• COVID-19: 92 new infections, seven deaths (media)
• Hoti meets Palmer, Lajcak: Pleased to see EU-U.S. coordination (media)
• Hyseni speaks after Brussels meeting: There is approximation of stances (media)
• Osmani: It took Vucic little more than 24 hours to breach the agreement (media)
• Stano: Agreement to be in line with EU legislation (Koha)
• Biden: Recognition between Kosovo and Israel, good news (RTK)
• Turkey calls on Kosovo not to open embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• White House publishes part of PM Hoti’s remarks (media)
• Grenell to German diplomat: Lift visas promised to Kosovo (media)
• Agreement point on Ujman Lake almost brought down Kosovo government (Koha)
• Judah: No winners or losers in Kosovo-Serbia agreement in Washington (Telegrafi)

Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: 92 new infections, seven deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced yesterday that of 457 samples tested over the 24-hour period, 92 have tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there have been seven deaths and 115 recoveries reported over the same time period.

The highest number of new infections (39) is in the municipality of Prishtina.

There are currently 3,262 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Hoti meets Palmer, Lajcak: Pleased to see EU-U.S. coordination (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said he is pleased to see complete coordination between the EU and the U.S. with regards to the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Today in Brussels we met with the EU’s Special Envoy for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia Miroslav Lajcak and the U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer. We discussed about the developments of the dialogue so far and tomorrow’s high level meeting. I am very pleased to see full coordination between the EU and the U.S with regards to the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia,” Hoti wrote.

Hyseni speaks after Brussels meeting: There is approximation of stances (media)

Kosovo’s coordinator for dialogue with Serbia, Skender Hyseni, said there is approximation of positions with the Serbian side after the meeting in Brussels over the weekend.

“We are close, we had a little constructiveness of exchanges, positions, thoughts but nevertheless a great deal remains to be rounded up tomorrow at a high level. We will discuss tonight the most contested issues one by one. There is visible approximation of positions on what I would call elements of a comprehensive agreement on mutual recognition,” Hyseni said yesterday.

Asked if there is hope that at the high-level meeting today issues such as missing persons, displaced persons and economic cooperation could be concluded, Hyseni said the positions of the parties are getting closer but that there will be no separate agreement but rather commitment on principles that would be part of a comprehensive agreement.

Osmani: It took Vucic little more than 24 hours to breach the agreement (media)

Kosovo’s Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani said it took a little more than 24 hours for Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic to breach the agreement reached in Washington.

“It took Vucic a little more than 24 hours to violate point 15 of the commitments he signed in D.C., which requires them to cease the derecognition campaign & refrain from formally or informally asking others not to recognize Kosovo. So typical of Serbia,” Osmani wrote on her Twitter account.

Osmani’s reaction comes after Vucic’s statement that “I understand political games in which someone wants to claim that another Muslim country recognizes Israel, alluding on Kosovo. Very goods if Kosovo recognizes Israel, but first, Israel has to recognize Kosovo, then Kosovo can do its job…Let us see what will Erdogan tell to Hashim Thaci and Avdullah Hoti,” Vucic said.

Stano: Agreement to be in line with EU legislation (Koha)

The European Union considers that anything on which Kosovo and Serbia agree to has to be in line with EU legislation, said spokesperson for the EU foreign policy Peter Stano.

Stano said the EU is waiting for further information from its partners on how the commitment made in Washington will help Kosovo and Serbia advance on their European integration path.

“The parties have found common points on how to address different issues in the framework of normalisation of their relations. The parties should speak for themselves on issues on documents. For the EU, everything that is agreed upon, should be in full accordance to the EU acquis, the regulations and legislation, and should also contribute to regional stability,” Stano said in a reply to Koha.

Biden: Recognition between Kosovo and Israel, good news (RTK)

The Democratic candidate for the U.S. President Joe Biden, called normalization of relations between Kosovo and Israel, a positive step.

Asked about the reached agreement mediated by President Trump, the nominee of the Democratic Party Joe Biden refused to judge the agreement without being informed on the details.

“I consider that normalization of the relations among countries in general, is a good thing. To have a country with Muslim majority normalize relations with Israel, in the general sense, it seems positive to me,” he said.

Turkey calls on Kosovo not to open embassy in Jerusalem (media)

The Turkish authorities have called on Kosovo not to open an embassy in Jerusalem saying the move would undermine UN resolutions and harm the Palestinian cause.

“We call on the leadership of Kosovo to abide by these [UN] decisions to refrain from such steps that would undermine the historical and legal status of Jerusalem and may also prevent Kosovo from being recognized by other states in the future,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

White House publishes part of PM Hoti’s remarks (media)

The Official page of the White House on Facebook, published a part of the speech of the Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti on Friday, at the ceremony of signing the economic agreement with Serbia.

Along with the video, there is a text which reads ‘Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti of Kosovo: “We are fully committed to work together to improve people’s lives, to make new jobs in the region … We share the same values of freedom, democracy, and open market economy.”

Grenell to German diplomat: Lift visas promised to Kosovo (media)

The U.S. Presidential Envoy for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Richard Grenell, reacted to a tweet of the German diplomat, Wolfgang Ischinger, who wrote that “It is good that U.S. cares about Serbia/Kosovo relationship. But important to note : no agreement between the two was signed in DC because there is still no mutual recognition. Much work remains for the EU, representative Miroslav Lajcak, EU Commission, EU 2020DE.”

Grenell’s tweet reads “We welcome all action, not just talk. Why don’t you tweet at the EU to take action on visas – which they’ve promised for years? The people of Kosovo and Serbia deserve progress.”

EU’s Special Envoy for the dialogue Miroslav Lajcak on the other hand tweeted “Busy weekend in Brussels with meetings with President Vučić, Prime Minister Hoti and DAS/Western Balkan envoy Palmer as well as two days of intense Dialogue negotiations. Getting ready for the High-level Dialogue meeting tomorrow!”

Agreement point on Ujman Lake almost brought down Kosovo government (Koha)

Koha Ditore reports on the front page that the item of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement on normalisation of economic ties pertaining to the joint utilisation of the Ujman/Gazivode Lake risked to topple the government of Kosovo after the leader of the coalition party AAK (The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo), Ramush Haradinaj, considered such an arrangement to be unacceptable.

A source close to recent developments said that AAK’s concerns encountered silence from its coalition partner, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and pressure from the U.S. officials in Washington. AAK officials, said the source, are still angry at the Ujman arrangements particularly after the Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti saying in his public appearances that the item at question never underwent any changes and was as is from the outset.

An earlier draft of the agreement presented to the Kosovo delegation which the paper claims to be in possession of is said to speak of “both parties sharing the Gazivode Lake as a reliable water and energy supply.”

Judah: No winners or losers in Kosovo-Serbia agreement in Washington (Telegrafi)

Tim Judah, Balkans correspondent for The Economist, said that items of the Kosovo-Serbia agreement signed in Washington constitute reengagement for normalisation of relations which has been mentioned many times in the past. “I think it is not a surprising agreement and so Kosovo and Serbia did not win anything just as Kosovo and Serbia did not lose something in all of this. We saw a strange mix of things as the agreement contains items previously agreed upon.”

Speaking to the Tirana-based Top Channel, Judah said: “We don’t have winners or losers from this.” He noted however that in the long term what will be damaging for Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti and President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic is the footage from the White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump “where they are seen as schoolboys sitting in front of their headmaster. The damage caused to their political image will be seen in the future.”