Albanian Language Media:

• New German Government supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in WB (Expres)
• Hungary May Become Kosovo’s Big EU Foe (Prishtina Insight)
• Gervalla does not report to the integration committee, due to a trip (media)
• Haxhiu on the agreement with Denmark: We have the right to reject any prisoner (Klan)
• Court in Serbia legalizes derogatory term for Albanians, says Ragmi Mustafi (Express)
• Draft of the Code of Ethics for Assembly proposed after the Musliu-Peci incident (Koha)
• COVID-19: Twenty new cases, no deaths (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Failure to hold a referendum on changing the Constitution of Serbia in Kosovo is an introduction to the election ban? (Danas)
• Vucic receives invitation to attend UN conference taking place in Doha end of January (Kosovo-online)
• Serbian List Board in Strpce: Brutal intrusion and intimidation of officials’ families (Radio kontakt plus)
• Vujicic and Maric on arrests in Strpce: Continuation of policy of force against Serbs (Kosovo-online)
• Trajkovic, Rasic on arrests in Strpce (Radio KIM)
• Putin in a greeting card to Vucic: We have outlined new perspectives, I am counting on the continuation of joint work (RTS)
• Kosovo police special unit conducted search in Serbian house in Silovo (Kosovo-online)
• KiM Office reaction to Kosovo police search in Silovo village (Kosovo Online) 
• Covid-19: three new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Handling Segregation: Village School Tries to Tackle Kosovo’s Ethnic Divisions (Balkan Insight)
• EU working to amend genocide denial law that is blamed for Bosnia crisis (The Guardian)
• Kosovo experts oppose Denmark prison outsourcing (Euractiv)

Albanian Language Media  

New German Government supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation in WB (Express)

New German Government has not changed its position regarding initiatives of cooperation in the Western Balkan (WB) region. Officials in Berlin say that they support efforts to strengthen regional cooperation, emphasizing that this cooperation should be inclusive and open to all six countries, and mention the agreement on Common Regional Market adopted at the Berlin Process Summit in Sofia. 

When asked by Gazeta Express on the regional initiative Open Balkan, the new German Government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated that the Federal Government supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation among the six Western Balkan countries.

“The Federal Government supports efforts to strengthen regional cooperation among the six Western Balkan countries. It is very important that this cooperation is inclusive and open to all six countries of the Western Balkans. Therefore, we particularly support the Action Plan for a Common Regional Market adopted at the Berlin Process Summit in Sofia in November 2020,” a spokesperson of the German Federal Government told Gazeta Express.

German daily “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” has published recently a letter of the initiators of Open Balkan: Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, asking for support of Germany and the European Union. “We hope that the new German government will accept the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative as a contribution to full implementation of the Berlin Process,” it is written among other things in this letter. 

On Tuesday, 21 December, in Tirana a meeting was held between Rama Vucic and Zaev as part of the Open Balkan. Rama in his address called on other countries of the region – Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina, to join the initiative. The meeting was attended also by the European Union Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi, who supported this form of regional cooperation. Varhelyi in his video addressing Tuesday said that it would be ideal for the WB countries to find a way back to return to Common Regional Market, adopted as part of the Berlin Process.

Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Montenegro are reluctant to join the initiative, regardless of calls and invitations of the three leaders who initiated the Open Balkan.

Hungary May Become Kosovo’s Big EU Foe (Prishtina Insight)

If Viktor Orban wins a fourth term as Hungary’s leader next year, the consequences for Kosovo’s EU accession hopes could be dire.

As Europe gears up for 2022, many of its citizens are getting ready for the polls. Throughout the upcoming year, elections will be held in France, Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden, among others, and many of the continent’s leading political forces will be put to the test. At the same time, the ideological map of the European Union is again bound to shift – not least when the 27 Member States are still navigating the impact and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eyes are especially set on Hungary, where parliamentary elections will be held in the spring, and where Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is seeking a fourth term in office. Having led Hungary uninterruptedly since 2010, Orbán and his Fidesz party have undermined liberal-democratic institutions, civil liberties and the rule of law in the country. The PM’s scapegoating of minorities, including refugees, Jews, and the LGBTIQ community, has further consolidated Hungary’s image as a Trojan horse inside the EU.

