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UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 16, 2023

Kurti: No full normalisation of relations without mutual recognition (RFE)
Kurti: French-German plan foresees de facto recognition by Serbia (media)
EU: We are ready to mediate discussions on Association (RFE)
Students march against Association of Serb-majority municipalities (BIRN)
Kosovo government discusses expropriation with local residents in north (RFE)
Abdixhiku lists “Kurti’s failures and deceptions” (Gazeta Express)
Albanian President Begaj to visit Kosovo today (media)
Serwer: Ugly diplomacy in the Balkans (media)
Price talks about the objective of the U.S. in Kosovo and Serbia (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 15, 2023

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 15, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Prosecution: Over 300 witnesses in trial against former KLA leaders (RFE)
• Heusgen: Association of Serb municipalities must be implemented (Deutsche Welle)
• Beka on students’ march: We are not pushed by any political party (Albanian Post)
• Judicial Council submits request to send law on wages to Constitutional Court (media)
• Kurti thanks UK MP for speaking about situation in Kosovo (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Pristina’s refusal to establish CSM creating a frozen conflict (Politika, BETA, N1)
• Todic writes to Quint, heads of international organisations over expropriation in north (Kosovo Online)
• Public discussion on expropriation held in Leposavic, residents demand decisions to be annulled (KoSSev, Radio KIM, Kosovo Online)
• Blinken congratulates the Statehood Day: Serbian and Kosovo leaders will make difficult compromises (Beta, N1)
• Biden congratulates Vucic on Statehood Day (N1, FoNet)
• Putin to Vucic: Moscow supports Belgrade (FoNet, N1)
• Varhelyi: Failure to impose sanctions should not affect Serbia’s EU negotiations (N1)
• Public invitations in the municipality of Orahovac only in the Albanian language (KiM radio, Radio Gorazdevac, Kontakt plus radio, KoSSev)

International:

• Inside global diplomacy with Baroness Catherine Ashton, former European Commission vice president — "Intelligence Matters" (cbsnews.com)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 15, 2023

• Varhelyi: EC ready to work on Kosovo's application for membership (media)
• Colomina meets Kurti: NATO supports plan proposed by the EU (media)
• Colomina: NATO Strategic Concept reaffirmed WB strategic importance (EWB)
• The implementation plan of the European plan (Dukagjini)
• Lehne: I’m not optimistic about EU plan for Kosovo and Serbia (RFE)
• Mehaj: Kosovo ready to host 5,000 Ukrainian refugees (media)
• Pristina University students to march against Association today (Kosovapress)
• Gap between debt and surplus fuels suspicions about health fund mismanagement (BIRN)
• Biden writes to Vucic: Good that you supported the European proposal (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 14, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani thanks KSF teams helping save lives after Turkey earthquake (media)
• Rizvanolli: Fight against organised crime pays off in multiple ways! (media)
• Over 140 candidates to replace 500 police officers in the north (Koha)
• Beslin: Serbia and Kosovo will accept the French-German plan (RTK)
• Kosovo hosts another Afghan journalist (Radio Free Europe)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia greatly dependent on EU, cannot move forward without it (Tanjug)
• Von Cramon's speech before the EP's Foreign Affairs Committee on the Kosovo 2022 report (KoSSev)
• Lawyer: Entire Serb community damaged by decision on expropriation (Kosovo Online)
• Lavrov to Dacic: Russia ready for further development of relations with Serbia (N1, BETA)
• Vucic: KFOR contributing to peace, stability in Kosovo-Metohija (Tanjug)
• PM Brnabic: CSM and only then resumption of negotiations (Beta, N1)
• Xi to Vucic: Joint effort to defend international law (FoNet, N1)
• Last week review: Principled acceptance of EU proposals, through mutual accusations on energy, to the discovery of drug labs in the north (KoSSev)
• UNS protest over airing Assembly session in Albanian language only (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• The Desperate Desire to be ‘European’ (K2.0)

