UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 3 May, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Press freedom is a basic human right, crucial for democracy (media)
• US Embassy: A strong democracy encourages a free press (media)
• Reactions to Reporters without Borders latest report on Kosovo (media)
• Nissen: Kosovo’s membership in NATO will become reality (media)
• Kurti meets Yildirim, thanks his group for choosing to invest in Kosovo (media)
• Osmani joins dedication ceremony of U.S. embassy conference rooms (media)
• Petkovic says Kosovo authorities rejected his visit request (RFE)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucic: I believe in new government, challenging times are ahead (Tanjug)
• Yet another illegal expropriation in the north of Kosovo? New road through Banov Do village, residents say they did not need it at all (Radio kontakt plus, Alternativna)
• Vucic: Eswatini's support especially important amid pressure on Serbia (Tanjug)
• Kosovo drops 19, Serbia 7 points on RSF Press Freedom Index (KoSSev)
• Matic: Commission for investigating murders of journalists in Kosovo must have an international mandate (Kosovo Online)
• A year of pain: Serbia marks school shooting anniversary (N1, media)

Opinion:

• Mujanovic: The Case for Admitting Kosovo to the Council of Europe (media)
 
International:

• An Artist From Kosovo Takes Flight (The New York Times)
• Serbian Media ‘Lost Public Trust’ Amid School Shooting Hysteria (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media:
• Osmani meets Hovenier: EU’s measures are unfair and must be removed (media)
• Stano: EU decides on lifting of measures, not government of Kosovo (media)
• Government reacts: De-escalation took place, measures must be lifted (media)
• Zulfaj: By not lifting measures against Kosovo, EU loses credibility (RTK)
• British Parliament approved Alicia Kearns' motion for Kosovo (media)
• Reporters without Borders latest report on Kosovo (media)
• Kurti’s “digital army” on the frontline against reporters (RFE)
• Bajqinovci: Serbia is training 400 extremists in Kopaonik (KTV)
• Ministry changes article on marriage, doesn’t say when govt will vote on it (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:
• Parliament elects new Serbian Government (Tanjug)
• Stano: Serbian Government expected to show commitment to EU (N1)
• Stano: EU members, not Kosovo politicians, decide on abolition of punitive measures (Kosovo Online, KoSSev)
• SRSG Ziadeh meets Bishop Teodosije in Gracanica (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Kosovo Assembly on State Department report, opposition harshly criticized government over corruption (KoSSev, Radio KIM)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 2 May, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We met all EU requests to lift restrictive measures (RFE)
• Kosovo and MCC launch largest energy program in Kosovo (media)
• Tahiri: Assembly must meet and discuss date of new elections (EO)
• Kusari-Lila: State Department report has errors and inaccuracies (Koha)
• Kurti meets deputy mayors of Mitrovica North, Zvecan and Leposavic (media)
• Tuppurainen: Careful with Association not to be Vucic’s instrument (Express)
• Tahiri argues Association should not be given to join Council of Europe (media)
• Balje: I will not vote for same sex marriages (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucevic says Serbia has its red lines, no recognition of Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Belgrade supports Lajcak’s process for establishing CSM (Kosovo Online)
• Albanian Top Channel citing a 1943 census claims Orthodox Kosovo Albanians were "exterminated", "converted to Serbs" and their "churches taken over" by Serbia (KoSSev)
• Three persons arrested over attack on Serb in Bosniak Mahala sent to house arrest (KoSSev)
• Pristina banned Milorad Arlov from visiting Kosovo for Easter (Kosovo Online)
• 25th anniversary of siblings Marija and Nikola death in Luzane bus attack commemorated in Gracanica (Radio KIM, KoSSev, RTS, media)
• 25 years since bombing of MUP building in Mitrovica North (KoSSev, media)
• Radio KIM: Kurti at ceremony of already handed over keys of apartments in Suvi Do, near Lipljan (media)
• Surveillance cameras installed near Tzar Lazar Monument in Mitrovica North (Kosovo Online)

International:

• UK warned to pay more attention to risks of conflict in the Balkans (The Standard)
• Forgetting Covid: Kosovo Sleepwalks Towards the Next Pandemic (BIRN)
• Ukrainian Photo Exhibit In Kosovo Offers Hope For The Future (RFE)

