UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 23, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 368 new cases, four deaths (media)
• EP criticizes Kosovo for not fighting corruption, expresses concern over closure of Task Force (Koha)
• Hoti on assault on Rasic’s son: Violence is unacceptable (media)
• Prosecutor’s office begins investigations about attack on Rasic’s son (media)
• Rasic: Attack on my son was an attempted murder (Prishtina Insight)
• Abbott: Some politicians have incited hatred and fear within communities (Koha)
• Kurti asks privatisation agency not to open new waves of privatisation (media)
• EP Foreign Affairs Committee to vote Kosovo report (Express)
• Suspicions of vote manipulation by Serbia, dozens of NGOs demand reaction of local and international institutions (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• 78 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• 14 newly infected in Gracanica (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List and Office for KiM: Fight has nothing to do with politics (Radio KIM)
• Suspects for beating Nikola Rasic assigned detention (Radio KIM)
• Nenad Rasic believes that the attack on his son has a political background (N1)
• Rakic: Son of Nenad Rasic injured in “a private conflict” between young men (N1)
• Parents of detained young men: The fight was caused by Nikola Rasic (KiM radio)
• Sava Janjic: Dialogue with Serbs must go through Belgrade (Kosovo-online)

International:

• The world faces a pandemic of human rights abuses in the wake of Covid-19 (The Guardian)
• Small hydropower plant owner sues activist Shpresa Loshaj in Kosovo* for defamation (balkangreenenergynews.com)
• In Hostile Serbian Parliament, MP Fights for Rights of ‘Enemy’ Albanians (Balkan Insight)
• U.S. Development Bank Says It's Committed To Balkans Amid Talk Of Serbian Office Closure (RFE)
• North Macedonia Murder Retrial Convicts Ethnic Albanians of Terrorism (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 260 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Kosovo hospitals take in fearful Albanian COVID-19 patients (BIRN)
• Nenad Rasic’s son beaten in Gracanica (media)
• Dialogue with Serbia – Kosovo’s key issue in foreign policy (Koha)
• Kosnett: Kurti and Osmani have vision and energy (media)
• Kosovo Serbs accused of fixing Bosniak, Roma election results (BIRN)
• Communities warn: We may refuse the reserved seats (Kallxo)
• Kryeziu: Votes for Hodzic delegitimise guaranteed seats for Bosniaks (Koha)
• Civil society calls for investigations into the Bosniak votes (media)
• Kosovo’s oldest party needs reality check after election rout (BIRN)
• Osmani meets UNDP Coordinator in Kosovo (media)
• Car of Vetevendosje MP caught fire (media)
• Von Cramon: Government officials and state-owned media in Serbia distributing disinformation and propaganda (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Germany and France call for swift formation of government and election of President (media)
• CDHRF: Assembly reserved seats are at risk from Belgrade (media)
• CEC meets, counting of 500 polling stations is expected (Express)
• CEC decides: 494 polling stations will be recounted (media)
• Zemaj announces increase of COVID-19 cases (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• 57 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• The Comoros do not recognize Kosovo's independence, the position remains the same (RTS)
• OSCE: Media should be free to travel (KoSSev)
• Serbia receives 150,000 doses of AstraZeneca, 50.000 doses of Sputnik vaccines (N1, B92)
• Brnabic: Quality of life in Kosovo will depend on dialogue with Belgrade (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)
• Hodzic: Balje and Rexhepi did nothing for Bosniak community in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Office for KiM: Video surveillance in all schools in Serbian communities (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Electoral irregularities are no excuse for anti-gypsyism (Prishtina Insight)
• Palokaj: Kosovo to draft guidebook for international friends to hold them accountable
• New 'Cold War' Will Fuel Tensions in Southeast, Central Europe (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Albin Kurti told BTA: Bulgaria and Kosovo share common goals and interests (BTA)

