UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 27, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Torres, Mandl: Kosovo is, will always be an independent democracy (media)
German embassy on closing of Serbia-funded centers in north of Kosovo (media)
Hyseni: Kurti 3 government will be formed (EO)
Osmani and civil society discuss Commission for Transitional Justice (media)
Orav: Over €880 million for implementation of Kosovo Reform Agenda (media)
COMKFOR Barduani visits Albania (media)
Prosecution requests from Court of Appeal Glauk Konjufca’s retrial (media)

Serbian Language Media:

German Embassy: Agreement on the Path to Normalization between Kosovo and Serbia not outdated (Kosovo online, RFE)
Petkovic met Li Ming: 9,000 users are at risk with the closure of centers for social work (KiM radio)
SNV, 'Otadzbina' and SNF: Serbian List organizes Serbs from Kosovo to support Vucic (KiM radio)
Vucic: Dodik’s verdict is directed against the Serb people as a whole (N1, Beta, media)
Picula: Dialogue positive, not optimistic about EU integration (N1, Hina)
NIS gets 30-day extension on US sanctions, said Vucic (N1)

Opinion:

Kosovo’s foreign policy amid global uncertainty (Kosovo 2.0)

International Media:

Outcomes from Kosovo’s 2025 Parliamentary Election (e-ir.info)
U.S. State Department Backs Conviction of Milorad Dodik (Sarajevo Times)
Shrugging off pay threats, Serbian teachers strike in support of students (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Torres, Mandl: Kosovo is, will always be an independent democracy (media)

Several news websites cover a post on X by member of the U.S. Congress Ritchie Torres who said that Kosovo is and will always be an independent democracy. “Kingsley Wilson, the Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense, is shamefully attempting to delegitimize Kosovo, which has been the single greatest American ally in the Western Balkans. No amount of historical revisionism can change the fundamental fact that Kosovo is and will always be an independent democracy,” Torres wrote in the post. News websites also note that Wilson’s post calling to “Make Kosovo Serbia again” dates to 2023.

EU’s MEP Lukas Mandl, also supported the U.S. congressman's statement writing that Kosovo will not disappear. "Europe's newest state based on an ancient population and a modern constitution that is an example of the peaceful coexistence of ethnicities and religions will not disappear," said Mandl.

German embassy on closing of Serbia-funded centers in north of Kosovo (media)

Several news websites report that the German Embassy in Kosovo told RTV21 today that it “strongly believes that the existence of Serbia-financed institutions, among others in the area of healthcare and education, is deeply linked to the formation of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. Kosovo pledged in 2013 to implement the ASMM which would ensure the right legal and institutional framework for the effective functioning of these institutions. In this respect, we see the closure of these institutions as linked to the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia”.

The German Embassy also said that “it believes that the existing [EU] measures against Kosovo must be lifted. However, the lifting of measures requires a unanimous decision by EU member states and the recent actions have not contributed to a more positive atmosphere toward Kosovo to reach such a consensus”.

Osmani and civil society discuss Commission for Transitional Justice (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted representatives of several civil society organizations to discuss the formation of the Presidential Commission for Transitional Justice. The commission derives from Kosovo’s Strategy for Transitional Justice and the operational process will continue in the coming weeks in cooperation with representatives of organizations of war victims in Kosovo, civil society and international partners. Osmani expressed her gratitude for the support and engagement of non-governmental organizations to processes related to transitional justice and thanked them for their readiness to contribute to the process.

Hyseni: Kurti 3 government will be formed (EO)

Mayor of the municipality of Gjilan from the Vetevendosje Movement, Alban Hyseni, said in an interview with Ekonomia Online today that the Kurti 3 government will be formed and that a coalition with parties from non-majority communities, excluding Serb parties, would be the most suitable option.

Hyseni also said that a final decision on forming a ruling coalition would depend on the final election results and internal discussions in their party. He also argued that after the votes from the diaspora are counted, Vetevendosje would have more than 50 seats in the new Kosovo Assembly.

