Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 206 new cases, six deaths (media)
• Hoti warns of possibility to return reciprocity with Serbia (RFE, media)
• Hoti: Agreement for the Office at Presevo Valley, to be signed on Monday (RTK)
• CEC decides on political entities’ campaign expenses (Indeksonline)
• Hoti: We are in the process of finalizing MP list (RTK)
• Enver Hoxhaj reveals PDK offer for Presevo Valley (RTK) 
• Justice Party boycotts elections (media)
• Hoti monitors closely the situation after the recent floods (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)
• Election calculations in Kosovo: Kurti the favorite; what the Serbian list will do (KoSSev, N1)
• Jeremic: Firm stance on Kosovo status precondition for normalization of living circumstances (Danas)
• Petkovic: To Jeremic Kosovo is a prey, to us highest value (TV Most)
• Serbian Crisis Team: Anti-coronavirus measures unchanged, schools open Jan 18 (N1, RTS)
• Serbia launches platform for citizens to apply for vaccination (N1, BETA, FoNet)
• Poll: Over 40 pct of Serbia’s people believe in coronavirus conspiracy theories (BETA, N1)
• Office for KiM promised assistance to families affected by floods (Radio KIM)

International:

• Shaped by Kosovo’s war, Vjosa Osmani won’t blink in her battle to cut out the rot (The Times)
• Apparent Body-Shaming Shows Even Kosovo’s Top Official Must Endure ‘Disgusting Misogyny’ (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Floods across Kosovo cause disruptions and evacuations (Prishtina Insight)
• Floods throughout central Kosovo, Grabovac village in the north under the water (KoSSev, KiM radio, RTV puls, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Albanian Language Media 

COVID – 19: 206 new cases, six deaths (media)

206 new cases of COVID – 19 and six deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 389 persons recovered from the virus during this period. There are 5,951 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Hoti warns of possibility to return reciprocity with Serbia (RFE, media)

The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, has warned that the dialogue process with Serbia must end with a final agreement on mutual recognition or otherwise, Kosovo will implement all measures of reciprocity with Serbia.

“All without exception, all the measures that Serbia directs towards us, we have the right and we will direct them towards Serbia,” Hoti said after a meeting with representatives of the Albanians of the Presevo Valley.

However, he said that he believes that with the involvement of “international partners that we have reached in this process” there will be no need to apply these extreme measures, because according to him, progress is being made every day towards a final agreement with Serbia.

He made these comments after being asked how would Kosovo act if Serbia prevents the sending of textbooks to Albanians in the Presevo Valley, planned to be sent by Kosovo institutions to this part of Serbia during this year. 

Sending books, but also a number of other projects are foreseen in the program of the Office for the Presevo Valley, which operates within the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo. This program provides assistance to non-governmental organizations in the Presevo Valley, then the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and other projects, including a study on the social and economic situation of Albanians in the Presevo Valley.

The dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, mediated by the European Union, started in 2011. It was interrupted for 20 months, from the end of 2018 due to the 100 percent tax that Kosovo imposed on products from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, by the government of led at the time by Ramush Haradinaj. Subsequently, Albin Kurti’s government abolished the tariff, but imposed reciprocity measures. Serbia refused to sit at the negotiating table until Kosovo had such measures in place.

Upon coming to power, the government led by Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti abolished reciprocity, enabling the resumption of dialogue in July 2020.

It has been several months since Hoti and Serbian President Vucic held new rounds of talks. The EU has said that meetings at the political level are not being held due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The EU has said that this process aims at the full normalization of relations between Pristina and official Belgrade.

Hoti: Agreement for the Office at Presevo Valley, to be signed on Monday (RTK)

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, announced that the agreement for the Working Office at Presevo Valley will be signed on Monday.

During a press conference together with the representatives of the Presevo Valley, Hoti said that study of the economic situation of the Albanians in Presevo Valley will start in February.

“We have invited them to discuss the program of the working office in Presevo, and a group of individuals have been working under supervision of MP Bislimi to prepare this working program. After the meeting we will be signing the working program,” Hoti said.

He added that except for the meeting with Presevo Valley leaders, they also plan to hold an informative meeting with youth organisations.

“We will start with studying the economic situation of Presevo Valley Albanians in February. In February, work of preserving cultural heritage will start, we will be working at public and private universities to prepare the agreements,” Hoti said. 

CEC decides on political entities’ campaign expenses (Indeksonline)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has decided to limit the amount of election campaign expenses for political entities that will be certified to participate in the early elections for the Assembly of Kosovo.

According to the CEC, a political entity has the right to spend up to 934 thousand 831 euros, or 0.5 euros for a registered voter.