• COVID-19: 398 new cases, 1 death (media)
• Prishtina Mayor: No one has moral credibility to ask for a lockdown (media)
• EU insists on resuming the dialogue (media)
• Vetevendosje Movement rules out coalition with Serbian List (Koha)
• Idea for extra-territoriality of Orthodox religious sites, a challenge (Koha)
• Hoti reacts against Belgrade’s interference in Bosniak vote (media)
• Berisha accuses Romani Initiative of being “a Srpska Lista product” (BIRN)
• 48 NGOs from non-Serb communities react (Ekonomia Online)
• Surroi: Short time to elect the new President (Koha)
• Slow pace of Balkan repatriation leaves over 100 children in Syrian camps (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 18, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 340 new cases, ten deaths (media)
• LDK to elect a two-year mandate leader (media)
• Srpska's game: Hodzic received thousands of votes in municipalities where no Bosniaks live (Express)
• Egyptian PLE also accuses Serbian List of stealing mandates (Koha)
• Roma Progressive Movement: Roma Civic Initiative is in fact the Serbian List (Telegrafi)
• German Ambassador: Voters have given a strong mandate for change (RTK)
• Kurti: I will create the health insurance fund (media)
• Mustafa: I would break the coalition with LVV even today (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Porfirije - a new patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (B92, Tanjug)
• New Patriarch Porfirije in his first sermon: Kosovo is a covenant for us (KoSSev)
• Vucic met Patriarch Porfirije (RTS)
• Serbian List to new Patriarch: We are convinced that in this holy and responsible duty, you will be on same path as your predecessors (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• State Department congratulates election of Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch (media)
• Petkovic: Pristina has obligation to enable unobstructed work of media (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vukmirovic on ban to enter Kosovo: Pristina's explanation ridiculous and ill-intentioned (RTS)
• Kurti: "We will analyze the ambiguities of the Washington agreement with the Biden administration" (BBC)
• EU launches project to support Western Balkans vaccination effort (N1)

International:

• Kurti's comments spark pessimism in Belgrade over Kosovo-Serbia talks (euronews.com)
• Kosovo Warns of Census Delay, Blaming Pandemic and Elections (Balkan Insight)
• Filipovic: Improving cooperation with NATO in line with military neutrality is in Serbia’s national interest (EWB)

• COVID-19: 285 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Kurti: We don’t avoid talks with Serbia, but first justice and employment (VOA)
• Konjufca: We’ll form government without being dependent on SL (media)
• VV says diaspora votes with expired documents should not be annulled (media)
• Pacolli: I will vote in favor of Osmani for President (media)
• Berisha: Dialogue with Serbia is in Kosovo’s national interest (Koha)
• LDK’s Rugova: Resigned chairmanship trying to impose new leader (media)
• Ahmeti: VV to form coalition with PDK or LDK for greater stability (media)
• Adrijana Hodzic denies deal with Srpska Lista (BIRN)
• “Those assumed to be obstructing justice in Kosovo must be identified” (RFE)
• Serbian church elects patriarch deemed close to president (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 285 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Lajcak:Dialogue to continue immediately after the formation of the government (Lajmi)
• EU’s message is clear: New government of Kosovo to continue dialogue with Serbia (Express)
• Redzepi: Vucic elected Bosnian MPs in Kosovo (media)
• Kosnett urges Kosovo winning parties to form a government quickly (Express)
• Orlando encourages Kurti to form new government as soon as possible (Koha)
• Kosovo hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic as economy contracts by 6%, IMF report (Express)
• Diaspora vote counting goes on (media)
• PDK’s Lladrovci demands in an open letter mass resignation in party structures (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• 42 new cases of Covid-19, three deaths registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Gracanica: The number of Covid-19 cases growing; The Crisis Staff calls for strict compliance with the measures (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio)
• Media: If Pristina makes a move, five countries are ready for de-recognition (B92)
• Selakovic: Serbia doesn’t violate Washington agreement, but is not “silent observer” either (Kosovo-online)
• Kurti for Vreme weekly: To overcome formulas such as historical dialogue and reconciliation (media)
• Parties in Kosovo fined with more than EUR 120.000 over election irregularities (Radio KIM)
• The RTS crew cannot enter Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Pavicevic: Journalists have no obligation to announce the crossing (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, UNS)
• Serbian List: Freedom of media and right to hear truth - essentials need of all societies striving for democracy (Radio kontakt plus)
• "A good strategic move by the Serbian List, but only if they use it" (KiM radio)

