• Kurti at World Affairs Forum: Kosovo to become part of NATO's PfP (media)
• Biden to Vucic: Normalise relations with Kosovo (Koha/Telegrafi)
• U.S. Ambassador to Belgrade: Kosovo and Serbia are neighboring countries (media)
• President of Albania, Ilir Meta, to visit Kosovo (Klan)
• Two more Ukrainian journalists arrive in Kosovo (media)
• Mehaj: 600 new soldiers to be admitted this year; purchase of weapons, priority (media)
• Concerns raised over possible human rights violations at KSC (Koha)
• Chief State Prosecutor not decreed yet (RTK)
• Afghans lacking complete security checks won’t be able to travel to U.S. (BIRN)
• COVID-19: Nine new cases (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 23, 2022
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 20, 2022
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 20, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• Quint: Fully implement lawful registration of Decani Monastery land (media)
• EU Head of Office: Swiftly and fully implement court’s decision (media)
• “Implementation of court decision, precondition to CoE and NATO integration” (media)
• Decan Mayor on pressure from Quint: Albin Kurti should respond (Periskopi)
• Senator Murphy: Unbreakable bond between America and Kosovo (Reporteri)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets Congresswoman Maloney (media)
• President Osmani: Our objective is NATO membership (media)
• Independent Unions call on PM to act and prevent general strike (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj: The Balkans can be the second front of a hybrid war (media)
• COVID-19: 14 new cases (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Quint and EU appeal to Kosovo institutions to return the property to the Visoki Decani monastery (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• SOC: International institutions to enable rule of law and respect for religious freedoms in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: International community to exert pressure on Pristina to return land to Visoki Decani (Kosovo-online)
• Selakovic in Turin: Pristina’s request attempt to misuse Council of Europe (N1)
• Vucic: All crucial issues discussed with Michel (Tanjug)
• Michel: We want to deepen cooperation with Serbia, accelerate EU accession (Tanjug)
• Petkovic on Kurti’s latest statements about Community of Serb-majroity Municipalities (Radio KIM)
• Platform for trust-building in Kosovo presented (Radio KIM)
• Fresh bomb threats sent to 134 schools in Serbia (Radio KIM, N1)
• DefMin says Serbia committed to respect for territorial integrity (N1)
• Petkovic and Rakic: Displaced families from Pec received support to return (TV Most)
• US to provide grants worth 19.5 mln dollars to Serbia (Tanjug)
• Serbia has complied with EU sanctions on Belarus over the war in Ukraine (EWB)
International:
• Competition or Complement? Calls to restart Berlin Process revive Balkan dilemma (BIRN)
• ‘Return us Home’: Exhibition seeks return of artefacts held in Serbia (BIRN)
• Wave of False Bomb Threats in Region Again Hits Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 20, 2022
• Kurti: To normalise relations - Serbia needs to change (VOA)
• Sarrazin: Germany's final goal is to have Kosovo part of NATO (Kallxo)
• Lajcak and Escobar discuss way forward in dialogue (media)
• Foreign ministers of CoE member states set to meet today (RTK)
• Citaku: Kosovo to be serious and present an offer in dialogue (Koha)
• Svecla: All security mechanisms need to exercise added vigilance (Koha)
• Rizvanolli: Clean energy, objective of MCC's Compact project (Telegrafi)
• Mehaj: National Security Strategy to soon be presented to the Assembly (Kosovapress)
• Peja School Denies Discrimination Against Minority Pupils (BIRN)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 19, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• President Osmani talks about challenges in energy and environmental sectors (Kallxo)
• Kurti’s cabinet reacts to Rama’s statement on Open Balkans (Paparaci)
• Finland expresses support for Kosovo's CoE membership (media)
• Hovenier: Kosovo is a sovereign, independent, democratic state (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets USAID Administrator Power (ATV)
• Prime Minister Kurti meets Congressman Keating (media)
• PDK requests dismissal of the ERO board (Kallxo)
• Haradinaj: Demarcation will be closed, with corrections in certain sectors (media)
• President Osmani commemorates 23rd anniversary of Dubrava massacre (Koha)
• Assembly of Kosovo passes draft law on KSF Military Police (media)
• No classes in Kosovo on Friday, teachers on strike (Koha)
• COVID-19: 12 new cases (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Serbia, North Macedonia PMs welcome church reconciliation (N1)
