Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 11 deaths, 688 new cases (media)
• Zemaj: All medical staff specialists will be employed (media)
• “Marginalised groups must be supplied with protective equipment” (media)
• Hoti: Integration of market, first step toward political reconciliation (media)
• Kurti statement on KLA leaders indictments sparks reactions (Euronews Albania)
• Kollcaku: Vucic is not a man of peace (Euronews Albania, RTK)
• Kusari-Lila warns overthrow of Hoti’s government (KosovaPress, media)

Serbian Language Media:

• UNS: KLA Crimes Court ignores killings of journalists in Kosovo (Beta, Danas)
• KLA billboard disturbs residents of Gracanica, Mayor Popovic invites international community to react (KIM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Petkovic condemns KLA billboards near Gracanica (FoNet, N1)
• People’s Party branch in Kosovo: Director of Office for KiM should deal with protecting people in Kosovo (Beta)
• Serbian List to People’s party: ‘’Only three Jeremic’s followers, blinded with hatred, do not see the assistance of the state of Serbia’’ (Kosovo Online)
• Albanian Minister: Relation between Serbs and Albanians a frozen conflict (N1, FoNet, RTK2)
• Serbia condemns prevention of handball team’s ban on entry to Kosovo (FoNet, N1)
• Gjinovci on Kurti’s allegations against the Special Court: ”Icing on the cake” evidence of political meddling with justice (KoSSev)

Opinion:

• Biden presidency is key to EU leadership in Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue (Euractiv)
• Thaçi’s gone. The thin line of Erdoğan’s brotherhood (EWB)

International:

• Unnamed Suspects Charged over Kosovo Serb Politician’s Murder (Balkan Insight)
• SDA loses Sarajevo and SNSD loses Banja Luka in Bosnia’s 2020 local elections (N1 Sarajevo)

Humanitarian/Development:

• BIRN to Hold Art Exhibition About Kosovo War Mass Graves (Balkan Insight)

Albanian Language Media 

COVID – 19: 11 deaths, 688 new cases (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement today that 688 new cases of COVID – 19 and 11 deaths from the virus have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. The highest number of new cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (303). 236 patients have recovered from the virus during this time.

Zemaj: All medical staff specialists will be employed (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health Armend Zemaj told a press conference in Prishtina today that all medical staff specialists will be employed in the public healthcare system as part of efforts to better manage the COVID – 19 pandemic. 

“Professionalism and further support are being provided to the army of medical staff. A couple of days ago, another 1,500 of your colleagues joined the efforts. No medical staff specialist will be left unemployed … All medical staff specialists will be employed. There will be jobs for all of them in the hospitals. This was not only a promise, this was a pledge by the government of Kosovo,” he said.

Zemaj also said that new restrictive measures against the virus will be announced at 15:00.

“Marginalised groups must be supplied with protective equipment” (media)

The Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) said in a press release today that the Kosovo government must intervene as soon as possible to supply marginalised groups with protective equipment against COVID – 19. 

“The CDHRF is deeply concerned that the marginalised groups, which face great economic instability and are almost incapable of social integration, are not supplied with free protective equipment against COVID – 19 and are not subjected to free testing whenever they need this,” the statement notes.

Hoti: Integration of market, first step toward political reconciliation (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said today that Kosovo is continuing its concrete engagement to implement the European agenda, with special emphasis on the Common Regional Market of the Western Balkans. In his address at the Vienna Economic Forum today, Hoti said the integration of the market is the first step toward political reconciliation in the region. He said economic and social sustainability is key for the long-term development of the region and its integration in the European Union. 

Hoti also said that Kosovo remains committed to promoting sustainable economic and political relations and that it expects a constructive approach from all sides, especially from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Multilateral cooperation such as the Common Regional Market promotes and improves security in the region, political stability and economic cooperation,” he added.

Kurti statement on KLA leaders indictments sparks reactions (Euronews Albania)

Albin Kurti’s recent statements on the SPO’s indictments has sparked numerous reactions in Kosovo, including that of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Meliza Haradinaj. 

