Albanian Language Media:

• Another failed attempt to make way for constitution of new Assembly (media)
• Gervalla: Opposition is blocking us to form new government (EO)
• Citaku: Kosovo is being held hostage due to Kurti’s stubbornness (Nacionale)
• Civil society reacts: Institutional crisis has crossed every boundary (media)
• Coalition of NGOs for child protection protests in front of Assembly (EO)
• Kurti meets Kallas, calls for full implementation of Brussels agreement (media)
• Kallas visits North Mitrovica: I came to see for myself what is happening on the ground (media)
• Barduani meets Kallas, highlights close KFOR-EU coordination (media)
• Kosovo’s Ambassador to U.S. meets Congresswoman Greene (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Kallas visits Mitrovica North, says it is important to hear voice of people (Kosovo Online, media)
• Dragovic after meeting with Kallas: We hope that the education system in Kosovo will remain in the Serbian system (KoSsev)
• Vucic, Orban meet in Belgrade to discuss geopolitical situation, economy, defence cooperation (Tanjug)
• Pantic in a trial: I saved 250 Albanians during conflict (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: De-escalation is the priority, without it, dialogue cannot continue (RTS)
• Serbian Democracy submitted a petition on lifting the ban on goods and congestion reduce at Jarinje/Brnjak crossings (KoSSev)

International:

• EU says it has begun to ease sanctions on Kosovo (Reuters)

Albanian Language Media 

Another failed attempt to make way for constitution of new Assembly (media)

All news websites report on another failed attempt to form a committee that would oversee a secret vote for the new Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly and make way for the constitution of the new legislative. The next session has been called for Sunday.

Gervalla: Opposition is blocking us to form new government (EO)

Leader of Lista Guxo, Donika Gervalla, said today that the opposition is blocking the process of forming the new Assembly “so that our turn to form the new government does come”. “We witnessed the continuing blockade today. This approach must stop immediately. We are not in the process of forming the government but constituting the Assembly … Those that vote in favor are never blockers of the process. If you don’t take part in the voting process, you violate the Constitution. They can vote against. Their wish is to block the process and to portray Kosovo as an incapable country,” she said.

Citaku: Kosovo is being held hostage due to Kurti’s stubbornness (Nacionale)

MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Vlora Citaku said today after another failed attempt to constitute the new Assembly that Kosovo is being held hostage due to Albin Kurti’s stubbornness. She argued that 103 have passed since the February 9 parliamentary elections. “These are 103 lost days for Kosovo. 103 days without addressing the concerns and problems of the citizens of Kosovo. The PDK continues to be constructive. We are ready to make way every moment. We have offered alternatives. But Kosovo is being held hostage due to Albin Kurti’s stubbornness. We call on him once again to reflect and to move forward,” she said.

Civil society reacts: Institutional crisis has crossed every boundary (media)

A group of civil society organizations has reacted to the deadlock in the Kosovo Assembly saying that the institutional crisis has crossed every boundary and that it is damaging not only the Assembly but also the functioning of the complete democratic and institutional system of Kosovo. “The current government, whose mandate has expired, is continuing to operate without parliamentary oversight and control, and this is an unacceptable situation for a democratic state,” the group said.

“The current geopolitical developments call for responsibility and swift actions by democratic countries. The non-functionalization of the Kosovo Assembly is both irresponsible and damaging. This stagnation risks that partner countries will lose faith in our ability to build functioning institutions and to act as a serious country on the international arena”.

The group calls on leaders of parliamentary parties to assume the responsibility they have been entrusted and to act immediately to overcome the political deadlock. “Through dialogue and with focus on the development of the country and the well-being of the people, they need to reach an agreement that will end the blockade. The lack of readiness to cooperate and focus on the common interest is unacceptable and deeply threatens public trust in democratic representation. Failure to act is not an option. Any further delay requires public accountability. Civil society is ready to offer its contribution to overcoming this crisis and restoring democratic functionality in the country,” they said.

Coalition of NGOs for child protection protests in front of Assembly (EO)

The coalition of NGOs for child protection in Kosovo (KOMF) held a protest in front of the Kosovo Assembly today with the motto “your seats are not worth more than the lives and well-being of children”. Calling on MPs to show greater responsibility and end the blockade, KOMF Director Donjeta Kelmendi said: “as a result of the blockade, many policies that directly affect the wellbeing and lives of children remain unadopted. KOMF calls on MPs to reflect on the weight of their responsibility. KOMF believes that the MPs must assume their constitutional and legal responsibility to act urgently and guarantee the protection of the rights of children. Any decision that they fail to make or delay with regards to the children, is a consequence that the children will have to pay with their health and wellbeing”.

