UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 27, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Aliu resigns minister’s post, citing Basha’s election as Assembly Speaker (media)
Durmishi: Aliu is not an MP, not a MP candidate and not in VV presidency (Kallxo)
Rasic says he’ll nominate himself again for Assembly Deputy Speaker (media)
VV appeals to Supreme Court over certification of Serbian List by ECAP (RFE)
Krasniqi meets Troccaz, highlights PDK role in breaking the stalemate (media)
Abdixhiku meets French diplomats, focus on political developments (media)
Haradinaj: France, an important partner of Kosovo in many areas (media)
Barduani thanks France for contribution to KFOR and peace in the region (media)
Gashi (LDK): Vetevendosje has a plan to block state institutions (media)
Sorensen emphasizes importance of Kosovo-Serbia normalization (media)
Turkey to increase investments in Kosovo, joint free economic zone (Telegrafi)
Police stop 18-year-old in Leposavic over shirt with provocative message (media)

Serbian Language Media:

ANEM: Police officer who recorded commemoration to missing journalists had KLA emblem on his phone (N1)
Djuric met US Congressman Swalwell in Belgrade, discussed Serbia-U.S. partnership (media, social media)
Serbian List met McGurk and Kamp: OSCE must respond to Pristina’s repression against Serbian people (Kosovo Online)
Serbian Democracy met OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Head of OSCE Mission (social media)
Former president of Constitutional Court: Rasic cannot be proposed as deputy speaker on behalf of Serbian community, it is unconstitutional (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, media)
Deda: Candidates from non-majority communities cannot be imposed by other MPs (media)
Bugaqku from KDI: Basha violated Constitution three times in election of deputy speaker from Serb community (Kosovo Online)
Sorensen after visiting Belgrade: Normalization important because of people on ground (KoSSev, social media)
Trial to Milovic and Kostic continues with hearing witnesses of defense (Radio KIM, KoSSev, media)
US again delays imposing sanctions on Serbian Oil Industry (N1, RTS)

Albanian Language Media

Aliu resigns minister’s post, citing Basha’s election as Assembly Speaker (media)

One of the leading news stories today is caretaker Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu’s decision to resign his post, citing dissatisfaction over the election of Dimal Basha as Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly. “I would like to inform you that I have just submitted to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Mr. Albin Kurti, my letter of resignation from the position of Minister at the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure. My resignation comes following yesterday’s election of the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo. After the vote, I informed Prime Minister Kurti of my decision. I believe that yesterday’s election of the Speaker, the highest institution where laws are passed and the government is held accountable, does not align with the spirit or the level of that republican ideal, which has been and remains the reason for my commitment,” Aliu said.

Durmishi: Aliu is not an MP, not a MP candidate and not in VV presidency (Kallxo)

Kosovo caretaker Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Hysen Durmishi, commented on Liburn Aliu’s resignation from the post of Minister for Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, saying that there are no splits within the Vetevendosje Movement but that there are disagreements on certain issues.

Asked if Aliu’s decision means the end of his time with the Vetevendosje Movement, Durmishi said: “I don’t know, you should ask Liburn Aliu about this. Liburn Aliu is not an MP. He hasn’t been a candidate for MP. He is not a member of the presidency of the Vetevendosje Movement. Decisions in the Vetevendosje Movement are made by the party structures, and this is how a political organization functions. We can have disagreements on certain issues from time to time, which are discussed at the General Council and then in the Presidency. But when decisions are taken with a majority, they are democratic decisions that are respected regardless of disagreements that someone may have”.

Rasic says he’ll nominate himself again for Assembly Deputy Speaker (media)

Kosovo caretaker Minister for Communities and Returns and MP, Nenad Rasic, said in an interview with TeVe1 today that he is pleased that the Kosovo Assembly has elected the Speaker and that the process is now moving forward after a lengthy institutional deadlock.

Rasic said he was the only [Serb] candidate [for Deputy Speaker] outside the Serbian List and that he had nominated himself for the post. “I nominated myself for the post because there was no one else to nominate me. Based on my political concept and the efforts I have made in the last 20 years, I thought it would be useful for a democratic society,” he said.

Rasic criticized the representatives of the Serb community in the Assembly, saying that they don’t properly represent the people that voted for them.

Asked to comment on claims by some opposition MPs that his nomination goes against the Constitution, Rasic said he asked for confirmation from constitutional experts and that they told him that there was no legal violation. “Some MPs told me that such a vote is anti-constitutional. I told them that it is not. Yesterday afternoon I met with some people that work on constitutional matters and they told me that there is no violation if a person like me is voted for Deputy Speaker of the Assembly,” he argued.

