UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 21, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

U.S. strongly criticizes closure of Serbian bank branches in Kosovo north (media)
UK: We’re concerned yesterday’s police actions risk escalating tensions (media)
EU spokesperson statement on police operation in Kosovo north (media)
Murati: Every action based on legality (media)
“Law enforcement institutions don’t have to coordinate over legal rights” (media)
Kusari-Lila: EU draft on Association is unacceptable for Kosovo (KTV)
Joseph: Kosovo must establish Association of Serb-majority municipalities (RTK)
Kurti on Sekiraqa’s escape: A scandal of judiciary, reforms are urgent (media)
Anusic: Our forces are in Kosovo to protect peace (media)
Bulgaria to send 100 soldiers to KFOR mission today (media)
Shabiu slams government for “hate discourse” against media, civil society (KTV)
Sandulovic: Radoicic, criminal wanted by Interpol, walking freely in Serbia (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Stano: The raid of the Pristina police in the north of Kosovo - a move that hinders a lot (N1, Beta)
Dacic: Kurti puts his "foot in the door", thus makes steps against the Serbs (KiM radio, Beta, TV Pink)
Arsenijevic says Serbs under absolute sanctions from Pristina, following closure of Postal Savings Bank (KoSSev, social media)
Sljuka: Closure of Postal Savings Bank branches is another threat to Serbian community in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
New DSS: An attack on Postal Savings Bank is an attack on Serbia (BETA)
Fatherland: A routine agreement, four days ago Belgrade ordered termination of dinar transactions in Postal Savings Banks (KoSSev)
Postal Savings Bank: Despite raids on branches, funds in accounts of all clients are safe (Kosovo Online)
Nastic: German Government must condemn Kurti’s actions, not reward them with membership to CoE (Kosovo Online)
Vuckovic: It’s time to set ourselves free from our lack of freedom, that’s the only cure (KoSSev)
Kosovo police says large amount of money seized, Petkovic – no dinars (N1, KoSSev)
Serbian school in Gojbulja stoned again; Reaction of the Office for KiM (Kosovo Online)
Mrdalj: Kurti seeks physical conflict, which is where his strength lies, while Serbia fails to leverage its advantages (KoSSev)

Opinion:

Serbia’s Lies About UN Srebrenica Resolution are All About Power (BIRN)

International:

Kosovo Closes Six Serbia-Run Bank Offices in North (Prishtina Insight)
NZZ: Kurti is no longer trusted (DW)

Albanian Language Media

U.S. strongly criticizes closure of Serbian bank branches in Kosovo north (media)

The U.S. State Department expressed its disappointment over the closure by Kosovo Police of six units of the "Postal Savings Bank" of Serbia in the north of Kosovo, saying that "this action was not coordinated with international partners" and that it "escalates tensions".

"It (the action) undermines the perception that Kosovo is acting in good faith to resolve the issues between it and Serbia through the Dialogue facilitated by the EU," said a spokesperson for the State Department, responding to the interest of the Voice of America.

The spokesperson points out that "the United States government has repeatedly sought coordination between our governments" in order to support Kosovo's progress on its Euro-Atlantic path, including recently by “Under Secretary of State Elizabeth Allen in her meeting with Prime Minister Kurti on May 19".

The State Department reiterated the concern of the United States regarding the measures of the Central Bank of Kosovo regarding restrictions on the use of the Serbian dinar.

UK: We’re concerned yesterday’s police actions risk escalating tensions (media)

The British Embassy in Pristina said in a Facebook post today that they are “concerned that yesterday’s police actions in the north of Kosovo risk escalating tensions and making a long-term solution to the currency issue in Kosovo more difficult. We encourage the Kosovan authorities to coordinate actions with international partners and engage constructively with the EU-facilitated Dialogue to resolve such issues”.

EU spokesperson statement on police operation in Kosovo north (media)

Most news websites are covering a statement by EU spokesperson Peter Stano on yesterday’s police operation in the north of Kosovo that resulted in the closure of six units of Serbia’s Postal Savings Bank. The statement notes.

The European Union noted with concern Monday’s police operation at the offices of the Serbian Postal Savings Bank in the north of Kosovo.

