UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 25, 2024 

Albanian Language Media:

• NATO notes that consensus of 32 members required on Kosovo (RTV21)
• Kurti: Austria and Kosovo built a strong partnership over the decades (RTK)
• Kosovo’s Election Commission joins A-WEB Executive Committee (media)
• Agency denies reports about removal of “Mitrovica North” from IDs (media)
• Hoxhaj: Kurti accepted Association, biggest damage in last 30 years (RTV21)
• Albanians in Serbia to protest against passivization of addresses (Albanian Post)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Head of UN: Situation in north of Kosovo tense, possible escalation (RTS, Blic, Danas)
• Ursula von der Leyen in two-day visit to Serbia (RTS, media)
• Arsenijevic calls on Kosovo police to open case against Missini café for ‘spreading ethnic intolerance’ (social media)
• Mesarovic: Serbia has significant economic cooperation with BRICS member states (Tanjug)
• Barac: EU lost ability to moderate dialogue, negotiations became ‘absurd’ (Kosovo Online)
• In Pristina, graffiti written against Fadil Geci, along with derogatory words for Serbs (KoSSev, Kallxo)

International: 

• Tena Prelec: People in the region need to feel like a part of Europe, rather than as a “super-periphery” (EWB)                                                                                                                                             

               Albanian Language Media  

NATO notes that consensus of 32 members required on Kosovo (RTV21)

NATO headquarters told the TV station today Kosovo’s membership in NATO or its participation in the Partnership for Peace program requires consensus between the 32 member states. 

“KFOR continues to implement its UN mandate based on UNSC Resolution 1244 to contribute to a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all people and communities living in Kosovo, at all times and impartially, by acting as the third security responder in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, which are the first and second security responders,” the response notes.

NATO also said that they encourage Kosovo’s institutions to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated Dialogue to help consolidate security in the region of the Western Balkans. 

Kurti: Austria and Kosovo built a strong partnership over the decades (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti at a reception hosted by the Austrian Embassy on the National Day of Austria, said that Austria and Kosovo have built a strong partnership over the decades, “starting with your contribution during the difficult years of occupation and war and then continuing with the recognition of our independence in 2008”.

Kurti said that relations between Kosovo and Austria have taken on a new dimension. “With around 100,000 Kosovars and Austrian nationals with origin from Kosovo who live, work and study in Austria, we have created a strong bridge between our peoples, a bridge built on mutual respect and shared values,” he said.

“Experts and imports between our two countries are always on the rise, and according to the Central Bank of Kosovo almost half a billion euros is the amount of direct Austrian investments in Kosovo,” Kurti said.

Kurti also highlighted Austria’s strong support for Kosovo’s European integration and membership in international organizations and thanked Austrian soldiers in KFOR for their contribution to peace and security in Kosovo and the region. “With its engagement and commitment, Austria is undoubtedly part of Kosovo’s history and its future,” he said. 

Kosovo’s Election Commission joins A-WEB Executive Committee (media)

Kosovo’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has been elected a member of the Executive Committee of the Association of World Election Bodies at the General Assembly of this association which is being held in Bogota, Colombia. A statement by the CEC notes that this is a major international success and an important step in strengthening Kosovo’s role on the global arena of administration of elections and development of democratic standards. 

Agency denies reports about removal of “Mitrovica North” from IDs (media)

Kosovo’s Civil Registration Agency “has denied reports published in some Serbian media according to which the name ‘Mitrovica North’ has been removed from the identification documents of citizens in the north and replaced with only ‘Mitrovica’.”

The CRA said that in never and in no way violated the rights of any communities during the procedure for registration and equipping with personal documents. “We confirm that the ID cards of the Republic of Kosovo are issued in line with regular legal procedures, without any difference, for all citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, including those living in the northern municipalities. Therefore, through this reaction, we assure you that the IDs issued at the respective centers contain the place of residence declared by the citizen of the Republic of Kosovo at the respective Civil Registration Office,” the statement notes.

Hoxhaj: Kurti accepted Association, biggest damage in last 30 years (RTV21)

Deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Enver Hoxhaj, said in an interview with RTV21 on Thursday, that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accepted the document on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities before members of the Kosovo Assembly. 

“Kurti, Osmani and Konjufca sent a letter to the Council of Europe saying that they accept all possible obligations from the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and Kurti says in every meeting that we accept them in a package and the package implies the signing of the agreement. Kurti has accepted the Association, and we don’t know who wrote the draft. It questions the statehood of Kosovo, and this is the biggest damage someone inflicted on Kosovo in the last 30 years,” he argued.

Hoxhaj said that the Kosovo government needs to remove UNSC Resolution 1244 from the draft statute of the Association before sending it to the Constitutional Court. 

“I see it as a possibility that by accepting small compromises we can get a major achievement such as Kosovo’s membership in NATO. I don’t see any bigger achievement in 2025,” he said.

