• Kosovo passes first step to Council of Europe membership (BIRN)
• Palokaj: If no obstacles, Kosovo can join CoE early next year (KTV)
• Legitimacy of local elections in question after low turnout (Prishtina Insight)
• Von Cramon’s statement on local elections in north of Kosovo (media)
• UK Ambassador comments on the local elections in the north (media)
• KFOR calls for refrain from escalating rhetoric after elections in north (RFE)
• Osmani: Serbia committed two violations of agreement less than 24 hrs (media)
• Kurti: I am ready for May 2 meeting in Brussels (media)
• Limaj: Albin Kurti should give up on north of Kosovo (media)
• Serbian leader lashes out at the West over Kosovo vote (Associated Press)
• Szunyog: No room for attacks on religious sites in multicultural Kosovo (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 25, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 24, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Osmani: Serbia’s engagement to obstruct elections is against Ohrid agreement (media)
• Kurti: Low turnout because of intimidation and blackmail by Belgrade (media)
• EU: These elections don’t offer long-term political solution for municipalities (media)
• Kosovo govt statement on April 23 local elections in north (media)
• Kurti and Hovenier expect full implementation of agreement reached in Ohrid (Telegrafi)
• Krasniqi: Govt to enable forming of institutions in four northern municipalities (Kallxo)
• Access to municipal premises, first challenge of the new mayors (RFE)
• Bielamowicz: Lost opportunity for Kosovo Serbs (RTK)
• Why according to Trajkovic, Radoicic called for boycott of elections (Express)
• Kosovo’s application on the agenda of the Council of Europe (RFE)
• PDK calls extraordinary session for Nagip Krasniqi’s arrest (EO)
• Hovenier: We appreciate Iowa’s partnership with KSF (media)
• Osmani: Turkish community enriches mosaic of diversity in Kosovo (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: What happened yesterday is much more than Albin Kurti’s defeat (Tanjug, media)
• Serb-majority north Kosovo towns get Albanian mayors (N1)
• Elections in northern Kosovo: What Belgrade and Serbs say (N1)
• Petkovic: Empty ballot boxes debacle of Kurti and international community (RTS)
• Jablanovic expects elections to be annulled (DW, Kosovo Online)
• Arsenijevic: If the new mayor works against the interests of the Serbs, we can hold a referendum (KoSSev, N1)
• Bisevac: If elections are not annulled and Albanians really take over, many people will move away (Danas)
• Civil sector: The elections in the north improvised, the Serbs boycotted them (KiM radio)
• Memorial service for RTS workers killed in the NATO bombing (RTS, BETA, N1)
• Hill: Dialogue needs "new momentum", it is time for CSM (ZSO) (N1, Beta)
Opinion:
• A debacle of half a million euros (KiM radio)
International:
• North Kosovo elections trigger harsh words, criticisms from Belgrade (Euractive)
• Kosovo Dreams of Turning Mining Heritage into Tourist Trail (Prishtina Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 24, 2023
• Serbs in north of Kosovo boycott local snap elections (media)
• “Kosovo’s application for CoE membership on agenda for Monday” (media)
• Lajcak: Time of intense preparation for next high-level meeting (media)
• Escobar: We expect concrete proposal on Association from Kosovo (media)
• Kurti reacts to Serbian armed forces’ exercise in Batajnica (media)
• 25 years after Kosovo war, rape victims find the courage to heal (RFE)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 20, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 20, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Kurti: There’s a negative mood in the State Prosecution against our government (KSP)
• PDK’s Tahiri calls on Kurti to dismiss KEK Board and CEO (Indeksonline)
• Rizvanolli on arrest of KEK CEO: We will wait for the facts (media)
• Escobar: Waiting for concrete proposal from Kosovo for Association by May 2 (RTK)
• Konjufca: Can’t accept Association without de facto recognition from Serbia (media)
• “Kurti govt’s seriousness prevented further conditioning of visa liberalisation” (Kallxo)
• Government with €3 million aid package for non-majority communities (Klan)
• Election commission accredits around 360 observers for elections in north (Kallxo)
Serbian Language Media:
• Milatovic: Open Balkans better than closed Balkans (Beta, NIN, N1)
• Dacic: We have returned to the pre-Brussels era (NMagazin, Politika, RTV)
• Escobar: US will recognize Kosovo election results (Tanjug, N1)
• Botsan-Kharchenko on Community of Serb Municipalities (Danas)
• KP: Three minors admitted that they damaged the door of the church in Prizren (KiM radio)
• Ponos: Ten years after Brussels Agreement, Kosovo further from Serbia (N1, Danas)
• No visa liberalisation for Serbian passport holders in Kosovo (N1, media)
• Petkovic reacts to von Cramon statement, says make Pristina establish ZSO (Radio KIM)
• Court of Appeals increases sentence to Vukotic, lawyer announces complaint to Supreme Court (KoSSev, media)
• Dacic: Pristina has almost no chance of becoming a UNESCO member (Tanjug)
• US ambassadors discuss regional stability with Vucic (N1, social media)
Opinion:
• Editor of RTV KiM: Serbs got a one-way ticket, Albanians an unsettled situation (Danas, Insajder)
• “Serbs from Kosovo humiliated, term Kosovar insulting” (N1)
International:
• Kosovo Parties Split Over Energy Corporation Head’s Arrest (BIRN)
• Serbia, Kosovo, Take First Steps To Implement EU Ohrid Deal (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 20, 2023
• KEK director Nagip Krasniqi arrested (media)
• COMKFOR: We will act if stability and security are threatened (media)
• OSCE calls for calm and democratic elections in the north (ATV)
• UNMIK chief Ziadeh welcomes visa liberalisation for Kosovo (media)
• Szunyog disappointed with absence of MPs during plenary sessions (media)
• Freedom of Information in Balkans still ‘on paper only’, panel hears (BIRN)
• Police identify three juveniles that damaged church door in Prizren (media)
• UNMIK chief condemns arson incident against church in Prizren (media)
• Population anxiety mustn’t be resolved at cost of women’s rights (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 19, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Serbia continues “old habit of violating agreements” (Radio Free Europe)
• Beyer: Ohrid agreement, only path for normalisation and EU membership (Express)
• Kosovo Police raid central offices of Kosovo Power Corporation (media)
• OSCE: Not part of team that drafts Association statute; if needed will help (Express)
• Hoti: Dialogue wasn’t kept on tracks of mutual recognition (TV Dukagjini/Nacionale)
• Serb candidate for Zvecan: If I win, I will return to work all those who resigned (Insajderi)
• Krasniqi: Polls show that Vetevendosje has dropped to 36-37 percent (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: We will fulfil everything we said, but only when Pristina forms the CSM (ZSO) (N1)
• Tenth anniversary of the First Brussels Agreement (N1)
• Odalovic: On the 10th anniversary of the Brussels Agreement, Pristina awarded visa-free status (KiM radio, RTS, Beta)
• Petkovic: The next round of dialogue in Brussels on CSM (ZSO) (Beta, N1, RTS)
• Dacic: Pristina's CoE bid will not be on agenda on Wednesday (Tanjug)
• Kosovo Police calls minorities to apply for jobs (KoSSev, N1)
• Ziadeh: Perpetrators to be held responsible for arson incident at the church in Prizren (euronews.rs, Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online)
• Elections in the north: Voting containers in places inhabited by Albanians and at crossings (Kontakt plus radio, Klan)
• Jevtic: The elections in the north of Kosovo contrary to democracy (Beta, TV Prva, KiM radio)
• Simic: We will not stop demanding the CSM (ZSO), we will remain a thorn to Pristina (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
• Analysis from Ljubljana: Montenegro's agreement with the SOC, a model for Kosovo (Danas)
• The EU decision on visas: Residents of Kosovo with Serbian passports are the most discriminated group in Europe (Kosovo Online)
International:
• American Corners Bring US Closer to Kosovar Youth (Prishtina Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Energy from the wind in Bajgora (Kosovo 2.0)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 19, 2023
• European Parliament votes to scarp visa regime for Kosovo citizens (BIRN)
• Visa liberalisation agreement to be signed on Wednesday (SchengenVisaInfo)
• Gervalla, Kosovo delegation thank MEPs for visa liberalisation (Klan)
• Kurti and Vucic to meet in Brussels on May 2 (Albanian Post)
• Joint monitoring committee for Kosovo-Serbia agreement established (media)
