UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• EU: The meeting in Ohrid will focus on finalising the Annex to the Agreement (media)
• Escobar optimistic about Ohrid: USA, the biggest supporter of Kosovo in the world (media)
• PM Kurti meets U.S. Envoy Gabriel Escobar (Klan)
• Osmani: Any tendency of Serbia to hinder agreement through conditionality damages dialogue (media)
• Konjufca meets with Escobar: Kosovo is constructive, unlike Serbia as an undermining party (media)
• March 22, deadline for applications for certification of political entities for elections in the north (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 19 years since March violence, organisers not held responsible yet (N1, KoSSev, media)
• Activities to commemorate anniversary of March violence in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)
• Serbian officials on March violence (media, social media)
• US Ambassador Hill on March violence (Kosovo Online, Kurir)
• Vucic: We have still not received draft paper on what EU wants (Tanjug)
• KSF member suspected of wounding Serb youth in Gotovusa sent to house arrest (KoSSev)
• Reactions to send KSF member suspected of wounding Serb youth in Gotovusa to house arrest (Radio KIM, media)
• Vucic thanks Cuba for supporting Serbia's territorial integrity (Tanjug)
• Obradovic: Vucic never said he is against Kosovo membership in UNESCO, Interpol (BETA)
• Vucic: We will preserve integral Serbia as written in Constitution (BETA, N1)

Humanitarian/Development:

• KoSSev director wins award for a story about life in Cernica, award money to be donated to a family in Koretiste (KoSSev, media)

Borrell: Western Balkans can celebrate ‘big step’ if Kosovo and Serbia agree on document (RFE)
Osmani to meet Escobar today (media)
Gjini: We support signing of agreement; it includes recognition (Klan Kosova)
Krasniqi: There will be no agreement on Saturday in Ohrid (media)
Haziri: The agreement does not deserve the LDK’s support (Indeksonline)
Vucic: I don’t plan to sign anything in meeting with Kurti (RFE)
Escobar will take part in Ohrid meeting (RFE)
“Failure to reach agreement increases risk of unrest in north of Kosovo” (VoA)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 16, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Borrell: Time to take responsibility and move towards the EU (media)
• Kurti: We continue to be constructive and committed to open dialogue (media)
• Escobar to visit Kosovo, meet Kurti, one day before Ohrid meeting (Indeksonline)
• Krasniqi: We don’t support agreement in its current version (Kosovapress)
• Haliti: I don’t believe there are people in PDK that will oppose EU plan (media)
• Bunjaku: LDK has not changed position on agreement (EO)
• Fehlinger calls on Romania to recognise Kosovo (Nacionale)
• Albanian representatives in Presevo Valley issue joint statement (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic, Escobar discuss Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Tanjug, media)
• Escobar: EU proposal about normalisation, not recognition (Tanjug, N1)
• People’s Party launches initiative to call for referendum on EU proposal (KoSSev, media)
• Serbian opposition call for protest against EU Plan on March 17 (N1)
• Bishop of Backa Irinej: Church expressed stance on Kosovo (Danas, Kosovo Online)
• A new version of annexes is being drawn up, to be discussed in Ohrid, said Lajcak (FoNet, N1)
• Serbian anti-western media financed by foreign companies (N1, CRTA)
• Hovenier: “According to the European proposal, Serbia not obliged to remove Kosovo and Metohija from the constitution” (RTS, Tanjug, ATV)
• Vucic thanks China for persevering friendship, support to Serbia (Tanjug)
• Civil society appeals to Kurti and Vucic to sign the agreement: “Compromise is a pillar of democracy, not a concession” (KoSSev)
• The last person arrested in the case of murder of Oliver Ivanovic, released from the custody (KoSSev)

International:

• German Ambassador To Kosovo Upbeat On Prospects Of Normalisation Plan Between Kosovo, Serbia (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• KEK chief unionist: If wages not increased, we’ll leave Kosovo in the dark (Nacionale)
• Too Many Children Suffering Abuse in Kosovo Schools, TV Show Hears (BIRN)

