UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 12, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Borrell meets Kurti on margins of the Paris Peace Forum (media)
• Bislimi: EC report recognises Government's work on license plates agreement (media)
• Assembly committee discusses dialogue, visa liberalisation with German ambassador (media)
• COVID-19: 16 new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian PM Brnabic on Kosovo at the 41st UNESCO General Conference (RTS)
• Brnabic: Serbian heritage in Kosovo proof of UNESCO’s importance (RTS)
• Serbian Ambassador to US sends letters to all Congress members (B92)
• Serbian FM lays wreath at WWI Allied cemetery in Greece (N1, Danas)
• Jeton Neziraj: Ghosts of war ready to jump into a new war (Beta, Danas)
• The last day of the campaign for the second round of local elections (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Bancroft: If Grenell were really getting paid by Serbia would he refer to Merdare ‘as border’ (Kosovo-online)
• UNESCO: We continue to preserve Serbian medieval art in Decani, Sopocani and Studenica (Kosovo Online)
• Trajkovic to Osmani’s reference of Kosovo as ‘source of hope’ (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Ruling Party Braces for Test in Mayoral Runoffs (Balkan Insight)
• Trump ‘Shadow Diplomacy’? Deploys ‘Ambassador’ To Address Serbia-Kosovo Tensions (Forbes)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Free legal aid for residents in northern Kosovo (Radio kontakt plus)

• Government confirms resumption of dialogue on November 16 (Kosovapress)
• President Osmani meets U.S. Undersecretary of State Nuland (media)
• An agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is a matter of urgency (EWB)
• White House: Grenell is not an ambassador, doesn’t represent U.S. (RTK)
• Trump: Agreements signed by my administration are historic (Klan Kosova)
• Kurti mustn’t forget he’s leader of an entire nation, not just VV (euronews.al)
• Rrahmani: Aleksandar in the “Serbian World” of wonders (Koha)
• Authoritarian states intensified ‘sharp power’ influence activities (geopost.com)
• COVID-19: Six new cases, no deaths (media)
• Ministry of Health will soon adopt third dose of vaccine (Telegrafi)
• Europe alarmed by COVID-19, Kosovo risks facing new wave (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• Mehaj: Russia wants to destabilise Kosovo at any cost (Kosovapress)
• Third dose of the vaccine in Kosovo in a matter of days (RFE)
• Citizens concerned with Delta Plus, ready to take third vaccine dose (EO)
• COVID-19: Six new cases, no deaths (media)
• Police seize 75 kg of drugs, three cars and cash, five arrested (media)
• Grenell comments on claims he asked for fall of Kurti I government (Express)
• Serbian Gendarmerie entering Kosovo in civilian clothes, residents say (Lajmi)
• Pendarovski: Kosovo no longer a priority for the U.S. (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 70 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• The next round of dialogue in Brussels on November 16 (RTS, Tanjug)
• Serbia against Kosovo membership in UNESCO (Kosovo-online, media)
• Vucic: Electricity prices for households unchanged, nuclear power under consideration (N1)
• Grenell visits Kosovo, talks to journalists at Merdare crossing point (B92, media)
• Bilcik urges reconciliation in Western Balkans (N1)
• Armistice Day marked in Pristina; the French ambassador calls for reconciliation between Kosovo and Serbia (Kosovo Online, Ekonomia Online)
• State Department: We do not comment on why some countries were not invited to summit (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• Legal framework for Kosovo Serbs tailored to Pristina (KoSSev)
• Turkey’s Pragmatic Policy in the Balkans has its Limits (Balkan Insight)

International:

• US Warns Berisha Not to Retake Albanian Democratic Party (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Group of young Albanians visited Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)

