UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 31, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: CBK's decision is non-negotiable (RTK)
• Osmani on dinar: Each time we act along with allies, constitution is protected (media)
• CBK Board Chairman: Discussion to postpone regulation, no suspension (RFE)
• Gervalla meets Germany’s Minister of Defense, discuss security in region (RTK)
• Osmani believes CEC will take appropriate actions for dismissal of mayors in north (Koha)
• Former minister sentenced to 3 years in prison in “€53 million case” (media)
• ICG: If not Association, parties to find other alternatives (Koha)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo, its army ready to be NATO member alongside U.S. (media)
• Rohde: More ambition is possible and expected (media)
• Ministry: Nearly €23 million for attorneys of eight former KLA members (Kallxo)
• Radakovic: Only 30% of Serbs that left institutions don’t want to return (KTV)

Serbian Language Media:

• UNS and DNKiM: Central Bank of Kosovo not to violate right to information in Serbian language; translation provided after reaction (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio)
• Lucic: Pristina's action against MTS makes life difficult for Serbs (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTS)
• Hill: I support Quint stance on postponing KCB decision (Kosovo Online)
• Amendments to laws on citizenship and property: Granting rights to Albanians from southern Serbia or depriving rights of Serbs in Kosovo? (Kosovo Online)
• COMKFOR discusses security with Lajcak (N1)
• Vucic to meet Quint ambassadors, EU delegation head today (Tanjug)
• Rohde: Concern over interference of Kosovo Government in judiciary (Kosovo Online, social media)
• Haradinaj: Kosovo should show flexibility in resolving dinar issue (Kosovo Online, media)
• MTS security staff staged warning strike in Gracanica (RTS, Radio kontakt plus)
• Commercial Bank as of today no longer works in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Vucevic: “We will never recognize independence of Kosovo, even if not even one of us remains there” (Kosovo Online, Beta, TV Happy)

International:

• Kosovo ban on Serbian dinar risks new crisis (AFP)
• EU envoy urges Kosovo and Serbia to step up normalization efforts before the bloc’s June elections (AP)
• Toward Normal Relations between Kosovo and Serbia (ICG)
• Kosovo* enters day-ahead market on Albanian Power Exchange (BGEN)
• With Billions in Conditional Aid, EU Offers Balkan States ‘Taste’ of Accession (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Central Bank Governor Ismaili meets Hovenier (media)
• Woelk: Politics taken towards Kosovo by EU is deeply unfair, unjust (media)
• Haradinaj says decision to ban Serbian Dinar in line with EU standards (media)
• Baraliu: They’re asking for Serbia to have a say in CBK decisions (KTV)
• German Defense Minister to visit Kosovo on February 5 (Gazeta Express)
• TI: No political will to give up from interference in judicial affairs (media)
• Rohde: Integration of north is important for KOSTT sustainable business (media)
• Serwer: Lajcak didn’t say word about Belgrade-sponsored Sept 24 attack (media)
• Hoare: Trump return, Serbia’s goals – threat for Kosovo, Western Balkans (media)
• Four Serbs suspected of attacking CEC premises in north plead innocent (Koha)
• Police in Zvecan find bags with sand, were used for trenches, roadblocks (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucevic: We are concerned about the military agreement between Pristina and Turkey, we will respond adequately (Danas, Beta)
• Serbs to be left without dinar in Kosovo: Can decision be suspended? (Radio KIM)
• Dragana Miletic dismissed from the post of vice president of Leposavic municipality (RTK2, RTKlive, Kosovo Online)
• Party of Kosovo Serbs demands urgent investigation into events in Leposavic municipal building (Radio KIM)
• Thaci's lawyers requested to withdraw from the case (Kosovo Online)
• Witnesses at Thaci’s trial: KLA in 1999 kidnapped, mistreated and murdered civilians in Prizren and Podujevo (KoSSev, BETA)
• Four Serbs accused of terrorism pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing held today (KiM radio)
• Lawyer of Milun Milenkovic: It would be fair to approve bail measure (Radio KIM)
• Ulutas met the head of UNMIK in Pristina (Kosovo Online)
• Mladenovic: Language rights violated in almost all institutions (KiM radio, Radio Gorazdevac)
• Serbia drops on the Transparency International CPI (N1)
• The Assembly of Serbia constitutive session scheduled for February 6, before the EP votes on the resolution and the Serbian elections (Danas, FoNet)

Opinion:

• A few words about the course of the struggle against lawlessness: We must fight (KoSSev)

International:

• Little Change in Balkan Corruption Perceptions Bar Decline in Bosnia (Balkan Insight)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 29, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• Hovenier urges enforcement of cash operations regulation be postponed (media)
• EU calls on Kosovo to resolve issue of Serbian Dinar through dialogue (Klan)
• Mustafa against talks in Brussels about use of Dinar in Kosovo (Gazeta Blic)
• EU confirms Lajcak visit to Pristina, “dialogue a key topic” (Reporteri)
• Kurti: Kosovo neither forgives nor forgets Serbia’s crimes (Albanian Post)
• Kosovo and Türkiye sign military framework agreement (media)
• Kastrati: PDK aims to be the leading party in the next elections (media)
• AAK calls for extraordinary assembly session on healthcare (Lajmi)
• Parallel municipalities that operated illegally in Dragash closed (media)
• Kosovo buses pelted with stones while traveling through Serbia (Indeksonline)
• Police confiscate 3 hunting rifles, 3 radios and 2 knives in Leposavic (media)
• Daughter of Serbian opposition politician pays homage in Prekaz (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic meets Lajcak, says it is necessary to establish ZSO, hold elections in northern Kosovo (RTS)
• Petkovic: During meeting with Lajcak, Vucic emphasized difficult position of Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• SNV: “Hold on a bit Mr. Kurti, put portraits of Djokovic and Krivokapic back, those of Vucic and Djuric we leave to you” (KoSSev)
• Vorgucic about Kurti: If someone speaks Serbian and beats you at the same time, it doesn't mean much to us (N1)
• What happened to the tent in Leposavic? (KoSSev)
• Endangered cultural and historical monuments in Kosovo: Barbed wire does not protect against political games (KoSSev, Insajder, KiM radio)
• Spahiu on banned official visits (Kosovo Online)

