UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 15, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani and Pendarovski with opposite stances on Open Balkans (RTK)
• Prime Minister Kurti received the President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski (media)
• Kurti: Footnote does not reflect the reality of independent and European Kosovo (media)
• Peach comes to the region for the first time: Britain wants a secure Western Balkans (Klan)
• Donika Gervalla prohibited from entering Serbia (Express)
• COVID-19: 11 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Problems, fears, and stances of Serbs in Kosovo, including on Kurti’s government (Radio KIM)
• UNS and UNS in Kosovo protest over mistreatment of Radio Gorazdevac crew at Rugova Valley (Radio KIM, media)
• Serbian Ministry of Culture condemned the intimidation of Radio Gorazdevac journalists (Kontakt plus radio)
• Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo again (Radio KIM)
• Christopher Hill: Attitude toward BiH crucial for US – Serbia further relations (Beta, N1)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: Trade with Serbia could reach 4 bln dollars (Tanjug)
• Vucic: Pristina has announced that it will not allow a referendum in Kosovo (KiM radio, FoNet, N1)
• Jevtic: Osmani talks about discrimination, without mentioning Serbs is example of discrimination (Kosovo-online)
• “Pendarovski on importance of regional cooperation, Osmani on dangers from Serbia and Russia” (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

• My grandmother, Yugo-Nostalgia and an unfinished tale (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Bulgaria Again Blocks North Macedonia, Albania, EU Accession Talks (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• WHO: ‘Omicron spreading at rate not seen with previous variants’ (Euronews)
• Western Balkan countries play a valuable role in partnering with EEA to tackle environmental and climate challenges (eea.europa.eu)

• Hill: If confirmed, normalization of Serbia relations with Kosovo, priority (VoA)
• North Macedonia President to visit Kosovo today (media)
• LDK appoints Haziri in charge of dialogue and regional cooperation (media)
• Haradinaj comments on accusations for meetings with Serb politicians (media)
• Pacolli slams Russian ambassador in Belgrade (Gazeta Express)
• LDK wins municipality of Dragash, after counting of diaspora votes (media)
• Ministry of Justice to adhere to Venice Commission's recommendations (media)
• EU states reassert membership promise to six Balkan states (Reuters)
• COVID-19: Eight new cases, one death (media)
• Ministry of Health: Over 2,100 citizens got the booster in few days (Lajmi)
• Kosovo continues to buck fourth COVID-19 wave (Exit News)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Funds of parties whose source is not known are elements of corruption (Telegrafi)
• “Electricity situation expected to become more dire in next three days” (Klan Kosova)
• Mehaj on 3rd anniversary of the Army: We have strong reasons to be proud (Koha)
• Tromp: Kosovo has done nothing against Serbia’s lies (Radio Free Europe)
• COVID-19: Eight new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 25 new cases, one death registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)
• Varhelyi: Rule of law and normalization with Kosovo remain key to EU accession (NMagazin, Beta)
• EU opens cluster 4 in accession talks with Serbia (N1)
• Radojevic: Priority is to preserve peace and stable political and security situation (Radio kontakt plus)
• Kosovo FM, Serbian Police minister in ‘war of words’ (N1)
• Tadic: The United States and Merkel, because of Kosovo, allowed the breakdown of democracy in the entire region (KoSSev, N1)
• British Foreign Secretary reinforces support for Western Balkans stability at talks in London (UK Government, media)

Opinion:

• The Holy Land (KoSSev)

International:

• 'Hope dies last': Kosovo families haunted by war missing (AFP)
• Kosovo urged to keep up its guard against radicalisation (BIRN)
• Balkan brain drain could be costing the region its future (Euractive)

Humanitarian/Development:

• President Osmani pledges to support all marginalised groups (Kosovapress)
• Kosovo Santas run to help country’s protest (Prishtina Insight)

