Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo leaders honor sacrifice of the Jashari family (media)
• UNMIK marks International Women’s Day in Kosovo (KosovaPress)
• U.S. Defense Department: No plans to change presence of troops in Kosovo (RFE) 
• KFOR U.S. soldiers patrol in northern Kosovo (media)
• KOHA editor in chief elected chairwoman of Kosovo Press Council (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Instead of SOC shrine from XIII century, “Ilirian Fortress” appears on Google maps, Eparchy says - falsification of history (KoSSev, media, social media)
• Selakovic condemns desecration of Saint Petar of Koris Hermitage near Prizren (Tanjug, KoSSev, media)
• Seventh 15 Minutes of Silence vigil held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
• Belgrade high schoolers call for general strike over prices, conditions in Serbia (N1)
• N1 Serbia joins general strike (N1)

Opinion:

• Trump poses unprecedented challenges for Kosovo (Emerging Europe)

International Media:

• Kosovo’s special status request removed from CoE Committee agenda (PI)
• The power, and pitfalls, of viral vox pops in Kosovo (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media 

Kosovo leaders honor sacrifice of the Jashari family (media)

The leading story in most media today is Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca and Prime Minister Albin Kurti paying homage at the Adem Jashari memorial complex in Prekaz today, honoring the sacrifice of the Jashari family. 55 members of the Jashari family were killed by Serbian police and paramilitary forces on March 5-7, 1998.

Osmani said in her address that the sacrifice of the Jashari family will always show how high the price for Kosovo’s freedom was. “From here, not only the generations that experienced the war, but also younger generations and our children will be inspired for the road ahead. Above all, we will always remember how high the price was for our freedom,” she said. “We must never forget, and we must never leave the path that was trodden with the sacrifice of heroes and mayors. This road and this sacrifice will always serve as a guiding light for each and everyone of us in strengthening Kosovo, which is becoming stronger by the day”.

Kurti said that three generations of the Jashari family, “59 members, around half of them women and children, were sacrificed for the liberation and independence of Kosovo”. “The KLA Epopee gave an unstoppable impetus to the armed rebellion and the liberation war. All-national protests broke out and there was unprecedented solidarity among Albanians in the Balkans and the diaspora. At the same time, there was awareness raising among the international public and world diplomacy,” he argued.

Most news websites also report that the names of 1,432 children killed during the war in Kosovo were shown in Prekaz as part of KLA Epopee and flowers were placed near their names. 

UNMIK marks International Women’s Day in Kosovo (KosovaPress)

The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) organized activities to mark the 25th  anniversary of International Women’s Day, the news website reported on Wednesday. 

Following this year’s global topic, “For all women and girls: rights, equality, empowerment”, various activities were held, starting with a rugby game where many teams participated, and then continuing with tree planting. 

UNMIK Head of Mission Caroline Ziadeh and former president of Kosovo Atifete Jahjaga participated. “We are celebrating a very special women’s day today, because this year marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the call for Security Council resolution 1325. The call for this decision is based on the protection of women and girls to ensure their equal and meaningful participation in public spaces, and I am very honored to have here the leading personality Atifete Jahjaga, the former president. She is an inspiring example for her dedication to advancing the agenda of women in peace and security and economic empowerment, and that is what we do at the UN,” she said.  

“We have considerable representation at the level of central and local institutions. We should make this quota that we have foreseen by law a daily norm in Kosovar society,” Jahjaga said. 

Meanwhile, Visare Berisha, UNMIK’s implementing partner in Kosovo, said that they plan to do these activities in the coming years.  “We have gender champions, who have demonstrated great support for achieving gender equality and contributing to the development of equality over the past year,” she said.

