UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 19, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 62 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Over 51,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo FM appeals to diaspora: Get vaccinated before coming to Kosovo (media)
• Germany donates COVID-19 test kits to Kosovo worth €600,000 (media)
• Treating patients in a pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
• Government: Skender Hyseni won’t be part of dialogue with Serbia (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj reacts to Montenegro’s refusal to send troops to KFOR (media)
• “Kurti declared former KLA leaders war criminals, whose PM is he?” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Antonijevic: Epidemiological situation continues to improve (TV Most)
• PM Ana Brnabic: EU doesn’t know about some things going on in region (media)
• Europa Nostra on letter from Pristina, to answer once it arrives (KoSSev)
• Vucic, Serbian officials on endangerment of Visoki Decani Monastery (KoSSev, media)
• Szunyog: For five years Kosovo didn’t implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery land (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Osmani openly undermines Washington agreement by lobbying for Kosovo membership in Interpol (Kosovo-online)
• Britain in KFOR by 2023, with more troops (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• Bisenic: Palestine statehood established in the UN, Kosovo not from that framework, impossible to draw a parallel (Pravi Ugao, KoSSev)
• Vucic, officials on Zeman’s apology (B92, media)
• Additional 440.000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Serbia (B92)
• North Macedonia expels Russian diplomat (N1)

International:

• North Macedonia PM: EU risks losing sway in Balkans (politico.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Brussels lifts travel restrictions for "third country" citizens (RTS, Tanjug)

• COVID-19: 64 new cases, one death (media)
• High Representative Borrell meets Western Balkans leaders (media)
• Borrell revives tradition of informal exchanges with regional leaders (media)
• Kurti: Meeting with Vucic in mid-June (media)
• Lajcak meets Kurti, discuss continuation of dialogue (media)
• Osmani: Always ready for cooperation with our neighbors (media)
• Joseph: Serbia must no longer be privileged (Radio Free Europe)
• Thaci and others to appear in next session today (media)
• Tensions between the municipalities and central government (Koha)
• Tired of the pandemic (Kosovo 2.0)
• BIRN debate exposes flaws in fight against sexual harassment (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 64 new cases, one death (media)
• 46,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• EULEX presents report on impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law (Kallxo)
• Kosovo police's seizure of drugs in Lipjan hailed by U.S., Italy (media)
• Ministers Gervalla, Ceku invite Europa Nostra head to visit Kosovo (media)
• PDK accuses Osmani of violating Constitution in CEC appointments (media)
• Kosovo and Albania sign MoU in the field of defence (media)
• Ministry of Interior cancels bid worth €21 million (media)
• Haradinaj addresses recent departures of party officials (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: I am worried about dialogue, there’s nothing rational in Pristina’s approach (RTS)
• Stoltenberg: There is no change of KFOR’s mandate, it remains in Kosovo (Danas)
• Brnabic to visit Brussels on Tuesday, attend WB working dinner, meet EU officials (RTS)
• Dacic: Important that UNMIK and KFOR stay in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Brdo-Brijuni Process: Borders left out of joint ‘compromise’ statement (Hina, N1 Sarajevo)
• Brdo-Brioni Process participants urge EU to speed up expansion to Western Balkans (N1)
• Milanovic: Brdo-Brijuni Process will not solve problems of Western Balkans (Hina, N1 Zagreb)
• Dzaferovic: EU will only be complete when WB countries become members (Anadolu Agency, N1 Sarajevo)
• Komsic: Kosovo-Serbia debate returns Brdo-Brioni summit to "Balkan tavern" (N1, FoNet)
• Haradinaj requests continuation of Decani-Plav road construction (Radio KIM)
• Zeman: I apologize for bombardment of FRY, ask Serbian people to forgive me (RTS)
• Croatian army unit sent to serve as part of KFOR in Kosovo (N1)
• Skopje to increase number of soldiers within KFOR mission in Kosovo (KoSSev, N1)
• Office for KiM: Instead of letters, Pristina to sign decree on return of confiscated monastery land (Kontakt plus radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Opinion:

• Dialogue in the upcoming period (KoSSev)

International:

• NATO chief confirms KFOR to remain in Kosovo (EurActiv)
• COVID-19 Limits Family Visits for Kosovo War Defendants (Balkan Insight)
• Angela Merkel's political legacy in the Western Balkans will be tough to beat (euronews.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• UNMIK assistance to the most vulnerable population of Gracanica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kontakt plus radio))
• Dacic: Serbia’s democratic progress unimaginable without CoE (BETA, N1)