The decision of the CEC is based on the data of the incomplete list of voters, according to which the number of voters in Kosovo is 1 million 869 thousand and 662 voters.

CEC also informed that the registration of the voters abroad starts on 13 January and ends on 21 January at 18:00 hours.  

Hoti: We are in the process of finalizing MP list (RTK)

The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said during a press conference with the representatives of the Presevo Valley that the Domocratic League of Kosovo (LDK) is in the process of finalizing the list of the candidates for MPs, that will be submitted to the Central Election Commission. He said that they are discussing with the  New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) to incorporate them in the LDK list.

Hoti was also asked about lack of respecting the anti-COVID-19 measures during election rallies.

“Measures are in power and they should be respected. I personally held several meetings and tried to respect them. We were maximally cautious to respect anti-COVID measures during the meetings that we had these days,” Hoti said.

Enver Hoxhaj reveals PDK offer for Presevo Valley (RTK) 

Enver Hoxhaj candidate for the Prime Minister of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) addressed through a video recording Albanians living in Presevo Valley. He revealed the offer of the PDK for the Valley.

“Kosovo should engage more and concretely for the Albanians of the Presevo Valley who suffer unprecedented discriminaton in Europe. This is a national obligation. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) will act with this platform.

There are two representatives of the Presevo Valley in our list of MPs. Equipping them with the IDs and passports of the Republic of Kosovo. New quota for students. Four new border crossings. State Agencies for the Presevo Valley. With me as Prime Minister, Kosovo will implement them in the first months of the governing. With your support this will become possible,” Hoxhaj said. 

Justice Party boycotts elections (media)

The Justice Party (PD) will not participate in the general election. This is due to the non-completion of the trial against their leader, Ferid Agani. 

“The Justice Party informs the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo that for the first time in its twenty-year history, will not participate in the general parliamentary elections to be held on February 14 this year.” 

“The only reason for this boycott is the assessment of the DP leadership that these elections will be neither fair nor democratic, because in them, due to the non-completion of the judicial process against him, even after five years, the chairman of the Democratic Party Prof. Dr. Ferid Agani for the third time in a row, will not be able to participate,” a press release issued by this political entity reads.

Hoti monitors closely the situation after the recent floods (media)

The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti visited today the Situation Center, where he was closely informed about the situation in the municipalities, after the recent rain and snow which have caused floods in many regions of Kosovo.

In a meeting with the director of this center, Shaqir Shaqiri, and the secretary of the Security Secretariat, Shpend Tërdevaj, Hoti discussed the measures that should be taken in order to better manage the situation.

“Kosovo institutions are closely monitoring the situation and all state capacities have been put on alert, including the Emergency Management Agency, Local Headquarters and the Kosovo Security Force. Also, Prime Minister Hoti is in communication with the KFOR Commander, Major General Franco Federici, who has expressed readiness to provide assistance of the peacekeeping force if such a thing will be necessary.

To take a closer look at the situation created by the recent rains which have caused floods in different regions of the country, Prime Minister Hoti today at 12:30 will visit the village of Dobroshec in the Municipality of Drenas,” reads a press release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.

Serbian Language Media

Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (Radio KIM)

Seven new cases of Covid-19 were registered in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, the Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced on Sunday, Radio KIM reports.

At the same time, 33 people have completed a two-week isolation period.

Out of 34 tested samples, seven were positive. The new cases were registered as follows: two in Mitrovica North, two in Zvecan, one in Leposavic, one in Zubin Potok and one in Gracanica.

At the moment there are 401 active cases.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 91 people have passed away in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo. 

Election calculations in Kosovo: Kurti the favorite; what the Serbian list will do (KoSSev, N1)

Kosovo’s snap parliamentary elections will be held on February 14th. Preparations for the campaign are well underway, and researches give priority to the Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination movement. When it comes to the participation of Serbs in Kosovo politics, analysts say – everything is the same, reports portal KoSSev.

Polls show that Albin Kurti’s Self-Determination movement has 45% of support, while the Democratic Party of Kosovo is in second place with about 20%, says Pristina analyst Ron Djinovci. He adds that Kurti’s victory is certain, but the question is whether it will be enough to form a government on his own.

“People in Kosovo think that if they (Self-Determination) do not have a majority, a possible partner is Ramush Haradinaj, who wants to become the president of Kosovo, he made it clear. In any case, if they form a coalition, it means that Ramush Haradinaj will be the next president of Kosovo,” says Djinovci.

How will the Serbian list position itself? Veljko Samardzic from the Center for Social Initiatives does not expect changes. He says that there have been no draft laws or amendments from the Serbian deputies in the Assembly of Kosovo so far, so he sees such a trend in the future as well.

