Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 294 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Suspicions on new variant of coronavirus, 30 samples sent to Germany (RTK)
• Defendants acquitted in KLA Veterans list case (Prishtina Insight)
• Miftaraj demands vetting after acquittal of defendants in “Veterans” case (media)
• Haradinaj to Vucic: Serbia should recognize Kosovo as independent state (RTK)
• CEC approves over 10 thousand applications of voters outside Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Isufi: AAK will be in government with Haradinaj as President (KosovaPress)
• Hoti recalls the Washington agreement (media)
• PSD places graffiti with Albin Kurti’s face next to containers (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 13 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Vucic:”Haradinaj is a dangerous man” (KoSSev)
• Vucic announces massive vaccination program, Kosovo Serbs via “hybrid system”, Serbia ready to assist K-Albanians as well (KoSSev)
• Milivojevic: Haradinaj confirmed Kosovo statehood has failed, announced radicalization following elections (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian PM says a million doses of vaccine delivered, six million more on the way (N1, BETA)
• Arlov is seeking assistance from international representatives due to ban to enter Kosovo (Radio kontakt plus)
• Former deputy of Marko Djuric appointed Consul General in Chicago (Kosovo-online)
• Drecun: Pristina and Tirana work together on a “Greater Albania” project (Kosovo Online)

Humanitarian/Development:

• EU securing more financial support for migration management in Serbia (N1)

Albanian Language Media 

COVID – 19: 294 new cases, nine deaths (media)

294 new cases of COVID – 19 and nine deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 281 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 5,279 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Suspicions on new variant of coronavirus, 30 samples sent to Germany (RTK)

The National Institute of Public Health in Kosovo (NIPHK) has sent 30 samples for more in-depth analysis in Germany, due to the suspicion of a new variant of the coronavirus.

The news was confirmed for Telegrafi by Xhevat Jakupi, director of the Department of Microbiology at NIPHK.

“The 30 samples were sent on Monday,” he confirmed.

The samples were sent to Charite University in Berlin, which is one of the WHO reference laboratories.

It is worth noting that the new variant of the coronavirus was confirmed in December 2020 in the UK. Health experts have warned that the new variant is spreading at a rapid pace.

NIPHK and the Ministry of Health have asked citizens to respect protection measures against coronavirus.

Defendants acquitted in KLA Veterans list case (Prishtina Insight)

The Basic Court of Prishtina has acquitted former prime minister Agim Ceku and 11 other defendants of charges of abuse of official position regarding the alleged inflation of the lists of KLA Veterans.

At the Basic Court of Prishtina on Tuesday, judge Nushe Kuka-Mekaj announced the acquittal of all 12 defendants in a trial investigating alleged illegal payments made to veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA.

Kuka-Mekaj cited a lack of evidence as the reason for the acquittal, stating that the court was not provided with any proof that an audit took place to identify unlawful benefits. “The Prosecution has not managed to convince the Court in any form,” she added.

Among the defendants acquitted were former Minister for Security Forces Agim Ceku, former defence minister Rrushtem Berisha, and former MPs Shkumbin Demaliaj, Nuredin Lushtaku and Shukri Buja. Also acquitted were Sadik Halithaja, Qele Gashi, Ahmet Daku, Faik Fazliu, Smajl Elezaj, Fadil Shurdhaj and Xhavit Jashari.

Speaking to the press following the announcement, Ceku stated that he knew he was innocent from the beginning. “It was a just and good decision,” he said. “I feel good that all that I said before the trial started, and during it, was proven.”

The indictment in the case accused the defendants of using their position on a Government Commission that verified the list of KLA Veterans to illegally benefit other persons, damaging the state budget of Kosovo by over 88 million euros.

The Commission was launched in 2012, and in 2016 issued a list containing 46,000 names. In September 2017, the Kosovo Special Prosecution announced that its early investigations had revealed tens of millions of euros in benefits being paid to veterans illegally. 

