Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 99 new cases, 13 deaths (media)
• Mustafa: There is no mood for elections (KosovaPress)
• Hoti: Trend of new cases dropping; situation not under full control (media)
• Zemaj: COVID-19 tests to be available in all Kosovo regions soon (RTK)
• Hoti: We won’t relax measures; number of fatalities very high (media)
• Hoxhaj: Lukashenko nostalgic about Soviet Union, Vucic about Milosevic (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Three new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Politika: Infrastructural projects on agenda in Washington
• Ljajic: Trade without political barriers may reach one billion EUR (Kosovo-online)
• OSCE expresses concern over damages made to church in Sredska (Radio kontakt plus)
• Rakic and Jevtic with Bishop Teodosije: Road reconstruction within law only (RTS)
• Djuric: Brussels must have final say on Pristina’s dangerous game (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Pantovic: I expect confirmation or dismissal of first indictments (Kosovo-online)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Neither test, nor quarantine - Citizens of Serbia can travel to 17 countries (B92)
• More Serbs spend holiday in Albania, say better than expected (N1)
• Serbia relaxes anti-epidemic measures, opens cinemas and theaters (N1)

     

Albanian Language Media

  COVID – 19: 99 new cases, 13 deaths (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health informed today that 99 new cases of coronavirus and 13 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. 152 persons have recovered from the virus during this period. The highest number of new cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (24). Kallxo news website reports that 480 people in Kosovo have succumbed to the virus while the total number of infected has reached 12,547. 

Mustafa: There is no mood for elections (KosovaPress)

The leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Isa Mustafa said today majority is not in mood for new elections.

“As far as the initiative of the Vetevendosje Movement is concerned, we do not have any trouble to go for elections the moment the majority decides. I do not see a mood of the majority to bring down the government and go for another round of elections. Therefore, it appears that the motion is a challenge for Vetevendsoje and not for LDK, because they are left with papers on their hands,” Mustafa said.

Asked about recent discussions on the post of the President of Kosovo, Mustafa said his political entity did not discuss the post of the president and it will not do so until the constitutional mandate is challenged. ‘Therefore, we have no objections nor disagreements with anyone,’ he added. 

Hoti: Trend of new cases dropping; situation not under full control (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said today that despite a dropping trend of new infected cases with COVID – 19, the situation is not under full control yet. “The trend of new cases is dropping, but this is not a sign that we have full control over the pandemic being that the number of new fatalities is unfortunately still high,” Hoti said in a meeting with mayors of municipalities in Prishtina.

Hoti said the government and municipalities are doing their best to coordinate activities in the fight against COVID – 19. “We are trying to establish regular cooperation … There is certainly room for greater and more efficient cooperation between the line ministries and the municipalities,” he added.

Hoti also said that the Ministry of Health has prepared a study based on the experiences of different countries on how to begin the new school year.

Zemaj: COVID-19 tests to be available in all Kosovo regions soon (RTK)

After the meeting of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and government officials with the mayors of the municipalities, the Minister of Health Armend Zemaj said 86 private health institutions have been licensed so far to conduct COVID-19 tests, 84 of them for serologic tests and two for PCR.

He announced that the Ministry of Health is conducting procedures for the purchase of seven more PCR devices for Kosovo’s National Institute for the Public Health and 6 regional centers of Public Health (Mitrovica, Peja, Gjakova, Prizren, Ferizaj and Gjilan), in order for these centers to start PCR testing, but also serological testing.

Zemaj said that 100 thousand PCR tests and 100 thousand serological tests are expected to be available very soon.

Hoti: We won’t relax measures; number of fatalities very high (media)

Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti said today that measures against the coronavirus pandemic will not be relaxed because of the high number of fatalities from the virus. “We don’t need additional restrictive measures; we do need advice and information. I cannot say we will relax the measures because the situation with COVID – 19 is not becoming any easier. It is true that we have fewer cases, but the number of fatalities is unfortunately very high,” he said.

Hoxhaj: Lukashenko nostalgic about Soviet Union, Vucic about Milosevic (media)

Kosovo’s Former Foreign Minister and current deputy leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj, wrote an opinion about the recent developments in Belarus, which was published in the Austrian daily Der Standard. According to him, those developments are also ‘a test for the Balkans whether such authoritarian regimes will belong to the past or will be the future in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.’

