Albanian Language Media:

• Deadline to release municipal building in Mitrovica North extended for 14 days (media)
• Osmani to visit Albania on September 4-5 (Telegrafi)
• Maqedonci: Our focus and objective is integration in NATO (media)
• Municipalities send Law on Immovable Property Tax to Constitutional Court (media)
• Shkurov: Time for political decisions after the war (Klan Kosova/ABC News)

Serbian Language Media:

• German Ambassador in Pristina: The steps taken by Pristina for the situation in the north are not enough (Tanjug)
• The deadline for Serbian institutions to move out of the building in northern Mitrovica expiring today (RTS)
• Ponos and Ivanovic’s nephew on statement about Oliver's killer: The wrong investigation conducted; A serious diplomatic incident (KoSSev)
• FM Dacic: Serbia’s position met with positive comments from Russia (Beta, FoNet, N1)
• Petkovic: Maqedonci's messages dangerous (KiM radio)
• The number of missing persons in Kosovo is 1,618; three cases were closed in 2023 (NMagazin, Beta)
• People’s Party: Vucic should ask Russia, China for veto in UN SC (Beta, Danas, N1)

Opinion:

• Tense Trial in Kosovo Showed Justice for War Crimes is Possible (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Is conservative Islam gaining ground in secular Kosovo? (DW)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  Deadline to release municipal building in Mitrovica North extended for 14 days (media)

The municipality of Mitrovica North decided today to extend the deadline for releasing a municipal building in the Bosnian neighborhood which is used by Serbia’s parallel structures. Mitrovica North Mayor Erden Atiq confirmed the news to Telegrafi this morning. He said that the inspectorate will inform the parties today that the deadline has been extended for 14 days. Chief of staff for Mitrovica North Mayor, Valon Syla, told Telegrafi news website that the deadline was postponed to give more time to the officials to relocate from the building.

Osmani to visit Albania on September 4-5 (Telegrafi)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani will visit Albania on September 4-5 where she will be welcomed by her Albanian counterpart, Bajram Begaj, with an official ceremony. The details of the visit have not been made public yet.

Maqedonci: Our focus and objective is integration in NATO (media)

Recently appointed Minister of Defence of Kosovo, Ejup Maqedonci, told a press conference in Pristina today that the focus and objective of the ministry is integration in NATO. He said that the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) has met and continues to meet NATO standards.

Maqedonci said that Kosovo will take part in the planning conferences this autumn for “Defender Europe 2023”, “and I am confident that we will continue the same pace of cooperation with the United States”. He added that “Defender Europe” as a whole activity was not annulled, and that only the final part, which was an open media day, was cancelled. “In the operational aspect, all the activities were finalised by that time. This means that we were not affected in the operational aspect. It was more of a reaction toward a situation and the operational aspect of the Kosovo Security Force was really not affected,” he said.

Maqedonci also highlighted four objectives, two of them related to the Ministry of Defence and another two involving the Kosovo Security Force. “We will continuously commit to having democratic oversight and another focus will be to expand bilateral cooperation making the Ministry of Defence and the Kosovo Security Force to increase their compatibility with our partners and allies, especially with the United States,” he said. “The other two objectives involving the KSF are military capacity building and maintaining the current capacities”.

Maqedonci said they are continuing to recruit new soldiers and that 612 recruits are completing their basic training and will then join the KSF. Another 388 recruits are being trained and will remain in the reserve force.

Municipalities send Law on Immovable Property Tax to Constitutional Court (media)

All news websites report that the municipalities have sent the Law on Immovable Property Tax to the Constitutional Court. The law foresees the reduction of 100 euros from the tax for the citizens. Mayor of Prizren municipality, Shaqir Totaj, who submitted the request to the court, said the law interferes with the competencies of municipalities and that it damages their budgets. He said that they have also asked the court to introduce a security measure and that they expect the court to rule the law anti-constitutional. Asked to comment on a statement by Finance Minister Hekuran Murati who said that the request of municipalities is a hypocrisy, Totaj said: “that is a bad word but we wish the minister a nice weekend”.

