UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 30, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

President Osmani travels for an official visit to the Czech Republic (media)
Gervalla participating at Bled Forum (Telegrafi)
Kurti: Archives in Belgrade should open so truth about our loved ones can be found out (Klan)
Osmani, Kurti, Hovenier pay tribute to the disappeared (media)
UNMIK in support of the families of persons missing from the war in Kosovo (Klan)
EULEX: In one year, three missing persons were identified, hundreds over years (Koha)
PSD calls the agreement on ID cards "legalization of parallel structures" (Koha)
Government to establish a Professional Committee after rape of the 11-year-old, (Klan)
COVID-19: 91 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

SRSG Ziadeh: Pristina and Belgrade cooperation crucial for progress on the issue of missing persons (Kontakt plus radio)
"It turns out to be a miracle that pain united us" (KiM radio, KoSSev)
Vucic: The problem with the vehicle plates will not be solved before September (NMagazin, Beta)
State Department: The agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is a step towards the normalization of relations (Beta, N1, VoA)
Serbian FM Selakovic met Cuban FM Parrilla (Tanjug)
Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic met Ambassador Hill (Tanjug, media)
Citizens on the ID agreement: Not supported by the majority “because it is not beneficial to both sides” (KoSSev)
Hrnjaz: Serbia did not recognize Kosovo with the new agreement, it does not mean it has not been moving towards it politically for 10 years (KoSSev)

International:

Germany's Scholz Backs EU Expansion To Include Western Balkans, As 'Center Of Europe Is Moving Eastwards' (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

New Book Tells Stories of Kosovo’s Child Casualties of War (Balkan Insight)
Greece increases electricity exports to neighboring Balkan countries (balkangreenenergynews.com)

Albanian Language Media

President Osmani travels for an official visit to the Czech Republic (media)

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani has officially traveled to the Czech Republic where she will hold a series of meetings with senior Czech state officials and will participate in the international conference of Forum 2000, together with other world leaders.

The Czech Republic currently leads the presidency of the Council of the European Union, therefore in these meetings, the President will address in particular the issue of visa liberalization and the advancement of the European agenda for Kosovo.

Osmani is also expected to meet with the Czech Prime Minister Mr. Petr Fiala, with the president of the Czech Senate, Mr. Milos Vystrcil as well as with the deputy prime minister, at the same time the minister for foreign affairs of the Netherlands, Mr. Wopke Hoekstra.

As part of this visit, President Osmani will participate and speak at the international conference of Forum 2000 on the topic: The clear and present danger to democracy: how to respond.

Gervalla participating at Bled Forum (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gervalla, is participating in the Bled Forum in Slovenia.

“Glad to take part in the Bled Strat Forum with the invitation of my Slovenian counterpart Tanja Fajon. At the opening, a clear warning of Slovenian President Pahor: EU must not let Russia destabilize the Western Balkans and must accelerate EU accession as a geopolitical measure,” Gervalla tweeted.

Kurti: Archives in Belgrade should open so the truth about our loved ones can be found out (Klan)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, has once again requested that Serbia open the archives for those forcibly disappeared in the last war in Kosovo.

He said that the Kosovo’s institutions in cooperation with the international community should increase the pressure on Serbia as much as possible.

"The archives in Belgrade must be opened to find out the truth about our loved ones. At the same time, our prosecutor's office should be much more active, the judiciary much more efficient, because the truth can be reached through justice, through the search for responsibility from those who killed them," Kurti said.

He called on all citizens to provide any information they possess about the cases.

Kurti said that recognizing the crimes committed in Kosovo by Serbia is the minimum of a humane policy.

Osmani, Kurti, Hovenier pay tribute to the disappeared (media)

President Osmani, along with Prime Minister Kurti and the U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier, paid tribute in front of the obelisk for the missing persons in Pristina on the International Day of the Missing.

Vjosa Osmani, in a post on Facebook, said that the families and Kosovo are still waiting for the clarification of the fate of over 1600 people, who disappeared violently during the last war.

"There can be no lasting peace without clarifying the fate of those forcibly disappeared in the last war in Kosovo. We are committed and determined that their fate will be clarified, the truth will prevail, and justice will triumph," she wrote.

