UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 12, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

EULEX departs a convoy of aid to Ukraine (media)
Szunyog: Proud of Kosovo standing alongside EU on Ukraine (Klan)
Konjufca receives e delegation of UK Parliament (media)
Citaku: Kurti lacks transparency, consistency, and clear vision for dialogue (Nacionale)
Gervalla-Schwarz receives representatives of British Inter-Parliamentary Union (RTK)
Two died from COVID-19 on Tuesday (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
Vucic: Peace and stability in Western Balkans a priority (N1)
Selakovic: Belgrade respects territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine (Danas)
OSCE Chair Zbigniew Rau to visit Western Balkans (N1)
Arlov banned from entering Kosovo again (Kosovo Online)
Gojkovic: Pristina attempting to falsify history (KoSSev, Radio KIM)

International:

Kosovo’s Pandemic Response Left Women-Led Businesses Struggling (BIRN)
Albanian PM to meet with NATO over new naval base (Euractiv)
Srebrenica Peace March Relives Painful Memories (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

KFOR donates two medical containers to villages Babus and Babljak (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media

EULEX departs a convoy of aid to Ukraine (media)

A convoy of 10 EULEX vehicles, which will be donated to the European Union Advisory Mission in Ukraine (EUAM), departed from Kosovo today.

EULEX said the vehicles are loaded with food and non-food items, including clothes, sleeping bags, personal hygiene items, and medical supplies, which will be disseminated to the people of Ukraine.

At the departure ceremony, head of EULEX Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said he was proud of the contribution from the mission's staff while Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz commended EULEX on the initiative and added that Kosovo stands alongside Ukraine. "From the first day of Russia's unjustified war, Kosovo has shown where it stands and we stand with Ukraine."

The national representative of the Ukrainian contingent in KFOR, Ivan Nastenko, thanked EULEX for undertaking this initiative. "On behalf of the people of Ukraine, I thank the EU for the donations," he said.

Szunyog: Proud of Kosovo standing alongside EU on Ukraine (Klan)

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, commended Kosovo for its position on Ukraine.

"I am proud that Kosovo has clearly aligned itself with the EU, which means that not only has it taken a clear political position but has aligned itself with sanctions, helping refugees and agreeing to the residence of Ukrainian journalists," he said, adding that this goes to show that Kosovo belongs in the EU.

Szunyog made the remarks today at the ceremony organised to mark the departure of the EULEX convoy of donations for Ukraine.

Konjufca receives e delegation of UK Parliament (media)

The Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo Glauk Konjufca received today a delegation from the Parliament of the United Kingdom, headed by MP Harriett Baldwin.

They discussed about political developments, the possibilities of expanding cooperation, as well as the further advancement of bilateral relations between Kosovo and the United Kingdom.

Konjufca highly appreciated the coherent support of the United Kingdom for Kosovo in all the decisive stages of state building and strengthening of international subjectivity and requested further support of the United Kingdom for the processes that Kosovo is going through.

"The members of the British Parliament, who are on an official visit to Kosovo, thanked Speaker Konjufca for the reception and expressed their commitment to intensifying cooperation in specific sectors and fields, including the exchange of good practices between the respective parliaments," the communiqué of Assembly of Kosovo informed

Citaku: Kurti lacks transparency, consistency, and clear vision for dialogue (Nacionale)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Vlora Citaku, said in an interview with the news website on Monday that Prime Minister Albin Kurti lacks transparency, consistency, and a clear vision in the dialogue with Serbia. “Instead of focusing on mutual recognition, the Prime Minister talks about stickers and alleged reciprocity at a time when Kosovo’s market is flooded with Serbian products,” she said.

According to Citaku, “Kurti has turned into a notary of previous agreements, the same agreements for which he used to call us traitors. Kurti should not take for granted the principled stance of the opposition toward the government on dialogue. We will hold him accountable”.

