• COVID-19: 85 new infections, five deaths (media)
• Lajcak hails progress in Kosovo Serbia-dialogue (Prishtina Insight)
• Thaci: Where America wins, the Albanian people do too (media)
• Selmanaj: We accepted Mini-Schengen as it was requested by President Trump, (Klan)
• Haradinaj on Mustafa’s statements on Ujman (TV Dukagjini)
• LVV asks Hoti to report to Assembly on Washington agreement (media)
• Kelmendi: Kosovo delegation was split heading up to Washington meeting (Klan)
• Kosovo experiences backlash over Jerusalem embassy plans (Prishtina Insight)
• EU warns Serbia, Kosovo over Israel embassy move (AP)
• EU warns Serbia and Kosovo over Jerusalem embassy plans (DW)
• Kosovo speaker of parliament sends warm message to Israel (The Times of Israel)
• Hoti meets Tusk, requests lifting of visas (media)
• Specialist Chambers do not comment KLA War Veteran’s claims (RTK)
• Osmani “parts ways with LDK” (Koha)
• Vetevendosje’s Haxhiu responds to Thaci’s ‘knives on the maps’ (RTK)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

 COVID-19: 85 new infections, five deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced today that of 432 samples tested over the 24-hour period, 85 have tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there have been five deaths and 97 recoveries reported over the same time period.

The highest number of new infections (15) is in the municipality of Prishtina.

There are currently 3,245 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Lajcak hails progress in Kosovo Serbia-dialogue (Prishtina Insight)

EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has outlined the progress of the EU-facilitated talks following a second meeting between Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels on Monday.

Lajcak praised the two countries’ commitment to the dialogue, stating the importance of a joint statement made by Hoti and Vucic prior to Monday’s meeting in which they “attached the highest priority” to EU integration and continuing to work on the EU-facilitated dialogue.

The Slovak diplomat added that the countries have achieved “full progress” on discussions over economic cooperation and missing and displaced persons. These two subjects were opened in the first high level meeting between Vucic and Hoti in Brussels on July 16, and discussed in a series of expert level meetings which concluded on Sunday.

Lajcak also outlined the next topics to be addressed: arrangements for non-majority communities and the settlement of mutual financial claims and property. He described these talks as being part of “negotiations for a legally binding, comprehensive agreement.”

“This was our first exchange that allowed us to define the next steps in our discussions. Our next meeting will be dedicated to these two topics,” Lajcak said. “Our negotiations today have been intense and not easy, but what precedes them is the will of both parties to continue the talks, despite the painful and complex issues at hand.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/2GBSme9

Thaci: Where America wins, the Albanian people do too (media)

President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci said that the draft of the agreement signed in Washington contained an item about recognition of Kosovo by Serbia but that it was dropped after Serbia’s refusal to accept it. “This remains to happen. America has won here and where America wins, the Albanian people do too.”

“We have demanded the things move along the U.S. dynamic and this happened. We were skeptical that right decisions were not being taken. What is important is that this happened under the leadership of Trump and in Washington,” Thaci told Tirana-based Top Channel.

Asked whether he would accept the agreement without the item referencing recognition of Kosovo, Thaci said: “It is a questionable issue. It remains to be worked out. This agreement could have been reached two years ago [but] was postponed for so long.”

Selmanaj: We accepted Mini-Schengen as it was requested by President Trump, (Klan)

Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister Driton Selmanaj commented on Kosovo delegation’s agreement in Washington to join the regional initiative known as Mini-Schengen saying that they accepted it because it was a request made by the U.S. President Donald Trump.

“When we expressed our reservations we said it was unacceptable for us to be part of the project because our destination is clear, it is the European Union… We were told that the Mini-Schengen issue was a request of President Trump,” Selmanaj told Klan Kosova.

With regards to the one-year moratorium on seeking membership in international organisations, Selmanaj said that despite hesitation, the Kosovo side deemed it would be more damaging to apply and not be accepted that accept the terms of the agreement.

Haradinaj on Mustafa’s statements on Ujman (TV Dukagjini)

The issue of the Ujman Lake in the Washington agreement, has clashed the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa with the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj.

Mustafa said that it is not true that the point on Ujman changed on 4 September and added that ‘it is not dignitary and just to try to create the opinion that one partner in the dialogue gave away Ujman, while the other saved it.

Haradinaj said “I saw a concern on Mustafa and this reflected on him to take the matter seriously. Ujman was the knot point and during the entire day, it was not certain if the today’s version would be signed. There is change from the first version. It was not framed what does fisibility of Ujman mean,” Haradinaj said.

He added that Ujman is Kosovo wealth and it will never be compromise on the matter.

LVV asks Hoti to report to Assembly on Washington agreement (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has submitted a request to the Kosovo Assembly calling on Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti to report on the agreement signed in Washington on September 4.

Deputy speaker of the Assembly from LVV, Arberie Nagavci, submitted the request which states that PM Hoti and the delegation accompanying him made concessions to Serbia which directly undermine Kosovo’s sovereignty and are in violation to the Constitution of Kosovo.

Meanwhile, the media report that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has begun collecting signatures to call a special session of the Assembly to discuss recently-signed agreement at the White House.

Kelmendi: Kosovo delegation was split heading up to Washington meeting (Klan)

Director of Klan Kosova, Adriatik Kelmendi, who travelled with the Kosovo delegation to Washington for the White House meeting, said the members of the team had disagreements amongst themselves on certain issues and that this was the reason the meeting was postoned for several minutes.

“We can say there was no full harmony amongst the representatives of Kosovo. The trip to Washington took place with that split, with distrust amongst the coalition partners,” he said adding that he believed disagreements should have been discussed by the delegation prior to their travelling.