Through a status on Twitter, the Minister ironized the latest political developments. 

“Vucic may be able to divide them, but it’s already clear that the electoral “prey” unites them at the expense of the KLA,” wrote Minister Haradinaj on Twitter.

On Sunday, Albin Kurti, spoke publicly for the first time since the former KLA leaders appeared before the Hague tribunal, referring to the investigations conducted by the Specialists Prosecutor’s Office as a mistake.

Kollcaku: Vucic is not a man of peace (Euronews Albania, RTK)

Fatmire Kollcaku, deputy leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) told Euronews Albania that

Vetevendosje Movement Deputy Chairman Fatmira Kollçaku told Euronews Albania that Albin Kurti has always spoken out against the Special Court and the accusations it has made, adding that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is not a man of peace.

“First of all, it is widely known that Kurti has been infected with COVID and has been quarantined for more than two weeks. Mr. Kurti is at least very open, especially in relation to the Special Court, and this is not to the liking of many political actors in Kosovo.

The war with Serbia was a just and liberating war. During these years, Albin Kurti and other members of Vetevendosje have been clear about this and have spoken out over the years. I am surprised by these conclusions on who is late and who is not late in reacting,” she said.

Kollcaku further stressed that the KLA has never been a criminal enterprise.

“All we are seeing is that they want to distort what happened. We did not have criminal enterprises, but we had a union of citizens. We did not have an army, but citizens who faced an aggressor, who had to protect their families. Things are very clear,” she said.

“Serbia wants to completely change history as well. We know who Vuicic is. He is not a man of peace,” Kollcaku concluded.

Kusari-Lila warns overthrow of Hoti’s government (KosovaPress, media)

The leader of the Alternativa, at the same time a member of the Parliamentary Group of the Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, announced the overthrow of the Hoti government. She says in the coming weeks they will reactivate the motion of no confidence on the executive. She is even certain that there are currently enough MPs to convene the session, and then vote in favor of the dismissal of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti.

MP Kusari-Lila in an interview for KosovaPress said that they have not yet made a decision whether to ask for the signatures of the Serbian List MPs, after their statements in favor of the overthrow of the Hoti government.

“Of course, our request for the collection of signatures for the overthrow of the government or the distrust of the Hoti Government remains. But in the coming weeks, our repositioning as a Parliamentary Group will be reviewed, in terms of organizing and receiving support from other MPs ready to overthrow the Hoti Government. […] I cannot deny, nor do I affirm at the moment under these circumstances. But I believe that there may be enough MPs of the Albanian majority, but also other minorities to convene the session first, and then to vote the motion of no confidence for the Hoti Government. I think that when that point is reached, only a few LDK MPs can remain in support of this government, as it can be seen that the differences are deepening between the governing partners, but also the parties that have supported it,” Kusari-Lila said. 

“The country can only have one solution, which is to go to the polls, and that in extraordinary elections that would be organized in accordance with the measures for the preservation of public health, as it has been done all over the world now, even in democratic countries that went through electoral processes,” Kusari Lila said.

She also spoke about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, for which she considers that a complete reassessment is required.

“These circumstances definitely require a re-evaluation of the dialogue. The position needs to be looked at and we have not seen a strategy for dialogue. It means that the government of Kosovo has currently entered into dialogue with agendas set by others, it has not proactively set its own agenda. It has not shown consistency in attitudes which is important for the citizens of Kosovo. It has shown that it goes with the dynamics determined by others,” she said.

Kusari-Lila considers the candidacy of AAK chairman Ramush Haradinaj for president of the country and the search for votes for this post is unconstitutional. According to her, this proves that he is not adequate for this office. 

“Mr. Haradinaj has shown that he is not at all adequate for this office, with the very fact that he has started asking for votes, starting to make substantive mistakes. He has no basic knowledge of the country’s constitution, offering ‘loaned’ votes for the future from the position of president, which is a violation of the constitution,” she said. 

