UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 9, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti meets Quint ambassadors and EU Head of Mission (media)
• Interior Ministry publishes FAQs for registration of vehicles with RKS plates (media)
• Whose trucks were used for the barricades in the north of Kosovo? (Radio Free Europe)
• Two deaths and 952 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)
• Montenegrin Minister: Abazovic-led government will be ousted on August 19 (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

Petkovic: Kurti demonstrating he wants war, not agreement (Tanjug)
Petkovic meets family of Nikola Nedeljkovic arrested on June 28, at Gazimestan (Kosovo Online)
Two shops in Velika Hoca burglarized (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Who Is Daria Aslamova, The Russian Journalist Expelled From Kosovo? (RFE)
• A Range of Digital Rights Violations Disrupts the Region (BIRN)

• PM Kurti for RFE: Situation in north could have escalated into armed conflict
• Kosovo opposition reacts to Kurti’s mention of war (media)
• Petkovic: Kurti’s latest statements show he wants war not dialogue (media)
• Kurti meets KFOR commander, discuss security in Kosovo (media)
• Kusari-Lila: We will resist Association as we have done so far (media)
• How Russia’s Ukraine war is stoking tension in Kosovo (The Washington Post)
• Europe keeps a wary eye on Kosovo, Serbia (politico.eu)
• Bislimi meets Ambassador Ziv, talk about deepening relations (media)
• Grenell has telephone conversation with Thaci (media)
• Two deaths and 331 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 8, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti for RFE: Situation in north could have escalated into armed conflict
• PM Kurti interview with La Repubblica
• Joseph: Open Balkan undermines the Berlin Process (Deutsche Welle)
• Turkish President Erdogan to visit Balkans next month (Klan Kosova)
• Two deaths and 331 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Pristina claims licence plates not topic of 18 August meeting, Escobar, journalists think otherwise (KoSSev)
• I expect Brussels meeting to be constructive, Brnabic tells Hill (Tanjug)
• Peoples’ Party (NS) demands extraordinary Parliament session on Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Russian journalist declared ‘persona non grata’, banned from visiting Kosovo (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List: Do not fall for Pristina’s provocations (RTS)
• Rohde responds to Petkovic (Kosovo Online)
• Insulting graffiti and swear-words written in Donja Brnjica (Radio KIM)
• State Secretary Starovic: Kurti’s behaviour pattern unlikely to change (N1)
• Selakovic attends inauguration of new Colombian President (N1)
• Global Firepower: Serbia ranks 61 on Global Firepower index (N1)
• Brnabic: SNS consultations on PM designate, gov't to begin on Monday (N1)

International:

• ‘Spying’ Russian Journalist Rejected by Kosovo Back in Serbia (BIRN)
• 'It's a privilege to represent my country': Dua Lipa is made an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by President Vjosa Osmani (Daily Mail)
• Wild east: five Balkan countries to discover for your next holiday (The Guardian)
• Bangs for Bucks: Serbian Arms Dealer Makes Mockery of US Sanctions – Again (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Broken dreams’ of Murdered Women Become Mural in Prishtina (Prishtina Insight)
• Joksimovic: EU approves 223.7 million Euro grant for projects in Serbia (N1)
• Saudi Arabia approves meat, milk imports from Serbia (Tanjug)

• Borrell confirms invitation to Vucic and Kurti to discuss way forward (Koha)
• Kosovo pledges no talks with Serbia two topics that activated the north (Koha)
• PM Kurti says “criminal gangs” behind attack against police in north (media)
• EULEX chief condemns attack against police in the north (media)
• Interior Minister Svecla visits Bernjak border crossing (Kallxo)
• Russian reporter Daria Aslamova declared persona non grata in Kosovo (media)
• Kandic: Regions where Delic operated, over 2,000 civilians killed (RTK)
• Dua Lipa Thrills Fans Performing on First Day of Sunny Hill (BIRN)
• ‘Sunny Hill was kept where it belongs’, Kurti receives Dua Lipa (euronews.al)
• 618 new cases, one death from COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 5, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• US proposes a bipartisan bill to fight corruption in the Western Balkans (VoA)
• Vetting in the judiciary heading toward finalisation (RTK)
• 1,266 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Operation Storm is no myth, we do not dream of revenge, we want peace (N1)
• UNS and DNKiM says Radio Gorazdevac journalists should be protected from threats (Radio KIM)
• Appeal of Rexhep Selimi on detention dismissed (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic thanks Pinter for support and understanding position of Serbian people (Kosovo Online)
• “What is Serbian List really doing in Kosovo institutions?” (RFE)
• Vlajic: There are no grounds for filing criminal reports against Serbs on barricades (Kosovo Online)