“Honored to join President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, PM Albin Kurti and family members of the missing to observe the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances. We stand with every person who is waiting for news of their missing loved ones and remain committed to seeking and finding the truth,” Hovenier tweeted.

UNMIK in support of the families of persons missing from the war in Kosovo (Klan)

On the occasion of the International Day of the Enforced Disappeared, the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, reiterates that the UN supports the families of persons who are still missing.

According to her, their right to know the truth and the right to know is a basic human right, the exercise of which should not be politicized.

"UNMIK continues to protect the rights of families regarding the fate of their loved ones. Cooperation between Pristina and Belgrade is essential to progress on issues related to missing persons and to promote reconciliation and trust-building between all communities in Kosovo," she said.

Reiterating UNMIK’s commitment to supporting efforts to enlighten the fate of all persons still missing in Kosovo, SRSG Ziadeh urged that cooperation be resumed within the Belgrade-Pristina Working Group on Persons Unaccounted for in connection with the Events in Kosovo, which is chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross and remains a central mechanism that allowed for the resolution of a significant number of cases since its establishment in 2004.

“UNMIK continues to stand for the rights of families regarding the fate of their loved ones. Cooperation between Pristina and Belgrade is crucial to make progress on matters regarding missing persons, and to foster reconciliation and trust building between all communities in Kosovo,” she said.

SRSG Ziadeh also takes this opportunity to encourage Pristina and Belgrade to build on the momentum of the EU-facilitated dialogue to move forward on the issue of missing persons.

EULEX: For one year, three missing persons were identified, hundreds over the years (Koha)

The European Union Mission for the Rule of Law in Kosovo (EULEX) announced on Tuesday that within a year it has carried out 21 field operations, including nine exhumations, in which case it has identified three missing persons.

In the press release, on the International Day of Victims of Enforced Disappearances, EULEX reported that since 2009, 692 operations have been carried out, where 480 mortal remains have been identified, including 332 missing persons.

According to EULEX statistics, 89 bodies were exhumed in the Muslim cemetery in North Mitrovica, 81 in the Orthodox cemetery in Arberi, 77 in the Prizren cemetery, 59 in the Shiroka cemetery and 49 in the Muslim cemetery in Shiroka.

"From the beginning of the mandate until today, EULEX has worked tirelessly to find and return the remains of missing persons to their families for a respectable and dignified burial," the communique says, making it known that EULEX experts are working with the Kosovo authorities to review the human remains in the Pristina morgue.

The number of exhumed bodies, according to EULEX, in Brekoc is 121, in Old Cikatove 230, Rakosh 97, Qirez 96, Studime e Eprme 93, Korishee 72, Suhodoll i Poshtem 70, Makoc 63, Shudoll 61, Krushe e Madhe 58, Rudnica 54, Suhareke 54 and Kizhevak 7.

"To make it difficult to search for missing persons and to hide the evidence, the perpetrators of those crimes have hidden the bodies in small clandestine graves or even in cemeteries," the announcement states.

PSD calls the agreement on ID cards "legalization of parallel structures" (Koha)

The Social Democratic Party (PSD) held an action on Tuesday in front of the government building. With a big banner with the inscription "Parallel structures were legalized, long live the Government."

The PSD criticized the government for allowing Serbia to issue identification documents to Kosovo Serbs, with the inscription "Police Department for: Mitrovica, Prishtina, Peje, etc.”

Government to establish a Professional Committee after rape of the 11-year-old, (Klan)

Triggered by the case of the rape of an 11-year-old girl, at the invitation of the Deputy Minister of Justice Nita Shala, the Emergency Response Group of representatives from the Kosovo Police, the Prosecutor's Office, Victims' Defenders, Social Workers, the Court and the Ministry of Internal Affairs met today.

After this meeting, Deputy Minister Shala, at the same time the National Coordinator Against Domestic Violence, emphasized that they shared the concern regarding the rape of the girl in Pristina.

She emphasized that the government will create a Professional Committee which will analyse and recommend concrete actions:

1.A criminological investigation of the factors that lead to the committing of such actions. 2.Institutional responses to cases of abuse of minors. 3. Development of the procedure and the epilogue of cases of this nature as a result of the actions of the prosecution and the courts in Kosovo, for a period of five years. 4. Our children have the right to live free from violence. We are aware of the institutional obligation to guarantee that they go to school, work or anywhere in public spaces without fear of violence.