Albanians in Serbia to protest against passivization of addresses (Albanian Post)

The news website reports that Albanians in Presevo Valley in Serbia will protest on November 3 in front of the police station in Medvedja against the passivisation of their addresses by Serbian authorities. The protest with the motto “Give me back my address” is scheduled to start at 13:00. President of the Albanian National Council, Nevzad Lutfiu, said in a Facebook post that so far thousands of addresses of Albanians have been passivized. 

Serbian Language Media 

Head of UN: Situation in north of Kosovo tense, possible escalation (RTS, Blic, Danas)

Radio Television of Serbia reported that UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, assessed the situation in the north of Kosovo as tense, with the possibility of escalation. The head of the UN, in his regular report to the Security Council, stated that unilateral actions, such as the closure of institutions financed by Belgrade, the restriction of the flow of goods and the announcement of the opening of the bridge over the Ibar, raise tensions and reduce trust between communities. The Security Council will discuss this report on October 30, recalled RTS.

"The atmosphere in the north of Kosovo is still tense, with the possibility of escalation still present. I call on all parties to renew their commitment to the dialogue with the mediation of the EU and to fully implement the existing agreements", stated UN Secretary General António Guterres in the regular six-monthly report on the situation in Kosovo. 

Guterres also warned that unilateral moves such as the closure of institutions financed by Belgrade, steps towards the opening of the bridge in Mitrovica North, restrictions on goods from Serbia and the implementation of a new monetary policy "raise tensions and reduce trust between communities and between communities and institutions".

The first man of the world organization assessed that such moves not only hinder the normal life and social and economic rights of those affected by them, but seriously threaten the overall progress and stability.

"It is of fundamental importance that the moves of political leaders are in accordance with the needs and rights of all communities", stated Guterres and called on the authorities in Pristina to urgently and fully respond to the concerns of the Serbian community regarding possible actions related to health and education institutions.

"The preservation of the economic and social rights of minority communities, including the most vulnerable ones, is of key importance", stated the report of the UN SG.

Guterres also warned that "the serious security incident in Banjska on September 23 last year is an indicator of the need for all parties to cooperate in the search for justice, and that elucidating such incidents is of key importance for re-establishing trust and ensuring long-term stability".

He also said it is of fundamental importance that the forces of order, above all during apprehensions, arrests and property issues, act fully in accordance with legal frameworks and in accordance with international human rights standards.

The report, which will be discussed by the Security Council on October 30, also states that 13 previously expelled persons returned to Kosovo in six months, seven of whom are Serbs.

In total, since 2000, 29,418 out of about 200,000 expelled persons have returned to Kosovo.

In the same report, the European Union Mission to Kosovo stated that the appellate court in Tirana acquitted Dritan Goxhaj, who was previously arrested in the Albanian capital and whose extradition to the KLA Special Court for War Crimes was approved.

Sometime later, the Albanian Supreme Court rejected the prosecution's appeal against the decision of the appellate court.

Ursula von der Leyen in two-day visit in Serbia (RTS, media)

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen will arrive Friday for a two-day visit to Serbia and will be hosted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, RTS reports.

According to the program of the visit, Vucic and der Leyen will visit HERC group at 13.00 today and participate in a presentation of projects financed through IPA and EBRD funds, Serbian Presidency said in a statement.

After that a ceremonial welcome in front of the Palace of Serbia is scheduled followed by a tete-a-tete meeting of Vucic and der Leyen.

After that plenary talks of Serbian and European Union delegations will take place, lead by Vucic and der Leyen, followed by their address to the media.

Von der Leyen will also meet Serbian Prime Minister Milan Vucevic. This is her fourth visit to the Western Balkans. Prior to Belgrade she visited North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after Belgrade she will visit Pristina and Montenegro. 

Arsenijevic calls on Kosovo police to open case against Missini café for ‘spreading ethnic intolerance’ (social media)

In a post published on X social platform, leader of Serbian Democracy Aleksandar Arsenijevic wrote today that “for years Albanians have been having coffees in Mitrovica North. They come to see their friends with respect, and have no problem with anyone. Serbs, in the same manner, go to someone else's house with respect and have no problem with anyone”.

“However, in this example it is clear what is the agenda of those political and quasi economic newly opened facilities, including Missini in Mitrovica North. Provocations and an attempt to humiliate the local population with the aim to provoke a violent reaction in order to fulfill (Albin) Kurti’s desire for escalation. It is because of such energy created around those businesses by actors close to Self-determination that Missini and Heb’s as a magnet attract mostly extremists from the south who perceive Mitrovica North as a newly conquered territory, an exotic place where they should come to boost their testosterone level”, he wrote.

“If Kosovo police do not open a case against Missini for spreading ethnic intolerance in the next three days we will understand this as a message that we Serbs can also go to the promenade of Mitrovica South and play Serbian national songs over Bluetooth speakers and record it live in a Facebook post”.

“This comes as some new sort of tolerance, promoted by the side of ethnic majority”, he concluded along with posting a video from Facebook in which a referenced song was heard playing from Missini café at Mitrovica North promenade. 

