Albanian Language Media:

• Physical confrontation at Kosovo Assembly today (media)
• Osmani: We expect EU to remove unjust measures against Kosovo (Koha)
• Ismaili: Kusari-Simic conversation, biggest political scandal of this government (media)
• Abdixhiku: Kosovo going backwards, no progress because of Kurti (RTV21)
• Krasniqi calls for early elections “to return Kosovo in right direction” (media)
• Journalists Association condemns pressure against Buzhala (media)
• Deadline to review Klan Kosova complaint extended to July 28 (Klan Kosova)
• Police arrest renowned attorney and three other persons today (media)
• Janjic: Serbian List has lost credibility among Serb citizens (RTK)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucic informs Botsan-Kharchenko about Pristina’s violence against Serbs in Kosovo (RTS)
• Vucic meets Chen Bo, says UN SC session on Kosovo necessary (Kosovo Online)
• Dacic, Cohen: Time to return to positive agenda in Serbia-Israel ties (Tanjug)
• Vucic meets Cohen, expects understanding for Serbian position on Kosovo (Tanjug, media)
• Hill: Sanctions imposed on Vulin do not mean worse relations with Serbia (Beta, NMagazin)
• Dusan Janjic: Serbian List has lost its credibility among Kosovo Serbs (RTK2)
• Fake News: During June, more tendentious texts, and headlines on an ethnic basis (KiM radio, Radio Gorazdevac)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Maliqi: Kosovo still far in including people with disabilities in society (ATV)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Physical confrontation at Kosovo Assembly today (media)

All media report on the physical confrontation during the session of the Kosovo Assembly today. Radio Free Europe reports that the Assembly went on a two-hour break following a request by Assembly President Glauk Konjufca who said that for the time being there are no conditions to continue with the plenary session. “What happened in the Kosovo Assembly is unacceptable. The use of violence is punishable, and condemnable by all of us. Therefore, I believe that because of the turmoil that was created intentionally, it is the responsibility of law enforcement authorities, and if there was a physical attack it will be treated according to law. This is not up to us to do. It happened in the Assembly and will be addressed with professionalism by those responsible for this,” Konjufca is quoted as saying in Kallxo. Klan Kosova reports that the incident started when PDK MP Mergim Lushtaku left his seat and threw water at Prime Minister Kurti as he was addressing the MPs. Finance Minister Hekuran Murati noticed Lushtaku and tried to block him with his folder. Lushtaku then turned to Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi to throw water at him and threw his bottle too. In response, Bislimi took a bottle of water from his table and hit Lushtaku on the face. After the situation escalated, members of the Kosovo Police intervened and managed to divide the parties.

The Vetevendosje Movement (VV) said in a Facebook post that “organised crime and the fists will not stop us from bringing order and constitutionality in the Republic”. The statement notes that “while Prime Minister Albin Kurti was holding a speech about the battle of the Republic of Kosovo to implement law and order in the north of the country, several PDK MPs attacked with fists, as a bang of thugs, the Prime Minister and the ministers of Kosovo”. According to VV, “the attack is a coordinated action between different branches of the same gang: some of them call themselves MPs, some call themselves reporters, and some protesters. But Kosovo will move forward in consolidating its statehood, regardless of such attacks”.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) issued a statement after the incident blaming Deputy PM Bislimi. “As if it weren’t enough to insult the state of Kosovo, the KLA veterans, the Albanian political actors, the people of Kosovo, in front of Radoicic’s servants, today in the Kosovo Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi, instead of feeling ashamed and holding accountability for the conversations, he provoked the opposition by removing a picture they put on the speaking area. In fact it was Deputy Prime Minister Bislimi who first hit MP Mergim Lushtaku with a bottle,” the statement notes. 

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said in a Facebook post that “despicable images of violence have no room in the Assembly of the Republic. They never did – neither in the past – or now. Today was another grave day in the parliamentary history of the Republic. The installers of violence in the Assembly of Kosovo have no moralising right today. They nurtured extreme polarisation in society, they nurtured hate speech, division and clash in every behaviour and action, and they keep doing the same today. We cannot nurture this irresponsible, divisive and confronting behaviour in the same way”. The LDK also said it will continue to protect and exercise basic democratic and state values, “in every action within the Assembly and outside it”.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama took to Twitter to react to the incident saying that “to disagree with the Prime Minister is democratic, but to express your opposition in this way is to stain yourself, your voters, and the whole state with a shame that damages Kosovo internationally too, more than any political position that you are opposing the Prime Minister for! Imagine how the irreplaceable allies and friends of Kosovo and Albanians feel like, when they see Albanians fighting in a place where they should fight with ideas and words, and not with insults and punches! I wish the opposition will distance itself from this shameful conduct and serve Kosovo with the force of example and not with the example of force!”

