UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, November 15, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti on Association: Vucic wants a "state within the state", I can discuss everything within Constitution (media)
• Lajcak: It is necessary to continue dialogue and respect agreement (RTK)
• Osmani has traveled for an official visit to Portugal (media)
• Minister Maqedonci and head of EULEX discussed security (RTK)
• Osmani on burned vehicle in Leposaviq: It aims to hinder integration of Serbs (Koha)
• Scholz: We are working hard to solve really difficult Kosovo-Serbia situation (Klan)
• Rama: Kosovo and Serbia must reach an agreement (Koha)
• Rohde: Now it’s up to the countries to implement what is necessary (media)
• PDK: Any statute of Association that contradicts founding ideals of Kosovo, unacceptable (media)
• CEC: Serbian List election assembly, in compliance with the laws (EO)

Serbian Language Media:

• Lajcak: We discussed steps for implementation of normalization agreement (Tanjug, media)
• Petition to return memorial plaque to original place launched, apology demanded (KoSSev, N1, Kosovo Online, RTS)
• Serbian List demands return of memorial plaque to original place, apology from ambassadors (N1, FoNet)
• SPS leader Dacic says alliance with opposition not an option (N1, BETA)
• Government adopts plan on harmonizing Serbia's visa regime with EU (Tanjug)
• United Media launches five licensed Forbes websites in the Adriatic region (N1)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti on Association: Vucic wants a "state within the state", I can discuss everything within Constitution (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has stated that he has offered to write a draft statute for the self-management of the Serb community, which must respect the Constitution, but that, according to him, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, is not interested in it "but wants to never recognize Kosovo and to get a "state within the state" instead. 

"I am the one who offered to write a draft statute for the self-management of the Serb community, in conjunction with previous agreements, which must respect the Constitution of Kosovo, the decision of the Constitutional Court, the stands of the EU that this Association should not have executive power, nor represent third layer of government, and the position of the USA, published by Chollet and Escobar" - Kurti told theAustrian broadcaster ORF. 

"However, the president of Serbia said that he has no interest in it, but wants to never recognize Kosovo and to get a kind of a "state within a state", to create dysfunctionality. I cannot accept these types of requests, but everything that is within the Constitution, and that respects EU values and models, I am ready to discuss. I have said in meetings that I cannot offer coffee without a cup. If they insist on coffee without a cup, I can only show them the empty cup. The association must have a democratic legal framework, and this is Kosovo's independence, recognized by 117 countries from all over the world, 22 out of 27 EU countries and 26 out of 30 NATO members," the Prime Minister emphasized. 

He also spoke about the preliminary agreements for the Association, which he said contradicted the Constitution and added that there are no chances for a Serbian Republic in Kosovo. "The agreement that my predecessors made 10 years ago and eight years ago did not pass the test of the Constitutional Court of Kosovo because they violated our constitutionality. The Serbian language in Kosovo is the official language, ten of the 38 municipalities are majority Serbian, we have 10 reserved seats in the Assembly, but the Serbs are boycotting them because Belgrade is ordering them so. We have been very generous with the Serbs in Kosovo, I am also their prime minister, I want to protect their rights," he said.

"They should live in Kosovo, but there is no chance for a Serbian Republic like in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and this is exactly the goal of the official Belgrade" - added Kurti. 

Watch the full interview here: https://tinyurl.com/bd9nfuew

Lajcak: It is necessary to continue dialogue and respect agreement (RTK)

The EU special representative Miroslav Lajcak, after his stay in Belgrade, has emphasized the necessity of continuing the dialogue and implementing the Agreement for the normalization of relations. In Serbia, Lajcak met President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian leader of negotiations, Petar Petkovic.

“After my visit to Kosovo, I also traveled to Belgrade to prepare for this week's meeting of Chief negotiators. With the President of Serbia and Petar Petkovic I discussed the way forward in the Dialogue and necessary next steps to implement the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation,” Lajcak wrote.