• HLC, Robelli on verdicts to Haradinaj and Gucati (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)
• Odalovic: Serbia searches for mass graves, Pristina unresponsive to Belgrade’s requests (Radio KIM)
• Vucic to meet Michel on Thursday (Tanjug)
• Scholz to visit Belgrade in mid-June (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Kurti has no right to say what Serbs want (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Pristina impedes dialogue (Radio KIM)
• General Hodges: Serbia unsure of Western support (N1)
• Ambassador Hovenier: US support integration of Kosovo into Euro-Atlantic structures, including Council of Europe (KoSSev)
International:
• Germany's Scholz wants Western Balkans in EU (Reuters)
• EU Must Correct ‘Big Mistakes’ on Western Balkans – Manuel Sarrazin (Balkan Insight)
• Montenegro President Leaves Open Review of Border Agreement with Kosovo (BIRN)
• Serbian Police Source Fake Bomb Threats to Seven Countries (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia’s Olive Branch: Breakthrough or Trap for Macedonia’s Church? (BIRN)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Kosovo bus crashes in Austria, passengers sustained no life-threatening injuries (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 19, 2022
• Kurti: Kosovo joining Council of Europe, the right step (media)
• Bislimi with Djukanovic: Future of our countries is in the EU (media)
• Albanian PM Rama: Open Balkan will not stop (media)
• Turkey will support Kosovo’s membership in NATO (Koha)
• Inspectors review reports of discrimination against community students (media)
• Opposition leaders react to court decision against increased energy fees (media)
• Haxhiu says Specialist Chambers judges are of Serbian descent (euronews.al)
• Prishtina allocates €350,000 to easy stray dog problem (Prishtina Insight)
• Balluku: Durres-Prishtina railway project to start this year (euronews.al)
• COVID-19: 16 new cases (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 18, 2022
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 18, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• Gucati, Haradinaj sentenced to four and a half years in prison each (media)
• Djukanovic: Montenegro, Kosovo have excellent neighbourly relations (media)
• In Washington D.C., Kurti meets National Security Advisor, Sullivan (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti met in Washington DC Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (media)
• Hodges: U.S., EU must have clear strategy for Kosovo (Radio Free Europe)
• COVID-19: 16 new cases (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic meets SOC Patriarch (RTS)
• Kosovo not on Friday’s agenda of CoE (Radio KIM)
• US Ambassador: Open Balkan could activate region’s economic potential (N1)
• Heads of Serbian, North Macedonia churches to serve reconciliation liturgy (N1)
• Czech EU Presidency to focus on Western Balkans (N1)
• Brnabic: UN SC resolution does not apply only in Serbia's case (Tanjug, media)
• Vucic receives Letter of Credence from new Ukrainian ambassador (RTS)
• Montenegrin Liberal Party (CLS) and Association of Kosovo Montenegrins on Djukanovic's visit to Kosovo (KoSSev, Kontakt plus radio)
• Hovenier: Mitrovica is one of the best manifestations of Kosovo's future (Kosovo Online)
• Mihajlovic on verdicts to Gucati and Haradinaj (N1)
• More bomb threats, schools evacuated in Belgrade and Nis (N1)
• Petkovic met Hill: Pristina to give up obstruction; formation of Community of Serbian Municipalities necessary (Kosovo Online)
Opinion:
• Mixed messages from Belgrade: Is the EU narrative shifting? (EWB)
International:
• Kosovo veterans jailed for war crimes witness intimidation (RFI)
• WB2EU conference on the politics of enlargement in France in Paris on 19 and 20 May (EWB)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Reactions to reports that non-majority children were excluded from book event (media)
• Ghost schools, ghetto schools and segregated shifts (Kosovo 2.0)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 18, 2022
• President Osmani meets representatives of Quint countries (media)
• President of Montenegro, Djukanovic, to begin a two-day visit to Kosovo (media)
• Upholding Constitutional Court decisions, crucial for CoE membership, experts say (Koha)
• Swiss ambassador on Kosovo-Serbia agreement: Courage needed (Kosovapress)
• KSC trial panel to announce verdict on Gucati and Haradinaj today (media)
• Krasniqi: This depressive government has created an alternative to good governance (Klan)
• U.S. Embassy commends Kosovo’s sanctions against Russia (media)
• Kosovo and Turkey sign agreement for supply with products for defense services (media)
