• COVID-19: 597 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• Turkey condemns opening of Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem (media)
• Lumir Abdixhiku elected new leader of LDK (media)
• Abdixhiku receives congratulations on his election (media)
• Abdixhiku will not be attending Kurti, Osmani’s meeting today (media)
• EP report identifies obstacles to a Kosovo-Serbia agreement (RTK/Zeri)
• COVID-19: Kosovo remains without any printed newspaper (RFE)
• At Kosovo Monastery, Nationalist Clamor Disturbs the Peace (NYT)
• In Mitrovica, a bridge that separates Kosovo’s Albanians and Serbs (euronews)
• Balkan States Under Pressure to Prosecute Financiers of Terrorism (BIRN)

COVID-19: 597 new cases, nine deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 597 new cases of COVID-19 and nine deaths in the last 24 hours. 304 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 11,860 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Kosovo opens embassy in Jerusalem (media)

Kosovo officially opened embassy in Jerusalem following the establishment of diplomatic relations last month.

In a press release, Kosovo’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora said the opening of the embassy is based on the Washington Agreement of September 2020 which formalises the mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel and that representatives of the Kosovo government were unable to take pare at the unveiling of the embassy’s’ plaque due to the pandemic situation. Instead, the Ministry has authorised the Charge d’Affaires Ines Demiri to place the plaque unveiled by the Israeli FM Gabriel Ashkenazi together with the Kosovo flag at the embassy building.

“The Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Jerusalem will be strongly committed to increase bilateral cooperation and strengthen the international subjectivity of the state of Kosovo.”

Kosovo’s outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Besnik Tahiri meanwhile said at a press conference on Sunday that the recognition of Kosovo by Israel and the opening of the embassy in Jerusalem are major developments in the recent years. “Deputy Prime Minister Tahiri said that establishment of diplomatic relations has been achieved after many consultations with the Israeli Government, the Trump Administration and the new Biden Administration,” a statement posted by the Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry on social media states.

Outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said opening of embassy in Jerusalem is the right decision. “There were dilemmas but the importance of the agreement is being confirmed by the day,” Hoti said in reference to the Washington agreement he signed.

On Twitter, Kosovo’s Charge d’Affaires Ines Demiri welcomed the opening of the embassy calling it a historic moment. “The greatest honour of my life is to have this opportunity to open the Embassy and proudly serve my country in Israel,” she wrote.

Former Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla commented on the justification provided by the ministry for not being able to have anyone present at the unveiling of the embassy’s plaque in Jerusalem. “Although slanderers prevented me from crowning this work with my planned presence today in Jerusalem, I am very happy that despite enormous challenges internally and externally, this achievement was concluded by opening a new horizon for our Kosovo,” she wrote.

Acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj said that the outgoing and the incoming government of Kosovo lacks determination and experience to mark the opening of the embassy in Israel while the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj said the opening of the embassy opens a new chapter in relations between the two peoples.

Kosovo Security Force meanwhile said on Twitter that the opening of the embassy would be followed by the establishment of military relations with Israel. “Great development for Kosovo and Israel,” it added.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said it “warmly welcomes the opening of the Embassy of Kosovo in Jerusalem today, a natural development of the relations and a realization of the Washington agreement.”

Former U.S. presidential envoy Richard Grenell also welcomed the opening of the Kosovo’s Embassy in Jerusalem calling it a historic and beautiful moment. “I can’t wait to see it in person,” he commented on Twitter.

International media have also reported on Kosovo’s embassy opening in Jerusalem. AP writes that Kosovo becomes the first European country and Muslim-majority one to establish its embassy in Jerusalem, following the U.S. and Guatemala. “Kosovo’s decision was taken when outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti met with Serb President Aleksandar Vucic at the White House in September with then-President Donald Trump.” Reuters highlighted the same aspect: Kosovo opened its embassy to Israel in Jerusalem on Sunday, joining the United States and Guatemala as the only countries with embassies in a city whose status is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it reported. The Guardian also underlined that Kosovo is the first Muslim-majority territory to recognise the Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The Ankara-based news outlet, Anadolu Agency, meanwhile noted that in a controversial move, Kosovo on Sunday announced it had opened an embassy to Israel in the flashpoint city of Jerusalem.

