UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 22, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Hovenier on NATO raids in ‘99: Let’s remove every doubt, the world witnessed an ethnic cleansing, use of force was necessary (Gazeta Express)
• Citaku: We’ve called for early elections since July last year (Nacionale)
• Tahiri: 3rd year of bad governance, Kurti gives up and calls for elections (media)
• Pacolli comments on if he would vote for ousting Kurti government (Indeksonline)
• U.S. Embassy: Honored to have Robinson visit Kosovo this week (media)
• Musliu: After failure in Banjska, Serbia may provoke with official troops (Telegrafi)
• 50 organizations send open letter to Kurti on “critical situation of rivers” (Kallxo)
• AmCham comments on “political interference in justice institutions” (media)
• Hoxhaj hails decision for membership negotiations with Bosnia (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Starovic: Kurti invents invasion to continue mistreatment of Serbs in Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Ministry of Defence: Kurti’s allegations on movement of Serbian Army near administrative line continuation of disinformation campaign (Kosovo Online, Danas, media)
• Pantic-Pilja: Bakoyannis recommended Kosovo's admission to the CoE (Kosovo Online, Blic)
• Sentic: Serbian is one of the two equal official languages in Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• KDI Director: Serbs have right to Cyrillic, populist behavior of authorities instead of promoting dialogue, cooperation and integration (KoSSev, media)
• Media Center Caglavica journalists received accreditation from Presidency, in Albanian language (medijacentar.info)
• Dacic: Serbia-Russia intergovernmental committee to meet in autumn (Tanjug)
• Pristina: Both Kurti and the opposition ready for early elections (RTS)

Opinion:

• Timothy Less on burst of fire from Pristina: Mix of nervousness and excessive efforts (Blic)
• Tatal: Super Election Year May Hold Key to Bosnia’s Fate (BIRN)

International:

• Yugoslavia’s NATO Bombing Victims: Official Death Toll Unclear, 25 Years Later (BIRN)
• Serbia Mulls Scrapping Ban on Nuclear Power Production (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• CHC in Gracanica responded positively to request that women in labor be accompanied during childbirth (Radio KIM, KoSSev)

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Membership in INTERPOL, impossible without U.S. support (RFE)
• US$6 million agreement of U.S. aid for judiciary in Kosovo signed (Indeksonline)
• Sarrazin meets Kurti, discuss Berlin Process and current issues (Express)
• Escobar responds to Vucic’s threat against Kosovo: No one can stop their neighbor to choose security alliances (Reporteri)
• NATO welcomes Slovenia’s interest to send more troops to Kosovo (media)
• Bulgaria to deploy additional troops to Kosovo (media)
• Muja: Not a week goes by that opposition doesn’t talk about elections (media)
• Pristina institute reacts to Serbian President Vucic’s recent rhetoric (media)
• Surroi reacts to claims “LDK’s five asked Clinton not to recognize KLA” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Media Center Caglavica journalists were not allowed to follow event in Kosovo Presidency (KoSSev, RTS, Media center Caglavica)
• Following Visoki Decani Monastery land registration, Sentic calls for implementation of other CC’s decisions, including one on ZSO (KoSSev)
• UNS informs international press and media organizations about fake news on RTK website (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian Embassy in Moscow marks anniversary of NATO bombing (FoNet, N1, RTS)
• Dacic: Serbia-Russia bilateral relations on high level (Tanjug)
• Vucic spoke with Macron about Kosovo (Danas)
• Vucic: I can congratulate whoever I want, I’m no one’s servant (N1, FoNet)

Opinion:

• Serwer: Double down on success, not failure (peacefare.net)
• Hoxha: I doubt that Osmani would engage in the overthrow of Kurti's government (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Witnesses Tell Kosovo War Crimes Court of ‘Anarchic’ Violence in 1999 (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 20, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Osmani: Serbia can’t be a member of NATO, it still sleeps on massive graves (EO)
• Hovenier on Vucic's threat: Neither we, nor people of Kosovo should stay sleepless about this - NATO is ready and prepared (Klan)
• Monastery of Decan registers ownership of 24 hectares of land (Koha)
• Bislimi: Kosovo has little control over outcome of dialogue process (Albanian Post)
• Robertson: Being tough with Serbia pays off (media)
• Cliff: What is EU doing with Kosovo report on Banjska attack? (Albanian Post)
• EU to present soon mandatory roadmap for implementation of Basic Agreement (Albanian Post)
• Osmani: When girls and women are excluded from decision-making processes, entire society is limited (Klan)
• Kosovo Police prevents two cases of smuggling in the north (Albanian Post)

Serbian Language Media:

• Hill on NATO membership: It is up to Serbia to decide (RTS, Kosovo Online, N1)
• Visoki Decani Monastery land registered in Kosovo cadastre, special thanks to Ms Bakoyannis (Raska-Prizren Diocese, media, social media)
• Hovenier: I have not heard Pristina’s proposal to resolve issue with dinars (Kosovo Online)
• Mushkolaj: Kurti’s stories on independence of CBK ‘fairytales for children’ (Kosovo Online)
• How is Brussels dialogue viewed on the ground: "We have the impression that the agreement is to not to agree on anything" (KoSSev, N1)
• Mijacic: Modality on dinar issue is sought, each has technical difficulties and political consequences (Kosovo Online)
• Dacic: UNSC session on 1999 bombing of FR Yugoslavia still uncertain (Tanjug)
• Serbian List: The competent institutions to arrest Radomirovic, and conduct criminal proceedings (KiM radio)

International:

• Kosovo Court Ruling Awarding Serb Monastery Disputed Land Implemented (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: There are no proposals that are accepted and which are in opposition with CBK regulation (RFE)
• Varhelyi on Kosovo’s EU application: Seeing new elements of escalation (Klan)
• Assistant Secretary of State Robinson to visit Albania, Kosovo this month (media)
• KCSS: What is Serbia’s 5000 project and why should we be concerned? (media)
• Reactions to Vucic’s statement about West choosing between Serbia and, Kosovo (media)
• Korac: Banjska raised EU awareness, Europeans won’t forgive Vucic (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• KIN: People with disabilities have not received pensions and social benefits since January due to the dinar ban (KiM radio)
• The tripartite meeting of Lajcak, Petkovic and Bislimi began in Brussels (Kosovo Online)
• Meeting of Belgrade and EU delegations headed by Petkovic and Lajcak started in Brussels (Tanjug)
• Varhelyi: We are not considering Kosovo request for EU membership yet (Kosovo Online)
• UNS and DNKiM reacted to the RTK's news corrections (KiM Radio)
• Controversies in reporting: March violence and RTK - lesson not learned (?) (Kontakt plus radio, KiM radio)
• Elshani says investigation into burning of Dusan Milanovic’s car ongoing, EULEX monitoring case (Kosovo Online)
• Cleaning of spray-painted traffic signs from Rudar to Jarinje underway (KoSSev)
• Law professor writes to Kurti: After Cyrilic signboards, to remove green religious signboards from streets (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Open Balkan: Serbia and Albania agreed on the text of the Agreement on Social Security (KoSSev)
• Parliament to reconvene Tuesday, Brnabic not elected Speaker (N1)
• Aleksic: Vucic buying foreign support using realty, lithium, Kosovo (N1)

Opinion:

• The EU’s new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans: solid foundations but shaky details (WiiW)

International:

• Kosovo President Demands ‘Equal Treatment’ in Implementation of Normalisation Deal with Serbia (Prishtina Insight)
• Common Regional Market: How far did ratification of the signed agreements go? (EWB)
• ‘Dangerous Trend’: Serbia Ignoring Alleged Trafficking Cases, UN Rapporteur Says (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 18, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Borell: Serbia and Kosovo have achieved very limited progress (RTK)
• Rama: Implementation of Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, important (RTK)
• Von Cramon: Kosovo is lacking political will for progress in European integration (Klan)
• CEC to decide today on voting centers in the north (media)
• Escobar met during his visit, Director of Police and Afrim Bunjaku’s family (media)
• Biserko: Vucic destabilizing neighbors through Serbian Orthodox Church and security services (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: There is no agreement on dinar issue (Kosovo Online, RTV, Tanjug)
• Sentic: Instead of healing wounds that still hurt, we face attempts to relativize tragic events (KoSSev)
• SNV says Kurti’s statement about March violence aim to further intimidate and expel Serbs, call upon Rasic and Trajkovic to resign (KoSSev)
• UNS and DNKiM condemned RTK reporting over repeated untruth in relation to March riots (Kosovo Online, Radio KIM, media)
• Vucic: Meeting with Lajcak addressed unbearable living conditions for Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug)
• Kosovo Online: We expect arson vehicle case of our portal’s owner to be resolved (Kosovo Online)
• Since CBK decision entered in force, stock market and banks without interest for work in northern municipalities (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List: Kosovo police to investigate Radoica Radomirovic over arsons of vehicles (Tanjug, media)
• Stojanovic: Vucic admitted that his policy is harmful to Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo (Beta, NMagazin)
• Smiljanic: The Serbs in the YU program building in Pristina survived a calvary on March 17, thought we would all be killed (Kosovo Online)
• The UN SC meeting on March 25 on the anniversary of the NATO bombing against the FRY (Kosovo Online)