UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 8, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Open Balkan summit enters its second day (media)
• On Global Open Day, calls made for greater participation of women in decision-making processes (media)
• AAK requests removal of tax on oil, staple items (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• The Open Balkans are expanding despite Russian obstructions (Danas)
• Vucic: This is initiative of people from Balkans, and it is unstoppable (Kosovo Online)
• Escobar: "Include all six countries in the Open Balkan", Varhelyi: "Initiative that accelerates the path to the EU" (Danas)
• Vucic speaks with Borrell, receives invitation to EU-Western Balkans summit (Tanjug)
• Selakovic confirms he accepted Lavrov’s invitation to visit Moscow (Danas)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: Moscow does not change stance on Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Arifi: US promises special treatment of the issue of Albanians from Bujanovac, Presevo and Medvedja (KoSSev, N1, Beta)
• Belgrade schools receive fresh bomb threats (RTS, N1)
• Abazovic to visit Belgrade on June 29 (RTS)

• Kosovo PM Kurti meets UK Foreign Secretary Truss (media)
• Greek foreign minister to visit Kosovo today (media)
• Gervalla invited to “Summit of the Americas” (media)
• Vucic and Borrell discuss a Kosovo-Serbia declaration on missing persons (Indeksonline)
• EU on Lavrov remarks: We don’t comment on positions of someone on sanctions list (Telegrafi)
• Open Balkan Meeting Kicks off in Ohrid with Presence of Montenegro (Exit)
• Varhelyi to attend Open Balkan meeting amid claims of Russian backing (Euractiv/Exit)
• Krasniqi: "Open Balkan" is a political project, Kosovo doesn't support it (RTK)
• Robelli: Alexander Soros attended "Open Balkan" with no mandate (Koha)
• Konjufca and Richardson hold virtual meeting (media)
• For Kosovo Women, In-Laws are Often Abusers Too (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Scholz in Kosovo on Friday; 4 hours in Prishtina, 2 hours in Belgrade! (Indeksonline)
• Joseph: Lavrov gave ‘Open Balkan’ the kiss of death (Telegrafi)
• Finance Minister: €80 million a year for the veterans; lists must be cleaned (Koha/RTK)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets UK Minister of Armed Forces (media)
• “Croatia fully supports Kosovo membership in EU and NATO” (media)
• Swiss State Secretary to visit Kosovo, Serbia over threats against Marty (Klan Kosova)
• Rizvanolli: Renewable energy of 500 MW to be achieved in three years' time (Koha/RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Preventing talks with Sergey Lavrov must be condemned (Tanjug, RTS)
• Vucic announces changes in gov't, Belgrade city authorities (Tanjug, RTS)
• Stefanovic: Serbia refuses to be a pawn (N1)
• State Department: Sovereign decisions of Montenegro, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia (RTS, VoA)
• Stano: EU welcomes Lavrov flight ban (N1)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: Invitation to Selakovic to visit Russia accepted (N1)
• EU document on Serbia: “Vucic postpones the break with Russia, and the opposition is helping him” (RFE)

International:

• Serbian Leader Rages About ‘Hysteria’ After Russian Minister’s Visit Blocked (BIRN)
• Russia’s Lavrov Slams Balkan States for Blocking His Serbia Visit (BIRN)
• Albania’s Rama Bets on Military Man for ‘Normal’ President (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• KFOR distributes food packages to families in Istok and Klina municipalities (Kosovo Online)

• KLA war veterans threaten to block Government and Assembly (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti: Kosovo, a success story (media)
• Pride Week starts in Kosovo: "LGBTI+ rights are human rights" (RFE)
• President Osmani to visit Slovenia in July (media)
• Haradinaj, Hovenier discuss latest developments (media)
• “Decision to block trip, reflects commitment to hold Russia accountable” (Kallxo)
• Russia supports Open Balkan; reactions follow (Koha/RTK/Klan Kosova)
• Two die as storm winds, lightning hit Kosovo (Reuters)
• Polish Airlines begins operations from Kosovo (Kosovapress)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 6, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• KLA war veterans protest, demanding inclusion in minimum wage increase (media)
• Kosovo Assembly fails to adopt minimum wage bill (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti travels to the UK (media)
• Lavrov: EU and NATO want a "Closed Balkan" (Klan Kosova)
• PDK calls on MPs not to vote on draft law on minimum wage (Ekonomia Online)
• Assembly rejects motion to withdraw draft law on minimum wage (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Selakovic: Serbia, Greece consistent in mutual support (Tanjug)
• Dendias: W. Balkans' future is in EU, Serbia a key partner (Tanjug)
• Can the international community make Pristina return 24 hectares of land to Visoki Decani Monastery? (RTS)
• Representatives of Albanians from the south of Serbia on an official visit to the US (Politika, JUGpress)
• Vucic: Lavrov not coming to Belgrade, Kharchenko informed me of reasons (Tanjug)
• Zakharova: Russia not making a new “iron curtain”, Europe fencing Russia off (N1)
• Kosovo Police called Sevce residents to an informative talk due to protest held (KiM radio)
• Gallup: Half of the respondents without democracy (FoNet, KiM radio)
• Autocephaly of Ohrid Archbishopric officially recognized (N1)

International:

• Turkey’s Nordic demands spark Western Balkan déjà vu (EURACTIV)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo Pupils Demand to be Heard, Save the Children Report shows (BIRN)

