• COVID-19: 704 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Osmani repeals appointment of four Kosovo consuls (media)
• “We are moving speedily towards implementation of Washington agreement” (media)
• “Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo until Serbia apologises” (Express)
• Petkovic reacts to Minister Haradinaj’s banning Vucic’s visit (RTK)
• Kosovo won’t let Serb officials in, wants genocide apology (The Washington Post)
• Belgrade gives permission: Exhumation of Albanian bodies next week (RTK)
• Abbott: 1,133 Kosovar children killed or still missing deserve justice (Express)
• Haziri: Relations with Osmani can be improved (Koha)
• No room for gender-based violence in Kosovo, leaders say (media)
• Former EULEX judge wants to reveal ‘wrongdoings’ to Kosovo Assembly (Prishtina Insight)

COVID-19: 704 new cases, nine deaths (media)

704 new cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 391 persons have meanwhile recovered from the virus.

The highest number of new cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (271).

There are currently 14,127 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Osmani repeals appointment of four Kosovo consuls (media)

Acting President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, has repealed appointment of four consuls general from missions in Prague, Ljubljana, Skopje and Tirana.

“Regarding the first three cases, based on diplomatic and consular practice, the consulates general, as a rule, do not open and the consuls general are not appointed in the same city where the Embassy is located. Furthermore, based on the information sent to us, there was no exequatur/consent for these consuls general from the host country. Meanwhile, regarding the fourth case, that of the consul in Tirana, Acting President Osmani has decided to repeal the decree on the appointment of the Consul General, in accordance with the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a proposal which was not taken into account by the previous President,” a statement issued by the Presidency stated.

Osmani, the statement added, is committed to protect the rule of law and professionalism in foreign service appointments and will continue to insist that the quota of political appointments not be exceeded.

Osmani’s decision will also affect Flakron Shala, the son of MP Haxhi Shala, whose appointment in as general consul in Prague sparked criticism and largely seen as a ‘reward’ for his father’s vote in favour of the Hoti-led government.

Koha at the same time reports that the four dismissed consuls have ties to political parties in power.

“We are moving speedily towards implementation of Washington agreement” (media)

In a virtual meeting organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Kosovo and the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, business representatives had the opportunity to meet the the U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett and the managing director of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation for the Western Balkans John Jovanovic and discuss the prospects of the agreement signed by Kosovo and Serbia in Washington on September 4.

Ambassador Kosnett said the embassy and partners are moving speedily in supporting Kosovo and Serbia to implement the Washington agreement.

“It is hard to separate politics from the economy but I can tell you that when the economy is ignored and the benefits that ordinary citizens see from political initiatives are ignored, it is very difficult to move forward,” Kosnett said.

He said Kosovo needs its neighbours as much as they need Kosovo in order to build a regional economy and infrastructure and that it is important for Kosovo to overcome its reservations about CEFTA and the Mini Schengen and work with regional partners.

“Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo until Serbia apologises” (Express)

Kosovo Foreign Minister, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, said that Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo territory until his country apologises for all crimes committed against Albanians.

Haradinaj-Stublla in a Tweet said that Serbian officials, including President Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo until Serbia apologises for the “genocide committed against our population, and until all those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.”

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister was answering Vucic’s statement after he told media on Tuesday that “he feels proud” of being president  of a country that 21 years after the war gave the permission to carry out excavations of a mass grave with bodies of Albanians killed by Serbian military and police forces.

Last week experts of forensic medicine of both Kosovo and Serbia announced finding of a mass grave in a quarry in Kizevak Serbia, suspected to be of the Albanians killed during 1998-1999 war in  Kosovo who were sent to Serbia in an attempt to erase war crime traces. After the human remains were found Kosovo FM Haradinaj-Stublla said that she asked for permission to visit the site, but her visit was not approved by Serbian authorities. In response Serbian president sent a request to visit Kosovo which was rejected by Kosovo authorities.

“I publicly ask Vucic, as a family member affected by Serbia’s genocide in Kosovo: Have you felt proud when sitting in the table decisions were taken to commit crimes against Albanians of Kosovo!” Haradinaj-Stublla wrote on Twitter. Kosovo’s foreign minister said that time has gone when Kosovo was used by Vucic and Serbia as a platform for a political show.

Petkovic reacts to Minister Haradinaj’s banning Vucic’s visit (RTK)

Petar Petkovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo at the Serbian government, expressed indignation at the statement of Kosovo’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Meliza Haradinaj Stublla, who said that Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo until Serbia apologises for the “genocide committed against our population, and until all those responsible for these crimes are brought to justice.”

“Her statement that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will not be allowed to enter Kosovo until a further notice, is a manifestation of political violence and a clear violation of the Prishtina-Belgrade standards which regulates visits for officials and freedom of movement, as well as all civilized regulations,” he said.

He also said that he was offended by Haradinaj-Stublla’s statements about the Serbian Patriarch Irinej, on the day Serbs were mourning.

Kosovo won’t let Serb officials in, wants genocide apology (The Washington Post)

Kosovo’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would not be allowed to visit the country until he apologized for “genocide” against Kosovo’s population.

Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla also posted on Twitter that no entry permission would be granted for Serb officials until Serbians are held accountable for “genocide” in an international court.

“I repeat once again the only and permanent response to all future demands from Vucic and others: there is no permission for you to visit Kosovo if you do not apologize for the genocide committed on our people and until responsible persons of this genocide are held accountable,” she said.

