UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 9, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti and Lajcak to discuss roadmap for implementation of European plan (Koha)
• U.S. calls for mutual recognition after European plan (Demokracia/The Pavlovic Today)
• Freedom in the World: Kosovo, among countries with greatest improvement (RFE)
• The last diplomatic shuttle (Albanian Post)
• Haziri: How can we support Kurti? We don’t know what he negotiated (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List says it will not take part at extraordinary elections in northern Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Brnabic: We are pursuing best but most difficult policy for our country (Tanjug)
• Vucic with Botsan-Kharchenko on situation in Kosovo (social media, media)
• Office for KiM reacts to beating of two young Serbs by Kosovo police (Danas, Kosovo Online)
• Protest in Josanica over beating of two young Serbs by Kosovo police (RTV)
• Kosovo police on media reports on beatings in Josanica (KoSSev)
• Zlatan Arsic sent to one month detention (Radio KIM)
• UNS and DNKiM: Sanctions for organisers of conferences in Kosovo for not providing translation in Serbian language (Radio KIM, media)
• Ombudsman met landowners in Leposavic affected by expropriation (KoSSev)
• Analysts on announcements of creating Peoples’ Movement for State (Danas, media)
• Opposition failed to collect signatures necessary for extraordinary assembly session on European plan (media)
• Freedom House: ‘Dramatic’ decline in liberties in Serbia (Voice of America, N1)

International:

• Southeast Europe Marches for Women’s Rights (Balkan Insight)
• US Urges Prompt Mutual Recognition Between Serbia And Kosovo Following EU Proposal (The Pavlovic Today)
• Freedom House: Southeast, Central Europe – Except Kosovo – Sees Freedoms Decline (Balkan Insight)

• Kurti: On March 18, we discuss implementation plan (RTK)
• Lajcak to arrive in Kosovo today (media)
• U.S. concerned with opposition’s objection to European plan (Koha)
• Konjufca: Association should not be formed before agreement (Zeri)
• EU Council is expected to adopt visa liberalization for Kosovo today (media)
• Abdixhiku: Agreement with Serbia must have recognition at center (media)
• Krasniqi: We expressed our reservations regarding agreement (Reporteri)
• Southeast Europe Marches for Women’s Rights (BIRN)
• Kosovo Serb Policeman Arrested on War Crimes Charges (BIRN)
• Right-Wing Serbian Students Protest Against EU Kosovo Deal (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani to all women: Never stop dreaming, but especially, never stop believing (media)
• Kurti appreciates the role of women who spoke publicly about sexual violence during the war (Koha)
• Government appoints Gazmend Hoxha as director of the Kosovo Police (media)
• Hill about the meeting in Ohrid: Too early to make assessments (Express)
• The opposition parties leave the Assembly hall, government waiting for its MP (Koha)
• Haradinaj: The European plan also includes recognition, it will have the vote of AAK (media)
• Tahiri: I hope the MPs today understand the danger of "self-management” (Paparaci)

Serbian Language Media:

• Office for KiM: Arrested Arsic member of Kosovo police, declared guilty before trial (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List: The arrest of Arsic is intimidation aimed at expelling the Serbian people (Kosovo Online, KiM radio)
• Students in Belgrade protested the European proposal for Kosovo (KiM radio, Danas)
• Novosti: Vucic to form People’s Movement for state, start touring Serbia (N1)
• Tanjug: Kosovo special police beat up two Serbs near Leposavic
• Aktiv survey says Serbs in north feel unsafe, majority of respondents want to leave (Radio KIM)
• Kovacevic: Reconciliation between two peoples is solution (Radio KIM, N1)
• On 8 March women in Pristina and Belgrade march (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• More on the European agreement, Waiting for March 18/24 (KoSSev)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Regional documentaries on media and journalism you must watch: What makes a good documentary? (seenpm.org)

• Scholz expects 'constructive results' from EU's Serbia-Kosovo pact (Reuters)
• Lajcak to visit Kosovo and Serbia before meeting in Ohrid (media)
• Kurti and Lajcak to discuss roadmap implementation this week (Koha)
• Guerot calls on opposition to view Association differently (Telegrafi)
• PDK’s Haliti says Serbia will not sign European plan (media)
• Ruling and opposition MPs to continue debate on dialogue today (Zeri)
• Svecla on arrest of war crimes suspect: We don’t pardon war crimes (media)
• Strpce Mayor Jevtic meets with UNMIK chief Ziadeh (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 7, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Scholz: I believe this process will soon be successfully completed (media)
• Stoltenberg: NATO takes situation in Kosovo seriously, parties should find solution (Koha)
• Rohde: Opposition should be constructive vis-a-vis European plan (media)
• Haziri: None of Lajcak’s 16 models for Association suits Kosovo (teve1)
• Slovak Foreign Ministry: We expect constructive approach in upcoming talks (Express)
• LDK leader Abdixhiku invited to official visit in Paris (media)
• Citizen puts his property for sale in Shterpce, blames Serbian List for pressure (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Lajcak with Vucic on March 13 and 14 on the implementation of the plan for the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)
• Serbian List: KLA leaders as a logo on official emails (Beta, Danas)
• Raskovic-Ivic: We will launch initiative to impeach Vucic for violation of Constitution (Danas)
• Part of opposition to request Constitutional Court’s assessment of Vucic’s acts (Danas)
• Rakic Vodinelic: Vucic violated the Constitution to the extent that Kosovo is recognized (NMagazin, Nova, Beta)
• Judge Petrov: Possible violation of the oath and the preamble of the Constitution cannot be the basis for the president's responsibility (NMagazin, Politika, Beta)
• Dacic: No need for new discussion in Parliament, nothing has been signed (N1, FoNet, Politika)
• Miljan Adzic released pending trial (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Short public letter to fellow journalists, civil society and politicians in Serbia (AP)

