Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti calls on Serb residents to convert their driver's licences (RTK)
• Kryeziu responds to Stano: Adding measures would only deepen injustice (Express)
• LVV MP: We cannot give up internal affairs due to threat of measures (Reporteri)
• KFOR: We have fixed presence on the bridge, any decision to open it must be made in dialogue (media)
• MFA: Belgrade Prosecutor's Office gave permission to withdraw body of Kosovar killed in Loznica (media)
• The person killed in Loznica is Faton Hajrizi (Koha)
• Hamza: To cover up failures, government only deals with Serbia (media)
• Hamza continues with meetings in the USA (media)
• Abdixhiku: We have a prime minister for propaganda (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• KFOR: Not true that the technical inspection of the Ibar bridge was conducted in coordination with us (Kosovo Online)
• Arsenijevic: We defend what is ours, political tricks will not distract us ; the KP announcement rebuttal (Kosovo Online)
• Mijacic: The messages from the USA to Kosovo are clear, but do something about it (Kosovo Online)
• How can KFOR react if Pristina opens the Ibar bridge? (Danas)
• Joseph: Kurti doing everything contrary to what was written in the New York Times, closing post offices undermines peace (Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio, Danas)
• KoSSev Portal and several Pristina journalists targeted by disturbing photoshopped images (KoSSev, KiM radio)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti calls on Serb residents to convert their driver's licences (RTK)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has invited Serb residents in Kosovo, who have not yet applied for the conversion of driver's licences into Kosovo ones, to do so by August 23.

“In three months, we have received a total of 5,588 applications from our fellow Serb citizens to convert their driver's licence from those issued by illegal and parallel structures from Serbia to legitimate and official ones issued by the Republic of Kosovo.

Given the high interest, we have decided to extend the deadline by another two weeks.

I would like to thank all Kosovo Serb citizens who have responded positively to our call for applications. I extend my invitation to all those who have not applied themselves to take advantage of this opportunity until August 23,” Kurt wrote on X platform.

Kryeziu responds to Stano: Adding measures would only deepen injustice (Express)

The spokesperson of the government of Kosovo, Perparim Kryziu, said that the measures of the EU against Kosovo have been proved to be unfair. He said that their addition would only deepen the injustice.

"Measures are not a solution. Time has proven that the EU's measures against Kosovo have been unfair. They continue to be so as long as they are in force. Adding them would only deepen the injustice. On the other hand, the question arises, what measures did the EU take against Serbia, which after the terrorist and paramilitary attack declared a National Day of Mourning for the three terrorists killed in Banjska, whose leader, Milan Radoicic, it harbors and finances?", said Kryeziu.

He stated that Kosovo needs the support of the EU and the USA, saying that the closure of the Post of Serbia is within the rule of law.

"We need the support of the EU but also of the United States of America, especially in the field of rule of law and respect for the agreements reached in Brussels. The closure of the nine offices of the Post of Serbia, which operated without a licence and illegally, is a matter of the rule of law. Meanwhile, the opening of the Mitrovica bridge over the Iber River is a matter of complete freedom of movement, the rule of law and respect for the agreements reached by Brussels in 2015, in addition to the direct contribution to the further integration of our citizens", Kryeziu stated.

VV MP reacts to Stano: We cannot leave internal affairs due to threat of measures (Reporteri)

Alban Bajrami, MP of the Vetevendosje Movement, said that the Quint ambassadors have not given any reason why the Iber bridge should not be opened. He said that there has been an agreement since 2016 on the subject of the Iber bridge, and it has not been implemented.

Bajrami in Tëvë1 has raised the question of whether it should wait a decade for its opening.

"The Quint ambassadors did not have an answer as to why the Iber bridge should not be opened. At least tohave a reason why the bridge should not be opened, besides it being one sided. The opening of the bridge cannot be both-sided, because we are not opening a bridge that connects us with Serbia", said Bajrami.

He also commented on the statement of the EU spokesperson, Peter Stano, who said that measures could be added to Kosovo for its "unilateral" actions. Bajrami has said that Kosovo cannot leave its internal affairs under the threat of measures that according to him, even the current ones are unfair. "Even these are unreasonable. No EU official can explain why they are. We cannot leave the internal affairs of Kosovo in the hands of a threat for new measures", said Bajrami.

