UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, January 17, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Internationals want “constructive dialogue” on illegal Serbian structures (Koha)
Osmani meets with EU Election Observation Mission team (media)
Radoniqi briefed EU observers on election preparations (RTK)
Kosovo’s Economic Bank Opens Branch in Leposaviq (media)
Serwer: Washington said very little when Vucic's people attacked NATO peacekeepers in the north (eo)
Krasniqi meets with U.S. diplomat, talks about deepening Kosovo-US cooperation (eo)
Feride Rushiti and Kosovo Rehabilitation Center for Torture Survivors Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Jevtic meets UK Ambassador, says Kosovo police actions bypass law (Kosovo Online)
Garic: Western reactions to closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo insufficiently convincing (Radio KIM, Tanjug)
Complaint of Self-determination against Aleksandar Arsenijevic rejected (Alternativna.com)
Three Montenegrin men arrested in Decani in November last year released (KoSSev)
Shahini: Negative impact of EU punitive measures, economic losses exceed one billion euros (Kosovo Online)
EU in Serbia reacts to student being hit by car during protest (N1)
Dacic: Repeat offender suspected in student hit-and-run (N1)

International Media:

Anniversary of Kosovo Serb politician’s murder marked by grief and frustration (Balkan Insight)
Serbian driver faces attempted murder charges for ramming protester (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Internationals want “constructive dialogue” on illegal Serbian structures (Koha)

European Union (EU) officials have reiterated their demand that the issue of parallel structures be addressed within the framework of the Brussels dialogue. But EU spokeswoman Anitta Hipper did not provide clarification on the qualification “Serbian-backed structures”, with which she referred to illegal Serbian structures in a statement the day before. “We always believe in the power of dialogue and this is absolutely paramount and necessary. This is why we are putting all our efforts into this and this is why we are asking all parties involved to do this,” Hipper said at a press conference on Thursday.

According to the Kosovo government, they closed on Wednesday illegal structures run by Serbia.

According to the EU, the closure of illegal structures contradicts Kosovo's obligations to the EU. Official Brussels has also mentioned measures against Kosovo, saying that such actions do not contribute to their removal. "Kosovo's recent actions against and the closure of structures supported by Serbia, carried out in the middle of the election campaign for the parliamentary elections of February 9, contradict its obligations to the EU within the framework of the normalization process. EULEX is monitoring the implementation of these recent actions in accordance with its mandate," the EU's response states.

Kosovo's Ambassador to Brussels, Agron Bajrami, responded with three clarifications regarding the Police's action to close parallel structures in several regions on Wednesday. Bajrami explained that those structures were illegal, run by Serbia, that there is no agreement on them, and that the action did not incite tensions.

In addition to the EU, the United States, France, and Germany expressed concern about the action.

On Thursday, the head of UNMIK in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, also reacted, saying that this affects the daily lives of individuals. “Zadieh expressed concern about the actions against Serbian-funded institutions throughout Kosovo yesterday, which resulted in the closure of several institutions, including post offices, institution buildings, and social welfare centers. The SRSG is concerned about the impact of these closures on the daily lives of individuals, especially those from non-majority communities, who directly depend on these institutions. Such unilateral actions further jeopardize trust between communities and the Kosovo authorities,” UNMIK wrote in its response.

Ziadeh reiterated that such issues should be resolved constructively. “Ziadeh reiterates her calls for unresolved issues to be discussed constructively, in open communication and in good faith within the EU-facilitated dialogue. She calls on all to work towards negotiated and sustainable solutions for the well-being and security of all people in Kosovo, as the only acceptable way forward,” the response reads.

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has also expressed concern about the action.

A day after the Kosovo authorities’ action to close down municipalities and other parallel Serbian offices, Prime Minister Albin Kurti was in the north of Kosovo. After inaugurating a commercial bank branch in Leposavic, Kurti did not speak directly about the action, but about the possibilities for everything to be done legally. "It is a good day for the citizens of Leposavic, for the residents who live and work here and for our state and the economy of our country, since the branch of the Economic Bank was opened, which will enable payments, transfers, as well as lending, and in this way all services will be open to citizens and businesses in order to benefit families and entrepreneurship. In this way, there is a possibility that everything will be done legally and transparently in accordance with the law, the constitutionality and the rules of doing business, finance and banking in our Republic", said Kurti.

Wednesday's action is a continuation of those last year where organs of parallel structures of Serbia were closed. Illegal Serbian organs have been closed in Peja, Istog, Klina, Skenderaj and in municipalities in the north. In addition to the ban on the use of the Serbian dinar, the vault of the National Bank of Serbia in Leposavic has also been closed, reports the news website.

