• COVID-19: 488 new cases, 8 deaths (media)
• First COVID-19 COVAX vaccines for Kosovo by May (Express)
• Palmer: Full normalization is achieved through mutual recognition (KTV)
• Lajcak: Dialogue can be completed within several months (Prishtina Insight)
• Kurti in Lezha: The Constitution of Kosovo forbids national unity (media)
• Former U.S. dialogue envoy calls Kurti “Anti-American” (media)
• Kosovo Bosniaks Protest About ‘Election Trickery’ (Balkan Insight)
• Haradinaj claims to have an offer for the winning party (T7, media)
• Freedom House: Global decline in democracy has 'accelerated' (RFE, media)
• EU Envoy in Pristina to discuss Kosovo-Serbia normalization process (RFE)

 

COVID-19: 488 new cases, 8 deaths (media)

467 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 270 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 8,236 active cases of COVID-19 in Kosovo.

First COVID-19 COVAX vaccines for Kosovo by May (Express)

The COVAX alliance has published a timesheet of countries which will be supplied with COVID-19 vaccines during March-May period. According to this timesheet, Kosovo is expected to get 100,800 Astra Zeneca vaccines.

COVAX has published the COVID-19 vaccines supply timeline for February-March and April-May, but delivery depends on several factors including approval of the beneficiaries on the use of the vaccine, availability of the product, and other criteria such as vaccination planning and agreements on compensation, authorizations of import etc.

Despite promises that the first vaccines will arrive in February Kosovo authorities have failed to start vaccination process, lagging countries of the region. The number of new COVID-19 cases and deaths is increasing after Kosovo held on 14 February early election with parties organising rallies all over Kosovo.

Palmer: Full normalization is achieved through mutual recognition (KTV)

The U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mathew Palmer, said in an interview with KTV that transparency in the dialogue process is very important and that according to him, "many good things have been achieved in the dialogue so far".

Asked if he believes that an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia could be reached within months as stated on Tuesday by the EU mediator Miroslav Lajcak, Palmer said he is reluctant to put a specific timeframe on it, however he added, ‘we absolutely share the goal of our European partners on moving this process forward expeditiously, moving it forward quickly, with determination. United States would like to see an agreement of the full normalization of the relationship between Serbia and Kosovo, a legally binding agreement, one that opens up a clear path forward to Europe, for both Serbia and Kosovo. This has been the goal of the United States across multiple administrations. Ideally, that agreement would be centered on mutual recognition, we strongly support that. Miroslav Lajcak is leading this process, the EU is leading this process, United States is strongly supportive of it and we will encourage both Belgrade and Prishtina to engage seriously and to move things forward as quickly as possible.

Asked if his mentioning of mutual recognition puts the United States at odds with the EU’s position, and on how they can coordinate if the goals are not the same, Palmer said that he does not considers their positions to be at odds.

“What we would like to see is much progress made towards this as possible. Certainly, there will be intermediate steps along the ways as it happened over the last ten years. The progress that has been achieved through the dialogue to date, is significant. It should be recognized by all the parties involved as being a value. We are not starting from zero, we are starting from good work that has been done over quite a number of years. But ultimately, in order for Serbia and Kosovo to put these issues behind them, to reorient themselves looking forward and to and to have a clean, clear realistic path forward towards Europe, there will need to be a comprehensive normalization of their relationship and ideally, that would be centered on mutual recognition, that is the only thing that puts all of this rare view mirror,” he said.

He also spoke about the compromise, which according to him, is often misunderstood in Kosovo as a term and added that at a negotiating table, there is no solution without compromise.

“Compromise as always in negotiations means that Serbia has ambitions, a position, and desires, just as Kosovo does. They have goals in this process, and they will need to understand the needs of the other side and work together to find a solution that is mutually agreeable. If there is going to be an agreement, it is going to be the one that is agreeable to the governments in Belgrade and Pristina and equally, if not more importantly, acceptable to the publics in both Serbia and Kosovo," he said.

Palmer said he expects the next government emerging from the February 14 elections to be seriously involved in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue.

‘Our expectation is that the next government in Kosovo will engage in the dialogue process seriously and constructively. We have heard from Mr. Kurti and others in Kosovo that their priorities are the rule of law, the fight against corruption and getting the domestic chaos in order. And honestly, those are also our priorities as well. We fully support that agenda, and we will be good and strong partners for Kosovo in pursuing those goals, as we have been, and we will continue to be. However, Kosovo will need to do foreign as well as a domestic policy. The world does not wait. So, it is possible for nation states to have more than one priority. We would like to ensure that the next government of Kosovo understands engaging in the dialogue seriously and with the goal of moving things forward rapidly towards agreement.  That that is factored into the thinking of the next government and is also reflected in the priorities of Kosovo’s next government. It is important for Kosovo, it is important for the United States, it is important for the region that Kosovo has this path forward to normalization and to a European future," Palmer said.

