UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 23, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Kallas: We started lifting measures against Kosovo, Ohrid Agreement remains in force (media)
Kallas: Those responsible for the attack in Banjska must be brought to justice (RTK)
Kosovo political leaders meet Kallas (media)
MFA condemns killing of Israeli diplomats in Washington D.C. (RTK)
Vokrri: Internationals incited unrest in north in several cases, Orav one of them (Koha)
Haxhiu: We distance ourselves from Vokrri's statement, it is not VV’s position (media)
PDK: Refusal to release on bail defendants in The Hague, violation of human rights (media)
Specialist Chambers accept four more victims in the case of Thaci et al. (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

Simic after meeting with Kallas: We requested concrete actions to stop what Kurti is doing (Kosovo Online)
Serbian Democracy: People report problems with personal documents (Radio KIM, social media)
Mitrovica’s City Library sealed by Kosovo Privatization Agency amid ongoing institutional closures (KoSSev)
Serbian Ministry of Culture condemns closure of City Library in Mitrovica North (Kosovo Online)
Rizvanolli confirms 13 Kosovo Post branches opened in north, three pending (KoSSev)
Macut, Kallas discuss Serbia's EU integration, Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Tanjug)
Vucic, Zelenskyy discuss bilateral cooperation, EU paths of Serbia, Ukraine (Tanjug)

International Media:

EU top diplomat tells Kosovo, Serbia, to ‘follow’ normalisation deal (BIRN)
EU welcomes Serbia’s membership of Single Euro Payments Area (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Kallas: We started lifting measures against Kosovo, Ohrid Agreement remains in force (media)

The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has said that they have started to lift the measures against Kosovo. At a media conference in Pristina on Thursday, she said that the lifting is conditional on de-escalation in the north. Kallas also called for the faster formation of institutions, mentioning that this must be done in order to present the reform agenda and benefit from the Growth Plan. She stressed that the Ohrid Agreement is in force and that the parties must respect it.

“As a sign of our commitment, I can announce that the EU has gradually started to lift the measures introduced in June 2023. The decision paves the way for great opportunities for Kosovo’s development and brings closer ties with Europe. But it is conditional on maintaining de-escalation in the north. Closing down structures supported by Serbia undermines efforts towards de-escalation,” she said. “It must be understood that we do not want to see an escalation in the north. I have been personally engaged in convincing EU members to lift the measures, but they say that Kosovo must respect the Ohrid Agreement and that the escalation in the north continues despite this. This is the obstacle we have. We are ready to take our steps, but we really need to see de-escalation in the north.”

According to her, there is no shortcut to membership in the bloc. “Kosovo belongs to the European family. But there is no shortcut to membership. Progress can only be achieved through sustainable reforms,” she said.

Kallas said that she also came to Kosovo to hear about the security situation. “The key priority remains the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. You are equal partners at the table. As a high representative, I will continue to support this process. For those who have doubts about it, let me be clear: Normalization of relations is the only path to a more secure and prosperous future for the peoples of the region. Stability depends on dialogue, not confrontation,” she said.

While praising the strengthening of democratic institutions, Kallas said that Kosovo has stalled with the current political situation and dialogue. She said that for Kosovo, the formation of institutions as soon as possible is essential.

Regarding the changes that can be expected in the dialogue with Kallas as the head of EU foreign policy, she said that the first thing they did with the special envoy was to see what works and what doesn't in this process. However, she concluded by saying that the Ohrid Agreement is in force and that it must be respected by both sides.

Kallas: Those responsible for the attack in Banjska must be brought to justice (RTK)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has said in an interview with Radio Television of Kosovo that the peoples of the Balkans must leave the past behind and look forward to integration.

She also spoke about the concrete steps she will take to restore trust in the EU as a fair partner and perhaps to lift sanctions against Kosovo. “So my point of view is: I am listening to both sides. Both have some valid arguments and criticisms, but I think we need to put the past behind us. So, as I promised or as I proposed, once Kosovo has a unified government, we need to sit down at a really high level and look at the concerns, because we are really trying to overcome this obstacle. It is in the interest of the people of Kosovo. It would be much easier to really help the people here in all aspects if we had a normalization of this process,” she said.