A group of citizens protested today in front of the National Theatre to express their indignation for the committed crime.

Police in the meantime informed that the fifth perpetrator was arrested.

COVID-19: 91 new cases (media)

The Ministry of Health announced Tuesday that 91 cases of COVID-19 have been registered in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. New cases of infection were recorded from a total of 559 samples taken for testing.

According to the announcement, 203 people have recovered, while 1391 cases are active.

Serbian Language Media

SRSG Ziadeh: Pristina and Belgrade cooperation crucial for progress on the issue of missing persons (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTK2)

On the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, reaffirms that the UN’s deepest thoughts are with the families of persons still missing. She underlines that their right to the truth and right to know is a fundamental human right, the exercise of which should not be politicized, reported Serbian media.

SRSG Ziadeh reiterated UNMIK’s commitment to supporting efforts to enlighten the fate of all persons still missing in Kosovo, and urged that cooperation be resumed within the Belgrade-Pristina Working Group on Persons Unaccounted for in connection with the Events in Kosovo, chaired by the International Committee of the Red Cross that remained a central mechanism that has allowed for the resolution of a significant number of cases since its establishment in 2004, cited the media.

SRSG Ziadeh encouraged Pristina and Belgrade on this day to build on the momentum of the EU-facilitated dialogue to move forward on the issue of missing persons.

"It turns out to be a miracle that pain united us" (KiM radio, KoSSev)

Representatives of the Resource Center for Missing Persons from Pristina and members of the Association of Families of Missing Persons "Kosovski stradalnici'' (Kosovo Sufferers) from Belgrade marked the International Day of Missing Persons on August 30.

"Who wants - finds a way, who doesn't - finds an excuse" was the common message of the families of the missing, reported KiM radio.

In Kosovo, the search for 1,617 persons who disappeared during the conflicts was still ongoing, and the families of the kidnapped and disappeared have been appealing to the authorities for 23 years to resolve this issue.

"It is necessary to shed light on the fate of the missing persons, starting with the local government, the central government, Belgrade and Pristina. For us, the families of the missing, they did very little. Mass graves whose location is known and whose location is unknown, name and surname, time, we are always told that they do not have documentation. What is even more difficult is that the same story and policy is being conducted in Brussels," said Barjam Qerkinaj from the Resource Center in Pristina.

For more than a year, the working groups have not met to talk about this problem, he added.

"They cannot find a common language. They are obliged, as the people who lead the negotiations in Brussels, to sit down with great strength and discuss this problem seriously. I know that politics made all this, still politics is stagnant in solving this problem. Politics should be outside of all this or should seriously work on shedding light on the fate of missing persons. We are asking international politics in Brussels to return to that humane path," added Qerkinaj.

The President of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of Kosovo, Kushtrim Gara, stated that "there is no location on the territory of Kosovo that has not been investigated or is not being investigated".

"According to the data, there are more than 2,700 locations that have been investigated in Kosovo, not only by our commission, but also by international organizations. Six thousand people have disappeared in Kosovo as a result of the war, and currently we have 1,617 people who are on the list of missing persons," he said.

Gara added that the Government of Kosovo's priority was the fate of missing persons, but also that there were challenges in solving these problems.

"We have three challenges. One thing everyone mentioned is the time factor. Time is a challenge for the process itself. The second challenge is the lack of confidential information, the third problem is the remains that are unidentified, we have more than 300 of them. All the remains are related to the victims of the war," he said.

Gordana Djikanovic from the Association of Family Members of Missing Persons "Kosovo Sufferers" from Belgrade asked why those who did not have victims cannot discuss this problem.

"If we can sit down and agree to have joint activities, among which is the commemoration of the International Day of the Missing, then let them sit down and make an agreement. The problem of the missing can begin to be solved properly, honestly, and responsibly, if Belgrade, Pristina, Brussels, and others do it together. Both Belgrade and Pristina, I mean the authorities and institutions, and the international community failed the test of humanity when missing are in question,'' she stated.

Gordana's colleague Marinko Djuric reminded that time was not an ally of the families of the missing.

