UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 21, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 58 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Over 55,000 persons vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• Kurti on ambassadors' dismissals: Step towards foreign service reform (media)
• PDK's Hoxhaj will not attend meeting called by Kurti (media)
• LDK's Abdixhiku accepts Kurti's meeting invitation (media)
• DPM Bislimi lists government's plans for EU integration process (Klan)
• Government approves initiative enabling regional free movement (media)
• Agreement on KSF deployment to the north can be renegotiated, experts say (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• RFE: There are no vaccines for Serb communities in Kosovo (RTK2, Kontakt plus radio)
• Jacimovic’s house in Vitina stoned again, again minors are suspects (KoSSev)
• Kosovo Government silent on Quinta request to implement court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery (Kosovo-online)
• Blakaj: The issue of the missing is humanitarian, not political (RTK2)
• Serbia donates 100.000 Pfizer vaccines to Czech Republic (N1)
• Vucic: Many problems and pressure on Serbia regarding Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Memorial tournament “Dimitrije Popovic” on June 1, in Gracanica (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• A feminist revolt against sexual violence (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Covid still a threat to Europe – travel should be avoided, says WHO (The Guardian)
• Deeply Divided Montenegro Marks 15 Years of Independence (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 55 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Kurti invites opposition leaders to a meeting next week (media)
• Government ignores moratorium on application in international organisations (Koha)
• Historians urge Quint not to seek implementation of court ruling (media)
• PDK: Decision to dismiss politically appointed ambassadors 'scandalous' (media)
• €1 million frozen, suspicion on money laundering and terror financing (media)
• Kosovo and Serbia host US and Russian-led military exercises (Exit News)
• Former minister sentenced to two years in prison for sexual assault (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 55 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Kurti: Agreement to pass KSF mission in the North to KFOR, harmful (RTK)
• Gervalla: Ambassadors’ withdrawals, a step towards reform (Media)
• Lekaj: AAK will not be part of the dialogue (Reporteri)
• Simultaneous training - American soldiers in Kosovo, Russian ones in Serbia (Koha)
• Finance Minister: We identified suspicious transfers (media)
• Kurti: Kosovo and Montenegro are united by Euro-Atlantic orientation (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Four more case of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas (Radio KIM)
• Antonijevic: More than 13,000 people from Kosovo Serb areas have been revaccinated (KoSSev)
• Varhelyi: The common market will accelerate the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU (RTS)
• Russia approves Torlak vaccine (media)
• Diocese of Raska-Prizren, Quint, and EU remind: Five years later, decision to return 24ha of land to V. Decani has yet to be implemented (KoSSev)
• Association “Ali Hadri” threatens with radical actions against return of land to Decani Monastery (Kosovo-online)
• New members of the CEC elected, including Gordana Laban Zuvic (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio)
• The will of politicians affects the economy (KiM radio)
• Ministry of Culture: Pristina’s request yet another ‘misuse of culture’ (RTS)

International:

• Mass Sacking of Kosovo Ambassadors Condemned by Opposition (Balkan Insight)
• Castaldo: Western Balkans, the beating heart of the EU (balcanicaucaso.org)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Knowledge of the language connects people (RTK2)
• Kosovo Museum to Preserve Childhood Memories of Wartime (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 62 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• PM Kurti comments on his recent Brussels trip (media)
• Quint calls on Government to uphold 2016 Constitutional Court ruling (media)
• FM Gervalla proposes dismissal of all politically appointed ambassadors (media)
• Kosovo requests Serbia to return museum artifacts (media)
• Vucic: I am ready to meet Kurti (RTK)
• The undoing of agreements with Serbia seen as mission impossible (Koha)
• Osmani received Director for Europe at UK’s Foreign Ministry (media)
• Di Maio: Leaving Western Balkans out of EU, a political myopia (media)
• Status conference held in Thaci et al. case at KSC (media)
• Serwer: Thaci and others are innocent for now (RTK/Kosovo Online)
• Kandic reacts to the Czech president's apology to Serbia (media)
• Eight new members of CEC sworn in (media)
• Sex Assault Reports Spark Chain Reaction in Kosovo, Albania (BIRN)
• US sanctions former Albania leader Berisha over corruption (AP)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 19, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 62 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Over 51,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo FM appeals to diaspora: Get vaccinated before coming to Kosovo (media)
• Germany donates COVID-19 test kits to Kosovo worth €600,000 (media)
• Treating patients in a pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
• Government: Skender Hyseni won’t be part of dialogue with Serbia (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj reacts to Montenegro’s refusal to send troops to KFOR (media)
• “Kurti declared former KLA leaders war criminals, whose PM is he?” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Antonijevic: Epidemiological situation continues to improve (TV Most)
• PM Ana Brnabic: EU doesn’t know about some things going on in region (media)
• Europa Nostra on letter from Pristina, to answer once it arrives (KoSSev)
• Vucic, Serbian officials on endangerment of Visoki Decani Monastery (KoSSev, media)
• Szunyog: For five years Kosovo didn’t implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery land (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Osmani openly undermines Washington agreement by lobbying for Kosovo membership in Interpol (Kosovo-online)
• Britain in KFOR by 2023, with more troops (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• Bisenic: Palestine statehood established in the UN, Kosovo not from that framework, impossible to draw a parallel (Pravi Ugao, KoSSev)
• Vucic, officials on Zeman’s apology (B92, media)
• Additional 440.000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Serbia (B92)
• North Macedonia expels Russian diplomat (N1)

