Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: 301 new cases, eight deaths (media)
• Interim release denied for Thaci, Selimi and Krasniqi (media)
• Klinaku: Rejection of former KLA leaders’ conditional release, political (media)
• Kosovo leaders congratulate U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (media)
• Minister Haradinaj-Stublla: Kosovo is ready for dialogue with epilogue (media)
• Joint Kosovo-North Macedonia governments meeting postponed (Gazeta Express)
• Osmani: Today we are proud of help that Albanians gave to Jewish people (RTK)
• Kosovo’s Acting President receives death threat on Facebook (Gazeta Express)
• Hoti: Those who have problems with the law cannot take public office (Koha)
• Hoxhaj: LVV intends to overthrow the legal system (Koha)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic: War for human lives, but also for future of our country is being waged (B92)
• Vucic: Serbia has no right to irresponsible statements (Kosovo-online, RTS)
• Silva: Enlargement remain in focus during Portuguese EU presidency (N1)
• Serbian Defense Minister: KFOR only legitimate force in Kosovo (N1, FoNet)
• “Allies will support unification with Albania“ (KoSSev)
• Petkovic: Why is international community silent at Haradinaj’s threats (Kosovo-online, KoSSev)
• Andjelkovic: ICG provokes, offers Serbia capitulation, division of Kosovo real compromise (Kosovo-online)
• Vucic: Government providing another EUR 2.5 billion in aid to population and economy (N1, RTS)
• Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in Belgrade (N1)
• Health House in Kursumlija receives 800 requests for vaccination from Kosovo residents (Kosovo-online)

Opinion:

• Eastern Europe wakes up with Trump hangover (EUobserver)

International:

• Europe Is Flirting With a Vaccine Disaster (Bloomberg)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Financial Times ranks Serbia 2nd in Europe on vaccination list (N1)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID – 19: 301 new cases, eight deaths (media)

301 new cases of COVID – 19 and eight deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 181 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 5,991 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

Interim release denied for Thaci, Selimi and Krasniqi (media)

Kosovo Specialist Chambers has denied the applications for interim release of ex-KLA leaders, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi accused by the Hague-based court of committing war crimes.

The pre-trial judge, Nicolas Guillou, in separate decisions has denied the applications filed by defense counsel of the accused. The Specialist Prosecutor, Jack Smith, in his respective submissions alleged that the accused should not be granted interim release commission of further offences, flight risk and potential interference with witnesses or of the obstruction of proceedings.

On 30 November 2020, a Pre-Trial Judge of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers made public the decision confirming the indictment against Thaci, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi. Following their arrests by the Specialist Prosecutor on 4 and 5 November, ex-KLA leaders were transferred to the Detention Facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague on 4 and 5 November.

The indictment, states that the war crimes of illegal or arbitrary arrest and detention, cruel treatment, torture, and murder, and the crimes against humanity of imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder, enforced disappearance of persons, and persecution were committed from at least March 1998 through September 1999.

The indictment, as confirmed, alleges that Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi are individually criminally responsible, under various forms of responsibility, for the crimes charged, which were committed in the context of a non-international armed conflict in Kosovo and were part of a widespread and systematic attack against persons suspected of being opposed to the KLA.

Klinaku: Rejection of former KLA leaders’ conditional release, political (media)

The acting head of the KLA veterans association, Faton Klinaku, thinks that the rejection of conditional release of the former KLA leaders is political, while he expects the new institutions to stop the work of the Special Court.

Klinaku said that the summons sent by the Special Court during this year, some are in the capacity of the accused and some in the capacity of witnesses.

"We have nothing to comment on because we have repeatedly said that this Court is not legal, but since the Assembly of Kosovo did not listen to us when we asked them to change the law or at least send it to the Constitutional Court for interpretation, this continues and this has nothing to do with other issues, except that it takes evidence from the people and that evidence is taken on the basis of the slander made by Serbia," he said.

However, Klinaku said that no matter who comes to power after the February 14th elections, their demand for amending the Law on the Special Court will stand.

Kosovo leaders congratulate U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (media)

The Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti congratulated Antony Blinken for being selected as the U.S. Secretary of State.

