Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 599 new cases, 17 deaths (media)
• Kosovo ministries discuss anti-Covid measures with Kosovo mayors (media)
• Petrit Ajeti appointed head of Kosovo Intelligence Agency (media)
• Kosovo leaders meet representatives of missing persons (media)
• KDI calls on Kosovo leaders to prepare for dialogue with Serbia (media)
• Fight of organised crime and corruption, domestic violence priorities of Justice Ministry (media)
• Ministry of Infrastructure cancels tender worth €44 million (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Covid-19 in Serbian communities: 13 newly infected (Kontakt plus radio)
• Thus far, 15.000 citizens from Serbian areas in Kosovo inoculated (Kosovo-online)
• EU on the Western Balkans on May 10th (RTS)
• Vucic: We expect Putin in Serbia by end of year, I will go to Brussels soon (Kosovo-online)
• Simic: One violence gives birth to another, Serbs unprotected in Kosovo (RTS)
• Sava Janjic bothers both Belgrade and Pristina (Danas)
• Rakic met Kosnett, and pointed out problem of frequent attacks against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• Protest due to the beating of the young man, demand for the resignation of the police commander (KiM radio)
• Spahiu: Gervalla's appearance at UNSC session complete collapse of the new Kosovo government (Kosovo Online)
• Alleged non-paper on WB leaked: Merging of RS and Serbia, Kosovo and Albania (N1)
• Kharchenko: Russia ready for new aspects in resolving the Kosovo issue, if Serbia wishes so (Kosovo Online, Sputnik)

Opinion:

• The arrival of vaccines doesn't mean the pandemic is over (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Palestinians Demand Cutting Ties with Kosovo (english.aawsat.com)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Greece to lift quarantine for visitors from Serbia (B92)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 599 new cases, 17 deaths (media)

Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health announced that 599 new cases of COVID-19 and 17 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. 

868 persons have meanwhile recovered during this period.  Kosovo ministries discuss anti-Covid measures with Kosovo mayors (media)

Kosovo's Ministry of Local Government Administration hosted a virtual meeting today with the Health Minister Arben Vitia and mayors of Kosovo municipalities to discuss measures against the COVID-19.

A press release issued by MLGA said that one of the measures that is expected to be eased as of next week involves the reopening of bars and restaurants and of shopping centres but at the same time warned that the situation in healthcare institutions remains alarming due to overburden.

Petrit Ajeti appointed head of Kosovo Intelligence Agency (media)

President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti have appointed Petrit Ajeti to the post of Kosovo Intelligence Agency director, media report.

According to a statement issued by the Kosovo presidency, Ajeti received education at the Military Academy in Tirana, studied political sciences in Prishtina and completed a master's degree in the UK. He has over 15 years of work experience in the security field and has occupied various posts in the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

Koha reports that the intelligence agency has so far functioned with an acting director and that the former Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and then acting President Vjosa Osmani did not manage to come to an agreement on the name of the candidate that would assume the post.

Kosovo leaders meet representatives of missing persons (media)

Kosovo leaders - President Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Assembly Speaker Glauk Konjufca and Deputy Speaker Saranda Bogujevci - had a meeting today with representatives of the missing persons from Gjakova, part of the "Mothers' Cries" association.

Osmani said that the determination of the fate of the missing persons is a priority for the new institutions of Kosovo. "We promise you that we will work unrelentlessly to find them as soon as possible," she said.

Kurti pledged that institutions will make utmost efforts to shed light to the fate of missing persons. "The pain and anguish you suffer is uncomparable. We will work continuously to guarantee your right to know the fate of your loved ones," Kurti said. 

KDI calls on Kosovo leaders to prepare for dialogue with Serbia (media)

Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI) think tank said it was closely following developments relating to the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and that the recent public statements from the facilitators of the process send clear signals that a meeting between the parties could be called in the very near future. 

"KDI calls on Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani as co-leaders of the foreign policy, and at the same time of the process of dialogue with Serbia, to pay special attention to this issue. Continuation of dialogue cannot find Kosovo unprepared, with no plan and no clarity," the organisation said in a statement.

KDI added that the Government of Kosovo in coordination with the President's Office should 'as soon as possible' prepare a strategy and platform for dialogue with Serbia clearly stating Kosovo's demands in the process and build broad political consensus. At the same time, opposition parties should demonstrate responsibility and act constructively towards efforts for building consensus.

