• COVID – 19: 348 new cases, 5 deaths (media)
• Hoti: Situation with COVID – 19 in Kosovo under control (media)
• EU Head of Office: Kosovo will get free vaccines for over 300,000 people (media)
• Osmani: Going to elections helps further democracy (Radio Free Europe)
• Hoti: New elections are not excluded (RTK)
• Gashi: No political readiness to resolve President issue (media)
• Konjufca: We expect to win up to 50 percent of votes (media)
• Xhemajli: PDK has a candidate for post of Kosovo President (media)
• Palmer: US, EU working together on Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (Indeksonline)
• Ruecker denies knowing of any corruption affair while heading KTA (EO/Koha)
• WHO vaccine scheme risks failure, leaving poor countries with no COVID shots until 2024 (Reuters)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 17
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 16, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 296 new cases, five deaths (media)
• PM Hoti's Office issues statement on Government's work plan draft (media)
• Kosovo Government not to apply to join international organisations until 2023 (Koha)
• Kosovo authorities allowed to visit Maqastena in Prokuplje, Serbia (Koha)
• Kosovo and Serbia representatives clash at CEFTA's virtual meeting (media)
• Kurti writes to KSC judge to support Selimi's bail request (Telegrafi)
Serbian Language Media:
• 52 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Vucic met Serbs from Kosovo, EMS and EPS directors – conclusions in two, three days (KoSSev)
• Serbia won’t impose sanctions on Moscow, says Vucic; Resolution 1244 the basis for every agreement, says Lavrov (Beta, N1)
• German State Secretary: EU and Germany supported process which resulted in KOSTT independence (KoSSev)
• Jeremic: “Albanian finger” on a power supply switch in northern Kosovo as of yesterday (Danas)
• Covic: I do not believe Albright would be in negotiations, Serwer completely irrelevant (KoSSev)
Opinion:
• Who gave electricity to Pristina (Nova S)
International:
• Balkan States Race to Secure COVID-19 Vaccine Supplies (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo Politicians Divided Over How to Choose Next President (Balkan Insight)
• Europe set to approve COVID-19 vaccine in Christmas week (Reuters)
• Mini-Schengen, Regional Economic Area and Common Regional Market: What is what? (EWB)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Last Despatches: News Team Killed the Day After Kosovo War Ended (Balkan Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 16
• COVID – 19: 350 new cases, 18 deaths (media)
• Hoxhaj: President post belongs to the PDK (media)
• Konjufca: Vetevendosje doesn’t want post of Kosovo President (T7)
• Mustafa: Vetevendosje is seeing dreams that it can win 50% of votes (media)
• Bytyci: Red lines in politics are being removed (media)
• Kosovo Acting President Osmani begins 3-day visit to Albania (media)
• Serbia cuts off energy transmission to Kosovo (RFE)
• Russian Foreign Minister: EU to be impartial in the dialogue (media)
• Serbian List to meet Serbian President Vucic (Gazeta Express)
• Captured states in Western Balkans and Turkey (Transparency International)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 15, 2020
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 15, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• No ease of lockdown measures for Christmas and New Year in Kosovo (media)
• Hoti: Mustafa is dealing with the meeting on president issue (media)
• Haradinaj’s initial appearance at Special Court rescheduled to 18 December (media)
• Ambassador Jan Braathu nominated OSCE chief of the mission in Serbia (Koha)
• Kosnett and Tan support local war crime prosecution (media)
• Osmani to travel for a three day visit to Albania (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• In Serbian communities in Kosovo 56 new cases and one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Brnabic: I'm against curfew, celebrate at home; Vucic: vaccination soon (N1, BETA)
• Russian FM arrives in Belgrade; talks to include bilateral relations, economy (N1)
• Serbia's Foreign Minister: Close relations with Russia (N1)
• Serwer to N1: Vucic won't recognise Kosovo, we'll have to wait for one who will (N1)
• Trajkovic: Albright unlike Serwer recognizes opportunity for better US-Serbia relations (Kosovo-online)
• Energy agreement vaguely implanted (Danas)
• Mihajlovic: Opposition is spreading falsehoods and scaring Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian List: Incomprehensible and unacceptable need to denigrate one’s own state (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Opinion:
