LOCAL PRESS

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping announced his visit to Serbia in talks with Vucic (B92/Politika/Novosti/RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conducted a phone conversation with the President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping. Vucic thanked the People's Republic of China on its decision to offer Serbia assistance in stopping the infection, as well as for brotherly care for the citizens of our country. "When the first airplane landed on the Belgrade airport on March 21 with great Chinese aid in medical equipment and supplies, accompanied by Chinese experts, new optimism awakened, and the citizens of Serbia knew that they were not and will not be alone in this fight", President Vucic said. He also thanked for the donation in the form of two COVID-19 laboratories operating in Belgrade and Nis, which will undoubtedly contribute to Serbia's successful fight against the virus, and asked President Xi to help Serbia acquire the necessary medical equipment needed in fighting the virus. President Vucic emphasized that Serbian citizens are particularly touched by the enormous interest and solidarity of the Chinese people, reflected through messages of support as well as through donations sent through Serbian diplomatic missions in Beijing and Shanghai, which speaks of the exceptional closeness and steel friendship of the two nations, despite the geographical distance. "We are pleased to hear the news of the normalization of the situation in China and the opening of the city of Wuhan, which has become a symbol of strength and courage in the fight against the pandemic. "China and its Communist Party waged victory over a powerful coronavirus," said President Vucic, on behalf of the citizens of Serbia and in his personal name, expressing condolences to the families of deceased Chinese citizens. He stressed that he believes that with the help of a powerful Chinese state, Serbia and the world will defeat the coronavirus and stressed that he looks forward to continuing cooperation through Mechanism 17 plus 1 and the Belt and Road initiative, as well as the Chinese President's upcoming visit to Serbia. President Xi expressed hope that he would see President Vucic in China soon, and he also confirmed his official visit to Serbia. The Chinese President wished the Serbian President personal happiness and continued success in running the country, adding that China and Serbia would be able to overcome all the economic difficulties they will face as a result of the pandemic crisis.

 

Vucic: There will be no exception for Easter, I will call Patriarch again (B92)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic meet with Serb Presidency Member Milorad Dodik in Belgrade. Vucic said after the meeting that Serbia would send hundreds of thousands of protective masks, gloves and new respirators to the Republika Srpska (RS). "Everyone in Europe and the world will be in a difficult economic situation, but Serbia and Serbian banks will be ready to buy the RS bonds," Vucic said. He said that he had good news that, from 30 March to 3 April, Serbia had 8.999 jobless people on official records, so employment increased, and 2.000 remained unemployed since the crisis began. "In the next two days, I expect that we will send aid to parts of East Sarajevo and Gorazde, but my request is that any other type of assistance to the RS goes through the RS," Vucic said. Vucic added that there was some encouraging news in the past 24 hours that would be discussed at a press conference to be held by doctors, but it was vitally important that we be disciplined next weekend. "I would ask the pensioners to be patient a little more, just to show tolerance. It is still a great danger, the virus is still quite powerful," Vucic said. He said he could not make exceptions on Easter and would again call on Patriarch Irinej to ask for services to be held but without the presence of people. "All our televisions, I'm sure, will be interested in broadcasting and airing the liturgy and praying in their homes," he said. Dodik said that the RS had received first aid from Serbia, and that it had requested a new contingent of aid today. "If we didn't have an understanding on the part of Serbia, our medical system would experience problems," Dodik said. He thanked Serbia and added that assistance to the economy and economic system was also essential. "We will take advantage of the opportunities we have to maintain employment in the RS," Dodik said, adding that some 800 workers have been laid off lately. Dodik said he would have to focus on paying out 520 KM to the workers. "One of the issues we have discussed today is the arrival of our biggest Easter holiday. We must not allow the expansion of the virus to spread because we were tolerant. We have agreed on the measures, we will have to extend the curfew," he concluded, asking the Orthodox worshipers to understand that. "We all have the opportunity to express our love for Easter, but with respect for the measure," Dodik said. Dodik praised the Montenegrin Coastal Metropolitanate's decision to hold a church service, but without gathering of the believers. "The RS would have gone much harder in this epidemic without Serbia's assistance," Dodik said.

 

Vucic: Curfew from 5 pm on Friday, to 5 am on Tuesday (RTS/B92)

 

Curfew in Serbia will run from 5 pm on Friday until 5 am, on Tuesday, B92.net learned unofficially. President Vucic announced the decision will be reached soon. This means that the curfew in Serbia will last 84 hours during the Easter holiday. This information was announced and confirmed by President Aleksandar Vucic, while being hosted in RTS. As he said, the decision will be made soon. "Citizens will be able to go to the shops and buy groceries for Good Friday, while Monday and Tuesday are non-working days anyway". The last two weekends, the curfew in Serbia lasted 60 hours, that is, from Friday to Monday. This weekend is special as Orthodox believers celebrate Easter on Sunday. The Serbian Orthodox Church Synod requested that people be allowed to move on Sunday from 5 to 10 in the morning. The coronavirus press conference today highlighted the profession's view that they were against the proposal. Epidemiologist Predrag Kon said that he was deeply affected by the Synod's request, because it denied all that had been achieved in the fight against COVID-19 so far in an effort to save the lives of Serbian citizens. Deputy Director of the Public Health Institute “Dr Milan Jovanovic Batutˮ Darija Kisic Tepavcevic said that the position of experts is clear – any gatherings or behavior that increase the possibility of infection is considered a high risk for public health. There are no compromises on this matter. The expert medical opinion based on facts is perfectly clear, she stated.