International:

• 'Quietly endure': north Kosovo braves security vacuum after resignations (AFP)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 14, 2023

• US hopeful over Kosovo-Serbia agreement, Vucic not convinced (Euractiv)
• Why Kosovo's stand-off with Serbs goes on 15 years after statehood (Reuters)
• Kurti: Destruction of illegal drug labs, clear victory for rule of law (media)
• Kurti and Guerot discuss French-German proposal (media)
• Osmani and Wigemark discuss recent developments in north of Kosovo (media)
• Kurti: KSF search and rescue team saved three people in Turkey so far (media)
• Serbian products faced with boycott in Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)
• COMKFOR Ristuccia meets Kosovo’s religious leaders (media)
• An accord would close down the Balkan issue (Albanian Daily News)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 13, 2023

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 13, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: I made it clear to Borrell and Vucic, Kosovo does not accept dialogue without a final agreement with recognition (Klan)
• Abdixhiku slams Kurti on French-German plan (Nacionale)
• Krasniqi: Dialogue with recognition, a sentence that sums up our interest (media)
• Haradinaj: I’m in favour of French-German plan; it includes path to NATO (Koha)
• Stano: EU ready to facilitate discussions on Association in future dialogue meetings (Sinjali)
• “Kurti given deadline for final answer on Association, matter of days” (Albanian Post)
• 57th generation of police graduates; Osmani: Diversity reflects safe environment (Koha)
• Rizvanolli reacts to report about situation in one of Trepca mines (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic: Albin Kurti's brutal lie (RTS, NMagazin, Beta)
• Kurti: Non-payment of electricity in the North "cost" taxpayers 337 million; Petkovic: Lies and nothing more (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Nobody will be fooled by Svecla's attempt to criminalise Serbs (Beta, NMagazin, RTS, KoSSev)
• CSOs demand Kosovo government to stop all projects on expropriated land in north (KoSSev)
• Serbian List: Delevic recently shot at has nothing to do with latest arrests in north (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Vacancy for new police officers in north still open, although deadline was February 10 (Euronews)
• Drecun: Our position is clear, fist CSM (ZSO) then the continuation of the dialogue (TV Prva, Kosovo Online)
• Health condition of Sladjan Trajkovic deteriorates again, his wife says (Kosovo Online, RTS, Tanjug)
• Botsan-Kharcenko: The European plan – the EU's detour for Serbia to recognize Kosovo (N1, FoNet, Vecernje Novosti)

International:

• Kosovo Police Seize Drug Labs in Serb-Run North (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 13, 2023

• Kurti: Meeting with Vucic only in context of European plan (media)
• Kosovo ready for Kurti-Vucic meeting, Serbia doesn’t give signals (Koha)
• Kurti: Since 1999, Kosovo lost over €300 million due to Serbia’s actions (media)
• Interior Minister publishes names of arrested in the north (Telegrafi)
• Wagner mercenaries helping Serbia prepare potential attack on our nation, Kosovan president warns (The Telegraph)
• Kosovo MPs to debate on dialogue with Serbia today (media)
• Kosovo push to confiscate unjustified assets raises concerns (Prishtina Insight)
• Fact-check: For Kosovars, sky-high inflation hits harder (BIRN)
• NATO's Stoltenberg won’t seek another extension of term (Reuters)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 10, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• EU summit comes out with conclusions, asks Kosovo to establish the Association (media)
• EU: Kurti and Vucic's statements, an obstacle to scheduling the meeting in Brussels (RFE)
• Kurti: Serbia wants a "Zajdenica" president who would replace our minister (Express)
• Assembly Approves Law on State Bureau for Verification and Confiscation of Unjustified Assets (Prishtina Insight)
• Vacancy announcement for police officers in the north closes today (media)
• KIJ: The government has not managed to approve even half of the draft laws (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic: Community of Serb Municipalities condition above all conditions (Tanjug)
• Slovenia: Our position on CSM (ZSO) is clear, agreements must be respected (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• European Council says Belgrade-Pristina normalization urgent (N1)
• Drecun: Strategic geopolitical deal with US and West necessary (Tanjug)
• Vucic: We highly appreciate Cuba's support for Serbia's territorial integrity (Tanjug)
• Minister of Administration and Local Self-Government: We are ready to form the Council of the Serbian National Minority (KiM radio)
• UNS: Gracanica Municipality to stop inviting media selectively to events (KiM radio, KoSSev)

