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UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, January 31, 2024

Albanian Language Media:
  • Kurti: Kosovo committed to normalization centered on mutual recognition (media)
  • Osmani: Brussels agreement, Ohrid annex must be fully implemented (media)
  • Lajcak: Important results but little progress on big picture (media)
  • Osmani meets Rohde, discuss latest developments (media)
  • Tahiri: We asked Kosovo’s membership in NATO from Escobar (Klan Kosova)
  • Ahmeti: Kosovo-Serbia reconciliation for quiet and peace in Balkans (RTK)
  • Cakolli: Firing of whistleblowers is intimidation for others (KTV)
Serbian Language Media:
  • ICG: Constant pressure drives Serbs out of Kosovo, tensions increased since Kurti came to power (Kosovo Online, media)
  • Media: Vucic held meeting with ministers last night over Kurti’s decision to ban dinar (Tanjug)
  • Lajcak: Kosovo government to announce information about dinar decision (Kosovo Online)
  • Petkovic: Quint statement different this time (media)
  • Witness at Thaci’s trial: KLA was killing Albanians declared collaborators near Orahovac (N1, BETA)
  • Vucic: Serbia has to be prepared (N1)
  • Businessman from Zvecan to go on hunger strike, Tax Administration damaged him for 310.000 euros (KoSSev)
  • Cvetkovic, Marinkovic meet with Escobar in Washington (Tanjug)
International Media:
  • Pavlovic Today: Diplomatic Memo Outlines Risks To Serbs Amid Suspension Of Serbian Dinar In Kosovo
  • Four Kosovo Men Jailed for Plotting Acts of Terrorism (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media

Kurti: Kosovo committed to normalization centered on mutual recognition (media) Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met on Tuesday in Pristina with EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, and discussed aspects related to the full implementation of the Brussels Basic Agreement and the Ohrid Implementation Annex, the legal security through signatures, and other issues, including respecting legal procedures for early elections in the four northern municipalities. Kurti said that the Kosovo government remains committed to the full normalization of relations with Serbia and on mutual recognition, through a fair and balanced process of dialogue. In a post on X after the meeting, Kurti said they discussed “the full implementation of the Brussels Agreement and its Annex as well as related issues such as legal procedures for calling elections in the north. Kosova remains committed to normalization of relations centered on mutual recognition.” Lajcak wrote on X that he and Kurti “had a detailed and useful discussion on the strategic outlook of the Dialogue for the coming period. We also spoke about the current state of relations between the EU and Kosovo.” Osmani: Brussels agreement, Ohrid annex must be fully implemented (media) Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted a meeting on Tuesday with EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak. A press release issued by Osmani’s office notes that she reiterated Kosovo’s commitment as a constructive party in the process of talks with Serbia. Osmani emphasized that the Brussels agreement of February 27th, 2023 and the Ohrid annex of March 18th 2023 must be fully implemented. Osmani highlighted the need to lift the European Union measures against Kosovo, which are unfair and create a lack of balance in the dialogue. “In this regard, she stated that Kosovo has offered the organization of new elections in the north of the country in accordance with Kosovo’s legal framework through the approval of the administrative instruction, potentiating her expectations that this right of the citizens is implemented without delay and in compliance with the procedures and legislation in force,” the press release notes. The latest achievements regarding the implementation of the agreement on energy and license plates were welcomed at the meeting, as steps towards the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. As far as the draft of the Association’s statute is concerned, Osmani reiterated that the only institution that can conclusively interpret the conformity of this act with the Constitution is the Constitutional Court of Kosovo, and also expressed her concerns regarding certain provisions of this draft, which may prove as challenging in its implementation in practice. Lajcak wrote in a post on X “my first meeting today in Kosovo was with President Vjosa Osmani. I updated her on the state of play in the Dialogue and the process in the coming months as we see it. Grateful for her views and insights.” Lajcak: Important results but little progress on big picture (media) EU Special Representative for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, told reporters in Pristina after meetings with Kosovo leaders, that important results were made in the dialogue before the end of last year. “But there has been little progress on the big picture on the normalization of relations. We have the agreement from February and March last year, that means we no longer need to ask the question what needs to be done, we don’t even have to ask ourselves how to do, the question is when to do it and if you ask me I