UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 11, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Thaci: Statements about withdrawal of US troops, serious messages (media)
• Haradinaj calls leaders to meet: Let's unite on important topics (media)
• Haxhiu: Kosovo will never damage relations with U.S. (media)
• KFOR commander: KSF needs permission to go to the north, police don’t (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• “Vucic goes to Berlin to reiterate his clear position to Chancellor Merkel” (Novosti, Tanjug, B92)
• Dacic requests urgent and unconditional revocation of tariffs (N1)
• Confirmed for B92.net: Vucic canceled all SNS election rallies (media)
• Dacic: We continue work on retracting recognitions of Kosovo (Dnevnik, FoNet)
• Djukanovic: United States resolved to unblock Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (RTS)

International:

• Donald Trump Junior Urges US Troop Withdrawal from Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo government approves delayed 2020 budget (Reuters)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kurti: Fighting poverty and inequality remains a priority on which we must work together
• Remarks of SRSG Zahir Tanin at UNKT Strategic Prioritisation Retreat
• Balkan Countries Tighten Security as Coronavirus Cases Surge (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Prosecutors Accuse Serbian Company of Wrecking Medieval Fortress (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci calls on government to accept U.S. requests: Clashes are dangerous (media)
• Kurti: Differences of opinions should not become contradictions (Koha)
• Isa Mustafa: I have sent an envoy to meet Grenell (media)
• Veseli to Kurti: You triggered most dangerous debate in Kosovo-US relations (media)
• Trump Jr: There are 650 troops in Kosovo. Time to bring them home (media)
• PM Kurti meets Franco-German delegation (Zeri)
• Haradinaj meets Veseli, Limaj; discuss plans for a “Unity Conference” (media)
• Kosovo government approves €10 million action plan to face coronavirus (media)
• Ministry: Kosovo schools to remain open until further notice (media)
• Pristina municipality takes first preventive measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)
• Serbian man wanted for war crimes arrested in Budapest (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• Thaci: Disappointing that envoys made no mention of visa liberalisation (media)
• Senator warns of U.S. reconsidering its presence in Kosovo (media)
• Kurti does not deny U.S. sanctions, says he hasn’t verified the news (Express)
• Osmani: Only the government has legitimacy to lead dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Kosovo government approves draft budget for 2020 (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• "Albanians oppose compromise, Serbs promote frozen conflict. There's no solution" (Tanjug, B92)
• Covic on blockade of US funds to Pristina – a storm in a teacup (RTS)
• Bajrami: The greater challenge for Kurti’s government is its lack of unity, not Thaci’s plans (KoSSev)
• Stanojkovic: Kurti will yield, but slowly, and this will cost Kosovo a lot (KoSSev)
• Abbot Janjic and COMKFOR Risi on situation and protection of SOC shrines (KoSSev)
• Urgent measures of the Government of Serbia adopted due to the coronavirus (B92, Tanjug)
• Jevtic: Continuation of dialogue, dropping tariffs have no alternative (Radio KIM)
• Brnabic: Clear policy of US, I wish if EU would be clearer (RTS)

Opinion:

• Crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean: hybrid warfare, the Balkans and the Near East (opendemocracy.net)
• A call to tear down the walls of bureaucracy (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Policy Rift Widens Between Kosovo President and PM (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Six new suspected coronavirus cases in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo steps up measures to prevent coronavirus spread (Prishtina Insight)
• Four cases of coronavirus in Serbia, opposition demands state of emergency (N1)
• Vucic: Temporary ban can be imposed on those entering the country from affected areas (Tanjug, B92)
• Kosovo War Rape Survivor Condemns Stigmatisation of Victims (Balkan Insight)
• Balkan Countries Fear EU Green Deal Could Leave Them Further Behind (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci holds news conference after meeting political leaders (media)
• DPM Abazi: Prime Minister Kurti reports only to the Assembly (media)
• Kosovo leaders to meet Franco-German delegation (media)
• Thaci: Lajcak, the most untrustworthy person to lead dialogue (Zeri)
• Opposition parties launch motion against Minister Reka (media)
• Kosovo Gov’t asked for €10 mil for coronavirus preventive measures (Koha)
• Thaci calls for preventive measures against coronavirus infections (Kallxo)
• 7 people infected with coronavirus in North Macedonia, six in Albania (media)
• Rukiqi calls for emergency measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)
• WHO Director-General: Threat of pandemic has become very real (media)
• “Kosovo society to be ashamed of treatment of sexual violence survivors” (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 09, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Without punishment of war crimes, there can be no justice (Koha/Zeri)
• Kurti doesn't attend meeting with Thaci (Koha)
• Thaci thanks LDK for constructivity (media)
• Haradinaj: Thaci showed no document from his meeting with Vucic (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic on Kurti’s text that agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value, compares it with Kosovo case (Tanjug, B92)
• Jeremic on Kosovo membership in UN, elections in Serbia (Voice of America, N1)
• Mihajlovic: Jeremic spreads misinformation (Danas)
• Vucic: "US won't give up pressure, some EU countries have sympathies for Kurti" (RTS, Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Double-headed eagle painted on wall of Serb school in Preoce village (RTS)