He said that the Washington Agreement, signed with the mediation of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was intended to help strengthen relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

"We are actively engaged with the leadership in both Belgrade and Pristina, to underscore and reinforce first U.S. support for the EU-led dialogue and then to work in partnership with Mr. Lajcak and his team to address and advance particular issues on the table, to work and encourage progress and to help the leadership keep their eyes focused on the big picture, the goal, which is normalising this relationship and moving forward towards the European future," Palmer said

"Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been very clear in his public comments that we applaud the work done under the previous administration for economic normalization between Belgrade and Pristina. There is a foundation there to build on. I do not want to dwell on the specifics of the agreement, but in principle, the idea on which we want to work to strengthen relations between Pristina and Belgrade, to normalize these relations and help both countries move forward, remains relevant. And the primary vehicle for doing this is the dialogue process led by the EU and Mr. Lajcak.”

Watch the complete interview here: https://bit.ly/2NZuXY2

Lajcak: Dialogue can be completed within several months (Prishtina Insight)

EU Special Representative for the dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has expressed his support for Vetevendosje’s governing priorities and stated that the dialogue would continue following meetings with Vjosa Osmani and Albin Kurti.

As part of a three day visit to Kosovo, EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak held a press conference alongside acting Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in Prishtina on Tuesday.

Lajcak stated that he had arrived in a “different Kosovo”, referencing the early results of February 14’s parliamentary elections, which he said had handed a “strong mandate” to Osmani and Albin Kurti, the leader of Vetevendosje, who currently sit on around 48 percent of the vote.

Questions have arisen in recent days about Vetevendosje’s commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue with Kurti, after Kurti stated that it was not among his top priorities. Following a meeting with Lajcak on Monday night Kurti reaffirmed that the dialogue could not be either of the party’s top two priorities, which he identified as justice and employment.

However, on Tuesday, Lajcak expressed his support for these priorities stating that these were also values of the EU. He added that the conclusion of his meetings with Kurti and Osmani was that the dialogue will continue.

“I had a very long and detailed discussion with Mr. Kurti and Madame President Vjosa Osmani about where we stand in dialogue and what has been achieved, particularly since its resumption in July, and what are the next steps as we foresee them,” Lajcak said.

The EU representative added that he wants to proceed with the dialogue as quickly as possible in order to reach a swift conclusion. “I have said in the past and I want to repeat: this process can be completed within several months,” he said. “We definitely don’t need another 10 years, nor 5, not even three, if there is commitment, if there is willingness of the parties.”

Lajcak also reconfirmed that cooperation between the EU and the US was now “as close as it could be” following the election of Joe Biden as President, and that both parties “expect the continuation of the dialogue.” Following a meeting with Lajcak on Monday night, US ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett also “reaffirmed U.S. support for a collaborative, EU-led dialogue process.”

Osmani meanwhile, stated that a new chapter in Kosovo-Serbia relations should begin, and that Kosovo must take a different approach to the dialogue. “This new approach means that we will in no way accept discussing issues relating to borders, sovereignty and the constitutional order of Kosovo – these negotiations finished in February 2008,” she said.

Kurti in Lezha: The Constitution of Kosovo forbids national unity (media)

Albin Kurti, leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), visited Tuesday Lezha on the anniversary of the League of Lezha held on 2 March 1444 when the Albanian national hero Scanderbeg gathered Albanian noblemen and forged an alliance against Ottoman Empire.

Kurti was seen in Lezha accompanied by representatives of Skopje, Presevo and Tuz. He was accompanied by Ilaz Shehu, a Vetevendosje candidate for MP in Albania, Ziadin Sela, chairman of the Alliance for Albanians in North Macedonia, Shaip Kamberi, Albanian MP in the Assembly of Serbia, and Mayor of Tuz, Nik Gjeloshaj.

“Undoubtedly, Albania and Kosovo as states as institutions must be coordinated towards approximation, integration and union, above all in the key areas such as security, energy and natural resources, and foreign policy,” said Kurti when asked by the media about the issue of national unification.

“Unfortunately, the Constitution of Kosovo contains a contradiction: while Article 1.1 says that Kosovo is an independent state, Article 1.3 prohibits us from joining another state. So, the independence of Kosovo does not constitutionally allow the unification with another independent state, but at the same time it is an obstacle to integration, such as the European one. In Kosovo we do not have a law on referendum, and we do not change the Constitution, but no doubt this is the historical intention and desire of the Albanians.”

Former U.S. dialogue envoy calls Kurti “Anti-American” (media)

Former U.S. envoy on Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Richard Grenell, has reacted after the Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti hinted that his new Government might reconsider opening of the Kosovo’s Embassy in Jerusalem.

Kurti’s party – the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) issued a statement Monday after Kurti met Turkish Ambassador to Kosovo writing that the place where the embassy will be located is to be considered following checking of the documentation of the outgoing government.

“The Left wing anti-American new leader of Kosovo Albin Kurti has been against US policies suggested by Bill Clinton, George Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He’s always the anti-American. The Biden team should stop this,” Grenell wrote on Twitter.

