UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 23, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Konjufca: No Association without Serbs returning to institutions (Koha)
• Kurti: Judicial and prosecutorial system must be freed from political influence (Koha)
• Gervalla: The region doesn’t need another Republika Srpska (media)
• Krasniqi: Elected mayors will exercise their mandate according to law (media)
• New mayors of northern municipalities expected to swear in this week (RTK)
• EULEX on swearing-in of mayors: We are on standby 24 hrs to react (Front Online)
• Citaku: This government acts as a weak administrator of our taxes (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Radio Gorazdevac: House of a returnee in Vitomirica demolished despite Supreme Court ruling in his favour (Radio Gorazdevac, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• US Senators: Good faith should be a demand of negotiations, while joint action is key to the implementation of the agreement (KoSSev)
• Dacic: There was no pronounced pressure on Serbia (Tanjug)
• Former North Mitrovica mayor: Situation in north Kosovo extremely difficult (Tanjug, TV Pink)
• KP: Three minors arrested for shooting in Ugljare (Kosovo Online)

International:

• UK Ambassador Urges Kosovo to Draft Statute for Association (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• From the fields of Nivokaz (Kosovo 2.0)

• Murphy: Association will lead to mutual recognition (RFE)
• Kurti: We have strengthened partnership and alliance with USA (media)
• Borrell: Tensions and mutual provocations have to reach an end (media)
• Mehaj met with US Senator, discuss about advancements of KSF (Euronews)
• Abbott: Vucic’s statement that Kurti plans to expel Serbs from north is ridiculous (Kallxo)
• Kosovo towards completion of genocide lawsuit against Serbia (media)
• Balkan Countries Host ‘Immediate Response’ NATO Exercise (BIRN)
• Witness at Thaci Trial ‘Found Body of Victim of Kosovo Guerrillas’ (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Membership in EU and NATO remain our common objectives (EO)
• Gervalla to take part in meeting of EU foreign ministers (media)
• Exclusive details for swearing-in of the other three mayors in the north (Indeksonline)
• Tahiri: Meeting of Assembly Presidency failed because there was no quorum (Klan)
• PDK: Government doesn’t care that parliamentary agenda is blocked (Klan)
• Kosovo leaders commemorate anniversary of Dubrava Prison massacre (media)
• Court extends for two months detention measure for Nagip Krasniqi (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic on arrest and subsequent release of a Serb at Jarinje (RTS)
• Milan Radoicic and Danilo Vucic visited Serbs from Kosovo who took on foot to attend gathering in Belgrade (Danas, KoSSev, Politika)
• Atiq started appointing directors of departments in Mitrovica North municipality (Kosovo Online)
• Kurti on “cultural wealth of Kosovo“, shares photo of Gracanica monastery: “We restored mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches” (KoSSev)
• Starovic: Military exercise in Kosovo is violation of SC Resolution 1244 (N1, RTS)
• Dacic to meet with EU and Western Balkan FMs in Brussels (Tanjug)

International:

• Assessing Kosovo-Serbia Agreement: Implementation Challenges and Potential Benefits (Prishtina Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Work begins on 150 MW capacity solar thermal power plant in Gjakova village (media)
• Rasic attends laying of foundation for house of Jovanovic family (Klan)

Osmani: Implementation of agreements should be complete (RTK) 
Escobar: Agreement should be implemented by end of summer (media) 
Quint with an urgent call regarding Decani Monastery land (media) 
OSCE calls on institutions to “register land in Monastery’s name” (media) 
Institutions silent to the calls of internationals for Monastery of Decan (Koha) 
Kurti to host US senators Chris Murphy and Gary Peters today (media) 
Osmani attends inauguration of newly elected Montenegro President (media) 
Largest military exercise “Defender Europe ‘23” starts in Kosovo (Euronews) 
Lajcak: Our discussions will continue again in the weeks to come (media) 
Serb Ex-Policeman Charged with Wartime Rape of Kosovo Man (BIRN) 
A Flourishing Oasis: Unveiling Botanical Garden Amidst the Historic Walls of University of Prishtina (Prishtina Insight) 

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 19, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• New Mitrovica North mayor swears in, deputy mayor from Serb community (RFE)
• Mitrovica North deputy mayor: Time to sit down together and work (Kallxo)
• Krasniqi: We’ll have new mayors who will engage on daily basis to improve lives of citizens regardless of their ethnicity (Telegrafi)
• Decision on opening Iber Bridge is at Ministry of Local Government (Gazeta Express)
• Howell: Kosovo very close to joining CoE; needs some lobbying (TeVe1)
• Osmani meets Wieland, expresses gratitude for continuous EP support (media)
• Kurti after Italy floods: Ready to extend our help where needed (media)
• Kurti: Next meeting of Kosovo and Albania governments in June (media)
• Surroi: Everyone entitled to baptise their children in Kosovo churches (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian List calls for institutional violence against Serbs to stop (RTS, Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic on situation in northern Kosovo, says Vucic talks to Lajcak (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Kosovo police confiscates KM licence plates, issues 150 EUR fine (Kosovo Online)
• Atiq's first meeting as mayor with Sladjan Trajkovic'c wife (KoSSev)
• The new mayor of North Mitrovica sworn in, his mandate officially began (N1, KoSSev, RFE)
• Diocese on Ceku’s message to Djokovic: What messages for peace and understanding are being sent in Kosovo by such an inappropriate comment? (KoSSev, KiM radio)
• Vucic to attend several meetings because of situation in Kosovo (RTS)
• Party of Kosovo Serbs: West decisive to preserve peace in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Jovovic family robbed several times in Gorazdevac, preparators still remain unknown (Radio KIM)
• Assembly of the Serbian Orthodox Church: There must be no indirect or direct acceptance of Kosovo independence (NMagazin, Beta, N1)