International:

• North Macedonia PM: EU risks losing sway in Balkans (politico.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Brussels lifts travel restrictions for "third country" citizens (RTS, Tanjug)

• COVID-19: 64 new cases, one death (media)
• High Representative Borrell meets Western Balkans leaders (media)
• Borrell revives tradition of informal exchanges with regional leaders (media)
• Kurti: Meeting with Vucic in mid-June (media)
• Lajcak meets Kurti, discuss continuation of dialogue (media)
• Osmani: Always ready for cooperation with our neighbors (media)
• Joseph: Serbia must no longer be privileged (Radio Free Europe)
• Thaci and others to appear in next session today (media)
• Tensions between the municipalities and central government (Koha)
• Tired of the pandemic (Kosovo 2.0)
• BIRN debate exposes flaws in fight against sexual harassment (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 64 new cases, one death (media)
• 46,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• EULEX presents report on impact of COVID-19 on the rule of law (Kallxo)
• Kosovo police's seizure of drugs in Lipjan hailed by U.S., Italy (media)
• Ministers Gervalla, Ceku invite Europa Nostra head to visit Kosovo (media)
• PDK accuses Osmani of violating Constitution in CEC appointments (media)
• Kosovo and Albania sign MoU in the field of defence (media)
• Ministry of Interior cancels bid worth €21 million (media)
• Haradinaj addresses recent departures of party officials (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: I am worried about dialogue, there’s nothing rational in Pristina’s approach (RTS)
• Stoltenberg: There is no change of KFOR’s mandate, it remains in Kosovo (Danas)
• Brnabic to visit Brussels on Tuesday, attend WB working dinner, meet EU officials (RTS)
• Dacic: Important that UNMIK and KFOR stay in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Brdo-Brijuni Process: Borders left out of joint ‘compromise’ statement (Hina, N1 Sarajevo)
• Brdo-Brioni Process participants urge EU to speed up expansion to Western Balkans (N1)
• Milanovic: Brdo-Brijuni Process will not solve problems of Western Balkans (Hina, N1 Zagreb)
• Dzaferovic: EU will only be complete when WB countries become members (Anadolu Agency, N1 Sarajevo)
• Komsic: Kosovo-Serbia debate returns Brdo-Brioni summit to "Balkan tavern" (N1, FoNet)
• Haradinaj requests continuation of Decani-Plav road construction (Radio KIM)
• Zeman: I apologize for bombardment of FRY, ask Serbian people to forgive me (RTS)
• Croatian army unit sent to serve as part of KFOR in Kosovo (N1)
• Skopje to increase number of soldiers within KFOR mission in Kosovo (KoSSev, N1)
• Office for KiM: Instead of letters, Pristina to sign decree on return of confiscated monastery land (Kontakt plus radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Opinion:

• Dialogue in the upcoming period (KoSSev)

International:

• NATO chief confirms KFOR to remain in Kosovo (EurActiv)
• COVID-19 Limits Family Visits for Kosovo War Defendants (Balkan Insight)
• Angela Merkel's political legacy in the Western Balkans will be tough to beat (euronews.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• UNMIK assistance to the most vulnerable population of Gracanica (Radio Mitrovica sever, Kontakt plus radio))
• Dacic: Serbia’s democratic progress unimaginable without CoE (BETA, N1)

• COVID-19: 25 new cases, one death (media)
• Vitia: Up to 350,000 persons to be vaccinated in a month (Klan)
• Osmani: Kosovo as a sovereign and independent country is a permanent project (media)
• Kosovo, Serbia clash over Balkan border issues at summit (AP)
• Osmani meets regional leaders at the sideline of Brdo-Brijuni summit (media)
• Brdo-Brijuni Declaration: “EU is able to absorb the WB”, Serbia’s phrasing of the point on regional borders rejected (EWB)
• Kurti, Merkel agree mutual recognition should be end-result of dialogue (media)
• Lajcak meets Vucic in Brussels (media)
• NATO attempts to appease Serbian concerns over Croatian troops in Kosovo (Reuters)
• Kosovo Foreign Policy Experts Welcome Govt’s Support for Israel (BIRN)
• Kosovo Police seize 400kg of cocaine in Lipjan warehouse (media)
• Government plans to phase out PAK by next year (Koha)
• Government building lighted up in rainbow colours, in nod to LGBTIQ+ community (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 25 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: About 10 thousand citizens were vaccinated during the weekend (media)
• Kurti: For 55 days of government, we have done a lot of work (media)
• Trendafilova: KSC is not an ethnic court, victims are of different ethnic backgrounds (Klan)
• President Osmani met with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (RTK)
• Gresa Caka-Nimani elected president of the Constitutional Court (media)
• Protest in front of Ministry against violence of girls in schools (media)
• Kosovo authorities seize over 2 tons of cocaine? (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbia has always advocated for inviolability of UN recognized borders (Kosovo-online)
• Stano: The dinner will be a sign of wider political engagement of the EU and the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Western Balkans leaders' summit today in Brioni, Vucic after that in Brussels with Stoltenberg (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTS)
• Brnabic-Kurti meeting in Brussels tomorrow, geopolitics on the "menu" of the working dinner (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Serbia’s Vucic will skip Western Balkans leaders’ working dinner in Brussels (N1)
• All municipal boards of the SNS in Kosovo for the removal of Stefanovic from party and state functions (KoSSev)
• Vucic: I would rather lose my head than give up Serbia, seizure of Kosovo is end of everything (KoSSev)
• Enthronement of Patriarch Porfirije in Pec Patriarchate postponed (KoSSev)
• Bishop Teodosije requested OSCE support for survival of Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo (RTS)
• Montenegro is not sending infantry platoon to KFOR (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Request for KFOR withdrawal more threat, than it is realistic (Kosovo-online)
• Health ministry official: More than 42 percent fully vaccinated in Serbia (N1)
• Petkovic: Kurti deceives public with statements on lawsuit against Belgrade (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Catalysing anti-corruption in the WB achievable only by an alliance of stakeholders, latest report highlights (EWB)
• Montenegro Scraps Plan to Join NATO Mission in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Another "weekend" series of domestic violence and violence against women (KoSSev)
• PM Brnabic: Celebrations as of June 21 if 50 pct of population is vaccinated (N1)
• How IDAHOBIT came to Kosovo (Kosovo 2.0)

• COVID-19: 47 new cases, 3 deaths (media)
• Kurti to travel to Brussels this week (media)
• Osmani to participate in Brdo-Brijuni process (media)
• Dialogue and regional cooperation, criteria for approximation with EU (Koha)
• Haziri: Dialogue, only way to resolve problem with Serbia (media)
• "Serbia demanding broad autonomy for Serb-majority areas in Kosovo" (RFE)
• Serwer: Serbia can still be sued for genocide in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• LDK slams Kosovo Government's foreign policy strategy (media)
• Kosovo Government says Israel has a right to defend itself (Express)
• Palokaj: We dream about the day when NATO would leave Kosovo (Koha)
• Robelli: Russian and Serbian special war through “Zuerst” (Koha)
• Protest today for safety of girls in schools (media)