Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 562 new cases, two deaths (media)
• Prime Minister Kurti calls for vaccination (media)
• About 1 million euros abused, forensic experts illegally compensated (media)
• Hoxha: Law on Forensic Medicine came into force before I became minister (Klan)
• Minister of Interior facing trial for pelting police with rocks while in opposition (Express)
• Meta and Basha thank Kosovo for assistance in battling fires (euronews.al)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vulin: Mitsotakis confirmed Greece will not change its stance on Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)
• Vucic: Israeli recognition of Kosovo was disappointment for Serbia and its citizens (Politika)
• “Background of Washington Agreement rejection by Kosovo Assembly” (Politika)
• Young man in Novo Brdo beaten up, incident condemned (Radio KIM)
• Petkovic on Viola von Cramon’s statements regarding northern Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• US Embassy in Sarajevo on ‘Open Balkan’ initiative (Kosovo-online)
• Four new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo Filmmakers Eye Bright Future After Cannes Debut (Prishtina Insight)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 562 new cases, two deaths (media)

Kosovo has recorded 562 new cases with COVID-19 and two deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 78 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 2,640 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo.

Prime Minister Kurti calls for vaccination (media)

Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called on the population of Kosovo to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

He published today a photo on the social network Facebook, through which he asked the citizens to be vaccinated.

“Vaccinate! Together we can make it," is written in the photo that he has published, where a person is presented being vaccinated.

Kosovo is recently registering a higher number of new cases of coronavirus infection, compared to recent months, when the situation with the pandemic was calmer.

About 1 million euros abused, forensic experts illegally compensated for 5 years (media)

Kosovo’s Deputy Minister of Justice, Blerim Sallahu during a press conference today said that the forensic experts have been illegally compensated for the extra work, overtime work and the participation of forensic doctors in court hearings.

Sallahu said they have been compensated based on the administrative instruction which is not in force since 2016.

"The Prosecutorial Council had proposed to the former Minister Dhurata Hoxha to review the instruction that regulated the manner of compensation of overtime work for forensic experts, because it was based on the law which was repealed, however this instruction is still in force and is being implemented," Sallahu said.

He added that, despite the warning by the Prosecutorial Council, former Minister Dhurata Hoxha ignored their letter and did not take any steps to protect public money.

"Due to this inaction, forensic experts have been illegally compensated in the amount of close to 1 million euros for the last five years," Sallahu emphasized further.

The Deputy Minister of Justice also said that there have been cases of favoritism, where some forensic experts have been called more often to hearings and have received more funding than others.

"We have drafted a new decision based on the new law in force on the method of calculating fees for forensic services, compensation for overtime work and participation in sessions of forensic experts," he announced.

Hoxha: Law on Forensic Medicine came into force before I became minister (Klan)

Former Minister of Justice Dhurata Hoxha, responded to the accusations on her address made today by the current Deputy Minister of Justice Blerim Sallahu with regards to the allegedly illegal compensation of forensic experts for the extra work, overtime work and the participation of forensic doctors in court hearings.

According to Hoxha, the Law on Forensic Medicine entered into force before she became a minister. 

"The law entered into force in April 2016, while I was appointed to the MoJ in July 2016, where we immediately started drafting laws and bylaws which were on the legislative agenda. Until the dissolution of the Assembly, which was about after nine months, we have sent to the Assembly eight laws, including the Criminal Code and other important laws. Regarding the case in question, it was part of the functional review of the rule of law sector, which I initiated at the beginning of 2017 and then other ministers have continued with this initiative." 

Hoxha said further that she hopes that the ministers who came after her “have managed to improve these legal gaps which have been identified and are continuing to be identified.”

"So, there were three ministers after me, including the current minister, and all of them had inaction then, but only my name was mentioned," she said. 

Minister of Interior facing trial for pelting police with rocks while in opposition (Express)

Kosovo Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Svecla, and 12 other people are expected to appear before the court today accused of throwing rocks, paint, bottles, and firecrackers against Kosovo Police during a protest the Vetevendosje organised in 2013 to oppose the EU-facilitated Agreement on normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

According to the indictment, which was filed in March 2014, in addition to Svecla the other accused persons are: Dardan Molliqaj, Arsim Maqastena, Pajtim Havolli, Agron Kabashi, Egzon Azemi, Pajtim Demaj, Frasher Krasniqi, Nol Nushi, Bekim Shkodra, Afrim Hoxha, Sami Avdiu and Besnik Qelaj. They are accused of throwing rocks, paint, bottles and firecrackers towards the Kosovo Police and damaging police vehicles. The State Prosecution Office charged the above mentioned with the criminal offence “Participating in a crowd committing a criminal offense and hooliganism,” punishable up to five years imprisonment. Back in 2013 the Vetevendosje, which at that time was in opposition, staged a protest to object to the deal with Serbia that was ratified by the Assembly of Kosovo. The Vetevendosje won the election held in February 2021 and formed the Government led by Albin Kurti who despite opposing the dialogue while in opposition agreed to meet with Serbian President Aleksadnar Vucic twice since he came to power in March 2021.

