• COVID-19: 120 new cases, nine deaths (media)
• Mustafa says institutions to act against discrimination of citizens (media)
• Lajcak wants Kosovo-Serbia dialogue be more dynamic (Express)
• Mustafa: I expect definition of the road to recognition in Washington (media)
• Haradinaj: Economy to be discussed in Washington, not recognition (T7)
• Abazi: With no agenda in Washington, Kosovo at a mercy of what Thaci has cooked (Klan)
• Kelmendi: Washington meeting, mainly to focus on economic issues (Klan)
• Konjufca: Kosovo forced to give something in return for recognition from Serbia (Telegrafi)
• EU envoy sees Serbia-Kosovo normalisation deal in months (Reuters, media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

COVID-19: 120 new cases, nine deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health announced that of 452 tests carried out over the last 24-hour period, 120 have tested positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, nine deaths and 122 recoveries were recorded over the same time period.

Koha reports that almost 300 people died from COVID-19 in Kosovo during August, more than half of the total number of victims since the start of the pandemic.

Kosovo's Minister of Health, Armend Zemaj, said yesterday in a visit to the intensive care unit at the Kosovo University Clinical Center (QKUK) that he has requested international partners to support efforts to increase COVID-19 testing capacities in Kosovo.

The current number of active cases in Kosovo is 3,606.

Mustafa says institutions to act against discrimination of citizens (media)

Leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa has commented on the price for COVID-19 tests in privately-owned facilities in Kosovo saying that the virus is a misfortune that all citizens are facing and that no one can avoid responsibility for the setting of prices.

"Instead of justifications, relevant institutions should take actions and eliminate any discrimination towards the citizens, be it through baseless high prices or through secret deals aimed at eliminating the competition by those that have been licensed," Mustafa wrote on social media.

Yesterday media reported that some private labs in Kosovo were charging 200 for rapid-result tests for COVID-19.

Lajcak wants Kosovo-Serbia dialogue be more dynamic (Express)

EU Special Representative on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, met Monday Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic. The meeting took place ahead of Pristina-Belgrade meeting in Washington hosted by the US special envoy Richard Grenell.

Lajcak took to Twitter Monday to confirm the meeting with Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. “Substantive and useful meeting with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic about the state of play. I expressed the readiness of the EU to make the Dialogue more dynamic,” Lajcak stated.

Mustafa: I expect definition of the road to recognition in Washington (media)

Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) told Express news portal he expects definition of the road to the dialogue at the White House.

“To me, the meeting in Washington on 3 and 4 September, is of special importance. I expect that in addition to the specific economic issues, the path of the dialogue, supported by the U.S. and which leads to mutual recognition, and also how the two irreplaceable parties, the US and the EU, will coordinate in the process of this dialogue for the final agreement,” Mustafa said.

"Therefore, the deeper we enter this process, the more we must be together to face it and conclude it in the interest of the country," Mustafa said.

Haradinaj: Economy to be discussed in Washington, not recognition (T7)

The leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj told T7 broadcaster that he discussed with coalition partners details of representing Kosovo in Washington.

“The principle of territorial inviolability, principal of constitutionality and ‘Zajednica’ [Association of Serb-majority municipalities] will not be discussed in Washington at all. While it is a bit hard to believe that recognition can be achieved. But there will be a political progress. The White House will demand from the EU a greater advancement in dialogue. The EU is afraid that the White House will push forward a final agreement, but this will not be achieved," Haradinaj told T7.

"There will be a major advancement in mutual relations. Mainly, economic topics will be discussed," he added.

He also spoke about the statements of the LDK deputy leader, Lutfi Haziri, on change of the borders between Kosovo and Serbia.

"Isa Mustafa should discipline Lutfi Haziri who is being loud about change of the borders. He is all the time making statements about 17 villages there, statements which are unnecessary".

Haradinaj also criticized the appointment of Skënder Hyseni as coordinator for dialogue.