The closure and confiscation of these offices without prior notice or coordination and only a few days after the last Dialogue meeting, which also covered the question of the premises of the Postal Savings Bank, is escalatory and goes against the spirit of normalisation and it undermines Kosovo’s good faith in achieving normalisation of relations through the Dialogue.

Yet again, uncoordinated actions by one of the parties put the implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation at risk. The operation by the Kosovo Police also jeopardises the ongoing negotiations on a temporary solution for people negatively affected by the regulation of the Kosovo Central Bank on cash operations.

In the continued absence of sustainable alternatives, this will have negative effects on the daily lives and living conditions of Kosovo Serbs and other communities eligible for financial transfers from Serbia.

Monday’s operation proves again that Kosovo authorities prioritise unilateral and uncoordinated actions rather than cooperation with its friends and allies.

The status of all Serbia-supported structures and services is foreseen to be resolved in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, in connection with the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority municipalities.

The EU urges Kosovo and Serbia to return to the negotiations table and to agree to the latest compromise proposal tabled by the EU Facilitator that allows the eligible beneficiaries to receive financial transfers from Serbia.

Murati: Every action based on legality (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Finance, Hekuran Murati, commented on yesterday’s operation by Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Tax Administration that resulted in the closure of six units of Serbia's Postal Savings Bank in the north of Kosovo. He said that there was reasonable doubt that financial activities were being performed without respective financial licenses “which goes against the law and has legal consequences”. “In terms of the amount that was seized, I think this is now a matter of a court proceeding because the prosecutor gave the order for the raid … In terms of the destination of the funds, I believe the prosecution has secured sufficient evidence about their destination,” Murati said.

Asked to comment on a reaction by the U.S. State Department that the operation was not coordinated with international partners, Murati said every action is based on legality. “As far as the reaction is concerned, I am not informed about the details but every action is based on legality and to enforce legality in every corner of the country”.

Murati also said that the Kosovo Government through Deputy Prime Minister (Besnik Bislimi) offered a constructive approach through several proposals, “but it seems that the Serbian side was not willing because they had other objectives. Their goal is not to make the lives of citizens easier and to enable the transfer. That option exists even without an agreement in Brussels. Everyone can have a bank account and the transfers can be made directly to bank accounts without any obstruction. The problem is that Belgrade wants to continue the old way of operating by transferring large amounts of cash with bags and continue to finance suspected activities”.

“Law enforcement institutions don’t have to coordinate over legal rights” (media)

Deputy chair of the Kosovo Assembly Committee for Security and Vetevendosje MP, Enver Dugolli, said in an interview with RTV21 that he understands the concerns of international allies about yesterday’s police operation in the north that resulted in the closure of six units of Serbia’s Postal Savings Bank, but that Serbia made no constructive step in Brussels.

“We understand the reactions and the concerns but a lot of time has passed since the Central Bank of Kosovo regulation entered into force and there was plenty of time to find models for its enforcement. We also saw that the discussions in Brussels failed because of Serbia’s fault. Serbia did not want to be constructive and it even refused to accept the proposal of [EU Special Representative Miroslav] Lajcak to facilitate the steps for the full enforcement of the regulation. We have legal obligations and the law enforcement institutions have legal obligations and in this regard we don’t need to coordinate over a legal right because everything that is being done is to ensure law and order and this is what the actions of Kosovo’s institutions are about,” Dugolli said.

Kusari-Lila: EU draft on Association is unacceptable for Kosovo (KTV)

Head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said in an interview with the TV station on Monday that the EU-proposed draft of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is unacceptable, it contains capital problems and that Kosovo’s comments were not included in the document. “The current draft remains unacceptable for Kosovo. There are capital problems in the draft. Kosovo sent its comments, and they were not included. Kosovo remains interested in finding a solution that does not threaten its internal functioning,” she said.

Kusari-Lila argued that the current draft cannot be sent to the Constitutional Court. “The government cannot put its logo and seal on a document which in fact has not been accepted. The government did not agree with that document. It is being told to take the document and to make its own decision,” she argued.