Osmani: We expect EU to remove unjust measures against Kosovo (Koha)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today that it is good news that there is an agreement with the European Union on the steps to de-escalate the situation in the north. She said that every action is coordinated with Kosovo’s allies and that it is important to safeguard stability in the region.

Osmani argued that Kosovo is acting in line with its institutions and legal obligations. “We hope that the EU will lift the unjust measures against Kosovo and that we can continue with more successes in the dialogue. In terms of procedures for preparing the elections, they don’t require a lot of time. The laws provide the possibility to organise the elections,” she said.

Ismaili: Kusari-Simic conversation, biggest political scandal of this government (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Uran Ismaili, told a press conference today that the conversation between VV parliamentary group chief Mimoza Kusari-Lila and former SL MP Slavko Simic is the biggest political scandal of the Kurti-led government. “This is the biggest political scandal of this government. This cooperation on important issues such as energy, the election of judges of the Constitutional Court, are either in coordination with Radoicic or with his blessing and approval,” he said.

Ismaili, whom Kusari-Lila is heard mentioning in the leaked conversation, said that whenever politics secretly guarantees a criminal this constitutes a flagrant interference in the judiciary and that the case should be investigated. 

Ismaili said Prime Minister Kurti and Kusari-Lila must be held accountable. “This is proof that this government communicated and coordinated with a person wanted by the Kosovo Police, Milan Radoicic. It proves a secret cooperation between Vetevendosje and the Serbian List, even though Prime Minister Kurti said they have no coalition or cooperation. It proves this government’s mindset that it ridicules and denigrates the act of the KLA, but this time in front of Radoicic’s representative by complaining about the [war] veterans,” he added. “Kusari Lila’s confession to Simic, as a representative of Radoicic, about the issue of the KLA veterans is unforgivable and denigrating for every citizen”.

Abdixhiku: Kosovo going backwards, no progress because of Kurti (RTV21)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, in an interview with RTV21 on Wednesday, commented on the Kosovo government’s agreement with the European Union for de-escalation in the north, saying that it is a step backwards and that “the country is not progressing”. “We are going backwards in terms of political positions and the country is not progressing, as we are losing time and friends,” he said.

Abdixhiku also accused Kurti of “destabilising the north of the country”. “He created unrest in the north. As a result of Kurti’s mistakes, many reporters were beaten, KFOR soldiers were attacked, the allies imposed sanctions against Kosovo and everything is going back to zero. Elections in the north will be organised and Serb mayors will be elected in the municipalities,” he said.

Krasniqi calls for early elections “to return Kosovo in right direction” (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, took to Facebook on Wednesday to react to the audio recordings of conversations between VV parliamentary group chief Mimoza Kusari-Lila and former SL MP Slavko Simic. He argued that with “Albin Kurti in power, Kosovo not only does not have a future, but its glorious past too is being threatened”. “There is only one way to stop this general degradation: early elections as soon as possible to return Kosovo in the right direction,” Krasniqi said.

Journalists Association condemns pressure against Buzhala (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) said in a statement on Wednesday that Vetevendosje MP Mefail Bajqinovci published an internal document of the Tax Administration of Kosovo in which Nacionale news website owner Berat Buzhala is accused of tax evasion in the amount of €71,000. “Buzhala published a decision by the Commercial Court of Kosovo to postpone the execution of the decision until the trade-administrative dispute gets a final decision from the court. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo is very concerned by the fact that such a document of the Tax Administration, which functions within the Ministry of Finance of the Government of Kosovo, is in the possession and published by a member of the Kosovo Assembly. The AJK sees this as direct pressure aimed at intimidation and revenge by the ruling party against Buzhala and Nacionale, after the publication of a series of audio recordings of Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the Vetevendosje parliamentary group, and former Serbian List MP, Slavko Simic,” the AJK statement notes.

