Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 557 new cases, 17 deaths (media) 
• WHO: Vaccination in Kosovo cannot begin before spring (media)
• Kosovo-Serbia dialogue to resume Thursday (Klan Kosova)
• Hoti expects the roundtable on President to take place next week (RTK)
• Kosovo receives U.S. guarantee that 4 September agreement will implement (RTK)
• Support of Kosovo and BiH to be requested at U.S. Congress today (Koha)
• German Ambassador Rohde’s interview with Gazeta Express 
• Hoti: Petkovic did not go to Skenderaj, I’ve spoken to mayor Jashari (Express)
• LVV proposes Albanian Parliament resolution condemning Serbia’s genocide in Kosovo (Express) 

Serbian Language Media:

• In Serbian communities in Kosovo 86 new cases of coronavirus, 30 cures (Kontakt plus radio)
• Dacic: Kosovo will be on Assembly’s agenda in coming period (FoNet)
• UNS and UNS in Kosovo: RTK to stop labeling (KoSSev)
• Petkovic denies that the supply of electricity to the north of Kosovo will stop in mid-December (RTS)
• Petkovic visits Banjska Monastery in Zvecan municipality, met Bishop Teodosije (Jedinstvo)
• Grubjesic: Von Cramon’s statement malicious; blockade will affect dialogue (N1)
• EU adopts global human rights sanctions regime (N1)

International:

• Serbia Backs Russia Again in UN Vote on Crimea (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Hoti encourages survivors of sexual violence to apply for status (media)
• Activities of the regional shelter for victims of domestic violence within “16 Days of Activism” campaign (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Albanian Language Media 

COVID-19: 557 new cases, 17 deaths (media) 

557 new cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 727 patients have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 12,587 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

WHO: Vaccination in Kosovo cannot begin before spring (media)

Representatives of the World Health Organisation said the vaccination against COVID-19 in Kosovo cannot be expected to commence before spring.

“We as WHO are hoping this will be in mid March, possibly early April. There is no possibility to start earlier considering the small amount of vaccines that are in production and the huge global demand,” WHO’s Isme Humolli told Voice of America.

Yesterday, Kosovo’s Health Minister Armend Zemaj officially applied for obtaining anti-COVID vaccines through the GAVI-COVAX global alliance. He said that 360,000 vaccine doses are expected to be secured through the alliance but added that Kosovo will also pursue other ways to secure more vaccines.

Kosovo-Serbia dialogue to resume Thursday (Klan Kosova)

The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is expected to resume at the level of experts on Thursday and the focus will be financial claims.

“The upcoming meeting in Brussels will take place at the level of experts, the team will be led by state coordinator Skender Hyseni. The discussion will continue from where it left off last time, the resolution of financial claims,” said Kosovo Government spokesperson Antigona Baxhaku.

Hoti expects the roundtable on President to take place next week (RTK)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, said he expects holding of a roundtable with the political parties on the issue of the election of the President, to take place next week. He said if there is no agreement on the matter, then there should be an agreement on the elections date.

“I expect to gather these days or next week, because it is not urgent, but it is a matter that we should resolve. If there is a readiness to elect the President, then we should discuss finding a candidate, if not, then we should have a consent for elections, it is as simple as that,” Hoti said. 

Kosovo receives U.S. guarantee that 4 September agreement will implement (RTK)

The United States has given assurances to Kosovo that the September 4 agreement on economic normalization with Serbia, reached in Washington, will be implemented even after the change of US administration. 

This is what the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, said on Tuesday, during a press conference.

Hoti said that during this period, there has been regular communication with the current administration of President Donald Trump and added that he hopes that the cooperation will continue after January 20, when Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the new president of the United States.

“I believe that the good thing in this process is that Kosovo’s relations with the United States have never been affected no matter which of the parties, Democrats or Republicans, has ruled. I am convinced that we will continue this cooperation. Even the communication we have had so far, during these weeks we have received guarantees that the agreement we signed on September 4 will continue to be implemented without any hesitation,” Hoti said.

He also spoke about the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which is expected to continue in Brussels on December 10, at the meeting between the state delegations of Kosovo and Serbia.

Hoti reiterated his position that he expects this process to be completed within months, and the final agreement to include mutual recognition.

