UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 11 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani receives OSCE chairman, discusses Kosovo's membership in the CoE (media)
• Gervalla informs OSCE chairman about situation in the north (media)
• Dinar gathers chief negotiators of Kosovo and Serbia again next week in Brussels (media)
• FH: Serbia's refusal to recognize Kosovo, big challenge in democratization (media)
• KSF receives logistic equipment from Germany worth €2.7 million (media)
• Elezi on placing cameras at polling stations in north: They apply to all election processes (Klan)
• Citaku: Kurti brutally interfering in North Macedonia’s elections (ekonomia)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucic refuted that he “was preparing for invasion” of Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Trajkovic: Both Belgrade and Pristina see Radoicic as “a danger if he speaks what he knows about both of them” (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Serbia to contribute to dialogue amid global crisis (Tanjug)
• Djedovic Handanovic: "Elektrosever" and EPS stand behind the citizens, there is a lot of misinformation (Radio Mitrovica sever, TV Pink)
• EU Spokesperson: Still without date for meeting in Brussels next week (Kosovo Online)
• Szunyog meets Bishop Teodosije, discusses SOC matters, including returning land to Decani Monastery (Kosovo Online, social media)
• EU ambassadors supported visa liberalization for holders of Serbian passports from Kosovo (KiM radio, Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Dimitrijevic: Kurti causes animosity among Serbs in Kosovo, the SL decisions not in their interest (KoSSev)

International:

• Serbia: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report (freedomhouse.org)

Albanian Language Media:

QUINT: Serbian List should reconsider its position on boycotting voting in the north (media)
Rohde: Serbian List should calculate the consequences of the boycott (RTK)
Svecla about incident: Time to place explosives has passed (media)
Serb who found explosive under car says it was a threatening message (Koha)
Kadiu: Serbia's illegal passports violate Kosovo's sovereignty (RTK)
Pahor confirms plans to replace Lajcak, has Golob's support (Koha)
Next OSCE Chairman , to visit Kosovo today (RTK)
Former COMKFOR: Attack in Banjska was terrorist, institutions of Serbia were also involved (Klan)
Vucic met OSCE head: I emphasized consequences of violation of agreements by Kosovo and international community (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

CEC certified voters’ lists for mayoral recall vote in the north, almost 1.500 voters more compared to April 2023 local elections (KoSSev)
Marinkovic: Pristina would directly benefit from referendum boycott, there are no objective conditions on ground for census (KoSSev)
Gogic: If mayors in north remain in power, they will continue to act against interests of local population (Kosovo Online)
Dacic: Eleven years after Brussels deal, Pristina still refusing to form Community of Serb Municipalities (Tanjug)
Greece's position on Kosovo remains unchanged – news report (Tanjug, ANA)
Vucic meets with Chinese minister of commerce (Tanjug, media)
MoD: Purchase of Rafale jets no violation of Serbia's military neutrality (media)
Pahor Slovenia’s candidate for EUSR for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (N1 Slovenia, N1 Belgrade)
KFOR helps Kosovo police remove IED (N1)

International Media: 

Kosovo Urged to Address Concerns About Census Amid Serb Boycott (Balkan Insight)
Kosovo Deplores European Parliament’s Vote to Provide Visa Free Travel to Serb Citizens with Serbian Passports (Prishtina Insight)
Kosovan police load up with weapons on the Serbian border as tensions rise (The Telegraph)
Serbia says it's close to a deal to buy French-made fighter jets. That would be a shift from Russia (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Implementation of Constitution accelerates Kosovo’s integration process (RTK)
• Kurti: Dedicated to preserving the legacy of liberation war (media)
• Hovenier: Proud to support people of Kosovo on Constitution vision (media)
• Krasniqi: In these three years, we mostly needed to protect Constitution from government (Koha)
• EU calls on Serbian List to reconsider its decision not to participate in April 21 elections (Reporteri)
• German Embassy: Boycott is not in interest of citizens in the north (Koha)
• Removal of visas for holders of Serbian passports, voted (RTK)
• Lajcak meets Polish official, discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Reporteri)