• G7 call on Kosovo and Serbia to continue dialogue without delays (Zeri)
• Lajcak: Western Balkans integration in EU, the only alternative (media)
• Gervalla in London: Serbia is threatening, we must act quickly if we want to save the peace (media)
• Why is the north of Kosovo a haven for criminal groups? (RFE Albanian)
• HLC's Blakaj: Missing persons ought not be a condition to agreement with Serbia (Koha)
• Movie Puts Spotlight on Forced Marriage in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Assembly adopts draft law for deployment of KSF abroad (media)
• North Macedonian president to pay official visit to Kosovo (Indeksonline)
• Kosovo connecting to Serbian IPs, businesses and opposition raise the alarm (euronews.al)
• Serbian Minister requests visa liberalisation for Kosovo (RTK)
• COVID-19: 8 new cases, no deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 13, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We are working to ease the energy crisis (media)
• PDK wants government to react to Vulin’s remarks about Recak massacre (RFE)
• “Kosovo to prosecute war crimes suspects according to chain of command” (Koha)
• Osmani receives credentials of Ambassador of Lithuania, Jurate Raguckiene (media)
• Kosovo, Albania unveil joint project for railway link (Prishtina Insight)
• Results of test samples for Omicron variant to arrive this month (Express)
• In four months, 89 percent of COVID-19 fatalities were not vaccinated (Koha)
• COVID-19: 8 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 33 new cases registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: We continue strengthening army due to complicated security situation (N1)
• Avenija: Ungrounded arrests of Serbs disgrace for Kosovo society and international community (Radio KIM)
• Darko Dimitrijevic elected new president of Association of Journalists of Serbia branch in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic reacts to Gervala’s statement, says Pristina rhetoric “inflammatory and anti-Serbian” (Radio KIM)
• Odalovic: Families of missing persons should address Lajcak for support (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic in London, to meet Lajcak, Peach and Escobar (media, GoS website)

International:

• Richard Grenell Exclusive Interview: The Serbia-Kosovo Agreement Was Not Just For Christmas (The Pavlovic Today)

• Serbian minister's statement on Recak continues to draw reactions (media)
• Serwer: If Serbia refuses recognition, Kosovo has the right to reject Association (Koha)
• Kosovo authorities arrest three persons in connection to Gllogjan shooting (media)
• Kurti: Kosovo improving legal framework in efforts to uproot gender-based violence (media)
• Haxhiu: Venice Commission supports changes to prosecutorial system (media)
• Early marriages, a concern in Kosovo (media)
• Three NGOs urge Kurti to remove Egyptians from the RAE group acronym (Telegrafi)
• Meta: Republika Srpska actions threaten regional stability (Koha)
• North Macedonia eyes 3 million tones of Kosovo coal (Reuters)
• COVID-19: Seven new cases, no deaths (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: No agreement with Serbia without resolving the fate of missing persons (Koha)
• Civil society organisations from Kosovo and Serbia present joint demands on dialogue (media)
• EU: No room to deny or understate what happened in Recak (RFE)
• Pacolli on Vulin's statement: Serbia is trying to lie to the world (Klan)
• A group of U.S. members of Congress urge President Biden to bring justice for all victims of war crimes in Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo president's aide: Criminal groups in the north cooperate with actors in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Rama and Escobar discussed Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, "Open Balkan" (Klan)
• COVID-19: Seven new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Families of the Missing: Our human rights are being violated daily (KiM radio)
• Vucic: Abuses of democratic principles hamper our well-being (Tanjug, media)
• Belgrade to Athens: Kosovo main political-security challenge (FoNet, N1)
• Blinken: Sanctions and restrictions for 11 officials due to criminal and illegal activities (Kosovo Online, RTV Puls)
• Stevic on US sanctions: I run a legitimate business; 20 years since I’ve last seen Veselinovic (KoSSev)
• “Metal” owner on US sanctions: It’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard, I have no ties to Veselinovic (KoSSev)
• Serbian List: Propaganda actions as justification for the attack on Serbs and an alibi for future moves of Pristina (Kosovo Online)
• One month detention for Dusko Arsic, Office for KiM reaction (KiM radio)
• Poll shows majority of youth want to leave Kosovo (N1)
• Survey: Over half of Serbia’s people believe corruption is present everywhere (FoNet, N1)
• Vulin: “NATO aggression began after the horrible lie about Racak” (N1)