• Minister condemns non-majority children being excluded from book event (media)
• Website Presents Better Side of Serbian-Albanian Relations (BIRN)
• Government of Kosovo marks International Day against Homophobia (media)
• COVID-19: Four new cases (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• Kurti: Kosovo among first to side with democratic world in sanctions (media)
• ESI: 47 again? Russia out, Kosovo in (media)
• Aliu: Important meeting of ministers from region in Prishtina tomorrow (Indeksonline)
• Vetevendosje MP sentenced to prison time for abuse of power (media)
• Caplan: I fear Kosovo and Serbia are heading toward a frozen conflict (Express)
• COVID-19: four new cases (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Borrell hopes for a meeting between Vucic and Kurti before summer (KiM radio, Tanjug)
• Kosovo Minister of Culture announced Kosovo's application to UNESCO for 2023 (Danas)
• Serbian PM Brnabic: Pristina's CoE membership bid comes amid greatest violations of Serb rights (Tanjug)
• Selakovic: Szijjarto called for offering Serbia EU membership immediately (Tanjug, media)
• Dacic with Bakoyannis on Kosovo's accession to the Council of Europe (KiM radio)
• Vulin: Serbia being targeted by ‘special warfare’ (Tanjug)
International:
• EU Foreign Affairs Council discusses the impacts of war in Ukraine on the Western Balkans (EWB)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Serbian-Albanian friendship website launched (KiM radio)
• Record increase of prices in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• More Illegal Migrants Caught at EU Borders, as Detections at Western Balkan Route Spike Up By 130% (schengenvisainfo.com)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 17, 2022
• Borrell: We support visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• Baerbock: Kosovo, Serbia to be supported in normalization process (Koha)
• U.S. supports Kosovo's CoE membership bid (Telegrafi)
• Op-ed: The time to incentivize the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue is now (BIRN)
• In U.S., Kurti meets students at Michigan University (media)
• Haradinaj: Demarcation issue cannot be closed by one side (media)
• Kosovo tightens sanctions against Russia (euronews.al)
• Croatian President: Kosovo is an internationally recognized state (media)
• Entry to US banned for several Afghan refugees in Kosovo (euronews.al)
• RTK plans to apply for EBU membership by year’s end (Nacionale)
• COVID-19: 7 new cases (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 16, 2022
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 16, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• Bislimi: CoE bid was submitted in coordination with Kosovo's partners (media)
• Gervalla to attend EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels (media)
• Defence Minister Mehaj travels on official visit to Turkey (media)
• Albanian Ambassador: We support any initiative between Kosovo and Serbia (EO)
• Kosovo introduces additional sanctions on Russia (media)
• Ukshin Hoti’s son: Serbia not willing to help resolve his fate (Klan Kosova)
• Kusari-Lila: Members of election reform team will be appointed soon (media)
• The government of Kosovo sanctions two terrorist groups ISIL and Al-Qaeda (ekonomia)
• Kosovo's application to CoE, Abraham calls on Italy to put it on the agenda of May 20 (media)
• PDK and AAK invite LVV to vote on the Draft Law on the Pension Fund (media)
• COVID-19: 7 new cases (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Serbian FM to EU Commissioner: Region needs encouragement (N1)
• Vucic: We will refrain from imposing sanctions on Russia as long as possible (N1)
• Petkovic on Belgrade-Pristina talks in Brussels on Friday (RTS, Kosovo-online)
• G7: Belgrade and Pristina to engage in dialogue, implement reached agreements without delay (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian officials on G7 statement, find reference to territorial integrity ‘hypocritical’ (media)
• Medvedev: Do not forget Kosovo precedent (Kosovo-online)
• Dacic: Number of derecognitions of Kosovo to grow (Tanjug)
• Bomb threats force evacuation of dozens of schools, public building and airport in Serbia (N1)
• Nova.rs: Belgrade won’t impose sanctions on Russia
• French Ambassador to Belgrade on Pristina’s CoE membership bid (KoSSev)
• Vucic arrives in UAE to pay tribute to late president (Tanjug)
International:
• Scoop: U.S. to deny entry to some Afghans in Kosovo (AXIOS)
• Turkey ‘not Positive’ About Finland, Sweden Joining NATO – Erdogan (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Switzerland to Invest 86 Million Euros in Kosovo Over Next Four Years (BIRN)
• Kosovo Music Festival’s Long Land Lease Draws Complaints (Balkan Insight)