• COVID-19: 76 new infections, six deaths (media)
• Hoti: Washington agreement, major step towards mutual recognition (media)
• Lajcak: High time to bring dialogue to successful end (media)
• Haradinaj-Stublla: Mutual recognition, a decade overdue (media)
• Palmer: U.S. sees no parallels between Kosovo and Republika Srpska (Koha)
• PM Hoti to visit Brussels again (media)
• EU official: Kosovo cannot apply for European Union membership (Koha)
• Haxhiu: Serbia recognises Kosovo when it gets association and resources (RTK)
• Selmanaj: AAK does not support LVV’s no-confidence motion (Koha)
• Erdogan has separate telephone conversations with Thaci and Vucic (media)
• Dzaferovic: U.S. reminded that Kosovo’s case has nothing to do with BiH (Sarajevo Times)
• Abazovic: I leave the government if derecognition of Kosovo is initiated (media)
• Russia welcomes Serbia, Kosovo economic normalization (Anadolu Agency)
• Trump’s Serbia-Kosovo Deal ‘Middle-Easternizes’ the Balkans (Balkan Insight)
• EC approves financial assistance to Kosovo (Zeri)

Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: 76 new infections, six deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced yesterday that  there have been 76 new cases of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there have been six deaths and 144 recoveries reported over the 24-hour period.

There are currently 3,128 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Hoti: Washington agreement, major step towards mutual recognition (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said after the meeting of the government yesterday that the agreement signed in Washington for normalisation of economic relations with Serbia is a major step towards mutual recognition which he said will be part of the final agreement.

“The agreement signed has two key elements: first is the economic part which we negotiated for a while that includes infrastructure projects like the Pristina-Merdare highway, Pristina-Merdare railway, feasibility study for a railway connection between Pristina and the Adriatic Sea, financial support for small and medium enterprises, energy investments through the gas connection to Pristina, construction of a gas-powered plant,” Hoti told reporters.

Speaking about the Mini-Schengen project, Hoti said Kosovo delegation in Washington initially objected to it but “I was asked by the White House to join this regional initiative.” As for the Ujman Lake arrangement, Hoti said a feasibility study will be performed to determine how the water will be used.

He added that the White House is interested in seeing these projects immediately begin implementation and also rejected criticism that the deal undermines sovereignty of Kosovo. “I believe you will see concrete work relating to these projects in the coming months.”

The second important part of the White House agreement, noted Hoti, is recognition from Israel: “Every recognition is important but there are some that are truly so because of the signal they send and this is the first recognition in three years which means that the negative trend of international recognitions of Kosovo has been broken.”

PM Hoti also said there is full coordination between the U.S. and the EU on the dialogue process and “this gives us certainty in moving forwards.”

Speaking about his recent visit to Brussels, Hoti said the high-level meeting he had was part of the process of drafting a final agreement with Serbia on mutual recognition. “Territorial integrity is not at any table, there is no talk on the unified character of the state of Kosovo; there is only talk about the final agreement for mutual recognition.”

Lajcak: High time to bring dialogue to successful end (media)

EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak commemorated the anniversary of the UN General Assembly adopting a resolution welcoming the European Union’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo.

“It’s high-time to bring it to a successful end,” Lajcak tweeted.

Haradinaj-Stublla: Mutual recognition, a decade overdue (media)

Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla has requested from the European Union to start dialogue with its five member states which are still reluctant to accept the new reality created after the proclamation of Kosovo as a state.

“Ten years after this UNGA Resolution it’s high time for EU to launch dialogue between Kosovo and five EU non-recognizers as part of its role as a factor of promoting cooperation and achieve progress on EU path. Mutual recognition btw Kosovo and Serbia is also overdue after a decade of dialogue,” Haradinaj wrote, and posted the UN Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on requesting the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.

Palmer: U.S. sees no parallels between Kosovo and Republika Srpska (Koha)

Matthew Palmer, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer said in a visit to Sarajevo that the United States sees no parallels between Kosovo and the Republika Srpska.