As for the appointment of the new president, Kusari-Lila says that the next legislature after the new elections, should be dealing with the matter.

Serbian Language Media

UNS: KLA Crimes Court ignores killings of journalists in Kosovo (Beta, Danas)

The Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) assessed today that the Court for KLA Crimes continues the bad practice of the Hague Tribunal, which ignored the disappearance and murder of as many as 17 Serbian and Albanian journalists whose only sin was their engagement in journalism, reported daily Danas. 

“It is inadmissible that in the indictments that the Court finally filed against the former leaders of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, do not mention crimes against journalists at all,” UNS said.

According to UNS data, from 1998 to 2005, 17 Serbian and Albanian journalists and media workers were killed and disappeared in Kosovo, who resented the so-called KLA and post-war “rulers” of Kosovo.

The court’s epilogue was given only to the murder of Shaban Hoti, a professor of Russian at the University of Pristina who was a translator of Russian state television in 1998.

The Hague Tribunal sentenced Hajredin Balaj, a camp guard in Lapusnik, to 13 years in prison for the murder of Hoti and eight other civilians.

“But when Balaj passed away two years ago, the Kosovo parliament paid tribute to him with a minute of silence,” UNS stated.

“It is unacceptable for UNS that the international community treats the lives of journalists in Kosovo and Metohija as less valuable than the lives of journalists in other parts of the world. Such discrimination is deeply immoral and wrong,” UNS assessed.

KLA billboard disturbs residents of Gracanica, Mayor Popovic invites international community to react (KIM radio, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Radio Mitrovica sever and RTV Gracanica reported on Sunday that at the entrance to Gracanica from the direction of Gnjilane, in the village of Kisnica, a billboard with  KLA emblem and the inscription “Freedom has a name” written in Albanian appeared, which upset Serbs in this area, who perceive this act as an open provocation.  

Residents of Gracanica opined that this was a response to the recent arrest of the leader of the so-called KLA and expects that this billboard would be removed.  

“Placement of billboards with the KLA emblem and the inscription “Freedom has a name” is another in a series of provocations of Serbian people in this area, we will urge the representatives of the international community to react, because now, when we all strive for peace and stabilization, we do not need any provocations,” stated Gracanica Mayor Srdjan Popovic. 

“Local population is disturbed, because of the placement of such a billboard, which we consider a provocation, we are now in a meeting with the police and we will try to remove that billboard. We have had many provocations so far and we reacted to everything with dignity,” said Popovic, who urged locals to remain calm and not to fall prey to provocations. 

Petkovic condemns KLA billboards near Gracanica (FoNet, N1)

The director of Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo Petar Petkovic assessed Sunday that the placement of billboards with the Kosovo Liberation Army’s (KLA) emblem at the entrance to Gracanica is the most open threat to the security of Serbs in central Kosovo, adding that the billboards are an open call for violence and crime, reported N1.

‘’The society in Kosovo is moving in the direction of dangerous radicalization before the eyes of the international community, which is an undoubted threat to the non-Albanian population there, but also to the process of normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina,’’ Petkovic said in his statement.

‘’I expect the representatives of the international community in Kosovo and Metohija to react urgently and take steps in order to eliminate this threat, and for the Serb people not to fall prey to provocations at this sensitive moment,’’ Petkovic noted.

People’s Party branch in Kosovo: Director of Office for KiM should deal with protecting people in Kosovo (Beta)

The People’s Party opined in an open letter that the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petar Petkovic, should deal more with the problems of Serbs, and also to deny the right to make decisions to those “individuals who have nothing to do with politics”, Beta news agency reported. The Kosovo branch of this party called on Petkovic to reduce corruption “which starts from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, and spills over into the entire territory of Kosovo and Metohija”.  

