UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 16, 2025

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani meets EU election observation mission (media)
UNMIK Chief reiterates calls for dialogue and sustainable solutions following yesterday’s Police action (media)
ECAP issues fines to LDK and Vetevendosje for violating code of conduct (media)
EU election observation mission in Kosovo starts work on Jan 18 (Express)
Ivanovic’s son on 7th anniversary of killing: Disappointed but I have hope (Koha)
Serwer says Kosovo-Serbia relations could deteriorate (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

Head of UNMIK: We are concerned about the closure of institutions financed by Serbia (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, RTS, media)
Petkovic: The Serbs who lost their jobs in Kosovo will not be left without salaries and affiliation (RTS, Beta, NMagazin, N1)
Seven years without Oliver Ivanovic: A legacy remembered, justice awaited (KoSSev)
Serbian List today filed an appeal against the CEC's decision on electoral commissions (Blic, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, media)
Defense of Milosavljevic: The whole procedure consists of unreliable witnesses, matrix for the trial of Serbs (Kosovo Online)
Vucic: The deepest respect for Donald Trump, your contribution to peace deserves every praise (Tanjug, media)
Dragan Šutanovac the new ambassador of Serbia to the USA (Tanjug, RTS, media)

Opinion:

Things in the Balkans can get worse (peacefare.net)

International Media:

Kosovo leaders honour US diplomat who exposed brutal village massacre (BIRN)
Witness-tampering charges could prove costly for Kosovo’s Thaci (BIRN)
Energy security: political party pledges (Kosovo 2.0)
Husband and three others indicted over femicide in Prishtina (PI)
Albania greenlights Jared Kushner plan to develop island as luxury resort (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani meets EU election observation mission (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani hosted today in a meeting the EU election observation mission led by Nathalie Loiseau, as part of joint engagements to secure a free, fair and democratic process in the upcoming February parliamentary elections. They discussed the importance of a free, fair and transparent election process, saying that Kosovo has already proved its commitment to organizing democratic elections.

Osmani highlighted the importance of women’s representation in election lists, gender budgeting, their presence in the media, as well as addressing issues of gender-based violence during the campaign. She also called on the observation mission to focus on the respecting of rights of people with disabilities especially with regards to their access to polling stations.

Osmani said gender equality is one of the basic principles of democracy and that it needs to be reflected in all aspects of the election process. Referring to earlier reports from EU observation missions which had concluded that in the northern municipalities there was interference, intimidation and obstruction of the free vote, Osmani said the EU observers must ensure if the right to free vote was being implemented entirely and in line with the highest democratic standards throughout the territory of Kosovo.

UNMIK Chief reiterates calls for dialogue and sustainable solutions following yesterday’s Police action (media)

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and UNMIK Chief, Caroline Ziadeh, expressed concern about the actions against Serbian-funded institutions across Kosovo yesterday, which resulted in the closure of several institutions, including post offices, temporary institution buildings and social welfare centres.

The SRSG is concerned about the impact of these closures on the daily lives of individuals, particularly those from non-majority communities, who directly depend on these institutions. Such unilateral actions risk further erosion of trust between communities and the Kosovo authorities, the UNMIK office said in a press release.

Ziadeh reiterated her calls for outstanding issues to be discussed constructively, in open communication and in good faith within the EU-facilitated Dialogue. She called on all to work towards negotiated and sustainable solutions for the well-being and security of all people in Kosovo, as the only acceptable way forward.

ECAP issues fines to LDK and Vetevendosje for violating code of conduct (media)

Kosovo’s Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) fined the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) with €20,000 for violating the code of conduct during the election campaign, Gazeta Express reports. The Vetevendosje Movement had complained to ECAP that LDK candidate for MP, Xheneta Syka, published a video on Facebook comparing Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Adolph Hitler. The panel concluded that the video was posted on the candidate’s Facebook profile and was then deleted, and decided to issue a fine to the LDK.