• Advisers to European leaders: Form Association, avoid reinterpretations (Koha)
• Geoana: It is time for Kosovo and Serbia to make compromises (Koha)
• Lajcak: Stability of Western Balkans more important than ever for EU (media)
• U.S. Envoy to Kosovo says EU Plan for normalizing relations with Serbia is 'significant step' (RFE)
• Rohde: With an ideal result in dialogue, non-recognizers will get to recognize Kosovo (RFE)
• Kurti meets European Parliament President Metsola (media)
• Kurti: Implementation plan of agreement must contain concrete details (media)
• Mandl: Historically Serbia was aggressor, and Kosovo the victim (Klan Kosova)
• PDK presents to Sarrazin its reservations about French-German plan (media)
• Kosovo's application will not be considered at CoE May summit (Koha)
• President Osmani asks India to reconsider decision on Donjeta Sadiku (media)
• Kosovo streets filled with garbage after cleaning workers' strike (Anadolu Agency)
• 5 million euros per year spent on artificial fertilization in private clinics (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Hovenier on European plan: There is no better agreement (RFE)
• Exclusive: Critical notes from the Agreement (Albanian Post)
• EU: Kurti-Vucic confirmed participation, meetings in Ohrid start at 10:00 (Kallxo)
• Kurti: EU plan must contain concrete details and be comprehensive (Nacionale)
• Kurti seeks support for EU integration in Strasbourg (media)
• Krasniqi meets head of UNMIK, expresses his reservations about EU proposal (media)
• Kurti meets head of LIBE Committee, he assures him of visa-free movement from 2024 (media)
• PDK and LDK ask Kurti for more details about European plan (Kosovapress)

Serbian Language Media:

• Starovic: Important that Belgrade is not recognized as the culprit in the event of the failure of the agreement on Kosovo (Danas, RTS)
• Obradovic: There is a potential for a general rebellion against the government (KiM radio, RTV, Beta)
• NGO: On the horizon are the first signs of declining support for the Serbian List (Danas, Beta, RFE)
• The court in Pristina extended the custody of Sladjan Trajkovic for another two months (Kosovo Online)
• Political graffiti war continues in Belgrade (N1, FoNet)
• Dacic with the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights: Recognized limitations for the sustainable return of Serbs to Kosovo (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Remembering the First Days of Pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
• Bread for Drenica: When Kosovo Women Marched to Break a Serbian Siege (BIRN)

• Kurti responds to Lajcak: Success of agreement does not depend on me (media)
• Osmani: I expect the internationals to put pressure on Serbia (media)
• Borrell: EU and U.S. cooperate effectively on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Klan)
• Escobar this week in Kosovo and Serbia (Koha)
• U.S.: Kosovo, Serbia to use March 18 meet to prove their commitment (Express)
• German emissary: Kosovo is always strong when it manages to say yes (RTK)
• Prime Minister Kurti travels to Strasbourg (media)
• Abdixhiku: Kosovo needs an agreement with mutual recognition (media)
• Haradinaj: Partnership with the USA is long-term and strategic (RTK)
• Slain Politician Ivanovic’s Widow ‘Afraid to Testify’ in Kosovo Court (BIRN)
• Serbian rightists protest again against the European proposal (RFE)
• Kosovo refuse to compete at IBA Women's Boxing World Championships over "discriminatory" conditions (Inside the Games)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani on European modalities for minorities: Kosovo has the best (Koha)
• Kurti: The implementation plan should probably not be discussed only in Ohrid (Koha)
• Germany expects agreement in Ohrid on implementation of European proposal (RFE)
• Von der Leyen: Kosovo, Serbia to use momentum and accept EU plan (Koha)
• Caplan: Kosovo refusing Association would give arguments to Serbia (Albanian Post)
• Another two months of house arrest for former police officer Dejan Pantic (Telegrafi)
• Shqipe Mjekiqi and Sibel Halimi resign from LDK (Klan Kosova)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to Lajcak: CSM before normalisation (N1, media)
• The opposition after the meeting with Lajcak: What answers did they get, what did they say (KiM radio, N1)
• People’s Party official: Vucic should call for referendum or elections, and not establish movement (FoNet, Euronews)
• Lawyer: KSF member suspected of wounding Serb youth charged with causing general danger and not aggravated attempted murder (KoSSev)
• Dacic says SPS against sanctions on Russia (BETA, RTV)
• Lawyer: Pantic receives decision on house arrest extension with five days of delay (Kosovo Online)
• Lajcak for RTS: If there is no ZSO, there is no agreement either (RTS)
• Vucic to meet Escobar tomorrow (Kosovo Online)

