Albanian Language Media: 

• Stano: Another example of unilateral actions of Kurti administration (Reporteri)

• Kusari-Lila: QUINT ambassadors informed about opening of Iber Bridge (ekonomia)

• Presidency: Manner incident in Skopje was handled at Kurti-Mickoski conference, regrettable (media)

• Rohde: Unilateral and uncoordinated steps endanger Kosovo's application for EU membership (Klan)

• Another attempt of LVV to bring opposition into debate about Iber Bridge (Express)

• Haxhiu on wounded woman in Fushe Kosove: Negligence of justice institutions (RTK)

• EUROPOL: Person arrested in Kosovo for counterfeit money, employee of North Macedonian MIA (Kosovapress)

Serbian Language Media: 

• The Kosovo police stopped a Serbian Post van with letters on Jarinje (N1, FoNet)

• Vucic met Konrad: The international community must react to ensure the safety of Serbs (Tanjug, media)

• Petkovic on the EU announcement; the opening of jobs for Serbs in Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug TV)

• Grenell: US has tools to prevent escalation, tough letters don't work against Kurti (Tanjug, Blic)

• Requests submitted for the abolition of custody of arrested Serbs from Kosovo Pomoravlje (RTV Puls, KiM radio)

• Elek: New jobs are an incentive for Serbs to stay and proof that Serbia is always with its people (Kosovo Online, TV Most)

• Selimi: The Kosovo Government is closing Post offices due to upcoming elections (Kosovo Online)

 

 

Albanian Language Media  

 

Stano: Another example of unilateral actions of Kurti administration (Reporteri)

 

The spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, at the weekly conference, spoke again about Monday’s action of the Kosovo Police in the north where several branches of the Post of Serbia were closed, saying that they consider it ‘a unilateral and uncoordinated step precisely for the reasons that we listed in last night's statement.’

 

"But all the listed issues are issues where Kosovo has problems. The fact that the EU imposed measures against Kosovo last year, is a reflection of the steps it led to escalation. Now we are seeing more unilateral steps, uncoordinated actions. This is not actually a de-escalation, it leads to new tensions. And this should be well understood by those who make decisions in Prishtina", said Stano.

 

The EU spokesperson said that what the Kosovar authorities did yesterday is absolutely uncoordinated and will have negative consequences for the people in the north of Kosovo, and is a violation of the dialogue agreement.

 

"The parties, Serbia and Kosovo, reached an agreement in 2013 on telecommunications, where they stated that postal services would be discussed at a later stage. This implies that there was a dialogue that was involved in the resolution of this issue. Unfortunately, what the government of Kosovo and the authorities there did yesterday was absolutely uncoordinated and will have negative consequences for the people in the north of Kosovo, and is a violation of the dialogue agreement, for which we also issued the statement, and we were very clear. This is against the dialogue, and another example of unilateral and uncoordinated actions of Kurt's administration", said Stano in the weekly press conference.

 

"This is not really escalation, it leads to further escalation, and I think that this should be understood very clearly by those who make these decisions in Pristina", added Stano.

 

Kusari-Lila: QUINT ambassadors informed about opening of Iber Bridge (ekonomia)

 

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, has requested the opening of the Iber Bridge, which for her is synonymous with division and a serious obstacle to the free movement of Kosovo's citizens.

 

"The Iber Bridge is synonymous with division, the divided city is a serious obstacle to the free movement of citizens on both sides of the Iber River, and I now believe that it is well argued that all the previous risks associated with the release or the movement on the Iber Bridge have been removed. Therefore, there is no sustainable argument other than that, the previous political argument which was that the bridge should be kept closed", said Kusari.

 

Furthermore, she emphasized that this will be the last symbol of removing the division. "We support the opening of the Bridge and we believe that this will be the last symbol of removing the separation even in the psychological aspect of the citizens of South and North Mitrovica. While free movement has begun up to the northernmost border of the country. It makes no sense to keep a Bridge in South and North Mitrovica closed, for reasons that no longer exist," she added.