would say without delay and as soon as possible,” he said. Lajcak said the EU wants the normalization process to continue because it brings benefits to all people who are living here. Lajcak said the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo was discussed but that he doesn’t want to act as a speaker of the Kosovo government, “so there will be an information given to you tomorrow so you will learn more about it”. Lajcak also said that the September 24, 2023, attack in Banjska in the north of Kosovo, is discussed every time and at every meeting since it happened. “We raised it yesterday in Belgrade, because the European public and member states are waiting and expecting for consequences to be drawn and for the responsible people to be held accountable. When it comes to the investigation I am not the right address because there is no EU-led investigation. There are individual countries that have done or are continuing to do the investigation. This must come from them. The EU is not investigating, we are receiving information from member states and from our partners,” he said. Osmani meets Rohde, discuss latest developments (media) Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met with German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, on Tuesday, and discussed latest developments and possibilities to further cooperation between Kosovo and Germany. Osmani and Rohde also talked about Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe, with Osmani highlighted the special importance for the process to conclude successfully. Osmani also mentioned the second edition of the International Forum for Women, Peace, and Security, as a platform to advance bilateral cooperation to implement the agenda. Tahiri: We asked Kosovo’s membership in NATO from Escobar (Klan Kosova) Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group, Besnik Tahiri, said in an interview with the TV station on Tuesday that in their meeting with U.S. Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, they asked for Kosovo’s membership in NATO. “Our request was very simple: Kosovo’s membership in NATO … They know that Kosovo and its people are the most pro-American people, and they certainly want Kosovo there [in NATO] but it is not easy because of the non-recognizing countries,” he said. Ahmeti: Kosovo-Serbia reconciliation for quiet and peace in Balkans (RTK) Leader of the Democratic Union for Integration in North Macedonia, Ali Ahmeti, said in an interview with RTK on Tuesday that there can be no peace and quiet in the Balkans without reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia. “All our strategic partners are interested to have sustainable peace and quiet in the Balkans, and they have helped us for the Balkans to enter a permanent and historical course to build peace and prosperity,” he said. Ahmeti argued that Albanians need to be wise in this period and trust the international community. “We need to be wise and give room to our friends, Washington, Brussels and NATO … I have never been disappointed by the word given to us by Washington, Brussels and NATO, and I believe them,” he said. Cakolli: Firing of whistleblowers is intimidation for others (KTV) Eugen Cakolli from the Kosovo Democratic Institute, said in an interview with KTV on Tuesday that the Ministry of Trade’s decision to fire a whistleblower that talked about doubts for abuse of state reserves, is an intimidation against other potential whistleblowers. “In addition to violating the spirit of the Law on the protection of whistleblowers which was supported by the Vetevendosje Movement, I believe it is also a tendency not only to discipline the current officials but also to scare away other potential whistleblowers,” he argued.

Serbian Language Media

ICG: Constant pressure drives Serbs out of Kosovo, tensions increased since Kurti came to power (Kosovo Online, media) Under sustained pressure, over 10 percent of Kosovo Serbs have emigrated over the past year. The departures accelerate a pre-existing trend: Crisis Group estimates that up to one third have left in the past eight years. The Kosovo Serbs’ emigration is worrying both because of what it says about their levels of frustration, and because it undermines the most plausible pathway to normalization, International Crisis Group (ICG) said in its report Toward Normal Relations Between Kosovo and Serbia, Kosovo Online portal reported. Since taking office in 2021, the government of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has been turning up the heat on the four northern municipalities where ethnic Serbs are in the majority. Kosovo's refusal to grant greater autonomy to its ethnic Serbian population has been one of the two primary issues that keeps it at odds with neighboring Serbia, from which it formally declared independence in 2008. The other is Serbia’s refusal to recognise Kosovo status as an independent, which is essential to unlocking membership for the latter in international organizations like the European Union and UN, the report added. Read the full ICG report at: https://shorturl.at/ksKLM Media: Vucic held meeting with ministers last night over Kurti’s decision to ban dinar (Tanjug) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic held last night an urgent meeting with some of the Serbian government ministers, after Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as Serbian media reported, rejected proposal of US, EU and Quint related to decision on dinar, and decided that the ban of dinar in Kosovo will start today, Tanjug news agency said it was told in the Presidency. In a meeting held last night further steps Belgrade will undertake in this regard were discussed, Tanjug added. EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak said yesterday in Pristina, that the Kosovo government will announce information related to the decision on dinar today. Lajcak: Kosovo government to announce information about dinar decision (Kosovo Online) EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks, Miroslav Lajcak told journalists last night that small progress had been achieved in the normalization of relations, adding that Kosovo government will announce today (January 31) information related to the decision of Kosovo Central Bank to abolish dinar, Kosovo Online portal reported. Asked by journalists, following his meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, if the Kosovo government was ready to postpone the decision on abolishing dinar, Lajcak said information about that will be announced by the government. “We mentioned the issue of the Kosovo Central Bank decision. But, I do not want to act as a spokesperson of the Kosovo government. There will be information that will be announced tomorrow”, Lajcak said last night. Petkovic: Quint statement different this time (media) Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday past statements by the Quint states about various illegal bans imposed by Pristina's PM Albin Kurti had been void of substance and relevance but that the latest one - issued after Pristina announced it would stop payment transactions with central Serbia and ban the Serbian dinar from February 1 - was different, Tanjug news agency reported. He said Belgrade had done absolutely everything to clarify and explain to everyone the disastrous consequences of the moves announced by Pristina, and added that this was not just a matter of politics but a matter of survival for Kosovo Serbs, who depend on Serbia for their salaries, pensions, welfare benefits and other funding. "If Kurti stops that, it will be clear he does not want peace and that he is doing everything that is the opposite of heading towards de-escalation. I hope reason will prevail", Petkovic said, noting that Serbia stood with Serbs in Kosovo and would never abandon them. Witness at Thaci’s trial: KLA was killing Albanians declared collaborators near Orahovac (N1, BETA) Protected witness in a trial of a former Kosovo president and former KLA leader, Hashim Thaci said yesterday that during the conflict in Kosovo he visited several KLA headquarters in Prizren area, and learned that Albanians, whom KLA declared “as collaborators” were killed in the village of Drenovac near Orahovac, N1 reports citing BETA news agency. Thaci and co-defendants, former high-ranking KLA officials, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi are accused of committing war crimes against Albanians, Serbs and Roma, in the period from 1998 to 1999, in more than 40 detention centers run by KLA in Kosovo and Albania, N1 recalled. The brief summary of the witness’s statement said he described what he saw and heard at each of those locations, including information about prisoners, identification of KLA commanders, adding that in one of the KLA headquarters he received information that persons “whom KLA killed in Drenovac” near Orahovac were “collaborators”. One of the detention centers illegally established by KLA where Albanians declared collaborators of the Serbian authorities, Serbs and Roma were tortured and murdered was in the village of Drenovac. The witness also said that soon he left Kosovo and went to Albania, but got arrested by KLA members there. He returned to Kosovo after KFOR’s arrival in June 1999. Vucic: Serbia has to be prepared (N1) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting on the capabilities of the Serbian military that Serbia has to be prepared as a country whose territorial integrity has been endangered, N1 reports. Vucic wrote in a post on his official Instagram account that “Serbia does not pose any danger to anyone but has to be fully prepared as a militarily neutral country whose territorial integrity has been endangered. In today’s conditions if you don’t have a sufficiently strong military you won’t have a state and we are always prepared to preserve our own”, he said. “Even though we are a small country, we are responsible, serious and always capable of defending our territory”, he said in the post, adding that the Serbian military has upgraded its capabilities over the past year but that the process of arming the military and strengthening the country’s industry has to speed up. “Buying weapons and equipment requires new soldiers and we devoted special attention to forming new units”, he added. Businessman from Zvecan to go on hunger strike, Tax Administration damaged him for 310.000 euros (KoSSev) Zarko Derikravic from Zvecan will go on hunger strike today in front of the Tax Administration Office in