UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 18, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 141 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Hoti: The government will not allow further degrading of Telekom (RTK)
• Ramosaj: Works at Decan-Plave road continue, did not discuss with Hoti (RTK)
• Government: Decision to interrupt works at Decan Monastery, still in power (media)
• KFOR claims they are first security responders for Decan Monastery (Insajderi)
• KDI: Work of the Assembly – hostage to lack of political consensus (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Hoti’s adviser: If works on Decani-Plav road continue, decision of government is violated (KoSSev)
• Abbot Janjic: Bypass road around special protective zone is solution (Radio KIM, SRNA)
• Ramosaj: Law banning Decani-Plav road discriminatory; Janjic: Law exists, institutions must protect it (KoSSev)
• Italians to guard Visoki Decani Monastery again (KoSSev, Kosovo-online)
• VOA: Why Vucic announces extraordinary elections already in 2022 (N1)
• Spiegel: NGOs, media dangerous to Serbian president under investigation (N1)
• Rakic, Milivojevic met Erik Grøndahl (TV Most)

International:

• Pandemic now driven by 20s, 30s, 40s group, many asymptomatic: WHO (Reuters)

Humanitarian/Development:

• 11th edition of Anibar kicks off online (Prishtina Insight)
• Serbian Health Minister says number of coronavirus patients dropping (BETA, N1)

• COVID-19: 129 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Zemaj with recommendations on fighting COVID-19 pandemic (RTK)
• Kosovo signs agreement with EBRD to support services hit by pandemic (media)
• Serbia allocates funds for COVID-19 testing lab in Mitrovica North (Koha)
• U.S.: Kosovo's economic progress, crucial for peace with Serbia (Koha)
• Hoti: We will build Decan-Plave road by respecting laws of the country (media)
• "PDK will demand elections as soon as COVID-19 cases decline" (Koha)
• Konjufca: LDK was not sincere with LVV (Kanal 10/Telegrafi)
• Hoti: Protection of religious and cultural sites is in our tradition (media)
• LVV reacts to President Thaci's pardoning a 13-year-old boy's killer (media)
• Mitrovica municipality adds name of Roma girl to memorial stone (media)
• The British Embassy disappointed with the Assembly of Kosovo (media)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 17, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 129 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• 40 coronavirus patients treated in Kosovo hospitals, in critical condition (media)
• Hoti: Final preparations underway for start of school year (media)
• Decan Mayor reacts to calls for halting road construction works (media)
• Decan Mayor sends letter to heads of state on Decan – Plav road (media)
• Vetevendosje seeks clarifications for halting of Decan-Plav road construction (media)
• Germany supports visa liberalisation, some countries still hesitant (RFE)
• PM Hoti calls on youth to join KSF (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Five cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo yesterday (Radio KIM)
• Blic: Grenell, Vucic and Hoti would discuss economy in White House, not politics
• Djuric: Pristina appeases domestic public saying it talks about independence (Kosovo-online)
• Countryman: Belgrade and Pristina not ready to reach agreement (N1, RFE)
• Hoti on suspension of works on Decani-Plav road section; Janjic: We were never against road, but its construction within SPZ (KoSSev)
• Simic: Works near Decani Monastery form of pressure before continuation of dialogue (Kosovo-online)
• KFOR Commander visited municipality and Visoki Decani Monastery (KoSSev)
• Novosti: Serbian Government and SOC to form team for protection of cultural heritage
• Brnabic: International community to clearly prevent jeopardy of cultural heritage (Kosovo-online)
• Thaci: Gazivode jewel of Kosovo, Djuric: Jewel heart of Serbia (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

• Access to 10% of our pensions will not revive the Kosovo economy (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo is a test of Israel’s moral character (The Jerusalem Post)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Economic Downturn Prompts Germany to Cap Western Balkan Workers (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 141 new cases, 11 deaths (media)
• Hoti calls for suspension of construction work on Decan – Plav road (media)
• Vetevendosje: Vucic makes demands, Hoti and partners meet them (media)
• Reactions after construction work stopped on Decan – Plav road (Koha)
• Kurti: Forcing bad agreements for sake of political campaign is wrong (media)
• Beqaj: Kosovo and Serbia not ready for agreement (Koha)
• Mustafa: We haven’t discussed President post with anyone (Express)
• Haxhiu: Illegitimate minority government must leave ASAP (media)
• Thaci: Ujman Lake, a precious wealth of the state of Kosovo (media)
• Think tank: Djukanovic could testify in Thaci's defence (Koha)
• Kosovo police criticised for stopping state TV crew from filming (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 159 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Thaci welcomes announcement of Washington meeting (media)
• Kurti: Grenell wants a foreign policy success in final hours (media)
• Mustafa: Washington meeting reconfirms U.S. engagement (media)
• Limaj: Wherever dialogue is held, Kosovo goes for final agreement (media)
• Pompeo and Schallenberg: We support Kosovo – Serbia dialogue (media)
• Kuci: Lack of quorum for economic revival law, shameful (media)
• Assembly adopts two international agreements worth €146 mil (media)
• Vucic calls for urgent halt of construction in Decani Monastery zone (media)
• Down Syndrome Centre risks closure (Prishtina Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 142 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Ministry of Health aims to increase COVID-19 testing capacities (Kallxo)
• Thaci welcomes announcement of Washington meeting (media)
• Kurti: Grenell wants a foreign policy success in final hours (media)
• EU welcomes any initiative in support of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue it facilitates (Koha)
• KLA associations to submit request for amending law on Specialist Chambers (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 17 new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian municipalities in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Djuric: Hoti’s provocative messages, a cheap attempt to create a bad political climate (Kosovo Online)
• Possible parliamentary elections in a year and a half? (media)
• Vucic: Serbia not in a position to refuse talks (B92)
• Diocese warns: Construction of the Decani-Plav road within the protective zone of the monastery Visoki Decani continues (KoSSev)
• Djuric reaction on stopping Bishop Teodosije at Jarinje crossing, ''an arrogant act of arbitrariness'' (media)
• Bishop Teodosije turned back from Jarinje (KoSSev)