 

Kusari-Lila emphasized that there is enough security in South and North Mitrovica. "I believe that there is sufficient security in the entire territory of the Republic of Kosovo, including the North and South of Mitrovica. It is more than necessary and I believe that everyone should be in the function of actions for free movement, as we have always been, communicating the request of the Government and its actions", Kusari-Lila emphasized.

 

She also spoke about last week's meeting of Prime Minister Albin Kurti with the U.S. ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier and the ambassadors of the QUINT countries. 

 

"Unlike earlier and the complaints that the ambassadors of the QUINT countries had in particular, that they were not informed, now they have the information. Arguments are being made and of course I believe that all we need to do is to operationalize the implementation of this action as soon as possible so that even that part of Kosovo feels the meaning of free movement, without any psychological feeling to use the bridge or to feel free movement on both sides of the Iber River", she said.

 

Presidency: Manner incident in Skopje was handled at Kurti-Mickoski conference, regrettable (media)

 

The Presidency of Kosovo has assessed that it is regrettable the way the incident was handled at Skopje Airport, at the press conference of Prime Minister Albin Kurti with his North Macedonian counterpart Hristijan Mickoski. According to the Presidency, it contributed even more to the propaganda against Kosovo.

 

"The way the incident against the Republic of Kosovo was handled in Skopje during yesterday's press conference is regrettable, because it has contributed even more to the propaganda against the Republic of Kosovo. What happened at the airport in Skopje was a clear violation of international rules recognized and applied worldwide, therefore the Presidency expects to be notified of the measures taken regarding these violations, as it was emphasized in the note of protest directed by the Republic of Kosovo", it is said, among other things, in the reaction of the Presidency.

 

When Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti was asked in Skopje if Kosovo still maintains the position that this event was a provocation, he said that he does not know that the institutions have had such a position and this may have been said by some "citizen", but not the institutions. of Kosovo, emphasizing that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo, through announcements, has expressed the position of the government.

 

The Office of the President stressed that the president has never asked to exceed or violate the procedures, but has respected international rules, as is done in the entire world.

 

Rohde: Unilateral and uncoordinated steps endanger Kosovo's application for EU membership (Klan)

 

The German ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, has supported the reactions of the USA and the EU to the government of Kosovo, on what they call unilateral actions regarding the closure of nine branches of the Serbian Post in the north.

 

"Unilateral and uncoordinated steps not only contradict the dialogue agreements, but - even worse - risk Kosovo’s EU membership application remaining stuck in the inbox.

 

The EU thrives by taking all its members and their communities along, and we need the same approach at the national level," Rohde wrote on X platform.

 

Another attempt of LVV to bring opposition into debate about Iber Bridge (Express)

 

LVV MP Mefail Bajqinovci wrote on social network Facebook that the opposition still hesitates to make any statement regarding the opening of the Iber Bridge.

 

"The EU often announces that unilateral actions should not be taken within the territory of the Republic of Kosovo. It is clear to us that we will not ask for Serbia's permission to fight against parallel criminal structures operating in our country. We are determined to protect and preserve the integrity of Kosovo, nothing more. Meanwhile, the opposition is still reluctant to declare regarding the opening of the Iberi Bridge", Bajqinovci wrote.

 

Haxhiu on wounded woman in Fushe Kosove: Negligence of justice institutions (RTK)

 

Kosovo’s Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, has said that another case of the wounding of the woman in Fushe Kosove by her husband, is evidence of the negligence of the justice institutions towards a recidivist.

 

"According to the information we have, the suspect was in custody but was released because he was a recidivist and as soon as he was released, he shot his wife. This case is also the most terrible evidence of the negligence of the institutions of justice, in this case the judge, and according to the information we have, the prosecutor also agreed with his decision. A reason is always being sought for the abuser not to face the consequences. In this case, his health condition. This negligence, these wrong and hasty decisions are stimulating cases not only of violence, but also of murders", she wrote on Facebook.

 

She further said that the neglect and lack of institutional punishment of such cases, besides not preventing, are stimulating violence and murders.

