UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 23, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 169 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Szunyog: Kosovo and Serbia should make constitutional amendments (media)
• Selimi: European Union, Kosovo’s priority and strategic goal (media)
• Haradinaj withdraws slightly from the issue of future president (Express)
• CEC decides on five day election campaign in Podujeva (RTK)
• The government requests from the thieves return of 2.1 million euros (media)
• Suspect pleads not guilty for abuse of Kosovo’s treasury (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Specialist Chambers: The indictment against Thaci and Veseli remains confidential (Kosovo Online)
• Borell and EULEX to submit opinion on Thaci’s proposal to change the mandate of the Specialist Chambers by November 2 (KoSSev)
• Serbian Parliament Speaker: UNMIK to continue implementing its mandate (BETA, N1)
• Borrell: WB leaders should refrain from statements that add political divisions (Tanjug, Kosovo Online, N1)
• Vucic: Things more complicated than how Pristina imagines them (RTS)
• "Gone are the days when everything was decided by Russia and the United States" (B92, Tanjug)
• Lavrov canceled visit to Zagreb, but not Belgrade (B92)
• Grubjesic: Stance of German Ambassador Heusgen can’t be stance of EU (Vecernje Novosti, Kosovo-online)
• Mihajlovic: Albanian politicians should not hinder the projects from the Washington agreement (Kontakt plus radio, Kosovo Online)
• Invitations to Belgrade and Pristina to join PTEC as observers (Kontakt plus radio)
• Stano: Serbia expected 'to progressively align its policies with EU' (N1)
• US Energy Department delegation visits Belgrade (N1, Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Minister Under Pressure Over Cash Stolen from Budget (Balkan Insight)
• BSF: Stability, security and prosperity of the WB closely linked to the EU (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• In Montenegro, Hopes Fade for News of the Wartime Missing (Balkan Insight)
• UN chief says G20 leaders must coordinate to fight COVID-19 (AP)

• COVID-19: 159 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia dialogue discussed at the Belgrade Security Forum (Koha)
• Belgrade-Pristina: No clear vision of the compromise (BSF)
• Kurti says Washington agreement is unimplementable (RTK)
• U.S. committed to ensure success of Washington agreement (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo PM Hoti to visit North Macedonia today (media)
• VV calls Hoti to report about abolishment of anti-corruption task force (media)
• UK concerned over dissolving of anti-corruption task force (Koha)
• New Testimony Emerging on Kosovo Activist’s Death, Dehari Lawyer Says (Balkan Insight)
• Serb police block right-wing disruption of event with Kosovo (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 159 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Hoti: Abusers of power have no place in public institutions (media)
• EU doesn't know when Kosovo-Serbia dialogue will continue (RFE)
• Thaci, Veseli, Haradinaj meet in downtown Pristina (media)
• Kosovo FM Haradinaj-Stublla announces visit to Israel (media)
• Government to disburse €2mil to non-majority communities as part of economic recovery package (media)
• Osmani and two MPs propose amendment to economic recovery draft law (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Continuation of the Belgrade Security Forum, Vucic, Várhelyi, Lajcak, Hoti among the participants (Kosovo Online, Danas)
• The UN SC permanent members welcomed the resumption of dialogue; differ on the future of UNMIK (media)
• Dacic: Serbia patiently advocates dialogue, implementation of agreements reached (media, GoS)
• Dacic: Pristina misused online format of UN SC session (Kosovo-online, Tanjug)
• UNMIK chief says recent meetings on Kosovo show potential for solution (media)
• Petkovic: Hoti by threatening will not force Belgrade make concessions (RTS)
• Stano: Lajcak on daily basis works on continuation of dialogue (Tanjug)
• Djuric on the announced protests against „Mirëdita, dobar dan“: Nationalism flourishes in both Serbia and Kosovo (KoSSev)
• DFC Office chief says solve political problems to normalize relations (N1, Nedeljnik)

Opinion:

• Letter to the EU From the Western Balkans (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Kosovo: Show solidarity in face of COVID, UN Mission chief urges (UN News)
• Russia Moves to Open Defense Ministry Office in Serbia (The Moscow Times)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Life of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo: Can an application help neighbors understand each other (BBC, Kosovo Online, B92, Vesti.rs, KIM radio)
• Study on divided narratives in Serbia and Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Serbian anti-epidemic Crisis Team: No new measures, WHO: Lockdown last resource (N1)
• Kosovo Albanian Actor’s Spirit Lives on at Belgrade Festival (Balkan Insight)
• Marcos and Soldado: Colombian Shootout Sheds Light on Balkan Drug Ties (Balkan Insight)