Opinion:

• We should all speak out for survivors (KoSSev)

International:

• Nuclear technology centre planned for Serbia (world-nuclear-news.org)
• 'Nobody's dump': Lithium mine stirs unrest in Serbia (rfi.fr)

Humanitarian/Development:

• UNMIK calls for further efforts to promote equality for all in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: Kosovo believes in UN values and its vision for sustainable development (Telegrafi)

• Osmani speaks at Democracy Summit, presents three main commitments (media)
• Macron: We will organise a conference for Western Balkans in June (RFE)
• EP on Tuesday about fight against organised crime in Western Balkans (EWB)
• Kurti says criminal group in the north must be tried in Kosovo (media)
• Serbian List opposes U.S. decision on criminal bosses (media)
• Kosovo Serbs close to Serbia’s rulers join US blacklist (BIRN)
• Kosovo arrests Serbian citizen for war crimes on border (BIRN)
• Junior doctors protest failure to allocate special budget for wages (BIRN)
• Kosovo youth train as bakers, waiters to get quick jobs abroad (Reuters)
• Prishtina-Durres railway, Kosovo sets aside €1 million for feasibility (euronews.al)
• Consequences of Vucic’s “passivization” campaign on thousands of Albanians in Serbia (Exit News)
• The anger you’re entitled to (Kosovo 2.0)
• COVID-19: 19 new cases, one death (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 9, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We want a legally binding agreement centred on mutual recognition (Kosovapress)
• Svecla: Sanctions against Veselinovic's group prove our fight against corruption was legitimate (media)
• UK's Abbott welcomes U.S. sanctions against Veselinovic's group (Telegrafi/RTK)
• Haradinaj hails U.S. sanctions as ‘excellent news for Kosovo’ (media)
• Radule Stevic and tenders awarded to him by Kosovo institutions (RFE)
• Minister Aliu confirms having a contract with company sanctioned by the U.S. (EO/Zeri)
• Kosovo joins U.S. in diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in China (Koha/Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 33 news cases in Serbian communities (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• I did not yield to protests; I only met people’s demands, President Vucic says (N1)
• Borrell: US sanctions important step in fight against organized crime in Western Balkans (Kosovo-online)
• Millions worth tenders of an entrepreneur from the north of Kosovo, to whom the US imposed sanctions (RFE, KoSSev)
• Trajkovic: Serbian-Albanian connections (Radio KIM)
• KLA flag in Bosniak Mahala, Mitrovica North removed (KoSSev)
• Serb accused of committing war crimes arrested at Jarinje (KoSSev)
• Vucic participates in online Summit on Democracy (RTS)
• Admiral Bauer and General Wolters with KFOR Commander on security situation in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian Parliament Speaker says expropriation law up for public debate (N1)

International:

• As Russia's Balkan Allies Toy With War, Kosovo Banks on U.S. Protection (Newsweek)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Berkovo: Struggling with Covid-19, without technical and potable water (Radio KIM, Radio Gorazdevac)
• Mitrovica North residents on new Covid-19 measures: political decision, making peoples’ lives more difficult (KoSSev)

• U.S. imposes sanctions on controversial Kosovo Serb businessman (BIRN)
• U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement on sanctions (media)
• Kosovo’s leaders welcome sanctions against Veselinovic and his group (media)
• Vucic: We’ll look into any serious allegations (media)
• Collaku: Kurti should change strategy to win ground with Serbia (euronews.al)
• Hasani: Constitutional Court has cemented obligation to form Association (media)
• Gastronomes to protest against government measures on December 15 (media)
• COVID-19: Ten new cases, no deaths (media)