Osmani has traveled for an official visit to Portugal (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has traveled to Portugal where she will meet with the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and Prime Minister Antonio Costa, the Presidency of Kosovo announced.

"At the invitation of the Web Summit, President Osmani, accompanied by the delegation of Kosovar businesses in the field of ICT, will be a speaker at this summit, which is considered the main technology event in the world. 

As part of the visit to Portugal, President Osmani and the mayor of Lisbon, Carlo Moedas, will inaugurate the statue of Mother Teresa, located in the center of the capital of Portugal", the announcement of the Presidency states.

Minister Maqedonci and head of EULEX discussed security (RTK)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Macedonci, received the head of EULEX, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, in a meeting on Tuesday, where the topic of discussion was the security situation in Kosovo, with special emphasis on the north of the country.

A press release informed that at the meeting, among other things, discussed the terrorist attack of September 24 in Banjske of Zvecan.

"Of course, the terrorist attack of September 24 has caused concern to everyone, but it was managed in an extremely professional manner by the Kosovo Police, and we both agreed on this," said Minister Maqedonciand on this occasion thanked the head of EULEX for the support provided to the Kosovo Police during this time, through the presence of EULEX in the north, which has contributed to the stabilization of the situation.

He emphasized that in constant coordination with the Kosovo Police and KFOR, the situation is being monitored with increased care, so that such events do not happen again.

At the end of the meeting, Maqedonci and the head of EULEX agreed that guaranteeing security for all citizens of Kosovo is a common interest of both parties.

Osmani on burned vehicle in Leposaviq: It aims to hinder integration of Serbs (Koha)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has called the burning of the car of the deputy-mayor of Leposaviq, Dragana Miletic, a criminal act. She wrote on the X social network that this action aims to spread fear among Serbs "and hinder their integration".

“The burning of the car belonging to the deputy mayor of Leposavic, Mrs. Dragana Miletic, is a criminal act that aims to spread fear among local Serbs and inhibit their integration into Kosovo institutions. The perpetrators of this cowardly and despicable act will face justice,” she wrote.

Scholz: We are working hard to solve really difficult Kosovo-Serbia situation (Klan)

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday in Berlin that it is necessary to move towards further rapprochement of the countries of the Western Balkans, which were given the promise of membership exactly 20 years ago at the 2003 Thessaloniki Summit.

The German chancellor said that he hopes there will be "progress in the dispute between North Macedonia and Bulgaria", while emphasizing that "we are working hard to resolve the really difficult situation between Kosovo and Serbia".

"We are always on the side of the accession process", said the German chancellor.

Rama: Kosovo and Serbia must reach an agreement, there is no other way (Koha)

The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has spoken about the relations between Kosovo and Serbia at the media forum for Southeast Europe. Rama said that for a long time the parties have avoided the inevitable, which according to him is to come to an agreement. According to Rama, there is no other way, since their place is in the Euro-Atlantic community.

"I think they have avoided the inevitable for a long time. The inevitable is that they have to come to an agreement, there is no other way. Since the place of both countries is in the Euro-Atlantic community. Maybe sooner for one and a little later for the other, but this is their place. They cannot change the geography, they are in the middle of Europe, so their place is there. The inevitable thing is to come to an agreement", Rama said.

"I have been openly critical because I have always believed that peace is many times more useful for everyone than any attempt to postpone this peace and to transform foreign policy into a tool of domestic policy. The situation now, as I see it, is slightly different, because there is significant progress in agreeing in principle to move forward with the association issue. I hope it will continue like this and then other steps will be taken as there are no winners here. The cost is not so small and can be even more dramatic if the inevitable is denied, denied and postponed. I have always believed that this is the only solution".

The Southeast Europe Media Forum (SEEMF) gathered in the XVII edition in Tirana, with the presence of journalists, editors, media executives, experts, politicians and representatives of international organizations and institutions, from more than 30 countries of the world.