 

Patriarch: We must understand state effort, and also participate in liturgy (Beta)

 

In his Easter message on 14 April, Serbian Patriarch Irinej said that it was necessary to uphold the state effort to protect people from coronavirus spread, but that it was also necessary to pray to God and regularly and actively take part in the Divine Liturgy. “Finding ourselves in this time of trouble, we must do everything to help ourselves and others, to understand and support the effort of the relevant health and state institutions to protect us from disease spread... We might find it difficult right now, but we must accept and endorse anything that is to the general benefit and subordinate ourselves and our behavior to that,” Patriarch Irinej said, adding that above all, “we shall pray to God to save us from this epidemic and similar dangers.” “Let us pray to God, take part regularly and actively in the Divine Liturgy, repent of our sins and take care of our health and the health of others,” Patriarch Irinej said. He added that this was an opportunity to think thoroughly about ourselves and the entire world.

EU continues to help Serbia in fight against coronavirus (Beta)

 

The Serbian Ministry for EU Integration has announced that the first ten out of a total of 100 containers for the triage and emergency care of patients potentially ill with COVID-19, procured through EU funds, have been placed in seven healthcare institutions. The containers have been placed at the Clinical Centre of Serbia, clinical hospital centres "Bezanijska kosa", "Zvezdara", and "Zemun", University Children's Clinic "Tirsova", Institute for Maternal and Child Health Care "Dr Vukan Cupic" and the Institute for Biocides and Medical Ecology. These containers, each equipped with a bed for examination, a table with two chairs, a contactless thermometer, smaller containers for medical and infectious waste and a waste bin, are an important segment in the overall fight against the pandemic and a prevention factor as they prevent the entry of potentially infected persons to health care facilities. The procurement and installation of these containers, worth €590,000, are part of an EU assistance package of €4,9 million, signed on 3 April this year by the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi, Minister for EU Integration Jadranka Joksimovic and Head of UNOPS in Serbia Michela Telatin. I am grateful to the EU for its support as we have secured the procurement of more than 100 patient triage containers and have helped reduce the risk of infection and strengthen our system's ability to respond to this challenge, the Minister said. Fabrizi underlined that this donation will allow healthcare professionals to cope with the coronavirus crisis with less risk exposure, recalling that almost no day has passed since the start of the crisis without the EU delivering or purchasing key medical equipment for healthcare facilities or at-risk communities.

 

Joksimovic, EU ambassadors speak about fight against COVID-19 (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister for EU Integration Jadranka Joksimovic spoke today via video call with ambassadors of the EU member states. The interlocutors discussed issues of importance for Serbia's relations with the EU, as well as the latest events regarding the assistance of the Union and the Member States to Serbia in overcoming the consequences caused by the pandemic.

On this occasion, the need for a common European response, but also for EU solidarity with the candidate countries, such as the abolition of the decision to restrict the export of medical equipment and their inclusion in future EU funds, which will be used for economic recovery from the crisis, has been underlined. Accordingly, it was pointed out that Serbia will continue to monitor the implementation of current EU measures and adapt them to further economic developments caused by the crisis in the coming period. Joksimovic underlined that the effectiveness of European solidarity and mechanisms of a common European response is of great importance, since Serbia is in a contractual relationship with the EU. This relationship, she explained, also provides the basis for increasing overall EU assistance and support, notably with regard to an economic program aimed at protecting investments. She also expressed gratitude that the European Commission had heard and understood our messages, in the context of providing urgent support to preserve the existential needs of our citizens, the health system and the economy. During the talks it was agreed that the Serbian government responded to the pandemic situation in a timely manner and that it took adequate health, preventive and economic measures, which are in line with the measures applied in the EU, and that, despite the extraordinary circumstances, the EU enlargement process should be preserved and continued.

 

False state of Kosovo cutting off electricity under the corona veil (Novosti)

 

In the midst of fighting the pandemic, almost imperceptibly, so-called Kosovo is supposed to stop officially being part of the regulatory zone “Elektromreza Srbije” (Electric grid of Serbia), which is composed of Serbia, Montenegro and North Macedonia, as of Monday, 20 April. The operator of the transmission system and trade of the Kosovo electricity and the Albanian operator of the transmission system announced on 3 December last year that they signed in Tirana the agreement on establishing a regulatory bloc of the Kosovo-Albanian energy system, which is a direct violation of the Brussels agreement. The European network of operators of transmission systems of electricity have been examining these days the possibility to extract the territory of Kosovo from the “Elektromreza Srbije” regulatory bloc and annex it to the Albanian regulatory bloc. The decision is expected in the course of next week. Experts in Serbia have stated that this grossly violates the Brussels agreement, because it envisages for the false state of Kosovo to be a separate control area, but under the condition that two Serbian companies are formed in northern Kosovo. The founders of these companies would be “Elektroprivreda Srbije” (Electric energy of Serbia) and the Community of Serb Municipalities, which has not been established to this day.

 

FoNet: No more e-mail questions to government pandemic team (FoNet)

 

The FoNet news agency said on Wednesday that it would not be sending any more questions by e-mail for the daily briefings by Crisis Staff doctors about the coronavirus pandemic and warned of possible manipulation. “By decision of its editor in chief, FoNet will pose questions to members of the expert team once journalists can communicate with them directly,” a statement said and warned that the indirect posing of questions can be subject to manipulation and abuse.

