• COVID – 19: 709 new cases, 22 deaths (media)
• “Hospitals will be overloaded as a result of carelessness” (media)
• UN chief: Pandemic hit poorest and most vulnerable the hardest (media)
• PM Hoti: Roundtable of political parties on President post soon (media)
• Kosovo Assembly to meet today, expected to adopt economic recovery bill (media)
• PDK won’t support Haradinaj or Mustafa for President (media)
• Kosovo signs economic cooperation framework with UN agencies (media)
• Merkel, Vucic discuss dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (media)
• Vucic implies continuation of dialogue with Kosovo (media)
• Albanian Foreign Minister to visit Kosovo today (media)

COVID – 19: 709 new cases, 22 deaths (media)

709 new cases of COVID – 19 and 22 deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 555 patients have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 15,117 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

“Hospitals will be overloaded as a result of carelessness” (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement on Thursday that hospitals could soon be overloaded as a result of people’s carelessness with COVID – 19. “The carelessness could very soon make the health institutions overloaded and will increase the number of fatalities. No country in the world has sufficient human capacities and hospital infrastructures to cope with the increased number of cases as a result of carelessness to implement the only recommendations throughout the world: masks, distance and hygiene,” the statement noted.

UN chief: Pandemic hit poorest and most vulnerable the hardest (media)

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that the COVID – 19 pandemic has hit “the poorest and most vulnerable in our society hardest”. “While Covid-19 does not discriminate, our efforts to prevent and contain it do,” he added.

PM Hoti: Roundtable of political parties on President post soon (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said on Thursday that a roundtable with all political parties will be organised soon to see if there is readiness to find a solution for the post of Kosovo President.

“We must follow only a solution in line with the Constitution of Kosovo. A roundtable of political parties will be organised soon to see if there is readiness to discuss and find a solution for the post of President,” Hoti told a press conference in Prishtina.

Kosovo Assembly to meet today, expected to adopt economic recovery bill (media)

The Kosovo Assembly will hold an extraordinary session today and is expected to adopt the economic recovery bill after the ruling coalition has agreed to the demands of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK). The session starts at 11:00.

PDK won’t support Haradinaj or Mustafa for President (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Secretary Uran Ismaili said on Thursday that the PDK will not support AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj or LDK leader Isa Mustafa for the post of Kosovo President.

Ismaili said in an interview with Dukagjini TV: “The PDK does not have votes for these two. We haven’t requested anything from them, and we haven’t offered any votes for their candidacies, neither for Haradinaj nor Mustafa. The PDK doesn’t have appetites for the post of President or for the government.”

Ismaili also said that the PDK will support only a candidate proposed by them. “If someone comes and asks for the votes of the PDK, we will vote in favor of a candidate that we propose,” he added.

Kosovo signs economic cooperation framework with UN agencies (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and UN Development Coordinator Ulrika Richardson signed on Thursday the 2021 – 2025 Sustainable Economic Cooperation Framework between Kosovo and UN agencies. Hoti took to Facebook to say he appreciates the cooperation between the government and UN agencies.

“I appreciate the good cooperation between the government and UN agencies in Kosovo in combating the COVID – 19 pandemic, and we are furthering this cooperation in priority areas such as accountable governance, inclusive and non-discriminatory social services and policies, social cohesion and gender equality, empowerment and the engagement of civil society,” Hoti said.

Merkel, Vucic discuss dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia (media)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic discussed in a telephone conversation on Thursday on the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, the economic impact of the COVID – 19 pandemic and Serbia’s European integration.

Vucic’s office issued a press release after the conversation saying that the two leaders agreed that dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina is necessary and that preserving peace is of paramount importance.

The German Chancellor welcomed Serbia’s economic progress and efforts in its European path, adding that the dialogue with Prishtina and the rule of law are of crucial importance.

Vucic told Merkel that he will take all necessary steps to create a constructive and open atmosphere for the dialogue with Prishtina.

Vucic implies continuation of dialogue with Kosovo (media)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday implied the continuation of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. In an interview with RTS, Vucic said he is “not sure if Prishtina wants to implement something from the dialogue, because of internal reasons”. Kosovo and Serbia signed an agreement on the normalisation of economic relations in Washington on September 4. Following the presidential elections in the United States and the victory by Democrat candidate Joe Biden, many experts have raised questions about the fate of the agreement. Vucic however said he respect the agreements regardless of changes in the U.S. administration.

Albanian Foreign Minister to visit Kosovo today (media)

Albania’s Acting Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj will visit Kosovo today and meet with his Kosovo counterpart Meliza Haradinaj – Stublla. Representatives of Albanians living in Preshevo Valley in Serbia will also attend the meeting. The participants are expected to sign three agreements.