Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 714 new cases, 15 deaths (media)
• Zemaj argues against lockdown, “economic and mental consequences” (RTK)
• Gerxhaliu: Lockdown is not a solution; a comprehensive fund is needed (EO)
• Kosovo MP urges Albania to offer his country COVID vaccines (BIRN)
• “Around 8,000 businesses closed today, we’ll protest after April 18” (Koha)
• After formation of institutions, Kosovo is asked to focus on the dialogue (Kallxo)
• Why do Kosovo citizens still see Serbia as the country’s biggest threat? (BIRN)
• PM Kurti meets COMKFOR Federici (media)
• AAK asks government to review law on salaries (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• 29 cases of Covid-19, one death registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Belgrade asks UNMIK to remain committed to UN Resolution 1244 implementation (N1)
• Dacic: Belgrade-Pristina dialogue doesn’t depend on Kurti and Osmani (Kosovo-online)
• Rakic and Davenport on political situation, security and pandemic (Kontakt plus radio)
• Bocan-Harchenko: Russia has opportunities to influence the issue of Kosovo even without participating in the dialogue (Kosovo Online, Sputnik)
• Jovanovic: Genuine negotiations on Kosovo when West accepts fact that experiment has failed (Kosovo-online)
• EU still without date for continuation of dialogue (Tanjug)

Opinion:

• Crumbs of the government recovery package (Kosovo 2.0)
• Who runs Kosovo’s Public Sphere: Citizens or ‘Balkan Experts’? (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Kosovo: the lost battle against corruption (balcanicaucaso.org)
• Governments In Europe, Central Asia Used Pandemic To Clamp Down On Human Rights, Amnesty Says (RFE)

Humanitarian/Development:

• WHO urges countries to build a fairer, healthier world post COVID-19 (who.int)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 714 new cases, 15 deaths (media)

714 new cases of COVID-19 and 15 deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 788 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 14,862 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo. 

Zemaj argues against lockdown, “economic and mental consequences” (RTK)

Armend Zemaj, former Minister of Health, said that the new lockdown introduced by the Kosovo Government is not the right solution and that it will have grave economic and mental consequences. “Our policy was a strict monitoring of restrictive measures and increased monitoring capacities. We worked very hard, but we never allowed a lockdown,” he said.

Gerxhaliu: Lockdown is not a solution; a comprehensive fund is needed (EO)

Safet Gerxhaliu, former chairman of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with the news website that the lockdown is not a solution and that an economic recovery package is needed to help save businesses that are battling the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is good that Kosovo finally has stable institutions from the votes of the people. I also want to believe that the decision [on new restrictive measures] was made based on analysis and in cooperation with the business community. I think there should be a recovery package. The impact of the lockdown is going to be evident. But I want to believe that other options too must be explored because the lockdown cannot solve Kosovo’s problems,” he said.

Gerxhaliu also said that Kosovo needs to have a comprehensive fund that would come to the aid of all sectors. “A comprehensive fund is needed that will support the gastronomy, hotels and public transport. Kosovo needs a financial infusion as aid for the private sector because very little has been done so far and I cannot agree with the estimates of the World Bank that Kosovo will have a 4 percent economic growth in 2021. Kosovo is going to need two years to recover. Kosovo needs concrete and comprehensive aid,” he added.

Kosovo MP urges Albania to offer his country COVID vaccines (BIRN)

As vaccination in Kosovo proceeds at a snail’s pace, an opposition MP has called on Albania’s Prime Minister to help out by opening vaccination centres for Kosovo citizens in Albania.

An opposition Kosovo MP has called on the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to open vaccination centres for Kosovo citizens at a time when Kosovo has one the lowest COVID vaccination rates in Europe.

“I want to be vaccinated with any vaccine that my Albanian compatriots are being vaccinated with. And like me, there are many in Kosovo [who want it],” Xhavit Haliti, an MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, said on Tuesday on Facebook.

