UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 7, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• QUINT expresses to Kurti full commitment to "unconditional" implementation of the agreement (Koha)
• Osmani answers to PCK about nomination of chief prosecutor, accuses of illegal pressure (Koha)
• Gervalla: I expect that Greece will soon move towards recognition (media)
• Jablanovic on elections in the north: Serbian List silence scares me a lot (media)
• The "head of the Association" - Vucic's politician who demanded Kurti's sanctioning (Albanian Post)
• Kosovo ex-guerrilla ordered to pay war victims €207,000 (Prishtina Insight)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic after meeting with representatives of Serbs from KiM: Joint platform in seven days (N1)
• Vucic: Kosovo will be in Serbia during my term, ask someone else after that (Tanjug, RTS, media)
• The final list of voters for the local elections in the north of Kosovo established (Beta, NMagazin, RTS)
• Oathkeepers leader schedules emergency meeting of Committee on KiM (Beta, N1)
• Four opposition parties demand from Serbian public broadcaster to read out European plan publicly (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbia to boost presence in Africa (Tanjug)
• Apostolic Nuncio Gangemi: Holy See remains principled in its stance on Kosovo (RTS, Kosovo Online)
• Ahmetaj: Families of missing persons should be guaranteed right to know through all domestic and international legal remedies (KoSSev)
• Albanian PM: Serbia slowly surrendering to reality (FoNet, N1)

International:

• Serbia urged to uphold freedom of expression while also countering hate speech (news.un.org)

Osmani discusses dialogue with Serbia with Atlantic Council delegation (media) 
Vela: SL, Belgrade won’t have right of veto to obstruct elections in north (Telegrafi) 
Abazovic: I support Kurti-Vucic agreement, good basis for normalisation (Nacionale) 
Haxhiu reacts to court’s decision to free Pajazitaj from charges (Kallxo)
Party of Kosovo Serbs take part in elections, remain without wages (Albanian Post) 
Vucic: Kurt will lead Mitrovica North after April 24 (Radio Free Europe) 
Vucic to host Kosovo Serb representatives in Belgrade today (media) 
Kosovo capital to equip gastronomy sector with noise measurement tools (BIRN) 
The invisible burden on women journalists (Kosovo 2.0) 

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: The term of the April 4 agreement is "violently disappeared victims" (media)
• Bislimi: There are five criteria on which to see how suitable the Association is (Klan)
• Kurti: We are getting ready for the elections in the north (media)
• The Serbian List returns to the Assembly (Koha)
• Kurti about two years in government: There is a long list of quality changes (media)
• Hoti: The government intends to put independent institutions under control (media)
• Krasniqi to Kurti: Kosovo is being emptied, our country is being depopulated (media)
• The Special Court recommends to Kosovo to create mechanism for compensating victims (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic meets with US Senator Daines (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Bislimi's pure lie about the five criteria for CSM (ZSO) (Twitter, Kosovo Online)
• Stano confirmed Missing Persons Declaration agreed (N1)
• Petkovic: The term 'forcibly disappeared' in the declaration on the missing is not a legal category (NMagazin, Beta)
• UN Security Council to discuss new report on UNMIK on April 27 (Tanjug)
• Vucic: I pointed out to bin Zayed what Belgrade can accept in dialogue with Pristina (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Kyrgyzstan will not change its position on non-recognition of Kosovo (FoNet, N1)
• Democracy in Action: Current circumstances do not allow holding free elections in the north of Kosovo (Beta, KiM radio)
• Changes in the top of the regional police in the north of Kosovo (RTS, Blic, KiM radio)
• Nova.rs: Vucic preparing a document on Kosovo for the Parliament (Danas)
• Vucic tomorrow with the political representatives of Serbs from Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List MPs show up in Kosovo Parliament after five months (Beta, N1, KoSSev)

International:

• Trial Panel I Orders Salih Mustafa to Pay €207,000 in Reparations to Victims (scp-ks.org)

