• COVID-19: 14 new cases, one death (media)
• Kurti: Talks not about status, but about Kosovo-Serbia relations (media)
• Kosovo President says ethnic borders are a dangerous idea (media)
• Government analysing Ujmani report, legals experts warn of consequences it is not implemented (Koha Ditore)
• Kurti: I have not changed my position on Ujmani Lake (Koha Ditore)
• EC President: We want Kosovo to advance fast in European path (media)
• KFOR Commander: KSF in the north only if KFOR permits (Klan Kosova)
• Protest and indignation over return of Serbian national to Gjakova (media)
• Von Cramon in Prizren: Great place for multiethnic life (media)
• Stanisic and Simatovic, Belgrade’s security strongmen (BIRN)

COVID-19: 14 new cases, one death (media)

Kosovo recorded 14 new cases of COVID-19 and one death from the virus in the last 24 hours. 12 persons recovered from the virus during this time. The total number of active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo is 171.

Kurti: Talks not about status, but about Kosovo-Serbia relations (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Saturday that talks between Kosovo and Serbia are not about the status of Kosovo but about relations between the two countries. “The dialogue, the talks, are not about the status of Kosovo, but about the status of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and they should be based on equality and reciprocity and this is what mutual recognition entails,” Kurti said at the meeting of the leadership of his party, the Vetevendosje Movement.

Kurti also said that a final settlement for Kosovo is not one that makes a divide between the recognition from Serbia and a seat for Kosovo at the United Nations. “An agreement that includes only recognition from Serbia but is not followed by a seat at the United Nations, or an agreement that offers a seat at the UN as a replacement for the recognition from Serbia, can be an agreement but it cannot be a final agreement,” he argued.

Kosovo President says ethnic borders are a dangerous idea (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said in an interview with Wiener Zeitung that the idea of land swaps in the Balkans is a dangerous idea. “Borders along ethnic lines are dangerous ideas as they can lead to ethnic cleansing. The Pandora’s Box would be opened and there would be threats beyond the region,” she said.

Osmani argued that Serbia is trying to block the dialogue in Brussels and called on Belgrade not to make unnecessary drama. Commenting on a recent meeting between Kosovo PM Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Osmani said: “Serbia did not prepare anything, and it had no proposal, and this is needed if progress is to be made. Kosovo meanwhile made several new proposals, on regional trade relations, minority rights and issues related to missing persons. Serbia seems to have turned down everything. But if it wants a real dialogue, it should come better prepared at the table of talks and not use the process to make unnecessary drama. Serbia has just blocked the dialogue”.

Commenting on visa liberalisation and concerns in France and the Netherlands about the process, Osmani argued that their fear from immigrants from Kosovo is unreasonable. “It is absolutely unfair. Many young people tell me that they feel as if they are living in a cage. This level of isolation in 2021, when the EU is open to a number of remote countries, is insane. We are part of the European continent; we are Europeans. We want to take part. Kosovo has around 2 million citizens and the EU has no reason to fear mass immigration. This concern is unreasonable. There was a problem in 2014/2015 when many people wanted to enter the EU and stay there. But this number has dropped drastically. Kosovo is no longer on the list of 50 countries from where immigrants come,” the Kosovo President said.

Government analysing Ujmani report, legals experts warn of consequences in case it is not implemented (Koha Ditore)

The daily reports on its front page today that in the same week when the US Department of Energy presented a report on the management of the Ujmani/Gazivode Lake, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti presented four positions about the dialogue, but he has yet to comment on the report which suggests a treaty between Kosovo and Serbia for the shared management of the lake. Kurti said the agreement with Serbia is legally binding only when it has the form and content of an international agreement. But in his speech before the Vetevendosje General Council, he did not mention the report about the Ujmani Lake nor the pledges that Kosovo made with the Washington Agreement. Legal experts in Prishtina meanwhile argue that Kosovo could be faced with consequences if it does not implement the obligations assumed by previous governments.

Kurti: I have not changed my position on Ujmani Lake (Koha Ditore)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was quoted on the front page of the daily on Saturday as saying that he has not changed his position about the Ujmani Lake. Asked to comment on a report by the US Department of Energy for the management of the Ujmani/Gazivode Lake, Kurti said he had not read the report yet and that “our professional officials are working on this”. “As soon as our professional people will read it, I will give you an answer,” he said.

The daily recalls that in September last year when then Kosovo PM Avdullah Hoti signed the Washington Agreement, Kurti had then said that there is nothing to talk about with Serbia about the Ujmani Lake.