"Congratulations on your confirmation as Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. Kosovo is committed to working closely with you to strengthen alliances between the two countries," Hoti wrote.

"Congratulations Antony Blinken, for confirmation by the Senate as the new Secretary of State! We hope to work together to take Kosovo to the international stage and to NATO as a full member. The Alliance is the driving force for the region's Euro-Atlantic orientation," acting leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Enver Hoxhaj wrote on Twitter.

"Welcome, Secretary Blinken! Kosovo is grateful for the Blinken Secretary's unwavering support for Kosovo, promoting and defending its international subjectivity," Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj Stublla wrote.

"Our streets meet again with Mr. Blinken and this is news that gives hope to the people of Kosovo, for a secure future, alongside the US, soon in NATO together," she added.

Minister Haradinaj-Stublla: Kosovo is ready for dialogue with epilogue (media) 

Kosovo’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, held a meeting today with the Special Envoy of the Kingdom of Norway for the Balkans, Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, and the Norwegian Ambassador to Pristina, Jens Erik Grøndahl. 

Minister Haradinaj-Stublla said that since Ambassador Bjørnstad is well acquainted with the Balkan issues and the complex Kosovo-Serbia relationship, the complexity of this issue was discussed in depth at this meeting.

"Kosovo for more than a decade, has been committed and engaged in dialogue, but without an epilogue. Now, Kosovo and Serbia need dialogue with epilogue, and this must happen as soon as possible - for mutual recognition to take place within the existing borders, and for the Western Balkan countries to finally enter the Euro-integration agenda. This was the message I conveyed today, emphasizing Kosovo's readiness to respect a defined agenda of dialogue in terms of time, under U.S. leadership and in coordination with the EU, always upholding Kosovo's three non-negotiable principles: territorial integrity, the Constitutional order, and the unitary character of the country ," she said.

She thanked Norway for its support to Kosovo, appreciating the good relations between the two countries.

Haradinaj-Stublla said that she expects Norway to support Kosovo in its aspiration for NATO membership, to expand the diameter of security and stability in the region and beyond.

"As Kosovo moves towards the electoral process, I announced that there will be no institutional vacuum, and that it will continue with its tradition of free and democratic elections," she said.

Joint Kosovo-North Macedonia governments meeting postponed (Gazeta Express)

The spokesman for the Government of North Macedonia, Muhamet Hoxha, said at today’s press conference that the joint meeting between the Government of Kosovo and that of North Macedonia, which was scheduled for January 25, has been postponed indefinitely.

He said that the meeting was postponed due to the early parliamentary elections in Kosovo. Hoxha also said that the new date for the joint meeting of governments will be set after the establishment of institutions in Kosovo. “At the request of the Republic of Kosovo, namely the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, the holding of a joint session between the two governments has been postponed,” he said. “The reason is the political situation in the Republic of Kosovo, where early elections will be held on 14 February. After the completion of the election process and the establishment of institutions there, the two governments will set the date for holding a joint session.”

Osmani: Today we are proud of the help that Albanians gave to Jewish people (RTK)

Acting President Vjosa Osmani laid wreaths on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Osmani said that the genocide against the Jewish people is the greatest barbarism known to human history to date.

She said that we should be proud of the help that Albanians have given to the Jewish community.

Her full post:

No one can know more pain than the peoples who experienced similar historical fates!

On Holocaust Remembrance Day, we sympathize with our friends and reiterate that the genocide against the Jewish people is the greatest barbarism known to human history to date.

Today, we must remember and feel proud of the help that Albanians gave to the Jewish community during the sad years. And while we remember the ordeal of the Jewish people, there is no way not to mention the assistance of the state of Israel to the Kosovars forcibly expelled in the 1999 war.

Only friendships between peoples and states survive in the world. Kosovo, Albanians, Israel and Israelis have long built bridges of friendship.

The Holocaust should be remembered forever and serve as an awareness that events like these should never happen again. Holocaust remembrance is a reaffirmation of the truth, a need that should never be given up under any circumstances!” Omani wrote. 

Acting Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Ramush Haradinaj, leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK), also laid wraths on Holocaust Remebrance Day. 

Kosovo’s Acting President receives death threat on Facebook (Gazeta Express)

Kosovo’s acting president Vjosa Osmani received death threats on social media site Facebook, his chief of staff announced.

