Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 62 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Over 51,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)
• Kosovo FM appeals to diaspora: Get vaccinated before coming to Kosovo (media)
• Germany donates COVID-19 test kits to Kosovo worth €600,000 (media)
• Treating patients in a pandemic (Prishtina Insight)
• Government: Skender Hyseni won’t be part of dialogue with Serbia (Telegrafi)
• Hoxhaj reacts to Montenegro’s refusal to send troops to KFOR (media)
• “Kurti declared former KLA leaders war criminals, whose PM is he?” (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Antonijevic: Epidemiological situation continues to improve (TV Most)
• PM Ana Brnabic: EU doesn’t know about some things going on in region (media)
• Europa Nostra on letter from Pristina, to answer once it arrives (KoSSev)
• Vucic, Serbian officials on endangerment of Visoki Decani Monastery (KoSSev, media)
• Szunyog: For five years Kosovo didn’t implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery land (Kosovo-online)
• Petkovic: Osmani openly undermines Washington agreement by lobbying for Kosovo membership in Interpol (Kosovo-online)
• Britain in KFOR by 2023, with more troops (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• Bisenic: Palestine statehood established in the UN, Kosovo not from that framework, impossible to draw a parallel (Pravi Ugao, KoSSev)
• Vucic, officials on Zeman’s apology (B92, media)
• Additional 440.000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Serbia (B92)
• North Macedonia expels Russian diplomat (N1)

International:

• North Macedonia PM: EU risks losing sway in Balkans (politico.eu)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Brussels lifts travel restrictions for "third country" citizens (RTS, Tanjug)   

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 62 new cases, eight deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 62 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths in the last 24 hours. At the same time, 379 recoveries have been confirmed over the same time period.

There are 4,218 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo. Over 51,000 people vaccinated so far in Kosovo (media)

Coordinator of the largest vaccination centre in Prishtina, Niman Bardhi, said that so far over 51,400 persons have been vaccinated against COVID-19 in Kosovo.

The University Hospital and Clinical Service of Kosovo (SHSKUK) meanwhile announced that at present 254 persons are  hospitalised for COVID-19 in Kosovo hospitals with ten receiving intensive care and 171 on oxygen therapy. 

Kosovo FM appeals to diaspora: Get vaccinated before coming to Kosovo (media)

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz called on the Kosovo diaspora in Germany to get vaccinated against COVID-19 before visiting Kosovo for holidays. “We don’t have vaccines,” she said in her first appearance before a German-speaking audience. “So far we have managed to secure only 60,000 vaccines and they don’t cover even 10 percent of the population. Summer is coming and everyone will visit for holidays. So my appeal to you is to get vaccinated before coming to Kosovo.”

Gervalla said that alongside the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, another top priority for the new government is the fight against corruption. “This is why we were elected, because we explained it to the people that we will heal Kosovo from this disease,” she said.

Germany donates COVID-19 test kits to Kosovo worth €600,000 (media)

Germany has donated 150,000 rapid COVID-19 Antigen tests to Kosovo to support the healthcare system in the fight against COVI-19 pandemic. The donation was presented by Ambassador Jörn Rohde to the Minister of Health Arben Vitia.

“The virus is still very much present in our societies and remains a threat. Despite a decrease in detected daily infections in Kosovo and elsewhere, we have to still follow hygiene guidelines in order to protect those most vulnerable. Germany remains at Kosovo’s side and continues to support the government’s COVID-19 response," Rohde said.

Vitia meanwhile thanked the government of Germany for the support and said although the rate of daily infections has been stabilised, the pandemic remains a challenge. "This support will help all of us to move forward with caution and parallel to testing and case tracings, increase the vaccination numbers as our objective to vaccinate 60 percent of citizens by the end of 2021 remains a key focus."

