Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 897 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• Blinken to Kurti: You will have our full support (media)
• Osmani: Dialogue with Serbia cannot have priority over vaccines (media)
• PDK criticises government: Implement law on economic recovery (media)
• Osmani holds telephone conversation with Slovenian counterpart (media)
• Minister Haxhiu meets some of the representatives of UN Organisations (media)
• EU in Kosovo congratulates Roma community in their International Day (media)
• Popovic asks Schieb to apologise about genocide remarks (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19 in Serbian municipalities: 26 new cases, two people died (KoSSev)
• Roma Day – the position of the Roma community (RTK2, KoSSev)
• Odalovic: It is good Albanians emphasize missing persons issue; we also want locations to be searched and identification of 300 bodies in Pristina
• “Continuation of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has no alternative” (RTK2)
• For one hundred days, Vucic is silent about energy system in Kosovo (BETA)
• An apology sought for the statement of the German ambassador on the bombing of the FRY (Beta, KoSSev)
• Father Sava: Decani Monastery on list of seven the most endangered sites in Europe (Kosovo-online)
• Dr Antonijevic: The epidemiological situation is better, but still serious and unfavorable (KiM radio)
• WHO and EMA on AstraZeneca: Safe vaccine (KoSSev)
• In Serbia, 1.130.000 citizens fully vaccinated (RTS)

International:

• International Roma Day: Remembering history to ensure a brighter future (CoE)
• Eyeing re-election, Albania’s Rama touts earthquake recovery effort (BIRN)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Belgrade vaccinates homeless persons (N1)

Albanian Language Media  

COVID-19: 897 new cases, 14 deaths (media)

897 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths from the virus have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 677 persons have recovered from the virus during this period. There are 15,068 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo. 

Blinken to Kurti: You will have our full support (media)

The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, sent a congratulatory letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, congratulating him and the people of Kosovo on the successful and democratic elections held on 14 February.

He wrote that the United States has welcomed the formation of the new government and expects to work closely to ensure, as he put it, that a sovereign, independent, multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo takes its place as an equal partner in the Euro-Atlantic family.

Secretary Blinken welcomed Prime Minister Kurti’s commitments to fight corruption, strengthen the rule of law and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his efforts to realize the aspirations of the people of Kosovo.

Further, in the letter, he said that securing a comprehensive normalization agreement with Serbia, focused on mutual recognition, is essential for Kosovo to reach its full potential and move forward on the path to EU membership.

You will have the full support of the United States of America in this regard, said Secretary Antony J. Blinken.

Osmani: Dialogue with Serbia cannot have priority over vaccines (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said today in a meeting with Dutch Ambassador to Kosovo, Carin Lobbezzo, that the dialogue with Serbia cannot have priority over securing vaccines against the coronavirus for the citizens of Kosovo. Osmani said the new institutions have undertaken measures to reduce the number of infected persons and to address the economic consequences from the pandemic. She also said she hopes Kosovo will not be left alone in the situation and that Kosovo’s friendly countries will support its urgent need to secure vaccines. 

PDK criticises government: Implement law on economic recovery (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) senior official Bedri Hamza said in a press conference today that the government should implement the law on economic recovery and allocate €200 million for businesses that have suffered losses during the coronavirus pandemic. He said the law was passed in December last year and that the government must start implementing it. “€30 million from the law are destined for all those that have lost their jobs. The government must implement the law. The €200 million adopted with the law should be given to the businesses,” he said.

Hamza said that the gastronomy was most affected by the pandemic and argued that the government’s new measures are not clear. “When you decide to have a lockdown, you need to tell them beforehand. Many of these businesses have food products and other products that can expire. There need to be clearer measures and the law must be implemented. I am hearing that there will be decisions for rents and salaries of businesses, but there are other losses too. There are businesses that have loans and other obligations. We will insist on the implementation of the law. We want the program to have a special program for economic recovery,” Hamza added.