Orav: Over €880 million for implementation of Kosovo Reform Agenda (media)

The European Union Office in Kosovo marked today the International NGO Day, announcing that over €880 million are available for the implementation of the Kosovo Reform Agenda. The EU Ambassador to Kosovo, Aivo Orav, stressed the importance of civil society organizations and the media in strengthening democracy and the European integration process of Kosovo. He praised their role as key partners and stressed that Kosovo is lucky to have them. “Today we are here, on World NGO Day, to give due importance to organizations that are driven by public interest and the common good, those that bring about social change and advocate for the rights and well-being of the population. Today we have invited organizations that have received a grant from the EU in 2024. However, the EU has supported a large number of civil society organizations and media over the last two decades. Inevitably, you are also an invaluable partner in Kosovo’s EU accession process, not least because you have an extraordinary ability to feel the pulse and needs of society at all times. Kosovo is lucky to have you”, he stated.

Orav also expressed his awareness of the impact of the suspension of U.S. assistance on the NGO sector in Kosovo. He mentioned the EU Growth Plan, which includes 880 million euros for reforms in Kosovo, announcing that after ratification by the Assembly, the EU will release a pre-financing of up to 7% of the total amount.

COMKFOR Barduani visits Albania (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that COMKFOR Today, Major General Enrico Barduani visited Albania where he met with the Minister of Defence, Pirro Vengu, and Albanian Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji. “During the meeting, they discussed security trends in Kosovo and the wider region, emphasizing the significance of countries’ cooperation in International Organizations and the role of NATO. Major General Enrico Barduani underscored KFOR’s daily efforts to fulfil its UN mandate and to support the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,” the post notes.

Prosecution requests from Court of Appeal Glauk Konjufca’s retrial (media)

A panel session was held at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, in which the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, who was accused of throwing tear gas at the Assembly, was absent. In this session, the Prosecution requested from the Court of Appeal that this case be returned for retrial, while the defense attorney of the accused Konjufca, attorney Arbnora Zeqiri, requested that the decision of the Basic Court be confirmed. Regarding Konjufca's absence, attorney Zeqiri said that she was notified of the session, but that the same person requested that the defense proceed through her as a lawyer since presence at the trial is not mandatory.

On February 26, 2024, Konjufca was acquitted of the charges because it was not proven that he had committed the criminal offense he was charged with.

Serbian Language Media

German Embassy: Agreement on the Path to Normalization between Kosovo and Serbia not outdated (Kosovo online, RFE)

The German Embassy in Kosovo has stated that the Agreement on the Path to Normalization of Relations between Kosovo and Serbia, along with its implementation annex, cannot become outdated. According to the embassy, these documents remain binding for both parties and serve as the foundation for further negotiations, reported Kosovo Online, citing Radio Free Europe.

“We expect full implementation,” the German Embassy's statement reads.

The embassy acknowledged that there has been “limited progress” in the dialogue over the past two years, however, it emphasized that this in no way diminishes the achievements and mutual understandings defined in the Ohrid Agreement.

“Serbia and Kosovo have reaffirmed their commitment to the Ohrid Agreement in the context of the EU Growth Plan. We believe there is new momentum in the dialogue under the leadership of the new European Commission and its High Representative, Kaja Kallas, along with the newly appointed EU Special Representative, Peter Sorensen,” the German Embassy stated.

Petkovic met Li Ming: 9,000 users are at risk with the closure of centers for social work (KiM radio)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met with the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Serbia, H.E. Li Ming, with whom he discussed the security and existential situation in which the Serbs in Kosovo find themselves, especially, as it was announced, since Albin Kurti came to power.

According to Petkovic, the closure of social work centers is an attack on the most sensitive and vulnerable categories of Serbs in Kosovo, which directly endangers almost 9,000 beneficiaries of social assistance, child allowance, one-time benefits, assistance and care of another person, for whom these incomes are of vital importance, reported KiM radio.

