• COVID-19: 169 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Hoti announces joint projects with North Macedonia during visit (media)
• “Indictment against Thaci and Veseli believed to have been confirmed” (Koha)
• Kosovo demands immediate release of citizen arrested by Serbian authorities (media)
• Von Cramon opposes Lajcak’s proposal for constitutional amendements (media)
• Mustafa after meeting coalition partners: President’s post not discussed (Koha)
• US, North Macedonia, and Kosovo sign 5G deal (AP)
• Step up action to achieve COVID-19 ceasefire, Guterres says in UN Day message (UN News)

COVID-19: 169 new cases, two deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced yesterday that 169 new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the last 24 hours of 1,119 samples tested for the virus.

At the same time, 85 recoveries and two deaths were recorded. The highest number of new infections is in Prishtina (71).

There are currently 2,212 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Hoti announces joint projects with North Macedonia during visit (media)

In an official visit to North Macedonia, Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said that they agreed with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to jointly implement a number of projects which he said are of interest to the two economies. “I very much welcome the idea to move forward with opening of a joint border crossing point,” Hoti said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with Zaev, Hoti said that as soon as epidemiological conditions permit, Kosovo and North Macedonia governments will hold joint meetings.

Zaev on his part said that his country supports the process of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia and “any solution that guarantees and strengthens peace in the region.”

Zaev also spoke about his upcoming meeting with Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic and Albania’s Edi Rama that will focus on the Mini-Schengen initiative. “We expect Kosovo to join the regional cooperation,” he said.

“Indictment against Thaci and Veseli believed to have been confirmed” (Koha)

As the deadline for confirmation of the Specialist Prosecutor’s indictment against President Hashim Thaci and political leader Kadri Veseli expired on Friday and the Specialist Chambers did not in the meantime come out with any further information, there is reason to believe that the indictment has at least been partially confirmed by the pre-trial judge, legal expert Arianit Koci told Koha.

“Since we have no information that the indictment has been rejected, it is therefore implied that it has been confirmed,” he said.

Chris Bennett, spokesperson for the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, said that an indictment remains confidential until it is made public and that based on the rules and regulations, “if an indictment is confirmed it will be made public no later than the defendant’s first appearance before the court.”

Kosovo demands immediate release of citizen arrested by Serbian authorities (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla has condemned the arrest of Agim Gjocaj from Kosovo by authorities in Serbia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora called for immediate release of Gjocaj as well as of Nezir Mehmetaj, arrested months ago in Serbia. “We underline that the allegations against them are groundless, intentional and politically motivated.”

The Ministry also urged the EU and Quint countries to address this concern with authorities in Belgrade. “Such behaviour is in violation to fundamental human rights, free movement agreement reached in Brussels in 2011 and the spirit of the commitments for economic normalisation in Washington.”

Von Cramon opposes Lajcak’s proposal for constitutional amendements (media)

European Parliament rapporteur for Kosovo Viola Von Cramon commended the remarks of the German ambassador to the UN Security Council Christoph Heusgen on Kosovo where he said that Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic speech gives the impression of being a ‘copy-paste’ of his previous remarks and that coming to terms with the past is painful but indispensable.

Von Cramon wrote: “Very good statement by @GermanUN. Even I disagree with the last move of @MiroslavLajcak. I don’t think talking about a change in the #Kosovo constitution leads us anywhere.”

Mustafa after meeting coalition partners: President’s post not discussed (Koha)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa told reporters that the post of Kosovo president was not discussed in his meeting with leaders of coalition parties – Ramush Haradinaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Fatmir Limaj from Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA).

“We saw the need to sit down, talk and prepare for the budget. This issue is best not to be opened because we have a sitting president. If we fail to elect the president, we are all ready to head to elections,” he said.

Haradinaj meanwhile did not directly comment on whether his party will leave the ruling coalition if there is no agreement on him taking on the post of president. He said he believed a good solution for all will be found.

US, North Macedonia, and Kosovo sign 5G deal (AP)

North Macedonia and Kosovo signed an agreement Friday with the United States on high-speed wireless network security aimed at excluding Chinese hardware providers.

The agreement to join the so-called “5G Clean Network Security” nations was signed at ceremonies attended by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev of North Macedonia and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti of Kosovo, as well as Keith Krach, a U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3jpMB14

Step up action to achieve COVID-19 ceasefire, Guterres says in UN Day message (UN News)

The UN’s 75th anniversary this Saturday, which falls as countries continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, is an opportunity to accelerate action to achieve a global ceasefire during the crisis, Secretary-General António Guterres has said.

The UN chief initially issued the appeal for combatants to lay down their arms shortly after the pandemic was declared in March. “In our world today, we have one common enemy: COVID-19”, said Mr. Guterres in his message for UN Day on 24 October.

“Now is the time for a stepped-up push for peace to achieve a global ceasefire.  The clock is ticking.”

See more at: https://bit.ly/3mgkl2D