• COVID-19: 327 new cases, five deaths (media) 
• Osmani meets Vitia: COVID-19 vaccines will be secured (media)
• VV’s Shkreta: Vaccine shipments to start arriving in May (Klan)
• PM Kurti continues meetings in Brussels (media)
• Miftaraj: Kurti’s refusal to go to Brussels meeting, scolding for EU (Telegrafi)
• Stoltenberg: Speculations on border changes do not help stability (RTK)
• EP rapportuer Von Cramon comments on recent non-paper (media)
• Kurti congratulates Albania’s Rama on election victory (media)
• Committee approves KOSTT’s request for electricity in the north (media)
• BIRN debate puts road safety in the spotlight (Prishtina Insight)

COVID-19: 327 new cases, five deaths (media) 

327 new cases of COVID-19 and five deaths have been recorded in Kosovo over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 508 recoveries were confirmed during this period.

There are currently 10,035 active COVID-19 infections in Kosovo.

Osmani meets Vitia: COVID-19 vaccines will be secured (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met yesterday Health Minister Arben Vitia and discussed the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Osmani said Kosovo will secure sufficient COVID vaccines.

“There is no other more pressing priority than the health of our citizens and the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines. We therefore are in continuous coordination with the Minister of Health, Mr. Arben Vitia on this matter,” Osmani said in a Facebook post. “With the extraordinary work and effort of the Ministry and all relevant institutions and in continuous coordination with ally countries from whom we have sought support, vaccines for our citizens will be secured and together we will beat COVID-19,” she continued.

VV’s Shkreta: Vaccine shipments to start arriving in May (Klan)

Mirsad Shkreta, MP from the Vetevendosje Movement (VV), said in a debate on Klan Kosova that Kosovo authorities are negotiating the procurement of additional COVID vaccines and that new shipments are expected to begin arriving as of May.

“The level of discussion is high, including the prime minister and the president. Kurti also presented the issue of the pandemic in Brussels,” Shkreta said, accusing the previous government of poorly managing the pandemic.

PM Kurti continues meetings in Brussels (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo continued to meet European Union officials during his official two-day visit to Brussels.

Speaking about the meeting with the EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, Kurti said that it was constructive. “I reaffirmed that dialogue must be principled and well prepared. It must accept the reality and the truth, be equal and address unresolved issues, not create new ones,” Kurti tweeted after the meeting.

The Government of Kosovo meanwhile issued a statement saying that Kurti underlined in the meeting that Kosovo is an equal party in the dialogue and not merely the subject and that the conclusion of the process needs to be in the service of the citizens of the two countries, through a sustainable and implementable agreement.

Lajcak meanwhile wrote on Twitter: “The visit of Kosovo’s Prime Minister @albinkurti to Brussels offered an important opportunity to continue our substantive and constructive discussions from March. We spoke about the details of the Dialogue and both our expectations as part of Kosovo’s European path.”

Yesterday Kurti also met EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, Commissioner for for Agriculture and Rural Development Janusz Wojciechowski, Executive Vice President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis, and the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli. Today, Kurti is expected to meet NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Kurti is accompanied in the visit by Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi and Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla.

Speaking to reporters yesterday Kurti said that he would not be attending the EU-hosted meeting on 11 May to discuss the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. “I cannot attend a meeting for which I have not previously confirmed participation. What I can confirm is that I will be in Brussels for a working lunch or dinner organised by Commissioner Borrell, sometime mid May, where Western Balkans leaders will participate,” Kurti is quoted as saying.

In response to the non-paper on final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, Kurti said that Kosovo will not agree to the revival of projects whose goal is land swap or ‘Bosnianisation’ of Kosovo.

Miftaraj: Kurti’s refusal to go to Brussels meeting, scolding for EU (Telegrafi)

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Law Institute (KLI) think tank argued that the decision of Prime Minister Albin Kurti not to attend the 11 May meeting in Brussels on dialogue with Serbia is a way to publicly scold the EU over the importance of equal treatment of the parties involved in the process.

“In a negotiating process the equal treatment of parties and public communication is a precondition as in form, appearance, as well as communication with the public,” he said. “Setting a date for a meeting between Kurti and Vucic without prior coordination brings about such situations whereby Kosovo rejects such an approach publicly.”

Stoltenberg: Speculations on border changes do not help stability (RTK)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reacted to the alleged non-paperwork arguing for redrawing of the Western Balkans borders saying the allegations did not help stability.

Speaking at a press joint press conference with North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski, Stoltenberg said: “I cannot comment on a document I have not seen. Speculations about changing borders will only bring more uncertainty and instability in the region. Any speculation on this is not helpful.”

Pendarovski on his part warned about the danger of ideas promoting border changes in the region.

EP rapportuer Von Cramon comments on recent non-paper (media)

European Parliament rapporteur for Kosovo Viola von Cramon was asked by RTV Dukagjini to comment on the recently published non-paper about the final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia and that she was not aware whether this document enjoys informal support in the EU.

“What is proposed in that non-paper resembles the status of South Tyrol in Italy which resolved bilateral problems between Italy and Austria. It may be a successful model but needs to be personalised to take on the specifics of the situation in Kosovo. Let’s wait and see but I urge the European diplomacy to step up the level of coordination to avoid any misunderstanding,” she said.

Kurti congratulates Albania’s Rama on election victory (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti has congratulated Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama on his Socialist Party’s win in last week’s elections.

“Kosovo cannot do without Albania and Albania cannot do without Kosovo,” Kurti said in a Facebook post. He added that cooperation between Kosovo and Albania needs to increase in all sectors and approximate European standards on democracy, economic development, justice and welfare. He also noted that institutions in Albania should clarify any question regarding the election process to ensure that no one’s right to vote is violated.

Committee approves KOSTT’s request for electricity in the north (media)

The Assembly Committee on Economy, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade approved the request of the Transmission, System and Market Operator KOSTT to allocate €11 million for payment of outstanding electricity bills in the north of Kosovo. Six members of the committee supported the motion, and three members were against.

The proposal to allocate the funds war presented by head of the Vetevendosje Movement (VV) head of parliamentary group and member of the committee, Mimoza Kusari-Lila who argued that it is the government’s duty to expand authority in the field of energy during the next six months for which period the funds are planned.

Opposition parties objected to the motion with the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) saying that even after Kosovo’s energy independence from Serbia, the government in Prishtina was still falling to the blackmail of the Serb community in the north.

BIRN debate puts road safety in the spotlight (Prishtina Insight)

In a BIRN-hosted debate, officials from Kosovo Police and local and central government discussed issues relating to the country’s roads, where more than 70 people died in traffic accidents in 2020 alone.

Despite the lockdowns and restrictions on movement that characterised last year, there were still 72 deaths as a result of traffic accidents in Kosovo in 2020, an average of more than one per week.

Appearing on BIRN’s KALLXOPernime (Tell For Real) show broadcast on Tuesday night Goran Stojanovic, the Chief Director of Road Safety within the Kosovo Police stated that “irresponsibility” from drivers was the main cause of the high number of accidents.

However, as well as human behaviour, numerous other factors also cause issues on Kosovo’s roads, including absent traffic lights and poor maintenance and construction.

According to Male Lokaj, the acting Director of Road Management at the Ministry of Infrastructure, in the last three years the ministry has even faced obstacles installing traffic signs.

Lokaj revealed that 37 percent of Kosovo roads under the management of the ministry are not replete with road signs, blaming this failure on issues in the tendering process.

“The reasons behind this were complaints by operators who applied for tenders, which prevented the ministry from signing the contract that would enable the installation of traffic signs,” he said.

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