UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 15, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• No ease of lockdown measures for Christmas and New Year in Kosovo (media)
• Hoti: Mustafa is dealing with the meeting on president issue (media)
• Haradinaj’s initial appearance at Special Court rescheduled to 18 December (media)
• Ambassador Jan Braathu nominated OSCE chief of the mission in Serbia (Koha)
• Kosnett and Tan support local war crime prosecution (media)
• Osmani to travel for a three day visit to Albania (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian communities in Kosovo 56 new cases and one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Brnabic: I'm against curfew, celebrate at home; Vucic: vaccination soon (N1, BETA)
• Russian FM arrives in Belgrade; talks to include bilateral relations, economy (N1)
• Serbia's Foreign Minister: Close relations with Russia (N1)
• Serwer to N1: Vucic won't recognise Kosovo, we'll have to wait for one who will (N1)
• Trajkovic: Albright unlike Serwer recognizes opportunity for better US-Serbia relations (Kosovo-online)
• Energy agreement vaguely implanted (Danas)
• Mihajlovic: Opposition is spreading falsehoods and scaring Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian List: Incomprehensible and unacceptable need to denigrate one’s own state (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Opinion:

• The EU and Kosovo a decade on (opendemocracy.net)

International:

• Kosovo Truth Commission’s Future in Doubt After Thaci’s Indictment (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 353 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Zemaj: New anti-COVID measures to be coordinated with all stakeholders (media)
• Hoti: Threatening statements from Belgrade do not help dialogue (media)
• Still no date set for discussions on Kosovo’s next president (Prishtina Insight)
• "Kosovo heading towards snap elections" (RFE)
• Aide refutes reports Osmani will call parties to discuss president post (media)
• Haradinaj: If my candidacy is not endorsed, we head to elections (Telegrafi)
• 100 days since signed, Washington agreement remains in paper only (Koha)
• Serwer: Albright to become involved in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Kosovo War Veterans’ Leaders Indicted for Obstructing Justice (Balkan Insight)
• Status conference in case against Mustafa held at The Hague (media)
• Joint defence requests variation of time limit for preliminary motions (media)
• One of two Kosovo men arrested by Serbian authorities, released (Klan)
• Blast reported at police officer's home in Leposavic municipality (Kallxo)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID - 19: 353 new cases, 9 deaths (media)
• Hoti: If solution on President isn’t found, Kosovo goes to new elections (media)
• Nagavci: President post to be discussed after new elections (media)
• KOSTT to operate independently; PM Hoti calls it “a joint success” (media)
• Haradinaj: Decision to form Army was not easy, but most important (media)
• Pacolli: Army was a gift from the U.S. for our people (media)
• The shocking results of a study in Serbia (Klan Kosova)

Serbian Language Media:

• 24 new cases of Covid-19, four deaths registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: There will be more pressure (Vecernje Novosti, B92)
• Lavrov to visit Belgrade on Tuesday (Tanjug, TV Most)
• The public does not see how much NATO and Serbia work together (cfsp.rs)
• "When it comes to Serbia and Kosovo, the status quo is unsustainable" (Tanjug, B92, RFE)
• Abbot Janjic: Kosovo grotesque picture of what international community allegedly wanted to achieve 21 years ago (KoSSev)
• Brnabic: Vaccines by end of year (B92)
• Serbian Orthodox Church warns of false accounts under its name (BETA, N1)
• Mladjan Djordjevic once again urged Vucic to say to whom they handed over energy system in northern Kosovo (Direktno.rs)
• KOSTT started working as a regulatory area within the Kosovo-Albania bloc; no explanation to the citizens of the North (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• What Will a Joe Biden Presidency Mean for the Balkans? (nationalinterest.org)

International:

• Transparency concerns over Serbia’s growing military outlay (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo’s ‘The Flying Circus’ wins debut prize in Cottbus Film Festival (Exit.al)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Reading through the pandemic (Prishtina Insight)

