UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 13, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• President Thaci arrives at the Special Court (RTK)
• Veseli: We will triumph in this battle as well (media)
• Haradinaj: I highly value Thaci’s readiness to respond to Specialist Chambers (RTK)
• Albanians protest in Hague (Koha)
• Kosovo Government announces new measures against coronavirus (media)
• Borrell considers Lajcak has done a good job (Koha)
• Police Director warns penalty measures for those who do not wear masks (media)
• Kurti accuses the government: They are filling the morg (RTK)
• Gucati and Kosnett discuss KLA veterans (RTK)
• Thaci’s lawyer, former U.S. senior official Pierre-Richard Prosper (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• 38 new cases of Covid-19 infection registered, one person passed away in Serb areas (Kosovo-online)
• Vucic: Belgrade-Pristina talks to resume on Thursday with new topics (media)
• Dacic: There is no readiness of Pristina for compromise (Prva TV)
• Dialogue on reset, but still paralyzed (DW)
• Vucic met Botsan-Kharchenko, discussed Kosovo and Metohija (Danas)
• “Consultations on new Serbian government to start as of Tuesday” (N1, FoNet)
• NGOs urged crisis headquarters to inform public on epidemic, unbiased cooperation with media outlets (KoSSev)
• Dr. Rasic: Increased number of patients with respiratory infections in Gracanica (RTK2, Radio kontakt plus)

International:

• 'I believe in justice' says Kosovo's Thaci as he arrives at The Hague on war crime charges (Euronews)
• Kosovo-Serbia Deal Must Not Lead to Impunity for War Crimes: US Ex-Ambassador (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kon on epidemiological situation in Serbia, possibility of new measures (B92, Prva TV)
• Temporary residence permits in Kosovo extended (Prishtina Insight)

• COVID-19: 216 new cases in last 24 hours (media)
• State of emergency not declared; stricter measures will be applied (media)
• Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s interview to Top Channel
• EU Special Representative: The dialogue is back on track (media)
• Von der Leyen expresses support for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Hoti: I’ll meet Vucic in Brussels on Thursday; only mutual recognition (media)
• Hoti: U.S. and EU to complement each other in the dialogue (media)
• Vucic: Situation with Kosovo, almost hopeless (media)
• President Thaci urges people to strictly implement protective measures (media)
• Zemaj: Do not force us to declare a state of emergency (media)
• No total lockdown from state of emergency, sources say (Indeksonline)
• Association of Municipalities supports state of emergency (media)
• Association of Psychologists oppose state of emergency (media)
• Thaci and Borrell agree to extend EULEX mandate for another year (media)
• EULEX chief: We remain fully committed to our partnership (media)
• “France, Germany and Netherlands opposed visa liberalisation” (Lajmi)
• U.S. Embassy: People of Kosovo deserve better (media)
• Bajrami: Let’s focus on economic recovery, not personal attacks (media)
• Kosovo’s Thaci strongly denies committing any war crimes (AP)

• COVID – 19: 205 new cases, 3 dead (media)
• Kosovo PM in favor of state of emergency to fight COVID – 19 (media)
• PM Hoti: We’re heading toward a state of emergency (media)
• Mitrovica Mayor against state of emergency: Grave consequences (Koha)
• Kosovo Assembly stops session amid tensions and insults (media)
• Quint ambassadors: Debate without recourse to insults and threats (media)
• EU Head of Office: Violence has no place in democratic societies (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia talks in Paris close without results (Prishtina Insight)
• Biden hails continuation of talks, calls for coordination with Europeans (media)
• Grenell: Biden threw negotiations into a US presidential political issue (media)
• Meeting in Washington can happen within weeks, says Kosovo PM (media)
• Prishtina with highest number of domestic violence cases (Kosovapress)
• The real heroes of our time: the lives of workers in Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 10, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Hoti-Vucic Sunday meeting in Brussels postponed (media)
• Hoti: Agreement with Serbia cannot be successful without mutual recognition (media)
• Osmani calls blocking of anti-Covid draft law 'disgraceful' (media)
• Nagavci: Management of pandemic, presently top priority for Kosovo (media)
• Germany donates 6,000 COVID-19 testing kits to Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Meeting in Brussels postponed for Thursday, US- EU relations are not our matter (RTS)
• 36 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Djuric: Walker is last person who should talk about crimes (RTS)
• Vucic: Discussing three crucial issues with Macron (B92)
• Simic: Vjosa Osmani deceived public, read inexistent Rakic’s statement (TV Most)