• Minister of Health: 124 new cases of COVID-19, no deaths (media)
• Media coverage of United Nations Security Council session on Kosovo
• Hoti and Vucic to meet virtually on Thursday (Klan Kosova)
• Hoti pledges not to allow constitutional order to be threatened (media)
• Osmani: Agreement of 2013 and 2015 is neither the Bible nor Quran (media)
• “Constitution neither Bible nor Quran, let’s change it for uniting with Albania”
• EU concerned over abolishment of anti-corruption task force (media)
• Finance Ministry official arrested over €2 million transaction (Prishtina Insight)
• Minister Bajrami defiant in face of calls for her resignation (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 21, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Minister of Health: 124 new cases of COVID - 19, no deaths (media)
• Hoti: We have taken over the government at the worst situation (RTK)
• Hoti justifies dismissals of heads of Police, KTA and Customs (RTK)
• “Pausing from membership bids, so we don’t fail in the future” (media)
• Rohde reacts to disbanding of Anti-Corruption Task Force (media)
• NISMA and AKR with a joint parliamentary group (media)
• Tahiri invites the U.S. to open defense department office in Kosovo (RTK)
• Haxhiu: Vetevendosje members are being accused without facts (media)
• Kosovo’s Ambassador to France reacts amid threats (media)
• Budget committee doesn’t adopt economic recovery bill (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 17 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Security Council today on the report of the UN Secretary General on Kosovo (media)
• Vucic: Elections latest by April 3, 2022, Dacic Assembly Speaker (RTS)
• Brnabic: Authorities face risk with early elections (BETA, N1)
• Reactions to Serbia's early vote (N1)
• Djilas: Vucic admitted that boycott succeeded (Danas)
• BETA's editor: Vucic starts campaign for early vote in Serbia he sets for 2022 (N1)
• Vucic and Medvedev on Moscow-Belgrade relations, coronavirus pandemic (N1)
• Djuric: Future government will deal with protection of state and national interests in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Where is Biden's plan for Serbia? (B92)
• Hoti: No ZSO with executive powers (KIM radio, RTV Puls)

Opinion:

• Vucic Announced New Elections Even Before New Government Constitution (Balkan Insight)

International:

• BSF: Western Balkans is influenced by strong anti-Western narratives (EWB)
• EU-Western Balkans: Time is of the essence (eureporter.co)

Humanitarian/Development:

• New UN gender study: Women ‘far from having an equal voice to men’ (news.un.org, N1)
• Andjelka Cup received award for reporting on poverty (Radio KIM)
• Kon: Face mask and physical distance – 99 pct protection (N1)
• Coronavirus second wave: Which countries in Europe are experiencing a fresh spike in COVID-19 cases? (euronews.com)
• For Kosovo’s Judo Stars, Medals Must Wait (Balkan Insight)
• EU commissioner advocates joint migration management with Western Balkans (N1, Hina)

• COVID-19: 130 new cases, one death (media)
• SPO: Thaci trying to abolish Specialist Chambers (media)
• U.S. officials: Economic agreements don’t replace political talks (media)
• Mustafa: Association is a closed topic (RTK)
• “If we don’t have agreement on President, we’ll go to new elections” (media)
• Haradinaj: Easier to replace Lajcak than change the constitution (media)
• Caplan: Association may destabilise Kosovo (media)
• Ceku: President’s decision on elections in Podujevo, strange (KTV)
• EU: We are studying decision to dissolve anti-corruption task force (Koha)
• Hearing session for Salih Mustafa confirmed for October 28 (media)
• Foreign Ministry to declare on Ambassador’s case today (Klan Kosova)
• Serbia mulls Russian Defense Ministry presence (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 130 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: Unified character of Kosovo will not touched (media)
• Thaci announces date for mayoral elections in Podujeve, Mitrovica North (media)
• PM Hoti gives consent to opening diplomatic mission in Israel (media)
• Surroi: No conditioning the issue of missing persons (Koha)
• Former U.S. ambassador welcomes Biden program on Kosovo, Albania (media)
• Vetevendosje leader in Albania arrested by police (media)
• GLPS: Dissolving anti-corruption task force, attempt to interfere in judiciary (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Guterres called on Belgrade and Pristina for flexibility and creativity in overcoming differences (Danas, NMagazin, Beta, N1)
• Stano: Kosovo must fulfill obligations, if it has ambition to eventually join EU (Kosovo-online)
• Serbia's Vucic among 11 politicians awarded by Israel (N1)
• Belgrade marks 76th anniversary of liberation in WWII (BETA, N1)
• Journalists’ Association of Serbia and its branch in Kosovo condemned the attack on journalist Shkumbin Kajtazi (Kosovo Online)
• Rakic met with US delegation to discuss Washington agreement (Radio kontakt plus)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy informs public on new protective measures ahead of festivities season (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Serbian PM-designate met potential coalition partners, no statements (N1)