International:

• Week in Review: Hope Versus Fatalism (Balkan Insight)
• Trump White House Will Host Talks for Leaders of Serbia, Kosovo (Bloomberg)

Humanitarian/Development:

• SEE Digital Rights Network Established (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 193 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• PM Hoti: We have allocated €365 mil from economic recovery fund (media)
• Prishtina Mayor: €365 mil for economic recovery? Not even close (media)
• MPs to discuss bills on COVID-19 and economic recovery on Friday (media)
• Leaders from Kosovo and Serbia to meet in Washington (media)
• Hoti about Washington meeting: We will discuss economic projects (media)
• EU: High-level meeting between Kosovo and Serbia in early September (Lajmi)
• Kosovo FM: U.S. should broker Kosovo-Serbia final deal (media)
• PDK MP: AAK too small to have the post of Kosovo President (media)
• Numan Balic arrested on suspicion of sexual harassment (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 193 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Hoti: COVID-19 situation in Kosovo, grave (media)
• CDHRF says citizens should not be paying for COVID-19 tests (media)
• Draft law on KLA values doesn't pass first reading (media)
• PDK MP vows to reintroduce draft law on KLA (media)
• Gucati: Sooner or later law on KLA values will be adopted (media)
• Civil society groups call on PDK to withdraw draft law on KLA values (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian areas in Kosovo five new cases of Covid-19 (Kontakt plus radio)
• Serbian FM Dacic: "Their whole policy is based on lies" (B92, TV Prva)
• Seventeen years since the crime on the Bistrica river (media)
• Djuric: "Anniversary of the murder of Serbian children in Gorazdevac, failure of international justice in KiM" (media)
• CEAS: ''KLA Law continues to intimidate Serbs, an attempt at historical revisionism''(Kosovo Online)
• PDK MP: ''Serbs to respect the ‘KLA’ because it also fought for their freedom'' (KoSSev, Gazeta Express)
• Serbia loses € bill due to lack of foreign tourists; export to Kosovo € 86 mil (Beta, N1)

International:

• ‘Universal Enemy’: A Reappraisal of Jihadism through the Lens of Bosnia (Balkan Insight)

• COVID-19: 205 new cases, 11 deaths (media)
• Ramush Haradinaj announces candidacy for Kosovo president (media)
• Mustafa: President post not a topic at this point (media)
• PDK's Krasniqi: Haradinaj's candidacy for president, unethical (media)
• Haziri: We haven’t discussed President post with our partners (RFE)
• NISMA's Shala: Issue of president not on the table at this time (Klan)
• Kurti: Kosovo is becoming Bergamo of the Balkans (media)
• Mustafa: PDK to withdraw draft law on KLA values (media)
• OSCE calls for provisions of draft law on KLA to be reconsidered (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 205 new cases, 11 deaths (media)
• ZDF: COVID-19 situation in Kosovo has spiralled out of control (Klan/Zeri)
• Committee calls for harmonised response to Serbian forces patrolling in Karaceva (Koha)
• Karaceva residents protest over patrolling of Serbian forces (media)
• AAK’s Tahiri: No coalition problems with LDK (Kosovapress)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serb areas in Kosovo, five new cases, two cured and one deceased (Kontakt plus radio)
• Dacic: It is hypocritical to accuse Serbia and Vucic of recognizing Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Kosovo's fmr official: Over 70 pct of medical material from Serbia in 2016-2019 (FoNet, Kosovo Online, N1)
• AP: NATO committed to stronger partnership with Serbia (AP, N1)
• Vucic denies Serbia purchases Chinese AA system, says thinks about it (Beta, N1)
• Is Belgrade thinking about buying Chinese AA system, or is it a done deal? (N1)

Opinion:

• Don’t Blame Balkan Citizens For the Latest COVID Surge (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Kosovo Divisions Risk Undermining EU Push for Deal with Serbia (Balkan Insight)
• EU financial assistance signed with Kosovo and North Macedonia, agreed with Albania and Montenegro (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kon: The vaccine will not provide the safest protection; Masks for a longer period (B92, RTS)