International:

• EU Plan Puts Kosovo In ‘Better Strategic Position Than Serbia’ – Foreign Advisor (BIRN)

• Osmani talks with Quint ambassadors about European proposal (media)
• U.S. Embassy: Biden and Blinken confirmed EU Proposal will lead Kosovo towards EU integration (Klan)
• U.S. Embassy: Concerned about opposition’s opposition to European proposal (media)
• Lajcak to stay in Kosovo on Friday (media)
• Wider Europe briefing: Will Serbia and Kosovo finally seal deal? (RFE)
• EU Plan offers Serbia and Kosovo the promise of hope (Prishtina Insight)
• Svecla proposes Gazmend Hoxha as new police director (Reporteri)
• CEFTA: European plan for Kosovo and Serbia, good for regional market (Klan)
• Spain doesn’t change position on Kosovo; seeks solution via dialogue (RFE)
• Konrad: Failure to normalize relations blocks many capacities (Reporteri)
• Kosovo commemorates 25th anniversary of Prekaz Massacre (Anadolu Agency)
• Art in quarantine: COVID-19 brought muses to Balkan authors (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Bislimi: We will ensure that all minorities are safe (media)
• Eichhorst: Now we have to find ways to implement provisions from European proposal (Klan)
• Opposition: European proposal is a continuation of "status-quos" (Ekonomia Online)
• Association: This is what solution looks like, there is no other – it is European (Albanian Post)
• Shea: Association can be done without jeopardising sovereignty (Paparaci)
• PSD places 205 thousand signatures against Association in front of government, warns of a protest (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic: ‘Anti-state coalition’ did everything to make Serbia’s position difficult (N1)
• Obradovic: Five parliamentary parties request Assembly session on Kosovo (Radio KIM, media)
• Opposition: In Belgrade on March 17, a warning protest ahead of the meeting between Vucic and Kurti (KoSSev)
• Djilas: Rejecting agreement which is not good for Serbia – is not good either (Radio KIM, media)
• Patriarch Porfirije: The Church has never deviated from Kosovo and Metohija and has never abandoned it (SOC website, media)
• Ristic, Trajkovic and Jovic sent third letter to Patriarch (media)
• Peoples’ Party undertakes action against Franco-German plan for Kosovo (social media)
• Nova.rs: European diplomats on point 4 of the agreement: Kosovo in the UN only with the consent of permanent members (KoSSev, N1)
• Romania's stance on Kosovo unchanged – MFA (Tanjug)
• UNS and DNKiM call on institutions to ensure translation for journalists (media)
• Hill: ZSO must be formed, 10 years is too long (KiM radio, Tanjug, N1)

• Kurti talks with Murphy about implementation plan of EU proposal (media)
• Lajcak: The association does not weaken Kosovo (euronews.al)
• Kosovo to fulfill Serbian Orthodox Church obligations in Franco-German plan, experts say (Prishtina Insight)
• Kurti has telephone conversation with Erdogan (media)
• Bislimi: Athens should take advantage of the momentum (media)
• Petkovic to Bislimi: Serbia will never recognize Kosovo (Klan)
• “Progress of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue can take its shape in Ohrid” (Klan)
• Giaufret: European proposal, a historic opportunity (media)
• Analysis: No big deal: EU's Kosovo pact loses some sheen (Reuters)
• Serbian nationalists march in protest against Kosovo talks (Reuters)
• The ”Kosovo Vow” in the Bosnian Story (Sarajevo Times)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 2, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Kosovo, the first among six WB countries for electoral democracy (media)
• Germany: Without the Association, there is no agreement with Serbia (Klan)
• Rasic on the European proposal: The agreement is good (Koha)
• “Prime Ministers of 27 EU countries planned to participate at the signing ceremony” (Paparaci)
• Bislimi on an official visit to Athens (media)
• Elections in the north are legitimate even without participation of Serbian List (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vox Pop in Gracanica: No one must give up on Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Survey: Most respondents negatively assess European proposal, claim it would lead to accelerated departure of Serbs from Kosovo, bring nothing good (KoSSev)
• Invisible People: Large number of adult persons cannot obtain Kosovo documents (Radio Gorazdevac, Radio KIM)
• Women in Media: Sexual harassment, discrimination, extra working hours (Radio KIM, KoSSev)
• Synzog on expropriations, EU proposal, development of north (Radio kontakt plus, KoSSev)
• Vucic meets with Hill (Tanjug)
• Lavrov: ZSO issue in Kosovo and Minsk Agreement same deceptions by West (Kosovo Online, Klix.ba)
• We expect implementation of all agreements to date - Slovak MFA (Tanjug)
• Abazi: Serbia “colonised” all areas with natural resources and underground ores, which is why SOC wants property (KoSSev)
• Sveclla accuses member of “parallel structures” for a brawl in student dormitory in Mitrovica North (Radio KIM, media)
• Office for KiM: Request of liaison officer to visit Trajkovic and Adzic denied (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Hague Court Publishes Details of Hashim Thaci’s Alleged War Crimes (Balkan Insight)

• EU insists on signing of agreement and implementation plan (RFE)
• Hill: Association must be solved urgently (media)
• Govt considers formalizing of status of Serb Orthodox Church complete (Koha)
• Poll: Over 60% of citizens uninformed about European plan and dialogue (Koha)
• Szunyog: Situation in the north of Kosovo is complex (media)
• Uneasy neighbours: Serbia and Kosovo need to mend fences, but remain wary after accepting EU deal (Euronews)
• Bosnian Serb leader blocks regional Kosovo ID travel (BIRN)
• After report, prosecution indicts doctor who participated in niece job intw (BIRN)