UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, November 3, 2021

We will not allow Bosnianisation of Kosovo, Kurti tells BBC's HARDtalk (media)
PM Kurti received new head of UNICEF Office in Kosovo, Zicherman (media)
The legal saga of the Decan Monastery (RFE)
Greek FM: Athens supports Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Tanjug, Klan)
‘Trepca’ reclaimed, Kurti: We’re repairing the damages of the past 7 years (euronews.al)
CEC to announce municipal assemblies' election results (media)
We need to talk about the Western Balkans (Politico)
Kosovo paves way for vaccination of adolescents (media)
COVID-19: 21 new cases, no deaths (media)

We will not allow Bosnianisation of Kosovo, Kurti tells BBC's HARDtalk (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said in an interview with BBC's HARDtalk that Serbia wants to see 'Bosnianisation' of Kosovo but he vowed to not allow such a scenario taking place.

"When the Association was not implemented, no Serb of Kosova protested, ever. It was always Belgrade who was angry. In 1991, 26 April, 14 municipalities with Serb majority in Bosnia and Herzegovina got together and created the Association. On 9 January 1992, they declared independence, on 28 February 1992, they got their Constitution, and finally on 14 December 1995 in Dayton, Ohio international recognition. They want to repeat Bosnia in Kosova. I will not allow this, be it in the opposition or the government. This is why the people voted me for, to prevent Bosnianisation of Kosova," he said. "If you asks Serbs in Kosova what are your key complaints or requirements, they will say 'jobs and justice'. But Belgrade wants to have a state within a state," Kurti added.

"I don't want to neglect normalisation of relations with Serbia but economic development on one hand and rule of law against corruption on the other are our two top priorities," Kurti said at the outset of the interview. He added that Kosovo is primarily focused on economic development which, he underlined, is seeing an 'unprecedented' growth.

"We want good relations with Serbia, we want a dialogue where we are going to discuss the status of future relations because status of Kosova is something that has been sealed with ICJ opinion on 22 July 2010 which said that Kosova's declaration of independence did not violate international law."

Speaking about the rights of the Serb community in Kosovo, Kurti said they represent 5-6 percent of the overall population of Kosovo and are not discriminated. "These things that Serbia tried to impose on Kosova's statehood and our constitutional construction were not the desire or the will of the Serbs of Kosova but an expression of the hegemonic aspirations of Serbia."

Kurti further rejected the idea of land swap as a way to ‘end hostilities’ with Serbia: “It is in the nature of autocrats to think that they can swap territories as if it was their property but we are not in medieval times with monarchs who consider that the territory of the state is the land of the father or the monarch and the people are the family of the one who leads. We are a democratic republic and no such solutions will be on the table and that’s why I won in these elections because the people of Kosova do not want that.”

Kurti was asked to state whether he accepts the legitimacy of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, for which he said is not 'multiethnic' and 'very transparent' but which is already here and is a 'fait accompli'. "We respect international justice. Kosova had UNMIK, United Nations Mission in Kosova, EULEX, we had ICTY and another special court I don't think was necessary but it is here now but they are not asking for my cooperation so I give them my support to be honest because it's a very non-transparent, sui generis, court with one leg in Kosova and the other leg in The Hague."

On the idea of Kosovo-Albania unification, Kurti said that he was elected for jobs and justice and that this is where his focus will be, although it is ‘unfair’ that there is no possibility of a referendum in Kosovo which “would be an expression of the freedom of the people.”

Watch the interview: https://bbc.in/3CG7qQ1

PM Kurti received new head of UNICEF Office in Kosovo, Zicherman (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti received in an introductory meeting Nona Zicherman, Head of the UNICEF Office in Kosovo.

Kurti praised UNICEF’s and partners support for the long-term vision that enables Kosovo to be part of global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. He stressed the government's priorities for an equal society, highlighting support for midwives and child allowances, free higher education, investments in kindergartens and the dual education system.

“Children and young people were discussed with special emphasis. Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe with an average age of 29.5 years and 31% of the population of Kosovo is from 0-18 years old, which are the most vulnerable citizens. That is why children and young people are at the center of everything that the Government envisages. We will have to ensure that these young people and children grow up in a fair environment with equal rights and opportunities, where they can fulfill their full potential, regardless of gender, ethnicity or abilities,” Kurti is quoted in a press release issued by the Government of Kosovo.

The legal saga of the Decan Monastery (RFE)

The request of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo made to the State Prosecution to undertake actions regarding property rights of the Decan Monastery has no legal backing, Radio Free Europe reports quoting Kosovo Law Institute.

