UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 22, 2023

Osmani: Implementation of agreements should be complete (RTK)
Escobar: Agreement should be implemented by end of summer (media)
Quint with an urgent call regarding Decani Monastery land (media)
OSCE calls on institutions to “register land in Monastery’s name” (media)
Institutions silent to the calls of internationals for Monastery of Decan (Koha)
Kurti to host US senators Chris Murphy and Gary Peters today (media)
Osmani attends inauguration of newly elected Montenegro President (media)
Largest military exercise “Defender Europe ‘23” starts in Kosovo (Euronews)
Lajcak: Our discussions will continue again in the weeks to come (media)
Serb Ex-Policeman Charged with Wartime Rape of Kosovo Man (BIRN)
A Flourishing Oasis: Unveiling Botanical Garden Amidst the Historic Walls of University of Prishtina (Prishtina Insight)

Osmani: Implementation of agreements should be complete (RTK)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, during her stay in Montenegro, where she participated in the inauguration of new president, Jakov Milatovic, in Podgorica, held a meeting with the U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that they discussed the latest developments in Kosovo and the region, with a special focus on the implementation of the agreements between Kosovo and Serbia in Brussels and Ohrid.

Osmani is said to have emphasized that Kosovo is a constructive party and emphasized that the implementation of the agreements should be complete, while Serbia's efforts to undermine their implementation should be prevented.

"In this context, President Osmani has emphasized that the Republic of Kosovo has agreed with the implementation of the agreements reached in Brussels and Ohrid, as a whole and without preconditions which aim to focus only on one article or part of the agreement," the announcement states.

Osmani thanked the United States of America for their continuous support and their guarantee that the entire process is in accordance with the Constitution of Kosovo and in order to preserve the functionality of the state and accelerate the international integration of our country.

Escobar: Agreement should be implemented by end of summer (media)

U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that the agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is a "great achievement" and that it represents a "historic step forward" in the development of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

As he said, in Serbia there are some elements that need to be completed regarding the recognition of car license plates, identity cards and some other things.

"Kosovo is also expected to form the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority. Sorry, this is not a wait. It is an obligation," said Escobar.

He said that the United States wants these processes to take place as soon as possible. "I don't see any reason why it can't be finished by the end of the summer," Escobar said.

He recalled that the agreement between the two parties is legally binding and that now the question is how to fully implement it.

Escobar said that he is optimistic that the goal will be achieved and believes that the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic "can show the necessary political courage to take the right steps".

Quint with an urgent call regarding Decani Monastery land (media)

On the 7^th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo’s decision on the land of the Decani Monastery, the Quint countries issued the following statement:

The Heads of Mission of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union repeat our call for the Government of Kosovo to implement in full and with urgency the lawful registration of the Decani Monastery’s land. In May 2016, the Kosovo Constitutional Court confirmed the Decani Monastery’s ownership of several hectares of land. Despite this legal decision and subsequent petitions, seven years later the Court’s decision has still not been implemented.

We are united in support of Kosovo’s democratic and European future. Enforcing the rule of law and respecting judicial independence are obligations for all democratically elected governments and necessary preconditions for Kosovo’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including further progress on Kosovo’s application to join the Council of Europe. Further delay is only an obstacle to that progress.

OSCE calls on institutions to “register land in Monastery’s name” (media)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo said in a Twitter post that “Seven years on, the Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Dečani Monastery’s ownership of 24 hectares of land remains on paper. The OSCE Mission in Kosovo reiterates its call on institutions to uphold the rule of law and register the land in the Monastery’s name”.

Institutions silent to the calls of internationals for Monastery of Decan (Koha)

The repeated calls of the international community to implement the decision of the Constitutional Court, to allow the Monastery of Decan to register 24 hectares of land in the cadastre, have not been commented on by the local institutions. Regarding the non-implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court, the Basic Prosecutor's Office in Peja has indicated that the investigations are continuing.

The institutions of Kosovo have not commented on the repeated call of the QUINT countries and the international mission, OSCE, for the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court, issued seven years ago, which gives the Decan Monastery the right to the ownership of 24 hectares of land and forest.

There was no reaction from the government of Kosovo regarding the call of internationals, where it is emphasized that the non-implementation of the decision prevents Kosovo from joining the Council of Europe.

Even the local authorities have not agreed to give a statement on this matter. Decan Mayor Bashkim Ramosaj told Koha by phone that it is not the moment to comment on the ownership issue of the Monastery, as he pointed out, it is a sensitive time.

The opposition in Decan has blamed the municipality for not providing evidence to show that the property does not belong to Monastery. Ndricim Cetaj, from the Democratic League of Kosovo, said that the solution to the situation belongs to the central level.