Osmani meets with EU Election Observation Mission team (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted on Thursday the European Union Election Observation Mission team, led by Nathalie Loiseau, also a member of the European Parliament. This meeting took place within the framework of joint commitments to ensure a free, fair and democratic electoral process in the general parliamentary elections of February 9 in Kosovo.

During the meeting, President Osmani and Chairperson Loiseau discussed the importance of a free, fair and transparent electoral process, underlining that Kosovo has already proven its commitment to organizing democratic elections.

President Osmani, through a letter sent on 3 September 2024 to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, requested the deployment of an Election Observation Mission. In this context, President Osmani expressed her gratitude for the EU’s continued commitment to supporting democracy in Kosovo and recalled the importance of EU observation missions since 2013. She emphasized that these are the first regular elections under the new Law on General Elections, giving a new dimension to the electoral process.

The President assessed that gender equality is one of the fundamental principles of democracy and should be reflected in all aspects of the electoral process. "Furthermore, President Osmani, based on the reports of the progress of the past elections, including the reports of the EU observation missions, which have concluded that in the northern municipalities of the Republic of Kosovo there has been illegal interference, intimidation and obstruction of the exercise of the right to free voting, stressed the need for the observers of this EU Mission to ensure that they monitor whether the right to free voting is being fully exercised, in accordance with the highest democratic standards throughout the territory of the Republic of Kosovo," the statement from the Presidency of Kosovo states.

Radoniqi briefed EU observers on election preparations (RTK)

CEC Chairman Kreshnik Radoniqi and members Sami Kurteshi, Arianit Elshani, Sami Hamiti, Ibrahim Selmonaj, Alban Krasniqi, Cemailj Kurtisi and Fazli Stollaj, hosted Nathalie Loiseau, Member of the European Parliament and Head of the European Union Election Observation Mission.

Initially, Radoniqi expressed the great importance of election observation for the CEC, as this will increase the credibility of the electoral process and that the findings of the observers will be taken seriously by the CEC, as in the past.

"Chairman Radoniqi informed the EU observers about the preparations currently being carried out by the Central Election Commission for the organization of the Elections for the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, such as the development of postal voting for voters abroad and the training of electoral bodies," the CEC announced.

Kosovo’s Economic Bank Opens Branch in Leposaviq (media)

On Thursday, the Economic Bank of Kosovo inaugurated its newest branch in Leposaviq, marking another significant milestone and further expanding its network across the territory of Kosovo.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that this was a positive day for the residents of Leposaviq, the economy, and Kosovo in general. According to him, the new branch allows all transactions to be conducted legally and transparently in accordance with the law and the Constitution of Kosovo. “It is a good day for the citizens of Leposaviq, for the residents who live and work here, and for our state and economy, as the opening of the Economic Bank branch enables payments, transfers, and crediting. This will make all services available to citizens and businesses, benefiting families and entrepreneurship… In this way, everything can be done legally and transparently in line with the law, constitutionality, and the rules of doing business, finance, and banking in our Republic,” Kurti said.

Meanwhile, Shpend Luzha, the CEO of the Economic Bank, expressed his satisfaction, congratulating the citizens of the area for having easier access to financial services. He thanked national institutions for their support, without which he said such success would have been impossible.Two months ago, the Economic Bank also inaugurated its new branch in North Mitrovica.

Serwer: Washington said very little when Vucic's people attacked NATO peacekeepers in the north (eo)

In an interview with A2 CNN, the expert on Western Balkans, Daniel Serwer, expressed deep disappointment that President Biden, as well as Antony Blinken, Derek Chollet and Christopher Hill, who knew the Western Balkans and the suffering of Kosovo very well, decided to implement a pro-Belgrade American policy. "For most of the Biden Administration, Gabriel Escobar, the former Deputy Chief of Mission in Belgrade, led the state's policies in the Balkans. He made the formation of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities his top priority. This gave Belgrade what it wanted most, while Pristina nothing. This was never going to work, and it resulted so,” Serwer said. He added that Biden’s people leaned even more towards Serbia by not saying anything useful when two Kosovo police officers were kidnapped inside its territory. “When Vucic sent violent people to attack NATO peacekeepers, Washington said very little. When Serbia organized the terrorist attack in Kosovo, they did nothing,” said Daniel Serwer. The American professor said that he does not expect the second Trump administration to do anything different, as he expects it to first prioritize the economic projects of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, in Albania and Serbia. “You can expect Trump not to do anything that jeopardizes Kushner’s projects with Saudi money. This means that he will continue to lean even more towards Belgrade and away from Pristina, but not away from Tirana. "Albania and Serbia agree on many things, including the need for their leaders to remain in power without serious opposition," said the professor of international relations.