Rohde: Now it’s up to the countries to implement what is necessary (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, in a post on X today commented on the meeting between EU Foreign Ministers and their counterparts from the Western Balkans. “Regular exchange between Foreign Ministers, Josep Borrell and WEB-6 counterparts is crucial. Growth Plan and progress reports offer a solid foundation for dialogue, outlining a clear path ahead. Now, it‘s up to the countries to implement what is necessary!” Rohde wrote.

PDK: Any statute of Association that contradicts founding ideals of Kosovo, unacceptable (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Memli Krasniqi has announced that he has held separate meetings with the leadership of the party, MPs and heads of branches, to discuss the draft statute of the Association in municipalities with a Serb majority. The head of this party expressed "concern" about, as he said, "the lack of transparency on the part of Prime Minister Kurti in relation to the dialogue process, namely the draft statute of the Association".

After the meetings, PDK announced that the Association's statute should be in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Kosovo. PDK, in a press release, has announced that the leader of this party expressed his concern with the lack of transparency.

"Leader Krasniqi has expressed his concern about the lack of transparency on the part of Prime Minister Kurti in relation to the dialogue process, namely the draft statute of the Association, for which he has not yet shared any details with the members of the Kosovo Assembly and the citizens”, reads the announcement.

Further, according to the communique, Krasniqi has stated that the formation of any Association that does not comply with the "founding ideals of the Republic of Kosovo" is "unacceptable".

"During these meetings, it was said that economic regression, international sanctions and the deterioration of citizens' well-being are just some of the consequences, in addition to the failure in dialogue, which come as a result of misgovernance, arrogance and ongoing corrupt affairs of government officials".

CEC: Serbian List election assembly, in compliance with the laws (EO)

The election assembly of the Serbian List was discussed in Tuesday's meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) of Kosovo. The CEC said it monitored the assembly which was held on October 24, and the head of the Office for the Registration of Political Parties, Besnik Buzhala, said that upon reviewing the documents received by the Serbian List, the election of the president, presidency and vice presidents results to be in compliance with the Regulation for the Registration and Functioning of Political Parties and the statute of the party.

Sami Kurteshi, representative of the Vetevendosje Movement in the CEC, asked if measures were taken against former deputy leader of the Serbian List, Milan Radoicic. “Is there any measure or exclusion because he himself [Radoicic] admitted that he took part in the terrorist attacks. I don’t want to mention any names, because they are known, but I want to know if he was dismissed because of his actions against the constitutional order,” Kurteshi asked, but received no response from Buzhala.

Serbian Language Media 

Lajcak: We discussed steps for implementation of normalization agreement (Tanjug, media)

The EU special envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said on Tuesday his meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the head of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic earlier in the day had addressed the way forward in the dialogue and the steps necessary to implement an agreement on normalization of relations.

"After my visit to Kosovo, I also traveled to Belgrade to prepare for this week’s meeting of Chief negotiators. With President Vucic and Petar Petkovic, I discussed the way forward in the Dialogue and necessary next steps to implement the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation", Lajcak wrote in a post on his X account.

At the meeting, Vucic noted that Serbia was always ready for dialogue and respect of everything that had been signed and agreed, and reiterated Serbia was advocating de-escalation, peace and stability, which he said were necessary to ensure a survival of Serbs in Kosovo, the presidential press office said in a statement. Vucic insisted on the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and other important topics as part of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue were discussed as well.

Petition to return memorial plaque to original place launched, apology demanded (KoSSev, N1, Kosovo Online, RTS)

Coordinator of the National Convent on EU Chapter 35 Working Group, Dragisa Mijacic along with a group of intellectuals launched an online petition for returning memorial plaque to the fallen Serbian soldiers in the period from 1912-1918 to its original place, KoSSev portal reports.

“We have launched a petition to return the memorial to the fallen Serbian soldiers 1912-1918 at the military cemetery in Pristina and we need your support”, Mijacic wrote in a post on X social network, formerly Twitter on Monday.