Rasic said that he will again nominate himself on Thursday and in line with parliamentary rules. “In accordance with the rules, I will nominate myself again tomorrow. If the candidate of the Serbian List is not voted … I have the right to nominate myself up to three times and if I do not pass then I don’t have the right to nominate myself again … I really believe in the readiness of the opposition and political parties. Let me remind you that I have been in politics for a long time, and I have worked with the PDK, AAK, LDK and NISMA”.

VV appeals to Supreme Court over certification of Serbian List by ECAP (RFE)

Members of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) filed an appeal on Tuesday to the Supreme Court against the decision of the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP), which ordered the Central Election Commission (CEC) to certify the Serbian List for participation in the upcoming local elections.

The ECAP last week ordered the election commission to certify the largest Serb political party in Kosovo, which enjoys the support of official Belgrade, just days after its registration for the October 12 elections was initially denied.

The two LVV members on the CEC, Sami Kurteshi and Alban Krasniqi, the only ones who voted against the certification, on Tuesday formally requested the Supreme Court to overturn the ECAP’s decision, the LVV confirmed to Radio Free Europe.

This case closely mirrors what happened during the February general elections, when LVV also challenged the Serbian List’s participation all the way to the Supreme Court, ultimately without success.

The decision not to certify the Serbian List was criticized by the QUINT countries and the European Union, which urged the caretaker government and political parties not to take further steps to prevent the Serbian List's registration for the October elections.

Krasniqi meets Troccaz, highlights PDK role in breaking the stalemate (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi met in Pristina today with the French Envoy for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, and informed him about the political situation in Kosovo and PDK’s role in breaking the stalemate in the Kosovo Assembly. Krasniqi said he thanked Troccaz for the attention that France pays to Kosovo and the region, especially in times of global challenges. “I highlighted that the most righteous and fastest way to close the chapter of the Western Balkans is the swift integration of our countries in the European Union. We talked about the latest political developments in Kosovo and the need for our country to move forward, with functional institutions and constructive dialogue. In this regard, I informed Envoy Troccaz that we as PDK gave our contribution as a political responsibility but also as an institutional conscience, by voting for the Assembly Speaker in the function of unblocking the situation. I also thanked Ambassador Guerot and all French officials in Kosovo for their continuous support for our country. The PDK remains committed to stability, institutional responsibility and the European future of Kosovo,” Krasniqi said in a Facebook post.

Abdixhiku meets French diplomats, focus on political developments (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku met today with France’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, and the French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guerot. According to Abdixhiku, the meeting focused on the latest political developments in Kosovo and the current situation, including the institutional blockade, the consequences of populist governance, and the party’s stance on these issues.

In a post on Facebook, Abdixhiku stated that during the meeting he emphasized that LDK does not support practices that undermine the constitutional functioning and institutional normalcy of Kosovo. “Those who initiated this path must take responsibility for the crises they knowingly cause,” he wrote.

Haradinaj: France, an important partner of Kosovo in many areas (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said today that “France has played an important role in the efforts of the people of Kosovo for freedom, independence and statebuilding” and that “it is an important partner of Kosovo in many areas”. He made these remarks after meeting the French Envoy for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz. Haradinaj also said that they discussed ongoing processes, political and security developments in Kosovo and the region.

Barduani thanks France for contribution to KFOR and peace in the region (media)

Commander of NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, met on Tuesday with the French Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Rene Troccaz, who was accompanied by the French Ambassador to Kosovo, Olivier Guerot. “The meeting presented an opportunity for General Barduani to highlight KFOR’s continuous commitment to a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo and exchange views on the current development in the region. During the meeting, General Barduani thanked His Excellency Troccaz for France’s contribution to KFOR and to peace and stability in the region,” KFOR said in a Facebook post

Gashi (LDK): Vetevendosje has a plan to block state institutions (media)

Arben Gashi, MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), has accused the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) of attempting to block the functioning of state institutions. “There is no longer any doubt that Vetevendosje has a plan to block the institutions. We saw this clearly yesterday: as soon as the Speaker of the Assembly was elected, VV began obstructing by demanding constitutional violations and attempting a new blockade for the months ahead,” he wrote on Facebook.

Gashi further claimed that VV knowingly asked political parties to violate the Constitutional Court's ruling. “Consciously, they asked political parties to violate the ruling of the Constitutional Court, which clearly states that the agenda set for the constitutive session must be followed. When they failed entirely in this, they shifted focus to the Serb deputy speaker, exploiting sensitivities and calculating that the reaction from other parties would be weaker,” Gashi added.