Petkovic reminded, as written in the announcement, that in the same way the Pristina authorities closed Serbian institutions throughout the territory of Kosovo, namely those that should be the basis for the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities, which the authorities in Pristina have refused to form for more than 11 years.

"The closure of Serbian institutions on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija by the Pristina authorities leads to the creation of intolerable conditions for the life of the Serbian people in Kosovo and their definitive expulsion from the province, with the aim of creating an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija, which is the undisguised idea and aspiration of Albin Kurti," said Petkovic.

The statement read that Petkovic informed the interlocutor that the Serbian delegation participated in an event within the high segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council, which was held at the UN headquarters in Geneva, with the presence of a large number of representatives of UN member states.

"At that event, there was talk about the violation of basic human rights of Serbs in KiM, and that this was witnessed by direct victims of the regime's terror in Pristina. Petkovic drew the interlocutor's attention to, to put it mildly, strange events surrounding the counting of votes after the parliamentary elections held in the province. Considering the fact that even twenty days after the election, we do not have the final results, according to Petkovic, there is a justified concern that there will be an attempt to change the election results in Kosovo to the detriment of the Serbian List," the statement read.

At the end of the conversation, Petkovic expressed his gratitude to the ambassador for the consistent support of the People's Republic of China to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia and for insisting on finding a solution to the Kosovo issue through peaceful means, based on Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council.

SNV, 'Otadzbina' and SNF: Serbian List organizes Serbs from Kosovo to support Vucic (KiM radio)

The Serbian National Council of KiM, the People's Movement "Otadzbina" and the Serbian National Forum claim that they have reliable information that the Serbian List is organizing Serbs from Kosovo to, as they say, set up tents in front of the Presidency of Serbia and thus provide support to Aleksandar Vucic, reported KiM radio, citing their statement. The Serbian List did not respond to KiM radio on the claims.

According to these organisations, the task of the Serbs from Kosovo would be "to protect President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling chair from the announced mass gathering of the rebellious people."

The Serbian National Council of KIM, the People's Movement "Otadzbina" and the Serbian National Forum stated in a joint statement that the supporters of the SL and SNS from Kosovo would receive a "decent daily wage" for their performance with food and drink provided.

"It is planned that their arrival in Belgrade will be on March 12, and the "defense" would last at least 25 days, i.e. as much as Aleksandar Vucic deems necessary to protect him", state these three political organizations from Kosovo.

These political organisations reminded all Serbs from Kosovo that, as they said, Vucic "betrayed" the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Serbian list without reply

On the occasion of this announcement, Radio KiM addressed Igor Simic, a member of the presidency of the Serbian List, asking for a comment on the claims of the Serbian National Council, the People's Movement "Otadzbina" and the Serbian National Forum. However, Simic did not answer the question of Radio KiM.

Vucic: Dodik’s verdict is directed against the Serb people as a whole (N1, Beta, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addressed the public after meeting in Banja Luka with the president of BiH’s Republika Srpska (RS) entity, Milorad Dodik, who was on Wednesday sentenced by the state court for non-compliance with the decisions of the High Representative of the international community in the country. Vucic said this is a "difficult day for the Serb people as a whole" because of an "unbelievable verdict" in a "very strange trial". He stated that he had made two requests to Dodik and that "Serbia will always help maintain peace but also stand by Republika Srpska."

“This verdict not only shows the attitude towards Dodik, who certainly isn’t having an easy time, even if he doesn’t want to show it, and it’s not easy for his family either, but this verdict is primarily directed against Republika Srpska and the Serb people as a whole. I came tonight not because I can influence future decisions of Republika Srpska’s leadership, nor have I ever wanted to do so, but to offer support to our people in Republika Srpska, to say that Serbia stands with them, without ever threatening anyone,” Vucic said.

He argued that he had always emphasized the importance of respecting BiH’s integrity and sovereignty, but that “everything has changed today.”

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/yc85suuy

Picula: Dialogue positive, not optimistic about EU integration (N1, Hina)

European Parliament rapporteur Tonino Picula said after a 3-day visit to Serbia that the establishment of a dialogue with the authorities in Belgrade is a positive step but added that he is not too optimistic about the country’s fast integration into the European Union.

