• COVID-19: 55 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Kurti invites opposition leaders to a meeting next week (media)
• Government ignores moratorium on application in international organisations (Koha)
• Historians urge Quint not to seek implementation of court ruling (media)
• PDK: Decision to dismiss politically appointed ambassadors 'scandalous' (media)
• €1 million frozen, suspicion on money laundering and terror financing (media)
• Kosovo and Serbia host US and Russian-led military exercises (Exit News)
• Former minister sentenced to two years in prison for sexual assault (Koha)

COVID-19: 55 new cases, two deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 55 new cases of COVID-19 and two deaths in the last 24 hours. At the same time, 331 recoveries have been confirmed over the same time period. There are 3,940 active cases of coronavirus in Kosovo.

Kurti invites opposition leaders to a meeting next week (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti sent invitations to leaders of three opposition parties to take part in a meeting next week to discuss coordination of political spectrum on issues of interest for Kosovo.

The invitations were sent to Enver Hoxhaj from the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), Lumir Abdixhiku from the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), and Ramush Haradinaj from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK). A spokesman for the AAK confirmed that Haradinaj will take part in the meeting. Abdixhiku said he will review Kurti’s invitation and added that in principle the LDK does not reject meetings that are in the interest of the state.

Government ignores moratorium on application in international organisations (Koha)

The daily reports in its leading story that the Kurti-led government has implied it will initiate actions that go against the pledges that former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti signed in the Washington agreement which also included a one-year moratorium on application for membership in international organisations. Namely, in a letter to the Association of Kosovo Municipalities, Minister for Local Government Elbert Krasniqi said that in two weeks the Kosovo government will initiate procedures for membership in the Open Government Partnership. The Office of the Prime Minister did not comment on the matter. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also did not say why the moratorium will not be respected.

Historians urge Quint not to seek implementation of court ruling (media)

Leadership of the Kosovo Historians' Association "Ali Hadri", branch in Decan, have urged Quint countries - France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States - to stop calling on the Government of Kosovo regarding a decision by the Constitutional Court on the registration of land to the Decan Monastery which they consider to be unconstitutional.

Chairman of the Association, Shkodran Imeraj, said the Constitutional Court decision has upheld a decision previously taken by Serbia in the 90s. "We call on the Kosovo Cadastral Agency and Chief Executive Officer Avni Ahmeti not to implement the unconstitutional and unlawful decision of the Constitutional Court on cadastral properties around the Monastery. The Cadastral Agency should not implement the unconstitutional decision because the implementation of this decision will damage not only Decan, but the whole of Kosovo", Imeraj said.

The historians also called on Kosovo leadership to intervene in the property dispute between the Decan Municipality and the Decan Monastery.

On Wednesday, Quint countries issued a statement calling on the Government of Kosovo to uphold May 2016 decision of the Constitutional Court on Decani Monastery land.

PDK: Decision to dismiss politically appointed ambassadors 'scandalous' (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) held a press conference yesterday to criticise the proposal of the Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla to relieve of duty Kosovo ambassadors that were politically appointed to their posts.

PDK MP Ariana Musliu-Shoshi said the decision was 'scandalous' and undermine the functioning of Kosovo's foreign service. "Ambassadors' recall without a plan, without an assessment of their work performance, and above all in an undignified way towards their work and integrity, shows that this government has no idea how to represent Kosovo abroad and how to act toward countries that Kosovo has diplomatic relations with," she said.

Furthermore, Musliu-Shoshi added, the withdrawal of the Kosovo Ambassador Lirim Grejqevci from The Hague is aimed at making the defence of KLA leaders even more difficult before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

€1 million frozen, suspicion on money laundering and terror financing (media)

Kosovo’s Minister of Finance Hekuran Murati told a press conference on Thursday that they have frozen around €1 million on suspicion of money laundering and terror financing. “We have identified some suspicious transfers since May 11. There are other cases where there have been double and irregular payments. We will follow the wrongdoers to the end. In my capacity as head of the board of the Financial Intelligence Unit, I ordered the freezing of around €1 million, under the suspicion that these funds are related to money laundering and terror financing,” Murati said.

Kosovo and Serbia host US and Russian-led military exercises (Exit News)

Joint anti-terrorist military exercises between the Russian and Serbian armed forces started in Serbia, just as the multinational “Defender Europe 21” led by the United States began its Kosovo rotation.

Quoting Russian news outlet Sputnik, the Belgrade-based B92 reports that the military exercises in Serbia involve special operations units from both countries.

200 soldiers and 11 units of military equipment of the Western Military District are participating in the military exercises, writes B92.

It is reported that at the opening ceremony, both parties emphasized the importance of joint combat training activities in order to enhance cooperation between the Serbian and Russian armed forces for the purposes of countering terrorism.

Across the border, the “Defender Europe 21” military exercises are taking place in the Kosovo village of Babaj i Bokes, near Gjakova.

Kosovo is participating with 330 soldiers and the country will be hosting the exercises until May 29.

“Defender Europe 21” started on May 4 in Albania and will last until June.

It will be the largest military exercise in southeast Europe aimed at increasing military cooperation. The exercise is designed to build strategic and operational readiness and interoperability between US, NATO, allies and partners. “Defender-Europe 21” has been held since 1995. Preparations in Albania have been ongoing for the last three months.

Former minister sentenced to two years in prison for sexual assault (Koha)

Numan Balic, a former Minister of Health, was found guilty by the Basic Court in Peja for sexual assault and has been sentenced to two years in prison. A spokesperson for the court said on Thursday that Balic, a surgeon by profession, will not be allowed to exercise his profession once the verdict enters into force. Balic told the paper that he is not guilty and that he will appeal the court’s decision.