• COVID-19: 129 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Zemaj with recommendations on fighting COVID-19 pandemic (RTK)
• Kosovo signs agreement with EBRD to support services hit by pandemic (media)
• Serbia allocates funds for COVID-19 testing lab in Mitrovica North (Koha)
• U.S.: Kosovo's economic progress, crucial for peace with Serbia (Koha)
• Hoti: We will build Decan-Plave road by respecting laws of the country (media)
• "PDK will demand elections as soon as COVID-19 cases decline" (Koha)
• Konjufca: LDK was not sincere with LVV (Kanal 10/Telegrafi)
• Hoti: Protection of religious and cultural sites is in our tradition (media)
• LVV reacts to President Thaci's pardoning a 13-year-old boy's killer (media)
• Mitrovica municipality adds name of Roma girl to memorial stone (media)
• The British Embassy disappointed with the Assembly of Kosovo (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: 129 new cases, nine deaths (media)

Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health announced in its daily report that 129 new cases of coronavirus and nine deaths have been recorded in Kosovo over the last 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 152 recoveries have been confirmed over the same time period.

Online media outlets reported that according to the Hospital and University Clinical Service of Kosovo (SHSKUK), 573 patients are receiving medical care at the Kosovo's University Clinical Center (QKUK) and seven regional hospitals, of which 441 are confirmed to have coronavirus. Of this number, 40 are in critical condition and 372 are on oxygen therapy.

There are currently 4,183 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Zemaj with recommendations on fighting COVID-19 pandemic (RTK)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Health is in the process of licensing private institutions that would commence COVID-19 tests.

Health Minister Armend Zemaj informed that from 57 licensed institutions so far, majority of them have started with serologic tests, while two institutions gained the right also for molecular or PCR tests.

He said at the meeting of the Committee for management of COVID-19 pandemic that some of the measures undertaken by the government in order to manage and keep under control the situation with COVID-19, have already began to give the initial effects.

“We should continue to increase dynamics, in order for the measures to be kept and implemented and as a result, reach decrease of the number of the affected by the infection. Hospital capacities have increased just as the number of healthcare professionals in order to help their colleagues, as some of them were affected by the infection,” Zemaj said.

He further recommended some of the measures in order to manage the situation. “Established measures should be comparable with those of the other countries, shopping malls and grocery shops, should be obliged to have staff who do not allow entrance of customers without wearing masks,” he said, adding that customers should also not be allowed to enter grocery stores without shopping carts, as they create the distance between people. He also said that restaurants should be obliged to limit the number of tables.

Kosovo signs agreement with EBRD to support services hit by pandemic (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Finance, Hykmete Bajrami, signed an agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for a €30 million loan.

"As the country continues to face the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, through this support the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will ensure the provision of essential infrastructure services," the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

EBRD at the same time explained that the first tranche of up to €14 million will be provided to the government for on-lending to vital infrastructure providers for immediate emergency support while the second tranche of up to €16 million will finance further support until revenues and collections have been restored.

Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti hailed the agreement saying the funds will help central and local public enterprises in overcoming the effects of the pandemic.

Serbia allocates funds for COVID-19 testing lab in Mitrovica North (Koha)

The Government of Serbia has allocated around €100,000 for opening a lab in Mitrovica North that will serve as a testing facility for coronavirus, Radio Television of Vojvodina reported.

The funds will be allocated through the Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo.

U.S.: Kosovo's economic progress, crucial for peace with Serbia (Koha)

Talks on economic relations between Kosovo and Serbia are considered by the United States to be crucial in achievement of peace between the two parties, Koha Ditore reports.

"The National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien together with Ambassador Richard Grenell will host a meeting with leaders of Kosovo and Serbia on September 2. The United States expect results from these important discussions between President Vucic and Prime Minister Hoti. The United States believe that progress on economic issues is crucial for advancement of the peace process," the office of the National Security Advisor said in a reply to the paper.

Hoti: We will build Decan-Plave road by respecting laws of the country (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti requested halting of the works at Decan-Plave road after the reaction of the internationals.

