Albanian Language Media: 

• Costa: Lifting of measures linked to de-escalation in the north (Koha)
• Kurti asks Costa for an active role in granting candidate country status to Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: EU should assess aspiring countries based on actions, not words (media)
• Osmani on meeting with party leaders: This is just beginning of series of meetings (Koha)
• Kosovo represented by President Osmani at Tirana Summit (Koha)
• Trendafilova concludes three-day visit to Kosovo (RTK) 
• Svecla after release of facility in the north: Occupied spaces are being returned (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Kozarev: Montenegro has joined proponents of CoE membership for Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

• Filipovic: Message from the CoE’s Committee of Ministers to Pristina – not the time for membership; The key is the CSM establishment (Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo authorities close Serbian sports institution in North Mitrovica (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Raids by Kosovo police reflect Kurti’s ethno-nationalist policy (Kosovo Online) 
• The SL warns of water crisis amid Kosovo’s institutional takeover (KoSSev)
• Serbian Democracy: Serbian institutions in Kosovo have no substitute in Kosovo ones (KoSSev, KiM radio)
• Student from North Mitrovica: If Parliamentary elections are announced, we will most likely have a representative on the list (KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media 

Costa: Lifting of measures linked to de-escalation in the north (Koha)

The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, has stated that the lifting of the European Union measures against Kosovo is conditional on the de-escalation of the situation in the north of Kosovo. “These measures are linked to the need to de-escalate tensions in the region and in the north of the country. I wish that de-escalation is achieved as soon as possible and that we can move forward towards lifting these measures,” Costa said on Wednesday at a press conference with President Vjosa Osmani in Pristina.

He stressed that Kosovo’s European future is closely linked to the normalization of relations with Serbia and the commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue. “I hope that the recent events do not represent a new trend, but rather an exception that confirms that you are committed to de-escalating the situation and moving forward on the European path,” he said.

Costa called the EU’s enlargement to the Western Balkans the European Union’s “greatest geopolitical investment.”

“It is a great opportunity for the Western Balkans and it is essential to continue with the reform agenda and reap its benefits. The normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia is in the interest of the citizens and this process is vital for your journey towards the European Union,” Costa stressed.

Kurti asks Costa for an active role in granting candidate country status to Kosovo (media)

The acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has asked the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, to play an active role in granting candidate country status. After the meeting with him, Kurti said that Kosovo is fully committed to becoming a member state of the European Union.He also called for the complete and immediate lifting of the EU’s restrictive measures against Kosovo.

“Emphasizing the fact that almost two and a half years have passed since the Republic of Kosovo applied for membership in the European Union, the Prime Minister asked President Costa for an active role in sending the questionnaire and granting candidate country status,” the OPM statement said.

Kurti said that threats to the region come from Serbia, while he demanded that Milan Radoicic be handed over to Kosovo’s justice institutions.

He also raised concerns about the violation of the rights of Albanians in Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac. “Albanians in the Presevo Valley are underrepresented in public institutions, discriminated against in employment and their rights are consistently ignored,” he said.

Osmani: EU should assess aspiring countries based on actions, not words (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that the enlargement of the European Union is more necessary than ever as political and security developments in the world are unpredictable. After meeting with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, she said that the EU must take bold steps towards this necessity, and that Kosovo is ready to move towards European integration. “We expect that under your leadership we will take steps forward and that the path towards the EU will be opened for Kosovo. For this to happen, we hope that member states will agree to remove unfair measures,” she said at a press conference.

Osmani has called for Kosovo's application to the EU submitted in 2022 to be treated with priority. "It is high time that our application for membership submitted in 2022 is treated and that this document does not remain just an archived document, but that a consensus is reached to treat it with priority and mandate the commission".

"The dialogue with Serbia now with the appointment of the new emissary for dialogue, we hope, will bring a new breath, a balanced approach and equal treatment of both parties in this process through the new leadership of the EU. In Kosovo, we are convinced that the focus should be mutual recognition".

Meanwhile, she criticized the Serbian president for his visit to Moscow, saying that the lack of reaction of the European Union raises questions.

