UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, October 14, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Leaders from Western Balkans to meet in Berlin Process Summit today (media)
Kurti: Serbia provokes again, move troops 50 metres near Kosovo border (media)
Assembly to hold extraordinary session on food supply for KSF today (media)
AJK condemns damaging of KoSSev director’s car in Mitrovica North (media)
UK Embassy congratulates KSF team on getting silver at exercise (media)
Sources: “Rakic assaulted by Vucetic; his brother involved in Banjska” (media)
Kosovo Football Federation reacts to Serbian offensive banners, insults (media)
Serbian youth football clubs refuse to play against Kosovo football school (media)
Kosovo offers temporary shelter to 68 Afghans (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

Vucevic: Kurti is imagining the Serbian Army (RTS, Kosovo Online)
Kosovo accuses Serbia of provoking tensions near border; Serbian ministry responds (N1)
EU lifts visa requirement for Kosovo-holder Serbian passports (FoNet, KoSSev, media)
Car of KoSSev Director damaged in North Mitrovica (KoSSev, Danas)
The French Embassy and AGK reacted to the KoSSev Director's car being damaged (KoSSev)
Jevtic: Since the arrival of Kurti, there has been no rule of law for Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
Gracanica demands withdrawal of Kosovo Government’s decision on Municipal land expropriation (KoSSev)
Dacic: Suspect of war crimes against civilians arrested at Horgos (NMagazin, N1)
Without confirming that the SL leader was beaten, part of the media published the alleged perpetrator; denial and a lawsuit (Zubinpotok.info, KoSSev, Instagram)

Albanian Language Media

Leaders from Western Balkans to meet in Berlin Process Summit today (media)

Koha reported on Sunday that joint agreement and declarations are expected to be signed today between six countries of the Western Balkans at the Berlin Process Summit. Prime Minister Albin Kurti will represent Kosovo at the summit and one of his advisors said that a declaration for good neighbourly relations is expected to be signed in Berlin. “A new agreement on access to studies is expected to be signed tomorrow totaling to five agreements reached since 2022, which are also known as mobility agreements. A declaration will be signed for the new Action Plan 2025-2028 on the Common Regional Market, as well as a declaration on good neighbourly relations, which has been accorded at the level of the six countries,” the advisor said.

The advisor also said that at the meeting which will be hosted by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Kurti will talk about the presence of security as a precondition for good neighbourly relations.

Kurti: Serbia provokes again, move troops 50 meters near Kosovo border (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said on Saturday that “Serbia has provoked again today by moving its troops around 50 metres near the borderline with Kosovo, in the territory of Kamenica. The respective security institutions of the Republic of Kosovo immediately detected the provocative moves by the Serbian army which were aimed at inciting tensions. When they saw that we noticed and recorded them, they quickly fled and moved back to their territory. The Government of the Republic of Kosovo has made unprecedented investments in building and improving the capacities of intelligence, security and defence institutions, which stand ready to prevent any threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state. The synergy between the security and defence structures, as well as cooperation with regional and international partners and allies is a guarantee for security in Kosovo. Meanwhile, Serbia is continuing to stoke tensions through hybrid actions, by aiming to destabilise the region, but the room for such manoeuvres is getting narrower by the day. Kosovo remains unwavering in its path toward Euro-Atlantic integration, with its institutions that are vigilant around the clock, by protecting the country and maximally monitoring the situation”.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense on the other hand issued a statement saying that its security authorities stopped smuggling with illegal logging.

Kosovo Minister of Defense, Ejup Maqedonci, however reacted to Serbia’s justification saying that according to Serbian legislation, the duty for protecting forests belongs to forest officers and not the army. “Since when has the Serbian Army started carrying out duties of forest conversation and with troops armed with tactical weapons and equipment and armoured military vehicles? Because according to the law on forests of the Republic of Serbia, namely its Article 40 clearly determines that forest officers within the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Waters are the only officials for the conservation of forests and for preventing illegal logging in the territory of Serbia,” he argued in a Facebook post.

According to Maqedonci, the presence of the Serbian army at the border with Kosovo, including armoured vehicles, is an effort to disguise military actions as measures for forest conservation. He said that Serbia constantly uses ungrounded justifications as an excuse for its military presence near Kosovo, including military drills with fighter jets and assault drones as was the case of the Vihor 2024 drill in Peshter. He argued that this is a clear indicator of the hegemonistic and aggressive approach that Serbia has towards Kosovo and other neighbors.

Maqedonci also said that “the Republic of Kosovo remains unwavering in its path toward Euro-Atlantic integration and will always remain determined to develop military capacities in line with NATO standards, capable of protecting the territory and sovereignty of the country and to contribute to peace and security in the world”.

Assembly to hold extraordinary session on food supply for KSF today (media)

Members of the Kosovo Assembly will meet in an extraordinary session today to discuss the problem with food supply for the Kosovo Security Force. Head of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group Besnik Tahiri said that 43 signatures were collected for the session and that a draft resolution calls for an urgent resolution of the problem. “Tomorrow the Assembly will oblige the Government to resolve this issue,” Tahiri said on Sunday.

AJK condemns damaging of KoSSev director’s car in Mitrovica North (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo condemned on Sunday the damaging of the car of KoSSev director in Mitrovica North and called on Kosovo Police to investigate and resolve the case.

UK Embassy congratulates KSF team on getting silver at exercise (media)

The UK Embassy in Kosovo congratulated a team from the Kosovo Security Force for getting a silver medal at the Cambrian Patrol Long Range Patrol Exercise. “The KSF performance was exceptional during the gruelling 48-hour exercise in the Black Mountains of Wales, alongside 80 British and 27 international teams,” the embassy said in a post on X.

Sources: “Rakic assaulted by Vucetic; his brother involved in Banjska” (Paparaci)

Former leader of the Serbian List, Goran Rakic, was assaulted on Saturday evening in Mitrovica North by Goran Vucetic in the latter’s bar, Paparaci reported on Sunday citing unconfirmed information. Igor Simic, a colleague of Rakic and a member of the Kosovo Assembly, helped send Rakic to the hospital for treatment after the assault. Kosovapress citing unnamed sources as saying that two police investigators later went to see Rakic in his apartment and suggested he returned to the hospital and cooperate with them in the case, but he rejected both suggestions. Indeksonline quoted Boban Bogdanovic, leader of the civic movement “Odgovor”, as saying that Rakic was beaten because of his debts to Milan Radoicic. According to Paparaci, Goran Vucetic is the brother of Vladimir Vucetic, who is accused by Kosovo’s authorities as part of the group that carried out the attack against Kosovo Police in Banjska in September last year. RTK quotes Agim Musliu, director of the Pristina-based OCTOPUS Institute, as saying that Rakic was “beaten by his friends” and raised doubts that “the case would be presented as an attack by the Albanians, spreading misinformation everywhere”.

Kosovo Football Federation reacts to Serbian offensive banners, insults (media)

Most news websites reported on Sunday that the Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) has reacted to the display of offensive banners by Serbian football fans in the matches between the Czech Republic and Albania, and Switzerland and Serbia. “The Football Federation of Kosovo strongly condemns the display of banners with the map of Kosovo covered with the Serbian flag and the inscription ‘No surrender’ as well as the calls against Kosovo and Albanians that were heard during the League of Nations, Serbia-Switzerland and Czech Republic-Albania. These unacceptable acts, which are happening continuously by Serbian fans and the fans of several other countries that are close to the Serbian groups, have no place in football and in no sports arena, because they incite hatred and division between nations and countries. We note that such incidents are in full opposition with the values represented by UEFA and the international football community. Football must serve as a strong platform to promote peace, coexistence and values of equality. The FFK, as an equal member with federations of other countries, has prepared an official complaint for UEFA, with evidence of all violations and insults against the state of Kosovo, and ask for immediate measures to be taken to condemn as harshly as possible such scenes and to prevent them from happening again,” the federation said in a statement.

Serbian youth football clubs refuse to play against Kosovo football school (media)

Several news websites report that a football school from Kosovo was invited to attend a tournament of youths at the West Balkan Kids Cup in Ohrid, North Macedonia. The club from Kosovo called “Zidane” is taking part in the tournament with age groups U9 and U11. However, three clubs from Serbia – Partizan, Crvena Zvezda and Zvezdica – refused to play against the school football school from Kosovo.