Opinion:

• A possible new crisis as an indicator of whether the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is on the way (Danas)

International:

• EP Rapporteurs presented reports for Kosovo and Serbia in AFET (EWB)
• Ker-Lindsay: Serbia-Kosovo compromise requires either partition or autonomy for Kosovo Serbs (EWB)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 10, 2023

• EU: Kurti and Vucic statements hinder scheduling of meeting (RFE)
• Plenkovic: EU leaders discussed the tense situation in north of Kosovo (media)
• Osmani meets Hovenier; discuss dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Kosovo willing to establish a national council of Serbs, minister says (media)
• Informal meeting at U.S. Embassy ends; no statements to media (Kosovapress)
• Ministry: Wealth accumulated illegally by state officials will be returned (media)
• What is being built in Dren in Leposavic, “Bondsteel or police station?” (Kallxo)
• Kosovars grow weary of EU’s isolating visa regime (Kosovo 2.0)
• New President could bring clarity to Czechia’s ambiguous policy on Kosovo (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 9, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Borrell expects Kurti and Vucic to meet soon in support of proposal (RFE)
• EP calls on Kosovo and Serbia to advance in dialogue process (RFE)
• Kurti to opposition: Words you tell me, tell them to Escobar with same zeal (Kallxo)
• Krasniqi to Kurti: Dialogue is not a private matter between you and Vucic (EO)
• Haradinaj: Kurti inherited the Association; we didn’t ask Thaci for an agreement centred on recognition (Koha)
• Abdixhiku: No one knows what Kosovo has agreed to; is this a final agreement? (EO)
• Kurti: Why Serbia doesn’t give monoethnic association to its own minorities (media)
• Berlin Process agreements; Szunyog: I hope for swift ratification by Assembly (Koha)
• Assembly adopts Law on Bureau for Confiscation of Unjustifiable Wealth (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Bilcik: No progress in negotiations until Serbia makes progress (N1)
• Vucic: Konjufca's statement about CSM (ZSO) expected, I congratulate them for their honesty (Beta, NMagazin)
• Vucic met Quint ambassadors to the OSCE and diplomatic representatives in Belgrade (RTS, Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Hill: Serbia needs to cross the final part of the road to the West (RTS)
• Bocan-Kharchenko: The final status of Kosovo after the end of the conflict between the West and Russia (NMagazin, Beta, media)
• Bislimi: The Serbian government can play with its decisions, but vehicles with "illegal" license plates are not allowed to enter Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Elektrosever: Pristina authorities accusations incorrect, we fulfil all the obligations of the Energy Roadmap (KoSSev)
• Bislimi: Part of the blame for the non-implementation of the energy agreement lies with Brussels itself (Beta, KiM radio)
• German Embassy in Pristina: We do not approve of Kurti’s conditions for CSM (N1, FoNet, Kosovo Online, Gazeta Express))
• RFE: EU leaders to discuss Kosovo dialogue (N1)
• Djurovic: Pristina's CoE membership bid not discussed on Wednesday (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Less: Failure of the dialogue at this moment is at least as likely as success (Blic, Tanjug)
• New President could bring clarity to Czechia’s ambiguous policy on Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Avrupa Minerals to Continue Positive Progress in Finland, Portugal, and Kosovo in 2023 (investingnews.com)
• BIRN Conference Highlights Importance of Environmental Journalism in Balkans (BIRN)