UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 18, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Von der Leyen in Western Balkans next week, in Pristina on Oct 26 (media)
Rohde: Six countries of Western Balkans benefited from Berlin Process (media)
World Bank issues regular economic report on Western Balkans (media)
Kurti meets with Haddad, “strong Kosovo-France relations reaffirmed” (media)
Tahiri: Normality will return to Kosovo after February 9 (media)
Haradinaj travels to U.S., for meetings at Pentagon, State Department (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian PM Vucevic with UNMIK Head Ziadeh on the current situation in Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, RTS, media)
Petkovic meets Ziadeh: The irreplaceable role of the UN Mission in Kosovo in preserving peace (Kosovo Online, RTS, Tanjug, media)
Vucevic: Kurti continues to make life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo (Danas, Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
Blanar: Serbia has the full support of Slovakia regarding Kosovo (Tanjug, Politika)
Vucic meets Blanar (Tanjug, media)
Posters about the KP, Self-Determination and plasma biscuits in the north of Mitrovica (KiM radio, Alternativna, KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)
Von der Leyen next Friday in Belgrade, a day later in Pristina (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

International:

Kosovo sees red in pupils’ self-harm amid limited school psychologists (BIRN)
Sanctions and trials help Bosnian Serb leader win big at polls (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Von der Leyen in Western Balkans next week, in Pristina on Oct 26 (media)

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will visit the Western Balkans next week, including Kosovo, to express her engagement and the commitment of the Commission to bring the region closer to the European Union. Von der Leyen will stay in Pristina on October 26 and meet with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Rohde: Six countries of Western Balkans benefited from Berlin Process (media)

German Ambassador to Kosovo, Jorn Rohde, said today that six countries of the Western Balkans have benefited from the Berlin Process and that the main objective is the Common Regional Market. Rohde also welcomed the decision of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to lift the visa regime for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina starting from January 1 next year.

World Bank issues regular economic report on Western Balkans (media)

Most news websites cover the World Bank’s regular economic report titled “Retaining the Growth Momentum”. The report notes that economic growth in Kosovo is projected to accelerate to 3.8 percent in 2024, supported by consumption underpinned by rising incomes, credit, and public spending. In terms of the labor market, it notes that in Kosovo, despite recent gains, only 37.1 percent of the working-age population is employed.

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

Kurti meets with Haddad, “strong Kosovo-France relations reffirmed” (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti met today with the French Minister for Europe Benjamin Haddad and reaffirmed the strong relations between Kosovo and France and furthering cooperation in the economy. “The path of Kosovo’s European integration was discussed, with focus on regional issues and regional cooperation. Prime Minister Kurti thanked Minister Haddad for his continuous support to Kosovo and today’s conversation. Present at the meeting was also the French special envoy for the Western Balkans, Rene Trocaz,” a statement issued by Kurti’s office notes.

Tahiri: Normality will return to Kosovo after February 9 (media)

Head of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group, Abelard Tahiri, said in a Facebook post today that “the attempt to limit freedom of speech is a common characteristic of all totalitarian tendencies. For the government of black hats, stopping freedom of speech is not only an ambition but a task too. Because by controlling the forum where speech is broadcast, they try to avoid exposure and responsibility. The government of black hats has developed such a relationship vis-à-vis the media, especially with the RTK. The RTK, which should be in the function of the public and freedom of speech, closed its doors on us and the broadcast precisely because of the fear from the government. As an act it happened the day before yesterday. But as a method it has happened since the first day of Vetevendosje’s governance. As a tendency it is happening to this day and is trying to continue, until it snatches every forum where there is open talk and reasonable criticism. But they won’t be able to kill freedom of speech. After February 9, normality will return to Kosovo, and RTK will get back the nobleness as a public broadcaster”.

Haradinaj travels to U.S., for meetings at Pentagon and State Department (media)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj has travelled to the United States, accompanied by AAK parliamentary group chief Besnik Tahiri. Haradinaj will stay in Chicago where upon the invitation of the Pearson Institute he will take part in their conference and talk about developments in Kosovo. During his stay in Chicago, he will meet members of the Albanian community.

Haradinaj will also visit New York where he will meet members of the U.S. Congress and other state officials. A spokesperson for the AAK said that Haradinaj will conclude his visit to the U.S. in Washington where he will hold official meetings at the Pentagon, the U.S. Department of State, and the National Security Council of the White House.

Serbian Language Media

Serbian PM Vucevic with UNMIK Head Ziadeh on the current situation in Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, RTS, media)

Prime Minister of Serbia, Milos Vucevic, met today with the Special Representative of Secretary General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Caroline Ziadeh, with whom he discussed the current situation in Kosovo, reported Kosovo Online.

Vucevic expressed his concern about the current situation in Kosovo and the Pristina unilateral moves which, as he said, do not contribute to defusing of tensions, but make the position of Serbs in Kosovo more difficult and lead to destabilization of the situation in the entire region, reported the portal, citing the statement of the Government of Serbia.

Vucevic emphasized that “Albin Kurti, continues to pressure and terrorize the Serbs every day and that he wants to tell them that they cannot stay and survive in Kosovo and Metohija’’, adding that

“the anti-Serb policy is Kurti’s only political program that he offers to his voters before the elections scheduled for February 2025, in the absence of an economic and social program”.

The Government of Serbia is persistent in solving all challenges and will remain committed to preservation of peace and stability in the interest of the entire region, as well as that it is necessary to exert international pressure on Pristina in order to continue the dialogue with Belgrade and to stop the terror against Serbian people, said Vucevic.

Ziadeh expressed concern about the events that affect the economic and social rights of Serbs and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo and emphasized that it is important that all issues are resolved within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

She confirmed UNMIK’s unwavering commitment to respecting and protecting human rights, including the principle of equality and non-discrimination, which, she pointed out, is one of the pillars of the human rights framework.

She praised the participation of representatives of the Serbian Armed Forces in UN peacekeeping missions and opined that this shows Serbia’s readiness to assume responsibility for global security.

Petkovic meets Ziadeh: The irreplaceable role of the UN Mission in Kosovo in preserving peace (Kosovo Online, RTS, Tanjug, media)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, met today with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and the Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Caroline Ziadeh, with whom he discussed the political and security situation in Kosovo and the upcoming session of the UN Security Council, scheduled for October 30, at which the UN Secretary General's report on the work of UNMIK will be presented, reported Kosovo Online.

As announced by the Office for KiM, Petkovic pointed out at the beginning of the conversation the irreplaceable role of the UN Mission in Kosovo in preserving peace, security and protecting human rights, and expressed his expectations that international organizations and institutions on the ground will fulfill the task of their mandate and that conditions will be created in which attacks on Serbs will not be possible, much less tolerated.

"Warning of the fact that the safety and security of the Serbian people on the ground is seriously threatened, Petkovic stated that the upcoming report of the UN SG on the work of UNMIK will be of essential importance for understanding the current situation in Kosovo and the impossible living conditions in which the Serbian people find themselves in KiM, considering all the facts and given circumstances that led to this," the announcement states.

Petkovic informed Ziadeh about the latest events in Kosovo, pointing out that Pristina's unilateral, illegal, and escalating moves are aimed at creating unbearable conditions for the life of the Serbian people and threaten to lead to their complete expulsion from Kosovo.

"This shows the clear intention of Albin Kurti to establish an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija and lead to its complete Albanianization by forcefully shutting down Serbian institutions, violence, terror and daily pressures," Petkovic pointed out.

He added that all the problems faced by the Serbian people in Kosovo unequivocally confirm that it is necessary for the Serbs to enable the formation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities as soon as possible, through which the collective and individual rights of the Serbian people would be secured, as provided for in the Brussels Agreement, and which Pristina authorities have refused to implement for more than eleven years.

Petkovic conveyed to Ziadeh the Belgrade's firm determination to preserve peace and stability in Kosovo and the region, as well as its determination to persist in respecting international rules and norms.

"That implies first and foremost respect for Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council and the documents that are in force and that must be respected and applied," concluded Petkovic.

Vucevic: Kurti continues to make life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo (Danas, Kosovo Online, TV Pink)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said today that Kosovo PM Albin Kurti continues to make normal life difficult for Serbs in Kosovo and that there is nervousness at the Merdare crossing due to the inspections taking a long time.

Vucevic told TV Pink that Kurti is nervous about the elections scheduled for 9 February next year, as well as the American elections which “will determine the fate of the world and geopolitics in at least four, and maybe the next ten years”.

“Kurti continues to create conditions so that Serbs cannot live normally in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Prime Minister Vucevic.

He said that it is good that the entry of goods from central Serbia into Kosovo is again allowed, but in practice it is “difficult to implement, because only Merdare crossing is open.” Talking about nervousness at the Merdare due to inspection taking a long time, he said thus “what was agreed and signed in Berlin is being annulled.” “We are waiting for the Jarinje and Brnjak crossings to open. This is all a game of patience, small moves in a big game,” Vucevic noted.

Blanar: Serbia has the full support of Slovakia regarding Kosovo (Tanjug, Politika)

Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Juraj Blanar, stated that the Slovak government's position on non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo is unchangeable, clear and formulated in the Declaration of the National Council of Slovakia back in 2007, reported Tanjug.

Blanar, who is visiting Belgrade today, pointed out in an interview for Politika daily that Slovakia, like dozens of other countries, did not recognize the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo because it is a violation of international law and the territorial integrity of Serbia.

"Serbia has our full support on this issue. However, what needs to be urgently addressed is the current development in Kosovo, especially in the north," Blanar said.

Vucic meets Blanar (Tanjug, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Slovak FM Juraj Blanar in Belgrade on Friday to discuss overall relations between the two traditionally close and friendly countries, advancement of economic cooperation and Kosovo.

"I expressed gratitude for Slovakia's principled position regarding the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, as well as for the support for our country's positions and stances in international organisations regarding Kosovo-Metohija," Vucic wrote in an Instagram post.

