UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 11, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 356 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kurti: Government committed to modernization of army (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo moves to address concerns of Serbia’s Presevo Valley Albanians (BIRN)
• After U.S., EU doesn’t rule out sanctions in Western Balkans (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 100 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)
• Milivojevic: New US ambassadors to bring stronger pressure on Serbia (Radio KIM)
• MAT Magazine: China to become top five export destination for Serbian products (Tanjug)
• Vucic: Referendum important for future of our country (B92)
• Kosovo Serbs and referendum: Deafening silence of Belgrade (Radio KIM)
• Jevtic requests permanent presence of police at Brezovica ski center (Kosovo-online)
• Hodges: Serbia today is not Serbia of 1999 (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Intensifies Hunt for Banned Crypto-Mining Machinery (Balkan Insight)
• Bulgarian President Reconfirms Hardline Stance on North Macedonia (Balkan Insight)
• EU funds have little impact in Western Balkans, auditors say (Politico)

• Kurti meets new U.S. Ambassador: We will stand in unshakable alliance (media)
• Hovenier's mission in Kosovo, to complete unfinished business (Koha)
• Kurti: We will take Kosovo Telecom out of the crisis and put it on the development tracks (media)
• European Parliament President David Sassoli dies at 65 (media)
• Can Serbs from Kosovo vote in Serbia's referendum? (RFE)
• Specialist Chambers confirm Kadri Veseli was granted custodial visit to Kosovo (Express)
• Under tight security measures, Veseli concludes visit to Kosovo (media)
• COVID-19: 236 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Great Britain’s Special Envoy, Stuart Peach: We support ‘Open Balkan’ (euronews.al)
• Kosovo protesters urge Serbia to free war crimes defendant (BIRN)
• ‘Active Citizens’ Charge Officials With Destroying Mirusha Waterfall (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• New U.S. Ambassador arrives in Kosovo (media)
• Rizvanolli on action in Leposavic: We saved over €50,000 per month (RTK)
• Finance minister on crypto ban: One man’s gain is everyone else’s burden (euronews.al)
• Kosovo Police Seize Crypto-Mining Equipment After Govt Ban (BIRN)
• Focus on final settlement overshadows implementation of other agreements (Koha)
• Minister Haxhiu sees undoing of Specialist Chambers as "impossible" (EO/media)
• Gervalla: Unlawful decisions taken in last years to be invalidated (media)
• Abrashi: Declaration of UNMIK officials “persona non grata” is inapplicable (Koha)
• Haradinaj to Kurti: Weren’t you the government of hope? (media)
• Meir: Turkey’s influence hinders Kosovo’s EU integration process (Lajmi)
• Police Errors Blamed for Woman’s Murder by Husband (BIRN)
• Mothers’ Stories Highlight Tragedy of Kosovo’s Disappeared (BIRN)
• Serbia's back-door bid to embed Chinese snooping tools in Kosovo (RFE)
• COVID-19: 304 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo braces for new wave of COVID-19 as it records over 1,000 cases in nine days (Express)

• Some anti COVID measures will become stricter, Health Minister says (KTV)
• Kosovo reports over 100 new cases with COVID-19 on Wednesday (Express)
• Escobar expected to visit Kosovo in January (Albanian Post)
• Hasani: Kosovo Serbs cannot be part of Vucic’s referendum (media)
• “Kosovo violated international relations by expelling Russian UN staff” (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo’s energy crisis halts cryptocurrency production (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo experts question legality of cryptocurrency mining ban (BIRN)
• U.S. imposes new sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Dodik (Reuters)
• Osmani on sanctions on Dodik: A decisive and much-needed decision (media)
• Why Serbia’s President is a threat to Europe (foreignpolicy.com)
• A hotbed of cloak-and-dagger skullduggery in the Hague (nationalinterest.org)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 5, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• LDK, PDK reach co-governance agreement in Prishtina municipality (Telegrafi)
• Haxhiu: We won’t give up on vetting process (Kosovapress)
• Kraja: Kosovo made concessions to Serbia; Association biggest blow (media)
• Hoti: Serbia trying to remove Albanians from Presevo Valley (media)
• Another false alarm for explosive device at Prishtina bus station (media)
• Prime Minister and Health Minister on pandemic: We must not relax (media)
• COVID-19: 107 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 36 new cases, two deaths registered in Serbian areas (KoSSev)
• “Kosovo can go to Olympic games, but Kosovo Serbs can’t take part in referendum” (Radio KIM)
• Serbian Patriarch expresses respect to health care staff in Christmas message (FoNet, N1)
• Surlic: International community views status of K. Serbs and ZSO only through prism of whether Kosovo will achieve independence (KoSSev)
• 20 US military police officers to deploy to Kosovo (KoSSev, AP)

