• Osmani: End four years of unjust denying of visa liberalization (media)
• Some countries were convinced for visa liberalization, government says (RFE)
• Osmani travels to Washington; will attend Munich Leaders Meeting (media)
• Kosovo Compact Negotiations with MCC begin (Telegrafi)
• Kosovo, Israel ink deal year after Jerusalem embassy opens (Jerusalem Post)
• Rukiqi: Kosovo faced with unprecedented inflation (Kosovapress)
• Journalist recounts meeting former Kosovo President at The Hague (euronews.al)
• Macron proposes new political union for non-EU member states (RFE)
• COVID-19: Two new cases (media)

Osmani: End four years of unjust denying of visa liberalization (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani took to Twitter on Monday to say “four years of unjust and unacceptable denying of visa liberalization for Kosovo must end. “As the most pro-European country in the world, today Kosovo marks #EuropeDay across our country. We stand united with our allies at this challenging time. But we also call for an end to 4 years of the unjust & unacceptable denying of visa liberalization for Kosovo. For the people of Kosovo, European values are more than just words, it is a way of life. On this day we also think of the people of Ukraine who continue to face hell in the face of unprovoked Russian aggression. Kosovo stands firmly on the side of a Europe whole, free & at peace,” Osmani tweeted.

Some countries were convinced for visa liberalization, government says (RFE)

The Kosovo Government said in a statement to the news website that they are working closely with skeptical countries on visa liberalization for Kosovo citizens and that they have managed to convince some of these countries, but did not specify any names. “It has been four years since the matter has stalled at the EU Council, among member states. Thanks to the work in the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organized crime and positive developments in economic performance, we have managed to convince some hesitant and neutral countries in favor of supporting visa liberalization,” the government said in its reply.

Osmani travels to Washington; will attend Munich Leaders Meeting (media)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has travelled to Washington where she will attend the Munich Leaders Meeting which will discuss the security situation in Europe after the Russian aggression in Ukraine and for strengthening trans-Atlantic partnership.

“At the conference, the President will also address the panel on energy security and several other events. The conference will bring together senior decision-makers and experts from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss ways in which trans-Atlantic partners can build a more sustainable alliance and to advance coordination and joint leadership in security challenges, including the current war in Ukraine,” a press release issued by Osmani’s office notes.

Kosovo Compact Negotiations with MCC begin (Telegrafi)

Kosovo’s Minister of Economy, Artane Rizvanolli, said on Monday that negotiations for the Kosovo Compact Program with the US Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) have started. “I am honoured to lead negotiations for the Kosovo Compact program with the US at MCC. An intensive and exciting week ahead, with great energy teams, economics and legal specialists of the Kosovo government and MCC. Kosovo is grateful to MCC and the US and is fully committed to successfully implementing this innovative program,” Rizvanolli tweeted. The news website notes that the program will be the largest energy project in Kosovo, exceeding the amount of US$200 million, and foresees the construction of energy storage systems.

Kosovo, Israel ink deal year after Jerusalem embassy opens (Jerusalem Post)

Israel and Kosovo further cemented relations with a series of bilateral agreements on Monday. Foreign Minister Yair Lapid met with his Kosovar counterpart, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, who visited Jerusalem for the first time.

They discussed bilateral ties, aid and the war in Ukraine and signed agreements in the areas of culture, education, science and film co-production, the Foreign Ministry said. The Kosovar foreign minister also signed a Holocaust education agreement with Yad Vashem chairman Dani Dayan.

Gervalla-Schwarz is the highest-level official to visit Israel from Pristina since Kosovo opened its embassy in Jerusalem last March, making it the first Muslim-majority state to do so.

Read full article here: https://bit.ly/3KTvRwQ

Rukiqi: Kosovo faced with unprecedented inflation (Kosovapress)

Berat Rukiqi, chairman of the Kosovo Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with the news website that Kosovo’s economy has been hit twice in a short period of time, that it has been exposed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. According to Rukiqi, “this inflation is unprecedented for our economy because there has been a double hit: the hit from the pandemic which has affected the purchasing power. And now there is the other hit as a result of the circumstances of the war in Ukraine which is strongly and negatively affecting the level of prices in Kosovo”.

Journalist recounts meeting former Kosovo President at The Hague (euronews.al)

Albanian journalist Blendi Fevziu shared on Monday with Euronews Albania moments from his meeting with the former President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, at the pre-trial detention prison at The Hague.

Fevziu said that although Thaçi was trying to hold it all up together, he was in an obvious state of distress. “You’re mainly there to keep up a political balance, rather than being punished for something you have never committed”, said Fevziu, while arguing that Thaci’s calmness was more of a façade over the unjust indictment he’s obliged to face.

He emphasized that the worst part is being judged by a court that cannot pay for compensation, in case he’s found not guilty.

Thaci was completely up to date with the latest developments in Kosovo, Fevziu said.

The former president does not regret the fact that he was once one of the biggest proponents of the Specialist Chambers, despite finding himself in this situation today.

“In my judgment he made a mistake, an irrevocable mistake, for several reasons. I’m not against the creation of the Court, because every crime needs to be punished. But you cannot set up a court that is not accountable to any other authority”, Fevziu said.

Read full article here: https://bit.ly/3kWSN3I

Macron proposes new political union for non-EU member states (RFE)

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that it could take decades for Ukraine to join the European Union and proposed the creation of a new political organization to unite continent countries that share EU values ​​but are not part of the bloc. “We all know very well that the [Ukraine] membership process will take several years, in fact maybe several decades,” Macron said speaking in Strasbourg on Europe Day. “The European Union, given the level of integration and ambition, may not be the only way to structure the European continent in the short term”.

Instead, Macron proposed what he called the “European Political Community”, which could be open to non-EU countries, such as the United Kingdom, which has left the bloc. “This new European organization will enable all European countries, which adhere to our core values, to find a new space for political cooperation, security, energy cooperation, in the field of transport, investment, infrastructure and movement of people,” he said.

COVID-19: Two new cases (media)

Two new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 29 persons recovered during this period. There are 363 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.