Kosovo Bosniaks Protest About ‘Election Trickery’ (Balkan Insight)

A Kosovo Bosniak political party organised a protest in Pristina to highlight allegations that main Kosovo Serb party was involved in subterfuge at the recent elections to gain more influence in parliament.

Around 50 supporters of Kosovo Bosniak political party Nasa Inicijativa protested in Pristina on Tuesday, claiming that the parliamentary elections on February 14 were “an undemocratic electoral process and compromised by manipulations”.

Traditional political parties representing the Bosniak and Roma communities in Kosovo have complained that new and unknown parties emerged at the elections and suspiciously won more votes than them.

The new parties received more votes in Serb-majority municipalities than in municipalities where Bosniak and Roma mainly live, sparking allegations that this was a scheme engineered by the Belgrade-backed Kosovo Serb party, Srpska Lista, to increase its influence in parliament.

The state prosecution has pledged to investigate the claims. The new parties have denied collaborating with Srpska Lista.

Osman Dzudzevic, one of the organisers from Nasa Inicijativa, told BIRN that he expects the Constitutional Court to conclude that the non-Serb ethnic minority communities’ rights to “effective and legitimate representation” have been violated.

“One possibility is to remove the written mandate of the representatives if it is found that there is no legitimacy for community representation. I think that the long-term solution is a change to the electoral law … to enable the effective representation of communities in the future,” Dzudzevic said.

A total of 20 of the 120 seats in the Kosovo Assembly are reserved for non-Albanian communities; ten for Serbs and ten for other communities – Roma, Ashkali, Egyptians, Bosniaks, Turks and Gorani.

The seats set aside for representatives of Serbs were all won by Srpska Lista at the elections last month.

Haradinaj claims to have an offer for the winning party (T7, media)

Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AKK), said that they have some proposals for the winning party if they are asked to become a coalition partner.

Vjosa Osmani, who is currently acting president, can hold this position until May 5 of this year at the latest, but through the pre-election agreement she has reached with the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), she is running for the full position of head of state. However, despite the landslide victory in the February 14 elections, LVV alone does not have suffiecient votes to elect Osman as president.

Media reported that LVV has offered AAK leader Ramush Haradinaj, the position of the Speaker of the Assembly, but in an interview with T7, Haradinaj denied this, saying that he had no communication with the Vetevendosje Movement.

Haradinaj did not say whether his party would form a quorum and vote for Vjosa Osmani as President, if they reach an agreement on co-government with the Vetevendosje Movement, saying they have their proposals for the winning party.

Whoever runs for the post of head of state, according to Article 86 of the Constitution must receive two-thirds of the votes of all members of the Assembly.

If in the first and second rounds, none of the candidates secures 80 votes, it goes to the third round, where the president is elected by a simple majority of 61 votes.

Freedom House: Global decline in democracy has 'accelerated' (RFE, media)

Freedom House says the coronavirus pandemic, economic uncertainty, and conflicts across the world contributed to the decline of global freedom in 2020.

In its annual report released on March 3, the Washington-based human rights watchdog said that the number of countries designated "not free" was at its highest level in 15 years.

In the Western Balkans, Freedom House reported both setbacks and progress.

It said that "flawed parliamentary elections dealt a grievous blow to Serbia’s multiparty system," while in Kosovo "the political old guard ousted Prime Minister Albin Kurti's short-lived government and formed a new one, unconstitutionally."

Kosovo suffered a two-point drop from a total of 56 to 54, attributed to the decline in the categories of electoral process and political pluralism.

"It had to do with the approval of Prime Minister Hoti's government by a one-vote majority of a convicted MP," said Amy Slipowitz, co-author of the report and director of research at Freedom House.

EU Envoy in Pristina to discuss Kosovo-Serbia normalization process (RFE)

The European Union’s special envoy for talks between Serbia and Kosovo, Miroslav Lajcak, says there is a “clear understanding” among Kosovo's leaders of the importance of EU-mediated normalization talks with neighboring Serbia.

Lajcak made the comments at a press conference in Pristina on March 2, two weeks after the leftist-nationalist Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party won parliamentary elections.

Speaking after talks with acting President Vjosa Osmani, Lajcak said he believed a comprehensive agreement between Kosovo and Serbia could be reached “within several months” but that it was up to the two countries to “decide how quickly they want to proceed.”

Osmani said that the upcoming administration will be ready to resume dialogue with Belgrade but she warned that Pristina “can by no means accept that the issue of borders, sovereignty, constitutional regulation of Kosovo become part of the negotiations."

The EU envoy kicked off his three-day visit to Kosovo’s capital on March 1, meeting with Kosovar Prime Minister-designate Albin Kurti, who said that dialogue with Belgrade is important but that the resumption of talks won’t be his top priority, according to local media.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after a 1998-1999 war between ethnic Albanian rebels and Serb forces. The war ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign drove Serb troops out and an international peacekeeping force moved in.

Most Western nations have recognized Kosovo, but Serbia and its ally Russia do not.

Read full article at: http://bit.ly/3uMAySj