UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 30, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 46 new cases, no deaths (media)
• German ambassador calls on MPs to adopt economic recovery law (media)
• EU insists the Brussels meeting was called off due to pandemic (Klan)
• VV accuses other parties of trying to manipulate election process (media)
• Municipality of Decan expresses concern over 'unjust' arrest of former KLA fighters (media)
• Kosovo Government entry restrictions based on nonexistent list (Prishtina Insight)

Serbian Language Media:

• Four newly infected with Covid-19, eight recovered in Serb areas in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Trial of KLA crimes – diversions, (in)justice, and covering-up (RTS)
• US envoy to Serbia: Washington agreement shows political commitment, carries huge benefit (Nova S, N1)
• Novosti: Pristina still lobbies for recognitions despite Washington agreement
• New head of EU Office: Northern Kosovo important for Union (KoSSev,N1)
• Serb child attacked in Plemetina (Radio KIM)
• Brnabic: It is not suitable for Pristina for truth on Ivanovic’s murder to come out (B92)
• SANU President Kostic: The future of Serbia is in academic competence, education, understanding the signs of the times (Radio Mitrovica Sever)

International:

• COVID-19 Exacerbates Ethnic Serb Limbo in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• Hague court begins long-delayed hearings on Kosovan war crimes (The Guardian)
• 'Leaked files, organ removal and irrepressible anger': What's behind the Kosovo war crimes probe? (euronews.com)
• Risi: KFOR is still dealing with a complex security situation in Kosovo (EWB)

• COVID-19: 53 new cases, no deaths in last 24 hours (media)
• Haradinaj says he does not recognise Specialist Chambers (media)
• Gashi: EULEX did not carry out arrests in Kosovo (T7/RTK)
• Hoti: Agreement on Kosovo's energy independence to enter into force (media)
• Kosovo minister accuses Serbia of violating Washington agreement (media)
• Godfrey: Washington agreement is political commitment, not legally binding (Express)
• Stano: Work on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue continues (RFE/Koha)
• Haziri: Elections viable option, Kosovo war needs to be purified (media)
• EU HR Borrell warns of threat from misinformation in Western Balkans (RTK)
• MP Arifi set to serve prison sentence after surrendering to authorities (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo parliamentarians establish Group of Greens (Koha)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 53 new cases, no deaths in last 24 hours (media)
• EU Head of Office: Association must be discussed in Brussels (media)
• PDK leaders Veseli slams Hoti government (media)
• Convicted MP hands himself over to police (media)
• PM advisor: We don’t expect any difficulties after Arifi went to jail (media)
• Serwer: Americans are wrong, Vucic won’t recognise Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: The signed in Brussels must be implemented, but not according to the Pristina's regulations (media)
• Dacic: Azeri-Armenian conflict a warning to the region (FoNet, N1)
• Djuric: If the idea of ZSO is dead, the possibility of success of the dialogue is also dead (TV Prva, Tanjug, Politika)
• Serbian FM: Thaci facing indictment soon (FoNet, N1)
• KFOR Commander: The formation of the ZSO is a controversial issue (Kontakt plus radio)
• Petkovic: Necessary to establish permanent police and international presence in Babin Most (Kosovo Online)
• Robbery attempt in Babin Most village (KIM radio)
• ''Fatherland'' movement: Banner placed on Vucic's initiative; he will need to say now "I will not give Trump" (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• A self-inflicted drama (Koha)
• Are ‘Serb’ churches Serb? Critique of an unwise choice (EWB)

International:

• “Western Balkans should join the EU, but regional political elites should do their job” (EWB)

