UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 22, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti meets O’Brien, calls for full, fair implementation of Basic Agreement (media)
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien interview with Kanal 10
Businesses affected by queues in Merdare (RFE)
Discussions in Vienna on OSCE report about situation in Kosovo (Koha)
Hacker: If Serbia wants to join the EU, it needs to recognize Kosovo (Express)
Aliu: Not notified about investigations, ready to cooperate for justice (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucic: Kurti only accepted entry of Serbian goods 'pro forma,' he was ‘forced’ by Germans and Americans (Kosovo Online, RTS, media)
Vucic confirms absence from BRICS summit (N1)
Brnabic meets Craxi (Tanjug)
SRSG Ziadeh met Boven, discussed current situation and dialogue (Kosovo Online, social media)
Documentation from Srbica Municipal Provisional Authority sent to Kosovo Archive and Trepca (Kosovo Online)
Convoy of trucks with Serbian goods at Merdare one kilometre long (Radio KIM)
Political analyst: Government to push Jadar project (N1)

International Media:

Albania’s ex-president Ilir Meta arrested on corruption charges (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti meets O’Brien, calls for full and fair implementation of Basic Agreement (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Monday in Pristina with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Jim O’Brien, and “discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations as well as the progress and challenges of Kosova and the region”.

Kurti said in a post on X that he emphasized “Kosova's ongoing commitment to the full and fair implementation of the Basic Agreement. Given Serbia's repeated violations of the Agreement — and its attempts to withdraw from the commitment to mutual de facto recognition contained therein — Serbia must finally sign the Agreement to demonstrate good faith and a willingness to comply fully with its terms”.

“In addition, for justice and rule of law, for peace and security, the U.S. Treasury–sanctioned lead terrorist of the September 24 attack in Banjska, Kosova, Milan Radoicic, together with his paramilitary gang, must be surrendered to our authorities. After more than a year of impunity in Serbia, it is time for them to face justice in Kosova,” Kurti also said.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State James O’Brien interview with Kanal 10

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, James O’Brien, in an interview with Kanal 10 this evening, said that Kosovo and Serbia need to implement their commitments in the Brussels and Ohrid agreements. “I want them to fully implement their commitments form the agreements. We are at an interesting point, and I think that Prime Minister Kurti understands that he has the opportunity to say this is what we want Kosovo to look like and to shape the way how the international community reacts,” he said.

O’Brien said that economic growth in both Kosovo and Serbia is possible if they implement the Basic Agreement and the implementation annex and that “this is the only way to move forward”. “And I think that [Serbian] President Vucic too sees this as an opportunity to grow the economy in Serbia even more, and Serbia has had good economic growth lately, but in order to have even greater growth it needs political accommodation in the coming years with regards to Kosovo. The best way for this is through the Basic Agreement and the Ohrid implementation annex. This is the best way to move forward,” he said. “I think the biggest sanction is that both countries have missed an amazing opportunity for their countries”.

O’Brien said that the U.S. fully supports the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and that Kosovo needs to use the opportunity. “We want both countries and all countries in the region to move forward as fast as possible. We want the borders to stay open, for societies to work together in exporting foods and for people to work and live in other countries too. We want the country to use this opportunity because sometimes when you have an opportunity and you don’t seize, you might not have it again for a long time,” he said.

Asked if he received any positive messages or signals from Prime Minister Albin Kurti about the dialogue, O’Brien said Kurti understands that this is a unique opportunity for Kosovo, and he mentioned the transitions that are expected to happen in the EU and the US. “Kurti understands this is a unique opportunity because we have all the ongoing transitions. The EU will have a new commissioner, new personnel, that will supervise the process of integration in the EU. And we will have elections in the US, and we know that there will be a transition there too,” he said.

O’Brien said he and Kurti discussed for several hours about Kosovo’s economic progress. He said it is important for Kosovo not to be sidestepped, but to be part of discussions and the competition between many countries for new investments. “The Western Balkans has golden opportunities to integrate their economies and to join the common European market, which goes hand in hand with the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which offers opportunities to trade with energy, goods and different services all over Europe. This is the engine that dramatically promotes economic growth, therefore, I am very glad that Kosovo has become part of this community,” he said.

O’Brien said that they also discussed Kosovo's opportunities to move faster toward Europe. He said the U.S. is aware about the progress on the integration of Serbs, and about different approaches that can be adopted. “We talked about how to move faster toward Europe. We know that there is progress with regards to the integration of the citizens in the north, especially the Serb community, therefore we discussed different approaches that can be adopted,” he said.

O’Brien said that Kosovo needs to send the Association of Serb-majority municipalities to the Constitutional Court. “Sending the Association to the Constitutional Court is a basic commitment. We don’t expect this only from Prime Minister Kurti, but there were several previous Prime Ministers too, therefore, we expect this from Kosovo,” he said.

O’Brien argued that the Association is a way for similar municipalities to share experiences and to discuss how to address problems. “Associations are very common in Europe, and as far as we know there are over 400 such associations all over Europe. The Association does not create another government, but is a mechanism for coordination, as we can see in Northern Italy or in the Swedish islands or in Belgium,” he said.

