• COVID-19: 774 new cases, four deaths (media)
• Vaccinations against COVID-19 begin in Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo PM gets first COVID-19 vaccine shot to encourage take-up (Reuters)
• Kurti's vaccination draws reactions in Kosovo (media)
• Ramadani: New vaccine deliveries to take place in the coming weeks (Kallxo)
• Vaccination certificates to be issued to Western Balkans citizens (RFE/Koha)
• Kurti has separate meetings with ambassadors, Kosnett and Orlando (media)
• Haziri vows LDK will play constructive role in president's election (media)
• PDK’s Haliti on voting Vjosa Osmani for president (RTK)
• Kosovo Serb Party Challenges Govt in Court Over Representation (Balkan Insight)
• Miftaraj says SL's complaint to Constitutional Court has no legal basis (media)
• Vucic: If I recongnised Kosovo, I would have won the Nobel Prize (Happy/Zeri)
• Spanish FM on the match with Kosovo: It is football (media)
• Kurti 'blocks' PAK activity (RFE/media)
• Journalist claims he was suspended for comments against Kurti (media)

 

COVID-19: 774 new cases, four deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 774 new cases of COVID-19 and four deaths in the last 24 hours. 903 persons have recovered from the virus during this time.

There are 14,551 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Vaccinations against COVID-19 begin in Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti received the first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine administered in Kosovo at the 1 Tetori sports hall in Prishtina on Monday.

Dr. Isme Humolli of the Kosovo Office of the World Health Organisation and epidemiologist Dr. Salih Ahmeti were also vaccinated, in a move to encourage Kosovo citizens to take up opportunities to be immunised.

“As Kosovo Prime Minister, I am not here to use the privilege to be vaccinated first but to encourage all citizens to be vaccinated as we receive the first contingent,” Kurti said after receiving the jab.

Kosovo is the last country in Europe to begin vaccinating its citizens against COVID-19, having only received its first contingent of vaccines on Sunday night, when a shipment of 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived at Prishtina International Airport.

The delivery was sent as part of the World Health Organisation’s COVAX programme, which has allocated 100,800 doses to Kosovo but has experienced supply issues, delaying distribution. Other attempts to secure vaccines have fallen through, with reported agreements between the Kosovo Government and both Pfizer and the Austrian state failing to deliver.

Earlier on Monday, health minister Arben Vitia was reported to have told a meeting with the Association of Kosovo Municipalities that vaccines are set to be administered from Tuesday at the 1 Tetori Hall and the Infectious Disease Clinic at the University Clinical Centre of Kosovo in Prishtina.

Vitia is also reported to have stated that health professionals, people over the age of 80 and those with serious illnesses will be first in line for the vaccine.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3cz3i9V

Kosovo PM gets first COVID-19 vaccine shot to encourage take-up (Reuters)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was the first person to get a COVID-19 vaccine shot at the start of Kosovo’s inoculation campaign on Monday, saying he wanted to set an example that would encourage people to take part in the campaign.

Doctors and nurses lined up after Kurti in a sports hall in the capital Pristina to get the AstraZeneca vaccine.

On Sunday evening, 24,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, part of the COVAX vaccine sharing scheme, arrived in Kosovo, the last country in Europe start inoculation. With the first batch Kosovo aims to vaccinate around 11,000 doctors and nurses and people aged 80 years and older.

See more at: https://reut.rs/39oRJA4

Kurti's vaccination draws reactions in Kosovo (media)

The decision of Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti to be the first person in Kosovo to receive the coronavirus vaccine has been met with both praise and condemnation. Kurti said the decision to be vaccinated was not to display privilege but meant to encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Avni Bytyci said Kurti would have to be the last person to be getting the vaccine. He said that while many world leaders do choose to get vaccinated to show to the public that the Covid vaccine is not harmful, Kosovo's case is different. "First, Albin has passed Covid once. Second, there are some categories that are more at risk, such as doctors, nurses, police and other categories."

Leader of the New Kosovo Alliance (AKR) Behgjet Pacolli had a similar reaction. "Citizens and those exposed to Covid need this donation more than people in politics who have more possibilities of protecting themselves and not use the donation."

