Albanian Language Media:

• U.S.: We have asked for refrain from actions that incite tensions (Gazeta Express)
• Osmani congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day (media)
• Gervalla meets Ukrainian reporters: We shall celebrate victory together (Kosovapress)
• Abdixhiku: Kosovo needs the “New Road” (Gazeta Express/Klan Kosova FM)
• Prosecution files indictment against 10 officials of Ministry of Infrastructure (media)
• Security experts blame Belgrade pressure for resignations of Serb policemen (Telegrafi)
• Minister signs decision to release property of Institute in Pristina (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Starovic: Necessary to insist on an extraordinary session of the Security Council on Kosovo (Kosovo Online, RTS)
• Arsenijevic says that Serbia does not have the ability to protect the Kosovo Serbs from Kurti’s harmful decisions (Danas)
• Ukrainian Ambassador: Ukraine defending the whole of Europe from Russia (N1)
• Klan Kosova on the alleged filming of a "propaganda documentary" in Decani; Monastery: No blessing given, nothing agreed - malicious reporting (KoSSev)
• Dacic spoke with Botsan-Kharchenko about bilateral relations, the development of cooperation (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

International:

• Are Europe’s Voters Turning Right – or just Polarising? (Balkan Insight)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  U.S.: We have asked for refrain from actions that incite tensions (Gazeta Express)

On August 22, the municipality of Mitrovica North through a decision asked for the release of a municipal building in the Bosnian neighbourhood which is used by the institutions of Serbia. The municipality gave a three-day deadline for the building to be released, saying that “the municipality will carry out some work in certain municipal buildings”.

Asked to comment on the matter, a spokesperson for the United States Embassy in Kosovo told the news website that they are aware of the decision of the local government in Mitrovica North to ask the staff of several offices of the Serbian government to leave the building within three days. “As we acknowledge that the municipal elections in April 2023 in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo were required by Kosovo law and we recognised the results as legitimate, given the exceptionally low turnout of voters in the elections, a number of U.S. officials have expressed our expectations that the elected mayors, including Mitrovica North, will make exceptional efforts to respond to the concerns of all residents and members of communities,” the spokesperson said.

He also said that they have continuously asked the Kosovo government, including the northern mayors, to refrain from decisions that incite tensions, or which can be seen as escalatory. “We consider these actions, which were not coordinated with the international community, to be irreconcilable with our requests to avoid actions that can escalate tensions or be seen as escalatory,” the spokesperson added.

Osmani congratulates Ukraine on Independence Day (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani congratulated Ukraine today on their independence day. “The heart of a nation beats within its people, and amidst the shadows of a genocidal war, the spirit of Ukrainians remains unbroken. From one land of strength, democracy, and hope to another, we wish the brave people of Ukraine a Happy Independence Day,” Osmani wrote on Twitter.

Gervalla meets Ukrainian reporters: We shall celebrate victory together (Kosovapress)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Donika Gervalla, said on the occasion of Ukraine’s Independence Day today that Kosovo knows best what independence means. “This day is history, resistance, and independence. You have felt this yourself, but I will try to explain why you are special. I was forced to flee Kosovo, we left everything we had behind. We are but one family among thousands of families. We are smaller than Ukraine, but in terms of aggression we felt on our skins what it means to be a target of aggression. We know that your history is being denied to you,” she said during a meeting with Ukrainian reporters who are sheltered in Kosovo.

Gervalla said that Kosovo supports Ukraine and that it is confident it will be triumphant. “Ukraine will have full sovereignty and independence. I am confident we shall celebrate your victory together,” she said.

Abdixhiku: Kosovo needs the “New Road” (Gazeta Express/Klan Kosova FM)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lumir Abdixhiku, said today that in autumn this year he will make a detailed presentation of the “New Road” which the LDK sees as the only road that Kosovo needs to take. “I don’t want to talk about the past, but about the future,” he said. “I believe that the New Road needs to start as soon as possible. The longer we continue with this government and this polarisation, we will lose more. The New Road will have 27 pillars. In autumn, we will present the program of the New Road.”

Abdixhiku talked about reforms in the LDK and the possibility of new elections in Kosovo, saying that he tried to implement reforms and open the party to young professionals. “In August 2021, we lost the fear from elections because we saw the political power of the LDK. We want to present our party as the only alternative in the country. We are stronger because we are more organised and we are stronger because we have clearer ideas for the future. We are the only party that does not polarize and we are the only party that talks about the future,” he argued.