Kurti meets Kallas, calls for full implementation of Brussels agreement (media)

Kosovo’s caretaker Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Thursday in Pristina with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, thanking her for the visit and the EU’s support for Kosovo. They discussed relations between Kosovo and the EU, the European reforms agenda and the Growth Plan. Kurti said that in addition to aligning its foreign policy with that of the European Union, Kosovo has made considerable progress with reforms and that this is evidenced in the EU country reports. Kurti thanked Kallas for informing that the EU has begun gradually lifting the measures against Kosovo and for her efforts in this regard, adding that the measures must be fully lifted, and that Kosovo should get the candidate status as the most advanced democracy in the Western Balkans.

Regarding the EU-facilitated dialogue, Kurti highlighted the importance of the full implementation of the Basic Agreement and its implementation annex. “He recalled that Serbia must be held accountable for the terrorist and paramilitary attack in Banjska and that chief terrorist Milan Radoicic, for which the Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo has filed a 160-page indictment, must be handed over to Kosovo,” a press release issued by Kurti’s office notes.

Kurti also mentioned Serbia’s continuous and grave violations of the rights of Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac and called on the EU to take concrete actions for the protection of the rights of Albanians there.

Kallas visits North Mitrovica: I came to see for myself what is happening on the ground (media)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, visited the municipality of North Mitrovica today. She visited the Basic Court in this municipality and spoke with representatives of schools that teach in the Serbian language. According to her, being in North Kosovo is important to see what is happening on the ground. “First of all, it is important to be here in North Kosovo because we are faced with many different narratives and we really need to see what is happening on the ground and what people are saying,” she said in a brief statement to the media.

Barduani meets Kallas, highlights close KFOR-EU coordination (media)

Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, hosted today the visit of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. “The visit was a unique opportunity to exchange views - at the highest representative level - on regional stability, NATO – EU cooperation in the Western Balkans, and on the strategic role of international diplomacy in reinvigorating the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue. In particular, General Barduani highlighted the paramount role of close coordination between KFOR and the European Union in resolving the remaining issues that still stand in the way of an irreversibly safe and secure environment for all people and communities living in Kosovo,” KFOR said in a statement after the meeting.

Kosovo’s Ambassador to U.S. meets Congresswoman Greene (media)

Several news websites report that Kosovo’s Ambassador to the United States, Ilir Dugolli, met with Republican Congresswoman Marjory Taylor Greene, “for a productive discussion on advancing the Kosovo-US partnership”. “The meeting reaffirmed our shared commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation and strengthening our unique ties,” Kosovo’s embassy in the U.S. said in a post on X. Telegrafi news website notes that Greene is a close associate of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Serbian Language Media

Kallas visits Mitrovica North, says it is important to hear voice of people (Kosovo Online, media)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas visited Mitrovica North today, and as Kosovo Online portal said met in a premises of European House at the city promenade chief of Serbian School Administration for Kosovo, Blazo Dragovic.

Prior to this meeting Kallas visited the court building in Mitrovica North and EULEX employees. As the portal recalled, she said in Pristina that de-escalation in the north is a condition to revoke the measures imposed on Kosovo, adding that closure of institutions there undermines the efforts for de-escalation.

Speaking to the media in Mitrovica North Kallas said the presence of international actors on the ground was crucial to having a realistic picture on the situation and challenges in the region. 

“First, it is important to be here in the north of Kosovo because we see a lot of different narratives. It is important to really witness what is happening on the ground and what are the people telling”, Kallas said, adding that she visited the local court and spoke with school representatives, wishing to be first-hand informed about the situation and functioning of the institutions.

She also said the court is operating but is also waiting for the return of Serbian judges. Kallas added she spoke with KFOR Commander and EULEX representatives in order to have an impartial picture of the situation.  

“One side is telling one thing, the other side is telling something else. But I think international forces that are here are giving a very adequate picture. It is also important to talk to the people on the ground and then we can see what more we can do so the future would be more prosperous, safe and secure for everybody in Kosovo”, she added. 

Dragovic after meeting with Kallas: We hope that education system in Kosovo will remain in Serbian system (KoSsev)

The head of the school administration of Kosovska Mitrovica, Blazo Dragovic, said today after the meeting with the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, that they conveyed to her a number of problems faced by Serbian schools in Kosovo and expressed hope that education in majority-Serb areas will remain within the system of the Republic of Serbia, reported KoSSev.

"We presented to them a number of our problems that are happening here, from ethnically motivated attacks to the ban on the transfer of textbooks and material resources for schools. She thanked us for what was said from the field, she received some information and said that they will continue to see what and how, but this information from the field and from me and my directors is important to her. She asked a lot of questions," said Dragovic.

He added he expects international actors will contribute to the protection of the Serbian people and children, and that the educational system will remain independent from the Kosovo one.

