• COVID-19: 897 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• Health Minister: Vaccine is safe, I call on all citizens to get vaccinated (media)
• Kosovo restaurant stages silent protest against COVID-19 restrictions (BIRN)
• Kurti government implies it will reintroduce reciprocity toward Serbia (Koha)
• Blinken to Kurti: You will have our full support (media)
• Szunyog: Kurti has been officially invited to Brussels (media)
• “If President not elected, maybe UN would appoint new administrator” (Telegrafi)
• Szunyog: We are not satisfied with Kosovo’s implementation of SAA (media)
• Kosovo prosecution promises rapid verdict after BIRN investigation (BIRN)
• “Decani Monastery under threat”, a triumph of Serbia, Kosovo silent (Koha)

COVID-19: 897 new cases, 14 deaths (media)

897 new cases of COVID-19 and 14 deaths from the virus have been recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 677 persons have recovered from the virus during this period.

There are 15,068 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Health Minister: Vaccine is safe, I call on all citizens to get vaccinated (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Health Arben Vitia told a press conference on Thursday that people over 85 are being vaccinated and that healthcare staff have already been vaccinated against the coronavirus. Vitia also said that none of the persons vaccinated so far have experienced side effects.

“The vaccine is safe. I call on all citizens to report for vaccination. Those that could not apply for vaccination for objective reasons, we will have mobile teams that will vaccinate them. So far everything is going well as far as the vaccination process is concerned,” Vitia said.

Kosovo restaurant stages silent protest against COVID-19 restrictions (BIRN)

A restaurant owner in Pristina has protested against new government measures against the spread of COVID-19 – which have closed eating places – by replacing real customers with shop manneqins.

Usually at lunchtime, restaurants in Pristina are full of customers but these days it is the silence that is most deeply noticed by passers by.

To stop the spread of the coronavirus, the Kosovo government has imposed a new set of measures, and restaurant owners complain they are affected the most.

Petrit Kllokoqi, owner of Pristina’s Bagolina restaurant, has found an original way of protesting against the measures.

Instead of actual diners, Kllokoqi on Thursday installed a dozen shop mannequins sitting in the restaurant chairs.

“We opted for a form of protest that does not spread the virus. We are not satisfied with the latest government decision to ban the activity of gastronomy,” Kllokoqi, also head of the Kosovo Gastronomers’ Association, told BIRN.

“The mascots will stay here in the next 11 days,” Kllokoqi added, referring to the length of the new government measures.

Two days ago, the Association of gastronomers warned of protests after the government imposed a new 12-day lockdown on Monday. Based on this decision, restaurants and cafes will be closed until April 18, though they are allowed to offer take-out and “drive through” services.

The decision came after Kosovo saw a hike in COVID infections at the beginning of April.

Deputy leader of Kosovo’s gastronomers, Veton Zuka, told the BIRN portal Prishtina Insight that the “political parties have lost their legitimacy to make decisions and close our premises when they held election [rallies] with 2,000 or 3,000 people”.

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3s4wJ8e

Kurti government implies it will reintroduce reciprocity toward Serbia (Koha)

The paper reports in its leading front-page story this morning that two days before the February 14 parliamentary elections, Vetevendosje leader and now Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, pledged he will reintroduce reciprocity toward Serbia if he wins the elections. 17 days after his elections as Prime Minister, Kurti has yet to deliver on his pledge.

A spokesperson for the Kosovo government told the paper on Thursday that the reciprocity measures will be enforced. “Reciprocity is a right that derives from equality and sovereignty, being independent, in order to protect the citizens from the arbitrary behavior or the violation of rights and dignity by other countries. It is an obligation for the government and Prime Minister Kurti to protect the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and the interests of the state of Kosovo,” the spokesperson said. “This is why there will be reciprocity measures with every country, including Serbia, in every area where there are unilateral actions that violate the principle of equality and the signed agreements”.

Blinken to Kurti: You will have our full support (media)

The U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, sent a congratulatory letter to the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, congratulating him and the people of Kosovo on the successful and democratic elections held on 14 February.

He wrote that the United States has welcomed the formation of the new government and expects to work closely to ensure, as he put it, that a sovereign, independent, multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo takes its place as an equal partner in the Euro-Atlantic family.

Secretary Blinken welcomed Prime Minister Kurti's commitments to fight corruption, strengthen the rule of law and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his efforts to realize the aspirations of the people of Kosovo.