Abdixhiku said that Kosovo needs to conclude as soon as possible all obligations it has from the agreements in the EU-facilitated dialogue and continue its aspirations on the path toward European integration. “We have a neighboring country that can undo us as a state. It has way greater power and we need the support of western allies. Serbia’s ally is very weak and is caught up with the war in Ukraine. We need to use this space and conclude all obligations we have toward our allies. We cannot avoid our obligations. The Association [of Serb-majority municipalities] must be completed … We must conclude the process of negotiations with Serbia and continue toward membership in NATO and our European path,” he said.

Special Prosecution files indictment against 10 officials of Ministry of Infrastructure (media)

The Special Prosecution filed charges against 10 officials of the Ministry of Infrastructure, who are suspected of damaging the Kosovo budget with 12 million euros, through abuse in the project of the road Prizren to Prevalla. The suspects are charged with “abuse of official position or authority” and one of them is charged with “forging an official document”. Minister of Infrastructure, Hysen Durmishi, said on Wednesday that the suspects include the former secretary of the ministry, former head of procurement, several members of the Procurement Review Body, and some members of the evaluation committee. Durmishi also said that he had mentioned the case several times in public, as a flagrant case which should have been addressed by the prosecution. “Finally they have filed charges, but I haven’t seen them,” he said.

Security experts blame Belgrade pressure for resignations of Serb policemen (Telegrafi)

Security experts in Pristina, Avni Islami and Nuredin Ibishi, in interviews with the news website said that the resignations of new Serb police officers in the north are a result of the outstanding pressure that Belgrade is exerting on the Serb community in Kosovo.

Islami argued that the Serbian List and the state of Serbia is blackmailing the Serb community in the north of Kosovo and that this in turn results with the new police officers resigning from the police force. “This undeniable fact shows that the Serb community in the north of Kosovo is under great pressure from Belgrade,” he said.

Islami said that Serbia wants to keep the situation in the north tense, “together with criminal groups and the Serbian List, which did not take part in the last elections”. He also argued that this is a sign that the international pressure on Kosovo’s institutions was a wrong approach.

Ibishi too said that based on their statements, Serbia and the Serbian List will continue to bring destruction to the security system in Kosovo. He said the current situation in the north is quiet and stable and that the Kosovo Police are doing an excellent job on the ground by undertaking preventive actions.

According to Ibishi, Kosovo’s security system should provide security for the Serb police officers both in their private lives and while they are on duty, “so that they don’t get threats as they are from the Serbian Intelligence Agency and the Serbian List”. “We have full control in the north like never before, in terms of public safety and also at the border. The smuggling of weapons in the north has also been stopped. I think we have sufficient capacities to carry out these tasks. If they are aware of the possible consequences, they (Serb hardliners) will stop making threats in the north,” he said.

Ibishi also argued that Kosovo’s leaders should encourage the people in the north to have young people joining the police force, “but at the same time also return police officers that were not involved in crime, offences and other matters”.

Minister signs decision to release property of Institute in Pristina (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Agriculture, Faton Peci, in a video message today, said he has signed the decision to release the property of the Institute for Scientific Studies in Agriculture in Ulpiana neighborhood in Pristina. On the property, where the seat of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) is located, Peci said that “700 square meters of business stores were built illegally, state property was expropriated and transferred to private property, the front yards were transformed into warehouses, and five former ministers did nothing about it”.

Peci said that he reported the case to the state prosecution but that no action was taken. “As Minister, I did not stand by doing nothing. After the silence of the prosecution, yesterday, based on my legal and constitutional responsibilities, I decided that the building which is a property of the Ministry of Agriculture should be returned to its rightful owner,” Peci said.

On Tuesday, Peci announced that 25 villas in the village of Stankaj in the municipality of Peja, will be demolished as they were reportedly built illegally on the property of the Kosovo Agriculture Institute.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Starovic: Necessary to insist on an extraordinary session of the Security Council on Kosovo (Kosovo Online, RTS)

State Secretary in the Ministry of Defense Nemanja Starovic said that the decision of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to request a session of the UN Security Council on Kosovo is an important move, which will be useful in the further implementation of Serbia's policy and the protection of the interests of the Serbian people, reported Kosovo Online, citing RTS.

"It is necessary to insist on the convening of an extraordinary session of the UN Security Council in accordance with the tactical setting, and again, in connection with the rotation of the UN Security Council chairman, assess the best possible moment, so that this initiative has a chance of success. At that session, it is necessary to discuss the difficult situation of our people in Kosovo," stated Starovic in the RTS morning program.

He notes that, although one can hear from Kosovo PM Albin Kurti that there has been two months of de-escalation of the situation on the ground, this is far from the truth.

