UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 4, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti warns reduction of Serbian imports, plans to increase trade with Albania (euronews.al)
• Lajcak in U.S. after events in the North, Serbian request for Association (RTK)
• Kosovo-Serbia agreement on license plates enters into force (euronews.al)
• War victims found in Serbian mass grave repatriated to Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
• Tahiri: Brussels license plates agreement threatens state sovereignty (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj: Government made harmful decisions, call for resignation is legitimate (RTK)
• Shala: You agreed with Serbia in Brussels about our internal affairs (RTK)
• Establishment of reciprocity, Svecla visits Brnjak (media)
• COVID-19: One death, seven new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 28 new cases, one death registered in Serbian areas (Radio konakt plus)
• Traffic normalized at Jarinje and Brnjak, stickers’ regime started (RTS)
• Petkovic: Without dialogue there is no progress, I hope US will explain it to Kurti (Kosovo-online)
• “Serbs pleased with withdrawal of special police units from northern Kosovo” (Radio KIM)
• Odalovic: KFOR has finally started doing its job (RTS)
• Rakic: I expect agreement will be respected and enable free movement of citizens (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• EU top diplomat in Serbia: W. Balkans has no alternative to Union (N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo – Serbia Micro “Cuban Missile” Crisis (KoSSev)

International:

• Kosovo Charges Ten with Ethnically-Motivated Attack on Serbs (Balkan Insight)
• Vehicles, Their State Symbols Hidden, Now Crossing Kosovar-Serbian Border (RFE)

• License plates agreement: Sticker regime to enter into force today (media)
• Serbs lift roadblocks in Kosovo as NATO moves to end car plate row (Reuters)
• Kurti says they will work for full reciprocity with Serbia, addresses gas project (EO)
• "KFOR ready to perform its duties in support of local and regional stability" (media)
• U.S. commends progress in implementation of Kosovo-Serbia agreement (media)
• Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti meets management of the Kosovo Police (media)
• “The era when the Republic of Kosovo is oppressed is over,” says minister Svecla (euronews.al)
• Mehaj: National security challenged and provoked by Serbia (media)
• Shala in op-ed: Four lessons from the North of Kosovo (Klan Kosova)
• Phillips: Kosovo was late with reciprocity, Serbia to stop seeking preferential treatment (Telegrafi)
• Kurti to attend EU-Western Balkans summit in Slovenia (Kosovapress)
• Kandic: Serbia not ready to punish war crime perpetrators (Kosovapress)
• Kosovo Court urged to convict Serb ex-policeman of wartime killings (BIRN)
• COVID-19: Two deaths, 23 new cases (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Police refutes Simic: Tendentious speculation (media)
• Vitia resigns as Minister of Health, will run for Prishtina Mayor (media)
• Education Ministry bans parties from using schools for campaign (Koha)
• “No dynamic in dialogue; serious EU-US engagement needed” (Kosovapress)
• COVID-19: 42 new cases, two deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Important that we have a good agreement (RTS)
• Waiting for retreat, Serbs at barricades for the twelfth day (RTS)
• Escobar: The Washington agreement important to us (Tanjug, RTS)
• Kosovo-online: ROSU members damaged vehicles owned by Serbs at Brnjak
• Serbian pro-government media: Vucic wins, Kurti – “knocked out, capitulated and turned tail“ (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Northern Kosovo a vital national issue for Serbia (N1, TV Pink)
• Serbian schools in North of Kosovo open on Monday (RTK2, KoSSev)
• ''There is no winner, but Kurti is certainly a loser'' (N1, Beta)

International:

• Kosovo’s ruling party faces reality check in local elections (BIRN)