Nacionale reports that ECAP partly accepted a complaint by the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) which claimed that Vetevendosje leader and Prime Minister Albin Kurti violated the code of conduct during a recent rally in Peja. The panel decided to fine Vetevendosje with €3,000.

EU election observation mission in Kosovo starts work on Jan 18 (Express)

The European Union’s election observation mission in Kosovo will start its work on January 18. The mandate and objectives of the mission will be presented at a press conference in Pristina by chief observer of the mission Nathalie Loiseau.

Ivanovic’s son on 7th anniversary of killing: Disappointed but I have hope (Koha)

The son of Oliver Ivanovic, a Kosovo Serb politician who was gunned down in front of his office in Mitrovica North in January 2018 , said he is disappointed with the authorities of Serbia. “I am disappointed, I am very disappointed. I didn’t expect I would go through all this, knowing that no one has been brought to justice … I didn’t have high expectations from Pristina, but I expected more from Belgrade, and nothing is happening,” he said in an interview with Serbian media.

He said that Kosovo has convicted several people for abetting in the killing of his father but that it is not known who they aided. “We don’t have any names, who were they helping? Who ordered the killing of Oliver and who did they help indirectly? This is a question that is still unanswered,” he said.

He nevertheless said he still has hope that his father’s assassination will be resolved.

Serwer says Kosovo-Serbia relations could deteriorate (RTK)

Daniel Serwer, professor of international relations in the US and an expert on developments in the Western Balkans, has raised concerns about the deterioration of the situation in the region, especially in Kosovo-Serbia relations, during Donald Trump's second administration.

Serwer, in an analysis published in Peacefare, said that the administration of the outgoing president, Joe Biden, has also pursued a policy that favors Serbia, supporting the creation of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities.

“For most of the Biden administration, Gabriel Escobar led the Balkans in the state. He made the creation of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities his exclusive priority. This would have meant giving Belgrade what it wanted most, while giving Pristina nothing. This would never work, and it did not happen. But Biden's people continued to lean towards Belgrade," Serwer wrote, criticizing this approach, which he said is biased and unfair to Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Head of UNMIK: We are concerned about the closure of institutions financed by Serbia (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, RTS, media)

The Special Representative of the Secretary General and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh, expressed concern about yesterday's actions against institutions funded by Serbia, which resulted in the closure of several institutions, including post offices, buildings of provisional institutions and social welfare centres.

"Ziadeh is concerned about the impact of these closures on the daily lives of individuals, especially those from non-majority communities, who directly depend on these institutions. Such unilateral actions risk further erosion of trust between communities and Kosovo authorities," read the UNMIK statement.

She repeated the calls to discuss open issues constructively, in open communication and in good faith within the EU-led dialogue.

"She urges all to work towards negotiated and sustainable solutions for the well-being and security of all people in Kosovo as the only acceptable path ahead," said the statement.

Petkovic: The Serbs who lost their jobs in Kosovo will not be left without salaries and affiliation (RTS, Beta, NMagazin, N1)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, told RTS this morning that no Serb who lost a job in Kosovo due to the intervention of Albin Kurti and the closure of Serbian institutions will not be left without salary and other monthly incomes and benefits.

He pointed out that only yesterday, the local police closed around 35 Serbian institutions and that 1,100 people lost their jobs.

"This kind of behavior clearly shows the intention of Albin Kurti for an ethnically pure Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic pointed out, adding that Serbia will not leave and forget its people in Kosovo.

"President Vucic also said that and promised that all those who lost their jobs will receive salaries and other monthly incomes," Petkovic stressed.

He underlined that now when the Kosovo police were closing Serbian institutions, he was at the negotiations in Brussels and that he left them when he heard what was happening.

"With these moves, Kurti shows that he does not want any agreement, and everything that has been agreed so far has been trampled by unilateral moves," said Petkovic.

He assessed that the EU has so far repeatedly condemned Kurti's moves, but that this is clearly not enough and more needs to be done.

