UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 16, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 508 new cases, 3 deaths (media)
• “New energy tariffs will be executed from February 9” (media)
• ECRB calls on Kosovo authorities to ensure independence of ERO (media)
• German President: Fighting corruption a factor for future of Kosovo youth (RFE)
• U.S. Ambassador meets President of Constitutional Court (media)
• PSD leader Molliqaj and three other activists released from detention (Koha)
• Serbian products in Kosovo’s market drop by 37 percent (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian president calls early parliamentary elections for April 3 (media, N1)
• Serbian Parliament Speaker calls local elections for April 3 (media, N1)
• 21 years since Livadice buss attack, memorial service to be held in Laplje Selo (KoSSev)
• Office for KiM: Crime in Livadice stain on face of international community (KoSSev)
• Visoki Decani on Livadice crime anniversary (Kosovo-online)
• Opposition candidate Ponos goes to Kosovo, fierce reaction from Serbian authorities (N1)
• UNDP: The name of the Mitrovica Cultural Center changed after the renovation (KiM radio)
• OSCE concerned over incidents on religious sites, calls for re-establishment of Municipal Safety Councils (KoSSev)
• Survey: Half Kosovo residents ready to emigrate (RTS, media)
• Selakovic: Serbia to react if Pristina tries to secure more recognitions (Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti)
• Vucic receives Primakov (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Serwer: Convergence is desirable but not magical (media)

International:

• 2022 Index of Economic Freedom: Kosovo (heritage.com)

• Biden: Kosovo-Serbia dialogue must conclude in mutual recognition (media)
• Albin Kurti most preferred politician, survey shows (Klan Kosova)
• Gervalla: Serbian elections won’t be automatically held in Kosovo (media)
• Concern over ‘uncontrolled’ security cameras in Serb-dominated north (BIRN)
• Kosovo mayors’ promises multiplied in last elections (BIRN)
• How the Kosovo air war foreshadowed the crisis in Ukraine (The New Yorker)
• Former secretary of Ministry of Trade caught with 50 kg of drugs (Kallxo)
• COVID-19: 373 new cases, two deaths (media)
• French ‘humanitarian’ far-right claims Kosovo as cautionary tale (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: EU to keep its promise on visa liberalisation (media)
• Foreign Ministry with new recognition strategy (RTK)
• Serbia warns of new de-recognition campaign (Reporter)
• Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts: 'Open Balkan' politically isolates Kosovo (Kallxo)
• In his letter to Vucic, Blinken requests recognition of Kosovo (RTK)
• Macron’s letter to Vucic: I hope Kosovo-Serbia reach final agreement in the coming months (media)
• COVID-19: 373 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 28 cases of Covid-19 in Serbian communities in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Serbia celebrates Statehood Day (N1)
• Officials of countries worldwide congratulate Vucic on occasion of Statehood Day (Tanjug)
• Office for KiM, Serbian List react to latest incident against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Rakic with the US Ambassador Hovenier: ''We’re not giving up the establishment of CSM'' (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• Head of EULEX: In Kosovo, healing the scars of war is a daily task (KiM radio, eeas.europa.eu)

• Decani Monastery between the judiciary and the executive (RFE)
• Opposition slams performance of Kurti’s government (euronews.al)
• Krasniqi: Behind 14 February elections, no vision, only propaganda (media)
• Hovenier reconfirms to Rakic the US support for independent Kosovo (Koha)
• Kosovo tells citizens to leave Ukraine now (BIRN)
• Police arrest Molliqaj and 12 PSD members over action at ERO (media)
• COVID-19: 247 new cases, two deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 14, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 247 new cases, two deaths (media)
• “Serbia is offering dark perspectives; situation may escalate” (media)
• PDK MP: Kurti has failed, disappointed and deceived (Reporteri)
• Hyseni: Foreign policy is anaemic because of Osmani and Kurti (EO)
• Mesic: Kosovo to become sovereign in every millimetre, then negotiate (Express)
• Vjosa Osmani’s “Guxo” registered as political party today (media)
• ERO: Political parties to refrain from tendencies for political points (Koha)
• At a village market, Kosovo’s ethnic tensions fade away (BIRN)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 38 new cases registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• Diocese worried about attacks on churches (KiM radio)
• Serbian Ministry of Culture and KiM Office on SOC facilities attacks (media)
• Hasani: Deva is a Nazi collaborator; Rohde is right;Ceku’s reaction is deplorable (KoSSev)
• Impaired relations between media and institutions in Pristina (Radio KIM)
• Vucic to head all SNS lists during elections (N1)
• President Xi congratulates Serbia’s Statehood Day (N1)
• US President Biden congratulates Serbia’s Statehood Day (Beta, N1)
• Outgoing US Ambassador Godfrey says Serbia is regional economic leader (N1)
• Vucic: Serbia should not recognize Kosovo in any way (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• How to End the Ukraine Crisis in 4 Steps (politico.com)
• Is the international community finally waking up to election-day threats to voting in the EU? (Balkan Insight)