According to Hoxhaj, Lukashenko's methods, such as arresting opposition members, journalists and activists, were similar to those of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

In his opinion entitled "Belarus: A Test for the Democratic World", Hoxhaj said that the result of the elections in Belarus was easy to predict, adding that like Lukashenko for the Soviet Union, Vucic still shows nostalgia for Slobodan Milosevic and Yugoslavia. “One more reason for Brussels to defend democracy on European soil," he wrote.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Three new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo on Saturday (Radio KIM)

Three new cases of Covid-19 infection were registered in the Serb populated areas in Kosovo on Saturday, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced, Radio KIM reports.

Out of 67 tested samples three were positive, one case in Zubin Potok, and one each in Strpce and Gnjilane.

Meanwhile, 21 patients have recovered in northern Kosovo, four in Mitrovica North, eight in Zvecan, seven in Leposavic and two in Zubin Potok.  South of the Ibar River seven persons have recovered, four in Gnjilane, and one each in Strpce, Priluzje and Prizren

270 persons are staying in house isolation, while 50 patients are hospitalized, 45 at the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North, one in Belgrade, one in Kragujevac and three in Nis.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic a total of 4.534 persons have been tested and out of this number 957 persons tested positive.

At the moment there are 320 active cases, while 600 persons have recovered. A total of 36 persons passed away in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo due to Covid-19 complications.

Politika: Infrastructural projects on agenda in Washington

Infrastructural projects worth EUR several hundred millions would be on the agenda of a meeting between Belgrade and Pristina on September 4 in Washington, Belgrade-based daily Politika writes today.

According to the daily, it is possible that at the end of a dialogue between President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti under mediation of the US Special Envoy Richard Grenell “a letter of intent that could cement solid grounds for the continuation of the dialogue”, could be sign.

“That agreement would represent a step towards creation of an economic union and would follow up on the ‘mini-Schengen’ initiative whose foundations were based on creating an economic zone which was agreed within the Berlin process”, Politika reports.   

“Achilles Heel” of a possible agreement is its implementation given that Kosovo negotiators have a shaky, unstable political situation and the question remains whether their signature would be yet another in a series of agreements that Pristina has ratified but didn’t implement.

The meeting in Washington was initially planned for September 2, however on Friday an information surfaced it could get postponed by a day and two. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic didn’t exclude this possibility saying whenever and wherever the meeting takes place there under no circumstances there are chances to sign recognition of Kosovo. The day after, an official confirmation of a postponement was announced.

Diplomat Zoran Milivojevic told Politika daily he expects in a meeting in Washington continuation of what the US administration has initiated and what enabled continuation of the talks. He added a solution is not possible without the US and that President Trump’s administration didn’t give up on taking further participation in the dialogue based on a platform of economic package.

According to Mihajlovic this envisages a pragmatic approach because it is clear that major political issues and the issue of a status cannot be discussed if Americans want to achieve any result and create an environment conducive for the dialogue.

“This mainly has to deal with normalizations and every day issues such as economic topics related to free flow of goods and people, capital and ideas. This is American approach. Second reason why Americans won’t give up is because it was them who enabled continuation of the dialogue. Ambassador Genell did what was necessary and contributed to removal of a trade barrier, bringing down two Kosovo governments - Haradinaj’s one that introduced the tariffs and Kurti’s government that manipulated reciprocity measures. Under such conditions dialogue was not possible. It is obvious that this administration wants to achieve a concrete result”, Milivojevic explained.

Ljajic: Trade without political barriers may reach one billion EUR (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Minister of Trade and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic said it is hard to predict the range of the talks at the White House since it depends on the motives of the organizers of the meeting, Kosovo-online portal reports.  

He told Politika daily if the motive was to make an agreement on economic cooperation, something that President Donald Trump could use in his presidential campaign then it is  “a different setting”. He added if there is an honest urge to create an environment that would enable unimpeded flow of capital and goods and unimpeded cooperation of business people it can certainly be used in the continuation of the dialogue because people would see concrete benefit of the cooperation, something that was lacking up to now.

“I am certain the trade with Kosovo may reach EUR billion annually without any problem should there be no political barriers,” Ljajic noted commenting on the continuation of the dialogue in Washington. 