“Without being affected by the noises at TV studios, we will build Decan-Plave road in close cooperation with Decan and all other competent institutions, by respecting the laws of Kosovo state. Noise is not a solution to the concerns of our citizens, but work, engagement and respecting of legal and constitutional norms,” Hoti wrote.

"PDK will demand elections as soon as COVID-19 cases decline" (Koha)

Blerta Deliu-Kodra, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), said the party will be demanding for new elections as soon as the coronavirus situation improves and the number of new infections declines.

She accused the two last governments of Kosovo of, as she said, manipulating the will of the citizens. "They showed their agreements were not based on principles and showed they are not partners that deserve to govern with the support of the Kosovo citizens."

Deliu-Kodra however said the PDK considers the Vetevendosje's no-confidence motion against the government not to be serious "because the momentum is not right."

Konjufca: LDK was not sincere with LVV (Kanal 10/Telegrafi)

Glauk Konjufca from the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) said that the party's former coalition partner - the Democratic League of Kosovo - was not sincere.

"LDK applied a strategy whereby as soon as it appointed Vjosa Osmani to a leading post, it pursued Plan B in relation to LVV. LDK's promises in regards to LVV were not sincere but for show only. The same cannot however be said for Vjosa Osmani," Konjufca said.

Hoti: Protection of religious and cultural sites is in our tradition (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti said Kosovo represents a mosaic of different cultures and ethnicities.

“Kosovo is a mosaic of diverse cultures and religions. Religious and cultural sites of all ethnicities and faiths in Kosovo are common values and memory of our society and they have survived for centuries due to the protection by people of Kosovo. This is a rooted engagement in our tradition,” Hoti wrote.

LVV reacts to President Thaci's pardoning a 13-year-old boy's killer (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) has called on President Hashim Thaci to clarify the reasons behind his decision to pardon a man convicted of double murder, including of a thirteen-year-old boy.

Vetevendosje said its MPs who are members of the Assembly's legislation committee have submitted a request to President's Office seeking clarifications.

Meanwhile, Koha reports that the person pardoned by Thaci was a witness in the death of Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari at the detention facility in Prizren four years ago.

Mitrovica municipality adds name of Roma girl to memorial stone (media)

Local authorities in Mitrovica have had engraved the name of Elizabeta Hasani, a five-year-old Roma girl, to the memorial stone erected to pay tribute to the victims of Mitrovica massacre in 1999.

Mitrovica mayor, Agim Bahtiri, said on the occassion that non-inclusion of the girl among the names of six other victims was unintentional and only as a result of lack of information.

Kosovo Roma MP, Albert Kinolli, said meanwhile that victims should be treated equally. "A victim knows no race, no colour, no community, no political party. We demonstrated this today together with Mayor Bahtiri," he said as they laid wreath to the memorial stone.

The British Embassy disappointed with the Assembly of Kosovo (media)

The Embassy of the United Kingdom to Kosovo has issued a press release which expresses disappointment on failure of the Assembly of Kosovo to appoint the Commissioner of the Information and Privacy Agency on 14 August.

“We followed with disappointment the failure of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo to appoint the Commissioner of the Information and Privacy Agency on 14 August. A transparent and meritocratic process, supported by our Recruitment Project, had produced two suitable candidates. Failure to appoint either of them puts into question the declared commitment of political parties to implement the MoU with the British Embassy, but most importantly sends a negative signal to independent professionals in Kosovo and their hopes of contributing to Kosovo institutions. Any public appointment should take into account only the interests of the country and its citizens, and not narrow political party interest.

The failure of the Assembly to appoint the Commissioner of the Information and Privacy Agency will leave Kosovan citizens without proper institutional protection of their privacy and data. It will also lead to the repetition of the recruitment process for the fourth time, and delay of EU funding for the Agency. The next process will not be supported by our Recruitment Project. We will not waste British taxpayers’ money on repeating processes that have been transparent and well run, and that produced appointable candidates.

We will continue monitoring the votes of political parties in the Assembly for the remaining positions in the project’s agreed List of Positions (see www.kosovoselection.org), in order to assess our engagement with the Assembly on independent, transparent and accountable recruitment in senior public positions,” reads the press release.