• COVID-19: 747 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Fist Covid vaccines set for Kosovo from India (Koha)
• Syla: Albania has secured 500 vaccines for healthcare staff in Kosovo (media)
• Kosnett urges opposition to put needs of people above political partisanship (media)
• Haziri: LDK should have a vote for Vjosa Osmani president (RTV21/Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj: AAK will not vote for Osmani nor will it make necessary quorum (Telegrafi)
• Vucic's post of Serbian flag on Kosovo map backdrop sparks reactions (media)
• Russia says Kosovo has no right to open a mission in Jerusalem (EO)
• SGG condemns the killing of Sebahate Sopi, calls for concrete actions to protect women (Klan)
• Kosovo’s Kurti Urges Albanians Abroad to Join North Macedonia Census (Balkan Insight)
• 'I want to live not just survive': Kosovo and its chronic brain drain problem (euronews)
• Kosovo Police probe threat to BIRN team filming disputed property (Prishtina Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 19, 2021
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 18, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 704 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Kosnett meets Kurti: U.S. committed to helping new government succeed (media)
• Nagavci confirms Konjufca's nomination for Assembly Speaker (Koha)
• Hoxhaj: PDK will not take part in voting Osmani for president (media)
• Abdixhiku: LDK's position on Osmani's candidacy to be taken by chairmanship (media)
• Hoti: We will vote for no president, we are an opposition party (Koha)
• PDK and LDK MPs to register today (RTK)
• Italian ambassador calls Abdixhiku, talk about creation of institutions (Express)
Serbian Language Media:
• 43 new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian communities (KoSSev)
• RTK2 : Serbian List can influence election of Kosovo President
• United Balkans for Clean Air: Shut down coal-fired power plants as soon as possible (Danas)
• 'Sporazoom' TV Show: Ten years of negotiations (RTV Puls)
• Serbia signed agreement to purchase additional two million doses of Sinopharm vaccine (Tanjug)
• Serbian Crisis Team doctor says partial lockdown will be extended (N1)
• Serbian ministers welcome EU coronavirus certificates (N1)
Opinion:
• No internal dialogue is possible without the Serb List (d4d-ks.org)
International:
• WHO European Region: COVID-19 case incidence on the rise as deaths edge towards 1 million (euro.who.int)
• EU plans to have vaccine certificates ready by summer (DW)
• As Vaccinations Speed Along in Serbia, the Country Basks in the Glow of a Successful Campaign (The New York Times)
Humanitarian/Development:
• The Security and Gender Group condemns the killing of Sebahate Sopi and calls for concrete actions to protect women
• Transforming the thrift shop (Prishtina Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 18, 2021
• COVID-19: 709 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Kurti: First task of new government will be securing COVID-19 vaccines (media)
• Zemaj discusses Covid situation with Israeli counterpart (media)
• Lul Raka: The pandemic exposed Kosovo’s weak healthcare system (Prishtina Insight)
• Koha, Indeksonline reveal who they say will be members of new government
• PDK will not support Osmani for president (media)
• Abdixhiku: Osmani to clarify her position on LDK (Telegrafi)
• Abbott: Kosovo needs greater public debate on dialogue (Koha)
• Lajcak briefs EU ambassadors on Western Balkans visit (media)
• Serwer: U.S. to convince Russia on Kosovo joining UN (Klan)
• “Turkey's reaction over Kosovo's embassy, attempt to expand influence” (VOA/media)
• Hasani: Konjufca cannot mandate Kurti for Prime Minister (media)
• In addition to the Assembly, the government is expected to be voted on Monday (Koha)
• High number of deaths during the pandemic year in Kosovo (Koha)
• Kosovo, EU discuss energy, environment and other issues (Gazeta Express)
• Serbs Commemorate Dead on Anniversary of Kosovo Unrest (Balkan Insight)
• In Latest Award-Winning Kosovo Film, a Coming-of-Age Story (Balkan Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2021
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 709 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Osmani on national unity: Kosovo is here to stay (BBC, media)
• Kosovo discusses securing of anti-COVID-19 vaccine with Israel (media)
• Abbott meets Abdixhiku, discuss LDK and its role as opposition (media)
• Kurti and Osmani meet representatives of Gorani and Roma entities (media)
• Next status conference in Thaci et al. case on 24 March (Express)
• Abdixhiku accuses Kurti ahead of negotiations for Kosovo’s new president (euronews.al)
• Chairman of LDK in Kllokot resigns (media)
• Kosovo paralyzed, public transportation on strike asking subsidies for the pandemic (euronews.al)
Serbian Language Media:
• In Serbian areas 29 new cases of Covid-19 (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• 17th anniversary of March pogrom commemorated (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Patriarch Porfirije: Prayer for peace for all people in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic says Serbia won’t allow repeat of Kosovo violence (N1)
• Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry on March 2004 pogrom (Kosovo-online)
• Remembering victims of March pogrom in Mitrovica North (Radio Mitrovica sever, TV Most)
• Even after 17 years, the images of the pogrom still live (KiM radio)
• Ratovac Siamasvili: UNESCO aware of the peculiarities and significance of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• CI SDP: Pogrom is a crime no one was held responsible for (Radio kontakt plus)
• COM KFOR: Security situation stabilized after 2004 (RTS, Kosovo-online)
• Four principles of the new methodology of EU for Serbia's accession (media)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy requests those in charge to prevent attacks against religious objects (Radio KIM)
• Office for KiM: Continuous endangerment of Serbian heritage (Radio KIM)
• Vucic met Chen Bo, focus on Sinopharm factory construction (RTS)
• Montenegro PM tells N1 he wants better relations with Serbia (N1)
International:
• EU regulator ‘convinced’ AstraZeneca benefit outweighs risk (AP)
• Belgium Arrests Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla on War Crime Charges (Balkan Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 17, 2021
• COVID-19: 608 new cases, 10 deaths (media)
• Education deputy minister says schools will be off for one week (Kallxo)
• Social networks flooded with appeals for convalescent plasma donations (Koha)
• Kurti, Osmani meet leaders of communities, discuss formation of new institutions (media)
• VV's Konjufca, candidate for Kosovo Assembly Speaker (media)
• Osmani's list aims to get two ministerial posts and deputy prime ministry (Koha)
• Abdixhiku on Osmani's election: We do not want instability (T7/media)
• Haradinaj: LVV does not have AAK’s support to govern on its own (RTK)
• Haxhiu announces review of all Hoti-led government's decisions (Koha)
• Citaku: Opening of Embassy in Jerusalem should not be part of political debate (media)
• Former KLA fighter arrested on Specialist Chambers warrant (media)
• Dissatisfaction of Kosovo Serbs about party employments (RFE/media)
• Kosovo’s Kurti Seeks to Form ‘No Compromise’ Government Quickly (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 16, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 553 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Hoti: No new anti-Covid measures, stable trend of cases (media)
• Rohde: New elections are the last thing Kosovo needs (Koha)
• Turkish community leaders join discussions on formation of new government (media)
• Rexhepi: We will vote for Kurti government, Osmani president (media)
• Krasniqi: Our vote will be in support of Kurti, Osmani (media)
• VAKAT: Our position on new government to be clarified later (media)
• Petkovic granted permission to visit Kosovo (Koha/Klan)
Serbian Language Media:
• Serbian communities: 55 new Covid-19 cases, two deaths (KoSSev)
• Church in Donja Gusterica broken into last night (KiM radio)
• US’s Palmer & Godfrey worried about journalists’ safety in Serbia (Beta, N1)
• Manaj: The identification of remains found in nine sites in Kosovo and Kizevak is underway (KoSSev)
• Daimel: Hard times could come for Vucic soon (Danas, FoNet, VoA)
• Hungarian FM says Belgrade, Budapest did not allow vaccine to become political (N1, Beta)
• Protest due to the outcome of the competition for the admission of medical staff in Gracanica (RTV Puls, KiM radio, RTK2)
Opinion:
• Central Europe’s Media-Capture Epidemic (Balkan Insight)
International:
• WHO meets to discuss AstraZeneca vaccine as more EU countries halt rollout (CNN)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Bosnian Film “Quo Vadis, Aida?” officially nominated for the Oscar (N1, KoSSev)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 16, 2021
• COVID-19: 574 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Zemaj: Vaccines dedicated to Kosovo to be available from 17 March (Klan)
• Assembly's constitutive session called for 22 March (media)
• Kurti: Missing persons did not get due attention in dialogue with Serbia (media)
• "Opening of embassy in Jerusalem decreed by former President Thaci" (media)
• EU, Palestinians, Jordan condemn opening of Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• Abdixhiku sends letter to Kurti, Osmani asking to meet Friday (media)
• Analysts: Kurti to hope on LDK for Osmani's election (Telegrafi)
• Serwer: Vucic is trying to create Milosevis’s Greater Serbia (VoA, RTK)
• Hoxhaj denies that PDK leadership will be dismissed (Kanal10, media)
• Daut Haradinaj gives up MP mandate (media)
• Presidency secretary dismissed in light of misuse of authorities charges (media)
• Haxhiu on the murdered woman case: Those who neglected the case, to leave (media)
• Kosovo Seeks ‘Reset’ of Decade-Old Dialogue with Serbia (BIRN)
• Kosovo’s Thaci Challenges War Crime Indictment at Hague Court (BIRN)
• US’ Palmer and Serbia’s Vucic discuss main topics and mutual differences (N1)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 15, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 574 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Kurti and Osmani kick off talks on forming new government (Express)