Osmani: Process to confirm KLA led liberation war, protecting defenseless (media) 
Kurti to report to MPs today on two years of his government (media) 
Osmani: Kosovo will soon host Defender-Europe ’23 (media) 
Bislimi: Lajcak proposed sequencing (Kallxo) 
Konjufca: Term ‘forcibly disappeared’ will be used in agreement (Koha) 
DiA: Current circumstances don’t allow for elections in the north (RFE) 
Osmani meets Guerot, discuss situation in north of Kosovo (Klan Kosova)  
Basha: Serb civilians are being trained in Raska to use firearms (Blic)
Kosovo to probe prosecutor for neglecting case of murdered woman (BIRN) 

Albanian Language Media:

• Borrell: Agreement on the missing, the first step in fulfilling the commitments (media)
• Lajcak and Chollet: Urgent implementation of agreements reached, necessary (RTK)
• KIA: exercises for destabilisation of north are being conducted in Raska (media)
• ‘I Expect Acquittal’: Thaçi Launches War Crimes Defence (Prishtina Insight)
• Finnish ambassador: We support Kosovo in its membership in EU, CIS and NATO (media)
• Hoxhaj: incidents in the north, Serbia's message of obstructing the agreement (Reporteri)
• Tahiri: Kurti government violated Kosovo's sovereignty by talking with Serbia about Association (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic meets with French Senate delegation (Tanjug, media)
• Sarazzin met Brnabic: Implementation of what was agreed in the dialogue is crucial (Beta, N1)
• Sarrazin: Association of Serb majority communities accepted in Pristina (KoSSev, N1)
• James Rubin: It is a time of great hope in the Balkans (N1)
• NATO: Stoltenberg in regular contact with Vucic (FoNet, N1)
• Milatovic: Not realistic for Montenegro to withdraw the recognition of Kosovo, and it is a matter that is very clear (KoSSev, nova.rs)
• Petkovic: Concrete steps to Community discussed for first time (Tanjug)
• People’s Party officials Jovanovic and Aleksic on initiating referendum on French-German agreement (KiM radio, Beta, Nova S)

International:

• Serbia, Kosovo Discuss Establishing Serb Municipalities Body (BIRN)
• War Crime Allegations ‘Absurd’, Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla Tells Court (BIRN)

• Ex-Kosovo leader Thaci tells war crimes court he will be exonerated (Reuters)
• Petkovic: We agreed on text of declaration for missing persons (RFE)
• Chollet meets Lajcak; “strong support for EU-led dialogue” (media)
• Varhelyi and Bislimi meet, discuss tasks ahead (media)
• Osmani on NATO anniversary: It is our future (media)
• Kurti meets Guerot, discuss developments in Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• UN Special Rapporteur Khan visits RTK (RTK)
• Serbia must implement agreements, compromise with Kosovo to see EU progression (Euractiv)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti met with emissaries of Germany and Austria for the Western Balkans (RTK)
• Chief negotiators in Brussels: Lajcak first meets Bislimi then Petkovic (Klan)
• Varheleyi meets Bislimi prior to the meeting in Brussels (Reporteri)
• Kurti meets Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates (ekonomiaonline)
• Two years as President, Osmani: My guide remains the citizen’s and the Republic’s interest (media)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo has its place in NATO, next to its friends (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: Pristina will do all to obstruct formation of CSM (BETA, Blic, N1)
• Petkovic meets with Lajcak in Brussels (Tanjug)
• Lawyer: M.B. from Zubin Potok sent to one month detention (KoSSev, Radio KIM, RTS)
• Vucic: The pressure will continue, but Serbia knows how to fight (Politika, Tanjug)
• Brnabic meets with Atlantic Council delegation (Tanjug)
• Leader of the CI "For Zubin Potok'' on the current crisis in Kosovo (Danas)
• Mladenovic: Complain or interrupt the conference when there is no translation (KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio, UNS)
• Representatives of the Serbian List with special representatives for the Western Balkans, Sarazzin and Aigner (Radio Mitrovica sever, FB)

