Students from the Pristina University and citizens of Kosovska Mitrovica opposed Kosovo's possible admission to UNESCO at a protest organized in Kosovska Mitrovica.
The people who gathered carried banners saying "Kosovo is Serbia," "No Kosovo UNESCO," but also Serbian flags and photographs of burned Serbian churches and monasteries in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) on which they wrote: "Guardians of cultural heritage?!"
An Albanian man who was walking by the so-called Three Towers in the northern part of Mitrovica was stopped by two persons, believed to be Serbs, and physically assaulted. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and the authorities were informed of the case.
“Community/ Association of Serbian municipalities will be the foundation of survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, because for the first time all areas with Serbian majority will be united and will act uniquely. There will be no division on areas south and north of the Ibar/Iber River.” This is how Goran Rakic, Mayor of Mitrovica North explains his view of the agreement on the Community/ Association of Serbian municipalities (ZSO), reached in Brussels.
Pristina government does not give up the idea to take from the Serbs the University of Pristina, temporarily relocated in Kosovska Mitrovica. Kosovo Minister of Education Arsim Bajrami, at a ministerial meeting in Vlora, Albania, said that they are ready for "the integration of Northern Mitrovica University in the higher education system in Kosovo." Bajrami has even stated that Pristina authorities are preparing integration and that this is part of the Brussels Agreement, as it is the mutual recognition of diplomas.
At the fourth ministerial meeting of the countries of the Western Balkans, Kosovo Minister of Education, Science and Technology Arsim Bajrami expressed "readiness" of Kosovo to integrate the University of North Mitrovica in the "system of higher education in Kosovo". This two-day meeting was held in Vlora, Albania, and in the context of the Platform for education and training in the Western Balkans, organized by the European Commission.
Health Centre in Mitrovica will face serious problems unless it integrates into the Kosovo system, because it can remain very quickly without drugs and medical supplies which mainly are from Serbia.
The situation is further exacerbated as of the 1st of June by the decision of the Government of Kosovo which says that this institution can be supplied with medicines and medical supplies only through humanitarian supplies or licensing-integration into Kosovo's health system.
Kosovo Minister of Local Government Administration Ljubomir Maric announced that in Brdjani area, in Mitrovica North, will have to be solved the problem of the cadastral zone between the municipality of North and South Mitrovica. On the other side in Pristina is formed the working group for return of IDPs to this settlement.
The Serbian Minister of Justice, Nikola Selakovic, will visit Mitrovica North today and meet members of the Serbian parallel judicial system in northern Kosovo. According to Serbian media, Selakovic is expected to put pressure on Serb judges and prosecutors after the latter hesitated to apply for the positions of judges and prosecutors at the Mitrovica Basic Court and Prosecution, following the agreement on the judiciary reached between Pristina and Belgrade.
President of the provisional organ of the municipality of Mitrovica North Aleksandar Spiric said today that the workers of this municipality will not lose their jobs. "In regards to the unnecessary confusion of the citizens and employees I have to emphasize that the employees of the municipal administration, as well as workers who are indirect beneficiaries of the municipality of Mitrovica North will not lose their jobs. With this move we will strengthen the institutions and will be able to work for the benefit and livelihoods of citizens of Mitrovica North," stressed Spirić.
Citing unidentified sources, Kosovapress reports that Igor Shulyatchenko, deputy chief of the Russian Office in Pristina, was involved in a recent car accident in northern Kosovo. The incident happened on April 18 around 21:30 hours on the Mitrovica-Leposavic road. The same sources claimed that Shulyatchenko was driving drunk on a vehicle with diplomatic plates when he hit a biker. “The victim is a 30 year-old and he was treated in the Mitrovica North hospital. The police have meanwhile tried to minimize the whole case,” sources said.