• Hoxhaj requests more clarity on new government approach (Express)
• Haradianj withdraws from running for president: we do not have majority (RTK)
• Hamas denounces opening of Kosovo embassy in Jerusalem (Express)
• Abdixhiku: We are waiting for LVV’s response for Friday’s meeting (media)
• Edi Rama invites Kosovo doctors to get Covid-19 vaccine in Kukes (RTK)
Serbian Language Media:
• 28 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• Palestinian Ambassador to Belgrade: By opening an embassy in Jerusalem, Kosovo violates our rights (Kosovo Online)
• Mavric and Qerkini called on the institutions to shed light on the fate of 1,640 missing persons (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• Two churches broken into in the Strpce municipality (RTV Puls)
• Serbian List: Disgraceful decision to extend detention of the Mayor of Klokot (Kosovo Online)
• Hodzic: Minority communities that don’t want to be assimilated are not welcome in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Decision on the replacement of car plates is a violation of the Brussels Agreement (KIM radio)
• Selakovic: Serbia strongly committed to development of relations with Russia (N1)
• SOC Patriarch Porfirije in three day stay in Kosovo (Radio Kontakt plus)
Opinion:
• Football match lays bare Spain’s disastrous policy towards Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
International:
• The EU Is a Dishonest Broker on Western Balkan Demographics (carnegieeurope.eu)
• Osmani: “The goal is to see the Republic of Kosovo as a vibrant democracy!” (Faces of Democracy)
• Western Balkan Civil Society Avoiding Fight Against Corruption, Crime: Report (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo’s Thaci Challenges War Crime Indictment at Hague Court (Balkan Insight)
• Montenegrin President’s Party Defeated in his Hometown Niksic (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Single mothers unsupported in the pandemic (Kosovo 2.0)
• EU ‘green pass’ fuels the fire in Balkans (euractive.com)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 15, 2021
• COVID-19: 597 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• Turkey condemns opening of Kosovo's embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• Lumir Abdixhiku elected new leader of LDK (media)
• Abdixhiku receives congratulations on his election (media)
• Abdixhiku will not be attending Kurti, Osmani's meeting today (media)
• EP report identifies obstacles to a Kosovo-Serbia agreement (RTK/Zeri)
• COVID-19: Kosovo remains without any printed newspaper (RFE)
• At Kosovo Monastery, Nationalist Clamor Disturbs the Peace (NYT)
• In Mitrovica, a bridge that separates Kosovo's Albanians and Serbs (euronews)
• Balkan States Under Pressure to Prosecute Financiers of Terrorism (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 12, 2021
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 12, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 730 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Kosovo government ditches responsibility for absence of vaccine rollout (media)
• U.S.: New government of Kosovo to be formed without obstructionism (media)
• PDK confirms participation in meeting with Kurti, Osmani (media)
• Mustafa: LDK has always been open for dialogue (Kosovapress)
• AAK confirms participation in Monday's meeting (media)
• Supreme Court rejects seven complaints from community parties (media)
• Kllokot mayor arrested on vote manipulation charges (Kallxo)
• Stefanovic: Recognition of Kosovo would undermine Serbia's sovregnity (Klan)
Serbian Language Media:
• 28 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Denial from Ranilug to RFE text – ''Dismissed because he did not vote for Adriana Hodzic'' (KoSSev)
• Hodzic: All votes for Duda Balje in Klokot accepted, our votes annulled (Kosovo-online)
• Mayor of Klokot arrested (Kosovo Online, Gazeta Express)
• Petkovic: Unfounded arrests in Klokot, continuation of oppression of Serbian representatives (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic: Serbia to build Sinopharm vaccine factory (N1)
• Serbian List representatives talked with Palmer and Kosnett on elections results and dialogue (Kosovo-online)
• Brussels' patience running out (Danas)
• Varhelyi: Dialogue will continue after institutions in Pristina are formed (Kosovo-online)
• Brnabic: EU accession process frustrating sometimes, but only option (N1)
• Partial lockdown in Serbia over this weekend again (N1)
Opinion:
• Blood is Blood (Kosovo 2.0)
International:
• Despite Govt Promises, Kosovo Still to Administer First COVID-19 Jab (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Detains Mayor and Two Others Suspected of Vote Manipulation (Balkan Insight)
• Following Prague, Kosovo to open embassy in Jerusalem (isralelhayom.com)
• Bring Western Balkans back on the agenda, urge nine EU member states (euractive.com)
• Powerful Serb Returns to Kosovo After Arrest Warrant Revoked (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Medical equipment from UAE arrives in Serbia (N1)
• Kosovo's abused 'restaurant bears' move to greener pastures (AFP/France 24)