• COVID-19: 23 deaths, 424 new cases (media)
• Kosovo Government updates COVID-19 measures (media)
• NIPHK recommends postponing elections due to COVID-19 (Koha)
• PM Kurti to Al Jazeera: NATO in Kosovo is here to stay (media)
• Lajcak to visit Kosovo this week, meet Kurti and Bislimi (Koha)
• Bislimi: KLA archives were and remain open, there is nothing to hide there (media)
• Berger: Common regional market is a historic project that should be implemented (DW)
• Military police to have authorisations over military and civil international entities (Koha)
• Svecla: We will not apply for Interpol membership this year (Kosovapress)
• “Vucic wants a Kosovo without Albanians and a Montenegro without Montenegrins” (media)

COVID-19: 23 deaths, 424 new cases (media)

23 deaths from COVID-19 and 424 new infections were recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours. 1,324 persons recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 17,625 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

18,214 vaccine doses were administered over the last 24 hours of the total of 1,033,952 administered so far.

Kosovo Government updates COVID-19 measures (media)

The Government of Kosovo updated the list of measures aimed at slowing down the spread of COVID-19.

According to the new rules, kindergartens will close for a period of two weeks while the school year has been postponed yet against for two more weeks. “Teaching activity in public and private institutions of pre-university education, including pre-school and day care institutions is suspended until 26 September 2021. This suspension also applies to the teaching activity involving physical presence in public and private institutions of university education,” the new measures stipulate.

Speaking at a press conference, Health Minister Arben Vitia said that the epidemiological situation in Kosovo is still not stable and warned that the number of hospitalisations may increase in the coming period. “Over 93% of people hospitalised are not vaccinated and this is a trend that is seen in other countries too.” Vitia said that so far around 680,000 citizens in Kosovo have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

NIPHK recommends postponing elections due to COVID-19 (Koha)

The National Institute for Public Health of Kosovo (NIPHK) has recommended the President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani postponement of local elections scheduled for 17 October due to the pandemic situation.

NIPHK said that holding elections at this time constitutes a danger for further spreading of coronavirus. “Since the election process could have an increased influence on the spreading and increase of COVID-19 cases, we recommend the postponement of the election process, namely the prohibition of public activities, gathering of citizens and public rallies of all types and natures without exception, until the next epidemiological assessment of the situation.”

In light of the recommendations, Osmani has called a consultative meeting with leaders of political parties on Monday while opposition parties have rejected the prospect of postponing elections saying this would undermine democracy in Kosovo.

PM Kurti to Al Jazeera: NATO in Kosovo is here to stay (media)

Several online media outlets carry an interview that Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti gave to Al Jazeera where he discussed if a pullout of U.S. troops from Kosovo is possible. Kurti highlighted Kosovo’s aspiration to join NATO which he said is not the case with Afghanistan where the U.S. troops withdrew from.

“I don’t think that NATO is going to leave Kosova because NATO intervened here and the mission was very clear: to liberate Kosova so it doesn’t fall back into hands of Serbia which is very close to the Russian Federation and we know very well that one of the key reasons, perhaps the most important aspect why NATO exists is the danger from Russian Federation and after NATO summit in 14 June in Brussels this year, it is clearer than ever that NATO in the Balkans, including Kosova, is here to stay.”

Kurti also spoke about the land swap idea as part of an agreement with Serbia saying “it’s not a solution at all”. “I want democratic solutions, peaceful solutions and land swap is an approach which would bring us back to the conflicts of the 90s and which would not only remain within the relations between Kosova and Serbia but would spread among the Western Balkans 6.”

Speaking about the position of the Serb community in Kosovo, Kurti said the majority is integrated into Kosovo society and institutions “and I believe that with socio-economic development this will improve.” “I believe that in Western Balkans 6 in order to have lasting peace and sustainable stability and security we need all of these six countries to have more or less a symmetry, sort of a balance or reciprocity of minority rights,” he continued.

Watch the interview at: https://bit.ly/2XaFJz1

Lajcak to visit Kosovo this week, meet Kurti and Bislimi (Koha)

The EU Special Representative for Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, is expected to visit Kosovo this week and meet Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi.