“I will say today, what I have constantly said: this is a process limited in time and in time means that it is a matter of months. I believe that in a few months we will come to the end of this process. I would like to finally come to a final agreement for mutual recognition or we will conclude that we cannot agree on a final agreement with mutual recognition,” Hoti said.

He was also asked about the announced meeting of leaders on the issue of the Kosovo’s new president. He said there is still no date for the meeting, adding that the leaders should discuss whether they are willing to negotiate finding a name for the country’s president, or agree on new elections.

Support of Kosovo and BiH to be requested at U.S. Congress hearing today (Koha)

The Foreign Policy Committee of the US House of Representatives will hold a hearing today, which will be attended by experts on the Western Balkans, who, according to the Bosnian newspaper Avaz, will advise the incoming administration to the US, to be led by Joe Biden, what attitudes to take towards the region.

Experts, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Johns Hopkins University professor Daniel Serwer, and analyst Janusz Bugajski, will guide the new U.S. administration on how to proceed in the Balkans.

The meeting will be hosted by the Chairman of the Committee, Congressman Eliot Engel. The new U.S. President takes office in January 2021.

According to “Avaz”, Serwer in his speech will invite the new U.S. administration for a stronger commitment when it comes to preventing the secession of Republika Srpska, as well as the full recognition of Kosovo’s statehood.

The United States should press Europeans to sanction those who encourage Republika Srpska’s independence, Serwer will reportedly say, advocating that Americans and Europeans should support the possibility of a new civic constitution.

Serwer will recall that there are still problems between Serbia and Kosovo.

“The main American goal of the dialogue is mutual recognition and exchange of ambassadors. President Biden and Chancellor Angela Merkel should explicitly state this goal and put pressure on EU countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo to declare that they will recognize Kosovo at the latest when Serbia does so. Membership in the United Nations requires Americans to persuade Russia and China not to use the veto,” Serwer was quoted as saying.

German Ambassador Rohde’s interview with Gazeta Express 

The German Ambassador to Kosovo Jorn Rohde gave an interview to Gazeta Express news website where he spoke about a range of issues including the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Germany’s role in the process, visa liberalisation as well as the Specialist Chambers.

Rohde said that despite Germany putting the visa liberalisation for Kosovo on the agenda in Brussels, there are certain EU member states that are not fully convinced. “It is important for Kosovo to also engage directly with sceptical countries in order to convince them.”

Asked to comment on the EU-U.S. cooperation on the issue of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, Rohde said that all want to see normalisation of relations. “The US also supports both countries’ full integration into European structures. I therefore count on close and successful cooperation between the EU and the US with respect to the dialogue, and joint efforts for a final agreement in 2021,” he said. As for Germany’s role in the process, Rohde noted that the country fully supports the efforts of the EU’s Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak and also called on the sides to “show that you walk the talk and build trust.”

To the question of how he views Kosovo’s political landscape without the presence of former KLA officials who are now awaiting trial for war crimes at the Specialist Chambers, Rohde said that in a democracy, a generational change happens sooner or later. He said that history is full of surprises: “For me personally it is still one of the greatest domestic policy upheavals when the British voters just after the Second World War ousted Prime Minister Churchill, who just won the war, and replaced him with Clement Attlee, as if to say: Churchill was our leader for the war and, now, for peace, we need someone else.”

See more at: https://bit.ly/36U3LR7

Hoti: Petkovic did not go to Skenderaj, I’ve spoken to mayor Jashari (Express)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti spoke about the visit of the head of the Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, to Kosovo and the statement of Skenderaj Mayor Bekim Jashari that he was not told that Petkovic would visit his municipality.

“The Serbian official was not in the municipality of Skenderaj, these information are not true and based on such reports Mayor Jashari reacted,” Hoti said adding that he was in communication with Jashari.

“When we issue permission we precisely know when he will enter Kosovo, where he will go and when he will leave Kosovo,” Hoti explained. 

Skenderaj Mayor Bekim Jashari took to Facebook on Monday to apologise to the families of martyrs for the visit by Petar Petkovic saying he was not informed by the Kosovo Government about it. “Such actions unfortunately give bad examples and must not be repeated. Honorable citizens, this is not the state for which our martyrs and heroes sacrificed their lives. This should not be the way we govern. I apologise to the families of martyrs, the civilian victims of the war and all citizens of the country, for this unwanted visit and for which our state did not inform me,” he wrote.

