UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, July 22, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti reacts to blast in north: Normality there doesn’t suit Serbia (media)
U.S. State Department Investment Climate report on Kosovo (media)
Kurti: There can’t be social equality without gender equality (media)
Kearns: It’s vital we don’t allow hostile actors reignite conflict (media)
Osmani thanks Radev for unwavering support for Kosovo’s future (media)
Kurti meets Japanese FM; “Japan an important ally and supporter” (media)
Dimic: Serbs should not be afraid from opening of Iber bridge (Express)
Gervalla: Kosovo people will be forever grateful to President Biden (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Dacic: We are trying to determine Faton Hajrizi’s motives, Germany is not answering our questions (N1, Beta, TV Pink)
Explosion near Gazivode, next to the road after the fifth tunnel (Radio Mitrovica sever)
''Nothing can scare us, there will be more of us in the coming days, Ujmani belongs to Kosovo'' - a journalist from Gazivode after the explosion (KoSSev, Danas)
The statement of the Kosovo minister regarding the escape of Faton Hajrizi caused a storm: Serbia in Kosovo prisons? (Danas)
Effect of the census in Kosovo: Serbs between statistics and reality (Kosovo Online)
Florian Bieber: EU and Germany exchanged democracy, rule of law for lithium (N1)

International Media:

European Union Agrees Controversial Lithium Mining Project with Serbia (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti reacts to blast in north: Normality there doesn’t suit Serbia (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti reacted to the explosion near the Gazivoda lake in the north of Kosovo on Sunday pledging that Kosovo’s security institutions will bring the perpetrators to justice. He argued that the normality in the north of Kosovo “does not suit Serbia and circles that are friendly to it”. “By losing influence in that zone, their nervousness becomes aggressiveness. Different criminal groups that are more or less tied to it [Serbia] have lost the possibility for enormous profit which they had for over two decades since the liberation of Kosovo. This is painful for them and difficult to accept,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Kurti said that the rule of law and public order are the only and that that part in the north of Kosovo “with its potential and beauty will be used by all citizens without difference”. “Rule of law and public order, security and peace, are core values and a shared interest of society and citizens together with the state of Kosovo,” he added.

Kosovo Police reported that an explosive device was thrown near the lake and that two vehicles were damaged. No human injuries were reported.

In another statement on Sunday, police said that as a result of investigations about the explosion, they identified a suspect for interview. Police then raided the house of the suspect in Zubin Potok and confiscated three radios and a vehicle. No arrests have been made yet.

U.S. State Department Investment Climate report on Kosovo (media)

Most news websites are covering the U.S. State Department Investment Climate Statement on Kosovo. The executive summary of the report notes that Kosovo has an emerging market economy. “Kosovo’s economy has shown considerable resilience in the wake of global and regional shocks, including the pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and rapid increases in commodity prices. The IMF and World Bank forecast Kosovo’s GDP growth at approximately 4.0 percent in 2024. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) remains limited, while diaspora remittances continue to represent a significant portion of Kosovo’s GDP. Kosovo has taken measures to improve its investment climate with the government acting to simplify business registration and reduce bureaucratic hurdles. However, economic growth and productivity continue to be constrained by structural issues, including a large informal economy, reliance on remittances for consumption, and high unemployment rates among women and youth. A small but growing domestic market, limited regional integration, and continued tensions with Serbia continue to be the most significant barriers to attracting FDI. The Government of Kosovo’s sometimes capricious economic policies, political interference in the economy, and limited public-private dialogue also pose challenges for investors. In June 2023, the Government of Kosovo, citing security concerns, banned the entry of Serbian-origin finished goods into Kosovo. The ban caused significant confusion to importers and negatively impacted companies owned by foreign entities in Kosovo due to supply chain disruptions. Despite repeated requests, the Kosovan government has not provided any explanation of how this ban has mitigated security threats. The Kosovan government also has not provided an administrative fix to business registration issues that threatened to close several businesses and a media outlet. In addition, the Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) enacted an amended Regulation on Cash Operations with only a month’s notice, severely limiting access to Serbian financial support of Serb and other ethnic minority communities. CBK data shows net inflows of FDI to Kosovo totaled €816 million ($888.5 million) in 2023, up from €732 million the previous year. Real estate and leasing activities are the largest beneficiaries of FDI, followed by financial services and energy. The information and communication technology, infrastructure, and energy sectors are growing and are likely to attract additional FDI in future years. Kosovo’s laws and regulations are consistent with international benchmarks for supporting and protecting investment, though enforcement remains weak. Kosovo has a flat corporate income tax of 10 percent. With U.S. government assistance, Kosovo established a Commercial Court in August 2022, which aims to handle business disputes fairly, efficiently, and predictably. The court is expected to improve the business enabling environment by reducing opportunities for corruption and by building investor and private sector trust in the judiciary. Legal, regulatory, and accounting systems in Kosovo are modeled on EU standards and international best practices. Large companies are required to comply with international accounting standards. Investors should note that despite regulatory requirements for public consultation and the establishment of an online platform for public comments (http://konsultimet.rks-gov.net), some business groups complain that regulations are passed with little substantive discussion or stakeholder input. Investors are attracted by Kosovo’s young population, low labor costs, proximity to the EU market, and natural resources. Global supply disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have sparked greater interest from some businesses to use Kosovo as a base for near-shoring production destined for the EU market. Kosovo does provide preferential access for products to enter the EU market through a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA)”.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/C1J1o