• COVID – 19: 462 new cases, 12 deaths (media)
• Hoti: We’re preparing necessary measures for New Year holidays (media)
• No mass vaccination in Kosovo until 2022, according to The Economist (RTK)
• Serbian Police arrests two Kosovars, suspected of entering Serbia (media)
• Podujeva Mayor calls for release of persons arrested by Serbian Police (media)
• Abrashi: If no agreement on President, new elections in January (Kosovapress)
• Tahiri: New elections in Kosovo will be held on February 28 (media)
• No consensus on a candidate for Kosovo President post (Deutsche Welle)
• Osmani: I will run with my own list in new parliamentary elections (media)
• Palokaj: With this pace, the dialogue won’t end even in 2031 (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 11, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 590 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Hoti: Parties to agree on either the president or election date (Telegrafi)
• Mustafa doesn't view elections as way to resolve president's issue (Koha)
• Foundation set up to support Thaci's legal defence in The Hague (media)
• KFOR Commander expresses readiness to continue cooperation with KSF (Koha)
• Austrian MEP Mandl urges EU to grant Kosovo visa liberalisation (Klan)
• Residents of Krusha demand Tasic be retried for war crimes (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian areas in Kosovo 66 new cases of Covid-19, one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Visoki Decani one of 12 most threatened heritages sites, shortlisted for the 7 most endangered (KoSSev)
• Father Sava: 200.000 Serbs have not returned to Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• “Everyone has right to truth” (Radio KIM)
• The hearing on the case of Ivanovic's murder postponed indefinitely (Kontakt plus radio, KoSSev)
• Radojevic took oath: It is now up to me to live up to expectations (TV Most)
• Pristina Mayor: "The biggest problem of Serbs is that when they turn 18, they leave" (RTK2)
• Montgomery: Fixed stances on multiethnic societies in Kosovo and B&H will bring no solution (Kosovo-online)

International:

• COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Grip West Balkans, Survey Reveals (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Reidentifying the dead (Prishtina Insight)
• Homeless in their homes (Kosovo 2.0)

• COVID-19: 621 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Hoti: Measures against COVID-19 to be evaluated on Friday (Lajmi)
• Varhelyi: EU working to ensure Western Balkans receive Covid vaccine on time (Klan)
• BIRN Kosovo exposé of hospital security issues draws criticism (Balkan Insight)
• Lajcak: We continued discussions on financial and property claims (media)
• LDK MP: Either a new President is elected, or we go to new elections (RTK)
• AKR: This government has lost credibility (Klan Kosova)
• Ymeri: Vetevendosje wins 40 seats if elections are held soon (Telegrafi)
• Court rules Diaspora vote counting violated Constitution (media)
• Limaj hails Constitutional Court decision (media)
• LVV's Haxhiu reacts to Constitutional Court ruling (media)
• Incident in Zubin Potok, attack on a Kosovo Police vehicle (Kallxo)
• No room for Kosovo in the EU, says Austrian MP (Klan Kosova)
• Osmani slams reports she terminated contract with William Walker (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 562 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• On Human Rights Day, SRSG Zahir Tanin Calls for Placing Human Rights at the Core of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia dialogue continues in Brussels (Express)
• Lajcak tells what is expected to be discussed today at Prishtina-Belgrade meeting (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, no narrowing of differences (Express)
• Hoti: We do not go to the dialogue for anyone’s interests but those of the state (media)
• Von Cramon urges visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• “We are not blackmailing, but we do not vote anyone except for Haradinaj” (Telegrafi)
• Serwer slams media close to Vucic for referring Albanians with a racist slur (Express)
• “Engagement of former EULEX prosecutors, fades Special Court’s credibility” (RTK)
• Hoti: Human rights to be dignifiedly represented (RTK)
• Abbott with Mother Theresa’s saying on International Human Rights Day (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 59 newly infected in Serb areas in Kosovo (KiM radio)
• Petkovic: Dialogue is going in the right direction - in the direction of a compromise solution (KoSSev)
• Petkovic met Lajcak in Brussels (Kosovo-online)
• It is clear now - EU enlargement has been slowed down (Jutarnji List, B92)
• Schieb: Serbia's progress in rule of law modest, no new chapter (N1)
• Displaced in Z. Potok and Leposavic: We are second-class citizens; we only want our own roof over our heads (KoSSev)
• Brnabic: Serbia may introduce mandatory PCR test for people coming from abroad (N1)
• Normalization at zero point or step by step process? (KiM radio, 'Dogovor' TV Show)
• "What genocide in Kosovo?” (B92, Prva TV, Tanjug)
• Gara: Remains of at least 6 persons were discovered at Muslim cemetery in North Mitrovica (Kontakt plus radio)
• EP's Bilcík: Serbia standing still, but EU has to be more active too (N1)

