UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, August 19

COVID-19: 141 new cases, six deaths (media)
Haziri: Kosovo to get Presevo Valley; Leposavic and 17 villages to Serbia (media)
NATO Secretary General: Dialogue only way forward (media)
Bolton: Meeting on September 2, a very good opportunity for Trump (Express)
Nagavci: September 2 meeting, a step not thought through (Klan)
LVV: This government is terribly dependent on Serbian List (media)
Cufaj: Germany is in favor of visa liberalisation (media)
Kosovo's foreign ministry backs down on bid to join Geneva Convention (Koha)
North Macedonia's Pro-Western Parties Reach Coalition Deal (RFE)
Kosovo leaders hail coalition deal in North Macedonia (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: 141 new cases, six deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in its daily report on Tuesday that 141 new cases of coronavirus and six deaths were recorded in Kosovo in the last 24 hours. 219 recoveries have been confirmed over the same time period.

The highest number of new infections has been recorded in the municipality of Prishtina (54).

There are currently 4,099 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Haziri: Kosovo to get Presevo Valley; Leposavic and 17 villages to Serbia (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) deputy leader and Gjilan Mayor, Lutfi Haziri, said in a debate on Dukagjini TV on Tuesday that Serbia will not recognise Kosovo’s independence without getting something in return. “We cannot make this offer but the international mediators will,” he said.

Haziri argued that Kosovo does not have any other problems with Serbia, except for the borders. He said he still believes a territorial exchange could be the solution to the problem. “Kosovo with the borders of February 17 is not enough for some Albanians,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to see Albanians living in Preshevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja to remain under Serbia. “I want these lands to be returned to Kosovo,” he added.

Asked what Kosovo would give in return, Haziri said: “Leposavic and 17 Serb villages”.

NATO Secretary General: Dialogue only way forward (media)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia is the only way to achieve a lasting political solution.

After a telephone conversation with Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, Stoltenberg tweeted: “Spoke with @Avdullah about the importance of@NATO_KFORin preserving security, and fighting COVID-19 in Kosovo. I welcome progress in the EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina dialogue as the only way to achieve a lasting political solution.”

PM Hoti meanwhile said that Kosovo is committed to working towards its Euro-Atlantic integration so that it can join the Alliance and other international institutions as soon as possible.

Bolton: Meeting on September 2, a very good opportunity for Trump (Express)

John Bolton, former National Security Advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, said in an interview to the news website on Tuesday that the meeting between the Kosovo and Serbia delegations at the White House on September 2 is a very good opportunity for President Trump.

“I think this will be a great campaign for President Trump and I also hope that this will help in negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia,” he said. “I think it is very much in the interest of the United States to resolve all outstanding disagreements in the Balkans region and there are quite a few.”

Bolton also argued that the inability to normalise relations between Kosovo and Serbia would enable Russia to work on increased instability in the Balkans.

Nagavci: September 2 meeting, a step not thought through (Klan)

Arberie Nagavci, MP from the Vetevendosje Movement, said that the upcoming meeting in Washington between leaders of Kosovo and Serbia has not been thought through particularly as the announcement for the meeting makes no mention of a dialogue but of negotiation.

Nagavci said that the government of Kosovo has kneeled to Serbia's demands and has no power. "The government is being unable to pass even the most basic laws," she said in an interview.

Speaking about the motion of no confidence the party launched recently, Nagavci said that they have 31 signatures pledged but that on the record, they have only the Vetevendosje MPs' signatures. "My expectations are that the number of signatures will be reached. There is unofficial support not only from the LDK but the PDK as the opposition too. It is natural for any opposition party to support an anti-government motion."

LVV: This government is terribly dependent on Serbian List (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) issued a statement which says that the current government is terribly dependent on the Serbian List, which receives orders from Serbia.

“This illegal government started in the manner that Serbia pleased, under its conditions. It was requested to lift reciprocity, the vain government did it. It was requested to stop membership at international organizations; that was fulfilled as well. This governing is terribly dependent on the Serbian List as it accepts orders from Serbia. Kosovo is and should behave as a Republic and as an equal state with the other countries,” LVV announced.

Cufaj: Germany is in favor of visa liberalisation (media)

Kosovo’s Ambassador in Germany, Beqe Cufaj, said on Tuesday that he is optimistic that Kosovo will get visa liberalisation during the German presidency of the European Union. “There is great hope that during the German presidency the news on visa liberalisation will be announced … I cannot say more,” he said.

“I can say one thing, Germany is in favor of visa liberalisation … But I have one fear and that is the pandemic. I don’t even think that dialogue is an obstacle in this … Germany is engaged for this. But even if it doesn’t happen during the German presidency, I don’t think it would be the end of the world,” Cufaj said.

Kosovo's foreign ministry backs down on bid to join Geneva Convention (Koha)

Kosovo's Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla has backed down on vowing not to respect Serbia's condition for Kosovo to suspend bids to join international organisations, Koha Ditore reports on the front page. It adds that to this end, Haradinaj-Stublla has withdrawn Kosovo's application to become a signatory party to the Geneva Convention.

Two unnamed sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the paper that Kosovo had submitted application about a month ago but that this was then followed by pressure to recall it because of the renewal of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

Earlier, Haradinaj-Stublla had voiced her objections to Kosovo suspending efforts to join international institutions saying Kosovo is an independent country recognised by more than two-thirds of world countries.

North Macedonia's Pro-Western Parties Reach Coalition Deal (RFE)

North Macedonia's pro-EU Social Democrats have struck a coalition agreement with the Balkan country's largest ethnic Albanian party nearly a month after elections.

Former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM) won the most votes in July 15 parliamentary elections but did not secure enough seats for a majority in the 120-seat parliament to govern alone.

Zaev and Ali Ahmeti, the head of the Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), announced on August 18 their parties had reached a power-sharing deal.

Under the agreement, Zaev will be prime minister but he will hand the prime minister's office over to an ethnic Albanian proposed by BDI a hundred days before the next election.