“The FoNet news agency will continue reporting indirectly from conferences by the expert team bearing in mind the state of emergency in the country but will no longer be sending questions to its members by e-mail because that manner of communication is not in the public nor journalistic interest,” the statement said and recalled that the news agency sent in questions three times since “the government decided to exclude journalists from the expert team news conferences”, two of which were not answered. “FoNet sticks to all the measures introduced in the state of emergency both in terms of production and protection for its staff and feels that there are no risks for reporters and media staff at news conferences if they are at the required distance from each other, with protective equipment and if they are organized in a professional manner,” it said.

 

In Serbia, another 408 cases, five more deaths (RTS)

 

Until 3pm, there have been another 408 cases, total of 4,873 infected in Serbia. Five more deaths, total 99 deaths thus far. There are 3,245 patients in hospitals and 128 on respirators. In the last 24 hours, five people have been taken off respirators since their health condition improved.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H CC to decide on 22 April on whether ban on movement of citizens younger than 18 and older than 65 due to coronavirus pandemic is violation of citizens’ rights (FTV)

 

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H CC) will decide on several appeals filed by citizens against the movement bans targeting people older than 65 and younger than 18 years old, adopted by the Federation of B&H Civil Protection Crisis HQ at a session which will take place on April 22. Citizens filed appeals on the decisions made by the Federation of B&H HQ and requested the B&H CC to decide whether they are in accordance with the constitution and if they violate human rights. According to B&H CC President Zlatko Knezevic, it is crucial for citizens to be informed for how long the movement restriction measures will last as citizens should know during which period their rights are limited.

 

Main Coordination Team of RS calls on citizens to act responsibly during upcoming holidays (ATV)

 

A session of the Main Coordination Team of Republika Srpska (RS) was held on Tuesday. ATV reminds that this team consists of RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic, RS Minister of Healthcare Alen Seranic and member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik. Among other things, members of the Main Coordination Team called on citizens to act responsibly during upcoming Easter and May First holidays and to respect preventive measures. They also called on citizens to wear protective masks and gloves outdoors, respect social distance measures and not to gather in groups at public areas. Members of the Main Coordination Team assessed that unless the epidemiologic situation in the RS deteriorates over the next two weeks, introduction of more flexible measures could be expected. They concluded that epidemiologic situation in the RS is stable at this moment and that there is no exponential growth in number of Coronavirus infections in this entity. RS President Cvijanovic announced on Tuesday that the state of emergency may be abolished next month. She added that although it is too early to forecast when the state of emergency will be abolished, there are some indications that the RS may return to normal life in May. Cvijanovic said that this depends on health circumstances in the RS and in the region, but she expressed hope that some measures will be relaxed during May and that thus, conditions for abolition of the state of emergency will be met. Cvijanovic underlined: “The Main Coordination Team, as well as the RS Crisis HQ are analyzing all these circumstances on a daily basis and I believe that we will go in this direction”. She emphasized that introduction of the state of emergency turned out to be efficient and that all future decisions will be reached in consultation with crisis HQs. In her opinion, with the decision to be the first one to introduce prevention measures in the region, the RS created good preconditions for efficient fight against the pandemic. Cvijanovic praised healthcare workers and the majority of citizens who respect protection measures. She also announced adoption of new decree-laws by saying:” Therefore, in addition to the already adopted decree-laws which relate to giving relief to the economy, adjusting to the judiciary in terms of deadlines and procedures, a new way of realization of the educational process and so on, other things that will have to be regulated by decree-laws will certainly emerge and it will be sent to the RS parliament for confirmation when the conditions are met. I hope it will be as soon as possible”. Cvijanovic said that she agrees with assessments of some of the EU member states that this community responded to the pandemic in a confused way and almost with lack of solidarity. Cvijanovic warned that overall consequences of the pandemic will be serious, but she also announced creation of solutions that are supposed to recover economy in the shortest possible deadline.

The RS has great expectations from the EU, not just when it comes to fight against the coronavirus epidemic, but also when it comes to assistance with economic recovery. “That is why I hope, and I want the overall image of our relations to be rehabilitated as soon as possible, even though I know that the entire EU has been severely hit and that it will take some time”, said Cvijanovic. She concluded that “perception of collectivity we used to have when it comes to the EU has somewhat melted and dispersed to our perception of individual countries and their own activities,” said Cvijanovic.

 

OSCE urges RS to withdraw 'fake news' decree-law (N1)

 

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir and Head of the OSCE Mission to B&H Kathleen Kavalec warned about potential risk of violations of fundamental freedoms in relation to a recently-adopted decree-law in the RS that could prevent media and journalists from reporting freely on the Covid-19 pandemic (Note: following adoption of a decree prohibiting incitement to panic and disorder during the state of emergency). According to the OSCE, the decree-law, published in the Official Gazette of the RS on 6 April, forbids the media and the general public from spreading false news that incites panic and prescribes significant fines for those who do so. The OSCE officials warned that such a decree-law could lead to censorship and self-censorship, as well as arbitrary and disproportionate penalties, adding that this could undermine media freedom and the fundamental human right of freedom of expression. Furthermore, they were particularly concerned that the decree-law does not provide concrete details on how these offences would be determined, or on which jurisprudence they are based. The OSCE called on the authorities to withdraw the decree-law, reiterating their readiness to assist the state and entity authorities and to provide expert analysis on any media freedom issue.