"Consolidation of these documents should not sidestep the supervisory role of the Assembly in this important state process, by guaranteeing institutional coordination, inclusion, accountability, and transparency," KDI concluded.

Fight of organised crime and corruption, domestic violence priorities of Justice Ministry (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Justice Albulena Haxhiu had a meeting today with the head of OSCE in Kosovo, Ambassador Michael Davenport.

A press release issued by the Ministry after the meeting states that Haxhiu briefed Davenport about the priorities of the Ministry of Justice, including determination in the fight against organised crime and corruption, domestic violence, functional review of the rule of law, and tackling of war crimes.

Haxhiu spoke about the concept document approved by the Government as the first step towards confiscation of unlawfully acquired wealth and also pointed out that domestic violence is being treated as a special priority by the Ministry of Justice. Further, Haxhiu expressed the readiness for the Kosovo justice system to address concerns of the non-majority communities.

Ambassador Davenport on his part extended support of the OSCE in the priorities and challenges ahead of the Government of Kosovo. 

Ministry of Infrastructure cancels tender worth €44 million (media)

The Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure has decided to cancel a procurement bid worth €44 million intended for maintenance of national and regional roads in Kosovo.

The decision was announced by Deputy Minister Hysen Durmishi who said that one of the reasons behind the decision is that the project was planned to be implemented through a three-year framework during which time there would be no ways of amending it. "In recent years we are seeing a rapid development of the road construction technology and this should therefore be reflected in our roads," he said adding that they would also make sure to prepare the tender so as to be competitive and not tailored to one specific company.

Durmishi also announced that the Ministry has cancelled the decision that foresaw privatisation of the service for issuing drivers' licenses. 

   

Serbian Language Media

  Covid-19 in Serbian communities: 13 newly infected (Kontakt plus radio)

According to the latest data, 13 new cases of infection have been registered in Serbian communities in Kosovo, while 33 people have come out of isolation, the Crisis Staff of the Municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica announced.

Based on 72 processed samples, positive cases were recorded in the municipalities: Leposavic (5), Kamenica (4), Zvecan (2), North Mitrovica (1) and Priluzje (1).

681 cases are currently active.

Thus far, 15.000 citizens from Serbian areas in Kosovo inoculated (Kosovo-online)

Including today’s figures a total of 15.000 people from the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo have received vaccines in three separate vaccination points, Raska, Kursumlija and Bujanovac, Kosovo-online portal reports.

At the same time 12.000 of them received the second dose of the vaccine.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Assistant Director Svetlana Miladinov told the portal all four vaccines secured by the Serbian state are available for vaccination to the residents from Kosovo.  

EU on the Western Balkans on May 10th (RTS)

Instead of April 19, the EU foreign ministers will hold a debate on the Western Balkans on May 10, with a hope that a physical meeting of the Council of Ministers would be possible then, RTS has learned from European sources in Brussels

Due to the epidemic situation, the ministerial meeting, scheduled for April 19 in Luxembourg, will be held in video format, so in such circumstances the prevailing view was that it was better to postpone the debate on the Balkans to the next physical meeting, diplomatic sources said and noted that the Western Balkans be the main topic of the May meeting, reported RTS.

Last month, nine member states, in a letter to European Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, called for the "return of the Western Balkans" to the EU Council of Ministers' agenda.

"It is time to take a strategic look at the situation in the Western Balkans," the foreign ministers of Austria, Germany, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece, Ireland, Romania and Slovenia said in a joint letter.

The ministers of these nine EU states believe that the Western Balkans should be viewed not only in the context of enlargement but also in the context of the foreign policy of the EU, stating that "other players are ready to get involved in regional issues, often to the detriment of the EU".

The EU has provided enormous support to the region, but "other actors are more effective in promoting their own aid, undermining the reliability, credibility and perception of European Union solidarity," the request for a strategic debate on the Western Balkans said.

Vucic: We expect Putin in Serbia by end of year, I will go to Brussels soon (Kosovo-online)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he expects the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Serbia, in line with the previous agreement by the end of the year, as well as confirmation of a Chinese President Xi Janping visit, adding that, however, everything depends on Covid-19 pandemic, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“Relations with Russia are important to us, and Selakovic (FM) after visiting Moscow, would have an important visit to Tehran. It is not an easy job, we must do and make a lot in the upcoming period”, Vucic said.