Deadline to review Klan Kosova complaint extended to July 28 (Klan Kosova) 

The complaints review committee for the registration of business which operates within the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, has decided to extend the deadline to decide on the complaint by Klan Kosova about the suspension of its business certificate. The deadline has been extended to July 28, citing the complexity of the matter. 

Police arrest renowned attorney and three other persons today (media)

All news websites report that a renowned Kosovo attorney, Besnik Berisha, and three other persons were arrested by Kosovo Police today. Berisha’s attorney told Sinjali news website that his arrest was illegal and arbitrary and that it is “an unscrupulous revenge by the regime for his criticism against negative phenomena in the judiciary”. The attorney also said that they have asked for the case to be transferred to the Special Prosecution to ensure an independent and uninfluenced investigation. Kallxo news website learns that Berisha, a former police officer and two other persons are suspected of exercising influence in a case of usury. Citing unnamed sources the news website notes that persons who were in detention offered different amounts of money, from €50,000 to 100,000, to be released from detention in the case of usury.

Janjic: Serbian List has lost credibility among Serb citizens (RTK)

Belgrade-based political analyst, Dusan Janjic, said in an interview with RTK that the Kosovo government made a positive move by deciding to reduce the police presence in the four northern municipalities but that this does not solve the problem. Janjic argued that elections in the north should be held only after security conditions are created and for Serb citizens to express their will freely and unimpededly. He claimed he was certain that the Serbian List has lost its credibility among the people in the north of Kosovo.

“We need to be aware that only the first small step has been made, the removal of 25 percent of police, who will be deployed to other locations in the north. In essence this makes it easier to continue the dialogue, but the response from the other party should be seen too, Belgrade, Vucic and the Serbian List on the ground. To be optimistic, I believe we have entered a ten-day phase that could resolve the first problem, and this problem is the large presence of police, then its withdrawal from the city and the municipal buildings. At the same time, any threat for protests or blocking of the process should be removed and to create conditions for the return of KFOR to barracks and for them to do the military’s job and not police work as they are doing now. This would greatly reduce the risk of new security threats”.

Janjic further argued that even elections are not the key to resolving the problem. “We need to acknowledge that the crisis is way wider than the election of the four mayors of municipalities in the north. The issue is whether we are going to see Serbs returning to the police force, the judiciary and prosecution. Only then we can talk about conditions for the rule of law. I agree that the rule of law is an objective but in this point security is elementary. Additional steps were not made in this direction. The relocation of police cannot achieve this. Now we need to see the response from the other party that there is approval for all these steps. I think there is communication between Bislimi and Petkovic,” he said.

He also said that “we can very easily get to local elections, but without the return of Serb representatives in the judiciary, administration, customs and police, there are no conditions for the rule of law or for disarming those that have weapons and use them against the people, but also against the police and KFOR”.

“Who talks now with politicians that are not in the Serbian List. Lajcak visited them once, and Von Cramon once. If there are plans to repeat the rule of the Serbian List, this is impossible. The Serbian List has lost credibility among the people and the voters. For the citizens to be able to freely express their will, they need to have much better conditions and access to the media. This is very serious work, and it requires the involvement of the OSCE, and KFOR for security. The main problem is how will these elections be organised in normal conditions, and for them to be legitimate. Many citizens believe that the Serbian List’s decision to withdraw from the institutions was wrong and the Serbian List must be held accountable for this, and Vucic who supported them”.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic informs Botsan-Kharchenko about Pristina’s violence against Serbs in Kosovo (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met Russian Ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko and informed him about political, legal and physical violence Pristina exerts against the Serbs in Kosovo, reads post on Vucic’s official Instagram account, adding that Serbia was in very difficult situation, RTS reports.

“Precisely because of this, the Republic of Serbia will demand the UN Security Council session to inform the entire world public of attempts to jeopardise peace and stability in the Western Balkans”, Vucic said.

Vucic meets Chen Bo, says UN SC session on Kosovo necessary (Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, and informed her about the endangerment of the Serbs in Kosovo and delicate security situation there, which impairs stability of an entire region, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Considering this, Vucic said, it was necessary to hold a special session of UN SC, in order for the entire world public to know about tensions in Kosovo and the difficult situation of Serbs living there, reads the statement from Vucic’s press office.