 

TC Civil Protection Crisis HQs wants to allow work of some shops in TC, while FB&H Civil Protection Crisis HQs deems cantons should not make decisions contrary to its orders (O kanal)

 

The Tuzla Canton (TC) Civil Protection Crisis Headquarters has decided to allow the work of clothes and shoe shops at shopping malls in the TC as of Tuesday morning. However, the Federation of B&H (FB&H) Civil Protection Crisis Headquarters stressed that the cantons cannot make decisions contrary to the orders at the level of the FB&H. Representatives of the TC Civil Protection Crisis Headquarters explained that reopening these shops would be important in order to preserve the economy and jobs in this canton. Head of the TC Civil Protection Crisis Headquarters Mustafa Sakic noted that 12,500 tradesmen are in a difficult situation because of the orders at the level of the FB&H. He added that he cannot understand how come the work of pet food shops is allowed, while the work of clothes and shoe shops is not allowed. Sakic explained that the abovementioned decision was adopted because of the obvious problems in the economy. “Decisions of the FB&H Civil Protection Crisis Headquarters will be respected, but someone has to be held responsible for the economic collapse,” Sakic was quoted as saying. Director of the TC Chamber of Commerce Nedret Kikanovic warned that 81 percent of companies have already reported significant financial losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The TC Civil Protection Crisis HQ withdrew Monday’s decision that allows textile and footwear stores that are not operating within shopping malls to begin working again. The TC Civil Protection Crisis HQ stated on Tuesday that they will respect decisions of higher levels of power, but they call for reconsideration of some of the restrictive measures. TC Minister of Health Dajana Colic said on Tuesday that they expect that liberalization of restrictive measures may begin at the end of April or at the beginning of May. In her opinion, restrictive measures should be gradually liberalized.

 

IMF’s report: B&H’s economy to drop by 5 percent this year (O kanal)

 

According to the report published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday, B&H is heading into recession and it can expect the economy to drop by 5 percent this year. GDP growth rate of 3.5 percent is expected next year. The IMF also predicted that the global economic crisis this year will be the worst crisis since the Great Depression in the 1930s. Among the countries in the region, Croatia and Montenegro will be affected the most as their GDP will drop by 9 percent, while Serbia’s GDP will drop by 3 percent.

 

Izetbegovic: IMF loan is one fifth of funds we need to support B&H (FTV)

 

The President of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic, asked about the criticism that followed the agreement between leaders of SDA, SNSD and HDZ B&H about the distribution of funds from the loan provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), said that he did not read the commentary and the opposition needs to have a reason to talk about something. He said that the result of the work is 330 million Euros and that is only one fourth or one fifth of what B&H will need in the next year to recover from the crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “If anyone else could have done it, they would have,” said Izetbegovic. Asked about the discussion about the percentages of the distribution, Izetbegovic said that President of SNSD Milorad Dodik discussed several percent more or less for hours, because the RS is in a bad situation. He reminded that three quarters of the economy, 80% of fuel and 90% of foreign investment goes into the FB&H. “Above all, three quarters of the VAT are collected in the FB&H,” said Izetbegovic. He added that the distribution of funds between the FB&H and cantons is another issue. Izetbegovic said that President of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic requested 70% for cantons, but they agreed on 50% for cantons. He added that the crisis could cost the cantons more than the FB&H, because they need to support the police, healthcare, education and employment bureaus. “I believe the agreement is good and we will approach the cantons based on their population. The cantons will participate in accordance with the number of citizens,” said Izetbegovic. He added that clinical centers will receive the same amount of funds. Izetbegovic stated that they will try to enable for the Posavina (PC) and Bosna-Podrinje (BPC) cantons to take double loans. Asked about the criticism of the distribution of humanitarian help provided by countries and his statement that all help needs to be directed through the Council of Ministers (CoM), Izetbegovic said that it is a political approach. He stressed that the crisis is being used to show who supports which side. Izetbegovic said that the aid provided by Russia for the RS was a bad move and that they are used to Croatia helping only Croats in B&H. Asked about the reasons for this, Izetbegovic said that it would be normal to request humanitarian help for B&H and not one part of it. He added that this is how they defend B&H. Asked about the criticism targeting the work of FB&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalic and the so-called ‘Corona Law’, Izetbegovic said that Novalic has been doing his job for five years and he has worked in a dedicated manner to implement some very hard decisions. He said that Novalic offered something that can be changed and the basic law will be adjusted in the future. “Let the man who worked for five years and who brought the FB&H where it is now do his job. He finally made it solvent. Before Novalic, the FB&H was in debt all the time and now, for the first time, it is successful and earns billions,” said Izetbegovic. He explained that Novalic offered basic measures with the so-called ‘Corona Law’ and various proposals will be added to this law. Asked about the issue of Trgovska Gora and the nuclear waste disposal site that is planned on that location, Izetbegovic said that B&H has the necessary tools to fight this and they will use all available mechanisms and Croatia is obligated to invite B&H to participate in the study on the effects of this project. Asked whether the local elections will take place in October or if they will be postponed, Izetbegovic said that they can be postponed for spring or fall of next year. He added that it is not possible to make a valid choice in the given circumstances.

