UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 05, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Periskopi: Thaci and Vucic were presented with draft agreement at White House meeting
• Thaci: Lajcak voted against Kosovo's membership to Interpol (Kallxo)
• Veseli: Kosovo deserves better (media)
• “Thaci's second attempt at preventing work of Specialist Chambers” (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Washington absolutely that tariffs are revoked, no recognition and Serbia to get nothing (Kosovo-online)
• Borrel for the continuation of the EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (NMagazin, euractiv.jutarnji.hr)
• Serbia ranked ‘partly free’ in Freedom in the World report (N1)
• Jankovic: Americans ‘dragged’ Vucic to Washington, visit below his level (Danas, FoNet)

Opinion:

• Trump is looking for a foreign policy coup in the Balkans (aljazeera.com)
• Don’t Trust Serbian or Kosovo ‘Kings’ to Achieve Peace (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Vucic: Most Serbs Prefer a ‘Frozen Conflict’ with Kosovo (Foreign Policy)
• Populist Shrug Off Protests In Central And Southeast Europe (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development

• Bosnia confirms its first case of coronavirus - regional TV (Reuters)
• "If the Greek border falls ..." (B92, Tanjug)
• Kosovo Citizens ‘Haven’t Heard of’ President’s Reconciliation Initiative (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci: U.S. is taking the lead of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• PM's office: U.S. will not withdraw troops from Kosovo (RTK)
• Haziri speaks after LDK senior leadership meeting (RTK/Telegrafi)
• Nagavci: President to respond to Kurti's meeting request (media)
• Veseli responds to Kurti's request for meeting, sets the place (Zeri/Insajderi)
• BIRN publishes air, rail, and road links agreements (Prishtina Insight)
• Thaci: I was not interviewed by Specialist Chambers (Zeri/Telegrafi)
• Kurti recaps on the government's one-month performance (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• In absence of Assembly session, Thaci to hold press conference (media)
• Osmani: Request for Assembly session should be made days in advance (media)
• Thaci says meeting with Vucic was ‘encouraging’ (media)
• Hoti: Kosovo government’s agenda only successful with U.S. and EU coordination (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: ''News on Belgrade-Pristina deal being reached is false'' (B92)
• Grenell resigns as ambassador to Germany: White House announced his resignation (Serbian media)
• An unannounced guest at a meeting with Vucic, Grenell retweeted (Tanjug, B92, Blic)
• Judah: We could be approaching a crunch point in KOS-SRB dialogue, land swap talks without recognition (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Wolves In The Woods: Liberal Democracy And Its Enemies (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Serbian President Sets Election Date as Boycott Threat Fades (news.yahoo.com, bloomberg.com)
• Field Missing: Discrepancies and Gaps Plague Kosovo’s Public Data (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia Keeps Pressure on Kosovo Despite Western Push for Thaw (Bloomberg)
• Territory, Energy, Politics: Serbia’s Long-Running Border Disputes (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci-Vucic meeting to move dialogue from Brussels to Washington (Koha)
• Kurti invites Thaci to a meeting (media)
• Kurti spoke on the phone to Grenell and O'Brien (Kallxo)
• “President leads Kosovo’s foreign policy” (Zeri)
• Engel: The main problem for Kosovo is Serbia not the tariff (Epoka e Re)
• Konjufca requests relieving seven ambassadors of duty (media)
• Citaku expresses readiness to leave ambassadorial post to U.S. (media)
• Reka: No visa liberalisation without results in corruption fight (KP/Telegrafi)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We cannot allow our good will be undermined by Serbia (media)
• Konjufca reacts to reports that Sierra Leone has revoked recognition of Kosovo (media)
• Thaci plans to address Kosovo Assembly tomorrow (Telegrafi)
• Grenell reacts to Judah concerning Thaci-Vucic meeting (Klan)
• Kurti: Reciprocity will happen (Klan Kosova/RTK)
• Kosovo, Albania, Croatia form initiative to deepen tripartite relations (Zeri/Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: Sierra Leone 18th state to withdraw Kosovo’s recognition; Pristina: We have nothing to confirm (KoSSev)
• Successful discussion followed by a great dinner with bacon from Wisconsin (B92, Tanjug)
• Vucic and Thaci met at the White House; "I only asked Albanians one thing" (VoA, Tanjug, B92)
• Gerxhaliu: Pristina's decision to abolish tariffs by the end of this or next week (nova.rs, Tanjug)
• Rama: "I've highly appreciated Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. However, he is a big liar" (Kosovo Online, B92, Gazeta Express)
• Djuric: Withdrawal of recognition is a confirmation of Serbia’s persistence (RTS)

International:

• Kosovar, Serbian Presidents Hold 'Goodwill' Meeting At White House (RFE)
• Kosovo Lays Out Prospect of Tariff Cut on Serb Goods (AP/NYT)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo's new government includes most women since independence (Al Jazeera)
• Advice To My Younger Self: Women From The Balkans (RFE)
• 'Balkan route' countries pledge to stop asylum seekers (euobserver.com)