Krasniqi meets with U.S. diplomat, talks about deepening Kosovo-US cooperation (eo)

PDK leader Memli Krasniqi hosted on Thursday senior U.S. diplomat Anu Prattipati. According to Krasniqi, they discussed the importance of deepening strategic cooperation between Kosovo and the United States of America. “Today, at the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Anu Prattipati, Chargé d’Affaires at the American Embassy in Pristina. We discussed the latest developments in the country and emphasized the importance of deepening strategic cooperation between Kosovo and the United States of America. This strategic partnership has been and remains an important pillar for the economic, political and democratic advancement of Kosovo”, Krasniqi wrote on Facebook. The PDK leader added that he informed Prattipati about the commitment of this party and the candidate for prime minister, Bedri Hamza, to promoting economic development, improving the welfare of residents and strengthening relations with international allies. “We also talked about the progress of the election campaign and the necessity of a free, transparent, fair and democratic electoral process. The Democratic Party of Kosovo is committed to giving its contribution to a regular and fair process throughout the electoral campaign”.

Feride Rushiti and Kosovo Rehabilitation Center for Torture Survivors Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize (media)

Feride Rushiti and the Kosovo Rehabilitation Center for Torture Survivors (KRCTS) have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025. Rushiti and the KRRT were nominated by the Swedish Member of Parliament, Magnus Jacobsson. The news was announced by Rushiti herself, who is also the founder and executive director of the KRCTS, through a post on Facebook. Rushiti also published the nomination proposal made by the Swedish Member of Parliament, Jacobsson. “I am deeply happy and honored that I and the Kosovo Rehabilitation Center for Torture Survivors (KRCTS) have been nominated for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. This nomination decision, proposed by the Swedish Member of Parliament, Mr. Magnus Jacobsson, fills me with indescribable emotions and deep gratitude. A heartfelt thank you goes to Mr. Jacobsson for his belief in our mission and for amplifying the voices of those who are often unheard,” she wrote.

Serbian Language Media

Jevtic meets UK Ambassador, says Kosovo police actions bypass law (Kosovo Online)

Strpce mayor and Serbian List official Dalibor Jevtic met yesterday with UK Ambassador in Pristina Jonathan Hargreaves and discussed with him the incursion of Kosovo police into Serbian institutions south of the Ibar, as well as the position of the Serbian people. During the meeting Jevtic pointed out that “survival of Serbian people is threatened by actions of the current regime in Pristina”, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"Firstly, we talked about yesterday's event and incursion of Kosovo police into Serbian institutions south of the Ibar River. I expressed a very negative attitude regarding the manner it was done, and the entire process which had no legal background in terms of any order from the relevant institutions, as well as the fact that (Albin) Kurti uses and abuses such situations for the sake of a political campaign", Jevtic said.

"I pointed out the fact that international community must be more decisive, not only in the way that it condemns with statements what Kurti is doing, but also prevent Kurti from inflicting more damages in relations between citizens in Kosovo, using the mechanisms that I am sure it has in place, also in general when it comes to the position of the Serbian people", Jevtic said. He added he presented to the UK Ambassador in direct and concrete manner all what had been achieved in the past related to coexistence and cooperation, which Kurti, as he said, has destroyed now. Jevtic also spoke about the new Brezovica Ski Centre Management Board consisting of majority Albanian members, warning that current Pristina authorities do not respect the laws and democratic will of people in Strpce municipality.

Garic: Western reactions to closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo insufficiently convincing (Radio KIM, Tanjug)

Ministry of Telecommunications and Information State Secretary Milos Garic told Tanjug news agency that reactions of Western ambassadors and their governments to the incursion of Kosovo police into Serbian institutions in Kosovo south of the Ibar River and thier closure by Pristina were still insufficiently convincing, as well as that “they tolerate, allow and in some way are accomplices” in those acts, Radio KIM reported. Garic said althoug the term “both sides” not used in reactions of Western ambassadors this time could be seen as a small progress, it is still insufficient because Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti does not take it as a serious warning.

"It is cowardly and rather pathetic behaviour of Albin Kurti and his extremists. This has become already a type of political bullying carried out by Kurti, and like any bully, he cures his political impotence by aggression towards Serbs, towards those who cannot oppose him with any force. What he is doing is a complete political dishonour and a kind of political sadism", he said.

According to Garic with such actions, Kurti is also harming his own people in order to achieve his political goals, that is, to gain some more points for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo on February 9.