 

Dodik: There is no need for Komsic to be concerned about RS (ATV)

 

Member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik reacted to statement of member of the Presidency from rank of Croats Zeljko Komsic in regards to distribution of funds from the IMF’s 330 million Euros worth loan. Namely, Komsic said that it is necessary to help Republika Srpska (RS), because it is part of B&H. Dodik stated that Komsic should not be concerned about the RS, adding that it would be better for him to come to his senses and protect the Federation of B&H and cantons. “He is the last person who should be talking or helping the RS. He should stop deceiving the public – although something like that is hard to expect because he is well-known for it, because the post he has been performing is grounded on lie and deceit of the people he belongs to” reads the statement from Dodik’s cabinet. The press release also reads that if Komsic wants good for the RS, he should exert influence regarding control of border crossings in the Federation of B&H that people enter and exit however they want which endangers both the RS and the Federation of B&H at the time of the pandemic.

 

Hungary’s assistance will be distributed equally to Sarajevo and Banja Luka (BHT1)

 

Hungary will not be sending its medical assistance to Republika Srpska (RS) only, as it was previously announced, but to the whole Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). This is the result of Monday’s communication among Sarajevo, Budapest and Brussels. Namely, B&H Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic sent a letter to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and EU HR for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Hungary decided to donate 200, 000 of protective masks and 10, 000 pieces of protective suits to B&H and this assistance will be equally distributed in Sarajevo and Banja Luka. Turkovic stated by phone that all misunderstandings have been eliminated. “It was very good that a reaction was made, as it should be, and all that is minded and that which we want to fix should be discussed,” Turkovic said. She said that B&H appreciates all assistance that Hungary offers. Meanwhile, Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik announced that medical assistance from Hungary will be delivered to the RS on Thursday and that Szijjarto will also come to the RS. Head of SNSD Caucus in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Snjezana Novakovic Bursac told Srna news agency on Tuesday that a letter of the B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turkovic to Hungarian officials and the EU officials in which she complained about help of the Hungary to the RS during the pandemic, represents embarrassment of the B&H foreign policy. Novakovic Bursac added that it is shame that the influence of the B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs is used for criticizing of countries that help instead of developing international cooperation especially during crisis situations. Head of the RS Team for Monitoring of Measures and Recommendations of the Main Coordination Team of RS Nenad Stevandic said that any assistance is welcome and added that “only a crazy person” could think otherwise. “We welcome every assistance sent to the Federation of B&H, regardless of whether it comes from the United Arab Emirates, USA, Russia or NATO. A citizen less who gets infected in the Federation of B&H is a one danger less for the RS. In the same way, people in the Federation of B&H and joint bodies of B&H should welcome any assistance sent to the RS instead of trying to emphasize the one sent to the RS while hiding one sent to the Federation of B&H,” Stevandic added.

 

In B&H 1110 infected, death toll 41, 253 recovered (N1)

According to data the B&H Ministry of Civil Affairs published at noon, a total of 1110 people have tested positive for coronavirus across the country, 41 people died due to COVID-19 and 253 recovered. Total number of the tests done in B&H is 13,314.

 

Croatia reported 37 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, bringing the national total to 1,741 (HRT)

 

Three more people have died from complications related to COVID-19, bringing the death toll to 34, the National Coronavirus Task Force reported at Wednesday’s regular briefing. The three latest victims of the virus are a 91-year-old woman in Split, a 73-year-old man in Zagreb, and a 74-year-old man in Dubrovnik, who was a resident of a local nursing home. Of the patients being treated in hospital, 31 are on ventilators, the same numbers as on Tuesday. More than 15 thousand Croatians are currently under self-isolation measures., officials said. The good news is that the number of new cases appears to be declining and 453 people have recovered from the virus. The City of Zagreb and Split-Dalmatia County have the largest number of cases, 421 and 365, respectively. Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic reiterated that any consideration of lifting restrictions would require a 5 to 7-day period of steadily declining numbers of new cases. “We have to be realistic. It is still too early to think about rolling back measures” Bozinovic said. Daily totals for the past week have varied from 88 to 37, but all were below the high of 96 reached on 1 April. Bozinovic said Croatia was still in the double digits when it comes to daily new cases - a success few other countries could claim. Lifting restrictions carried a high risk and right now it was important to preserve the “positive epidemiological picture,” he said.

 

Religious rites only without the faithful (RTCG)

 

The police, along with other competent authorities, will ensure consistent observance of orders and measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the religious ceremonies to be performed in religious buildings exclusively, without the presence of the faithful, Director of the Police Directorate Veselin Veljovic announced. "Any attempt to violate orders and measures will be vigorously prevented by the police and prosecuted by those responsible for endangering public health, in accordance with the law, without exception," Veljovic said.

 

Institute for Public Health confirms five new cases of coronavirus (CDM)

 

According to the latest data of the Institute for Public Health, another five cases of coronavirus have been confirmed. There are currently 288 infected persons, New cases are from Ulcinj (3), Podgorica (1) and Plav (1). “Except for the patient from Plav, who has been admitted to hospital in Berane, other patients are contacts of previously known cases,” the Institute reports.

