UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 20, 2023

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 20, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

RLI: Likelihood of new attacks on Kosovo remains considerable (media)
Kurti meets Barbano, discuss security, rule of law, and justice (media)
Osmani’s office and AAK trade blame for failed meeting on Tuesday (media)
Krasniqi: Consultative meetings have no effect on Association draft statute (Koha)
Tahiri reacts to Vetevendosje: Panicking in fear from constitutionality (media)
Svecla: Smuggled cigarettes confiscated in Mitrovica North, law and order (Klan)
PAK: Complex in Banjska has been rented to Ministry of Interior Affairs (RFE)
Kearns: Serbia sheltering man guilty of murdering Kosovo police officer (media)
Pristina ranked 10th in list of cities with high air pollution (Indeksonline)

Serbian Language Media:

Kosovo Privatization Agency took under its control Rajska Banja spa complex in Banjska (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
Petkovic reacts to decision of Kosovo Privatization Agency to take over Rajska Banja spa complex (media)
Serbian List: Kurti in front of international community usurps Rajska Banja and Serbian properties (media)
Serbian Democracy on Rajska Banja spa complex take over: Step towards deteriorating security situation (Radio KIM)
Privatization Agency: Complex in Banjska given for lease to Ministry of Internal Affairs (Kosovo Online, Radio Free Europe)
Reactions to decision of KPA: Institutional violence (media, social media)
Serbian cemetery in Orahovac desecrated (Kosovo Online)
European Commission on Serbian elections (N1)

Albanian Language Media

RLI: Likelihood of new attacks on Kosovo remains considerable (media)

Most media covered on Tuesday a report by the Robert Lansing Institute titled “Serbia challenges NATO by threatening Kosovo”, highlighting its remarks that “the likelihood of new attacks on Kosovo, especially after the September 24 in Banjska, remains considerable”. Koha Ditore reports on its leading front-page story that Prime Minister Albin Kurti recently said in an interview for German media that “we cannot rule out the possibility of another attack because this does not depend on us”. The daily also quotes Vetevendosje MP Enver Dugolli, who is also a member of the Kosovo Assembly Committee on Security, that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is displaying a dangerous approach to international and local security institutions in Kosovo. Former chief inspector of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Burim Ramadani, told Koha Ditore in an interview that “Serbia confirmed on September 24 the possibility of another attack against Kosovo’s sovereignty”. The daily said it sent questions to NATO and KFOR on the matter but received no response.

Read the Robert Lansing Institute report at: https://shorturl.at/bdlFU

Kurti meets Barbano, discuss security, rule of law, and justice (media)

All media covered a meeting on Tuesday between Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) chief Giovanni Pietro Barbano, which focused on topics related to security, the rule of law, and justice. Most news websites highlight Kurti’s remarks about “the positive process of registration of vehicles with Kosovo legal plates, RKS, as a model of respecting legality, a result of the financial facilitation offered by the government, and the readiness of citizens for integration”.

Osmani’s office and AAK trade blame for failed meeting on Tuesday (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj did not meet Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on Monday despite an earlier appointment. AAK MP Pal Lekaj told the media on Tuesday that the meeting was supposed to be held after Osmani’s meeting with LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku, but the meeting lasted longer than planned and this made Haradinaj leave the building. “The AAK was ready [to meet the President]. The AAK leader expressed his readiness to meet, but according to my information the President was late for the meeting and Haradinaj was right not to wait any longer,” Lekaj said.

Osmani’s office however told Kosovapress that the meeting with Haradinaj was not held due to reasons involving the protocol. “Mr. Haradinaj did not want to wait until the protocol informed the President of his arrival,” a media advisor for Osmani said. “Regardless of this, President Osmani has left open the possibility for a meeting in the coming days whenever the AAK leader thinks issues of national importance should be discussed and addressed. The door of the President’s Office remains open”.

Krasniqi: Consultative meetings have no effect on Association draft statute (Koha)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) leader, Memli Krasniqi, said on Tuesday that he did not agree to a consultative meeting with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani because he believes that such meetings have no real effect on the draft statute of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. He said that it is important for Prime Minister Albin Kurti to announce his position on the Association. “He is the first person that has the constitutional, institutional, and legal responsibility, to state his position and not create situations where either he, the Deputy Prime Minister, say they have accepted it or haven’t accepted it. It is important for the person that bears the responsibility to undertake actions to clarify his position, because the position of the PDK is clear,” Krasniqi argued.

Tahiri reacts to Vetevendosje: Panicking in fear from constitutionality (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group chief Abelard Tahiri reacted to a post by the ruling party – the Vetevendosje Movement – which accused opposition parties on Tuesday of sending laws to the Constitutional Court in attempts to protect their own interests. Tahiri argued that the government is panicking in fear from constitutionality and legality. “Vetevendosje, after failing in government the last three years, has started to hold vain lectures on how opposition is done. Those who made opposition with smoke and fire, rocks, and teargas, are not liking our opposition through institutional means, our opposition sending their wrong decisions to the Constitutional Court. They fear constitutionality and legality, and this is why are panicking,” Tahiri argued.