“I gathered very valuable information by speaking directly with people who are protagonists of political and social life. My assessments are certainly more refined, and I also received confirmation of some of my earlier impressions, which will certainly influence the preparation of my reports,” Picula said in an interview with Hina after his first visit to Serbia since he was named rapporteur. Hina recalled that he did not meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, outgoing Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, and Foreign Minister Marko Djuric.

Picula said he spoke with ruling coalition MPs and Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic which was enough to assess the government’s position. “The fact that some did not accept the meeting is not up to me – I am a man of dialogue. They clearly decided that this kind of communication was not necessary for them, which I think is a missed opportunity,” Picula said.

He said he was not surprised by Vucic’s statement that Picula should “complain to Brussels or the waterworks administration” for not meeting with the president and added that “arrogance is always a form of insecurity”. “That remark does not surprise me, given the situation in the country. Unfortunately, Serbia is currently – let me emphasise, unfortunately – a highly polarised country going through a serious political crisis,” he said.

According to Picula, the EP’s position is clear and that it has always supported the enlargement process. “Serbia is the largest and most influential country in the Western Balkans, and the EP is extending a hand. Whether that hand will be accepted by Serbia’s high-ranking officials speaks more about them,” Picula said.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/3sa55xzw

NIS gets 30-day extension on US sanctions, said Vucic (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that the Serbian Oil Industry (NIS) has been given an additional 30 days before US Treasury sanctions are imposed.

The US Treasury announced sanctions against Russian energy industry companies earlier this year. Those sanctions include the NIS which is majority-owned by the Russian Gazprom group through its subsidiaries Gazprom Neft and Gazprom. Gazprom Neft transferred a part of its shares to Gazprom on Wednesday, lowering its share to under 50 percent and increasing the Gazprom share to about 11 percent of NIS.

“We got an additional 30 days for the Serbian Oil Industry. Good news for the citizens of Serbia,” Vucic wrote in an Instagram post which included a picture of a document with what seems to be a US Treasury heading.

Opinion

Kosovo’s foreign policy amid global uncertainty (Kosovo 2.0)

Opinion piece by Donika Emini, member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), country analyst for Freedom House and the executive director of CiviKos Platform.

Will a new government rise to the challenge?

As Kosovo prepares to form a new government, a crucial question looms: How will it recalibrate its foreign policy in an era of geopolitical upheaval?

Kosovo’s international standing remains challenging. Nearly two years of punitive EU measures have strained relations between the EU and Kosovo, and ties with the U.S. are increasingly unstable. There are also unresolved questions about how to engage with the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, a key friction point between Kosovo, the EU and the U.S..

Despite these shifts, Kosovo’s political parties continue to craft foreign policy agendas frozen in time, anchored in outdated priorities more relevant to 2008 than today’s turbulent global landscape. In a world where multilateralism is in crisis, the parties proposed ambitious foreign policy plans. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) announced its intent to seek recognition from two-thirds of U.N. member states, while the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) pledged to fast-track NATO membership at a pace that could rival Sweden’s and Finland’s. Vetëvendosje (VV), meanwhile, aims to close EU accession talks by 2030.

Such aspirations have long remained beyond reach, even when Kosovo had strong Western backing, raising doubts about their feasibility in the current geopolitical climate. As such, party programs reveal a disconnect from reality, while parties lack the political courage to address the multifaceted challenges awaiting the new government.

These goals also ignore the shifting diplomatic landscape — where Western support is no longer guaranteed — and overlook practical steps to escape EU isolation. As Europe faces mounting uncertainty and navigates a massive transatlantic storm, the question is: how will we weather the turbulence ahead?

Rather than crafting adaptive strategies, parties remain entrenched in oversimplified approaches. One approach can be seen in the rigid stance adopted by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, leader of VV. This perspective prioritizes sovereignty and self-reliance but neglects tending to necessary strategic alliances.