Domestically, the electoral race against Orbán is in full swing following the nomination of conservative independent mayor Péter Márky-Zay as the united opposition’s candidate for PM. The anti-Fidesz alliance, made up of over ten political parties and movements, has less than half a year to sow its campaign and reap victory in the polls. It needs to be successful. If Márky-Zay fails to win, a fourth term for Orbán could have dire consequences for the liberal-democratic camp of the EU.

One of the areas that could suffer important setbacks is the EU’s enlargement policy, but not in the way many might think. The process of EU enlargement to the Western Balkans is proving painful and thankless, and no significant progress has been registered over the past few years.

As time goes by, the six would-be members linger in an institutional limbo. Kosovo, a potential candidate country, has the extra burden of limited recognition and an unsolved relationship with Serbia, making its endeavours all the more complex. And, yet, the country has more to lose.

Hungary could hold the key to Kosovo’s accession, and its parliamentary election results could prove existential for its EU bid. If Fidesz wins again, the enlargement status quo, already unfavourable to Kosovo, would see even more at stake; Hungary could become Kosovo’s hardest nut to crack among all EU recognizers.

An Orbán-led Hungary following the 2022 election would likely have a destabilizing effect on Kosovo’s EU accession efforts. As things stand, Kosovo’s problems are all underpinned by Budapest’s warm relations with Serbia.

Hungary is a staunch advocate of EU enlargement, as its authorities have repeatedly stated, and is particularly supportive of Serbia’s fast-track accession. The Hungarian government does not hide its predilection for Belgrade, having made it explicit in a seven-point “proposal on the future of the EU” through full-page paid advertisements in daily newspapers in Spain, France and Denmark. “Serbia must be accepted as a Member State of the European Union”, the proposal preached.

Budapest and Belgrade are barely 400 km apart, a closeness that, conveniently, also plays out in the political realm. PM Orbán in Hungary and President Aleksandar Vučić in Serbia are two sides of the same coin in terms of the governance values that guide them and the ideological notions they embrace. The Hungarian government’s links with various Balkan autocrats, including Vučić, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and North Macedonia’s former PM Nikola Gruevski, clearly evidence that Orbán is willing to grant political support only to equals. A stronger Vučić, backed by Hungary, will decrease the chance for political renewal in Serbia, which would not be good news for Kosovo.

Of concern also is the role played by the European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Hungarian diplomat Olivér Várhelyi. The Commissioner has openly favoured Serbia’s EU accession bid and pushed for accelerating the negotiations. News portal Politico reported a few months ago that Várhelyi’s cabinet tried to dilute or remove allusions to Serbia’s democratic shortcomings in official texts, to boost its progress along the enlargement road.

The independence of Várhelyi, who is considered an ally of Fidesz, in spite of not being a member, has been called into question ever since his nomination as Commissioner. Such signs of support for Belgrade’s EU process could come at a cost for Kosovo, which could see its own bid falter or weaken as a result.

The last concern, and perhaps the least contemplated one, is that Serbia’s de-recognition campaign could work in Hungary. Belgrade’s diplomatic endeavors against Kosovo’s statehood have already resulted in a dozen of “de-recognitions” of Kosovo by African and Caribbean countries. For now, Serbia’s lobbying has yet to convince the authorities in Budapest, but the scenario should not be completely discarded in a post-2022 Fidesz-run Hungary. The prospects of a 16-year-long uninterrupted period in office, which Orbán could achieve should he win, would provide a platform to further strengthen his alliance with President Vučić. The Serbian right-wing political movement Dveri has already called on Hungary to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo.

At this point, less than six months ahead of the elections, expectations in Hungary are high. So are hopes. The victory of Péter Márky-Zay could provide a chance to realign Hungary’s engagement with the Western Balkans. Kosovo’s accession hopes could then enjoy the support of a liberal-democratic government in Budapest, which could potentially reverse the lenient approach taken towards Vučić’s Serbia. In 2022, therefore, it’s not only Hungary’s and the EU’s futures that are at stake – Kosovo’s are, too.

Gervalla does not report to the integration committee, due to a trip (media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Donika Gervalla did not go today to report to the Kosovo Assembly Committee for European Integration.

The chairwoman of this committee from the ranks of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Rrezarta Krasniqi announced that Minister Gervalla did not go to report due to an urgent trip.