OSCE expresses concern over damages made to church in Sredska (Radio kontakt plus)

The OSCE Mission in Kosovo expressed concern over the incident reported on August 22, 2020 regarding the Serbian Orthodox Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God in Sredska near Prizren, whereby damage was caused to the bell tower, as well as to the stone tiles and a cross on the roof of the church, Radio kontakt plus reports citing the statement the mission posted on its Twitter account.

The OSCE Mission was also informed of the similar incidents in the villages of Novake, Gornje Selo and another location in Sredska earlier this year, it was added.

“Incidents like these cause concern among local communities and adversely affect perceptions of safety and inter-community relations in the diverse ethnic fabric of the Prizren region”, the statement said.

The Mission also called upon all responsible institutions to their utmost in order to prevent repetition of such incidents, Radio kontakt plus reported.

Kosovo police reported on August 22 that a church was damaged in the Prizren region, adding there are doubts that the part of the roof was damaged by unknown individuals as well as that the police units came to the spot and opened the investigation. 

Rakic and Jevtic with Bishop Teodosije: Road reconstruction within law only (RTS)

Kosovo ministers and Serbian List representatives Goran Rakic and Dalibor Jevtic met on Friday Raska-Prizren Eparchy Bishop Teodosije, RTS reports. During the meeting they said the only acceptable solution for the Serb representatives in Pristina institutions regarding Decani-Plav road is the one in line with the law.

Rakic and Jevtic said they would remain firm in defending the interests of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian List said in a statement.  

They also welcomed the decision to suspend further road reconstruction in the special protective zone, adding they truly believe the decision would remain in force until a solution acceptable to all is found.

Bishop Teodosije said it was of crucial importance to jointly address the problems affecting the Serbian Orthodox Church these days.   

RTS added that a permanent communication and coordination regarding resolving all the problems was agreed in a meeting as well as to hold similar meetings on a monthly basis. 

Djuric: Brussels must have final say on Pristina’s dangerous game (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Serbian shrines in Kosovo and Metohija will never be anything other than Serbian. This is not a topic for discussion at all. The question is how much irresponsible individuals in Pristina are ready to go far, taking our churches and monasteries hostage, in order to try to extort something from Belgrade in that way, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric said replaying to Novosti daily question – if a scenario similar (to that of Visoki Decani Monastery) is going to happen with the Pec Patriarchate and Gracanica.

The daily recalled that Pristina adopted the Law on Special Protective Zones in 2008, which guarantees the protection of Serbian monasteries, and where Visoki Decani Monastery is the first on the list. 

“They are ready to violate their own laws in that dangerous game, and the international community must have the final say on behalf of its values. As responsible people, we will take measures to protect our heritage, and for President Aleksandar Vucic that is also a priority” Djuric added.  

 Q: The works on the road near the monastery have been suspended, mayor of Decani, Bashkim Ramosaj, said that it would be built later. Is there an argument that this is only an infrastructure project? 

Djuric: If there were no credible assessments of the threat to our holy shrines, KFOR would not spend energy on securing them. The construction of the road in the protected zone is an attack against the monastery, and KFOR did not appear at that place out of sheer curiosity. The indecent statements of local officials do not deserve serious comment, because there is a long-term continuity of pressure on Visoki Decani. Everything that happens there - is not accidental. 

Q: Do you expect that in the continuation of the dialogue in Brussels, the EU will at least warn the Albanian side that it is violating its own regulations? 

Djuric: In the past, the international community has shown unlimited capacity to turn a blind eye to Pristina. Experienced diplomats in Brussels, however, have a sense of the extent to which Pristina’s misdeeds can be tolerated as a means of putting pressure on Belgrade. I believe that the position of our church and the security of our cultural and spiritual heritage in Kosovo and Metohija is on the other side of what is permissible for Brussels, because, if nothing else, it is about the European Christian heritage and world cultural heritage. After all, if someone from abroad had not dialled several phone numbers in Pristina, the excavators near Visoki Decani would still be working at full speed today.

Q: Is there a chance for tangible progress during the meeting of Serbian and Albanian delegations in Washington on September 4, which would be personally welcomed by the President of the United States? 

Djuric: Our side will leave ready for constructive talks. The host’s intention to focus on the economy coincides with our view that the entire region needs the free flow of people, capital, goods and services, the removal of barriers and better economic integration for the sake of joint development. We’ll see what ideas the hosts will offer. The only thing I can talk about with certainty at the moment is our openness to talk about the economy. 

