Albanian Language Media:

• Suspects fire shots at Kosovo police during smuggling attempt in the north (media)
• “Lifting ban on Serbian products in exchange for lifting of EU measures” (RFE)
• Rohde: Kosovar lawyers can now register with German bar associations (media)
• Initiative for dismissal; Zeqiri: I see it more problematic and less dignifying (RTV21)
• Ombudsperson treating complaints in the north; reporters deserve attention (EO)

Serbian Language Media:

• Ombudsman in Kosovo opens case of RTS journalist Svetlana Vukmirovic (Radio KIM)
• What could citizens lose without MTS in Kosovo? (RTS)
• Vucevic: Ukraine by recognizing Kosovo would create bigger problem to itself (Tanjug)
• Vucic: We have not given up on UN Security Council session, we are waiting for right moment (Kosovo Online)
• Zeqiri: Coordinated collective resignations of mayors better than petition (Kosovo Online)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Suspects fire shots at Kosovo police during smuggling attempt in the north (media)

Five vehicles and a van in the village of Ceceve in the municipality of Zubin Potok refused to stop before the Kosovo Police and started firing shots at officers early Friday morning. A spokesperson for the Mitrovica region confirmed the incident. “Police tried to stop five vehicles and a van which were involved in smuggling. During the police attempts, shots were fired at police and the latter responded with fire. Five persons were arrested, four Serbs and an Albanian. Police are also searching for another suspect,” the police spokesperson said.

“Lifting ban on Serbian products in exchange for lifting of EU measures” (RFE)

The Kosovo government should soon annul the decision for banning the import of products from Serbia but expects the European Union to lift the penalty measures against Pristina, Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns Nenad Rasic said in an interview for Radio Free Europe.

Rasic said several international diplomats too have asked Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to lift the ban on Serbian products. According to Rasic, Kurti’s response to the diplomats was that as Prime Minister he wants full de-escalation “but that the European Union needs to show some understanding”. “It is one of the first steps that we will follow. Whether the package will include this [the lifting of the ban on the import of Serbian products and the EU measures against Kosovo], I cannot say now, but it is certainly the first thing that will be on our agenda,” Rasic added.

Rohde: Kosovar lawyers can now register with German bar associations (media)

German Ambassador Jorn Rohde today welcomed the news that Kosovar lawyers can from now on register with German bar associations and practice there. “Exciting development! Kosovar lawyers can now register with German bar associations, enabling them to practise directly in Germany. This step promises to enhance economic cooperation and streamline cross-border🇩🇪🇽🇰 project execution. A significant stride forward!,” Rohde said.

Initiative for dismissal; Zeqiri: I see it more problematic and less dignifying (RTV21)

Mayor of Zubin Potok, Izmir Zeqiri, said in an interview with the TV station today that he is ready to cooperate with any decision taken by the Kosovo government in order to deescalate the situation in the north. He argued that the initiative to dismiss the mayors of the four northern municipalities is problematic, because such initiatives have not been practised so far and that they can create problems in the future in all municipalities. “I will comply with any legal decision made by the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo. But as far as this initiative (administrative directive) is concerned, in my opinion, there should be a political agreement, a coordinated voluntary resignation. But as this is a decision by the Prime Minister, there is certainly a legal basis. But I view the initiative for dismissal as problematic and less dignifying … I believe it would have been better to have a political agreement and a general understanding,” he said.

Ombudsperson treating complaints in the north; reporters deserve attention (EO)

Deputy Ombudsperson of Kosovo, Majlinda Sinani-Lulaj, said in an interview with the news website that given the developments in the north the Ombudsperson has visited the region several times and talked with civil society and the citizens there. She said that an official of the institution is working with the complaints of the citizens in the north, and that citizens suffer the most from the lack of fully functioning institutions.

Sinani-Lulaj said that the security issue requires swift intervention and that for this reason these cases do not reach the office of the Ombudsperson, adding that reporters deserve attention in this case. “In addition to the central office in Pristina, we also have eight regional offices throughout Kosovo, including two in Mitrovica, one in the south and another in the north. we have a colleague that is the address of the citizens there. This is the reason why we have opened these offices, to be closer to the citizens. Because of the sensitivity of that region, the Ombudsperson, especially in the recent period, has paid several visits there, contacted civil society and the citizens, visited several villages to get upclose information about the problems and complaints they may have about the authorities. Our institution is treating several cases from that part. It is difficult to give an assessment about the situation. When institutions do not function fully, it is the citizens that always suffer. The complaints from the citizens are almost the same everywhere. They can include property issues, issues related to documents, education. The security part is an issue that does not reach us because it requires more swift interventions, but we follow it closely, not only for the citizens. For example the situation with journalists during the last period has been very sensitive. We talked about working conditions and the profession of journalists deserves attention,” she said.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Ombudsman in Kosovo opens case of RTS journalist Svetlana Vukmirovic (Radio KIM)

The Ombudsperson Institution has opened the case of RTS journalist Svetlana Vukmirovic who has been banned from entering Kosovo since 2021 and carrying out her journalistic assignment unobstructed. Deputy Ombudsperson Srdjan Sentic told Radio KIM that investigation into all allegations from the letter is underway, referring to the letter that journalists and civil society organisations recently sent to Kosovo authorities.