Treating patients in a pandemic (Prishtina Insight)

In a BIRN debate supported by the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and broadcast on Tuesday, health workers, public officials and members of civil society talked over how Kosovo’s health system has continued to provide services throughout the coronavirus crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges to Kosovo’s public health care system. As well as handling the sometimes overwhelming number of COVID patients, Kosovo’s hospitals and Family Medical Centres also had to continue to provide pre-existing services.

Health institutions often had to be resourceful. Reporting from BIRN broadcast on Tuesday as part of its debate on health services during the pandemic, revealed how the regional hospital in Gjilan eased pressure on its overburdened wards by introducing mobile teams of health professionals. 

Since July last year, more than 10,000 patients in the Gjilan region have been offered medical assistance in their homes by these mobile teams.

Ukshin Ismajli, the acting director at the hospital said that despite the challenges involved in organising the mobile teams, including having to reassign some members of an already stretched workforce, Gjilan Hospital was able to continue offering emergency services throughout the crisis.

Ismajli specifically highlighted the maternity ward, which he said was always able to provide essential services, including emergency operations. He added that the initiative did not require a significant level of investment, with only transport costs needing to be covered, and also lowered expenses for patients requiring medical services.

Appearing alongside Ismajli in the BIRN debate, journalist Leonora Aliu stressed the importance of lowering health care costs in Kosovo, especially with the pandemic still ongoing.

“Around 30 percent of the population are unemployed, citizens do not always have access to public health institutions, and they don’t have the means to use private institutions,” Aliu said.

She highlighted the cost of taking a D-dimer test, a key indicator for whether a COVID-19 patient is entering a dangerous phase of the disease. The test costs 70 euros, which Aliu pointed out would eat up most of a basic monthly pension payment. “How can you then buy other drugs?” she asked rhetorically.

Head of the Health Department at the Municipality of Prishtina, Bujar Gashi, also hailed the initiative in Gjilan. However, he said it would be impossible to implement the same service from the Municipality-run Family Medical Centres in Prishtina due to the capital’s large population and a lack of capacities.

Gashi stated that Prishtina’s Family Medical Centres have continued to provide health care services throughout the crisis, but revealed that demand had dropped dramatically citing fears of infection. “From a typical average of around 8,000 different services per day, in 2020 that average was around 2,000,” he said.

Mustafa Skenderi, the executive director of Serbian language television network TV Mreza, said that medical services were also rarely sought out by citizens in northern Kosovo. 

“There were problems with a lack of essential drugs and a lack of capacities in hospitals to treat those with COVID-19,” he said. “Patients were often told to stay at home.”

Meanwhile, Ferdane Asllani from the Balkan Sunflowers Kosovo NGO, said that institutions had been absent when it came to providing Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities with assistance, medical or otherwise. 

“NGOs went door-to-door to inform people how to protect themselves from COVID-19,” she said. “It was us who distributed masks and other protective measures for the community.”

Finding a vaccine

Participants in the debate also discussed the ongoing rollout for vaccinations against COVID-19 in Kosovo. 

All of the roughly 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine Kosovo received through the COVAX programme in March have been administered, while a contingent of just over 4,600 doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine received from the EU began to be distributed to health workers on May 5.

Kosovo has so far relied completely on donations, having failed to secure a single dose of any vaccine against COVID-19 directly, while the number of citizens vaccinated is the lowest in the region. 

However, Hana Xhemajli, an independent researcher on health issues believes that the rollout will gather pace in the second half of 2021. “I have hope that our allies will help us,” she said. “I’m optimistic that by the end of the year we will have vaccinated 60 percent of the population.”

Other panelists, especially those in northern Kosovo, revealed that they have found other means of being vaccinated. Milica Ristovic, a volunteer nurse from Leposavic stated that she was vaccinated in neighbouring Serbia, which had a huge surplus of vaccines in the first half of 2021. 

“Many of us were vaccinated in Raska and other municipalities [in Serbia],” she said. “I took the Russian ‘Sputnik’ vaccine.”