“On Monday we received confirmation that the minister can report on the 22nd, and then yesterday we received a notification from her cabinet that due to an urgent trip the minister will not be able to report in today’s meeting,” Krasniqi said.

She called this irresponsibility of the minister.

Kosovo Assembly MP of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Blerta Deliu has called on the minister to be accountable to the deputies of the Assembly of Kosovo.

“I call today the Minister to be accountable to the MPs because I believe that a good coordination between us and the minister is also in favor of many obligations that we have as MPs. Very few laws have been passed, very few reports have occurred, and the Minister should come to clarify what is happening with the Stabilization and Association Agreement, what are the news and where does Kosovo stand,” Deliu said.

She added that she considers this last decision of the Minister not to appear in front of the committee irresponsible because “we are human beings and we have coordinated with her several times when she had an agenda to travel to Washington.”

Haxhiu on the agreement with Denmark: We have the right to reject any prisoner (Klan)

The Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu said that Kosovo has the right to reject any prisoner from Denmark.

Reporting on the cell deal with Denmark, she said inmates who have a pedophile, or any other sensitive offense will be rejected.

“Kosovo has the right to refuse a prisoner, when we receive the notification that the imprisoned has a crime for pedophilia or some more sensitive crime that Kosovo provides a greater punishment, we can reject the prisoner to come and serve the sentence. These individuals are of medium risk and on the issue of (Kosovo) detainees leaving for other centers, I believe that we can find a solution for the family members not to have difficulties visiting them,” Haxhiu said.

She also announced that the director of the center and the management staff in Gjilan will be Danish.

“The director of the center will be Danish, the correctional officers will be from Kosovo,” Haxhiu said, adding that a problem that they are currently facing is the right to offer the opportunity to the imprisoned to speak in the languages that they know. She said they are trying to resolve the matter through translators adding that the details have not been defined yet. 

Court in Serbia legalizes derogatory term for Albanians, says Ragmi Mustafi (Express)

The President of Albanian National Minority Council in Serbia, Ragmi Mustafi, has reacted after the Court of Appeals in Belgrade rejected an appeal of the Council against Serbian Minister of Interior Aleksandar Vulin for using a pejorative for Albanians. Mustafi said the Court’s decision surfaces the real situation of the judiciary in Serbia.

He said that the Court of Appeals in Belgrade has legalised the offensive term “Siptari” that Vulin openly used for Albanians. Mustafi said that he will continue his legal battle at the Constitutional Court and Strasbourg Court on Human Rights.

“Court of Appeal in Belgrade also legalizes the offensive term ‘Siptari’ and institutionalizes hate and racial speech by rejecting the appeal of ANMC in the lawsuit against the Minister of Interior, mr. Vulin. We’re continuing in the Constitutional Court and see you in Strasbourg Court,” Mustafi wrote on Twitter. In another post on Facebook Mustafi called on the EU, OSCE and US to react to Belgrade’s official using hatred language against minorities in Serbia.

Albanians frequently use the term Shqiptar, which basically means Albanian, among themselves. However, some Serbs use the slightly tweaked “Siptari” in a derogatory way when talking about Albanians.

Draft of the Code of Ethics for Assembly proposed after the Musliu-Peci incident (Koha)

The water throwing of the Democratic Party of Kosovo MP, Ganimete Musliu, on the Minister of Agriculture Faton Peci at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday, and the language used in the clash, were condemned by the Democratic Institute of Kosovo.

In a statement to the media, KDI has assessed that this meeting took place in an angry spirit and was a continuation of the fierce debate that MP Musliu had with Minister Peci in the last plenary session.

This organization has said that the Assembly should serve as a platform for substantive discussions between political parties, and non-parliamentary language and political clashes should be abandoned.

Considering the frequent use of language and non-parliamentary behavior by the MPs in the Assembly, KDI has reiterated the request to start the process of drafting the Code of Ethics, in which it has proposed the inclusion of disciplinary sanctions against obstructing MPs and those who use non-parliamentary language and behavior.

COVID-19: Twenty new cases, no deaths (media)

Nine new cases with COVID-19 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo, the Ministry of Health said in its daily statement. Twelve persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 322 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Serbian Language Media

Failure to hold a referendum on changing the Constitution of Serbia in Kosovo is an introduction to the election ban? (Danas)

If the referendum in the north of Kosovo does not take place, it could be an overture for a possible ban on the organization of early elections in April, which will be a more serious blow for Belgrade. That is why the EU and the OSCE should be more active in solving that problem and finding ways for people with the right to vote to exercise their right on January 16, daily Danas interlocutors say.

