• Thaci holds news conference after meeting political leaders (media)
• DPM Abazi: Prime Minister Kurti reports only to the Assembly (media)
• Kosovo leaders to meet Franco-German delegation (media)
• Thaci: Lajcak, the most untrustworthy person to lead dialogue (Zeri)
• Opposition parties launch motion against Minister Reka (media)
• Kosovo Gov’t asked for €10 mil for coronavirus preventive measures (Koha)
• Thaci calls for preventive measures against coronavirus infections (Kallxo)
• 7 people infected with coronavirus in North Macedonia, six in Albania (media)
• Rukiqi calls for emergency measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)
• WHO Director-General: Threat of pandemic has become very real (media)
• “Kosovo society to be ashamed of treatment of sexual violence survivors” (media)

Thaci holds news conference after meeting political leaders (media)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci met separately yesterday leaders of political parties in Kosovo to discuss coordination of issues of state interest. Media however highlight that leader of the Vetevendosje Movement and Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti did not go to meet Thaci.

Speaking at a news conference after he concluded the meeting, Thaci said that he briefed political leaders about his recent visit to the U.S. where he also met President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic.

Thaci said that the final agreement will be in full compliance to the Constitution of Kosovo. “Territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo is inviolable and no one has mentioned it in any of the meetings,” he said.

Asked if he still supports the border correction idea, Thaci said that he felt it his mission to have the Presevo Valley region join Kosovo but noted that this could only happen “in Kosovo’s current and inviolable territory.”

On Koha Ditore’s question of whether he informed his interlocutors about the compromises Kosovo may be asked to make, Thaci said this was not a subject of any of his meetings in the U.S. “Everything circulating up and down from anyone, including politicians and analysts, local and international, are completely groundless. They are aimed at creating confusion with the public opinion.”

Asked to comment on Kurti’s no-show, Thaci said that he had initially confirmed participation and only cancelled it later. “Neither Kosovo nor our partners have time to lose,” he said adding that what Kosovo needs is unity.

DPM Abazi: Prime Minister Kurti reports only to the Assembly (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Haki Abazi reacted to the invitation Prime Minister Albin Kurti received from the Kosovo President Hashim Thaci for a meeting.

“First off, meetings should have an agenda, aim and reason, and not to take place just for show so as to justify some sort of legitimacy that Thaci no longer has. And second, Albin Kurti is not only LVV leader but also Prime Minister of the country in charge of protecting, upholding the constitution which guarantees the Republic’s sovereignty and integrity. In a parliamentary country the Prime Minister only reports to the Assembly,” Abazi wrote on Facebook.

Kosovo leaders to meet Franco-German delegation (media)

A delegation from Germany and France consisting of advisors to Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Emmanuel Macron will be visiting Pristina today and are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti and then President Hashim Thaci.

Thaci: Lajcak, the most untrustworthy person to lead dialogue (Zeri)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci commented yesterday on the prospects of the Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak being appointed EU’s representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

He said that Lajcak would be the “most untrustworthy” choice for the post. “He is a delegate from a country that has not recognised Kosovo, so our trust in him is zero. He said he would vote for Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO but then voted against. Faith in him is equal to zero,” Thaci said.

He noted that the EU should first decide to liberalise visas for Kosovo and only then “we can see if they have the ability to take part in the dialogue.”

Opposition parties launch motion against Minister Reka (media)

Opposition parties – the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) and the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) – submitted to the Kosovo Assembly presidency request for a motion against the European Integration Minister Blerim Reka.

The opposition parties have criticised Reka for saying in an interview that as a compromise for the final agreement with Serbia, Kosovo could offer it a transit corridor through its territory to reach the Adriatic Sea. The aim of the opposition is to adopt a resolution demanding Reka’s dismissal.

Kosovo Gov’t asked for €10 mil for coronavirus preventive measures (Koha)

Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the committee tasked with managing the threat of coronavirus infections has requested the government of Kosovo to allocate €10 million.

Health Minister Arben Vitia spoke about the request to the government and also said that up to date no cases of infections have been confirmed in Kosovo. “So far 57 cases were tested and all resulted negative. The committee has decided today to step up the readiness level regarding coronavirus and the prime minister of the country will be presented with the committee’s request to raise the level of alertness on the level of the Kosovo’s Security Council,” Vitia said.

Thaci calls for preventive measures against coronavirus infections (Kallxo)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci called on the government of Kosovo to take appropriate measures to prevent coronavirus infections.

“It would be of interest for decisions to be taken on time, preferably today. I call on the government to take preventive measures especially concerning schools and public gatherings,” Thaci said at a press conference yesterday.

7 people infected with coronavirus in North Macedonia, six in Albania (media)

Indeksonline reports that according to the Ministry of Healthcare of North Macedonia, there are now seven people infected with the coronavirus there. Telegrafi and Radio Free Europe report that there are now six people infected with the virus in Albania.

Rukiqi calls for emergency measures against coronavirus (Telegrafi)

Berat Rukiqi, chairman of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, has called on Kosovo’s institutions that in addition to preventive healthcare measures against the coronavirus, to also pay special attention to the affected economic issues.

“I suggest to the Government and other institutions in charge of national security, in addition to healthcare measures, to draft a series of preventive and proactive measures for all possible scenarios from the coronavirus effects, including the possible closing of borders,” Rukiqi wrote in a Facebook post.

WHO Director-General: Threat of pandemic has become very real (media)

Several news websites report that the World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference in Geneva on Monday that now that the coronavirus has a foothold in so many countries, “the threat of a pandemic has become very real”.

“Kosovo society to be ashamed of treatment of sexual violence survivors” (media)

Vasfije Krasniqi-Goodman, survivor of sexual violence during conflict, addressed the Kosovo MPs yesterday during a special session of the Assembly to mark the International Women’s Day.

Krasniqi-Goodman criticised the Kosovo society for the lack of support to this category of people. “Our country, our society, stigmatizes us. Makes us feel as if we are not good daughters, good sisters, good wives, or good mothers,” she said. “You should all be ashamed, all of the Kosovo society, for stigmatizing us every day. We are not asking for anything from the state except for justice.”