Ambassador Chen Bo in relation to this said that China’s stance on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija remains very clear. “We support finding a solution within the dialogue and UN SC Resolution 1244. We support Serbia’s efforts in preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty. We always support legitimate and rational demands of the Serbian side”, she added.

Dacic, Cohen: Time to return to positive agenda in Serbia-Israel ties (Tanjug)

The FMs of Serbia and Israel, Ivica Dacic and Eli Cohen, said on Wednesday in Belgrade it was time to consolidate Serbia-Israel relations and develop bilateral cooperation and a positive agenda in many areas, which they noted would benefit both countries and both peoples, Tanjug news agency reports.

At a joint press conference, Dacic said Israel's decision to recognise Kosovo had impacted Serbia-Israel relations, and noted it was time to invest maximum efforts to overcome all problems through joint efforts and find the best way to "reset" relations when it comes to that issue.

"The decision by the Israeli government to recognise Kosovo was detrimental to the relations because Kosovo is priceless to us... and, in that sense, we have constantly compared your attitude to Jerusalem to our attitude to Kosovo and Metohija", Dacic said, adding that maximum efforts must be invested to overcome those problems and remain committed to preserving a traditional friendship.

"It is time for us to commit to a positive agenda and try to reset our relations and develop them in many segments. Economic cooperation does exceed 100 mln euros, but that is a small figure compared to the potentials, and that is where great opportunities are emerging", Dacic said, noting that the presence of many Israeli companies and investors in Serbia was a positive example.

Dacic said regular meetings had been agreed and added that he was due to visit Israel.

Cohen said he was happy to be on his first visit to Serbia, a friendly country that he noted was one of Israel's strongest partners in the region.

Vucic meets Cohen, expects understanding for Serbian position on Kosovo (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met Israeli FM Eli Cohen on Wednesday and expressed the expectation the Israeli side, despite recognising the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, would show understanding for Serbian positions on Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reports.

Vucic noted that Serbia-Israel relations were based on close historical ties between Serbs and Jews, who have shared a tragic fate for centuries, especially during WWII, the presidential press office said in a statement.

Cohen thanked the Serbian authorities and the people of Serbia for preserving the places of Jewish suffering and called for advancement of everyday cooperation between Serbia and Israel based on mutual respect.

Vucic and Cohen reviewed fields offering the greatest possibilities for cooperation, such as science and innovation, agriculture and other fields, as present cooperation is mostly underway in the real estate construction sector, where Israeli investors have had a major presence for years now.

Vucic invited Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Serbia and proposed organising a major business forum on the occasion that would also involve countries from the region and other friendly countries.

Hill: Sanctions imposed on Vulin do not mean worse relations with Serbia (Beta, NMagazin)

US Ambassador Christopher Hill said today that America does not want to have any business with the head of the BIA, Aleksandar Vulin, but that the sanctions imposed on him as an individual do not mean worse relations with Serbia, reported portal NMagazin.

"The US has carefully studied Vulin and his activities and concluded that he is not someone we want in America. In this way, sanctions are a way to protect the US," he said.

The ambassador added that he thinks that Serbia is on the right track and that relations between the USA and Serbia are good and are getting better.

"The US wants to help Serbia, which clearly shows that it wants to be part of Western institutions. We will help it to the extent that Belgrade wants it," said Hill.

He added that Vulin will no longer be able to obtain an American visa during a tour of the works on the restoration and rehabilitation of the archaeological site Belo Brdo in Vinca, which is being carried out by the Government of Serbia under the auspices of the US Embassy.

"We currently have 12 projects in Serbia, this one is the latest and perhaps the most significant because Vinca really speaks of the beginnings of European civilization. The US government donated 475,000 USD through the Ambassador's Fund for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, and this has nothing to do with politics, but rather help to protect cultural heritage," he said.

Dusan Janjic: Serbian List has lost its credibility among Kosovo Serbs (RTK2)

Dusan Janjic, President of the Executive Board of the Forum for Ethnic Relations, opined for RTK2 that the decision of Kosovo Government to reduce the number of police officers in the northern municipalities is a good step, but that it does not solve the essential problem. He believes that the elections in the north of Kosovo should be held only when security conditions are created, so that Kosovo Serbs can express their will in a free and unhindered manner when they cast their votes. Janjic opined that the Serbian List already lost credibility among residents in the north of Kosovo.