Faton Peci, chief of staff of the Acting President, Vjosa Osmani, said that she has been targeted on social media. Peci published a post on Facebook, which is a threat addressed to Osmani. In addition to a photo of a long firearm, the commentator wrote: “I would blow your brain out”. The threat was made on Osmani’s profile.

“The savage campaign against Osmani has long been followed by life threats. All those who are trying to direct the attacks at her are, in fact, turning them towards themselves. Osmani is a politician who has overcome the stage of threats and tendencies for denigration. To ordinary citizens, Osmani is the personification of courage and consistency, so any attempt to intimidate or threaten her is in vain! She still dares and will dare again!” Faton Peci wrote.

Hoti: Those who have problems with the law cannot take public office (Koha)

Avdullah Hoti, candidate of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) for Prime Minister, said that those who have a problem with the law cannot take public office, referring to the decisions of the Central Election Commission and the Election Complaints and Appeals Panel that prevent persons convicted of a criminal offense in the last three years to run for MP. This list also includes Albin Kurti, Vetëvendosje Movement candidate for prime minister.

"The decisions of the judiciary must be respected. It can be understood in different ways, but my focus is not there. My wish is to face all the candidates for prime minister, all those who run by fulfilling the laws. It is clear that anyone who has a problem with the law cannot seek public office and cannot appear before the citizens," he said after paying homage to Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Hoxhaj: LVV intends to overthrow the legal system (Koha)

In a meeting with students of the Faculty of Law, Enver Hoxhaj, PDK candidate for prime minister and MP candidate Abelard Tahiri presented the PDK plan for security and justice, in case they take power.

Hoxhaj said that February 14 will be "a crucial date for the start of the plan to fight organized crime and in particular the confiscation of property acquired through criminal activity."

"There is no successful and functional state without the rule of law. There is neither democracy nor a state without the rule of law. And in these elections, there are two concepts, a concept which respects the rule of law, which respects the laws of Kosovo and the independent institutions of Kosovo. And another concept from LVV, which lynches the independent institutions of Kosovo, which does not respect the rule of law and which is interested in overthrowing our legal and political system in Kosovo," Hoxhaj said.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic: War for human lives, but also for future of our country is being waged (B92)

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, praised the pace of the vaccination process in Serbia. He said nearly 320.000 people had been vaccinated, B92 reports.

"I congratulate the citizens of Serbia on that, they deserve it. We did it in the best way", he said. Vucic pointed out he was satisfied with the response of the citizens, as well as the organization, and especially with the comments that "the Germans did not do this either".

"Essentially, only Great Britain is ahead of us in Europe, that is an excellent result. Serbia has progressed both organizationally and in information reforms", Vucic told RTS.

"The problem is that there is no vaccine", Vucic said.

"We have received deliveries so far thanks to our good relations with other countries, such China. The citizens of Serbia are responsible for that, who supported the policy of determination and responsibility", Vucic noted, adding that another 10.000 doses of "Pfizer" vaccines arrived yesterday.

He announced that additional doses of the Sputnik V vaccine would arrive in Serbia (two contingents of 25.000 doses each).

According to Vucic, there is a war for vaccines in the world. "The world is waging a war for vaccines. The world has hit an iceberg, like the Titanic, and now the rich are being saved, letting the poor drown. I can tell you right away that we will not get the agreed doses".

Vucic emphasized that the situation is very serious, but that Serbia will continue to fight.

"This is a war for people's lives, but also a war for the future of the country".

He reiterated that he will receive the Chinese vaccine.

So far, his mother has received the vaccine, but he says that he will wait in line with his people..

See at: https://bit.ly/3pmVHzt Vucic: Serbia has no right to irresponsible statements (Kosovo-online, RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he was convinced that the continuation of the dialogue would take place someday, despite various irresponsible statements, such as the one regarding the creation of “Greater Albania” coming from Albanian politicians, adding Serbia was small in European and global framework, but in the region it has to be careful with its statements and moves in order to remain the key to stability, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“In the region, we are the ones who have to be careful the most. They all have the right to irresponsible statements, they all have the right to irresponsible behaviour, and some do it in Sarajevo and some do it in Priština and some others, who I will not even mention. We don’t have the right”, Vucic told RTS.