Press and civil society organisations on August 1 sent letters to Kosovo Interior Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ombudsperson Institution demanding explanation as to why Svetlana Vukmirovic had been banned from entering Kosovo. At the same time they requested that responsible bodies ensure respect for the signed agreements between Belgrade and Pristina that stipulate freedom of movement, without exception.

“This way I confirm that the Ombudsperson Institution received the letter from journalists and civil society organisations in relation to Svetlana Vukmirovic”, Sentic said, adding that upon concluding the investigation this institution will respond to the complaint. 

What could citizens lose without MTS in Kosovo? (RTS)

The Kosovo Ministry of Trade, Industry and Entrepreneurship revoked MTS.doo licence certificate, because of, as it said, documents mentioning the Republic of Serbia. Although Telekom Srbija refuted this, the procedure for shutting down MTS.doo continues, RTS reports today.

Without MTS.doo citizens in Kosovo would lose freedom to choose their means of communication and get informed. This mainly relates to the Serbs who remained living in Kosovo. Out of more than 100.000 Serbs living in Kosovo half of them use MTS.doo mobile numbers and mobile internet services.

In Serbian areas, MTS.doo through cable operators provides TV and internet signal to more than 30.000 users.

Those are the figures, but more importantly is the trust Serbs have in MTS.doo that it in no way will misuse services provided to them. And misuses can be many, from security to social, economic and those related to the data privacy protection.

By endangering MTS.doo in Kosovo, the possibility of the Serbs to watch Belgrade and other media in their mother tongue will also be endangered. This as a consequence could lead to losing ties with central Serbia.   

MTS.doo was established based on the agreement from Brussels and this agreement had been ratified by the Kosovo Assembly. This makes MTS.doo status different from that of other business subjects whose licence certificates had been revoked as well, RTS recalled. 

Vucevic: Ukraine by recognizing Kosovo would create bigger problem to itself (Tanjug)

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Milos Vucevic said today Ukraine, if it would recognize Kosovo, would create a bigger problem to itself than to Serbia, as in this case it would lose credibility to defend the issue of the sovereignty of its own state, Tanjug news agency reports.

He told Prva TV Serbia considers Ukraine as a friendly state, which did not recognize Kosovo and had always had the correct attitude towards sovereignty of Serbia.

Commenting on the letter sent by around 50 politicians to high officials of US, EU, and UK, demanding more critical approach towards Serbia, Vucevic said there will be many more such letter to come, but that he sees this as a prof for Serbia being on the right path and that President Aleksandar Vucic, as he said, leads good policy. 

Speaking about the Serbian products import ban in Kosovo, ongoing for two months already, Vucevic said that Albin Kurti is under some sanctions but now goes one step further.

He said that by abolishing the companies in Kosovo, Pristina authorities are creating a situation where people are left without work, without medicines, food, without a telephone signal, without a television signal, and that in this way they are returning the Serbian people in Kosovo to the XVII century.

“Everything that Kurti is doing is to ethnically cleanse Kosovo and Metohija of Serbs, that is his political agenda, no deals, no agreements, no CSM, no implementation of the agreements reached thus far”, Vucević pointed out, adding what must be avoided is “the scenario that Kurti wants, which is the conflict between Serbia and the NATO pact”.

Vucic: We have not given up on UN Security Council session, we are waiting for right moment (Kosovo Online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Serbia has not given up on asking for a session of the United Nations Security Council, adding that they are looking for the best moment for it, because the current situation, which is already difficult for the Serbs in Kosovo, is not going to go away.

“The question is what we will get when we request a session, but we will do it”, Vucic told TV Happy.

He pointed out that the real situation in Kosovo is difficult, because Serbs are persecuted and arrested.

“We are dealing with an irrational man who does not want peace, whose lifelong dream is to unite Albania and Kosovo, who lacks a war biography, who would like to be like Adem Demaqi or Enver Hoxha... Lives of Serbs are becoming increasingly more difficult, so I hope that in the next two, three months, we would maintain the situation at this level, that there will be no deterioration, because any deterioration means that the survival of our people in Kosovo and Metohija would be impossible”, Vucic said.

He pointed out Kurti is the only one to blame for everything that happened in Kosovo, but only Serbs were persecuted and only Serbs were arrested and held responsible. 

Zeqiri: Coordinated collective resignations of mayors better than petition (Kosovo Online)

New Zubin Potok mayor Izmir Zeqiri said he is ready to cooperate on any decision of the Kosovo government for de-escalation of the situation in the north, Kosovo Online portal reports citing RTV 21.

He, however, opined that the initiative to dissolve the mayors was problematic, as it could cause problems in the future in all municipalities, adding that such initiatives have not been practised in Kosovo earlier.

“I will adjust to any legal form deriving from Kosovo institutions, However, as far as this initiative is concerned, administrative instruction, in my opinion there should be a political agreement, coordinated voluntary resignation, that would be more dignified, in my opinion (…)”, Zeqiri said.