Number of cases by municipalities:

Podgorica: 153

Tuzi: 36

Niksic: 32

Bar: 23

Ulcinj: 14

Andrijevica: 7

Bijelo Polje: 6

Herceg Novi: 6

Budva: 4

Danilovgrad: 3

Tivat: 3

Plav: 1

 

Government asks President Pendarovski to extend the state of emergency (Republika)

 

The government decided Tuesday to submit a proposal to President Stevo Pendarovski, according to which the successful management with the coronavirus requires a state of emergency in the country. The government has decided to submit a proposal to the President, including a report on the undertaken activities by state institutions until now. The report argues that a successful management of the coronavirus in the country requires a state of emergency, reads the press release. Pendarovski declared a 30-day nationwide state of emergency on 18 March.

 

Pendarovski-Meta: Regional cooperation needed to tackle COVID-19 crisis (MIA)

 

President Stevo Pendarovski held on Tuesday phone talks with his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta and discussed current situation in two countries related to activities to combat spread of COVID-19. Pendarovski briefed Meta on the measures that competent institutions in the country are taking in dealing with the pandemic and assessments on further developments. He said that the countries, in addition to dealing with the effects on healthcare system should be focused on handling with economic and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pendarovski’s office said. Considering the recent approval of the EU member states for North Macedonia and Albania to open accession negotiations, and after the postponement of the EU-Western Balkans Summit scheduled for 7 May in Zagreb in order to limit the spread of COVID-19, Pendarovski voiced hope that the European Union will be able to find modalities for moving the process further in the interest of both countries and the union itself. They expressed readiness to exchange experiences, coordination and support in the spirit of solidarity and regional cooperation aimed at dealing with pandemic and to address health and socio-economic impacts of COVID-19. Meta congratulated Pendarovski and all citizens on country’s NATO membership.

 

Parliament to stay dissolved: Constitutional Court decides not to initiate procedure (Republika)

 

The Constitutional Court has decided not to initiate a procedure for assessing the constitutionality and legality of the Decision for dissolution of the parliament of the Republic of North Macedonia. The Constitutional Court informs that today, at a session, after an extensive debate on the case, at the end with a majority of votes, it was decided not to initiate a procedure for assessing the constitutionality of the Decision for dissolution of parliament.

The World Macedonian Congress submitted the initiative.

 

Hutchison: NATO setting up counter-hybrid support team in Macedonia (MIA)

 

NATO is setting up counter-hybrid support teams in Macedonia and Montenegro after fake news and disinformation from Russia and China have gained ground with the coronavirus pandemic in the Western Balkans, Kay Bailey Hutchison, United States Ambassador to NATO, has told MIA. “The Alliance expects more information from Skopje on setting up such a team for Macedonia, aimed at preparing media in the country on how to deter disinformation campaigns coming from Russia,” Ambassador Hutchison told an online press briefing in Washington on Tuesday. According to her, a counter-hybrid support team is already operational in Montenegro. “There is a lot of fake news spreading in Macedonia regarding the coronavirus and the NATO assistance in equipment provided to its ally, which is dealing with the crisis during a state of emergency,” adds Hutchison. She says disinformation from Russia have been long-standing, ever since Macedonia applied for NATO membership, and continued once the country’s accession to the Alliance was confirmed. “Macedonia is a full-fledged member, and as an ally, it is supported by NATO in this crisis. The assistance will continue, including for fighting disinformation coming from Russian sources,” notes Hutchison. In July 2018, NATO leaders agreed to set up counter-hybrid support teams, which provide tailored targeted assistance to Allies upon their request, in preparing against and responding to hybrid activities. The U.S. Ambassador calls NATO allies to oppose disinformation on the coronavirus coming from Russia and China. “There are false reports they are sending assistance, there are false reports that the virus emerged from Europe or the United States. This is absolutely false and we are trying to respond to the false information with facts,” says Hutchison. She notes this is part of the continual hybrid and cyber war they are using to spread dissatisfaction but also devalue our leadership in time when western societies are coping with the crisis.

 

Macedonia comes second according to coronavirus mortality rate compared to countries in the region (Republika)

 

Macedonia comes second according to coronavirus mortality rate compared to countries in the region. According to the number of victims and people infected with coronavirus in the region, Macedonia is facing a complete failure. Our country is second in terms of mortality rate in the region. 21 deaths per million inhabitants have been registered in Macedonia. Only Slovenia has worse statistics than ours, with 27 deaths per million inhabitants. The other countries in the region are behind our country with lower mortality rate, which means a more successful fight against coronavirus.

Deaths per million inhabitants in other countries in the region:

Turkey 17

B&H 12

Serbia 11

Greece 10

Albania 8

Croatia 8

Montenegro 6

Bulgaria 5

The second part of the statistics, which calculates the number of infected per million inhabitants, is devastating for Macedonia. Namely, in Macedonia there are 436 infected per million inhabitants. Turkey (772), Slovenia (587) and Serbia (511) have more than our country, while Montenegro (451), Croatia (415), B&H (330), Greece (208), Albania (165), Bulgaria (106) have less.

How many tests have been performed per one million people?

Slovenia 17291

Turkey 5260

Greece 4682

Montenegro 4568

Croatia 4472

Macedonia 4446

B&H 3782

Serbia 2678

Bulgaria 2663

Albania 1496

 

In North Macedonia 66 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed, 1 person died, 12 patients recovered (Libertas)

 

In the past 24 hours, 66 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in North Macedonia. With this, the total number of diagnosed patients with Covid-19 in our country is 974 people.

