Albanian Language Media:

• Health Institute: Avoid gatherings; situation with pandemic can get worse (media)

• COVID-19: 236 new cases, no deaths (media) 

• Osmani: U.S. won’t find more trusted ally than Kosovo (Telegrafi)

• Haradinaj: Police must eliminate Serbia’s surveillance devices in Kosovo (media)

• There can be no monoethnic associations, government minister says (Klan Kosova)

• “If there is political readiness, settlement can be reached this year” (Kosovapress)

 

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19: 66 new cases, one death registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)

Serbian media monitoring is not available due to technical issues

Albanian Language Media  

Health Institute: Avoid gatherings; situation with pandemic can get worse (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement today that the epidemiological situation with COVID-19 can get worse in the coming days and called on all citizens to respect the government’s restrictive measures.

“Because of the high-risk of the spread of COVID-19, we especially call on people to be cautious and avoid gatherings. We also recommend to the line institutions to monitor and undertake all necessary actions for the implementation of measures to prevent and fight the pandemic,” the Institute said.

COVID-19: 236 new cases, no deaths (media) 

236 new cases with COVID-19 were confirmed in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. Eight persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are  1,780 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Osmani: U.S. won’t find more trusted ally than Kosovo (Telegrafi)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani received today the credentials from the newly-appointed U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeff Hovenier. Osmani said Kosovo’s close relation with the U.S. remains unchanged. 

“Kosovo today is different from the one that the Ambassador remembers because we have moved forward, but one thing remains the same, our relations with the United States of America. We are blessed to have the United States by our side in every step of our way. In this new chapter of cooperation, we hope to further strengthen our relations. I strongly believe that Kosovo can give its contribution to peace in the region and the world,” Osmani said. She also guaranteed that the U.S. cannot find a more trusted and committed ally than Kosovo.

Ambassador Hovenier said it is an honor to serve in Kosovo and that he will convey the commitment of the United States. “I want to thank the people of Kosovo for their work in building a successful state. It has been an honor for me to have worked in processes related to Kosovo and it will be an honor to work here. There is a lot of work to be done, same as in every other country. The United States is a stable partner of Kosovo. We will work with you, with the government, with civil society, and your people. The pledges of the President to develop independent institutions, the judiciary, are very important to move toward Euro-Atlantic institutions. This is the start of a dialogue and a wonderful step,” Hovenier said.

Haradinaj: Police must eliminate Serbia’s surveillance devices in Kosovo (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) leader Ramush Haradinaj in a Facebook post today called on Kosovo’s law enforcement authorities to increase controls and take urgent steps in two directions. Haradinaj said that “all surveillance and interception devices installed by Serbia and its allies in the territory of Kosovo must be eliminated” and that Kosovo must “invest in advanced equipment in partnership with our security allies for safe communication that is protected from interception by Serbia and its allies”. Gazeta Express notes that Haradinaj’s recommendations come after media reports that Serbia is illegally installing surveillance cameras in Kosovo’s territory.

There can be no monoethnic associations, government minister says (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo’s Minister for Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, said today that there can be no monoethnic associations in Kosovo. In an interview with the TV station, he said that everything in Kosovo has been created in the spirit of multiethnicity and that it is important for other representatives of communities to highlight this.

“It is true that the Law on Local Self-Government foresees the possibility of forming associations, the same way we have the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo. However, no other decision depends on the Ministry. What I want to say, also as a political representative of an ethnic group in Kosovo, is that everything in our beloved Kosovo for the last 22 years has been created in the spirit of a multiethnic country,” Krasniqi said.

“If there is political readiness, settlement can be reached this year” (Kosovapress)

If there is political readiness, a final settlement between Kosovo and Serbia can be reached after the presidential elections in Serbia this year, Prishtina-based KIPRED executive director Lulzim Peci said in an interview with the news agency today. He said that both Kosovo and Serbia know the issues that require an agreement and that therefore the final act of the dialogue is not difficult to achieve if there is readiness from both sides.

“The settlement can be reached after the presidential elections in Serbia if there is readiness from both sides. I think the Kosovo-Serbia agreement does not take more than 2-3 months, because the issues that need to be discussed are known, and discussions would not take longer than this. However political readiness is needed from both sides and also pressure by the international community on Belgrade and Prishtina,” he said.

According to Peci, Kosovo’s recognition by five EU member states gave Serbia a great advantage in the EU-facilitated talks in Brussels. He argued that parallel with the talks in Brussels, there should be talks between the U.S., Brussels and the five non-recognizing member states for the latter to recognize Kosovo’s independence.

“I don’t expect Serbia to recognize Kosovo explicitly. But for us it is important to have recognition from the five EU member states, or four NATO countries, because with their recognition, the recognition of Kosovo would become a problem for Serbia and not for Kosovo, because Serbia will have a problem when they want to join the European Union.”

Serbian Language Media

Covid-19: 66 new cases, one death registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)

Out of 114 tested samples in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, 66 were positive for Covid-19, and one person passed away, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced on Saturday, Radio KIM reports.

New cases were registered as follows: 31 in Mitrovica North, 14 in Zvecan, 13 in Leposavic, seven in Zubin Potok and one in Gracanica.

Deceased person was from Mitrovica North.

Currently there are 179 active cases of Covid-19 in the Serbian areas in Kosovo.

A total of 195 people have died in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Serbian media monitoring is not available due to technical issues