International:

• US Senate: Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Remains Key Issue in Western Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• Chollet and Escobar remain optimistic about Western Balkans progress towards the EU (EWB)

• Quint: All parties should refrain from use of force or actions that inflame tensions or promote conflict (media)
• New mayor of Mitrovica North expected to be sworn in today (media)
• Hovenier: Do not use violence to enter municipal buildings in the north (media)
• Vucic: We will not accept the mayors in the north (media)
• Despite challenges, negotiators optimistic about next steps of Western Balkans countries toward EU (RFE)
• Osmani thanks Menendez for “unwavering commitment to democracy” (media)
• Serwer: What the State Department forgot to say (peacefare.net)
• Kosovo govt against Lajcak's ‘methodology’ for Article 7 implementation (Koha)
• Mustafa: Borrell must respect Mogherini’s commitment on Association (RTK)
• Limaj: Association will have executive powers; devil is in Article 7 (media)
• Kosovo court jails Naser Kelmendi for drug trafficking (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti talks with Chollet, calls for unconditional implementation of agreement (media)
• Czech and Finnish presidents call for Kosovo’s membership at CoE (Gazeta 10)
• Bislimi: Kosovo evaluated for highest economic growth in the region (media)
• Kosovo Police Union admitted in European Council of Police Unions (Klan)
• Police ready for swearing-in of new mayors of northern municipalities (RTV21)
• Selimi says Kosovo falling for traps set up by Vucic in the north (media)
• Expropriation in the north, a slippery slope for the Kosovo Government (RFE)
• Pamuk’s visit to Kosovo postponed to autumn, Ministry says (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic says situation in northern Kosovo is very tense (Danas, FoNet, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic speaks with Chollet (Tanjug)
• Serbian Government says security situation stable (FoNet, N1)
• Vucic, Serbian patriarch discuss fateful matters (Tanjug)
• “Serbia forced to reconsider meaningfulness of Council of Europe membership” (BETA, Radio KIM, media)
• PIK launches preliminary investigation of Rakocevic’s complaint about police mistreatment (KoSSev)
• West's plan being prepared for Kosovo, Dayton 2? (Blic)
• Ficovic: Local media are essential for objectively informing Serbs in Kosovo (KiM radio)

Opinion:

• If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It: Turkish Foreign Policy in the Balkans After the Elections (EWB)

• Kurti meets Wieland, “unconditional implementation of agreement” (media)
• Chollet, Escobar to discuss about Western Balkans at U.S. Senate (Dukagjini)
• Chollet: Provocations between Kosovo and Serbia must be avoided (media)
• Koopman meets Kurti: Kosovo is part of the European family (media)
• Kosovo Police joins the operational network against organized crime (media)
• Zubin Potok mayor: Harmonizing actions with U.S. and other factors (media)
• LVV MP: Lajcak should’ve made his statement in Belgrade (Telegrafi)
• Switzerland grants visa-free travel to Kosovars starting on 2024 (Schengen Visa)
• Kosovo failing to punish violent crime, BIRN Finds (BIRN)
• Kosovo government building illuminated in colors of LGBTQI+ flag (media)
• SL List claims persons that shot in Uglare were speaking in Albanian (media)
• OSCE mission releases guidelines on domestic violence coordination (media)
• EU Council urges Kosovo to step up energy transition (SeeNews)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Hovenier: We expect new mayors to take on technical not political role (Telegrafi)
• Kurti: Kosovo’s progress acknowledged in international reports (media)
• Vela: Criminal groups in north preparing lists to send Serbs to Vucic rally (media)
• Shala: Some MPs from majority have different positions from their party (Demokracia)
• Switzerland decides to lift visas for Kosovo (media)
• Police conduct raids over suspected abuse of duty at Public Housing Enterprise (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Shooting in Ugljare, no one was injured (Radio KIM, RTS)
• Petkovic reacts to shooting in Ugljare (Kosovo Online, TV Pink)
• Serbian List condemns shooting in Ugljare (Kosovo Online)
• Hill: Solving technical issues is not for people who want quick fixes; In the end we will have CSM (ZSO) (KoSSev, Nova S)
• Wigemark: Opening of a bridge should not be a unilateral decision (Radio KIM, KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic: Rally of hope not of anger (N1)
• European Commission welcomes gun amnesty campaign in Serbia (N1)
• Vucic: 20,000 pieces of weapons handed in, SNS to elect new leadership on May 27 (N1)
• Complaint to the mayor of Gracanica about abuses; Municipality: Anonymous document (medijacentar.info, KiM radio)
• Gracanica municipality on the construction in Caglavica: The building permit has not been issued (KiM radio, KoSSev)

International:

• In Kosovo, Fake Online Accounts are Turbocharging Tensions (BIRN)

• Osmani appeals to EU to honor agreement and address Serbia’s violations (BIRN)
• Kosovo: Serbia normalisation dialogue articles not conditional on each other (euractiv)
• Largest international military exercise to start this week in Kosovo (euronews.al)
• Census in north will be difficult, says Kosovo’s Statistics Agency (euronews.al)
• Council of Europe summit started Tuesday, Kosovo not on agenda (euronews.al)
• U.S. criticizes govt again for not implementing decision on Decani Monastery (media)
• Why is the South Tyrol model seen as harmful for Kosovo? (RTK)
• Tahiri: Kurti should condition Association with amendment of Constitution of Serbia (Klan)
• EBRD raises Kosovo’s economic growth forecast to 3.5% in 2023 (SeeNews)
• Poll finds optimism with Serbia, progress fighting corruption, support for EU membership (media)