• Covid-19: 13 new cases in last 24 hours (media)
• Kosovo authorities ease coronavirus measures (media)
• Kosovo government supplements reciprocity towards Serbia (media)
• Kurti: Denying Kosovo reciprocity is denying its sovereignty rights (media)
• Lajcak criticizes Kosovo’s move to expand reciprocity measures (media)
• Osmani supports recently-expanded reciprocity measures (media)
• Thaci: Kurti risking everything achieved in two decades (media)
• Hoti: The new government will eliminate every obstacle to dialogue (media)
• Veseli: Reciprocity measures, part of Kurti’s deceitful mentality (media)
• Names of ministers expected to be appointed to Hoti-led govt (Koha)
• UNDP publishes latest Public Pulse poll (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Covid-19: 13 new cases in last 24 hours (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced that 13 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Kosovo in the last 24 hours as well as two recoveries.

Of the new cases, ten are from Vushtrri municipality, two from Mitrovica, and one from Pristina.

Kosovo authorities ease coronavirus measures (media)

Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti and acting Minister of Health Arben Vitia announced on Sunday that the measures introduced in March as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus will be lifted as of today, 1 June.

According to the decision, Kosovo borders will reopen as will kindergartens, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls.

Media however report that several mayors have said that the kindergartens in their respective municipalities will not be able to reopen today.

Kosovo government supplements reciprocity towards Serbia (media)

The acting government of Kosovo decided to amend the decision to impose reciprocity measures on Serbia saying in a press release that “there shall be a prohibition for documents on agricultural and industrial products that use the names of countries containing other elements contrary to the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo, the names of places in the Republic of Kosovo, but without the name of the state, which do not refer to the Republic of Kosovo and contain any element that denies the independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Kosovo.”

The decision, which will remain in force indefinitely, also stipulates that the Food and Veterinary Agency is obliged to use the emblem and the name Republic of Kosovo in phytosanitary and veterinary certificates, while economic operators from Serbia must be provided with an entry permit for each vehicle transporting goods entering the Republic of Kosovo from the Liaison Office of the Republic of Kosovo in Serbia.

Kurti: Denying Kosovo reciprocity is denying its sovereignty rights (media)

Announcing the new trade measures introduced towards Serbia, the acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said that no truck from Serbia will be able to enter Kosovo if it does not have certificates stating: “Republic of Kosovo.”

Meanwhile, in subsequent tweets, Kurti said that to deny the principle of reciprocity to Kosovo is the same as denying it the exercise of its sovereign rights. “Kosova wants fair and just relations with its neighbours. Dialogue is between two equals & Serbia must see Kosova as an equal at every table,” he wrote.

In another tweet, Kurti added: “Since then, the Government did introduce reciprocity measures with Serbia – all in response to a wide range of non-tariff barriers which Serbia has in place against #Kosova. When further barriers will be identified, further reciprocity measures will be applied.”

Lajcak criticizes Kosovo’s move to expand reciprocity measures (media)

The EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, has come out against the Kosovo government’s decision to expand reciprocity measures towards Serbia calling the move “disappointing”.

“Such unilateral actions undermine the Dialogue-resumption & should be removed immediately. As consistently said, we expect both parties to the Dialogue to implement & respect past agreements,” Lajcak wrote on Twitter.

Osmani supports recently-expanded reciprocity measures (media)

Kosovo Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani  reacted on Twitter to the EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, who said that the newly expanded reciprocity measures on Serbia are disappointing and undermine the dialogue.

Osmani wrote that rejecting the principle of reciprocity means rejecting the agreements reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue where, she said, most refer to the Central Europe Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and some even explicitly call for reciprocity in trade relations.

“The agreements refer to reciprocical [sic] measures in trade & docs and respect for intl’ standards. Most important standard in  intl trade: reciprocity. What Kosovo is doing is exactly what you’re are asking us to do: implementing the agreements. About time for Serbia to do its share,” she wrote.

Thaci: Kurti risking everything achieved in two decades (media)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci reacted to the recent acting government reciprocity measures towards Serbia.