He also announced he would travel to Brussels soon.

“I would soon go to Brussels, I expect important talks in Brussels”, Vucic added.

He also said the policy of Serbia is to go to the EU, however, “it needs no tutors and mentors, fathers and mothers to teach us how to act towards our friends”.

“That is why we will safeguard our relations with Russia and China, as it has proven to be a wise policy that yields results”, Vucic said.

Simic: One violence gives birth to another, Serbs unprotected in Kosovo (RTS) 

The head of the parliamentary group of the Serbian List, Igor Simic told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) that the attacks on Serbian young men in Kosovo and the facilities of the Serbian Orthodox Church are a consequence of inflammatory and anti-Serbian rhetoric which comes from the high-ranking Albanian political representatives from Pristina.

Speaking in the RTS morning news, Simic pointed out that these events were also a consequence of the fact that in the past period we had hundreds of incidents in which, as a rule, the victims were Serbs, and on the other hand there was no reaction from the competent security authorities, who are responsible for the safety of all citizens. 

"Obviously, with the presence of all international forces in the area of Kosovo and Metohija, Serbs are still an unprotected ethnic group in this area," the head of the parliamentary group of the Serbian List emphasized.

According to him, they have repeatedly appealed in front of the Serbian List that international representatives must clearly and sharply condemn violence against Serbs, because one violence gives birth to another.

"The fact is that all these appeals sent by the Serbian List remained unheard by the representatives of the international community in Pristina. The fact is that when you have a situation where some other young men are beaten, they react very promptly without waiting for an investigation, but when it comes to ordinary young men, whose parents are not in high political positions, obviously they will be unprotected," says Igor Simic.

He adds that he is especially worried that the attacks started in purely Serb areas from the Metohija villages, and a message is being sent that Serbs are not welcome and that someone can beat up Serbian children at any time without any condemnation, both from political representatives and judicial authorities.

"The fact that Albanian political representatives ignore these events and do not react to them motivates us even more to put pressure on them in the coming period, international representatives but also institutions responsible for the security of all citizens. We primarily mean KFOR, EULEX and UNMIK, which have received the mandate of the UN Security Council to take care of peace, security and safety of all citizens," Simic said.

He emphasizes that the fact that they are silent, for someone in Pristina it means approving those attacks, which they have been told many times. 

"We will continue to put pressure and demand responsibility because the fact is that we cannot allow Serbian children to be beaten just because they bear a Serbian name and surname," said Igor Simic, head of the Serbian List parliamentary group.

Sava Janjic bothers both Belgrade and Pristina (Danas)

The abbot of the Visoki Decani monastery, Sava Janjic, has been the target of dirty campaigns by the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina for years, although he has done much to reconcile Serbs and Albanians and always insists on respecting the law, NGO representatives and politicians from Kosovo told daily Danas, thus commenting on the request of the Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms from Pristina to initiate an investigation against him for alleged war crimes.

According to interlocutors of Danas, such accusations against the abbot of Decani have a strong political background, since some Kosovo Albanians see him as the culprit of the fact that the organization Europa Nostra recently included the monastery among the seven most endangered cultural monuments in Europe.

According to Milica Andric Rakic, manager of the NGO New Social Initiative from Kosovska Mitrovica, attacks on the abbot of the Decani monastery in the Kosovo media "are not new and always serve as a diversion from the legitimate demands of the fraternity and the Diocese of Raska and Prizren to respect the law and court decisions relating to the monastery."

- The entire debate on the inclusion of Visoki Decani on the list of the seven most endangered monuments in Europe was accompanied by a negative and, first of all, incorrect campaign. Kosovo media and individuals emphasize the security threat to the monastery, while most of Europa Nostra's reasoning refers to legal uncertainty due to attempts to violate the Law on Protected Zones and non-implementation of the decision of the Supreme Court and later the Kosovo Constitutional Court on the monastery's ownership over the land in its environment. All these demands are obscured with the campaign against Sava Janjic, who has been called a madman before and accused directly of genocide. These attacks are mostly led by the mayor of Decani and the association of historians from the same city "Ali Hadri", and now they have spread to non-governmental organizations with a proven history of making unverified and false claims about Kosovo Serbs. I would also like to underline that the National Theater in Tirana is on the 2020 Europa Nostra list, but also that other monuments that reached the list this year are not there due to security threats, but, as in the monastery of Visoki Decani, due to institutional negligence. The harsh reactions of the Kosovo public, however, indicate that there may still be reasons for concern in terms of security, Andric Rakic points out.

