UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 5, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Konjufca sends condolences to families of victims of two attacks in Serbia (media)
• Ahmeti: Kosovo’s CoE membership not conditioned with Association (RTV21)
• Kusari-Lila: EU should stick to its own principles (media)
• Szunyog: EU restored focus on Western Balkans (Albanian Post)
• Osmani in the United Kingdom to attend the Coronation of King Charles III (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian President calls for unity following second mass killing (N1, RTS)
• Three-day mourning in Serbian areas in Kosovo, paying tribute to victims of Belgrade school shooting continues (Radio KIM, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• EU, CoE, regional officials extend condolences over new mass shooting (N1)
• Serbian Government proposes gun permit moratorium (N1, media)
• “Attempt to enter Serbian institutions latest by May 28”: Danas interlocutors on possible development of events in northern Kosovo (Danas)
• Lawyer Vasic speaks of indictments in absentia for war crimes in Kosovo (RTS)

International:

• Second Mass Shooting in Two Days Stuns Serbia, Killing Eight (BIRN)
• Suspect arrested after second mass shooting in Serbia (BBC)
• Serbian Media Leak Private Details About School Mass Shooting (BIRN)

• Govt: Dismissal of Management Team doesn’t violate agreement (RFE)
• French ambassador encourages govt to work constructively on Association (Koha)
• UK calls on parties to engage constructively, including on Association ASAP (media)
• Abbott calls for quick implementation of Declaration of Missing Persons (media)
• Kosovo indicts Serb for wartime massacre (BIRN)
• Vela reacts to appointment of illegal interim municipal body head in Peja (media)
• Candles lit in Pristina honoring victims of Belgrade school shooting (media)
• Prosecution: Company contracted by Ministry didn’t declare 25,000 passports (Prishtina Insight)
• “Miredita, dobar dan” festival begins in Pristina (Radio Free Europe)
• Indictment filed against former CEO of Kosovo Telekom (media)
• Ben-Meir: Greece’s support for Kosovo’s CoE membership, important step toward eventual recognition (Albanian Post)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 4, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• EU: Role of Management Team ends only when statute is adopted (RFE)
• Zulfaj: EU asked to burn the mandates in the north by not swearing in (Koha)
• Indictment filed against a person for war crimes in Kosovo (media)
• Limaj: Kurti cannot wait to sign agreement with Serbia (Lajmi)
• Gervalla: We send our deepest condolences to the families (media)
• Vela: Diplomats closely following Serbia cannot be surprised with NYT article (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Brussels meeting was aimed at tricking us into recognising Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Mitrovica North residents pay tribute to victims of Belgrade school shooting (Kosovo Online, media)
• Foreign, regional officials express condolences over Belgrade school shooting (media)
• Hill: The Serbian-Kosovo issue must be resolved; it is a difficult issue and the tone between the parties is not good (KoSSev)
• Another war crime indictment filed in absentia (KoSSev)
• Dacic: EU officials condemned the dismissal of the Management Team for the formation of the CSM (ZSO) (NMagazin, Beta)

International:

• Grieving Serbs Demand Resignations Over Fatal School Shootout (BIRN)
• The President, the Soccer Hooligans and an Underworld ‘House of Horrors’ (NY Times)