Petkovic pointed out that this time there was a step forward when it comes to the EU's announcement and the condemnation of Kurti's moves, because this time there was no phrase "that the fault is on both sides".

Seven years without Oliver Ivanovic: A legacy remembered, justice awaited (KoSSev)

Today marks seven years since the assassination of Oliver Ivanović, a prominent Serbian politician from Kosovo. As on every January 16, commemorations are being held in his memory, both in North Mitrovica and Belgrade, reported KoSSev today.

At 8:15 a.m.—the exact time Ivanović was fatally shot—his family, friends, local opposition politicians, activists, and citizens gathered in front of the offices of his party, Civic Initiative “Freedom, Democracy, Justice” (GI SDP), in North Mitrovica. Among those paying their respects were members of the “Kreni-promeni” movement and “Lokalni front”.

In Belgrade, a candle lighting ceremony is being held at St. Mark’s Church, continuing the tradition of honoring Ivanović’s memory in the Serbian capital.

On January 16, 2018, Ivanović was shot six times in the back as he arrived at his party’s offices in North Mitrovica. Despite extensive investigations, the identity of those who ordered and carried out the killing remains unknown.

In June 2024, the Basic Court in Pristina sentenced Marko Rošić, Nedeljko Spasojević, Dragiša Marković, and Žarko Jovanović to a total of 22 years in prison for their involvement in the murder. However, two other defendants, Silvana Arsović and Rade Basara, were acquitted.

“Silence speaks volumes”

“Seven years have passed, and when they say silence can speak, it truly does. This silence says more than a thousand words, and the fact that nothing has been done also says more than a thousand words,” said Marina Ivanović, the late politician’s widow.

Read more at:https://tinyurl.com/3x9y5fkp

Serbian List today filed an appeal against the CEC's decision on electoral commissions (Blic, Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, media)

Blic reported today that the Serbian List has been fighting a legal battle with the CEC for weeks about electoral committees.

- We would like to inform you that the representatives of the Serbian List have just submitted an appeal against the new, illegal decision of the Central Election Commission on the composition of electoral committees to the Election Panel for Appeals and Petitions. The legal deadline for a response is 48 hours from the moment the complaint is submitted - said the Serbian List.

Blic recalls that the SL has already appealed once against the CEC's decision on electoral committees and the Election Panel for Appeals and Petitions accepted that appeal on Tuesday, but the CEC again made a decision, as they say, to the detriment of this party.

Defense of Milosavljevic: The whole procedure consists of unreliable witnesses, matrix for the trial of Serbs (Kosovo Online)

The defense of Gavrilo Milosavljevic from Istok, whom the Special Prosecutor's Office is charging with war crimes in Kosovo, assessed after today's hearing that the entire proceedings consisted of unreliable witnesses and that this has become a matrix when it comes to the trials of Serbs, reported Kosovo Online.

After the testimony of N.H., the prosecution's witness, Vlajic pointed out that nothing new could be heard at today's hearing.

"It is another in a series of witnesses who say the same thing. Who did not see the defendant, neither that day nor those days, and who knows nothing about him, except that he heard a nickname from someone that resembles his own. That's all that happened today," said Vlajic. Speaking about the proceedings against Milosavljevic, Vlajic pointed out that the entire proceedings consist of unreliable witnesses, who, he claims, did not see anything.

Lawyer Dejan A. Vasic, who is also defending Milosavljevic, pointed out that unreliable witnesses that are not credible have become the matrix for the trials that are being held against Serbs before the court in Pristina.

"This is starting to become a matrix, that there is one witness who is totally unreliable and totally uncredible, and who is allegedly corroborated by some witnesses with statements that are not even an indication. It is something that is the matrix for all these procedures that are held these days," said Vasic.

Today, next to N.H., U.T was also supposed to testify, however, he did not appear before the court.

Vucic: The deepest respect for Donald Trump, your contribution to peace deserves every praise (Tanjug, media)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, expressed his respect for the newly elected President of the USA, Donald Trump, because he helped to reach an agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas, reported Tanjug agency.

