UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 13, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Albania shuts down border with Kosovo (media)
• Surroi: Thaci cannot sign agreement on his own (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic on Serbia’s measures against coronavirus, salary increase to medical personnel (B92)
• Ministry: 31 persons infected with coronavirus in Serbia (B92)
• Vecernje Novosti: Trump could get rid of Kurti? (B92)
• Borrell Messages to Kurti: Tariffs need to be completely abolished, Lajcak as special envoy for Belgrade - Pristina dialogue (RTS)
• Djuric: Pristina violates agreement on freedom of movement (RTV Puls)
• Vucic and Merkel: Video-conference instead of meeting (Sputnik)
• Detention of Zlatan Krstic extended, his deteriorated health additional problem (Kosovo-online)
• Djuric with Botsan-Kharchenko (media)

• EU: We are the sole facilitators in Pristina – Belgrade dialogue (Koha/media)
• Beyer: Unconditional removal of tariff, dialogue to resume ASAP (Telegrafi)
• Meeting called by Haradinaj does not result in political unity (Koha)
• Kosovo bans visit by senior Serbian official (media)
• Govt suspends air and landlines from Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy (media)
• Government forms special commission against coronavirus (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Public health institute dispatches medical staff all over Kosovo (media)
• Minister wants strict measures against businesses that increase prices (media)
• Interior minister Veliu calls for closure of schools in north of Kosovo (media)
• CEC to consult President and Government regarding elections in Podujeve (Kallxo)
• Kosovo prisons freeze visits over coronavirus fears (Koha)
• PM Kurti meets EULEX chief, Wigemark (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Djuric: Schools in Serbian communities in Kosovo will not work from Monday (TV Most)
• All schools in the municipality of Gracanica working today (KIM radio)
• Gracanica: Police will start implementing the decision of the Government of Kosovo (KIM radio)
• Head of WHO office in Belgrade: Serbia is doing what it takes (BETA, B92)
• Goran Rakic, Milena Popovic suggested as witnesses in Milan Radoicic defamation lawsuit against Rada Trajkovic (KoSSev)
• Rakocevic: UN SC Resolution 1244 would be most realistic offer for normalization of relations (Kosovo-online, RTV Puls)

International:

• Is the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue really reaching and historic moment? (K2.0)
• MPs discuss Kosovo-US relations (Prishtina Insight)
• EU or US: Who's in charge of Kosovo-Serbia talks? (Euobserver)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Further measures taken by Kosovo Govt to tackle coronavirus pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
• Serbia closes some border crossings with regional countries (N1)
• Hungary declared a state of emergency (B92, Tanjug)

• Kosovo MPs discuss relations with the U.S. (media)
• In a Facebook post, Thaci calls Kurti ‘coward’ and ‘devilish’ (media)
• Osmani: Tariff and president to be removed simultaneously (KP/Telegrafi)
• Government adopts 11 preventive measures from coronavirus (media)
• Kurti speaks after government’s preventive steps against coronavirus (media)
• NATO remains committed to mission in Kosovo (Gazeta Express)
• Kosovo Government opposes Lajcak’s appointment (media)
• State Department: Corrupt officials in Kosovo are not punished (Epoka)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 11, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Thaci: Statements about withdrawal of US troops, serious messages (media)
• Haradinaj calls leaders to meet: Let's unite on important topics (media)
• Haxhiu: Kosovo will never damage relations with U.S. (media)
• KFOR commander: KSF needs permission to go to the north, police don’t (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• “Vucic goes to Berlin to reiterate his clear position to Chancellor Merkel” (Novosti, Tanjug, B92)
• Dacic requests urgent and unconditional revocation of tariffs (N1)
• Confirmed for B92.net: Vucic canceled all SNS election rallies (media)
• Dacic: We continue work on retracting recognitions of Kosovo (Dnevnik, FoNet)
• Djukanovic: United States resolved to unblock Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (RTS)

International:

• Donald Trump Junior Urges US Troop Withdrawal from Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo government approves delayed 2020 budget (Reuters)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kurti: Fighting poverty and inequality remains a priority on which we must work together
• Remarks of SRSG Zahir Tanin at UNKT Strategic Prioritisation Retreat
• Balkan Countries Tighten Security as Coronavirus Cases Surge (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Prosecutors Accuse Serbian Company of Wrecking Medieval Fortress (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci calls on government to accept U.S. requests: Clashes are dangerous (media)
• Kurti: Differences of opinions should not become contradictions (Koha)
• Isa Mustafa: I have sent an envoy to meet Grenell (media)
• Veseli to Kurti: You triggered most dangerous debate in Kosovo-US relations (media)
• Trump Jr: There are 650 troops in Kosovo. Time to bring them home (media)
• PM Kurti meets Franco-German delegation (Zeri)
• Haradinaj meets Veseli, Limaj; discuss plans for a “Unity Conference” (media)
• Kosovo government approves €10 million action plan to face coronavirus (media)
• Ministry: Kosovo schools to remain open until further notice (media)
• Pristina municipality takes first preventive measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)
• Serbian man wanted for war crimes arrested in Budapest (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• Thaci: Disappointing that envoys made no mention of visa liberalisation (media)
• Senator warns of U.S. reconsidering its presence in Kosovo (media)
• Kurti does not deny U.S. sanctions, says he hasn’t verified the news (Express)
• Osmani: Only the government has legitimacy to lead dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Kosovo government approves draft budget for 2020 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• "Albanians oppose compromise, Serbs promote frozen conflict. There's no solution" (Tanjug, B92)
• Covic on blockade of US funds to Pristina – a storm in a teacup (RTS)
• Bajrami: The greater challenge for Kurti’s government is its lack of unity, not Thaci’s plans (KoSSev)
• Stanojkovic: Kurti will yield, but slowly, and this will cost Kosovo a lot (KoSSev)
• Abbot Janjic and COMKFOR Risi on situation and protection of SOC shrines (KoSSev)
• Urgent measures of the Government of Serbia adopted due to the coronavirus (B92, Tanjug)
• Jevtic: Continuation of dialogue, dropping tariffs have no alternative (Radio KIM)
• Brnabic: Clear policy of US, I wish if EU would be clearer (RTS)

Opinion:

• Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean: hybrid warfare, the Balkans and the Near East (opendemocracy.net)
• A call to tear down the walls of bureaucracy (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Policy Rift Widens Between Kosovo President and PM (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Six new suspected coronavirus cases in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo steps up measures to prevent coronavirus spread (Prishtina Insight)
• Four cases of coronavirus in Serbia, opposition demands state of emergency (N1)
• Vucic: Temporary ban can be imposed on those entering the country from affected areas (Tanjug, B92)
• Kosovo War Rape Survivor Condemns Stigmatisation of Victims (Balkan Insight)
• Balkan Countries Fear EU Green Deal Could Leave Them Further Behind (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci holds news conference after meeting political leaders (media)
• DPM Abazi: Prime Minister Kurti reports only to the Assembly (media)
• Kosovo leaders to meet Franco-German delegation (media)
• Thaci: Lajcak, the most untrustworthy person to lead dialogue (Zeri)
• Opposition parties launch motion against Minister Reka (media)
• Kosovo Gov’t asked for €10 mil for coronavirus preventive measures (Koha)
• Thaci calls for preventive measures against coronavirus infections (Kallxo)
• 7 people infected with coronavirus in North Macedonia, six in Albania (media)
• Rukiqi calls for emergency measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)
• WHO Director-General: Threat of pandemic has become very real (media)
• “Kosovo society to be ashamed of treatment of sexual violence survivors” (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 09, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Without punishment of war crimes, there can be no justice (Koha/Zeri)
• Kurti doesn't attend meeting with Thaci (Koha)
• Thaci thanks LDK for constructivity (media)
• Haradinaj: Thaci showed no document from his meeting with Vucic (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic on Kurti’s text that agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value, compares it with Kosovo case (Tanjug, B92)
• Jeremic on Kosovo membership in UN, elections in Serbia (Voice of America, N1)
• Mihajlovic: Jeremic spreads misinformation (Danas)
• Vucic: "US won't give up pressure, some EU countries have sympathies for Kurti" (RTS, Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Double-headed eagle painted on wall of Serb school in Preoce village (RTS)

Opinion:

• Kurti: Agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value (FAZ/Koha)

International:

• Facebook Extends Political Ads Rules to Balkans Before Elections (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo considering stepping up preventive measures against coronavirus (media)
• International Women’s Day Marked Across Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• More Balkan Countries Confirm First Coronavirus Cases (Balkan Insight)
• Balkan States Beef up Borders against Migrant ‘Security Threat’ (Balkan Insight)
• Post-War Kosovo Becomes Hub for Mine-Clearance Expertise (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci calls meetings with political leaders (media)
• Thaci: Some people want to prevent agreement with Serbia (RTK)
• Grenell reiterates call for dropping of tariff (media)
• Kurti and Haradinaj call for dialogue coordination (Koha Ditore)
• Hoti: No need for dialogue conference, Kosovo has legitimate institutions (media)
• Gender equality demanded on International Women’s Day (Koha Ditore)
• Assembly to hold special session to mark International Women's Day (media)
• Haxhiu pledges €900,000 for domestic violence shelters (Kosovapress/Koha)
• Kosovo cancels flights to Italy’s northern region due to coronavirus fears (media)