UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 26, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: Five dead, 445 new cases (media)
• Stricter implementation of measures to prevent increase in COVID cases (media)
• Lajcak to visit Kosovo on March 1 (media)
• Rugova: There are tendencies to impose a new LDK leader (media)
• Ineffective justice for attacks on journalists (Radio Free Europe)
• “Government to prepare strategy against Russia’s malign operations” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia will continue to aid Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija (Kosovo-online)
• EU spokesman denies Lajcak bringing ultimatum to Belgrade (N1)
• Lajcak to visit Pristina and Belgrade next week (Radio KIM)
• Drecun: Lajcak pushed ZSO aside; story on non-paper appears who knows how many times (RTS)
• Selakovic says lack of EU’s reaction on “Great Albania” statements doesn’t help building trust (N1)
• One more protest held in Gracanica (RTV KIM)
• Zakharova: Agreement between Belgrade and Pristina shouldn’t be forced, rhetoric of Kosovo Albanians concerning (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic replies to Osmani over map issue (Kosovo-online, social media)

Opinion:

• Kosovan abyss (KoSSev)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Serbia tightens anti-epidemic measures (N1)
• Half million doses of Chinese vaccines to be delivered to Serbia (B92)

• COVID-19: 437 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Osmani reacts to Lajcak: Kosovo will always be independent, indivisible (media)
• Lajcak: It is an official EU map; line separating Kosovo from Serbia (media)
• EU tries to roll up Kosovo map flap (politico.eu)
• Lajcak to visit Kosovo on Tuesday, sources say (arbresh.info)
• Vjosa Osmani expects votes from LDK too to be elected president (media)
• Kosovo journalist Visar Duriqi physically assaulted (media)
• UNMIK chief calls for ensuring safe environment for journalists (media)
• Five years ago, Hashim Thaci was elected President of Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo’s Ambassador Ines Demiri arrives in Israel (media)
• Former KLA member Gani Koci summoned by Specialist Chambers (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 25, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 437 new cases, five deaths (media)
• EU downplays Lajcak’s interview backdrop map with Kosovo as part of Serbia (Express)
• Montgomery: US committed to working with EU on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (VoA, media)
• Kosovo journalist Visar Duriqi physically assaulted (media)
• Daka leaves the CEC meeting following LVV's request for community votes (Koha)
• Hague Court extends detention for Kosovo war veteran leaders (Express)
• Emigrant votes are holding Kosovo’s electoral result ‘hostage’ (Euronews.al)
• LDK chairmanship to meet today at 16:30 (Express)
• Mustafa meets with Rhode, discuss latest developments in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 95 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• One-month detention assigned to seven persons suspected of involvement in Laplje Selo fight (KoSSev)
• Gracanica: Students protest over decision to detain youngsters involved in Laplje Selo fight (Radio kontakt plus)
• Father Sava: It was not a lynch, but a fight of two politically opposed groups of young men (media, social media)
• Gracanica police station commander: Fight in Laplje Selo arranged in advance (KoSSev)
• Rasic: My son certainly didn’t know the fight was organized, school worked on Monday (KoSSev)
• Selakovic condemns EP call to five EU states to recognize Kosovo (B92)
• Vucic met SOC Patriarch, discussed Kosovo issue (B92)

International:

• Attack on Kosovo Investigative Journalist Condemned (Balkan Insight)
• Former intelligence chief indicted in ‘Gulenist’ case (Prishtina Insight)

COVID-19: 461 new cases, three deaths (media)
Agriculture agency officials suspected of bribery and theft detained (BIRN)
Hoti: Those responsible must receive maximal punishment (media)
“Police operation proves Kosovo deeply immersed in corruption” (media)
Serbian List silent over warning of Vetevendosje Movement (Radio Free Europe)
Parties to complaint to court over suspected vote manipulation (Koha)
“No one can be prosecuted for voting the party of another community” (media)
Rexhepi: We must vote for Osmani as Kosovo President (media)
In Kosovo, uncertain future for war crimes court nobody wanted (EuroNews)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 24, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 461 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Palmer: Kosovo-Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina, two separate issues (VoA, media)
• European Parliament: Kosovo's independence is irreversible (REL, media)
• Bajrami resigns from the Acting Finance Minister position (media)
• Haradinaj sees LVV movements as "powerless to face northern integration" (Koha)
• Head of Kosovo's Agency for Agricultural Development arrested (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Meeting with Kosovo Serb representatives on Friday; Concentrated pressure of the EU and the USA (media)
• Vucic on the fight in Laplje Selo: We have all the information; two groups of young men organized the fight (KoSSev)
• Belgrade-ordered beating or an organized fight between high school students? (KoSSev)
• Jevtic: Why is there silence about attacks on Serbian returnees? (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• MEPs: Rule of law and normalisation with Kosovo crucial for Serbia (N1)
• EP on Kosovo: No reform results, call for formation of A/CSM (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Andjelkovic: Albanians frontally attack Serbian List out of fear from Serbian unity in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Serbia & UAE to intensify defense ministries’ cooperation (N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo must use this moment to reframe the narrative of the past (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• MEPs call on Serbia to commit unambiguously to European values (europarl.europa.eu)
• Biden's Early Move in Balkans Signals Interest in Europe (VoA)