"Deepest respect to Donald Trump for securing a ceasefire and release of hostages before he officially took office. Also, respect to Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Your contribution to peace is to be commended," said Vucic on X platform.

Israel and Hamas agreed yesterday to a cease-fire agreement in Gaza and a hostage exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The agreement, which is to be confirmed by the Israeli government today, is due to come into force on Sunday.

Dragan Šutanovac the new ambassador of Serbia to the USA (Tanjug, RTS, media)

President of the Council for Strategic Policies and former Minister of Defense Dragan Šutanovac will be the new ambassador of Serbia in Washington, reported RTS, citing Tanjug.

At today's session of the Government of Serbia, the appointment of Šutanovac was approved.

Šutanovac was the Minister of Defense in the Government of Serbia for two terms.

The head of Serbian diplomacy, Marko Djurić, previously stated that before the inauguration of the newly elected US President Donald Trump, on January 20, Belgrade will send the name of the new Serbian ambassador in Washington to the American side.

Previously, Djuric served as the ambassador of Serbia in Washington from December 2020 to April 2024, when he was elected as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Opinion

Things in the Balkans can get worse (peacefare.net)

Opinion piece by Daniel Serwer.

My post yesterday on Biden’s less than sterling foreign policy legacy disappointed my Balkan fans. They thought his weak performance in their region merited attention. So here is a moment of attention. Let’s start with Trump’s first term, 2017-21.

Trump disappointed

In 2020, then President Trump signed with Kosovo Prime Minister Hoti and Serbian President Vucic separate agreements on “economic normalization.” The US Administration advertised these agreements as great achievements. They provided for highway and rail connections, financing for small and medium enterprises, entry of Kosovo into what was then labeled a “mini-Schengen” zone that included Serbia, Albania and Macedonia, mutual recognition of diplomas, prohibition of “untrusted” (read: Chinese) 5G vendors, as well as a number of other provisions that have little or nothing to do with economic normalization between Belgrade and Pristina. The other economic provisions were even more minimal, except for a promise to Belgrade of more US investment.

These agreements mostly went unimplemented. Israel recognized Kosovo and Pristina located its new embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. Serbia got lots of new US investment. The most important provision, Serbia’s suspension of its anti-recognition campaign, never happened so far as I can tell.

Everyone had high expectations for Biden

People in the region, especially in Bosnia and Kosovo, had high expectations for the Biden Administration in 2020. Senator Biden had been a vigorous advocate of US interventions in the Balkans. Secretary of State Blinken knew the region well. Ambassador in Belgrade Chris Hill had been deeply involved at Dayton and thereafter at Rambouillet and as ambassador in Macedonia. Derek Chollet, Counselor at State, was likewise knowledgeable.

Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/jvejvmxp

International

Kosovo leaders honour US diplomat who exposed brutal village massacre (BIRN)

Retired US diplomat William Walker paid tribute on Wednesday in the Kosovo village of Recak/Racak at the memorial to 44 civilians killed 26 years ago by Serbian forces.

Hundreds of citizens beat the cold to pay homage to the victims, making another return to the village where, in 1999, Walker denounced the mass killing of Kosovo Albanians as a crime against humanity.

The massacre provoked a shift in Western policy towards Kosovo and became a turning point in the conflict. A statue of Walker stands in the village as a sign of gratitude.

Speaking at a commemoration ceremony, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Walker’s statements after the massacre “exposed the brutality Kosovo was facing and changed the international discourse on the Kosovo war”.

“Ambassador Walker’s statements were official denunciations of Serb forces and authorities, which were committing crimes against humanity and war crimes against Albanian civilians in Kosovo,” Kurti said.

Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo, called Recak/Racak a “small village with a big history”.

“Recak is not only a tragedy which is linked with this village and its residents. It is evidence of the long-lasting sufferings of our people who demanded and kept fighting for freedom and for the right to exist,” Osmani said.