KFOR: We have fixed presence on the bridge, any decision to open it must be made in dialogue (media)

The NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, has stated that any decision regarding the opening of the Iber Bridge must be taken within the framework of the dialogue.

"Our position on this matter has been clear, transparent and consistent throughout. Any decision regarding the opening of the main bridge over the Iber River should be taken within the EU-mediated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

"The KFOR mission has a permanent, fixed presence on the bridge and continues to conduct regular patrols in the surrounding areas to ensure stability and security, for the benefit of all local communities. We will not hesitate to intervene against any development that may affect the security environment and regional stability, in full respect of our UN mandate", KFOR told Klan Kosova.

MFA: Belgrade Prosecutor's Office gave permission to withdraw the body of the Kosovar killed in Loznica (media)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora has announced that the District Prosecutor's Office of Belgrade has given permission on Thursday to remove the dead body of the resident of Kosovo, who was reported to have been killed in Loznica on July 19.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora informs the public opinion that today the District Prosecutor's Office of Belgrade has given permission for the removal of the dead body of the citizen of Kosovo, reported as killed in Loznica, Serbia. The lawyer of the Hajrizi family, Arianit Koci, supported by the Liaison Office of Kosovo in Serbia, Ambassador Jashari, are carrying out the procedures to retrieve the dead body of the citizen of Kosovo from the morgue of Loznica to be brought to Kosovo. We will keep you informed about the further medical-legal procedures for the identification and verification of the dead body of the citizen of Kosovo, from the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo", it was announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Media reported today that Faton Hajrizi’s body arrive in Kosovo at around 02:00 a.m.

The person killed in Loznica is Faton Hajrizi (Koha)

Koha sources announced on Thursday that the person killed in Loznica, Serbia on July 19 is Faton Hajrizi and his body is in the morgue of this city. The confirmation was made after STR analyzing of the sample taken from Faton's mother.

The lawyer authorised by the Hajrizi family, Arianit Koci, who is dealing with the procedures of retrieving the body and transporting it to Kosovo, is currently at the Loznica morgue.

Faton Hajrizi was killed on July 19 near the border between Serbia and Bosnia. A day earlier, he allegedly killed a Serbian policeman and wounded another. Faton Hajrizi escaped from Smrekonica prison on July 6.

Hamza: To cover up failures, government only deals with Serbia (media)

The candidate for Prime Minister of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Bedri Hamza, criticised the Kurti government on Thursday for only dealing with Serbia to cover up the failure in internal governance. According to Hamza, by dealing only with Serbia, the government has forgotten the miners, policemen, doctors, soldiers and pensioners. 

“Government propaganda begins with "threats of war with Serbia" and ends with the same thing. This is a wrong approach which does not bring anything good. Dealing only with Serbia, our government has forgotten the miners, teachers, policemen, doctors, soldiers, pensioners and many, many other important issues", said Hamza. 

"The citizens of Kosovo deserve much better and my plan aims to do just that. I want to make sure that the citizens of Kosovo live in peace, with much higher wages and much more dignified well-being", he further added.

Hamza continues with meetings in the USA (media)

PDK's candidate for Prime Minister of Kosovo, Bedri Hamza, is continuing his meetings in the United States. He has wrote that he finished with a meeting at the "Heritage Foundation", which is an influential organisation close to the Republican Party.

"I had the honour to meet James Carafano, one of the leading foreign policy and security leaders at this foundation, and Max Primorac, senior expert at the Margaret Thatcher Center." With Carafano, who is a respected republican voice and a well-known public personality, we discussed the situation in Kosovo and bilateral cooperation. Kosovo has been blessed with bipartisan support, both from the Democratic and Republican administrations. "Our country must preserve this value and refrain from eventual animations in the politics and electoral preferences of American citizens," wrote Hamza on Facebook.

Hamza emphasised that Kosovo has friends and needs friends in the entire American political landscape."Therefore, my meetings also focus on building strong ties, both with the Democrats and the Biden administration, as well as with the Republicans and officials of the former President Trump's administration," he wrote.

Hamza stressed that polarisation in Kosovo should not be exported. "We need joint work. This was also my promise to the officials at the Heritage Foundation, Atlantic Council and other experts I met these days", he said.