According to him, the consequences of these actions are serious for Kosovo. “The result? The country remains without institutions. Pristina and Gjilan without budgets. Very soon, if there is no reaction with clear political leadership, all of Kosovo risks institutional collapse. Politics has reached its lowest point, where only short-term gain is considered, not the safety and interests of the state and the Albanians of Kosovo. LDK has been and will remain the visionary, responsible, and solution-oriented force in such situations,” Gashi wrote on Facebook.

Sorensen emphasizes importance of Kosovo-Serbia normalization (media)

The European Union’s envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Peter Sorensen, spoke following his visit to Serbia, where he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. In a post on social media platform X, Sorensen stressed the importance of normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia, stating that he conveyed the same message during his meetings in Belgrade. “Following my visit to Kosovo at the beginning of August, I was in Belgrade for preparatory talks ahead of the next round of dialogue. I carefully listened to my counterparts and underlined the importance of normalization for the sake of the citizens,” he wrote.

During his visit to Kosovo on August 6, Sorensen met with caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani, where he called for the implementation of previously reached agreements. In a statement to the media after those meetings, Sorensen noted that due to the current political situation in Kosovo, progress might take more time.

Following the meeting, Kurti stated that he had requested greater recognition for Kosovo’s efforts to integrate the Serb community.

Turkey to increase investments in Kosovo, joint free economic zone (Telegrafi)

Turkish Ambassador to Kosovo, Sabri Tunc Angili, in an interview with the news website said that Turkish investments in Kosovo now amount to over €500 million and generate over 10,000 jobs and that bilateral trade nears €1 billion.

Angili said Turkey aims to make economic cooperation more balanced through joint projects, including the idea for creating a free economic zone in Kosovo, where Turkish investors would produce for the EU, Balkans and US markets. “Last year the first Kosovo-Turkey economic forum was held in Istanbul, and Prime Minister Kurti and our trade minister attended. We want the second edition to be held in Pristina, in order to create an institutional framework of cooperation between businesses,” he said.

Angili said that last year Kosovo and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding for economic cooperation, and that one of the main ideas was a joint free economic zone that would enable production for exports to international markets.

“I think that Kosovo’s economy is strong in services, the banking sector functions well, the Euro is used and there is financial stability. But production and industry are still low. Currently the economy is kept alive mainly from remittances from the diaspora. But when the third or fourth generation will be in Switzerland and Germany, the remittances will be lower, as was the case in Turkey in the 1980s. So, this period needs to be used for investments in production and not only construction. And Turkey can be an excellent partner in this regard, because we have the experience and know-how in industry,” he said.

Police stop 18-year-old in Leposavic over shirt with provocative message (media)

Several news websites report that Kosovo Police stopped an 18-year-old in Leposavic after he was seen wearing a shirt with the provocative message “Chetniks North”. The person was escorted to the police station and a case for the criminal offence “exposing shameful and insulting material” was initiated. After being interviewed, the suspect was released and a regular procedure has been initiated.

Serbian Language Media

ANEM: Police officer who recorded commemoration to missing journalists had KLA emblem on his phone (N1)

Journalists who came to commemorate 27th anniversary of abduction of their two colleagues from Radio Pristina Ranko Perenic and Djuro Slavuj, on August 21 were recorded by plainclothes Kosovo police officers, while one of the police members while recording them had on his mobile phone clearly visible emblem of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Association of Independent Electronic Media (ANEM) from Belgrade said. ANEM also said this can be seen on the video published by the Media Centre in Caglavica, N1 reported.

“During our last gathering an interesting thing occurred, which could additionally engage the international community. It has been clear to Serbs, Albanians and also internationals that the KLA carried out the abduction of Perenic and Slavuj. We spoke about that, about oath of silence and impunity, and then realized and it has been confirmed afterwards that we are being recorded by plainclothes police officers, and that one of the police members had on his mobile phone, while recording us, a clearly visible KLA emblem. Not realizing what was happening we invited them to join us for group photos. After the gathering concluded we asked them what media outlet they come from, so they had to say they were from the police”, Zivojin Rakocevic, President of the Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) said.

As he said journalists fear such an act could mean “that indictments for hate speech would be written, which has become a practice of Kosovo authorities”.

ANEM pointed out such conduct of Kosovo police was inappropriate, a threat to the security of journalists and a blow to free reporting. They underlined that in an event with such a sensitive topic, present journalists could not have interpreted this conduct differently but as an intimidation.

ANEM appealed to international and local institutions to investigate this incident.

Rakocevic opined that such conduct can only be prevented by the international community and they should also be behind investigations into murdered and abducted journalists in Kosovo.

“If it is not done urgently by the international community, to establish a commission to investigate crimes, for all 17 murdered, abducted and missing journalists Serbs, Albanians and internationals, something awkward will happen. Police and courts will put on trial those who seek investigation of the crimes and justice. It is an encouraging fact, that OSCE representatives in full capacity were with us and that this year, at the place of (Slavuj and Penezic’s abduction) KFOR representatives appeared”, Rakocevic said.

“Unfortunately, it is not unexpected that families of the victims or those insisting on investigations, be marked as new targets and possible targets of abusers”, Veran Matic President of ANEM’s Steering Board and member of Permanent Working Group for Safety of Journalists said.

“Instead of receiving the news on investigations into abducted and killed journalists, it is horrifying to have intimidation of families, female and male colleagues who commemorate horrible destinies of their fellow journalists”, he underlined.

ANEM insists that the international community fully take over the care and investigation into killed and abducted journalists as OSCE Mission in Kosovo representatives have been doing alone for years.

Djuric met US Congressman Swalwell in Belgrade, discussed Serbia–U.S. partnership (media, social media)

Serbian Foreign Minister, Marko Djuric, met yesterday in Belgrade with U.S. Republican Congressman Eric Swalwell, who is also a member of the Serbian Congressional Caucus.

Djuric wrote in a post on X social network he exchanged views with Swalwell on the partnership between Serbia and the United States. “Bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress represents an important incentive for further strengthening the ties between our two countries and peoples”, Djuric emphasized.

He added that the talks particularly highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, and IT as promising areas for creating new opportunities for growth, investment, and prosperity for both peoples.

Serbian List met McGurk and Kamp: OSCE must respond to Pristina’s repression against Serbian people (Kosovo Online)

The Serbian List delegation led by its president Zlatan Elek, met today with the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp and the Head of the Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Gerard McGurk. As Serbian List said in a statement during the meeting they “pointed out the extremely difficult position of the Serbian people, who are subjected to constant repression by the regime in Pristina”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

The statement added that Serbs are facing open institutional violence and pressure, while the current authorities in Pristina are continuously undertaking unilateral, escalatory, and anti-Serb actions.

“It was particularly underlined that the past four years have been marked by serious repressive measures against the Serbian people – confiscation of properties, abolition of the use of the dinar, closure of institutions, persecution, and unfounded arrests of Serbs. It was stressed that the regime in Pristina is doing everything to prevent the participation of the Serbian List in elections, and yesterday’s events in the Assembly in Pristina are yet another example of such a policy”, they pointed out.

The Serbian List delegation appealed to OSCE to continue closely monitoring violations of the rights of the Serbian people and, in line with its mandate and powers, respond to all forms of threats to human rights and the rights of non-majority communities.

Serbian Democracy met OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Head of OSCE Mission (social media)

In a post on Facebook Serbian Democracy said its members met with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kam and Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Gerard McGur.

“Vice-presidents of the Serbian Democracy, Mirjana Vlašković and Stefan Veljković, met with OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp and the head of OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Gerard McGurk.

At the meeting, we informed the high representatives of the desperate situation on the ground, in terms of social, economic and political pressures on our people and our party. As a Serbian Democracy, we demand an immediate end to police repression and institutional violence against our citizens”, reads the post of the Serbian Democracy.

Former president of Constitutional Court: Rasic cannot be proposed as deputy speaker on behalf of Serbian community, it is unconstitutional (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, media)

Former president of the Constitutional Court Enver Hasani said what happened on Tuesday in Kosovo Assembly relating to election of deputy speaker from the non-majority community runs completely contrary to Kosovo Constitution. Hasani stressed that the majority community cannot be asked about constitutional rights of non-majority communities, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Gazeta Blic.

In an interview with Nacionale, Hasani said that MP Nenad Rasic does not have the right and cannot be nominated as deputy speaker of Kosovo Assembly on behalf of the Serbian community. According to him, only the parliamentary group of Serbs in the Kosovo Assembly can make such a proposal.

“What we saw today is completely contrary to the Constitution of Kosovo, both in letter and in spirit. The constitutional provisions are clear, as they were for the Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, and give absolute priority to the proposal of the majority of MPs from the non-Albanian communities for the election of a candidate for deputy speaker of the Assembly. They do not represent political ideology there, but the rights and interests of their community, protected under Chapter III of the Constitution of Kosovo and its provisions on non-discrimination on any grounds”, Hasani said.