International:

• Time is the Enemy for Kosovo’s New War Crimes Institute (BIRN)
• Sandulovic’s daughter on being stopped by Serbian agents (Euronews Albania)
• Bilčik: The problems of Serbia’s elections can never be resolved inside the EU institutions (EWB)
• Talat Xhaferi, Taboo-Breaker who Became North Macedonia’s First Albanian PM (BIRN)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti: Belgrade’s destructiveness must not translate into slower EU integration for Kosovo (EO)
• Bislimi: We sent Banjska report to EU; let prosecution publish it (Albanian Post)
• After Oct 26, Kurti didn’t ask for additional discussions on Association or send comments to Brussels (Express)
• Stoltenberg: Fragile situation, with potential tensions in Kosovo, Bosnia (RFE)
• Who wants early elections? (RFE)
• 374 businesses registered in north of Kosovo, around 280 paid taxes (RFE)
• Pajaziti: PDK has no responsibility for the Association (TeVe1)
• Hoti: We’ll meet Serbian delegation on Jan 31; hoping to get archives (media)
• Kosovar arrested in Serbia no longer worked for Interior Ministry (Indeksonline)
• Over 20,000 electricity bills issued for January in north of Kosovo (Klan Kosova)

Serbian Language Media:

• Stano: New elections in northern Kosovo should be held as soon as possible (Euronews Serbia)
• KoSSev: Northern mayors consider possibility of filing appeal to court, to declare instruction for their replacement unconstitutional
• KoSSev: Zeqiri refutes himself, filing of appeal not considered
• O’Brien: Finding evidence of what happened in Belgrade election takes time (N1, Beta)
• Petkovic informed Ambassador Gori that ''Pristina wants to expel Serbs with the decision to cancel the dinar'' (Kosovo Online)
• Lucic: Problems of MTS.doo to be discussed in Pristina as of Monday (Tanjug)
• Odalovic: Pristina’s decisions provoke and make lives of Serbs in Kosovo difficult (RTS, Kosovo Online)
• Vucic: Serbian embassy in Pristina “Svecla’s bad dream” (Kosovo Online)
• Lawyer: Proceeding against Sladjan Trajkovic unlawful (Euronews Serbia)
• Rasic responds to Strpce municipality authorities: ''Prosecutor's Office is seriously knocking on their door'' (KiM Radio)
• Pendarovski: KFOR important for stability of Kosovo and entire region (KiM radio, Danas, Beta)

International:

• Kosovo Removes Billboard In Volatile North With 'Honorary Citizens' Vucic, Djokovic, Putin (RFE)
• ‘It Is In the Best Interest Of All Impacted Parties,’ That Kosovo PM Albin Kurti Takes US Position On Suspension Of Serbian Dinar Seriously (thepavlovictoday.com)
• Kosovo Navigates Formidable Challenges in Ambitious Bid for Digital Transformation by 2030 (Prishtina Insight)
• Government Of North Macedonia Resigns Under Roadmap For General Elections (RFE)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 25, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

• EU: Resolving neighborly problems through dialogue, key for enlargement (RFE)
• Osmani meets Pendarovski: Kosovo deserves EU candidate status (media)
• Peach: Kosovo’s future is a multiethnic republic (media)
• Rasic on removal of mayors through petition: Right and legitimate solution (EO)
• Svecla: Serbia’s only symbol in Kosovo will be its embassy in Pristina (media)
• Kurti discusses priorities for 2024 with EBRD representatives (Albanian Post)
• Osmani: My focus is increased participation of women and girls in business (EO)
• Hoxhaj: No political process in the north without the Serbs (KTV)
• Abdixhiku: Latest poll shows LDK leads with 39-40% in Dukagjin (Nacionale)
• Haziri: Kurti has no other priority but dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Ahmeti: Kosovo one step closer to membership in Council of Europe (RTK)
• Kelmendi: Don’t comprehend so-called controversy on ban of Serbia dinar (media)
• Kosovo national arrested in Serbia; caught with 18 kg of marijuana (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Dacic: Kurti will have a million ideas to prove that he has what he doesn't have - statehood (Kosovo Online)
• Petkovic meets with ambassadors of EU member states (Tanjug)
• Serbs in Leposavic told to remove tent across municipal building (Kosovo Online)
• Billboard with honorary citizens of Zvecan removed (KoSSev)
• Trial in case of Dusko Arsic continues, prosecution and defense to present concluding remarks (Kosovo Online)
• Vlajic on Arsic’s case: Acquittal can be the only justice (Radio KIM)
• Zeqiri: According to Constitution, referendums are organized based on special law, and such law has not been enacted (Kosovo Online)
• Giaufre expects progress in normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina at beginning of this year (Danas, Nedeljnik)
• Peach: Serbia should impose sanctions on Russia, support to normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina (Kosovo Online, Tanjug, Hina)
• New protest on Friday, opposition official says (N1)
• CINS reveals secret REM data on pro-government TV stations’ campaign reporting (N1)