, along with yesterday’s public address of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic who announced measures to significantly reduce prices of commodities, were the reasons for students to react noting that “reduction in prices have also reached Kosovska Mitrovica. Why did you not defend graffiti? Was it because you were busy gathering against non-existing blockades or was it only a new price (to pay)?”, students from Singidumun private university asked in a post on X social media account.

Another reaction came from students in a blockade at the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade. They published two photos on their X account one with a defaced Serbian flag at the wall in Zubin Potok and another one depicting members of the Serbian police staying in front of a three-color mural.

“Will ‘the heroes’ from Liman (Novi Sad settlement) go to Zubin Potok to restore ‘three-color flag’ and will Serbian police guard on days and nights the three-color flag in Kosovo and Metohija? Or are both busy with carrying out violence against their own people”?

The message relates to the events from two weeks ago, when a police cordon was guarding a wall of a building in Novi Sad Liman settlement where previously ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) activists painted Serbian flags.

Students protest held in Sremska Mitrovica (N1)

A large citizens’ protest, called for by students, was held in the city of Sremska Mitrovica on Sunday. Students from the nearby town of Ruma traveled to the protest on foot, as did student runners from Pecinci. The protest drew people from several cities, including farmers on tractors, bikers, and war veterans. Food was also prepared for the attendees, N1 reported.

Teacher Lazar Vulic told N1 that people had gathered to express their desire to liberate the institutions and the state so that their children can live in a normal country. He noted that they expect greater state repression against citizens, but also that the autumn will be “heated.” He added that Sremska Mitrovica had been a major stronghold for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), but that things are now changing.

“Vucic used to start every campaign from Sremska Mitrovica, if you have noticed, with a large support rally where he announced he would write a book... So, Sremska Mitrovica was very much an SNS city, but that is now changing slightly”, he said.