Albanian Language Media:
• For successful vote, Germany asks Kosovo to take decisive step on Association (Koha)
• Bakoyannis: No candidate has been asked for so many reforms (media)
• Gervalla: Kosovo has met all conditions for membership in CoE (media)
• Bislimi in Switzerland discusses CoE membership and dialogue (Reporteri)
• Biserko on Kosovo at CoE: Positive for Serbs in Kosovo (media)
• Kurti calls on SPO to charge criminals who committed genocide during war (media)
• Kurti: With powerful unions, tendencies of oligarchic employers are repelled (media)

Serbian Language Media:
• Serbian Parliament hears PM-designate’s program, discusses new Government (N1, media)
• Vucevic: Defending Serbia's sovereignty to be our biggest challenge (Tanjug)
• Serbian officials slam Bakoyannis remarks on CoE and Kosovo (Tanjug, media, social media)
• US disappointed with nomination of sanctioned individuals as ministers (VoA, N1)
• Petkovic reacts to Kurti’s BBC interview, says the only one belonging to last century is Kurti (Kosovo Online)
• KoSSev: Kosovo Union protest demanding social dialogue and wages increase, Kurti with lessons from history and praises of system (BETA)
International Media:
• Bakoyannis: Everyone was aware of my special ties with the Serbian people (European Western Balkans)
• Boys Preferred: Sex-Selective Abortion Still Happening in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 30 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: €200 million U.S. grant will transform our energy sector (media)
• Kurti on Banjska attack: I think they wanted a new war (media)
• Kryeziu reacts to Stano: Lack of progress is not due to both sides (media)
• Gervalla: Kosovo, a champion of democracy and rule of law in Balkans (media)
• Pahor preparing a document for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (Koha)
• Kosovo Teacher’s Union to protest on Wednesday (Indeksonline)
• Kurti attends opening of exhibition “Ukraine, a war crime” in Pristina (media)
• Kosovo Assembly committee adopts Code of Conduct for MPs (media)
• U.S. sanctioned Serbian politician nominated for Deputy Prime Minister (media)
• Stradner: Vucic “preparing new escalation” to remain in power for years (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Vucevic announces composition of new Serbian Government (N1, media)
• Pro-Russian sentiments rising in Serbia, EU losing support (VoA, N1)
• Kilometers-long queues at Jarinje crossing point (KoSSev, Radio KIM)
• Serbs in the north of Kosovo on census: Neither is one knocking on our door, nor would we have open it (RFE)
• SRSG meets Partes mayor, encourages work on building trust between people (KoSSev, Kosovo Online, social media)
• Vukicevic: We are finding ways as best we can; Pristina's regulations make life difficult for everyone (Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo police installing cameras at another four locations in Mitrovica North (KoSSev)
• Trial to Thaci and others: KLA legal adviser requested release of two Albanian women from KLA prison camp, both found dead (KoSSev, BETA, media)
• Serbia is China's first comprehensive strategic partner in CEE - Chinese MFA (Tanjug)

International:

• Kosovo Lacks Capacities to Fight Disinformation (Prishtina Insight)
• Hindered in many ways (Kosovo 2.0)

Albanian Language Media:
• Scholz call with Kurti, support and highlights importance of dialogue (media)
• Osmani thanks MEPs: You were true champions of our people (media)
• Kurti meets Italian MPs, thanks them for Italy’s support for Kosovo (media)
• EU: Lack of political will, reason why implementation of agreement failed (RTK)
• EU sees next meeting on dinar as last chance for solution (RFE)
• Guerot: Concrete steps on Association if Kosovo wants to join CoE (media)

Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: Belgrade faces diplomatic battles (N1, Tanjug, media)
• Vucic speaks with Prince Albert II of Monaco (Tanjug)
• Stano: Lajcak did not fail (N1, FoNet)
• Dacic: Serbia to get new government over the holidays (N1, BETA)
• Serbian List says Radomirovic is “informant of Kosovo police, betrays Serbs who are then arrested and persecuted” (Kosovo Online)
• One more person arrested in relation to attack on Serbs in Bosniak Mahala (KoSSev)
• Surveillance cameras installed on a crossroad near Technical School in Mitrovica North (Radio KIM)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 29 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti call with Scholz, asks for support for Council of Europe bid (media)
• Tahiri: Association is not a condition for CoE; govt must be careful (media)
• Muja: I believe Kosovo has met all conditions to become CoE member (EO)
• Statistics Agency: Serbs in north resist to register, those in the south not (RFE)
• Bislimi: We are always vigilant, always calculate worst possible scenario (media)
• Von Cramon: Reason for EU measures against Kosovo no longer exists (Kallxo)
• “EU must immediately lift measures against Kosovo” (Kosovapress)
• Kurti remembers 376 killed in Meja and buried in Batajnica mass grave (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• Office for KiM says Kurti’s regime responsible for surge of violence against Serbs (media)
• Serbian List reacts to the latest incidents targeting Serbs (media)
• Kosovo Central Bank decision made lives of Serbs difficult (Blic, Kosovo Online)
• Arlov handed over scholarships to children from Kosovo at Jarinje crossing point (Kosovo Online)
• Elshani: Prosecution informed of audio recording with Radomirovic (Kosovo Online, Novosti)
• Chinese President Xi Jinping coming to Serbia in May (N1)
• Lawyer: Pristina needs to deliver autopsy report for Serbs killed in Banjska (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Baerbock: Showing courageous responsibility for our Europe (media)