Q: How do you view the statement of the Kosovo Minister Meliza Haradinaj Stublla that Serbia did not show constructiveness in the dialogue, and that Kosovo made compromises? 

Djuric: Such an interpretation is absurd. Ms. Haradinaj Stublla should study the documents from Brussels and she will find that the reality is the opposite. The only topic in which Pritina committed itself to significant compromises was the Association/Community of Serbian Municipalities, and so far, 2,676 days later, nothing has been done on that issue. People are sometimes inclined to believe in their own fabrications.

Q: Kosovo President Hashim Thaci called Orahovac vineyards ‘Kosovo Tuscany’… 

Djuric: Metohija was and will remain Serbian. Wine from the Orahovac vineyards was served in the courts of Nemanjic. According to the legend, Tsar Dusan had a wine pipeline built from Velika Hoca to Prizren. Even today, Serbs in the Orahovac area, with love for the land of their ancestors, and celebrating Saint Trifun, produce the highest quality wines. The best grapes are in Orahovac and Velika Hoca, where the monastery of Visoki Decani also has a winery, and with the support of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, there are several private wineries. 

Pantovic: I expect confirmation or dismissal of first indictments (Kosovo-online)

Ljubomir Pantovic, a lawyer accredited by the Special Court in The Hague said confirmation of the first indictments could be expected today, adding that the deadline which expires today cannot be extended, Kosovo-online portal reports. He also said that the first indictments could be confirmed or eventually dismissed today by the judge of previous proceedings.

Commenting on the draft indictment against Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and others, Pantovic said that in this case one should expect (decision on) the final day of a six-month deadline.

“In this case they would probably wait until October 24, as the final day of the six-month deadline”, Pantovic said.

Kosovo-online portal recalled it remains uncertain if the decision of the judge deciding on the confirmation or dismissal of the indictments would be announced publicly, same as details of the indictments. 

   

Humanitarian/Development

  Neither test, nor quarantine - Citizens of Serbia can travel to 17 countries (B92)

Due to the situation with coronavirus, many countries have introduced certain measures, which also affect the entry of foreign citizens, B92 reports.

Those travel restrictions also affect Serbia, whose citizens can travel now to 17 countries without mandatory PCR test, serology test or quarantine.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on their website that Serbian citizens can freely travel to Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Jamaica, Kongo, Maldives, Mexico, Oman, Palau, Pakistan, San Marino, and Switzerland.

The entry without testing and quarantine is also allowed in the USA, unless citizens have stayed in China, Iran or Schengen countries, Great Britain and Brazil. Serbian citizens can also enter Turkey and the Central African Republic.

Serbia was also removed from the red list of Tunisia and first flights are expected in the beginning of September.

See at: https://bit.ly/2ErBbeq More Serbs spend holiday in Albania, say better than expected (N1)

The anti-coronavirus measures introduced in many countries favoured by tourists from Serbia made it challenging to go there, and the alternative was found in Albania, travelling there through the disputed Kosovo territory, N1 reports.

On their way back to Serbia, the tourists who spent the late summer holiday on the Albanian Adriatic and Ionian beaches had only good impressions.

Talking to an N1 reporter, they said it was “better than expected,” added that the expectations might have been low, but that everything was okay. A woman said the “see is great; people are kind, apartments superb…”

As in other tourist countries, the Albanian summer season was severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, and the visitors from Serbia and the Serbs from northern Kosovo are more than welcome.

Nenad Stojakovic, the director of a tourist agency from the divided northern Mitrovica town in Kosovo, told N1 that the interest for vacations in Albania “is higher than ever,” both from Kosovo and Serbia. He added that the impressions from holiday there were excellent, “despite earlier prejudices,” and that visitors from Serbia would be the best promoters of Albania’s tourism in future.

See at: https://bit.ly/34s94GP Serbia relaxes anti-epidemic measures, opens cinemas and theaters (N1)

Months after the coronavirus epidemic closed cinemas and theatres in Serbia, the Government decided to open them as of Monday with the respect of all anti-epidemic measures, including a maximum of 500 people per show and mandatory face masks.

The visits to nursing homes and social welfare institutions were also allowed as of the weekend from 10 am to 6 pm if announced in advance.

The national Crisis Team is also considering permits for organising concerts, and possibly sports events.

However, it’s not clear when that will happen since epidemiologists warn the situation with the epidemic in the country is still uncertain and fragile. 

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