Albanian Language Media:

• Ministry officials and businessman arrested, suspected of state reserves abuse (media)
• Osmani: Seven Serb police officers resigned so far; EU should take measures (media)
• Rasic to new Serb police officers: Let us triumph over fear (media)
• Serbian activist who said Kosovo should join UN threatened and insulted (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Greatest pressures on Serbia to come, West afraid of Kurti’s bots (N1)
• Medications and sanitary materials stocks in hospitals on verge (Kosovo Online)
• Media: Seven Serbs left Kosovo police in northern Kosovo (RTS)
• Lucic: We will appeal next week Pristina’s decision to revoke MTS.doo licence certificate (Euronews Serbia)
• European Union requests additional information on MTS.doo licence certificate revocation (RFE, Radio KIM)
• Kurti refuses to comment on arrests in Ministry of Trade (Kosovo Online)
• Mihajlovic: Release arrested Serbs first, and only then elections in northern Kosovo can be held (Danas)
• Vucic on abuse of AI by Pink TV: It must not be done (N1)

International:

• Kosovo President Blames Intimidation for Serb Police Officers’ Resignations (BIRN)
• Ancient Inscription’s Discovery Thrills Kosovo’s Archaeologists (BIRN)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Ministry officials and businessman arrested, suspected of state reserves abuse (media)

All media report that Kosovo Police arrested today two officials of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade, and a businessman, suspected of abuse with state reserves. The arrested are Hafiz Gara, director of the Division for State Reserves of Commodities, and Irfan Lipovica, director of the Department for European Integration and Policy Coordination. During the operation, police have also confiscated documents and computers from the ministry premises. Among the arrested is also Ridvan Muharremi, a businessman, suspected in the case. The police operation was carried out after the publication of several audio recordings by the Nacionale news website in which two ministry officials are heard saying that the oil paid in Poland never reached the state reserves. The Special Prosecution of Kosovo said in a press release that the three arrested are suspected of abuse of official duty and for aiding in the abuse of official duty. The suspects have been placed in 48-hour custody while a request for their detention will be made.

The Ministry of Industry said in a statement that it welcomes “every investigation into the purchasing of state reserves, although we are certain that state supplies and reserves are in compliance with the law and plan and that no damage has been inflicted”. “Regarding this issue, for a long time now and especially in the last couple of months, there have been great efforts to misinform the public in our country. Investigations into the case should also focus on the motives and reasons behind the hasty and coordinated actions by different parties of interest,” the statement notes.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, during her visit to Klina today, was asked to comment on the police operation. “For every process by judicial institutions and law enforcement institutions, we need to wait for the epilogue of cases and at this point from the information we have it is impossible to talk about the epilogue of the case. The institutions will do their job,” she said.

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Memli Krasniqi, called for new general elections as soon as possible. He said in a Facebook post that “the bad governance, characterised by scandals, affairs, corruption, drug trafficking, and international sanctions, must end”. “If the mandate is not returned to the people fast, our citizens and the state will suffer the damages of this devastating mentality for decades,” he added.

PDK MP Blerta Deliu-Kodra said in a Facebook post that the police operation at the Ministry of Industry will make sense only if Minister Rozeta Hajdari is dismissed. “Rozeta, as head of the ministry, is the beginning and the end of the problem,” she said, calling on Prime Minister Kurti to dismiss Hajdari.

MP from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Besian Mustafa, argued that today’s arrests are not enough and that investigations are needed “into the criminal activities and ties of the most senior Vetevendosje officials, which the party defends publicly! It is clear that this is not a matter of individuals but systematic”.

Head of the LDK parliamentary group, Arben Gashi, said the government should be dismissed and Kosovo needs to go to new elections. “Enough! This government should be dismissed, the country needs to go to elections,” he said. According to Gashi, Kurti’s governance is identified by corruption, affairs, sanctions, and failures.

MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri, said that today’s arrests are a result of the work of the media and Kosovo Police. “Therefore, in order to enable a full investigation and where the government is not seen as an obstacle, Minister Hajdari should be dismissed today. After all, the whole case of abuse with state reserves and the law is associated with her name and her signature, while the middleman in this corruption scandal is directly linked with the name of Prime Minister Kurti,” Tahiri argued.

Osmani: Seven Serb police officers resigned so far; EU should take measures (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani blamed the authorities in Belgrade for the recent resignations of Serb police officers from Kosovo Police. She argued that the intimidation and blackmail by Belgrade’s structures are responsible for the resignations, and that seven police officers have resigned so far.

“The last time I counted the number of resignations, it was 7. According to investigations by our institutions, this came as a result of Serbia’s intimidation and blackmail against them. This state is unfortunately continuing its open aggression against Kosovo. They are continuing to use their illegal institutions in Kosovo to blackmail Serb citizens who are in favour of integration. Such actions are a flagrant violation of the agreements and I expect the EU to take action against Serbia and Vucic for violating the Brussels agreement and for violating international standards,” Osmani told a press conference in Klina.

According to Osmani, the sole author behind the resignations in Serbia. “They confirmed to me in every meeting that the pressure against the Serb police officers comes from the parallel structures, the author is in Belgrade,” she said.

Rasic to new Serb police officers: Let us triumph over fear (media)

Following the resignation of several Kosovo Serb police officers in the north, Kosovo’s Minister for Communities and Returns, Nenad Rasic, encouraged today the new police officers to triumph over fear. “My dear compatriots, new members of Kosovo Police, from my personal experience, I know very well what you and your families are going through. A brigade of soulless mercenaries chases us with the duty of stealing our plans and dreams, to destroy our families and lives, to suck our blood and will to live until we become zombies that wander around without purpose in our lands for which we have always been proud. I might not know you personally, but believe me I am well aware of the cruel methodology of their work, and I know how difficult it is to stand responsible and with morale in unnormal and amoral conditions that are imposed on us with violence … From today, I want to promise you that I will be with you with all my personal and institutional capacity. My door will be open to all of you. I and the Ministry for Communities and Returns of the Government of Kosovo are at your disposal, to help you in every way possible to triumph over fear, challenges and doubts,” Rasic said.

Serbian activist who said Kosovo should join UN threatened and insulted (Koha)

Sofija Todorovic, programme director with the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Serbia, has been threatened and insulted after her public remarks that Kosovo should have a seat in the United Nations and that Serbia should agree not to obstruct Kosovo’s membership in international organisations. Threatening graffiti with her name and last name was sprayed at the building where she lives in Belgrade. The symbol Z, which is used in the Russian aggression against Ukraine, was also painted near her name.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic: Greatest pressures on Serbia to come, West afraid of Kurti’s bots (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the strongest and greatest pressures will be exerted on Belgrade over the next few days and weeks over Kosovo and the introduction of sanctions against Russia, N1 reports.

Vucic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS that the articles recently published by CNN and some German media are not aimed against him but against Serbia. Vucic added the content of all these articles is one and the same – they all say he is guilty because he supports the Serbs in Kosovo, Republika Srpska and Montenegro.

“What is it that Serbia did? What word has been said? What move has been made? Not a single one! It’s an organised campaign, preparations for what is to follow starting next week. I am expecting strong and great pressures in connection with sanctions against the Russian Federation, probably the greatest pressures so far”, he said.

“They are looking to completely isolate me (on the political scene), so everyone starts working for some other powers in an effort to force Serbia to change its policy. I am not ruling this out, but to me it does not seem very likely”, he said. He added that the situation in Ukraine is such that it is obvious that neither side can win on the battlefield, which is why the West is looking to “fortify the frontline” toward the Russian Federation.

“They couldn’t care less about the fact that they have bigger trade with Russia than Serbia does”, said Vucic.

Commenting on Kosovo, the President said the West does not condemn the “Greater Albania” policy that he said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is pursuing.

“So they are silent, they are not interested in “Greater Albania” story. That’s bad, but these bad guys are ‘our guys,’ but we have to trample on those others until they accept independent Kosovo”, Vucic said.