• The EU and Kosovo a decade on (opendemocracy.net)
International:
• Kosovo Truth Commission’s Future in Doubt After Thaci’s Indictment (Balkan Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 15
• COVID-19: 353 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Zemaj: New anti-COVID measures to be coordinated with all stakeholders (media)
• Hoti: Threatening statements from Belgrade do not help dialogue (media)
• Still no date set for discussions on Kosovo’s next president (Prishtina Insight)
• "Kosovo heading towards snap elections" (RFE)
• Aide refutes reports Osmani will call parties to discuss president post (media)
• Haradinaj: If my candidacy is not endorsed, we head to elections (Telegrafi)
• 100 days since signed, Washington agreement remains in paper only (Koha)
• Serwer: Albright to become involved in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Kosovo War Veterans’ Leaders Indicted for Obstructing Justice (Balkan Insight)
• Status conference in case against Mustafa held at The Hague (media)
• Joint defence requests variation of time limit for preliminary motions (media)
• One of two Kosovo men arrested by Serbian authorities, released (Klan)
• Blast reported at police officer's home in Leposavic municipality (Kallxo)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 14, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID - 19: 353 new cases, 9 deaths (media)
• Hoti: If solution on President isn’t found, Kosovo goes to new elections (media)
• Nagavci: President post to be discussed after new elections (media)
• KOSTT to operate independently; PM Hoti calls it “a joint success” (media)
• Haradinaj: Decision to form Army was not easy, but most important (media)
• Pacolli: Army was a gift from the U.S. for our people (media)
• The shocking results of a study in Serbia (Klan Kosova)
Serbian Language Media:
• 24 new cases of Covid-19, four deaths registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: There will be more pressure (Vecernje Novosti, B92)
• Lavrov to visit Belgrade on Tuesday (Tanjug, TV Most)
• The public does not see how much NATO and Serbia work together (cfsp.rs)
• "When it comes to Serbia and Kosovo, the status quo is unsustainable" (Tanjug, B92, RFE)
• Abbot Janjic: Kosovo grotesque picture of what international community allegedly wanted to achieve 21 years ago (KoSSev)
• Brnabic: Vaccines by end of year (B92)
• Serbian Orthodox Church warns of false accounts under its name (BETA, N1)
• Mladjan Djordjevic once again urged Vucic to say to whom they handed over energy system in northern Kosovo (Direktno.rs)
• KOSTT started working as a regulatory area within the Kosovo-Albania bloc; no explanation to the citizens of the North (KoSSev)
Opinion:
• What Will a Joe Biden Presidency Mean for the Balkans? (nationalinterest.org)
International:
• Transparency concerns over Serbia’s growing military outlay (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo’s ‘The Flying Circus’ wins debut prize in Cottbus Film Festival (Exit.al)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Reading through the pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 14
• COVID – 19: 462 new cases, 12 deaths (media)
• Hoti: We’re preparing necessary measures for New Year holidays (media)
• No mass vaccination in Kosovo until 2022, according to The Economist (RTK)
• Serbian Police arrests two Kosovars, suspected of entering Serbia (media)
• Podujeva Mayor calls for release of persons arrested by Serbian Police (media)
• Abrashi: If no agreement on President, new elections in January (Kosovapress)
• Tahiri: New elections in Kosovo will be held on February 28 (media)
• No consensus on a candidate for Kosovo President post (Deutsche Welle)
• Osmani: I will run with my own list in new parliamentary elections (media)
• Palokaj: With this pace, the dialogue won’t end even in 2031 (Koha)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 11, 2020
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 11, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 590 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Hoti: Parties to agree on either the president or election date (Telegrafi)
• Mustafa doesn't view elections as way to resolve president's issue (Koha)
• Foundation set up to support Thaci's legal defence in The Hague (media)
• KFOR Commander expresses readiness to continue cooperation with KSF (Koha)
• Austrian MEP Mandl urges EU to grant Kosovo visa liberalisation (Klan)