Joseph: Kosovo must establish Association of Serb-majority municipalities (RTK)

Edward Joseph, U.S. political commentator with extensive experience in the Balkans, said in an interview with RTK on Monday evening that Kosovo missed a historic opportunity to become a member of the Council of Europe, and that Kosovo’s main challenge is to further international legitimacy by joining international organizations. “This is the reality. Kosovo must establish the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. We may have different opinions. I have my opinion too, but it does not matter. What matters is for Kosovo to move forward. So the statute drafted by the European Union needs to go to the Constitutional Court immediately or Kosovo will not move forward, and this means it will move backwards,” he said.

Joseph said that Kosovo has still time to move on the issue because the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has made no final decision yet. “The message is very clear and it comes from all of Kosovo’s friends. And I still understand the reservations, I also understand the part about Serbia and who is Aleksandar Vucic. But this has to do with Kosovo taking fate in its own hands regardless of what Vucic does and it is crucial to move forward,” he added.

Kurti on Sekiraqa’s escape: A scandal of judiciary, reforms are urgent (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti commented today on the escape of Enver Sekiraqa, who was found guilty in the trial for the assassination of former Kosovo Police officer, Triumf Riza, saying that his escape is a scandal of the judiciary and that reforms in the sector are needed urgently.

“The Government of the Republic of Kosovo is engaged daily to include all citizens from all communities without any difference in institutional life, economic development, and social justice of our shared Republic. Establishing law and order is necessary to achieve this goal. We don’t do this against anyone in particular, we do this for all and for the public’s interest in a democratic republic. The killers of police officers who remain at large are the peak of injustice, and the reforms in the judiciary which were once a necessity have now become an urgency, an institutional, state and national urgency,” Kurti said.

Anusic: Our forces are in Kosovo to protect peace (media)

Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Arnusic said on Monday at the ceremony of the deployment of a Croatian Armed Forces contingent to the KFOR peacekeeping mission that the situation in Kosovo and the region “is not what we would like it to be”. “If the situation was good, we wouldn’t have to send armed forces to the KFOR mission. We hope that NATO and KFOR will manage to stabilize the situation so that there is no outbreak of violence,” he argued.

Anusic said the recent situations were caused by the Serbian side. “All these situations were caused by the Serbian side. Therefore, it is necessary to protect peace and order in that region. The presence of the Croatian contingent and all others that are in Kosovo makes us believe that the security in Kosovo will be protected,” he said.

“We are an army that is ready for prevention. We are not preparing for an attack or war, but for prevention. We need to be strong to stop anyone that may think that the events of the 1990s can be repeated. And when talking about Kosovo and to be honest for Bosnia and Herzegovina too, I hope that there will be no outbreak of conflict”.

Bulgaria to send 100 soldiers to KFOR mission today (media)

Bulgaria will send a contingent of 100 soldiers to Kosovo as part of NATO’s peacekeeping mission, KFOR. The Bulgarian contingent will be engaged in activities that support efforts to maintain security in Kosovo.

Shabiu slams government for “hate discourse” against media, civil society (KTV)

Marigona Shabiu, executive director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Kosovo, said during a debate on KTV on Monday evening that the hate discourse of government officials against reporters, media, and civil society, is concerning. “We are very concerned by the inciting and hateful rhetoric against the media, but also against many civil society organizations and human rights activists in general. This is very dangerous for civic space which we are trying to protect so much and trying to use it as much as we can to improve the lives of the people, especially the lives of marginalized groups … but also within public institutions in general,” she said. Shabiu also argued that there is hate discourse and discriminatory speech against marginalized groups such as the LGBTIQ+ community, non-majority groups, and others. She said that the Kosovo Assembly took no steps to dismiss MP Duda Balje from the Assembly Committee for Human Rights for her discriminatory remarks against the LGBTIQ+ community.