Serbian Language Media:

• Macron: The future of Serbia being written now (Danas, Beta, X)
• Starovic: Facts are clear why Serbs decided to boycott referendum (Blic, social media)
• European Parliament Committee supported lifting visas for Serbian Coordination Directorate passport holders (Kosovo Online)
• Momirovic writes to ministers of trade, warns of Serbian goods import ban in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Macron: Reached agreements should be implemented, Pristina needs to make progress in establishing Community of Serb-majority Municipalities (Kosovo Online)
• Fazliu: Kosovo Prosecutor's Office conducting an extensive investigation in the Banjska case, the publication of evidence may harm the case (Beta, N1, KiM radio)
• Opposition People’s Party calls for unity on Srebrenica resolution (N1)
• Varhelyi: Serbia making progress on EU path, Cluster 3 ready for opening (N1)
• Kosovo: Zana Avdiu in the fight against domestic violence, sexism, macho culture, patriarchy...(en.vijesti.me, N1, DW, KoSSev)
• Masralli: The EU encourages Serbs to participate in the census and Srpska list to reconsider the decision to boycott the vote (Kosovo Online)
• Andric Rakic: We will see another boycott of future local elections in the north (Kosovo online, X)

Opinion:

• Marinkovic to Demostat: Possible postponement of Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media:

Kosovo govt call on Serbian List “not to pressure Serbs” for vote in north (RFE)
U.S. disappointed with calls to Serbs to boycott population census (RFE)
EU calls on Serbs to vote in elections in north and to register in census (Koha)
Lajcak: Kosovo, Serbia not ready for normalization (media)
Macron: France will make sure that Kosovo-Serbia agreement is fulfilled (media)
Haradinaj: Belgrade should give up instrumentalizing Kosovo Serbs (RTK)
Confusion among citizens following withdrawal of Serbian List from votes in the north (RFE)
CRD: Situation of lead-poisoned Roma communities in Mitrovica must be resolved (Nacionale)
Serbian Language Media:

Vucic with Macron: Pristina has done nothing, Community of Serb-majority Municipalities has not moved from a deadlock (Kosovo Online, media)
Vucic, Larcher discuss strengthening of bilateral ties (Tanjug, media)
Lajcak: New Belgrade-Pristina meeting on dinar issue to be held next week (Tanjug, media)
EU calls on Serbian List to change decision on mayoral recall vote (Radio KIM)
US Embassy in Pristina: We regret SL’s statement that they will withdraw from participation in mayoral recall vote (KoSSev)
Rohde: It is regrettable that Serbian List decided not to participate in voting, pressure on citizens in north (Kosovo Online)
Petkovic reacts to Rohde’s statement about Serbian List and mayoral recall vote (Kosovo Online, social media)
Serbian List: International representatives do not see Pristina’s unilateral acts violating rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Radio KIM, media)
Serbian Democracy does not support mayoral recall vote either (Radio KIM, Kosovo Online)
US disappointed with calls to Serbs to boycott population census (KoSSev, RFE)
International Media: 

Kosovo Serb Party to Boycott Vote to Dismiss ‘Unwanted’ Mayors (Balkan Insight)
Kosovo Starts Census as Serb Parties Call for Boycott (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 8 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kastrati: Serb community must understand that population census does not return (Klan)
• Serbian List members resign from municipal election commissions in the north (media)
• Knaus: EU's current strategy for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue has collapsed (RTK)
• Petritsch: The Kurti-Vucic agreement has international validity (RTK)
• LDK: Claims that Kosovo has progressed in international indexes is government propaganda (media)
• Osmani: The Roma community is an integral part of our society (media)
• Tahiri: What is this silence in LVV about samples from Dehari case? (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Radosavljevic: Boycott of referendum does not come as surprise, Serbs do not feel safe (Euronews, Kosovo Online)
• Russian MFA: Attempts for Kosovo to become CoE member witness to degradation of this organization (N1, FoNet)
• Pristina: Little willingness of Serbs in the north of Kosovo to register (KiM radio, RTS)
• Kastrati: The census mandatory for everyone, no one has the right to call for a boycott (KiM radio, Slobodno Srpski, Kosovo Online)
• What questions are being asked at the census, who is “Woman with Crown” and “Woman without Crown”, and what period “War Damage” entails? (KoSSev)
• World Roma Day (KiM radio)
• Vucic lays wreath in Paris, due to meet Macron (N1, Tanjug)
• Swedish ambassador says Serbia gets second highest EU fund payouts (N1, FoNet)
• Vucevic, Brnabic met Peach: Commitment to preserving peace and stability in the region (Tanjug, RTS)