His call comes two days after Kosovo’s new Minister of Health, Arben Vitia, said the Kosovo authorities had turned down an offer from Albania to vaccinate Kosovo teachers.

Kosovo has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Europe, with only 24,000 doses received so far via the COVAX mechanism. These are being used for health workers and for people over 80. The government says it is trying to purchase other vaccines.

In recent weeks, Albania has turned its attention to Russian vaccines, with PM Rama announcing on April 5 that he had reached an agreement to obtain 50,000 more doses of Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, two weeks after receiving a donation of the same from the United Arab Emirates, UAE.

Minister Vitia confirmed that Kosovo had received a “generous” offer from Albania’s Prime Minister to vaccinate teachers, weeks after around 500 Kosovo healthcare workers were vaccinated in Albania. But he cited legal constraints behind the refusal.

“Unfortunately, Albania has run out of Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines so there are only the [Chinese-made] Sinovac. Even if we would like to, laws prohibit us from importing products that are not registered by EMA [European Medicine Agency],” Vitia added.

PDK MP Haliti was not convinced by this justification, and blamed the lack of vaccines in Kosovo on “negligence from institutions”.

“Act as soon as possible, like you did with healthcare workers, to save people’s lives. Help us to get through this challenge which has hit humanity,” Haliti wrote to Rama.

“Around 8,000 businesses closed today, we’ll protest after April 18” (Koha)

Kosovo Chamber of Hospitality and Tourism chairman Hysen Sogojeva said today that around 8,000 businesses in Kosovo have closed on Wednesday and are now working only with take away following the government’s new measures against the spread of COVID-19. He argued that no one in the gastronomy sector was consulted before the new restrictive measures were introduced. Sogojeva warned that if they are not allowed to resume their activities after April 18, they will organise protests.

After formation of institutions, Kosovo is asked to focus on the dialogue (Kallxo)

After the formation of new institutions following the February 14 parliamentary elections, Kosovo is asked to focus on resuming the dialogue for the normalisation of relations with Serbia. The European Union has not said when the process of talks is expected to continue. A spokesperson for the EU told the news website that they will announce a new meeting when the time is right. “We welcome the election of the new President of Kosovo and we extend our congratulations to Vjosa Osmani. We welcome the constructive engagement of a number of opposition MPs that helped the conclusion of the election process,” the spokesperson said in the reply. “Kosovo can now focus on the important tasks ahead, by promoting the EU-related reforms and the EU-facilitated dialogue”.

Why do Kosovo citizens still see Serbia as the country’s biggest threat? (BIRN)

Although a military confrontation seems unlikely, a recent survey in Kosovo showed that most respondents still consider Serbia as the country’s leading danger to national security – and their concerns are far from irrational.

Kosovo citizens continue to consider Serbia the main external threat to the country’s national security, a fact confirmed once again by the latest edition of the Kosovo Centre for Security Studies’ Security Barometer survey. 

In an open-ended question, more than 44 percent of respondents singled out Serbia as the main national security threat, followed in second place by other malign foreign influences. 

Similar results emerged when respondents were asked specifically about how they consider Serbia’s influence over Kosovo, with 89 percent describing it as ‘very negative.’ Only three percent of respondents felt Serbia’s influence was positive. 

Although qualitative analysis reveals that Serbia is not an imminent security threat to Kosovo militarily, considering the presence of NATO Kosovo Forces (KFOR), the prevailing public concerns towards Serbia are not ungrounded. Many Kosovo citizens still vividly remember the role of Serbia during the 1990s, including both the events leading up to the Kosovo war and the war itself. 

However, it is also Serbia’s ongoing behaviour on both the diplomatic and political fronts that continue to create a significant degree of insecurity amongst Kosovars.

Read full article at: https://bit.ly/39S76Bz

PM Kurti meets COMKFOR Federici (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Defense Minister Armend Mehaj met today in Prishtina with COMKFOR Major General Franco Federici. The latter congratulated Kurti on the post and confirmed his readiness to further cooperation between the Kosovo Government and KFOR in the service of all Kosovo’s citizens.