Daily Danas recalls that the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, recently at an open session of the Government, informed the ministers and the public about the decision of Pristina, about which he was informally informed, that it will not allow the referendum to be held on January 16.

He said that he would try to convince the authorities in Pristina through Brussels to enable the citizens of Serbian nationality to vote in the referendum on changing the Constitution of Serbia.

Milica Andric Rakic, from the NGO “New Social Initiatives”, told Danas that she does not have the impression that the referendum is currently an important topic in the community.

– However, if the referendum does not take place, it will be the first Serbian elections that are not organized in Kosovo and additional proof of the disintegration of the Serbian system in Kosovo. We had a similar situation with the ban on vaccination against COVID in Serb areas in Kosovo last December. It passed without a major reaction from the communities, so I expect it to be the same if the vote takes place in Raska – she says.

She adds that this should be seen as an overture for a possible ban on the organization of early elections in April, which will be a more serious blow for Belgrade.

– Although the referendum and the elections are two of the same things, the symbolic ban on the elections will be a much stronger signal of the weakening of Belgrade’s influence on the events in Kosovo. The referendum itself is not a topic, I do not believe that people in Kosovo will know much about it, especially bearing in mind that the changes relate to the judiciary, and since October 2017 and after the integration of the judiciary, there is no Serbian judicial system in Kosovo, therefore the changes to the constitution in that domain will in no way affect the lives of citizens in Kosovo – concludes Andric Rakic.

Miodrag Milicevic, executive director of the NGO Aktiv, told Danas that the Kosovo government is very publicly opposed to holding the announced referendum in Kosovo.

– What is important at this moment is that the citizens are just as confused as everyone else because they do not have a complete insight into the referendum question, what it means and what is behind that referendum. Quite contradictory information is in the spotlight. There are many unknowns among the citizens – says Milicevic.

He adds that, in the technical-political sense, he is sure that there will be very difficulties in conducting and organizing the referendum if there is no agreement, primarily with the international community, with the approval of the Kosovo authorities.

– Having in mind that I personally participated in the preparation and implementation of numerous elections in Kosovo, including the first ones conducted with the mediation of the OSCE in 2012, I think that it is technically very feasible to resolve this issue. The status-neutral mission, which has many years of experience in organizing and mediating either elections or other issues of interest to the Serbian community, must play a more active role in this process. Otherwise, this could become another serious source of quarrels and mutual accusations between Belgrade and Pristina, which at this moment is not in anyone’s favor – he points out.

He would not leave out the EU itself and Miroslav Lajcak, the EU’s special envoy.

– I think that his team and the EU must also find their role in this process if we really strive for amendments to the Constitution that are in line with EU recommendations. The Union must equally take over a part of the role and insist that a modality be found in Pristina so that the citizens who have the right to vote in the referendum, exercise their right on that day and vote – Milicevic concludes.

Vucic receives invitation to attend UN conference taking place in Doha end of January (Kosovo-online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke today with the Ambassador of Qatar to Serbia, Faris Roumi Al- Naumi, who handed over him invitation of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani to participate at the fifth UN conference on least developed countries, that would take place at the end of January in Doha, Kosovo-online portal reports.

The letter, among others, said that participation of President Vucic will contribute to joint efforts that those countries reach their development goals, Vucic’s press service said in a statement.

Ambassador Al Naumi said this will be an opportunity for the talks on bilateral cooperation between Serbian and Qatar at the highest level, while President Vucic noted it has a great possibility for development.

Vucic also said Serbia is very interested in advancing economic relations with Qatar. 

Serbian List Board in Strpce: Brutal intrusion and intimidation of officials’ families (Radio kontakt plus)

Serbian List Board in Strpce reacting to the action of the Kosovo police in this municipality and arrest of ten people, including the former mayor, condemned in the strongest terms “the manner in which police carried out action in Strpce, in which children and families of the Serbian List officials were exposed to the brutal intrusion into their homes and intimidation in early morning hours”, Radio kontakt plus reports.