Marko Jaksic, a lawyer and former councilor of the SDP Civic Initiative, led by the late Oliver Ivanovic, states that these are "terrible, extremely malicious and unfounded accusations, i.e. a dangerous targeting campaign directed against the abbot of Visoki Decani Sava Janjic, which unfortunately is not happening for the first time."

- Each diversity, especially the one that speaks about the real situation and position of Serbs in Kosovo, always encounters attacks, most often by the Albanian majority, but there were situations where Father Sava was attacked by Belgrade and the Serbian List. Everything is politics in Kosovo, this time the artificially created image of "multiethnic and multicultural" Kosovo is being destroyed by a European organization which says that the monastery of Visoki Decani is endangered in such Kosovo. And then the ad hominem frontal attack on Sava Janjic is not at all surprising, which is certainly nonsense because few people did reconciliation of Serbs and Albanians like him, and it is especially important to mention that the doors of the Decani monastery were wide open to Albanian refugees during the war, Jaksic points out

Ognjen Gogic, a political analyst from Kosovska Mitrovica, states that it is not unusual for certain prominent Serbs to occasionally become the subject of "tendentious media writings in Kosovo"

- The recent attacks on Father Sava Janjic are worrying because instead of stopping, they are intensifying. There were also allegations of war crimes. This media campaign is not only dangerous for Father Sava, but also potentially harmful for interethnic relations in Kosovo. Sava Janjic's "sin" is that he is respected by both moderate Albanians and the diplomatic corps. The goal of these attacks is to discredit him in the eyes of Albanians who respect him for his honorable behavior during the worst times. Many rushed to declare Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani (Prime Minister and President of Kosovo) as "reformers", despite the demagoguery and populism they resorted to. They seem to have liberated the nationalist forces that have been waiting for years for their moment to question some guarantees given to the Serbian community, including the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Gogic points out.

Our interlocutor emphasizes that Father Sava is a "thorn in the eye" also because he has been insisting for years on respecting the protected zone around the Decani monastery. "This media campaign to which Father Sava is exposed shows that some thought that now was the opportunity for him to be marginalized," concludes Gogic.

Petar Miletic, a journalist and former vice-president of the Kosovo parliament, describes the latest attacks on Sava Janjic as "stupid, unfounded and harmful".

- Kosovo institutions should react to hate speech, especially when it comes to people like Sava Janjic, whose actions exclusively promote peace, tolerance and coexistence. I think that this is a reaction to the fact that the monastery of Visoki Decani is marked as one of the seven most endangered cultural sites in Europe, and they found the "culprit" in Sava Janjic for that, Miletic believes.

Rakic met Kosnett, and pointed out problem of frequent attacks against Serbs in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

Current security and political situation, returns process, the rights of non-majority communities and Covid-19 pandemic were some of the topics discussed in a meeting of Minister for Communities and Returns Goran Rakic with US Ambassador in Pristina, Philip Kosnett, Kosovo-online portal reports.

In a press statement sent by Rakic’s cabinet it was said Rakic voiced particular concern over incidents taking place in the Serb areas in the previous couple of days, emphasizing everything must be done to suppress the incidents.

He also said security related incidents negatively affected the returns process and requested support for the return of a larger number of displaced persons in the upcoming period.

The interlocutors also agreed that the situation caused by Covid-19 pandemic remains complex, adding they hope it will improve in the upcoming period.

Ambassador Kosnett congratulated Rakic on his appointment as Minister for Communities and Returns, and expressed support to all processes that would positively impact Kosovo society, the statement said.

Protest due to the beating of the young man, demand for the resignation of the police commander (KiM radio)

The second protest in a row is underway in Gracanica due to the beating of nineteen-year-old Luka Dimitrijevic by three older Albanians. Gathered residents of Gracanica are demanding the removal of Bratislav Trajkovic, commander of the police station, reports KiM radio. 