Svecla: Smuggled cigarettes confiscated in Mitrovica North, law and order (Klan)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, took to Facebook on Tuesday to say that a large amount of smuggled cigarettes were confiscated in Mitrovica North. “Law and order throughout the territory of the Republic,” Svecla wrote.

PAK: Complex in Banjska has been leased to Ministry of Interior Affairs (RFE)

The Privatization Agency of Kosovo (PAK) took under its administration the complex “Rajska Banja” in Banjska of Zvecan, as the property belongs to a socially-owned enterprise of Kosovo and then rented it to the Kosovo Ministry of Interior Affairs, PAK Managing Director Arben Limani told the news website on Tuesday. “The Board of Directors [of PAK], following a request from the [Kosovo] Ministry of Interior Affairs, for the needs and the public interest of the Ministry, decided to rent these premises for the services of the MIA,” Limani said, adding that the decision was made on December 14.

Limani said that for a period of time, PAK tried to contact persons or entities that used the premises, but received no response, and then asked the assistance from Kosovo Police to take the property under their administration. “The property of the complex in Banjska belongs to the socially owned enterprise Trepca Standard, based in Mitrovica North … Most probably, someone renovated the premises during this period, and we didn’t know about it because we had limited access there,” he said. He also added that Kosovo Police gave information to the Privatization Agency that there were illegal activities at the complex.

Kearns: Serbia sheltering man guilty of murdering Kosovo police officer (media)

UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee’s chief Alicia Kearns shared on Tuesday a post on X by the German Foreign Office which noted that “Serbia has voted, but @osce_odihr reports misuse of public resources, voter intimidation and cases of vote buying. This is unacceptable for a country with EU candidate status”. Kearns wrote in her post that “some would also say it’s unacceptable that Serbia aided and abetted a terror attack in a neighbouring country. It is certainly now sheltering the man guilty of murdering a police officer whose two children have lost their father.”

Pristina ranked 10th in list of cities with high air pollution (Indeksonline)

The news website reported that Pristina on Tuesday was ranked 10th in the list of cities with the highest air pollution in the world. Highest on the list was Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Serbian Language Media

Kosovo Privatization Agency took under its control Rajska Banja spa complex in Banjska (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)

Assisted by Kosovo police from the region North, members of Kosovo Privatization Agency entered the spa complex Rajska Banja in Banjska, northern Kosovo and took it under its control, KoSSev portal reports. According to still unofficial information they changed the lock on the complex and are doing inventory inside, the portal added.

Since September 24, when an armed clash between a group of Serbs and Kosovo police took place in this village, the spa complex was not working. It had been searched by Kosovo police on several occasions following the armed incident.

It is about a facility of recent date, one of the favorite resorts and spas in the north, built with the funds of the Republic of Serbia.

Kosovo police deputy commander for the region North, Veton Elshani told Kosovo Online portal that police were assisting Kosovo Privatization Agency. “Regarding what is happening, most probably this facility will be taken over by the Privatization Agency and we have no additional details. Whether the Agency will give the facility to someone else or will only seal it, we have no information about that. We will stay here until that is concluded”, Elshani said.

Petkovic reacts to decision of Kosovo Privatization Agency to take over Rajska Banja spa complex (media)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said, after Kosovo Privatization Agency assisted by Kosovo police confiscated spa complex Rajska Banja in Banjska village in northern Kosovo, that Pristina this way “confirmed its intention of all-encompassing occupation of northern Kosovo” and sent a message that Serbia has no rights whatsoever to help its people, Kosovo online portal reports.

In a statement Petkovic said that “political extremists in Pristina enjoy maltreating Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija” and do so on great Serbian national and religious holidays. Petkovic further argued that with this latest act Pristina not only violated collective rights of the Serbian people but also violated the right to inviolability of the property which is sacrosanct in today's world.

Terming the Rajska Banja spa complex as one of strategic investments of Belgrade to help people in northern Kosovo, Petkovic said he will inform the international community, including the mediators in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue about this recent act. Adding that there “are no limits to insolence and arrogance of Albin Kurti and Pristina regime”, Petkovic also said that “this action of Pristina in the village of Banjska is a part of ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija plan”.

Serbian List: Kurti in front of international community usurps Rajska Banja and Serbian properties (media)

Serbian List in the strongest terms condemned seizure of Rajska Banja spa complex under direction of “anti-Serb regime of Albin Kurti” who, as it was said in a statement, in front of the international community usurps this particularly valuable and significant spa complex of the Serbian people, Serbian media reported.

Serbian List recalled that Rajska Banja spa complex was built exclusively with the funds of the Serbian Government invested through Office for Kosovo and Metohija, that it opened in 2019 and that Kosovo institutions did not invest a single penny in it, adding they have no legal grounds whatsoever to be in this complex or pretend that they own it.

They warned that seizure of private properties owned by Serbs in Leposavic and Zubin Potok went without adequate reactions by international community which gave the room “to Kurti’s regime to continue with those activities” and the turn came to Rajska Banja and Serbian land in Banov Do village (in relation to local roadworks affecting privately owned land) to be seized.