• COVID-19: 285 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Kurti: We don’t avoid talks with Serbia, but first justice and employment (VOA)
• Konjufca: We’ll form government without being dependent on SL (media)
• VV says diaspora votes with expired documents should not be annulled (media)
• Pacolli: I will vote in favor of Osmani for President (media)
• Berisha: Dialogue with Serbia is in Kosovo’s national interest (Koha)
• LDK’s Rugova: Resigned chairmanship trying to impose new leader (media)
• Ahmeti: VV to form coalition with PDK or LDK for greater stability (media)
• Adrijana Hodzic denies deal with Srpska Lista (BIRN)
• “Those assumed to be obstructing justice in Kosovo must be identified” (RFE)
• Serbian church elects patriarch deemed close to president (BIRN)
• TV debate discusses multilingualism and Balkanistics program (Kanal 10)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 23, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 368 new cases, four deaths (media)
• EP criticizes Kosovo for not fighting corruption, expresses concern over closure of Task Force (Koha)
• Hoti on assault on Rasic’s son: Violence is unacceptable (media)
• Prosecutor’s office begins investigations about attack on Rasic’s son (media)
• Rasic: Attack on my son was an attempted murder (Prishtina Insight)
• Abbott: Some politicians have incited hatred and fear within communities (Koha)
• Kurti asks privatisation agency not to open new waves of privatisation (media)
• EP Foreign Affairs Committee to vote Kosovo report (Express)
• Suspicions of vote manipulation by Serbia, dozens of NGOs demand reaction of local and international institutions (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• 78 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• 14 newly infected in Gracanica (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List and Office for KiM: Fight has nothing to do with politics (Radio KIM)
• Suspects for beating Nikola Rasic assigned detention (Radio KIM)
• Nenad Rasic believes that the attack on his son has a political background (N1)
• Rakic: Son of Nenad Rasic injured in “a private conflict” between young men (N1)
• Parents of detained young men: The fight was caused by Nikola Rasic (KiM radio)
• Sava Janjic: Dialogue with Serbs must go through Belgrade (Kosovo-online)

International:

• The world faces a pandemic of human rights abuses in the wake of Covid-19 (The Guardian)
• Small hydropower plant owner sues activist Shpresa Loshaj in Kosovo* for defamation (balkangreenenergynews.com)
• In Hostile Serbian Parliament, MP Fights for Rights of ‘Enemy’ Albanians (Balkan Insight)
• U.S. Development Bank Says It's Committed To Balkans Amid Talk Of Serbian Office Closure (RFE)
• North Macedonia Murder Retrial Convicts Ethnic Albanians of Terrorism (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 260 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Kosovo hospitals take in fearful Albanian COVID-19 patients (BIRN)
• Nenad Rasic’s son beaten in Gracanica (media)
• Dialogue with Serbia – Kosovo’s key issue in foreign policy (Koha)
• Kosnett: Kurti and Osmani have vision and energy (media)
• Kosovo Serbs accused of fixing Bosniak, Roma election results (BIRN)
• Communities warn: We may refuse the reserved seats (Kallxo)
• Kryeziu: Votes for Hodzic delegitimise guaranteed seats for Bosniaks (Koha)
• Civil society calls for investigations into the Bosniak votes (media)
• Kosovo’s oldest party needs reality check after election rout (BIRN)
• Osmani meets UNDP Coordinator in Kosovo (media)
• Car of Vetevendosje MP caught fire (media)
• Von Cramon: Government officials and state-owned media in Serbia distributing disinformation and propaganda (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Germany and France call for swift formation of government and election of President (media)
• CDHRF: Assembly reserved seats are at risk from Belgrade (media)
• CEC meets, counting of 500 polling stations is expected (Express)
• CEC decides: 494 polling stations will be recounted (media)
• Zemaj announces increase of COVID-19 cases (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• 57 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• The Comoros do not recognize Kosovo's independence, the position remains the same (RTS)
• OSCE: Media should be free to travel (KoSSev)
• Serbia receives 150,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 50.000 doses of Sputnik vaccines (N1, B92)
• Brnabic: Quality of life in Kosovo will depend on dialogue with Belgrade (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)
• Hodzic: Balje and Rexhepi did nothing for Bosniak community in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Office for KiM: Video surveillance in all schools in Serbian communities (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Electoral irregularities are no excuse for anti-gypsyism (Prishtina Insight)
• Palokaj: Kosovo to draft guidebook for international friends to hold them accountable
• New 'Cold War' Will Fuel Tensions in Southeast, Central Europe (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Albin Kurti told BTA: Bulgaria and Kosovo share common goals and interests (BTA)

• COVID-19: 398 new cases, 1 death (media)
• Prishtina Mayor: No one has moral credibility to ask for a lockdown (media)
• EU insists on resuming the dialogue (media)
• Vetevendosje Movement rules out coalition with Serbian List (Koha)
• Idea for extra-territoriality of Orthodox religious sites, a challenge (Koha)
• Hoti reacts against Belgrade’s interference in Bosniak vote (media)
• Berisha accuses Romani Initiative of being “a Srpska Lista product” (BIRN)
• 48 NGOs from non-Serb communities react (Ekonomia Online)
• Surroi: Short time to elect the new President (Koha)
• Slow pace of Balkan repatriation leaves over 100 children in Syrian camps (BIRN)