“We have a situation where those issues that are not directly prescribed as minority issues but do very much affect the life of Serbs in Kosovo. Such as, for example, the issue of privatization of Trepca, such as the issue of cooperation with the war crimes court. Somehow, we remain either on the sidelines or with the only political maneuver – demonstrative departure, that is, the return to parliament by our political representatives,” Samardzic noted.

It is not known whether the Serbs will form a coalition with the winner among the Albanian parties, what is certain are the two ministerial positions that guarantee the constitution of Kosovo.

“We have a situation in which the representatives of the Serbian community are in power in Kosovo – that they are the opposition that is in power. We do not have any change in the policy towards the Serbian community, but it (Serbian list) is isolated in that government as well, and metaphorically speaking, I think it looks like that white pencil in a pencil case that serves no purpose but the teacher is asking for it,” said Samardzic.

And can the suspended sentence from 2018, for throwing tear gas in the parliament, prevent Kurti’s candidacy, Djinovci says the interpretations are that he can be prime minister but not an MP. Even if some parties complain, he says, it won’t hurt Kurti.

“As long as people see that institutions and other parties are trying to stop him, they will feel that they have to vote for him even more. If they do that, we will have elections again and Albin Kurti will be the prime minister again with even more votes. It is like a vicious circle, whatever they do is in favor of Albin Kurti,” believes Djinovci.

Jeremic: Firm stance on Kosovo status precondition for normalization of living circumstances (Danas)

Leader of the opposition Peoples’ Party (NS) Vuk Jeremic urged “Serbian authorities to clearly and publicly state that Serbia rejects an idea of Pristina’s membership in the UN, respectively rejects factual recognition of self-declared Kosovo as an independent state”, Danas daily reports. As Jeremic said, by doing this a room for realistic talks on normalization of living circumstances in Kosovo and Metohija as well as in the rest of the region would be created.

“Then it would be possible to negotiate on other matters, such as property, economic cooperation, health and science, but also about preservation of endangered Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija”, Jeremic told Serbian Diaspora TV station.

However, as Jeremic said, Serbian authorities over the last eight and a half years were sending signals to the part of the international community “they were ready to achieve historic compromise” that would imply Pristina’s seat at the UN.  

“If they keep sending such a message, why would Albanians negotiate about anything below what the Serbian side was suggesting it was ready to do? The authorities in Belgrade are doing it, as in return they ask the international community to tolerate their behavior in Serbia”, Jeremic said.

He also opined that “united opposition front” against the authorities is a precondition for changes, however, establishment of such a front is the last step, since prior to that the opposition parties need to establish a strong party infrastructure and reach out citizens in entire Serbia.

“It takes ideology, programme and people to do this. Without it, it would be difficult to convince citizens to divert attention from what is being served to them on tv stations with national coverage and think about something else. If you can’t answer questions such as what is your policy on Kosovo and Metohija issue, migration of young people from Serbia, health, education and identity, then people would simply not listen to you”, Jeremic said. He further noted that the Peoples’ Party is a centre-right party, such as German CDU.

“Peoples’ Party advocates for a serious approach to the national issues and believes Serbian people are one and indivisible whenever they live. Also we advocate for domestic economic entrepreneurship and rule of law and we strongly oppose direct or indirect recognition of Kosovo and Metohija as an independent state”, Jeremic underlined.  

Petkovic: To Jeremic Kosovo is a prey, to us highest value (TV Most)

“It was not for the first time that Vuk Jeremic attempts through the sufferings of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija to get hold of the power, and attributes his mistakes to the state of Serbia and President Vucic by accusing them of wrongly conducting negotiations on Kosovo”, member of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Main Board Petar Petkovic said, TV Most reports.

This way Petkovic reacted to the statements, leader of the Serbian opposition Peoples’ Party (NS) Vuk Jeremic made during his appearance on TV N1. Petkovic also said Jeremic hopes Serbian people have forgotten how he and his closest associate Borko Stefanovic negotiated seven disastrous agreements in Brussels, and thanks to them a border between the Serbs was made on Jarinje.

Petkovic also noted that “to Jeremic Serbian southern province is yet another prey”, but to us, as he said “the highest value and Jeremic won’t be allowed to gamble it away again”. 

Serbian Crisis Team: Anti-coronavirus measures unchanged, schools open Jan 18 (N1, RTS)

Serbian Minister of Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs and a member of the country’s anti-epidemic team Darija Kisic Tepavcevic said Monday that all previous measures in preventing the spread of Covid-19 remained in place, N1 reports.