Vucic, Orban meet in Belgrade to discuss geopolitical situation, economy, defence cooperation (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Belgrade on Friday. Orban, who is accompanied by a Hungarian delegation, is on a working visit to Serbia, Tanjug news agency reported.

"A cordial and friendly meeting with Viktor Orban. Today, we will have full-day consultations in Belgrade and conduct strategic dialogue on four important topics: the geopolitical situation and foreign policy, the economy and advancement of our relations, cooperation in the defence and security sphere, as well as in military industry production, a Serbia-Hungary partnership in all other areas", Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

He noted that he was proud of the friendship and the best-ever relations in Serbian Hungarian history.

Pantic in a trial: I saved 250 Albanians during conflict (KoSSev)

Momir Pantic, former chief of the Serbian police station in Istok, accused of allegedly committing war crimes in Istok during the conflict, told the Basic Court in Pristina the only thing he did was to make a compromise with 140 Albanians in order not to kill one another. He also said that during the war he saved 250 Albanians, KoSSev portal reported.

Another defendant in this case is Zarko Zaric, former Serbian police officer, from Ljubozda village, arrested under the same accusations.

“Both, under moral and criminal accounts I am saying again I am only responsible for saving thousands of Albanians during the conflict in 1998-1999. The only thing I did was to make a compromise with 140 Albanians. We agreed not to kill one another”, Pantic said. He added during the conflict he saved 250 Albanians, and helped relocate 300 of them to Zlokucane village in Klina municipality.

"During the war, I had disagreements with the president of the municipality and part of the army because we saved 250 Albanians and returned them from the road to Albania. I also moved more than 300 Catholic Albanians from Djurakovac to Zlokucane (village in Klina municipality)", he said.  

Pantic also explained that in 2006 he gave the statement to the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, and signed the decision not to disclose details of it.

“On March 21, 2006 I gave the statement to the Hague Tribunal investigators in relation to the event. I was relieved of all the charges and told that the statement I made, I must not repeat. If the prosecutor insists I will seek approval from the Hague Tribunal to be allowed to speak about this case”, Pantic said.

Prosecutor Ilir Morina accused Pantic and Zaric of “participating in the murder of 250 civilians and expulsion of thousands of others as police commanders”. He also said he will seek justice for Istok inhabitants.

Pantic’s defense lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic said the prosecutor will not be able to prove the guilt of his client. “Justice is not to evoke a false hope to the victims that their wounds and pain would heal. Justice is not to persecute people who are not responsible. I know that Pantic shares the destiny with others in this proceeding. The prosecutor must prove his guilt, and I am certain that he will fail”, Vlajic said. He added Pantic during the war assisted hundreds of Albanians who asked for help, and that would be proven during the trial.

Defense lawyer of Zarko Zaric, Dejan Vasic said his client returned to his home village 10 years ago and lived all this time among the witnesses that prosecution proposed.

“He lived among them for years – among the witnesses that will testify here. He lived there with respect extended to him, and he extended the same respect to them. What prosecutor said he will prove what Zaric did during the war, I think he will prove otherwise”, Vasic said.

Momir Pantic was arrested on August 4, 2023 at Merdare crossing point, and Zarko Zaric was arrested in the village where he lived in Istok municipality, one day later.

Petkovic: De-escalation is the priority, without it, dialogue cannot continue (RTS)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic told RTS this morning that the closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo is a clear indication that the PM Albin Kurti does not want dialogue, nor does the Serbian people in Kosovo. 

The session of the National Security Council discussed the most important state issues, especially those in the security domain, Petkovic said.

"First of all, when it comes to peace in the region, we discussed the situation in BiH and the very difficult position of the RS and its leadership. Of course, we also discussed KiM, and the very difficult position of the Serbs. Kurti, in his desire to disguise the fact that he cannot constitute an assembly, is closing Serbian institutions," says Petkovic.

The Director of the Office for KiM says that Kurti wants to expel the presence of the state of Serbia from the territory of Kosovo. 

"Kurti said that a historic opportunity was missed to shut down the Serbian List and give space to Rasic. In doing so, he confirmed what we claim - that every vote that does not go to the Serbian List goes directly to Pristina," Petkovic said.

In recent days and weeks alone, Pristina has closed the Red Cross premises, taken over the Waterworks facilities, the children's and sports halls, and social work centers have also been closed.

"By shutting down Serbian institutions that were supposed to represent the base and foundation for the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (CSM), Kurti wants to say that then there will be no need to form the CSM, which we have been waiting for 12 years and which we insist on in the dialogue. But also, in talks with the EU, for that community to be formed, for someone to finally force Kurti to fulfill his obligations," explains Petkovic. 

He says that the lukewarm reactions of the international community to Kurti's moves, primarily from Brussels, indicate the existence of tacit support for Pristina by some international officials.