International:

• Montenegro Leads Region in Sudden Surge in COVID-19 Cases (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• KFOR donates medical equipment to health house in Vidanje returnee village (KoSSev)

• Kosovo bans cryptocurrency mining in efforts to save energy (media)
• Pristina’s actions against UN mission member should be met with response — Russia’s MFA (TASS)
• Haradinaj accuses Kurti of "corruption" and "extreme leftism" (media)
• Weber: Demonstration of force may happen again in the north (lajmi.net/media)
• Xhaferi: "Open Balkan" incomplete without all Western Balkans countries (Kosovapress/media)
• COVID-19: 108 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo sees surge in COVID-19 cases (Express)
• Deputy Minister: Kosovo about to enter a new wave of COVID-19 infections (Telegrafi)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 4, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• “France has changed approach”; optimism for visa liberalisation (Kosovapress)
• Will Biden launch an offensive in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue this year (Gazeta Express)
• Joseph: Rama’s rapprochement with Vucic is not healthy (Radio Free Europe)
• Thaci and others are held in detention on assumptions, attorney says (Kosovapress)
• COVID-19: 108 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 25 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic reacts to Pristina’s decision to declare UNMIK official “persona non grata” (B92, social media)
• Moscow reacts to Pristina's move (media)
• Trajkovic: Albanian political elite in Kosovo admitted return of expelled Serbs is politically conditioned (Kosovo-online)
• Schieb: Serbia–Germany relations aim at providing support for EU integration (N1)
• Chen Bo: Great results of cooperation between China and Serbia in 2021 (N1)
• EU Office condemned recent desecration of cemetery in Kisnica (Radio KIM)
• Two anti-coronavirus shots needed to enter Kosovo as of January 3 (Radio KIM)
• Server: Pristina also responsible for issue of missing persons (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo police members received letter of reprimand for detaining KoSSev’s editor last year (KoSSev)

• Stoltenberg: Tensions increased in Kosovo and B&H; NATO promotes stability (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo declares UNMIK staff a “persona non grata” (media)
• UN: "Persona non grata" doctrine not applicable to UN personnel (media)
• Hasani: UNMIK personnel cannot be declared "persona non grata" (Koha)
• Kosovo has high expectations of Albania joining UN Security Council (Klan)
• Serwer: I do not expect a Kosovo-Serbia agreement this year (Kosovo Online, media)
• Kosovo Surveillance Build-up Raises Privacy Concerns (BIRN)
• Serbia praises another arms shipment from Russia (AP)
• World Athletics confident Kosovo will participate in Serbian event with no issues (Exit.al)
• COVID-19: 38 new cases, no deaths (media)
• New COVID-19 restrictions come into force in Kosovo (Exit.al)
• Pandemic forces 3,000 firms out of business, additional relief packages needed (euronews.al)

• Kurti and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Donfried talk about Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• President Osmani decreed the Law on the Budget of Kosovo for 2022 (media)
• Dialogue, the biggest challenge for the Kurti Government in 2022 (Koha)
• Kurti meets Kosovo’s Security Council (media)
• Osmani and Kurti meet heads of security institutions (media)
• OSCE Condemns Desecration of Serb Gravestones in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Chinese cameras from the American black list, through Serbia in Kosovo (RFE)
• Enlargement crisis and its consequences: Key events in the Western Balkans in 2021 (EWB)
• COVID-19: 53 new cases, no deaths (media)