Sandulovic: Radoicic, criminal wanted by Interpol, walking freely in Serbia (media)

Most news websites cover a post on X by Nikola Sandulovic, leader of the Serbian Republican party, who writes that he is informing the international community that “the political persecution against me and the politics I lead continues. Never before in the history of Serbia has it happened that the president of a political party who expresses different views from the current government has been arrested, beaten and prosecuted. Milan Radoicic, a criminal wanted by Interpol and a terrorist who is responsible for the death of four people in the village of Banjska on the territory of Kosovo, is walking freely in Serbia. At the same time, the same government that protects and supports him falsely accuses me, kidnaps, tortures and beats me to death, accusing me of being the one who spreads religious and national hatred because I put flowers on the grave of the murdered Albanian girl Blerina Jasari who was only 7 years old. On this occasion, I received an invitation to come to Nis on May 22, 2024, at 10 a.m. in order to give a statement to the public prosecutor regarding the incident when I laid flowers on the grave of an innocent child, which in Serbia is characterized as a criminal offense by the dictatorial regime and its secret police! In Serbia, people who want final peace and reconciliation in the Region are intimidated, beaten, persecuted, and arrested, while criminals, terrorists and murderers who spread fear and hatred throughout the Region are encouraged and protected. Everything that Putin did to his political opponent Navalny, the regime of Aleksandar Vucic is doing same to me!”

Serbian Language Media

Stano: The raid of the Pristina police in the north of Kosovo - a move that hinders a lot (N1, Beta)

The incursion of the Kosovo special police into the treasury and branches of the Postal Savings Bank is "a move that hinders a lot'' and the European Union will very soon issue an official announcement about it, EC spokesperson Peter Stano said today, reported N1.

Stano responded to the journalist's question about how the EU views this action by the Pristina authorities, since the representatives of Pristina again refused to accept a compromise solution to the problem of the use of the Serbian dinar, following the decision of the CBK.

Dacic: Kurti puts his "foot in the door", thus makes steps against the Serbs (KiM radio, Beta, TV Pink)

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic stated that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti, with the intrusion, as he said, of "his police" into the branches of Postal Savings Bank in Kosovo, continues with actions that lead to the scale of a humanitarian disaster towards the Serbian people, and that this is his permanent policy, reported KiM radio.

"In that escalation, he made a step forward, put his 'foot in the door' and you cannot close it, to remove that foot When we talk about de-escalation, we don't start from the fact that he was outside, but from the fact that he was already inside," Dacic told Pink TV.

He reminded that Serbia cannot intervene on the ground, because according to the Security Council (SC) resolution of the United Nations (UN) 1244, there is no army or police in Kosovo, so KFOR and EULEX should react, but they, as Dacic said, they do not.

Speaking about the upcoming session of the UN GA dedicated to the Resolution on the Srebrenica genocide, he assessed that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is on an impossible mission to win the vote.

"But the result will be such that they (in the West) will not be satisfied because they said they had a two-thirds majority," Dacic said, confirming that the vote is expected on Thursday.

He stated that there is a lot of pressure from the West on countries that are against the resolution, so it can be expected that many will abstain, but he reminded that only those who are for or against will be counted, regardless of how many abstained.

"We are fighting here against the strongest countries - Germany, Great Britain, America, France, the Islamic Conference, Turkey," emphasized Dacic.

Now, he emphasized, it should not turn out that Montenegrins and North Macedonia are the main creators of that resolution.

Arsenijevic says Serbs under absolute sanctions from Pristina, following closure of Postal Savings Bank (KoSSev, social media)

An absolute peak of madness and sanctions imposed by Pristina to the Serbian community in Kosovo – this is how leader of the Serbian Democracy commented on yesterday’s decision of Pristina authorities to close down five branch offices of Postal Savings Bank in northern Kosovo, and Treasury Administration Office in Mitrovica North, KoSSev portal reported.

Recalling the previous decisions of the Kosovo government detrimental to the Serb community, he said that “together with the ban on importing goods from Serbia and payment transactions, we have absolute sanctions”.

As a consequence of yesterday’s action of Pristina, he sees the new wave of Serbs leaving the north of Kosovo. “People would leave from here, because where the cauldron is there are people and the spoon had just been stolen from those people’s mouths (in reference to one’s ability to provide food for himself and the family)”, he said.