International:

• It is in the interest of the EU that Enlargement takes place soon, Varhelyi says (Sarajevo Times)

Albanian Language Media:

Kurti calls on European reps to support Kosovo at Council of Europe (media)
Serbian List won’t take part in vote to dismiss Albanian mayors in north (RFE)
Kosovo asks for explanations from EU about silence to Serbia’s violations (Dukagjini)
Krasniqi: When Serbia violates agreements, EU prefers not to go into details (media)
Stradner: Vucic is the one disrupting stability in the Balkans (Telegrafi)
Former Kosovo FM meets chief of Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (media)
Kosovo part of the European Geological Service (Kallxo)
Learta Hollaj appointed chief of staff for Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Serbian List opposes referendum to recall mayors, blames Kurti (KoSSev, media)
UNS: Serbian List again selectively calling for press conferences (NMagazin, Beta, KoSSev)
PKS: The Serbian List admitted political defeat (KiM radio, KoSSev)
Kosovo seeks a chance to sue Serbia for war crimes by joining CoE (N1)
Blakaj: HLC has no information that Kosovo is preparing a lawsuit against Serbia for genocide (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Population data helps us guide policies (Koha)
• Kurti: I call on international community to demand from Serbia to clarify fate of those who disappeared during war (Reporteri)
• Svecla and Haxhiu go to Radoicic's villa, announce security cameras have been installed (Klan)
• Krasniqi: Serbian List has lost its influence in the North (A2 CNN)
• Serbian List: Serbs will not participate in population census in Kosovo (RFE)
• Census - Most Serb enumerators in Zubin Potok withdraw (Koha)
• Hamza: Current draft of Association, poorest offer that Kosovo has had on table (ekonomia)
• Lajcak informed of challenges faced by Albanians of the Valley (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Serbia will oppose the humiliations that have been prepared for it in the Council of Europe and the UN (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian parties from Kosovo against the participation of Serbs in the population census (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, RTS)
• Kurti with the presidents of Kosovo municipalities without translation into Serbian language; The UNS protests (KiM radio, Medija Centar Caglavica)
• Blakaj: Recording of war damage within the census is problematic; it may result in a distorted picture (Kosovo Online)
• Raska-Prizren Diocese reacts to accusations by Elonora Visoka Weller against SOC, says they indirectly foster ethnic and religious intolerance (Raska-Prizren Eparchy, media, social media)
• Dacic: Today the government meeting on a team to fight against the Pristina admission into the CoE (NMagazin, media)
• Sarovic: Pristina membership to Council of Europe, consequence of Vucic’s Kosovo policy (KoSSev)
• North: Names of places in the Albanian language covered with Cyrillic stickers, then taken off (Kontakt plus radio, media)

Opinion:

• Serbian Coordination Directorate passport holders the only people in Western Balkans not allowed free travel to Europe (Kosovo Online, EWB)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani says the future of Kosovo is in NATO (media)
• Osmani meets Hovenier, talk about elections in the north and CoE (Klan)
• Lajcak: I plan to continue discussions for compromise on dinar issue (Klan)
• Bislimi: We agreed with EU proposal, Serbia asked for additional time (RTK)
• COMKFOR meets British emissary, discuss security in Kosovo (RTK)
• Kosovo authorities confiscate properties belonging to Milan Radoicic (media)
• Population census in Kosovo starts today (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:
• Lajcak: Some gaps bridged, discussions to be continued soon (Tanjug)
• Varhelyi, Vucic welcome approval of Growth Facility (N1)
• Vucic: Serbia strongly advocating cooperation, stability (Tanjug, media)
• Referendum on dismissal of mayors and hassles for voters outside of Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Party of Kosovo Serbs calls for boycotting census, says it comes at unfavorable moments for Serbs (KoSSev)
• Kosovo police confiscate Radoicic’s properties (N1, KoSSev)
• Serbian List: The home of Milan Radoicic’s children was unjustifiably seized (KoSSev, media)
• Forest fires in Osojane valley again, firefighters on the ground upon call from Radio Gorazdevac (Radio Gorazdevac, media)
International Media:
• Kosovo Seizes Property of Northern Serb Kingpin Radoicic (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo and Serbia without an agreement on the dinar in Brussels (RFE)
• Kurti met British emissary Stuart Peach, discuss developments in Kosovo (media)
• Gervalla meets Japan’s Speaker of Parliament, bilateral relations highly valued (Klan)
• Haxhiu: 31 vehicles of "Banjska" case have been given to police for use - court's decision must be waited for the villa (Klan)
• Weller: Lands of Serb churches in Kosovo should be managed by institutions (RTK)
• German MEP: I hope Lajcak will not cloud EU-Swiss relations as well (Reporteri)
• EULEX's donation helps reactivate KP substation in Suhodoll (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic from the Government extraordinary session (RTS, Tanjug)
• Belgrade-Pristina dialogue – trilateral meeting started in Brussels (RTS)
• Petkovic: We reiterated our proposal, Pristina not ready for compromise (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Bouyx visited Visoki Decani Monastery, Father Petar says Serbs currently experience most severe form of ethnic repression (Kosovo Online, KoSSev, social media)
• Pantic Pilja: Admission of Kosovo to Council of Europe would represent violation of international law (Tanjug)
• UNS: Inaccurate information about March violence against Serbs for longer than two weeks on RTK2 website (Radio KIM, media)
• Andric Rakic: Voting by mail is problematic, it can call into question impeachment of mayors (Kosovo Online)
• KFOR: We are ready to take all necessary measures for safety, regardless of where danger comes from (Kosovo Online, social media)
• EULEX: Kurti's visit to the municipalities in the north was not announced to us (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

International:

• Bridging Borders: Roma NGOs Unite For Peace And Inclusion In Serbia And Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media:
• Kosovo leaders meet QUINT ambassadors, discuss CoE membership (media)
• Kurti: Future of our country is everyone’s right and responsibility (media)
• Haxhiu: Ministry executing order on immovable property in Banjska case (media)
• Hetemi: It’s not a problem if they dismiss us (Indeksonline)
• Azemi: Kurti has great problems; he’ll send Kosovo to elections in autumn (KTV)
• Borrell: We’re concerned with lack of preliminary consultations on Dinar (media)
• Hasani: NATO must not shift attention away from Western Balkans (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Starovic: Kurti's visit to north is demonstration of force and hostility towards Serbs (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Milenkovic: Kurti's visit to north unsettles citizens, causes even greater mistrust (Kosovo Online)
• Arsenijevic on Kurti’s visit to north (KoSSev, social media)
• Serbian Government to hold extraordinary session Thursday, Vucic to attend (Tanjug, media)
• Dacic meets with Armenian Deputy FM (media)
• UNMIK Head Ziadeh met Serbian List, civil society in Mitrovica North (Radio KIM, Kosovo Online, social media)
• KFOR Bronze Sabre 2024 exercise concludes (N1)
International Media:
• Serbian Prosecutor Urges Prison Sentences for Kosovo Killings (Balkan Insight)
• Belgrade Faces June Repeat Poll, as Party Deal on Elections Fails (Balkan Insight)