He emphasized that Serbia must keep the peace, and that it would respond “in a smart way - with further progress of the economy, protection of our people and support for our people in Kosovo and Metohija and Republika Srpska, but also cooperation with Albanians and Bosniaks”.

“Let them say whatever they want, don’t be afraid, because Serbia is much stronger today than it used to be, so let us lower the tensions and ensure that our country is progressing”, Vucic said.

That, he says, would imply elevating the culture as well, and he invited citizens to take a walk to Sava Square and see how magnificent the new monument erected to the creator of the Serbian state - Stefan Nemanja – looked. The monument to Stefan Nemanja at one of Belgrade’s central squares would be unveiled officially today.

Silva: Enlargement remain in focus during Portuguese EU presidency (N1)

Portuguese Foreign Affairs Minister Augusto Santos Silva said Tuesday that enlargement remains in the European Union’s focus during his country’s presidency, N1 reports.

He told the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs he welcomes the new Serbian Government’s commitment to the European integration process and the dialogue with Pristina. I hope that there will be progress … and I think the new methodology has been integrated into the current negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia, he added. He also said that he believes Serbia will open at least one chapter this year.

European External Action Service chief Stefano Sannino said that the EU will devote attention to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. According to him, the political turbulence in Kosovo is not helping the process but that could change soon. The Western Balkans will be very high on our agenda and we have a special responsibility towards it and can’t leave things unfinished, he said and added that what US envoy Richard Grenell did was useful only for the USA and that the EU has to take the lead in the region.

Serbian Defense Minister: KFOR only legitimate force in Kosovo (N1, FoNet)

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said in Tuesday’s meeting with KFOR Commander Major General Franco Federici that the international forces are the only legitimate armed formation in Kosovo, FoNet news agency reports.

A ministry press release quoted Stefanovic as saying that he “expects KFOR to provide a safe environment for all ethnic groups (…)”. The ministry released a photograph of the minister and general shaking hands.

According to Stefanovic, responsibility for security in Kosovo cannot be transferred to others, adding that the transformation of “the so-called Kosovo Security Forces” is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia because that is in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1244 and the Military Technical Agreement signed after the 1999 NATO bombing campaign.

Stefanovic said KFOR should maintain its operational capabilities. He is quoted as saying that a possible decision to reduce those forces has to be based on a continuous assessment of political and military developments and security indicators, not on set dates. He added that cooperation between the Serbian military and KFOR in combating terrorism has to be intensified and recalled reports by international organizations that warned of serious problems with radicalization and combatants returning home, the press release said.

“Allies will support unification with Albania“ (KoSSev)

The membership of independent Kosovo in NATO and the EU or unification with Albania – these two options are the backbone of the foreign policy backed by the AAK leader, Ramush Haradinaj, who is pushing to receive support from the Kosovo Assembly regarding his candidacy for president of Kosovo, KoSSev portal reports.

The former Kosovo PM and the current candidate for Kosovo president, Ramush Haradinaj has been repeatedly sending messages about unification with Albania at pre-election rallies held throughout Kosovo. The latest such message arrived yesterday.

“We are wasting time waiting without borders to become a member of NATO as Kosovo or as an independent state as we started. Therefore, Kosovo has only one path left, there is no other way to unite with Albania, that is something natural that is coming our way,“ he said in Decani yesterday, reports KosovaPress.

He claimed that even Kosovo’s allies understand that Kosovo has given enough time – 25 years to join NATO and that if Kosovo does not enter this alliance by 2024, it will have to unite with Albania.

“I believe that our allies also appreciate the time we have given to the option to join NATO as an independent Kosovo. Therefore, I am convinced that they would give us permission and support our unification with Albania“, Haradinaj said.

Although Haradinaj failed to specify which allies precisely he was talking about, Philip Kosnett, the US Ambassador in Pristina – a country that the Kosovo public sees as its biggest ally, outlined a stance contrary to Haradinaj’s assessments yesterday.

