UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 20, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,708 new cases, one death (media)
• Kurti justifies increase of energy price (media)
• Rizvanolli: We are working to resolve lack of electricity bills’ payment in north (media)
• “Even if tariffs proposed by ERO are approved, price of electricity in Kosovo is the lowest in Europe” (Ekonomia)
• Gashi: We will stop increase of energy price with resolution, LVV made it impossible for us to debate (Ekonomia)
• Coordination and Evaluation Committee proposes new measures to slow down increase of COVID-19 cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 235 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Serbia paid for every KW of electricity consumed in north until 2021, it was Serbian electricity (KoSSev)
• Unvaccinated students to miss exams at Mitrovica North University (Kosovo-online)
• Mojsilovic: Serbian Army will react to attempts to endanger Serbs in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Serbian school children going to school every other day (N1)
• Gov't set to confirm Rio Tinto's departure from Serbia (Tanjug)

International:

• Kosovo War Victims ‘Fear Betrayal’ over Compensation Hopes (BIRN)
• Berisha’s Antics Are Useful Distraction for Albanian Govt’s Failures (Balkan Insight)
• Israeli Historian ‘Will Correct Srebrenica Death Toll in Bosnian Serb Report’ (Balkan Insight)

• Kosovo reports over 2,000 new daily COVID cases as Omicron surges (media)
• New anti-Covid-19 measures to be discussed today (media)
• Kurti: The government will increase support for consumers (media)
• Kosovo’s electric bills could increase two-fold (Euractiv)
• Hovenier: U.S. dedicated to strengthening the rule of law in Kosovo (media)
• Gervalla in Athens to meet Dendias (Ekonomia)
• EU millions for rule of law did not translate into substantive reforms (Koha)
• RTK Director sacked; board cites numerous violations (media)
• Serwer: Good on recognition but oversold on strategic impact (media)
• Macron: Clear accession perspective of Western Balkans and EU reform (EWB)
• Landscapes of industrial ruin (Kosovo 2.0)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 19, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,050 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Lajcak and Escobar expected to visit Prishtina and Belgrade (RFE)
• Arrival of new SRSG and Head of UNMIK, Caroline Ziadeh (media)
• From crisis to convergence: A strategy to tackle Balkans instability at its source (media)
• “Kosovo selectively discriminated against for visa liberalization” (media)
• Haradinaj suspects energy situation created to benefit “the energy mafia” (Koha)
• Kosovo in 2022: No end in sight to life in limbo (BIRN)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 51 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• HLC: Investigations still opened on days of arrests of defendants (Radio KIM)
• Lawyer: Second witness in case of Dusko Arsic interviewed, says he never heard about him (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic with French Ambassador Koshar on situation in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Epidemiologists warn of rapidly rising number of coronavirus cases (N1)
• Djuric with Escobar: Serbia ready to contribute to progress of region (Kosovo-online)
• Vucic: Peace, stability priceless (Tanjug)
• Erdogan: 2021 was exceptional year for Turkey-Serbia ties (Tanjug)
• Drecun: Kurti wants to interrupt practice of Serbs voting in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

• COVID-19: 720 new cases, one death (media)
• Latifi: Healthcare system prepared to handle increased hospitalisations (Koha)
• The two-day rate of COVID-19 infections affects roughly 400 children (RFE)
• Government pledges €75 million to subsidise energy for citizens and businesses (Kallxo)
• LDK leader Abdixhiku opposes electricity price increase (media)
• AAK ponders calling protests to oppose electricity price increase (Klan/RTK)
• Lajcak, Peach discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Hovenier: KFOR enjoys U.S.'s steadfast support (media)
• Xhacka at UN SC: Women in Kosovo raped, killed as part of ethnic cleansing campaign (Koha/Klan)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 18, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 720 new cases, one death (media)
• What caused the outbreak of COVID this week in Kosovo (Express)
• Pupils, teachers get infected; many schools move to online classes (Indeksonline)
• Negative signals from France for visa liberalization (Express)
• PDK: Increased electricity tariffs, biggest blow to the people (Telegrafi)
• LDK: Government’s inaction forced ERO to increase electricity tariffs (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 171 new cases registered in Serbian areas (KoSSev)
• EU in Serbia: Higher turnout would be better, but referendum results positive (N1)
• Pristina banned Serbs from voting in referendum; what about April elections? (N1)
• UNS and its branch in Kosovo request police and prosecution to find out who was behind cyber-attack on Kosovo-online portal (media)
• Vucic to pay one-day visit to Turkey (Tanjug)
• Brnabic: Pristina’s decision disgraceful, I will ask EU officials about it (Kosovo-online)
• Andric Rakic: Failure to hold referendum in Kosovo an overture to a ban on elections in April (Danas)
• Escobar and Lajcak to visit Pristina on January 31, Belgrade on February 2 (Kosovo-online)
• Visoki Decani Monastery: 133 attacks against Serbs recorded in Kosovo in 2021 (Kosovo-online)

International:

Kosovo Court Struggles to Contact Ivanovic Murder Trial Witnesses (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

Kosovo families fear losing homes in post-war legal shambles (BIRN)
Kosovo Expects Doubling of Electricity Price as Energy Crisis Bites (Prishtina Insight)