"This pain united us to perform together, which turns out to be a miracle. We are the few who collectively search for the missing, to shed light on their fates, to exchange information held by institutions, recognized or unrecognized. Information about where are those we are looking for, or where are they buried or hidden in any way is important to us. To bury them with dignity as people, according to our customs, and to worship them on the days when it belongs to them," he said.

Djuric added that people did not disappear by going to the forest to pick flowers or by going to the mountain for skiing, but they disappeared in terrible agony.

After the meeting, representatives of the Resource Center for Missing Persons and members of the Association of Families of Missing Persons "Kosovo Sufferers" from Belgrade laid flowers in front of the monument dedicated to missing persons located in Pristina, reported KiM radio.

Vucic: The problem with the vehicle plates will not be solved before September (NMagazin, Beta)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic said today that he did not see a way for the problem of license plates with Pristina would be solved before September 1 and expressed his belief that Kosovo would certainly launch a campaign to change those plates for Serbs, reported portal NMagazin.

"I don't think they will have much success in that. Although Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said in Brussels that they will be successful and that the Serbs will be interested in replacing the license plates. We will see, it is a process that will last. There is no chance that it will be solved before September 1," he said.

Vucic said in the Presidency that it remained to see whether there would be changes after the summit of the Balkan countries and the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and some other European representatives, but that it seemed to him that there was no possibility of progress currently.

"There is no desire in Pristina to discuss rational and compromise solutions. That is just me, maybe the Europeans know better," he said.

He added that Serbia was always on the side of international law in all cases and international disputes and that the only official policy of Belgrade was to respect the UN Charter and all international resolutions.

Speaking about the upcoming problems with electricity, he said that the Government would soon come up with measures for all citizens in order to avoid this crisis, reported the portal.

State Department: The agreement between Serbia and Kosovo is a step towards the normalization of relations (beta, N1, VoA)

The United States of America (USA) supports the agreement on entry-exit documents between Kosovo and Serbia and sees it as an important step forward towards the normalization of relations based on mutual recognition, the Voice of America (VOA) was told in the State Department regarding the agreement reached by the two parties, reported Serbian media.

"The agreement on entry/exit documents is an example of the effective application of dialogue for dispute resolution and progress. The dialogue for Serbia and Kosovo is a mechanism whose purpose is to reach a comprehensive agreement on the normalization of relations. Achieving a solution through dialogue is crucial for both countries on their path to European integration," stated the State Department's response.

It was pointed out that in the dialogue, mediated by the EU, Serbia agreed to abolish entry-exit documents for holders of Kosovo documents, while, on the other hand, Kosovo agreed not to introduce entry-exit documents for citizens with Serbian documents.

"Based on the commitment of both sides and the hard work of the European Union's special envoy, we encourage Serbia and Kosovo to engage more and move forward in peace," the State Department said.

Serbian FM Selakovic met Cuban FM Parrilla (Tanjug)

The FMs of Serbia and Cuba, Nikola Selakovic and Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, met on Monday in Belgrade to discuss many subjects, including the 120th anniversary of Serbia-Cuba diplomatic ties and mutual support regarding Kosovo-Metohija and a lifting of the decades-long sanctions on Cuba, respectively.

At a joint press conference, the ministers said they were pleased the geographic distance between the two countries posed no obstacle to strengthening the bilateral ties in numerous areas on a daily basis.

Selakovic said Rodriguez Parrilla's visit to Belgrade was a "strong impetus to further development and deepening of not only bilateral but also overall ties in line with general mutual interests."

He said he was pleased to have met with Rodriguez Parrilla - whom he referred to as a "doyen among Latin American FMs" - for the fourth time in the past 11 months.

Selakovic said Rodriguez Parrilla's visit to Belgrade - which follows the Serbian minister's recent trip to Havana - was the first by a Cuban FM since 1989.

He said celebrations of the 120th anniversary of diplomatic ties was scheduled for November 4 and indicated a clear commitment to create even more substantial relations between Belgrade and Havana.

Selakovic noted that both countries were interested in advancement of economic ties and in untapped potentials, adding that he was especially pleased with an action plan signed by the chambers of commerce of the two countries.

Selakovic also thanked Rodriguez Parrilla for Cuba's principled support for the sovereignty and integrity of Serbia and for its principled position of non-recognition of the so-called Kosovo, as well as for Havana's commitment to respect of the fundamental principles of international law.

