UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 20, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti talks about meetings he held in Munich (Reporteri)
• Kearns: Britain will not support the formation of Republika Srpska in Kosovo (RTK)
• Rohde: Kosovo and Germany are connected by partnership and common values (media)
• Buhler: Kosovo's membership in NATO, after final political solution (media)
• “Only Kurti knows how he brought Kosovo to this state, he was badly ignored by Blinken” (media)
• PDK: Prosecution should interview Kurti and Haxhiu about the Dehari case (media)
• Tahiri: There is a risk that Serbia will keep Kosovo in a frozen conflict (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: We will invest heavily in the defence industry, military (N1, Beta)
• Podcast: Nenezic on expropriation: In a perfect world, these decisions would be rejected, bases demolished, and works suspended (KoSSev)
• Vucic discusses Kosovo with Blinken, Scholz, Macron (N1, BETA)
• US State Secretary: Productive conversation with Vucic (N1, social media)
• Lajcak on CSM: Assumed obligations must be fulfilled (Politika, BETA)
• Dveri calls on patriots to unite on Kosovo, Russia issues (media)
• Vucic: We have new note of Kosovo derecognition (Tanjug)
• Trajkovic, Jovic and Ristic sent joint letter to Patriarch (KoSSev, N1)
• Marinkovic: About 40,000 Serbs left Kosovo in the last ten years (NMagazin, N1, KiM radio, Beta)

International:

• Putin is attempting to destabilise European countries to divert attention from Ukraine, warns Kosovo's president (Sky News)

• Kurti for Le Monde: EU plan enables the de-facto recognition (media)
• Kurti meets Borrell, Lajcak; talk EU proposal and meet with Vucic (Telegrafi)
• Borrell optimistic for February 27 meeting, hopes parties will accept plan (DW)
• Osmani: Peace and security sustainable only when women included in all decision-making and policy-making processes (media)
• Blinken: Normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations essential to strengthen security in the Balkans (RFE)
• Osmani meets Admiral Munch at Munich Security Conference (media)
• Kurti meets INTERPOL Secretary General: Kosovo is a reliable partner (media)
• Gervalla: All countries to seriously address threats to international order (media)
• Lekaj: Kurti must not accept Association with executive competencies (Nacionale)
• Newborn monument dedicated to threat to Republic’s future (BIRN)
• Djuric’s statement triggers reactions in Kosovo (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Kosovo is a good example of democracy (RFE)
• Blinken congratulates people of Kosovo on 15th anniversary of independence (media)
• EU: Kurti and Vucic will meet in Brussels on February 27 (media)
• Hovenier congratulates Kosovo on 15th anniversary of independence (media)
• Sandulovic: On behalf of Serbia, I apologise for the crimes against you (Kosovapress)
• Germans imply talks on French-German plan at Munich Security Conference (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• EC says Vucic, Kurti confirmed meeting in Brussels next week on 27 February (N1)
• Vucic: We will announce good news on Kosovo-Metohija today and in seven days (Tanjug)
• Pristina authorities marked the 15th anniversary of the unilateral declaration of independence (N1)
• Dalibor Jevtic: The position of Serbs in Kosovo has never been worse (RTS, KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
• Rasic: Agreement soon, Belgrade and Pristina have little room for "no" (N1, KoSSev, KiM radio)
• Amendment by the Greens: EULEX to become a response unit in the north of Kosovo (KoSSev, N1)
• Rama: Kurti and I have the same goal - for the Albanians to unite and they must, but we have different approaches to get there (KoSSev, Danas, Blic)

International:

• It’s Official: One Serbian diplomat per year to join the State Department for up to 12 months (thepavlovictoday.com)
• Week in Review: Spies, Coups and Earthquakes (Balkan Insight)

• Kurti: There is work to turn EU proposal into an agreement (DW, media)
• Biden congratulates on 15th anniversary of Independence, mentions mutual recognition with Serbia (media)
• European leaders congratulate Osmani on Independence Day (Koha)
• Kurti hosted candidate for president of Serbia, Nikola Sandulovic (RTK)
• Sandulovic: I came to offer historic solutions (RTK)
• Kurti: Kosovo, common state of all (media)
• Independent Kosovo is a success story. Now we need a European epilogue (Politico.eu)
• Kosovo marks 15 uneasy years of independence from Serbia (The Independent)
• North Kosovo won’t be stable while Belgrade and Pristina are at loggerheads (BIRN)
• Kosovo: How football helps build bridges (Deutsche Welle)
• Kosovo Women’s 1990s Fight for Freedom Documented on Film (BIRN)
• Study Shows Therapy Benefits Mothers Exposed to Violence in Kosovo War (BIRN)
• Serbian nationalists protest against Western plan to normalise ties with breakaway Kosovo (euronews.com)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 16, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: EU plan for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue includes de facto recognition from Serbia (media)
• President Osmani receives Albania’s President Bajram Begaj (media)
• Kurti: Final agreement with Serbia depends on international pressure on Belgrade (media)
• Abazi claims there are videos that show "who vanished samples of Dehari case" (media)
• LVV dismisses Haki Abazi, replaces him with Arbereshe Kryeziu-Hyseni (media)
• Kurti meets with the former head of the legal team of Kosovo, at the ICJ (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 22 years since the bomb attack on the bus in Livadice, memorial service today in Laplje Selo (KoSSev)
• Serbian List: Wall of silence when it comes to crimes against Serbs (Radio KIM, media)
• Leposavic residents at the public discussion on expropriation: There’s no life left here; we’ll defend our land (KoSSev)
• Nenezic to the Expropriation Department: You’re misapplying your own law, violating the Constitution and the CoE Convention (KoSSev)
• Civil society: Leposavic locals did not feel unsafe until they were overrun by bases; Central institutions violate the law (KoSSev)
• Vucic holds meeting with police and security chiefs (Tanjug, Insajder, N1)
• President Vucic awards Statehood Day honours (N1, media)
• Grenell thanks Vucic and Serbian people for receiving award (Kosovo Online, social media)
• RFE: US maintains stand on Serbia-Kosovo recognition (N1)

Humanitarian/Development:

• How Serbs live in Kosovo: “We dream of being in Serbia, but reality is different” (N1)

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

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)

• 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)

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)

• 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)