• Escobar: Implementation of Ohrid agreement must start with Association (RFE)
• Rohde: Association statute to be in line with Constitution of Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• EU: Management team should be functional until statute is approved (Kallxo)
• EU insists Association is main issue and biggest priority (Koha)
• Serwer: Bilateral isn’t working, so… (media)
• EFJ calls on Kurti “not to allow further politicization of IMC” (media)
• Osmani, Kurti messages on World Press Freedom Day (media)
• Szunyog: Media institutional setup in Kosovo needs to be enhanced (media)
• LDK: Reporters in Kosovo at threat from attacks and intimidation (media)
• Kosovo rises in World Press Freedom Index, media independence still at risk (Prishtina Insight)
• Balkan, Central European journalists highlight safety concerns on Press Freedom Day (BIRN)
• Haki Abazi expelled from Vetevendosje parliamentary group (media)
• Kosovo solar farm goes even greener, using sheep to mow the grass (Reuters)
• EU, W. Balkans telcos to cut data roaming charges from October (SeeNews)
• Mass shooting in Belgrade school kills nine, shocks Serbia (BIRN)
• Osmani, Kurti, Bislimi send condolences after school shooting in Belgrade (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Konjufca: The management team presented the interests of Serbia, not Kosovo (Koha)
• Presidency: Management team submitted a draft statute similar to one of Vojvodina (Koha)
• Haradinaj believes U.S. and EU have a draft statute for Association in accordance with Constitution (media)
• Reactions on the Declaration on the missing accepted by Kurti (Reporteri)
• Osmani: We defend the role of free and impartial media (media)
• Statement of the AJK Board on the World Press Freedom Day (media)
• Haradinaj: The attacks on the media and journalists are disturbing (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Abolishment of Management Team leads to abolishment of ZSO and dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• European officials extend condolences over shooting at Belgrade school (N1, media)
• Association of Kosmet Victims’ Families welcomes adoption of Declaration on Missing Persons (Radio KIM)
• Dacic: Meeting in Brussels confirmed our fears, we must not lose majority in UN (RTS)
• Rakic Andric: By raising opening of Ibar River bridge topic Self-determination wants to score political points (Kosovo Online)
• Reporters Without Borders: Serbia drops 12 places on Press Freedom Index (N1)
• Blakaj: Adoption of the Declaration on the Missing a step forward (KiM radio)
• Lawyer Vasic writes to Quint ambassadors over Trajkovic’s health condition (Kosovo Online)
• Families of the missing on the adopted Declaration: Political camouflage (KiM radio)
• Borrell: Important, symbolic step taken towards forming Community (Tanjug)

International:

• Kosovo, Serbia fall short of diffusing tensions, agree to resolve war missing cases (Euractive)
• Kosovo and Serbia agree to help find war's missing (BBC)
• Southeast, Central Europe – Bar Serbia and Turkey – Rise in RSF Freedom Index (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• World Press Freedom Day: Joint Declaration on Media Freedom and Democracy (article19.com)
• 2023 World Press Freedom Index – journalism threatened by fake content industry (rsf.org)

• Kosovo, Serbia agree to cooperate on resolving cases of missing persons (RFE)
• Borrell: Kosovo, Serbia fail to agree on lowering tensions in north Kosovo (Reuters)
• Kurti: Draft statute fundamentally incompatible with our Constitution (Koha)
• Management team for drafting statute of Association relieved from duty (media)
• Osmani: Kosovo should have its own draft for the Association (RTK)
• Osmani: Declaration, a moment of relief for affected families (media)
• Petkovic: Declaration confirms we have protected Serbian interests (media)
• Vucic: Pristina unwilling to meet commitment; hope dialogue will continue (media)
• Kurti met with Escobar, before meeting with Vucic and Borrell (RTK)
• Konjufca: I don't expect Serbia to change quickly (RTK)
• First indictment filed, for rape during the war in Kosovo (media)
• Serbia ratifies three agreements of Berlin Process, including Kosovo (RTK)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 2, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti and Vucic to meet in Brussels today (media)
• Lajcak: A statute acceptable for both parties is needed (media)
• Selmanaj: Constitutional Court must have final say (media)
• Kurti commemorates Studime massacre; 116 Albanians civilians were killed (media)
• Decision to open Ibar bridge sent to Ministry of Local Government (Insajderi)
• Rasic: Media in Serbia close to government constantly attack me (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• EU’s Lajcak says not right moment to open bridge in Mitrovica North (N1, RTS)
• KFOR: Ibar Bridge opening an issue that should be resolved in political dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• Milan Radojevic: Only Serbs can make decision on bridge opening in Mitrovica (Tanjug, social media)
• Vucic ahead of Brussels meeting with Kurti, says it will be difficult (Radio KIM, media)
• Dacic: Pristina to continue to avoid establishment of ZSO (Tanjug, media)
• Petkovic: It is not up to Kurti to allow or not allow something for CSM (ZSO) (RTS, Beta, Danas)
• Anniversary of NATO attack on bus near Luzane marked yesterday (RTS, Radio kontakt plus, Gracanica-online)
• Visoki Decani Monastery: Robberies becoming more frequent (Radio KIM)
• The Declaration on the Missing, first on the agenda of the new round of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina (BBC)
• The director of the "Dajana Paunovic" Foundation banned from entering Kosovo (Tanjug)