International:

• South-East Europe Countries Urge Citizens to Leave Ukraine (Balkan Insight)
• Time for the EU to Deal Fairly with the Western Balkans (visegradinsight.eu)

• Osmani on Ukraine situation: What we're seeing is a flagrant abuse of power by Russia (media)
• Citing rise of tensions, Kosovo advises citizens to leave Ukraine (media)
• Biden writes to Vucic: Dialogue with Kosovo to end with mutual recognition (media)
• Palokaj: Pressure for Kurti-Vucic meeting before elections in Serbia (Koha)
• Parties to meet this month in Brussels to discuss license plates (Kosovapress)
• Former Croatian President visits Mitrovica under tight security measures (media)
• Silajdzic: There is an Intention to compensate RS for Kosovo (Sarajevo Times)
• Sexually assaulted woman during the Kosovo War sues 3 Serbs (euronews.al)
• Kosovo athletes compete in Balkans tournament in Belgrade (Klan)
• COVID-19: 602 new cases, six deaths (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Sir Stuart Peach: UK remains steadfast partner of Kosovo, is committed to tackle threats to region's stability (media)
• Haxhiu: Selection of state chief prosecutor to be transparent and fair (media)
• Kosovo to receive over half a million vaccine doses, donated by U.S. (media)
• PSD calls opposition parties to discuss energy price (Telegrafi)
• Germany recognizes Kosovo drivers’ licences (RTK)
• COVID-19: 770 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stuart Peach to BBC in Serbian: "My role is to support Serbia-Kosovo dialogue" (media)
• Petkovic: Osmani's absurd statements (RTV Puls, Kosovo Online, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Rakic with Peach: Dialogue, CSM, elections, security (KiM, Kontakt plus radio)
• Selakovic: Visit to Equatorial Guinea very successful (Tanjug)

International:

• Economist Democracy Index 2021: North Macedonia and Montenegro upgraded to “flawed democracies” (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• TikTok Balkans: Alarm Bells over Child Access to Video App (Balkan Insight)

• Osmani: Parties in the dialogue have not been treated equally (RTK)
• Dialogue dominates the agenda of Emissary Peach in Kosovo (RFE)
• Lajcak: Spain is supporting my work in the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue process (media)
• French Ambassador: Association is not another “Republika Srpska”, Kosovo to define what it will be (Express)
• International organizations demand an end to attacks on journalists in Kosovo (RFE Albanian)
• Kosovo and EUROPOL reach agreement on information exchange (media)
• We distance ourselves from Rama on Open Balkan, says PDK chair (euronews.al)
• COVID-19: 717 new cases, four deaths (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 10, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo PM Kurti meets UK envoy, Sir Stuart Peach (media)
• Osmani: United Kingdom, among Kosovo's key allies (media)
• British Embassy: Sir Stuart's priority support for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RTK)
• AAK calls on Government to repeal energy price decision (media)
• Vetevendosje pays tribute to its activists on anniversary of their killing (media)
• Albania’s Peleshi warns Ukraine’s invasion could affect Kosovo-Serbia relations (Klan)
• COVID-19: 717 new cases, four deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 54 newly infected in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• US Ambassador releases memory video before leaving Serbia (N1)
• Ambassador Godfrey in interview with Nedeljnik talks on media freedom, Open Balkans, EU (N1, Nedeljnik)
• COM KFOR visits Visoki Decani Monastery (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian Parliament approves constitutional amendments (Tanjug)
• Russian envoy to Serbia: Pristina should implement all agreements, including CSM (N1, Politika)
• Zuroff said he was proud to help the project of restoration of Deva's house to stop (KoSSev)
• Mihajlovic: It was mistake Belgrade didn’t insist upon return of displaced persons (Radio KIM)

International:

• Publication of MPs Costly Travel Expenses Draws Fury (Prishtina Insight)

• UK envoy to the Balkans, Sir Stuart Peach, visits Kosovo (media)
• U.S. dedicated to help Kosovo in the long-term energy plan (media)
• No quorum to vote opposition's draft resolution against energy price increase (media)
• Who and how much will pay more for electricity? (RFE)
• Kosovo’s Kurti Gives Signs of Softening on Serb ‘Association’ (BIRN)
• Cingel: Slovakia paying the price for non-recognition of Kosovo (RFE/Koha)
• Vehicles without license plates obstructed the police near Lake Ujman (media)
• The missing persons issue remains an unhealed wound (RTK)
• Sadriu: My statement intentionally misinterpreted, I support free speech (Koha)
• The 'Ghost Hotels' Of A Kosovo Ski Resort (RFE)
• COVID-19: 1,140 new cases, five deaths (media)