UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 29, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Sarrazin: We’ve asked for sanctions on Radoicic, we don’t have quorum (Klan)
Barbano: Decision on Decani Monastery land is binding (media)
Osmani meets Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s victory is Europe’s victory (media)
Osmani meets Albanian PM Rama, “discussions and coordination” (media)
New KFOR Turkish contingent arrives in Kosovo (media)
Kurti visits St Matthew School in Belfast (media)
Kamberi: Vucic won’t meet Albanians’ requests in Valley if no intl pressure (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: Ukraine a friend of Serbia, does not recognise Kosovo (Tanjug)
Vucic and Zelenskyy met in Tirana (Kosovo Online, social media)
Vucic: At our request, Tirana declaration makes no mention of sanctions on Russia (media)
Barbano: Court’s decision on Visoki Decani land binding to all individuals and institutions in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, social media)
Vucic: Kurti wants to become a legend by destroying Serbs (Kosovo Online, media)
Sarrazin: Refusal of Kosovo politicians to participate in meetings discussing dinar indicates less sovereignty (Kosovo Online)
Brnabic: Serbian Government to continue to cooperate with ODIHR (Tanjug, media)

International Media:

Both Sides in Serbia Claim Victory Over ODIHR Election Report (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Sarrazin: We’ve asked for sanctions on Radoicic, we don’t have quorum (Klan)

German Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, said on Wednesday that they have asked for sanctions against Milan Radoicic but that according to him they don’t have the necessary quorum in the EU Council, “because some EU member states have different options”. “That is why the policy of sanctions does not depend on the decision of a single member state,” he said.

Commenting on the issue of the Serbian Dinar, Sarrazin said that by not attending meetings on the issue, Kosovo politicians appear less sovereign. “Sovereignty is the objective of Kosovo. I personally support this. I know that there are ongoing discussions and I expect everyone to work for a solution for the citizens of Kosovo,” he said.

Barbano: Decision on Decani Monastery land is binding (media)

EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) chief Giovanni Pietro Barbano said in a post on X on Wednesday that “questioning the Constitutional Court and judicial decisions undermines judicial independence, eroding the rule of law. The 2016 decision on the Decani Monastery land is binding on all persons and institutions, without exception”.

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, shared Barbano’s post saying that “General Barbano is 100% right. All friends and partners urge Kosovo: Just do it!”

Osmani meets Zelenskyy: Ukraine’s victory is Europe’s victory (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Tirana on Wednesday and said after the meeting that “Ukraine’s victory is Europe’s victory!” “It is a victory against those seeking to destabilize the Western Balkans and revive the mindset of violence and destruction. It is a victory for freedom! That's why Kosovo will stand with Ukraine until victory!” Osmani wrote in a post on X.

Osmani meets Albanian PM Rama, “discussions and coordination” (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Wednesday in Tirana with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. “Discussions and coordination for the good of Kosovo and Albania,” Osmani wrote in a post on X after the meeting.

New KFOR Turkish contingent arrives in Kosovo (media)

NATO’s peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, KFOR, said in a statement on Wednesday that a Turkish contingent has arrived in Kosovo and that it will replace a unit of Italian troops that served as part of the reserve force for KFOR. “The deployment of the Turkish contingent reflects the unwavering commitment of KFOR to continue to provide a safe environment for all communities living in Kosovo and freedom of movement, in line with its UN mandate based on UN Security Council Resolution 1244. It is also another concrete demonstration of the continuous engagement of NATO to sustainable security in Kosovo and stability throughout the Western Balkans,” a statement by KFOR notes.

Kurti visits St Matthew School in Belfast (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Wednesday that he visited the “St Matthew School in Belfast to meet students and staff of the 'Shared Education' initiative, involving around 900 schools from diverse communities in Northern Ireland. It's inspiring to see students learning together and breaking barriers through integrated education.”

Kamberi: Vucic won’t meet Albanians’ requests in Valley if no intl pressure (RTK)

Shaip Kamberi, the only Albanian member in the Serbian Parliament, said on Wednesday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not meet the requests of Albanians in Presevo Valley until the international community exerts bigger pressure.

Kamberi said that Belgrade showed no political readiness to seriously address the issue of Albanians in Presevo Valley. “Our basic request is the seven-point plan with all its components. Vucic did not give us any hope that it can be implemented. His comment was that consultations are needed with international partners about the implementation. We need to stress that this is a document that the Serbian Government adopted in June 2013,” Kamberi said in an interview with RTK.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Ukraine a friend of Serbia, does not recognise Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday Ukraine was a friend of Serbia and that, most importantly, it did not recognise Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reported. Speaking to reporters in Tirana, where he is attending a Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit, Vucic said Serbia stood by its parliamentary declarations and the conclusions of its National Security Council and that Ukraine was going through a difficult period and that "we cannot make any objections to it".

"Ukraine has not recognised Kosovo anywhere. I said in my address that Ukraine is one of the few countries that can talk about territorial integrity because it has not trampled someone else's territorial integrity, unlike the majority of others who now talk about that all the time", Vucic said.