O’Brien said the time is for Serb citizens to live fully in Kosovo, therefore, it is important for Kosovo to send the Association to the Constitutional Court, and that “this is something normal all over Europe”.

O’Brien said that there has been progress with regards to the security situation in the north of Kosovo. He also said that it is important for Kosovo to give assurances to its citizens in the north that they can have a future and that this has to do with “people trusting the institutions”. “It is important for your government to give assurances to people in the north that they have a future here as individuals and members of the Serb community. Such trust makes everything easier even if we make steps for planning, and so that there is no violence. After all this is about people trusting the institutions,” he said.

Asked if he sees any correlation between the state of Serbia and the attack in Banjska, O’Brien said “I think we have talked a lot about this. What we see is that the state of Serbia has undertaken actions for violence to be less possible and this for us is very important”. He said that Milan Radoicic, who admitted he was behind the attack in Banjska, must be criminally prosecuted, and that they were promised it would happen.

Asked about relations with the Kosovo government, O’Brien said that there are sometimes disagreements, but that “this happens between friends”. He said he would like to see more discussions and coordination by the Kosovo government and the U.S. before undertaking certain actions, especially those that can involve NATO troops in the north.

Businesses affected by queues in Merdare (RFE)

Two weeks after Kosovo partially removed the ban on import of goods from Serbia, the kilometers-long que on the Serbian side of the Merdare crossing is not getting shorter, the news website reported on Monday. In the queue which lasts for several days are also transports that travel only transit through Kosovo or that transport goods that do not originate in Serbia.

The German Embassy in Kosovo told Radio Free Europe that it would “like to see goods crossing faster through the border crossing” but also added that the return of direct import from Serbia into Kosovo “is an important achievement”. “First of all, it is important to accept the decision [on removing the ban on the import of goods from Serbia] is being implemented,” the embassy said, adding that more work is needed to accelerate the movement of goods at the crossing.

Discussions in Vienna on OSCE report about situation in Kosovo (Koha)

Representatives of powerful countries at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have called for justice and accountability for all acts of violence in the north of Kosovo which culminated with the attack in Banjska in September last year.

UK representative Neil Holland also called on Serbia to address the smuggling of arms at the border. “The UK reiterates the importance of justice and accountability for all acts of violence. We continue to call on Serbia to fully cooperate in holding accountable those that were involved in the shocking attack in Banjska in September 2023 and against KFOR troops in May 2023, and also to undertake actions to fight the smuggling of arms at the border,” he said.

On the dialogue, Holland called on the parties to engage constructively, and mentioned the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. He also talked about the importance of coordinating actions that affect the Serb community. “We continue to call on both parties – Kosovo and Serbia to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue and to meet their respective obligations, including the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. The UK continues to encourage Kosovo to ensure that non-majority communities play a full and equal role in the future of the country …

We have always been clear with all our interlocutors that every action that affects the well-being of the Kosovo Serbs and other non-majority communities requires careful consultation with Kosovo’s security friends and partners, in order to avoid tensions and not damage those that are vulnerable. All non-majority communities must be free to exercise their democratic rights and to further integrate in Kosovar society. We continue to encourage the Kosovo Serbs to take part in the democratic process, to assume their roles in the public service and to work for their communities,” he said.

Holland agreed with the assessment of the OSCE report about the concerning lack of progress in the normalization between Kosovo and Serbia, which also notes that “it continues to have negative implications in the daily lives of ordinary citizens and the stability of the Western Balkans”. “In this context, we welcome the latest decision of the Kosovo Government to remove the ban on goods from Serbia, as an important step toward enabling free trade all over the Western Balkans, and giving people in the region the possibility to reap economic benefits from getting closer with their European neighbors”.

U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, Katherine Bucker, said dialogue is crucial for stability in the region. “The United States supports Kosovo as a sovereign, multiethnic democracy, and calls on its leaders to promote a society that respects the rights and inclusiveness of all those living in Kosovo. The normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia through the EU-facilitated dialogue, as has been agreed between the two countries, is crucial for stability and prosperity in the region. The U.S. believes that normalization must conclude with mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia, because both want to achieve their aspirations for membership in the EU,” she said.

Hacker: If Serbia wants to join the EU, it needs to recognize Kosovo (Express)

German MP and rapporteur for Kosovo, Thomas Hacker, said on Monday that the Berlin Process is a great success and commended Kosovo for unblocking the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA).

Hacker argued that a new approach is needed in the dialogue for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and that the approach of EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak was not fair. He also said that the penalty measures against Kosovo are unfair and that they should be removed immediately.

Criticizing what he called undemocratic and damaging actions by Serbia, Hacker said that if Serbia wants to join the European Union it must recognize Kosovo.