Thaci said that acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti is “continuing patriotic deceits through strategically wrong decisions. With the alleged reciprocity decision he continued steps against the requests and expectations of the United States of America, and the EU, by risking all that we have achieved and built in more than two decades.”

Hoti: The new government will eliminate every obstacle to dialogue (media)

Avdullah Hoti, candidate for prime minister of Kosovo, said that the new government under his leadership would eliminate every obstacle that is on the way to resuming dialogue with Serbia and will do so in coordination with Kosovo’s strategic partners.

Hoti said that the recent decisions of the acting government are not helping Kosovo. “It is known that reciprocity is an organic part of our legal structure but we need today to support the dialogue with the help of our friends,” he wrote on Facebook.

Veseli: Reciprocity measures, part of Kurti’s deceitful mentality (media)

Leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli has commented on the Kosovo government’s decision to supplement reciprocity measures towards Serbia saying that the timing of the decision right after the Constitutional Court ruling is part of acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s “deceitful mentality”.

“Unfortunately, this state-destructing mentality will last for as long as the people’s trust in such manipulations and deceits. But a man like Albin Kurti and a party like Vetevendosje cannot continue deceiving the people for eternity. Decisions of their last hours will not derail attention from the many scandals this caste of deceivers created in their few days in government,” Veseli wrote on Facebook.

Names of ministers expected to be appointed to Hoti-led govt (Koha)

Koha reports that it has secured the names of officials tipped to be appointed in the new government of Kosovo led by Avdullah Hoti which the news website says is expected to be voted in the coming days.

The list does not contain candidates from the Serbian List.

From the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Driton Selmanaj is expected to be named deputy prime minister, Hykmete Bajrami minister of finance, Vlora Dumoshi will remain in her current post as minister of culture, Agim Veliu will be reinstated to the post of interior minister, Arban Abrashi minister of infrastructure and environment, Armend Zemaj minister of agriculture, Besian Mustafa minister of European integration, Anton Quni will remain minister of defence but if this ministry goes to AAK, the LDK would then take the ministry of health and appoint Valbon Krasniqi minister.

From the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), Besnik Tahiri deputy prime minister, Meliza Haradinaj foreign minister, Selim Selimi minister of justice, Blerim Kuqi minister of economic development, Ramë Lika minister of education.

Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) is only reported to have nominated Durim Limaj, Skender Recica, Mevludin Krasniqi for ministerial posts but it is not clear what departments the party will lead. NISMA has however said they have not yet forwarded the names of candidates for the new government.

UNDP publishes latest Public Pulse poll (media)

The UNDP has published the findings of its most recent Public Pulse, conducted in April, which looks into the perception of citizens on the democratic processes, socio-economic conditions, security, environment, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the report’s executive summary, the findings record an increase in people’s satisfaction with the work of the key executive and legislative institutions in Kosovo. The levels of satisfaction are the highest recorded by the Public Pulse polls since 2010. Satisfaction with the work of the executive is recorded at 60.7% which is an increase of 46.3% points from the November 2019 poll when it stood at 14.4%.

Moreover, satisfaction level with the work of the Prime Minister is recorded at 65.4% and that with the work of the Kosovo Assembly Speaker has reached a record 72.4% in comparison to 20.7% and 20.5% recorded in November 2019 and May 2019, respectively.

An increase in satisfaction levels is evidenced across most institutions. For example, albeit lower than measured in November 2018 (36.1%), satisfaction levels with the work of the Parliament have increased from 18.6% in November 2019 to 33.4% in April 2020. Satisfaction with the President has dropped by 2.5% points (18.7%) from November 2019 (21.2%). On the other hand, satisfaction with the courts and the prosecutor’s office increased from November 2019 poll. Satisfaction with courts stands at 24.8% which is an increase of 11.2% points from November 2019 (13.6%). Satisfaction with prosecutor’s office increased from 14.2% in November 2019 to 22.3% in April 2020.

Read the full report: https://bit.ly/3eDdGeY