Mustafa Skenderi, who is from North Mitrovica also crossed the border in order to receive a vaccine. “Yes I was vaccinated with the Chinese vaccine and I spoke Chinese all day,” he joked, before encouraging citizens to seek vaccination through any available means. 

“Any vaccine that you can take, do it!” Skenderi said. “I wholeheartedly recommend it.”

Government: Skender Hyseni won’t be part of dialogue with Serbia (Telegrafi)

Skender Hyseni, former national coordinator for the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, will not be part of Kosovo’s teams for dialogue. A spokesman for the Kosovo government told the news website today that Hyseni was invited last month to a consultative meeting about the dialogue with Serbia, but that he will not be part of any team.

Hoxhaj reacts to Montenegro’s refusal to send troops to KFOR (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Acting Leader Enver Hoxhaj reacted in a Twitter post against Montenegro’s refusal to send troops to KFOR. “The refusal of Montenegro to send soldiers to NATO KFOR is a wake-up call for our partners in NATO. Srpski Svet is becoming a threat to Euro-Atlantic orientation of the Western Balkans. Dividing NATO unity in the region & in Kosovo serves only the interests of Belgrade & Moscow, no one else’s,” Hoxhaj tweeted.

“Kurti declared former KLA leaders war criminals, whose PM is he?” (media)

Adil Behramaj, former political advisor to former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, said in a Facebook post today that Prime Minister Albin Kurti has declared the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army as war criminals. “In the middle of the night, Albin Kurti declared as war criminals the former leaders of the KLA. Even before the start of their trial in the Hague, Kurti as Prime Minister equalized Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi … with the servants of Milosevic’s regime. Whose Prime Minister is he?” Behramaj asked in a Facebook post.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Antonijevic: Epidemiological situation continues to improve (TV Most)

Epidemiological situation in the Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija is getting better and better each day. The number of newly infected and hospitalized is decreasing and the number of those who were cured is increasing. According to the latest data from the Public Health Institute (PHI) in Mitrovica North, in the Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija, out of 51 tested samples, two are positive for coronavirus, epidemiologist Aleksandar Antonijević told TV Most on Tuesday.

According to Antonijevic, the current epidemiological situation in the Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija was very good, as in the last ten days the number of the new patients is single digit.

“The number of tested people is also decreasing, we are testing 30 to 60 patients.The number of newly discovered cases is single digit. Specifically, on Monday, out of 51 results, we have two positive results and two repetitions, so the situation is very good at the moment”, he added.

He also pointed out there were more and more immunized citizens every day, so, as he said, “we are entering a stable period”.

“If we continue to behave like this and get vaccinated, I hope that we will soon be able to finally return to normal life and that this difficult period would finally be behind us”, Antonijevic stressed.

PM Ana Brnabic: EU doesn’t know about some things going on in region (media)

Ana Brnabic, Serbia's Prime Minister, said late on Tuesday in Brussels she wanted her country more present in the European Union states "to better explain what is going on in the Western Balkans," adding the bloc did not know about some important things already functioning, Serbian media reported. 

Such knowledge would contribute to the EU’s better perception of the region, she said after the working dinner organised for the Western Balkans’ leaders by the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, reported news agency Beta.

Besides Brnabic, the present regional leaders included Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, his North Macedonia’s and Albanian counterparts Zoran Zaev and Edi Rama, Montenegro’s President Milo Djukanovic and BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija. 

As examples of some facts the EU was not well informed about, Brnabic mentioned that Serbia’s nationals did not need passports, but IDs only to go to the neighbouring North Macedonia and Albania.

During the dinner, the talks focused on the future and changes that could improve people’s lives, she said, adding the essential political and economic issues were on the agenda.

"The atmosphere was tense at first, then much better. It lasted longer than anticipated. It's always good when we talk, when we have dialogue. We talked about important political and economic issues. We all tried to focus on the future and what is what we can do for the citizens of the region to live better," Brnabic said in a statement to reporters.

