UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 2, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: Nine deaths, 486 new cases (media)
• Minister Zemaj warns anti-coronavirus measures may be toughened (media)
• Thaci: If no recognition proposal, dialogue destined to fail (media)
• Hoti urges Bosnia to lift visa regime and open liaison office (media)
• Kosovo FM Haradinaj-Stublla sets on official visit to Germany (media)
• Osmani: Government to reveal what it agreed in Brussels about missing persons (Koha)
• Selmanaj: Full integration happens when communities act within legitimate institutions (Klan)
• "Government's attempt to dissolve anti-corruption task force failed" (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• 41 new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Borrell: Thaci's proposal to change mandate of SC and SPO beyond Kosovo legal obligations towards EU (KoSSev)
• Vucic spoke at panel of young leaders forum, Zaev and Rama participate as well (RTS)
• Metropolitan Amfilohije buried on Sunday, numerous reactions to his death (KoSSev)
• Godfrey: Whoever wins elections, Serbia will remain important to Washington (N1)
• Four candidates for Mitrovica North mayoral elections (Kontakt plus radio)
• CEC still has no instructions of Kosovo Public Health Institute regarding elections in two municipalities (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Serbian List reacts to Jablanovic’s statements (Kosovo-online)
• United opposition: EU must help us force government to ensure freedom of media (BETA, N1)

Opinion:

• Albanian Americans and Trump: An empty friendship (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• US Election Splits Central Europe (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Government tighten COVID-19 measures (Prishtina Insight)

• COVID-19 report: Seven deaths, 337 new cases (media)
• Hoti: Decision on new measures will be evaluated in two weeks (media)
• Ministry of Health announces new measures against COVID-19 (media)
• Education Minister calls for respect of anti-COVID measures (media)
• Hoti: We have pandemic situation under control (media)
• Lack of vision by Kosovo and Serbia to reach final settlement (Koha)
• Nagavci: Elections first, then proposal of a candidate for President (Express)
• Selimi: Haradinaj, only candidate fitting of President post (media)

• COVID - 19 report: Four deaths, 418 new cases (media)
• Kosovo to decide on new measures against COVID – 19 tomorrow? (media)
• CDHRF: Prishtina has turned into a hotbed of new infections (media)
• New measures expected; Prishtina Mayor says he’s not informed (Express)
• Hoti backs down, accepts AAK’s condition for Dukagjin Highway (Koha)
• Selimi says there are no cracks in coalition with LDK (media)
• “Sun Valley”, a neighborhood without permits, proof of discrimination (KTV)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: Four deaths, 418 new cases (media)
• Kosovo in negotiations to obtain Covid-19 vaccine through World Bank (media)
• Hoti dismisses claims abolishment of task force will delay visa liberalisation (media)
• KWN writes to Hoti calling for implementation of UN SC resolution 1325 (media)
• Kosovo's Islamic Community condemns terror attack in Nice (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Belgrade insists on ZSO in Brussels talks; EU: Step forward (N1)
• Milan Radojevic candidate for Mitrovica North mayor (Radio KIM)
• China congratulates Serbia on new government (FoNet, N1)
• Increase in domestic violence cases in northern Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Constitutional reforms inevitable in Kosovo and Serbia (KIM radio, TV Show 'Sporazum')
• Metropolitan Amfilohije passes away (KoSSev, media)
• Petkovic: Hoti deceives the public by misinterpreting the agreements from Brussels (TV Most)

Opinion:

• Washington could force Kosovo recognition onto Greece and other EU states (greekcitytimes.com)

International:

• CDT: The countries of the region are stagnating and even regressing in the field of democratization (EWB)
• Serbian Ministry Protects ‘Right to Privacy’ of Fugitive War Criminal (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Tiodorovic: Schools won't be closed in Serbia yet as they are not closed in Europe (B92, RTS)
• Ivanusa: The situation in Serbia is very serious (B92, Blic)
• Enabled channel for emergency filling of Lake Badovac from Ibar-Lepenac (KoSSev)

• COVID-19 report: One death, 305 new cases (media)
• Zemaj: We are prepared for second wave of COVID-19 (Klan Kosova)
• Lajcak: Another step towards comprehensive normalisation agreement (media)
• Serbia wants Association with executive competencies (RFE)
• Government loses parliamentary support from minority MPs (Prishtina Insight)
• PM Hoti: No one can blackmail the government (Klan Kosova)
• Court comments on media reports about government vote (media)
• “Reporting judge asked for government to be brought down” (Express)
• Vetevendosje Movement slams Prime Minister Hoti (media)
• Assembly President Osmani condemns terror attack in France (media)
• Haradinaj: Extremism and terrorism cannot challenge France (media)
• Legal aid division chief for potential defendants of special court resigns (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 29, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: One death, 284 new cases (media)
• Thaci condemns attack in France: terrorists will never win (RTK)
• Borrell: Dialogue in Brussels is essential for Kosovo’s European road ( media)
• Kosovo-Serbia dialogue resumes today in Brussels (Express)
• Hoti: Police Task Force was unconstitutional (Telegrafi)
• Haradinaj-Stublla demands visa liberalization from EU Presidency (RTK)
• Kosovo and Northern Macedonia soon with common border point (RTK)
• Only one candidate for Mitrovica North mayor so far (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

21 new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian communities in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
Vucic: Terrorism will never win (B92)
Petkovic and Lajcak met in Brussels (Tanjug)
Carpenter: Biden's goal would be to strengthen Serbia in European and Euro-Atlantic structures (Danas, TV Prva)
Jevtic: Return of displaced persons at unsatisfactory level (Radio KIM)
Shaip Kamberi – a speech that marked yesterday’s Serbian National Assembly session (KoSSev)
German FM: Belgrade - Pristina agreement would have positive impact on region (N1, BETA)
Serwer: Vucic will not recognize Kosovo (B92, Kosovo Online)
Party of Kosovo Serbs letter to Central Election Commission (RTK)

