UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 09, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Without punishment of war crimes, there can be no justice (Koha/Zeri)
• Kurti doesn't attend meeting with Thaci (Koha)
• Thaci thanks LDK for constructivity (media)
• Haradinaj: Thaci showed no document from his meeting with Vucic (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic on Kurti’s text that agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value, compares it with Kosovo case (Tanjug, B92)
• Jeremic on Kosovo membership in UN, elections in Serbia (Voice of America, N1)
• Mihajlovic: Jeremic spreads misinformation (Danas)
• Vucic: "US won't give up pressure, some EU countries have sympathies for Kurti" (RTS, Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Double-headed eagle painted on wall of Serb school in Preoce village (RTS)

Opinion:

• Kurti: Agreements reached through coercion and threats have no value (FAZ/Koha)

International:

• Facebook Extends Political Ads Rules to Balkans Before Elections (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo considering stepping up preventive measures against coronavirus (media)
• International Women’s Day Marked Across Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• More Balkan Countries Confirm First Coronavirus Cases (Balkan Insight)
• Balkan States Beef up Borders against Migrant ‘Security Threat’ (Balkan Insight)
• Post-War Kosovo Becomes Hub for Mine-Clearance Expertise (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci calls meetings with political leaders (media)
• Thaci: Some people want to prevent agreement with Serbia (RTK)
• Grenell reiterates call for dropping of tariff (media)
• Kurti and Haradinaj call for dialogue coordination (Koha Ditore)
• Hoti: No need for dialogue conference, Kosovo has legitimate institutions (media)
• Gender equality demanded on International Women’s Day (Koha Ditore)
• Assembly to hold special session to mark International Women's Day (media)
• Haxhiu pledges €900,000 for domestic violence shelters (Kosovapress/Koha)
• Kosovo cancels flights to Italy’s northern region due to coronavirus fears (media)

• Kurti-led government with two red lines on dialogue with Serbia (Koha)
• Mustafa: Grenell warned of sanctions towards Kosovo (RTV21/RTK)
• Haradinaj: Government’s approach to tax producing first consequences (media)
• Kosovo calls for release of its citizen detained by Serbia (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• Vraniqi: Grenell being misused for internal political purposes in Kosovo (media)
• Thaci authorises Ministry of Finance to sign new agreements with EU (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo Special Prosecution launched investigation into Prekaz events in 1998 (Kallxo)

Serbian Language Media:

• Atlantic Council associate and Beacon vice president: "The campaign in the US should not diminish the interest in the situation in the Balkans" (RTS)
• AmCham Kosovo concerned over tariffs (KoSSev, N1, RTS)
• US asks Serbia to stop buying arms from Russia, RFE reports (N1, B92, Beta)
• Dacic, Godfrey on armament Serbia bought from Russia, dialogue with Pristina (N1)
• Vulin said Serbia can buy weapons wherever it wants (N1)
• "Access point to the sea, this is a compromise offered to Serbia" (B92, Kosovo-online)
• Grenell denies Kosovo politician’s claim Washington won’t stop aiding Pristina (KoSSev, N1, RTS)
• Tadic: Vucic has better circumstances for resolving Kosovo issue, than those Djindjic, Kostunica and I had (Danas, Voice of America)

Humanitarian/Development

• Serbian Minister confirms first coronavirus case in Serbia (Serbian media)
• 53 people got tested for coronavirus over a one-month period in Kosovo (media)
• Serbian government meeting on migrants began; Vucic issued orders to the army, police and BIA (B92, TV Prva, Blic, Vecernje Novosti)
• Prof. Corac: 160 million tons of waste from Kosovo will end up in artificial lake on Ibar River near Raska (KoSSev)

• Kurti calls for unity, says alliance with U.S. cannot be broken (Koha/Telegrafi)
• Grenell: Partial tariffs harm Kosovo's economy (media)
• Borrell: I am committed to support advancing the EU-facilitated dialogue (Klan)
• "Thaci resumes efforts to paralyse Specialist Chambers" (Koha Ditore)
• U.S. rep to OSCE speaks about dialogue and fight against corruption (Kallxo)
• Germany, France expected to send envoys to Pristina next week (Express/Zeri)
• Kosnett briefed on the situation of non-majority communities in Kosovo (Epoka)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 05, 2020

Albanian Language Media:

• Periskopi: Thaci and Vucic were presented with draft agreement at White House meeting
• Thaci: Lajcak voted against Kosovo's membership to Interpol (Kallxo)
• Veseli: Kosovo deserves better (media)
• “Thaci's second attempt at preventing work of Specialist Chambers” (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: Washington absolutely that tariffs are revoked, no recognition and Serbia to get nothing (Kosovo-online)
• Borrel for the continuation of the EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (NMagazin, euractiv.jutarnji.hr)
• Serbia ranked ‘partly free’ in Freedom in the World report (N1)
• Jankovic: Americans ‘dragged’ Vucic to Washington, visit below his level (Danas, FoNet)