• COVID-19: 48 new cases, three deaths (media)
• In first court appearance, Mustafa refuses to plead (media)
• German government: Association in accordance with Kosovo law (DW/media)
• Grenell: Washington agreement, result of parties seeking U.S. involvement (media)
• COMKFOR: Establishment of Association of Serb-majority municipalities, disputed (media)
• Haxhiu: We should dismiss the Prime Minister who hugged Vucic (media)
• Biserko: Serbia, Russia seem to divert focus from Kosovo to Montenegro (Zeri)
• Kosovo War: Salih Mustafa's case is the first for Hague court (BBC)
• Op-ed: How to defend the liberation war? (Prishtina Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 28, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 48 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Assembly fails to pass economic recovery law, yet again (media)
• North Macedonian health authorities recommend easing border restrictions (Koha)
• Hoti: If dialogue stalls, it means Serbia is not ready for final agreement (media)
• Kosovo Assembly elects new Ombudsperson (media)
• Kosovo to open support office for Presevo Valley residents (media)
• Agim Ceku concludes interview with specialist prosecutor (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Djuric: Hoti can lie the public, but he will not escape the creation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities (Kosovo Online)
• Milivojevic: Dialogue under question mark again, EU on test (Kosovo-online)
• Kandic: The goal of the campaign against the court met – there are no witnesses (KoSSev)
• Mihajlovic: Analysts think Ceku is first one Thaci “let go off” (N1)
• Vucic on Kosovo: We are ready for difficult solutions, as there are no easy ones (media)
• SDP: Someone wants to prolong and cover-up Ivanovic’s murder case (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vucic on the ''Trump Lake'' banner: Kosovo Serbs love Trump, they made and hung the banner themselves (KoSSev)
• Trump on Serb & Kosovo leaders: They hugged in the Oval Office, it was a beautiful thing to see (KoSSev)
• Serbs and Albanians from Decani are jointly erecting a monument to Bosko Ciric (direktno.rs, KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Trump’s Kosovo-Serbia normalisation deal is all about Israel (Aljazeera)

International:

• Access Denied: Most Balkan War Crimes Case Files Not Public (Balkan Insight)
• Middle East’s troubles spill over to the Balkans (arabnews.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo's adoption of Istanbul Convention hailed by international community (social media)
• Balkan Insight’s Week in Pictures (Balkan Insight)
• N. Macedonia Minister: Balkan states considering simultaneous opening of borders (N1, Beta)

• COVID-19: Three deaths, 47 new cases (media)
• Salih Mustafa to appear before Specialist Chambers courtroom today (media)
• Hoti: KSC activity part of legal and constitutional responsibilities (media)
• Kurti: VV would’ve protected KLA members from specialist chambers (media)
• “Serbia, Specialist Chambers fabricating evidence against KLA” (media)
• LDK’s Mustafa: We have removed red lines for PDK (media)
• Osmani: Justice has not been served (media)
• Vucic: Prishtina must understand that compromise is only solution (media)
• Etno Fest celebrates women and the sun in its 10thyear (Prishtina Insight)

• COVID-19: 49 new cases, one death (media)
• EU Police Raid Kosovo War Veterans’ HQ, Arrest Leader (Balkan Insight)
• Kosovo War Cimes Court publishes details after Gucati’s detention at The Hague (media)
• Specialist Chambers to start with hearings on Monday (RTK)
• Thaci: Kosovo has always been on the side of justice (media)
• PDK MP: Friday’s arrests, a humiliating scene (RTK)
• Lajcak: Belgrade – Pristina expert teams meeting postponed (N1)
• Israeli Ambassador to Belgrade: Recognition of Kosovo is a fact (media)
• Kuci and Abrashi meet DFC delegation, discuss projects (media)
• Kosovo veterans leader arrested on witness intimidation charges – tribunal (Reuters)
• EU police arrest Kosovo war veterans’ leader, raid offices (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 49 new cases, one death (media)
• EULEX raids KLA war veterans’ offices (media)
• Head of KLA war veterans, Hysni Gucati, arrested by EULEX (media)
• Specialist Chambers do not comment on today's operation (Kallxo)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo has always stood on the side of justice (media)
• EU confirms: Next meeting in Brussels on 28 September (Klan)
• Assembly fails to pass law on economic recovery (media)
• PDK pushes for approval of its version of economic recovery plan (media)
• No quorum to vote draft law on KLA values (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Four infected with Covid-19, five cured in Serbian communities in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic ahead of meeting Erdoğan: Turkey is one of most significant power in world (media)
• Drecun: First arrest of Court for KLA crimes crucial step, new indictments underway (RTS)
• “EU not responsible for agenda of Belgrade-Pristina dialogue” (Tanjug, Radio KIM)
• Dacic to Lajcak: When would Brussels deal with ZSO? (NMagazin, TV Prva, Beta)
• Djuric: On Monday talks at technical level only (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vucic: "They will prepare a new March 17th and they'll finish the job" (B92)
• “Trump Bridge“ over Gazivode: Serbs grateful to Trump for “bringing peace“ (KoSSev)
• KEK violated Law on use of languages (Radio KIM)
• Trial of Nenad Arsic continues (Radio KIM)
Opinion:
• Israel in the Balkans: Why did Serbia and Kosovo sign up to Trump's deal? (middleeasteye.net)
• Russia and Serbia: A Partnership Past its Prime (RUSI, media)
• Next year in Jerusalem: The Serbian Embassy and Kosovo go on pilgrimage with Trump (diem25.0rg)
International:
• Week in Review: The Possible and the Impossible (Balkan Insight)
• Adam Boehler On New Era Of Serbia-US Relations (The Pavlovic Today)
• Undermining EU enlargement: The destructive effects of state capture in the Wester Balkans (N1, clingendael.org)
• Hague Prosecutors Publish Kosovo Guerrilla’s War Crimes Indictment (Balkan Insight)
• Ex-army leader is first suspect arrested by Kosovo war crimes tribunal (The Guardian)
• PM’s Welcome For ‘Lake Trump’ Proposal Baffles Kosovo Officials (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Gracanica municipality donates computers, UNMIK tablet devices to primary and secondary schools (Radio kontakt plus)