The indictment in the case was prepared by Special Prosecutor Elez Blakaj, who resigned in August 2018, stating that he had been under threat from “known and unknown people” who wanted him to drop the investigation.

A number of citizens have been convicted of falsifying documents relating to the verification process in separate trials across Kosovo in recent years. In October 2019, the Basic Court of Peja ordered three individuals to return money they had fraudulently received after falsifying their veteran status. Seven defendants are also currently awaiting trial at the Basic Court of Mitrovica after being indicted on charges of falsifying documents.

In January 2020, the Special Prosecution announced that over 8,000 applications had been delegated for investigation to the Basic Prosecution of Peja alone. 

Miftaraj demands vetting after acquittal of defendants in “Veterans” case (media)

The executive director of the National Institute for Justice, Ehat Miftaraj, reacted to the decision of the Basic Court in Prishtina to acquit the12 accused  on the “Veterans” case.

According to him, only vetting saves the country.

“The accused in the ‘Veterans’ case are acquitted. vetting, vetting, vetting, vetting, vetting, vetting. Only vetting saves this country. Why is there hesitation from some parties to have a vetting, this case proves the motive and reason,” Miftaraj said.

Haradinaj to Vucic: Serbia should recognize Kosovo as independent state (RTK)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK),took to Facebook to react to the latest statement of the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic that Haradinaj is dangerous.

“As long as I seem dangerous to Aleksandar Vucic and Serbia, we are on the right track!

Do not be afraid, Mr. Vuçiq. You do not need to be upset. Kosovo is just looking for what belongs to it.

If you and others want to avoid a referendum on Kosovo’s unification with Albania in 2025, there is a very simple way: Serbia to recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Furthermore, Kosovo knows its path towards membership in NATO, the EU and the UN. With hysterical rhetoric you will not stop us in our right to define the future of Kosovo.

Everyone should know that my statement and oath to unite with Albania comes as a result of Brussels’ continued negligence regarding Kosovo. Kosovo and its citizens are the most pro-Western and as such do not deserve to be despised, ignored and conditioned indefinitely,” Haradinaj wrote. 

CEC approves over 10 thousand applications of voters outside Kosovo (Telegrafi)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) announced that it has approved 10 thousand 172 applications from voters outside Kosovo.

The CEC further informed that out of 14 thousand 307 applications for registration, legal capacity of 13 thousand 138 applications was assessed and 10 thousand 172 have been approved.

The CEC further announced that 2,426 applications for registration have been rejected, as they must send supporting documents for approval.

Early parliamentary elections will be held on February 14.

Isufi: AAK will be in government with Ramush Haradinaj as President (KosovaPress)

The deputy leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ahmet Isufi, is convinced that they will win about twenty seats in the February 14 elections. While seeing the party he represents in the next government, Isufi says that they will not have red lines with any political entity, but will insist in the end that the post of president belongs to his party leader, Ramush Haradinaj.

Isufi in an interview for KosovaPress said that AAK is better mobilized than other parties and for this they expect an increase in votes in the early elections. Meanwhile, he stated that they will deny all the polls that are listing Ramush Haradinaj’s party with low numbers in the elections.

Isufi also said that the AAK has no votes for any other but Ramush Haradinaj for  president.

“We are determined for our candidate for president and we do not play with the opinion. That is why we said that we will be part of the government, at the same time we will ask that the President of the Republic of Kosovo be Mr. Haradina,j because he represents a more unifying opinion. Regardless of government, the opposition has always maintained an attitude and has been more communicative than others. Therefore, the position of the president belongs to him and we believe that we will achieve it”, he said.

Hoti recalls the Washington agreement (media)

The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti has recalled the September 4 agreement signed in Washington between Kosovo and Serbia, media report.

Through a published video, Hoti has decided to present to the public the moments when he was in front of the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump.

“With the LDK, the Republic of Kosovo deepens cooperation and cultivates permanent friendship with the United States of America!” Hoti wrote.