Kurti thanked Federici for the work, role and importance of KFOR in Kosovo, adding that inter-institutional cooperation is very much necessary between the government and KFOR in maintaining security in Kosovo.

Kurti also briefed Federici on the new measures against COVID-19 and the engagement of all institutions to secure new doses of anti COVID vaccines.

AAK asks government to review law on salaries (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj said today that the Kurti-led government should include budgeting for the law on salaries and asked the government to review the law. “The law on salaries is a basic law on which we have worked for over 10 years. We managed to adopt it in the government. At the time our focus was on the doctors, police and other officials. We call on the government to review the law, amend it and send it to parliament for voting … The government is in its first days now and it is important that they address certain issues. We are aiding the government in this respect. The law on salaries is very important and we are glad that the government has a solid majority and we think they can close this matter. There are also other issues for which we can help the government given the grave situation with the coronavirus pandemic,” Haradinaj told a press conference in Prishtina today.

Serbian Language Media

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

Out of 67 tested samples over the last 24 hours, 29 were positive for Covid-19, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, KoSSev portal reports.

One person from Mitrovica North passed away.

The breakdown of the cases is as follows: ten in Leposavic, five each in Zvecan and Zubin Potok, four in Mitrovica North, two in Gracanica, and one each in Strpce, Lipljan and Priluzje.

Total number of active cases of Covid-19 in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo is 768.

A total of 132 persons died in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo due to Covid-19 related complications since the outbreak of the pandemic. 

Gracanica: 10 people tested positive for coronavirus

In the area of the municipality of Gracanica, in the past 24 hours, Covid-19 was confirmed in 10 more people, the Crisis Staff announced.

At the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Laplje Selo, 34 patients were hospitalized.

It is added that with 10 new cases, the total number of coronavirus positives since the beginning of the pandemic is 790, reported KiM radio.

Belgrade asks UNMIK to remain committed to UN Resolution 1244 implementation (N1)

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic told on Tuesday Mari Yamashita, UN Secretary-General’s Representative, Head of the UN Office in Belgrade, that the UN was the most important international organisation for his country and called on its UNMIK mission to remain committed to the implementation of the Resolution 1244 on Kosovo, N1 reports.

He added that the UN’s Office in Belgrade was of great significance since it was the main communication channel with UNMIK in Kosovo.

Selakovic said he expected UNMIK to remain in Kosovo with an unchanged mandate regarding Resolution 1244.

The Resolution was passed after the NATO bombing of the then Yugoslavia over what it said aimed at preventing a humanitarian catastrophe due to Belgrade oppression of Kosovo Albanians, and the following agreement which resulted in the withdrawal of the country’s armed forces from Kosovo. It remains neutral regarding the final status of Kosovo, N1 recalled.

See at: https://bit.ly/3fTi9y3

Dacic: Belgrade-Pristina dialogue doesn’t depend on Kurti and Osmani (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic said the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue doesn’t depend on Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, because for them it goes without saying that Serbia ought to recognize Kosovo, Kosovo-online reports citing Belgrade-based N1.

“What kind of dialogue is that, if they do not recognize the Brussels agreement?”, Dacic said. 

Rakic and Davenport on political situation, security and pandemic (Kontakt plus radio)

Minister for Communities and Returns Goran Rakic met yesterday Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Michael Davenport and discussed political situation, security of the non-majority communities with particular emphasizes on returnees’ sites, protection and promotion of their rights, as well as Covid-19 pandemic situation, Konakt plus radio reports.

As the Ministry for Communities and Returns said in a statement, the interlocutors agreed a dedicated work must be done in order to improve the lives of all communities in Kosovo, adding this must be the goal of all institutions.

As far as security nn returnees’ sites is concerned it was emphasized that returnees are the most vulnerable group and a special attention must be paid to their protection and providing a safe environment, the statement added.

