UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 22, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Stoltenberg: Situation is fragile; Association important step for stability (AP)
• Rama: More NATO troops: Kosovo-Serbia border is out of control (media)
• Stoltenberg: Any attack against citizens in Kosovo is unacceptable (media)
• Kearns: West has no backbone in Kosovo-Serbia dispute (media)
• Shea: NATO to engage more for security; parties to return to dialogue (media)
• Kurti: EBRD report states economic growth continues at robust rate (media)
• Kurti to ministers: Time to meet our commitments is running out (Kosovapress)
• Palatova: Kosovo to implement Agreement on Path to Normalization (media)
• Gashi: We cannot move forward if double standards are applied (Klan Kosova)
• Disciplinary committee removes U.S. sanctioned official from civil service (Koha)
• Census postponed to April 2024, government decides (Koha/Nacionale)
• Nine people injured after hand grenade thrown in Prizren (media)
• Haxhiu: Domestic violence must be reported, perpetrators to be sentenced (RTK)

Serbian Language Media:

• UNMIK Head: Efforts towards peaceful coexistence (N1)
• Barbano: We increased patrols in northern Kosovo, soon community advisers to arrive, work with Kosovo police (KoSSev)
• Detention of Dragisa Milenkovic extended for two more months, request for Kurti’s testimony rejected (Radio KIM)
• “Yet another political manipulation” – Danas interlocutors on request of Albin Kurti that Serbia should propose specific agreement for Kosovo Serbs’ participation in elections (Danas)
• Cypriot president arrives in Belgrade, welcomed by Serbian FM (Tanjug)
• Serbia protests flag burning to Albania (N1)
• NADA coalition: EU membership not possible if the recognition of Kosovo is condition (Beta, Danas)
• Davenport: OSCE ready to collect votes of Serbs in Kosovo, however, conditions for that currently are not in place (Kosovo Online)

Opinion:

• In Serbia’s One-Sided Elections, Belgrade is the Opposition’s Hope (Balkan Insight)

International:

• West has no ‘backbone’ in Kosovo-Serbia dispute, says British MP (Financial Times)

Humanitarian/Development:

• In Kosovo, Girls’ Football Scores Goal Against Ethnic Intolerance (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media:

• Stoltenberg: Serbian army buildup near Kosovo doesn’t help situation (media)
• Rohde: It’s important to have security in north; NATO mandate not changed (EO)
• State Department: U.S. committed to integration of Western Balkans (VoA)
• “Serbia is not interested in peace”: What is Vucic planning? (Albanian Post)
• Is “international investigation” into Banjska delayed due to Dialogue? (Express)
• Kurti: Economic growth this year is expected to be 3.8 percent (Kosovapress)
• Hoti on missing persons: We want justice; Serbia calling for new crimes (media)
• Berisha: Serbia doesn’t aim only for the north, but all of Kosovo (media)
• 20 CSOs call on EC to withdraw proposal that allows visa-free travel for Kosovo Serbs with Serbian passports (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• DefMin Vucevic welcomes NATO’s Stoltenberg at Belgrade airport last night (N1)
• Stoltenberg: We will continue to ensure peace for all in Kosovo; Vucic: Only Serbs are endangered (RTS, Tanjug, media)
• Stoltenberg in Pristina: Any deployment of KSF in the north of Kosovo requires consent from KFOR (Tanjug, media)
• Media: Pristina wants to increase the KSF to five thousand people (NMagazin, Beta)
• Stoltenberg for Tanjug: Kosovo does not have the support of NATO to arm itself (Blic, Kosovo Online)
• Dimitrijevic: Pristina institutions should enable Serbs to vote at elections (Kosovo Online)
• Andric Rakic on visa liberalization: In some companies, 50 percent of workers announced their departure (Kosovo Online)
• The Church burgled in the Devet Jugovica village (N1, RTS, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Jablanovic met Troccaz: The position of the Serbs is untenable since Kurti came to power (KiM radio)
• Office for KiM: Incidents on ground in direct correlation with inflammatory statements of Pristina politicians (Kosovo Online)
• Koha: Certain NGOs in Kosovo requested to withdraw the proposal on the passports of the coordination administration of the MIA of Serbia be included in the visa liberalization (KoSSev)

International:

• Serbia Deployed Anti-Aircraft Systems Near Kosovo Border, Kosovo PM Warns (Prishtina Insight)
• First Kosovo War Crimes Trial in Defendant’s Absence Begins (BIRN)
• Serbia’s Expulsion of Croatian Diplomat Damages Relations: Zagreb (BIRN)

UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, November 20, 2023

Albanian Language Media:

