UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 25, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• KDI: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, necessary and of national interest (EO)
• Abazi resigns from parliamentary inquiry committee on energy (media)
• Excavations in Serbia end, no human remains uncovered (RFE)
• Osmani participates at international conference on trafficking of human beings (media)
• Blerim Kuci leaves AAK, resigns from all structures (Reporteri)
• Chairman of Kosovo-Israel Friendship Group Avdullah Hoti, sends request to PM Kurti (Express)
• COVID-19: 8 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• No remains found near the Stavalj mine (KiM radio, Nova S)
• Jevtic: Serbs do want Community of Serbian Municipalities (Jedinstvo)
• Jeremic: Imposing sanctions on Russia could lead to Kosovo membership in UN (KoSSev)
• SOC recognizes autocephaly of Orthodox Church in North Macedonia (KoSSev)
• Russian official praises Vucic for resisting pressure on sanctions (N1)
• Gracanica mayor met UNMIK chief (KiM radio)
• Vucic, Pendarovski discuss Open Balkan (Tanjug)
• Vucic with Mitsotakis: We thanks Greek people for support to territorial integrity of Serbia (Kosovo-online)
• UNS and DNKiM: Enable journalists to report on protest in Osojane (KoSSev)
• Stefanovic met Wiermann (Tanjug)
• Selakovic speaks with ASEAN Secretary General (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• A distillate of regional fears (KoSSev)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Halt to Waste Collection Leaves Prishtina Covered by Garbage (BIRN)

• Scholz's office on the messages that the Chancellor will bring to the Balkans (RTK)
• Kurti urges Greece to join other EU countries in recognising Kosovo (media)
• Kurti meets Abazovic in Davos (media)
• Vucic about Kurti: He will say terrible things about Serbia (media)
• Kosovo’s diplomatic corps visit Decan Monastery (media)
• Albania's ambassador to CoE: We will do all it takes to support Kosovo joining (Telegrafi)
• Muja: The north will begin paying electricity bills very soon (Koha)
• Police officer in the north arrested damaging evidence charges (media)
• Arrest warrant issued for former Kosovo Police senior official (Kosovapress)
• Petkovic brings Vucic’s message to Prizren, calls Kosovo "our province" (Klan)
• U.S. Begins Denying U.S. Entry to Afghans Housed on Military Base in Kosovo (WSJ)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti meets Vice President Berset: Switzerland strongly supports Kosovo's CoE membership (media)
• Austria supports visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• Serbian Ministry of Interior uses derogatory term for Albanians ‘Siptari’ (Kallxo)
• Suspicions of possible explosion in UP Rectorate, Police surround the building (Kallxo)
• MPs suspect in KEK procurement process, Board admits there was mismanagement (Koha)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic in World Economic Forum in Davos on Tuesday, Wednesday (Tanjug, media)
• Petkovic: Bislimi's statement confirms that we are fighting resolutely in Brussels (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Vucic: Serbia's position on Ukraine conflict unchanged (Tanjug)
• Petkovic on the protest in Osojane: We solve problem by problem, we follow priorities (Kontakt plus radio, gracanicaonline.info)

International:

• Serbia buying our homes to kick us out, say Albanians living in Mitrovica (euronews.al)

• German Chancellor Scholz to visit Kosovo early June (media)
• Bislimi: Serbia leads with number of non-implemented agreements (Koha)
• Kosovo Police bust cannabis farm in the north (media)
• Mehaj attends meeting of Ukraine Defense Contact Group (RTK)
• Svecla talks to Johansson, calls for visa liberalization (RTK)
• Hague prosecutors to quiz intelligence chief on wartime whereabouts (BIRN)
• Local Serbs block Serbia-run administration offices in Istog (Koha/Klan)
• Kosovo welcomes two more Ukrainian journalists (Prishtina Insight)
• Crops and carcinogens: Kosovo’s market for unsafe, illegal pesticides (BIRN)
• Vucic and Hill: Efforts to focus on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• COVID-19: One new case (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti pays homage at graves of Bytyqi brothers (media)
• Kurti to attend World Economic Forum in Davos (media)
• Assembly to hold session this week, opposition highlights energy tariffs (media)
• KESCO: Energy Regulatory Office's decision in not clear (media)
• Kosovo's Ombudsperson: ERO’s decision on energy tariffs, discriminatory (media)
• SPO sends witness summons to General Inspector of AKI (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo’s Justice Minister clashes with Serbian State Secretary of Justice (Telegrafi)
• Montenegro to join the Open Balkan initiative? (RTK)
• COVID-19: 1 new case (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Bilcik: There is no alternative to dialogue because we have nothing else (Kosovo Online)
• Ambassador Hill's interview with Politika: No third way - East or West (media)
• ''The EU and the US very dissatisfied with Kurti's refusal to renew the Dialogue with Belgrade'' (Beta, NMagazin, Danas)
• Vucic, Hill meeting: All efforts should be directed towards the dialogue under the EU auspices (RTS)
• Petkovic in a two-day visit to Kosovo (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• ''Property of Decani, hotels in Brezovica, and Brezovica Ski Centre go into the Sovereign Wealth Fund'' (KiM radio)
• Scholz in Serbia on June 10 (KiM radio, DW, N1)
• Vucic to speak with Putin about gas supplies on Wednesday or Thursday (Tanjug, media)

International:

• Berisha claims he’s back in charge of Albania’s Democratic Party (BIRN)
• Albanian PM supports new community for non-EU countries (Euractiv)
• US would defend Taiwan if attacked by China, says Joe Biden (The Guardian)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Krasniqi: 14 municipalities to benefit from the €8 million performance grant (EO)