“Kosovo is a country and we have diplomatic relations with it. As for the Republika Srpska of Bosnia, the framework for its political future was defined by the Dayton peace accord and that is a future for Bosnia as an independent country with unviolable territorial integrity. That future is the best for all in Bosnia,” Palmer said.

Commenting on the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia in Washington, Palmer said it focuses on normalisation of economic relations which he said would have to pave way for normalisation of political relations. “I was in Brussels a few days ago and spoke to Lajcak, Vucic and Hoti. I told them that the United States supports the process facilitated by the EU.”

PM Hoti to visit Brussels again (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti is expected to pay another visit to Brussels, shortly after returning from there.

Hoti announced that he will be having several meetings today at the European Parliament and meet with President David Sassoli, as well as MEPs.

EU official: Kosovo cannot apply for European Union membership (Koha)

Responding to a question on Kosovo’s possibility of applying for European Union membership, Peter Stano, spokesperson for the EU foreign policy, said this will not be possible as only sovereign countries recognised by all EU member states can do so.

Koha Ditore writes that it has been common knowledge for quite some time that Kosovo is not treated as a sovereign and independent country by the EU but officials in Brussels have so far always found ways to emphasise Kosovo’s European perspective nevertheless. “It was never said so bluntly that the EU doesn’t see Kosovo as a state and that it cannot apply for membership until two days ago by the spokesperson for the Foreign Policy and Security Peter Stano as a press conference,” the paper writes on the front page today.

Stano did however add that Kosovo has a clear European perspective and that the EU is working to assist Kosovo in moving towards European integration so that at one point it can apply for accession.

Haxhiu: Serbia recognises Kosovo when it gets association and resources (RTK)

Member of the leadership of the Vetevendosje Movement Albulena Haxhiu, has criticized the agreement of the Kosovo delegation reached in Washington.

She said that giving up pledges for membership of Kosovo at international organisations for one year, is giving up statehood.

“Serbia recognizes you when you give Zajednica (Association of Serb-majority municipalities) and Kosovo resources,” Haxhiu told TV Dukagjini.

Selmanaj: AAK does not support LVV’s no-confidence motion (Koha)

Rasim Selmanaj, MP from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), said that under the present circumstances the party will not be supporting the no-confidence motion against the government that is being sponsored by the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV).

Speaking to KTV, Selmanaj said: “We do not support the Vetevendosje’s motion and this is not a serious initiative, it is more of a game with the opinion.”

Selmanaj however said that AAK would leave the coalition government if its leader Ramush Haradinaj is not elected the future president of Kosovo. “If there is no support, it means other parties are deciding for Kosovo to head to early elections.”

Erdogan has separate telephone conversations with Thaci and Vucic (media)

Turkey’s President Recep Taiyp Erdogan held separate telephone conversations with the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci and the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic.

This was announced on the official Twitter page of the Turkish Presidency.

“President @RTErdogan held separate phone calls with President Hashim Thaçi of Kosovo and President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia.

Regional developments and steps amid at strengthening Turkey-Kosovo ans Rukey-Serbia relations were discussed. President Erdogan agreed with President Thaci and President Vucic on maintaining close cooperation and consultations on bilateral and regional issues,” informed the Turkish presidency.

Dzaferovic: U.S. reminded that Kosovo’s case has nothing to do with BiH (Sarajevo Times)

Chairman of Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Sefik Dzaferovic addressed the media after a meeting of Presidency members with Matthew Palmer, the United States Special Representative for the Western Balkans and said that they also discussed the dialogue process between Serbia and Kosovo and the relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the news portal reported.

“It was clearly stated that this process has nothing to do with any country in the region, but only with Belgrade and Pristina. That is what we know, but now it has been mentioned by the representatives of the USA. I am convinced that today’s meeting will be an additional incentive for all of us to work without tensions and producing problems,” Dzaferovic said.