Anyone who thinks that someone in Brussels will exert pressure on Kurti to give up on the policy of creating “Greater Albania” is wrong, he added.

“There has been no Community of Serb Municipalities for ten years, yet they say that a condition stipulated by the Brussels Agreement is for the Serbs to participate in the elections (…) They said the Albanian mayors (in northern Kosovo municipalities) would resign, but this one is refusing to because he is some Demaci’s cousin… They say sanctions against Serbia are always ready. They are afraid of Kurti’s bots, you wouldn’t believe it, they are literally afraid of Kurti’s bots and of those political pensioners who have devoted their whole lives to attacks on Serbia”, Vucic said.

Medications and sanitary materials stocks in hospitals on verge (Kosovo Online)

Directors of the health care institutions operating in the Serbian areas in Kosovo warned that the medications and sanitary materials supplies are on the verge and that the situation is becoming alarming, Kosovo Online portal reports.

Director of the Health Centre “Gnjilane” in Pasjane, Zoran Peric said this health facility has reserves of medications for about 15 more days.

Director of the Health House in Gracanica, Mirjana Dimitrijevic confirmed that medications reserves and sanitary material are also running out in the health facilities in central Kosovo, given that as of June 14 hospitals there do not receive them, adding a shortage would occur unless something changes.

“As far as medications and expendable materials that we use for our work are concerned, ever since Kosovo institutions introduced the ban on complete import of the Serbian-origin goods in Kosovo, we are facing difficulties in functioning, because over the last two months we had no delivery of medications, sanitary and other expendable materials by our suppliers, that before we received regularly from them”, she told the portal, adding should this situation continue the Health House in Gracanica will face shortage.

She appealed to the international community to influence Kosovo government so the unimpeded flow of the goods was ensured and health facilities enabled to get medications and sanitary materials supplies.

Media: Seven Serbs left Kosovo police in northern Kosovo (RTS)

Seven new members of the Kosovo police from Serb community resigned from the police, RTS reports citing Pristina-based Indexonline.

According to media reports four Serbs resigned in Leposavic, two in Zvecan and one in Mitrovica.

Earlier international community representatives in Kosovo, including EULEX head, OSCE Mission head, US and German Ambassador expressed concerns over this latest development.

In November last year Serbs left all Pristina institutions in northern Kosovo in discontent over unilateral Pristina’s acts to ban Serbian-issued licence plates with denominations of towns and cities in Kosovo and started issuing fines to the owners of the vehicles with such licence plates. Those leaving institutions in November last year included police officers from all police stations in northern Kosovo and those working at administrative crossing points of Jarinje and Brnjak.

Lucic: We will appeal next week Pristina’s decision to revoke MTS.doo licence certificate (Euronews Serbia)

Telekom Srbija Director General Vladimir Lucic said this company will file an appeal against Pristina’s decision to revoke the licence certificate of MTS.doo company registered and operating in Kosovo as per Brussels agreement on telecommunication, Euronews Serbia reported.  Lucic added if the appeal is not accepted, they will request provisional measures from the court to repeal the disputed decision.

“We are filing a complaint to which we have the right. We waited two weeks because, according to the law on the availability of information, we requested information on when they copied the passport of our employee. We do not see this in any official documentation, and we have not received an answer. So, we assume that the information that allegedly our employee at one point confirmed his identity with a passport when handing over some documentation, which is an absurd reason, is also incorrect”, Lucic told Tanjug news agency.

“So, we have two legal instances. We have faith in the international community that oversees the Brussels Agreement, and the MTS was a good example of the functioning of a part of the Brussels Agreement”, Lucic added.

European Union requests additional information on MTS.doo licence certificate revocation (RFE, Radio KIM)

The European Union took note of Kosovo Government decision to revoke licence certificate of MTS.doo company because, as it was said, disputable documentation used during the registration of the business subject, EU Spokesperson Peter Stano told Radio Free Europe, Radio KIM reports.

