• COVID – 19: 68 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: There will never be a technical dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Lajcak: EU remains biggest investor in the Balkans (media)
• Government rules out talks on Association on eve of Lajcak visit (Koha)
• Borrell: Kosovo and Serbia can reach an agreement within months (media)
• Hamza: We’re not bringing down government as we don’t have votes (media)
• Hoxhaj: Hoti government has no idea how to lead dialogue (media)
• Hoti has telephone conversation with Greek PM Mitsotakis (media)
• Serbs mark 1,000 days from killing of moderate Kosovo Serb politician (Reuters)

COVID-19: 68 new cases, one death (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement on Monday that 68 new cases of coronavirus and one death were recorded in the last 24 hours.

33 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

The highest number of cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (21).

There are currently 1,464 active coronavirus cases in Kosovo.

Hoti: There will never be a technical dialogue with Serbia (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said on Monday that there will never be a technical dialogue with Serbia and that Kosovo has entered the process of talks only for mutual recognition.

Hoti said the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia will be an agreement of principles for the normalisation of relations between the two countries after mutual recognition.

“I want to reconfirm that there will be no technical dialogue … Kosovo has entered this process only for mutual recognition and for the normalisation of inter-state relations … We will not sign anything until there is a full and final legally-binding agreement that includes mutual recognition,” Hoti said.

Lajcak: EU remains biggest investor in the Balkans (media)

The EU Special Envoy for the Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, on the eve of his visit to Kosovo, commented on the Kosovo – Serbia agreement in Washington. “The parties must talk themselves about the pledges they made to the U.S. in the two separate documents that were signed. For us, the EU, the documents mention elements from previous agreement of the EU – facilitated dialogue … investment projects financed by the EU,” he said.

“Regarding the last point, allow me to remind you that every pledge made toward third parties must also be fully in compliance with the engagements that Serbia and Kosovo have made to approximate their legislation with the EU acquis communitaire, our rules and laws and their contribution to regional stability,” Lajcak said.

In an interview with Telegrafi news website Lajcak said that he thought an agreement can be reached soon but that it is not a good idea to put deadlines. “I believe a comprehensive agreement can be reached within months rather than years, considering that the two sides will be ready to engage and make compromises. As facilitator, the EU will give the dialogue the necessary time without artificially accelerating it but at the same time without prolonging it unnecessarily.

He said that the issue of the Association of Serb-majority municipalities is something that needs to be discussed in the course of the process. “A discussion on this topic cannot be avoided. Of course, it is up to Kosovo to propose a way forward in implementation of agreements of 2013 and 2015, also taking into consideration the opinion of the Constitutional Court.”

Government rules out talks on Association on eve of Lajcak visit (Koha)

Kosovo Prime Minister’s office told the news website on Monday that Kosovo will not agree to additional talks on the formation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities.

On the eve of the visit by EU Special Envoy for the Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, the office of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said in a written reply: “Kosovo has concluded the negotiations process on the Association when the agreement was reached on the matter. As a result, the Government of the Republic of Kosovo will not agree to address this issue at the table of talks butit will respect the obligations of the agreement that was reached and which were confirmed by the decision of the Constitutional Court”.

Hoti is scheduled to meet Lajcak in Pristina today.

Borrell: Kosovo and Serbia can reach an agreement within months (media)

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Monday that a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is a matter of months and not years if the parties engage in constructive fashion.

Following the meeting of EU foreign ministers, Borrell said “the European Union does not prescribe a solution, does not aim to artificially accelerate the process but will also not delay it”.

Hamza: We’re not bringing down government as we don’t have votes (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) parliamentary group chief Bedri Hamza said in a debate on TV Dukagjini on Monday that the PDK and the opposition don’t have the required number of votes in parliament to bring down the Hoti-led government.

“We need 61 votes to bring down the government,” said Hamza, adding that the initiator of the no-confidence motion should have consulted the PDK. “I have no problems of communication with any party in parliament … Whenever the Vetevendosje Movement submits the no-confidence motion, the 24 MPs of the PDK will vote in favor of bringing down the government.”

Hoxhaj: Hoti government has no idea how to lead dialogue (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) senior official Enver Hoxhaj said on Monday that the Hoti-led government has no idea how to lead the dialogue with Serbia. “We believe in dialogue; we trust the U.S. and Brussels. But we don’t trust the government on how it leads the dialogue. The government has no strategy on the topics raised in the process. The government’s platform on dialogue has only 40 lines,” Hoxhaj said.

“The people that are leading the dialogue in Brussels cannot conclude the process and as a result Serbia is raising additional topics. Who ever thought that in 2020 Serbia would raise again the issue of IDPs and properties.”

Hoti has telephone conversation with Greek PM Mitsotakis (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti has a telephone conversation with Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis and discussed recent political developments, deepening of bilateral cooperation, dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and visa liberalisation.

“Greece’s supporting role for Kosovo is very important, because it is a member of the EU and NATO, organizations that Kosovo aspires to be part of”, Hoti is quoted in a statement issued by Kosovo Government.

Serbs mark 1,000 days from killing of moderate Kosovo Serb politician (Reuters)

Hundreds of Serbs in Belgrade lit candles on Monday to mark 1,000 days since the killing of a moderate Kosovo Serb politician in January 2018 and to demand greater efforts to solve the crime.

Oliver Ivanovic was gunned down in front of his party office in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, a predominantly Serb area of mainly ethnic Albanian Kosovo.

See more at: https://reut.rs/3jX9M3J