Kosovo offers temporary shelter to 68 Afghans (RFE)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, said on Sunday that Kosovo has offered temporary shelter to 68 Afghanis and that their accommodation is part of Kosovo government’s continuous engagement to the crisis in Afghanistan and to shelter individuals who are at risk from internal conflicts. The news website notes that this is not the first time that Kosovo provides shelter to Afghanis in its territory. In the summer of 2021, when the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan and international forces withdrew from there, Kosovo agreed to a request from the United States to provide temporary shelter to around 1,900 Afghanis. They were foreseen to stay in Kosovo awaiting the end of a verification process to move to the U.S. or to another western country. Kosovo and U.S. authorities said several months ago that only around 30 Afghanis had remained in Kosovo and that the possibility of their relocation was being considered.

Serbian Language Media

Vucevic: Kurti is imagining the Serbian Army (RTS, Kosovo Online)

“The Serbian Army is in daily communication with KFOR members and has all organized communication lines and joint patrols, while Albin Kurti is imagining activities of the Serbian Army,” said Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic yesterday, reported RTS.

At the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the founding of the 63rd Paratrooper Brigade of the Serbian Army, Vucevic stated that Kosovo's PM Albin Kurti is trying to raise tensions.

"First of all, he wants to obscure and sideline what he is doing, which is leading to escalation on the ground, endangering the human rights and freedoms of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," said Vucevic.

Commenting on Kurti's claims that members of the Serbian Army were spotted by Kosovo security institutions near the administrative line, Vucevic responded that it involved "criminals, smugglers, and thieves."

"Those forces that supposedly encountered members of the Serbian Army are criminals, smugglers, and thieves who cross the administrative line from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija into central Serbia to steal whatever they can find. The Serbian Army is performing its duties, and when our army comes across them, it acts in accordance with the law. There are no additional activities, we are not preparing anything that could lead to escalation on the ground. On the contrary, we are very calm and patient," said Vucevic, adding that Serbia "endures more than anyone would" because it wants to preserve peace and political stability. He also mentioned that time will tell what Kurti is preparing.

Vucevic said on Friday evening that he expected even stronger pressure in the coming period, mostly around Kosovo, while also expressing concern that on Monday some new provocation by Pristina could happen, when the Summit of the Berlin Process will take place, which he would attend.

Kosovo accuses Serbia of provoking tensions near border; Serbian ministry responds (N1, KoSSev)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti accused Serbia of provoking tensions by moving troops to about 50 meters from the border with Kosovo near the municipality of Kamenica, prompting a response from the Serbian Ministry of Defense. Kurti posted photos on FB showing a military vehicle and several individuals in military uniforms, along with the coordinates. Kurti described this as a „provocative movement by the Serbian Army aimed at inciting tensions“ and noted that Kosovo security institutions had observed these soldiers, as reported by KoSSev. “When they realized we had spotted them, they quickly fled and returned to their territory,” Kurti added among other things.

The Serbian Ministry of Defense responded to Kurti’s claims, calling them part of a disinformation campaign against the Serbian Army and security forces. The Ministry also noted that Serbian security bodies had intercepted illegal smuggling of felled timber on Saturday.

The statement clarified that the social media post shows members of the Serbian Army in the Ground Safety Zone conducting routine tasks of securing the administrative line and controlling the area, in accordance with the Military-Technical Agreement and other signed agreements.

“The so-called security forces that Kurti mentions are, in fact, smugglers of illegally felled timber from central Serbia, which has become a lucrative illegal business,“ the Ministry pointed out, adding that the security bodies had intercepted the illegal transfer of timber to Kosovo, during which the smugglers fled to Kosovo, and the equipment they used was handed over to the police.

The Ministry stated that spreading falsehoods and disinformation is part of a broader campaign by Pristina aimed at raising tensions, misleading the public, creating unbearable conditions for Serbs in Kosovo, and avoiding internationally accepted obligations.

The Ministry emphasized that Kosovo Police or security forces have no role in securing the administrative line, as UN SC Resolution 1244 and the Military-Technical Agreement do not recognize any entities other than international civilian and security presence in Kosovo and Serbian security forces.

The Army, through timely preparations, proper organization, and tactical actions, secures the administrative line, controls illegal crossings, extremist activities, and organized crime, including illegal logging, and will continue to be a factor of peace and stability, the statement said.

EU lifts visa requirement for Kosovo-holder Serbian passports (FoNet, KoSSev, media)

Holders of Serbian passports from Kosovo, issued by Serbia's Coordination Directorate, can now travel to European Union countries without visas, following the enactment of the Regulation on visa liberalization, published in the Official Journal of the EU on September 23.