Gervalla-Schwarz receives representatives of British Inter-Parliamentary Union (RTK)

Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, met a delegation from the British Group of United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Inter-Parliamentary Union.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, the political situation in Kosovo, the region and beyond were discussed in the meeting as well as the close cooperation. "A special emphasis was on discussions on joint efforts in the field of security to prevent any type of destabilising situation, joint efforts and contribution to measures by the Russian Federation in its invasion in Ukraine."

The press release concludes by saying that readiness for cooperation was noted in the meeting, as was support to Kosovo's integration in international organisations.

Two died from COVID-19 on Tuesday (media)

Two people died on Tuesday as a result of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health announced, while out of 467 tests performed, 175 were positive.

According to the Ministry of Health, 105 patients have recovered in the last 24 hours.

The number of active cases is 2,184, and the rate of positive cases is 37.43 percent.

Serbian Language Media

Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic was banned from visiting Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reports. Petkovic was supposed to visit Gornje Kusce village near Gnjilane and attend the opening ceremony of a village square, a project financed by the Office for KiM.

President of Pristina Interim Municipal Authority, Novak Zivic, Gracanica mayor Ljiljana Subaric and Minister for Communities and Returns Goran Rakic are among attendees.

Reacting to the ban, Petkovic said that (PM) Albin Kurti continues violating all the agreements, in particular the one on official visits, adding he has informed EU Special Representative for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak about this recent act.

“They told me this was a clear violation of the agreement, but that it was about some technical mistakes which prevented me from entering the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. How odd, it is always about some technical mistakes when it comes to the Serbs and Belgrade representatives. That is why I sent a new announcement that I will be here at Konculj, also tomorrow at the same time, so let us see will that be about new technical mistakes or arbitrariness of Albin Kurti who in all ways wishes to violate all agreements and undermine normalisation of relations with Belgrade”, Petkovic said.

Vucic: Peace and stability in Western Balkans a priority (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau emphasised the necessity of preserving peace and stability in the Western Balkans, which Vucic said was one of Serbia’s foreign policy priorities, FoNet news agency reported. Zbigniew Rau is visiting the Western Balkans this week.

Vucic and Rau discussed bilateral relations, the situation in the region and Serbia’s European integration, a press release from the President’s office said. Vucic said relations between Serbia and Poland are traditionally friendly, adding that economic cooperation between the two countries should be intensified.

He said Serbia highly values the excellent cooperation with OSCE as a place for dialogue on pressing European security issues and thanked Poland for its support to both Serbia and the Western Balkans in the field of European integration.

Rau welcomed Serbia’s role in OSCE which strongly contributes to multilateralism and stressed the importance of the reforms Serbia is implementing on its European path.

Selakovic: Belgrade respects territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine (Danas)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic said today Belgrade respects territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, but it pursues politics which doesn’t entail imposing sanctions on Russia, Danas daily reports.

Serbia is exclusively guided by protection of its national, state and political interests, Selakovic said during the meeting with Polish Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairman-in-Office Zbigniew Rau.

OSCE Chair Zbigniew Rau to visit Western Balkans (N1)

The OSCE said on Monday that its Chairman-in-Office, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Zbigniew Rau is scheduled to visit the Western Balkans this week, N1 reports.

A press release said that Rau would meet with officials in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Pristina during the July 11-15 visit, to discuss Warsaw’s engagement in the region as OSCE Chair. It said that Rau would meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, outgoing Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic.

It added he would meet Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Parliament Speaker Glauk Konjufca, Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz and Minister for Communities and Returns, Goran Rakic and will visit the Central Election Commission in Pristina.

According to the press release, Rau will meet officials of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Parliament and Deputy Foreign Minister Josip Brkic. The visit will include meetings with OSCE missions staff and civil society representatives.