They also pointed out it was very important to follow the recommendations of the professionals, when it comes to the Covid-19 pandemic, “as this way only can we have a more favorable epidemiological situation”.

Bocan-Harchenko: Russia has opportunities to influence the issue of Kosovo even without participating in the dialogue (Kosovo Online, Sputnik)

The news published by the Albanian Post that the representative of Russia will attend the meeting of the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina in Paris, seems as a fabrication to the Russian ambassador in Belgrade Alexander Bocan-Harchenko. He said that Russia has the possibility to influence the Kosovo issue without participating in the dialogue and added that it was ready to consider joining the process, if Belgrade was interested, reported portal Kosovo online, quoting Sputnik.

According to unofficial information from the Albanian Post, the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina, led by Aleksandar Vucic and Albin Kurti, will meet in September in Paris in the presence of French President Emanuel Macron and representatives of the USA and Russia.

“I do not know about such information, it seems to me as a fabrication, but Russia is already involved in the process as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and it is known that any solution to the Kosovo problem is possible only in the Security Council and under its auspices,” Bocan-Kharchenko, Russian Ambassador to Belgrade told Sputnik. 

He reiterated Moscow’s position that a possible solution could be within the framework of what was acceptable for Belgrade, and reminded that both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have repeatedly said that Russia could only support a solution that meets the interests of Serbia and the international law. 

“As for the dialogue, I have not even heard that a meeting has already been scheduled within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,” Bocan-Harchenko said, and noted that Russia believed that there was no alternative to dialogue, but also there was no alternative to fulfilling of the agreed.

The institutions in Pristina, the Russian ambassador explicitly stated, must fulfill what was agreed in Brussels and all the solutions concerning the position of Serbs in Kosovo.

“Of course, the dialogue can function only with the necessary pressure on Pristina, and not only on Belgrade, from which they are asking recognition of Kosovo’s independence, which is neither acceptable for Belgrade, nor can it be a solution for Kosovo,” Bocan-Harchenko was convinced.

Asked about the possible inclusion of the US in the dialogue, since the information of the Albanian newspaper also mentions the presence of the American representative, the Russian ambassador said that he had not heard that the United States had serious intentions to be included in the dialogue but that based on statements by EU mediator Miroslav Lajcak and other officials, it was clear that there was a greater understanding between the EU and the US on the Kosovo issue, portal Kosovo Online quoted. 

He reminded that the dialogue received the support of the UN General Assembly and that, since it was led by the EU, the international community should keep that fact in mind.

“As far as Russia is concerned, we are always ready to support the solution, and if Belgrade has an interest in including Russia, we are ready to consider it. In any case, Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and without participating in this dialogue, has a lot of opportunities to be present and to have an influence on the issue of Kosovo and the region, as well as all other international issues,” Bocan-Harchenko concluded.

Jovanovic: Genuine negotiations on Kosovo when West accepts fact that experiment has failed (Kosovo-online)

Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) Foreign Affairs Minister Vladislav Jovanovic told Kosovo-online portal speculations carried by some Albanian media that Russian representative would take part in a meeting of Belgrade and Pristina delegations in Paris, probably came out of earlier initiative of the French President Emanuel Macron for the meeting regarding Kosovo.

“I think it was planned for Kosovo President and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to be there, however this meeting didn’t take place, and it was possible that this has caused speculations Russians could be invited there. Macron at that time was somehow closer in his contacts with Russians, than he is now, however, I do not believe the moment was ripe for Russia to get involved”, Jovanovic said.

He added Russian stance is principled; they support the dialogue and everything Serbia would agree with.

“But at the same time, in parallel, they emphasize significance and importance of the Resolution 1244 that provides Russia and China with a final say at the Security Council. I think this is not by chance, and it is somehow to withhold some opinions in Serbia that the future compromise could be something smaller than Resolution 1244”, he said. 