She conveyed that a lot was discussed about the EU investment plan for the Western Balkans.

In that regard, she said that she was looking forward to the beginning of the works on the construction of the highway from Nis to Plocnik, then Pristina, Tirana to the port of Durres, before the end of the year.

She said that she expects EU representatives to attend the event, because it was a regional project that shows what we can do with the presence of the EU.

Brnabic said she did not directly speak to Kurti, who later said would meet Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic in mid-June to agree on the resumption of the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on the normalisation of relations.

She added the non-papers about border changes that rippled the region were also mentioned, but without going into the details except parts that could shake the achieved regional stability.

Borrell and the Western Balkans leaders agreed on the regional countries’ integration into the bloc as a crucial strategic aim in the joint interest of both sides.

RTS reported that PM Brnabic said earlier Tuesday, after meeting Tanja Fajon, a MEP, Vladimir Bilčík, the EP rapporteur for Serbia, Borrell and Miroslav Lajčák, the EU Special Envoy for the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on the normalisation of relations, that they discussed reforms in the field of rule of law, implementation of ODIR recommendations, inter-party dialogue, dialogue with Pristina.

Brnabic pointed out that there was frustration in the EU because the first meeting within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina was postponed and added that she hoped that the first meeting would be scheduled in June.

Brnabic says that during the talks with European officials, she reiterated that Belgrade was ready for dialogue and that she believed that dialogue was in the best interest of both Belgrade and Pristina.

"Dialogue is in the best interest of Belgrade and Pristina, and not only the people who live in Kosovo and Metohija, but also in the interest of the entire region," Brnabic said.

Europa Nostra on letter from Pristina, to answer once it arrives (KoSSev)

Europa Nostra reacted last night after Pristina media published a letter that two ministers in the Kosovo government sent to the executive president of this organization – asking him to remove Visoki Decani from the list of the 7 most endangered sites, KoSSev portal reports.

Europa Nostra revealed that they have not received the letter yet, which they were informed about from the media. “A response will be sent to the Ministers once we receive their letter”, they wrote.

At the beginning of April, Europa Nostra, an organization dealing with the protection of cultural heritage, included Visoki Decani Monastery on this year’s list of the seven most endangered cultural monuments in Europe.

This decision triggered an avalanche of negative reactions from the Kosovo public and media.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti were among the first to express their disagreement in a joint letter they sent to Europa Nostra before the final decision on Visoki Decani was made.

Yesterday, however, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gervalla-Schwarz, and the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Hajrulla Ceku, also sent a letter, which was published by Pristina media, to the executive president of this organization.

Although Kosovo officials’ letter was published in the media, Europa Nostra says that they have not received it yet and that they learned about it from the media.

“A response will be sent to the Ministers once we receive their letter”, they wrote in a short statement.

Europa Nostra recalled that it addressed two letters to Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani respectively, who also objected to Visoki Decani being included in the 7 most endangered list.

“In our letter dated 19 April, we have already asked for an online meeting with the President and Prime Minister of Kosovo (or with their representatives),” Europa Nostra wrote, noting that they are still awaiting their answer.

See at: https://bit.ly/3hJLMTg

Vucic, Serbian officials on endangerment of Visoki Decani Monastery (KoSSev, media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic reacted to the latest request of Kosovo ministers sent to Europa Nostra to remove Visoki Decani Monastery from its list of the most endangered sites in Europe, KoSSev portal reports.

“No one can and has the right to endanger Visoki Decani, and we will fight and, if necessary, provide all kinds of assistance“, Vucic said, underlining that he doesn’t know which monument is more endangered than Visoki Decani in this part of Europe.

“There is no doubt that not only the Serbian Orthodox Church, even if we think differently on some issues – but also Abbot Janjic and everyone else will always have the support of the state of Serbia and we will try to explain the position of Visoki Decani, disrespect of court rulings of Pristina and violations of domestic and international law norms on that issue“, Vucic stressed.

