• Escobar and Lajcak to visit Kosovo and Serbia next week (media)
• Lajcak meets Bislimi in Vienna, discuss dialogue (media)
• Borrell: No place in EU for deniers of genocide, war crimes (media)
• Kurti: Fight against organised crime and corruption yielding results (media)
• Osmani: We are uprooting corruption, step by step (media)
• British Embassy, EU hail Kosovo’s success in fighting corruption (media)
• Kosovo Armed Forces expect shipment of Puma hand-launchable aircrafts (media)
• Isufi: Not 40 but 4 aircrafts have been purchased from the U.S. (Klan)
• COVID-19: 2,707 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Around 700 students in Preshevo Valley affected by new travel rules (Euronews.al)
• Kusari-Lila: There is room to review measures affecting movement of citizens (Telegrafi)
• Belgrade expects OSCE to run Serbian elections in Kosovo (Express)
• In Kosovo Cafes, Minorities Suffer Most From Segregation Culture (Prishtina Insight)

 Escobar and Lajcak to visit Kosovo and Serbia next week (media)

The EU Special Envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, and the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing policy towards the countries of the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, will be visiting Kosovo and Serbia next week.

The visit was confirmed by the EU High Representative Josep Borrell at a press conference with Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic.

He added that the purpose of the visit will be the continuation of the dialogue for normalisation of relations. He said resumption “will only happen if both parties are ready to agree on positive results and concrete deliverables.”

Borrell said he welcomed Serbia’s readiness to engage in the dialogue while blamed Kosovo officials for the stalemate of the process, Koha and Euronews Albania report. “I want to make it clear to Kosovo that the dialogue is not held for the sake of the dialogue, but because it is key in advancing the European path. Together with Lajcak, we’ll continue to prepare for the next meeting, but that will only happen if the two sides find common language over positive and substantial results. That’s why Lajcak and I will continue to engage with the parties involved, especially with Kosovo, which at the moment is showing more reluctances to sit at the table”, Borrell said.

Lajcak meets Bislimi in Vienna, discuss dialogue (media)

The European Union Special Envoy for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak informed on Tuesday about a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi. The two met in Vienna, while Lajcak said that they discussed the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

“Satisfied with a concrete and constructive meeting on how to move forward with the dialogue for normalization of relations, with the First Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo, Besnik Bislimi, today in Vienna. I look forward to continuing the discussions next week in Kosovo,” Lajcak wrote on Twitter.

Kosovo and Serbia have not had high-level meetings within the dialogue since July.

Borrell: No place in EU for deniers of genocide, war crimes (media)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said yesterday in Belgrade that there is no place in the EU for those that deny genocide and glorify war crimes. Borrell made the remarks at a press conference after the sixth meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Council.

“There is no place in Europe to deny genocide, there is no place in Europe to celebrate war crimes and war criminals, there is no place in Europe to publicly support those who support genocide and celebrate war crimes, who undermine the integrity of countries in the neighbourhood, who threaten regional stability and reconciliation – all this cannot go with European values and aspirations. We presented this to the Prime Minister of Serbia, and we are sure that Serbia will continue, under her leadership, along the European path,” Borrell told reporters in Brussels, N1 reported.

Borrell said he talked with Brnabic about the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue facilitated by the EU, Gazeta Express reported. “We welcome Serbia’s readiness to continue the dialogue and expect Kosovo and Serbia to make progress in the dialogue and continue to reach a comprehensive agreement,” Borrell said. He also said that the EU expected Belgrade and Pristina to fulfil their obligations, stressing that both sides had to implement what was agreed upon.

Kurti: Fight against organised crime and corruption yielding results (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti welcomed Kosovo’s progress reflected in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

“Our fight against organized crime & inst. corruption yields results. Kosova improved its position 17 places on the Corruption Perceptions Index, from 104 to 87. Gratified by this assessment from credible organizations. Our work continues, until we approach the top of the list,” he wrote on Twitter.

Osmani: We are uprooting corruption, step by step (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani reacted to the Transparency International’s recent Corruption Perceptions Index where Kosovo has climbed 17 slots compared to last year’s standing.

“A year ago we promised that fight against corruption would be one of the key priorities of the new institutions. Today, this promise is seeing the first extremely promising results. In the year we left behind, the Republic of Kosovo climbed 17 places in the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International – the highest annual growth for Kosovo in the history of the Index’s publication,” she wrote on Facebook, adding: “Step by step, towards uprooting corruption.”

British Embassy, EU hail Kosovo’s success in fighting corruption (media)

The Embassy of the United Kingdom in Kosovo is happy with the latest result of Kosovo in Transparency International regarding the ranking in the Corruption Perception Index, where Kosovo has climbed 17 places.

“Kosovo’s score has improved and it has climbed up 17 places to 87th on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index for 2021. We congratulate Kosovo’s government and institutions. Great news as we look forward to continuing our support and collaboration in this area through our Recruitment and Public Procurement projects. Let’s climb even higher next year!” reads a post on Embassy’s Facebook page.

Head of the EU Office in Kosovo, Toma Szunyog, congratulated Kosovo on the result. “A lot of work still ahead. The EU fully supports Kosovo in the ongoing fight against corruption,” he added.

Kosovo Armed Forces expect shipment of Puma hand-launchable aircrafts (media)

The Kosovo Armed Forces are expected to receive 40 Puma LE reconnaissance UASs (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) purchased from AeroVironment via the FMS programme, the US Department of Defence revealed on 21 January.

The Shephard News, a U.S. defence news outlet, reported further that Kosovo has ordered 40 units in total, based on an estimated unit cost of $215,000.

U.S. troops serving in Kosovo as part of the KFOR peacekeeping mission are known to have used Puma for border surveillance missions.