• Govt treating modalities offered by EU for non-majority communities (Koha)
• Weller: Crunch-point at Upcoming Ohrid Negotiations on Normalization (Koha)
• 'We have to normalise relations' with Serbia, Kosovo PM tells Euronews
• Kurti visits Kapia: Serbia not implementing 2011 agreement in Brussels (media)
• Abbott: This week is important for Kosovo; real steps are being made (Klan)
• Osmani meets Hovenier, discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Klan)
• Krasniqi expresses ‘reservations’ on European plan to Hovenier (Albanian Post)
• Von Cramon: We have no interest in creating a new “Republika Srpska” (RTK)
• Wigemark meets Kurti, discuss rule of law and security situation (media)
• 11 parties say they will not participate in elections in north, but not SL (Klan)
• Kosovo and Serbia Backtracking on EU-Brokered Deal (europeanconservative)
• Kosovo Seeks Extradition of War Crimes Defendants from Serbia (BIRN)
• Share Your Experience: Domestic Violence in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Kosovo parliamentary delegation in Taiwan for 1st time ever (TaiwanNews.com)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti speaks about the 15 examples offered to the Association (Koha)
• Dendias talks with Lajcak about the latest developments in the dialogue (Klan)
• Kurti meets head of EULEX Lars Gunnar Wigemark (ekonomia online)
• The SGG condemns the insulting language towards Saranda Bogujevci (media)
• Former Prime Minister Hoti meets the President of Taiwan (RTK)
• Tahiri: Kurti has brought to table an extremely harmful agreement for Kosovo (media)
• Today is the deadline to notify CEC on participation in elections in the north (RTK)
• "30% of Serbs fled Kosovo in the last 10 years": What will happen to Serb community after visas are lifted? (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Lajcak from today in Belgrade (Danas, Beta)
• Vucic: We will face additional pressure over Kosovo (Tanjug)
• People’s Party continues campaign against Franco-German proposal (KoSSev, social media)
• Lajcak: EU agreement result of lost opportunities for normalisation, it will be fully implemented (KoSSev)
• Radojevic on incident in Banje, indictment in Gotovusa shooting case (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Petkovic on indictment’s qualification of Gotovusa shooting case (media, social media)
• Serbian List on the indictment of Gotovusa shooting (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List met Lajcak (Radio KIM)
• Opposition says Vucic campaign draws attention away from problems (N1)
• Two Serb houses in robbed, Office for KiM reacts (media)
• CEC: Today the deadline for declaring non-participation in the elections in the north of Kosovo (Danas, Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Is There Really New Momentum Behind EU Enlargement? (Balkan Insight)

Kurti: Basic agreement, advancement toward mutual recognition (media) 
Rohde: Agreement, historic chance toward full normalisation and mutual recognition (media)
Osmani meets Dendias, discuss dialogue with Serbia and relations (media)
Kurti meets Greek Foreign Minister Dendias (media)
Kosovo Serb villagers stage camp protest to stop land expropriation (BIRN)
Kurti: Latest IMF report notes Kosovo had strongest tax revenue increase (media)
Nesic: Kosovo-Serbia agreement would relax tensions in the Balkans (Koha)
Serbian President rules out ‘factual de jure’ recognition of Kosovo (RFE)