“Vucic’s recent visit to Moscow… our expectations are not promising. His visit cannot be seen as anything other than a clear political act that challenges the sustainability and stability of the EU. If a country aspiring to be a member behaves like this and is not confronted with any measure towards the leadership of that country, the question naturally arises as to what message is being given to our region”, she said.

Osmani stressed that the EU should be based on deeds and not words, and evaluate Kosovo. “Who we stand with, what we stand for, who we align ourselves with in politics, who we support and cooperate with, these things should matter for a country aspiring to the EU. I hope these will be evaluated based on deeds and not just words”.

Osmani on meeting with party leaders: This is just beginning of series of meetings (Koha)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has said that she will continue meetings with political party leaders even after Thursday, May 15, to unblock the political situation. "This is just the beginning of a series of meetings, we will continue the discussions, depending on how the discussions go tomorrow, we will continue either in that format, or in similar formats, or in one-on-one meetings with party leaders. We are implementing our constitutional role. The failure to constitute the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo jeopardizes precisely the constitutional functioning of the institutions, which is also the reason why I invited the leaders. I hope that everyone will engage by putting the country's interest as a priority", emphasized Osmani in the conference with the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa.

Kosovo represented by President Osmani at Tirana Summit (Koha)

The sixth meeting of the European Political Community will gather leaders from across the continent on Friday in Tirana to discuss the theme “New Europe in a New World: Unity - Cooperation - Joint Action”. Kosovo will be represented at this summit by President Vjosa Osmani. “As in previous summits, President Osmani represents Kosovo at the next EPC summit, which will be held on Friday in Tirana”, confirmed Bekim Kupina, media advisor to President Osmani.

Based on the agenda published by the Council of the European Union, Kosovo appears with a footnote, according to which positions on status are not prejudiced and it is in accordance with UN Resolution 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Declaration of Independence of Kosovo.

However, in the document published by the European Political Community, Kosovo is presented without an asterisk.

47 heads of state and government and EU institutions are invited to participate in the sixth meeting of the European Political Community. The Secretaries General of NATO, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have also been invited.

Along with the President of the EU Council, Antonio Costa, the EU will be represented by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas.

The summit will include opening and closing plenary sessions, with parallel thematic round tables and bilateral meetings. The focus of the discussions will be Ukraine and security in Europe.

Trendafilova concludes three-day visit to Kosovo (RTK) 

The President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, Ekaterina Trendafilova, has concluded on Wednesday her three-day visit to Pristina, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers announced.

According to the announcement, during the visit she met with students of the Faculty of Law to discuss the legal framework of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as its mandate and functioning. She also visited the Documentation Center of the Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo. Trendafilova also met with interested parties, including representatives of European Union member states, the European Union Special Representative in Kosovo and the Head of the EULEX Mission. She also met with the Ambassador of the United Kingdom, the Head of UNMIK and the Ombudsperson in Kosovo to provide them with public information about the mandate, administration and current activities of the Court.

"What I appreciated most from the visit to Kosovo was the meeting with the university students, whom I would like to thank for their interest and questions. The students showed excellent knowledge of legal principles. The most moving thing was the exhibition of the Humanitarian Law Center, which documents the voices and experiences of victims and survivors of the war in Kosovo," Trendafilova is quoted in the announcement.

Svecla after release of facility in the north: Occupied spaces are being returned (media)

The acting Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, has reacted after the release of a public facility in North Mitrovica, which until now was occupied by Serbian parallel structures. He said that this is another step towards establishing order and legality in every part of the territory of Kosovo.

“In the wake of the closure of each institutional parallelism, today the property of the municipality of North Mitrovica, which until now was used by parallel structures, namely by the so-called Office for Sports, Youth and Specialized Services, returned to the ownership of the municipality,” Svecla said.

He also announced that a similar action was also carried out at the water pump station in the village of Suhodoll. “The era of tolerating the development of parallelisms in front of our institutions has set in and is not coming back. In every corner of our Republic there is law and order and institutions that are at the service of all our citizens,” he added.

