UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 29, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Assembly declares energy emergency (media)
• Kurti thanks Rama for helping with energy supply during end year holidays (euronews.al)
• Kurti: 2021 to be remembered as a year when hope, trust, and will for change became unbreakable (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Government approves draft law on setting up bureau for confiscation of unjustifiable wealth (Koha)
• Israel Appoints First Ambassador To Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
• UK Embassy welcomes appointment of anti-corruption agency head (media)
• COVID-19: 33 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Patriarch: What the Vatican is for the Roman Catholic Church, Kosovo is for us (KoSSev, RTS)
• US Ambassador Godfrey: “The US does not see Serbia as a threat…” (B92, N1, TV Prva)
• Israel appoints ambassador in Kosovo (N1, KoSSev)
• Jevtic: They want to use police actions to force Serbs to leave Kosovo and Metohija (Politika)
• EU sources: How to get Western Balkans out of stagnation in 2022 (N1, BETA)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Urban Vision: Woman Painter Transforms Humdrum Kosovo Town With Murals (Balkan Insight)

• Kurti calls on diaspora to get vaccinated upon arrival in Kosovo (media)
• COVID-19: 13 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Constitutional Court decides on payment for electricity in the north (media)
• ERO warns crisis through April, KEDS, KOSTT cannot do billing in north (EO)
• Albania to provide electricity to Kosovo for New Year's (media)
• Residents fire up generators as Kosovo energy crisis escalates (Reuters)
• Record of remittances in Kosovo in 2021 (Radio Free Europe)
• Court orders retrial of Kosovo Serb MP sentenced for ‘ethnic hatred’ (BIRN)
• Kurti received the Minister of National Defense of Turkey, Hulusi Akar (media)
• IOC threatens Malaysia and Serbia with event hosting ban (inisdethegames.biz)

Albanian Language Media:

• Minister calls on MPs to support emergency measures in energy sector (media)
• Kosovo's energy sector experiencing one of major challenges in last twenty years, KEDS says (media)
• Kurti: Sustainable progress brings together democracy and science (Koha)
• COVID-19: 13 new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• "Sad indicator of religious and ethnic intolerance" (KiM radio, KoSSev)
• 17 cases of COVID-19 in Serb areas (KoSSev)
• Borrell: The rhetoric of divisions in 2021 hampered the Western Balkans' path to the EU (Danas, Beta)
• Vulin, Petkovic with Teodosije on the position of Serbian people in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Balkan Security Network: Serbia has largest army of all ex-Yugoslav republics (Beta, N1)
• Holiday message to negotiators in Pristina, Belgrade, and Brussels (KiM radio)

• Kosovo Assembly to hold extraordinary session to discuss electricity crisis (media)
• Haradinaj blames Vetevendosje, Kurti for electricity crisis (media)
• Kosovars Protest Against Electricity Cuts, Demand Sackings (BIRN)
• Turkish minister to visit Kosovo today (Koha)
• Serbian official not permitted entry to Kosovo (Koha)
• Borrell: 2021, a year of transitions (RTK)
• Russia Is Playing With Fire in the Balkans (FA/Klan)
• Kosovo: Guerrillas’ Trials Begin at Hague War Crimes Court (BIRN)
• COVID-19: Four new cases, no deaths (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti on energy situation: There are almost no power cuts (media)
• “Government has taken measures; but consequences are inevitable” (Kosovapress)
• Haxhiu: Agreement with Denmark; no need for constitutional amendments (EO)
• Minxhozi: Kosovo-Albania railroad construction in 2024 (EO)
• PAI leader refutes party member: We remain part of government (Gazeta Express)
• Ministry: Vaccination remains most effective protection from COVID-19 (media)
• COVID-19: Four new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: ''I see I am to blame for the lack of electricity in Kosovo also, but the results are winning'' (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Serbian families of the missing uninformed about the Brussels dialogue (KiM radio)
• Veljko Odalovic banned from entering Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTK2)
• Jeremic: Opposition should be ready to defend election results on streets (N1, Beta)
• Ambassador Godfrey: America’s goal is same as Serbia’s (N1, Beta, RTS)
• Petkovic: Since Kurti came to power, number of incidents against Serbs 50 percent higher (Kosovo Online)
• Tombstones in Kisnica village desecrated, condemnations of the act (KiM radio, Kontakt plus radio, gracanicaonline.info)
• "Stop Hate Speech" (KiM radio)