International:

• 12 European heritage sites shortlisted for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2021 (europanostra.org)
• China Increasing its Footprint in Balkan Media, Study Concludes (Balkan Insight)
• Southeast Europe is Pioneering a Global ‘Whistleblower Revolution’ (Balkan Insight)
• Grenell talks Serbia-Kosovo: people should stop "lingering on the past" (The Tartan)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Surviving a Pandemic (UNDP Eurasia)
• Serbian Health Minister: Return to normal life not possible before spring (B92)

• COVID-19: 561 new cases, 11 deaths (media)
• BIRN exposes lack of security at COVID-19 clinics (Prishtina Insight)
• Mustafa says healthcare staff needs to be treated with more respect (media)
• SHSKUK refutes BIRN report on COVID-19 (Kallxo)
• Delegations from Kosovo and Serbia to meet in Brussels today (media)
• Hoti: No date when political roundtable will take place (EO/Koha)
• Mustafa: Our goal is not to take the post of Kosovo president (T7/Kallxo)
• Haziri: President's name goes through LDK offices (media)
• Hoxhaj: President to be decided through parliamentary cooperation (Klan)
• LVV vows to sue Serbia for genocide at ICJ (media)
• Gucati's appeal rejected at the Specialist Chambers (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 9, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 561 new cases, 11 deaths (media)
• Kosovo PM's Office: Only financial claims to be discussed in Brussels (Klan)
• Hoti expects Serbia to apologise for crimes in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: Victims' voice cannot be silenced, Serbia to recognise weight of its crimes (media)
• Kurti: Kosovo needs re-legitimisation of institutions through fresh elections (media)
• Mustafa: No readiness to discuss the president, we are sliding towards elections (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj: PDK will not become part of a process that deepens internal divide (media)
• Tahiri: PDK has no votes for Haradinaj’s candidacy for President (media)
• Next statutory session for former KLA leaders on December 17 (media)
• Germany commits €72.1 million to support Kosovo's European integration (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• 67 new cases of Covid-19, one death in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• Tahiri: Presidential elections in Kosovo in late February (RTK2)
• Petkovic: We will insist in Brussels tomorrow on ZSO and security of returnees (Kosovo-online)
• Germany: Opening of chapters depends on Belgrade, not on Brussels or Berlin (N1)
• Jevtic with COM KFOR on security situation in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Ministry for Communities and Returns: Returnee attacked in Dubrava village (Radio KIM)
• US Committee: Bosnia dysfunctional and susceptible to Russia and China influence (N1)
• Vucic: If I would sing an act on independent Kosovo, I would win Nobel Peace Prize (B92)
• Janjic: Biden unlikely to follow Engel's recommendations regarding Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, TV Prva)
• “Belgrade is aware of what the Serwer-Albright-Engel trio is trying to do” (B92, Tanjug)
• Jeremic: We did not lose at the International Court of Justice, that is a lie (Kosovo Online)
• Viola von Cramon: This is not an anti-Serbian attitude, but a pro-European one (Politika, Tanjug)

International:

• BCSP and KCSS: Citizens of Kosovo and Serbia support the dialogue, but see no benefits (EWB)
• Serbia Convicts Yugoslav Soldier of Killing Albanian Civilians (Balkan Insight)
• Albright Tells Congress Corruption 'Crippling' Western Balkans, Says U.S. Needs To Step Up Regional Presence (RFE)
• Viral vulnerability: How the pandemic is making democracy sick in the Western Balkans (ecfr.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Court suspends work of two hydropower plants in Decan (media)

• COVID – 19: 643 new cases, 17 deaths (media)
• EP will again call on non-recognising countries to recognise Kosovo (RFE)
• “Vetevendosje will not engage in deals for Kosovo President post” (media)
• Daut Haradinaj doesn’t rule out coalition with Vetevendosje (media)
• Almqvist: Fake news study doesn’t represent position of EP (media)
• Engel: Serbia cannot join EU without recognising Kosovo (media)
• Albright: US and EU to cooperate in initiatives in Western Balkans (media)
• Montenegrin government: Footnote for Kosovo was a technical mistake (media)