• COVID-19: 63 new cases, no deaths (media)
• Specialist Chambers publish indictment against Salih Mustafa (media)
• KSC calls on victims to apply for participation in proceedings (media)
• KLA war veterans: Salih Mustafa’s arrest, a sad day for Kosovo (media)
• Thaci tells T7: Mistake to discuss Association now; was not asked about ‘Yellow House’ (media)
• Abazi: Security institutions know where 'SPO files' are coming from (media)
• Kastrati: Specialist Chambers must be stopped (RTK)
• Hoti: We will use Ujman Lake as we did in the past (RTK)
• Lajcak: Dialogue to continue Monday, Association not on agenda (media)
• Grenell says parties agreed to rename disputed lake to Lake Trump (media)
• Abbott: We don't encourage Kosovo to open embassy in Jerusalem (Klan)
• Haradinaj requests UK’s active involvement in dialogue (media)
• Von Cramon: Kosovo and Serbia to engage on hard topics (media)
• Meta: International community would also benefit from Kosovo's UN seat (Koha)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, September 24, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 63 new cases, no fatal cases (media)
• Kosovo war crimes court at The Hague confirms first arrest (media)
• EULEX: We provided operational and logistic support to the SPO (RTK)
• Hoti does not know if Kosovo-Serbia meeting will take place (Koha)
• Osmani writes to her Israeli counterpart about start of cooperation (RTK)
• Hoti: President to be discussed in February 2021 (RTK)
• Hoti: Railway also to be discussed at the meeting of two governments (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• SPO arrests Salih Mustafa (media)
• Witnesses in proceedings relating to war crimes in former Yugoslavia must be effectively protected and supported (Council of Europe, media)
• EC: We never announced that a meeting in Brussels would be held on September 28 (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic: Ready for talks, ZSO inevitable topic (Kosovo-online)
• Second round of dialogue in Brussels canceled due to Pristina? (Tanjug, B92)
• Vucic: For the first time division of Gazivode is talked about, which is good for Serbia (Kosovo-online)
• The head of the DFC Belgrade office in Pristina today (Kosovo Online, RTV Puls)
• Ellis: Leak of confidential documents from The Hague could jeopardize the work of the court (Kontakt plus radio, RFE)
• Vucic tells UN GA Serbia won’t accept humiliating solution for Kosovo (Beta, N1)
• Spanish MFA: We will not change stance on Kosovo (N1)
• Belgrade daily: Proposal to pull out of peace operations to Serbian Foreign Ministry (N1)

Opinion:

• Serwer and Bieber: Washington Agreement not a major step towards normalization, will be forgotten in US soon (EWB)

International:

• Kosovo President Warns Leaked Hague Court Files Harm Indictees (Balkan Insight)
• Ukraine accepts Kosovo passports – Deputy FM Bodnar (unian.info)