Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 2,098 new cases, 16 deaths (media)
• Government says 650,000 vaccines to arrive in early September (media)
• “Return to schools is not an alternative until COVID-19 numbers drop” (EO)
• Kosovo – Serbia dialogue to resume on September 7-8 (Radio Free Europe)
• KSF to receive donation of armoured vehicles from US on Monday (Klan Kosova)
• Ministry of Justice says vetting concept document is being finalised (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Petkovic: Annulment of verdict precondition for participation of Serbian List (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Lajcak spoke with heads of Belgrade and Pristina negotiation teams (Radio KIM)
• Selakovic thanks Vietnam for support to Serbia’s territorial integrity (Kosovo-online)
• Serbs in Berkovo village, near Klina without water supply since July 13 (Radio KIM)
• KSF to receive armored vehicles, US donation (Kosovo-online)

International:

• Afghan Refugees Fleeing Taliban Arrive in Albania (Balkan Insight)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 2,098 new cases, 16 deaths (media)

Kosovo recorded 2,098 new cases with COVID-19 and 16 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours. 1,614 persons recovered from the virus during this time. There are 25,407 active cases with COVID-19 in Kosovo. 15,862 vaccine doses were administered in the last 24 hours. Several media outlets report that 952 patients are on oxygen therapy and 55 of them are reported to be in serious condition.

Government says 650,000 vaccines to arrive in early September (media)

Kosovo Principal Deputy Prime Minister, Besnik Bislimi, said in a Facebook post today that 650,000 anti COVID-19 vaccines are expected to arrive in early September. He said 150,000 vaccines will arrive as a donation from Germany, and another 500,000 vaccines will arrive on September 6 from the COVAX program as a donation from United States President Joe Biden. 

“Return to schools is not an alternative until COVID-19 numbers drop” (EO)

In the current epidemiological situation, the return of pupils to schools is impossible and constitutes a serious threat for students, teachers and parents. Jeton Demi, chairman of the Prishtina Parents’ Council, said in an interview with the news website that they want institutions to review the start of the new academic year in schools. “We have asked for the issue to be reviewed because last week it was said that we were going to return to physical classes as if nothing had happened. In fact, based on the figures and the situation we are facing, the situation with infections is worse than ever before. This also goes for daily infections, fatalities and the number of infected children,” he said.

Demi said he was concerned that the return to schools is being seen as something normal at a time when the Delta variant of the virus is a threat to children’s health too. He added that through their reaction they want to raise the alarm that in reality Kosovo is not heading toward a normality.

Kosovo – Serbia dialogue to resume on September 7-8 (Radio Free Europe)

The Kosovo and Serbia delegations are expected to meet in Brussels on September 7-8 in the EU-facilitated talks for the normalisation of relations, the news website reports citing diplomatic sources in Brussels. The agenda of the talks has yet to be decided. The meeting is expected to be held at the level of heads of negotiating teams.

KSF to receive donation of armoured vehicles from US on Monday (Klan Kosova)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Defense and the General Staff of the Kosovo Security Forces said they will organise on Monday the ceremony of receiving the donation of armored security vehicles from the United States of America. The ceremony will be held at the Adem Jashari barracks starting at 11:00 hours. Attending the ceremony will be Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Defense Minister Armend Mehaj and senior local and international military and civilian authorities. Minister Mehaj said that the armoured vehicles, complete with an integrated weapons platform and other necessary equipment, will be a very important system of KSF military capacities.

Ministry of Justice says vetting concept document is being finalised (media)

Kosovo’s Ministry of Justice said in a press release today that the concept document for the vetting process is being finalised. A joint meeting between ministry representatives and international experts on the vetting process in the judiciary was held today at the ministry.

Supported by the UK Embassy in Kosovo, international experts Ken Taylor and David Wells shared their expertise about the concept document based on best international practices and standards. Discussions focused on professional and integrity criteria about the vetting of judges and prosecutors, their vetting in line with respect for human rights and privacy, levels of vetting according to hierarchy and the duration of the vetting.

“Discussions were also held about the legal mechanisms to implement the vetting and options that will guarantee a vetting based on professional criteria and in line with constitutional and international standards. 

The press release also notes that the Ministry of Justice will pursue this cooperation with special priority with the aim of finalising the process which is considered to be one of the most important for implementing reforms in the judiciary and to guarantee the proper functioning of judicial institutions.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Petkovic: Annulment of verdict precondition for participation of Serbian List (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said last night the entire state of Serbia, President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian people stood by Ivan Todosijevic sentenced to two years in prison for his statement on Racak, Radio Mitrovica sever reports.  