• U.S. expects implementation of past agreements, including Association (VoA)
• Vela: Serbian List informed of all developments regarding elections (Klan)
• Hovenier condemns arson incident in Orthodox church in Prizren (media)
• Montenegro Urged to Reinvestigate 1999 Killings of Kosovo Albanians (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 18, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Kurti: Serbia should be more responsible for implementing the agreement (RTK)
• Rohde: Implementation of the agreement and avoidance of any tension, needed (Klan)
• European Parliament Approves Visa Liberalization for Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
• Reuten proud that the EP removed visas from Kosovars (media)
• Von Cramon: Congratulations to Kosovo for the long-awaited visa liberalization (media)
• Austria congratulates Kosovo on visa liberalization (ekonomia)
• Kurti: Visa liberalization brings us one step closer to the European Union (media)
• Osmani: The liberalisation of visas, a merit of the people of Kosovo (media)
• The government takes credit for the visas (media)
• Opposition parties hail EP decision on liberalisation of visas (media)
• Church door in Prizren set on fire, police say gasoline smell was present at scene (Kallxo)
Serbian Language Media:
• Hill: We will not give up until CSM (ZSO) becomes a reality (N1, FoNet, Kontakt plus radio)
• Pristina's request for membership will not be on the CoE agenda tomorrow (Kosovo Online, Danas)
• Dacic may cancel Strasbourg visit over Pristina's CoE membership bid;MFA: Dacic to attend the COE Committee of Ministers (Tanjug)
• Signing of the petition for the withdrawal of special units of Kosovo police continued today in the north (Kosovo Online)
• Lajcak concerned about developments in North Kosovo (Beta, N1, KoSSev)
• KP: Attempt to set fire to the door of the Church of St. Panteleimon in Prizren; Office for KiM: An example of Pristina's intolerance towards everything Serbian (Kontakt plus radio)
Opinion:
• Andric Rakic: Almost impossible to stop the escalation of 'non-normalization' with the current negotiators (medijacentar.info, Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, April 18, 2023
• Kurti: No partial implementation of agreement, no delays (media)
• Deadline to form Monitoring Committee expires (Koha)
• European Parliament expected to vote on visa liberalisation today (media)
• Kurti meets Davenport, discuss elections in the north (media)
• Vela: Serbian Govt trying to interfere with local elections in north (media)
• Serbian government adopts measures to protect Serbs in Kosovo (Euractiv)
• Jablanovic: Situation in the north can escalate (media)
• Kurti: Pleased to announce agreement with IMF for up to €260M (media)
• Vela reacts to Dacic’s remarks about Kosovo’s CoE membership (media)
• Private hearing of first witness in Thaci trial causes concern (BIRN)
• 20 cases of criminal acts against reporters this year (RTK)
• Seizing crypto-mining equipment has saved Kosovo ‘millions’: Govt (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 14, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, April 14, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Tajani meets Osmani: The future of the Western Balkans is in the EU (RTK)
• Kurti and Abazovic sign agreement on air services between Kosovo and Montenegro (media)
• Konjufca: Without the Serbian parties in the elections, there is no Association (media)
• Svecla on elections in the north: I am convinced that whole process will end peacefully (media)
• Kurti honors the victims and survivors of sexual violence during the war (media)
• The CEC reduces the number of voting centers in the north from 44 to 19 (Koha)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic presents five conclusions after meeting with Serbs from Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Patriarch: Prayer for peace more powerful than any weapon (Tanjug)
• Petkovic says he should be in Kosovo for Easter, announced visit to Pristina (Kosovo Online)
• Kovac in a meeting with Vucic on problems Serb sports associations face in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Conclusions from yesterday’s meeting will be binding for Serbian negotiating team (media)
• Jeremic: Why elections when Vucic would be defeated in a referendum (FoNet, N1)
• Orthodox Christians mark Good Friday (N1)