Turkey condemns opening of Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem (media)

Turkey has strongly condemned the decision of Kosovo to open embassy in Jerusalem calling it ‘unfortunate’.

In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said: “This decision taken by the leaders of a nation who have endured great sufferings to gain their independence is extremely unfortunate, as it disregards the plight of the Palestinian people, who have been under occupation for decades and subjected to serious human rights violations.

“By acting so, Kosovar leaders have violated the established parameters of the peace process, including the relevant United Nations resolutions on the status of Jerusalem, and damaged the vision of a two-state solution as well as the prospects for peace in the region.”

Turkey further urged Kosovo leaders to, as it said, use common sense and reverse the decision recalling that Turkey was one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo as an independent country in 20008.

Lumir Abdixhiku elected new leader of LDK (media)

Delegates of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Assembly elected yesterday Lumir Abdixhiku as the party leader.

Abdixhiku, Infrastructure Minister during the previous government led by Albin Kurti, said that he was honoured to have been elected to the post and that he was aware of the challenges ahead. He said the electoral process in LDK set a new standard in the Kosovo’s political scene.

“Today we are opening a new page with goals and objectives to return the LDK to its rightful place in the Kosovo’s political scene. The road ahead is not easy but it must be successful and right. The road ahead requires mobilisation of the brightest minds we have among us. The road ahead requires the return of LDK supporters who have timely parted ways with us. The road ahead requires opening up to the brightest minds of the country who see the LDK and its idea as their original conviction,” Abdixhiku wrote on Facebook upon election.

Abdixhiku’s three other counter candidates congratulated him on election and pledged to support him in the new post. Abdixhiku received 191 votes of a total of 328 LDK party delegates while Lutfi Haziri received 110. Besian Mustafa received a dozen of votes while the fourth candidate, Anton Quni, announced he was withdrawing his candidacy before the start of the assembly.

Several media outlets publish the profile of the new LDK leader highlighting that he holds a PhD in economics and is the youngest leader the party has elected. They also note that he joined the LDK in 2017.

The Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) has changed its leadership sending to retirement the old guard. As of today, the new chairman of the oldest political party in Kosovo is Lumir Abdixhiku, Gazeta Express writes.  It adds: “Despite rumours of Abvdixhiku’s close relations with former LDK head Isa Mustafa, recently at least publicly, Abdixhiku was against decisions of the party’s leadership. He even refused to take a ministerial post in the LDK led Government, after LDK initiated a no confidence motion in Albin Kurti’s Government in March 2020.” Klan Kosova reports that Abdixhiku, 38, is known for being close to the previous LDK leader, Isa Mustafa, and that he won the post less than four years after joining the party. It also notes that he was the ninth most voted candidate in 2019 elections.

The first decision Abdixhiku took after being elected to the post is declaring Isa Mustafa an honorary leader of the party.

Abdixhiku receives congratulations on his election (media)

Kosovo’s political leaders have congratulated Lumir Abdixhiku on being elected leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK).

Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetevendosje Movement, said in a congratulatory message on social media that it is the common interest of every citizen of Kosovo to have political parties move toward internal democratisation and see cooperation between the government and opposition. “On my part, the readiness and correctness for cooperation in the interest of the country and in accordance to the verdict the citizens gave in February 14 elections will never be absent. We all can give more for Kosovo and no one can any longer deny this right to anyone else,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Abdixhiku sent out appreciations to all the leaders that congratulated him on assuming the new post including outgoing Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, acting President Vjosa Osmani, Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj, Prishtina Mayor Shpend Ahmeti.

Abdixhiku said he also received congratulations from the Democratic Party of Albania Lulzim Basha and former President Sali Berisha as well as officials of the European People’s Parties and members of the diplomatic corps.

Abdixhiku will not be attending Kurti, Osmani’s meeting today (media)

Newly elected leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lumir Abdixhiku said he will not be able to attend today’s consultative meeting with election winners, Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani.

“I am unable to go to tomorrow’s meeting due to the consolidation of our party bodies. I propose Friday as the day for possible meeting in the same format as proposed,” Abdixhiku said Sunday.

Kurti and Osmani have sent invitations to political leaders to meet today and discuss steps towards formation of new institutions.