He also concluded that consultations were held regarding the request for extraordinary sessions. The members of the Presidency agreed to hold a regular session on September 17 with six topics, and they concern the pandemic, the EU path, the implementation of NATO reforms, illegal migration, human trafficking and the initiative on the position for Little Schengen. After that session, an extraordinary session will be held requested by Milorad Dodik, followed by a session requested by Zeljko Komsic.

Abazovic: I leave the government if derecognition of Kosovo is initiated (media)

The leader of the URA Movement in Montenegro, Dritan Abazovic, said he would not stay in the government which would initiate derecognition of Kosovo’s statehood. He added that in order to be partner of the government, each party should respect the principals.

“Absolutely, we would leave the government. Absolutely, I leave a government that initiates such a thing,” Abazovic told Klan Kosova.

“If this is initiated out of this agreement, we will not be part of the government of Montenegro.”

“The same is valid for the other points. There are interests of the Montenegrin population, there are other signs of identity, cooperation with NATO. If any of those seven points is touched, they are not our partners anymore,” Abazovic said.

Russia welcomes Serbia, Kosovo economic normalization (Anadolu Agency)

Russia welcomes an agreement signed between Belgrade and Pristina on economic normalization in Washington, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Russia considers the agreement as a step in the interests of a general settlement, Lavrov said, speaking at a news conference with his Kazakh counterpart Mukhtar Tleuberdi in Moscow.

“We believe that this was done in the interests of a settlement, and we have no reason to doubt that the Serbian leadership continues supporting the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 1244. We will firmly support Serbia in the steps it considers necessary to take within the framework of this resolution,” he said.

Russia supports any agreements voluntarily reached between Belgrade and Pristina to implement what has already been agreed upon, and the 2013 agreement on establishment of Serbian municipalities in Kosovo that would ensure the rights of the Serbians living there, he said.

See at: https://bit.ly/2RcR3Va

Trump’s Serbia-Kosovo Deal ‘Middle-Easternizes’ the Balkans (Balkan Insight)

The recent “agreement” signed – on separate papers and not with identical contents – by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti under the supervision of Donald Trump strengthens the role of both US and, perhaps for the first time, Israel, in the Balkans, writes Dejan Jovic, Professor of International Relations at the University of Zagreb and former Chief Political Analyst in the Office of President of Croatia.

Jovic writes that by the letter of these two separate “agreements”, Serbia consented to move its embassy to Jerusalem, becoming the first European country to do so while Kosovo has in turn received international recognition by Israel, which is a significant diplomatic victory after a wave of 15 de-recognitions of its independence in the last few years.

“But its embassy will also NOW be in Jerusalem. President Trump and his associates have presented it as the first majority-Muslim country to be represented in Jerusalem. Trump needed to present Serbia as a European, and Kosovo as a Muslim country, to make the point that the agreement signed in the last months of his term in office is ‘historical’. However, there are potentially important implications of such labelling, especially for Kosovo. Like Albania and Bosnia Herzegovina, Kosovo has until now avoided being labelled a ‘Muslim state’.”

See at: https://bit.ly/3m6ULxN

EC approves financial assistance to Kosovo (Zeri)

The European Commission has adopted over EUR 138 million in assistance for Kosovo through the IPA 2019 and IPA 2020 programmes for Kosovo and the respective Financing Agreements have been signed by both parties.

“Out of this amount, EUR 50 million has been re-programmed to tackle the social and economic fallout of the ongoing COVID 19 crisis in the short and medium term. The following sectors will be supported: Democracy and Governance (EU Approximation), Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights, Environment, Climate Action and Energy, Competitiveness, Innovation and Agriculture and Rural Development and Education, Employment and Social Policies,” the EU Office in Kosovo said.

The Head of the EU Office in Kosovo/EU Special Representative, Tomas Szunyog, welcomed the signature of the IPA 2019 part II and 2020 Annual Action Programmes for Kosovo and called on Kosovo institutions to ratify these programmes as soon as possible.