Albanian Language Media:

• Konjufca: Kosovo’s foreign policy has faced serious crisis in recent years (Koha)
• Osmani: Meeting with Thaci was part of state protocol, differences remain (media)
• Gashi: Government looking into ways to lift the tax (Telegrafi)
• Rukiqi: We will support any decision that is in Kosovo's interest (EO)
• Association of journalists’ offices broken into again (Klan Kosova/Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: Kurti will continue with unilateral acts (Tanjug, Prva TV)
• Vucic: We missed a major chance, we will pay high price for that (TV Happy, B92)
• Serbia donates € 2 million to Albania (RTS, Tanjug)
• Djuric: Belgrade will continue to insist on ZSO (Kontakt plus radio, KIM radio, Politika)
• Vucic: Significant and powerful European country requested from Pristina to impose tariffs (B92)
• House of Jovica Menkovic from Cernica demolished, pressure on Serbs to leave (RTV Puls)
• Graffiti written in Preoce village (KoSSev)

International:

• The Brief – Why is America eclipsing the EU in the Balkans? (Euractive)
• Kurti Vows to Make Military Service Compulsory in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Dodik’s Tantrum Politics Risks Pushing Bosnia Int Chaos (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development: 

• Youth from Gracanica migrating due to unemployment, lack of safety and uncertain political situation (KoSSev)

     

Albanian Language Media

  Konjufca: Kosovo’s foreign policy has faced serious crisis in recent years (Koha)

Glauk Konjufca, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister, told the German daily paper Stuttgarter Zeitung that Kosovo’s foreign policy has been in a serious crisis in recent years.

“There is an aggressive campaign by Serbia aimed at getting countries to withdraw Kosovo's recognition. We are talking about 15 such countries, most of them in the Pacific region and in Africa,” Konjufca said.

He said that Prime Minister Albin Kurti has announced the mutual reduction of trade barriers between Kosovo and Serbia. “Serbia is obstructing Kosovo in many fields, for instance by not recognising Kosovar documents.”

Konjufca also spoke about the need for dialogue with Serbia under the EU facilitation to continue and the differences between the EU countries that recognise independence of Kosovo and those that don’t.

“Relations with Greece are good, it also accepts our passports. They are also okay with Slovakia and Romania, Spain and Cyprus are trying to create obstacles for us. Cyprus is the most extreme.”

On the idea of unification with Albania, Konjufca said he cannot look into the future. “I don't know what will happen in a few decades. The first step is to deepen our good relationships even further. We are working on that.”

Osmani: Meeting with Thaci was part of state protocol, differences remain (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani said today that despite yesterday's meeting with President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci during celebrations for the anniversary of declaration of independence, differences between their positions still remain. 

Speaking about the meeting, Osmani said this was part of the state protocol and receptions were not privately organised. "Our differences with the president were on particular issues like that regarding land swap idea and they still remain," Osmani said. 

She is quoted as saying to reporters that there will be a coordinating meeting between the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) in the coming days to decide on the future course of action relating to the tariff on Serbian products. 

Gashi: Government looking into ways to lift the tax (Telegrafi)

Arben Gashi, head of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) parliamentary group, said today at a roundtable on the future of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue that the coalition government is looking into the possibility of lifting 100-percent tariff on Serbia to pave way for continuation of dialogue. 

"We need to determine what has happened in these last years and think about the future strategy," Gashi said. 

He noted that the element of tariff as an economic instrument was used by the previous government as a political tool but that Kosovo also faced repercussions because of it. "It is true that Serbia lost several millions in the Kosovo market, but Kosovo producers did not profit directly from this amount and even experienced a 2.5% inflation increase."

Gashi said that in the political aspect, Kosovo faced 'considerable' consequences in relations with the international community. 

He said that lifting of the tax would enable the international community to facilitate the dialogue: "At the same time, we have talked about introducing reciprocity but this will be done in such a way so as not to hamper talks mediated by the international community and the U.S. particularly." 

Rukiqi: We will support any decision that is in Kosovo's interest (EO)

Kosovo's Chamber of Commerce (OEK) held a press conference to present results of a survey regarding the climate for doing business in Kosovo. 

Head of OEK, Berat Rukiqi, said the results show a positive trend in the last quarter of 2019. 