He added Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had previously said on camera she advocated respect of territorial integrity. "And then you wonder how such unprecedented hypocrisy can possibly exist", Vucic noted.

Having good relations with Ukraine is very important, he also said. "It does not recognise Kosovo and do not forget that a potentially different decision by Ukraine would have a very serious impact on at least two European countries, so I am hoping we will continue to build friendly relations with Ukraine while persevering, in keeping with the decision of the National Security Council, in our policy of friendships with other actors from eastern Europe, including the Russian Federation", Vucic said.

Vucic and Zelenskyy met in Tirana (Kosovo Online, social media)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Tirana, expressed gratitude for Serbia's respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as for humanitarian and financial aid to his country, Kosovo Online portal reports.

“I met with President @AVucic and thanked Serbia for supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its humanitarian and financial assistance and welcoming Ukrainians who fled the war. I noted the importance of Serbia’s participation in the Peace Formula implementation. We coordinated further contacts with the aim of expanding global support for the Formula. I informed President Vučić about the current frontline situation. We also discussed security and political challenges in Eastern Europe”, Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.

In a post on his official Instagram account, President Vucic wrote that he thanked Zelenskyy for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity and that topics of discussion also included the European path of Serbia and Ukraine.

"I reiterated Serbia's principled stance on respecting the norms of international law and the UN Charter, as well as the crucial importance of diplomacy in resolving all conflicts, as taught by the difficult history of Serbia, which has suffered for centuries", Vucic said in a post on Instagram.

Vucic: At our request, Tirana declaration makes no mention of sanctions on Russia (media)

After attending a plenary meeting at a Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Tirana, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that, at Serbia's request, a declaration to be adopted at the summit made no mention of sanctions against Russia or of its "malignant" influence, Tanjug news agency reported.

"We had a discussion involving (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan and (Greek PM Kyriakos) Mitsotakis in a video format, as well as (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy, the president of Moldova, (Croatian PM Andrej) Plenkovic and us from the Western Balkans five-plus-one. We also talked about this all day yesterday and this morning - discussions about that declaration, drawn up by Ukrainians and Europeans, were underway until a minute ago", Vucic told reporters yesterday.

He said Serbia's request that sections about sanctions on Russia and its "malignant" influence in the region be eliminated from the document had been granted. "Because I said: 'If that is how the majority of you see this, let's also include others whom we see as having a malignant influence, and then they got that out", Vucic added.

Barbano: Court’s decision on Visoki Decani land binding to all individuals and institutions in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, social media)

Head of EULEX, Giovanni Barbano said that questioning the Constitutional Court decision on returning the land to Visoki Decani Monastery erodes the rule of law in Kosovo, Kosovo Online portal reports.

In a post on X social platform, Barbano said this decision from 2016 is binding to all institutions in Kosovo.

“Questioning the Constitutional Court and judicial decisions undermines judicial independence, eroding the rule of law. The 2016 decision on the @DecaniMonastery land is binding on all persons and institutions, without exception”, Barbano said in a post on X.

Vucic: Kurti wants to become a legend by destroying Serbs (Kosovo Online, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said last night that the Serbian state would manage to provide money to its people in Kosovo, regardless of the policies of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who, as he said, was trying to become a legend by destroying an entire nation, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Commenting on the EU and US efforts to find a solution regarding Kosovo Central Bank’s regulation to ban dinar in payment transactions, which Albin Kurti rejects, Vucic told RTS that Serbia would manage to provide money to its people no matter what.

"However, it turns out, we will provide money to our people. Albin Kurti wants to expel the Serbs from Kosovo, there is currently, let's not say, a silent exodus, but a clear attempt to drive the Serbs away from their ancestral homes. I understand the struggles, and tears come to my eyes when I see our people waiting in front of the bank, and we could give three times more, but it's technically not feasible just because of one man who wants to become a legend by destroying an entire nation", Vucic said.

Sarrazin: Refusal of Kosovo politicians to participate in meetings discussing dinar indicates less sovereignty (Kosovo Online)

German Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, sees the issue of dinar ban in Kosovo as linked to Kosovo-Serbia dialogue process. While acknowledging that the legitimate goal is for the euro to be the sole currency in Kosovo, he emphasized that the measures taken were inadequate as they have caused many problems for the Serbs, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Sarrazin told Klan Kosova that the refusal of Kosovo politicians to participate in meetings discussing the dinar indicates less sovereignty. "When it comes to the issue of the dinar, I see it as closely connected to the dialogue. I don't think politicians appear more sovereign when they are not willing to discuss measures decided upon in their country; they can, of course, clarify the role of institutions and their position", he said.

International Media

Both Sides in Serbia Claim Victory Over ODIHR Election Report (Balkan Insight)

Both government and opposition hail the final report of the ODIHR on the December elections in Serbia as vindication of their conflicting claims.

The final report by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights on the December 2023 elections says Serbia needs to initiate legislative amendments well in advance of the next elections, address concerns about the accuracy of voter lists, increase public confidence, prevent intimidation and pressure on voters – and provide for a clear separation between official functions and campaigning.