Meanwhile, commentator and journalist Adriatik Kelmendi said Kurti did the right thing to have received the vaccine the first. "There is no politics involved here, just health," he said. "At the time when almost half of population believes in conspiracy theories, it is a patriotic act when a state leader is vaccinated," Kelmendi added.

Mentor Sejdiu, Kosovo doctor working in the U.S., told Klan that Kurti gave a good example by getting the vaccine. "I think it is a very good decision of any official, especially of a head of state, to be an example for the population in general and an encouraging example for the ordinary people to go and get the vaccine."

Ramadani: New vaccine deliveries to take place in the coming weeks (Kallxo)

Naser Ramadani, head of Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health, said in an interview with Kallxo that additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be delivered to Kosovo in the coming weeks. "The second contingent will include 108,000 doses," he said.

Ramadani pointed out that the exact number of people infected with coronavirus so far in Kosovo is not known but that a survey will soon get underway together with WHO to determine what percentage passed COVID-19.

Ramadani also spoke about hesitancy to get vaccinated on the part of health workers. "I cannot understand healthcare staff who have knowledge about vaccines, infectious diseases, and yet refuse to get it," he noted.

Vaccination certificates to be issued to Western Balkans citizens (RFE/Koha)

European Union plans to begin issuing digital coronavirus vaccination certificates as of June and that the citizens of Western Balkans will also be given the opportunity to obtain such a document when travelling, Radio Free Europe reported.

At the same time, European Commission spokesperson Cristian Wigand said that non-essential travel of citizens from third countries remains not permitted. "Those that can currently travel, will be able to get a green digital certificate by requesting it from the country where they travel," he said.

Kurti has separate meetings with ambassadors, Kosnett and Orlando (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, accompanied by Minister of Defence Armend Mehaj, met yesterday the U.S. Ambassador Philip Kosnett and discussed recent political developments in Kosovo.

According to a press release issued by the government, Kurti thanked Kosnett for the visit and the role of the U.S. in procuring first doses of COVID vaccines for Kosovo. "United States of America are and remain irreplaceable partner for the Republic of Kosovo and its people in face of challenges it faces," Kurti is quoted.

The two are also said to have discussed the developments regarding the complete consolidation of Kosovo institutions.

Kurti also met yesterday the Italian Ambassador Nicola Orlando and stressed that Italy is an important partner for Kosovo. Kurti also assured Orlando that the government led by him is ready and determined to cooperate in all fields of common interest.

Haziri vows LDK will play constructive role in president's election (media)

Deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri said that the party will play a constructive role in the process of Kosovo president's election.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting of the party's chairmanship, Haziri said: "We will continue discussions with MPs to make sure the LDK's participation in the president election session is in the constitutional spirit by avoiding any possible institutional obstructionism and by creating a political spirit and engagement towards stability in this country."

PDK’s Haliti on voting Vjosa Osmani for president (RTK)

Xhavit Haliti, MP from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) did not exclude the possibility of voting Vjosa Osmani for president of Kosovo.

He said that the decision of the PDK is not to vote her however, he added that ‘it depends on the mood.’

Haliti, who at the constitutive session of the Assembly voted Glauk Konjufca for Assembly Speaker, said he does not have any problem with who is going to be the president of Kosovo, as long as he or she gains the required votes.

“Vjosa Osmani has not requested my vote. I think that Kosovo needs a president, it is not a problem for me who wins the votes, be it even Vjosa,” Haliti said.

Kosovo Serb Party Challenges Govt in Court Over Representation (Balkan Insight)

One week after his election as Prime Minister, Albin Kurti faces a constitutional challenge from his own government partner, Srpska Lista – which is demanding two ministers in government, not one.

The Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb party Srpska Lista submitted a complaint to Kosovo’s Constitutional Court on Monday, seeking a ruling against the decision of Prime Minister Albin Kurti to give them only one ministry in his new cabinet instead of the usual two.

