UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 28 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Assembly ratifies the energy agreement with the MCC (media)
• President Osmani welcomes adoption of agreement with MCC (media)
• Rizvanolli: More than proud to sign agreement on behalf of Kosovo (media)
• Hovenier happy about the agreement between Kosovo and MCC (media)
• Kusari: Gashi’s statement is speculative; government will not fall (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Assembly ratifies international agreement for IPA III (Kosovapress)
• UEFA disciplinary body fines soccer club from Kosovo (media)
• Two deaths and 1,603 new cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Constitutive session of new Serbian Parliament scheduled for August 1 (N1)
• Vucic: Why did you abolish KS plates, who did you ask? (Kosovo Online, Danas)
• Survey: 84 percent of Serbian citizens against imposing sanctions on Russia (N1, Nedeljnik, NSPM)
• Visoki Decani Monastery expresses gratitude to KFOR (Radio KIM)
• Covid-19: 23 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Three days left until August 1: What awaits Serbs in northern Kosovo and what will implementation of new Pristina rules look like? (Kosovo Online)

International:

• High Representative Gives Bosnia Leaders Ultimatum to Change Election Law (BIRN)
• Price Hikes Dent Tourist Industry in Western Balkans (BIRN)
• Montenegro MPs Expected to Condemn WWII Massacre of Serbs as Genocide (Balkan Insight)
• Call to Rebuild Njegos Chapel Divides Montenegro (Balkan Insight)

• U.S., Kosovo Celebrate $202M Energy Grant on Capitol Hill (mcc.gov)
• Osmani: Agreement with MCC seals U.S. support for Kosovo (RTK)
• Kurti: Agreement vital to energy security, social economic transformation (media)
• Gashi: Government may fall in autumn (media)
• Haradinaj indicates Kosovo-Serbia agreement in autumn (Klan Kosova)
• Draft Security Strategy: “Serbia, the main threat” (Radio Free Europe)
• Montenegrin President Djukanovic slams Open Balkan initiative (media)
• Kosovo festival lets artists transform public spaces (Reuters)
• Itinerant exhibit, ‘Ecodesign’, arrives in Kosovo’s capital (ansamed.info)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 27 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Ambassador Hovenier welcomes Osmani’s and Kurt's meeting with Blinken (RTK)
• Haradinaj demands mutual recognition of Kosovo-Serbia under US leadership (media)
• Analysts and politicians: Meeting with Blinken very positive (RTK)
• Government approves agreement with MCC (RTK)
• Serbs in the north threatened again by their compatriots (KosovaPress)
• Three deaths and 1,853 new cases of Covid-19 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Flayers ‘No Surrender, KM Stays’ appeared this morning on vehicles in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
• 25 persons requested victim status from Specialist Chambers, only one ready to testify publicly (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic with Chen Bo on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, situation in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Vucic and Orban: Serbia and Hungary support each other in difficult times (SRNA, N1)
• Spanish Prime Minister to visit Serbia on 29 and 30 July (Blic)
• Odalovic: Kurti blocked work of working group that resolved more than 1.800 missing persons cases (RTV)
• “Kosovo Serbs will speak about their problems with Kurti in September” (Radio KIM)
• Elek: Deterioration of epidemiological situation in northern Serbian areas (Radio Mitrovica Sever)
• Covid-19: 21 new cases registered in Gracanica (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Albanian Ex-President Meta’s Comeback Greeted with Scepticism (Balkan Insight)
• Crashed Plane was Flying Arms for Polish-Owned Bosnian Company (Balkan Insight)
• North Macedonia Proposes Jail Terms for Media Freedom Violations (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania creating mutual assistance mechanisms (BETA, N1)
• Nedimovic: Serbia to again export food to Saudi Arabia (BETA, N1)

• President Osmani, PM Kurti meet US Secretary of State Blinken (media)
• Johnson: U.S. believes Kosovo’s future is in Europe and NATO (KTV)
• Specialist Chambers continue detention of Kadri Veseli (media)
• Kosovo to apply for EU membership by end of 2022 (Euractiv)
• Surroi asks for support to his candidacy at RCC (Express)
• Social media fuels distrust in institutions across EU, report finds (Exit News)
• Cyberattacks big threat to Western Balkans, US expert says (Exit News)
• North Macedonia proposes jail terms for media freedom violations (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 26, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Gervalla on Kosovo's membership in CoE: We expect good news in the fall (Paparaci)
• Kosovo leaders remember Enver Zymberi (media)
• Two French citizens arrested, entered Kosovo illegally in a vehicle with Russian license plates (Koha)
• 1,187 infected with coronavirus today, number of active cases reaches 10,000 (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Varhelyi: Serbia taking little steps in aligning with EU foreign policy
• Vukcevic on Albanian resolution on Marty’s report (Kosovo Online)
• Bujanovac mayor on upcoming census and Kosovo government permission (Kosovo Online)
• Covid-19: 20 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo Online)

International:

