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)

• 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)

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)

• 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

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)

• 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)

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)

• 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

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)

• Kurti: Kosovo's NATO membership would diminish security threats in the Balkans (media)
• Xhacka: NATO should open its doors to Kosovo (media)
• No agreement reached at Friday's meeting of chief negotiators (media)
• Bislimi: Kosovo remains constructive and committed to dialogue (media)
• Kosovo Foreign Minister Responds to Serbia’s Derecognition Claims (Exit)
• Kusari-Lila on dialogue: Moving forward at all costs is not an alternative (EO)
• Kosovo to set up special agency to assess external pressure on security (Koha)
• Kosovo concludes negotiations with MCC, Haradinaj takes credit (media)
• COVID-19: 16 new cases (media)