According to him, with the arrival of the new US administration the situation with Kosovo is warming up, in particular with first announced signals that the US could be even more energetic in the attempt to impose ‘a fait accompli’ in Kosovo, in particular to Serbia and then to the Security Council members.

“The question remains if such a political offensive could be met with appropriate acceptance in Serbia, which is hard to believe, and even less that it could remove the crucial obstacle at the Security Council and make Russia and China accept it”.

He added he doesn’t predict any changes in the final goals achievable in the current or upcoming political activities of the West towards Serbia in relation with Kosovo.

“It could be some sort of introduction, perhaps followed by genuine negotiations that would also mark an end to the maximalist expectations of the US regarding Kosovo and bring back the Kosovo issue into realistic frameworks. To say that the experiment of turning a national minority into a state doesn’t function, it has failed and we should return to the realistic, principled and acceptable solutions to the international community and Serbia”, Jovanovic concluded. 

EU still without date for continuation of dialogue (Tanjug)

The European Union as a chief mediator in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, even after establishment of the government in Pristina, can’t say the timeframe in which continuation of negotiations is expected, Tanjug news agency learns in Brussels.

European sources close to the dialogue process said the continuation of the dialogue primarily depends on the “readiness of both sides”, with assessment that newly elected Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “plays a strange game”.

“Kurti’s public messages are somehow in contradiction with awareness on the importance of dialogue continuation voiced during his contacts with EU officials”, diplomatic sources told Tanjug.

During the visit of the EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina talks Miroslav Lajcak, it was announced the dialogue shall continue “in April or May, or immediately upon establishment of the government in Pristina”.

Although Tanjug continues, institutions in Pristina have been established, at this moment it is almost certain continuation of the dialogue in Brussels wouldn’t happen before May, while later dates are under question mark as well.

On the other side, readiness of Belgrade to continue the dialogue, the EU should support with new impetus on the Euro-integration path, most probably by scheduling a new intergovernmental EU-Serbia conference.

“This way it would be made clear to Pristina that Belgrade would progress, while they, unless they demonstrate a genuine willingness for the dialogue would remain blocked on their EU’s path”, the sources in Brussels said.

It was also added, the EU expects that the public in Kosovo understands the message on the importance of dialogue with Belgrade for the progress of entire society and exerts pressure on their elected representatives in Pristina to start fulfilling demands of their citizens for the better European future.

Opinion

Crumbs of the government recovery package (Kosovo 2.0)

Women, youth, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians have not received adequate assistance, writes Fjolla Mucaj.

In March, 2020, it was announced that all levels of education would cease operation. The dormitories at the Prishtina Student Center, where about 4,000 students normally reside, would be emptied out.

Soon, as part of the government measures to stop the spread of COVID-19, which had just arrived in Kosovo, the dormitories were used as a quarantine center for those who entered the country from abroad.

Amid all the commotion, the dynamic of the students’ lives changed drastically.

Gazmend Qyqalla, a young Ashkali man who studies at the faculty of education of the University of Prishtina, describes himself as an extrovert who likes to spend a lot of time with people. For him, as well as for many others, immediately shifting from an interactive study dynamic with other students to complete isolation somehow caused him to lose connection with the outside world.

Shukrije Stolla, a student of elementary education, describes her emotional state during this time as “exacerbated” because of isolation, personal issues and the worsening of the economic situation. The dark thoughts that have accompanied her regarding the narrowed perspective for employment in the near future have burdened her even further.

Shukrije is only one of many young people in Kosovo — who simultaneously represent the largest population group and the one with the highest unemployment rate in the country — who are suffering consequences from the pandemic. According to an assessment by UNDP, 12% of youth between 18-24 had lost their jobs up until June 2020.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3dF3hk8

Who runs Kosovo’s Public Sphere: Citizens or ‘Balkan Experts’? (Kosovo 2.0)

CITIZEN CONCERNS ARE RARELY AT THE CENTER OF PUBLIC DEBATE.