“We, the citizens from Kosovo and Metohija, are not asking you to deal with things from decades ago, we are asking you to deal with the facts that are pressing us these days and causing us problems. COVID-19 is in big swing, there are no conditions for treatment, no medicines, no protective equipment, money intended for health workers is spent inappropriately, there is no professional staff,” it is stated in the open letter of the People’s Party.  

They added that the construction of the hospital in Gracanica has been suspended, whose construction Petkovic’s deputy announced by the end of the year, and who also stated that two million euros for the construction of the hospital and another two million euros for its equipment were earmarked.  

“We know the situation around the land where the hospital was supposed to be built. We are not looking for an answer why the medical devices for analysis and treatment of COVID-19 in Laplje Selo were not taken over. We are not looking for an answer because we know the answer. We’re silent for 20 plus years because of the improvement of the lives of citizens and not the lives of political cronies,” People’s Party concluded. 

Serbian List to People’s party: ‘’Only three Jeremic’s followers, blinded with hatred, do not see the assistance of the state of Serbia’’ (Kosovo Online)

‘’With statements in which they fabricate things and insult the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the (only) three Jeremic’s followers from Kosovo are trying to divert the public’s attention from the praises sung to them by Albanian politicians from Pristina,’’ reads the Serbian List statement, reported portal Kosovo Online.

Reacting to the message of the members of the People’s Party from Kosovo that the Director of the Office for KiM Petar Petkovic, should deal more with the issue of Serbs in Kosovo, Serbian List stated that “blinded by hatred, Jeremic’s followers do not want to see thousands of built and renovated housing units”.  

“They don’t see 349 projects that are being implemented in almost all Serbian communities, which strengthens our people, they don’t see 40,000 different financial allocations for our people, they don’t see the support for agricultural sector measured by millions … they don’t see because they hate, and they don’t believe, because, as the old saying goes, the thief does not believe in honesty,” the List said.   

They also pointed out that “apart from these three followers of Vuk Jeremic, all other Serbs see and respect the support provided by the authorities of the state of Serbia, and above all the Office for KiM”.   

Albanian Minister: Relation between Serbs and Albanians a frozen conflict (N1, FoNet, RTK2)

Albanian Minister of Diaspora Pandelji Majko told Euronews Albania that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s statement should not be seen as a provocation, but it is the real appearance of Albanian-Serbian relations, a frozen conflict, RTK2 reported Saturday.

“I don’t think it should be perceived as a provocation, but as a fact implemented by Serbian politics. At the moment, I don’t think we are surprised, but it is a continuation of some kind of irresponsibility,” Majko pointed out.

“I believe everyone has seen that Serbia is one of the countries that is arming itself in the fastest way compared to the countries in the region,” Majko said, adding that this is a policy that corresponds exactly to what was finally declared in a protocol of the frozen conflict.”

“We must be honest with ourselves, and then with the EU. I think that the conflict between Albanians and Serbs is a frozen conflict. It is a conflict managed by Moscow, and Vucic is simply a by-product of this policy,” said Majko.

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

Serbia condemns prevention of handball team’s ban on entry to Kosovo (FoNet, N1)

Office for KiM strongly condemned the prevention of handball players from Kursumlija from entering Kosovo and playing a match with Mokra Gora team on Saturday, saying that it was the most flagrant violation of the right to freedom of movement, but also the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina.

Serbian handball players were prevented from competing in Kosovo by “Pristina’s absurd explanation that athletes are a threat to security, public health and international relations,” the Office said in a statement.

The Serbian list assessed the decision to prevent Serbian youth from playing sports matches with their peers and competing as absolutely unacceptable.

When asked by the KoSSev portal whether Krusumlija handball players were banned from entering Kosovo and why, the Kosovo police said that they “implement the decisions of state institutions such as health decisions, including the prevention of the spread of the pandemic, as well as sports decisions, regarding international sports competitions.”

