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UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 20, 2020

Albanian Language Media: • COVID-19: 142 new cases over the last 24 hours, four deaths (media) • Zemaj sets up advisory board in the fight against COVID-19 (media) • Ministry of Health reacts to COVID-19 'cure' being shared on social media (media) • Task force recommends doctors diagnose COVID-19 without testing (Koha) • Hoti: Dialogue coordinator to travel to Brussels for final agreement (media) • Thaci: Dialogue not to in mutual recognition not technical aspect (media) • EU expects parties to confirm delegations for experts' meeting (RFE) • Hoti: There is no technical dialogue with Serbia (media) • The U.S. Foreign Affairs Committee calls for visa liberalisation for Kosovo (RFE/Kallxo) Serbian Language Media: • 31 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio kontakt plus) • 7 new cases of Covid-19 in the municipality of Gracanica (KIM radio) • Gnjilane: 21 more people infected (RTV Puls, KIM radio) • Persons positive on Covid-19 obliged to be in isolation (RTV Puls) • "Aleksandar Vucic and Edi Rama lead the dialogue" (Danas, FoNet, KIM radio) • Anniversary of Serb and Roma killings in Orahovac in 1998 marked (Radio KIM) • Vucic continues consultations on new Serbian government with Dacic (N1) • Djuric (YIHR): Resolving missing persons issue means revealing hitherto unknown crimes (KoSSev) • Savkovic: Little maneuvering room for Serbia to avoid agreement; Recognition unrealistic (KoSSev) • Ilazi: Brussels meeting was symbolic, more important for the EU than for Kosovo or Serbia (KoSSev) Opinion: • Kosovo needs an election (Transconflict/Koha) • Why “Kosovo i Metohija” offends (KoSSev) International: • COVID-19 Fuels Prejudice towards People of Asian Descent in Kosovo (Balkan Insight) Humanitarian/Development: • Muddy Waters: The Pollution Killing Kosovo’s Lakes and Rivers (Balkan Insight) • France bans travelers from Serbia (N1, FoNet)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, 20 July

• COVID-19: 118 new cases in last 24 hours, five dead (media) • Health minister: New measures resulting successful (media) • CDHRF: Health authorities preferentially testing people for COVID-19 (media) • UN chief: We are at the breaking point (media) • President Thaci calls for civic and political unity (Kallxo) • Thaci defends war record, calls for unity after return from Hague court (RFE) • State Department backs EU-brokered talks between Kosovo and Serbia (media) • Collaku: Resumption of technical dialogue, not in Kosovo’s interest (media) • Tahiri criticises EU for lack of visa liberalisation (media) • Ischinger calls for visa liberalisation: EU credibility at stake (media) • Haziri says Hoti’s meeting in Brussels “catastrophic” (media) • Dacic: Serbia has suspended derecognition campaign (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, 18 July

COVID-19: 137 new cases in Kosovo (media) • Thaci returns to Kosovo (media) • Hoti: I did not go to Brussels to take pictures with Vucic (T7, media) • Viola Von Cramon values highly work of the Specialist Chambers (RTK) • Hoti cannot predict if PDK is to join the government (media) • Assembly aims online sessions after increase of COVID-19 cases (Koha) • Gucati: The Hague Special Court is biased (RTK) • Crowds Welcome Kosovo President Returning From Questioning (NYT)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 17, 2020

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 17, 2020 Albanian Language Media: • COVID-19: 103 new cases in the last 24 hours (media) • Clashes between Presidency and PM’s Office over the dialogue (Express) • Von Cramon to visit Specialist Chambers in the Hague (Ekonomia Online) • Vetevendosje: Meeting in Brussels was not productive (media) • Weber hopes on a new flow of Pristina-Belgrade dialogue (Klan) Serbian Language Media: • 34 infected with Covid-19 in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio) • Vucic: We aren't negotiating here only with Pristina; Two principles have been agreed (Tanjug, B92) • Covic: KLA archives to open, EU to conduct dialogue based on chapter’s system (Kosovo-online) • "Kosovo authorities intend to abolish Special Court" (Kosovo Online, B92) • Russian FM spokeswoman says Moscow supports Vucic on Kosovo (Beta, N1) • Djuric reacts to Haradinaj-Stublla’s statement on book in Serbian Mission in Brussels (Kosovo-online) • Serbian opposition calls EU to help resolve political crisis (N1) • MEPs call on EC to form expert group to publish reports on situation in Serbia (EWB, N1) International: • Serbia ‘Ready to Help Find Missing Kosovo Albanians’: Vucic (Balkan Insight) • Kosovo President ‘Pleased’ after Four-Day War Crimes Questioning (Balkan Insight) • Serbia and Kosovo resume rocky road towards an accord (Euractiv) Humanitarian/Development: • Dokufest and Anibar go online for 2020 (Prishtina Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, 17 July