Koha reports that Puma LE are hand-launched aircrafts that operate like drones and are used for border surveillance.

Isufi: Not 40 but 4 aircrafts have been purchased from the U.S. (Klan)

Sefer Isufi, head of strategic communication with Kosovo’s Ministry of Defence, refuted reports that Kosovo has purchased 40 hand-launchable aircrafts from the U.S. noting that only four such pieces were bought.

“We were surprised with the information published in some of our media today, an inaccurate information, regarding the number of drones, 40 of them, when the project concerns the purchase of 4 drones proposed by Minister Mehaj and approved by the Government seven months ago,” Isufi is quoted.

COVID-19: 2,707 new cases, two deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 2,707 new cases with COVID-19 and two deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 556 persons recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 21,668 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Around 700 students in Preshevo Valley affected by new travel rules (Euronews.al)

About 700 students were affected by Kosovo’s most recent anti-COVID measures at the border.

Member of the Economic Forum in the Preshevo Valley, Muharrem Salihu, gave a quick briefing of the current situation during Euronews Albania’s ‘Morning’.

He underlined that all groups of interest have been affected in the process.

‘Citizens studying in Kosovo, who after this weekend, could no longer return home to Kosovo. Businesses have also been affected. All different lanes, categories and groups of interest have been affected by this,” – he argued

In addition, Saliu said that many citizens aren’t in time for their third shot, which renders them unable to cross the border, according to the newest rules. Saliu claimed that they are expecting this decision to be changed and revised in the upcoming days.

“It was an arbitrary decision. These measures haven’t been well-thought-out,” – concluded Saliu.

From January 22 – February 4, citizens wishing to travel to Kosovo, should show a vaccination certificate that proves that they took all three doses, or a certificate showing 2 doses and one negative PCR test.

Kusari-Lila: There is room to review measures affecting movement of citizens (Telegrafi)

Mimoza Kusari-Lila, head of the Vetevendosje Movement parliamentary group, said there is room for reconsidering the recent COVID-19 measures introduced by the Government of Kosovo.

Kusari-Lila said the more restrictive measures for entering Kosovo have been introduced as a result of the “bitter experience” during last summer when the number of infections rocketed in the aftermath of the Diaspora visits. “From the discussion we had in the Parliamentary Group, I believe that there is room for reviewing the free movement measure in particular, considering also the WHO recommendation regarding freedom of movement,” she told RTV Dukagjini.

Belgrade expects OSCE to run Serbian elections in Kosovo (Express)

Director of Serbian Government Office for Kosovo, Petar Petkovic, met Tuesday the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, Ambassador Michael Davenport and told him that Belgrade expects the OSCE mission based on its mandate enable Kosovo Serbs vote in Serbian elections set to be held on 3 April, Gazeta Express reports.

Petkovic recalled a past practice of Kosovo Serbs who voted in elections organized by Serbia, adding that it is the responsibility of the OSCE to enable organizing voting in Kosovo’s territory on 3 April and enable Serbs exercise their right to vote.

Petkovic said that the OSCE in Kosovo has an important role in securing rule of law and a safe environment for all citizens and expressed hope that this Mission will continue acting based on its mandate, according to a press release issued by Petkovic’s Press Service.

The Government of Kosovo has banned holding of Serbian referendum on constitutional amendments held on 16 January. The Assembly of Kosovo adopted a resolution opposing holding of the referendum in Kosovo’s territory. Serbia is set to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on 3 April and state officials announced that Belgrade’s intention is to open polling centres also in Kosovo territory enabling Kosovo Serbs to cast their vote.

The head of the Vetevndosje caucus Mimoza Kusari-Lila told media on Monday that the Assembly has already approved a resolution against Serbian elections in Kosovo adding that she expects this resolution to be respected also when it comes to Serbian elections in April.

In Kosovo Cafes, Minorities Suffer Most From Segregation Culture (Prishtina Insight)

Many bars, clubs and restaurants in Kosovo routinely segregate their clientele, preferring smart-looking customers to others – but members of minority Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians communities feel more discriminated against than most.

The day in Kosovo for many starts and ends with a coffee in one of the many cafés that dot the country. But not all serve all the people who frequent them equally.

The practice of bars selecting their clientele based on how they are dressed, what type of shoes they have on or what type of drink that they order is nothing new.

From prejudices to deeds, certain citizens are the target of exclusion from such premises either because the owners wish to create a name by attracting an “elite” clientele, or because the owners are hostile to various social or ethnic groups.

But while this form of discrimination is problematic in itself, it becomes even more troublesome when this discrimination centres on race, ethnicity and skin colour.

‘Society has given them the power to discriminate’

Less than three months ago, Endrit Hyseni, a member of Kosovo’s small Egyptian community, was expelled from a bar in Pristina.

It was not the first time that the 24-year-old from Peja and his friends were expelled from a bar in the capital.

“I was with some friends from the Egyptian community and when we sat down the waiter came and said: ‘Do you have proof of vaccination?’ We all had it, but when he saw that there was no way we could be told to leave, he told us: ‘This place has been reserved by some other people and there are no other free tables,’” Hyseni told Prishtina Insight.

He claimed that he often experienced such discrimination when he was accompanied by friends from the non-majority communities – but never with Kosovar friends.

He said other clients were not expelled from the bar on the grounds that the seats were reserved or because of their vaccine status.

“We were never told that we were being left outside because of our ethnicity but I am sure that is why it happened,” he said.

According to police data, in 2018 11 cases of incitement of national, racial, religious and ethnic intolerance were reported.

In 2019, the number of cases was 12. But in 2020, there were 23 cases, and there were 18 more in the period January-November 2021.

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