UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 31, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 1,593 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Osmani: We have not received new proposals about the Association (media)
• Kurti: It is not possible to have no subsidies, no increase in prices, no disconnection (media)
• Escobar and Lajcak to meet opposition parties as well (demokracia.com)
• LDK against increase of electricity tariffs (media)
• Krasniqi: Government will be responsible for increase of electricity price (media)
• Kosovo "respects" the Washington moratorium even after expiration (RFE Albanian)
• Haliti: Negotiations with Serbia on contested matters should begin (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 107 new cases registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• Kosovo, Albania to form cross-border administrative area (N1, Kosovo-online)
• Escobar: US, EU don’t decide on distribution of power in Serbia (N1)
• Two largest Serbian ruling parties to run separate lists in upcoming elections (N1)
• Serbian List is not interested in social policy; Simic: Incorrect (Kim Radio, Kosovo Online, Kosova press)
• Lajcak: Experts from Belgrade, Pristina discuss license plates (N1)
• Selakovic on the "Belgian model": The Brussels Agreement clearly states what the ZSO is (N1, Beta, TV Pink)
• Drecun: Model of Community of Serb-majority Municipalities agreed in Brussels only acceptable one (Tanjug)
• KLA flag placed at entry of Velika Hoca (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• The Kosovo case (KiM radio, NMagazin)

International:

• Serbia's Foreign Minister Signals Dead End On Kosovo Talks (RFE)
• Protesters Over Hike in Electricity Price Scuffle With Police (Prishtina Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Energy poverty leads to pollution-related deaths in Albania and Western Balkans (Euractive)
• Tomanić: Environmental issues have a mobilising potential in the entire Western Balkans (EWB)

• Escobar and Lajcak arrive in Kosovo today (media)
• EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak interview with Gazeta Express
• COVID-19: 2,390 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Pristina protesters storm government building over energy prices (RFE)
• Kosovo sends two athletes to Beijing despite backing US boycott (BIRN)
• Hope and healing in Kosovo’s Oscar entry ‘Hive’ (AP)
• Serbian media: Albanians attacked police in Kursumlija (Klan Kosova)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 3,617 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Minister Murati meets with U.S. Ambassador Jeff Hovenier (ATV)
• Customs: U.S. has become Kosovo's main export market (media)
• Haradinaj: Any option that ignores Constitution and borders, severely damages Kosovo (Reporteri)
• Aliu in Presevo: Belgrade can stop us, but we will continue to insist (media)
• Molliqaj: PDK will not participate, LDK, AAK support Saturday’s protest (media)
• Deliu-Kodra criticizes President for remaining silent about electricity crisis (RTK)
• Hoti: Decision on three doses of vaccine to enter Kosovo does not make sense (media)
• Over six thousand students currently infected with COVID-19 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Escobar to Pristina: Respect court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic: It is necessary to hold April 3 elections in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Trajkovic: Claims that independence of Kosovo is fact are disincentive for negotiations (Kosovo-online)
• Community in a new package for Kosovo (RFE)
• Another witness in case of Dusko Arsic interviewed (Kosovo-online)
• Efraim Zuroff: Comparison of Kosovo Albanians with Holocaust inaccurate (Kosovo-online)
• Ombudsman says textbook denies national minority languages (N1)

International:

• Kosovo Suspends Judge Filmed Acting Illegally by BIRN (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Special Court Extends Ex-President Thaci’s Detention (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 3,917 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Assembly does not approve opposition's motion to amend Covid measures (media)
• United States commit additional $3 million for pandemic response (media)
• Kosovo’s New Anti-COVID Measures Anger Businesses and Travelers (BIRN)
• Escobar: Status-quo in dialogue not working, Association does not violate Kosovo's sovereignty (Reporteri.net)
• Bislimi: Kosovo negotiating a non-aggression deal with Serbia, through EU (Kanal 10)
• Ombudsperson: Non-inclusion of four municipalities in energy tariff plan, unacceptable (KP)
• Kosovo Businesses Welcome Expected Customs Office in Albanian Port (BIRN)
• KSC pre-trial judge extends Thaci’s detention (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 27, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 3,917 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Kurti: Life and health of people has priority in our decisions (Telegrafi/Koha)
• Opposition MPs slam government for management of COVID-19 pandemic (Express)
• Nearly 8,000 students, teachers infected with COVID-19 (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj opposes closing of borders and police curfew (media)
• CDHRF: Why should we pay for electricity of four northern municipalities (RTK)
• Police: 200 persons took part in protest against energy tariff increase (RTK)
• Tahiri: Vetevendosje always opposed energy projects (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Three deaths, 186 new cases in Serb areas (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Stano: Alignment of Serbia with EU foreign policy on rise (Kosovo-online)
• US Ambassador Hovenier: Kosovo Serbs should be able to vote (N1, RTK2, KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Vucic with Kharchenko on regional and global affairs (Kosovo-online)
• Serbia’s Equality Commissioner: Holocaust warns of what hatred of others can do (N1, Beta)
• Brnabic: EU has never been more positive about Serbia (Tanjug)
• SOC and believers in Serbia celebrate St. Sava Day (N1)