Opinion:

• Trump is looking for a foreign policy coup in the Balkans (aljazeera.com)
• Don’t Trust Serbian or Kosovo ‘Kings’ to Achieve Peace (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Vucic: Most Serbs Prefer a ‘Frozen Conflict’ with Kosovo (Foreign Policy)
• Populist Shrug Off Protests In Central And Southeast Europe (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development

• Bosnia confirms its first case of coronavirus - regional TV (Reuters)
• "If the Greek border falls ..." (B92, Tanjug)
• Kosovo Citizens ‘Haven’t Heard of’ President’s Reconciliation Initiative (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci: U.S. is taking the lead of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• PM's office: U.S. will not withdraw troops from Kosovo (RTK)
• Haziri speaks after LDK senior leadership meeting (RTK/Telegrafi)
• Nagavci: President to respond to Kurti's meeting request (media)
• Veseli responds to Kurti's request for meeting, sets the place (Zeri/Insajderi)
• BIRN publishes air, rail, and road links agreements (Prishtina Insight)
• Thaci: I was not interviewed by Specialist Chambers (Zeri/Telegrafi)
• Kurti recaps on the government's one-month performance (media)

Albanian Language Media:

• In absence of Assembly session, Thaci to hold press conference (media)
• Osmani: Request for Assembly session should be made days in advance (media)
• Thaci says meeting with Vucic was ‘encouraging’ (media)
• Hoti: Kosovo government’s agenda only successful with U.S. and EU coordination (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: ''News on Belgrade-Pristina deal being reached is false'' (B92)
• Grenell resigns as ambassador to Germany: White House announced his resignation (Serbian media)
• An unannounced guest at a meeting with Vucic, Grenell retweeted (Tanjug, B92, Blic)
• Judah: We could be approaching a crunch point in KOS-SRB dialogue, land swap talks without recognition (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Wolves In The Woods: Liberal Democracy And Its Enemies (Balkan Insight)

International:

• Serbian President Sets Election Date as Boycott Threat Fades (news.yahoo.com, bloomberg.com)
• Field Missing: Discrepancies and Gaps Plague Kosovo’s Public Data (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia Keeps Pressure on Kosovo Despite Western Push for Thaw (Bloomberg)
• Territory, Energy, Politics: Serbia’s Long-Running Border Disputes (Balkan Insight)

• Thaci-Vucic meeting to move dialogue from Brussels to Washington (Koha)
• Kurti invites Thaci to a meeting (media)
• Kurti spoke on the phone to Grenell and O'Brien (Kallxo)
• “President leads Kosovo’s foreign policy” (Zeri)
• Engel: The main problem for Kosovo is Serbia not the tariff (Epoka e Re)
• Konjufca requests relieving seven ambassadors of duty (media)
• Citaku expresses readiness to leave ambassadorial post to U.S. (media)
• Reka: No visa liberalisation without results in corruption fight (KP/Telegrafi)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: We cannot allow our good will be undermined by Serbia (media)
• Konjufca reacts to reports that Sierra Leone has revoked recognition of Kosovo (media)
• Thaci plans to address Kosovo Assembly tomorrow (Telegrafi)
• Grenell reacts to Judah concerning Thaci-Vucic meeting (Klan)
• Kurti: Reciprocity will happen (Klan Kosova/RTK)
• Kosovo, Albania, Croatia form initiative to deepen tripartite relations (Zeri/Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: Sierra Leone 18th state to withdraw Kosovo’s recognition; Pristina: We have nothing to confirm (KoSSev)
• Successful discussion followed by a great dinner with bacon from Wisconsin (B92, Tanjug)
• Vucic and Thaci met at the White House; "I only asked Albanians one thing" (VoA, Tanjug, B92)
• Gerxhaliu: Pristina's decision to abolish tariffs by the end of this or next week (nova.rs, Tanjug)
• Rama: "I've highly appreciated Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj. However, he is a big liar" (Kosovo Online, B92, Gazeta Express)
• Djuric: Withdrawal of recognition is a confirmation of Serbia’s persistence (RTS)

International:

• Kosovar, Serbian Presidents Hold 'Goodwill' Meeting At White House (RFE)
• Kosovo Lays Out Prospect of Tariff Cut on Serb Goods (AP/NYT)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo's new government includes most women since independence (Al Jazeera)
• Advice To My Younger Self: Women From The Balkans (RFE)
• 'Balkan route' countries pledge to stop asylum seekers (euobserver.com)