Meta and Basha thank Kosovo for assistance in battling fires (euronews.al)

Albania’s President Ilir Meta and the leader of the Democratic Party Lulzim Basha thanked Kosovo for the help it provided to Albania in battling the fires that have broken out in the northern part of the country.

Ilir Meta also informed that the Kalimashi tunnel is now passable, despite the fact that the work to extinguish the active fires on the mountain of Rrunja is still ongoing. 

Basha thanked the Kosovo military forces for cooperation with Albania whenever it was in difficult conditions.

The government of Kosovo approved on Monday the request of the Ministry of Defense to send Kosovo’s Security Force in a humanitarian operation in Albania.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vulin: Mitsotakis confirmed Greece will not change its stance on Kosovo (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)

Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandar Vulin spoke today in Athens with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who once again confirmed that the position of Greece when it comes to Kosovo will not change, Tanjug news agency reports.  

“I am particularly grateful to the Prime Minister Mitsotakis for confirming once again that his position and the position of the Greek Government regarding the issue of recognizing the so-called, fake state of Kosovo will not change. Greece will not recognize Kosovo, Greece will remain on the positions of international law and firm support to Serbia”, Vulin said after the meeting.

He repeated he is grateful to Mitsotakis over this stance and the fact that the policy of Greece would continue in the direction of the best possible relations with Serbia.

Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis warmly thanked the Serbian people and President Aleksandar Vucic for the support Serbia provided to Greece in battling the fires that hit the country recently.

As it was earlier reported, Serbia sent a 37-member unit from the Sector for Emergency Situation, 14 vehicles, 14-member helicopter crews and three helicopters to assist Greece in battling the fires. It also sent a medical team of three doctors, medical technicians and an ambulance vehicle to assist those affected.    

Vucic: Israeli recognition of Kosovo was disappointment for Serbia and its citizens (Politika)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today in a phone conversation with Israeli President Isaak Herzog that recognition of Kosovo by Israel was a disappointment for Serbia and its citizens, but, at the same time, he expressed wish of Serbia to advance bilateral relations with new Israeli leadership, Politika daily reports.

Following the talks, Vucic said he deems it very important that Serbia and Israel through cooperation give contribution to political and peaceful settlement of all disputes, conflicts and open issues, adding today’s conversation with Herzog would contribute to the better understanding between the two countries.

Vucic also voiced expectations that President Herzog and Israel would continue supporting the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, as the only way to resolve for Serbia a sensitive issue of Kosovo and Metohija.

The two interlocutors also agreed that in development of Serbian-Israeli relations one should have in mind historic closeness of Serbian and Jewish peoples, marked with joint sufferings during the WWII, statement from Vucic’s cabinet reads.

They also discussed economic cooperation, investments, ways on how to expand cooperation including trade exchange, as well as interest to advance military-economic cooperation and that in the fields of energy, culture, education and sport.

“Background of Washington Agreement rejection by Kosovo Assembly” (Politika)

By implementing Washington Agreement Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti was afraid he would lose moral supremacy, given that economic and infrastructural linkage through ‘Open Balkan’ initiative won’t be met with Serbia’s recognition of Kosovo, political analyst Mladen Mrdalj said commenting on the decision of Kosovo Assembly to reject resolution on implementation of the Washington Agreement, with 24 pro and 57 abstained votes.

The Washington Agreement was signed in September 2020, at the White House, by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and former Kosovo Prime Minister Avduallah Hoti in presence of the-then US President Donald Trump.

According to Mrdalj, by implementing the agreement Kurti would resemble yet another ordinary politician making compromises, instead of building the image of an uncompromised official. He added that Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) initiated the whole thing either supported by the US or on its own initiative to undermine Kurti’s position.

“Of course, the fact that members of his party abstained from voting speaks of the gap they found themselves in; cooperation with the United States means losing moral purity, and principled insistence on the Serbian recognition of Kosovo as a condition of all conditions leads to a new conflict with the United States, with Biden’s administration, not Trump’s administration. Vucic will profit the most in all this, because Kosovo and Kurti are becoming a problem now, they are becoming bad guys”, Mrdalj opined.

Young man in Novo Brdo beaten up, incident condemned (Radio KIM)

A 23-year old Nikola Peric was beaten up yesterday around 20.00 hrs in front of a larger group of Novo Brdo residents, Radio KIM reports. As the residents of Novo Brdo told the media, a young man was attacked by three unknown males who after that fled with a “BMW” vehicle.

“Around 20.00 hrs a guy was returning home after grazing cattle, the BMW vehicle approached and three men came out of it and started hitting him. All of us, sitting nearby, a dozen of us, stood up, and when they saw it they entered the car and left. The boy laid on the ground, covered in blood, and we called the police patrol”, Dragan Vasic, Novo Brdo resident told Radio KIM. 

