UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 9, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• EU working to condition Serbia’s membership with implementation of agreements with Kosovo (RFE)
• 72 cases of attacks and threats against reporters in Kosovo in 2023 (VoA in Albanian)
• Murati: Capital investments in 2023 increased by 32 percent (media)
• “Possible attacks from Serbia”; Haziri: Leaders’ camouflage to hide failures (EO)
• Musliu: Serbia can use local Serbs; another attack as Banjska not excluded
• Sources: Police raids against several Tax Administration officials (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucevic: Time to decide about compulsory military service, debate ahead (Tanjug, TV Pink)
• Kosovo Chamber of Commerce: We lost €300mn to EU sanctions (N1, BETA)
• Hearing in case of Milorad Djokovic from Vitomirica held today (Kosovo Online, media)
• Serbian prosecution still conducts investigation on Banjska case (Radio KIM, Euronews)
• Ponos: New opposition protest on January 16 (N1)

Opinion:

• Dialogue and Kosovo’s European integration in the year of mega-elections (Koha)
• AI’s Arrival in Higher Education in Balkans Has Huge Implications (BIRN)

International:

• Was Kosovo’s First Transitional Justice Strategy Worth the Wait? (BIRN)
• Spanish opposition fears Kosovo passport recognition could set a precedent for Catalonia (Euractiv)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 5, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Serbia recognized plates to cover rejection of Brussels agreement (Koha)
• Rohde welcomes “ditching of sticker regime” between Kosovo and Serbia (media)
• Konjufca condemns “despicable violence” against Sandulovic (media)
• Haxhiu: International community must condemn beating of Sandulovic (media)
• After being beaten, Sandulovic’s apartment raided (RTK/Dukagjini)
• Kusari-Lila: There could be parliamentary elections this year (RTK)
• Kosovo candidate status, Belgian EU Presidency: We’ll seek consensus (Express)
• Police confiscate 689 bullets of different calibers in Banjska of Zvecan (Nacionale)
• Ahmeti: There are successes in foreign diplomacy; security is a priority (KSP)
• EU measures inflicted material damage and further damaged Kosovo’s image (AP)
• Kosovo allowed visit by Serbian Patriarch, one day later Serbia did the opposite with Svecla (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• One year since wounding of two Serb boys in Gotovusa, near Strpce (Kosovo Online)
• Jevtic: Injustice at stake, Serbs unprotected in legal sense (media)
• Kosovo Government decision to revoke stickers had not taken effect yet (Kosovo Online)
• Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije with believers in Mitrovica North tomorrow (KoSSev)
• Djuric: US support to Pristina conditional upon Community of Serb Municipalities (Tanjug)
• Drecun: Serbs in Kosovo concerned over Pristina's military service plans (Tanjug, RTS)
• Kosovo police found ammunition in Banjska near Zvecan, it is believed it was there since September (KoSSev, N1)

Opinion:

• Serbia’s Elections – Defeat for Far Right, as well as Moderate Opposition (BIRN)

International:

• Kosovars Finally Get The Visas They've Longed For (Along With A Host Of New Problems) (RFE)
• Kosovo’s Houses of Culture, Fading Relics of the Yugoslav Past (BIRN)
• Kosovo's amputee soccer stars overcome legacy of conflict (RFE)
• Serbian opposition leader brutally beaten by secret services (MSN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 4, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani informs Cameron on “Serbia’s constant destabilization efforts” (media)
• Gervalla meets Cameron: West needs new approach towards Balkans (media)
• Kearns: It is time to stand together, unwavering against irredentism (Reporteri)
• Serbia authorities refuse Svecla’s visit to Presevo Valley (media)
• Svecla after denied visit to Serbia: We will act on principles of reciprocity (Koha)
• Kamberi: Govt in Belgrade remains paranoid and hateful against Albanians (RTK)
• COMKFOR: KFOR presence in north quadrupled, patrols tripled (AP)
• Peci: Serbia’s military mobilization means more NATO troops in region (Koha)
• Environmental NGOs sue ministry, claim it secretly gave permits (Express)
• ICK: Task against New Year celebration, mistake that shouldn’t be repeated (RFE)

Serbian Language Media:

• What is written in Serbian Government decision on Kosovo license plates (KoSSev)
• Bislimi on Constitutional Court decisions, police bases in northern Kosovo, dialogue (Radio Gorazdevac, KoSSev, Radio KIM)
• Dacic: I expect strongest pressure on Kosovo issue by March (Tanjug, TV Pink)
• Serbian Army General Staff launches initiative to introduce military service again (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Cameron’s statement on helping Kosovo gain new recognitions deserves strongest condemnation (Kosovo Online, RTV)
• Andric-Rakic: Bill for U.S. to suspend all aid to Kosovo an additional guarantee for implementation of agreement (Kosovo Online)
• Marinkovic: CASA does not take part in initiative to recall mayors (Radio KIM)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 3, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kosovo and Turkiye ready to expand relations in 2024 (media)
• Haxhiu criticizes opposition, KPC and KJC: They oppose reforms (KSP)
• Szunyog: Attack in Banjska turned all eyes to Kosovo (AP)
• Less: Association, the only solution – Trump will return with idea for partition, now with backing from Europeans (Express)
• Petritsch: Internal dialogue with Serbs in Kosovo, basis for normalization (RFE)
• Krasniqi: Early elections in 2024, 2023 was lost year for Kosovo (media)
• LDK MP: Kurti has postponed visa liberalization for six years (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• Serbian Election Commission releases parliamentary election results (N1, Nova.rs)
• Kurti for second time in last couple of days on Bujanska conference about unification of Kosovo with Albania (KoSSev)
• Lajcak: We expect new local elections in north of Kosovo without further delay (Politika, Kosovo Online)
• Brigadier says NATO, Serbia closer than people think (Demostat, N1, Danas)
• Djilas for Politico: West should support values or say nothing (N1)
• Dveri: National Gathering ceased to exist (RTS)
• Protests over elections to continue in 2024 (N1)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Christmas convoy in Kosovo concluded, ten tons of humanitarian aid distributed (Radio KIM, Euronews, media)

Albanian Language Media:

• KOSTT: From today electricity in north to be paid as elsewhere in Kosovo (RFE)
• AAK gears up for elections; Haradinaj says they could be held in spring (KSP)
• Gruda: Govt thinks winning by 50% means they can go beyond Constitution (EO)
• Reuten: Next processing application for candidate status (media)
• Kovatchev: Association must not be a Republika Srpska (Klan Kosova)
• Latifi: 2024 an election year; won’t be any historic step in dialogue (Express)

Serbian Language Media:

• "Kosovo Serbs - the only Europeans who need a visa" (KiM radio, DW, FAZ)
• Information hormones: How adrenaline took precedence over serotonin in news from the north (KoSSev)
• Maliqi: The position of Self-Determination has always been that there must be unification with Albania (Kosovo Online)
• Mijacic to Borrell: Not good to start the New Year with false statements (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Person of the year 2023: Journalists Reporting in the North (Prishtina Insight)