Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti says that Kosovo embodies the same values as the Council of Europe (RTK)
• Kurti: Kosovo is becoming a worthy partner for consolidation in NATO (Koha)
• AAK sent the Law on the minimum wage to the Constitutional Court (media)
• Hoti: Reporting to the Assembly, a constitutional obligation (RTK)
• Haradinaj suspects that PDK and LDK are serious about overthrowing government (Koha)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Petkovic: Pristina does not wish de-escalation, meeting in Brussels only performance to them (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Stoltenberg understands situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Vucic handed over eight documents to Stoltenberg on “Kurti’s terror against Serbs in Kosovo” (Kosovo Online, Novosti)
• DefMin: Pristina arming its forces (N1, BETA)
• Arsic: Kosovo authorities started direct attack on University, they promised us construction of a new building (Kosovo Online)
• Zaporozac: By banning school reconstruction in Mitrovica North, they ban our right to education (Kosovo Online)
• New team of Danish KFOR soldiers donates 8.000 euros to school in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
• Vujovic on Escobar’s testimony in Congress: Too late for advice, Serbia can only do damage control (KoSSev)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Kurti says that Kosovo embodies the same values as the Council of Europe (RTK)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Donika Gervalla have participated in the first meeting of the Coordinating Group for the membership of Kosovo in the Council of Europe.  Kurti said that Kosovo embodies the same values as the Council of Europe.

"Naturally, we have a place in this organization. This strengthens even more the protection of the rights of our citizens, without distinction. Kosovo has met the legal requirements and democratic standards for admission to the EC", Kurti said.

Minister Gervalla on the other hand said that now that the process has passed to the assembly of the Council of Europe, an important stage of the evaluation and concrete steps in this process begins.

"The Government of Kosovo will cooperate closely in the evaluation process of the working group of the Council of Europe, at every stage. When the first phase has passed, everything will depend on the coordination of this group, Kosovo's quick membership in the Council of Europe also depends on your coordination," Gervalla said.

Kurti: Kosovo is becoming a worthy partner for consolidation in NATO (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti through a post on Facebook, announced the meetings of Lieutenant General Bashkim Jashari, visiting the USA, on the 30th anniversary of the State Partnership Program.

“As we are increasing our size, increasing our capabilities and raising our military capacities, Kosovo is becoming a partner worthy of consolidation among the alliances with the United States of America and NATO,” Kurti wrote.

"Accompanied by General Stephen Osborn from the Iowa National Guard, General Jashari also met General Mark A. Milley, the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who addressed the audience with a speech. On this occasion, General Bashkim Jashari held meetings with many heads of the American military and other allied armies", Kurti announced.

AAK sent the Law on the minimum wage to the Constitutional Court (media)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) has submitted to the Constitutional Court the Law on the amendment and completion of the laws that determine the amount of the minimum wage benefit. On this occasion, the head of the AAK Parliamentary Group, Besnik Tahiri, said that they expect the court to decide on justice.

"Today, AAK supported by two independent MPs, submitted the request for completing the laws that determine the amount of the benefit at the level of the minimum wage. We have addressed our request based on three issues: First, the Economic and Social Council has never been consulted about this law, which represents a flagrant violation. The second concerns discrimination against a category such as the blind, and the third relates to veterans. The Prime Minister has told us who has the salary of 260 euros today in Kosovo. This is another fraud", Tahiri said.

Hoti: Reporting to the Assembly, a constitutional obligation (RTK)

Former Prime Minister of Kosovo and current MP of LDK Avdullah Hoti said that it is not the first time that the chief negotiator of Kosovo for dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, does not report to the committees of the Assembly.

Hoti, in a post on Facebook, emphasized that the government's reporting to the Parliament on the dialogue is not in its will, but it is a constitutional obligation, and that this responsibility cannot be avoided.

"Degradation of the dialogue from the highest-level meetings in Washington and Brussels for ‘Final, legally binding agreement, for mutual recognition and normalization of relations’, to dialogue in the beach hotels, in Bratislava and Ohrid for interim agreements that leave the problem open for the next ten years, is regrettable" Hoti wrote.

The meeting of the committee for European Integration has failed today, because the first deputy prime minister for European Integration, Development and Dialogue, Besnik Bislimi, has not appeared to this committee to report on EU measures for Kosovo.

His adviser, Klisman Kadiu, said that the reason for not holding the meeting was the lack of quorum, not Bislimi’s absence.

Haradinaj suspects that PDK and LDK are serious about overthrowing government (Koha)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Ramush Haradinaj, has criticized the opposition parties for not being serious about overthrowing the current government.