He also said relocation of the memorial plaque carried out recently “falls amongst the most shameful events of modern French history” and urged the French Foreign Minister Catharine Colonna to react, the portal added.

The petition, currently signed by 1.482 persons, in addition to return of a memorial plaque to its original place, also demands a public apology from both French and German ambassadors in Pristina.

"Deeply disturbed by the news that the monument to Serbian soldiers from the wars of 1912-1918 at the military cemetery in Pristina has been relocated as per initiative of French Ambassador Olivier Guerot and the German Ambassador Jorn Rohde, the Serbian community in Kosovo calls on all interested parties to support the petition for the return of the memorial plaque to its original place, and that the two ambassadors publicly apologize for their thoughtless act", reads the text of the launched petition.

It was said that results of the petition will be presented to the French and German embassies in Pristina, their respective ministries, and the media. This, as it was said, “thoughtless act” will also be discussed at international conferences and forums, and at the meetings with diplomats and international representatives.

Mijacic also opined that relocation of a memorial plaque runs contrary to the spirit of European values that France and Germany “declaratively stand for”, nor it is in line “with the principles of the rule of law which they insist upon”. He added if the memorial plaque is not returned to its original place, they will exert pressure on the governments of the two countries “to correct the acts of their ambassadors”.

Serbian List demands return of memorial plaque to original place, apology from ambassadors (N1, FoNet)

Serbian List requested embassies of France and Germany in Pristina to return the relocated memorial plaque to fallen Serbian soldiers in the Balkans and WWI wars to its original place and apologize, N1 reports citing FoNet news agency.

Admission of French and German embassies’ representative that the memorial plaque to the fallen Serbian soldiers had been moved and relocated as per their requests, without the consent from the Raska-Prizren Eparchy or anyone from the Serbian community speaks in support of a sadful fact that the rights of the Serbian people and Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo are not respected by representatives of the leading European Union states, same as by the Albin Kurti’s regime, reads the statement of Serbian List.

It added that Serbian List expects an apology “if for nothing else then for the sake of alliance between France and Serbia that distinguished ambassadors mentioned in their statement”.

This would send the message that the respect for the rights of the Serbian people and their holy shrines is a civilizational value that is being honored, the statement added.  

SPS leader Dacic says alliance with opposition not an option (N1, BETA)

Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) leader Ivica Dacic said the party’s Main Board unanimously decided that only a coalition with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic could be considered in the coming December 17 elections, BETA news agency reported.

Dacic told the daily Srpski Telegraf that under no circumstances would he form an alliance with the opposition and that “forming a coalition with Serbia’s enemies, whether they be false Europeans or false patriots”, is out of the question.

Commenting on election results, Dacic said the SPS is the second strongest political party in Serbia and that he expects excellent results at the December elections. He added that he expects a joint victory of the SPS and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) at the local elections in the Serbian capital, as a successful continuation of the policy “that has been successfully running Belgrade”.

Government adopts plan on harmonizing Serbia's visa regime with EU (Tanjug)

The Serbian Government on Tuesday adopted a conclusion on adopting a plan on harmonizing Serbia's visa regime with the EU visa regime.

The conclusion is one of Serbia's commitments on the EU integration path, the government said in a statement. At the time its EU accession talks were opened, Serbia received a list of activities to be monitored that will determine the pace of its EU integration.

This also includes implementation of activities aimed at strengthening administrative and institutional capabilities, as well as ensuring the technical and administrative support necessary for implementing the harmonized visa regime, the statement said.

United Media launches five licensed Forbes websites in the Adriatic region (N1)

The latest information on business, innovation, and entrepreneurship, both in the country and the region, as well as worldwide, can be read from November 14th on five new digital editions of FORBES opened in the Adriatic region by United Media. The new licensed portals have been launched in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro.

With over 105 years of history, FORBES is a global leader in business and economic news, and now it is available in local languages. The digital editions of FORBES will cover a wide range of topics, including business news, market analysis, interviews with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts. Readers will also be introduced to globally popular FORBES lists, N1 reported.