Svecla stressed that Kosovo institutions are determined to end every form of parallelism that has functioned for years in the north of Kosovo, returning public spaces to legal and constitutional use.

Serbian Language Media

Kozarev: Montenegro has joined proponents of CoE membership for Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Secretary General of the Serbian MFA Dusan Kozarev said on Wednesday Montenegro had joined the few countries that had publicly demanded Council of Europe (CoE) membership for Kosovo.

In a post on X, Kozarev wrote that 14 out of 46 countries had made the demand at a CoE Council of Ministers meeting in Luxembourg and added that Serbia should be careful about how to position itself towards Montenegro in international organisations.

"It seems that advice received by Mr Ervin Ibrahimovic (former Montenegrin parliament speaker) from Ranko Krivokapic (former Montenegrin FM) and the so-called Kosovo's ambassador in Strasbourg Lulzim Hiseni has produced results," Kozarev added in the post.

Earlier in the day, Pristina's application for CoE membership was not included in the agenda of the Committee meeting, and Serbian FM Marko Djuric said it was important that Quint states had not supported a request to put it on the agenda.

Filipovic: Message from the CoE’s Committee of Ministers to Pristina – not the time for membership; The key is the CSM establishment (Kosovo Online)

Former Serbian Ambassador to the CoE, Dragana Filipovic, told Kosovo Online that despite the fact that the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly rapporteur for Kosovo, Dora Bakoyannis, proposed last year that Kosovo be invited to join the Council of Europe, the Committee of Ministers did not accept it. The key issue she emphasized, is that Pristina has not fulfilled its international obligation from the Ohrid Agreement—and previously from the Brussels Agreement—to establish the Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities (CSM).

“This was truly the bare minimum. The lack of political will to respect minorities and minority rights—which is a core principle of the Council of Europe and its relation to the Declaration of Human Rights—is extremely significant,” Filipovic stated.

Mathematically speaking, she noted, Pristina may have had the required majority in the Committee of Ministers to pass its membership request. However, she pointed out that having the votes alone is not enough. This is a highly sensitive issue for the Council of Europe as an institution and for its member states, which base their decisions on political context and assess whether it is appropriate to admit what is still considered a contested entity.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/bdb4xmp4

Kosovo authorities close Serbian sports institution in North Mitrovica (KoSSev)

Kosovo authorities entered and closed the premises of the Serbian-run “Institution for Sports, Youth, and Specialized Services” in North Mitrovica earlier today. The facility also housed the “Kosovo and Metohija Sports Association” and the cultural association “KUD Kosovski Božur”.

Petar Trajkovic, the director of the Institution for Sports, spoke to KoSSev following the event, providing details of the closure. According to Trajkovic, municipal officials from North Mitrovica, accompanied by Kosovo police, entered the building around noon.

“They told me that this building is no longer the property of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica, but of the Municipality of North Mitrovica, and that we are required to vacate it,” Trajkovic stated. Officials further informed them that they could submit a request to the Municipality of North Mitrovica if they wished to continue operating.

“If we want to continue our work, they said we could apply to the Municipality of North Mitrovica,” Trajkovic added.

A significant number of officials reportedly entered the building, removing sports emblems and logos.

“They entered the offices, taking down the symbols we had as a sports organization and everything that even slightly resembled anything Serbian, anything representing Serbs… Even the institution’s logo was removed,” Trajkovic recounted.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/bd2ze3hw

Petkovic: Raids by Kosovo police reflect Kurti’s ethno-nationalist policy (Kosovo Online) 

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, responded to the latest raids by Kosovo police on the premises of the Institution for Sports, Youth, and Specialized Services, as well as the eviction of employees of the public utility company “Vodovod Ibar” in North Mitrovica. He stated that these actions reflect the ethno-nationalist policy of Kosovo's acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, aimed at expelling all things Serbian from Kosovo.

Petkovic reminded that on the very day the President of the EC, Antonio Costa, arrives in Pristina, Kurti orders new raids on Serbian institutions in northern Kosovo, engaging in what he described as “bandit-like seizures” and the harassment of workers—thus clearly showing his stance toward both the dialogue process and the European Union in general.