• COVID-19: 25 new cases, one death (media)
• Vitia: Up to 350,000 persons to be vaccinated in a month (Klan)
• Osmani: Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country is a permanent project (media)
• Kosovo, Serbia clash over Balkan border issues at summit (AP)
• Osmani meets regional leaders at the sideline of Brdo-Brijuni summit (media)
• Brdo-Brijuni Declaration: “EU is able to absorb the WB”, Serbia’s phrasing of the point on regional borders rejected (EWB)
• Kurti, Merkel agree mutual recognition should be end-result of dialogue (media)
• Lajcak meets Vucic in Brussels (media)
• NATO attempts to appease Serbian concerns over Croatian troops in Kosovo (Reuters)
• Kosovo Foreign Policy Experts Welcome Govt’s Support for Israel (BIRN)
• Kosovo Police seize 400kg of cocaine in Lipjan warehouse (media)
• Government plans to phase out PAK by next year (Koha)
• Government building lighted up in rainbow colours, in nod to LGBTIQ+ community (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 25 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: About 10 thousand citizens were vaccinated during the weekend (media)
• Kurti: For 55 days of government, we have done a lot of work (media)
• Trendafilova: KSC is not an ethnic court, victims are of different ethnic backgrounds (Klan)
• President Osmani met with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (RTK)
• Gresa Caka-Nimani elected president of the Constitutional Court (media)
• Protest in front of Ministry against violence of girls in schools (media)
• Kosovo authorities seize over 2 tons of cocaine? (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbia has always advocated for inviolability of UN recognized borders (Kosovo-online)
• Stano: The dinner will be a sign of wider political engagement of the EU and the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Western Balkans leaders' summit today in Brioni, Vucic after that in Brussels with Stoltenberg (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTS)
• Brnabic-Kurti meeting in Brussels tomorrow, geopolitics on the "menu" of the working dinner (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Serbia’s Vucic will skip Western Balkans leaders’ working dinner in Brussels (N1)
• All municipal boards of the SNS in Kosovo for the removal of Stefanovic from party and state functions (KoSSev)
• Vucic: I would rather lose my head than give up Serbia, seizure of Kosovo is end of everything (KoSSev)
• Enthronement of Patriarch Porfirije in Pec Patriarchate postponed (KoSSev)
• Bishop Teodosije requested OSCE support for survival of Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo (RTS)
• Montenegro is not sending infantry platoon to KFOR (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Request for KFOR withdrawal more threat, than it is realistic (Kosovo-online)
• Health ministry official: More than 42 percent fully vaccinated in Serbia (N1)
• Petkovic: Kurti deceives public with statements on lawsuit against Belgrade (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Catalysing anti-corruption in the WB achievable only by an alliance of stakeholders, latest report highlights (EWB)
• Montenegro Scraps Plan to Join NATO Mission in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Another "weekend" series of domestic violence and violence against women (KoSSev)
• PM Brnabic: Celebrations as of June 21 if 50 pct of population is vaccinated (N1)
• How IDAHOBIT came to Kosovo (Kosovo 2.0)

• COVID-19: 47 new cases, 3 deaths (media)
• Kurti to travel to Brussels this week (media)
• Osmani to participate in Brdo-Brijuni process (media)
• Dialogue and regional cooperation, criteria for approximation with EU (Koha)
• Haziri: Dialogue, only way to resolve problem with Serbia (media)
• "Serbia demanding broad autonomy for Serb-majority areas in Kosovo" (RFE)
• Serwer: Serbia can still be sued for genocide in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• LDK slams Kosovo Government's foreign policy strategy (media)
• Kosovo Government says Israel has a right to defend itself (Express)
• Palokaj: We dream about the day when NATO would leave Kosovo (Koha)
• Robelli: Russian and Serbian special war through “Zuerst” (Koha)
• Protest today for safety of girls in schools (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 49 new cases, 2 deaths (media)
• Decisions on UNMIK are “made by the Security Council” (RFE)
• German Ambassador on genocide lawsuit against Serbia (Koha)
• Demiri: All Kosovars living in Israel are safe (Albanian Post)

Serbian Language Media:

