UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 14, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Quint urges Kosovo Government to allow Serbia’s referendum (media)
• Kosovo institutions issue statement on Serbia's referendum (media)
• Kurti announces extraordinary Assembly session on Saturday (media)
• Kurti's advisor says "established practice" was "bad practice" (Telegrafi)
• Ahmeti: Serbia trying to destabilise Kosovo through referendum request (media)
• LDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unacceptable (media)
• PDK: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is unconstitutional (G. Express)
• AAK supports Government's position on Serbia's referendum (Klan)
• GLPS: Serbia's referendum in Kosovo is not a human rights issue (media)
• COVID-19: 585 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 34 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• Quint on referendum: Pristina to allow Serbs to vote in line with established practice (KoSSev)
• Vucic with Serb representatives from Kosovo and Metohija today (RTS)
• Trajkovic: Kurti inspires Vucic (Radio KIM)
• Blinken wrote to Kurti: Restore momentum to dialogue, fulfil Kosovo obligations (Radio KIM)
• Friends of Oliver Ivanovic call on people to light candle in his honor on Sunday (KoSSev)
• Vlajic: Verdict of Todosijevic annulled, new trial in February (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic calls on voters to say yes at referendum (N1)
• “Kosovo special police in Gracanica supported inspection in monitoring implementation of anti-Covid measures” (Radio KIM)
• Orthodox New Year marked (Radio KIM)

International:

• Ex-Prosecutor: Serbia Impeded Probe of Kosovo Serb Politician’s Murder (Balkan Inisght)
• Serbian Minister Denies Briefing Kremlin on Russian Opposition Meeting (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Activists handed over 290,000 signatures against Rio Tinto to Serbian Government (N1)

• U.S. Secretary of State Blinken writes to Prime Minister Kurti (media)
• Kurti answers to Secretary Blinken: Looking forward to work together (media)
• Konjufca: We don’t accept the Serbian association; this is a closed matter (T7)
• Commentators: Borrell is proving he is not impartial (Kosovapress)
• Vucic warns serious consequences if referendum in Kosovo not allowed (Koha)
• Ex-prosecutor: Serbia impeded probe of Kosovo Serb politician’s murder (BIRN)
• Kosovo human rights concerns raised in new report (Exit)
• Hague prosecutors accused of failing to protect Kosovo case files (BIRN)
• Meta on Open Balkan: Ambiguous initiative imposed from above (euronews.al)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 13, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Kosovo Serbs vote by mail or at the liaison office (DW Albanian, media)
• Hovenier meets Bislimi: Committed to mutual recognition through dialogue (RTK)
• British Embassy: Announcement of competition for Chief Prosecutor, surprising (RTK)
• Borrell on Serbia’s referendum: Citizens should be allowed to vote (media)
• From today, KSF can embark anywhere in the world (Klan)
• Von Cramon: Shocked that Serbia wiretapped Russian opposition (media)
• Kosovo Albanians Applying for EU Residency Reaches Over 70,000 (Exit)
• COVID-19: 427 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 138 new cases registered in Serbian areas, no deaths (KoSSev)
• Borrell spoke with Vucic on referendum, says people should be able to vote (B92)
• “REC ready for referendum in KiM, waiting for response of those in charge” (KoSSev)
• Serbian List, Municipality condemn police action in Gracanica, urge international community to react (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo special police units raided Gracanica municipal building (Radio KIM)
• Gracanica: Organized transport for celebration cancelled because of special police action (Radio KIM)
• OSCE Mission confirmed it received Belgrade’s request regarding referendum (KoSSev)
• Odalovic: Voting took place during times of Haradinaj and Thaci (Radio KIM)
• “3.000 people from Serbia filed lawsuits against NATO” (B92)
• Threatening leaflet posted at church gate in Vitomirica village (Kosovo-online)
• Oliver Ivanovic’s family says investigation into his murder obstructed (N1)

• Escobar reconfirms support for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (VOA/media)
• Hovenier, Bislimi discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Kurti: Serbs in Kosovo can vote in referendum through mail or liaison office (media)
• EU wants Serbia's referendum to be allowed in Kosovo (Koha)
• Vucic warns of consequences if Serbia's referendum is not allowed in Kosovo (Koha)
• Stoltenberg: NATO intervened in Kosovo to stop atrocities (media)
• COVID-19: 424 new cases, one death (media)
• IMF projects 7.5 percent economic growth for Kosovo (Klan)
• Used To Free Electricity, Kosovo's Bitcoin Miners Are Now Facing Difficult Times After Ban (RFE)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 12, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Bühler: The American base in Albania is evidence of strategic importance of the region (media)
• KPC announces vacancy for Chief State Prosecutor, Lumezi's term ends in April (Albanian Post)
• Government decision: No more pensions under 100 euros (media)
• 12,000 Presevo Valley Albanians still without Kosovar citizenship (euronews.al)
• Swiss analyst sharply criticizes EU: You are terrified of Vucic (Express)
• Zaharova ironically asks if America has given up supporting Kosovo's sovereignty (ekonomiaonline)
• COVID-19: 424 new cases, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Office for KiM: By spinning Pristina authorities attempt to ban Serbs from voting in referendum (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian Defense Minister says Kosovo PM planning to destabilize region (N1)
• Diplomats: Kosovo will more and more become topic in Russian-US negotiations (Kosovo-online)
• Court of Appeals upheld indictment against Dejanovic (Radio KIM)
• “Kosovo government did not receive any request from Serbia regarding referendum" (Radio KIM, Radio kontakt plus)
• Brnabic: Serbia, Qatar have begun new stage of cooperation (Tanjug)

International:

• World Bank lowers Kosovo's 2022 GDP growth projection to 4.1% (SeeNews)
• Andric Rakic: Causes of weak anti-corruption institutional framework in Kosovo need to be discovered (EWB)
• Kosovo continues crackdown on crypto (Euractiv)

• Kosovo bus slides off road in Serbia, nine injured (media)
• Konjufca, Hovenier vow to strengthen Kosovo-U.S. relations (media)
• Appointment of Hovenier-Hill duo to boost dynamic of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (Koha)
• Kosovo to have liaison officer at State Department (media)
• Kosovo Veterans’ Deputy Leader: ‘Nothing New’ in Leaked War Court Files (BIRN)
• Kosovo's former chief negotiator charged for inaccurate declaration of assets (media)
• COVID-19: 356 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Covid: Half of Europe to be infected with Omicron within weeks - WHO (BBC)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 11, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 356 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kurti: Government committed to modernization of army (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo moves to address concerns of Serbia’s Presevo Valley Albanians (BIRN)
• After U.S., EU doesn’t rule out sanctions in Western Balkans (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 100 new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)
• Milivojevic: New US ambassadors to bring stronger pressure on Serbia (Radio KIM)
• MAT Magazine: China to become top five export destination for Serbian products (Tanjug)
• Vucic: Referendum important for future of our country (B92)
• Kosovo Serbs and referendum: Deafening silence of Belgrade (Radio KIM)
• Jevtic requests permanent presence of police at Brezovica ski center (Kosovo-online)
• Hodges: Serbia today is not Serbia of 1999 (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Kosovo Intensifies Hunt for Banned Crypto-Mining Machinery (Balkan Insight)
• Bulgarian President Reconfirms Hardline Stance on North Macedonia (Balkan Insight)
• EU funds have little impact in Western Balkans, auditors say (Politico)

• Kurti meets new U.S. Ambassador: We will stand in unshakable alliance (media)
• Hovenier's mission in Kosovo, to complete unfinished business (Koha)
• Kurti: We will take Kosovo Telecom out of the crisis and put it on the development tracks (media)
• European Parliament President David Sassoli dies at 65 (media)
• Can Serbs from Kosovo vote in Serbia's referendum? (RFE)
• Specialist Chambers confirm Kadri Veseli was granted custodial visit to Kosovo (Express)
• Under tight security measures, Veseli concludes visit to Kosovo (media)
• COVID-19: 236 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Great Britain’s Special Envoy, Stuart Peach: We support ‘Open Balkan’ (euronews.al)
• Kosovo protesters urge Serbia to free war crimes defendant (BIRN)
• ‘Active Citizens’ Charge Officials With Destroying Mirusha Waterfall (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• New U.S. Ambassador arrives in Kosovo (media)
• Rizvanolli on action in Leposavic: We saved over €50,000 per month (RTK)
• Finance minister on crypto ban: One man’s gain is everyone else’s burden (euronews.al)
• Kosovo Police Seize Crypto-Mining Equipment After Govt Ban (BIRN)
• Focus on final settlement overshadows implementation of other agreements (Koha)
• Minister Haxhiu sees undoing of Specialist Chambers as "impossible" (EO/media)
• Gervalla: Unlawful decisions taken in last years to be invalidated (media)
• Abrashi: Declaration of UNMIK officials “persona non grata” is inapplicable (Koha)
• Haradinaj to Kurti: Weren’t you the government of hope? (media)
• Meir: Turkey’s influence hinders Kosovo’s EU integration process (Lajmi)
• Police Errors Blamed for Woman’s Murder by Husband (BIRN)
• Mothers’ Stories Highlight Tragedy of Kosovo’s Disappeared (BIRN)
• Serbia's back-door bid to embed Chinese snooping tools in Kosovo (RFE)
• COVID-19: 304 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo braces for new wave of COVID-19 as it records over 1,000 cases in nine days (Express)