Opinion:

• Kurti: Agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value (FAZ/Koha)

International:

• Facebook Extends Political Ads Rules to Balkans Before Elections (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo considering stepping up preventive measures against coronavirus (media)
• International Women’s Day Marked Across Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• More Balkan Countries Confirm First Coronavirus Cases (Balkan Insight)
• Balkan States Beef up Borders against Migrant ‘Security Threat’ (Balkan Insight)
• Post-War Kosovo Becomes Hub for Mine-Clearance Expertise (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci calls meetings with political leaders (media)
• Thaci: Some people want to prevent agreement with Serbia (RTK)
• Grenell reiterates call for dropping of tariff (media)
• Kurti and Haradinaj call for dialogue coordination (Koha Ditore)
• Hoti: No need for dialogue conference, Kosovo has legitimate institutions (media)
• Gender equality demanded on International Women’s Day (Koha Ditore)
• Assembly to hold special session to mark International Women's Day (media)
• Haxhiu pledges €900,000 for domestic violence shelters (Kosovapress/Koha)
• Kosovo cancels flights to Italy’s northern region due to coronavirus fears (media)

• Kurti-led government with two red lines on dialogue with Serbia (Koha)
• Mustafa: Grenell warned of sanctions towards Kosovo (RTV21/RTK)
• Haradinaj: Government’s approach to tax producing first consequences (media)
• Kosovo calls for release of its citizen detained by Serbia (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Vraniqi: Grenell being misused for internal political purposes in Kosovo (media)
• Thaci authorises Ministry of Finance to sign new agreements with EU (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Special Prosecution launched investigation into Prekaz events in 1998 (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Atlantic Council associate and Beacon vice president: "The campaign in the US should not diminish the interest in the situation in the Balkans" (RTS)
• AmCham Kosovo concerned over tariffs (KoSSev, N1, RTS)
• US asks Serbia to stop buying arms from Russia, RFE reports (N1, B92, Beta)
• Dacic, Godfrey on armament Serbia bought from Russia, dialogue with Pristina (N1)
• Vulin said Serbia can buy weapons wherever it wants (N1)
• "Access point to the sea, this is a compromise offered to Serbia" (B92, Kosovo-online)
• Grenell denies Kosovo politician’s claim Washington won’t stop aiding Pristina (KoSSev, N1, RTS)
• Tadic: Vucic has better circumstances for resolving Kosovo issue, than those Djindjic, Kostunica and I had (Danas, Voice of America)

Humanitarian/Development

• Serbian Minister confirms first coronavirus case in Serbia (Serbian media)
• 53 people got tested for coronavirus over a one-month period in Kosovo (media)
• Serbian government meeting on migrants began; Vucic issued orders to the army, police and BIA (B92, TV Prva, Blic, Vecernje Novosti)
• Prof. Corac: 160 million tons of waste from Kosovo will end up in artificial lake on Ibar River near Raska (KoSSev)

• Kurti calls for unity, says alliance with U.S. cannot be broken (Koha/Telegrafi)
• Grenell: Partial tariffs harm Kosovo's economy (media)
• Borrell: I am committed to support advancing the EU-facilitated dialogue (Klan)
• "Thaci resumes efforts to paralyse Specialist Chambers" (Koha Ditore)
• U.S. rep to OSCE speaks about dialogue and fight against corruption (Kallxo)
• Germany, France expected to send envoys to Pristina next week (Express/Zeri)
• Kosnett briefed on the situation of non-majority communities in Kosovo (Epoka)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 05, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Periskopi: Thaci and Vucic were presented with draft agreement at White House meeting
• Thaci: Lajcak voted against Kosovo's membership to Interpol (Kallxo)
• Veseli: Kosovo deserves better (media)
• “Thaci's second attempt at preventing work of Specialist Chambers” (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Washington absolutely that tariffs are revoked, no recognition and Serbia to get nothing (Kosovo-online)
• Borrel for the continuation of the EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (NMagazin, euractiv.jutarnji.hr)
• Serbia ranked ‘partly free’ in Freedom in the World report (N1)
• Jankovic: Americans ‘dragged’ Vucic to Washington, visit below his level (Danas, FoNet)

Opinion:

• Trump is looking for a foreign policy coup in the Balkans (aljazeera.com)
• Don’t Trust Serbian or Kosovo ‘Kings’ to Achieve Peace (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Vucic: Most Serbs Prefer a ‘Frozen Conflict’ with Kosovo (Foreign Policy)
• Populist Shrug Off Protests In Central And Southeast Europe (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development

• Bosnia confirms its first case of coronavirus - regional TV (Reuters)
• "If the Greek border falls ..." (B92, Tanjug)
• Kosovo Citizens ‘Haven’t Heard of’ President’s Reconciliation Initiative (Balkan Insight)