Kurti: There can’t be social equality without gender equality (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in a post on X on Sunday that “there can’t be social equality without gender equality. That's why our social democratic Government is constantly working to improve opportunities for women and girls, in both the public and private sectors”. He said that 51% of young people employed via our government-sponsored platform SuperPuna (SuperJob), along with 55% of the beneficiaries of our employment measure for families, are women. We’ve supported jobs for over 12K women in the past three years. We’ve employed targeted measures towards businesses owned or co-owned by women and have provided them grants and higher subsidies under our energy-efficiency programs. More than 100K women have opened their first bank accounts. Over 55K women have benefited for the first time from our maternity allowances”. See more at: https://t.ly/4xrWY

Kearns: It’s vital we don’t allow hostile actors reignite conflict (media)

Member of the UK Parliament Alicia Kearns said in a Facebook post on Sunday that she met with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani. “A joy as ever to see the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani to discuss security and stability across the Balkans and Europe. She is truly a powerhouse and it’s vital we don’t allow hostile actors to reignite conflict in Kosovo,” Kearns said.

Osmani thanks Radev for unwavering support for Kosovo’s future (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, during her stay in the UK where she attended the summit of the European Political Community, also met with her Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev. She said she thanked Radev “for Bulgaria’s unwavering support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic future”. “We discussed our excellent bilateral relations and the necessity to move forward with Kosovo’s EU integration process, as well as with Council of Europe and NATO membership,” Osmani said.

Kurti meets Japanese FM; “Japan an important ally and supporter” (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met with Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Kamikawa Yoko during her stay in Pristina. Kurti wrote in a post on X that “Japan has been an important ally and supporter of our country in many ways. One standout contribution is from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has helped us from monitoring air pollution to aiding our public broadcaster. We are keen on exploring new pathways for collaboration while deepening existing ones. Key areas discussed included the renewable energy sector and infrastructural investments, such as railways”.

Dimic: Serbs should not be afraid from opening of Iber bridge (Express)

The news website reports that Serb politician and reporter, Radomir Dimic, commented on the Kosovo government’s proposal to open the main bridge over Iber river for traffic. On behalf of the Multiethnic European Perspective of Kosovo, Dimic supported and welcomed the initiative, saying that “it was wise and a rational policy by the Prime Minister of Kosovo to notify the QUINT ambassadors and he gave them time to think about this”. According to Dimic, it was time to repeal the decision [for closing the bridge] “because it divided the Serb and Albanian people from Mitrovica North and Mitrovica South”. “The purpose of the bridge is to unite us with one another, bring people closer and integrate them, to move and to learn to look toward the future,” he argued. “The opening of the bridge is necessary for the people of Mitrovica. Serbs should not be afraid, anxious or give up to Belgrade’s propaganda because we need to look forward”.

Gervalla: Kosovo people will be forever grateful to President Biden (media)

One of the main stories in the media on Sunday was the news of the announcement by the U.S. President Joe Biden that he will step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee for the upcoming election. Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said in a post on X that the people of Kosovo admire and will be forever grateful to President Biden. “He is showing again what a great leader and a great character he is. His leadership of the West and his decades of contribution to global freedom and democracy are a service to the whole world,” Gervalla said.

Serbian Language Media

Dacic: We are trying to determine Faton Hajrizi’s motives, Germany is not answering our questions (N1, Beta, TV Pink)

Serbia’s Interior Minister, Ivica Dacic, said that Faton Hajrizi, who killed a police officer in Loznica, was a "proven murderer" and argued that "when someone attacks the state it is a terrorist act" and that it will be determined what Faton's goals and motives were.

Dacic said that Serbia asked Germany whether Hajrizi was in that country, but that “they are not answering”.

“They do not answer these questions, and every day they put pressure on Serbia because of what happened in Banjska. Come on, answer the simple questions – was he in Germany and if so, how did he get there? It is also a question for EULEX, why they did not issue an international Interpol warrant for him if he escaped from prison,“ Dacic told TV Pink, commenting on the information that Hajrizi had recently escaped from prison in Kosovo.

Dacic said that there was doubt about Hajrizi’s identity because even now Serbian authorities do not have documents in his name but in the name of his brother Artan Hajrizi, a passport from Kosovo and a German ID.

“You know how it goes now, you ask EULEX for data and they say – we can’t give it because of personal data protection. The German police do not answer whether he was really in Hanover or not. If he was in Hanover on the 16th (of July) and in the afternoon of the 17th in Presevo, someone please explain to us how and why he would have come to Presevo,” Dacic said.