Commenting on the letter, he said it speaks of the “arrogance“ of Pristina officials and nothing else.

He also claimed it was important for Serbia the fact that Visoki Decani belongs to the Serbian history and cultural heritage and world cultural heritage is known.

Serbian Minister of Culture, Maja Gojkovic commenting on the latest letter Pristina sent to Europa Nostra urged international organizations for the protection of cultural heritage not to succumb to the political pressure. She also urged those organizations to continue their work in line with international law and facts.

“Visoki Decani Monastery has been included with reasons onto the list of seven the most endangered cultural heritage localities in Europe for 2021, since this pearl of Serbian and world cultural heritage has been constantly exposed to numerous attacks since 1999”, Gojkovic said.

She also said Pristina institutions not only undertook nothing to reduce the endangerment of the monastery but rather tolerated and permitted acts of the local authorities that refused to implement the Constitutional Court decision from 2106 confirming the ownership of the monastery over 24 hectares of land.

She also recalled that Decani Monastery is the only shrine in Europe built in the XIX century that has been under full armed KFOR protection for 22 years.

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic said Serbia will use all diplomatic and legal mechanisms available to protect Visoki Decani Monastery. He said the letter Pristina officials sent to Europa Nostra speaks about their intentions.

“Lack of endangerment is proven by deeds, and not by calls on Twitter or political pressure. In particular it is not proven by confiscating 24 hectares of monastery’s property, constructing the high-way next to the monastery despite court decision, armed attacks, terrorist graffiti on the walls of the monastery and verbal threats to the brotherhood of the monastery”, he said.  

Selakovic underlined that Visoki Decani Monastery and brotherhood of Abbot Sava receive the threats constantly and it is the most frequently attacked object of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and it is under KFOR protection.

Szunyog: For five years Kosovo didn’t implement Constitutional Court decision on Visoki Decani Monastery land (Kosovo-online)

Head of the EU Office in Pristina Tomas Szunyog said he is concerned that a decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the Visoki Decani Monastery case has not been implemented for five years, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“I regret that 5 years since the Constitutional Court ruled on land dispute in #Decan/i, the ruling is still not being implemented. Kosovo can move forward only by upholding the rule of law as a fundamental democratic principle”, Szunyog wrote on Twitter.

In a ruling made in 2016, Kosovo Constitutional Court confirmed the ownership of the Visoki Decani Monastery over 24 hectares, something that local authorities disputed.

By making this decision, the Constitutional Court closed the process that lasted 16 years. 

Petkovic: Osmani openly undermines Washington agreement by lobbying for Kosovo membership in Interpol (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said that Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani by lobbying for Kosovo membership in international organizations openly undermines the Washington agreement.

“Pristina keeps violating agreements. After breaching the Brussels Agreement, @VjosaOsmani is openly undermining the Washington Agreement by lobbying for Interpol membership! It is obvious that they do not care for dialogue and agreements and they don’t mean anything to them”, Petkovic wrote on Twitter. 

Britain in KFOR by 2023, with more troops (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)

British Defense Ministry official David Hogan-Hern, in a conversation with Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, confirmed his government's decision to continue the participation of British troops in the KFOR mission in Kosovo until 2023, with an increase in the number of its contingent, reported Kontakt plus radio. 

Hogan-Hern, director of the Ministry of Defense for Euro-Atlantic Security, and Minister Stefanovic talked in Belgrade about improving military-economic cooperation.

The meeting also discussed the multinational exercise "Platinum Wolf", which will be in Serbia in June, with the participation of 70 members of the British Armed Forces.

The British official announced that the "Day of High Officials" will be attended by the British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace during that exercise.