LVV proposes Albanian Parliament a resolution condemning Serbia’s genocide in Kosovo (Express) 

Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) branch in Albania have announced through a press release that they have proposed a draft resolution on Serbian genocide committed against Kosovo Albanians. 

They said in a press release that this draft resolution has been sent to all members of the Assembly, the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Academy of Sciences, the Ombudsperson, and political parties in Albania. They also say they believe that this is an issue that goes beyond party differences and requires national unity. This draft resolution follows the official request filed with the institutions on 12 November 2020.  “The draft resolution refers to the resolutions and statements of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania in the years 1998-1999, and the Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo in 2019 on the Serbian genocide committed against Kosovo Albanians,” they said.

Serbian Language Media

In Serbian communities in Kosovo 86 new cases of coronavirus, 30 cures (Kontakt plus radio)

The North Mitrovica Crisis Staff announced today that according to the latest data, in Serbian areas in Kosovo, 86 new cases of coronavirus and 30 cures have been recorded, reported Kontakt plus radio. 

Out of 260 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: North Mitrovica (30), Leposavic (15), Zvecan (13), Zubin Potok (11), Gracanica (3), Pec (1), Prizren (1), Kosovska Kamenica (1), Priluzje (6), Strpce (3) and Gnjilane (2).

30 patients recovered: North Mitrovica (16), Zvecan (7), Zubin Potok (3), Leposavic (2), Strpce (1) and Gnjilane (1).

62 people were hospitalized in the North Mitrovica Hospital, two patients in the Nis Hospital. The measure of home isolation was determined for 1,321 people.

There are currently 1,385 active cases.

So far, a total of 1,355 people have recovered.

A total of 9,964 people have been tested since the beginning of the epidemic, of which 2,802 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

In the Serb areas in Kosovo, 62 people died of Covid-19.

Dacic: Kosovo will be on Assembly’s agenda in coming period (FoNet)

Serbian National Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic said Kosovo and Meothija would be a topic on the agenda of the Parliament in the coming period, FoNet, news agency reports.

“The state would certainly help our organized approach towards the new court, because it is not the same court that was in The Hague before, this is the court for KLA crimes and situation is slightly different than it was last time”, Dacic said in a response to the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) MP Toma Fila.

Dacic said that of course the obligation remains to prepare the documents and protect witnesses and everything else in order to help the justice be reached for the Serbian victims.

Fila asked Dacic “if he as an Assembly Speaker would launch an initiative that MPs every month or every second month have an obligatory agenda topic relating to our southern province”.

He also said that the Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija should submit verbally or in writing every month or two a report on the situation in Kosovo. He recalled that KLA members were arrested and noted it should be known what form of cooperation exists with the prosecution and what Serbian authorities are doing in this regard.

UNS and UNS in Kosovo: RTK to stop labeling (KoSSev)

Association of Journalists of Serbia (UNS) and its branch in Kosovo expressed concern as Kosovo public broadcaster continues to re-run the articles on its online edition, which are not in line with professional standards, contain constructions, label individuals, and in the recent case initiate a hunt against the organization for human rights from Gracanica over alleged “pro-Russian propaganda” and “collecting the information against KLA”, the statement said, KoSSev portal reports.

The journalists associations recalled that the Center for Peace and Tolerance was actively fighting to establish an independent TV channel in Serbian language in Kosovo, something that has not been achieved to date, despite guaranteed by the Kosovo Constitution.

The UNS and UNS in Kosovo further requested self-regulatory and regulatory bodies in Kosovo to react to the media reporting that jeopardize safety of individuals and organizations.

KoSSev portal said it tried to obtain an editorial comment from RTK2 on the reasons to publish such an article and answers to the questions if the RTK requested a comment from the Center for Peace and Tolerance over allegations made in the article, respectively why the RTK didn’t distance itself from those allegations. No response arrived by the time of publishing this news, KoSsev portal said.  

Petkovic denies that the supply of electricity to the north of Kosovo will stop in mid-December (RTS)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said while visiting the works on residential buildings that the Government of Serbia is trying to make life easier for Serbs in Kosovo, announcing that the supply of electricity to residents of northern municipalities from central Serbia will not be stopped as of 14 December, as recently announced from Pristina, reported Radio Television of Serbia (RTS).