Opinion:

• Will Belgrade give in to Western demands & shift toward ‘mutual recognition’? (rt.com)

International:

• EWB panel: “Anti-Western Narratives in the Western Balkans” on the Belgrade Security Forum (EWB)
• Can Serbs determine the course of the American election? (Wall Street International Magazine)
• Joe Biden Woos America’s Bosnian, Albanian Voters Before Polls (Balkan Insight)
• Relations between Russia and Serbia are the best in history, says minister (TASS)
• How the EU candidate countries in the Western Balkans stand with fight against corruption? (EWB)

• COVID - 19: 118 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Kosovo, Serbia ‘Reach Draft Agreement to Find Missing Persons’ (Balkan Insight)
• Hyseni: No Association without final agreement on mutual recognition (RTK)
• Lajcak: Italy is a key partner in the Western Balkans (media)
• Italy will support the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (media)
• Haxhiu: Vetevendosje was never asked to implement Association (media)
• Government adopts implementation plan for Washington Agreement (Koha)
• U.S. delegation visits Kosovo for Ujman Lake (Klan Kosova)
• Palokaj: Kosovo should at least respect Lajcak’s honesty (Koha)
• Hehir: Constitutional changes don’t guarantee anything in exchange (Telegrafi)
• Hamiti: Association does not require constitutional changes (RTK)
• Djuric: Association must have executive powers (Klan Kosova)
• EULEX publishes monitoring report on Kosovo justice system (media)
• Government decides to dissolve anti–corruption task force (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 19, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 118 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Zemaj warns on stricter measures (media)
• Lajcak misinterpreted, constitutional changes apply to Belgrade as well (RFE)
• Horti: Government taking necessary steps to implement Washington Agreement (media)
• Kosovo marks the EU Anti-Trafficking Day (media)
• PDK MP writes public letter to Lajcak (media)
• Basha: Ahtisaari’s package is Kosovo’s compromise (T7, RTK)
• Thaci and Daka discuss election dates for Podujeva and North Mitrovica (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 11 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb-areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• “ZSO must be formed as it was agreed” (Radio KIM)
• Odalovic: Brussels has instruments to make Pristina establish ZSO (RTS)
• Lavrov to visit Serbia later this month (N1)
• Dmitrijevic to Serbian journalists’ associations: “Novosti” daily jeopardized safety of SOC clergy and Serbs in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• UNS: Could truthful reporting jeopardize Serbs in Kosovo? (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Leaders Condemn Gun Attack on Journalist’s Car (Balkan Insight)
• ‘Easy Money’: Fake Forex and Fraudulent Balkan Call Centre (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Epidemiologist Kon: Situation unfavorable, especially in Belgrade (Prva TV, N1)
• The "corona generation" is coming and it will not be good (DW, B92)

• COVID-19: 137 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti calls for caution after increase in COVID-19 cases (media)
• Zemaj urges for implementation of COVID-19 preventive measures (media)
• Osmani: Battle against COVID-19 is not over (media)
• PDK, VV and SL to start talks for ousting Hoti government (Indeksonline)
• Vetevendosje doesn’t trust Hoti about the Association (media)
• Biden: A settlement that respects Kosovo’s territorial integrity (media)
• Hoti wants assault on reporter to be resolved (media)
• Journalist association condemns attack on Kajtazi in strongest terms (media)
• Jashari: Serbia, not Kosovo, must change its constitution (media)
• Serbia continues to invest in Mitrovica North, builds football field (Lajmi)