Abdxhiku calls Kurti "prime minister for propaganda (Koha)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, has called the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, as "prime minister for propaganda".

"The bridge must be opened! There is and I am not aware of any other Albanian political position in Kosovo on this issue for a quarter of a century now. The bridge, however, has not been opened due to NATO and US security assessments. If these assessments change in the meantime, the conditions ripen, their presence on the Bridge is undone, the same opens. Therefore, the time that the government spends attacking the Albanian factor, should be spent in the persuasion of our allies. This is patriotism today. And if you have convinced them, open it! Otherwise, opening the bridge without them means confrontation with them. There is no uglier image than an American soldier in front of a Kosovar policeman. The military vehicle with the American flag, in front of a Kosovo Police vehicle, is a gift to our enemies! The people of Kosovo will neither accept nor tolerate these views. A serious Prime Minister would have to assess all this. Long before than leading the state on a journey. But we have a Prime Minister for propaganda. Therefore, do not waste time in this pre-electoral campaign of populists!" - Abdixhiku wrote on Facebook.

Serbian Language Media 

KFOR: Not true that the technical inspection of the Ibar bridge was conducted in coordination with us (Kosovo Online)

It is not true that the ongoing technical inspection of the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica was coordinated with the NATO-led KFOR mission. KFOR was in no way involved in this activity, confirmed a KFOR spokesperson in a written response to Kosovo Online.

Namely, the Deputy Minister for Infrastructure in the Kosovan government, Hisen Durmishi, stated that the process of examining the infrastructural stability of the bridge over the Ibar River was concluding today and that the testing was done in coordination with KFOR.

In response to whether these claims are true, the KFOR spokesperson said:

"We are aware of reports that the ongoing technical inspection of the bridge over the Ibar River in Mitrovica was coordinated with the NATO-led KFOR mission. This is not true. KFOR was not involved in this activity in any way. Our statement from August 6, 2024, was clear – KFOR Commander, Major General Özkan Ulutaş, was informed by the Director of Kosovo Police about the first inspection on that day, a few hours before it began," said the KFOR spokesperson.

Let us recall that in a statement on August 6, KFOR emphasized that "all decisions regarding the opening of the main bridge over the Ibar River must be made within the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue mediated by the EU."

"KFOR units maintain a constant, fixed presence on the bridge and continue to conduct regular patrols in the surrounding areas to ensure stability and security for the benefit of all local communities. We will not hesitate to address any developments that may affect the security environment and regional stability, in full respect of our UN mandate. KFOR's stance has always been clear and consistent. All decisions regarding the opening of the main bridge over the Ibar River must be made within the framework of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue mediated by the EU," KFOR stated.

The Multinational Operational Reserve Battalion conducts daily patrols

Throughout the day, there has been an increased presence of KFOR personnel in Leposavic and Zvecan.

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

Arsenijevic: We defend what is ours, political tricks will not distract us ; the KP announcement rebuttal (Kosovo Online)

The leader of the Serbian Democracy, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, was released from custody together with his colleague Stefano Veljkovic after spending a few hours in the police station. After that, he said that "political persecution and political stunts carried out by individual policemen" will not stop the Serbian people. He told the journalists gathered at the main bridge in the northern part of Mitrovica that he was with Veljkovic, accused of obstructing an official in the performance of his duties, although they did not even know who the officials were and who were the guests of the cafe, the former "Dolce Vita", in front of which all happened.

"The guests of the cafe were mostly Albanians, who attacked us. At that moment, the policemen did not put up a clear barrier, or a cordon, or anything where we could pass, which could be interpreted as meaning that we could move freely in the public space," said Arsenijevic. In addition, he said that they reported the desecration of the monument to the Milić brothers and the desecration of the national symbol of the Kosovo Serb community recognized by the Constitution to the policeman on the ground.

"We encountered a misunderstanding, we were confused that the police characterized us as extremists instead of people who desecrate our monuments," he added.