Osmani holds telephone conversation with Slovenian counterpart (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani had a telephone conversation with Slovenian President Borut Pahor who congratulated Osmani on her election. Both leaders emphasised the importance of good relations between the two countries, confirming their readiness to further the relations, with special emphasis on the areas of economy and healthcare.

Osmani said the support of Kosovo’s friends is now more important than ever and discussed cooperation to secure anti COVID vaccines and exchange experiences for a successful management of the coronavirus pandemic.

Pahor invited Osmani to attend the Brdo-Brijuni Summit and Osmani invited Pahor for an official visit to the Republic of Kosovo.

Minister Haxhiu meets some of the representatives of UN Organisations (media)

Minister of Justice Mrs. Albulena Haxhiu together with the political advisor Mrs. Nazlie Bala received today in a meeting the Coordinator for Development of UN Agencies Mrs. Ulrika Richardson, Mrs. Maria Suokko – Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program, Visare Mujko, Head of the UNFPA Office and Vlora Tuzi Nushi, Head of the UNWOMEN Office in Kosovo.

In this meeting they discussed the priorities of the government for work and justice, priorities that are related to the mandate of the Ministry of Justice for legal initiatives in the areas that address the issue of vetting, crime and corruption, confiscation of unjustifiable assets, legal aid, violence domestic and gender-based violence.

In addition to issues related to the difficulties of implementing the legislation, more cooperation and coordination of activities in the field of rule of law and human rights were also discussed.

The parties expressed their willingness to increase meetings and cooperation, in particular on issues of common institutional interest.

EU in Kosovo congratulates Roma community in their International Day (media)

On the International Roma Day, the Head of the EU in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, received in a meeting the representatives of this community, MP Erxhan Galushi and the Deputy Minister for Communities and Returns, Gazmend Salijevic.

He said that this community represents an integral part of Kosovo society.

“The EU will continue to support Kosovo’s Roma, as well as all other communities, to be an inclusive part of all spheres of public life in Kosovo,” the EU Office said in a statement.

Popovic asks Schieb to apologise about genocide remarks (Koha)

The Minister for Innovation and Technological Progress in the government of Serbia, Nenad Popovic has asked the German Ambassador to Belgrade, Thomas Schieb, to apologize to the Serbian people for the statement a few days ago that the NATO intervention was necessary for stop the genocide of Albanians in Kosovo.

In a letter to the ambassador, Popovic said that “this is the peak of cynicism and the continuation of some Western countries to declare the Serbian people genocidal.”

“We ask the German ambassador to apologize if he wants to continue his work in a credible manner and the duty of his country’s diplomat in Serbia,” Popovic said, according to the Danas newspaper on Thursday.

According to the Serbian minister, “it is perfidious” that this statement comes on the 80th anniversary of the German attack on Belgrade, as he put it by “Nazi bombers”.

“I want to remind the German ambassador that the Serbian people even during the First World War suffered genocide from the Germans, they killed Serb children,” Popovic added.

Serbian Language Media

Covid-19 in Serbian municipalities: 26 new cases, two people died (KoSSev)

Out of a total of 75 tested samples in Serbian communities in Kosovo in the last 24 hours, 26 were positive for coronavirus, two people died, according to new data from the North Mitrovica Crisis Staff. 

The number of active cases is currently 757, and 35 people have come out of fourteen-day isolation.

The new patients are from Leposavic – 7, North Mitrovica – 5, Zvecan – 3 and Zubin Potok – 2. 

In central Kosovo from Strpce – 5, and in Gracanica, Gnjilane, Kamenica and Priluzje – 1 each.

So far, a total of 5,659 people tested positive for coronavirus have been registered in Serb areas in Kosovo, out of 18,457 tested samples.

In the last 24 hours, two people died from Gracanica and Priluzje, and now the total number of deaths since the beginning of the epidemic is 134.