• EU confirms meeting between Kurti and Vucic on August 18 (Koha)
• Borrell: Association, verdict on Decani Monastery should be implemented (media)
• Osmani and Hovenier talk about latest developments in Kosovo (RTK)
• LDK won’t cooperate with Serbian List to bring down Kurti government (media)
• AAK against cooperation with Serbian List to bring down Kurti (Kallxo)
• SL reacts to Hovenier about Radoicic: Don't make lump sum assessments (Koha)
• What's behind the renewed tensions between Serbia and Kosovo? (AlJazeera)
• Assembly adopts law on funding of political parties; EUSR welcomes it (media)
• Svecla: We welcomed another 146 Afghans in Kosovo today (media)
• Blakaj: Delic suspected of killing 2,000 civilians in Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 4, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti responds to opposition criticism for postponing reciprocity (media)
• Haradinaj slams government for “lack of vision” (Ekonomia Online)
• Hoxhaj asks Kurti: Will you create an Association with latest actions in north? (Express)
• U.S. Ambassador Hovenier meets Serbian List leader Rakic (media)
• “Govt violating Brussels agreement; we’ll join opposition in bringing it down” (Klan)
• “The greater the resistance to the Association, the closer it gets to Serbian idea” (RFE)
• 1,155 new cases with COVID-19, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• “Neither concrete solutions, nor consultations with local population” (Radio KIM)
• Vucic and Stoltenberg: Dialogue must continue, peace of vital importance (N1)
• Rakic tells US Ambassador crisis needs to be resolved while respecting needs of Serbs (TV Most)
• Brnabic, Chinese Ambassador discuss economic cooperation (N1)
• Petkovic responds to Rohde (Kosovo Online)
• Bilcik congratulates speaker, deputy speakers: More pluralism in Parliament (N1)
• Vucic: New government to be formed by end of month (Tanjug)
• Selakovic travels to Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela (Tanjug)
• Selakovic: Firm support of Cuba to preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia (Kosovo Online)
• Covid-19: 18 new cases in Serbian areas (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• N1: Crisis in Kosovo in the grip of Russian propaganda

International:

• Serbia is playing with matches again (Foreign Policy)
• Don’t Let License Plates Start a New War (Washington Post)
• Croatian Serb War Victims Hope Compensation Claims Finally Pay Off (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• DokuFest Bringing Global Award Winners to Kosovo’s Prizren (Prishtina Insight)
• Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival Finishes Second Edition on High Note (Prishtina Insight)

• Stoltenberg talks with Vucic, makes clear NATO readiness to intervene (media)
• Germany supports Kosovo’s reciprocity towards Serbia's documents (media)
• Serbia, Kosovo officials to meet in Brussels after tensions (BIRN)
• Serbian List: We want to bring down the Kurti-led government (media)
• Lladrovci calls on PM Kurti to dismiss Rakic (media)
• Ukraine begins to withdraw troops from Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo’s draft security strategy under fire (BIRN)
• U.S. Ambassador welcomes inauguration of Commercial Court (media)
• Justice Minister meets Prishtina Mayor, discuss domestic violence (media)
• Reactions against Delic’s election as vice president of Serbian Parliament (Koha)
• “Specialist Chambers jeopardizing Veseli’s constitutional rights” (Epoka)
• Montenegro govt faces no-confidence vote over church deal (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 3, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Interior Minister Svecla’s interview with RTK
• Serb civil society calls for peaceful solution to crisis in the north (media)
• Bundestag defence committee to discuss situation in Kosovo today (DW)
• Latvian Defence Minister: Tensions in Kosovo initiated by Serbia and Russia (Zeri)
• Serwer: Kosovo acted rightfully, the ball is now with Serbia on September 1 (Nacionale)
• CDHRF: Any backing down from reciprocity will damage Kosovo (media)
• Working group formed for bureau for verification and confiscation of wealth bill (media)
• Two deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Media: Residents in northern Kosovo report mistreatment by special police units
• Petkovic: Serb arrested in Rudare released (KoSSev)
• Drecun on Kurti and violence against Serbs (RTV, Tanjug)
• Serbian Orthodox Church and Montenegro sign Fundamental Agreement (N1, BETA)
• Kisnica: Name is Serbian covered with black paint, “KLA” board set up (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List reacts to Svecla’s statements (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Op-ed by Veton Surroi: We, the residents of Mitrovica North (Koha)
• Operation Storm Anniversary Highlights Croatia and Serbia’s Bitter Mistrust (BIRN)

International:

• Kosovo War-Era General Elected as Serbian Parliament Official (BIRN)
• Montenegro Govt Faces No-confidence Vote Over Church Deal (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Radio Gorazdevac on fake news: “How did another armed conflict in Kosovo break out on TV Pink?”

• Osmani: Preparations by Serbia to escalate Western Balkans and Kosovo (BBC)
• Kurti: Russia is helping Serbia to destabilize the Balkans (RTK)
• Kurti-Vucic meeting on August 18? (RTK)
• Vucic: I will go to Brussels; I expect nothing from the meeting (media)
• “Moderation is needed, Pristina is doing well by postponing measures” (RTK)
• Kosovo Police issues statement rebutting reports in Serbian media (media)
• Police stops vehicle in the north suspected of smuggling medicaments (media)
• A Dispute Over License Plates Is a Reminder of Deep, Ongoing Kosovo-Serbia Tensions (Time)
• Kosovo: Why is trouble flaring between Serbs and Albanian-led government? (BBC)
• How to stop Serbia spat from spiraling out of control (atlanticcouncil.org)
• How pro-Russian and Russian Telegram channels spread misinformation about Kosovo (The Geopost)
• Hoxhaj: September will shift talks to dialogue on mutual recognition (Nacionale)
• Kosovo Issues Emergency Energy Measures Ahead of Winter (Prishtina Insight)