"Cuba's support is not only principled, but also active. In all organisations where Pristina is applying for membership, Cuba is a vocal opponent of that," said Selakovic, who briefed Rodriguez Parrilla on Serbia's efforts to resolve the Kosovo issue.

Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic met Ambassador Hill (Tanjug, media)

Serbian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic and US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill met on Monday to discuss the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and agreed that Belgrade was sincerely committed to seeking solutions that would maintain peace and stability for everyone in line with a clear state policy while protecting Serbia's vital interests, reported Tanjug.

Continued cooperation and the present political situation were discussed, the Serbian parliament said in a statement.

Orlic said Serbia-US relations were on a constant upward trajectory and said inter-parliamentary cooperation had been on a high level to date.

He said he expected a Serbia-US friendship group in Serbia's new parliament to be as numerous as it had been in the past.

Hill said there was mutual good will for further advancement of bilateral ties and noted that he believed the two countries were able to do much more together in the future.

Orlic noted the significance of past and future US investments in Serbia, in particular joint construction of infrastructure in Serbia.

"Besides investments that mean new jobs, motorways that we have been waiting for decades and that are now becoming a reality are changing the face of Serbia and ensuring quality life to our citizens. Serbia will continue to boost its economy in the period to come, too," he said.

Orlic thanked the US for supporting Serbia's European integration process.

Discussing the significance of regional cooperation, Orlic and Hill agreed the Open Balkan initiative - launched by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic - was extremely important for connectivity and cooperation in the Western Balkans, the statement said.

RTS reported today that Orlic also said that a special session of the parliament on Kosovo and Metohija will be held on September 13.

As previously announced, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will attend the session, and if necessary, the discussion will be held on September 14, he said.

Orlic added that in the coming days is expected that the Report of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija will be delivered to the Assembly, which will be presented to the deputies.

Citizens on the ID agreement: Not supported by the majority “because it is not beneficial to both sides” (KoSSev)

The recent deal by which Serbia has agreed to abolish entrance/exit documents for citizens with Kosovo ID cards, with Kosovo agreeing not to introduce them for Serbian ID holders is being hailed by both Belgrade and Pristina authorities as a success. On the other hand, the opposition on both sides harshly criticizes it. But what do citizens say about this agreement?

Based on the results of the online polls KoSSev posted on its social networks, the largest number of respondents say that they do not welcome the agreement because it is not beneficial to both sides, while only a small number of them declared they support it precisely because it is beneficial for both Serbs and Albanians. On the other hand, when asked „What do you think about the latest agreement in Brussels, and do you know what was agreed?” – the largest number of users shared a negative view of the agreement, criticizing the Serbian government. Furthermore, they describe the agreement as “treason” and „violation of the Constitution “.

On Saturday evening – the very same day it was announced from Brussels that an agreement on the documents had been reached, the KoSSev portal published polls on its social networks: „Do you welcome the agreement just reached in Brussels?” Readers had 24 hours to answer the question with one of the four offered answers.

These polls were published on Instagram and Twitter. A total of 1,462 users voted – 1,289 on Instagram and 173 on Twitter.

International

Germany's Scholz Backs EU Expansion To Include Western Balkans, As 'Center Of Europe Is Moving Eastwards' (RFE)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is “committed” to the enlargement of the European Union to include the six countries of the Western Balkans, as well as Ukraine, Moldova, and ultimately Georgia, declaring that the “center of Europe is moving eastwards.”

“Their EU accession is in our interest,” Scholz said on August 29 in a speech at Charles University in the Czech capital in which he laid out his future vision of an expanded Europe.

Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia are all seeking EU membership but have voiced frustration over their stalled bids, especially after the bloc’s expedited decision to grant Ukraine and Moldova candidate status in late June.

Humanitarian/Development

New Book Tells Stories of Kosovo’s Child Casualties of War (Balkan Insight)

Stories of children who were killed or went missing during the 1998-99 Kosovo war are told in a newly-published book, ‘Hijacked Childhood’, in an attempt to address the traumas of war and promote peace.

A new book entitled ‘Hijacked Childhood’ was published on Tuesday, containing interviews with 12 parents who lost their children during the 1998-99 war in Kosovo and in its intermediate aftermath, offering a powerful chronicle of the traumas that they suffered.