Minister Murati reacted in a Facebook post saying that while they were in power, the parties which are now in the opposition had promised to alleviate the burden from the citizens. “The Kurti-led government made this possible by adopting the amendment of the Law on Property Tax, so that every municipality has the possibility of reducing up to 100 euros from the property tax in 2023 for all taxpayers. And what do those that were worried about the citizens doing now? They sent the law to the Constitutional Court, thus once again proving that they don’t care about the citizens or the state … Everything that the old political class is trying to do with this move is to hide behind the Constitutional Court, that allegedly they ‘would have adopted the tax reduction, but the law has been blocked at the Constitutional Court’. But this doesn’t hold water,” Murati argued.

Shkurov: Time for political decisions after the war (Klan Kosova/ABC News)

Ukrainian Ambassador to Albania, Volodymyr Shkurov, said in an interview with ABC News, that Ukraine will make a decision on the Kosovo issue after the war is over. “President Zelenskyy thinks about Kosovo, he understands that Kosovo gave us humanitarian assistance, it has sheltered several reporters. But you know that Ukraine is in a difficult position now. And I think that the time for political decisions is not today, but some other day after the war is over,” Shkurov was quoted as saying.

     

Serbian Language Media

  German Ambassador in Pristina: The steps taken by Pristina for the situation in the north are not enough (Tanjug)

The German ambassador in Pristina, Jorn Rohde, said that the steps taken by Pristina to de-escalate the situation in the Kosovo north are not enough, reported Tanjug today, citing Pristina based media.

"What we need is to stop any escalation. We need a dialogue," Rohde told TV T7.

"We want the Brussels agreements to be implemented as soon as possible. That is why the Quint countries, and the European Union are working tirelessly on their implementation and the engagement of all parties is needed. Kosovo and Serbia must do everything possible," he said in Pristina.

The deadline for Serbian institutions to move out of the building in northern Mitrovica expiring today (RTS)

Radio television of Serbia (RTS) reports today that the deadline of the municipal inspectors in the North Mitrovica, given to the employees of four institutions of the Government of Serbia to leave the building where they have been working for more than a decade, expires. Forced eviction from the building with the help of the police will lead to a new escalation in the north, instead of the expected drop in tensions and resolution of the months-long crisis.

The officials of the Office for KiM, the Service of the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund Directorate (PIO), the Kosovo Mitrovica Administrative District and the Center for Social Work Vucitrn in the Bosniak Mahala settlement do not intend to leave the offices where they have been working for a decade or longer, reported RTS.

The building that housed the Military Department until the conflict, now houses 40 employees in these four services. They provide services for several tens of thousands of users in Serbian areas in the north, but also in the south.

In addition to the denial of the right to provide services to users, the fact that the request for the eviction of Serbian institutions comes at a time when the situation in the north is expected to de-escalate is also worrying.

According to RTS, the resolution of the months-long crisis, caused by the violent intrusion of special forces into municipal buildings, has not yet started at full speed, and a new conflict is already looming.

The US Embassy in Pristina announced that the decision of the local authorities in North Mitrovica for Serbian institutions to leave the building was not made in coordination with the international community, nor is it in accordance with its demands not to undertake actions that could escalate the situation.

Status quo closer than de-escalation

The same warning is sent by local political representatives, while the government in Pristina claims that the de-escalation in the north actually happened.

In the non-governmental sector, they expect the current situation to be maintained.

"We are not at all close to de-escalation, therefore, nothing has changed in that sense for months. So, now we are closest to the status quo, freezing this situation with a large presence, a large attention of the international community on ensuring that nothing happens or to prevent any unilateral actions from one side or the other, and the KFOR potential greater presence. So, we are closest to the status quo option. Another, closer option is escalation. Unfortunately, de-escalation is in the last place, I put it in the last place as a possible scenario," says Milica Andric Rakic from the NGO "New Social Initiative".

Speaking about the elections, she estimates that they will definitely not be held this year.

"Next year, maybe in two years. Certainly not this year," says Milica Andric Rakic.

Serbs in the north are trying to normalize life regardless of the risks of worsening the situation. From the first of September, students should go to classes regularly, even though some schools are next to municipal buildings that are under blockade and under the forces of KFOR and the police.

Escalation of violence due to the eventual intrusion of the police into the building where the Serbian Government offices are located will have the first consequence of breaking the fragile calm that lasted the previous two months.

However, Kosovo based media reported meanwhile that Mayor of North Mitrovica, Erden Atiq confirmed today that the decision on the eviction has been postponed for two weeks.

KiM radio reported that a large number of press teams and groups of members of the Kosovo Police were present in front of the building, prior the news arriving on the extension of the eviction deadline. 

The Leader of the CI ''Serbian survival'' told KiM radio that "If there is an eviction of this building, the consequences can be enormous, because this is in contradiction to the agreement from Bratislava, which is de-escalation on the ground. Instead, Pristina directly through its illegitimate mayor wants to provoke conflicts with citizens, with workers of public institutions. Additional complications can follow, other buildings that can be brought under public institutions can be emptied and taken away from public institutions in this way, namely schools, hospitals and everything else".

Ponos and Ivanovic’s nephew on statement about Oliver's killer: The wrong investigation conducted; A serious diplomatic incident (KoSSev, Beta, N1)

The president of the Serbia Center Party (SRCE) Zdravko Ponos said that it was good that the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic apologized to Germany, but that he should also apologize to the family of the murdered politician Oliver Ivanovic, reported KoSSev, citing Beta agency.

Ponos told the Beta agency that the statement by Police Minister Bratislav Gasic that Germany was guarding the murderer of Oliver Ivanovic, which turned out to be incorrect, indicates that Serbia was conducting a wrong investigation into the murder of a Serbian politician from Kosovo.

"When it has already been established that Gasic's statement is not true, it is good that Vucic apologized to Germany, but he should also apologize to the family of Oliver Ivanovic and the citizens of Serbia. Gasic's statement makes each of us wonder if the government is investigating something or if they know everything and will not disclose it, because someone very close to them or themselves are to blame for Oliver's murder," said the president of the SRCE party.

As he added, "if it is not true that Germany guards and protects the killers of Oliver Ivanovic, then the government must tell what the truth is."

Aleksandar Ivanovic, nephew of Oliver Ivanovic, pointed out for N1, that the mention of Germany in the case of the murder was "a serious diplomatic incident" and that "at the very least, Minister Gasic should resign or be dismissed by the government itself, and let's see the prosecutor's reaction later", reported KoSSev portal.

According to Aleksandar, Gasic's performance in the Assembly of Serbia "was only staged for media use".

"Unfortunately, this time they included the country, Germany, in the play they have been playing for five years. And apparently the criticism for such a thing in the days after that was so harsh and strong that even the president of Serbia felt the need to publicly apologize to Germany," Ivanovic said. 

According to his words, they did not receive any apology, like the Ivanovic family, for the harassment.

"To be honest, after all these five years, we do not expect an apology, but we are of the opinion that it is not normal to solve this kind of situation with an apology, even when it comes to Germany, so this is a serious diplomatic incident. This was not a misunderstanding about the parking space, here there was a talk about the search for the killer of Oliver Ivanovic," he pointed out.

"The prosecutor needs to determine the motives why someone sends such information, why someone is trying to influence the investigation in that way, what the motives are. As far as Serbia is concerned, the case is over, we are waiting for the reaction of the German state, now we saw an apology and the whole story falls into the water", Ivanovic believes.

"Unfortunately, it is now increasingly certain - for the truth of who killed Oliver Ivanovic, on whose orders and for whose interests, we will have to wait for the change in the political situation in Serbia and for the political will to be acquired so that someone seriously deals with this case, and then we will search for answers to the question that we are now asking in vain," said Ivanovic.

"Every such statement, every such speculation in the media affects us very much and affects the whole family very much. Even if we get that apology, what should we do with it, nothing. It is important for us to live in a state that will deal with this issue in a very professional manner and will look for the killers and the masterminds and not solve the issue at press conferences," Ivanovic concluded.

FM Dacic: Serbia’s position met with positive comments from Russia (Beta, FoNet, N1)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday that Serbia has not joined the Crimea Platform, a new international consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine.

“Serbia has not joined the Crimea Platform or the Declaration, the Prime Minister (Ana Brnabic) participated in the work of this body via video link but we did not back it, nor did we accept the text of the Crimea Platform, precisely because it is outside the framework acceptable to us,” Dacic told the pro-regime Pink TV.

Commenting on his Thursday meeting with Russian Ambassador Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko, Dacic said Serbia’s position on the Platform and on the Declaration recently adopted in Athens was met with positive comments from Russia, but that this was not the purpose of the meeting.

“He handed me a letter from (Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim) Reshetnikov, he is my colleague from the Russian side, we co-chair the (Serbia-Russia) Intergovernmental Committee for Cooperation. It is about economic and other issues, where we should have some meetings. I suggested that they set the dates for the visit, talks between the co-chairs, other ministers and of course for the opportunity to meet with the (Russian Foreign Affairs) Minister Sergey Lavrov,” said the Serbian Foreign Minister.

Dacic also commented on the Declaration on Ukraine adopted by Western Balkans countries, Moldova, Ukraine, and European Union (EU) representatives several days ago in Athens, noting that a paragraph on imposing sanctions on Russia and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s name in the paragraph on war crimes were dropped from the Declaration at Serbia’s request.

Regarding Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Athens and claims that Serbia will supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition in exchange for it not recognizing Kosovo’s independence, Dacic said this was “nonsense and an insult to Ukraine.”

“It turns out that we are some world military superpower and that we can manipulate political positions across the globe thanks to our weapons,” said Dacic.

Dacic stressed that Serbia has helped Ukraine in the past on various issues such as humanitarian matters, energy sources, equipment needed for the functioning of society in conditions of war and added that it will continue to do so.

KiM radio reported that Dacic assessed that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti had a complete collapse at the regional meeting in Athens and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not even announce that they had met.

Dacic also said that it is now known what words Kurti uses and that it is becoming part of his usual performance, which does not meet with any reaction from people who participate in international gatherings.

According to him, Kurti is the main factor of any instability.

Petkovic: Maqedonci's messages dangerous (KiM radio)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, sees as dangerous messages, the statement of the Kosovo Defense Minister, Ejup Maqedonci, that the KBS are ready and could act everywhere.

"The war cries and clanking of weapons to the Serbian people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija do not go in the direction of much-needed de-escalation, nor in the direction of a peaceful and sustainable solution, but on the contrary, they raise tensions, bring unrest among the Serbian people and threaten to destabilize the entire region," Petkovic said in a press release. 

Petkovic reminds Maqedonci that the Kosovo Security Forces cannot enter the north of Kosovo. "These are not only the guarantees from 2013 by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, but also the guarantees that NATO gave on December 28 last year that the KFS cannot go to the north without their consent."

He points out that KSF "has nothing to look for in Serbian communities".

The number of missing persons in Kosovo is 1,618; three cases were closed in 2023 (NMagazin, Beta)

At the conference of the Association of Families of Kosmet Victims in anticipation of the International Day of the Missing on 30 August, it was stated that the number of missing persons in Kosovo who are still being searched for is 1,618, while the number of closed cases this year is three, reported NMagazin.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Belgrade stated that the last session of the Working Group for Missing Persons Belgrade - Pristina was held for the last time in April 2021 and that until the group meets again, there will be no new exhumations and identifications.

The representative of the Commission for Missing Persons of the Government of Serbia, Vesna Boskovic, assessed that, bearing in mind that the next session of the Working Group was supposed to be held in Pristina, it is clear who is blocking the further work of the group.

"The declaration adopted by Vucic and Kurti commits both parties to cooperation through all stages of the process, which includes identification, exhumation, opening of all available archives with data on the missing. We have a table of assumed obligations that was adopted at the meeting of the Working Group. We have ten new locations which should be verified at the next session. Who is the one who caused the stoppage and when will the process be resumed?," Boskovic asked at the conference in Belgrade.

She called on representatives of the international community to "raise their voices" and do something together until the last case of the missing is closed.

The President of the Association of Families of Kosmet Victims Natasa Scepanovic requested the opening of all archives and records on missing persons, comprehensive investigations, witness protection and acceleration of the exhumation and identification process.

"We, the families, will fight with all available democratic means. Our closest ones do not have names and surnames but are referred to as anonymous persons. Let us not allow them to be numbers and to trade with their remains, and serious crimes do not go unpunished," Scepanovic said.

People’s Party: Vucic should ask Russia, China for veto in UN SC (Beta, Danas, N1)

Head of the opposition People’s Party (NS) MP caucus Stefan Jovanovic said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic should explicitly say at the next UN Security Council session that Serbia is against Kosovo’s membership in the UN and call on Russia and China to exercise a veto if this issue is raised again.

“Serbia should have sought a UN Security Council session on the threat to Serbs and Serbian national interest in Kosovo and Metohija much earlier,” Jovanovic told the daily Danas. 

He assessed that Vucic’s regime has put Serbia in a very difficult situation because the United States holds the Presidency of the Council in August, followed, in September, by Albania, which became a member of the UN SC thanks to Vucic’s decision for Serbia to vote in favour of Albania’s membership in this UN body.

Jovanovic stressed that the Serb people in Kosovo are constantly exposed to “unbelievable persecution and pressures” by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

“Because of the wrong policy pursued by the regime in Belgrade our people in Kosovo and Metohija have been left at the mercy of extremist Kurti,” said Jovanovic.

     

Opinion 

  Tense Trial in Kosovo Showed Justice for War Crimes is Possible (Balkan Insight)

A witness at the Hague Tribunal trial of Kosovo ex-President Hashim Thaci revived memories for EU rule-of-law mission judge Dean Pineles of a dramatic case in Kosovo 12 years earlier, when two Serb women courageously testified against guerrilla fighters.

The Kosovo Special Chambers in The Hague heard testimony last week from the Special Prosecution’s 17th witness in the war crimes trial of former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci and three other prominent wartime Kosovo Liberation Army figures.

This witness was identified as Dragica Bozanic, a Serb woman, who told the tribunal that on July 18, 1998, the KLA attacked her house in the village of Opterusa and abducted her husband and son. She never saw them again.

Articles about the August 17 hearing on BIRN’s website and on Kosovo Online also mentioned another Serb woman involved in the Opterusa incident, Slavica Bansic. I immediately recognised the names, the date, the village and the factual circumstances.

As an international criminal judge with EULEX from 2011-13, I was a member of a three-judge panel that heard and decided a war crimes case involving this very same situation and these very same women in the summer of 2011 – the case of Ejup Kabashi and others.

Read more at:https://t.ly/PlAx8      

International 

  Is conservative Islam gaining ground in secular Kosovo? (DW)

There have been a number of attacks on journalists in Kosovo in recent years. Now, conservative Muslims in the southern Kosovar city of Prizren are agitating against a news portal and a journalist.

The city of Prizren in southern Kosovo is known for its diversity. Mosques and Orthodox and Catholic churches stand within a few hundred meters of each other, and a synagogue is due to open here soon.

Albanians in the city live peacefully alongside other ethnic groups, including Turks, Roma and Bosniaks.

Now, however, Prizren is the scene of a campaign that is taking aim at this very diversity.

Read more at:https://t.ly/p-Qi8