Following the meeting of the Crisis Team she said there would be no public celebration of the New Year according to the Julian calendar on January 13, and the catering would work until 8 pm, as before.

It was also decided that the school year would commence on January 18, as planned before.

There is also a ban on gathering more than five people; the face masks are mandatory in public transport and indoors. Besides, PCR test or 10-day-quarantine is obligatory for those entering Serbia, while food stores could work until 9 pm.

She also said no time frame was defined, and the measures would be in place until further notice.

Kisic Tepavcevic added that the immunization of the general population would start and that the epidemic was far from over.

“The virus is still here, and we cannot relax,” she said, despite “the number of infected is on the decline.“

Asked about the number of medical staff who died from COVID-19, which some reports put at 7O, the far largest in the region, Kisic Tepavcevic said the analysis was being done about the risks and reason for the fatalities.

Serbia launches platform for citizens to apply for vaccination (N1, BETA, FoNet)

Applications for the vaccination via eUprava platform starts on Monday and a mass vaccination point is planned for opening in Belgrade by the end of the week, Prime Minister of Serbia Ana Brnabic said Sunday following a meeting with health workers who were vaccinated against Covid-19, N1 reports.

According to Brnabic, so far 9,300 citizens of Serbia have been vaccinated against the novel coronavirus.

“Applications via eUprava platform start as of Monday, and this is where all citizens will have an opportunity to express a wish for vaccination. The applications will be possible via phone as of Thursday”, Brnabic said.

She stressed the citizens will have a chance to pick any vaccine or a specific one.

“There is no fear that the citizens who wish to get the vaccine will be left without it”, Brnabic said, adding that there is sufficient quantity of vaccines for everyone.

“At this moment we have at disposal the vaccines for four million people i.e. the deals with various producers for eight million vaccines”, she explained.

See at: https://bit.ly/2MW8xX7

Poll: Over 40 pct of Serbia’s people believe in coronavirus conspiracy theories (BETA, N1)

The three-quarters of people in the Western Balkans believe in conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, much more than in other parts of Europe, while in Serbia the percentage of such people is 41.5, according to the poll conducted last October by ‘Atlantic Council’ from Washington and advisory group for public politics’ Balkan in Europe,’ published on Monday, N1 reports. .

Citing the opinion poll’s results, the Belgrade Politika daily said it showed that one in three people in Serbia did not want to get vaccinated. In contrast, 20 percent of respondents said they would or probably would receive the vaccine.

The survey also showed most of the respondents believed the ‘pharmaco-mafia’ was involved in spreading the virus.

One-third of the respondents thought the Chinese Government produced the virus in a laboratory, i.e., that it ‘escaped’ from the Vuhan lab.

Slightly fewer believed that Bill Gates was responsible, while the smallest number of the polled thought the epidemic was linked to the 5G technology.

See at: https://bit.ly/3sdOrYo

Office for KiM promised assistance to families affected by floods (Radio KIM)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said Sunday the situation with the floods in the Serb areas in Kosovo was under control and promised help to the families that suffered damage, Radio KIM reports.  

The Office said in a press statement Petkovic spoke with the families from Plemetina and Kuzmin villages affected by the floods, so that he would be familiarized with ways in which this institution could help repair the consequences.

Petkovic talked with Nebojsa and Miljan Nacic from the village of Plemetina near Obilic, whose property was damaged due to the floods in the previous days, as well as with the Jolic family from Kuzmin village in Kosovo Polje municipality.

After the phone conversation, Petkovic conveyed that the Office for KiM would help Nacic and Jolic as well as other families affected by this natural disaster.

“Situation in Serbian communities is under control; we have several isolated cases in which the flood caused problems and we are already solving that. We will help repair the damage, and I made that promise to the families I spoke to. We monitor the situation on the ground, our people are in contact with the citizens in case we need to react. I also talked with the presidents of the municipalities (IMCs) in the north of the province, to be on standby in the event of the Ibar River flooding”, Petkovic said.

International

Shaped by Kosovo’s war, Vjosa Osmani won’t blink in her battle to cut out the rot (The Times)

Vjosa Osmani cannot forget the barrel of the Serbian soldier’s AK 47 being shoved into her mouth. It was 1999, she was 16, and Serbian police and paramilitary fighters had forced her to flee her home in northern Kosovo with her family.

Along with thousands of others they were made to march for four days and freezing nights under the guns of Serbian tanks and armed men.

Now, at 38, she is acting president of Kosovo, Europe’s youngest country. More than two decades after the brutal secessionist war with Serbia that killed an estimated 10,000 people, she hopes that elections next month will cement her in the post.