Arsenijevic and his party members during yesterday’s raid in the main Postal Savings Bank branch in Mitrovica North performed a symbolic political action, by throwing flour, eggs, chocolates, oil and milk in front of Kosovo police guarding the building, and placing bread on a parked police vehicle.

“We gave them bread so they can take it to the ministers in the Kosovo Government, whose children are well off in Norway and other world metropolises, and need not to worry as our children do”, he said.

Recalling that people receiving payments from the Serbian budget could withdraw limited amounts of money at the Postal Savings Bank branches, he asked what will pensioners, people with disabilities and those who have no possibility to go to central Serbia to withdraw the money and buy the food do now?

He has also encouraged people not to leave northern Kosovo, saying that people remained there and endured in 1999, 2000 and that they should overcome the current period together. He said that closure of Serbian institutions should not happen without the establishment of the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

Sljuka: Closure of Postal Savings Bank branches is another threat to Serbian community in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

The closure of Postal Savings Bank branches in Kosovo in a coordinated action by Kosovo police and Tax Administration represents yet another threat to the Serbian community, Aleksandar Sljuka from the NGO New Social Initiative said. Sljuka believes that this unilateral move of the Kosovo government will only deepen the crisis and create heightened tensions.

"I see this as yet another uncoordinated, unilateral action by the Kosovo Government prompted by the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo. They claim they have nothing to do with it, but we saw that the international community reacted in February, and that no one from the international community reacted today, except that EULEX said they had not been informed that this action would take place", Sljuka told Kosovo Online.

He believes that the closure of Postal Savings Bank branches is also partly a response to Kosovo not being admitted to the Council of Europe. Read more at: https://shorturl.at/g2M1P New DSS: An attack on Postal Savings Bank is an attack on Serbia (BETA)

Opposition New Democratic Party of Serbia (Novi DSS) said in a statement that raids of Kosovo police on Postal Savings Bank branches in the north of Kosovo is continuation of the terror of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, carried out for months with the tacit permission from the West as well as without serious reaction from Serbian authorities, BETA news agency reported.

“We demand urgent measures from the state of Serbia in order to protect citizens and their own property. We ask that all previous agreements with Kosovo separatists under the auspices of the EU are to be reviewed and that further ones are discontinued for as long as they carry out unilateral decisions on topics that are being negotiated in Brussels”, New DSS said.

That party also said “it is obvious that Kosovo policy of the (Serbian) government has experienced a breakdown and that it needs a fundamental change, the center of which will be the Constitution of Serbia and Resolution 1244 and not the Brussels and Franco-German Agreement”.

As New DSS pointed out, “the attack on Postal Savings Bank is an attack on the state of Serbia because Postal Savings Bank is a state bank that operates in the north of Kosovo in compliance with the laws of the Republic of Serbia and the decisions of the National Bank of Serbia”.

“This is also an attack on the Serbs, who through this bank receive wages, pensions and all other benefits that are due to them by law, as well as on the local economy, to which this bank is a significant support”, the party added.

Fatherland: A routine agreement, four days ago Belgrade ordered termination of dinar transactions in Postal Savings Banks (KoSSev)

"Everything smells a bit like the already routine agreement between Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti", People's Movement Fatherland said today in reaction to yesterday's closure of Postal Savings Bank branches in four northern Kosovo municipalities, KoSSev portal reported.

One should remember events surrounding the license plates, the energy sector - Fatherland said, adding one could see from there that “the whole dispute ends with the disappearance of the institutions of the Serbian state in the southern Serbian province at the request of the authorities from Pristina". Because of this, they suspect that yesterday's closure of Postal Savings Bank branch offices was actually a "fixed deal”.

The Fatherland termed yesterday’s reactions from Belgrade as “stupid and idiotic”.

"Even the statements of Serbian officials are stupid and idiotic, so the Prime Minister of Serbia (Milos) Vucevic says it is a desperate move by Albin Kurti, while Petar Petkovic calls it escalating. In essence, such a political step by Pristina is the curtailment of the statehood of the self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo. There is no reaction from Belgrade, they are reduced to statements for the sake of them”, Fatherland said.

They also claimed it was Belgrade that ordered suspension of dinar transactions in the Postal Savings Bank four days ago. In translation-this means-Belgrade itself started to abolish the dinar.