“We must be aware that only the first small step has been taken - a reduction of 25 percent of the police units that will be deployed in other parts of the north. This facilitates the continuation of the dialogue, but the response of the other side, Belgrade, Vucic and the Serbian List, must be visible on the ground. I believe that we have entered a ten-day phase where we could solve the first problem, which is the large presence of police, their withdrawal from the cities and municipal facilities. On the other hand, any threatening with protests or blockades of the process must be withdrawn, to create the condition for withdrawal of KFOR to barracks and so that they would perform military tasks instead of police tasks, which is the case at the moment. This would greatly reduce the risk of new security threats,” Janic said to RTK.

According to Janjic, the elections are not the key solution to the problem.

“We must be aware that the crisis is much wider than the election for four mayors in the north. The question is whether there will be a return of Serbs to the police, judiciary, and prosecutor’s office. Only then will we be able to talk about the conditions for the rule of law. I agree that the rule of law is the goal, but now it is elementary security. Additional steps have not been taken yet. Mere withdrawal of police is not enough. Now we must wait for confirmation from the other side that there is agreement for all these steps. I think there is communication between Bislimi and Petkovic,” Janjic said.

On the Serbian List, Janjic said that their credibility among residents and voters is lost. However, in order for citizens to express their will freely, they must have good conditions and access to the media.

He emphasises that this is a serious job in which the OSCE and KFOR should be involved for security reasons.

“The main problem is how to organise elections under normal conditions so that they are legitimate. Many citizens believe that the withdrawal of the Serbian List from the institutions was a mistake, and the Serbian List and Vucic, who supported them, must be held accountable for that mistake,” Janjic told RTK2. 

He also emphasised that circumstances are changing because the popularity of Vucic and his party in Serbia is declining.

Fake News: During June, more tendentious texts, and headlines on an ethnic basis (KiM radio, Radio Gorazdevac)

Radio Gorazdevac reports, summarising articles with tendentious titles and content during the month of June, which  appeared in Serbian and Albanian media, that the content of those texts encouraged the spread of misinformation and hatred between the two peoples.

Radio Gorazdevac reports that on June 4, the portal of the daily Informer published news under the title "Chief of the Cabinet of Vjosa Osmani said: I am proud of the people protesting in Belgrade, everything smells like Maidan to me." It is a refined and additionally spun spin, which was originally published on Twitter by Blerim Vela. News with the exact same or similar title was published on the portals alo.rs, b92.net, politika.rs, balkanuzivo.org, time.rs, tip.rs, vesti.rs, red.rs, designia.rs, and portal republika.rs on this occasion, published the headline "There will be no Maidan and no recognition of the so-called. Kosovo: Petkovic harshly reacted to the statement of the head of the Vjosa Osmani cabinet - Pristina calls for bloodshed on the streets of Belgrade!".

Informer used the protests in Belgrade to spin a tweet by the chief of staff of Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, which originally read "We are getting some Maidan vibes from Belgrade. This is what protests in Serbia look like when they are not organised by Vucic and his violent SNS machinery. Calm and polite. Serbia that is truly democratic and integrated into the EU is a guarantee of peace and stability in the region".

The portal in the Albanian language "Gazeta express, on 6 June 2023, published a text in which it was written "Liturgy of Teodosije inspires Serbs to violence". In the following text of the "Gazeta Express" portal, it is stated that the Serbian state uses the Serbian Orthodox Church to incite hatred among the peoples of the Balkans. What Gazeta Express, on the other hand, does not mention in any part of the text, was the information from the Diocese of Raska-Prizren , from May 29 (the outbreak of the crisis in the north of Kosovo), that the bishop and clergy of the Diocese of Raska-Prizren will serve prayers for peace throughout the north of Kosovo. After the reaction from the Diocese of Raska-Prizren, this text was deleted, but it is available in the cache version of this portal, wrote Radio Gorazdevac.

This type of text misinterprets messages, spreads hate speech and false information. Apart from the fact that this news is malicious, it was intended to further spread ethnic hatred towards Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church.