They also said the action represents “an attack against new municipal leadership that started working in the interest of the residents from the very first day, resolving the problems in an institutional manner, and trying to resolve the issue of Brezovica as well as other issues in a manner avoiding any problems, which obviously does not go in favor of somebody”.

The Serbian List Strpce board also noted that “entire process could have been done differently but obviously someone needed a media and movie performance in order not only to intimidate families of our prominent officials, but also send message to all other citizens that following actions in the north, similar actions under the pretext of fight against corruption are being carried out now in a Serb-majority municipality in the south”. 

Vujicic and Maric on arrests in Strpce: Continuation of policy of force against Serbs (Kosovo-online)

“The arrest of ten Serbs and harassment of their family members by breaking into houses continues the policy of force directed against our people in Kosovo and Metohija”, members of the Serbian Parliament from Kosovo, Danijela Vujicic and Ljubomir Maric said reacting to yesterday’s ROSU action in Strpce, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“This morning, our citizens of Strpce have also experienced the continuation of torture of special forces with long barrels, which began on October 13 this year in Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvecan. Under the pretext of the fight against corruption, which according to them and their mentors exists solely in Serbian areas in KiM, they have blocked all residents of Strpce and suspended the work of local government. The continuation of such torture and intimidation of the Serbian people is nothing but a demonstration of force”, they said yesterday.

As they stated, the same thing happened during the previous weekend.

“Men armed to their teeth stormed the Serbian houses during the celebration of the patron saint (slava) of St. Nicholas. This way of treating Serbs can in no way be an excuse for any implementation of the law and justice”, MPs added. 

Trajkovic, Rasic on arrests in Strpce (Radio KIM)

“Ahead of local elections in Kosovo, a large number of former mayors were not able to stand for re-election because they were under accusations of being criminals. This tells us that leaders of the Serbian List were most likely observed for a long time because of doubts in the legality of what they carried out in institutions. What happened in Strpce, the arrests, is what residents of this place expected. Many projects were used in the interest of certain officials”, President of Serb European Movement from Kosovo and politician Rada Trajkovic told Danas daily, Radio KIM reports.

According to her, this arrest “will help the Serbs the most, to eliminate the structure that misused the large amount of money, and the Serbian List will have to find a way to help in that, so the people who are criminals get processed”.

She also assessed that “the arrests were not risky in the security aspect as there was no situation to intrude violently in the area with long barrels”, and that “arrests were multiethnic”.

Trajkovic also opined the “arrests were not directed against the Serbs, unless in the case that someone made an assessment that only those Serbs could defend the Serbian interests. There are many people who were hostages of this group and who will now get a chance at the next elections, to have people who will work in the interest of citizens”.

President of Progressive Democratic Party (PDS) Nenad Rasic told Voice of America, he was not surprised with Kosovo police action and arrests in Strpce.

“I must say this was completely expected and is nothing new. I am certainly not surprised, as it has been known for a long time, you do not even have to be politician, or journalist, in particular people from Sara Mountain area know what happened there over the last seven or eight years, and how much the structure of the national part has changed”, Rasic said.

He added that “demographic structure also changed, and there are hundreds if not thousands small objects reconstructed”.

Putin in a greeting card to Vucic: We have outlined new perspectives, I am counting on the continuation of joint work (RTS)

The President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic received the Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Alexander Bocan-Kharchenko, who handed him a letter from President Vladimir Putin with congratulations on the upcoming New Year and Christmas holidays, reported Radio Television of Serbia.

In a letter to Vucic, Vladimir Putin stated that their recent negotiations in Sochi fully confirmed the strength of the strategic partnership between Russia and Serbia and allowed them to outline new perspectives of mutually beneficial cooperation in several directions. 

“I count on the continuation of constructive dialogue with you and close joint work on current issues of the bilateral, regional and international agenda. This corresponds to the fundamental interests of our fraternal peoples and contributes to ensuring stability and security on the European continent,” Putin said, according to the President’s Office for Cooperation with the Media.

Putin wished Vucic, his family and loved ones good health, success and prosperity, and peace and prosperity to all citizens of Serbia.

Thanking the letter, President Vucic once again expressed his gratitude to President Putin for the warm welcome in Sochi and the friendly talks they had on that occasion.

On this occasion, President Vucic and Ambassador Bocan-Kharchenko also reviewed the progress of bilateral cooperation in various fields, RTS cited the statement..