Roma Day – the position of the Roma community (RTK2, KoSSev)

The World Roma Day is April 8. On the eve of this day, the Roma community in Kosovo, although considered a smaller community, faces a number of major problems.

The representative of the non-governmental organization “Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians”, Isak Skenderi estimates that the position of the Roma community in Kosovo is still bad, RTK2 reported.

“Unfortunately, the Roma community is still one of the most marginalized ethnic communities in Kosovo, facing a number of major and serious problems, starting with high unemployment, especially among young people, caused by low levels of education, poverty and discrimination faced by this community daily in their life, both in society and from institutions,” points Isak Skenderi.

Isak Skenderi adds that the problems of the Roma community are not only in Kosovo but everywhere in Europe.

“One of the main causes of all these problems is that anti-gypsism, that is, that specific form of racial discrimination and racism towards the Roma community. And what is expected is for the institutions to recognize that this is one of the key problems and the cause of all other problems that the community is facing, and to take concrete measures and steps in eliminating this very negative phenomenon,” concludes Isak Skenderi.

Residents of the “Roma mahala” in Gracanica also confirm that Roma live hard in Kosovo.

“I live in difficult conditions, no one else could live here. I am alone and sick; I suffer from diabetes. There is no wood, and you can see how cold it is. I can say that I miss everything: wood, coal, the house I live in is rented.”

“We don’t have a permanent job; we ask God to have mercy and that someone invites us to work something for a wage.”

World Roma Day is celebrated on April 8 with the aim of pointing out the problems of the Roma, which are the largest ethnic community in Europe.

Odalovic: It is good Albanians emphasize missing persons issue; we also want locations to be searched and identification of 300 bodies in Pristina

Chairman of the Serbian Government Missing Persons Commission, Veljko Odalovic told Kosovo-online portal it was good that Pristina representatives put an emphasize on the missing persons issue and deem it as a priority topic that needs to be resolved, adding Serbia would insist locations in Kosovo also be searched, as well as on the identification of 300 bodies still staying in a morgue in Pristina.

“At the end of last year, we announced a location we have worked on for several years and said in the presence of international and Pristina delegation representatives that we have found mortal remains on a location near Raska. Due to weather conditions it has been closed in December, and now when the weather conditions are improving we expect soon to continue working on that location (…)”, Odalovic said.

He also said all requests of the Pristina delegation about any locations are something that Serbian side is actively working on.      

“However, what concerns us is inactivity regarding our requests when it comes to the locations in Kosovo and Metohija we have been mentioning for years, and this was one of the topics we have discussed. I have insisted on the urgent meeting of the Working Group and to agree dynamics of the activities. From April to November, when weather conditions permit it to search locations that both Belgrade and Pristina insist upon”, he said.  

“Our locations are something we insist on and in a meeting of the Working Group we will request Pristina’s confirmation on what locations we will work and when. There are at least five locations (in Kosovo) we have reliable information about and they should be searched. This is something we expect Pristina to tell us, when and what (locations) we will work on”, Odalovic said.

He also said that mortal remains of the three (at that time Yugoslav Army) soldiers were buried in Kosare and he hopes to visit Kosare soon and search that area.

Among others there are locations in Lapusnik, Budisavci village, location near Djakovica and one near Suva Reka.

“There are other locations as well handed over to Pristina a long time ago and we expect Pristina to declare itself on it and issue specific instructions to their institutions to search those locations”.

“Continuation of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has no alternative” (RTK2)

Adrian Arifaj, a journalist and former political adviser to former President Hashim Thaci told RTK2 that despite Prime Minister Kurti’s earlier position that dialogue with Serbia was not at the top of the list of priorities, this topic is very important for Kosovo because the international community expects a visible result from both sides.  