Complaint of Self-determination against Aleksandar Arsenijevic rejected (Alternativna.com)

Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) has rejected the complaint of the Self-determination Movement against Serbian Democracy leader Aleksandar Arsenijevic, Alterntivna.com portal reported.

The ECAP termed the complaint as ungrounded, adding the “acts described in complaint do not constitute at all alleged offences”.

ECAP added that Self-determination submitted a video along with complaint, showing Arsenijevic whistling, and the video does not show any kind of gathering being disrupted, because, as it was said in the explanation, "it is not seen that any kind of electoral gathering of the mentioned political entity (Self-determination) was held".

Three Montenegrin men arrested in Decani in November last year released (KoSSev)

Three Montenegrin men, arrested on November 24, last year after attending the celebration in Visoki Decani Monastery over inscription on their vehicle plates saying “Kosovo is Serbia” have been released on Thursday, lawyer Jovana Filipovic told KoSSev.

Two of the three arrested men are active members of the Montenegrin Army. The three young men were in detention ever since their arrest. Filipovic was not able to provide additional details to the portal about their case, only confirming they had been released from detention.

Over the previous time, Filipovic emphasised on several occasions an unequal treatment and discrimination against her clients, saying no reaction came from responsible institutions to the statements of Kosovo officials, including the high ranking over their statements such as “Kosovo is Albania”.

Shahini: Negative impact of EU punitive measures, economic losses exceed one billion euros (Kosovo Online)

Alliance of Kosovo Businesses Chairman Agim Shahini, emphasized the negative impact of EU sanctions, stating that with punitive measures in place, Kosovo cannot hope for integration, Kosovo Online portal reported.

According to Shahini, EU sanctions against Kosovo have had significant repercussions in various areas – from economic to diplomatic. From an economic perspective, Shahini noted, the losses resulting from the EU measures exceed one billion euros.

"Economic losses are over one billion euros. Politically, Kosovo has not become a member of any organization nor received recognition from any country. Additionally, there are considerable diplomatic obstacles imposed by major powers. Kosovo, under the current sanctions, cannot achieve integration", he said.

EU in Serbia reacts to student being hit by car during protest (N1)

The European Union (EU) Delegation to Serbia reacted to an incident that occurred before the 15 Minutes of Silence protest in Belgrade, when a female student was struck by a car on Thursday, N1 reported.

“We are very concerned about today’s incident against protesters. We expect a swift investigation and wish the injured student a full recovery. The right to assemble is a fundamental right that must be protected when exercised peacefully”, the Delegation said in a post on X on Thursday.

Dacic: Repeat offender suspected in student hit-and-run (N1)

Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said that the suspect in the hit-and-run incident involving a female student in Belgrade on Thursday was located within 15 minutes of the incident. He noted that this individual has a criminal record, having been convicted seven times for various offenses, N1 reported.

According to a press release, the minister said that police officers found the vehicle involved in the incident within 10 minutes after the driver fled the scene. Five minutes later, 15 minutes after the incident, the police apprehended the driver of the Ford and two individuals who were in the car with him, one of whom is a minor, Dacic said. The driver, Dacic added, will be handed over to the relevant prosecutor for further action, and the crime has been classified as “aggravated attempted murder”.

The 20-year-old law student who was struck by a Ford Focus during a traffic blockade in downtown Belgrade was admitted to the Emergency Center with serious injuries. The Clinical Center reported that she is conscious and in stable overall condition. Students across Serbia have been staging protests and traffic blockades for weeks to demand accountability for the November 1 incident in Novi Sad, where a concrete awning at the city’s recently renovated train station collapsed, killing 15 people and severely injuring two others.

International Media

Anniversary of Kosovo Serb politician’s murder marked by grief and frustration (Balkan Insight)

The anniversary of Oliver Ivanovic's 2018 assassination was marked in Serbia and Kosovo amid feelings of betrayal over the failure to identify and prosecute those who ordered and executed the crime. Friends, family members and admirers of murdered Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic marked the seventh year of his death by lighting candles on Thursday at the scene of his assassination.

Mourners gathered in North Mitrovica in front of the former office of his Freedom, Democracy, Justice civic initiative, where Ivanovic was gunned down on the morning of January 16, 2018. Local news outlet KosSev reported that among the mourners were some opposition politicians and activists from Serbia. Dejan Nedeljkovic, an activist from North Mitrovica, told the media after the event that Ivanovic’s work “left an indelible mark on all of us, [on] the way politics should be conducted”.

“Oliver was a man who believed that all doubts, even the most difficult problems, can be solved with words and not with violence,” Nedeljkovic said. “Unfortunately, in the end, violence defeated him and all of us here in Kosovo,” he added.