Opinion:

• Toying with the judiciary (Kosovo 2.0)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Another Expensive Year (Kosovo 2.0)

• COVID-19: 4,397 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo Assembly to discuss COVID-19 pandemic in special session (media)
• Hovenier: Kosovo’s progress is a miracle, but there is still work to be done (RTK)
• Ambassador Hovenier confirms visit of U.S. Envoy Escobar to Kosovo next week (media)
• Government of Kosovo silent to Borrell's criticism (Koha)
• Albania gives Kosovo customs point at Durres port (media)
• Ukrainian MP thanks Kosovo: The next step, establishment of relations (media)
• Protesters Condemn Looming Hike in Electricity Bills (Prishtina Insight)
• Opposition parties: Energy tariff to be opposed through legal mechanisms (Klan)

Albanian Language Media:

• Health Minister doesn’t rule out schools switching to online classes (Koha)
• AAK MP: Two people succumbed to COVID-19 at Infectious Clinic today (Lajmi)
• Protest in downtown Prishtina against energy tariff increase (Telegrafi)
• PDK against tariff increase; calls ERO to draft another report (Indeksonline)
• Hovenier confirms Escobar and Lajcak visit to Kosovo next week (RTK)
• Kosovo in the service of the U.S. for Ukraine (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Trajkovic and Spahiu about AKK launching investigation against SL officials (KiM radio)
• Good defense relations between Britain and Serbia (N1)
• Brnabic: Brussels visit successful (Tanjug)
• Empirica: New measures of the Government of Kosovo affect the freedom of movement of citizens (KiM radio)
• Training of Serbian Army members in Bujanovac base to secure the administrative line with KiM (Kosovo-online)
• Davenport: OSCE ready to collect ballots for future Serbian elections, subject to consent of all (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic with Dmochowski on rights of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

International:

• EU Warns Serbia Against Genocide Denial (Balkan Insight)
• Book Review: Balkan Muslims, a Community in Danger? (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Movie on March violence in Kosovo wins audience award in movie festival in Trieste (Kosovo-online)
• European Fund: Pollution in Balkans causes large number of premature deaths (Beta, N1)

• Escobar and Lajcak to visit Kosovo and Serbia next week (media)
• Lajcak meets Bislimi in Vienna, discuss dialogue (media)
• Borrell: No place in EU for deniers of genocide, war crimes (media)
• Kurti: Fight against organised crime and corruption yielding results (media)
• Osmani: We are uprooting corruption, step by step (media)
• British Embassy, EU hail Kosovo’s success in fighting corruption (media)
• Kosovo Armed Forces expect shipment of Puma hand-launchable aircrafts (media)
• Isufi: Not 40 but 4 aircrafts have been purchased from the U.S. (Klan)
• COVID-19: 2,707 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Around 700 students in Preshevo Valley affected by new travel rules (Euronews.al)
• Kusari-Lila: There is room to review measures affecting movement of citizens (Telegrafi)
• Belgrade expects OSCE to run Serbian elections in Kosovo (Express)
• In Kosovo Cafes, Minorities Suffer Most From Segregation Culture (Prishtina Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 25, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo marks slight progress in anti-corruption fight (RFE/media)
• KDI recognises Kosovo’s progress but notes that a great deal of work remains (media)
• Kosovo's progress in fight against corruption hailed (media)
• Kurti says justice institutions to deal with Serbian List officials, not Government (Telegrafi)
• Northern municipalities not included in energy price increase proposal, ERO head says (Kosovapress/media)
• GAP: Kosovo to increase minimum wage to mitigate price increase impact (media)
• COVID-19: 2,707 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian communities in Kosovo: 192 people infected and one death recorded (Kontakt plus radio)
• Petkovic: Preventing Serbian elections in Kosovo would have consequences (Beta, N1)
• Kosovo Anti-Corruption Agency launches proceedings against Serbian List officials (Radio KIM)
• Brnabic holds bilateral meetings with Varhelyi, Borrell (Tanjug)
• Corruption 2021: Serbia at its lowest score in decade for second year in a row (N1)
• Petkovic, Selakovic with Davenport on situation in Kosovo, rights of Serbs (Kosovo-online)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Do not assume COVID pandemic reaching 'end game', warns WHO (Reuters)

• Assembly to vote today on motion against energy price increase (media)
• Rizvanolli: Energy tariff increase is inevitable (KTV)
• COVID-19: 2,243 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Kosovo defends new COVID-19 measures for visitors against backlash (BIRN)
• Mehaj-Hovenier: KSF, partner of NATO for regional and global security (RTK)
• Court closes ‘Pronto’ affair without convictions (Prishtina Insight)
• Not wanted: Roma graduates remain jobless in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Cameras blacklisted by the U.S. monitor the Government of Kosovo (RFE)