Abazi: With no agenda in Washington, Kosovo at a mercy of what Thaci has cooked (Klan)

Haki Abazi, former deputy prime minister from the Vetevendosje Movement, spoke about the upcoming meeting of Kosovo and Serbia representatives in Washington saying that the Kosovo delegation has no legitimacy and does not represent anyone.

"In fact what is clear is what we have been saying all along and that is that the people part of the delegation do not represent absolutely anyone in Kosovo in the sense of legitimacy. On arrival to Washington they were met by an ambassador who is also illegally a representative in Washington D.C.," Abazi said in reference to Kosovo's ambassador Vlora Citaku whom his party colleague and former foreign minister Glauk Konjufca had dismissed while in office.

"It is shameful that people who arrived in Washington don't know the agenda of what they will discuss and this is expected to be made clear to them only tomorrow," Abazi said speaking from Washington. "It is becoming increasingly clear that Hashim Thaci and Aleksandar Vucic had an agreement which brought Kosovo to a situation whereby whatever is put on the table, knowing that Avdullah Hoti has no legitimacy, is difficult to be refused," he added.

Kelmendi: Washington meeting, mainly to focus on economic issues (Klan)

Adriatik Kelmendi, director of Klan Kosova who has travelled together with the Kosovo delegation to Washington, said that there will be a meeting with State Secretary Mike Pompeo and officials in Pentagon.

"On 3 September there will be two meetings with the hosts at the White House, [Richard] Grenell and [Robert] O'Brien, which will be bilateral and then on 4 September the trilateral meeting of Kosovo and Serbia will take place," Kelmendi said adding that the meetings are expected to focus on economic issues and that transport agreements will be signed.

"We have heard that there may be some other issues up for discussion. It will mainly be issues dealing with the economic aspect - if something else comes to the agenda - this will be known on 3 September," he said.

Konjufca: Kosovo forced to give something in return for recognition from Serbia (Telegrafi)

Glauk Konjufca from the Vetevendosje Movement said in an interview with RTV Dukagjini that even after so many compromises, Kosovo is being forced to give more in order to gain recognition from Serbia.

"This more that Kosovo will have to give is something between the 'zajednica' [Association of Serb-majority municipalities] and the north of Kosovo. Serbia moves in between these two demands," he said.

Konjufca, former foreign minister of Kosovo, also addressed remarks by deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri in support of territorial exchange with Serbia. "It is a huge scandal if not major crime for a senior high official of the country who is also deputy leader of one of the biggest parties to come out and say what Kosovo ought to give. It is unforgivable what he said."

Speaking about the fall of the former government led by Albin Kurti, Konjufca said what triggered it was not the U.S. or its envoy Richard Grenell but what he said was the joint interest of four Kosovo leaders, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Isa Mustafa and Ramush Haradinaj. "And this was not just about politics. We are talking about business interests, tenders, terminals and hundreds of millions that tie these four people together," he said.

EU envoy sees Serbia-Kosovo normalisation deal in months (Reuters, media)

EU-mediated negotiations on normalising relations between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo could lead to a deal within months, the EU’s envoy dealing with one of Europe’s toughest territorial disputes said on Monday.

Ethnic Albanian majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 1999 after a NATO-led bombing campaign to curtail ethnic warfare. Serbia, backed by its large Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally Russia, does not recognise Kosovo’s independence, a precondition for Belgrade’s future membership of the EU.

Normalisation negotiations broke down in 2018 but resumed in July after Kosovo lifted stiff import tariffs on Serbian goods.

Asked a deal could be reached, EU envoy Miroslav Lajcak told reporters on the sidelines of a regional conference in Slovenia that it would be a mistake to forecast a date as there were still “very complicated issues to address...

“Let’s see how much time we need but I am speaking about months, I am not speaking about years,” he added. “Both parties are committed, both parties are serious, respecting each other.”

Apart from the EU-brokered diplomatic track, top-level delegations from Serbia and Kosovo will meet in the United States next week to address economic cooperation.