• Bislimi: Agreement on license plates does not undermine reciprocity (Koha)
• Escobar: Kosovo was right on reciprocity but implementation caught us by surprise (media)
• NATO committed to implementation of Kosovo-Serbia agreement (media)
• Svecla: Stickers to be put on every car with Serbian license plates (media)
• PDK: License plates agreement further strengthens Serbia's position (media)
• LDK: Government made one step forwards, two steps back (media)
• Haradinaj: Brussels agreement, setback with grave consequences for Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia: Can the EU really broker a peace deal? (Euronews)
• War victims found in Serbian mass grave repatriated to Kosovo (BIRN)
• Kosovo will not go ahead with gas project (Koha/Klan)
• Resorts or Refugee Camps: Fleeing Afghans Get Mixed Reception in Balkans (BIRN)
• COVID-19: Four deaths, 45 new cases (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 30, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Miroslav Lajcak: We have reached an agreement (media)
• Lajcak thanks Escobar: EU-US unity for Western Balkans success (RTK)
• Borell welcomes agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia (RTK)
• Godfrey calls Brussels Agreement excellent news (media)
• Kurti: the era when Serbia gets used to reciprocity, begins now (media)
• Albania welcomes agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia (Klan)
• LVV: Bislim's statement was deliberately misunderstood (Koha)
• Vehicle Registration Center in Zubin Potok reopens (Klan)
• The EU confirms that there are meetings of dialogue delegations today (Klan)
• Special unit with patrols also on mountain roads around Brnjak (Klan)
• Konjufca receives KFOR Commander Franco Frederici (RTK)
• Hoti: Kosovo applied the agreement, but Kurti failed to coordinate with partners (euronews.al)
• Human remains from Rezalla massacre return to Kosovo (media)
• Kandic: Vucic and Brnabic are lying to Serbs in Kosovo (media)
• COVID-19: Four deaths, 45 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 34 new cases in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic: Serbian side accepted the compromise proposal for de-escalation of the situation in Kosovo (media)
• EU welcomes Belgrade-Pristina agreement, “calls for ZSO implementation” (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic-Lajcak talks in Brussels ended, deal made (RTS)
• "Citizens suffer because of election games" (Radio KIM)
• Ursula von der Leyen: Important to find a sustainable friendly solution to the crisis in Kosovo (media)
• Protests in northern Kosovo continue (RTS)
• Ambassador Godfrey: Great news, anything is possible through a serious and dedicated dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• EC denied Reuters allegations: EC firmly committed to advancing the accession process of the Western Balkan countries (N1, FoNet, VoA)
• Dacic rejects possible foreign military engagement in Kosovo (N1)
• Principled position of Spain not to recognize Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Von der Leyen urges end to Serbia-Kosovo border tensions (politico.eu)

• What does agreement with Serbia on license plates contain? (RTK)
• “Settlement on license plates reached, but no final deal” (Euronews.al)
• Stano: Negotiations to solve crisis in the north to continue (media)
• Talks on the license plates to continue, sources say (Radio Free Europe)
• Serbia withdraws armored vehicles from Kosovo border (Euronews.al)
• Protesters and Police maintain uneasy stand-off at Kosovo border (BIRN)
• Kosovo PM Kurti interview with HRT (media)
• Serbia helping Russia create trouble in the Balkans, Serwer says (Express)
• Visions of the dialogue (II) (Kosovo 2.0)
• PDK: Government to immediately approve U.S.-funded gas project (media)
• Kosovo FM Gervalla meets EC President von der Leyen (media)
• COVID-19: Two deaths, 66 new cases (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Serbia draws EU funds while being militarised by Russia and China (media)
• Osmani: International community to condemn Serbia's tendencies for destabilisation (media)
• Von der Leyen: Dialogue is the only way to move forward (media)
• Escobar meets Bislimi and Petkovic (RFE)
• Lajcak meets Kosovo and Serbia chief negotiators (media)
• Kosovo Ministry reacts to campaign against RKS plates (Koha/Telegrafi)
• "The Game" to be changed with U.S. at the Kosovo-Serbia negotiating table (Kallxo)
• Kosovo-Serbia border dispute ‘driven by internal politics’ (Prishtina Insight)
• United States appoint envoy for Europe (Klan)
• COVID-19: Two deaths, 66 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Protests in northern Kosovo continue (RTS)
• Vucic met Ambassador Chen Bo: ''China's position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija is consistent and clear'' (RTS)
• Vucic met Russian Ambassador Kharchenko (media)
• Tadic: Situation in northern Kosovo consequence of Vucic and Kurti pre-election interests (N1)
• Serb mayors: ''We do not want northern Kosovo-Metohija to become ghetto'' (media)
• Elek: Epidemiological situation in northern Kosovo alarming (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic: Consistent stance of Guatemala on Kosovo issue (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