The Kosovo-Serbia economic agreement was signed in the White House.

PSD places graffiti with Albin Kurti’s face next to containers (media)

Members of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) launched today an action in Prishtina, near “Mother Teresa” Cathedral. They placed graffiti with the face of the Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti on nearby garbage containers located in the “Peyton” neighborhood. The graffiti read “Recycle Bin”. 

Police forces are seen at the site where the activity was being held by the PSD.

Drilon Pireva, an activist of this party, called Vetëvendosje’s policy a recycling, saying that Kurti’s warning for change is not true.

Serbian Language Media

13 new cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Out of 80 samples tested over the last 24 hours, 13 were positive on Covid-19, while one death case was registered in Strpce, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, KoSSev portal reports.

Out of 13 new cases, seven were registered in northern Kosovo and six in central Kosovo.

The breakdown of new cases is as follows: five in Zvecan, three in Gnjilane, two in Mitrovica North and one each in Priluzje, Prizren and Strpce.

At the same time, 30 persons have completed a two-week isolation period. Total number of active cases in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo is 259.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 95 persons have lost their lives due to Covid-19 in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo. 

Vucic:”Haradinaj is a dangerous man” (KoSSev)

A possible combination of the government of Self-Determination and Ramush Haradinaj in the position of Kosovo president would mean that in Pristina we would have both parts of the executive power that advocate the unification of Kosovo with Albania – both the government and the president, commented today at a press conference Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic the statement of Ramush Haradinaj that  he would call for a referendum on Kosovo’s unification with Albania in 2025, if Kosovo by then did not make a progress on its path to the European Union, reports portal KoSSev. 

Vucic says that Haradinaj is a dangerous man, a serious politician whose ambition is to be the new president of Kosovo, and he calls the aspiration of certain political options in Kosovo for unification with Albania a “political fact”, reports the portal.

“It is a political fact, that is why I never understood the enthusiasm for such a constellation of political forces in Pristina, and we accept it as a political fact,” Vucic said.

However, he announces: “We know how to react to that political fact.”

Vucic however assesses the announcement of the creation of a greater Albania as a threat to “Serbia and the region, Europe and the world”, but adds that to “those threats” one should not ”respond or reply”. 

“My answer is do whatever you want, and we will have a good and adequate answer, and citizens should not worry about that,” he said.

On the other hand, he says that he liked to hear more reactions from the international community, because “God forbid that someone appeared in Serbia and spoke from such a high place about some other types of unification in the Balkans, they would almost impose sanctions to us, not to mention they would almost bomb us, but it is pointless to talk about double standards and hypocrisy in politics. They are terribly strong, but don’t worry,” Vucic told the citizens this morning at a press conference, reports portal KoSSev.

Milivojevic: Haradinaj confirmed Kosovo statehood has failed, announced radicalization following elections (Kosovo-online)

Statement of Ramush Haradinaj on possible referendum and unification with Albania, former high-ranking Serbian diplomat Zoran Milivojevic considers as a serious threat and announced radicalization of the situation in Kosovo, following elections there, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Milivojevic told portal Haradinaj’s statements were part of the election campaign, adding, however, something like that could be expected from him following the elections and if he would be in power. Milivojevic also said Haradinaj is not the only one advocating for “Great Albania” ideas on the Kosovo political scene.

Milivojevic opined that Haradinaj confirmed Kosovo statehood has failed, and somehow announced a radicalization approach, at least when it comes to his political party.

Milivojevic warned that similar ideas could be expected from Kurti, but also others. 

Vucic announces massive vaccination program, Kosovo Serbs via “hybrid system”, Serbia ready to assist K-Albanians as well (KoSSev)

Serbia launched a mass Covid-19 vaccination program today. Immunization checkpoints are being opened in municipalities throughout Serbia. President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic announced today that Kosovo Serbs would be also vaccinated through the usage of a “hybrid manner” – both in Kosovo where applicable and central Serbia, KoSSev portal reports.