Vasic also said a police patrol tried to stop the vehicle with attackers between Prekovac and Labljane villages but they fled. Radio KIM said they didn’t manage to get confirmation from the police about this.

The police took Peric to the hospital in Gnjilane. Later today, Kosovo police in its report said the young man sustained slight bodily injuries. 

Novo Brdo mayor Svetislav Ivanovic condemned the attack against Serbian young man “regardless of who has done it”. He also said “the attack was a reason for strong distress of all Novo Brdo municipality residents, in particular now when they try to make co-existence with everybody (…). He also called on all relevant stakeholders to make efforts to prevent such attacks, adding they do not need to hear only statements “that the investigation is ongoing”.  

Meanwhile, Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija also condemned the attack, saying that “attack represents continuation of incidents against the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”, adding there have been almost 90 incidents in the Serbian areas in Kosovo since the beginning of the year.

The Office demanded perpetrators to be found and sanctioned, but also the security situation in the Serbian areas be moved to a higher level.

“It is impermissible that Nikola becomes the target of bullies and hooligans, just because he is a Serb. This incident caused strong distress and revolt among the Serbian population in this municipality (…)”, the Office said in a statement. 

The Office added that such an attitude towards the Serbs in Kosovo comes from frequent provocations by Pristina but also due to lack of reactions from the side of the international community.

Petkovic on Viola von Cramon’s statements regarding northern Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic took it on Twitter to criticize European Parliament Rapporteur for Kosovo, Viola von Cramon because she “interferes in already signed agreements” and doesn’t react to incidents against the Serbs, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Cramon earlier spoke to Belgrade-based TV N1.  

“Is the fractured nose of Nikola Peric from Zebinac the image of the self proclaimed Kosovo where Serbs live well @ViolavonCramon? You haven’t said a word about 89 incidents against Serbs in K&M! Instead, you cultivate an obsession with the north of our Province and President @avucic”, Petkovic wrote.

Commenting on her remarks regarding “responsibility of both sides in the dialogue”, Petkovic said it was Albin Kurti who rejected the EU's proposal.

“On what grounds do you set a new condition for establishment of the Community of Serb-majority Municipality – so-called integration of the north of Kosovo and Metohija, It is the way too much even from an Albanian lobbyist to interfere so brutally in signed agreements  and support new destabilization of the situation of the ground. Leave the north of Kosovo and Metohija alone, and instead try to make your protégé resort to a constructive dialogue”, Petkovic added. 

US Embassy in Sarajevo on ‘Open Balkan’ initiative (Kosovo-online)

Kosovo-online portal reports citing Sarajevo-based Dnevni Avaz that the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has refuted claims of the Croat and Bosniac members of the country’s tripartite Presidency, Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic, by saying that the US supports ‘Mini-Schengen’ initiative which was recently renamed to ‘Open Balkan’ initiative.  

“Establishment of stronger economic and political relations in the region is an additional impetus to the efforts to complete reforms necessary for the membership in the EU”, the Embassy told Sarajevo daily, according to the portal.

It was also said that regional integrations and economic reforms were necessary if Bosnia and Herzegovina wished to attract investments and ensure sustainable economic development.

According to the daily claims of Komsic and Dzaferovic who earlier said that the ‘Open Balkan’ initiative has no support from the US and the EU thus has been officially refuted.

As per initiative of the Serb member of the B&H Presidency, Milorad Dodik the Presidency discussed on September 17, 2020 possibility to join the-then ‘Mini-Schengen’ initiative, but two other members “diplomatically refused” accession of B&H to this initiative, requesting that prior to it, the Council of Ministers prepares a study on benefits and possible detriments of such an initiative. 

Four new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas in Kosovo (KoSSev)

Out of 21 tested samples in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, four were positive for Covid-19, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced today, KoSSev portal reports.

The new cases were registered as follows: two in Zvecan, and one each in Gracanica and Strpce.

Currently there are 14 active cases in the Serbian areas in Kosovo. 

   

Humanitarian/Development 

  Kosovo Filmmakers Eye Bright Future After Cannes Debut (Prishtina Insight)

After being shortlisted at Cannes, the producers of 'Displaced' – a short film about two table tennis enthusiasts struggling to keep their neglected sport alive – are preparing for more success around the world.

While shooting the last scenes of Pa Vend (Displaced) in the southern Kosovo city of Prizren, it started snowing. The director, Samir Karahoda, had been convinced the film would not properly convey events if they couldn’t film in the snow. “But luck smiled on us,” producer Eroll Bilibani told BIRN. “It snowed so much that we were able to shoot the most beautiful scenes of the film.”

Displaced is a short film about two table tennis enthusiasts, Jeton Mazreku and Ermegan Kazazi, and their coach, and their desperate their efforts to keep the sport alive in Kosovo without any kind of institutional support.

Mazreku and Kazazi, who play themselves in the film, wander around post-war Kosovo from one obscure location to another, carrying the club’s only possession, the tables!

Read more at: https://bit.ly/3g8vhPp