12 patients have recovered and 1 person has died. Patient died two days ago but the result of a swab that came today showed the presence of Covid-19. The 76-year-old patient from Skopje was hospitalized with the symptoms of the virus. According to the final confirmation of the presence of Covid-19, this case is recorded in today's statistics of the Institute of Public Health.

By cities: Skopje-10, Kumanovo-27, Stip-3, Prilep-4, Tetovo-5, Struga-4, Veles-2, Ohrid-5, Gostivar-1, Kocani-3 and Negotino-2. According to the place of residence, so far cases have been registered in:

Skopje - 339

Kumanovo - 262

Debar - 49

Stip-31

Prilep -89

Tetovo - 43

Struga - 47

Veles - 36

Bitola –9

Ohrid –9

Kavadarci - 3

Gostivar -10

Gevgelija - 4

Strumica - 2

Kriva Palanka-4

Radovish - 4

Krushevo - 3

Kocani - 25

Probistip - 2

Kicevo - 1

Negotino -2

 

In the past 24 hours, 500 tests have been performed. So far, a total of 9762 tests have been performed in the country.

 

Cakaj 'gathers' Albanian political factor in Balkans (ADN)

 

Acting Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Gent Cakaj said that he has conducted a number of phone calls with institutional representatives in Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and the Presevo Valley. The calls focused on discussions on measures taken in the fight against pandemics and the importance of intensive cooperation these days, until the final defeat of COVID-19, for the benefit of the health of all Albanians. "Although we have all been challenged in this war, together we will succeed undoubtedly! Of course, we will maintain institutional communication to stay close to each other and coordinate actions as needed," said Cakaj. Cakaj spoke on phone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo, Glauk Konjufca, Deputy Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, Mayor of Tuzi, Nik Gjeloshaj and the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Montenegro, Genc Nimanbegu, as well as with the Mayor of Bujanovac, Shaip Kamberi, Mayor of Presevo, Shqiprim Arifi and the President of the Albanian National Council, Ragmi Mustafa.

Rama: Good news, Brussels allocates 100m Euros for the reconstruction of Albania (Radio Tirana)

 

EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca announced that the Council of Europe has changed the 2020 budget with the objective of supporting countries in urgent need. This, says Soreca, includes the 100 million Euros that were promised at the Donors’ Conference on February 17 for the reconstruction in Albania after the tragic earthquake of November 26 that killed 51 people.

Following the news given by the EU chief diplomat for Albania, the reaction of Prime Minister Edi Rama was immediate. He assessed the decision of Brussels to allocate in the revised EU budget the promised amount of 100 million Euros for Albania’s reconstruction as good news. “The good news is that despite the great difficulty of coping with the aftermath of this world war, the EU stood by its commitment on 17 February in Brussels and the € 100 million promised by the European Commission for Reconstruction was allocated to the revised EU2020 budget,” says Rama.

 

Criminal Code approved in Law Commission/Fines and sentences for violators of quarantine during infectious diseases (Radio Tirana)

 

The Criminal Code was approved yesterday in the Law Commission, with more lenient sentences than those initially proposed to parliament. The majority decided to impose fines for all the violators of quarantine and curfews during infectious diseases. The new Criminal Code, which will be put to a vote in parliament on 16 April, states that anyone who violates quarantine rules is punished by a fine of up to three years in prison. Earlier it was not the option of fine, but only imprisonment for up to 5 years. It was also decided a sentence of 5 years imprisonment for those who spread infectious diseases. But if the spread virus causes serious consequences for someone’s health or causes the death of a person, by not complying with government orders are to be sentenced from 10 to 15 years in prison.

 

In Albania 494 total COVID-19 cases confirmed, 24 victims (Tirana Times)

 

A 90-year-old man in Fier passed away on Wednesday morning, bringing the death toll to 25 in Albania. The victim had been under intensive care for 11 days and suffered from underlying health conditions including diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure. Despite the medical staff's efforts, the 90-year-old succumbed to the disease. 19 new coronavirus cases were also confirmed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infected patients to 475 in Albania. So far, tests have been conducted on 4558 people. Out of the total 39 patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospital, five are under intensive care. At the COVID 2 Hospital, nine patients are hospitalized, seven of whom are in intensive care. The Ministry of Health also announced that so far, a total of 251 patients who tested positive for the coronavirus in Albania have now recovered. However, they will have to be quarantined at home for 14 days. Currently, the geographical distribution of the infected patients across Albania is as follows:

 

Tirana 237 cases

Durres 42 cases

Lushnje 6 cases

Elbasan 16 cases

Fier 32 cases

Kavaja 8 cases

Rrogozhina 4 cases

Korca 18 cases

Vlora 5 cases

Shkodra 71 cases

Lezha 14 cases

Berat 2 cases

Has 13 cases

Kruja 7 cases

Tropoja 4 cases

Puka 5 cases

Mirdita 3 cases

Kukes 6 cases

 

The Albanian government has restricted movement of vehicles and pedestrians throughout the territory by imposing a curfew from 5 a.m. to 17:30 p.m, with only one person per household being authorized to move. This week, citizens will not be allowed out of their houses on Saturday and Sunday. All international air, sea and land travel is banned and schools, kindergartens, bars, restaurants, hotels, stadiums, concert halls and parks are also closed.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Fighting COVID-19 in Serbia is not a suppression of democracy (The Washington Times, by Ana Brnabic, 14 April 2020)