Petkovic added participation of the Serbian List in local elections is directly related to Pristina’s further actions in this case.

As Petkovic told Tanjug TV, international officials, the EU and other foreign diplomats were informed that the verdict would raise tensions in Kosovo and Metohija and that it was known what the repercussions and consequences of that political verdict would be.

He termed the verdict to Todosijevc as “disgraceful, unacceptable and an instrument of reckoning of Pristina politicians with the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija”.

Petkovic also said Todosijevic’s lawyer will use the possibility of an extraordinary legal remedy before the highest legal instances of institutions in Pristina, and that the participation of the Serbian List in the upcoming local elections on October 17 will depend on whether the verdict will be annulled.

“The Brussels Agreement has been violated and there is a chance for an extraordinary legal remedy, and on that chance, Pristina, the so-called Supreme Court of Kosovo, should correct the violation of the agreement because the Serbian people will not remain silent if the agreement is violated”, he underlined.

Lajcak spoke with heads of Belgrade and Pristina negotiation teams (Radio KIM)

EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak announced on Twitter he had separate meetings with the heads of Belgrade and Pristina negotiation teams, Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi, Radio KIM reports.

Lajcak said he had substantive discussions with Petkovic and Bislimi about the preparations for the next dialogue meeting on chief negotiators-level in early September.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director and head of Belgrade’s team in technical negotiations Petar Petkovic confirmed to Tanjug that a meeting at technical level should be scheduled early September, adding Serbian delegation will insist on establishment of the Serb-majority Municipalities as crucial component of the Brussels agreement as well as on full implementation of the agreement on judiciary that relates to the verdict to Ivan Todosijevic.

Petkovic stressed continuation of the dialogue at the highest level certainly depends on progress in those talks, adding the Serbian side has demonstrated it was for the dialogue but has red lines also, given that, as he said, no one must humiliate Serbian people and trample over Brussels agreement. 

Selakovic thanks Vietnam for support to Serbia’s territorial integrity (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic had a phone conversation with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son and thanked him for the principled and active support Vietnam extends to Serbia regarding its territorial integrity and sovereignty at all international forums, Kosovo-online portal reports.

The ministers also touched upon the long history of bilateral relations between the two states and traditional friendship between Serbia and Vietnam. Selakovic noted that visits at high and the highest level would give impetus to the comprehensive bilateral cooperation, adding it was necessary to foster economic relations as well. Selakovic also said Serbia is considering reopening the embassy in Vietnam closed down in 2001 due to economic reasons.

He invited his Vietnamese counterpart to visit Belgrade on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Non-Aligned Movement due in Belgrade on October 11 and 12 this year.  

Serbs in Berkovo village, near Klina without water supply since July 13 (Radio KIM)

Dozen Serb households in the returnee village Berkovo, Klina municipality for longer than 40 days are without water supply, resident Borko Masic confirmed to Radio KIM.

Masic said the water supply was interrupted on July 13 in part of the village populated by Serbs. In addition to the Serb houses, two Egyptian families and two Albanian families are also affected.

He said they get water for the cattle and orchards by filling the barrels in a river, and from the well of the neighbor for other household’s needs.

Masic also said they informed Klina municipality and “Hidro-drini” company about the problem but there was no solution provided.

Around 20 Serb returnees live in Berkovo. Displaced persons started returning to the village in 2007 and 2008.   

KSF to receive armored vehicles, US donation (Kosovo-online)

Armored military vehicles, US donation, would be handed over to the Kosovo Security Forces on Monday, August 30, Kosovo-online portal reports citing Pristina-based Kosovapress.

Donation includes military vehicles M117 ASV and defense minister Armend Mehaj said these military vehicles would be an important system of KSF capacities, along with integrated armament platform and equipment necessary to fulfill the missions.  According to him, the vehicles can be used for inaccessible terrain and under different weather conditions. 

   

International 

  Afghan Refugees Fleeing Taliban Arrive in Albania (Balkan Insight)

A first group of 121 Afghan refugees was flown into Albania in the early hours of Friday morning and sent to the city of Durres, where they will be temporarily housed.

The refugees fleeing the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan were flown in to Tirana airport on Friday morning, where they received medical check-ups before being sent onwards to the city of Durres.

Voice of America reported that about 121 people – civil society activists and their families, including children and 11 babies – arrived from Kabul after the plane carrying them made a stopover in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi.

Albania’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhacka and the US Ambassador to Turana, Yuri Kim, went to the airport to see the first group of refugees.

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