Opinion:

• EU mediation is a relief but not a panacea (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• France, Germany lead effort to fire up Serbia-Kosovo talks (AP)
• Europe’s Latest Peace-Making Efforts in Balkans Hit New Hurdle (Bloomberg)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Media Literacy Project: Photojournalist and journalist form integral whole (KoSSev)

• COVID-19: 207 new cases, 8 deaths in last 24 hours (media)
• Prishtina Mayor: Number of coronavirus cases is much higher (Klan)
• Zeka: 45% of businesses in Kosovo have stopped operating (media)
• EU: Dialogue will continue regardless of protests in Serbia (media)
• Kosovo PM Hoti goes to dialogue without internal consensus (Koha)
• Assembly adopts resolution “in defense of people’s values” (media)
• EU Office chief disappointed with failure to ratify agreements (media)
• Haradinaj: Not logical for Europeans to undermine US summit (T7)
• Kosovo ministers visit Presevo Valley (media)
• William Walker disappointed with SPO’s actions (RTK)
• War veterans protest charges against President Thaci (Balkan Insight)
• Lushtaku: Better for PDK to join the government (Telegrafi)
• Stalled talks set to resume in Brussels but what's at stake? (Euronews)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo government not in support of draft law on pandemics (RTK)
• Government endorses action plan for increase of Covid-19 tests (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo PM ready to declare state of emergency over coronavirus (Gazeta Express)
• Roth: EU must grant Kosovo promised visa liberalization (Die Welt, Express)
• LVV does not vote international agreements, endorsement fails (media)
• Gucati: Indictment proposal against KLA leaders, direct attack on Kosovo (media)
• Assembly does not approve LVV’s draft resolution on dialogue (media)
• UNMIK assists Malisheva with anti-Covid-19 protection equipment (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• In all Serb areas, 139 newly infected in the last three weeks of testing (Kontakt plus radio, KIM radio)
• Dacic: Visit to Paris important, matter of Kosovo recognition does not exist for Serbia (TV Pink, Tanjug)
• Vucic: We know how to maintain peace (N1)
• Stefanovic: An attempt to seize power by force (B92)
• New riots in Belgrade; speculations about who provokes clashes (N1)
• Vucic: No compromise with the vandals; Involvement of foreign security services proven (B92)
• Russian Ambassador rejects allegations or Russia’s involvement in unrests in Belgrade (B92)
• US Embassy closely follows events, condemns all violence (media)

Opinion:

• "Kosovo Serbs always suffer the consequences of instability in Serbia" (KIM radio)
• What ‘Twiplomacy’ reveals about the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue (neweasterneurope.eu)

International:

• Kosovo's Thaci To Go To The Hague For Interview With War Crimes Prosecutor (RFE)
• Serbia Protests Meet Violent Response in Europe’s 1st Major Virus Unrest (The New York Times)
• Serbian President ‘Has the Evidence’ to Resolve US Albanians’ Murders (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo’s hospitals receive influx of COVID-19 patients (Prishtina Insight)