• Next round of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue scheduled for 16 November (RFE)
• Kurti: Mutual recognition between Kosovo and Serbia at the centre of agreement (ATV)
• In U.S., Osmani meets State Department officials, MCC chief (media)
• Escobar on Open Balkan: U.S. supports any initiative for region’s economic integration (Koha)
• PM Kurti comments on Kosovo not invited to democracy summit (Telegrafi)
• Von Cramon says Biden administration made a mistake by not inviting Kosovo (Koha/Klan)
• Spanish congressman calls on PM Sanchez to ‘recognize Kosovo at once’ (euronews.al)
• 'Mysterious' visit of Richard Grenell to Pristina (Kallxo)
• Kosovo War Trial Witness ‘Saw Guerrillas Beating Prisoner’ (BIRN)
• RTK: KSC justifies Trendafilova's contradictory statements on detention duration
• United States pledge additional $2.5million assistance for Kosovo (Koha/RTK)
• COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 10, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Civil society urges U.S. to invite Kosovo to Biden’s Democracy Summit (Prishtina Insight)
• Government forms mechanism to document war crimes (Indeksonline)
• Reka: Balkans in a geopolitical vacuum; Escobar has a lot of work (Klan Kosova)
• President’s Office reacts to Mladic mural in downtown Belgrade (media)
• Government pledges €100 million investments in agriculture (Telegrafi)
• Ministry of Health could be given to “Guxo” List (Koha)
• COVID-19: 14 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: "ZSO to print three lighters and to deliver two pencils, so that Osmani is satisfied'' (KoSSev)
• “ZSO must be established with all competencies that belong to it” (Radio KIM)
• US stance on ZSO remains unchanged: Respect Brussels agreement (RTS)
• One more Serb accused of war crime in Kosovo (Radio KIM, media)
• Serbian Chamber of Commerce Office opens in Jerusalem today (Kosovo-online)
• Arlov: Kosovo police grossly violates my rights, banned from entering Kosovo for third time (Kosovo-online, media)
• EU: Time for Serbia to muse on reforms of judiciary and election process (N1)
• Dodik meets with Erdogan in Ankara to discuss political situation in Bosnia (N1)
• US embassy: Accusations against congressmen absurd, offensive, false (Beta, N1)

International:

• In Albania, a Worrying Rise in Drug Gangs Hiring Minors (Balkan Insight)
• North Macedonia PM Parks Resignation Ahead of No-Confidence Vote (Balkan Insight)
• Ratko Mladic Mural Hit by Paint Attack in Belgrade (Balkan Insight)

• Bislimi: European Commission progress report contains inaccuracies (Koha)
• Szunyog: There is no shortcut to EU without rule of law reforms (Kosovapress/Koha)
• Vallac, Serbia's battlefield with Kosovo (RFE)
• Gervalla to KFOR commander: Serbia's toughened rhetoric threatens regional security (Zeri)
• Rasic: There is no room for a third-tier government (Koha)
• "Send me evidence of Grenell's employment by Serbia and I will deliver it to U.S. authorities" (media)
• Specialist prosecutor asks judge to reject interim release for Veseli, Selimi, Krasniqi (media)
• Kosovo prosecution charges person for war crimes (RTK)
• Serbia's police detain activist over war crimes protest (Reuters)
• COVID-19: 11 new cases, no deaths (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Prime Minister Kurti confirms he will attend Peace Forum in Paris (media)
• Escobar officially takes post of US Representative to Western Balkans (media)
• Civil society asks U.S. to reconsider non-invitation for Kosovo (RFE)
• Mehaj: Kosovo's next destination, joining the U.S.-Adriatic Charter (media)
• “Key point for Balkans, Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia” (Kosovapress)
• Government: We are working on Law on Salaries (Telegrafi)
• “Kosovo among first in region in terms of assembly transparency” (Indeksonline)
• AJK hires legal professional to represent journalists (media)
• Ministry: Vaccination against COVID-19 open to non-Kosovo citizens (media)
• COVID-19: 11 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19 in Serbian communities: Two people died, 85 new cases (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic and Botsan-Kharchenko: "Putin understands Serbia" (B92, Kosovo Online)
• Paris: Serbia’s and Kosovo’s PMs to take part at Peace Forum (N1, Beta)
• PM Brnabic: US congressmen letter written by paid lobbyists, it’s child’s play (FoNet, N1)
• US Embassy: Not all partners could be involved in the initiative (Danas)
• Petkovic: Osmani was not paying attention in class, US advocates the respect of all agreements, including ZSO (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Without a clear commitment of Member States to enlargement, EC reports lose power they once had (EWB)
• In Bosnia, US overtakes EU as crisis boils (Politico)
• Mutiny in Serbia: How a State Security Unit’s Rebellion Went Unpunished (BIRN)