Serbia will find a way to vaccinate Kosovo Serbs and is ready to support Albanians as much as it can, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic said today, without presenting further details though.

“Ordinary people do not understand the ways we must contrive and the things we must do. Starting from the fact they (Kosovo authorities) issued a red notice for the apprehension and arrest of our people, we learned at the same time when those notices were issued, so we kept people out to avoid arrest, we put drugs, vaccines, we put away everything else so that they could not destroy them”, Vucic said.

Speaking about the backlash from Pristina to Serbia sending coronavirus vaccines to the north of Kosovo and launching the vaccination program, he recalled that the location where the vaccines were stored was changed due to announcements from Pristina that the vaccines might be confiscated.

Vucic also claimed that if the vaccines had come into the possession of the Pristina authorities, they would have been destroyed.

Speaking of the mass vaccination of Kosovo Serbs, the Serbian President announced that a “hybrid system” would be used, whereby a part of the population from the north of Kosovo will be vaccinated in these municipalities and the other part in Raska.

“Some people from Kosovsko Pomoravlje will be vaccinated in Bujanovac and Vranje. We will see where we will vaccinate people from Sirinicka Zupa, Strpce, Metohija, Gracanica, and the surrounding places“, he noted, adding that a special part of the operational headquarters will work on this along with the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

“We will take care of our people in Kosovo. Of course, we will do so without endangering anyone and always ready to help the Albanians and none of that will be influenced by ethnicity. Just as Kosovo is an independent state for them, Kosovo is part of the Republic of Serbia for us”, Vucic underlined.

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

Serbian PM says a million doses of vaccine delivered, six million more on the way (N1, BETA)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday that Serbian has received more than a million doses of coronavirus vaccines so far and has secured more than six million additional doses, N1 reports.

She told a meeting of the state leadership and the government vaccination team that a total of 1,054,950 doses of vaccine had been delivered and that the government made advance payments for another six million doses. She said the new inoculation tracking system could monitor everything from the moment the vaccines arrive to the moment that the entire population is inoculated. “The challenge lies in administering the vaccines, vaccinating as many people as possible. This system allows us to monitor everything”, she said.

Brnabic also said the mass vaccination starts on Tuesday with the police, military and other security services getting inoculated first. She said that goal is to vaccinate as many people as possible as soon as possible to achieve collective immunity in the shortest possible time. She appealed to the public to register for vaccination.

Arlov is seeking assistance from international representatives due to ban to enter Kosovo (Radio kontakt plus)

President of the Committee for Assistance of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija from Banja Luka (Republic of Srpska, B&H), Milorad Arlov, addressed international representatives today through his lawyer Dejan A. Vasic in order to overcome the problems related to the ban on entering Kosovo, Radio kontakt plus reports.

Arlov and his representative sent a letter to the embassies of the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany,  Republic of France, United Kingdom, Republic of Turkey, Kingdom of Sweden, Republic of Italy, and Russian Federation Representative Office in Pristina.

Arlov stated that the ban on entering Kosovo deprived him of the right to work and freedom of movement, and that such actions of Kosovo police endangered the program of assistance to children of all nationalities, as well as the construction of shelters for children with disabilities.

“I appeal to international representatives to use their authority to protect my democratic and human right to come to Kosovo and continue my exclusively humanitarian mission”, Arlov said.

Milorad Arlov’s lawyer, Dejan A. Vasic, said that he expected the support of international representatives regarding this problem.

He reminded that on two occasions he filed appeals to the director of Kosovo police against the decisions of the border police, but that, despite the legal deadlines, no decision was made.

“Also, with the appeal, I submitted a copy of the petition signed by over 3,500 citizens from all parts of Kosovo, with the support of Mr. Arlov. I expect that the international community, through its representatives, will influence this problem to be overcome, so that Milorad Arlov will be allowed to enter Kosovo”, Vasic underlined.