"The latest raid on the Institution for Sports, Youth, and Specialized Services, the harassment of employees, and this morning's eviction of ‘Vodovod Ibar’ workers in Kosovska Mitrovica is a reflection of Kurti’s ethno-nationalist policy aimed at driving out everything Serbian from Kosovo and Metohija. Kurti continues to implement his policy of escalatory and illegal moves to the detriment of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, while representatives of international missions remain silent and passive observers of these violent and unilateral actions that undermine all the achievements of the dialogue so far,” Petkovic warned. He emphasized that Belgrade, together with representatives of the Serbian people in Kosovo, will always stand by its people. 

“One thing is certain—just as pushing Nenad Rasic, a man for dirty work, into parliament was in vain, so too are all his attacks on the Serbian people futile. With each of his unilateral actions, Serbs are more determined than ever to persevere despite the oppression,” Petkovic concluded.

The SL warns of water crisis amid Kosovo’s institutional takeover (KoSSev)

Kosovo authorities have escalated their systematic takeover of Serbian-operated institutions in northern municipalities, seizing critical facilities, including the water supply system and the pump station in Suvi Do. Over the past two days, new management was installed, signage was replaced, and Serbian employees were instructed to vacate the premises. President of the Serbian List party, Zlatan Elek, voiced concern over water access for civilians and critical infrastructures such as the Clinical Hospital Center (KBC) in North Mitrovica, health centers, schools, and preschools.

Serbian List’s emergency address

In response, SL held an emergency press conference at its headquarters in North Mitrovica yesterday. During the briefing, party leaders presented a chronological account of Kosovo’s interventions in Serbian-administered institutions, describing them as “unilateral actions of Albin Kurti”, Kosovo’s outgoing Prime Minister. Elek accused Kurti of targeting Serbian institutions in the north due to his inability to form a government in Pristina, channeling frustrations into assertive measures against northern municipalities.

“In the 21st century, the basic right to life is under threat,” Elek emphasized, highlighting the critical nature of water access.

Doubts over Southern management capabilities

A core concern expressed by Serbian officials is the capability of southern Kosovo’s authorities to manage the complex water systems in the north. Bashkim Kurti, Director of ‘Vodovod Jug,’ assured the media that water distribution would remain uninterrupted. However, he did not address claims by Serbian officials that water access is now endangered—a concern that has been reiterated consistently by Srpska lista representatives since the takeover.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/2w6fmp3h

Serbian Democracy: Serbian institutions in Kosovo have no substitute in Kosovo ones (KoSSev, KiM radio)

KoSSev portal reported last night that the Serbian Democracy (SD) party warned that the closure of Serbian institutions in Kosovo severely degrades living standards, as these have no replacement in Kosovo ones. The statement from this party came after Kosovo authorities took control of Serbian-run facilities in North Mitrovica, including a water supply, pump station in Suvi Do and meanwhile youth and special services centers, expelling workers and installing new management.

SD condemned these actions as unlawful, discriminatory, and damaging to interethnic relations, citing health and social risks. They criticized the Serbian List's weak response, accusing it of passivity and broken promises. As a protest, SD members spilled water outside the Serbian List’s offices yesterday.

They called on international bodies like UNMIK, EULEX, OSCE, and EU embassies to intervene and halt further deterioration. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s outgoing Interior Minister, Xhelal Svecla, defended the moves as reclaiming public property from Serbian “parallel structures.”

Student from North Mitrovica: If Parliamentary elections are announced, we will most likely have a representative on the list (KoSSev)

Students from the University of Pristina, relocated in North Mitrovica, yesterday organized the fifteenth gathering “16 Minutes of Silence” in memory of the victims in Novi Sad and in support of students’ blockades across Serbia, taking place near the Knez Lazar monument, reported KoSSev. . 

Student Rasa Milosevic emphasized the importance of their voices being heard and stated that it was up to the citizens to recognize the need for justice. He also confirmed support for the initiative calling for early parliamentary elections.

Event participant Dragoljub Drazevic stated that “silence speaks louder than words,” and that when the silence ends, a decisive response will follow.