• Covid-19: 214 new cases, 4 deaths in last 24 hours (media)
• Government of Kosovo extends restrictive measures to the north (media)
• Hoti: Only Kosovo laws apply in northern municipalities (media)
• Covid-19: North Macedonia shuts border with Kosovo (media)
• Thaci to travel to The Hague for interview (media)
• Limaj commends Thaci's readiness to be interviewed in The Hague (media)
• Bislimi: Calls to undo specialist chambers to save one person not KLA (Koha)
• Hoti: Kosovo ready for dialogue on mutual recognition with Serbia (media)
• Borrell’s Office: Visa liberalisation to be treated urgently (Lajmi.net/RTK)
• Nagavci: SL's statement neither coincidental nor unintentional (Telegrafi)
• PDK to support all international financial agreements (media)
• KLA war veterans organize today protests in all Kosovo cities (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 08, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Hoti's office: Measures in the north in coordination with Kosovo institutions (Telegrafi)
• Osmani: SL's call, unconstitutional and against Kosovo's sovereignty (media)
• CDHRF calls on Hoti to dismiss Rakic following coronavirus measures (media)
• Oxygen supply problems reported in clinic treating Covid-19 patients (Koha/Klan)
• Roth: EU to deliver visa liberalisation to Kosovo, land swap dangerous (Telegrafi)
• French presidency gives details of Macron-Hoti meeting (RTK)
• Justice demanded for the murder of Bytyqi brothers 21 years ago (media)
• Thaci visits Veseli's family home (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic to address the nation at 3pm (media)
• Pisonero: Restrictive measures must not affect fundamental rights, public order must be guaranteed (media)
• Vucic on negotiations with Pristina: "It will not be easy" (B92, Tanjug)
• Grenell: We never believed in a quick agreement between Kosovo and Serbia in the election year (Blic)
• Djuric: An attempt to destabilize Serbia will not pass on the eve of the key phase of the fight for Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• “Reactions of people showed what they think about measures, to discuss it at Crisis Staff meeting” (N1)
• Serbian Health Minister says decision on lockdown in next two days (FoNet, N1)
• Four more coronavirus cases in central Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica North)
• Northern Kosovo under quarantine as of last night, curfew from 9 pm to 5 am (KoSSev)
• 53 new Covid-19 infection cases registered in Serb-populated areas yesterday (Radio KIM)
• Rakic and Jevtic: We will stand up for property of Visoki Decani and Serbian Orthodox Church (Radio KIM)

Opinion:

• Two voices on Kosovo (balcanicaucaso.org)
• China Has Overtaken Russia as Serbia’s Great Ally (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Violent protests in Serbia as Vučić announces another lockdown after weeks of alleged pre-election cover-ups (EWB)
• Stalled Serbia-Kosovo Dialogue Set to Resume in July (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Coronavirus: Airborne transmission cannot be ruled out, WHO says (BBC)
• Roma Inclusion in Balkans Depends on Governments Recognising Antigypsyism (Balkan Insight)
• Activists rejoice as water returns to Lumbardhi (Prishtina Insight)
• The Rise of Religious Radicalisation among Diaspora Albanians (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 183 new cases confirmed, three fatalities (media)
• Assembly President summons PM Hoti to report on pandemic (media)
• Health Minister says situation with COVID-19 under control (media)
• Haziri criticises recently introduced restrictive measures (media)
• Four northern municipalities introduce new restrictive measures (media)
• Beyer: Dialogue must resume, and agreement reached (RTK)
• Grenell: We support EU for meetings on 10 – 12 July (Express)
• Lajcak discusses the dialogue with senior German officials (media)
• Hoti: France committed to support Kosovo in dialogue process (media)
• Selmanaj: France has dilemmas and hesitates on visa liberalisation (T7)
• 42 MEPs call for visa liberalisation for Kosovo (media)
• EU confident Thaci will extend EULEX's mandate (Koha)
• Vucic on dialogue with Kosovo: They will pressure us to lose (media)
• KLA associations reveal July 9 protest method (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Except for Hoti and Vucic, Merkel and Macron invite EU’s Borell as well (Express)
• Kosovo’s FM discusses with Germany’s EM Heiko Maas (media)
• CDHRF requests urgent voting of Covid-19 law (RTK)
• LVV accuses Hoti’s government for failing to manage Covid-19 situation (RTK)
• Judah: I was wrong, it seems dialogue can make it without Thaçi (media)
• War veterans change protest plan (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Apostolova: Current status quo in Kosovo is unsustainable (Jedinstvo, Kosovo Online, Tanjug, Blic)
• Dr. Antonijevic: We’re waiting for the results of 111 samples, some of which we have been waiting for 6 days (KoSSev)
• Covic: International community like 'Vienna Boys' Choir' (RTS)
• Jevtic and Rakic about improved conditions for the return of the displaced (Radio Mitrovica Sever)
• UNESCO official says Serbia imposed pandemic measures to strengthen authorities (N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo: a hasty rotation of power (EWB)

International:

• US soldier killed in noncombat incident in Kosovo (The Hill)
• France, Germany seek to unfreeze stalled Kosovo-Serbia talks (EURACTIV)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Conspiratorial Corona: Hoaxes and Conspiracy Theories in the Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• Novi Pazar is the biggest hotspot of COVID-19 in Serbia (EWB)