EP report identifies obstacles to a Kosovo-Serbia agreement (RTK/Zeri)

An internal document of the European Parliament is said to have concluded that the road to a comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia is full of obstacles and that the reasons include not only internal situation concerning the two parties but also unclear expectations from the agreement, Belgrade news agency BETA initially reported.

The lack of progress in the negotiations is a result of the lack of harmonisation and communication between the United States and European Union, the report further noted. “While the end goal for Kosovo is clear and that is that Serbia should recognise Kosovo’s statehood, Serbia interprets normalisation of relations as ‘economic regulation’ and for this reason it has very little space to move beyond this.”

The report also notes that Serbia insists the whole process should not exceed provisions of its Constitution as well as those set out by the UN SC resolution 1244. It underlines that the most sensitive issue, that of establishing the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, is proof that challenges are deeply entrenched in history and have a much broader regional context.

COVID-19: Kosovo remains without any printed newspaper (RFE)

Four daily newspapers that were printed in Kosovo before the COVID-19 pandemic – Koha Ditore, Epoka e Re, Zeri, Bota Sot – have discontinued printing following the lockdown last March and never resumed the activity, RFE reports.

Imer Mushkolaj from the Kosovo’s Print Media Council said the decision of the papers to continue their activity online is also due to financial reasons. “The pandemic gave a final blow to the printing of papers because the cost of print on one hand and the not so high circulation numbers, the low financial profit from their sales, are the main reasons behind such a development. Once the pandemic ends, it will be difficult for these papers to resume printing as this would be impossible without some sort of financial support from the institutions,” Mushkolaj said.

At Kosovo Monastery, Nationalist Clamor Disturbs the Peace (NYT)

Inside the walls of Father Sava Janjic’s 14th-century monastery reign silence and calm, interrupted by the occasional soft footfall of the few monks remaining in this revered outpost of the Serbian Orthodox Church in a hostile western Kosovo.

But outside the Visoki Decani Monastery, which is still protected by NATO troops more than two decades after war in the Balkans ended, is the persistent clamor of what Father Sava calls a “rabid nationalism” directed at him from all sides.

“This might be a sign that I am not wrong, that I am not on the bad side,” said the 56-year-old abbot, dressed in a long black cassock, standing near the altar of his monastery’s medieval stone church. “I’m now attacked by extremists on all sides.”

See more at: https://nyti.ms/2OvNwDB

In Mitrovica, a bridge that separates Kosovo’s Albanians and Serbs (euronews)

It has been two decades since Serbs and Albanians stopped fighting in northern Kosovo, but relations between the two communities remain strained to this day. In Mitrovica, the bridge over the river Ibar is a testament to that divide, separating the two communities – often literally – from each other, writes Ian Bancroft in his book, Dragon’s Teeth: Tales from North Kosovo.

Tasked with its revitalisation in 2001, French engineers and an equal number of local Serb and Albanian workers—whose names are etched into a plaque erected at the bridge’s central point: Murat, Milan, Pierre, Jean, Bertrand, Marko, and Ismet, to list but a few—inverted Paris’s own Austerlitz Bridge; placing the arches on instead of beneath the bridge, before turning them outwards up-and down-stream to resemble a roller-coaster.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3vonUt0

Balkan States Under Pressure to Prosecute Financiers of Terrorism (BIRN)

Since hundreds of Balkan extremists went abroad to fight for Islamic State and other militant groups, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia have come under increased international pressure to clamp down on the financing of terrorism.

Military uniforms, rifle scopes, combat boots, tactical gear, firearms accessories and range finders: these were just some of the items that were bought with money that Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, a man from Bosnia and Herzegovina who was living in the United States, was convicting of raising for terrorist fighters in the Middle East.

A US court sentenced Hodzic to eight years in prison, to be followed by deportation to Bosnia, for “conspiring to provide material support to terrorists”. The indictment also said that he transferred money to other individuals in two Bosnian towns and in Montenegro to support the families of people fighting in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere – but no one in Bosnia or Montenegro was ever prosecuted for these transfers.

Although hundreds of people from the Western Balkans went to join the so-called Islamic State’s brutal armed campaign to create a ‘caliphate’ in the Middle East, and around 100 of them were convicted of terrorism for going to fight abroad, only five people have so far been found guilty of charges of financing terrorism – one in Albania and four in Serbia.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3eIqSCD