"We still have the constant deployment of special militarized forces of the Kosovo Police in four municipalities in the north of Kosovo. Our compatriots rightly feel threatened and the only thing those Kurti special forces can do is harass the Serbian people," added Starovic.

Starovic also reminded that Kurti is trying to evict Serbian institutions from the building in North Mitrovica where they are located.

"These are institutions that are important for the daily life of our people who live in North Mitrovica and beyond, and this is something that can contribute to further escalation. It is good that we could hear condemnation from one side from the US ambassador in Pristina, but I fear is that if such a statement is not accompanied by concrete measures against Kurti and the authorities in Pristina, that all these mild condemnations may amount to some kind of tacit consent, which is equal to complicity," Starovic said.

He said that Kurti is not giving up on his politics, and that Serbia and the Serbs in Kosovo are facing a difficult period.

"Let's add to that the announcements about the postponement of the population census, the pressures that will follow on Belgrade, but also on the Serbs, because of that census. Also, with the attempt to hold a new election under conditions that have not changed and in which we still have something that resembles the occupation of the north of Kosovo. We really have a difficult period ahead of us," said Starovic.

In connection to the informal dinner held in Athens, which was attended by the leaders of the region, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Starovic says that impressions are still being summed up.

"For me, the format of the meeting was a bit strange, considering the leaders who were invited and those who were not. Considering that, the format was difficult and unfavorable for the President of Serbia, but he managed to get the most out of it. All of us as citizens can be satisfied, he managed to defend the national interests of Serbia, to defend the integrity of the political course we took regarding the Ukrainian crisis, along with all that represents expressions of some satisfaction we can have; I observe the reactions of the Pristina media. You can notice dissatisfaction, then bitterness that Kurti did not get the opportunity to meet with Zelensky, who did not even mention him, and what came out as the main news is that Vucic managed to intervene with his amendments on the final text of the adopted Resolution, which does not mention the need to strengthen sanctions against Russia. Also, one of the important news is that Greece and Ukraine will not change their position on Kosovo," said Starovic.

He adds that, when everything is summed up, Serbia can be satisfied with the meeting.

"In Athens, Vucic managed to persist in our course, we do not want to be treated as a party to the war, we do not want to impose sanctions on Russia, because we do not think that economic sanctions should be used as a tool of foreign policy, we managed to persist in that," concluded Starovic.

Arsenijevic says that Serbia does not have the ability to protect the Kosovo Serbs from Kurti’s harmful decisions (Danas)

While the Kosovo PM declares that the de-escalation in the north of Kosovo has in fact happened, his party is making decisions through the mayor of North Mitrovica which can cause incidents, said the leader of the Civic Initiative “Serbian Survival”, from North Mitrovica, Aleksandar Arsenijevic, reported Danas daily.

The latest decision of the mayor, who for the majority of Serbs is illegitimate, led to an “ultimatum” to the Office for KiM, the Directorate of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund (PiO Fund), the Kosovsko-Mitrovački Administrative District and the Centre for Social Welfare Vucitrn to move out of their premises within three days, the Director of the Office, Petar Petkovic, announced.

Namely, in the last seven days, the municipal inspection entered the institutions of Serbia twice, and they had the assistance of the regional Kosovo Police for the North.

When they entered for the first time, the Municipality said that it was a routine control, the aim of which was not to expel anyone, but then after they came again on Tuesday, Atiq’s advisor Visar Syla stated that due to “the planned works that the Municipality will perform in certain municipal facilities, it is asking for the premises to vacated by the persons who are using the facility without any documents”.

“Given that the system here is decentralized and that municipalities have more and more autonomy, that role fell to the municipal government. The decision as such aims to provoke a part of the residents, maybe even the majority, because it is not an entry into a single building. All the property has remained since the war, including schools, hospitals, PIO fund, banks... All of these can be the target of such decisions,” Arsenijevic pointed out.

This resident of Mitrovica explains that the buildings are the property of the Republic of Serbia.

“Just as the Kosovo administration has no ownership over the PIO fund, it has no ownership over that building either, because it has been the property of the Republic of Serbia since before the war. Unless they have managed to accomplish something through deception in the meantime. There must be some international process before such a decision is made. This should be discussed in Brussels rather than in Mitrovica,” Arsenijevic said. 

Earlier decisions of Mayor Atiq were evaluated as incidents, such as the one about the opening of the central bridge between North and South Mitrovica, the suspension of the construction of facilities financed by Serbia or the more recent ones - to “clear” all public areas in Mitrovica, including the green market and cafe gardens. There is still no information whether the garden chairs, fruits and vegetables and displayed goods will be removed by the special police.