Hundreds of locals gathered in front of the Police Station in Gracanica today, and members of Luka Dimitrijevic's family, relatives and friends are also present.

Representatives of local institutions, both those working under the Serbian system and the Kosovo system, are also attending the protest.

Luka Dimitrijevic was attacked on Tuesday night by three Albanians, because, according to the police representatives, he was staying on the private property of a company for growing and processing mushrooms, owned by an Albanian.

After Luka, his girlfriend and sister headed towards home, three security workers intercepted them with a car and beat him with metal bars. Luka suffered minor injuries, and the attackers were released after questioning at the police station, wrote KiM radio.

The gathered family members and the residents of Gracanica are asking for the removal of the commander of the Police, Bratislav Trajkovic.

During the protest, the traffic through Gracanica is normal, despite the big crowd through the main street.

Kosovo police are monitoring the gathering.

Spahiu: Gervalla's appearance at UNSC session complete collapse of the new Kosovo government (Kosovo Online)

Political analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu says in a statement for Kosovo Online that the first international appearance of Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla was frivolous, assessing that the UN Security Council session made it clear to Kosovo and Serbia that the continuation of the dialogue was necessary.

According to Spahiu, Kosovo was poorly represented at the last session of the UN Security Council.

"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo made a mistake by holding the flags of NATO and the European Union behind her, knowing that Kosovo is not a member of any of the mentioned organizations, although it strives to it. The Russian ambassador reacted to that action of the Kosovo Minister, it was a mistake that proves the immaturity of the people who run the institutions in Kosovo,” Spahiu said. 

According to Spahiu, Gervalla was focused on irrelevant, internal issues, which are not the topic of Kosovo's foreign policy.

"She was not giving an interview in front of a journalist; time is limited at this session and there are much more important topics that the state representative should talk about. In my opinion, her presentation before the United Nations is a complete collapse of the new Kosovo government in foreign policy," Spahiu said.

He pointed out that it is high time for Kosovo and Serbia to move in the direction of normalization of relations, which are the recommendations of the participants in the session of the United Nations Security Council.

"Lasting peace, stability and socio-economic development depend on sustainable progress in the dialogue aimed at the normalization of relations, the report of the UN Secretary General reads, among other things,'' Spahiu reminds.

He also adds that there are no great expectations in the next dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo

"Judging by the saying 'If the day is known by its morning', we have no good hints. Kosovo's dialogue with Serbia must be understood as a national interest, and not as a pressure from the international community on some undesirable thing. Also, Belgrade must understand this, and they are behaving as if a part of the international community wants to take Kosovo from them, that fact is to the detriment of Belgrade, because for 22 years it fails to understand one real fact," concludes Spahiu.

Alleged non-paper on WB leaked: Merging of RS and Serbia, Kosovo and Albania (N1)

Slovenian online media outlet necenzurirano.si has published a document which they claim is the non-paper on the Western Balkans, allegedly sent by Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa to Brussels, which sparked strong reactions in Bosnia and Herzegovina as parts of the document speak about redrawing of the country's borders.

The introductory part of the document published by the Slovenian outlet, for which they claim is the document that Jansa sent to European Council President Charles Michel, reads that the main issue of the Western Balkan region is the “unresolved national issues of Serbs, Albanians and Croatians.”

The key issues remain unresolved years later, says the document, even after the post-conflict peace that was established in the region with the efforts of the EU and NATO, and after two countries – North Macedonia and Montenegro made progress on its EU path.

“Based on the existing methods and rhythm of problem solving, it is difficult to imagine the European perspective of Serbia and Kosovo, EU membership for Bosnia and Herzegovina is fully excluded,” reads the paper, which stresses that nobody is satisfied with the situation in BiH apart from few local politicians and Turkey, which takes advantage of “this empty period” by enhancing its influence in BiH.