• Kurti at World Affairs Forum: Kosovo to become part of NATO's PfP (media)
• Biden to Vucic: Normalise relations with Kosovo (Koha/Telegrafi)
• U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade: Kosovo and Serbia are neighboring countries (media)
• President of Albania, Ilir Meta, to visit Kosovo (Klan)
• Two more Ukrainian journalists arrive in Kosovo (media)
• Mehaj: 600 new soldiers to be admitted this year; purchase of weapons, priority (media)
• Concerns raised over possible human rights violations at KSC (Koha)
• Chief State Prosecutor not decreed yet (RTK)
• Afghans lacking complete security checks won’t be able to travel to U.S. (BIRN)
• COVID-19: Nine new cases (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 20, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Quint: Fully implement lawful registration of Decani Monastery land (media)
• EU Head of Office: Swiftly and fully implement court’s decision (media)
• “Implementation of court decision, precondition to CoE and NATO integration” (media)
• Decan Mayor on pressure from Quint: Albin Kurti should respond (Periskopi)
• Senator Murphy: Unbreakable bond between America and Kosovo (Reporteri)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets Congresswoman Maloney (media)
• President Osmani: Our objective is NATO membership (media)
• Independent Unions call on PM to act and prevent general strike (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj: The Balkans can be the second front of a hybrid war (media)
• COVID-19: 14 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Quint and EU appeal to Kosovo institutions to return the property to the Visoki Decani monastery (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• SOC: International institutions to enable rule of law and respect for religious freedoms in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: International community to exert pressure on Pristina to return land to Visoki Decani (Kosovo-online)
• Selakovic in Turin: Pristina’s request attempt to misuse Council of Europe (N1)
• Vucic: All crucial issues discussed with Michel (Tanjug)
• Michel: We want to deepen cooperation with Serbia, accelerate EU accession (Tanjug)
• Petkovic on Kurti’s latest statements about Community of Serb-majroity Municipalities (Radio KIM)
• Platform for trust-building in Kosovo presented (Radio KIM)
• Fresh bomb threats sent to 134 schools in Serbia (Radio KIM, N1)
• DefMin says Serbia committed to respect for territorial integrity (N1)
• Petkovic and Rakic: Displaced families from Pec received support to return (TV Most)
• US to provide grants worth 19.5 mln dollars to Serbia (Tanjug)
• Serbia has complied with EU sanctions on Belarus over the war in Ukraine (EWB)

International:

• Competition or Complement? Calls to restart Berlin Process revive Balkan dilemma (BIRN)
• ‘Return us Home’: Exhibition seeks return of artefacts held in Serbia (BIRN)
• Wave of False Bomb Threats in Region Again Hits Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

• Kurti: To normalise relations - Serbia needs to change (VOA)
• Sarrazin: Germany's final goal is to have Kosovo part of NATO (Kallxo)
• Lajcak and Escobar discuss way forward in dialogue (media)
• Foreign ministers of CoE member states set to meet today (RTK)
• Citaku: Kosovo to be serious and present an offer in dialogue (Koha)
• Svecla: All security mechanisms need to exercise added vigilance (Koha)
• Rizvanolli: Clean energy, objective of MCC's Compact project (Telegrafi)
• Mehaj: National Security Strategy to soon be presented to the Assembly (Kosovapress)
• Peja School Denies Discrimination Against Minority Pupils (BIRN)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• President Osmani talks about challenges in energy and environmental sectors (Kallxo)
• Kurti’s cabinet reacts to Rama’s statement on Open Balkans (Paparaci)
• Finland expresses support for Kosovo's CoE membership (media)
• Hovenier: Kosovo is a sovereign, independent, democratic state (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets USAID Administrator Power (ATV)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets Congressman Keating (media)
• PDK requests dismissal of the ERO board (Kallxo)
• Haradinaj: Demarcation will be closed, with corrections in certain sectors (media)
• President Osmani commemorates 23rd anniversary of Dubrava massacre (Koha)
• Assembly of Kosovo passes draft law on KSF Military Police (media)
• No classes in Kosovo on Friday, teachers on strike (Koha)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbia, North Macedonia PMs welcome church reconciliation (N1)
• HLC, Robelli on verdicts to Haradinaj and Gucati (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)
• Odalovic: Serbia searches for mass graves, Pristina unresponsive to Belgrade’s requests (Radio KIM)
• Vucic to meet Michel on Thursday (Tanjug)
• Scholz to visit Belgrade in mid-June (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Kurti has no right to say what Serbs want (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Pristina impedes dialogue (Radio KIM)
• General Hodges: Serbia unsure of Western support (N1)
• Ambassador Hovenier: US support integration of Kosovo into Euro-Atlantic structures, including Council of Europe (KoSSev)

International:

• Germany's Scholz wants Western Balkans in EU (Reuters)
• EU Must Correct ‘Big Mistakes’ on Western Balkans – Manuel Sarrazin (Balkan Insight)
• Montenegro President Leaves Open Review of Border Agreement with Kosovo (BIRN)
• Serbian Police Source Fake Bomb Threats to Seven Countries (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia’s Olive Branch: Breakthrough or Trap for Macedonia’s Church? (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo bus crashes in Austria, passengers sustained no life-threatening injuries (media)

• Kurti: Kosovo joining Council of Europe, the right step (media)
• Bislimi with Djukanovic: Future of our countries is in the EU (media)
• Albanian PM Rama: Open Balkan will not stop (media)
• Turkey will support Kosovo’s membership in NATO (Koha)
• Inspectors review reports of discrimination against community students (media)
• Opposition leaders react to court decision against increased energy fees (media)
• Haxhiu says Specialist Chambers judges are of Serbian descent (euronews.al)
• Prishtina allocates €350,000 to easy stray dog problem (Prishtina Insight)
• Balluku: Durres-Prishtina railway project to start this year (euronews.al)
• COVID-19: 16 new cases (media)