• Kurti met Lajcak on sidelines of GLOBSEC forum (media)
• Bislimi: Belgrade, Pristina close to energy agreement (N1)
• Albania submits non-paper lobbying for Kosovo's CoE bid (Klan)
• Escobar: Europe not complete without Western Balkans (media)
• Serbian List reacts to Mehaj and Svecla visit to the north (Kallxo)
• Szunyog speaks of 'security incidents', makes no mention of interethnic ones (KP)
• German ambassador to Serbia says Kosovo and Ukraine cannot be compared (Klan)
• Municipality of Decan under investigation over Monastery lands (RFE)
• Kosovo leaders congratulate Begaj on election President of Albania (media)
• Pahor: Open Balkan beneficial for all (Albanian Post)
• Ramush Haradinaj reelected AAK leader (media)
• KLA war veterans to protest today in Pristina (media)
• Security concerns leave Afghan evacuees stuck in Balkan camp (AP)
• How a British Judge Caused Turmoil at the EU’s Kosovo Mission (BIRN)
• Lavrov cancels flight to Serbia after countries close airspace, Interfax reports (Reuters)

Albanian Language Media:

• Assembly Speaker Konjufca to visit former KLA leaders in Hague (media)
• Hoxhaj meets Slovakia's foreign minister on sidelines of GLOBSEC forum (media)
• Konjufca: Recognition of Kosovo, strategic investment for the future (Zeri)
• Serb detained on war crimes charges (Kallxo)
• AKI General Inspector, Burim Ramadani, interviewed by SPO (Koha)
• If Kurti does not form Association, he will be ousted, analysts say (Front Online)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Work on diversification of gas supply underway, the situation regarding Lavrov's visit becoming more complicated (RTS)
• Zakharova: Lavrov to visit Serbia on June 6-7 (Beta, Tanjug, N1)
• Office for KiM: Caslav Jolic, suspected of war crimes, arrested in Istok (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Eparchy of Raska and Prizren: Fundamental religious and human rights do not apply to Orthodox Serbs (Kontakt plus radio)
• Greek FM Dendias met President Vucic (Tanjug)
• CoE Commissioner Mijatovic ends visit to Kosovo (N1)
• Mayor of Gracanica: CSM (ZSO) would improve the position of Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio, VoA)
• Rosic, Spasojevic and Basara under house arrest from today (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)

International:

• US Warns of Rise in Incidents Targeting Kosovo Religious Sites (BIRN)

• North Macedonian prime minister invites Kurti to Open Balkan summit (media)
• Osmani: Open Balkan wouldn’t treat Kosovo as an equal partner (euronews.al)
• Kurti to participate in GLOBESEC forum in Bratislava (media)
• Lajcak meets Vucic in Bratislava (media)
• De Riu: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains crucial for a comprehensive agreement (KP)
• State Department publishes report on religious freedoms across the world (media)
• Osmani, Bislimi meet CoE human rights commissioner, Mijatovic (media)
• Rama at UN Security Council: We owe it to victims of Kosovo to act (Klan)
• Kosovo fails to join Association of Francophone Constitutional Courts (media)
• Kosovo Police discover 57 migrants in bus stopped by for speeding (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: There is no increase of interethnic incidents (Kosovapress)
• Bakoyannis: For membership, there are areas that need improvement (Express)
• Scholz talks about future of Western Balkans, “a matter of personal concern” (Express)
• Albania presents priorities at UNSC, rejects comparisons between Kosovo and Ukraine (media)
• PM Kurti meets Australian ambassador Biggi (media)
• Hovenier after meeting Foreign Affairs Committee: We discussed national security (media)
• Kosovo Police comments on reports it did not allow liturgy in Pristina (Kallxo)
• Special Prosecution launches inquiry into allegations of corruption involving Kosovo officials (media)
• Bjerde pledges more support for job-creation and greener growth in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to attend GLOBSEC forum in Bratislava on Thursday (Tanjug, media)
• Selakovic met the new Ukrainian ambassador (Tanjug)
• Petkovic, Rakic on prohibition of liturgy in Church of Christ the Saviour in Pristina (media)
• Kosovo police prevented serving of liturgy at the Church of Christ the Savior in Pristina (KiM radio, Riznica)
• Petkovic: Kurti to start implementing the agreements reached instead threatening (Radio Mitrovica sever, Politika)
• Serbian Museum of Genocide Victims concerned due to the resumption of restauration of Xhafer Deva’s house (Kosovo Online, Kontakt plus radio, KoSSev)
• Prince Philip opened the Vidovdan festivities, Princess Danica the Art Colony (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio, KoSSev, RTK2)
• Kurti on the ruling on V. Decani land: Plenty of procedural violations (KoSSev)
• Serbian Constitutional Court stops Kosovo from joining ACCF (N1)

Opinion:

• Biserko: Serbia is Moscow's channel of communication with the West, it would probably tolerate Belgrade's sanctions (Danas, FoNet)

Humanitarian/Development:

• EBRD and Sweden support women entrepreneurs in Kosovo (EBRD)
• Just waiting to leave (Kosovo 2.0)

• Kurti denies there is plan for Association of Serb-majority municipalities (media)
• Kurti: We are close to an agreement on billing energy in the north (Klan)
• Kosovo to chair two general committees in SEECP (media)
• Protesters support, IMF and government oppose, withdrawal pension funds (BIRN)
• Can a “Team of Unity” be formed again to close deal with Serbia? (Indeksonline)
• Kurti meets Director of International Republican Institute, McCarthy (media)
• “EU must freeze talks with Serbia, after Vucic remarks on Kosovo” (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo harnesses legacy of war to train Ukrainians to clear mines (Reuters)
• No interethnic incidents in Vushtrri region (Telegrafi)
• “Kosovo cannot be compared with situation in Ukraine” (Albanian Daily News)