The Association of Historians of Kosovo "Ali Hadri", branch in Decan, has opposed the insistence of internationals. Its chairperson, Shkodran Imeraj, has said that the implementation of the decision will create a precedent for the properties of other Serb churches built in Kosovo.

Kurti to host US senators Chris Murphy and Gary Peters today (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will host today a meeting with American senators, Chris Murphy and Gary Peters. A press release issued by Kurti’s office notes that the meeting is scheduled to start at 15:00 hours. A statement for the media will be issued after the meeting.

Osmani attends inauguration of newly elected Montenegro President (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, at the invitation of the state authorities of Montenegro, alongside the presidents of the region, participated on Saturday at the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected president, Mr. Jakov Milatovic.

President Osmani congratulated her counterpart Milatovic for the new post and emphasized that the relations between the two states are built on shared democratic values, mutual trust and the history of strong ties between people and states.

"The clear determination of our people for our common Euro-Atlantic future means the necessity to continue to build our strong cooperation and protect the values we share and for which we have fought hard to build and preserve. While our continent finds itself at this critical point, it is essential that we remain united in our determination and our path towards the Euro-Atlantic institutions," Osmani said.

Largest military exercise “Defender Europe ‘23” starts in Kosovo (Euronews)

Kosovo hosted the opening ceremony of the joint military exercise “Defender Europe 2023” this Sunday, an event organized in Pristina.

Present in the opening ceremony were Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Defense Minister Armend Mehaj, Commander of the Kosovo Security Force Bashkim Jashari, American Ambassador to Pristina Jeff Hovenier and other public figures.

Speaking to the Kosovo Security Force soldiers, President Osmani said they are “guardians of peace and stability, in an ever complex and challenging world”.

“This international exercise is a symbol of our collective decisiveness to keep peace and stability in a world that faces challenges. It is a reminder that our power does not only reside in the strength of our guns, but in the relations and alliances we build, and the joint values we cultivate.”

Meanwhile, PM Kurti called this the biggest military exercise to ever have happened in Kosovo.

“More than 1,300 military forces of the Kosovo Security Force will perform military training tasks, alongside 24 thousand soldiers of the armed forces of the 25 NATO countries and partner countries of the United States.”

On the other hand, Ambassador Hovenier emphasized the importance of exercises such as “Defender Europe 2023”, while the Russian aggression in Ukraine continues.

“One of the goals of this training is to demonstrate the ability of the U.S. military forces to quickly deploy combat-ready troops and equipment to reassure allies, deter those who might threaten peace in Europe and protect this continent from aggression.”

According to the ambassador, the exercise also serves the purpose “to demonstrate the commitment of European allies and partners to improve the scale, capacities and interoperability of their armies”.

Citizens of Kosovo had the chance to take a closer look at some of the equipment and vehicles of the army, while the exercises will last until June 2nd.

The exercises codenamed “Defender Europe” are annual multinational exercises led by the U.S. and NATO. Their nature is protective and focuses on preventing aggression.

Albania was one of the hosts of these military exercises back in 2021.

Lajcak: Our discussions will continue again in the weeks to come (media)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said in a Facebook post on Sunday that discussions between the chief negotiators will continue in the weeks to come. “While this week starts with the other pillars of my mandate, the last week was fully focused on the main one - the Dialogue on normalisation. I kicked it off by hosting the Chief Negotiators for another round of Dialogue negotiations in Brussels. We discussed the way forward on the implementation of the 27 February Agreement and aimed to clarify remaining open questions. While finding common ground can be challenging, we managed to achieve some progress. Our discussions will continue again in the weeks to come,” Lajcak wrote.

Serb Ex-Policeman Charged with Wartime Rape of Kosovo Man (BIRN)

A Serbian former police force reservist has been indicted for the wartime rape of a Kosovo Albanian man – the latest in a series of Serbian war crime suspects that Kosovo prosecutors want to be tried in absentia.

Kosovo’s Special Prosecution announced on Friday that it has filed an indictment charging a Serb ex-policeman, identified only by the initials G.P., with the wartime rape of an ethnic Albanian man.

“The suspect, as a member of Serbia’s reserve police forces, in cooperation with other persons, in violation of international humanitarian law and by using physical force and other inhumane actions, committed the rape of a [Kosovo] Albanian male,” the Special Prosecution said in a statement.

It did not provide the date or location of the alleged crime.

The prosecution said that the indictment was filed in the suspect’s absence because “all efforts to secure his physical presence have been exhausted”.

It called on the court to proceed with a trial in absentia.