• COVID-19: 2,541 new cases, 14 deaths (media)
• Education Ministry not convinced by record number of infected children (Koha)
• Murder of 18 year old girl forces the state to act (Koha)
• Protest march in defense of women to be held in Prishtina today (media)
• Government allocates €40 million for economic recovery (Koha)
• President Osmani met with US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett (media)
• Kosovo will provide shelter to around 2.000 Afghans (Radio Free Europe)
• Baraliu: Government not obliged to implement Association agreement (media)
• Suspected mass grave in village in Mitrovica North (RTK)
• Kosovo’s trade gap widens 39.5% y/y in July (Seenews.com)

COVID-19: 2,541 new cases, 14 deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 2,541 new cases with COVID-19 and 14 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 604 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 23,845 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Education Ministry not convinced by record number of infected children (Koha)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Education has not made public any protective measure against the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 as children are expected to return to classes on September 1. Around 300 children have tested positive to the virus on Wednesday and there are plans to start the school year in classes next week.

Murder of 18 year old girl forces the state to act (Koha)

The daily reports on its front page this morning that the Basic Court in Ferizaj has ordered Dardan Krivaqa, the main suspect for the murder of the 18 year old girl in Ferizaj, to be put in 30 days detention. “The death of Marigona Osmani has led to quick actions by the judicial institutions and measures and investigations have been announced for all those that neglected the previous offences of the two suspects behind her death,” the paper reports.

Protest march in defense of women to be held in Prishtina today (media)

All media outlets report that a protest march in defense of women will be held in Prishtina today. The march will start at 12:00 hours in front of the Ministry of Justice. Protesters will then march to the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the march will end in front of the Kosovo Government building. A statement issued by the organisers notes that the murder in Ferizaj last week showed that the lives of women and girls in Kosovo are under constant threat.

Government allocates €40 million for economic recovery (Koha)

The Kosovo government decided on Wednesday to postpone several draft laws from different ministries and also adopted some other draft laws related to economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, including allowances for medical staff and financial aid to those who lost family members to COVID-19. The government also adopted the draft law for the confiscation of unjustifiable wealth.

President Osmani met with US Ambassador to Kosovo Philip Kosnett (media)

The President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani met with the Ambassador of the United States of America to Kosovo Philip Kosnett to discuss issues of mutual interest. Ambassador Kosnett expressed the gratitude of the US Government for the decision taken by the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo to provide temporary and immediate protection to persons at risk in Afghanistan’s internal conflict.

President Osmani stressed that the citizens of Kosovo, based on their past experience, understand very well the need for safe sheltering of the persons at risk in Afghanistan's internal conflict. President Osmani underlined that Republic of Kosovo will stand by the United States and allied countries by providing its contribution to international peace.

President Osmani thanked the United States for its support in dealing with the pandemic, starting with donations of medical equipment and vaccines to public information initiatives on Covid-19 protection measures and provision of accurate information on vaccines.

President Osmani and Ambassador Kosnett also discussed the expansion of cooperation with Kosovo institutions in the field of foreign policy and in the implementation of justice and energy sector reforms.

Kosovo will provide shelter to around 2.000 Afghans (Radio Free Europe)

Kosovo’s Minister of Interior Affairs Xhelal Svecla said in an interview with the news website on Wednesday that around 2.000 Afghan nationals are expected to arrive in Kosovo. Svecla said Kosovo institutions are coordinating with US allies in Afghanistan, NATO and in Kosovo. He also said that the Afghan nationals will not stay in Kosovo for a long period of time and that Kosovo can offer them temporary protection for one year.

Baraliu: Government not obliged to implement Association agreement (media)

Mazllum Baraliu, expert on constitutional matters, said on Wednesday that the Kurti-led government has no obligation to implement the agreement for the formation of the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities. He argued that it is the legitimate right of every government not to implement agreements that are damaging for the country.

According to Baraliu, the Association of Serb-majority municipalities violates the sovereignty of Kosovo and he accused the European Union of insisting on the implementation of the agreement. “The Association threatens the sovereignty of the country and the constitution. The EU is not right to insist … on the implementation of agreements by a country that they themselves don’t recognise. The EU does not recognise Kosovo as a regional entity. The EU has a neutral position on Kosovo’s status. Meanwhile, Serbia has yet to remove Kosovo from its constitution,” he said.

Suspected mass grave in village in Mitrovica North (RTK)

There is a suspected mass grave in the village of Dreth in Mitrovica North where the group of intellectuals from Mitrovica could be buried. The Kosovo Forensics Institute is expected to start excavations there soon. “There are several sites in Kosovo which we will access soon. We believe we will soon start excavations in Dreth but we are waiting for satellite images for the exact location, because we have three coordinates and we need a fourth one too. We can assume that the group of intellectuals from Mitrovica could be there,” Forensics Institute chief Arsim Gerxhaliu told RTK.

Gerxhaliu said they are also waiting for satellite images for several locations in Serbia. “There are two locations. One in Kozarev near Novi Pazar. We are waiting for satellite images from NATO and the United States. The other location is a coal mine in Stavan,” he said. According to Gerxhaliu, the Serbs used the mines to hide the traces of the crimes, as was the case in Kizevak or Rudnica.

Kosovo’s trade gap widens 39.5% y/y in July (Seenews.com)

Kosovo’s trade deficit increased by 39.5% year-on-year to 367.7 million euro ($431.8 million) in July, the country's statistical office said. Exports rose by 46.2% year-on-year to 62.3 million euro, while imports increased by 40.4% to 430.0 million euro in July, the statistical office said in a statement on Monday. Kosovo’s main export destinations in July were Albania, North Macedonia and the U.S. Base metals, various manufactured articles, and plastic and rubber products were Kosovo's main export items. Mineral products, machinery, mechanical and electrical equipment as well as food, beverages and tobacco made up the bulk of Kosovo’s imports in July. Most of the imports originated in Germany, Turkey and China.