Constitutional law professor, Arsim Bajrami, meanwhile said there is no specific sanction for entities that refuse to enforce the rulings of the Constitutional Court but noted that the Constitutional Court's decisions are final and obligatory. Such is the 2016 Constitutional Court decision on recognising the right to property to the Decan Monastery of 24 hectares of land, Bajrami said.

At the same time, Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Law Institute said that any normal state that aspires to implement the basic principles of the rule of law should implement Constitutional Court decisions but pointed out that there are no legal grounds on which this court can ask the prosecution to undertake actions. Miftaraj added that the only way to resolve the stalemate regarding the implementation of the Constitutional Court's ruling is political will of all parties in order to make the Municipality of Decan implements the decision.

Asked by RFE whether it supports or opposes the implementation of the 2016 Constitutional Court's ruling, the Office of the Kosovo Prime Minister said that they will make utmost efforts to "protect the legitimate rights of the Decan Monastery which is part of the rich cultural mosaic of Kosovo. However, religious leaders of the Monastery should do their part." "Dialogue with Orthodox clerics in Kosovo is the only way towards a sustainable solution," the Government added.

Greek FM: Athens supports Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Tanjug, Klan)

Foreign Minister of Greece Nikos Dendias said that Athens supports the Kosovo -Serbia dialogue mediated by the EU.

He called on all parties for ‘a constructive approach in the future rounds of discussions.”

Dendias made these comments after his meeting with Serbia’s Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic where he also said that Greece will continue to support Serbia’s European path, which he said, belongs to the European family.

‘Trepca’ reclaimed, Kurti: We’re repairing the damages of the past 7 years (euronews.al)

The ‘Trepca’ border crossing will go back in business starting from this Tuesday under the jurisdiction of Kosovo’s state authorities. The news was made public today by the Kosovo’s prime minister, Albin Kurti, who emphasized that this reinstatement would bring about positive change, especially for businesses.

“Oddly and unfairly enough, this space that is used as a border crossing terminal, had been denied to ‘Trepca’ and passed over to a private company. This has led to higher prices and up to €40 euros per truck,” – Kurti said.

Shifting the focus of state-owned enterprises to attend to the needs and interests of citizens and local businesses, was also praised by the minister of economy, Artane Rizvanolli.

“It’s a pleasure to see our public enterprises go beyond their industrial role and slowly shift their focus on what suits the public interest and the interest of local businesses,” – said Rizvanolli.

From 2003 to 2014, the border crossing terminal present within the territory of Trepca was contracted to a foreign private company.

CEC to announce municipal assemblies' election results (media)

The Central Elections Commission (CEC) spokesperson Valmir Elezi said that the final results of elections for municipal assemblies will be announced today.

"In the Counting and Results Center, the process of recounting of around 300 polling stations regarding local elections for Municipal Assemblies has been completed. Following the completion of the procedures in this center, the Central Elections Commission will be able to announce the final results of the 17 October municipal assemblies' election. We plan to announce these results at the CEC meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, 3 November," he said.

We need to talk about the Western Balkans (Politico)

Conflict in the region is imminent, and it is time to action to protect years of progress.

Arminka Helić is a member of the British House of Lords and served as special adviser to U.K. Foreign Secretary William Hague from 2010 to 2014. Anthony Mangnall is the Conservative MP for Totnes and South Devon.

There are alarming echoes of the 1990s sweeping across the Western Balkans today. And as talks on the European Union’s enlargement into the region stall, there is a disquieting common factor in the crises facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Montenegro: The Serbian government is actively backing efforts to destabilize them, supporting internal proxies, and threatening their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Coupled with Russian meddling, EU division and NATO weakness, this is proving to be a lethal mix. Progress that was made in the region in the 2000s — toward peaceful, prosperous, multiethnic states — is being undone, and the space is wide open for troublemakers. The time has come for NATO and the EU to work together and take action to arrest decline and protect the progress that was made.

In September this year, on the border with Kosovo, Serbia deployed armored vehicles and warplanes, challenging the post-1999 demilitarization. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnian Serb secessionist politicians, who are politically and financially dependent on Serbia, are unilaterally and unconstitutionally withdrawing from state-level institutions established as a result of the Dayton peace accords, while they conduct special police exercises in an overt display of strength. In Montenegro, Belgrade stokes religious divisions, contributing to an increasingly toxic political climate that has reignited questions of foreign policy orientation, ethnicity and faith.