“This regulation is fully binding and directly applicable in the member states in accordance with the treaties,” states the document, as reported by RTS.

Car of KoSSev Director damaged in North Mitrovica (KoSSev, Danas

The vehicle belonging to Nevenka Medic, director of the KoSSev news portal, was damaged on Saturday night or early morning the following day in the center of North Mitrovica. The car, a Citroën with registration plates from Kraljevo, was parked on King Peter Street, in front of the building where Medic resides.

Visible damage, likely caused by a flammable substance, was observed in three places on the vehicle. The incident was reported to the Kosovo Police, who conducted an investigation at the scene, including forensic analysis. Medic also gave her statement to the authorities. The police will continue to handle the case in the coming days, while KoSSev plans to report the incident to relevant professional associations. At this stage, no motive or suspect has been publicly identified. This is not the first attack on Medic’s property. In 2015, a car in the same street and near the same location, also privately owned by her but used for editorial purposes, was completely set on fire. The investigation into that incident has yet to yield any charges or arrests.

The French Embassy and AGK reacted to the KoSSev Director's car being damaged (KoSSev)

"The Association of Kosovo Journalists condemns the act of damaging the car of the director of the online media 'KoSSev' Nevenka Medic, which happened today in North Mitrovica," this association announced, asking the police to investigate and clarify the event.

The French Embassy expressed hope in the epilogue of the investigation into the damage to the car of the director of KoSSev.

"We are sorry that the vehicle of the director of KoSSev, Nevenka Medic, was damaged and we hope that the circumstances of this incident will be clarified, and on this occasion, we remind you of our commitment to the freedom of the press and independent media such as KoSSev," read the reaction of the French embassy in Pristina.

Jevtic: Since the arrival of Kurti, there has been no rule of law for Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)

The President of Strpce Municipality, Dalibor Jevtic, stated that since the arrival of Albin Kurti, there is no more rule of law for Serbs in Kosovo and that democracy has been completely abolished, thus explaining the decision of that municipality to suspend public invitations for leasing public buildings on the territory of Strpce. In a statement to TV Pink, Jevtic said that since the arrival of Kurti, the policy of “ethno-nationalism” implemented by the current regime in Pristina has been introduced.

"Everything regarding the rights that are guaranteed by the laws here in Kosovo, the Serbs were abolished with Kurti's coming to power, and that is something that must be said. On the other hand, we are trying to fight against such actions and decisions through the mechanisms we have. That's why we adopted this request at the Extraordinary Session of the Municipal Assembly, that's why we took some other steps and measures, and we won't give up our fight," said Jevtic, emphasising that he was waiting for an answer from the international community.

"What I also have to emphasize is that we are waiting for an answer from the representatives of the international community. I repeat, how is it possible that the Municipal Assembly of North Mitrovica since the mayor of this municipality is Albanian and since almost all its members and the majority of councilors are Albanians, how their decisions are respected, but no decisions of the Municipality of Strpce are respected. We repeat this question to all international actors and representatives," concluded Jevtic, adding that he has no expectations "from the ethno-nationalist Albin Kurti".

"We know that he will continue with all those actions that are illegal, against the law, against the interests of the citizens living in the territory of the Strpce municipality, but that is not a reason for us to give up our fight," said Jevtic.

Gracanica demands withdrawal of Kosovo Government’s decision on Municipal land expropriation (KoSSev)

The Gracanica Municipality has issued a public protest against the Kosovo Government following the expropriation of more than 13 hectares of municipal land, reported KoSSev on Friday night. The local authorities claim that the decision was made without any consultation with them. The Kosovo Government, according to the municipality, merely notified them of the appropriation and the plan to hand over the land to a charity that intends to build a center for children and elderly people with autism and Down syndrome.

The land in question is to be given to the charity “Jetimat e Ballkanit” (“Orphans of the Balkans”), an organization that has gained prominence in northern Kosovo in recent months for its involvement in building 200 houses for non-Serbs in the area.

In an official statement, Gracanica Municipality expressed strong opposition to the government’s decision:

“The Municipality of Gracanica issues a protest against the Kosovo Government for appropriating 13 hectares and 33 ares of municipal property in the area of Gracanica (Padaliste settlement) for the purpose of building the ‘Kosovo Residential Center for Autism, Down Syndrome, and Disability for Children and the Elderly’,” the statement read.