“For now, what is important is that we also have an interlocutor from the Kosovo side. And by that I mean that you had elections, but the parliament needs to come together and form a functional government. So that we can take these steps forward. There are concerns from your side and arguments from Serbia, but we need to move forward with small steps, but for this we also need someone with whom we can really cooperate, I mean, institutions, functional institutions," Kallas said.

Asked about the close relationship of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with Moscow and Putin, Kallas said that she also spoke about this with him in Belgrade. In addition, she has asked that those responsible for the attack in Banjska be brought to justice.

See the interview here: https://www.facebook.com/rtklivecom/videos/954348986651659

Kosovo political leaders meet Kallas (media)

Kosovo political leaders took to social media to inform about their meetings with the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas.

PDK leader Memli Krasniqi said in a post that he discussed with Kallas the political developments in Kosovo. “I informed Ms. Kallas that PDK has given and remains always ready to give its contribution to resolving the current political crisis, as well as to protecting the interests of citizens and the state”, he wrote adding that he asked Kallas for her commitment to lifting the punitive measures against Kosovo.

LDK leader Lumir Abdixhiku also stressed the necessity of lifting the measures against Kosovo. "More than a government, these measures harm the people of Kosovo themselves. I also presented our views on the dialogue process and the future that awaits us," he wrote.

"I informed her about the current political crisis in the country and the LDK's proposal for an inclusive government as the only functional idea today. Kosovo's Euro-Atlantic journey requires political confidence, it requires decision-making courage, as well as a European Union that offers a vision and a future for the people of Kosovo."

AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj announced that he and Kallas discussed the urgent need to lift sanctions on Kosovo. "I emphasized the urgent need to lift sanctions on Kosovo and at the same time underlined the importance of continued support from the European Union on our path towards integration," Haradinaj wrote.

MFA condemns killing of Israeli diplomats in Washington D.C. (RTK)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora (MFAD) has reacted strongly after the killing of two Israeli diplomats in a tragic attack in Washington D.C. Through a post on the “X” platform, the MFA has expressed its deepest condolences to the people of Israel and the families of the victims. “We express our deepest condolences to the people of Israel and the families of the two diplomats killed in the tragic attack in Washington, D.C. We strongly condemn this act of violence and stand in full solidarity with Israel,” the MFA statement said.

The MFA has emphasized the importance of protecting diplomats and the commitment to international peace and security, aligning itself with countries that condemn any form of violence against diplomatic representatives.

Vokrri: Internationals incited unrest in north in several cases, Orav one of them (Koha)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Local Government, Arber Vokrri, has accused members of the international community of inciting unrest in the north in several situations. "The international side, I have personally witnessed several situations that have instigated the riots themselves. I am not necessarily saying that they are of very large proportions, but with their statements, with their meetings, they have encouraged exponents associated with the Serbian List to cause riots. They are international diplomats, representatives of international institutions, I have also mentioned Mr. Orav, the head of the EU mission in Kosovo, as one of the instigators of one of the riots. It was after that incident, where a part of the political activists from the north gathered, known for sponsorship by the Serbian state, and they caused a riot there, after it all ended, I saw on social networks that the same people had been in a meeting with him a few hours before causing this riot, this is just one of the examples", he said.

Vokrri added that if it is serious about de-escalating the situation in Kosovo, the international community should build closer relations and partnership with Serbian citizens who are interested in living a normal life in Kosovo. Regarding the concerns expressed by the international community regarding the recent actions of Kosovo institutions to close down parallel institutions in the north, he said that “these concerns should be accompanied by some justification or argumentation, while there is no resistance from Serb citizens, on the contrary, there have been greetings and then applications and requests to receive services from these institutions,” he said.

Haxhiu: We distance ourselves from Vokrri's statement, it is not VV’s position (media)

Acting Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, has distanced herself from the statement of Deputy Minister of Local Government, Arber Vokrri, who blamed internationals for inciting unrest in the north of Kosovo. "I distance myself from this statement. If that is the case, I distance myself from this, it is not the position of VV, nor of the government," she told KTV.

Haxhiu said that Vokrri's statement will be addressed. "Of course this statement will be addressed. We know who caused the unrest in the north, we know that the criminal structures are directed from Serbia. I cannot tell someone what to write and what not to write on social networks. He does not speak on behalf of the government, Albin Kurti speaks on behalf of the government. He may have spoken as Arber Vokrri, but it is enough to say that we distance ourselves from this statement, it is not the government's position, it is not the position of Prime Minister Kurti, nor mine, nor that of VV. It is wrong, I don't know what else to say, we distance ourselves, it is a wrong statement, it is wrong," she said.

PDK: Refusal to release on bail defendants in The Hague, violation of human rights (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo MP, Perparim Gruda has expressed his indignation regarding the rejection of the request for the release on bail for Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, by the Specialized Chambers in The Hague. Gruda said in a press conference on Thursday that this decision violates the fundamental human rights of the defendants, which are guaranteed by the Constitution of Kosovo and the European Convention on Human Rights. “Keeping them, along with former President Thaci, in detention for more than four and a half years, constitutes a flagrant violation of the standards of Western justice, standards that we believed would be strictly respected by this court. After the conclusion of the Prosecution phase, when any argument for any possible risk of influencing the process has vanished, conditional release should not be a privilege, but an inalienable right,” he stressed.

In a press release, the PDK said that it had supported the establishment and unhindered functioning of the Special Court from the beginning, “with the full conviction that the right to a fair trial and within a reasonable time would be guaranteed there – as a cornerstone of human rights and freedoms.” According to the PDK, such a court in the heart of Europe should not be transformed into a mechanism of persecution, much less in the name of justice and the victims of war. “Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi are not there simply as accused citizens, but as leaders of the struggle for freedom, architects of independence and builders of Kosovo’s democratic institutions. We demand a fair trial, based on the standards of democratic countries, from which the judges of this court also come. Therefore, we demand respect for the rights of the accused, we demand that humanity not disappear in the face of prejudice, and that the law not be suppressed in the name of justice. On behalf of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, we call on the Specialist Chambers, the international factor and those who finance the court to act with responsibility and respect for fundamental human rights”, added Gruda. He has called on Kosovo’s institutions to take an active role in providing guarantees for the accused.

"We are convinced that the process in The Hague and its epilogue are not individual issues, but issues of fundamental importance for the history and future of our state. The non-engagement of our institutions is not simply negligence, but an abdication of historical responsibility," Gruda said.

Specialist Chambers accept four more victims in the case of Thaci et al. (Klan)

The Specialized Chambers in The Hague have announced that on May 15, the Trial Panel in the case of Thaci et al. has approved the requests of four victims to participate in this process. “On May 15, the Trial Panel in the case of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selim and Jakup Krasniqi decided on two reports of the Administrative Office regarding the requests of the victims to participate in the process. In their decision, the judges approved the requests to participate in the process of four victims and rejected the request of one victim,” Doyle said.

He added that the regulation of the Specialized Chambers allows judges to accept requests submitted after the deadline has passed, if compelling reasons are presented. “In the decision, the judges explained their reasoning for accepting the request of each of the four victims. These four victims will join the group of participating victims represented by the Victims’ Advocate, Simon Loz.”

Serbian Language Media

Simic after meeting with Kallas: We requested concrete actions to stop what Kurti is doing (Kosovo Online)

Serbian List Presidency member Igor Simic said after the meeting between party representatives and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, that they requested the EU take concrete action to stop everything Kosovo Prime Minister in technical mandate Albin Kurti is doing - actions which, as they warned, threaten survival of Serbs in Kosovo. The Serbian List also demanded respect for the Brussels agreements signed in 2013 and 2015, expressing belief that the current situation would not have arisen if the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (CSM) had already been established.

“We discussed the problems faced by Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, focusing above all on the need to take steps to prevent unilateral moves by Pristina that threaten the survival of the Serbian people on a daily basis - pushing them into an impossible situation to remain on their ancestral land”, Simic said.

He added they demanded immediate de-escalation on the ground and concrete actions from the EU to stop what Kurti is doing to drive out Serbs.