Petkovic points out that until two subsidiaries are formed, the Electric Power Industry of Serbia will continue with the normal supply of electricity in the north of Kosovo, which, as he added, is according to the agreement from 2013 and the conclusions of the EU from 2015.

“So, until those two companies are formed, as agreed, the supply of electricity will continue as before,” Petkovic added.

Petkovic visits Banjska Monastery in Zvecan municipality, met Bishop Teodosije (Jedinstvo)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic visited the Banjska Monastery in Zvecan municipality yesterday afternoon, as part of his two-day visit to northern Kosovo, Jedinstvo weekly reports. 

“The state of Serbia and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) represent two unbreakable pillars of Serbian survival in Kosovo and Metohija, and precisely in order for this survival to become stay in the future, this relationship between church and state is an important bond for our people here in Kosovo and Metohija. This means that in the following period we will do everything in our power to support the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Eparchy of Raska and Prizren here in Kosovo and Metohija as the Government of the Republic of Serbia”, Petkovic told the journalists in front of this medieval holy shrine.

He also pointed out that Serbs in KiM needed peace and that peace between Serbs and Albanians was the key to the survival and stay of the Serbian people in KiM.

In front of Banjska Monastery, apart from the Abbot, Father Danilo, Petkovic was welcomed by the Bishop of Raska and Prizren, Teodosije, who pointed out that the visit of the director of OKiM was very important for the Eparchy and the faithful people living and surviving in Kosovo and Metohija.

“It is an encouragement to us all to continue the protection of our cultural and spiritual heritage in these sacred areas. It is very important that we work together, because in this time it is necessary to preserve everything that we have received, and not only to preserve it, but also to compensate for what is missing”, Bishop Teodosije said.

He also said that a lot has been done in the past years by the Eparchy and SOC, but with the help of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, especially the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

“Banjska is an example, which was renovated, and God willing, we will continue, and not only with Banjska, but also with Bogorodica Ljeviska, Gracanica, Decani, the Patriarchate and other monasteries that are a symbol of our survival and identity in this area”, Bishop Teodosije said.

Grubjesic: Von Cramon’s statement malicious; blockade will affect dialogue (N1)

It turned out that it was bad that bilateral disputes entered the EU enlargement policy, so now one European country, a member state (Bulgaria) can block the candidate country from starting the negotiation process (Northern Macedonia), but thus block all others, Suzana Grubjesic from the Center for Foreign Policy told regional broadcaster N1.

Apparently, there will be no conclusions of EU ministers on enlargement to the countries of the Western Balkans, Bulgaria has blocked them, and this is the first time in history that the General Affairs Council will pass without any conclusions, discussions on enlargement conclusions, she pointed out. Without the conclusions on enlargement, Grubjesic adds, there will be no beginning of negotiations with Northern Macedonia, and it seems that Serbia is ending the year without open chapters.

“It turns out that we are all hostages of Bulgaria, which has blocked Northern Macedonia, and that enlargement will not be discussed,” she added. This is not a precedent, it happened before, but since bilateral disputes have taken over the process of expanding, such situations will continue and in the future.

Grubjesic asked why Northern Macedonia was blocked, which did everything to start negotiations. As she stated, it has been said for many years that the decision-making process must change, that sometimes consensus is an impossible mission, and that a qualified two-thirds majority should be passed for decision-making.

“When you see that Germany, the most powerful EU country, did not have the opportunity to resolve some key EU issues during its presidency, this all says that in the coming period much more attention will be paid to internal organization and reforms than to the Western Balkans and Serbia,” she said. 

Apparently, according to Grubjesic, Serbia is ending the year without open chapters, i.e. the chances of scheduling an intergovernmental conference are decreasing.

She also reminded that for a long time now, there have been traces of what Serbia is being blamed for, what needs to be accelerated, and it is precisely stated where efforts should be redoubled in order to achieve results.

“It is in our interest to become a member, much more than in the interest of the EU, and it is in our interest for the reforms to be implemented, for Serbia to become a modern European state,” she said.

On the other hand, the famous European perspective, that phrase that has already been emptied, does not contribute to anything, she assessed.

“This decision on the blockade will also have an impact on the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, because how if you do not give an incentive to either Belgrade or Pristina? Where will they themselves have an incentive to go faster towards the final political solution,” Grubjesic pointed out.

