UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 14, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 279 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Vetevendosje and Osmani's list to run under joint ticket (media)
• Hoti: Kosovo entered dialogue with Serbia on clear principles (media)
• ECAP rejects VV's complaint over verification of Diaspora voters (media)
• CEC warns of an unauthorised online application form (media)
• Votes from Serbia to arrive through transit post (RFE)
• Former Kosovo Police director, Rashit Qalaj, joins PDK (media)
• AAK to present candidates for MPs on Friday (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Eight newly infected persons, two deaths in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic: Reeker and Lajcak very important, but to change the Washington agreement someone must ask Serbia too (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Kosovo is also mine, as it is Thaci’s and Kurti’s (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic banned from entering Kosovo to deliver aid (N1)
• Serbian List: EU to react to violation of agreement on freedom of movement (KiM radio)
• EC: EU’s position on Kosovo status is known and unchanged (RTS, Tanjug)
• On eve of 3rd anniversary of Oliver Ivanovic’s murder, Serbian weekly publishes book (KoSSev)
• The Tanjug team after seven hours of waiting allowed to enter Kosovo (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Serbian power company buys shares in Montenegrin counterpart (N1)

International:

• Erdogan’s great game: Turkish intrigue in the Balkans (Financial Times)
• Kosovo State Radio Accused of Censorship and Discrimination (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Denmark Allocates €6 Million to Western Balkans Countries to Help Them With Border Controls & Repatriation of Migrants (schengenvisainfo.com)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 299 new cases, one death (media)
• Acting President Osmani visits the Belgian Parliament (media)
• Sassoli firm: Fighting corruption and crime brings Kosovo closer to EU (Koha)
• Human Rights Watch Annual World Report (HRW)
• Kosovo minister of Economy offers resignation (Gazeta Express)
• Samedin Mehmeti elected director of the Kosovo Police (media)
• Police: Three police officers injured during PSD protest yesterday (RTK)
• Radio Kosova stops broadcasting audio plays after story of Serb woman (Koha)
• Kurti: The rain highlighted the failures of 20 years of misgovernance (media)
• AAK is aiming president position with an economic governing program (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Ten new cases of Covid-19 in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• WHO official in Serbia: End of epidemic far away (N1)
• US Embassy in Belgrade: Regional cooperation and BG-PR dialogue remains a priority (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• “More pressure on Serbia about Kosovo pushes it closer to Russia and China” (RFE, FoNet, N1)
• Father Sava: The Church position on Kosovo is united (KiM radio)
• European Commission service deleted disputable post on Twitter about Vjosa Osmani (RTS)
• Sava Janjic: I hope EU would remind Kosovo to implement Constitutional Court decision on Decani (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Let’s meet half-way with Pristina (N1, Happy TV, Kosovo-online)
• Two minority pre-election coalitions have applied for upcoming Kosovo elections (RTK2)

Opinion:

• How Biden can make a big difference in the Western Balkans (ECFR)

International:

• Albania carries out 1st vaccinations with donated doses (AP)
• Bishop with Attitude Threatens to Shake Up Serbian Politics (Balkan Insight)
• Last Despatches: Mystery Shrouds British Reporter’s Death in Kosovo Border Shelling (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 12, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 279 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Zemaj: We’re looking into the possibility of relaxing some measures (RTK)
• Osmani begins official visit to Brussels (media)
• Haradinaj reacts to Vucic: Kosovo will join NATO (media)
• LDK – AKR, the first pre-election coalition? (media)
• PDK to run alone in elections, other parties free to join its ticket (Kallxo)
• Daka: We verified Diaspora votes before, will do so with applicants in Serbia too (EO)
• VV appeals CEC's decision on Diaspora voter registration (Klan)
• NGO Germin to appeal CEC’s decision on Diaspora voters (media)
• CDHRF: Constitutional Court cannot ban Kurti or others to run for election (Koha)
• Qatar pledges continued support for Kosovo (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian communities in Kosovo 24 new cases of Covid-19, one death (Kontakt plus radio)
• Vucic: Albanians and Europeans want defeat of Serbia; frozen conflict is a danger (TV Happy, KoSSev)
• Selakovic: Serbia expects continuation of China’s support regarding Kosovo (N1, FoNet)
• Petkovic: No one talks to Serbia with language of blackmail (BETA, N1)
• Spahiu: Citizens already know who they will vote for, campaign won’t have an impact (Kosovo Online)
• Lajcak and Reeker on the Western Balkans (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• How to fight disenfranchisement, Kosovo style (Prishtina Insight)
International:

• Kosovo Parties Flout Ban on Gatherings Ahead of Election (Balkan Insight)
• EU and the Western Balkans in 2021: Searching for a Way Back to Normal (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• More than 85.500 citizens have applied for vaccination (B92, Tanjug)

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 206 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Hoti warns of possibility to return reciprocity with Serbia (RFE, media)
• Hoti: Agreement for the Office at Presevo Valley, to be signed on Monday (RTK)
• CEC decides on political entities’ campaign expenses (Indeksonline)
• Hoti: We are in the process of finalizing MP list (RTK)
• Enver Hoxhaj reveals PDK offer for Presevo Valley (RTK)
• Justice Party boycotts elections (media)
• Hoti monitors closely the situation after the recent floods (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Election calculations in Kosovo: Kurti the favorite; what the Serbian list will do (KoSSev, N1)
• Jeremic: Firm stance on Kosovo status precondition for normalization of living circumstances (Danas)
• Petkovic: To Jeremic Kosovo is a prey, to us highest value (TV Most)
• Serbian Crisis Team: Anti-coronavirus measures unchanged, schools open Jan 18 (N1, RTS)
• Serbia launches platform for citizens to apply for vaccination (N1, BETA, FoNet)
• Poll: Over 40 pct of Serbia’s people believe in coronavirus conspiracy theories (BETA, N1)
• Office for KiM promised assistance to families affected by floods (Radio KIM)

International:

• Shaped by Kosovo’s war, Vjosa Osmani won’t blink in her battle to cut out the rot (The Times)
• Apparent Body-Shaming Shows Even Kosovo's Top Official Must Endure 'Disgusting Misogyny' (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Floods across Kosovo cause disruptions and evacuations (Prishtina Insight)
• Floods throughout central Kosovo, Grabovac village in the north under the water (KoSSev, KiM radio, RTV puls, Radio Mitrovica sever)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 8, 2021

Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 321 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Ministry of Health insists it has secured Pfizer vaccine (media)
• Vetevendosje says Constitutional Court ruling is not about Kurti (Koha)
• CEC announces a ten-day campaign for extraordinary elections (media)
• Rama: Two KSF units to be deployed to peacekeeping missions (RFE)
• Petkovic's visit clashes PM Hoti and FM Haradinaj-Stublla (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• 13 new cases of Covid-19, three deaths in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Over 30 families from Mitrovica North got new apartments on Christmas Eve (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Serbia is doing its best to strengthen health care system in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Specialist Prosecution: Thaci undermined court, we are not in favor of lifting detention (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbian people face hard challenges (N1)
• Fabrizi hopes Serbia could open more chapters in 2021 (N1, Blic)
• Serb house in Babin Most burglarized (KIM Radio)

Opinion:

• Stop using the Balkans as a synonym for chaos (Prishtina Insight)

International:

• Balkans feel abandoned as vaccinations kick off in Europe (AP)
• Thirteen countries call on EU to support Eastern Partnership vaccine efforts (EurActiv)
• Serbia Starts Inoculations With Russia's Sputnik-V Vaccine (RFE)
• COVID vaccine: EU orders 300 million more BioNTech-Pfizer doses (DW)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo: Infant-toddler centres and preschools are not yet a priority (Balcanicaucaso)