“My comment about the union with Albania is unchanged. The American soldiers did not fight and died to create either Greater Serbia or Greater Albania in the Balkans. I want to focus on the (Kosovo) Constitution, which calls on a multi-ethnic society with religious freedom for all”, Kosnett said in an exclusive interview for Gazeta Blic. He also revealed that he would not want to see Kosovo giving up on a multi-ethnic, multi-faith society because it benefits from it.

See more at: https://bit.ly/36iCVl3 Petkovic: Why is international community silent at Haradinaj’s threats (Kosovo-online, KoSSev)

Latest threats of Ramush Haradinaj on creating a “Great Albania” if Kosovo in three years doesn’t become NATO member represent a flagrant example of blackmailing policy of Pristina representatives, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic said, Kosovo-online portal reports.

“However, what is more concerning is an obvious absence of a clear and unequivocal reaction by the international community and European Union to such a dangerous idea on change of borders and ethnic structure in the Balkans. Such ideas pose a direct threat to peace and stability in the region and do not contribute to the process of dialogue”, Petkovic underlined.

According to Petkovic, if Haradinaj intended to intimidate Serbs by uniting with Albania to make recognition of Kosovo a compromise – “such a science-fiction scenario will come to nothing“.

“I will be quite clear – you cannot force Serbia to recognize so-called Kosovo by putting any kind of pressure. We want to build peace and the future in this area together through dialogue and a compromise solution, but we do not agree to blackmail “, Petkovic added.   

Andjelkovic: ICG provokes, offers Serbia capitulation, division of Kosovo real compromise (Kosovo-online)

International Crisis Group (ICG) report and proposals for alleged compromise between Belgrade and Pristina are inappropriate, serve to the interests of Albanian side and represent a call to Serbia to capitulate, and that will not happen, political analyst Dragomir Andjelkovic told Kosovo-online portal.

In a report presented recently ICG argued on three possible solutions to the Kosovo issue, including “rewarding” Serbia for recognizing Kosovo, autonomy for Kosovo Serbs but also Albanians living in Serbia proper in exchange for Kosovo recognition, and the third one involves exchange of territories.

“This is about an utterly inappropriate report and proposals that are fully and unilaterally in the interests of the Albanian side, falsely being presented as a compromise. They present recognition of Kosovo by Serbia and autonomy for Serbs as a compromise, and at the same Serbia should give the same autonomy to the Albanians living in the south of central Serbia. Or they present exchange of territories as a compromise. This all is not about compromise”, Andjelkovic said.

He said if they wanted a real compromise, then it would be the division of Kosovo.

“The north would belong to us, the Pomoravlje region and monasteries as well, that would be extraterritorial. This could be a compromise. Anything else would just be a call to Serbia to capitulate and that would certainly not happen”, Andjelovic said.  

He opined that such demands were in fact provocations and represented an attempt to escalate the situation.

“A new Biden’s administration came to power and now Albanians and their lobbyists in the US have hoped this administration would be much more aggressive in relation to Serbia, thus they are attempting to push it in that direction. I do not believe that even the US administration could accept something like that, since they are aware the world has changed and new conflicts do not suit them”, Andjelkovic concluded.

Vucic: Government providing another EUR 2.5 billion in aid to population and economy (N1, RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told public broadcaster RTS that the government would be providing another EUR 2.5 billion in aid to the economy and population.

Asked where the money would come from, Vucic said that “Serbian money comes from the Serbian treasury of the serious Serbian state”.

He added an economic package would not be a problem for the state and the public debt would not exceed 61 percent of the GDP. “We have things under control, we won’t leave the children any debts”.

Vucic also said that all adult citizens of Serbia can apply for EUR 30 of aid in May and again in November while pensioners would get 60 and 50 Euro respectively.

Vucic said that micro, small and medium sized companies would get three payments of 50 percent of the minimum wage per employee, adding that the same measures are being considered for big companies. He said the money would be paid from April 1.

Transport companies would get six payments of EUR 600 for each bus “in order to survive” and the government will expand its guarantees scheme by another EUR 500 million to preserve liquidity of the economy. 

Holocaust Remembrance Day marked in Belgrade (N1)

Serbian officials and Holocaust survivors laid wreaths on Wednesday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day at the site of the Nazi Semlin death camp in Belgrade, N1 reports.