"A critical majority agrees that it is necessary to get out of this situation as soon as possible. One party is looking for elections to stop this evil that is being done to the country, while the other party is looking for a new way, also to get out of this situation", Haradinaj wrote. He has added that his party has offered the motion of no confidence as a model to get out of the situation.

"Actually, both the opposition parties are asking for the same thing that we have asked for, but they don't see how this can be achieved! My question is, how to go to the election, or how to find the third way out of this situation? Should we wait for the prime minister to willingly hand over his mandate, which seems impossible, or wait for some miracle to happen by itself?" Haradinaj asked.

Addressing the opposition parties, Haradinaj emphasized that the motion is the only path that should be followed.

"Therefore, other opposition parties, if they are sincere in their position that this government must be stopped at all costs because it is destroying the country, then they must understand that the motion proposed by us is the only way, and therefore support it".

   

Serbian Language Media

  Petkovic: Pristina does not wish de-escalation, meeting in Brussels only performance to them (Tanjug)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said today the latest meeting in Brussels only confirmed that Pristina is absolutely not ready to move in direction of de-escalation, adding that the meeting in Brussels “was only performance” for them, Tanjug news agency reports.

He also said the manner of Pristina is to talk about de-escalation, but when they need to implement it, they do not want trilateral meetings, agreements and de-escalation.

“We were ready to meet with them, as otherwise why would we go to Brussels. It is a different question if I love meeting Bislimi, but it is my job to talk about difficult topics. About topics that should enable better lives for both Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija. This no longer has anything to do with negotiations and responsibility. They are just feigning negotiations and arrival to Brussels, it is only performance to them”, Petkovic said.

Nothing is more important than de-escalation, he said.

"But Kosovo police are still in and around municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and the harassment of Serbs continues. The situation is not great in the south either - in Strpce, Gracanica, in the Kosovo Pomoravlje. The most important thing is to solve the crisis and that the false mayors, the police and Kurti's occupiers, for whom there is no place in the north, are withdrawn", Petkovic said.

The EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak was told all that, Petkovic said, adding that discussions on de-escalation had been Brussels's official agenda.

"We have met two of three commitments - not the third one, because it goes in parallel with Pristina's commitment. When they withdraw the police, the citizens outside the municipal buildings will withdraw, too", he said.

Dacic: Stoltenberg understands situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday President Aleksandar Vucic's recent meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had been fair and that Stoltenberg understood the situation in Kosovo, Tanjug news agency reports.

Speaking to Pink TV, Dacic said Stoltenberg had established a very fair, human and direct relationship with Vucic.

"The discussion was fair, in terms of a call on KFOR to perform its tasks. That is crucial for further developments, so that Serbia's desire for de-escalation is unquestionable", Dacic said.

A de-escalation is not a responsibility of Serbia as it has done nothing to complicate the situation, he said. He also said an announcement by Pristina's PM Albin Kurti that he would withdraw 25 pct of police forces deployed in the north of Kosovo was a trick.

"As defined by the Brussels Agreement, police in the north of Kosovo are made up of Serbs and there should be no ethnic Albanian police there. What 25 pct? None of them should be there", Dacic said.

According to Dacic the Brussels Agreement and all other agreements are being grossly violated in Kosovo and Serbs are subjected to terror and arrested on a daily basis, often without evidence.

Vucic handed over eight documents to Stoltenberg on “Kurti’s terror against Serbs in Kosovo” (Kosovo Online, Novosti)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic handed over to the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during their meeting in Brussels eight documents depicting, as it was said, chronology of terror Serbs in Kosovo are faced with, since Albin Kurti took power in Pristina, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Novosti daily.

According to media reports the documents contain detailed information about 383 ethnically motivated attacks against the Serbs, including 15 against the children.

The documents include the following: Chronology of Kurti’s terror in Kosovo, List of Serbs who Kurti’s forces shot at during 2023, Report on the attack against two underage children in Zitkovac near Zvecan, List of Serbs arrested without grounds since Kurti took power, Ethnically motivated crimes, Pristina’s measures against the Serbian health system, Attack on pilgrims and Serbian Orthodox Church sites from 2021 to 2023 and Ethnically motivated attacks against Serbian children.

DefMin: Pristina arming its forces (N1, BETA)

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said on Friday that Pristina is arming the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF) with powerful combat systems in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1244, N1 reports.

The Defense Minister said that the Serbian military is drafting operational plans, conducting additional training and setting up military equipment adequate for the potential danger. “We absolutely have a response to this”, he told TV Prva.