• Stoltenberg: NATO concerned with secessionist rhetoric in Bosnia (media)
• Bislimi: EU should lift measures against Kosovo as soon as possible (Koha)
• Rohde: Kosovo to more make efforts to implement agreements with Serbia (Koha)
• Tahiri to Kurti: Tell us why you allowed Radoicic to escape on Sept 24 (Telegrafi)
• Gashi on Kurti’s remarks about Radoicic: Wish it's not meant to scare people (EO)
• AAK wants Assembly to take a stance on EU measures against Kosovo (media)
• Maqedonci: Banjska case revealed Serbia’s aggressive objectives (Albanian Post)
• Maqedonci meets Kearns, thanks her “for presenting truth about Kosovo” (media)
• Calls for internationals to react to Serbia’s mobilization at border (Telegrafi)
• Kurti says NGOs and businesses can register as social enterprises (EO)
• Tahiri: Government takes part in dialogue, without sanctions for Serbia (media)
• Trial in absentia begins for Cedomir Aksic accused of war crimes (Dukagjini)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic and Brnabic tomorrow with Stoltenberg (RTS)
• Weber on relocation of monument to Serbs: "Clumsy gaffe" by French and German Embassies in Kosovo (KiM radio)
• Serbian Embassy in Germany: Serbia determined never to give up on its heritage in Kosovo (Radio KIM, media, social media)
• Mijacic: Statement of German ambassador about Visoki Decani Monastery is official stance of Germany (Tanjug)
• To UNESCO, Visoki Decani and Gracanica are in Serbia – ambassador (Tanjug)
• The office for KiM assistant director banned from entering Kosovo (Kosovo Online)
• Two sides of the same story: KP on obstructing officers, Jaksic speaks of physical abuse and announces lawsuit against special forces (KoSSev)
• Jeremic on upcoming Serbian elections, Kosovo, Franco-German plan (N1)
• Serbian Government to open consulate in Pale (media)

Opinion:

• Palokaj: Association draft is not so secret – it could hardly be better (Koha)

International:

• NATO chief commits to Bosnia’s territorial integrity and condemns ‘malign’ Russian influence (AP)

Albanian Language Media:

• Kurti met Rohde and German ambassadors from region, talk about road to EU (Reporteri)
• Blast near the center for technical control of vehicles in north of Kosovo (media)
• Bislimi: Region faces destabilizing efforts (media)
• Haliti: Radoicic sent SMS threatening to kill politicians (media)
• Sources: Close protection units now guarding Gervalla and Rasic (Indeksonline)
• State Department: Countering corruption, Russian malign influence in WB (media)
• Surroi comments on Zelenksy’s warning of new conflict in Balkans (media)
• Osmani appoints Drilon Gashi as head of Kosovo’s diplomatic mission in Warsaw (media)
• Haradinaj: Kurti changes his words three times a day, has lost his way (Nacionale)

Serbian Language Media:

• Rasic: The moment the CSM is adopted, the institutions of Serbia will be extinguished (KiM radio)
• Petkovic: Kurti's minister Rasic trying in every way to make the CSM meaningless (Kosovo Online)
• Letter of protest to France and Germany due to the removal of the memorial plaque in Pristina (Danas, FoNet, Beta, KoSSev)
• Vucic: Pointless to respond to all lies, the move of the monument to Serbian soldiers (Tanjug)
• Dacic: The removal of the memorial plaque is scandalous, the French Embassy in Belgrade will advocate for its return (Kosovo Online)
• The European Commission proposes that visas be canceled for holders of Serbian passports in Kosovo (N1)
• Ambassador to UNESCO: Serbia's election is a clear signal to Pristina that it has no support for unilateral moves (RTS)
• Hill: Despite the difficulties, we recognize the common interests of Serbia and Ukraine (Kosovo Online, RTV, Tanjug)
• Another trial for Vukotic in Pristina (Kosovo Online)
• The detention of Sladjan Trajkovic extended again (KiM radio, Kosovo Online)
• Serbia, North Macedonia sign Memorandum on construction of high-speed railway (FoNet, N1)

Opinion:

• Kosovo and the Western Balkans Security Order after Banjska: Policy Recommendations from the Octopus Institute for Hybrid Warfare Studies (media)

International:

• Kosovo launches first women's football strategy (uefa.com)
• Kosovo’s Thaci Didn’t Give Orders to Guerrillas: Trial Witness (BIRN)
• Surge in Requests for Kosovo License Plates Signals Shifting Dynamics Among Local Serbs (Prishtina Insight)
• John Hodgson: Out of spite I started learning Albanian (Kosovo 2.0)

Albanian Language Media:

• After Petkovic, Lajcak meets Bislimi, tests if there is will for tripartite meeting (media)
• Kurti: The 2024 budget will be a defense and security budget (RTK)
• PDK does not support 2024 draft budget: It does not bring development alternatives (Reporteri)
• Macron: Tensions in Kosovo have calmed down a bit - I'm not worried about resumption of conflict (Klan)
• Krasniqi meets Varhelyi, talk about European integration process of Kosovo (Klan)
• Ekaterina Trendafilova to visit Kosovo at the end of the month (Klan)

Serbian Language Media:

• The meeting of the Belgrade delegation with Lajcak ended; the main topic the Statute of the CSM (N1)
• Professor Ćorac: If manganese is found in water, it can cause certain health disorders (gracanicaonline.info)
• Survey: A majority believe that Serbia and Kosovo Serbs’ position is weaker under the current government; the majority would vote for Vucic again (KoSSev)
• The Government of Serbia sent a request for "collecting votes" for the upcoming elections, the OSCE informed Pristina (KoSSev)
• Gasic: Kosovo Albanian mafia supplying weapons to people smugglers in northern Serbia (Tanjug, RTS, Kosovo Online, N1)
• Dacic met Botsan-Kharchenko (Tanjug, Radio Mitrovica sever)