Vucic and other Serb officials have to ask Kosovo’s permission before visiting ethnic Serb minority areas in the former Serbian province.

Kosovo’s 1998-99 war, which ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign, left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly ethnic Albanians.

Haradinaj-Stublla reacted following Vucic’ presence at the inauguration of a hospital in Belgrade where a mass grave of 744 ethnic Albanians killed in 1999 has been found.

Several mass graves with the bodies of Kosovo Albanians killed by Serb troops during the 1998-99 war have been discovered in various parts of Serbia. Moving victims from Kosovo to Serbia was part of a coverup operation by Serbian authorities at the time to try to hide evidence of war crimes.

See more at: https://wapo.st/2J8mijC

Belgrade gives permission: Exhumation of Albanian bodies next week (RTK)

Belgrade’s High Court has given permission to start next week work on exhumation of the mortal remans found at mass grave in Kizevak, Serbia, suspected to be of Albanians killed during the 1999 war in Kosovo.

A delegation from Kosovo went on Wednesday to see the site. Head of the delegation, Ibrahim Makolli said that Kosovo officials were invited to be at the scene and they will inform about the developments on preparations of the location as soon as they return.

“We do not have any remarks on what was written in the letter or on their words, but in practice at the site, it is noticed that there are obstacles. We are aware that they possess information about the whereabouts of the mortal remains in Serbia and Kosovo. If there was a readiness and will, they would submit these information, in order for us to find these people,” Makolli said.

“We are only afraid of whether conditions due to the terrain there, and we have to consult our forensic experts who work in the field, there are no other reasons for delays,” Makolli said. 

Abbott: 1,133 Kosovar children killed or still missing deserve justice (Express)

British Ambassador to Kosovo, Nicholas Abbott, has visited Wednesday the exhibition “Once upon a time and never again” at the Documentation Centre in Pristina honouring 1,133 Kosovo children killed during 1998-1999 war in Kosovo.

Abbott in a Facebook post said that they deserve justice.

“1,133 Kosovar children were killed or are still missing from a conflict that took place over twenty years ago. They still deserve justice,” Abbott wrote. He added: “Once upon a time and never again’ at the Documentation Centre in Pristina honours these children and reminds us of the awful impact of conflict and war. We may forgive, but we should not forget.”

Haziri: Relations with Osmani can be improved (Koha)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and Mayor of Gjilan Lutfi Haziri said that he still sees a possibility of the party mending relations with the now acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani.

“A great deal was invested on her since 2007 when she joined the office of the president as an advisor and then moved up. Vjosa will also miss the party which is her family. Whoever left the LDK, we know where they are now. I still see a chance for these relations to be repaired,” Haziri said in an interview with KTV.

He further noted that LDK does not want to have delays in the election of the new president of Kosovo saying that the sooner the issue is solved, the more political stability it will produce.

“If we find a name for a president from the political parties we will vote, if not from political parties it can also be someone apolitical, someone that enjoys authority. There are many such people in Kosovo,” Haziri said adding that although no discussions on the topic have taken place, “the overriding mood of political parties is to have party candidates.”

Haziri said the LDK does not have specific candidates in mind for the post but that it was time for the party to have the post of the president.

He said Kosovo will head to elections if a president is not elected but raised concern as to whether this move would actually lead to more stability. “You know that if a president is not elected in forty days, the parliament gets dissolved,” Haziri noted.

No room for gender-based violence in Kosovo, leaders say (media)

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Kosovo leaders said gender-based violence has no place in the society and that any form of violence is a human right violation.

At the ceremony of lighting the Kosovo Government building in orange as part of the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said it is an institutional and human obligation to put in motion all mechanisms to protect the women and strengthen their role in society.

Acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani said the prevention of violence against women is not only possible but is a must and everyone has a role to play in this.

“Two months ago, on 25 September, the Assembly of Kosovo unanimously endorsed the inclusion of the Istanbul Convention into the country’s Constitution. Today, on 25 November, on the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women, Kosovo marks the occasion being in a more advanced stage regarding the legal framework for fighting an invisible pandemic that is growing fast alongside the COVID-19 pandemic. This is not enough. Isolation due to the virus has turned into a catalyst of violence against women and girls. Any form of violence constitutes a human right violation,” Osmani wrote on Facebook.

Former EULEX judge wants to reveal ‘wrongdoings’ to Kosovo Assembly (Prishtina Insight)

A former chief judge for the EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo, EULEX, Malcolm Simmons, has asked to tell the Kosovo Assembly about the alleged wrongdoings he said he witnessed in his time in office, the head of Kosovo Parliamentary Commission on Legislation, Shkemb Manaj, told BIRN on Wednesday.

“Simmons has requested the establishment of a parliamentary commission of inquiry to deal with international justice in Kosovo, respectively with the issues that have been addressed in EULEX, and has expressed readiness to participate as a witness if this potential inquiry commission is established,” Manaj told BIRN.

He said that his letter, which the Kosovo media outlet Express says was sent to parliament in July, was discussed on Wednesday at the Parliamentary Commission on Legislation.

“If the media reports are true, this will not be the first time Simmons has tried to present his own, one-sided, and uncorroborated version of alleged wrongdoings during his time as a judge at the EU Rule of Law Mission,” EULEX Press Office told BIRN.

See more at: https://bit.ly/39glVOJ