"I would have to make sure exactly what the EU is doing to force Albin Kurti to fulfill his obligations. If Kurti is doing this day after day, it means that he has someone's support. The priority is de-escalation, because without that, the dialogue cannot continue," said Petkovic.

Recalling the statement of the German Ambassador to Pristina, Jorn Rohde, who demanded the closure of "parallel institutions", Petkovic says that this is not about some illegal institutions, but about legal and legitimate institutions of the Republic of Serbia, which have existed there for decades.

"Albina Kurti is being scolded here all the time, and everything that Pristina does is looked down upon, while on the other hand, the finger is constantly pointed at Belgrade," said Petkovic.

According to Petkovic, Serbia is committed to dialogue, but what will not be violated is the Constitution of Serbia.

"Of course, we will preserve peace and stability, but Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia, and it will remain so. That is what will not be violated, we are for dialogue and normalization, but we will never give up our territory and people in Kosovo and Metohija," Petar Petkovic emphasized in an interview with RTS.

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija adds that Serbia will further strengthen diplomatic activities so that everyone knows what all Serbs' rights are being violated in Kosovo, and under what pressure they live.

Serbian Democracy submitted a petition on lifting the ban on goods and congestion reduce at Jarinje/Brnjak crossings (KoSSev)

Representatives of the Serbian Democracy submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures of people to the Kosovo police station in North Mitrovica today, calling for the reduction of congestion at the administrative crossings of Jarinje and Brnjak, as well as the lifting of the verbal ban on the transfer of goods through these crossings in the north of Kosovo.

In addition to lifting the ban on the transfer of goods through these crossings in the North, they are also demanding that both lanes be opened for traffic in both directions and that additional police officers with mobile devices be hired to check documents.

They indicated that the congestion at the crossings were further aggravated following the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo to ban the use of the Serbian dinar, as well as the closure of Serbian institutions in the North, as a result of which a large number of citizens often travel to Raska to collect salaries and other benefits. Before submitting the petition, the vice president of Serbian Democracy, Ivan Orlovic, addressed the media. He stated that the ban on the transfer of goods directly affects the work of the Fund for the Development of North Mitrovica, which is why they lose millions of euros annually.

"The ban on goods deprived us of the Fund for the Development of the North, where we lose several million euros annually, because all the funds from taxes, excise duties and goods entering Jarinja and Brnjak go into that fund," says Orlovic.

The petition also seeks to solve the problem of large crowds and hours of waiting at the crossings, which, as he stated, affects pregnant women, people with disabilities and children the most.

"We are witnesses that nowadays, whenever we travel, we cross the crossing, especially Jarinje and Brnjak, that there are big crowds, that there are waits of three to four hours, where pregnant women, people with disabilities, small children use that crossing, it's simply impossible to endure all that," says Orlovic.

In addition, he pointed to the problem of closing institutions in the north of Kosovo, which, he says, have no alternative:

"Which is why the waiting time is further extended, because citizens have to travel up to 40-50 kilometers in one direction to get ordinary documents."

The petition, he maintains, was signed by exactly 1,010 citizens.

International

EU says it has begun to ease sanctions on Kosovo (Reuters)

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas on Thursday said the bloc has begun to lift sanctions on Kosovo, but that the process would be conditional on a sustained de-escalation of violence and hostilities in the north.

The European Union placed economic curbs on the country in 2023 for its role in tensions in the Serb-dominated north, where leftist Albanian nationalist Prime Minister Albin Kurti has sought to extend government control.

The bloc cut at least 150 million euros ($170 million)in funding, Reuters found.

"As a sign of our commitment, I can announce that the EU has begun to gradually lift measures introduced in June 2023," Kallas told reporters in Pristina.

"The decision opens the door for greater opportunities for crossovers, development and also closer ties with Europe. But it's conditional on sustained de-escalation in the North."

Kallas also urged Kosovo's political parties to end disputes that have blocked the formation of a new government after February elections, saying functioning institutions were needed to secure EU membership.

Kurti has repeatedly failed to secure the election of a new speaker, prompting fears of an economic backlash after months of political stalemate in one of Europe’s poorest countries.

Lawmakers have been meeting every 48 hours since mid-April to elect a new speaker, a step required before Kurti, who failed to win a majority in a February election, can try to form a coalition government.

Kallas, who earlier on Thursday also visited Serbia, said that the 27-member bloc was open to enlargement and wanted Kosovo to take advantage of the bloc's 6 billion euro Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

"For that to happen, Kosovo needs functioning institutions that can effectively implement reforms, and that's why I encourage all parties to break the political stalemates and swiftly form a government," she said.

Both Kosovo and Serbia aim to join the European Union, but in order to make progress they need to normalise ties with each other and establish diplomatic relations. In 2013 the parties agreed to an EU sponsored dialogue, but little progress has been made.