UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 30, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

Kusari-Lila: The association can only be formed by the institutions of Kosovo (media)
LVV MPs after the U.S. position on the Association: Zajednica does not pass (media)
LVV against the establishment of an association on ethnic grounds (RTK)
LDK confirms it will attend discussion on Association (Telegrafi)
PDK’s Tahiri: Kurti has brought Kosovo to miserable position vis-à-vis USA (media)
Kurti's advisor publishes 1999 documents when the EU had sanctioned Vucic (RTK)
According to the FES statute, the Association will have its own official symbols (RTK)
If the Basic Agreement is not signed, integration process will be blocked, support frozen, and there will be a setback in the relations with the West (Albanian Post)
Serbian national arrested driving truck with 107 kg of drugs in Kosovo (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

Chollet, Escobar: The Time for Establishing the ASM is Now (KoSSev)
Vucic: Serbia wants a compromise, but it also has principles and expectations (FoNet, N1, media)
Councilors of the CI "For Zubin Potok" took over their mandates, then submitted their resignations (Kosovo Online)
Djuric: CSM (ZSO) is a condition for continuation of talks with Pristina (KiM radio, KoSSev, Beta, TV Pink)
‘Kreni-Promeni’ movement launches a petition for the withdrawal of Kosovo special forces and bases from the north (KoSSev)
Dacic defends Brussels Agreement: It was the maximum Belgrade could achieve (Politika, Beta, N1)
Office for KiM: Stoned vehicle with 'KG' plates in Suvi Do (KiM radio)

Opinion:

The solution to the Kosovo problem suggests political retirement for many (euractive.com)

International:

Italy Seeks Higher Profile Role in Western Balkans (Balkan Insight)
KFOR: It is important to refrain from provocations and seek solutions through dialogue (EWB)

Albanian Language Media

Kusari-Lila: The association can only be formed by the institutions of Kosovo (media)

The head of the parliamentary group of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) Mimoza Kusari-Lila, in a press conference after the meeting of the Presidency of the Assembly, spoke about the agenda of the two plenary sessions set for this week.

Among other things, Kusari-Lila responded to the comments about the conflict between the government of Kosovo and that of the United States. According to her, we are not talking about a clash, but about a different opinions.

"Nothing can be done by anyone else. In Kosovo, the decision-making bodies are the government, the Assembly, and the municipalities with local government. There is no other mechanism that anyone outside of these can establish or create, but from a legal and mandatory point of view, these are the institutions I mentioned," Kusari Lila said.

"The Government of Kosovo has no conflict with the USA and there has not been, we may have a difference of opinion in relation to the dialogue process and agenda. The U.S. Embassy has invited the Ministers of the special departments who can contribute to the discussion on the issue of the association and of course representatives of the opposition parties, i.e. from the position there are enough ministers who have been invited to discuss. As for the conflicting public discourse, I think that we constantly coordinate, communicate, but also have the right of opinion in relation to issues that are of vital importance for the future of the Republic of Kosovo," Kusari-Lila said.

LVV MPs after the U.S. position on the Association: Zajednica does not pass (media)

MPs of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) have reacted regarding the positions of the U.S. State Department adviser, Derek Chollet, and the U.S. special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, about the Association of Serb-majority municipalities.

MP Artan Abrashi wrote through a post on Facebook that "Zajednica does not pass".

"I don't know what Vucic and Brnabic have promised Chollet and Escobar, but: Zajednica does not pass," he wrote.

Meanwhile, the MP of the LVV, Tinka Kurti, said that the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority weakens the municipalities with a Serbian majority and strengthens Serbia.

"The next president of the Association will have the amen from Vucic and Porfirije in Belgrade, will dominate the mayors of the 10 municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo and will fight the minister Nenad Rashic in Pristina," she said.

LVV’s MP, Dimal Basha, writes that “Kosovo has the Association of its municipalities, where the Chairman is the mayor of the municipality of Ferizaj, Agim Aliu. I am convinced that there is also a place for municipalities with a Serbian majority to join this Association!

If we think of co-existence in one Republic, then we also co-exist with an Association. Otherwise, the division of municipalities into different parallel associations on ethnic grounds is a prelude to the division of Kosovo.”

LVV MP Enver Dugolli wrote that “All the pressure for "Zajednica" is being done because Serbs do not want to be a minority anywhere. This originates from the "Serbian World" project, which is a new name in the 21st century for the "Greater Serbia" project from the 20th century. Consequently, Albanians will become a minority within 'Zajednica', a minority in their own state of Kosovo! Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegrins in Montenegro have already become minorities in their own countries!

Senior LVV official and mayor of Gjilan, Alban Hyseni, wote that “First it was decentralisation on ethnic basis. Expanded responsibilities for Serb-majority municipalities from the Ahtisaari Plan followed. Then came the Brussels agreements that added responsibilities in the judiciary, energy and others. It is now insisting on a single-ethnic association and a territorial dimension. Serbia will not stop, if the Association is founded, the next request will be the Republika Srpska.”

LVV against the establishment of an association on ethnic grounds (RTK)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) is against the establishment of an association and any other agreement on ethnic grounds. This is what the representatives of this party, Alim Rama and Hajrulla Ceku, stated during a meeting they held with the director of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) for Kosovo and North Macedonia, René Schlee.

"The Republic of Kosovo has one of the best systems in the world for the protection of the rights of non-majority communities, within the legal-constitutional frameworks," LVV representatives said.

According to the press release issued by this party, the largest in Kosovo, it is said that the cooperation between the Vetevendosje Movement and the Social Democratic Party of Germany will be one of the main objectives this year, within the framework of increasing coordination with the Social Democratic family in EU and in the world.

According to the same announcement, the meeting agreed on coordination and cooperation for the year 2023, with special emphasis on strengthening organisational capacities, public policy and local governance. Likewise, the largest Kosovar party has invited the FES to conduct a comparative study on the respect of the rights of communities in Kosovo and in other countries, including Serbia.

LDK confirms it will attend discussion on Association (Telegrafi)

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) said in a statement today that it will attend the discussion organised by the United States Embassy on the Association of Serb-majority municipalities. “The Democratic League of Kosovo, in this meeting, will again confirm its support for the EU-mediated dialogue, with the full involvement of the United States of America. The LDK’s orientation toward a final, legally binding agreement, centred on mutual recognition, remains unchanged,” the statement notes.

On the Association of Serb-majority municipalities, the LDK says the issue is a competency and constitutional responsibility solely of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, namely the government. “The constitutional competencies and responsibilities have no alternative, therefore, the LDK, in its opposition role, has no way to exercise them. The opposition cannot assume the responsibilities of the majority or of the government of this majority. Therefore, the participation of state institutions in this process is an irreplaceable necessity,” the statement notes.

The LDK also called on the government “not to hide behind populist accusations against the opposition, but to exercise its responsibilities as a majority and to treat the issue in compliance with the Constitution and laws of Kosovo and in close coordination with our allies”.

PDK’s Tahiri: Kurti has brought Kosovo to a miserable position vis-à-vis the USA (media)

Abelard Tahiri, head of the Parliamentary Group of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), has said that the PDK will send its representative to the meeting called by the U.S. Embassy, where the Association of municipalities with a Serb majority is expected to be the topic of discussion.

He said that as far as constitutional responsibilities are concerned, the PDK is an opposition party, but according to him, such issues should be addressed to Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

"You see that in fact the position of our country vis-à-vis the USA is miserable. The opposition is not responsible for the situation, the government led by Kurti is responsible. He must give direction to the demands," he said.

Kurti's advisor publishes 1999 documents when the EU had sanctioned Vucic (RTK)

Jeton Zulfaj, adviser of the Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has published a document in which he writes that the Serbian president, then Minister of Information, Aleksandar Vucic, was sanctioned by the EU in 1999 for genocide in Kosovo.

"In 1999, the EU sanctioned Aleksandar Vucic for supporting the Milosevic regime in carrying out ethnic cleansing and genocide in Kosovo," writes Zulfaj.

"In 2023, Miroslav Lajcak expects from the same person to recognize the independence of Kosovo."

He added that Serbia must change, starting with its constitution.

According to the FES statute, the Association will have its own official symbols (RTK)

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) in Pristina has compiled a draft statute for the "Association of Municipalities in which the Kosovo Serb Community is the Majority", drawn up by this organisation in partnership with the European Institute for Peace (EIP).

This draft statute states that the Association will be a legal entity established in accordance with the Constitution and the legal system of Kosovo. It is further emphasised that the Association/Community will have its own official symbols, including the emblem and the flag, which will be designed by the Board of the Association/Community in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo and the Law on Local Government.

According to the draft, the statute of the Association/Community is the highest legal act of the Association/Community adding that the statute will be approved by a founding assembly of the Association/Community, composed of the voted members of the municipal assemblies of the participating municipalities in accordance with the Law for the Ratification of the First Agreement and the Constitution of Kosovo. The statute will be approved by a legal act of the government of Kosovo and will assume the power of a Government regulation according to the legal system of Kosovo after review by the Constitutional Court.

The draft determines that the Assembly of the Association/Community is the body responsible for changes to the Statute.

"The Association/Community consists of the following ten municipalities and represents their interests and those of their residents. Membership in the Association/Community is voluntary. The procedures for additional membership, removal from membership and dissolution of the Association/Community are determined by this Statute. The Association/Community will not replace or reduce the rights and interests of the communities in the Republic of Kosovo, as provided for in its Constitution and foreseen by the legal system," it is further stated in the points that make up the draft.

According to this draft, the activities of the Association/Community are based on the principles of voluntary participation by its members, the advancement of democracy and local governance, as well as respecting the provisions for the protection and representation of the rights and interests of communities embedded in the Constitution and laws of Kosovo.

The draft states that the municipal authorities join the Association/Community based on the decision of their municipal assemblies in accordance with the legal provisions that regulate the decision-making of this municipal body.

According to this draft, the Association/Community can be dissolved only by a decision of its Assembly approved by 2/3 of the majority of its members, while in case the decision to dissolve is taken by the Assembly of the Association/Community, the dissolution of the Association/Community is done by the government.

Also according to this draft, the Association/Community has the right to its own integral budget, bank accounts and has the right to own property and engage in financial transactions.

Find the complete study here: https://bit.ly/3DpvaKE

If the Basic Agreement is not signed, integration process will be blocked, support frozen, and there will be a setback in the relations with the West (Albanian Post)

The news webpage claims to be in possession of a non-paper document where a Western diplomat ‘deeply involved in the reconciliation process between Kosovo and Serbia,’ presents the sanctions/benefits for Kosovo and Serbia, related to the signing of the European proposal for Kosovo-Serbia basic agreement.

“Kosovo is free not to establish the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority and can completely withdraw from the 2013 Agreement, but then it must "bear the consequences of undoing all previous achievements (free movement, the telephone code of Kosovo +383, the integration of the northern part, the control of two border points with Serbia and others)", says the last non-paper document that was exclusively provided by Albanian Post.

With a harsh and not at all diplomatic language in this non-paper, written by a Western diplomat deeply involved in the reconciliation process between Kosovo and Serbia, it has become clear what Kosovo and Serbia lose if the West's efforts to established peace in the region are faced with delays and deliberate blockades by Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti.

Divided into 11 separate parts and with over 20 sub-points, the six-page non-paper that, according to AP sources, summarises everything that Kurti and Vucic will be facing, focusing more on clarifying the fatal consequences of not signing the Basic Agreement supported in the European Proposal, rather than explaining the eventual benefits.

One of the most important parts of the document is entitled "Dynamics Ahead - failure is not an option", where it is made clear that the European Union and the West no longer intend to be observer players in the "delaying tactics" and "blocking tactics" of Serbia and Kosovo.

It is written there that if Kosovo, or Serbia, fail to be constructive partners and do not sign the agreement, then "this means stopping the integration process and a potential reversal of relations with the EU and the benefits that come with it."

According to this document, "Kosovo cannot aspire to continue enjoying absolute protection from the Western world, which is vital for its existence, and at the same time hesitate to embrace Western efforts for permanent peace."

On the other hand, "Serbia cannot aspire to continue enjoying the financial, economic and political benefits of the existing agreements and at the same time undermine the efforts of the West for permanent peace".

The document also makes it clear to Serbia that "gambling with false hopes that someday, in the future, NATO and the EU will collapse, thus enabling the re-occupation of Kosovo, is a recipe for disaster," Albanian Post reports.

For a more details, see here: http://bit.ly/3kRf1Hy

Serbian national arrested driving truck with 107 kg of drugs in Kosovo (Nacionale)

The news website reports that the Kosovo Police Department for Drug Trafficking Investigations, in cooperation with the Customs Service, arrested on Sunday a Serbian national driving a truck with 107 kilograms of marijuana. Police said in a statement that during the control they found the drugs in two modified bunkers.

Serbian Language Media

Chollet, Escobar: The Time for Establishing the ASM is Now (KoSSev)

By: Derek Chollet, Counselor of the U.S. Department of State and Gabriel Escobar, U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans

The United States and the European Union have placed a renewed emphasis on the integration of the Western Balkans into the Trans-Atlantic family. As President Biden and Chancellor Scholz stated on February 2022, they are committed to “completing the work of integrating the Western Balkans…to finally realize a Europe that is whole, free, and at peace.”

Among our most important aims in the Western Balkans is helping to create the conditions for a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable relationship between Serbia and Kosovo. During the past few weeks, and alongside France, Germany, Italy, and the EU, we have traveled to Belgrade and Pristina to encourage both parties to accept the EU proposal for the two countries to normalize relations, break the cycle of crisis and confrontation, and decisively advance their European integration. This is an historic opportunity we believe both sides should seize.

One of the most critical tasks remains the implementation of the agreement on the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities (ASM). There has been a lot of discussion about the ASM, and it is time to set the record straight about what it is and what it is not. In general terms, the ASM would be a structure for municipalities with a majority ethnic Serb population to coordinate on issues and services such as education, health care, urban and rural planning, and local economic development—in other words, functions for which all municipalities in Kosovo are responsible.

It is a means to improve the everyday lives of people, create confidence between ethnic Serbs and the central government, provide greater connectivity between the north and the rest of the country, and create mechanisms for Serbs to participate more fully in the civic life of Kosovo.

Equally important, the implementation of the ASM agreement is an outstanding, legally-binding, international obligation that requires action from Kosovo, Serbia, and the EU and an existing commitment from the United States in support of the EU-facilitated Dialogue.

Kosovo’s commitment to create the ASM does not undermine its constitution or threaten its sovereignty, independence, or democratic institutions. We strictly oppose the creation of any entity resembling Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH); the international community is not seeking to impose a solution. Instead, we are asking Kosovo to provide its own vision for this association and are willing to provide expertise and political support to ensure it works in the best interest of all Kosovans.

The EU Special Representative has noted that there are 14 similar arrangements inside of the European Union – none of which violate European systems of effective government.

Opinion

The solution to the Kosovo problem suggests political retirement for many (euractive.com)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s policy of reaching a compromise with Pristina is, and will be, exposed to enormous resistance, and will reach a peak in the upcoming parliamentary debate, writes Orhan Dragaš.

Orhan Dragaš is the founder and director of the International Security Institute based in Belgrade.

If the current European draft agreement between Belgrade and Pristina becomes a “legally binding document”, it will not remove the issue of Kosovo as one of the most important on Balkan’s political scene overnight. It will take years to implement what was agreed upon and for the legal systems of both Serbia and Kosovo to be adjusted according to the new solutions.

International

Italy Seeks Higher Profile Role in Western Balkans (Balkan Insight)

A concern that Italy is not adequately exploiting its assets in the Balkans has again started to agitate Italian politicians.

According to Dario D'Urso, a contributor to the volume, Italy played a leading role in the Balkans in the 1990s and early 2000s thanks to bilateral relations and multibilateral endeavours.

However, its influence in the region was weakened because the country relied on an EU enlargement process that did not bring timely results.

With the exacerbation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo in the last months, Italian journalists want to know what Italy should do not only as a member of the EU but as a single state.

During a Q&A hosted by the magazine Limes on YouTube, Alessandro Polity, a former NATO adviser in Kosovo, affirmed in a metaphorical sense that while Italy invests, it often forgets to cash in.