He added that the discussion with Blanar had also addressed an upcoming trilateral summit of Serbia, Slovakia, and Hungary on the fight against illegal migration and that they had agreed that global security challenges needed to be confronted in a coordinated manner.

"I reiterated that EU membership is Serbia's strategic commitment and its foreign policy priority, and expressed special gratitude for the support Slovakia is providing to us on the path to full membership," Vucic wrote in the post.

Posters about the KP, Self-Determination and plasma biscuits in the north of Mitrovica (KiM radio, Alternativna, KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)

This morning, posters with the symbols of the Kosovo Police, the Self-Determination Movement and the popular plasma biscuits appeared in the northern part of Mitrovica.

The posters show a member of the special unit of the Kosovo Police searching a girl for plasma in her backpack, a cleaner with the Self-Determination logo throwing plasma, and a hooligan with salt plasma in her hand. The posters were put up in several locations in the city, and they are signed by an artist under the pseudonym Graforidza, reported Kontakt plus radio.

On the copied drawings by Banksy, i.e. Graforidza, the authors in the northern part of Mitrovica also wrote the Self-Determination logo (VV) on the cleaner's apron, and on the drawing where a policeman is searching a girl, they added the emblem of the Kosovo Police on his shoulder.

Banksy's famous graffiti was an inspiration for the shortage of plasma in Serbia. KoSSev reported that posters have Graforidza's signature. It is the famous author of the News Net, the Serbian known artist, architect and graphic designer Miroslav Vujovic (Graforidza).

Vujovic published on his FB profile five days ago his author's work, based on the graffiti of the famous artist Banksy, entitled "When Banksy and Plasma mix".

He used Banksy's motifs, changing the objects, so instead of a bouquet of flowers, he placed a box of Plasma in the hand of the hooligan. It is a fun parody of the lack of Plasma in Serbia.

KoSSev contacted Miroslav Vujovic regarding the posters in Mitrovica. Uncomfortably surprised, he denied that the whole action had anything to do with him. At the beginning of the conversation, he was convinced that it was a joke and that such posters were created in the first place, reported KoSSev.

After he looked at the drawings and KoSSev’s YouTube video, he additionally reacted negatively to the drawings and to the fact that his signature was left.

"Someone misused a creative idea that was posted from a completely different context. In my works, the goal of the creative idea was to show the lack of Plasma in Serbia in an entertaining way. It seems that my signature was also left," this artist told KoSSev in a written correspondence.

Von der Leyen next Friday in Belgrade, a day later in Pristina (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in Belgrade on Friday, where she will meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic as part of her tour of the Western Balkans, European Commission Deputy Spokesperson Arianna Podesta announced.

As she stated at the press briefing in Brussels, von der Leyen will begin her visit to the Western Balkans next week on Wednesday.

"First, she will visit Tirana, Albania, to meet Prime Minister Edi Rama. She will also give a speech at the opening ceremony of the European Campus College in Tirana. On Thursday, Von der Leyen will meet with the President of Albania, Bajram Begai. The same morning, she will travel to Skopje in North Macedonia where she will meet with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova," said Podesta.

She added that from there, the president of the European Commission will visit Jablanica in BiH.

"Von der Leyen will visit the area affected by the floods. On Friday morning, she will be with the state leadership in Sarajevo as well as the President of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Kristo," said Podesta.

Later, von der Leyen will travel to Belgrade, where she will meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Milos Vucevic.

"On Saturday, President Von der Leyen will be in Pristina, Kosovo, where she will meet with President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Finally, Von Der Leyen will end her visit to the region in Podgorica, Montenegro, where she will have meetings with President Jakov Milatovic and Prime Minister Milojko Spajic," Podesta concluded.

International

Kosovo sees red in pupils’ self-harm amid limited school psychologists (BIRN)

Self-harm cases in elementary and secondary schools in Kosovo are increasing as school psychologists can only be hired if a school has over 1,000 students, based on an administrative instruction by the Kosovo Ministry of Education.

On October 11, a school director in a village in Kamenica reported to the police that eight pupils tried to hurt themselves and each other before classes, influenced by a TikTok ‘challenge.’

Police told BIRN that there was no criminal violation of bodily injury from the pupils in Kamenica, so the prosecutor registered this case in an official note.

This case in Kamenica is not isolated. Similar occurrences of self-harm across Kosovo based on TikTok challenges were identified four days prior to the ones in Kamenica.

On October 7, Eranda Kumnova-Baçi, the head of Gjakova Municipality Education Directorate, reported to the police three cases of self-harm committed by three pupils based on another TikTok ‘challenge.’

The police and Gjakova Basic Prosecution are investigating the case as the criminal violation ‘inciting or assisting suicide’.

On October 9, Kumnova-Baçi told BIRN that “the number of confirmed cases [of self-harm] is 19.” All of the victims are girls.

According to the Kosovo Police, by the end of October 8, another ten pupils who had hurt themselves in Gjakova were found. The police told BIRN on October 9 that “six more pupils are suspected to have hurt themselves in different periods of time”.