 

'We can protect both democracy and our citizens from coronavirus'

Much like the rest of Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit Serbia hard. But with a population that is older than most around the world and having received an influx of hundreds of thousands of Serbian citizens from abroad over the last few weeks, our country is at even greater risk than others. As a result, President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian government have taken serious precautions to protect our citizens and economy. Sadly, however, some have inaccurately depicted these precautions as government overreach or even a suppression of democracy in Serbia. Neither is true. The measures adopted by Mr. Vucic and the Serbian government to fight coronavirus are both proportional to the threat and consistent with democratic practice in times of crisis. First, Serbia has declared a state of emergency. Many of our European partners have done the same, including Italy, Spain, Romania, Estonia and others. Since the Serbian Assembly went into recess because of social distancing requirements, in parliament’s absence, Mr. Vucic, the outgoing speaker of the assembly, and I, as prime minister, appropriately employed our joint constitutional prerogative to declare a state of emergency, which is limited to 180 days. We have used this authority to close schools and reduce non-essential movement to certain times of the day, including a shelter-in-place directive for the elderly, which is comparable to what the vast majority of governors and mayors in the United States have done. Second, to concentrate the limited medical care and resources that exist, Serbia has established numerous quarantine facilities throughout the country. One of these facilities is the Belgrade Fair dome, which can provide temporary isolation to 3,000 of our infected citizens. Unfortunately, photos of the facility were released in the midst of preparations, causing critics to call it “chilling.” Had these critics waited until its completion to pass judgment, however, they would see that the Belgrade Fair is far more comfortable than those first photos might suggest. As one visitor said, “it’s not the Hilton, but it’s not terrible either.” While I wish Serbia was in a position to establish temporary Hiltons, no country is at the moment. Third, in coordination with the International Monetary Fund, the Serbian government adopted a $5.6-billion economic stimulus package that focuses on support for small businesses and the deferral of tax payments. It also includes direct financial aid to each citizen of Serbia. Although far smaller in absolute terms, these measures track closely with those adopted in the United States and many EU countries. But some have attacked the policies, arguing that the Serbian government is pursuing them for the purpose of pre-election politics. Of course, these same individuals would denounce the government had we failed to support the country’s employers or provide direct financial assistance to Serbian citizens the way other governments have. Finally, some have criticized President Vucic’s statement that “Belgrade’s graveyards won’t be big enough” if people ignore isolation and social distancing requirements. They have twisted and manipulated his words to suggest this was some sort of threat. It certainly was not. Rather, this was a statement of fact. Mr. Vucic has lost his closest childhood friend to coronavirus. His son has now contracted the disease. The pandemic is serious, especially for one of the oldest societies in Europe. If our citizens violate social distancing requirements, people will die. This is true in all countries, and all of our citizens need to understand the consequences of irresponsible behavior in the clearest of terms. Regrettably, what has happened in many societies around the world is that critics have exploited the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to condemn their political, commercial or philosophical opponents, accusing them of actions and abuses that fit neatly into a pre-existing narrative. We must stop with this. It is as true as it is cliche to say that the world faces a common enemy. And we must unite to defeat it — otherwise, this common enemy will defeat us.

 

Congressman Engel and Senator Menendez: Trump Administration unbalanced between Serbia and Kosovo (EWB, 14 April 2020)

 

WASHINGTON – United States Congressmen of the Democratic Party Eliot Engel, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and his party colleague Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, called on the Trump Administration to continue diplomatic support to resolve the Kosovo-Serbia conflict in a way that’s fair to both countries and consistent with US law and longstanding policy. In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the lawmakers cautioned that the Administration’s heavy-handed approach to Kosovo unfairly penalizes the country’s new government and that Serbia’s derecognition campaign against Kosovo and close ties to the Kremlin have gone largely unchecked. They reminded  that, on 23 January, US Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Richard Grenell urged Serbia to end its derecognition campaign at the same time as he urged Kosovo to drop its tariffs. However, according to them, since that day US public pressure on Serbia appears to have been dropped amidst the intensified pressure on Kosovo. “The US has taken a heavy-handed approach toward the elected government in Kosovo. While we agree that Kosovo’s tariffs on Serbian goods — which have now been lifted — mainly hurt Kosovo and its citizens, this tool has been used by governments around the world, frequently including the Trump Administration. Kosovo is a close ally of the United States, and we urge you to adopt a patient and constructive approach with its democratically-elected government,” wrote Engel and Menendez. They added that any effort to negotiate a path forward between Belgrade and Pristina should be done in concert with Brussels and other key capitals across the continent. According to Eliot and Menendez, Trump Administration’s lack of balance between Belgrade and Prishtina is taking place in the context of Serbia expanding ties with Moscow and increasing imports of Russian armaments. “These weapons purchases require the Administration to impose sanctions on Serbia under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) passed by Congress in the aftermath of Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections. In your response, please inform us why the Administration has neither imposed those sanctions nor actively pressed Serbia to end its global derecognition efforts”, they wrote. Engel and Menendez wrote that they are encouraged that the State Department has been able to negotiate confidence building measures, including the recent air transit arrangement between Serbia and Kosovo.

“We appreciate this progress, but we urge that in the days ahead the Administration avoid heavy-handed, unbalanced tactics as it works with Kosovo and Serbia to reach a comprehensive peace settlement that reflects the will of the people of both countries”, they concluded.