UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 14, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

•    Svecla on weapons found in Uglare: There is no compromise on crime (RTK)
•    Osmani meets with president of North Macedonia (Klan)
•    Hovenier: We’ll help protect Kosovo from cyberattacks, false information (media)
•    NDI deputy chief: TV stations are the main source of information (Koha)
•    Kosovo joins Demining Coalition for Ukraine (media)
•    Rohde remembers “German journalists killed during war in Kosovo” (Telegrafi)
•    Municipality of Mitrovica North continues to free public spaces (media)

Serbian Language Media:

•    Vucevic: We preserve peace and protect Serbs in Kosovo, but we are far from resolving status issues (Kosovo Online)
•    Djuric: Serbia wants relationship of trust and cooperation with all EU member states (Tanjug)
•    Djuric: Serbia does not accept violations of Resolution 1244 or the rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
•    Petkovic informs Latin American ambassadors of situation in Kosovo (Tanjug, media)
•    Serbs could not attend liturgy at Christ the Savior Temple in Pristina centre (Radio KIM)
•    More than 1000 requests submitted to switching driver’s licences (KoSSev)
•    EU: Belgrade violating agreement on path to normalisation of relations with Pristina (N1, FoNet)
•    Vulin meets with Russian security services leadership in Moscow (BETA, N1)

Albanian Language Media

Svecla on weapons found in Uglare: There is no compromise on crime (RTK)

The Kosovo Police discovered on Thursday weapons and explosive devices such as hand grenades, long guns, ammunition, radio communications, bulletproof vests, and technological equipment during a raid at a location in the village of Uglare in Zubin Potok. Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla said that the person where these weapons and equipment were found has been arrested and the case has been processed in the prosecutor's office. "No compromise towards crime, individuals or groups that harm the security of our country and our citizens. We will not stop working in defense of our state interests, security for our country’s citizens, rule of law and order in every corner of our Republic", he wrote.

Osmani meets with president of North Macedonia (Klan)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Thursday in Skopje her Macedonian counterpart, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, on the eve of the South-East European Cooperation Process summit. Osmani said that they talked about the relations between Kosovo and North Macedonia and the deepening of cooperation. “Once again, I congratulated the President on taking office, while we also discussed the bilateral relations between Kosovo and North Macedonia, as well as the deepening of cooperation for the benefit of the citizens of our two countries,” she said.

Hovenier: We’ll help protect Kosovo from cyberattacks, false information (media)

U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier said in his address at the conference on Information Integrity in the seventh edition of "DISICON" that Artificial Intelligence can support democratic processes by helping to improve many processes but that these technological tools should be used carefully. He said that with the tools in question it is easy for them to fall into the hands of abusers. Hovenier also said that the United States remain committed to supporting civil society and independent media and that they will also help Kosovo protect itself from cyber-attacks and false information.

NDI deputy chief: TV stations, main source of information (Koha)

National Democratic Institute (NDI) deputy chief, Valon Kurhasani, presented on Thursday the key findings of qualitative and quantitative research that the NDI did about the media and information landscape. The findings show that the TV stations are the main source of information for people in Kosovo, followed by social media in second place. “When we talk about the use of the media, we see that the majority of Kosovars (85 percent) are informed through TV stations. At the same time, there is an increasing number of Kosovars who get their information from social networks. This has its good and bad sides … We are also aware that a part of the content on social media comes from TV stations,” Kurhasani said.

Kosovo joins Demining Coalition for Ukraine (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, said in a Facebook post on Thursday that he signed with his Ukrainian Defense Minister, Laurynas Kasciunas, the joint agreement through which Kosovo officially became part of the Demining Coalition for Ukraine. “Our soldiers will stand alongside our partners in this democratic global front against aggression and violence! Kosovo will continue to stand alongside Ukraine because we support the rights and freedom of peoples and the democratic rights of countries,” Maqedonci said.

Rohde remembers “German journalists killed during war in Kosovo” (Telegrafi)

German ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, remembered on the 25th anniversary of their murder, the German journalists Gabriel Gruner, Volker Kramer and their translator Senol Alit, who were killed near Suhareka in the Duhla Pass.

"25 years ago, on the "first day of peace", the journalists Gabriel Grüner, Volker Kramer and their translator Senol Alit of the German magazine Sternde were killed in the Dula Pass in Suhareka. Today, we commemorated their death with local officials, relatives and fellow journalists," Rohde wrote.

Municipality of Mitrovica North continues to free public spaces (media)

Several news websites reported on Thursday that the municipality of Mitrovica North has continued to release public spaces. In an announcement on Facebook, it is said that these actions are also being done in cooperation with citizens. “During this activity, it is worth underlining the cooperation of the citizens, who we thank for their cooperation. The same, by becoming an important part of this process in accordance with the laws, are contributing to the common good, which improves the quality of life of each of us,” the statement notes.