Kosovo police special unit conducted search in Serbian house in Silovo (Kosovo-online)

Kosovo-online portal reports today that Kosovo police special unit (ROSU) has been searching the house of G.M. and Z.DZ. in Silovo village, near Gnjilane, since this morning. The action is in progress, and there are several police vehicles in front of the house-according to the report of RTV Puls.

The action started this morning just before nine o’clock, when a dozen police officers appeared and started searching the house and outbuildings. Kosovo online pointed out that at the moment, the reasons for the intervention of the Kosovo special forces are not known, adding the local people were upset.   

Kosovo police spokesperson for Gnjilane region, Ismet Hashani, told Radio Television Puls that the regional police were not aware of the action and that he assumed that a police unit for economic crime from Pristina had been engaged. 

Silovo is a Serbian village a few kilometers away from Gnjilane, with a population of about 1,500.

Later in the day, Kosovo-online portal reported the search action was completed, and police “was looking for illegal weapons”. After they found nothing, they left the village.

“The police told me it was about routine control and I let them search my house. They had a professional attitude”, Z.DZ. said.

In front of a stable belonging to his relative G.M police dug several holes during the search.

“I have no weapon nor I had it, and it is up to them to search for (it)”, G.M. said. 

KiM Office reaction to Kosovo police search in Silovo village (Kosovo Online) 

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija assessed that today’s actions of the Kosovo police, which searched the houses of two Serbian families from Silovo for several hours without a valid basis and exposed them to additional pressure and harassment, were inadmissible and shameful, Kosovo Online portal reported, citing the statement. 

According to the statement of the office, this is ”a typical example of intimidation of Serbs living in Kosovo Pomoravlje and perfidious pressure of Pristina them to move out”. 

Although nothing illegal was found in the houses of the hosts Dzaklic and Mihajlovic, they were victims of police checks for several hours because of which they suffered severe stress, the statement added.

”There is a well-known and tried mechanism for the authorities in Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, to send police forces to Serbian houses and villages under various pretexts to bring additional unrest and fear among the remaining Serbian people in the province. What Kurti and his associates are not counting on is the fact that no unilateral actions or new pressures will break the spirit and strength of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, nor provoke an unbalanced reaction of the Serbian people who are always focused on peace and peaceful coexistence,” the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said.

Covid-19: three new cases registered in Serbian areas (Kosovo-online)

Out of 30 tested samples in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, three tested positive for Covid-19, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, Kosovo-online portal reports.

New cases were registered as follows: one each in Mitrovica North, Leposavic and Gnjilane.

Currently there are 149 active cases of Covid-19 in the Serbian areas in Kosovo.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 27.499 persons were tested in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, and 8.293 persons were positive for Covid-19.

Also, a total of 190 people have died in the Serbian areas due to Covid-19 related complications.  

International

Handling Segregation: Village School Tries to Tackle Kosovo’s Ethnic Divisions (Balkan Insight)

Two different education systems cohabitate under one roof in a Kosovo village school whose officials see it as an example of interethnic harmony worth copying.

For Albanians, the village is called Palaj; for Serbs, it’s Crkvena Vodica. For Albanians, the school is named “Fazli Greicevci” after a local activist, intellectual and political prisoner who died in Yugoslav prisons in 1964. For Serbs, it is “Dositej Obradovic”, named after the 19th-century Serbian writer and philosopher.

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

EU working to amend genocide denial law that is blamed for Bosnia crisis (The Guardian)

Officials privately accept legislation to counter Serb efforts to deny scope of 1995 Srebrenica massacre risks reigniting regional conflict

Senior EU officials are working behind the scenes to “correct” a new law in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) that criminalises denial of the massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica, after privately concluding it risks reigniting fresh regional conflict.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3edOP3p

Kosovo experts oppose Denmark prison outsourcing (Euractiv)

Experts and opinion leaders have told Danske Radio journalists they oppose the Danish-Kosovo deal under which Denmark will rent 300 prison cells to accommodate non-Danish prisoners who are faced with deportation in the town of Glijan at a cost of €210 million over the next ten years.

“We are very much against this agreement because our prison system cannot handle the prisoners who are being sent here. For Denmark, it is easy to find 300 prisoners you don’t want and send them to another country,” said Behxhet Shala, executive director of the NGO Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms.

Read more at: https://cutt.ly/7UiiOES