UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 29, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Abdixhiku calls for Kurti’s resignation before Kosovo goes to new elections (RTK)
Kurti meets team promoting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian employment (media)
ICG amends report: KFOR did not negotiate with armed Serbs in Banjska (Koha)
Maqedonci: Constant threat from Serbia; we increased army capacities (Express)
Osmani congratulates new speaker of parliament of North Macedonia (media)
Murtezaj: Growing number of businesses registering for tax issues in north (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Djuric, Czech FM discuss bilateral relations, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
Memorial service held for Serbs murdered in Cernica village, near Gnjilane (Kosovo Online)
Spanish MFA: Kosovo and Palestine different cases (Kosovo Online, RFE)
Kosovo associate member of NATO PA – a step towards membership or compensation for Council of Europe? (Kosovo Online)
Ragus thanks Botsan-Kharchenko for Russia's support in international institutions (Tanjug)
ICG updates report, no mention of KFOR involvement in Banjska (N1, media)

International Media:

In SLAPP Cases against Kosovo Journalists, Wheels of Justice Move Slow (BIRN)
Kosovo Activists Seek End to Period Products Tax and Stigma (BIRN)
Albanian Orthodox Priests Charged in Kosovo over Church Break-In (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Abdixhiku calls for Kurti’s resignation before Kosovo goes to new elections (RTK)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, said on Tuesday that Prime Minister Albin Kurti should resign so that Kosovo can go to early parliamentary elections. At the meeting of the LDK General Council, he said that the people of Kosovo have realized the fundamental inability of the Kurti-led government. “Kosovo is an independent and sovereign state, and our future looks grim. We are at a critical crossroads and the identity pillars of Kosovo are hanging on the fate of the populists. They are being ruined and alienated,” he claimed.

According to Abdixhiku, “now is the time to reflect. This time calls for accountability and resignations. The LDK refuses the farce of dinners. We call for the resignation of the government. First the resignation needs to happen and then the Assembly can be dissolved”.

Kurti meets team promoting Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian employment (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Tuesday with members of the inter-institutional team that promotes the employment of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, and discussed their results so far and also the challenges they have faced. The inter-institutional team also addresses the dropouts of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities from schools. Kurti commended them on their results and confirmed his and the government’s readiness for overall social progress and to further advance the position of non-majority communities through government support and policies.

ICG amends report: KFOR did not negotiate with armed Serbs in Banjska (Koha)

The International Crisis Group (ICG) changed a part of the text about its report on Kosovo, which initially said that KFOR officials had negotiated the withdrawal of one part of the armed Serb group after the attack in Banjska in September last year. The amended text notes that it mistakenly said that KFOR negotiated the withdrawal.

Maqedonci: Constant threat from Serbia; we increased army capacities (Express)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, expressed concern over Serbia’s continuous aggressive approach toward Kosovo. “It’s not like a war will start tomorrow. But political indications do not point anywhere else if this political approach continues. KFOR has the mandate to safeguard the borders, but alongside this we are developing all the capacities of the army of Kosovo, and we are making sure we are ready to defend our country, without violating the territory of any neighboring country. Our objective is peace, stability, and integration in NATO. Serbia’s continuous negative approach toward Kosovo … is creating insecurity not only in Kosovo but the whole region,” he argued.

Osmani congratulates new speaker of parliament of North Macedonia (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani congratulated the election of the new speaker of the Parliament of North Macedonia, Afrim Gashi. She said that “Albanians of North Macedonia have played a key role in the formation and state-building of North Macedonia, while today they are key contributors to its European perspective. Our countries enjoy excellent neighborly relations, based on mutual respect, friendship and cooperation. I wish Gashi much success in this important position.”

Murtezaj: Growing number of businesses registering for tax issues in north (media)

Director of the Kosovo Tax Administration, Ilir Murtezaj, said on Tuesday that there is a new reality in the north of Kosovo and that the economy is being formalized. He said that there is a growing number of businesses there that register for tax issues. “The new momentum has brought about advantages in the sense of formalizing the economy in that part of our country. In the last couple of days, there is a growing number of businesses that are registered for tax issues and other issues in Kosovo’s institutions … there is interes to become formalized,” he said.

Serbian Language Media

Djuric, Czech FM discuss bilateral relations, situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric spoke over the phone with Czech counterpart Jan Lipavsky on Tuesday. The parties noted the good relations between the two countries, the Serbian MFA said in a statement.

Djuric thanked Czechia for supporting Serbia on its path to full EU membership and noted that the support was of great importance in the accession process. Speaking about current global developments, Djuric said Serbia wanted to have a constructive role and would always be a dependable partner to the international community, and that maintaining peace and stability in the region was one of Serbia's fundamental goals.

Djuric noted that, due to the many recent developments and unilateral moves by the Pristina authorities, the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue had made no progress. He said Serbs in Kosovo were under various forms of pressure on a daily basis and that Pristina had still not met its commitments from agreements, including, above all, the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities.

Memorial service held for Serbs murdered in Cernica village, near Gnjilane (Kosovo Online)

Memorial service was held at Saint Ilija Church in the village of Cernica, near Gnjilane for the Serbs from this village who perished in the period from 1999 to 2004 on Tuesday. Among other victims, On May 28, 2000, a four-year old Milos Petrovic from this village was killed in front of the village shop.

“Our village, unfortunately, has become known for those seven victims, because their deaths instilled fear in the village…..But we want to stay here”, Milos’s brother Lazar Petrovic told Kosovo Online.

He said that despite difficulties from the past, people in the village are attempting to create a better future for children and young generations, to teach them they should stay together, endure and remain at their places. He also said people from central Serbia who are visiting the village are often surprised and glad to see their determination to stay and live there.

Spanish MFA: Kosovo and Palestine different cases (Kosovo Online, RFE)

The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that Kosovo and Palestine are different cases and that is why this country will not change its stance on Kosovo, but decided to recognize Palestine, Kosovo Online portal reported citing RFE.

“The situation in Palestine is different. Recognition of Palestine does not affect territorial integrity of Israel, because this territory has never been legally part of the state of Israel”, Elena Alarila Cortezon, an adviser at the Spanish Foreign Ministry said. She added that Spain's decision to recognize Palestine is in line with international law, UN Charter principles and resolutions of the UN Security Council which are binding.

Spain is one of the five EU member states that do not recognize Kosovo, including Romania, Slovakia, Greece and Cyprus.

Kosovo associate member of NATO PA – a step towards membership or compensation for Council of Europe? (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo has been granted an upgraded status in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly - from observer to associate member, which, according to expectations in Pristina, should serve as a stimulus for their accelerated path towards membership in the Alliance. In Belgrade, this decision is interpreted as a reward to the current Kosovo authorities for their unilateral actions, which are deteriorating the living conditions of Serbs daily. According to analysts speaking to Kosov Online portal, the decision about Kosovo in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly can also be seen as compensation for their pending application to join the Council of Europe.

International Media

In SLAPP Cases against Kosovo Journalists, Wheels of Justice Move Slow (BIRN)

BIRN analysed nine cases of lawsuits brought against journalists in Kosovo - often simply with the aim of keeping them quiet - and found that it can take many years for courts to issue rulings.

In the eight years after Arbana Xharra was sued when serving as editor-in-chief of the Kosovo newspaper “Zëri”, she left journalism, had a brief spell in politics, moved to the United States, and went back to journalism. Even Zeri underwent a major change when it shut down its print edition. Yet the case against Xharra, brought by local imam Enes Goga, is still ongoing.

Goga sued over an article by Xharra concerning religious extremism. The Pristina Basic Court rejected the suit in January this year, but Goga filed an appeal.

“His primary aim is to prolong the final verdict of this contest, which is clearly unfounded,” 42-year-old Xharra, who currently works as a US-based journalist and researcher, told BIRN.