Gjinovci on Kurti’s allegations against the Special Court: ”Icing on the cake” evidence of political meddling with justice (KoSSev)

”Kurti’s conference from today is the icing on the cake evidence that political meddling with justice in Kosovo is the same in every party,” the executive director of the Organization for Improving Quality in Education (ORCA), Rron Gjinovci reacted to Albin Kurti’s latest series of accusations against the Special Court. Gjinovci described Kurti’s address as one of the ”weakest, most pathetic and wide of the mark public appearances”, reported portal KoSSev.

KoSSev wrote that furthermore, as an alternative to the viral slogan ”Freedom has a name – KLA”, he sent the following message: ”Freedom has a name, the truth is its name. And the truth sets us free”.

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

Opinion

Biden presidency is key to EU leadership in Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue (Euractiv)

Joe Biden’s election as US President heralds a new beginning, or at least a return to normalcy.  His Presidency will be vital to the EU’s role in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, argue Bernard Nikaj and Labinot Hoxha

Dr Bernard Nikaj is a former Ambassador of Kosovo in Brussels; Labinot Hoxha served as a diplomat in Brussels.

We have a President-elect in the United States. Finally. Four long days after election day it became clear that former Vice President Joseph Biden would take Pennsylvania and with that have enough electoral college seats to win the presidency.

A lot of us watched live on CNN the emotional and powerful reaction of news commentator Van Jones saying in tears that it’ll be easier now to tell his kids that the truth matters. Well, Mr Jones, in other parts of the world we are also breathing a sigh of relief.

The Trump administration largely maintained US support for Kosovo and its independence throughout their four years. However, as its term was coming to an end, it became apparent that Kosovo was being used for photo opportunities and quick wins for the president’s domestic political purposes.

His involvement in the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia was superficial, equal parts undermining the crucial rule of the EU and ignoring the basic points of disagreement between the two countries.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2UJJabH

Thaçi’s gone. The thin line of Erdoğan’s brotherhood (EWB)

Recent days have brought noteworthy developments for the Presidents of Kosovo and Turkey, yet in very different ways. Hashim Thaçi decided to resign from his office in order to face as a private citizen the indictment of the Specialist Chambers for crimes against humanity during the war fought for Kosovo’s independence from Serbia. At the same time, his publicly declared ‘brother’ from Turkey, President Erdoğan has been focused on various high-profile foreign policy pursuits in Nagorno-Karabakh, Syria, and the Eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, the lack of any declaratory support from Erdoğan in favour of Thaçi surprised the general public.

Thaçi’s friendship with Erdoğan

As a leading protagonist in Kosovo’s journey towards independence, Thaçi has spent over two decades in power, acting alternatively as a minister, prime minister and since 2016 as Kosovo’s president. His special friendship with the Turkish leader was well-renowned, and Thaçi did not miss any opportunity to declare Erdoğan “one of the most powerful world leaders and biggest supporter of Kosovo’s independence”.

Turkey has been a traditional strategic partner to Kosovo, and as a member of the G20 and Organization of Islamic Cooperation, it has provided considerable support in the country’s recognition process.

Erdoğan has offered extensive political space to Kosovo’s leadership, and to Thaçi in particular. He was the first major political leader to receive Thaçi in an official visit in his capacity as Kosovo’s president, back in 2016.

The personal relationship between the two leaders intensified over time, and informal bilateral meetings in Istanbul or Ankara turned into a ritual. These private meetings served for consultations and joint decision-making, going beyond the regular state administration procedures and without any public disclosure of information.

While Erdoğan’s tendency towards a personalized foreign policy and slighting of the traditional role of the diplomatic corps was well-known, Thaçi’s participation in such settings turned into a topic of political discussion in Kosovo’s fragmented political scene, with contrasting opinions on Turkey’s role and the influence it had gained over time.

Personal loyalty over domestic interests

For his special relations with Erdoğan, Thaçi had to pay a significant price in his political career in terms of credibility and putting the country’s interests after personal affairs. He was the first national leader who delivered on Erdoğan’s requests to deport alleged supporters of the Gulenist movement, considered by Turkey to be a terrorist organisation.