Bisenic: Palestine statehood established in the UN, Kosovo not from that framework, impossible to draw a parallel (Pravi Ugao, KoSSev)

"The decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem will have harmful consequences for Kosovo, the only question is in what sense, I do not rule out the possibility that some recognitions will be withdrawn again," said journalist and former Serbian ambassador to Egypt, Dragan Bisenic, wrote portal KoSSev.

Bisenic was a guest on the TV Vojvodina show ''Pravi ugao'' (Right Angle), where he talked about the conflicts between Israel and Palestine, but also about the Washington agreement signed by the representatives of Belgrade and Pristina in October last year, one point of which obliges both sides to open their embassies in Jerusalem.

Bisenic says that the Washington agreement was signed in certain circumstances when there was an agenda of former US President Donald Trump to connect the Middle East conflict with the Balkan conflict and to resolve both at one fell swoop.

"What is important now and what happened is that it is almost out of the question that Serbia will move its embassy to Jerusalem after the Israeli recognition of Kosovo," Bisenic pointed out.

He says that politicians from Kosovo have been offering a swap, since 2012 - that Kosovo, if recognized by Israel, opens an embassy in Jerusalem.

"One thing has been neglected by Pristina, and that is that the issue of Jerusalem is very sensitive and much more important for the Arab and Islamic world than the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel," Bisenic said.

Bisenic reminded that Egypt established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1979, Jordan in 1993, and four other countries last year.

But none of these states opened an embassy in Jerusalem. The reason for that lies in the UN resolution, the former ambassador underlined.

He also reminds that the EU also adheres to this principle, precisely because it is regulated in the Security Council, quoted portal KoSSev.

Bisenic says that, after Palestine's request and a note sent to all countries, Pristina’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem was condemned by the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, the Arab League and other Islamic organizations.  

On the other hand, he says Kosovo's move to open an embassy in Jerusalem could have consequences.

"Palestine has called on all Arab, Islamic and non-Islamic countries to abide by international law and to consider Kosovo's move in that light. It will damage Kosovo, the only question is in what sense, I do not rule out a possibility of some recognitions to be withdrawn again," Bisenic said.

Dragan Bisenic believes that it is not possible to draw a parallel between Kosovo and Palestine when it comes to their status, because Israel and Palestine are states that are founded by the UN decision of 1947 - "it is a territory that is divided into two sides".

"What is being tried with Kosovo is a unilateral action or an attempt to establish a state outside the rules, outside the UN decisions. Those decisions and important UN resolutions are different, but 1244 refers directly to Kosovo. Therefore, one cannot say that there is any legal analogy between Palestine and Kosovo or between Palestine's demands for a state," he said

Palestine's right to a state, as Bisenic points out, was defined in 1947.

"Will it be within the framework of a solution between the two countries, as requested by many European countries, among other things, Serbia supports that position, or will it be some other form. In any case, as far as the statehood of Palestine, it's established by the UN system, and Kosovo is not from that framework," Bisenic concluded.

Vucic, officials on Zeman’s apology (B92, media)

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said that the ball is set in motion on the issue of the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, B92 reports. He once again thanked Czech President Milos Zeman for apologizing to Serbia for the bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

As he said, the Czechs have shown that they are sincere friends to the Serbs.

"I promised the president one thing, we will fulfill that, and as far as the Czech House is concerned, we will fulfill it regardless of everything", Vucic told reporters. He also said that he talked to Zeman about Kosovo, adding Zeman has entered history because of what he said about the bombing.

"He is a legendary politician, a man who has his own brain. I introduced him to our desire to reach a solution (with Pristina), but also that it takes two to tango", he said.

Vucic stressed Serbs would be eternally grateful for what the Czech President said regarding the bombing.

“That gratitude will not cease to him personally, nor to the brotherly Czech people”, Vucic said.

Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Selakovic took to Twitter to express gratitude to President Zeman over his apology for the NATO bombing of Serbia.