Former deputy of Marko Djuric appointed Consul General in Chicago (Kosovo-online)

Damjan Jovic, deputy of former Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director and current ambassador to the United States, Marko Djuric, has been appointed Consul General in Chicago, Kosovo-online portal reports citing Belgrade-based daily Blic.

Thus, according to Blic, part of the team from the Office for Kosovo and Metohija is moving to important diplomatic duties in the United States, since Marko Djuric recently took over the diplomatic duty there.

“Damjan Jovic was one of Djuric’s close associates, so it is no wonder it was decided to appoint him as Consul General of one of the strongest consulates, and thus again in Djuric’s team”, an unnamed source told Blic.

“Jovic was one of the officials who was with Marko Djuric in Mitrovica North in 2018, when members of ROSU special units had kidnapped and beaten Djuric, and then transferred him to Pristina, after which he was sent to  Merdare administrative crossing, where he was taken over by Serbian police”, the article further said.  

Jovic was a member of the negotiating team for Serbia’s accession to the European Union in September 2015, and Deputy Director of the Offices for Kosovo and Metohija. He worked in the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic of Serbia, as well as in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the position of Assistant Minister.

Drecun: Pristina and Tirana work together on “Greater Albania” project (Kosovo Online)

The President of the Serbia’s Assembly Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, Milovan Drecun, told portal Kosovo Online that Ramush Haradinaj said what was the long-term strategic goal, not only of the Albanian political parties in Kosovo, but also of the Republic of Albania, and that it  was the project of creation of “Greater Albania”, reports portal Kosovo Online.

“Haradinaj dared, now probably because of the political needs he has due to the upcoming elections, to publicly say what others think and want. If we keep in mind that Albin Kurti and Self-Determination also advocate the creation of a greater Albania, then the situation is very clear and what Haradinaj has said now indicates the degree of danger to stability in the region from great-Albanian action,” Drecun told Kosovo Online. 

He pointed out that it also represents a threat of a general war in the Balkans, because Greater Albania includes, in addition to parts of the territory of Serbia, also parts of Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Greece.

“If a referendum and the formal proclamation of the unification of Kosovo and Albania take place, then Albanians in other countries would be strongly encouraged to take the same path. And that is a real danger for the region. The threat is very serious because it is not just a campaign story but is being systematically worked on,” he emphasized.

Drecun also pointed out that this shows why the talks between Belgrade and Pristina were unsuccessful and why Pristina was afraid of the creation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities.

“This shows us that Pristina will try to get possible recognition from Belgrade in the coming period, but that they are not interested in any compromise solution and reaching a final agreement, but that their path is directed in another direction, and that is the unification with Albania. It shows through the steps of the past years that Pristina and Tirana have taken in all fields, both politically and economically, to the point that they have some kind of joint diplomatic missions and that they talked about the fact that they need one president,” Drecun said.

Drecun says that when one add an attempt to drag the south of central Serbia, the area of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, into talks between Belgrade and Pristina, and to make a possible agreement in Brussels conditional on resolving issues of ”the Presevo Valley”, then according to him, it is the goal of ”unification of all Albanian ethnic territories”, which was the goal and of the KLA and its former member Haradinaj, reports Kosovo Online.

Humanitarian/Development

EU securing more financial support for migration management in Serbia (N1)

The European Union has secured another EUR 13 million to support Serbia’s efforts at managing migrations in 2021, the Belgrade-based EU Info Center said Tuesday, N1 reports.

A press release recalled that the EU has donated 130 million Euro to help Serbian state institutions manage migrations and to support migrants in the past six years when the number of migrants increased. The EU support helped Serbia implement a comprehensive approach to the problem including housing and food for migrants, medical and other services for refugees through the Ministries of Health and Education as well as reinforced border management.

The current EU support to migration management in Serbia has proved to be a crucial and sustainable program during the coronavirus pandemic when the number of housed migrants was more than 9,000 at times, the press release said.

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