• COVID-19: 645 new cases, 12 deaths (media)
• Hoti warns of stricter measures, decision late this week (Indeksonline)
• Zemaj: Three options available for securing COVID-19 vaccine (Telegrafi)
• Osmani: EU should ask Serbia not Kosovo to amend its Constitution (media)
• AAK’s Haxhiu: Haradinaj should be President of Kosovo (media)
• Source: Belgrade delegation didn’t ask permit for visit to Kosovo (Klan/Express)
• Kosnett and Kurti discuss situation in Kosovo (media)
• Kosnett has virtual meeting with Hoxhaj (media)
• MP Adem Hoxha joins Serbian List (media)
• Specialist Chambers judge extends detention for Salih Mustafa (Koha)
• Kosovo, deputy PM faces public backlash over remarks on missing people (Euronews Albania)

COVID-19: 645 new cases, 12 deaths (media)

645 new cases of COVID-19 and 12 deaths from the virus have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 353 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

The highest number of new cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (248).

There are 13,468 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Hoti warns of stricter measures, decision late this week (Indeksonline)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said on Monday evening that the situation with COVID – 19 was somewhat easier last month and that it has now worsened “with an average of over 600 new cases every day in the last couple of days”.

“We have reorganised the hospitals, we have created additional capacities, testing capacities and we are following the protocols of international organisations. We did not declare a state of emergency, but we have categorised municipalities based on the number of infections,” he said.

Hoti said late this week they will assess if the new measures have had results and if not stricter measures will be introduced. “We are following the situation. At the end of this week we will make an assessment to see if we are going to have to introduce more extreme measures, because we might have too … I think the situation has become somewhat better in the last couple of weeks in terms of respecting the measures. There are cases when they are not respected. Even though we were forced to use state mechanisms, but there are cases when people gather in certain numbers at different events,” he added.

Zemaj: Three options available for securing COVID-19 vaccine (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health Armend Zemaj spoke about the possibility of Kosovo obtaining the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We have three alternatives: one is through the World Health Organisation which would be free, the second is our insistence to directly purchase it and third, through donors such at the EU or leading countries,” Zemaj told RTV Dukagjini.

Osmani: EU should ask Serbia and not Kosovo to amend its Constitution (media)

Acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani held a virtual meeting on Monday with the EU Head of Office in Kosovo Tomas Szunyog, during which they discussed the latest political developments, with special emphasis on the relations between Kosovo and European Union.

Osmani said the implementation of the agreements achieved in Brussels requires coordination and unification of the positions of the entire political spectrum in Kosovo. “In order for the agreements to be reached in Brussels, to be implemented and considered acceptable in our country, I consider that we must actively engage towards the unification of positions and demands of the entire political spectrum in the country. The final agreement must be in the interest of the citizens of Kosovo and one that respects the Constitution of our country, its territorial integrity and the principle of unitarity of the state.

“No one has a mandate to re-negotiate our constitution, which already includes in itself a large number of concessions,” Osmani said.

Osmani and Szunyog also discussed the latest agreement between the Republic of Kosovo and the EU on ensuring macroeconomic stability and dealing with the economic consequences caused by the pandemic.

AAK’s Haxhiu: Haradinaj should be President of Kosovo (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) MP Teuta Haxhiu said on Monday evening that the developments with the Specialist Chambers have created a new political situation in Kosovo and that AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj is the right person to be elected President of Kosovo. “Let us not even talk about Serbia’s attacks against Kosovo through their president, Aleksandar Vucic. This is why Ramush Haradinaj is the right candidate for President,” she added.

Haxhiu said the Hoti-led government has the required number of votes in the Assembly and that it is up to Prime Minister Hoti and the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) if the latter wants to join the coalition government.

“We have our responsibilities and if something doesn’t function properly, we need to discuss ways of getting out of these situations. The current practice is not good. The coalition does not have internal problems. But we need to reflect based on our responsibilities as MPs.”

Source: Belgrade delegation didn’t ask permit for visit to Kosovo (Klan/Express)

Belgrade Deputy Mayor Goran Vasic was not allowed entrance into Kosovo on Monday morning, as a delegation he was heading was stopped and sent back by Kosovo Police at the Jarinje border crossing point.

Sources in the Kosovo Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Klan Kosova that Vasic was not allowed to enter because he did not request a permit for the visit. “The Belgrade delegation which Serbian media are reporting was turned back by Kosovo Police in Jarinje did not submit an official request to visit the Republic of Kosovo … Not only this delegation, but any other delegation that comes to Kosovo without submitting a request with the office of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Serbia will be turned back,” the source said.

Meanwhile, Gazeta Express quotes Belgrade-based media reporting that Vasic was told at the border that he cannot enter Kosovo’s territory at the order of the Government of Kosovo, with the justification that his visit is a threat to security. Vesic told media that two Kosovo Police vehicles banned his entry at the northern border point of Jarinje. He said that he was coming to Mitrovica North to attend a ceremony marking twinning of Belgrade with Serb-majority municipality of Mitrovica North in Kosovo.

Kosnett and Kurti discuss situation in Kosovo (media)

The leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti and deputy leader Besnik Bislimi had a virtual meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett and his advisors, Amy Carnie and Mia Ter Haar.

According to a statement issued by Vetevendosje, the meeting focused on the current political situation in Kosovo, Kosovo-U.S. relations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Specialist Chambers. “The two parties agreed to continue communication.”

Kosnett has virtual meeting with Hoxhaj (media)

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj had a virtual meeting with the U.S. Ambassador Philip Kosnett.

A press release issued by the PDK states that the two officials discussed current situation in Kosovo, including the pandemic and economy.

MP Adem Hoxha joins Serbian List (media)

Several news websites reported on Monday that Adem Hoxha, a member of the Kosovo Assembly, joined the Serbian List and the latter now has 11 MPs.

Hoxha left the parliamentary group 6+ which will now be dissolved because it lacks the required number of MPs to be a parliamentary group.

Specialist Chambers judge extends detention for Salih Mustafa (Koha)

A pre-trial judge in the case against former KLA commander Salih Mustafa decided to extend his detention for an additional two months concluding that there are “articulable grounds” to believe that there is a risk of flight, obstructing proceedings, and committing further offences by the accused.

“This is particularly so when Mr Mustafa’s position within the Kosovo security and intelligence apparatus affords him access to information and resources that will facilitate any attempts to flee, obstruct proceedings through the interference with victims and witnesses, or commit further crimes,” Judge Nicolas Guillou said in his decision.

Mustafa is charged with war crimes committed at a KLA detention facility in the village of Zllash.

See more at: https://bit.ly/33ttAWr

Kosovo, deputy PM faces public backlash over remarks on missing people (Euronews Albania)

A declaration made by the deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Driton Selmanaj, during a TV show has sparked a public backlash.

Selmanaj was quoted saying that people are “tired of this approach” as he was talking about missing people from the war, implying that the theme is coming up too often by “all sorts of people”.

Selmanaj’s comment came after a motion was called on Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti over the missing people.

See more at: https://bit.ly/33dWGst