EC President: We want Kosovo to advance fast in European path (media)

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said in a letter to Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that “we want to see Kosovo advance as quickly as possible in its European path and we will continue to support the progress in the reforms that are required”. “Knowing the importance that it has for the people of Kosovo, we will continue to advocate for a positive decision on visa liberalisation,” she said.

The EC President said she welcomes Kurti’s pledge for constructive engagement in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Prishtina and Belgrade. She also said it was crucial for the next high-level meeting to be held as soon as possible.

KFOR Commander: KSF in the north only if KFOR permits (Klan Kosova)

Major General Franco Federici, commander of KFOR peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, said in an interview with Klan Kosova on Sunday that members of the Kosovo Security Force can go to the northern part of the country only if KFOR permits this. Federici said that as COMFKFOR, the decision is in his hands, and added that NATO expects that the agreement reached about this with Kosovo authorities will be respected in its entirety.

Asked to comment on the construction of a KSF barrack in the north, Federici said that this is a matter of Kosovo’s institutions.

Federici also talked about the transformation of the KSF saying that it is a long process that takes time. “The army cannot be built in a day,” he was quoted as saying.

“So far the KSF was in its original mandate and proved they are capable of launching operations during crisis and civil protection operations. They also assisted the civilian authorities in response to natural disasters and other emergencies, in the service of all people living in Kosovo. As I have said before, NATO has a clear and consistent position on the KSF. We support the development of the KSF in its original mandate, namely a civil protection force,” Federici said.

Protest and indignation over return of Serbian national to Gjakova (media)

All media reported on Sunday that the citizens of Gjakova are strongly opposing the return of a Serbian national to their town. Civil society organisations are accusing Gjakova Mayor Ardian Gjini of enabling Dragica Gasic, a Serbian national, to return and live in a property owned by the municipality. “The Cries of Mothers”, an association of missing persons, said the mayor’s decision was shameful.

Ferdonije Qerkezi, whose husband and four sons were killed by Serbian forces during the war, too opposed the return of the Serbian national. “The municipality should feel ashamed for allowing her to come back and live in Gjakova. She used to work in the Ministry of Interior Affairs. Her hands are dirty too,” Qerkezi argued.

The associations of missing persons initially said that they would organise a protest on Monday but later said they have cancelled the protest. Koha news agency tried to contact Gjakova Mayor Ardian Gjini but he was not available for comment.

Civil society organisations in Gjakova also said they would submit a petition to the central government on Monday demanding the removal of the Serbian national from their city. “Because this municipality still has open graves, waiting for the return of the remains of its sons. Gjakova is not ready to accept the return of Serbs, until the last remains of our sons and daughters are returned to us,” they said in a statement.

Some news websites reported that Kosovo Police arrested two persons on Sunday for placing on the doors of the Serb returnee posters depicting Serbian crimes committed in Gjakova.

Von Cramon in Prizren: Great place for multiethnic life (media)

European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon, visited the city of Prizren on Sunday. “Thanks for the interesting day in Prizren. It was a big honour for me to be your guest & visit the cultural heritage of #Kosovo together with the Mayor the City @mhaskuka and the Kosovo Minister for Culture @HCeku. I hope to return soon. Great place for #multiethnic life!,” she tweeted.

Stanisic and Simatovic, Belgrade’s security strongmen (BIRN)

Former Serbian state security officials Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic will hear the final judgment in The Hague this week in their retrial for masterminding the most notorious Serb combat units that fought in the Croatian and Bosnian wars.

“Milosevic’s men on the ground” was the most common description of these two leading Serbian state security officials – Jovica Stanisic, chief of the interior ministry’s State Security Service and his right-hand man, Franko ‘Frenki’ Simatovic, commander of the service’s Special Operations Unit.

On June 30, the UN’s International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, which is dealing with the final cases from the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague, will hand down its verdict after the two men’s retrial.

The indictment alleges that they were part of a joint criminal enterprise together with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj, Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic, Croatian Serb commander Milan Martic, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic and Bosnian Serb ex-president Biljana Plavsic.

Their aim, the indictment says, was the forcible and permanent removal of the majority of non-Serbs from large areas of Croatia and Bosnia.

The prosecution believes that they controlled and used various units for this purpose from 1991 onwards – the Knindze (‘Ninjas’ from the town of Knin), the Scorpions, Arkan’s Tigers (officially known as the Serbian Volunteer Guard), the Red Berets and the Special Operations Unit.

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