“The agreement is very important, important for Kosovo, important for Serbia, but also for the entire region, despite Kurti’s previous political position, and this position must be communicated to the citizens. We must engage in dialogue, and if that is not the first priority, it does not mean the government will not deal with it. More importantly, the international community expects Kosovo to work on dialogue and be part of the dialogue,” Arifaj said.

Political analyst Ognjen Gogic says that the announcement that the negotiations on the Kosovo side will be led by Prime Minister Kurti, with the support of Vjosa Osmani, is no surprise, nor a change and softening of the attitude of the Kosovo delegation.

“This information should not be interpreted as a change in Albin Kurti’s attitude towards the dialogue, if it happens soon. If it is under Kurti’s conditions, he will be the chief negotiator, with the support of President Vjosa Osmani, but again I am sure he will not change earlier views expressed,” Gogic points out.

After the last visit to Kosovo and Serbia, the Special Representative of the European Union for the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, pointed out that the negotiations would continue in July, although it was mentioned that the meeting between Kurti and Vucic could take place earlier, reported RTK2.

For one hundred days, Vucic is silent about energy system in Kosovo (BETA)

Secretary General of Liberation (Oslobodjenje) Movement Nikola Kosovic said today more than 100 days have passed since the President Aleksandar Vucic promised the citizens of Serbia that he would inform them within 72 hours about what is happening with the energy system in northern Kosovo, BETA news agency reports.

In a written statement, Kosovic recalled that in mid-December, the entire energy system in the north of the province, including property, supply and payment of electricity by households, was transferred from Serbian companies to the Pristina operator KOSTT, and that Vucic promised answers within three days.

“More than a hundred days have passed since then. Vucic has been hiding and fleeing from this issue for more than a hundred days, because he thinks that the Serbian public forgets easily. This is about deception of Serbian people and about outright lies to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”, Kosovic added.

Kosovic said that during that time, Serbs in the north of Kosovo were dreading the forced payments and cuts that were already being announced from Pristina, as another pressure on the survival of Serbs in Kosovo.

“That is why we once again call on Vucic and his accomplices to stand before the Serbian people and admit that they handed over the entire power system to the Albanians. Just as they did before with justice, civil protection, telecommunications, customs and many other attributes of statehood”, Kosovic said.

An apology sought for the statement of the German ambassador on the bombing of the FRY (Beta, KoSSev)

The statement of the German ambassador to Serbia, Thomas Schieb – that the bombing of the FRY is a controversial issue, but that it was necessary in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and genocide in Kosovo, caused indignation among Serbian politicians. Reactions have been going on since last night – an apology is being asked for “arrogance”, “shameful statements” – “unworthy of an ambassador”, reports portal KoSSev. 

After last night’s appearance of Schieb on the show Pravi Ugao on TV Vojvodina, the Minister of Innovation and Technological Progress of Serbia, Nenad Popovic said that it was a “shameful statement, the peak of cynicism and the continuation of the campaign of some Western countries to declare the Serbian people genocidal.”

Popovic also asked Schieb to apologize.

“We demand from the German ambassador to apologize if he wants to continue to credibly perform the duty of his country’s diplomatic representative in Serbia,” Popovic said, according to the Serbian People’s Party, of which he is president.

He stated that “it is especially perfidious that Ambassador Schieb said this in the days when the Serbian people are marking eight decades since the bombing of Belgrade by the Nazi bombers.”

Popovic believes that this is another “attempt to falsify history – where a representative of the German nation, responsible for millions of deaths in the First and Second World Wars, is trying to declare Serbs as genocidal people and aggressors.”

“I remind Ambassador Schieb that the Serbian people survived the genocide of the Germans, during the First and Second World Wars, from Macva 1914, Kragujevac and Kraljevo 1941, to Jasenovac, where the Ustashas, under Nazi protection, brutally killed Serbian children,” Popovic said. 

Another minister in the Government of Serbia – the Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin spoke as well. He also was bothered by the statement about Kosovo and the “necessary” bombing, “in order to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and genocide in Kosovo.”