• Residents of Krusha demand Tasic be retried for war crimes (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• In Serbian areas in Kosovo 66 new cases of Covid-19, one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Visoki Decani one of 12 most threatened heritages sites, shortlisted for the 7 most endangered (KoSSev)
• Father Sava: 200.000 Serbs have not returned to Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• “Everyone has right to truth” (Radio KIM)
• The hearing on the case of Ivanovic's murder postponed indefinitely (Kontakt plus radio, KoSSev)
• Radojevic took oath: It is now up to me to live up to expectations (TV Most)
• Pristina Mayor: "The biggest problem of Serbs is that when they turn 18, they leave" (RTK2)
• Montgomery: Fixed stances on multiethnic societies in Kosovo and B&H will bring no solution (Kosovo-online)
International:
• COVID-19 Conspiracy Theories Grip West Balkans, Survey Reveals (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Reidentifying the dead (Prishtina Insight)
• Homeless in their homes (Kosovo 2.0)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 11
• COVID-19: 621 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Hoti: Measures against COVID-19 to be evaluated on Friday (Lajmi)
• Varhelyi: EU working to ensure Western Balkans receive Covid vaccine on time (Klan)
• BIRN Kosovo exposé of hospital security issues draws criticism (Balkan Insight)
• Lajcak: We continued discussions on financial and property claims (media)
• LDK MP: Either a new President is elected, or we go to new elections (RTK)
• AKR: This government has lost credibility (Klan Kosova)
• Ymeri: Vetevendosje wins 40 seats if elections are held soon (Telegrafi)
• Court rules Diaspora vote counting violated Constitution (media)
• Limaj hails Constitutional Court decision (media)
• LVV's Haxhiu reacts to Constitutional Court ruling (media)
• Incident in Zubin Potok, attack on a Kosovo Police vehicle (Kallxo)
• No room for Kosovo in the EU, says Austrian MP (Klan Kosova)
• Osmani slams reports she terminated contract with William Walker (media)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 10, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 562 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• On Human Rights Day, SRSG Zahir Tanin Calls for Placing Human Rights at the Core of the COVID-19 Response and Recovery (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia dialogue continues in Brussels (Express)
• Lajcak tells what is expected to be discussed today at Prishtina-Belgrade meeting (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, no narrowing of differences (Express)
• Hoti: We do not go to the dialogue for anyone’s interests but those of the state (media)
• Von Cramon urges visa liberalization for Kosovo (media)
• “We are not blackmailing, but we do not vote anyone except for Haradinaj” (Telegrafi)
• Serwer slams media close to Vucic for referring Albanians with a racist slur (Express)
• “Engagement of former EULEX prosecutors, fades Special Court’s credibility” (RTK)
• Hoti: Human rights to be dignifiedly represented (RTK)
• Abbott with Mother Theresa’s saying on International Human Rights Day (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• 59 newly infected in Serb areas in Kosovo (KiM radio)
• Petkovic: Dialogue is going in the right direction - in the direction of a compromise solution (KoSSev)
• Petkovic met Lajcak in Brussels (Kosovo-online)
• It is clear now - EU enlargement has been slowed down (Jutarnji List, B92)
• Schieb: Serbia's progress in rule of law modest, no new chapter (N1)
• Displaced in Z. Potok and Leposavic: We are second-class citizens; we only want our own roof over our heads (KoSSev)
• Brnabic: Serbia may introduce mandatory PCR test for people coming from abroad (N1)
• Normalization at zero point or step by step process? (KiM radio, 'Dogovor' TV Show)
• "What genocide in Kosovo?” (B92, Prva TV, Tanjug)
• Gara: Remains of at least 6 persons were discovered at Muslim cemetery in North Mitrovica (Kontakt plus radio)
• EP's Bilcík: Serbia standing still, but EU has to be more active too (N1)
International:
• 12 European heritage sites shortlisted for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2021 (europanostra.org)
• China Increasing its Footprint in Balkan Media, Study Concludes (Balkan Insight)
• Southeast Europe is Pioneering a Global ‘Whistleblower Revolution’ (Balkan Insight)
• Grenell talks Serbia-Kosovo: people should stop "lingering on the past" (The Tartan)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Surviving a Pandemic (UNDP Eurasia)
• Serbian Health Minister: Return to normal life not possible before spring (B92)