From year to year, as the heaviest rains begin, a considerable part of Kosovo is flooded. Likewise, from year to year elections are held, since no government has so far completed its full term. But no government has ever come up with a solution to the flooding problem. Maybe it’s not such a big problem. 

The daily traffic jams leaving Prishtina in the afternoons, meaning people finishing work take up to an hour to get out of the center, are another problem. Regulating everyday traffic and stopping air pollution is not a high enough political priority for any new government. Maybe it is not a big enough problem.

There is no place in Kosovo where a human foot has stepped, and a pile of waste hasn’t been left behind. And this is one of the first things you will notice, waste everywhere you look, especially during the winter, when there is not enough greenery to at least ostensibly cover it. In and near the rivers; in streams and roads; in towns and villages. 

However, no one has seriously expected a new government to place enough containers and try to teach citizens how to use them properly — that is, to throw waste in containers and not somewhere else. We cannot talk about recycling, until we have mastered the basics of waste disposal. With the exception of the deep concern expressed during World Environment Day and in the Earth Day, communications organized by the European Union Office in Kosovo, this is also not included in the important expectations of any new government. Maybe because this is not such a big problem.

Good laws

“Kosovo has good laws, but they are not implemented to a sufficient extent.” This is a phrase that most people use with incredible ease to describe key problems on the ground. Kosovo has laws that are not implemented, but to qualify them as good laws, it would probably be good to read some of them. You will find out why you should think carefully before qualifying them as “good.”

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

International

Kosovo: the lost battle against corruption (balcanicaucaso.org)

International and local efforts to fight corruption in Kosovo need a common long-term strategy that boosts local ownership

Kosovo was ranked 104th out of 180 countries by Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index in 2020, scoring 36 out of 100. The young state has persistently scored along the margin of 33-36 for the last few years, with efforts to eradicate corruption fading away.

Although the issue of corruption has been at the core of the international community’s agenda since the early days of Kosovo’s existence as a separate polity, the issue has been overshadowed by more urgent matters. Yet, scandals involving high-ranking officials and politicians have pushed the matter up in terms of urgency. However, while locals remain reluctant to take the lead, the international community is becoming increasingly weary of the lack of progress.

See more at:https://bit.ly/3uv8Fgq

Governments In Europe, Central Asia Used Pandemic To Clamp Down On Human Rights, Amnesty Says (RFE)

Amnesty International says some measures to tackle the coronavirus pandemic have aggravated existing patterns of abuses and inequalities in Europe and Central Asia, where a number of governments used the crisis “as a smokescreen for power grabs, clampdowns on freedoms, and a pretext to ignore human rights obligations.”

Government responses to COVID-19 “exposed the human cost of social exclusion, inequality, and state overreach,” the London-based watchdog said in its annual report released on April 7.

According to the report — titled The State of the World’s Human Rights — close to half of all countries in the region have imposed states of emergency related to COVID-19, with governments restricting rights such as freedom of movement, expression, and peaceful assembly.

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

Humanitarian/Development

WHO urges countries to build a fairer, healthier world post COVID-19 (who.int)

World Health Day 2021

COVID-19 has unfairly impacted some people more harshly than others, exacerbating existing inequities in health and welfare within and between countries. For World Health Day, 7 April 2021, WHO is therefore issuing five calls for urgent action to improve health for all people.

Within countries, illness and death from COVID-19 have been higher among groups who face discrimination, poverty, social exclusion, and adverse daily living and working conditions – including humanitarian crises. The pandemic is estimated to have driven between 119 and 124 million more people into extreme poverty last year. And there is convincing evidence that it has widened gender gaps in employment, with women exiting the labour force in greater numbers than men over the past 12 months.

These inequities in people’s living conditions, health services, and access to power, money and resources are long-standing. The result: under-5 mortality rates among children from the poorest households are double that of children from the richest households. Life expectancy for people in low-income countries is 16 years lower than for people in high-income countries. For example, 9 out of 10 deaths globally from cervical cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3uxa1aO