They warned that the destiny of employees in five Postal Savings Bank branch offices and Treasury Administration Office would be similar to that of employees of Commercial Bank, who would be transferred to different cities across Serbia. Fatherland also accused Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, that he together with Albin Kurti, “is ethnically cleansing southern Serbian province from Serbs. One should recall that according to the data of so-called non-governmental organizations, and they are not inclined towards Serbs, during the rule of Aleksandar Vucic more than 50.000 Serbs left Kosovo and Metohija”.

Postal Savings Bank: Despite raids on branches, funds in accounts of all clients are safe (Kosovo Online)

Joint-stock company Postal Savings Bank in relation to Kosovo police raids on its branch offices in northern Kosovo said that funds of all clients in their accounts are safe, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Regarding intrusion of so-called Kosovo police into the branches of Postal Savings Bank in Kosovo and Metohija, we inform all clients, individuals and legal entities, that their funds in the bank's accounts are safe and will not be damaged”, reads the statement. It added clients can still perform all services, outside of Kosovo.

"Despite temporary prevention of functioning of the Kosovska Mitrovica Regional Center, the Bank's clients can perform all banking services, including payment transactions, lending, exchange operations and others, in the nearest branches at the administrative crossings of Jarinje, Brnjak, Merdare and Končulj, as well as in the rest of the Bank's business network. At the same time, all employees of the Bank in the Kosovska Mitrovica Regional Center remain employed”, the statement said.

Nastic: German Government must condemn Kurti’s actions, not reward them with membership to CoE (Kosovo Online)

German Bundestag MP, Zaklin Nastic said yesterday’s forceful closure of Serbian bank branch offices in northern municipalities by Kosovo police was scandalous and represents one step further in escalation with Belgrade, Kosovo Online portal reported.

In a post on X social network, Nasic said Europe advocates for free movement of people, capital and services, but this obviously does not apply to the Serbian community in Kosovo.

“The ban on use of dinar as payment means and related endangerment of existence of dozens thousands Serbs in Kosovo who receive their wages or pensions in dinars, lead to even greater departure of Serbs from Kosovo, which has been carried out systematically by the Albanian majority. If the German Government still wishes to be credible when it comes to human and minority rights, it must condemn in the strongest terms (Albin) Kurti’s actions instead of rewarding them with membership to the Council of Europe (CoE)”, she said.

Vuckovic: It’s time to set ourselves free from our lack of freedom, that’s the only cure (KoSSev)

“To quote my friend, there is only one truth. And freedom is everything” – in an interview for KoSSev, a chronicler of village life and town culture, journalist Ivan Vuckovic from Leposavic, talked about culture, the media, the village, and how the people became estranged, divided , and weakened.

Day to Day Life

“I can no longer recognize the people I live with. Total apathy has overtaken our society“, says KoSSev’s interlocutor.

He remarked that people’s mentality has changed, and people have altered their habits. There is a lack of motivation and the desire to progress, the desire to take anything into their own hands is non-existent, he stated.

Day-to-day life – the best description of the situation in Leposavić

Opinion

Serbia’s Lies About UN Srebrenica Resolution are All About Power (BIRN)

Opinion piece by Sofija Todorovic, programme director at the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia.

On March 27, Aleksandar Vulin, Serbia’s former intelligence chief, gave a tabloid interview that set the tone for the country’s response to a draft United Nations resolution put forward by Germany and Rwanda to designate July 11 as International Day of Reflection and Remembrance of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide.

“What’s coming is the finalisation of the conspiracy against the Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia,” Vulin, since appointed deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying. Germany and Rwanda, he said, “want to declare Serbs a genocidal nation”.

That the text of the resolution makes no mention of Serbia, of Serbs as a nation, or the predominantly Serb-populated Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina went unnoticed in the response from politicians and their loyal media, as did the fact that the Srebrenica massacre of some 8,000 Bosniak men and boys by Bosnian Serb forces has already been designated ‘genocide’ by a number of court rulings both in Bosnia and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, ICTY.