He said that Hajrizi was eliminated by the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit and that before he was killed, he shot at the police a total of nine times.

Explosion near Gazivode, next to the road after the fifth tunnel (Radio Mitrovica sever)

The explosive device was thrown yesterday around noon near Lake Gazivode in the north of Kosovo, confirmed for Radio Mitrovica sever, Deputy Director of the Kosovo Police for the North, Veton Elshani.

He said that there were no injuries, but that two cars were damaged.

"The explosion occurred at a location on the left side of the road after the fifth tunnel. Two cars were damaged, but no one was injured," Elshani said.

He added that there was no other information, and that the investigation was ongoing.

''Nothing can scare us, there will be more of us in the coming days, Ujmani belongs to Kosovo'' - a journalist from Gazivode after the explosion (KoSSev, Danas)

"A few seconds after the explosion was heard. Nothing can scare us. There will be more of us in the coming days. Ujman belongs to Kosovo," said Muharrem Vojvoda.

A journalist from Mitrovica took a photo in Gazivode lake with a spread eagle on his chest, with the claim that this particular picture was taken a few seconds after yesterday's explosion on this lake.

In a somewhat later publication, he said, moreover:

"A fly passed, let alone a bomb. For us, the bombs from Mitrovica are like flies in flight that disturb us for a few seconds, but we continue." Vojvoda is the owner of the portal ditori.com.

The statement of the Kosovo minister regarding the escape of Faton Hajrizi caused a storm: Serbia in Kosovo prisons? (Danas)

According to Danas, the statement by the Kosovo Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, that the Serbian authorities "participate in some escapes of prisoners from Kosovo prisons with the aim of undermining the public, legal and constitutional order of Kosovo", caused a lot of criticism in the Albanian part of the Kosovo public, including calls for her resignation and immediate session of the Assembly where this would be discussed. The reaction of the prosecutor's office, that is, the questioning of Haxhiu, was also sought.

The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo requested the dismissal of the Minister of Justice, but also that the Special Prosecutor's Office hear her regarding this statement.

"If Serbia is present in the prisons of Kosovo, what is the Minister of Justice doing in her cabinet? This is the basic question that every citizen asks today. This statement raises serious issues of the country's national security and cannot remain unexplained," said DPK Presidency member Perparim Gruda, who was the coordinator at the press conference. He pointed out that the Criminal and Correctional Service of Kosovo, as an executive security agency operating within the Ministry of Justice, is responsible for these cases. He believes that this statement by Minister Haxhiu represents an act of surrender before her obligations according to the constitution, the law, and the citizens of Kosovo. This, he said, is an unprecedented situation, and the minister has shown incompetence, irresponsibility, and failure.

He also said that it is regrettable that until now there has been no response, measure, and responsibility from the Ministry of Justice.

"The citizens of Kosovo do not deserve this kind of minister of justice, who, in addition to not fulfilling any of the promises made, makes defeatist statements that harm law and order in Kosovo," Gruda said.

Journalist Vehbi Kajtazi wrote on FB that "the only jurisdiction in the judicial system component that Albulena Haxhiu has is the Penal and Correctional Service (prisons and detention centers). If this institution is not controlled by her, but by Serbia, then why do we need this minister? Haxhiu's statement about Faton Hajrizi's escape, and murder is the most scandalous I have read. Starting today, the Special Prosecutor's Office must take action and question Albulena Haxhiu as a witness, because if this is true, then we have no control over anything in Kosovo," Kajtazi said on his Facebook account.

Effect of the census in Kosovo: Serbs between statistics and reality (Kosovo Online)

Based on preliminary census results, Kosovo has a population of 1,586,659. According to these data, just over 6,500 people live in the four municipalities in the north. For the interlocutors of Kosovo Online, this is just one of the obvious controversies, not only a result of the Serbs' boycott but also numerous irregularities that accompanied the entire process.

Statistics are like a bikini: they show a lot but don't reveal everything. The legendary sentence of Croatian sports commentator Drago Cosic seems to apply to the recently completed census in Kosovo.

"During the period 2011-2023, Kosovo's population increased by 203,294 inhabitants (positive growth). However, preliminary data show a decrease in the population," explained a slide during the presentation of the report by the Agency for Statistics. But this is not the only inconsistency in the census results.

In Gracanica, a Serbian enclave in central Kosovo, 19,371 citizens live—almost three times more than in the four municipalities in the north.

In North Mitrovica, 2,346 citizens were registered, 435 in Zvecan, 758 in Zubin Potok, and 3,207 in Leposavic.

The Institute for Advanced Studies GAP indicated that around 20 municipalities will lose significant funds from Kosovo's budget due to the reduction in the number of residents and households recorded after this year's census.

GAP estimates that Prizren will lose the most, but Pristina will gain about 8.5 million euros in additional funds.

However, Avni Kastrati, acting director of the Kosovo Agency for Statistics, was much more specific today, at least regarding the Serbian community.