“Such arrogance befits the German occupation commander of Serbia, but not the German ambassador to Serbia,” said Vulin.

He says that the German ambassador would have to visit the cemeteries of those killed in the German bombing on April 6, 1941 in the Second World War, instead of “justifying” the April bombing of Serbia in 1999.

Vulin also estimates that the bombing of Serbia in 1941, as well as in 1999, were crimes.

“The dismemberment of Serbia in 1941 is a crime, the dismemberment of Serbia in 1999 is a crime. Yugoslavia was attacked in 1941 for refusing to abide by the treaty with the Triple Alliance and for discriminating against the German minority, and in 1999 FR Yugoslavia was attacked for refusing to sign its disappearance in Rambouillet and for its attitude towards the Albanian minority,” Vulin added.

He also says that the German Constitution forbade the engagement of the army of that country outside its borders due to provoking two world wars and the fear that a united Germany could repeat the crimes, and that the bombing of Yugoslavia showed that the fear was justified.

Last night, the Prime Minister of Vojvodina, Igor Mirovic, also spoke.

“The statement of the German ambassador is not diplomatic, it is not true, it is not reasonable, it does not befit the status of an ambassador in a sovereign country. I simply believe that such a statement must be reacted to in accordance with the appropriate principles and conventions,” he said in a post on Instagram, reported the portal.

Father Sava: Decani Monastery on list of seven the most endangered sites in Europe (Kosovo-online)

Abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery, Father Sava Janjic wrote on Twitter that he was honored Decani Monastery was included on the list of the seven most endangered localities in Europe, adding he hopes it would contribute to the protection of the Serbian heritage, Kosovo-online portal reports.  

“Very honored that Dečani #Monastery is on the list of #7MostEndangered. I am deeply convinced it will significantly contribute to protection of our vulnerable heritage in #Kosovo and raise awareness that cultural heritage is meant to bring us more together than drive us apart”, Father Sava wrote. 

Dr Antonijevic: The epidemiological situation is better, but still serious and unfavorable (KiM radio)

The epidemiological situation in the Serbian communities in Kosovo is still very serious, although in the last week we have seen a slight decline in the number of tested, the epidemiologist of the Public Health Institute of Kosovska Mitrovica, Dr. Aleksandar Antonijevic, told RTV Kim.

“Figures range from 15 to 20 percent of patients compared to those tested, which is a better picture than in the previous period, but still serious and unsuitable,” Antonijevic pointed out.

He is satisfied with the process of citizens’ vaccination. 

“The response is very satisfactory. I think that the situation will be better in the coming period and that we will soon form a collective immunity, and that with the beginning of the summer, as far as Covida-19 is concerned, we can expect a better situation than today.”

Dr. Antonijevic notes that each wave of coronavirus was accompanied by different symptoms.

“I can say that this is the fourth wave and that it is characterized by pain in the lumbar part of the back, severe headaches, muscle pain, exhaustion,” he said, adding:

“During this period, the largest number of patients is between 20 and 35 years old. No research has been done yet, but on a sample from a few months ago when the research was done, the proven presence of the British strain of the virus was about 30 percent. Now I doubt that it is on a much higher level,” concluded Dr. Antonijevic.

WHO and EMA on AstraZeneca: Safe vaccine (KoSSev)

Despite assurances coming from both national and international authorities on the safety of all vaccines licensed to immunize the population, in recent weeks, reports on the alleged side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccines have repeatedly claimed public attention.

Citizens are especially disturbed by reports on the alleged thrombophilia or even deaths after the administration of this vaccine, such news, however, falls in favour of the anti-vaxxers agenda.

In its latest announcement, the World Health Organization shared details of the review of the COVID-19 subcommittee of the WHO Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety (GACVS), which met on 16th and 19th March to review available information and data on thromboembolic events (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelets) after vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The subcommittee reviewed clinical trial data and reports based on safety data from Europe, the United Kingdom, India, and Vigibase – the WHO global database of individual case safety reports.