According to Koha’s Brussels correspondent, Lajcak’s visit is part of preparations for the new meeting between PM Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic although considering that Kosovo is heading to elections as well as Serbia in spring and that elections will also take place in Germany and France, no major breakthrough is expected in the process of dialogue.

Bislimi: KLA archives were and remain open, there is nothing to hide there (media) Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister and chief negotiator in dialogue with Serbia, Besnik Bislimi, reacted via Facebook regarding his statement on the opening of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) archives.

He said that his remarks made to the media on return from Brussels last week were misinterpreted by “certain political exponents”. He said the Kosovo Government wants to urgently conclude the process of resolving the fate of enforced disappearances and that the main reason behind delays so far has been the lack of readiness on the part of Belgrade to cooperate with seriousness. “This has been reduced in not allowing access to Serbia’s state archives of the military, namely the department that addressed the war of 1999 in Kosovo.”

Bislimi argued that opening of these archives is necessary if the Serbian side wishes to demonstrate constructiveness while all documents pertaining to the KLA and its activity are part of Kosovo’s archives. “They were and continue to be open, have been used and are used by local as well as international  mechanisms, including local and international courts but also UNMIK or EULEX. They are an important part of documentaries and books published so far,” he said, adding that there is nothing secret or classified in the KLA archives. “The Kosovo Liberation Army was a defensive army and not an aggressor and no one has disputed or disputes the purity of its war.”

Berger: Common regional market is a historic project that should be implemented (DW)

Miguel Berger, Secretary of State with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spoke to Deutsche Welle about the most pressing matters that need to be addressed with regards to the Western Balkans and noted that regional cooperation represents a huge potential for the region. “Progress in this field, especially with the development of the Common Regional Market by 2024 supports the road of six countries of the Western Balkans towards the EU.”

Asked to comment on the Open Balkan initiative launched by Albania, Serbia, and North Macedonia, Berger said: “In principle, of course, any regional cooperation in the Western Balkans is welcomed. But on the other hand, it is important that regional cooperation be comprehensive and open to all six Western Balkan countries. By this I mean both the development of new ideas and initiatives, as well as their implementation. This is an approach to which the participants in the ‘Berlin Process’ have committed themselves and which is also promoted by the EU.”

On the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Berger said that an agreement needs to be reached as soon as possible. “Lack of progress impairs development,” he said. “In the end, painful compromises will also need to be made in order for the negotiations to conclude with a comprehensive, stable and binding agreement that will enable both countries to join the EU.”

Military police to have authorisations over military and civil international entities (Koha)

Koha reports on the front page today that the Kosovo’s Ministry of Defence has finalised a draft law which stipulates that the Military Police would also enforce its authorisations towards the international militaries and missions operating in Kosovo.

Koha writes that KFOR exercises a military activity in Kosovo while EULEX, although with a reduced role, is still considered as the second respondent in the security field.

Security expert Nuredin Ibishi said the provision at hand is unacceptable as is the idea of the military police enjoying authorisations over the civilians. “These are very sensitive issues that affect human rights. Even the Kosovo Police when it undertakes certain tasks it needs to inform beforehand the public prosecutor,” he said.

The Ministry has meanwhile not commented on the content of the draft law.

Svecla: We will not apply for Interpol membership this year (Kosovapress)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Xhelal Svecla said Kosovo will not be renewing its Interpol membershi bid this year and will instead make preparations to ensure the next year’s application is successful.

“I have taken earlier the decision not to apply this year for Interpol membership seeing the lack of serious preparations on the part of Kosovo institutions. We have already set up a working group which will prepare all the necessary paperwork and will also undertake all measures to ensure Kosovo’s next year’s application is certain,” Svecla said, adding that they will prepare a lobbying strategy and enlist the support of ally countries.

“Vucic wants a Kosovo without Albanians and a Montenegro without Montenegrins” (media)

Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro, said in an interview with a Croatian paper that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic would like to see as part of the “Great Serbia” project a Kosovo without Albanians and a Montenegro without Montenegrins. He said Vucic views Montenegro as a type of compensation for acceptance of an independent Kosovo.

Vucic has reacted to the statement saying: “I wouldn’t or can I imagine a Kosovo without Albanians or Montenegro without those who declare themselves as Montenegrins.” He in turn accused Djukanovic of wanting to make Montenegro free of Serbs.