U.S. Defense Department: No plans to change presence of troops in Kosovo (RFE) 

The news website reports that the NATO-led mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has been providing security for over 25 years. But as U.S. officials signal a possible reduction of their military presence in Kosovo, questions arise if U.S. KFOR troops will remain, or if the Trump administration will ask favors in exchange for their continued presence? The U.S. Department of Defense told Radio Free Europe that for the time being there is change in terms of the presence of their troops. “For now, there is no change in the presence of our forces to notify about,” an official of the department said.

KFOR U.S. soldiers patrol in northern Kosovo (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a Facebook post today that U.S. soldiers assigned to Regional Command East conducted a routine patrol in northern Kosovo along the Administrative Boundary Line. “These efforts are part of KFOR's daily mission to guarantee a safe and secure environment for all communities living in Kosovo. KFOR continues to implement its mandate - based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 - to contribute to a safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, at all times and impartially. KFOR works in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the European Union Mission on Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) in their respective roles as security responders,” the post notes.

KOHA editor in chief elected chairwoman of Kosovo Press Council (media)

Most news websites report that KOHA editor in chief Brikenda Rexhepi has been elected chairwoman of the Press Council of Kosovo. The vote was held on Tuesday and Rexhepi will serve a one-year mandate. 

Serbian Language Media

Instead of SOC shrine from XIII century, “Ilirian Fortress” appears on Google maps, Eparchy says - falsification of history (KoSSev, media, social media)

After it was seriously damaged with construction works carried out by Prizren municipality, the Saint Petar Koriski hermitage, one of the significant shrines of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) located in the vicinity of Prizren has received a new name on Google maps. It is now marked as “Ilirian Fortress Kabash”, KoSSev portal reported today.

The Raska Prizren Eparchy condemned the renaming and said the act represents a falsification of history and expungement of Serbian Orthodox Church heritage in Kosovo.  

At Google maps it is not possible to find this religious shrine under its original name Hermitage of Saint Petar Koriski, as it was the case before. This application, however, does not offer the real location of this place, instead it points to Saint Sava Hermitage, near Ovcar Banja, not far from Cacak, a town in central Serbia.

Visoki Decani Monastery in a post on X social network said “that the Hermitage of Saint Peter of Koriša, recognised under #Kosovo’s Law on Special Protective Zones as a #Serbian #Orthodox heritage site, has recently been also misrepresented on Google Maps as the “Illyrian fortress of Kabash” which represents a most preposterous manipulation. This deliberate mislabeling not only contradicts the site’s well-documented Serbian Orthodox Christian origin and its legal designation as the “Hermitage of St. Peter of Koriš” under Kosovo’s Law on Special Protective Zones but also aligns with ongoing acts of vandalism targeting Serbian Orthodox holy sites”.

“Such actions clearly demonstrate an attempt to completely alter the historical narrative, disregarding both the site’s centuries-old identity and existing legal protections, with the goal of promoting ethnic homogenization in Kosovo. This agenda, driven by local nationalist politicians, aims to present the region as exclusively ethnic Kosovo-Albanian territory, erasing any trace of Serbian Christian heritage”, the Monastery added in a post.

“Similar mislabeling tactics have been employed against other Serbian Orthodox Christian sites in Kosovo in the past, underscoring a concerning pattern that should not be tolerated by a global platform like #Google”, Monastery also said. 

Read the full Visoki Decani post on X at: rb.gy/tw7akx

Selakovic condemns desecration of Saint Petar of Koris Hermitage near Prizren (Tanjug, KoSSev, media)

Serbian Minister of Culture, Nikola Selakovic condemned today illegal construction on a locality near Prizren, causing serious damages in the area of Saint Petar of Koris Hermitage, a shrine of particular importance to the Serbian Orthodox Church from the XIII century, Tanjug news agency reported.

He also requested these works be halted immediately.

“I condemn and express deep concern over this vandal act. Unfortunatley, this is yet another in a series of incidents confirming systematic endangerment of the Serbian people and Serbian Orthodox Church rights in Kosovo and Metohija, and all as part of the attempts to erase traces of centuries-long presence of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija”, Selakovic said. 