Kosovo experiences backlash over Jerusalem embassy plans (Prishtina Insight)

After the surprise news on Friday that Israel is set to recognise Kosovo, Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti has announced that his government is “dedicated” to establishing diplomatic relations between the two states, including opening an embassy in Jerusalem.

However, his commitment to establish an embassy in Jerusalem has sparked a wide-reaching backlash, with Turkey, the Arab League and the EU all strongly criticising the move.

Speaking before an EU-facilitated meeting between Hoti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in Brussels on Monday, EU spokesperson Peter Stano stated that the Union’s foreign policy is very clear about opening embassies in Jerusalem.

“There is no EU member state with an embassy in Jerusalem, the EU delegation is not in Jerusalem,” Stano said. “The EU has repeatedly reaffirmed our commitment to a negotiated and viable two-state solution. Part of this two-negotiated solution is also an agreement on final status issues, [including] Jerusalem.”

Read more: https://bit.ly/329qKp4

EU warns Serbia, Kosovo over Israel embassy move (AP)

The European Union warned Serbia and Kosovo on Monday that they could undermine their EU membership hopes by moving their Israeli embassies to Jerusalem, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement about the change left officials in Belgrade and Pristina scrambling to limit the political fallout.

In an unexpected move last week, Trump said that Serbia and Kosovo had agreed to normalize economic ties as part of U.S.-brokered talks that include Belgrade moving its embassy to Jerusalem, and mutual recognition between Israel and Kosovo.

It surprised the Europeans, who are leading complex talks between Serbia and its former territory of Kosovo on improving their long-strained relations, while Serbian officials appeared to be watering down their commitment to Trump, and Kosovo sought to allay concerns among Muslim countries.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3i4a9IR

EU warns Serbia and Kosovo over Jerusalem embassy plans (DW)

Brussels’ sentiments have cast a shadow over a White House deal between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo to normalize economic ties. Israel’s PM has said he would have both nations open embassies in Jerusalem.

The European Union on Monday voiced “serious concern and regret” over Serbia’s pledge to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Muslim-majority Kosovo also agreed to normalize its ties with Israel, including establishing diplomatic relations. Kosovo’s president, Hashim Thaci said that his country “will keep a promise to place its diplomatic mission in Jerusalem.”

See at: https://bit.ly/2Zj7cgh

Kosovo speaker of parliament sends warm message to Israel (The Times of Israel)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted a video Monday in which Vjosa Osmani, the speaker of the Kosovo parliament, thanked Israel for recognizing the Republic of Kosovo and expressed hope that the new bond between the two nations would be solidified through parliamentary cooperation.

Standing in front of the Jewish community memorial at the Kosovo Parliament, Osmani said, “Todah Rabah to Israel for recognizing the Republic of Kosovo.”

In a reference to the successful Albanian efforts to protect its Jewish community from the Holocaust, and to Albanian assistance to other Jews who fled from Germany and Austria, she continued, “More than seven decades ago, Albanians in Kosovo had opened their hearts and their homes to the Jewish people to save them from extinction.

Read more: https://bit.ly/2FbhZlD

Hoti meets Tusk, requests lifting of visas (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti met during his visit in Brussels with the President of the European People’s Party (EPP) Donald Tusk. Hoti informed Tusk about the priorities of the government of Kosovo especially on managing of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery.

Hoti reiterated the pledge of the government of Kosovo on combating corruption and strengthening the rule of law, EU’s preconditions for visa liberalization.

Hoti and Tusk also discussed the dialogue with Serbia. Hoti expressed readiness of the government to resume with the dialogue, stressing that Kosovo government is committed to reach of the final agreement, which would result to mutual recognition.

Specialist Chambers do not comment KLA War Veteran’s claims (RTK)

Leaders of the KLA War Veterans called a press conference on Monday, to claim that they have received four thousand files of the Specialist Chambers, where names of the witnesses are also included.

They said that they will submit copies of these documents to the Prosecution and Kosovo Assembly PMs.

Publishing the data of protected witnesses is a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to the Criminal Code of Kosovo, notes RTK.

Media sent questions to the Specialist Chambers on the matter, however the response was that they do not want to comment on this.

Osmani “parts ways with LDK” (Koha)

Koha reports that Kosovo Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani has parted ways with the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

When asked during a yesterday event on whether she would support the LDK come next elections, Osmani said: “The concrete answer to this is their decision of 20 June expelling me. So this was where everything ended.”

Osmani is reported to have meanwhile left open the possibility of cooperating with the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) led by Albin Kurti. “We are in contact and we talk on different ways of cooperation but as to how this cooperation will be made concrete in the future, we will inform you when that happens,” she said.

Vetevendosje’s Haxhiu responds to Thaci’s ‘knives on the maps’ (RTK)

Kosovo Assembly MP from the Vetevendosje Movement Albulena Haxhiu, reacted to Monday’s statement of the President Hashim Thaci, that those who claimed there are going to be knives on Kosovo maps in Washington, should apologise to the people of Kosovo.

“It is too late for the President to make the question about knives and maps to someone else. His question is exclusively addressed to himself, although we are aware of the truth. Now, after this matter was proved and over-proved by Grenell himself and Bolton, there is no need to make questions on the well-known answers,” Haxhiu wrote.

In addition to this, Haxhiu continued, we have the statements of the President at the Alpbach Forum in Austria, where he said he is ready also for agreement which involve movement of borders up to calling the north of the country a present from Rankovic, these are nothing else but attempts to put knives on Kosovo map,” Haxhiu wrote.