Regarding the statement of the MEP Viola von Cramon that the “good news” is that the EU will not open new chapters in the membership negotiations with Serbia due to the deterioration of the state of democracy, Grubjesic said that was a malicious statement.

“I don’t know for whom these are the good news…but she is the rapporteur for Kosovo, for her it may be good news that Serbia will stop, but it is not good news for the citizens of Serbia; I don’t know why such malice,” she concluded.

EU adopts global human rights sanctions regime (N1)

The European Union Council adopted on Monday a decision and regulation establishing a global human rights sanctions regime, for the first time, and equipped itself with a framework allowing it “to target individuals, entities and bodies – including state and non-state actors – responsible for, involved in or associated with serious human rights violations and abuses worldwide, no matter where they occurred.”

In its press release, the Council said the restrictive measures would include a travel ban for individuals and the freezing of funds to both individuals and entities.

“In addition, persons and entities in the EU will be forbidden from making funds available to those listed, either directly or indirectly,” the Council added.

It added that “the framework for targeted restrictive measures applies to acts such as genocide, crimes against humanity and other serious human rights violations or abuses (e.g. torture, slavery, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests or detentions).”

The Council said other human rights violations or abuses could also fall under the scope of the sanctions regime where those violations or abuses were “widespread, systematic or are otherwise of serious concern as regards the objectives of the common foreign and security policy set out in the article 21 of the Treaty on EU.”

“It will be for the Council, acting upon a proposal from a member state or the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, to establish, review and amend the sanctions list,” the press release said.

It added that Monday’s decision “emphasizes that the promotion and protection of human rights remain a cornerstone and priority of EU external action and reflects the EU’s determination to address serious human rights violations and abuses.”

See at: https://bit.ly/39TDFzY

International

Serbia Backs Russia Again in UN Vote on Crimea (Balkan Insight)

Russia’s ally Serbia voted against a UN resolution urging Moscow to withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s Crimea region, again declining to follow the position of the EU, which it is seeking to join.

Serbia on Monday was among 17 countries that voted against the latest United Nations resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its forces from Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, which Moscow occupied and then annexed in 2014.

Armenia, Belarus, Cambodia, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe also voted against the resolution, which was adopted by the UN General Assembly.

See at: https://bit.ly/3707qgF

Humanitarian/Development

Hoti encourages survivors of sexual violence to apply for status (media)

Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti urged survivors of sexual violence during conflict to come forward and apply for recognition of their status. He said the Kosovo society needs to heal this wound by facing it.

“I urge all persons that were victims of this heinous crime to apply to gain status and I call on all of our society to support this process because shame is not for victims of these crimes to feel but for those who committed them,” Hoti said in a conference in Pristina.

Activities of the regional shelter for victims of domestic violence within “16 Days of Activism” campaign (Radio Mitrovica sever)

As part of the “16 Days of Activism” campaign, the regional shelter for victims of domestic violence/“Safe House” in Zubin Potok, organized the placement of appropriate billboards in Mitrovica North and several thematic workshops, Radio Mitrovica sever reports.

Billboards, which display the phone number of the Safe House, were placed at the entrance to Mitrovica North from the direction of Zvecan, as well as near the Technical High School “Mihailo Petrovic Alas”.

The phone number of the Safe House, which is available to all women, potential and victims of domestic violence, 24 hours a day is: 028 478 388. This number can be used to report domestic violence, but it is also possible to obtain the necessary information, either legal or psychological.

Also, all women, potential and victims of domestic violence, can inquire about the manner in which the Safe House works and functions, as well as about anything that is important to them at a given moment for the process of forming a plan and strategy for leaving the perpetrator –  the press statement said.

Another organized activity was a two-day workshop, held with the workers of the Safe House on the topic “Gender-based and domestic violence – inter-institutional cooperation and standard operating procedures for protection against domestic violence”. Gordana Radovanovic, a paediatrician, certified trainer for domestic violence and a member of the Coordination Mechanism for Protection against Domestic Violence in the Municipality of Mitrovica North held this workshop.

Radio Mitrovica sever also reported that the activists of the Regional Safe House in Zubin Potok, led by the head of the municipal administration, Adrijana Hodzic, conducted a street action in Mitrovica North on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, where they handed out flyers containing the phone number of the Safe House.

All activities are supported by UN Women in Kosovo. The safe house is functioning at full capacity even in the conditions of a pandemic.