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

Apparent Body-Shaming Shows Even Kosovo’s Top Official Must Endure ‘Disgusting Misogyny’ (RFE)

Just weeks before next month’s snap elections, Kosovo’s interior minister and a leading voice in one of its top parties has been accused of taking a sexist, body-shaming swipe at the Balkan state’s most powerful woman.

Agim Veliu said he didn’t know that Vjosa Osmani, Kosova’s acting president and parliament speaker, was “so big that she needs a space as big as the presidency [of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and] that [the leadership] should be removed [in order] for her to come [back and join the party].”

Veliu was referring to Osmani’s demand that the LDK’s top leadership resign before she returns to the party in which she served as a deputy chairwoman. She was expelled from the LDK in June after disagreements with its presidency.

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

Humanitarian/Development

Floods across Kosovo cause disruptions and evacuations (Prishtina Insight)

After heavy rain and snow over the weekend, cities and villages across Kosovo are experiencing floods, with emergency teams and the Kosovo Security Force deployed to assist citizens affected.

Heavy rain and snow over the weekend has caused disruptions across the country, with many cities and villages experiencing chaos caused by floods on Monday morning.

In Fushe Kosove, the road connecting the municipality with Prishtina was submerged underwater, with flooding causing damage to shops, cars and apartment buildings. Rescue teams were deployed Monday morning to evacuate residents from the buildings affected in the municipality.

See more at: https://bit.ly/35udMU4

Floods throughout central Kosovo, Grabovac village in the north under the water (KoSSev, KiM radio, RTV puls, Radio Mitrovica sever)

Due to heavy rains, parts of Kosovo have been facing floods since the weekend, and some places have been evacuated. Floods this morning are blocking part of the roads, endangering houses, and a flash flood destroyed a bridge in Kamenica, reports portal KoSSev.

As Koha daily reported, due to the situation with floods throughout Kosovo, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti said that all institutions were focused on this problem, and that he also contacted the KFOR commander, Franko Federici, asking for the support if needed, quoted the portal.

The Kosovo Hydrometeorological Institute announced that the most difficult situation is in the lowland settlements near Sitnica, Lab, Ibar, Beli Drim, Drenica, while the danger poses the melting of snow from the mountains and torrential waters.

Residents of villages Kuzmin, Priluzje, Plemetina, Lepina, but also places in Metohija said that the water had receded from most of these villages yesterday, but the situation worsened again after last night’s heavy rainfall with thunder.

As of this morning, parts of Gracanica, Laplje Selo, Donja and Gornja Gusterica, Preoce, Lepina, Skulanevo, Livadje, Ugljare, Kuzmin are also under water, RTV Kim reported. In some places, water got into houses, crops, barns, arable land. During the night in Skulanevo, the locals evacuated cattle and poultry. The situation is similar in Lepina and Ugljare.

In several places in Gracanica and Laplje Selo, the water springs from the sewers. The yard of the school “Miladin Mitic” in Laplje Selo is also under water. The torrent also affected the part where the residential buildings in this village are located.

The situation is especially difficult in the village of Kuzmin in the municipality of Kosovo Polje, where Drenica river overflowed two days ago, reports RTV Kim.

The citizens of Gornji Livoc in the municipality of Gnjilane also told portal KoSSev that the situation was alarming.

As the spokesman of the Kosovo Police for the Region of Gnjilane, Ismet Hashani, confirmed for KoSSev, the emergency units are on the ground and assessing the situation.

“Regional roads are passable, but the bridge in the municipality of Kamenica was destroyed due to a large influx of water,” he told KoSSev.

He adds that for now, there is no information that anyone has been evacuated, but he confirms that the basements of several houses have been flooded.

According to Radio Gorazdevac, villages in Metohija were also flooded this morning.

The river Kujavca, which flows through Osojane, overflowed from its riverbed and caused huge damage to a part of the households located along the coast. Arable land, crops and agricultural land were flooded.

Veliko Krusevo near Klina was also flooded, where the Beli Drim and its tributaries overflowed. Places in Pomoravlje are flooded. 

RTV Puls reports that houses in the Ranilug region were endangered due to the Binacka Morava overflow.

In Silovo, the basements of the Cultural and Educational Center and the Health Center were also flooded, which is why part of the medicines and medical equipment had to be transported to the ambulance in Gornje Kusce.

It is impossible for pedestrians to pass through the main Silovo street, because the water is higher than half a meter in some places, RTV Puls reports.

Arable land in the North, in the municipality of Zvecan, is also under water, reports Radio Mitrovica sever. 

As reported, the Ibar river overflowed in Grabovac village and flooded the coastal properties.