Arlov banned from entering Kosovo again (Kosovo Online)

Chairman of the Committee for helping Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, a humanitarian organisation based in Banja Luka (Republika Srpska, B&H) Milorad Arlov was banned from entering Kosovo again, Kosovo Online portal reports. Arlov was due to visit Zvecan on the occasion of a municipal day, but was stopped at Jarinje crossing point yesterday.

He recalled he was first banned from entering Kosovo on June 26, 2020 and the ban lasted for two years. This year, at Saint Vitus commemoration day (June 28) Arlov was allowed to enter Kosovo and visit Gazimestan.

Arlov added Kosovo police banned him from entering Kosovo on July 11, although as he said “during the times of Bajram the tolerance should regain”, adding the police acted professionally.

Arlov’s humanitarian organisation largely supported reconstruction of the “Support Me” centre for children with disabilities and their parents in northern Kosovo and Arlov was planning to visit this centre as well.

“Humanitarian visit was banned again without explanation and my freedom of movement has been thwarted many times already by Pristina. I do not deal with politics but only helping my people in Kosovo and Metohija and will continue doing so (…)”, Arlov said.

He called on all relevant domestic and international institutions, including UNMIK, EULEX, KFOR, embassies and non-government organisations to help him and appeal to Kosovo institutions to lift the ban on his entry.

Gojkovic: Pristina attempting to falsify history (KoSSev, Radio KIM)

Serbian Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojkovic said Pristina over the last couple of years applied a new strategic approach and it is “to attack Serbian cultural heritage in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija”, Radio KIM reports.

“They attempt to falsify history and national identity. Only an ill-intended man or politician can raise a hand and vote for their membership in UNESCO, given the scale of pogrom and destruction of our holy shrines there”, she added.

Gojkovic termed Pristina’s request to get numerous artefacts from the neolithic period, excavated in the territory of Kosovo, as “the latest cases and attempts to falsify history and create indent in an artificial manner”.

“We have a sharp stance in this regard. Good cooperation between the Ministry of Culture with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Institute for Cultural Heritage Protection and our ambassador in UNESCO. We have talks on this topic with states we have bilateral agreements with. We can’t permit that by appropriating our territory, some also appropriate our cultural heritage”, Gojkovic said.

International

Kosovo’s Pandemic Response Left Women-Led Businesses Struggling (BIRN)

The specific experience of women-led businesses in Kosovo in the pandemic shows that when governments design crisis aid packages, they must take gender issues into account.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have posed a myriad of challenges to businesses, but these challenges have been different depending on the sectors and owners of the businesses.

Evidence suggests that in Kosovo the pandemic had a greater impact on women-led businesses since women are under-represented as entrepreneurs in Kosovo and so tend to operate smaller businesses, concentrated in sectors that were hit hardest during the pandemic.

Based on interviews with Kosovo women entrepreneurs, the five key challenges faced during the pandemic included a fall in customer purchases, the need to remodel the business, the threat to existence, and decreased business size.

If that was not enough, many women entrepreneurs also experienced increased childcare responsibilities, making it harder for them to navigate the challenges of steering a business in turbulent times.

Many women entrepreneurs in Kosovo who are also mothers have revealed their experiences during the pandemic concerning the continuation, discontinuation, or closure of their businesses in feedback.

It was often devastating. Most women were highly stressed, citing falling sales, limited mobility, lack of income alternatives, and no safety nets.

One owner put it: “I am always thinking about giving my child the right attention, running my business, the pandemic – and whether I am doing enough.”

Humanitarian/Development

KFOR donates two medical containers to villages Babus and Babljak (Kosovo Online)

KFOR donated two medical containers to the residents of Babus and Baljak villages near Urosevac which will be used by health workers in these villages, Kosovo Online portal reports.

As KFOR said in a post on Facebook, doctors usually examine around 50 patients a month there. This donation also includes metal base lockable cabinets, solid top fold-tables and folding chairs.

“The purpose of this donation is to facilitate the access to efficient health protection and offering better medical aid to the population in these villages”, KFOR said in a post.