See more at:https://bit.ly/3kzb1FN

International

Unnamed Suspects Charged over Kosovo Serb Politician’s Murder (Balkan Insight)

A new version of the indictment of members of an alleged organised criminal group for the 2018 killings of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic mentions two more unnamed suspects but no new information about the crime.

The third version of the indictment of the suspects in the killing of political party leader Oliver Ivanovic in the Kosovo town of Mitrovica in 2018 adds two more suspected members of an alleged organised criminal group responsible for the murder, but does not reveal their identities.

“Two other defendants are now mentioned, whose identities are not mentioned, but it is only said that in addition to these people [who were originally indicted], two other persons participated in the organised criminal group,” Jovana Filipovic, the lawyer for one of the suspects, Silvana Arsovic, told BIRN

Apart from this, there are few changes in the third version of the indictment, suspects’ lawyers said.

As well as the two new unnamed suspects, six people have indicted over the murder – Nedeljko Spasojevic, Marko Rosic, Silvana Arsovic, Dragisa Markovic, Zarko Jovanovic and Rade Basara. The charges have yet to be confirmed by a judge.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3pwM2Xt

SDA loses Sarajevo and SNSD loses Banja Luka in Bosnia’s 2020 local elections (N1 Sarajevo)

The biggest surprises of Bosnia’s local elections were Sarajevo and Banja Luka where the Democratic Action Party (SDA) and the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) lost their grip after decades of rule over the two cities.

In Sarajevo, the SDA lost municipalities of Centar, Novo Sarajevo and Ilidza, Stari Grad Municipality was once again won by Ibrahim Hadzibajric from the opposition bloc known as the Sarajevo Four (People and Justice – NiP, Social Democratic Party – SDP, Our Party, Independent Bosnian List – NBL).

Party Leader Bakir Izetbegovic admitted defeat saying they lost Sarajevo, but they won Bosnia. The only Municipality within Sarajevo, which they managed to hold, was Novi Grad where their candidate Semir Efendic stands to serve another four-year term.

Other major municipalities which SDA lost or stayed out of their reach are Tuzla, Zenica, Cazin and Bihac, which Izetbegovic commented on saying these major cities, as well as Banja Luka in the RS, are a sign that big municipalities and cities are demanding change.

In Velika Kladusa, a convicted war criminal Fikret Abdic is in the lead for the position of the Head of the Municipality.

The strongest Bosnian-Serb party, the SNSD, also admitted defeat in Banja Luka, the administrative centre of the Bosnian Serb entity called Republika Srpska. The party leader and Bosnian Presidency member Milorad Dodik said he was not happy at all that they lost the race after their candidate Igor Radojicic did a lot for that city – only to lose it to opposition candidate Drasko Stanivukovic.

Stanivukovic said that after 22 years, an ordinary man finally got the chance to win in Banja Luka.

See at:https://bit.ly/36I8kg3

Humanitarian/Development

BIRN to Hold Art Exhibition About Kosovo War Mass Graves (Balkan Insight)

Artist Vladimir Miladinovic will present an exhibition of drawings based on research into Hague Tribunal’s archive material about mass graves of Kosovo Albanian war victims in the Belgrade suburb of Batajnica.

‘Counter-Archive’, an exhibition of drawings focused on the mass graves of Kosovo Albanians that were discovered in the Belgrade suburb of Batajnica after the Kosovo war, opens in Belgrade on Monday evening.

The ink-on-paper artworks are based on artist Vladimir Miladinovic’s research into the archive of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

Miladinovic explored court proceedings related to the discovery of the mass graves in 2001 at the Serbian Interior Ministry Special Anti-Terrorist Unit’s training ground in the Belgrade neighbourhood of Batajnica.

The remains were found of 744 ethnic Albanians who had been killed in Kosovo and then moved to Batajnica in an attempted cover-up.

The opening of the exhibition on Monday will feature actors reading from court testimonies given by victims’ relatives and by people who participated in transporting and hiding the bodies.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2IHvbjP