• President Osmani: Serbia is abusing with the dialogue (Radio Free Europe)
• Brussels wants negotiations on statute of Association/Community (Koha)
• Prime Minister Kurti invited to Peace Forum in France (media)
• Parties trade blame over lack of invitation to democracy summit (Exit News)
• Joseph: Kosovo is much more democratic than Serbia (media)
• Kurti: Special attention to women empowerment in recovery package (Klan)
• Historians want annulment of decisions made in Milosevic’s time (Kallxo)
• Kosovo veterans’ leaders denounce war crimes court as ‘biased’ (BIRN)
• With €630 per month in Kosovo, doctors heading to the EU (RFE)
• Kosovo chief prosecutor, EULEX chief discuss furthering cooperation (media)
• Judge suspended after BIRN reporting on lenient rape sentence (BIRN)
• COVID-19: 8 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Janjic: Serbia pays Grenell US$ 100,000 a month for lobbying (media)
• North Macedonia’s battle over new majority unsettles Albanian parties (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• President Osmani travels to U.S. (media)
• COMKFOR: Security situation stable, we support Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (Kosovapress)
• Run-off mayoral election campaign kicks off today (media)
• AAK leader Haradinaj warns of an imminent social crisis (media)
• Healthcare workers with ultimatum for the government (media)
• Union of Education, Science and Culture warns with strike in January (media)
• COVID-19: 8 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 76 new cases, two deaths registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• The campaign of the second round of local elections begun (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Member of people who had SS division is comparing Serbia to Nazi Germany (KoSSev)
• Trajkovic: Kurti's double standards, he doesn't mind the "ethnic basis" when he promotes "natural Albania" (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic: Kurti's statements he will not form ZSO not only annul dialogue, but also humiliate EU and USA (Kosovo-online
• Vucic: Everyone can evaluate someone else’s democracy however they want (N1)
• Pristina court sentenced Zlatan Krstic, family claims he was not in Kosovo when crime took place (Radio KIM)
• Kosovo Polje: Desecrated tombstones at cemetery, landfill at entrance (Radio kontakt plus, Radio KIM, RTV Gracanica)
• Von Cramon: We do not want RS to be a coin for Serbia's concession to Kosovo (Kosovo Online, AlJazeera)

Opinion:

• Latifi: In a country without economy, parties turn into important business (media)
• Issuance of a license for Elektrosever d.o.o. is the only possible solution (KiM radio)

International:

• A dangerous crisis is brewing in the Balkans. Will the West do anything to stop another war? (CNN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Survivors’ Stories Describe Terror and Trauma of Wartime Rape (Balkan Insight)
• Detainees clean the Orthodox cemetery in Mitrovica South (KoSSev)
• A bakery within the Correctional Center in Lipjan (arbresh.info)

• Kurti to DW: Under Kosovo's Constitution, there can be no association on ethnic basis
• Kurti: Serbia threatening third Balkan war (Telegrafi)
• Presidency reacts to Kosovo not being invited to Biden's democracy summit (media)
• Zulfaj: Kosovo not invited to democracy summit due to last government’s track record (media)
• Konjufca: We hope we will be invited to the summit next time (Telegrafi)
• Hoti says blaming his government for summit's snub is 'low propaganda' (Klan)
• U.S. legislators concerned over developments in Serbia and its influence on the region (VOA)
• Bosnia's disintegration would affect entire region, says peace envoy (Reuters)
• Kosovo Prosecutorial Council refuses to get involved in the vetting process (media)
• Di Bella: Kosovo's GDP expected to increase by 7-8% this year (Koha)
• COVID-19: 19 new cases, no deaths (media)