UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 8, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti for RFE: Situation in north could have escalated into armed conflict
• PM Kurti interview with La Repubblica
• Joseph: Open Balkan undermines the Berlin Process (Deutsche Welle)
• Turkish President Erdogan to visit Balkans next month (Klan Kosova)
• Two deaths and 331 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Pristina claims licence plates not topic of 18 August meeting, Escobar, journalists think otherwise (KoSSev)
• I expect Brussels meeting to be constructive, Brnabic tells Hill (Tanjug)
• Peoples’ Party (NS) demands extraordinary Parliament session on Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Russian journalist declared ‘persona non grata’, banned from visiting Kosovo (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List: Do not fall for Pristina’s provocations (RTS)
• Rohde responds to Petkovic (Kosovo Online)
• Insulting graffiti and swear-words written in Donja Brnjica (Radio KIM)
• State Secretary Starovic: Kurti’s behaviour pattern unlikely to change (N1)
• Selakovic attends inauguration of new Colombian President (N1)
• Global Firepower: Serbia ranks 61 on Global Firepower index (N1)
• Brnabic: SNS consultations on PM designate, gov't to begin on Monday (N1)

International:

• ‘Spying’ Russian Journalist Rejected by Kosovo Back in Serbia (BIRN)
• 'It's a privilege to represent my country': Dua Lipa is made an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by President Vjosa Osmani (Daily Mail)
• Wild east: five Balkan countries to discover for your next holiday (The Guardian)
• Bangs for Bucks: Serbian Arms Dealer Makes Mockery of US Sanctions – Again (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Broken dreams’ of Murdered Women Become Mural in Prishtina (Prishtina Insight)
• Joksimovic: EU approves 223.7 million Euro grant for projects in Serbia (N1)
• Saudi Arabia approves meat, milk imports from Serbia (Tanjug)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 5, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• US proposes a bipartisan bill to fight corruption in the Western Balkans (VoA)
• Vetting in the judiciary heading toward finalisation (RTK)
• 1,266 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Operation Storm is no myth, we do not dream of revenge, we want peace (N1)
• UNS and DNKiM says Radio Gorazdevac journalists should be protected from threats (Radio KIM)
• Appeal of Rexhep Selimi on detention dismissed (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic thanks Pinter for support and understanding position of Serbian people (Kosovo Online)
• “What is Serbian List really doing in Kosovo institutions?” (RFE)
• Vlajic: There are no grounds for filing criminal reports against Serbs on barricades (Kosovo Online)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 4, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• PM Kurti responds to opposition criticism for postponing reciprocity (media)
• Haradinaj slams government for “lack of vision” (Ekonomia Online)
• Hoxhaj asks Kurti: Will you create an Association with latest actions in north? (Express)
• U.S. Ambassador Hovenier meets Serbian List leader Rakic (media)
• “Govt violating Brussels agreement; we’ll join opposition in bringing it down” (Klan)
• “The greater the resistance to the Association, the closer it gets to Serbian idea” (RFE)
• 1,155 new cases with COVID-19, one death (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• “Neither concrete solutions, nor consultations with local population” (Radio KIM)
• Vucic and Stoltenberg: Dialogue must continue, peace of vital importance (N1)
• Rakic tells US Ambassador crisis needs to be resolved while respecting needs of Serbs (TV Most)
• Brnabic, Chinese Ambassador discuss economic cooperation (N1)
• Petkovic responds to Rohde (Kosovo Online)
• Bilcik congratulates speaker, deputy speakers: More pluralism in Parliament (N1)
• Vucic: New government to be formed by end of month (Tanjug)
• Selakovic travels to Cuba, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela (Tanjug)
• Selakovic: Firm support of Cuba to preserving territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia (Kosovo Online)
• Covid-19: 18 new cases in Serbian areas (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• N1: Crisis in Kosovo in the grip of Russian propaganda

International:

• Serbia is playing with matches again (Foreign Policy)
• Don’t Let License Plates Start a New War (Washington Post)
• Croatian Serb War Victims Hope Compensation Claims Finally Pay Off (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• DokuFest Bringing Global Award Winners to Kosovo’s Prizren (Prishtina Insight)
• Rame Lahaj International Opera Festival Finishes Second Edition on High Note (Prishtina Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 3, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo Interior Minister Svecla’s interview with RTK
• Serb civil society calls for peaceful solution to crisis in the north (media)
• Bundestag defence committee to discuss situation in Kosovo today (DW)
• Latvian Defence Minister: Tensions in Kosovo initiated by Serbia and Russia (Zeri)
• Serwer: Kosovo acted rightfully, the ball is now with Serbia on September 1 (Nacionale)
• CDHRF: Any backing down from reciprocity will damage Kosovo (media)
• Working group formed for bureau for verification and confiscation of wealth bill (media)
• Two deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Media: Residents in northern Kosovo report mistreatment by special police units
• Petkovic: Serb arrested in Rudare released (KoSSev)
• Drecun on Kurti and violence against Serbs (RTV, Tanjug)
• Serbian Orthodox Church and Montenegro sign Fundamental Agreement (N1, BETA)
• Kisnica: Name is Serbian covered with black paint, “KLA” board set up (Radio KIM)
• Serbian List reacts to Svecla’s statements (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• Op-ed by Veton Surroi: We, the residents of Mitrovica North (Koha)
• Operation Storm Anniversary Highlights Croatia and Serbia’s Bitter Mistrust (BIRN)

International:

• Kosovo War-Era General Elected as Serbian Parliament Official (BIRN)
• Montenegro Govt Faces No-confidence Vote Over Church Deal (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Radio Gorazdevac on fake news: “How did another armed conflict in Kosovo break out on TV Pink?”

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 2, 2022

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Preparations by Serbia to escalate Western Balkans and Kosovo (BBC)
• After the tensions in the north, NATO SG Stoltenberg spoke with Kurti (RTK)
• Hovenier: Decisions on reciprocity were coordinated with internationals (media)
• Kosovo Police Director: We are investigating events in north of Kosovo (media)
• 1,030 new cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Situation in northern Kosovo normalised (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: We will seek in Brussels compromise solution (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic with Botsan-Kharchenko on situation in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Serbia gets new Parliament (N1)
• Dodik: Serbia has right to defend safety of Serbs in Kosovo (N1)
• Sanchez: International law violated by recognition of Kosovo (RTS)
• Hoxhaj: Stance of Spain and Greece ‘buried’ chances of Kosovo to be recognized by five EU member states (Kosovo Online)
• NATO SG speaks with Kurti (Kosovo Online)
• Selakovic spoke with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on regional and geopolitical challenges (Kosovo Online)
• NUNS calls to find out who disables KoSSev portal whenever crisis with Pristina erupt (BETA)
• Kosovo police arrested Serb near Rudare (Kosovo Online)
• Covid-19: 16 new cases in Serbian areas (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Opinion piece by Milenko Vasovic: "Serbia’s Vulin Serves a Purpose, Spewing Hate" (BIRN)

International:

• Manifesta 14: An unflinching look at Kosovo’s fraught history and ambitious future (wallpaper.com)