Opinion:

• How Trump Lost the Balkans (foreignpolicy.com)
• Trump Has a Fix for Kosovo. He’s Ignoring It. (Foreign Policy, Koha)

International:

• London Calling: Albanians Count Cost of UK Illegality (Balkan Insight)
• Kommersant: Serbia’s new government shifts towards West (tass.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Balkan Brain Drain ‘Won’t Stop Without Economic, Democratic Progress’ (Balkan Insight)

• COVID - 19 report: Four deaths, 281 new cases (media)
• Kosovo Chamber of Commerce chairman warns of collapse (media)
• Thaci meets leaders of political parties (media)
• Osmani: LDK always tried to include PDK in government (Telegrafi)
• Gashi: Anti-corruption task force produced no exceptional results (media)
• Maas: Dialogue and comprehensive agreement have no alternative (media)
• EU Special Representative Tomas Szunyog interview to KTV
• Grenell calls on Albanian Americans to help reelect Donald Trump (media)
• Trump Takes Credit For Ending Kosovo War, Which Ended In 1999 (Forbes)
• Konjufca: Vetevendosje, 40% of votes according to another party’s poll (media)
• First Defendant at Hague-Based Kosovo War Court Pleads Not Guilty (Balkan Insight)
• PDK’s political activist ‘misled authorities’ to get media commission job (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: Four deaths, 281 new cases (media)
• Trump says he stopped 400 years long war between Kosovo and Serbia (media)
• Kosovo Government confirms tomorrow's meeting in Brussels (media)
• Selimi: Brussels dialogue should not take on technical character (KP/Telegrafi)
• Weber: Lajcak trapped into blaming Kosovo for lack of dialogue progress (Express/RTK)
• Hoti: European integration, priority for Kosovo Government (media)
• GAP publishes report on pandemic’s impact on Kosovo economy (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Brnabic: Unity regarding Kosovo issue priority, we won’t give up on ZSO (Tanjug)
• Lavrov is not coming to Serbia: Russian minister in self-isolation due to coronavirus (Tanjug, B92)
• Vucic to meet directors of COVID hospitals, address public (B92, N1)
• EU: CSM won't be parallel authority; Belgrade: no progress without CSM (N1, BETA)
• Pompeo: Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria join Clean Network (KoSSev)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: ZSO key for future of Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• NGO Aktiv presented publication on treatment of non-majority communities in Kosovo during Covid-19 (social media)
• Rakic with Abbott on attacks against Serbian population (Kosovo-online)
• Kosovo Serb politician says Biden helped protect monastery (N1)

Opinion:

• The unbearable lightness of stealing public money (Prishtina Insight)
• Twin crises: Political dysfunction in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (ecfr.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Serbian epidemiologist says more restrictive measures could come (N1)
• Developing a Long-Term and Holistic Approach to Strengthen Water Security in Kosovo (marketscreener.com)
• BSF: Nordic model of security cooperation an example for the Western Balkans (EWB)
• The importance of ‘unlearning’ the past: Interview with Balkans expert Keith Brown (globalvoices.org)

• COVID-19 report: Three deaths, 197 new cases (media)
• Health Minister: There will be increased controls (media)
• The next Kosovo-Serbia meeting at level of experts, on Thursday (media)
• EU: Association will not have executive competencies (media)
• U.S. Ambassador Kosnett’s interview with Dukagjini TV (media)
• Hoti pledges to restore lawfulness in Kosovo (media)
• Mustafa: Hoti has courage to fight corruption, can’t be blackmailed (media)
• U.S. elections, “determinant” for continuation of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (RFE)
• Government: We are waiting for invitation for Mini-Schengen (Express)
• Haradinaj: Decisions in the coalition to be made in partnership (media)
• MPs see no Kosovo statehood signs at Merdare crossing point (Koha)
• Kosovo Spends €2.5 Million Paying Non-Working Serb Employees (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 27, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19 report: Three deaths, 197 new cases (media)
• The next Kosovo-Serbia meeting at level of experts, on Thursday (RFE, media)
• Veliu does not respond to invitation to report on Qalaj’s dismissal (RTK)
• Salih Mustafa to appear in front of the Special Court tomorrow (RTK)
• Abbot: U.S. involvement in dialogue, positive (media)
• Szunyog meets with LDK Assembly caucus, seeks results on EU reforms (media)
• Application of parties for Mitrovica North elections starts (RTK)
• Zemaj warns on new measures to prevent coronavirus spread (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Belgrade - Pristina dialogue to continue on Thursday in Brussels (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever, RTS)
• Smith: With constitutional amendments Thaci attempts to end work of court (Radio KIM)
• Serbian Ambassador says Belgrade-Moscow relations stable (N1)
• RFE: China takes over job of railway reconstruction in Serbia from EU (N1)
• Serbian MPs vote for three new cabinets; SPS names two ministers (FoNet, N1)
• Botsan-Kharchenko: Bilateral relations, Kosovo in focus of Lavrov's visit (media)
• Serb household in Plemetina village, near Obilic robbed (Radio KIM)
• Zais: Experts of US Energy department working on the Gazivode Lake feasibility study (Kosovo online, Tanjug)

International:

• Troubled Relationship: Kosovo’s Thaci and the Hague War Crimes Court (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• COVID-19 Surges as South-East Europe Heads for Winter (Balkan Insight)
• RYCO: Youth policies should be high on the reform agendas of the Western Balkan governments (EWB)
• Albanian Children to be Returned from Syrian Refugee Camps (Balkan Insight)