Wreaths were laid by the Serbian President’s General Secretary Suzana Paunovic, Labor Minister Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, parliament and Belgrade city officials as well as members of the diplomatic corps at the Monument to the World War II genocide victims.

Camp survivor Ester Bajer Albahari called the government to set up a memorial center after 15 years of requests. “Earlier, my people fought and fought for this and nothing happened. Now it’s in parliament so that we don’t have to wait for another 15 years… What’s happening is shameful, a great embarrassment,” she said recalling that there are people living in what was the pre-WW2 Fairground that was turned into the Semlin Judenlager Nazi-controlled death camp at the start of the war.

The camp was across the river from Belgrade on territory that was controlled by the Nazi-puppet Independent State of Croatia. After the war, the buildings were adapted for housing and people still live there. The Jewish community and civil society organizations have been calling for the authorities to turn the old fairgrounds into a memorial complex which the city authorities have promised to do.

Health House in Kursumlija receives 800 requests for vaccination from Kosovo residents (Kosovo-online)

Health House in Kursumlija vaccinates patients from central Kosovo and Pomoravlje region, and in the next two days we have 800 patients from Kosovo registered for vaccination, Director of the Health House Uranija Petrovic told Tanjug news agency.

She also said that during the last week 700 patients from Kosovo were vaccinated.

“We have seven teams for immunization. We are well organized, we vaccinate people from Kosovo and Metohija, and vaccines for them are separated from vaccines for patients from Kursumlija. At the moment we have Chinese and Pfizer vaccines”, Petrovic added

   

Opinion

  Eastern Europe wakes up with Trump hangover (EUobserver)

Four years of Donald Trump have not passed without a mark on eastern Europe and the western Balkans.

From the funny to the serious, the former US president made headlines multiple times in dealing with a region often battered by local enmities and expedient political interests.

For all of its confusing and changing politics, eastern and central Europe have since the fall of communism been constantly committed to keeping the US close, regardless of who was in the White House.

Thus, historically eastern and central Europe have looked favourably towards Washington as the superpower able to fend off a possible Russian incursion, a factor deeply ingrained in the public mindset.

"Suspicions about Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election to favour Trump sent chills throughout the foreign policy and security establishment in Warsaw, Vilnius, Riga and Bucharest", Armand Gosu, a specialist in the ex-Soviet region, told EUobserver.

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

International

  Europe Is Flirting With a Vaccine Disaster (Bloomberg)

Those who arrive second in ending Covid-19’s health-care and economic emergencies will face the consequences for a long time.

It’s hard not to look in dismay at the feeble start to the European Union’s Covid vaccination campaign.

The bloc has only managed to administer about 8.9 million doses in total, according to the Bloomberg vaccine tracker, about two for every 100 citizens. The U.S. and the U.K. are running at seven and 10.5 respectively, while Israel is at 43. Since all vaccines that have been approved so far require two jabs to work, it’s a very steep mountain to climb to get the EU’s program on track.

The future isn’t looking much brighter, unfortunately. The EU has a target of vaccinating fully at least 70% of the population in each member state by the end of the summer, but this objective is at risk. Europe has approved two vaccines, one from Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE and another from Moderna Inc., but their supply is insufficient. The European Medical Agency is set to review the AstraZeneca-University of Oxford shot this week, but the British pharmaceutical company says it could cut its first-quarter EU shipment by nearly 60%. Another candidate vaccine from France’s Sanofi won’t be ready until at least the end of 2021 because of a major trial setback.

See at: https://bloom.bg/3j2jrXj    

Humanitarian/Development

  Financial Times ranks Serbia 2nd in Europe on vaccination list (N1)

The Financial Times ranked Serbia seventh globally and second in Europe on its list of countries with the most people inoculated against the coronavirus globally, N1 reports.

Serbia has administered 4.5 doses of vaccines from different manufacturers per 100 people or about 300,000 doses overall as of January 26. That ranks it second on the list of European countries and seventh globally.

The country at the top of the list is Israel with 45.8 doses per 100 people or about 4.1 million. The top ranked country in Europe is the United Kingdom with 11 doses of vaccine per 100 people or around 7.3 million doses overall.

The Financial Times figures are based on data processed by the University of Oxford as part of its Our World in Data project.

See original article at: https://on.ft.com/3oiYQip