Based on a careful scientific review of the available information, the subcommittee came to the following conclusions and recommendations:

“The AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (including Covishield) continues to have a positive benefit-risk profile, with tremendous potential to prevent infections and reduce deaths across the world. The available data do not suggest any overall increase in clotting conditions such as deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism following administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Reported rates of thromboembolic events after COVID-19 vaccines are in line with the expected number of diagnoses of these conditions. Both conditions occur naturally and are not uncommon. They also occur as a result of COVID-19. The observed rates have been fewer than expected for such events.”

The WHO stated that very rare and unique thromboembolic events in combination with thrombocytopenia, such as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), have also been reported following vaccination with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, adding however that “it is not certain that they have been caused by vaccination.”

The European Medicines Agency’s Pharmacovigilance and Risk Assessment Committee has reviewed 18 cases of CVST out of a total of more than 20 million vaccinations with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine in Europe. 

A causal relationship between these rare events has not been established at this time.

The European Medicines Agency – EMA had similar findings. In a longer report, they also shared details of their reviews and meetings, revealing that the vaccine is not associated with an increase in the overall risk of blood clots and that the benefits of the vaccine continue to outweigh the risk of side effects.

See more at: https://bit.ly/323ezJr

In Serbia, 1.130.000 citizens fully vaccinated (RTS)

State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Health Mirsad Djerlek told RTS 22.000 citizens were inoculated yesterday without prior registration, adding the vaccination should continue in this pace if Serbia wants to get out of the pandemic.

Djerlek said 1.578.000 citizens received the first dose of the vaccine, while 1.130.000 of them received both doses. 

International

International Roma Day: Remembering history to ensure a brighter future (CoE)

A community that is fully aware of its history and culture is more likely to look at the present and the future with confidence. From my work so far as Secretary General, I am impressed by the commitment of Roma youth to establish national and international organisations and networks, taking leadership to connect with others across our member states, and commendably steering all of us to recognise and remember Roma victims of the Holocaust and the Roma resistance.

Roma and Travellers were targeted for extermination in the 1930s and 1940s. Fascist forces from the Baltic to the Balkans executed hundreds of thousands. In Germany, only a few thousand Sinti and Roma survived the Holocaust and the concentration camps. Yet the mass killing of Roma people was not even raised at the Nuremberg trials.

See more at: https://bit.ly/31Sw3IG

Eyeing re-election, Albania’s Rama touts earthquake recovery effort (BIRN)

Not everyone is impressed by the Albanian prime minister campaigning for a third term by claiming credit for an earthquake reconstruction effort funded by taxpayers and donations.

Bidding for a third straight term as Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama stopped by the northwestern town of Lac in late March to inspect the reconstruction effort after an earthquake in November 2019.

With new homes, new schools and new water infrastructure, Lac would be a “much better place to live than before the earthquake,” Rama said.

But Lac is not the only quake-struck area Rama has visited in the run-up to the closely-fought election due on April 25.

Regular campaign stops at reconstruction sites have drawn criticism from some who say the prime minister is trying to score political points on the basis of a rebuilding effort funded by taxpayers and donations.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3d0XKoZ

Humanitarian/Development

Belgrade vaccinates homeless persons (N1)

Homeless persons in Belgrade can receive the vaccine at two sites and senior citizens’ clubs, media reported on Thursday.

So far, 17 people registered for the shots, and seven already had been immunised.

The city Assembly said those who haven’t applied could get the vaccine in Belgrade’s central Dorcol area.

The Red Cross volunteers have been informing the homeless about the possibility of vaccination for the last four months.

Aleksandar Petrovic, of the Red Cross in the central Stari Grad municipality, said the homeless were interested in immunisation and he pledged for the opening of new facilities for them where a hot meal should be secured.

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