Further, in the letter, he said that securing a comprehensive normalization agreement with Serbia, focused on mutual recognition, is essential for Kosovo to reach its full potential and move forward on the path to EU membership.

You will have the full support of the United States of America in this regard, said Secretary Antony J. Blinken.

Szunyog: Kurti has been officially invited to Brussels (media)

European Union Head of Office in Kosovo Tomas Szunyog said on Thursday that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has received an official invitation to visit Brussels for a bilateral meeting. “We hope the visit will take place soon so that we can discuss with Kurti how to continue the dialogue. We hope it will not be delayed because there is no time to lose,” he said. “We hope the meeting will take place in the next weeks.”

“If President not elected, maybe UN would appoint a new administrator” (Telegrafi)

Vetevendosje Movement (VV) MP ArtanAbrashi said in an interview on Thursday that this party was forced to ask for the vote of MP Adem Hoxha to avoid a serious constitutional crisis. He said Vetevendosje had communication with MPs from other parties even in previous legislatives and denied that “MPs were trafficked” to elect Vjosa Osmani as President of Kosovo. “I am glad that even within parties that are known for their opposition against Vetevendosje Movement, there are reasonable MPs that treat public interest as a priority,” he said.

Abrashi said if the Assembly would have failed to elect a new President, Kosovo would enter into a constitutional crisis. “The failure of the state of Kosovo was at stake. Maybe the UN would have assembled and appointed a new administrator for us,” he argued.

Szunyog: We are not satisfied with Kosovo’s implementation of SAA (media)

European Union Head of Office in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, said on Thursday that they are not satisfied with the level of implementation of the Stabilisation/Association Agreement by Kosovo’s institutions.

“First, relations between the European Union and Kosovo: in essence, this is the first legally binding document, it is binding for both sides in its implementation. And it is also an important political document because it creates certain mechanisms such as the Council for Stabilisation and Association,” he said.

“Second, which is also important, is the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association, which is the first step toward European integration, it equalizes Kosovo’s position with other countries in the region. So, the stabilization/association process is the first step, followed by candidacies of countries, then accession negotiations and finally membership. I believe this is the second important point”.

“Third, the Stabilisation/Association Agreement is a very practical document, in the sense that it offers a roadmap for Kosovo in legal approximation, but also rules and standards with the European rules and standards, what is known as the Acquis … As far as the implementation is concerned, five years is a very long period of time, and we understand that sometimes the genuine implementation may be hindered by complex political developments, government crisis, elections and so on. But generally speaking, we are not fully satisfied with its implementation,” he said.

Kosovo prosecution promises rapid verdict after BIRN investigation (BIRN)

Hours after BIRN aired an investigation showing a friend of a prosecutor’s husband taking money to close a criminal investigation, the Kosovo Prosecution announced that the investigation into the case in question had been completed.

Kosovo’s state prosecution on Thursday pledged that a ruling on a criminal investigation into three people will be taken soon – hours after BIRN aired a TV investigation showing the payment of an alleged bribe of 5,000 euros to a prosecutor in Prizren to close a criminal investigation.

In a press release, the prosecution said it had been investigating the case since February 10 – and a verdict was now imminent.

“We have obtained enough evidence and will have a final decision soon against three persons concerning the criminal offence of exercise of influence,” it said.

On Wednesday, BIRN Kosovo aired its investigation on the local “Kallxo Pernime” show, in which Dardan Hoxha from Prizren admitted paying 5,000 euros to prosecutors to close a criminal investigation against him and his father.

In a video filmed by Hoxha himself, he can be seen giving money to Rizam Hoxha, a friend of the husband of the case prosecutor, Ervehe Gashi. Prosecutor Gashi has denied allegations of wrongdoing.

While the show was airing, the Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, went on to Facebook to express shock: “We have had an opportunity to openly and publicly see what is happening inside the justice system, where money is given to escape justice. For many other cases, we may not be aware!”

Haxhiu emphasized that “vetting in the justice system is the only key to restoring citizens’ trust in justice institutions”. She added: “We will start work very soon in this direction.”

“Decani Monastery under threat”, a triumph of Serbia, Kosovo silent (Koha)

The paper reports in one of its front-page stories that the propaganda by Belgrade and the Serb Orthodox Church have led to the renowned organisation for cultural heritage “Europa Nostra” to include the Decani Monastery in the list of the seven most threatened religious sites. During an online event organised on Thursday, this organisation included the Monastery in the list. The inclusion in the list was announced even late last year and even then, as now, Kosovo’s institutions kept silent”.