The move comes one week after Kosovo’s parliament elected Vetevendosje head Albin Kurti as Prime Minister.

Srpska Lista, which has 10 seats in the 120-seat parliament, said that its aim was “to protect the interests of the Serbian people”.

See more at: https://bit.ly/31xQTg5

Miftaraj says SL's complaint to Constitutional Court has no legal basis (media)

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo's Law Institute think tank said that the complaint the Serbian List filed with the Constitutional Court claiming that it was entitled to lead two ministries, not one, in the current government of Kosovo has no basis on either the Constitution of Kosovo or the Ahtisaari status proposal.

"The privileges offered by previous governments were not necessarily good practices supported by the Constitution. The right guaranteed by the Constitution and the privileges won through political agreements are not the same. In the concrete case, we are dealing with privileges and not rights guaranteed by the Constitution," Miftaraj wrote on Facebook.

Vucic: If I recongnised Kosovo, I would have won the Nobel Prize (Happy/Zeri)

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic spoke in an interview with Happy broadcaster in Serbia about many issues including former president of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic. According to him, Milosevic was neither a fool nor unwise, however ‘he made some mistakes, among them wars in former Yugoslavia.’

Speaking about Kosovo, Vucic said that if he was to recognize Kosovo, he would have won the Nobel Prize.

Spanish FM on the match with Kosovo: It is football (media)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation in the Government of Spain, Arancha González Laya, has ruled out the possibility of recognizing Kosovo's independence. She spoke about Kosovo on Monday, on the eve of the qualifying match for the World Cup "Qatar 2022", Spain - Kosovo, which is played on Wednesday in Seville.

According to her, this match does not change Spain's position on Kosovo's independence.

"Football is football and is played according to the rules set by FIFA," she said after meeting with Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum. "These two things should not be confused," she said.

Kurti 'blocks' PAK activity (RFE/media)

The new government of Kosovo is insisting on suspending any decision-making related to the privatization and alienation of socially-owned enterprises by the Privatization Agency of Kosovo (PAK).

Perparim Kryeziu, spokesman for the government of Kosovo told Radio Free Europe that it is important not to have "hasty actions and inconsistent with the plan and goals of the new executive."

“The Kurti government is in the first week of its mandate and we are already in the process of finalizing the governing program. It will eventually address the activity, competencies and function of the PAK.

However, in addition to this statement of Kryeziu, during the election campaign, Kurti said that he intends to cease the activity of the PAK.

PAK officials confirmed that on Friday, March 25, the board was holding a regular meeting and continued with the legal decision-making procedures until they received the e-mail from Prime Minister Kurti at 12:45 about "consideration of the suspension of decisions" upon request.

"The board of directors has discussed the request of the government and in accordance with the request, interrupted the meeting at 13:30, also suspending the decision-making process for unresolved points according to the proposed agenda," was said in the response of the PAK information office.

Despite Kurti’s request, a decision dated July 1, 2020 of the previous government is still in force. Former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti had asked the PAK not to announce a new wave of privatization until the Strategy for the privatization of socially-owned enterprises in line with the governing program of Kosovo is approved, in order to successfully complete the privatization process.

"At the moment when the additional requests were received from the government and the acting president (Vjosa Osmani) to continue the suspension of sales waves, the PAK has suspended the process and this suspension continues to remain in force until another decision. The efforts of the PAK for the realization of its legal mandate, cannot be considered legal violation," was stressed in the response.

Journalist claims he was suspended for comments against Kurti (media)

Ridvan Berisha, from the public broadcaster RTK, said he has been suspended from hosting his show after he made comments that the management considered inappropriate against the Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

Berisha accused the RTK management for bias and said his suspension was 'camouflaged' with citing violation of rules. "Your fans, you, your Kurti team are over the moon with this suspension," Berisha wrote on social media.

In a live show following Albin Kurti's election as prime minister, Berisha declared he would not invite Kurti for interview but that Kurti can instead notify him if he wishes to be on his show.

Bota Press reported that Berisha was a critic of the Vetevendosje Movement and its leader Kurti and was close to previous ruling parties in Kosovo.