“The EU currently requests more information from both sides in order to understand implications of the decision on the 2013 Agreement and conclusions on telecommunications from 2016”, it was said in the response.

MTS.doo is a daughter company of Telekom Srbija and was established in Kosovo based on the Brussels agreement as part of the dialogue on normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

Kurti refuses to comment on arrests in Ministry of Trade (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti refused to comment on today’s action of Kosovo police arresting three persons, including two Ministry of Trade officials, Kosovo Online portal reports citing Klan Kosova.

Kurti attended the gathering promoting a public call for the support of people to invest into energy efficient household appliances and solar systems for water heating, but did not wish to respond to the journalists’ questions about the arrest, the portal said. 

Mihajlovic: Release arrested Serbs first, and only then elections in northern Kosovo can be held (Danas)

Movement for Renewal of the Kingdom of Serbia (POKS) leader Vojislav Mihailovic said today that new local elections in four municipalities in northern Kosovo were unacceptable, until all Serbs arrested in the actions of the Kosovo special units in the previous months are released, Danas daily reports citing the Movement’s statement.

He added none of Kosovo Serbs demands, which caused them to quit police and leave Pristina institutions in the north in November last year, have been fulfilled, noting that holding local elections without fulfilling the old demands and releasing the Serbs would mean, as he said, capitulation and would make the further political struggle of the Serbian people impossible in Kosovo.

He said that POKS demands an urgent session of the Assembly of Serbia dedicated to Kosovo, at which the Franco-German agreement would be rejected, and the representatives of Serbia prohibited from implementing this plan, which means, he adds, de facto recognition of Kosovo.

Vucic on abuse of AI by Pink TV: It must not be done (N1)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic condemned the abuse of artificial intelligence on Belgrade-based Pink TV over which Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) leader Dragan Djilas said he would sue this television station and its owner Zeljko Mitrovic, N1 reports.

“You are talking about how Zeljko Mitrovic and Pink TV used and aired the voices and faces of some former regime leaders. I believe that the representatives of the former regime are right, that this must not be used, that it is something that is not allowed, not fair, and something that a democratic state should not do, and I hope the relevant bodies will take measures in connection with this. I expect that”, Vucic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS.

He added that the video clips featuring opposition leaders on Pink TV are fake, adding the “representatives of the former regime” did the very same thing when they released an edited photo of him hugging Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“I am not asking them to condemn these insane, senseless caricatures such as those published today, yesterday, nor do I mind”, said Vucic, adding that he is used to being called all sorts of names.  

   

International 

  Kosovo President Blames Intimidation for Serb Police Officers’ Resignations (BIRN)

After three Kosovo Serb police officers resigned – only one month after taking their oath – President says likely reason was Serbian government's intimidation.

Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, accused Serbia of intimidating three ethnic Serb police officers who resigned on Thursday, only 35 days after taking their oath of office.

“The resignation of police officers of the Serb community is a direct result of ongoing threats and intimidation from Serbia – evidence that its policies continue to mirror [former Serbian leader Slobodan] Milosevic tactics,” Osmani said, referring to the resignation of three Kosovo Police officers from the Serb community on Thursday.

“We will continue to ensure inclusivity across all institutions and a safer Kosovo for all,” she added.

Kosovo Police did not comment on the resignations. “The Police does not comment on resignations of our colleagues,” Veton Elshani, Deputy Commander of Kosovo Police for the north, told BIRN.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/4wp2dezk Ancient Inscription’s Discovery Thrills Kosovo’s Archaeologists (BIRN)

Archaeologists in Kosovo believe they have unearthed a rare inscription which shows the links between the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian and an ancient city in Kosovo.

Piles of sand, stones and garbage have been thrown on the sides of a big pot in Ulpiana Archaeological Park, some 15 kilometres near Kosovo’s capital Pristina, as archaeologists struggle to balance their time between journalists’ requests at the site and TV studio appearances, meetings with political leaders and the digs they plan to do.

Attention in recent days is focused on private farmland planted with plums, ever since a photograph of an archaeological discovery went viral on social networks.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/jnpzF