UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 29, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19 report: Four deaths, 194 new cases (media)
• Hoti: We must activate National Reaction Plan (media)
• Committee passes anti-COVID law, sends it to Assembly for approval (media)
• Without facemasks on the dialogue, Hyseni meets Hoxhaj (Kallxo)
• “Two governments fall because of dialogue; this one too is clashing” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 16 new Covid-19 infection cases registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio kontakt plus)
• Jevtic: Negative PCR test not needed to enter Kosovo from Serbia (Kosovo-online)
• Zemaj: PCR tests based on reciprocity; Albania does not ask for a test from Kosovo, neither will we from Albania (KoSSev)
• Vecernje Novosti: EU prepares ultimatum to Serbia on Thursday (B92)
• Dacic: Serbian side not aware of some document within the Brussels meeting agenda (RTS)
• Dusan Janjic: There is no ultimatum in Brussels; it is a spin (N1, BETA)
• 77% of Serb citizens would not support Kosovo independence in exchange for faster EU accession (KoSSev)
• Bishop Maksim on Christian Heritage of Kosovo and Metohija Monograph: It sends a message that we should not erase others (KoSSev)
• US Embassy in Serbia: When the Serbian Flag Flew Over the White House

International:

• Cvijić: Unless the EPP joins the criticism of Serbia, there will be no shift in Commission’s position (EWB)
• Critics Decry Serbian Probe Of Media, Rights Groups Over Terror Financing, Money Laundering (RFE)
• Kosovo artist pulls out Belgrade Biennial in nationality dispute (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• It has been decided: EU remains closed to Serbia (B92)

• COVID – 19 report: 239 new cases, seven deaths (media)
• Government adopts new measures against COVID – 19 (media)
• PM advisor: If we continue like this, health system will collapse (media)
• EU: We have made it clear to Belgrade and Prishtina (media)
• Western Balkans partnership summit to be held today (media)
• Vetevendosje’s Haxhiu: New parliamentary elections very soon (Koha)
• Kosovo artist pulls out after biennial refuses to recognise his nationality (media)
• Halilaj: ‘I have always wanted to be a bird’ (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19 report: 239 new cases, seven deaths (media)
• Thaci: Healthcare workers are the heroes of our time (media)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs against government-proposed measures (media)
• “Unforgiving for government to treat this as a normal situation” (media)
• Health Minister: These public institutions can be used as hospitals (media)
• Hoti: EU-facilitated dialogue is fully coordinated with United States (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• No new Covid-19 infection cases in Gracanica municipality (Radio KIM)
• Gnjilane Health Center: Out of one hundred tested, 40 positive cases of coronavirus (Kontakt plus radio, RTV Puls)
• Talks in Brussels on Thursday? (Tanjug, B92)
• Dacic: Serbia to continue the action of withdrawal if Pristina continues lobbying (Kontakt plus radio, TV Pink, Vecernje Novosti)
• Atlantic Council to host Western Balkan online summit (N1)
• Djuric with Botsan-Kharchenko on dialogue with Pristina (Radio KIM)
• "Only Serbs did not get the right to self-determination" (Politika, B92)
• "There is only one independent Serbian state in the Balkans, and that is..." (Dnevni Avaz, B92)
• Spiric on construction in northern Kosovo: Policy of Serbia is responsible and peaceful (Kosovo Online)
• Specialist Prosecutor Smith: The investigation I am leading is not a challenge to any particular historical narrative (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Robelli: A national coordinator to fight violence against women (Koha)

International:

• Kosovo wants Apple to correct country’s borders on its maps (AP)

Humanitarian/Development:

• A new WHO warning - Emergency Commission is being convened (Tanjug, B92)
• Global air pollution correlates with COVID-19 worldwide mortality rate, UN says (TASS)

• COVID-19: 276 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Health Minister implies new restrictive measures (media)
• New anti-COVID 19 measures to enter into force (media)
• “Every second person in Kosovo infected with COVID – 19” (media)
• Health Minister: We will review measures this week! (media)
• Mustafa: We shouldn’t expect government to protect us from the virus (media)
• Women’s Network wants justice for murdered woman in Kamenica (media)
• BIA tries to manipulate Serbs and Albanians against KLA (RTK)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 27, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19 report: 276 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• President Thaci meets State Coordinator for Dialogue, Skender Hyseni (media)
• Hyseni briefs Prime Minister Hoti on Brussels meeting (media)
• PM Hoti admits difficulties with law enforcement in the north (media)
• President Thaci meets Kosovo Security Force Commander (media)
• Kosovo signs cooperation agreement with EUROPOL (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 11 new cases of Covid-19 infection registered in Serb areas on Saturday (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vucic: Word of Albanians from Pristina means nothing (BETA, N1, RTS)
• Dacic: Does dialogue make sense if Pristina acts this way (Prva TV)
• No international reactions to Hoti’s statement (Kosovo-online)
• New incident targeting Serb returnee family in Klina (Radio KIM, Kosovo-online)
• Serbian Anti-corruption Agency to initiate procedure against Kosovo Serb officials for not reporting incomes (CINS, N1)
• Specialist Chambers published 2019 report (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

• Metohija: An expression of cultural heritage, not “territorial claims“ (KoSSev)

International:

• For Whistleblowers in Kosovo, Protection on Paper but not in Practice (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia Vows to Retaliate If Kosovo Seeks Membership in International Organizations (Exit News)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Families of missing persons from Kosovo request opening of all archives, including that of international community (N1, KoSSev)
• Health system suffers as COVID-19 cases rise (Prishtina Insight)
• OpisMEDIJavanje: Why identity of persons in self-isolation is not public information (KoSSev)
• Pisonero: Serbia included in Joint Procurement Agreement (N1)

• COVID-19: 220 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• PM accuses police and inspectors of failing to implement measures (media)
• Mustafa: Support Hoti and institutions in political dialogue (media)
• Government under the scrutiny of coalition partners (Radio Free Europe)
• Assembly President condemns murder of woman in Kamenica (media)
• Minister: Merited punishment for man who killed wife in Kamenica (media)
• Fazliu: Kosovo more divided than ever over dialogue team (Prishtina Insight)
• Albanian residents of the north warn with protests (KTV)
• Vucic: If Kosovo acts, we will continue derecognition campaign (media)

• COVID-19: 213 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Hoti denies recognition lobbying is suspended (media)
• Thaci commemorates anniversary of police action in the north (media)
• Hyseni: U.S. role in dialogue is irreplaceable (media)
• Lajcak meets Reeker, discuss Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Carpenter doubts Kosovo-Serbia agreement can be reached in less than six months (RTK)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 213 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Municipalities call on government to review COVID-19 measures (media)
• Hoti stresses dialogue with Serbia is political not technical process (media)
• Thaci: Dialogue with Serbia cannot slide into technical level (media)
• Hoti: Kosovo's territorial integrity non-negotiable (media)
• Lajcak: Kosovo-Serbia expert meeting was productive (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serb communities in Kosovo 27 new Covid-19 cases (Kontakt plus radio)
• President Vucic aims to get Serbia back on world stage and this time won’t allow it to be cast as a villain (Pavlovic Today, media)
• First round of Belgrade-Pristina experts’ talks ended in Brussels (RTS)
• Jevtic: Dialogue gives chance to resolve problems (Radio KIM)
• Dodik asks Vucic to negotiate status of Kosovo and Bosnia's RS region as package (N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo more divided than ever over dialogue team (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Balkan Gangs Are Now Leading Global Smugglers, Report (Balkan Insight)
• Grassroots Group Eyes Belgrade on Route to Toppling Serbian President (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Qendra Multimedia performance space shuts down (Prishtina Insight)
• Opposition calls EU to include Serbia in procurement of coronavirus vaccine (N1)

• COVID-19: 181 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Hyseni: No separate agreements without a comprehensive agreement (media)
• President Thaci to meet Prime Minister Hoti today (media)
• Apostolova: EU is not behind Thaci’s indictment (KTV)
• Reeker: U.S. continues talks with EU on the Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (RFE)
• Beyer: North is a challenging topic in talks, borders won’t be touched (Express)
• Hoxhaj: Hoti government can damage Kosovo with its inability (Klan)
• Von Cramon: I do not and cannot impact work of Specialist Chambers (media)
• KSF denies Russian media reports of (Zeri)
• Bosnian Serbs ask Vucic to tie their region's independence to Kosovo talks (Reuters)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, July 23, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 181 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Lajcak meets Hyseni and Djuric (RTK)
• Hoti: Technical dialogue is over, today the dialogue for mutual recognition starts (RTK)
• Assembly endorses five international agreements (media)
• Assembly does not endorse neither LVV’s nor PDK’s resolutions on COVID-19 (media)
• Heldt: I leave a major piece of luggage in Kosovo (media)
• Geci: I was warned from Brussels that my life is in danger (Telegrafi)
• Hoti meets Telecom trade union representatives, promises solution (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 21 new cases of Covid-19 infection in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Janjic: The topic of today's talks between Belgrade and Pristina is not recognition (NMagazin, TV Prva)
• Vucic: Two new Covid-19 hospitals; Something strange in the region; New government by the end of August (media)
• Anniversary of killing of 14 Serb harvesters in Staro Gracko marked (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian DefMin Vulin discusses military cooperation with Russian ambassador (N1, Beta)
• WHO Director: Coronavirus trend in Balkans and South Europe worrying (FoNet, RTS, N1)
• Damon Wilson: Russia wants status quo in Kosovo (RFE)
• "No serious negotiations without USA and Russia, there'll be none in a hundred years" (B92)
• NATO Week in Belgrade: Only nine pct of people support membership (N1)
• KOMS: 36 percent of young people think de-recognition campaign on Kosovo should continue (KoSSev)
• Covic: The only capital of the Albanian nation is Tirana (Radio Mitrovica Sever, TV Most)

Opinion:

• Why the opinion of the International Court of Justice did not put a seal on Kosovo’s independence (KoSSev)
• A fork in the road for Serbia (euobserver.com)

International:

• Questions Shadow Kosovo’s Financial Support for War Suspects (Balkan Insight)
• Hague Prosecutors Summon North Macedonia’s Albanian Leader (Balkan Insight)
• Turkish-Financed Mosque Sparks Rival Protests in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Court Ruling Pushes Telecom Closer to Bankruptcy (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Asylum Outsourced: McKinsey’s Secret Role in Europe’s Refugee Crisis (Balkan Insight)