They called for urgent reaction of international community, Quint states and mediators in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, adding that “extortion and banditry of Kurti's regime must stop, and the international community must react to this flagrant violation of the basic rights of the Serbian people, the right to property, the right to treatment and work".

Serbian Democracy on Rajska Banja spa complex take over: Step towards deteriorating security situation (Radio KIM)

Newly established Kosovo Serbs party Serbian Democracy said in a statement that “only a day after illegal works on a road between Banov Do and Vidomirice continued on the privately owned properties, Kosovo authorities by illegal take over of Rajska Banja complex in Zvecan municipality and unlawful lease of this complex to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Pristina undertook yet another step towards deterioration of security situation on the ground”, Radio KIM reports.

They also warned that Pristina authorities with this act “directly went against our children and older citizens who were receiving treatments at this tourist-hospital complex because they are attempting to turn the health resort and bathhouse into a police station or police base”.

Serbian Democracy noted this is considered as “yet another step in the direction of fortifying the police state in the north of Kosovo” and demanded Rajska Banja complex be returned to the hands of people. They called upon all international organizations in Kosovo and others responsible to react immediately and prevent “further extortion of Kosovo authorities over their own people in northern Kosovo”.

Privatization Agency: Complex in Banjska given for lease to Ministry of Internal Affairs (Kosovo Online, Radio Free Europe)

Kosovo Privatization Agency (KPA) took over administration over spa complex Rajska Banja in the village of Banjska in Zvecan municipality as “property of social enterprise in Kosovo” and gave it for lease to Kosovo Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), KPA director general Arben Limani said, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Radio Free Europe.

“KPA Steering Bord at request of MIA, for the needs and public interest of this ministry, decided that these premises are given for lease for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, Limani said, adding that decision was made in a meeting held on December 14. According to him KPA tried to contact persons or subjects that used this property but received no reply and decided to request assistance from Kosovo police to take over the premises.

He said that property of the complex in Banjska belongs to socially owned enterprise Trepca-Standard with headquarters in Mitrovica North and that property is under the name of this unit. He added that somebody had renovated the building in a specific period of time, which they did not know, because of, as he said, limited access.

Radio Free Europe also reported that reconstruction of Rajska Banja spa complex started in 2015 by the Serbian Government through the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Seven million euros were invested in the project at that time. The-then director of the Office for KiM, Marko Djuric signed the agreement on restoration of the spa with Raska-Prizren Eparchy and President of Zvecan Interim Authority, Ivan Todosijevic. In Kosovo this complex is registered as a society with limited responsibility under the name of Aleksadar Zlatkovic, the RFE said.

Reactions to decision of KPA: Institutional violence (media, social media)

Analysts said the decision of Kosovo Property Agency (KPA) to take over Rajska Banja spa complex in Banjska village in northern Kosovo does not lead to de-escalation of tensions and normalization of situation in the north, Serbian media reported.

Coordinator of the National Convent of the EU Chapter 35 Working Group Dragisa Mijacic said entry of Kosovo police to the hotel and spa complex Rajska Banja in Banjska and taking it over by Kosovo Privatization Agency was controversial act that would lead to further animosity towards Kosovo authorities. “It is impossible to normalize lives in northern municipalities under conditions of institutional violence and selective use of special police forces by the Kosovo Government”, Mijacic wrote in a post on X social network.

Lawyer Milan Antonijevic said the international community must first protect the people, and then property of Serbs in Kosovo. “Normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and de-escalation of conflict, because of which sanctions had been imposed against Kosovo by EU and US, must be demanded. Will Pristina get new sanctions from the EU and US?”, he asked in a post on X.

Serbian cemetery in Orahovac desecrated (Kosovo Online)

At least five wooden crosses have been broken at the local, Orthodox cemetery in Orahovac, Kosovo Online portal reports. The local residents visiting the cemetery ahead of Saint Nikola Day (December 19) noticed the damages. One of them called Kosovo police, as one of the broken crosses was of his late cousin. Female resident of Orahovac said those crosses were not broken for the first time, but had been damaged a number of times before. She also said families were fixing them in hope they would no longer be broken.

Kosovo police said this case had been reported on December 18, and they established that five wooden crosses were broken, adding that investigation was launched. The latest case of desecration of the Serbian cemetery in Orahovac was recorded on August 28. This cemetery was not used because of security reasons in the period from 1998 to 2014, and deceased persons were buried in a church yard. After there was no longer the space in the local church yard, Serbs started using the old cemetery again, facing numerous desecrations of the tombstones there, the portal recalled.

European Commission on Serbian elections (N1)

The European Commission expressed concern on Tuesday over the election process in Serbia which requires reform, N1 reports.

“We take note of the preliminary findings and conclusions of the international observers from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), on Serbia’s 17 December early parliamentary elections. In light of these preliminary findings and conclusions, we conclude with concern that the electoral process requires tangible improvement and further reform, as the proper functioning of Serbia’s democratic institutions is at the core of Serbia’s EU accession process”, spokeswoman Ana Pisonero told a news briefing quoting a press release.