• Thaci, Vucic meet behind closed doors in Washington (media)
• Thaci: Meeting with Vucic focused on need for achieving final settlement (RFE/Klan)
• Kurti: Thaci has no authority to sign agreement with Serbia (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo PM Kurti writes to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo (media)
• Kurti: We seek a mature and not a hastened dialogue (RTK)
• Abazi: A document drafted by Thaci cripples Kosovo’s statehood (Bota Sot)
• Kosovo Assembly fails to take decision on tax (media)
• Haxhiu: Our agreement with LDK is to replace tariff with reciprocity (Express)
• Haziri: Eastern Kosovo Albanians should unite with their homeland (RTK)
• Vucic: New withdrawals of recognition of Kosovo expected (RTK)
• Dacic: Sierra Leone has derecognised Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

Albanian Language Media:

Kosovo PM Kurti writes to President Trump, Secretary Pompeo (media)
Selimi: Opposition not clear on what is asking regarding tax (media)
Gashi: Citizens have voted for removal of tax (media)
Hamza: Kosovo needs to preserve relations with U.S. and EU (Telegrafi)
Haradinaj: We kept the tax despite pressure, new government to do likewise (Koha)
Kurti invites Veseli, Haradinaj to a meeting (Kallxo)
CEC holds ballot draw for extraordinary mayoral elections in Podujeve (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Odalovic: Most important is for Kosovo to abolish tariffs and create conditions to continue the dialogue (N1, Kosovo Online)
Vucic: Parliamentary elections on March 4 (Beta, RTS, N1)
Serbia's Vucic: Grenell's right, Kurti's offer attempted hoax (FoNet, N1)
Law on the Use of Languages in Kosovo is a dead letter on paper (KoSSev)

Opinion:

The Balkans in the New Decade: Regional Opportunities Ahead (theglobalist.com)

International:

Serbia to open diplomatic mission in Jerusalem (israelnationalnews.com)
Serbian pres tells ‘Post’ he will buy weapons from Israel (jpost.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

Situation on Greek border to deteriorate, confidential Frontex report warns (ekathimerini.com)
Mirgrad – a new city for the reconciliation of Serbs and Albanians (KoSSev)
Balkans brace for another migration crisis, urge EU to wake up (euractiv.com)
Association of Journalists condemns physical assault on RTK staff (media)

• Mustafa: Tariff to be lifted as requested by the U.S. (media)
• Grenell supports Mustafa’s call for lifting of the tariff (media)
• Osmani: LDK-LVV will meet again about lifting of the tariff (media)
• Vucic: No resumption of dialogue without complete lifting of the tariff (RTK)
• Tanjug: Vucic and Thaci might meet on Monday (media)
• Rama and Haradinaj clash over tariff decision (Koha Ditore)
• Thaci: We cannot undermine partnership with U.S. (RTV21/Telegrafi)
• Kosovo government drafts four-year programme (Zeri)
• Thaci says Lajcak has no credibility to be Kosovo-Serbia envoy (Telegrafi)
• Butel: Parties to look at all options leading to final agreement (Koha Ditore)

• U.S. administration ready to assist Kosovo-Serbia agreement (RTK)
• Thaci: Wrong decisions deepen Kosovo’s isolation (media)
• Mustafa: Kosovo should not stand between the U.S. and the EU (Klan/Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj: Kurti agreed with Vucic to lift the tax (Koha)
• UK PM Johnson welcomed Kosovo’s partial withdrawal of tax (media)
• Berlin: Kurti's decision first step towards full lifting of tax (media)
• Italy supports decision on partial removal of tax (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo government dismisses boards of Trepca, Infrakos (media)
• Osmani: Important for coalition partners to take joint decisions (media)
• Judah: Kurti defies Grenell's team while Palmer's team keeps quiet (media)
• Kosovo requests information from Romania on the killing of two protesters in 2007 (Zeri)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Western allies will come out with agreed plan for Kosovo (FoNet, Beta, N1)
• A slap from America: "Kurti is making a serious mistake" (Tanjug, B92)
• "No willingness to create conditions for Serbs to live better" (KIM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
• Joseph: Kurti’s decision indicator of US power (Tanjug, Dnevnik)
• Russian MFA Spokeswoman comments on Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ readiness to initiate proceedings (Serbian media)
• Nova.rs website publishes new details about Serb politician murder in Kosovo (Nova.rs, N1)

International:

• Kosovo to partially remove tariffs on Serbian-made goods (Reuters)
• U.S. Envoy Calls Kosovo's Decision To Partially Lift Serbian Import Tariffs A 'Serious Mistake' (RFE)
• Mixed reactions to Kurti’s tariff plans (Balkan Insight)
• EU's Varhelyi: Accession Talks With Two Balkan States Could Open in Weeks (The New York Times)
• Life in the Shadow of Kosovo’s new Border/Boundaries (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Mehmet Bogujevci: Boxers from Kosovo will participate in the championship in Belgrade (RTK2, Kosovo Online)
• "Turkey will no longer stop refugees" - migrants already heading towards Europe (Tanjug, B92, Reuters)
• Social Media a Help and Hindrance in Balkan Coronavirus Fight (Balkan Insight)