• Kurti blames past governments about energy crisis (RTK)
• Kosovo reports first cases of COVID-19 Omicron (media)
• Citizens warn protests over power outages (euronews.al)
• German expert arrives; repair of Kosova B block underway (Koha)
• Serbia blocks transit goods, Kosovo still without any action (Kosovapress)
• US-sanctioned Serb’s company subcontracts work to Kosovo Albanians (BIRN)
• “Easier to decipher Da Vinci Code, than EU position on Open Balkan” (Koha)
• Haziri: Serbia is playing a political game in Open Balkan (euronews.al)
• BIRN Kosovo Won Prize After Prize in 2021 (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Serbia’s militarization reveals Vucic’s objective in Open Balkan (Koha)
• Milanovic: Open Balkan, useless if Kosovo is not treated equally (media)
• Health Institute: Tests that can detect Omicron expected to arrive today (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• Botsan-Kharchenko: Moscow urges Pristina for normal dialogue with Belgrade (Kosovo-online)
• EU Ambassador Giaufret exchanges views with Patriarch Porfirije (N1)
• EU: Serbia aligns with policy on Belarus (N1)
• Serbia pursuing responsible policy, Vucic tells Austrian ORF (Tanjug)
• France and Germany continue to co-operate on an initiative to help Serbia-Kosovo dialogue (RFE)
• Covid-19: nine new cases registered in Serbian areas (RTS)

Opinion:

• The curse of the “Open Balkan” (Koha)
• Vucic’s New Pose as Serbia’s ‘Protector’ Shouldn’t Fool Anyone (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Serbian Minister Faces New Legal Challenge for ‘Insulting Albanians’ (Balkan Insight)
• Rio Tinto controversy: Has the EU designated Serbia as a “sacrificial zone” for lithium extraction? (EWB)
• Montenegro Close to Choosing Bechtel to Build Adriatic Highway (Balkan Insight)
• Hope Fades for Missing Victims of Albania’s Communist Regime (Balkan Insight)

• EU voices support for "Open Balkan” initiative (Koha)
• Zulfaj: Four freedoms of the "Open Balkan" embodied in the common regional market (Koha)
• Konjufca: This is the "Open Balkan" they're trying to sell to us (media)
• RECOM: Unacceptable Conduct of the BIA towards Regional Reconciliation Activists (media)
• AJK condemns conduct of Serbian authorities towards journalist, Adriatik Kelmendi (media)
• Kelmendi reveals details of his encounter with Serbia’s security authorities (Klan)
• Croatian President Milanovic to begin Kosovo visit today (media)
• Kosovo Ex-Mayor Suspected of Taking Over €1 Million in Bribes (BIRN)
• Kosovo Experts Refute Danish Prison Cell Renting Plan (Exit News)
• COVID-19: Twenty new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kosovo introduces power cuts due to energy crisis (Reuters)
• EBRD extending 4 mln euro loans to Kosovo's KEP Trust (SeeNews)
• North Macedonia’s prime minister formally steps down (AP)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 22, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• New German Government supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in WB (Expres)
• Hungary May Become Kosovo’s Big EU Foe (Prishtina Insight)
• Gervalla does not report to the integration committee, due to a trip (media)
• Haxhiu on the agreement with Denmark: We have the right to reject any prisoner (Klan)
• Court in Serbia legalizes derogatory term for Albanians, says Ragmi Mustafi (Express)
• Draft of the Code of Ethics for Assembly proposed after the Musliu-Peci incident (Koha)
• COVID-19: Twenty new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Failure to hold a referendum on changing the Constitution of Serbia in Kosovo is an introduction to the election ban? (Danas)
• Vucic receives invitation to attend UN conference taking place in Doha end of January (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian List Board in Strpce: Brutal intrusion and intimidation of officials’ families (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vujicic and Maric on arrests in Strpce: Continuation of policy of force against Serbs (Kosovo-online)
• Trajkovic, Rasic on arrests in Strpce (Radio KIM)
• Putin in a greeting card to Vucic: We have outlined new perspectives, I am counting on the continuation of joint work (RTS)
• Kosovo police special unit conducted search in Serbian house in Silovo (Kosovo-online)
• KiM Office reaction to Kosovo police search in Silovo village (Kosovo Online)
• Covid-19: three new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Handling Segregation: Village School Tries to Tackle Kosovo’s Ethnic Divisions (Balkan Insight)
• EU working to amend genocide denial law that is blamed for Bosnia crisis (The Guardian)
• Kosovo experts oppose Denmark prison outsourcing (Euractiv)

• Kosovo arrests ten for corruption, including ex-mayor (BIRN)
• Svecla: Action in Brezovica did not target specific ethnic groups (media)
• Leaders sign new ‘Open Balkan’ agreements in Albania (BIRN)
• Rama: Open Balkan will continue even if others refuse to join (euronews.al)
• Varhelyi invites Kosovo to join Open Balkan; PM advisor reacts (Telegrafi)
• Von Cramon denounces Serbia deregistration of Albanians from civil registry (Exit News)
• COVID-19: Nine new cases, no deaths (media)
• Kurti receives booster shot, encourages citizens to get vaccinated (euronews.al)
• Kosovo film ‘Hive’ shortlisted for Oscars’ international feature (Express)