• EU’s Varhelyi: Will for enlargement is back, we’re ready to move fast (EURAKTIV)
• Balkan Ports Becoming ‘Growing’ Magnets for Smugglers, Report says (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Balkan Flyers Suffer From Europe’s Airport Chaos (Balkan Insight)
• Average net salary in Serbia in May 74,168 Dinars (N1)

• President Osmani, PM Kurti to meet Secretary of State Blinken today (media)
• U.S. wants role in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Blic/Klan)
• Prosecution explains invitation to interview the former EULEX prosecutor (media)
• ECPMF, EFJ react on the interview process for RTK Board members (RTK)
• Kosovo’s Security Committee meets with Commissioner of German Army (Kallxo)
• Progress on Prishtina-Durres Railway in Kosovo Parliament (Exit)
• Serb, Albanian farmers hit by degradation of river in Strpce (Koha Ditore)
• Kosovo's capital Pristina bursts onto the global art scene with an ambitious Manifesta 14, which is more hit than miss (The Art Newspaper)
• Albania’s Retired President Returns to Active Party Politics (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 25, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• President Osmani, Prime Minister Kurti travel to U.S. for MCC agreement (media)
• Bislimi hosts a farewell meeting with the Swedish ambassador (media)
• Kurti: We are committed to spend the winter as easily as possible (media)
• Tahiri: It is meaningless not to send law on wages to Assembly (Kallxo)
• Kosovo with liaison officer in the United Kingdom (RTK)
• Serbia and Kosovo’s millions for U.S. blacklisted persons and companies (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian citizens entering Kosovo to be issued declaration sheet as of August 1 (KoSSev)
• Anniversary of a crime in Staro Gracko, no one is held responsible yet (RTS)
• Rakic, Petkovic on Staro Gracko crime anniversary (Radio Mitrovica Sever)
• Obradovic says constitutive session of new Serbian Parliament should take place in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Government in mid-August, important that I withdraw as SNS leader (N1)
• Hill: I would like to see a pro-West government (BETA, N1)
• Schieb: No obstacles to Serbia’s EU membership once it meets all conditions (FoNet, N1)

International:

• Bringing the world to Kosovo and Kosovo to the world (Kosovo 2.0)
• Ukraine’s EU Candidacy Might be Opportunity for Western Balkans (BIRN)
• Albania asks human rights body to cancel stolen organ claims (The Washington Post)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Serbian Energy Minister announces increase in price of electricity (N1)

• Kurti: Kosovo in the first place in terms of the rule of law in the Balkans (RTK)
• President Osmani participated in inauguration of new President of Albania (media)
• Kosovo ready to implement reciprocity measures with Serbia on ID cards (media)
• Italian ambassador optimistic about visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• Albania’s new president Bajram Begaj gets sworn into office (media)
• Haxhiu leaves open possibility for Specialist Chambers to have a supervisory mechanism (media)
• The Serbian List holds hostage two laws (Koha)
• False bomb alert in the complex of the University of Pristina (RTK)
• Fractured History: Why Kosovo has no proper wartime archive (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 22, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani meets Meta: Kosovo's membership in NATO strengthens peace in the region (media)
• Osmani: We will see if Specialist Chambers are respecting the rights of the accused (RTK)
• Klinaku: Government publicised proposal without waiting for feedback (media)
• Pacolli meets President of South Sudan (media)
• In the global fight against corruption, U.S. values Kosovo as a partner (RTK)
• 100 interns from communities will carry out internships in Kosovo institutions (Klan)
• Kamberi meets Kurti, thanks him for his support (media)
• Trade unions request 100 euro for public sector employees pending law's approval (Kallxo)
• Berisha: I've been banned from entering the UK (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Visoki Decani Monastery: KFOR presence necessary because of frequent attacks (media, social media)
• Defendants in Ivanovic’s case to remain under house arrest (Radio KIM)
• Filipovski: Serbia will sharply react to Albanian Parliament resolution on Dick Marty’s report (Kosovo Online)
• Office for KiM: Ambulance vehicles kept at Merdare crossing point (Kosovo Online)
• Cadez: Meeting of the ministers of the countries of the Open Balkans on Monday in Tirana (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)

International:

• US Warns of ‘Threat’ to Iranian Opposition Summit in Albania (Balkan Insight)
• Albanian MPs Adopt Resolution Condemning Kosovo War Crimes Report (Balkan Insight)
• Energy Community Secretariat initiates infringement procedures against Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Serbia (balkangreenenergynews.com)

• Albanian Parliament adopts resolution on Dick Marty report (media)
• Haradinaj: Only U.S. President can conclude Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Koha)
• Albanian President Ilir Meta to visit Kosovo today (media)
• Delay to Kosovo-Serbia deal upsets wartime missing persons’ families (BIRN)
• Bilek: Success of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, key for road toward EU (Koha)
• Head of Health Insurance Fund temporarily suspended (media)
• A Test for the European Union in the Balkans (Wall Street Journal)
• In Tune: Young Western Balkan Musicians Ready for Regional Tour (BIRN)