On June 16, the Belgrade portals "Informer" and "Telegraf" wrote about a "NATO lobbyist who is asking for the release of Kosovo special forces", and that he is their lawyer. The protagonist of their texts, Cedomir Stojkovic, denied these texts. These portals stated in their texts that "Kalashnikovs", "Glock" pistols, maps and GPS devices were found with Kurti's "special forces", which all indicate that ''they were preparing some great evil against the Serbs".

Such assertions by the portal, which state that Stojkovic is a lawyer of the Kosovo police officers, use hate speech and present inaccurate and imprecise information. The aforementioned portals did not invite Cedomir Stojkovic to hear what he had to say about it. Such content is very dangerous for Stojkovic himself, because if someone did not read his denials, but only fake news, it could affect his career.

“Kurti finally gave in! The European Commission set a condition for him, he had nowhere to go", reads the title of the news of the tabloid "Srbija Danas", which was published on June 27. This news was published at the height of the crisis in the north of Kosovo when the EU introduced measures to Pristina. It is clear that there is nothing new here and that the text itself is not complete, by checking several sources that do the opposite of the tabloids, it could be concluded that this is just another in a series of clickbait and fake news. People who read tabloids and content like this may think that the tensions in the north of Kosovo have calmed down because "Kurti gave in".

Clickbait in the headlines and untrue content in the texts are just some of the levers of certain tabloids that aim to get as many views, likes and clicks as possible, regardless of the consequences that their texts can cause in society. Journalistic ethics and professionalism of media workers must be at a higher level.

The spread of fake news and misinformation in the current situation in Kosovo can have profound consequences on society, wrote Radio Gorazdevac, adding, when a certain community is deliberately and purposefully accused in order to cause hatred and discrimination against it.

   

Humanitarian/Development

  Maliqi: Kosovo still far in including people with disabilities in society (ATV)

Afrim Maliqi, representative of HANDIKOS, said in a debate on ATV on Wednesday that Kosovo has a lot more to do in terms of provision of services for people with disabilities. “There are many challenges, in terms of access and education … and I think that the best picture of where Kosovo stands is the fact about the small number of children included in education. There is an estimate of only 12 percent, but even if it is 15 percent, where is the other 85 percent. Our institutions need to work on this, and this is all because of lack of proper healthcare services, the lack of caretakers or personal assistants, the lack of technological aid equipment, access to infrastructure, accessible transport, that children cannot come,” he argued.

Maliqi compared cases when in the education sector, the state undertakes measures for families of children that don’t have disabilities, and that the same does not happen with families of children with disabilities.

Maliqi added that one of the main reasons why people with disabilities are excluded from society are the stereotypes against them. “In our country it is estimated that there are causes that exclude people with disabilities from society. First, the stereotypes that society has toward people with disabilities, and which cause a complex and even isolation because they accept that situation and become isolated … I have often heard people say that families are hiding people with disabilities. This has nothing to do with hiding them, but they accept it because of the involuntary isolation and because the institutions do not provide them with the proper healthcare rehabilitation services to begin with,” he said.

Another cause, according to Maliqi, is accessibility for people with disabilities. “Accessibility in premises, roads, pavements, everywhere. Accessibility also includes the sign language, the manner of communication for different groups of people with disabilities, this impedes people with disabilities to engage in participation, and also the legislation and politics, which fail to include people with disabilities in working groups, in the rights that they can articulate best, because it is believed that people with disabilities are experts in the field, but there are also other professionals, and when combined this can lead to progress,” he added.

Habit Hajredini from the Office of Good Governance said during the debate that people with disabilities in Kosovo will benefit greatly from the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Constitution of Kosovo. “Everything that our institution does is in compliance with this convention. But after many analyses we did, it is clear that this was not enough. What we benefit and why we should include the convention in the Constitution of the Republic, clearly our citizens, people with disabilities, will benefit greatly from this, because this convention has 50 articles and most of them are about the aspects of healthcare, access, education, well-being and other specifics,” Hajredini said.

Hajredini also said that the convention obliges every country not only to create conditions for people with disabilities but also to adapt the legislation to the convention. “One of the articles requires every state for the government to set up a structure, a committee, a national council that coordinates works at the country-level, which we as a government have done. We have the national council for people with disabilities which is responsible for coordinating policies. We believe the convention is very valuable,” he added.