“Gratitude goes to the great man and a great friend of Serbia and Serbian people, President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman”, Selakovic wrote. “Long live Serbian-Czech friendship”, he added.

Center for Euro-Atlantic Studies opined that the apology of the President Zeman for the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia represents “a historic moment for the state of Serbia and its citizens”.

“It (apology) came at a moment when Kosovo side and its sponsors enter yet another cycle of processing and simplifying the recent past in order to gain support within their domestic public to continue exerting pressure on Serbia to just recognize Kosovo without compromise that both sides should make”, it said.

Serbian Assembly Speaker Ivica Dacic said that others should also apologize for NATO bombing of the-then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He said the apology of Czech President was “an honorable act” adding that all other states that took part in the bombing should also apologize.

Additional 440.000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Serbia (B92)

A plane carrying 440.000 doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine against coronavirus landed at Belgrade's "Nikola Tesla" airport today, B92 reports.

The new contingent of vaccines was welcomed by the Minister of Defense, Nebojsa Stefanovic, especially thanking for the 200.000 doses donated by the Chinese Army.

He said that the vaccines that arrive as a donation from the Chinese Army will significantly help fight against the pandemic, and called on all members of the Ministry of Defense and their families to vaccinate and thus show responsibility.

Stefanović stated that all military doctors were vaccinated and that 95% of the employees at the Military Medical Academy were vaccinated, which is proof that experts have trust in immunization against COVID-19.

Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, who attended the event, expressed satisfaction with the new contingent of Sinopharm vaccines for Serbia, and especially pointed out the donation of the Chinese Army, which is proof of steel friendship and cooperation between the two armies in the fight against the pandemic.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3osqL11 North Macedonia expels Russian diplomat (N1)

North Macedonian Foreign Ministry said that it expelled a Russian diplomat on Tuesday, but did not name the envoy or give a precise reason for the move, N1 reports.

It quoted article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations as the basis for declaring the diplomat persona non grata.

The Ministry added that the Russian ambassador to the country was summoned on May 14 and was presented a diplomatic note saying the envoy should leave North Macedonia within the next seven days.

   

International

  North Macedonia PM: EU risks losing sway in Balkans (politico.eu)

Frustration over blocked membership talks and vaccine deliveries gives Russia and China a chance, Zoran Zaev says.

ATHENS — North Macedonia’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, has warned the EU that it’s taken a reputational hit in the Balkans and will lose more ground to rival powers if it doesn’t start membership talks with his country and Albania soon.

EU members agreed more than a year ago to start talks with the two countries but the process is on hold, mainly because Bulgaria has blocked North Macedonia’s path to the negotiating table. The government in Sofia insists that bilateral disputes between Bulgaria and North Macedonia over language and history must be resolved before the talks can start.

Frustration with the EU in the region has been compounded by the bloc’s tardy progress in providing coronavirus vaccines to its Balkan neighbors, prompting them to turn to Russia and China for jabs instead.

“A lot of issues were not how our citizens expected and because of that Euroskepticism increases,” Zaev, a Social Democrat, told POLITICO in an interview.

Zaev said a failure to start talks would affect not just his country and Albania but also the wider Western Balkan region, which is now surrounded by EU members and was the scene of a series of wars in the 1990s as Yugoslavia was torn apart.

If the EU is not seen to keep its promises in the region, that would also give Kosovo and Serbia less incentive to resolve their differences in EU-sponsored talks and make it less likely Bosnia and Herzegovina will tackle the reforms necessary to seek its own membership negotiations, he argued.

See more at: https://politi.co/33VzVcL    

Humanitarian/Development

  Brussels lifts travel restrictions for "third country" citizens (RTS, Tanjug)

At the meeting in Brussels, the ambassadors of the EU member states decided to lift the travel restrictions for all citizens of "third countries" who received both doses of the vaccine.

This decision should be confirmed by the end of the week at the level of the EU Council, reported Radio Television of Serbia.