International:

• Thaci's Lawyers Say He Didn't Hold Command Power As Guerrilla Leader During Kosovo War (RFE)
• Trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci gets underway in The Hague (euronews)
• Serbia/Kosovo: Start of ex-Kosovo president’s trial for war crimes “an important step along the long road to justice” (amnesty.org)

Kosovo ex-president Hashim Thaci pleads not guilty to war crimes (BBC) 
Albanians rally for ‘liberators’ outside Hague war crimes court (BIRN) 
Police refute claims by SL that officers distressed woman in Zvecan (media) 
Lajcak hosts Bislimi and Petkovic in Brussels today (Gazeta Express) 
Vela reacts to Vucic, “attempts to destabilise institutions will be thwarted and stopped” (media)  
Szunyog: European models for association don’t threaten Kosovo (teve1) 
UN Special Rapporteur Khan meets media representatives (Klan Kosova) 
Begaj decrees appointment of Vlora Hyseni as head of Intelligence Service (online media)
Is EU running out of steam on Kosovo/Serbia? (EUObserver) 

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 3, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Prosecutor says KLA not on trial: Only what four defendants have done (media)
• Rohde: It is not the KLA which is on trial (media)
• Abbott: Neither KLA nor Kosovo struggle for freedom is on trial (media)
• Rama on trial of KLA leaders: They fought against ethnic cleansing (media)
• PDK’s Hoxhaj certain of innocence of former KLA leaders (EO)
• AAK’s Tahiri: Two years of Kurti government most difficult for the country (EO)
• President Osmani appoints Donika Kadaj-Bujupi as advisor (media)
• UN Rapporteur: More progress needed; Assembly should adopt code of ethics (EO)

Serbian Language Media:

• Prosecutor: We will prove that Thaci and others are guilty of crimes in Kosovo and Albania (KiM radio, Beta, media)
• Tensions in the north of Kosovo should not affect the continuation of the dialogue, according to Stano (Radio Free Europe)
• Who threw an explosive device at Kosovo police and set fire to cars of Serbs who re-registered vehicles from Serbian to Kosovo plates? (Danas)
• Serbian officials’ reactions to arrest of M.B. in Zubin Potok (RTS, KoSSev, media)
• People’s Party started collecting signatures for referendum on Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Vucic to Milatovic: Serbia a reliable partner to Montenegro (FoNet, N1)

Opinion:

• Vasic: There is a matrix in Kosovo that usurpers of Serb properties report owners for war crimes (KoSSev, Radio KIM)
• Janjic: Possible demonstrations, barricades, and even armed conflicts in the north of Kosovo (Beta, N1)

International:

• Former Kosovar President Thaci Opens War Crimes Trial With Plea Of Not Guilty (RFE)
• Milatovic claims victory in Montenegro as longtime leader Djukanovic concedes (BIRN)
• Views of Kosovo Women Often Unheard on TV, Attacked Online (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

The Presidency and the Assembly lit up in blue on World Autism Day (media)

• Protesters come out in support of Thaci, others on eve of war crimes trial (RFE)
• Thousands rally in support of ex-Kosovo leader before war crimes trial (France24)
• Thaci was a freedom fighter, not a war criminal: Defence Lawyer (BIRN)
• U.S. and Germany condemn burning cars in the north (media)
• Vela: Serbia, Serbian List will be responsible for any escalation (Reporteri)
• Svecla: Serbia protects criminals who commit terrorist acts (media)
• Stun grenade thrown at Kosovo police in the north (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia tensions spike significantly over weekend (Euractiv)
• Rama: We have major disagreements with Serbia over Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo denied participation in Balkan Mathematical Olympiad, Serbia violates Ohrid agreement (media)
• The importance of fact-checking and maintaining credibility in a world of virtual truths (Prishtina Insight)
• Novice politician Jakov Milatovic wins Montenegro presidency (AP)