 

EUROPOL: Person arrested in Kosovo for counterfeit money, employee of North Macedonian MIA (Kosovapress)

 

The European Police Agency (EUROPOL) said that the person who was arrested on August 4 in Kosovo for the production of hundreds of thousands of fake coins worth two euros "has been identified as an employee of the Ministry of Interior in North Macedonia".

 

A day ago, the authorities in Kosovo said that the arrestee has been detained for 48 hours.

"His arrest is the culmination of a months-long operation between Kosovo and Macedonian authorities with the support of EUROPOL and Eurojust [European Union Agency for Cooperation in Criminal Justice]," said EUROPOL's announcement on August 6.

 

Serbian Language Media 

 

The Kosovo police stopped a Serbian Post van with letters on Jarinje (N1, FoNet)

The Kosovo police stopped today at the Jarinje administrative crossing, a van of the Post of Serbia with letters, which was traveling on the regular route Raska - Gracanica, this public company announced.

"After yesterday's raid on nine offices in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, which have been closed since yesterday, and the documentation was confiscated, while the director and managers were taken to an informational interview, today private correspondence, shipments with letters for users in the north of KiM were also stopped", it was stated in the announcement.

The Post of Serbia believes that the latest action of the Kosovo police worsens the situation and increases the anxiety among the Serbian population, which is why it points to the urgency of resolving and calming tensions, stopping all actions that are against the previously reached agreements and enabling the smooth functioning of postal traffic in the north of Kosovo. 

The closing of the branches of the Post of Serbia, as stated, has serious consequences for the Serbian community and employees, since it is a vital institution, a pillar and an important factor in the daily life of Serbs and other non-Albanian population in the north of Kosovo.

"Many and mostly older citizens rely on our services for daily transactions, during economic daily functioning. Today's act of forcibly stopping the transit of letters, among other things, makes contact between families difficult, which further increases the feeling of insecurity in the context of ethnic tensions," the statement said.

The Post of Serbia said that the priority is to resolve the situation peacefully, provide services to citizens and protect the facilities, property and employees of that company.

Vucic met Konrad: The international community must react to ensure the safety of Serbs (Tanjug, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, spoke today with the Ambassador of Germany to Serbia, Anke Konrad, whom he informed about the development of events in Kosovo, emphasizing the need for a reaction from the international community to ensure the safety of Serbs, reported Tanjug.

"I informed the ambassador about the development of events in Kosovo and Metohija and emphasized the need for a clear and unequivocal reaction of the international community, in order to ensure the safety and protection of the rights of Serbs. I reiterated that Pristina's unilateral moves lead to an unnecessary and dangerous escalation of tensions that can undermine the hard-won peace in the entire region,'' Vucic wrote on his Instagram account.

He pointed out that he discussed energy security issues and challenges on the way to sustainable solutions with Konrad, as well as the development of appropriate infrastructure to support Serbia's plans, which, as he stated, would solve the difficulties in the energy sector in the long term "with maximum respect for the highest world environmental standards''.

Petkovic on the EU announcement; the opening of jobs for Serbs in Kosovo (RTS, Tanjug TV)

On the occasion of the latest action by the Kosovo Police and the closure of nine facilities of the Post of Serbia, the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic told Tanjug TV that it is a continuation of the policy of Albin Kurti, who wants to create an ethnically pure Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online. 

Petkovic stated that every day Kurti creates unbearable conditions for the life of Serbs both in the north and south of the Ibar.

"The terror carried out by Kurti threatens the basic human rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija live in their homes, are treated in Serbian hospitals, go to Serbian schools, work in Serbian institutions and have been there since the beginning of time. Kurti's policy is to create ethnically pure Kosovo and to expel all Serbs," Petkovic said in a guest appearance on Tanjug Television.

As he added, because of this in every way, first of all by expelling Serbs with all these actions of the Kosovo police that go in the direction of closing Serbian institutions, whether it's about post offices, whether it's about the postal savings bank, the bank, the treasury of the National Bank, the closing of many Serbian municipalities, temporary authorities, south of the Ibar, the closing of the clinic in Pristina, all of this is an indication that he actually does not want anything Serbian in the territory of Kosovo.

"With this act, Kurti is also doing everything to prevent the formation of a Community of Serbian municipalities, because it is precisely the Serbian institutions in Kosovo and Metohija that represent the basic infrastructure for the formation of a Community of Serbian municipalities, which should ensure both individual and collective rights for the Serbian people, considering that these rights do not exist today in Kosovo and Metohija, they do not exist for Serbs either," explained Petkovic.

He reminded that for more than a year there has been a ban on Serbian goods entering Kosovo, and pointed out that Kurti is doing absolutely everything, by canceling the dinar, to prevent Serbs from receiving salaries, pensions, and social benefits.

The EU announcement, which assessed that Pristina's moves were unilateral, uncoordinated and violates the agreements reached within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Petkovic points out, represents another in a series of bureaucratic embarrassments of the EU when it comes to the terror of Albin Kurti and when it comes to the suffering of the Serbian people in Kosovo.

"Congratulations to them if the peak of their response to Albin Kurti's terror is this announcement, in which you see all the nonsense of the EU's policy towards dialogue and the issue of Kosovo and Metohija... It would be better if the European Union did not even announce itself, rather than announcing itself in this way, giving Albin Kurti an additional boost," said Petkovic.

He also added that the function of that announcement was to achieve two things, one is to say, "come to Brussels" and to justify what Kurti is doing, and the other is to accuse Belgrade at a later stage.

"You see the nonsense...Kurti shuts down Serbian institutions, and then when the dialogue is over, they say, well, Belgrade is to blame because it didn't show constructiveness to reach a solution. And when it comes to the dinar, we proposed six proposals on how to reach a solution. And we showed a willingness to find a compromise. All was refused. They would do the same when it comes to the post office," Petkovic noted.

"It's not about any kind of license, but about shutting down Serbian institutions"

Petkovic also said that the state will take care of every person as it has done so far, including when it comes to the employees of the Post Office.

"When you asked me about the license, the license is just one 'fig leaf' that Kurti uses as an excuse to shut down Serbian institutions. Serbian institutions do not need any license from Pristina, which Serbia does not recognize as a state," said Petkovic.

He said that it is not about any license, but about shutting down Serbian institutions. Regarding the announcement of the American embassy in Pristina, which assessed that they were deeply disappointed by the unilateral and uncoordinated actions of the Pristina authorities, Petkovic said that this morning individual member states of the Quint began to announce, and that Serbia is used to such announcements.

"They will all verbally attack Kurti, say that it is not good, that it threatens the normalization of relations, that it calls into question regional peace and stability. That is all nice. But tell me, what after that announcement? Or, have you washed your hands after that announcement? What will you do in addition to that announcement? Will the Serbian post offices start working again? Will you let letters and shipments from Serbia, and from the rest of the world, reach their users in the area of Kosovo and Metohija? Should Serbia be the only one that cannot use postal services?" asked Petkovic.

Petkovic stated that Serbia has information and how, as he said, this announcement was mitigated and who is behind it and who and in what way is protecting Kurti, adding that they are "mentors of Kosovo's independence".

''The opening of jobs for Serbs from Kosovo important news for the survival of our people''

Petkovic said that the opening of hundreds of jobs for Serbs from Kosovo, which was announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, is very important news for the survival of the Serbian people.

"This is important news, first of all, for the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija. The office for Kosovo and Metohija does a lot every day, in direct communication with President Vucic and the Prime Minister, in finding models, financing numerous projects, but also opening new jobs because it directly means the survival of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija," said Petkovic for Tanjug.

He reminded that last year, after the meeting in Raska, more than 800 young people were employed, doctors, nurses, but also in other branches.

"Now we are going with several hundred jobs. That will be over a thousand in total. So, this time we are going with several hundred jobs. To be absolutely precise and clear, which, with these 800 from Raska last year, will mean a large number of jobs for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," said Vucic, recalls the media.

Grenell: US has tools to prevent escalation, tough letters don't work against Kurti (Tanjug, Blic)

The former special envoy of the US president for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Richard Grenell, said that the US has the necessary "tools" that it can use before there is an escalation in Kosovo, reported Tanjug agency.

Grenell, reacting to the announcement of the US Embassy in Pristina regarding the closure of nine branches of the Post of Serbia in the north of Kosovo, wrote on the X network that "sharply worded letters do not work".

"Jeff, my friend and former colleague, this is another strongly worded letter. You are tougher than this. I understand that the current White House ignores the Balkans, and that Kamala Harris doesn't even know where the Balkans are, but this is unacceptable. Albin Kurti is the problem, and everyone knows it. 

Too many Biden-Harris Administration officials and European officials are simply too weak - Kurti isn’t remotely deterred by the statements (and you don’t even say his name). 

You have tools to give consequences - use them now before there’s an escalation,'' Grenell wrote on X.

Requests submitted for the abolition of custody of arrested Serbs from Kosovo Pomoravlje (RTV Puls, KiM radio)

Regarding the decision of the Basic Court in Pristina, to order four Serbs from Pasjane and one from Bosce village, arrested on August 3, one month's detention, their defense attorneys appealed to the Court of Appeal, reported KiM radio, citing RTV Puls. 

The lawyers of the arrested Serbs from Kosovo Pomoravlje requested abolishment of the decision. 

Miloš Nikolic, Nenad Stojanovic's lawyer, told RTV Puls that he filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal. The lawyer is expecting a decision by urgent procedure.

"The Appellate Court was requested to abolish the measure of custody because there are no legal conditions for determining this measure. Nenad Stojanovic's health is at risk, evidence of which is attached. In the appeal, it was proposed to cancel the detention measure and impose house arrest," Nikolic pointed out.

Lawyer Jovana Filipovic, who represents Dragan Cvetkovic in the case, has submitted a request to the Court of Appeal in Pristina to revoke the decision on custody, KiM radio learns.

KiM radio recalls that Serbs from Kosovo Pomoravlje gathered yesterday for a peaceful protest in the village of Pasjane due to the recent arrest of five compatriots. They appealed to the EU and EULEX to implement their mandates, to stop the political processes towards the Serbs and to request the release of the arrested Serbs.

They said that they were arrested without a court order, 25 years after the war for alleged war crimes and added that none of them left Kosovo all the time after the war because, as they stated, they had not done anything.

"We are sure that these people who were arrested are not murderers. It's about political pressure on the remaining Serbs," said Dragan Petkovic, President of Partes Municipality.

Elek: New jobs are an incentive for Serbs to stay and proof that Serbia is always with its people (Kosovo Online, TV Most)

The president of the Serbian List, Zlatan Elek, pointed out that the decision of the Serbian state leadership to open hundreds of jobs for Serbs in Kosovo represents an incentive for the survival and stay of the Serbian people, reported Kosovo Online, citing TV Most.

He said that at the All-Serb Assembly, held in Belgrade, the situation of the Serbian people in Kosovo and all their problems, pressures created by Pristina institutions were discussed. 

He pointed out that a special topic at that meeting was the topic of creation of new jobs, which would be an incentive for the survival and stay of the Serbian people on the territory of Kosovo.

“President Aleksandar Vucic then promised, and now he has fulfilled his promise, that the state of Serbia is with its people and hundreds of new jobs will be opened, all with the aim of making it easier for our people to survive and stay in the area. By opening these jobs, several hundreds of families will get a secure material existence, they will continue to live and work in the area and it will be easier to resist the pressures of the authorities in Pristina, such as yesterday’s violent raid on the facilities of the Post of Serbia in the territory of KiM, which is illegal and against all the agreements that were reached in Brussels in 2015,” said Elek. 

Selimi: The Kosovo Government is closing Post offices due to upcoming elections (Kosovo Online)

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Petrit Selimi believes that the closure of Serbian Post branches in northern Kosovo is not a means of “protecting sovereignty but rather that it is because of the upcoming elections”, reported Kosovo Online. 

"The Kosovo Government is closing post offices in the north for one and only one reason: the forthcoming national elections. Saying that Kurti is protecting sovereignty is ridiculous. The sovereignty of Kosovo is protected via progress on NATO accession. Annoying every ally makes that aim distant," Selimi wrote on X.