Serbian Language Media

Vucevic: We preserve peace and protect Serbs in Kosovo, but we are far from resolving status issues (Kosovo Online)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said last night he expects increased pressure on Belgrade regarding Kosovo, but that Serbia is maintaining peace and protecting the Serbian people. He emphasised that resolving status issues is far from achievable, as a solution where Albanians get everything and Serbs nothing is absolutely impossible under the current circumstances, Kosovo Online portal reported.

"What Kurti is doing is a game with the nerves of a larger nation and a bigger state. What he is doing is unsustainable in the long run, and historically it has been proven that it does not pay off, it is unserious and irresponsible. He is acting tactically to gain something, but strategically he will achieve nothing", Vucevic told Euronews Serbia.

He said he expects significant pressure on Belgrade, but not on Pristina, noting that the international community is not exerting pressure on Pristina beyond declarative messages and tweets calling for greater engagement and restraint from both sides. "They have 10 formulations, these are bureaucratic statements… And I cannot be part of such thinking. Kurti has not been punished, and it insults my common sense when they say he has. I cannot accept that Quint cannot influence him", Vucevic said. He added that Serbs in Kosovo are subjected to terror, arrests, the dinar has been abolished, medical imports have been banned, and tomorrow marks a year since the import of goods from central Serbia was prohibited.

Read more at: https://shorturl.at/xSgkT

Serbs could not attend liturgy at Christ the Savior Temple in Pristina centre (Radio KIM)

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) and Serbs in Kosovo marked the Savior’s Day in Pristina, Prizren and other areas, on June 13. The liturgy, however, could not be served in the Christ the Savior Temple in Pristina centre, because of the ban imposed by local authorities and Kosovo police, Radio KIM reported. They were banned from serving the liturgy in a still unfinished temple in the centre of Pristina.

Radio KIM further reported that while the Albanian majority community marks the 25th anniversary of the NATO military forces arrival in Kosovo, describing this event as Kosovo liberation, Serbs on the other side are attempting to have their basic human rights achieved.

The Kosovo police was present near the Christ the Savior Temple in Pristina on this holiday. Serbs gathered and marked the Savior’s Day holiday at Saint Nikola Church instead.

“Unfortunately, in Pristina today we do not serve (the liturgy) at Christ the Savior Temple, because it is both a city celebration and celebration of that temple, but in the Saint Nikola Church. However, God will allow, as he always allows – we should only turn back to God and invoke his name a bit more”, Pristina parish priest Stanisa Arsic said. He added that although in small numbers, Serbs still care about their shrines “as much as they are allowed” to do so.

More than 1000 requests submitted to switch driving licences (KoSSev)

After more than a month since Kosovo Interior Ministry’s decision on enabling switching of Serbian driver’s licences for Kosovo ones came into effect, more than 1.000 requests had been submitted, KoSSev portal reported citing Kosovo police.

Large majority of those requests were submitted in northern Kosovo municipalities. According to Kosovo police 213 requests were submitted in Leposavic, 301 in Mitrovica North, 139 in Zubin Potok and 156 in Zvecan.

EU: Belgrade violating agreement on path to normalisation of relations with Pristina (N1, FoNet)

The Agreement on the path to normalisation is valid and fully binding for both Kosovo and Serbia, including Article 4, so Serbia's lobbying against Kosovo is a clear violation of this agreement, European Union (EU) spokesperson Peter Stano is quoted as saying in a statement, N1 reported. The statement, forwarded to the media and cited by Radio Free Europe (RFE), for the first time explicitly confirms that Serbia is violating the agreement on the path to normalisation with Kosovo by actively working toward preventing Kosovo membership in international organisations, N1 added.

In February 2023, Belgrade and Pristina reached an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations, and in March that same year an implementation annex to the agreement was agreed in Ohrid, North Macedonia. Article 4 of the agreement stipulates that Serbia will not object to Kosovo membership in any international organisation. Kosovo failed to join the Council of Europe because it did not meet the condition set by its important members – the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities.
Asked whether mutual recognition is the goal of the dialogue on the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Stano said that Brussels’ position on this issue has not changed and remains the same, as it has been conveyed many times in the past and as stated in the accession criteria.

Vulin meets with Russian security services leadership in Moscow (BETA, N1)

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vulin held talks in Moscow with top Russian political, military and security officials, said his office on Thursday, BETA news agency reported.

It said that Vulin had meetings with Secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council Sergei Shoigu, Russian Internal Affairs Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Russian Defense Ministry officials and with the senior managers of Russia’s military-industrial complex.

“Vulin also had successful talks with Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Grushko, whom he asked to convey to Minister Sergei Lavrov his gratitude for supporting Serbia at the United Nations General Assembly and voting against the Resolution on Srebrenica”, said the press release. Vulin also met with the top officials of the most important Russian security services, his office added.