He also said that Serbian cultural and spiritual heritage in Kosovo, for years, was exposed to “brutal devastation and organized attacks”. He added it is also the target of falsification of history “by provisional institutions of the local self-governance in Pristina, aiming to create a false identity and a false state on desecrated ruins of the Serbian shrines”.

Selakovic recalled the case of Visoki Decani Monastery, respectively road reconstruction in the Special Protection Zone of the Monastery, without consent of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

As he said “in line with the already tested recipe, Pristina with yet another act attacks the spiritual heritage, civilizational values and its own laws…”, Selakovic said.

He underlined that an urgent and decisive reaction from the international community is needed, in particular from UNESCO and the EU. 

Seventh 15 Minutes of Silence vigil held in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

Seventh 15 Minutes of Silence vigil, organized by students from Pristina University, temporarily seated in Mitrovica North, to pay tribute to 15 victims of Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse tragedy was held in Mitrovica North today, KoSSev portal reported.

The vigil took place near the Tzar Lazer Monument, at the main city square. As was the case previously, a larger number of senior citizens also attend the ceremony. They outnumbered students and young people present; the portal added. 

Belgrade high schoolers call for general strike over prices, conditions in Serbia (N1)

High school students from Belgrade called for a general strike on Friday, March 7.

“We are calling for a general strike, not only because of the rising prices in Serbia but also because of the overall state of affairs in the country and the relevant institutions’ lack of accountability regarding our demands. Citizens can join the general strike by attending our march, or, if not, just deciding not to shop, go to cafes, or spend money anywhere else is more than enough,” said Milena Zunic, a senior from Sveti Sava High School.

The students will gather at the central city square, Slavija, at 3:30 pm, following which they will embark on a protest march. Mathematical School senior Vuk Dimitrijevic added that the plan is for students to stop in front of “all institutions” during the march.

Belgrade high schoolers also called for a general strike on January 24, when what they referred to as an “outdoor class” was held and many people and schools joined them.

“As for support, last time we expected around 30,000 people, but if I’m not mistaken, about 75,000 showed up during the 15 Minutes of Silence action. We expect a large turnout this time as well,” said Vuk Dimitrijevic, adding that a remembrance event for the victims of the Novi Sad tragedy will also be held on Friday. On November 1 last year a concrete canopy collapsed at the recently renovated Novi Sad train stations, killing 15 people and severely injuring two.

“The main message we want to get across is that we are here, that they cannot pretend not to see us, and that we will not stop until our demands are met,” Zunic told N1.

N1 Serbia joins general strike (N1)

The news platform N1 will respond to the high school and university students’ new call for a general strike and, on Friday, March 7, dedicate its coverage exclusively to this issue across its website and television channel, reporting on actions taking place in cities throughout Serbia.

Over the past four months, we have demonstrated that we are a media outlet dedicated to the public interest, striving to keep citizens informed about the mass student and civil protests taking place across the country. We believe it is the role of independent media to stand with citizens during critical moments, to convey the truth, and to shed light on the struggle for a fairer society. This is why we will once again on Friday respond to the call from students and high schoolers and join the general strike. On our portal and on our television channel, we will report exclusively on events related to the general strike to ensure that the public is fully informed about this protest.

Colleagues from departments not directly involved in reporting will remain home that day.

We believe that the general strike, initially called by students and now joined by many other professions, is a form of struggle for the fundamental principles upon which every democratic state should rest.

Opinion

Trump poses unprecedented challenges for Kosovo (Emerging Europe)

By Alon Ben-Meir

It’s not just Ukraine. Kosovo should expect to face many new, daunting challenges during the next four years. A strong and visionary leader will be needed to tackle the shifting political landscape in the European theatre and the alarming implications of Donald Trump’s return to the presidency.

Not since declaring its independence in 2008 will Kosovo face as many daunting challenges at home and abroad as it will over the next four years.