Instead, falsehoods about the content of the resolution, its legal power and its potential consequences for Serbia and the Republika Srpska have been spread tirelessly by a large part of the Serbian media that is controlled by the government.

International

Kosovo Closes Six Serbia-Run Bank Offices in North (Prishtina Insight)

In pursuit of its policy of outlawing the continued use of the Serbian currency in Kosovo, police on Monday closed six offices of the Serbia-run Post Saving Bank in the north.

Kosovo Police closed six offices of the Serbia-run financial institutions in four Serb-majority municipalities in the north on Monday one week after Kosovo’s Central Bank announced that a three-month transitional period for its euro-only cash transfer policy had ended.

“Aimed at restoring legality… and on the prosecutor’s authorisation, Kosovo Police in cooperation with the Tax Administration has [closed] six units of the so-called Post Saving Bank as an illegal financial institution of Serbia in the Republic of Kosovo,” Minister of Interior Xhelal Svecla confirmed on Facebook.

“The rule of law, serving all citizens without any distinction, will continue to be our goal,” Svecla added.

The operation came days after another European Union-facilitated meeting in Brussels between Kosovo and Serbia produced no results.

“The parties could not agree on several key issues including the overall extent of activities of the new entity, the scope of beneficiaries of this entity, and financial assistance from Serbia to Serbia-supported institutions in Kosovo,” the EU said after the meeting, referencing a proposed Association of Serbian Municipalities in Kosovo.

On February 1, Kosovo authorities gave Kosovo Serbs an undefined time to start using the euro only in daily transactions and stop using Serbia’s currency, the dinar.

The move irked the international community, which urged Kosovo to not take unilateral action against Serbian “parallel” structures and urged both Kosovo and Serbia to discuss the issue this within the EU-mediated dialogue.

Kosovo’s constitution defines the country as using “one single currency”. Kosovo has been using the euro since 2002, but people in Serb-majority municipalities, especially in the north, use both Serbian dinars and euros.

NZZ: Kurti is no longer trusted (DW)

Kosovo will continue to wait for admission to the Council of Europe. As Neue Zurcher Zeitung assesses, the West is putting pressure on Kurti, who betrayed his partners' trust, reports DW.

"This episode is an example of the loss of Western trust in Pristina," assesses the Swiss Neue Zurcher Zeitung (NZZ) in an article about how Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe has failed so far.

NZZ stated that for a long time it seemed that the return of the church land to the Decani monastery was the last condition. But then Western countries - Germany, France, Italy - reminded Kosovo of the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

Last week, Pristina allegedly relented at the last moment, and promised to send its own draft of the CSM statute for review by the Constitutional Court in Pristina.

However, the embassies of Western countries responded that this is not enough - they are looking for concrete steps in the establishment of the CSM, which was agreed upon eleven years ago.

In Western ministries of foreign affairs, NZZ wrote, "they are convinced that Albin Kurti moves only under great pressure."

"The community of municipalities actually has nothing to do with the Council of Europe, it is the subject of negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia. That is where the West wants progress at all costs. Kurti, on the other hand, has no confidence in that process and instead is trying to bring Serbia to a fait accompli by brazen soloing," the Zurich paper noted, cited DW.

This includes, NZZ added, the abolition of the Serbian dinar or the recent ban on Patriarch Porfirije to enter Kosovo.

"Thus, Kurti is not only undermining Belgrade, but regularly also the Western allies who, after all, in the form of KFOR, guarantee the country's security. At the beginning of the year, Washington particularly clearly expressed its frustration with this," added the Swiss newspaper.

The text assessed that such disagreements are a huge problem for Kosovo, which is very aware of international support.

"On the other hand, by taking a hard line towards Kosovo, and the West enters a risk of giving the impression that it measures by different yardsticks," the paper assessed.

It also recalled that Serbia obliged not to block Pristina's admission to international organizations, and that President Aleksandar Vucic is doing exactly that.

"And if the Community of Municipalities is really about protecting the Serbs in Kosovo, then all parties should advocate for quick admission to the Council of Europe anyway. As citizens of a member state, representatives of minorities could thus defend their rights before the European Court of Human Rights," concluded NZZ.