• EU regrets Serb referendum not taking place in Kosovo (RFE/media)
• Kosovo Serbs Vote in Serbian Referendum in Serbia – Not Kosovo (BIRN)
• Serbia Opposition Voices Doubts About Referendum, Praised by EU (BIRN)
• Haradinaj: Regulatory Office has proposed increase of electricity price by 80% (media)
• Kosovo Police rebuts Serbian List allegations over Runik incident (media)
• Anti-corruption agency opens case into Rakic's declaration of assets (Koha)
• COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 17, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• "Government, Presidency, Assembly joined in defence of the Constitution" (RTK)
• Kusari-Lila: Assembly's resolution reconfirmed the will of all parties (media)
• PDK's Tahiri: Assembly's session was a mockery of opposition (media)
• AAK's Tahiri: Our position on referendum was principled (media)
• Hyseni on Kosovo Assembly’s referendum resolution: Act of cowardice (media)
• COVID-19: 728 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian referendum: 30.63 percent of registered voters turned out, 59.71 percent voted pro (RTS)
• Serbian officials’ reactions to Pristina ban on referendum (media)
• Serbs protest against Pristina’s decision to ban referendum in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Stano: Serbs in Kosovo should have been enabled to vote in referendum (RTS)
• EU officials welcome outcome of Serbian referendum (N1)
• Vucic: Citizens voted in favour of constitutional amendments (Tanjug)
• Brnabic: Referendum major step in strengthening rule of law (Tanjug)
• “Vucic announces referendum results before election commission” (N1)
• Serbian opposition: low turnout, referendum didn’t go the way ruling authorities expected (RTS)
• Vukadinovic: Referendum results blow to authorities, surprising for opposition (Radio KIM)
• “Unsolved murder of Ivanovic disgrace for Belgrade, Pristina, and international community“ (KoSSev)
• Vucic lights a candle in memory of Oliver Ivanovic (N1)
• Office for KiM: Young man from Banja village attacked (Radio KIM)
• Kosovo-online portal under hackers attack again (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Serbia Votes ‘Yes’ to Judiciary Constitution Changes (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 771 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo sends back Serbian ballots ahead of referendum (Deutsche Welle)
• Lawmakers reject holding Serb referendum in Kosovo (The Washington Post)
• President’s Chief of Staff: Kosovo kept a principled position (media)
• Assembly adopts resolution against Serbian referendum in Kosovo (Express)
• Kosovo Serbs travel to neighboring Serbia to vote in referendum (euronews.al)
• Kosovo bans Serbian vote on constitutional changes on its soil (Al Jazeera)
• Kosovo commemorates massacre where 45 were killed by Serbian troops (Exit)
• Spahiu: Talk of Albanian unification Damages Kosovo (BIRN)
• Panic as Kosovo pulls plug on its energy-guzzling bitcoin miners (The Guardian)
• Podcast: War’s consequences on cultural heritage (Kosovo 2.0)
• Serbia votes ‘Yes’ judiciary constitution changes (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 14, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Quint urges Kosovo Government to allow Serbia’s referendum (media)
• Kosovo institutions issue statement on Serbia's referendum (media)
• Kurti announces extraordinary Assembly session on Saturday (media)
• Kurti's advisor says "established practice" was "bad practice" (Telegrafi)
• Ahmeti: Serbia trying to destabilise Kosovo through referendum request (media)
• LDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unacceptable (media)
• PDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unconstitutional (G. Express)
• AAK supports Government's position on Serbia's referendum (Klan)
• GLPS: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is not a human rights issue (media)
• COVID-19: 585 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 34 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• Quint on referendum: Pristina to allow Serbs to vote in line with established practice (KoSSev)
• Vucic with Serb representatives from Kosovo and Metohija today (RTS)
• Trajkovic: Kurti inspires Vucic (Radio KIM)
• Blinken wrote to Kurti: Restore momentum to dialogue, fulfil Kosovo obligations (Radio KIM)
• Friends of Oliver Ivanovic call on people to light candle in his honor on Sunday (KoSSev)
• Vlajic: Verdict of Todosijevic annulled, new trial in February (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic calls on voters to say yes at referendum (N1)
• “Kosovo special police in Gracanica supported inspection in monitoring implementation of anti-Covid measures” (Radio KIM)
• Orthodox New Year marked (Radio KIM)

International:

• Ex-Prosecutor: Serbia Impeded Probe of Kosovo Serb Politician’s Murder (Balkan Inisght)
• Serbian Minister Denies Briefing Kremlin on Russian Opposition Meeting (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Activists handed over 290,000 signatures against Rio Tinto to Serbian Government (N1)

• U.S. Secretary of State Blinken writes to Prime Minister Kurti (media)
• Kurti answers to Secretary Blinken: Looking forward to work together (media)
• Konjufca: We don’t accept the Serbian association; this is a closed matter (T7)
• Commentators: Borrell is proving he is not impartial (Kosovapress)
• Vucic warns serious consequences if referendum in Kosovo not allowed (Koha)
• Ex-prosecutor: Serbia impeded probe of Kosovo Serb politician’s murder (BIRN)
• Kosovo human rights concerns raised in new report (Exit)
• Hague prosecutors accused of failing to protect Kosovo case files (BIRN)
• Meta on Open Balkan: Ambiguous initiative imposed from above (euronews.al)