The new coalition government will face several significant challenges due to Donald Trump’s return to power and the shifting political landscape in Europe. In this complex geopolitical environment, Kosovo’s new government will need to balance its domestic priorities with the evolving expectations of its international partners, particularly as it navigates the shifting dynamics between the US, the EU, and Russia.

Strained relations with the United States

The geopolitical landscape of the Western Balkans, particularly the relationship between Kosovo and Serbia, has long been a central point of international diplomacy. With Trump’s return to power, many analysts and regional stakeholders have dissected numerous emerging signals to gauge how Trump might act in connection with the Serbia-Kosovo conflict. 

Drawing from his first term in office, his unconventional diplomatic approaches and statements from key appointees will determine the likely trajectory of the Trump administration’s engagement in the coming days.

Given Tump’s perceived closeness to Vladimir Putin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s open support of Trump’s re-election campaign, Trump’s business interests in Serbia, and his appointment of Richard Grenell, who criticised Kurti in the past, as a special presidential envoy, Trump will likely exert greater pressure on Kosovo than on Serbia in his efforts to mitigate the Kosovo-Serbia conflict.

The new Kosovo government will need to navigate what will undoubtedly be an intricate relationship with the Trump administration. Trump’s transactional approach to foreign policy could potentially reduce political support for Kosovo if it does not agree to make certain concessions in negotiations with Serbia. Trump unconventionally seeks a quick resolution to any conflict, regardless of its complexity.

The central theme of Trump’s first-term policy toward Kosovo and Serbia was the Washington Agreement of September 2020. It entailed a dual-track framework prioritising economic cooperation while circumventing Serbia’s adamant refusal to recognise Kosovo’s independence.

The agreement focused on infrastructure projects, which included rail and highway links, and a mutual commitment to stop lobbying against each other’s international recognition. However, the deal lacked enforcement mechanisms and failed to address core political disputes between the two countries.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/bde74huj

International

Kosovo’s special status request removed from CoE Committee agenda (PI)

Kosovo's request for special guest status in the Foreign Affairs and Democracy Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has been removed from the agenda at the request of the Spanish representative.

Kosovo’s request to become a special guest has been removed from the agenda of the Political Committee on Foreign Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, following a request from the representative of Spain.

Although three members of the Kosovo Assembly delegation were present at the meeting of the Political Committee held in Paris, the Council did not continue the discussion on Kosovo.

The Council of Europe, in a response to Prishtina Insight, sent the revised agenda, in which Kosovo’s request to be a special guest is not included. Kosovo’s request had been part of the initial agenda of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Democracy.

“At the opening of its meeting in Paris today, the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy decided to remove from its agenda point number 5: ‘Request for special guest status by the Assembly of Kosovo”, the Council wrote in its answer.

Ariana Shoshi Musliu, a member of the Kosovo Assembly delegation to the Council of Europe, told Prishtina Insight that the leader of the European People’s Party Group requested a vote at the beginning of the meeting to remove Kosovo’s request from the agenda.

Read more at: https://rb.gy/o99qyk

The power, and pitfalls, of viral vox pops in Kosovo (BIRN)

An important tool for generations of journalists, in Kosovo the vox pop has too often become a cause of online ridicule, with often far-reaching consequences for those involved.

Lumi was not even 18 when he went viral.

Approached on the street in 2023 by a journalist looking for vox pops, Lumi peppered his response with local slang and foreign words.

The subsequent clip was widely shared by social media users in Kosovo, but the response was far from positive. Lumi was subjected to ridicule and even hate speech.

“I spoke in slang, I used casual language, and I didn’t really pay attention to what the journalist was asking me,” he told BIRN, speaking on condition that his real name not be published. “He just came up, asked me something, and I gave a quick, careless response.”

“Most of the intimidating comments came on Facebook, where older generations who saw themselves as more intellectual were talking about the degeneration of society and youth.”

It was even worse offline.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/3lnEU