It is stated in the decision that it is made based on the Law on Local Self-Government and the Municipal Statute.

“In order to clear public areas and create conditions for the safe movement of citizens on city streets, businesspeople are obliged to clear public areas within five days,” it is said in the first point of the said decision. 

In the continuation of the document, it is specified that the Directorate for Inspection in cooperation with other competent administrations “which may be involved in its implementation” will ensure the implementation of the decision.

Arsenijevic opined that this decision may lead to the emigration of businessmen and shop owners from Mitrovica.

“There is space for the people to pass, the bigger problem is the parking of vehicles near the ramps for wheelchairs. It is simply located in the inner-city centre of the market that benefits everyone. In addition, we do not know, but it is probably a blow for the Albanians. Our economy has suffered both due to COVID and barricades and entry into municipalities, and people quitting from the institutions. The economy is suffering due to all of this, we haven’t worked for a long time, we’ve been working intermittently since then, people save money in every crisis, for the rainy days. Those shop owners are an easy target for evictions, because nothing binds them, except for a shop of several square meters,” he said. 

On Wednesday, Arsenijevic spoke with the British and the day before with the American ambassador in Pristina. Other representatives of the Serbian opposition parties - Milija Bisevac from CI For Zubin Potok, Branimir Stojanovic from the “Serbian National Movement” and Aleksandar Jablanovic from the Party of Kosovo Serbs - attended the conversation with U.S. Ambassador Hovenier.

“We talked about various topics, but there are many of them, even if the meetings would last three times longer, we would not have mentioned everything. We put all these decisions in the folder of institutional violence. I personally demanded that some things be prevented in the future, that pressure ought to be applied in time, but I am not overly optimistic, after the incursion into the municipalities, although the Quint countries were asking from them for three days not to do it. If Kurti spat in the face of the international community then, he will spit again,” Arsenijevic stressed.

Asked what he expects from Serbia, whose representatives also talk about institutional violence against Serbs, Arsenijevic said that he does not know if Serbia can react in any way anymore.

“I don’t know if Serbia has any opportunities in the north to react anymore, considering that the north is occupied with special units at every step, that they behave in an usurping manner, they seize by force. I think that Serbia no longer has any opportunities to react on the ground. We are left to fend for ourselves i.e. “if you would be well served, serve yourself”. To organize ourselves and fight for our guaranteed rights” he said, adding that the support of anyone who wants to support is welcome, including Belgrade’s.

Arsenijevic is not certain that this summer will pass without incident.

“The issue of the shops is a personal blow to the residents, they can organize themselves to prevent it and an incident may occur, but it is also a personal blow to the workers and beneficiaries of the PIO fund. Everything is likely to happen. North of Kosovo is a powder keg, the only question is who will light it and when. I hope that the summer will pass without incidents, but Priština wants that, I hope it won’t come to that. It is likely that there would be incidents in the next month, due to increased pressure from Priština,” he said.

Danas daily recalls that Erden Atiq, as a Vetevendosje candidate, was elected in local elections this year, given the Serb boycott, with slightly more than 500 votes.

Ukrainian Ambassador: Ukraine defending the whole of Europe from Russia (N1)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Belgrade Volodymyr Tolkach said that, by defending itself from Russia’s aggression, his country is defending the whole of Europe.

Ahead of the March of Solidarity with Ukraine to mark the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s declaration of independence on August 24, Tolkach said his country is defending the whole of Europe from “the Russian world” that “does not want” either Ukraine or Europe to be “free and democratic”.

“We are marking this anniversary in tears because we are now defending our independence. Russia doesn’t see Ukraine as an independent state. We have no alternative, we have to defend our state and democratic principles or Russia will destroy us,” said the Ambassador.

He said he was grateful to “all those who understand” that the Ukrainians have no alternative and who are helping them endure the struggle.

“I also want to thank the Serbian President (Aleksandar Vucic), the Government and the First Lady (Tamara Vucic). This help is extremely big and important to us,” said Tolkach.

Following the March of Solidarity on Thursday, its participants, including the representatives of the diplomatic corps and Ukrainian community, will assemble at the main city square in Belgrade to mark the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.

Asked why there are no Serbian officials at the event, US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Robert Hill said this week’s meeting between Vucic and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Athens, and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic’s online attendance of the Crimea Platform Summit on Wednesday are a sign that Ukraine and Serbia are becoming closer.