• EU High Representative Borrell’s remarks prior to high-level meeting (media) • Hoti: A difficult meeting on two topics – missing persons and economy (media) • Hoti: Mutual recognition and normalisation of relations, final objective (media) • Lajcak: Next high-level meeting in September (media) • Vucic: The meeting was not easy (media) • Serbia accuses Kosovo of 'blackmail' after talks in Brussels (DW) • EU diplomat: Three stages of talks between Kosovo and Serbia (Klan Kosova) • Tahiri: Hoti has constitutional obligation to go to Brussels (media) • President Thaci concludes interview with Specialist Chambers (media) • Kosovo FM reacts to book displayed at Serbian mission in Brussels (Telegrafi) • "WHO does not recommend serology testing for diagnosis purposes" (Koha) • Kuci: 56 percent of businesses risk bankruptcy (Koha) • Pandemic reveals ‘systemic’ issues faced by Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities (Prishtina Insight) • A land swap won’t solve Serbia – Kosovo conundrum (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 16, 2020

Albanian Language Media: • COVID-19: 132 new cases recorded in last 24-hour period (media) • One new coronavirus-related death reported in Podujeve (media) • Italy closes border to Kosovo and region (media) • Pristina begins serology testing for COVID-19 (Kallxo) • Thaci’s advisor says Hoti has no consensus for dialogue (Telegrafi) • Gazeta Express: PDK could decide to join Kosovo's ruling coalition Serbian Language Media: • 39 new cases of Covid-19 infection registered in Serb-populated areas (Kosovo-online) • Gracanica: Six more people infected with coronavirus (KIM radio) • European Commission: In the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on all open issues (Danas, Kosovo Online) • McAllister: The positions of Belgrade and Pristina still very distant (Kosovo Online, DW) • Bilcik: No easy solution to Kosovo issue (Beta, N1) • Timothy Less: EU has nothing to offer to Serbia (Tanjug, B92, Kontakt plus radio) • MIA: The North Mitrovica municipality closed due to Covid-19 among its staff (Kontakt plus radio) • Jevtic welcomes inclusion of displaced persons as topic in Brussels dialogue (RTV Puls, RTV KIM) • Council of Europe expresses concern over protests in Serbia (N1) Opinion: • Kosovo’s Disunited Negotiators can’t Compete With ‘Monolithic’ Serbia (Balkan Insight) International: • Serbia and Kosovo to resume rocky road towards an accord (France24) Humanitarian/Development: • EU provides EUR one million aid to finance pandemic medical teams in Serbia (N1)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, 16 July

• Four more people die from COVID-19 on Wednesday (media) • Kosovo – Serbia dialogue to continue Thursday (media) • In Brussels, PM Hoti meets Commissioner Varhelyi (media) • Thaci interviewed for third day by Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (media) • Beqaj: Specialist court will lead to the 'cleaning' of political spectrum (Koha) • Koci: Thaci should’ve been more transparent about interview (media) • Former Dutch Ambassador: KLA fought an honorable war (RTK) • Klinaku: MPs can change law on Specialist Chambers (Telegrafi) • “German EU Presidency no magic wand for the Balkans” (Balkan Insight) • North Macedonia Election Returns No Clear Winner (NYT)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 15, 2020