• Reciprocity is right, and making it stick is vital (Peacefare.net/Kallxo)

International:

• Differing interpretations of Open Balkan brought up again during von der Leyen’s visit to Albania (EWB)
• German Parliament Gets 24 New MPs with Balkan Roots (Balkan Insight)

• Osmani meets US Embassy Charge d'Affaires Nicholas J. Giacobbe (media)
• “Special Police presence is unnecessary if barricades are removed” (media)
• Hoxhaj: Backed by Russia, Serbia threatening entire region (Euronews Albania)
• Threats at the borders as means of political pressure (Radio Free Europe)
• Visions of the dialogue (Kosovo 2.0)
• Phillips: China, not Russia, is the greater threat to Kosovo (BIRN)
• ICRC refutes media report that Ukshin Hoti remains were found (Kallxo)
• EU no longer agrees on Balkan membership guarantee, diplomats say (Reuters)
• COVID-19: Eight deaths, 68 new cases (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 28, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Situation in the north, Kosovo and Serbia meet tomorrow in Brussels (RTK)
• Von der Leyen: Increase of tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, worrying (media)
• US confirms Escobar will take part in Bislimi-Petkovic meeting in Brussels (Kallxo)
• MEPs concerned over recent tensions at the Kosovo-Serbia border crossings (media)
• Stano to Escobar: Dialogue is between Kosovo, Serbia and EU (Express)
• Germany requests removal of special forces and barricades from north (Express)
• Nehammer: Kosovo is acting carefully and positively (media)
• Vetting proceeded to government (Express)
• European Union election observers visit CEC (RTK)
• COVID-19: Eight deaths, 68 new cases (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid - 19 in Serbian communities: 40 new case, three deaths (KiM radio)
• Protests in northern Kosovo continue (RTS)
• "Meetings just to have meetings, unnecessary" (KiM radio)
• Dialogue depends on the situation in the north (KiM radio, RTS)
• Group of Serbs attacked in South Mitrovica, ten suspects arrested (Radio KIM, Kontakt plus radio)
• Drecun: If KFOR is stability factor, it should act like one (Tanjug)
• Defence Minister Stefanovic: "KFOR arrived at the crossings according to the agreement between Vucic and Stoltenberg" (Blic, TV Pink)
• North Mitrovica citizens on license plates reciprocity: We want the same thing Pristina wants – autonomy (KoSSev)
• Selakovic: Serbia highly appreciates consistent stance of Mexico not to recognize Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Borrell: EU, Western Balkans share responsibility for united Europe (N1)

International:

• Ordinary Serbs, Albanians Pay Price of Serbia-Kosovo Vehicle Row (Balkan Insight)
• Are Serbia and Kosovo Ready to Open Their War Archives? (Balkan Insight)

• Bislimi and Petkovic to meet in Brussels, agreement on license plates expected (Koha)
• EU: Chief negotiators to come to Brussels soon (Klan)
• President Osmani meets heads of security institutions (media)
• KFOR's proposal for resolving situation in the north accepted by Kurti but not by Vucic (Koha)
• KFOR meets Kosovo institution representatives and mayors of northern municipalities (media)
• NATO-led mission increases patrols on Kosovo-Serbia border (AP)
• Osmani’s office denies claims U.S. criticised Kosovo over actions in the north (Kallxo)
• Closing border point not to allow Albanians from Presevo movement deemed discriminatory (media)
• Milanovic: Kosovo responded to Serbia with same standards (media)
• Women candidates fight for gender equality in municipalities (BIRN)
• Court rejects university's lawsuit against municipality regarding Orthodox Church building (media)
• COVID-19: Three deaths, 23 new cases (media)