He said that the KSF is being armed as part of the attempts to transform into a military force. “Besides the drones which were donated by Turkey, they received other systems – howitzers, mortars, a very powerful anti-armor system, offensive systems. They are sending their officers and non-coms to NATO countries for training and they have joint exercises”, he said.

“We are carefully watching what is happening in our backyard that could set the whole house on fire”, he said adding that Pristina’s weapons “can’t compare with the military potential of the Serbian military” (VS) but that these are “clear indications that they have a strategy to develop their military in Kosovo”. “We are stronger but that does not mean that we don’t understand and are not following what is happening around us”, he said.

Arsic: Kosovo authorities started direct attack on University, they promised us construction of a new building (Kosovo Online)

Rector of the University of Pristina temporarily settled in Mitrovica North, Professor Dr. Nebojsa Arsic told Kosovo Online portal today he was surprised by the decision of the Kosovo authorities to halt the construction of the University building, as well as other facilities in this city, such as a school for vulnerable categories and social housing.

“Works on the construction of the University building were suspended. We did not expect that, that decision surprised us all. Every day we watched how the construction progressed, floor by floor, and were waiting for it to be finished and to finally move into that new building, both the Rectorate and our faculties. However, a “cold shower” followed, an unpleasant surprise, and we found out that the works had been suspended, that their inspection came with the assistance of police and closed the construction site. All of the necessary documentation for the construction exists and there is a board on the construction site that is properly marked with information about the designer and contractor”, Arsic said.

“(…) Now we have for the first time a direct attack on the University, so I am afraid that this is not the end and that something will follow after this. We have to prepare how we will work in these circumstances. We are waiting for the development of the situation, to see if the international authorities will react. I am ready to send a letter to our international partners to inform them about this, so that we can see if we can expect help in this regard, because this affects our work”, he added.

Zaporozac: By banning school reconstruction in Mitrovica North, they ban our right to education (Kosovo Online)

Head of School Administration for Kosovo, Ivan Zaporozac told Kosovo Online portal that decision of the new Albanian mayor in Mitrovica North Erden Atiq to ban construction of the school for children from vulnerable groups was concerning, adding this way Serbs have been deprived of the right to education.

He also urged the international community to react.

Zaporozac visited the construction site of the school today and said that he received many calls from parents who are deeply disturbed with this decision, asking what they should do now. The school, whose reconstruction was banned, is planned to be used to accommodate students of the schools expelled from Mitrovica South.

“They have remained without their school premises already once, and by yesterday’s, exclusively political decision, construction of the school for vulnerable persons, students and families had been halted”, Zaporozac said.

New team of Danish KFOR soldiers donates 8.000 euros to school in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)

In a humanitarian military march new team of Danish KFOR contingent organised on July 1, an amount of 8000 euros was collected and donated to the School for Primary and Secondary Education for the children with disabilities Kosovski Bozur in Mitrovica North, KoSSev portal reports.

The money will be used to equip classrooms and purchase necessary didactic equipment.

School director Marta Popovic recalled that KFOR soldiers in continuity for years have shown humanity and empathy for the children with disabilities adding that thanks to the donations of the previous team of Danish soldiers, students of this school went on an excursion on Zlatibor Mountain.

“I am very pleased, because when these young soldiers come, they have a desire to help and show empathy for our children (…)”, she said, adding that young generations raise awareness that children with disabilities are among us, part of our society, and have the same needs as we do.

Lieutenant Colonel, heading the Danish contingent at KFOR, Kim Sorentsen said he was pleased to hear that the previous donation enabled children to go on an excursion.

“We now have a new team in Novo Selo, they organised Danko’s March on July 1, and 650 soldiers took part. They are all happy to know that the donation goes for this purpose. This time the donation will not be used for activities, but will have a lasting character”, he said adding that all praise should go to soldiers because they collected the amount. 

Vujovic on Escobar’s testimony in Congress: Too late for advice, Serbia can only do damage control (KoSSev)

The fact that Congress is involved in the efforts of the US executive authorities to find a solution in the Western Balkans poses a higher level and a new quality in relations. And they are raising that bar solely for the purpose of protecting their interests, as they are far less concerned over Pristina and Belgrade, Nebojsa Vujovic, the former head of the Serbian mission in Washington and a participant in the Dayton negotiations, said in a statement for KoSSev, commenting on the recent hearing on the Western Balkans in the US Congress.

At this hearing of the US Congress Foreign Affairs Subcommittee for Europe, the only person testifying was US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State and envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar.

Congressmen asked him a series of questions, most of which concerned the situation in Kosovo. The former head of the Serbian mission in Washington believes that this is a big deal.

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