Rukiqi asked for additional clarifications on the part of the government regarding reports that it plans to lift the tariff on products from Serbia although he said that the Chamber would support such a decision if it is in Kosovo's best interest. "When it comes to state interest, we think we need to support decisions to that end," he said.

Association of journalists’ offices broken into again (Klan Kosova/Kallxo)

The offices of the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK) are reported to have been broken into by yet unidentified persons.

This is the second break-in that the AGK has faced with the first taking place on 6 December 2019. Unlike the previous time though when equipment was reported to have been stolen, this time there is no sign of anything in the offices missing. "The perpetrators searched through documents," AGK said.

AGK said in a statement it was deeply concerned with the situation and condemned the act as vandalism. It further called on law enforcement mechanisms to bring authors before justice. 

   

Serbian Language Media

  Dacic: Kurti will continue with unilateral acts (Tanjug, Prva TV)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic said that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will continue with unilateral acts, same as his predecessors, and will not lead towards finding a compromise solution to the Kosovo issue, Tanjug news agency reports.

Dacic told Prva TV, that announcements of obligatory military service Kurti mentioned are not in line with UN SC Resolution 1244, adding that Pristina violated provisions of this Resolution long time ago.

“Even international stakeholders expressed disagreement over establishing the army, however, the did not annul that decision. It would take long time to find out Kurti’s true intentions, as well intentions on what he spoke about during the election campaign and now when he came to power,” Dacic said.

Dacic also said there are countries on the international scene that are not so keen on finding a compromise solution, such as Germany. He added that topics of the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations cannot include matters already stipulated by the Brussels agreement, such as the establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipalities. Pristina should implement it immediately, Dacic said.

He explained that over the last year different envoys kept telling Serbia it should cease its campaign to retract recognitions of Kosovo.

“Whenever someone comes and tells me that, I say that we have signed the Brussels agreement, you guaranteed it, Community of the Serb-majority Municipalities has not been established, tariffs were imposed and yet Pristina suffered no sanctions. And now you say to Serbia it should cease its campaign to retract recognitions?” Dacic stated.

Asked what Belgrade could negotiate about with Pristina, if Hashim Thaci says in Brussels whoever is appointed as a special envoy must treat Kosovo as a sovereign state, Dacic briefly responded by “who is asking them anything?”

“Who will ask him who the special envoy shall be? Until now they could introduce the tariffs, but things have changed and at this moment their shares on a political market do not stand that well,” Dacic said.

He emphasised that envoys of the EU, OSCE, Council of Europe, UN do not have obligation to treat Kosovo as an independent state.

Vucic: We missed a major chance, we will pay high price for that (TV Happy, B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told TV Happy last night that Serbia had missed a chance to reach a compromise with Pristina and that we will pay a price in the future.

Speaking about delimitation, he said he realized that the Serbs would never accept something that was our chance and that we would regret it dearly.

"I understood the message of the people, it was a great chance for us, but we missed it", Vucic told TV Happy. He added we will do worse in the future, but no one will be able to blame him.

"I will defend the Serbian people but remember my words in 20 years: we had a chance, but we did not have enough awareness and wisdom", Vucic underlined.

Commenting on the 12th anniversary since the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence and the message of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Pristina that Kosovo’s sovereignty and independence are a guarantee of peace, he pointed out that Pristina gained independence thanks to the United States and Germany.

"What do you expect, do you think they will change their minds and withdraw that, or that Serbia can change their positions after the lost war conflict? Where is the logic," Vucic asked.

On charges that he was a traitor and wanted to betray Kosovo, he said the west was silent as well.

"They didn't say that anything was agreed on, for something that didn't happen. All the time, they say 'it might happen any time soon', and I didn't hide anything from the people. I said what I was in favour of, but nobody wanted it", Vucic explained.

He further said that the agreement between the Serbs and Albanians did not suit anyone and that he did not find support either in the east or in the west, because that agreement brings 100 years of peace and development and a future and security for children.

"No one would be happy about that. Some would be dissatisfied because for them only humiliated Serbia is the final solution. The others would find it satisfying only if they can exert influence on Serbia and the region," Vucic said.