Arsenijevic also strongly reacted to the KP announcement, writing in a post on the X social network:

“The Kosovo Police openly lied when it reported to the public that we were protesting the painting over of "Severna Brigada" graffiti. This claim, promptly repeated by the LVV Spokesperson, is a futile attempt to cover up for their gross violation of the Constitution and laws. As it can be heard and seen during EVERY second of the video until we were arrested (video in the comment), we were protesting unknown individuals, accompanied by numerous police forces who were painting over the Serbian people's flag. The flag is a part of the monument to Brothers Milić. On that note, Kosovo authorities were not only desecrating our flag as a community symbol - they were also desecrating the monument to people important for our community. The incident also shows that not even recording encounters with the police will ensure fair treatment as the police continue to fabricate events even in the face of clear evidence of what happened…”

Read the full X post at: https://tinyurl.com/2u2uwz47

Mijacic: The messages from the USA to Kosovo are clear, but do something about it (Kosovo Online)

Dragisa Mijacic, Coordinator of the National Convention for Chapter 35, in response to a statement by State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, who mentioned that the USA "encourages the Government of Kosovo to return to close and constructive engagement with the USA, the EU, NATO, and other close international partners," conveyed that such messages are clear but that political solutions are lacking.

"The message is as clear as it could be... and we have witnessed numerous similar messages in the recent past, but the policy solution is missing," Mijacic stated on the social network "X," emphasizing:

"Instead of constantly appealing for encouragement, do something!"

How can KFOR react if Pristina opens the Ibar bridge? (Danas)

"Our mission does not intervene directly in the actions of the Kosovo Police or other institutions in Kosovo, unless there is a need to maintain stability and security, according to our UN mandate," KFOR told Danas when asked if there is a possibilithy that this NATO mission directly prevent the intervention of the Kosovo Police, or other Pristina institutions, if they decide to open the bridge on the Ibar.

KFOR continues to implement its long-standing UN mandate to contribute to a safe environment and freedom of movement, they state, for the benefit of all people and communities living in Kosovo, at all times and impartially, through a visible and flexible presence throughout Kosovo.

"KFOR acts as a third security response, in close coordination with the Kosovo Police and the EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX), as the first and second security responders, respectively. Therefore, our mission does not intervene directly in the actions of the Kosovo Police or other institutions in Kosovo, unless there is a need to maintain stability and security, according to our UN mandate. Any decision regarding the bridge must be made within the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, which we continue to fully support."

Joseph: Kurti doing everything contrary to what was written in the New York Times, closing post offices undermines peace (Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio, Danas)

Professor Edward Joseph of Johns Hopkins University in Washington pointed out, regarding the closure of Serbian Post offices in northern Kosovo on August 5, that Kosovan Prime Minister Albin Kurti is taking actions contrary to the positions he expressed in an op-ed for the New York Times a month earlier. Joseph stated that the closure of Serbian Post offices in the north undermines peace.

Therefore, he called on Kurti to cancel what he did on August 5 and to "return to the spirit of July 5."

Joseph noted on the social network "X" that Kurti, in his New York Times piece, made "several wise observations," including that "peace is hard work and dynamic – it must be constantly maintained," and that "conflict in the Balkans... attracts foreign players to this historically significant geopolitical frontier, jeopardizing Europe’s security," and that "it took courage for Serbs to join the institutions and become active participants in the country."

Joseph, however, asserts that Kurti's unilateral and uncoordinated actions with the U.S. in northern Kosovo on August 5 are contrary to his own stated positions.

Read more at:  https://tinyurl.com/38fs6pfu

KoSSev Portal and several Pristina journalists targeted by disturbing photoshopped images (KoSSev, KiM radio)

Yesterday, several photoshopped images surfaced on social media depicting the faces of certain Albanian journalists from Kosovo, as well as Kosovo leaders. These images are accompanied by fabricated messages with threatening content, including death threats, and have been falsely branded with the logo of the KoSSev portal.

The Kosovo Journalists’ Association (AGK) reported on these manipulated images, which falsely implicated media outlets from North Mitrovica, including KoSSev, and targeted Albanian journalists. AGK is still gathering information about these posts from social networks.

Some of the journalists targeted by these doctored images include Vehbi Kajtazi, Valon Sila, Berat Berat Buzhala, and others. Notably, these journalists have previously been targeted by Kosovo authorities.

“In these images, the logo of Serbian independent media from North Mitrovica, such as KoSSev, is often falsely used. Additionally, the fabricated news includes outlets like Voice, Telegraph, Kosovo Today, and others,“ AGK stated.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2pezvwv5