• Nine new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas (KoSSev)
• NATO: We remain committed to the region; we make all decisions by consensus (Kosovo Online)
• Zakharova: Only one state does not decide on the withdrawal of KFOR, it is a collective decision (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, KiM radio, Beta)
• Vucic with Pahor: High level of cooperation, Serbia for respecting borders as determined by UN decision (RTS)
• Odalovic: Excavations will begin at several locations in Kosovo (RTK2)
• PM Brnabic: Only dialogue, compromise can ensure long-term solution (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Osmani either does not want dialogue, or doesn’t understand concept of politics of peace (TV Most)
• Petkovic: None of international community models for return of displaced persons made significant success (Kosovo-online)
• State Department on religious freedom: Decision on V. Decani’s land still ignored, 57 incidents targeting religious sites (KoSSev)
• HLC: No chance of ICJ ruling against Serbia for genocide in Kosovo (FoNet, N1)
• Office for KiM calls for investigation into all missing persons (N1)

Opinion:

• Western Balkans economic integration – why is it needed? (EWB)

International:

• Israel-Gaza Fighting Leaves Balkan Migrants Vulnerable (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• A special budget line for shelters for victims of domestic violence (Koha)
• Ivanusa: Serbia shows how mass vaccination could affect epidemic (N1)

• COVID-19: 112 new cases, 1 death (media)
• EU’s Balkan strategy losing local support, internal paper warns (Reuters)
• Pahor: Western Balkans must join EU, this avoids border changes (media)
• Osmani: Full coordination on genocide lawsuit against Serbia (media)
• Rohde: Mutual recognition must be part of final solution in dialogue (Koha)
• Kosovo government pledges not to allow a monoethnic association (Koha Ditore)
• Vucic says great power to demand withdrawal of KFOR, UNMIK (N1)
• Greek Foreign Minister and Lajcak discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Israeli ambassador’s defence of Kosovo recognition riles Belgrade (BIRN)
• Muslims throughout Balkans gather for Eid al-Fitr prayers (BIRN)
• Kosovo war video collector seeks to preserve evidence of crimes (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 12, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 113 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Over 38,000 doses of COVID vaccine arrive in Kosovo (media)
• NIPK encourages citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 (media)
• Distance learning fails to reach disadvantaged pupils (Prishtina Insight)
• Pahor: Final time for Western Balkans to integrate into EU (Telegrafi)
• LDK slams government programme as 'hollow' (media)
• Police recover casings from shooting incident in Zubin Potok mountains (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Israeli Ambassador: The decision to recognize Kosovo was made under the coercion of the US (TV Prva, KoSSev)
• Palestinian Ambassador: Against the relocation of embassies to Jerusalem (Danas, TV Prva)
• PM Ana Brnabic to attend dinner hosted by Borrell on May 18 (Tanjug, RTV Puls)
• EU: New enlargement methodology for Montenegro and Serbia (N1)
• Kosovo Albanians vaccinate in Serbia, Pristina media report (N1
• Dodik: No processes being implemented towards secession of Bosnia’s RS entity (N1)
• Selakovic: Constant support of Indonesia (RTS)
• Rakic demands urgent protection of returnees in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Opinion:

• Without the EU, third actors will fill the void in the Western Balkans (politikon.me, EWB)

International:

• EU's Balkan strategy losing local support, internal paper warns (Reuters)
• Democracy is in distress, finds the Council of Europe Secretary General’s annual report for 2021 (coe.int)
• Serbia, Kosovo, Greece Express Hope for Sustained Interest, Investment Through US Agency (VOA)
• In North Kosovo, Mining for Bitcoin on ‘Free’ Electricity (Balkan Insight)
• “Investment in the Western Balkans is an investment in the shared, value-oriented future of Europe” (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• ‘Women’s Work’: COVID-19 Deals Blow to Gender Equality in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• International Nurses Day: nurses in northern Kosovo receive awards (KoSSev)
• Three Serbian hospitals to step out of COVID system (N1)

• COVID-19: 57 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Government publishes four-year programme and legislative plan (media)
• Government to condition final agreement with UN seat and recognition from EU five (Koha)
• Aliu: Kosovo to introduce reciprocity measures towards Serbia (Klan)
• What status is being sought out for Orthodox Church in Kosovo? (Klan)
• FM Gervalla denies authoring governing plan posted on Instagram (media)
• Croatia to deploy 150 peacekeeping troops to Kosovo (media)
• Hoxhaj reacts to Serbia awarding Handke highest state honour (RTK)
• Kosovo Court Confirms Indictment in Oliver Ivanovic Murder Case (BIRN)