• Kurti and Vucic to meet in Brussels today (media)
• Kurti: Basic agreement and annex must be implemented in their entirety (media)
• Lajcak: We discussed with Kurti about May 2 meeting (RTK)
• Kurti: There will be no Republika Srpska in the north (media)
• Kosovar PM, Greek FM meet for 10th time in two years (Euractiv)
• Vela: BIA interviewed Kosovo police officers who were transiting (media)
• Tahiri: Statute of Association will affect borders in the Balkans (Klan)
• Corruption suspicious about energy corporation’s director cause turmoil in Kosovo (BIRN)
• “Kosovo seeking conflict at any cost,” Vucic slams opening of Iber bridge (Euronews)
• After bridge decision, Mitrovica North assembly to decide on mosque (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo’s abandoned ‘ghost houses’ guard their secrets (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• The EU confirms the agenda of the May 2 meeting between Kurti and Vucic (RFE)
• Kurti at the Economic Forum in Delphi, meets Lord Stuart Peach (RTK)
• Lajcak meets Dendias, discuss the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Albanian Post)
• The Assembly of Mitrovica decides to open for traffic the bridge over river Iber (Koha)
• The ruling MPs are boycotting the Parliament, says KIJ (Koha)
• The CEC certifies elections results for mayors of four northern municipalities (Kallxo)
• Krasniqi: The door of autonomy for Serb community, opened (TV21, ekonomia)

Serbian Language Media:

• Security Council on Kosovo – between ZSO, UNMIK and war crimes accusations (RTS)
• Dacic: Dialogue with Pristina in very complex, decisive moment (Tanjug, media)
• Dacic: UN SC members noted Pristina's obligation to form Community (Tanjug)
• Poll shows low support for Franco-German agreement (NSPM, N1, Beta)
• Vucic: Kurti to open Ibar bridge in Mitrovica to expel the Serbs (RTS)
• Petkovic reacts to decision of Mitrovica North councillors on opening main bridge, says Pristina wants conflict (Tanjug)
• Serbian List: International community to prevent implementation of decision on opening main bridge (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Aleksandar Arsenijevic opposes decision to open bridge on Ibar River (social media)
• Councillors in North Mitrovica voted to open the Ibar Bridge (Kosovo Online)
• Lajcak: Serbia dissolved parallel structures; Kosovo did not form the CSM (ZSO) (RTK2)
• Strpce Missing Persons Association president: To stop separating missing persons based on nationality (RTK2)
• Qerkini: During Kurti's government, solving the issue of missing persons stagnated (Kosovo Online, ekonomiaonline.com)
• EEAS: Vucic, Kurti confirm attendance on May 2 (N1)
• Fidesz MEPs reject EP report on Serbia (N1)

Opinion:

• Vuletic: The words heard in the UNSC sound nice, but do not mean much, the most important thing not included in the report (RTS)

Humanitarian/Development:

• 24 years waiting for his son, the sad story of a father who still lives with hope (euronews.al)
• Statistics office publishes Serbian census results (N1)

UN Security Council discusses report on Kosovo (media)
Kurti: Serbia is not constructive; internationals must apply pressure on it (KSP)
Kosovo remembers the forcibly disappeared of the 1990s war (BIRN)
U.S. Embassy message on National Day of Missing Persons (media)
Abbott urges governments to do all they can to resolve fate of missing (media)
Lajcak: Important to start defining status, competencies of Association (media)
Abdixhiku: We can’t be with Kurti in government, he represents the past (T7)
Kosovo’s CoE membership may take up to two years (Albanian Daily News)
Kosovo Supreme Court upholds ex-policeman’s war crimes sentence (BIRN)
Chollet talks with Vucic; “we expect constructive meeting on May 2” (media)