Klan Kosova on the alleged filming of a "propaganda documentary" in Decani; Monastery: No blessing given, nothing agreed - malicious reporting (KoSSev)

Portal KoSSev reported that filming of the documentary "Decanski Kljuc" directed by Milutin Petrovic was not agreed with the abbot of the monastery, as well as with Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren, who also did not give his blessing, as the Visoki Decani monastery announced. The reaction followed the tendentious reporting by the Pristina media about the alleged beginning of the filming of a "propaganda documentary of Serbia" in the monastery itself. From Visoki Decani, they assess that this is an abuse of journalistic ethics, and one more in a series of threats.

The alleged start of filming of a documentary film about the Visoki Decani monastery was reported two days ago by the Kosovo Klan with the title - "Serbia with a propaganda documentary about the Decani monastery, does Kosovo allow it?", reported KoSSev.

The media writes that Serbian director Milutin Petrovic is expected to come to the monastery with his crew at the end of next month.

"There, he will start working on the filming of the documentary film 'Decanski Kljuc' about a religious cult, which the Film Center in Serbia supports with around 80,000 euros as part of films with a national theme," says the Kosovo Klan, reported the portal.

This media also writes that Petrovic compares the significance of the monastery for Serbs with the symbolism of Notre Dame Cathedral for the French.

Referring to "film connoisseurs", without specifying which "connoisseurs" they are talking about, Klan Kosova states that they consider it to be "new propaganda material of the Serbian state, focused on the periods of the 19th century and the 90s, which considered a crisis for the monastery".

In the meantime, the news of this media was reported by other influential Albanian portals in Kosovo, such as Gazeta Express and Zeri.

Visoki Decani monastery, however, says that the recording of this documentary was not agreed with the Diocese, nor with the abbot of the monastery.

"The administration of Visoki Decani Monastery considers it necessary to inform the public that the filming of the documentary 'Decanski kljuc' by director Milutin Petrovic, announced in some media, was not agreed with Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren and does not have his blessing.

"Also, nothing was agreed upon with the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Sava, about the filming of the documentary film announced in September," they said.

They emphasize that non-agreed projects about holy places in Kosovo are not undertaken, but also call for news about them not to be spread in the media - "because such behavior harms our Church".

Commenting on the specific reporting of the Albanian media in Kosovo, Visoki Decani say that they perceive it as a threat, and because of the context and presentation of the filming as something directed against Kosovo.

"Mentioning the filming of this film in some Kosovo Albanian media (Gazeta Express, Zeri), without any verification with the Decani Monastery and the Diocese, has already been maliciously presented as an activity directed against Kosovo, which our Church perceives as one more in a series of many threats and abuse of journalistic ethics," they stated.

In the end, they underlined once again that the promotion of the heritage of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the holy places in the Diocese of Raska-Prizren is possible only with the blessing of the competent diocesan Archbishop and in coordination with monasteries or parish churches.

Dacic spoke with Botsan-Kharchenko about bilateral relations, the development of cooperation (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, spoke with the Russian ambassador in Belgrade, Aleksandar Botsan-Kharchenko, about the current state of bilateral relations, reported Kosovo Online. 

As announced by the Serbian MFA, Dacic and Botsan-Kharchenko exchanged opinions on the current state of bilateral relations, with mutual determination for further development of political and economic cooperation.

Current regional and global issues were also discussed.

     

International 

  Are Europe’s Voters Turning Right – or just Polarising? (Balkan Insight)

Talk of a right-wing wave breaking over Europe has become a commonplace of political punditry, but the reality is more nuanced.

Is a right-wing, even a far-right wing, wave crashing over Europe? A lot of pundits would have it so. A recent article in Politico, with the trenchant title “Springtime for Europe’s Fascists”, ran through the usual suspects, with a special focus on the rise and rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany, AfD.

There’s no doubting the right’s momentum in large parts of Europe. Far-right parties are either in governments, or are propping up governments, in “normally” social democratic Finland and Sweden. The AfD, as the Politico article noted, is scoring 20 per cent in the polls in once staid and centrist Germany – above the 18 per cent support for Chancellor Scholz’s governing Social Democrats. “Never in the history of post-war Germany has a chancellor’s party had such low approval ratings,” as Germany’s Deutsche Welle, DW, remarked.

Conservatives romped home in this year’s elections in Greece – which not that long ago, under Alexis Tsipras, was the flag carrier of the European left. A new far-right constellation, Confederation, is polling strongly in already right-wing-governed Poland. Georgia Meloni’s right-wing “Brothers of Italy” are presiding over Italy. In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party, FPO, is tipped to come first in next year’s elections. It’s a long list, and not a compete one. Who knows what elections in a jittery Netherlands, due in November, will yield?

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/2p9575mb