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 15, 2020 Albanian Language Media: • COVID – 19: 119 new cases in last 24 hours (media) • 1,192 active COVID - 19 cases in Prishtina, 35–44 age group most affected (media) • COVID - 19, Kosovo tested only 1.61 of the population (RTK) • Von Cramon: Grenell wanted to bypass EU and Kurti’s government (media) • EULEX chief praises PM Hoti for traveling economy class (media) • Who are candidates for PDK leader if Veseli indictment is confirmed? (Express) • Bytyci: Kadri Veseli is PDK leader, media speculations are ill-willed (media) Serbian Language Media: • 37 new cases of Covid-19 infection registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online) • In Gracanica 24 infected with Covid-19, results to come for fifteen more (KIM radio) • Radovic: KP to control if persons positive on Covid-19 respect self-isolation measures (KoSSev) • Vucic: Missing persons and internally displaced first topic of dialogue in Brussels (N1) • Destinies of missing and displaced persons from Kosovo unresolved for 21 years (Tanjug) • Brussels no longer can ignore reality: There is no solution of Kosovo issue without Russia (Sputnik) • Jaksic: Negotiations in Brussels will not bring anything good to the Kosovo Serbs (KIM radio, Beta) • Serbian Military Union official says protest coming against Defense Minister (N1) • Mutiny within Serbia's Socialists, main Vucic's partners, its leader says (N1) • Serbia's NGO's asks UN to react to police actions during anti-regime protests (N1, RFE) • Vucic starts talks about Serbia's new government, Albanians ask for four posts (FoNet, N1) Opinion: • Serbia-Kosovo deal: Can the EU succeed where Trump failed? (AlJazeera) • Kosovo’s perplexing indictment and its effects (EWB) • The EU Needs a New Balkan Strategy (Foreign Policy) International: • Trump Ex-Adviser Bolton Laments Lost Opportunity on Kosovo (Balkan Insight) Humanitarian/Development: • EU removes Serbia, Montenegro from travel-safe list (B92, Tanjug, N1)

UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, 15 July

• Four more dead from coronavirus on Tuesday (media) • Assembly lacks votes to pass law on pandemic (Koha) • Hoti in Brussels with his office and associates, Weber calls for unity (Koha) • President Thaci ends second day of interviewing at The Hague (media) • Were prosecutors right to publicise charges against Thaci? (Balkan Insight) • Haradinaj: Charges against Thaci, a blow to Kosovo’s freedom (Klan Kosova) • War veterans’ leader: Specialist Chambers are attacking KLA directly (T7) • Serwer: Be prepared (media) • Presevo Valley Albanians ask to lead a ministry in Serbian government (Koha) • Government defends decisions to appoint minister to extra post (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 14, 2020

Albanian Language Media: • Two more patients die from COVID – 19 (media) • Hospital in Vushtrri transformed into hospital for COVID – 19 patients (media) • Osmani: PM’s Legal Office endorsed Anti – COVID 19 Law (media) • PDK calls for urgent increase of salaries of healthcare professionals (media) • Justice minister Selimi to be part of Kosovo negotiating team (EO/Klan Kosova) • Roth: Western Balkans at the centre of Germany's engagement (DW) • UK welcomes resumption of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media) • KSF ready to support efforts to fight COVID-19 (media) Serbian Language Media: • Elek: 93 persons hospitalized at Clinical-Hospital Center in Mitrovica North, one person passed away (KoSSev) • Gracanica: New measures and announcement of fines, and the old problem (KIM radio) • Hashim Thaci's indictment will remain unknown until October (B92, RTS) • PM Brnabic denies lack of transparency during coronavirus pandemic (N1) • Vucic congratulates Macron, convinced in his support of Serbia's EU path (BETA, N1) • Samardzic: ''Vucic is going to Brussels again without a strategy'' (KIM radio, Beta, N1) • Maas: I will travel to Belgrade and Pristina, dialogue is priority (RTS) • Serbian NGOs call on the EU to insist on core values in Serbia (KIM radio, EWB) Opinion: • A manual: how to lose the battle with COVID-19 (Prishtina Insight) • Surroi: Kosovo yet to realise how dramatic situation with COVID – 19 is (Koha) International: • Corrupt clans or startups? Kosovo must now choose (Die Welt) • Serbia ‘Provided War Crimes Evidence’ Against Kosovo President (Balkan Insight) • Public anger rises across Balkans as coronavirus toll grows (Financial Times) Humanitarian/Development: • New restrictive measures added following jump in coronavirus cases (Prishtina Insight) • Austria bans flights from Western Balkans (N1, DW)