Mitrovica South, his accountant and legal representative Halil Voca confirmed for KoSSev portal. Derikravic is a former owner of cable network operator Lika.d.oo. The reason for the hunger strike is the fact that the Tax Administration took from him, two years ago, in an unlawful manner as representative said, more than 310.000 euros and did not return the money back. Halil said Derikravic will attempt to talk to the director of the Tax Administration in Mitrovica South today and if he refuses to meet him, will go on hunger strike either in the premises of the tax administration and if not allowed there, then in a street next to it, adding that he will be present with his client. Derikravic is a former owner of a cable operator Lika.doo from Zvecan. The company was operational from 2013 until December 10, 2019, when the agreement on acquisition was signed with the MTS.doo company in the amount of 1.200.000 euros. According to Derikravic, Kosovo Tax Administration on April 6, 2022, without any written information, withdrew the money from his account, calculated added value tax (VAT) and capital gains in the amount of 313.000 euros and informed him about that only two months later. He also said he was paying taxes regularly to the tax administration during the period his company was operational, and that calculation of VAT in the case of his company was “a unique case”, adding it was about an unlawful act. His legal representative said the regional Tax Administration office in Mitrovica South committed a criminal act according to Kosovo Criminal Code, and that sale of shares is a financial transaction released from paying VAT. He added there is a political connotation and discrimination in this case present given that the law is on the side of Derikravic. “We have all necessary documentation, however, the Tax Administration stubbornly does not want to return him money. This is a unique case. Neither Albanians, nor Serbs paid VAT for such transactions”, Voca said. Voca added that Kosovo Finance Minister Hakuran Murati refused to meet with him regarding this issue or respond to his letter. He also said they addressed the UK Embassy in Pristina but received no response from them either. Cvetkovic, Marinkovic meet with Escobar in Washington (Tanjug) Serbian Minister of Economy Slobodan Cvetkovic and Congress of Serbian-American Friendship President Vladimir Marinkovic met in Washington with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar to discuss advancing bilateral economic cooperation and creating an even better investment environment in Serbia. The discussion topics included further US support to the Open Balkan initiative, and Escobar confirmed full US commitment to the project, which is not only an economic one, but a peace project as well. Marinkovic and Escobar discussed a need to re-establish dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities as a precondition for that.

International Media

Pavlovic Today: Diplomatic Memo Outlines Risks To Serbs Amid Suspension Of Serbian Dinar In Kosovo As the Serbian population in Kosovo teeters on the edge of enormous potential harm following the December 27, 2023 decision by the Kosovo government to suspend the Serbian dinar effective February 1, 2024, pressure mounts from the US State Department urging Prime Minister Albin Kurti to “reconsider.” The US stance was echoed by diplomats from France, Germany, Italy, and the UK, urging Prime Minister Albin Kurti to “suspend” the regulation in question. Obtained exclusively by The Pavlovic Today from a senior diplomatic source, a memorandum authored by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija is currently making rounds within influential EU and US diplomatic circles. The memo underscores the far-reaching ramifications suspension of Serbian dinar could have on critical sectors such as hospitals, educational institutions, and kindergartens which are vital for the needs of the Serbian population in Kosovo. According to the memo, the suspension of payments in Serbian dinars would immediately impact over 100,000 Serbs, as well as various ethnic groups such as Roma, Gorani, Montenegrins, Croatians, Turks, Ashkalis, Egyptians, Albanians, and Bosniaks. The memo conveys that the Kosovo Central Bank’s decision on December 27, 2023, to forbid the use of the Serbian dinar marks “the most dangerous escalatory step Pristina took so far.” The chart outlining consequences and full article are available at: https://shorturl.at/ahtRT Four Kosovo Men Jailed for Plotting Acts of Terrorism (Balkan Insight) The Pristina Basic Court gave four men prison sentences for attempting to set up a radical Islamist group in 2021 to commit terrorist acts in Kosovo after some of them acquired an arsenal of weapons. Pristina Basic Court on Tuesday handed down jail sentences to Kosovo citizens Ardian Gjuraj, Mentor Bellaqa, Ergim Syla and Nuhredin Skenderi for attempting to create an organization to commit terrorist acts in Kosovo in time period from March 2021 to October 10 the same year. Gjuraj was sentenced to nine years in prison, Mentor Bellaqa and Ergim Syla to six years and six months each, and Nuhredin Skenderi to eight years and six months plus a 5,000-euro fine. Read more at: https://shorturl.at/gGPST