• 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)

• COVID-19 report: 171 new cases, 13 deaths (media) • Haradinaj to Hoti: You have degraded the dialogue (media) • Tahiri: Ramush Haradinaj should be new President of Kosovo (T7) • Haliti: PDK must join Hoti-led government (media) • Gashi: PDK will not sign Vetevendosje’s no-confidence motion (media) • Konjufca: Good governance will be restored soon (Gazeta Express) • Vetevendosje: This government must be dismissed ASAP (media)