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)

• 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)

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)

• 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)

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)

• EU makes remarks about two out of six conditions for Association (Koha)
• Discussions on Association, Hovenier to hold unofficial meeting today (Telegrafi)
• Hill asks Serbia to find solution with Kosovo: Dialogue is aimed at forming the Association (Nacionale)
• Kosovo approves three draft laws within Berlin process (media)
• Osmani: We’ll find solution with Decani Monastery on Decan-Plav road (media)
• Wigemark meets Rakic and Simic; discuss security in the north (media)
• Kosovo journalists’ association condemns threat with firearms against T7 crew in Leposavic (media)
• Osmani visits Ulqin and Tuz in Montenegro (media)
• KJC sends judge warning after BIRN report (Prishtina Insight)
• Protest will be held in Berlin against Association (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti visits two Serb families: Every citizen deserves prosperity (media)
• Bislimi: French-German plan, de-facto recognition between both states (media)
• Government approves three agreements of the Berlin Process (media)
• Mehaj in Brussels talks about possibilities of cooperation with NATO (media)
• Hill: Association could implement by summer, French-German plan by end of the year (media)
• German MP: It's good that Kosovo accepted the European proposal (media)
• CEC sets deadlines for elections in northern municipalities, starting from March 9 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to receive Quint ambassadors on Thursday (Tanjug)
• Vucic: Not a good time for early elections (N1, TV Pink, Tanjug)
• The National Order of Merit presented to KoSSev portal editor, Tatjana Lazarevic (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
• U.S. Embassy: Serbia and the US military cooperation developing at the highest level (Blic)
• Serbia, Hungary establishes strategic cooperation in energy sector (FoNet, N1)
• Rakic, Simic discussed security situation with Wigemark (Tanjug)
• Suspects detained and released for damaging the mural in Orahovac (KoSSev)
• 138 hectares of land - what is being expropriated in the North; The Kosovo government has scheduled public hearings (KoSSev)

• Kurti meets Quint representatives at OSCE and UK Ambassador (media)
• Hovenier welcomes Kosovo decision to accept French-German proposal (media)
• Konjufca: French-German plan is acceptable; a new form for Association must be found (Ekonomia Online)
• Osmani: Future of Kosovo and Montenegro lies within European Union (media)
• Mehaj meets NATO representatives; discuss role of KFOR (media)
• Hyseni: Constitutional Court must not interpret agreement on Association (KSP)
• Investigation: Religious Propaganda that Threatens Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Serbia deprived northern municipalities of development (media)
• Konjufca: A new form of Association must be found (media)
• The U.S. welcomes Kosovo's decision to accept the EU proposal (media)
• Kurti met US Permanent Representative to OSCE, Michael Carpenter (media)
• Konjufca to Szunyog: dialogue with Serbia must conclude with mutual recognition (media)
• Abdixiku: Two years of governing to be celebrated with unkept promises (media)
• LDK: Kosovo does not need a basic agreement that does not contain recognition (media)
• Hoti: Five points that should be included in Kosovo's agreement with Serbia (media)
• Hoxhaj: The dialogue has never been more non-transparent than now (media)
• Tahiri: Plan accepted without opposition or LVV consent, without mutual recognition, with Association (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stano: We are ready to organise high level dialogue, but no date yet (RTS, Tanjug)
• Vecernje Novosti: Elections in October or November (Danas)
• Dacic: I expect MP Stevic to resign today (RTS, Nova, N1, media)
• SPS supports President Vucic's policy regarding Kosovo and Metohija (RTS, Tanjug)
• Lajcak: I am glad Kosovo accepted EU proposal in principle (Beta, N1)
• Vucic: ''Mutual recognition? Dream on'' (Kontakt plus radio, media)
• Milivojevic: The smouldering conflict between the SNS and the SPS should not be viewed fatalistically (Beta, NMagazin)
• Criminal complaint filed against a wounded Serbian young man and a minor of Albanian nationality (N1, Srna, RTS)
• A criminal complaint filed against the young man who was attacked by the Albanians (N1, Srna, RTS)
• Mural of the world's best tennis player destroyed in Orahovac (KiM radio)
• Savo Manojlovic: ROSU must go from the north of Kosovo (Danas)
• Serbian military chief meets US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff (FoNet, Tanjug, N1)

Opinion:

• Tadic: West created precedent now used by Putin (N1, media)

International:

• EU’s carbon levy poses new test for Western Balkan integration (Euractive)
• Countries Worldwide Mobilize Aid Following Earthquake in Turkey, Syria (VoA)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Europe, US, Balkan Countries, Pledge Aid for Quake-Hit Turkey (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia sends rescue teams to Turkey (N1)

• Kurti: We do accept EU proposal for normalisation of relations (media)
• Kosovo says 'yes' to EU's peace deal with Serbia, with caveats – PM (Reuters)
• Lajcak: All agreements signed must be implemented (media)
• Kurti meets Quint ambassadors; “ready for next high-level meeting” (media)
• “By accepting French-German plan, Kurti gave direction to secret deal” (Koha)
• Tahiri: Kurti has taken over steering wheel to form the Association (media)
• The Americans don’t stop; continue meetings on Association (Gazeta 10)
• KSF contingent for humanitarian operations departs for Turkey (media)
• Kosovo pledges support for Turkey, Syria after quakes (Prishtina Insight)
• President Osmani will meet Montenegrin President Djukanovic today (media)
• Two false bomb threats at Pristina International Airport on Monday (media)
• Serbian PM apologizes for official reference to ‘Republic of Kosovo’ (RFE)