The document offers a few solutions as well as suggestions on how to implement them.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3adj0pT Kharchenko: Russia ready for new aspects in resolving the Kosovo issue, if Serbia wishes so (Kosovo Online, Sputnik)

Russia is ready to consider new aspects of participation in resolving the Kosovo issue if Serbia wishes so, said Russian Ambassador to Belgrade Aleksandar Bocan-Kharchenko in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"With all the current difficulties in relations with the West, the issue of Kosovo appears in contacts with, for example, the European Union. If Belgrade comes up with some new elements when it comes to Russia's role, those ideas can be considered, that we had already emphasized also at the highest level," said the ambassador, reported Sputnik.

At the same time, Bocan-Kharchenko reminded that Russia's participation in resolving the Kosovo issue is now primarily determined by its role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

"This is the most important thing, because the problem of Kosovo is part of the agenda of the Security Council. That is much more important, bigger and more principled than the current negotiations, because in any development of dialogue, only a solution that satisfies the interests of Belgrade and which can be supported by the UN Security Council is possible," the Russian ambassador pointed out, reported portal Kosovo Online.

   

Opinion

  The arrival of vaccines doesn't mean the pandemic is over (Kosovo 2.0)

What does Kosovo's vaccine rollout mean for this stage of the pandemic, asks Hana Xhemajli.

While most countries around the world have begun vaccinating their populations earlier this year, we are still in very early days. Kosovo received its first vaccine contingent of 24,000 doses of AstraZeneca — the most widely used vaccine in the world — on March 29 from the COVAX program (short for the COVID-19 vaccine access facility). It is worth noting that recently regulators have found a link between blood clotting and the AstraZeneca vaccine, however it is a very rare side effect. 

The program was established in April 2020 to provide low and middle income countries who are unable to make bilateral deals with the pharmaceutical manufacturers a batch of vaccines. In a nutshell, COVAX is a lifeline for countries who cannot easily get vaccines.

Kosovo welcomed the vaccines in a grand manner by holding a reception at the airport with the prime minister present. It should be noted that the doses received so far, barely cover the health professionals and only a fraction of the elderly aged 80 and above. These are the groups that have first priority to be vaccinated. An additional 100,620 vaccines are expected between April and June.

The problem with this narrative isn’t their arrival, it is their tardiness. The vaccines were originally supposed to come at the end of February. This is dangerous for all of us. Kosovo’s previous government showed a clear lack of leadership in obtaining the vaccine. 

It is a little over a year since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, and about five months since the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine was first developed. Meanwhile, Kosovo lagged behind in the efforts to get vaccines. 

This is in part a fault of our own since we are also the only country in Europe and beyond that saw a change in government in the midst of the first global lockdown. This fueled the chaos and uncertainty people experienced. It was the first hurdle Kosovo would face in the midst of the pandemic. The change in leadership instilled distrust in the authorities and as a result many people did not follow through with government recommendations on staying safe in a pandemic.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2OQKryf    

International

  Palestinians Demand Cutting Ties with Kosovo (english.aawsat.com)

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates (MOFAE) called on the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to cut ties with Kosovo, in the wake of inaugurating Kosovo’s embassy in Jerusalem.

This request was made in a letter from Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki to Secretary-General of the OIC Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen.

On behalf of Palestine, Malki called on Othaimeen to demand that the OIC members cut ties with Kosovo, in implementation to the organization’s policy towards countries that violate international law, Islamic summits’ decisions, and the international legitimacy resolutions.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3tky9gl    

Humanitarian/Development

  Greece to lift quarantine for visitors from Serbia (B92)

Greece will lift quarantine next week for passengers coming from the European Union and five other countries, including Serbia, who have been vaccinated or tested negative for Covid 19, a senior government official stated today, B92 reports.

Greece, which emerged from a decade-long financial crisis two years ago, said it would open its tourism sector, which is a key driver of growth for its economy, as of mid-May.

"We will gradually lift the restrictions, starting next week before the opening scheduled for May 14", an unknown official from the Ministry of Tourism told Reuters.

An official said that citizens from the European Union and Serbia, the United States, Britain, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates will be allowed to travel to Greece via airports in Athens, Thessaloniki, Heraklion, Chania, Rhodes, Kos, Mykonos, Santorini, and Corfu and two border transitions.

Visitors from the listed countries will not have to undergo the quarantine if they prove they received two doses of the Covid 19 vaccine or present a negative PCR test no older than 72 hours before their arrival, the official said, adding that tourists will have to obey all local restrictions.

See at: https://bit.ly/3dp7WYN