Mesarovic: Serbia has significant economic cooperation with BRICS member states (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister of Economy Adrijana Mesarovic said on Thursday Serbia maintained significant economic cooperation with BRICS member states, which she noted accounted for 45 pct of the world's population and 27 pct of the world's gross product. "There is absolutely a place for Serbia in such markets, too", Mesarovic said.

She said the level of Serbia's economic cooperation with Russia was good and satisfactory but that there was potential for progress. "We ended last year with (bilateral) external trade totaling 2.7 bln euros, Serbia is the side that has a deficit and we can still do a lot about that. In the first eight months (of 2024), the external trade amounted to 1.5 bln euros, with Russian gas exports certainly dominating the overall trade volume", Mesarovic said.

Serbia is not picking sides between the West and the East, and it is ready to cooperate with all who respect its territorial integrity and sovereignty and all who advocate peace and want to strengthen economic cooperation on solid foundations, she said. She said Serbia would fight "against imposing sanctions on Russia for as long as it can", being a country that knew how difficult the consequences of sanctions were.

"Pressures do exist, but we will be consistent with an independent policy. Russia respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, Russia has voted against a UN resolution aimed at branding the Serbs as a genocidal nation, and it strongly supports our policy when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija", Mesarovic said.

Barac: EU lost ability to moderate dialogue, negotiations became ‘absurd’ (Kosovo Online)

During the latest Belgrade-Pristina dialogue round held yesterday in Brussels, a trilateral meeting of EU Special Envoy for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak with Belgrade and Pristina chief negotiators, Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi took place. Commenting on the meeting, Centre for Social Stability Associate Srđan Barac said Brussels lost the possibility to moderate the dialogue and that both dialogue and negotiations have become absurd, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“If we came to the point to present a fact that we sat down to talk  as a success, it shows Brussels has lost the ability to moderate this dialogue, the dialogue does not exist and idea of talking about matters of life, has been completely lost and there is only the desire and arbitrariness of one side, that is, the institutions of Pristina”, Barac told Kosovo Online.

He added Pristina’s institutions are being reflected through the form of Albin Kurti, who is implementing what he came for, that is, what he got the support of his voters for. “And that is the expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija”, he pointed out.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said yesterday after trilateral meeting that the Belgrade delegation insisted on the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and Barac said that when talking about more than 11 long years which have passed since the signing of an agreement whose guarantor is the EU, as something that still needs to be negotiated, it is very clear that dialogue and negotiations are absurd.

“If we are talk about the fact that Serbs should be guaranteed the fundamental human rights to be able to live in the area where their fathers and grandfathers lived, where they were born, then it is questionable what are the European values, what are the values of those who support that ‘independent state’ of Kosovo and should Serbia insist on it or should it be taken for granted and implemented as one document that was signed”, Barac added.

In Pristina, graffiti written against Fadil Geci, along with derogatory words for Serbs (KoSSev, Kallxo)

Portal KoSSev reported that, citing Kallxo,  graffiti with derogatory messages against Fadil Geci appeared in Pristina. The graffiti came after Geci, two days ago, finished his three-day testimony at the Special Court in The Hague, in the trial of Hashim Thaci and three other former members of the KLA.

"Shk*, i biri shki***" (derogatory words for Serbs in Albanian language) - is written on these graffiti with a picture of Fadil Geci. 

Such graffiti were seen on the square in Pristina, as well as near the building of the Ministry of Culture.

Geci testified for three days in a row at the Special Court in The Hague, mainly about the allegations about the KLA's "Communication No. 59" from October 1998, by which his brother Gani Geci was labeled as a "collaborator", as well as about the negative impact and consequences of this announcement on him and his family members.

"Witness the arrest, detention and abuse of members of the Assembly of Kosovo by the KLA in the village of Ćirez in September 1998, as well as the arrest, imprisonment, killing and abuse of members of the KLA and other individuals. Also, the witness provides information about the interactions, conversations or knowledge that KLA members had, including Rexhep Selimi, Hashim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Sylejman Selimi and Samidin Xhezairi, in connection with these events," said prosecutor James Pace, reported KoSSev, citing Kallxo.

                                                        International

Tena Prelec: People in the region need to feel like a part of Europe, rather than as a “super-periphery” (EWB)

The obstacles to the Western Balkans’ accession to the EU have been both internal and external. In many countries in the region, political elites and clientelism have effectively held progress hostage, says Tena Prelec, Research Associate at the University of Rijeka and Member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG). Speaking for European Western Balkans on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of BiEPAG, Prelec notes that the EU itself has also missed opportunities to capitalize on moments of potential change.

“For instance, the lack of tangible rewards from the EU has led to disappointment and, in some cases, backsliding – North Macedonia is a notable example of this trend. The swift progress in the EU path of Ukraine and Moldova illustrates that progress is possible with political will on both sides”, Tena Prelec remarks.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/mrx2a25f