See at: https://bit.ly/2vHDzJs Serbia donates € 2 million to Albania (RTS, Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Serbia would donate two million euros to Albania, to help it remedy the consequences of last year’s earthquake, RTS reports. Brnabic added this was a message for the joint future and different relations.

Talking to the journalists in Brussels, where international donors’ conference “Together for Albania” took place, Brnabic said Serbia wanted to show solidarity and support to the Albanian people.

“We have worked a lot on stabilizing the region and better connections. I am also glad that Albania accepted the “mini-Schengen” initiative. This is yet another way to show that we are here for all our partners, for all citizens in the region, also at the times of difficulties and troubles,” Brnabic said.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi wrote on Twitter that he is “proud to announce a collective pledge of € 1.15 billion, our common effort to rebuild the country.”

Croatia donated one million, and Montenegro 750.000 euros, RTS reported.

Djuric: Belgrade will continue to insist on ZSO (Kontakt plus radio, KIM radio, Politika)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric told Belgrade based daily Politika that the idea on forming Community of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) is a key element of the first Brussels Agreement and stresses that Belgrade will continue insisting on its establishment so that collective rights of Kosovo Serbs are effectively guaranteed, quotes Kontakt plus radio.  

"Pristina 2493 days ago assumed the obligation to form the ZSO, and by stubbornly refusing to do so, it completely made the dialogue senseless and lost its credibility even in the eyes of

those from whom it had received a blank support," Djuric told Politika on the occasion of seven years since the Brussels Agreement was signed. 

Djuric notes that a message was received from US Ambassador Richard Grenell that Pristina is expected to unconditionally abolish taxes, and that the Trump administration, how it looks, ''do not support the arbitrariness and caprice of Pristina and its arrogant avoidance of obligations or replacement of tariffs with other forms of barriers, such as some so-called reciprocal measures ".

"Because, as they point out, under such conditions, US investment in this region will not have the expected effect," says Djuric.

He stresses that Moscow is consistent in its traditional support for Serbia.

"It remains to be seen whether the widespread pressure from the international community on Pristina will bear results," Djuric said.

Daily Politika recalls that the Brussels agreement was signed seven years ago without being clear for anybody whether it is dead or on life support appliances, quotes Kontakt plus radio.

Vucic: Significant and powerful European country requested from Pristina to impose tariffs (B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said a large and powerful European country has asked Pristina to impose tariffs on Serbia, with the aim of forcing Serbia to disrupt dialogue, B82 reports.

According to Vucic, the dialogue was moving towards a compromise solution.

"It was done to say that Serbia was going out of dialogue and that any plan for Serbia to gain something would be overthrown", Vucic explained on TV Happy show "Cyrillic" last night.

He reminded that the idea of demarcation could be the outcome of a dialogue in which Serbia would get something. "I didn't know it right away, now I know it all. It is one significant and powerful country in question", Vucic said.

He recalled that the whole world rebelled against tariffs, Americans louder than Europeans, because, as he pointed out, one European country wanted it.

See at: https://bit.ly/2wrJzqd House of Jovica Menkovic from Cernica demolished, pressure on Serbs to leave (RTV Puls)

Gnjilane municipal administration using bulldozers demolished the family house of Jovica Menkovic from the village of Cernica, who lives in dire social conditions with three children, RTV Puls reports.

President of Gnjilane Municipal Interim Council (Belgrade-run) Srdjan Mitrovic strongly condemned this act, terming it as “vandal and illegal”. Mitrovic added he has informed Minister for Communities and Returns Dalibor Jevtic and Serbian List about the incident, since this is, he said, yet another pressure on the remaining Serbs to leave the area.

RTV Puls carried the statement of the Gnjilane Municipal Interim Council saying that on February 18, without prior notice Gnjilane municipality entered the family household of Jovica Menkovic and demolished a family house. The family has six members, including three children, and live in dire social conditions. The family got a land plot from Gnjilane municipality during the nineties, to build the house. The statement also notes the family has valid documentation about that, however, the Gnjilane municipality did not consider it as relevant.  

Jovica Menkovic said the house was built in 1996, on a land plot of 5 square meters, adding he did not live in it due to security reasons.