Opinion:

• EU and US so far show no interest in renewed threats to unify Albania and Kosovo (greekcitytimes.com)

International:

• Kosovo snap election: A chance for action (ecfr.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Serbia vaccinated more than a million people (B92)

• COVID-19: 297 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Abdixhiku: Changes in LDK have started and nothing will stop them (media)
• AAK responds to Trajkovic’s vote abuse claims, “a pure lie” (Indeksonline)
• CDHRF: Opposition to vote for Kurti 2 and Osmani as President (media)
• Kosovars take to streets to mark state’s 13th birthday (BIRN)
• The sacrifice for the state that did not deliver justice (Koha)
• Qerkini: Serbia is playing with fate of missing persons (media)
• Where does the fight against corruption begin? (Radio Free Europe)
• Special Court: There is no leak of information (Klan Kosova)
• Bus with Kosovo tourists pelted with stones in Montenegro (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 17, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 297 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Kosovo's political leaders congratulate anniversary of independence (media)
• Blinken congratulates Kosovo on independence anniversary (media)
• MEP Von Cramon calls for visa liberalisation, continuation of dialogue (media)
• German MP Beyer calls on EU to grant Kosovo visa liberalisation (media)
• Elezi: CEC assessing ballot packages from diaspora (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• Jarinje: Journalists' protest due to the prevention of the RTS crew to enter Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio, TV Most, Radio Gracanica, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Are Serbs really integrated into Kosovo society? (RTK2)
• Anniversary of Kosovo declaration of independence: Survival of Serbs endangered more than before (Radio kontakt plus)
• Maliqi for Danas: The Serb community still lives either in segregation or in the ghetto (Kosovo Online)
• Beqaj: Kosovo far below expectations of citizens (Radio KIM)
• RTS on February 17 in Kosovo, former Serbian diplomat terms it “failed project” (RTS)
• Lajcak: I still believe that it is possible to find a solution for Kosovo (Danas)
• Vucic to German “Bild” on Kosovo issue, Merkel (B92)
• Senior Duma official says Russia, Serbia have closest possible relations (N1)
• NUNS condemn an obstruction of journalist Dejan Kozul's work in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Canadian Ambassador, Serbian President hope for direct flights (N1)
• Romanian ambassador calls for joint infrastructure and energy projects (N1)

Opinion:

• What were the elections like for Kosovo Serbs? (Kosovo 2.0)
• In Serbia, State’s Ties to Crime Become Hard to Miss (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Historic Images of Kosovo Peace Talks Go on Display (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 277 new cases, three deaths (media)
• World leaders congratulate Kosovo on independence anniversary (media)
• U.S. to encourage new government to continue dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Biden says Kosovo holds ‘special place’ for his family (AP)
• Kurti: I would vote to unify Albania and Kosovo (euronews)
• Vetevendosje does not want to co-govern with PDK, LDK, and AAK (Koha)
• LDK's Mustafa calls LVV's victory damaging for Kosovo (Koha)
• Abazi declares Mini-Schengen dead under LVV governance (RTK)
• Brnabic: Regrettable that dialogue is not Kurti's priority (media)
• International analysts say Kurti may face pressure on dialogue (Telegrafi)
• Albin Kurti has promised to change Kosovo. He has a fight on his hands (euronews)
• Kurti has no limitations for being prime minister, opposition may dispute it (KP)
• Judge at Kosovo court alerts EU diplomats to attempts to undermine court's work (RFE)
• Kosovo Ex-Guerrillas Claim Prosecution is Hampering Their Defence (BIRN)
• Kosovo and Italy sign security agreement for the first time (Koha)