Aliu: Not notified about investigations, ready to cooperate for justice (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Lundrim Aliu, said on Monday that he has not received any official information that the prosecution has initiated investigations against him. “There is a news in the media that investigations have been launched against me. I have received no official information, but I want to inform the public and the prosecution that the highest authority for me is the law, I work and engage every day for the respect and enforcement of laws, and that for every issue, investigations or suspicion, I am ready to cooperate only for justice, according to law, and until the full resolution of every case,” Aliu said in a Facebook post.

Serbian Language Media

Vucic: Kurti only accepted entry of Serbian goods 'pro forma,' he was ‘forced’ by Germans and Americans (Kosovo Online, RTS, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in his address last evening said that Germans and Americans ‘forced’ Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to accept the entry of Serbian goods into Kosovo, and that Kurti only accepted it 'pro forma,' as trucks have been waiting for days to enter, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"These are mostly, of course, our products. There are also Serbian producers, but those who insist on this and who trade the most in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija are the products of our factories, which are in foreign hands. They trade the most in our southern Serbian province", Vucic said. He added that the decision is good news for everyone else.

"But, one administrative crossing has been opened. It's better this way than it was, but it's far from good", Vucic said.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/VETGE

Brnabic meets Craxi (Tanjug)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic met with the Chairwoman of the foreign affairs and defence committee of the Italian Senate Stefania Craxi in Belgrade on Monday. Brnabic and Craxi agreed that Serbia-Italy cooperation was extremely good and had been improved further recently through numerous bilateral meetings between officials of the two countries.

Brnabic thanked Craxi for Italy's support for Serbia on the path to full EU membership and noted that a soonest possible EU integration of the Western Balkans was a guarantee of prosperity and stability in the region as well as in Europe as a whole. Craxi noted that the support for Serbia was sincere and that she, too, hoped for a soonest possible EU integration of Serbia as she believed it belonged in the bloc.

Brnabic also thanked Craxi for the significant contribution to providing security and stability in Kosovo through the engagement of Italian KFOR troops and, especially, for the protection of the Serbian Orthodox Church Monastery Visoki Decani.

SRSG Ziadeh met Boven, discussed current situation and dialogue (Kosovo Online, social media)

Head of UNMIK and Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Caroline Ziadeh met yesterday with new Dutch Ambassador in Pristina, Karin Boven, Kosovo Online portal reported.

“SRSG Ziadeh welcomed the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Kosovo @Karin_Boven @NLinKosovo at UNMIK Headquarters today, discussing recent developments in Kosovo, the Mission's #trustbuilding efforts, promotion of #humanrights and support for the #EU-facilitated Dialogue”, UNMIK said in a post on X on Monday.

Documentation from Srbica Municipal Provisional Authority sent to Kosovo Archive and Trepca (Kosovo Online)

A few days ago, Kosovo police carried out an operation in Mitrovica North during which they shut down the Srbica Municipal Provisional Authority. The documentation found in their office was taken over by Kosovo Archive and Trepca company, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Pristina-based Klan Kosova.

This was confirmed by Petrit Fejza, the head of the regional police operation in northern Mitrovica. He said that part of the documentation was taken by the Kosovo Archive. “{…} There is still more to classify because there is a lot of it. The Trepca company has also received documentation”, Fejza said.

Convoy of trucks with Serbian goods at Merdare one kilometre long (Radio KIM)

Radio KIM reported yesterday that a convoy of trucks transporting goods from central Serbia at Merdare crossing point was one kilometre long, adding the queues are formed because of manual check ups of transported goods by Kosovo customs.

The trucks queuing at Merdare could be seen for longer than a week now. This is the only crossing point where the goods from central Serbia may enter Kosovo, following a partially revised decision of Kosovo Government to lift a ban on importing ready made Serbian products. The trucks’ drivers are waiting for several days for control of their transport by Kosovo customs, Radio KIM recalled.

Political analyst: Government to push Jadar project (N1)

Political analyst Djordje Vukadinovic said the Serbian Government will not easily abandon the Jadar lithium mining project, but added he believes the authorities will change their narrative if they see it starting to negatively impact Serbian President Vucic’s popularity ratings, N1 reported.

Vukadinovic told N1 that the Serbian Government had put Rio Tinto’s Jadar project on hold due to concerns about the election results, but that the lithium issue came back in a big way as soon as the elections were over. According to him, the government misjudged the public reaction, which has been much stronger than expected “The lithium issue has raised both the opposition and civic awareness and fear”, Vukadinovic said, adding there is no doubt that the public’s aversion to the Jadar project idea is great.

International Media

Albania’s ex-president Ilir Meta arrested on corruption charges (Balkan Insight)

Former President Ilir Meta, now leader of the opposition Freedom Party, was arrested on charges of corruption, money-laundering and non-declaration of assets.

Ilir Meta, Albania’s president from 2017 to 2022 and now leader of the opposition Freedom Party, was arrested on Monday by order of prosecutors from the Special Anti-Corruption Structure, SPAK.

Video footage posted on Instagram by Euronews Albania showed Meta putting up a struggle as he was taken from his vehicle by police officers. Tedi Blushi, Meta’s adviser, called the arrest “a terrorist act”.