“I live with my mother, wife and three children as tenants in the house owned by my relative,” Menkovic said, adding he initiated the request to legalize the house three years ago, and the case is at the court. “However, they did not wait for the final verdict, they have demolished my house,” Menkovic told Kosovo-online portal.

Around 20 Serb families live in the village of Cernica today.

Graffiti written in Preoce village (KoSSev)

Unknown perpetrators have written graffiti “Kosovo is Albania” and “Glory to Fallen Martyrs,” on the wall of auxiliary premise of “Miladin Mitic” primary school in the village of Preoce, KoSSev portal reports.

The graffiti were written last night and noticed this morning.

“This is a classic example of hate speech. Frankly speaking, this was expected because similar acts in the past in other areas were not condemned, except condemnation by the local authorities in Gracanica,” Preoce resident Stefan Filipovic told KoSSev portal, adding such cases did not happen in this village before.

KoSSev unofficially learnt that Kosovo police was on the spot but could not get official confirmation of the case.

Around 300 Serbs and 80 Roma live in the village today. There are several Albanian houses as well, but they are mostly empty, KoSSev portal said.

   

International

  The Brief – Why is America eclipsing the EU in the Balkans? (Euractive)

It’s very rare to witness first-hand an acceleration of history, and this is precisely what is happening in the Balkans now. In a very short time, Serbia and Kosovo took huge steps towards normalising their relations.

On 20 January, Belgrade and Pristina agreed to launch direct commercial flights after more than 20 years.

Direct flights were halted in 1998 when war broke out in Kosovo between ethnic Albanian insurgents and Serbian security forces. Serbia lost control of its former province after the NATO bombing in 1999 ended the ethnic conflict in which more than 13,000 people, mainly Kosovo Albanians, were killed.

https://bit.ly/2HAVrIC Kurti Vows to Make Military Service Compulsory in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

On the 12th anniversary of Kosovo’s independence, new Prime Minister Albin Kurti visited the Kosovo Security Force, KSF, and, after paying homage to war martyrs and veterans, again declared his aim to introduce compulsory military service.

Kurti thanked KSF members for their “service to their country and their patriotism” and added: “The heavy task of protecting the country falls on you. Without an army and without protection we are weak and defenceless.”

https://bit.ly/2SAOoWI Dodik’s Tantrum Politics Risks Pushing Bosnia Int Chaos (Balkan Insight)

The Bosnian Serb leader is a past master at the politics of diversion, especially when elections are looming – but some fear this time he is pushing Bosnia beyond the point of no return.

Bosnia was strangely tranquil in the last few months. After the country’s leaders ended a yearlong stalemate at the close of last year, a new state government was formed and reforms started being pondered.

Public attention in the region was more drawn to the escalation of religious, ethnic and political tensions in nearby Montenegro, related to the adoption of a controversial law on religious communities.

Unsure how to approach this sensitive issue, the US and EU both ignored it, even as protests spread across the region. The EU remained preoccupied with a makeover of its frayed enlargement methodology, while at the same time trying to resuscitate the long-deceased dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia.

https://bit.ly/3bJwmZY      

Humanitarian/Development 

  Youth from Gracanica migrate due to unemployment, lack of safety and uncertain political situation (KoSSev)

The feeling that many young people from all communities leave Kosovo on almost daily basis is subjective. They are leaving in search of a better quality of life or, as they say, because of the lack of safety and the uncertain political situation. Local institutions do not have adequate budgets to fulfil the wishes and demands of the youth, the central institutions do not try hard enough, but the young people are also quite inactive, failing to participate in creating their own future, KoSSev portal reports.

In a post-conflict society such as Kosovo, the most vulnerable groups are non-majority communities, especially young people. Young ethnic Serbs living south of the Ibar River leave Kosovo daily in search of better lives. The reasons for this decision are numerous.

According to Dusan Borisavljevic from the Gracanica Municipality Youth Council, one of the most common problems is freedom of movement and language rights.

“Our language is not used as it should be used at a central level and in other parts, not in Serb-majority municipalities,” he said, adding that “economic issues are also evident everywhere, the effort to keep the young people here and motivate them to stay, not just to educate them and let them leave, thus creating even bigger problem”.

Unemployment is one of the main reasons young people decide to leave. Public transportation is also a problem, NGOs warn.

See at: https://bit.ly/2SEqtG6