International:

• Kosovo-Serbia Declaration on Missing Persons Remains Unimplemented (BIRN)
• Slovenia President Backs Predecessor as New Kosovo-Serbia Envoy (BIRN)
• British man, 53, is 'wrongly' detained in 'hellhole' prison for war crimes dating back to 1999 after being rounded up by police while trying to cross over into Croatia (Daily Mail)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Petition launched for draft law on suicide prevention in Kosovo (RFE)

Albanian Language Media:
• Kusari-Lila: Association draft to court, not a condition before vote at Committee of Ministers (EO)
• Knaus shares part of Kurt's speech in Berlin: He said he cannot impose QUINT draft statute on Serbs (Albanian Post)
• Martens: Berlin, Paris intend to postpone vote for CoE membership (Albanian Post)
• Haxhiu: CoE membership paves way for justice for war crimes (media)
• Kryeziu reacts to SL: Cameras in north are in service of public security (media)
• “Nearly 900,000 citizens registered so far, Serbs in north remain hesitant” (Klan)
• Tahiri: Kurti to explain why Serbia remains unpunished even after Banjska (EO)

Serbian Language Media:
• Two Serbs beaten up in Bosniak mahala, Mitrovica North, three Albanians arrested (Tanjug, N1, media)
• Three Albanians arrested, two more identified and one looked for, in relation to attack against Serb young man in Mitrovica North (KoSSev, media)
• Lawyer: Bosniak arrested at Brnjak crossing point over alleged war crimes sent to one-month detention (Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo police started installing security cameras in Mitrovica North, Serbian List demands their removal (KoSSev, media)
• Will holders of “second class“ travel documents, who cannot obtain Kosovo ones, finally get good news? (KoSSev)
• Vucic: Good discussion with Ashton about Serbia's future, place in world (Tanjug)
• Pahor preparing new proposal for Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (N1)
• Serbia to receive €1.6 billion from EU’s Growth Plan for Western Balkans (N1, RTS)
• Kurti surprised with State Department’s report on human rights in Kosovo (N1, BETA)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, 26 April, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti addresses event organized by German Socialist Democratic Party (media)
• Maqedonci reconfirms Kosovo’s orientation for EU and NATO membership (media)
• Rasic believes govt will send Association draft to court before mid-May (media)
• Qelaj: Missing persons issue should be priority and obligation in dialogue (media)
• KLI says Assembly made decisions in opposition with Constitution (media)
• Kurti: Vetevendosje continues to fight today’s fascism - at home, abroad (media)
• Vetevendosje MP says he won’t change position on same sex marriages (media)

Serbian Language Media: 

• First municipal assembly session held in Zubin Potok municipal building (KoSSev)
• Serbian List: Audio recording of Radomirovic and Vokrri “proves existence of organized criminal group” (Kosovo Online)
• Kabasic on census in Kosovo: What about damage after June 1999? (Kosovo Online)
• Blakaj: Why has an expert commission not been established to register war damage? (Kosovo Online)
• Mavric: Questions about war damage have no place in population census (Kosovo Online)
• YUCOM: Access to justice worsened with the exit of Serbs from institutions in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio, N1, FoNet)
• Unstable funding, lack of personnel and unavailability of interlocutors the main problems of the Serbian media in Kosovo (KoSSev, Medija Centar, KiM radio)
• Brnabic calls all local elections for June 2 (N1, KoSSev, media)

International:

• Serbia Opposition’s Collapse Will Cost it Dearly in Elections (BIRN)
• Chinese president to visit France, Serbia and Hungary in May (euronews.com)

Albanian Language Media: