Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 97 new infections, no deaths (media)
• 6.5 percent of Kosovo teachers to be randomly tested for COVID-19 (media)
• Hoti seeks to report to Assembly on Washington agreement (media)
• LVV: Kosovo delegation went to U.S. for recognition, brought shame and damage (media)
• AAK meets to discuss Washington agreement (media)
• Wilson: Agreement at White House, part of a broad historic process (RFE)
• Kosovo PM Hoti to meet NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (media)
• Specialist Chamber investigators pay visit to KLA war veterans associations (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Gracanica: One case of Covid-10 registered yesterday (KIM radio)
• Stano on Kosovo's candidacy: European Union accepts only recognized states (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• US NSC applauds to Serbia's Vucic courageous respond to Russia's spokesperson (N1, Beta)
• A new "apple of discord" in the US - EU relations lies in the Washington Agreement (B92, Sputnik)
• Moscow finds details about Serbia's Vucic US visit bewildering, daily says (Beta, N1)
• Petronijevic: The story of the leak of 4,000 files, a blow to the Special Court's integrity and a threat to witnesses (Kosovo Online)
• Irinej: SOC will only support the agreement according to which Kosovo is part of Serbia (Nova.rs, Kontakt plus radio)
• Jevtic: Kosovo Serbs proud of Vucic and his advocacy of their interests in Washington and Brussels (Kosovo Online)
• Simic: Dialogue continuation is significant for stabilization of the situation on the ground (TV Most)

Opinion:

• Montenegro’s Election Victors Should Beware Kurti’s Fate in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
• On the crossroads between Serbia and Kosovo (israelhayom.com)
• Serbia's fmr president: Vucic's promise to move Tel Aviv embassy against UN & EU (FoNet, N1)

International:

• Kosovo’s Bosniaks, Struggling to Survive Between Albanians and Serbs (Balkan Insight)
• Peskov calls incident over Zakharova's Facebook comment about Serbian president misunderstanding (interfax.com) 

Humanitarian/Development:

• Southeast European countries lead Europe in COVID-19 cases per 100k People (Balkan Insight)
• WHO Director: This is not the last pandemic, the world must be ready (B92, Reuters)

   

Albanian Language Media

  COVID-19: 97 new infections, no deaths (media)

Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health announced today that of 481 samples tested over the 24-hour period, 97 have tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there have been no deaths and 139 recoveries reported over the same time period.

Telegrafi reports that this is the first time since 29 June that Kosovo has not reported any coronavirus-related deaths while Minister of Health Armend Zemaj hailing the news said it does weaken the commitment to continue battling the pandemic with the same energy as until now. 

6.5 percent of Kosovo teachers to be randomly tested for COVID-19 (media)

Kosovo's Minister of Education, Rame Likaj, said that 1,500 teachers, selected randomly, will be tested for coronavirus ahead of the start of the new school year.

"The testing has begun," Likaj said adding that the teachers will be selected from different municipalities of Kosovo. 

Likaj said in a visit to Shtime that he is making unannounced visits to schools to verify the level of readiness for their reopening. "We are pleased with the preparations made. We are ready, we are waiting for the recommendation from respective institutions to begin the new school year."

Hoti seeks to report to Assembly on Washington agreement (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti Kryeministri Avdullah Hoti, has asked the Assembly to enable him to report on the agreement signed in Washington and the dialogue with Serbia in general.

In a letter to Assembly Speaker Vjosa Osmani, Hoti recalled that the recently signed agreement is a step towards normalisation of relations with Serbia. 

“It is an important step towards the final agreement for full normalisation of relations and mutual recognition between the two countries,” Hoti said and added that he is ready to report to MPs in one of the upcoming sessions of the Assembly.

LVV: Kosovo delegation went to U.S. for recognition, brought shame and damage (media)

The Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) said that Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, who the paper calls illegitimate, declared he was going to Washington to secure mutual recognition with Serbia “but instead came back with many damages to the Republic and without its recognition.”

“They went for recognition but agreed not to seek membership in international organizations for one year.

“They went for recognition but agreed to divide the Ujman Lake.

“They went for recognition but agreed to implement Serbia’s idea and objectives for mini-Schengen,” LVV said.

The party added that the delegation from Kosovo enabled Serbia access to the Adriatic Sea and also agreed to drop the term “Republic” at Serbia’s request.

“They went for recognition but instead brought damage, shame and danger,” Vetevendosje concluded.

AAK meets to discuss Washington agreement (media)

The Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) led by Ramush Haradinaj met today in light of the recent agreement signed by Kosovo and Serbia delegations in Washington aimed at normalising economic relations.

Deputy leader of the party, Ardian Gjini, told reporters after the meeting that if Serbia remains a decision-making party regarding the future of the Ujman Lake, "AAK will immediately reconsider its position in the Government and would not support such an arrangement."

Gjini said Haradinaj has insisted Ujman be part of a bilateral agreement with the United State but not part of a trilateral agreement with Serbia in it. "We cannot have a tripartite agreement whereby Serbia would have a say in any decision on Ujman. This item cannot remain as such."

He said the AAK did not discuss in the meeting the prospect of leaving the coalition government but said that certain MPs did raise it. Gjini underlined that recognition is key to an agreement with Serbia and that it needs to be put on the negotiations table as soon as possible. 

Wilson: Agreement at White House, part of a broad historic process (RFE)

Damon Wilson, executive vice president of the Atlantic Council think tank, said in an interview with Radio Free Europe that the documents signed in Washington by Kosovo and Serbia should be seen in the prism of an historic process which is nearing a resolution. He said that a joint effort of the United States and European Union is required to provide support and also put pressure on the parties to implement the agreements reached so far.

"This is not a comprehensive agreement but I think it is part of a a broad historic process which is being resolved and represents a step forward as we have the U.S. working with both sides to take decisions for the common interest, focused truly on the economic aspect but of certainly the political one is crucial," Wilson said.

He said that economic and political issues are intertwined and that the more people in the region are able to see economic gains the more this creates a favourable environment for taking political decisions.

Wilson expressed concern over the implementation of the agreements reached in Washington. "We have seen very often in the region political commitments that are positive but neglected later, so I think it is important to have a mechanism to help with implementation. In fact this is the reason why the United States and the European Union need to work together in a more effective fashion to offer support and put pressure on parties to implement agreements. I hope the two sides will take on responsibility to achieve this but I think the process will require engagement of the United States and the European Union."

Kosovo PM Hoti to meet NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg (media)

Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti announced he will meet later today in Brussels the NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Thanking NATO for support to Kosovo, Hoti said: “Kosovo is blessed with its friends, on both sides of the Atlantic.”

Specialist Chamber investigators pay visit to KLA war veterans associations (media)

Online media outlets report that investigators from the Specialist Chambers have paid a visit to the offices of the Kosovo Liberation Army War Veterans' Association after the latter said it received over 4,000 files from an unanimous source pertaining to the work of the court. 

Faton Klinaku from the KLA war veterans' association said the investigators had order to seize the documents in question. "We told them we gave three copies to the media and had one more left for us to hand over to the prosecution. Following consultation with chairman Hysni Gucati, who was not present, he gave us permission to give them the only remaining copy," he said.

   

Serbian Language Media

  Gracanica: One case of Covid-10 registered yesterday (KIM radio)

The KIM radio portal reported that one case of Covid 19 infection was registered on the territory of the municipality of Gracanica, the Crisis Staff of the municipality of Gracanica announced yesterday. 

The total number of positive cases of coronavirus in the municipality of Gracanica is now 77.

At the department of the Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Clinical Center of Pristina in Laplje Selo, 5 patients were hospitalized, and a measure of self-isolation was determined for all contacts, reported the portal.

Stano on Kosovo's candidacy: European Union accepts only recognized states (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)

Belgrade based agency Tanjug reports that EU spokesman Peter Stano pointed out that in Kosovo's case not all the necessary requirements were met so that a possible request for Pristina's candidacy in the EU be "seriously considered" in Brussels.

"Everyone can do what they want, but realistically, the candidacy is submitted and seriously considered only if you meet certain criteria, and one of them is that you are recognized as a state by all member states. Without that, you cannot start a real process," Stano said.

He thus answered the question of Albanian journalists whether his statement and the impossibility of Kosovo's candidacy for EU membership was of a political or legal nature.

"It is a fact of life, the EU accepts only recognized states as members," Stano concluded, portal Kosovo Online quoted.  

US NSC applauds to Serbia's Vucic courageous respond to Russia's spokesperson (N1, Beta)

The White House National Security Council (NSC) said on Monday night it "applauds to Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic courageous reaction to the post by the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova who compared Vucic's position in front of the US President Donald Trump to a famous scene from the 'Basic Instinct' film.

Vucic earlier said Zakharova's post "speaks about herself, but also about those who gave her the job."

On Tuesday, he added that Moscow and Belgrade "do not have any conflict and that Zakharova's Facebook post was just an indecent post."

In its tweet, the NSC said 'Well said' and also quoted Serbia's Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin's words in Serbian saying "the greatness of a man is not measured by the size of the chair he sits on or by the strength of the power in which name he speaks, but by the size of the courage to defend his people and the friends of his people on any chair."

See at: https://bit.ly/33aBq5Y

A new "apple of discord" in the US - EU relations lies in the Washington Agreement (B92, Sputnik)

One point of the agreement signed in Washington between Belgrade and Pristina, under the US auspices, became a new apple of discord between the USA and the EU.

As Sputnik writes, this is a point within the framework of the agreement on the normalization of economic relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and according to which it was agreed that Serbia would move the embassy to Jerusalem.

According to a document signed by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia will become the first European country to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Senator Ted Cruz were among the first to welcome the decision.

Netanyahu thanked Vučić for the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transfer the Serbian embassy to that city. He added that efforts are continuing to persuade other European countries to do the same.

The Israeli Prime Minister thanked US President Donald Trump for his contribution to that achievement, and Senator Cruz wrote on Twitter that he welcomed the announcement of the opening of the Serbian embassy in Jerusalem. "This step deepens the ties and I am looking forward to new similar moves," he said.

On the other hand, completely different messages came from the European Union and Palestine.

EU spokesman Peter Stano said that for Brussels, the issue of moving embassies to Jerusalem is a bilateral announcement by Serbia towards Israel, reminding that the EU's position is known and has not changed.

"No EU member has an embassy in Jerusalem, nor a representative office of the European Union. This is in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 478," Stano explained.

He also reminded of the conclusions of the EU Summit from December that the position of Brussels is clear and that Israel and Palestine must find a solution on Jerusalem as the capital.

"Serbia, which is already negotiating EU accession, must progressively harmonize its policy towards third countries with EU decisions. All diplomatic steps that are not in line with that are a cause for concern," Stano stressed.

An even more violent reaction came from Palestine in the form of a warning that the Palestinian Authority would sever diplomatic relations with any country that moved the embassy to Jerusalem.

The Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erekat, who was the main peace negotiator with Israel, announced that on Twitter.

"We appeal to all states to respect international law, including UN Security Council resolutions 478 and 2334. Violation of international law is a sign of weakness, not strength," he wrote.-

Despite various signals from the states, the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, sent a request for holding a session of the Presidency at which the transfer of the Embassy of Bosnia-Herzegovina from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would be discussed.

See at:https://bit.ly/3bAUsq0 Moscow finds details about Serbia's Vucic US visit bewildering, daily says (Beta, N1)

Russia’s Kommersant daily reported on Tuesday that Moscow had learned the details about Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic meetings in Washington afterwards, adding Moscow’s authorities found them surprising.

The daily said Russia had received the results, which Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson ‘sarcastically’ commented on Facebook, with bewilderment.

Citing several high-ranked Russia’s sources, Kommersant reported that the surprise was less caused by the footage from the White House than with the results of Vucic’s visit during which he met the US President Donald Trump and Kosovo’s Prime Minister Avdulah Hoti.

"The signing of mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel witnessed by Vucic essentially legitimises Pristina’s aspirations to self-determination. The Russian authorities seem to have warned Serbia’s President about some parts of the Washington agreement," the daily reported.

It added that “at the same time, Belgrade has not informed Moscow about parts of the agreement, including the moving of its embassy to Jerusalem, recognition of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and ban on the Chinese technologies.”  

The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) Irinej also said on Tuesday he did not know much more about Vucic’s meetings in Washington besides what he read in the press. He added that was why he could not say whether the agreements would secure the protections of the church heritage, properties, clergy and believers in Kosovo.

See at: https://bit.ly/3jXHAxa Petronijevic: The story of the leak of 4,000 files, a blow to the Special Court's integrity and a threat to witnesses (Kosovo Online)

If the information is correct that the KLA Veterans' Organization received 4,000 files from the Special Court in The Hague, then it is a scandal and a real danger to both, witnesses and the work of that court, lawyer Goran Petronijevic told portal Kosovo Online.

"If they did not get them but foil around, then their intention is to intimidate witnesses and make a fuss about the court. Then it is, a see through, designed plan to compromise the court," says Petronijevic.

The Office of the Special Prosecutor has neither confirmed nor denied the claim of the KLA War Veterans Organization that they received 4,000 files of the Special Court yesterday.

A spokeswoman for the Special Prosecutor's Office Agnela Griep, in a written answer for Gazeta Insajderi, stated that the court had no comment regarding the "leakage of 4,000 files".

According to Petronijevic, it was very strange that the spokesperson of the court did not deny the allegations of the organization of KLA veterans.

"To say that is not true. She has just said - we have seen the information in the newspaper, but we have no comments. She can say anything but that. It could be indicated that they made it up, that they were lying; in order to intimidate witnesses, and to question the integrity of this court, with a tendency to slow down and interrupt its work. Or on the other hand, they really have an insider who provided it to them and in this way, they want to show - here's what we can do,'' Petronijevic told portal Kosovo Online.

Irinej: SOC will only support the agreement according to which Kosovo is part of Serbia (Nova.rs, Kontakt plus radio)

''The only agreement that the Serbian Orthodox Church accepts is the one in which Kosovo and Metohija is part of Serbia,'' Serbian Patriarch Irinej told the Nova.rs portal, commenting on the negotiations that took place between Belgrade and Pristina.

"That is absolutely the position of the Church and nothing has changed there. We will still see in which direction the negotiations between the Serbian and Albanian sides are going, we are still getting to know the matter," the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church told nova.rs, adding that if an invitation follows, they will join the negotiations on Kosovo.

"If someone calls us and gives us a chance, we will join the talks on Kosovo. Otherwise, we will certainly follow the negotiation process," said Irinej.

According to him, the representatives of the SOC are waiting to hear what the original agreement reads, and he personally, as well as the Church, supports the idea of normalizing relations between Albanians and Serbs.

"It would be normal. It is necessary to establish a good relationship between the two peoples," said Patriarch Irinej.

Jevtic: Kosovo Serbs proud of Vucic and his advocacy of their interests in Washington and Brussels (Kosovo Online)

Minister for Communities and Return Dalibor Jevtic told portal Kosovo Online that the signing of the agreement in Washington was good news for Kosovo Serbs and that the people who live here were proud of Serbian President and what he achieved in Washington and Brussels. 

“Our entire delegation has fulfilled the expectations of Serbs living in Kosovo in terms of protection of lives. What was done by signing this agreement not only solves the problems of the two people, but also gives a chance for improvement of the economic situation, not only in Kosovo but also in central Serbia, which is something that should make everyone happy,” Jevtic said. 

He pointed out that those who criticized such an agreement spoke only about themselves. 

“Everything contrary to this agreement suits them, contrary to economic development, chance to open new workplaces, and thus the return and survival of Serbs,” Jevtic said. 

 “I am especially pleased with the fact that the issue of the missing and displaced is also part of the point 12 in the Washington agreement, and that this issue was raised once again in Brussels, which is very important among all other issues. The drafting of the Law on Displaced Persons will create a legal protection mechanism in the process of return and protection of displaced persons, and we, as the Ministry of Communities and Return, are ready to prepare a draft law as soon as possible, to make it of high quality and forward it to the Kosovo Assembly,” he concluded. 

Simic: Dialogue continuation is significant for stabilization of the situation on the ground (TV Most)

Vice President of Serbian List Igor Simic said that the Washington and Brussels meetings, that is the continuation of the dialogue, meant a lot for stabilization of the situation on the ground, especially having in mind the series of attacks that took place before these meetings, reported Zvecan based TV Most.

''After the significant success achieved by the agreement in Washington, our negotiating team, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, whom Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija trust a lot, continued negotiations on very important topics today, primarily on property, but also the formation of Community of Serbian municipalities, which Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have been waiting for more than 7 years,'' Simic said.  

He emphasized that the third, very important thing for Serbs is that the status issues have been set aside, in order to solve practical issues, i.e. ''problems that burden the everyday life of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija''. 

 

Opinion

Montenegro’s Election Victors Should Beware Kurti’s Fate in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)

The new majority in Montenegro should remember how quickly Albin Kurti’s anti-establishment government in Kosovo was brought down before it makes any ambitious plans.

“Bliss it was in that dawn to be alive!” the English poet Wordsworth wrote famously of the French Revolution – words that have been evoked ever since to mark the falls of hated regimes.

Today in Montenegro, some feel just as blissful as the French did in 1789, rubbing their eyes at how easy it was – apparently – to end what had seemed the eternal rule of President Milo Djukanovic and his Democratic Party of Socialists, the DPS.

Europe’s longest lasting leader seemed destined to be as permanent a part of Europe’s political landscape as Vladimir Putin until a few days ago. Now he has gone and a new day starts.

Or does it?

One problem with this hypothesis is that Montenegro has not really had a revolution like France had in 1789; Montenegro’s old order hasn’t been smashed, just pushed off the front seat.

Kosovo saw similar misplaced euphoria after another equally unexpected election result in October 2019, when Albin Kurti and his insurgent Vetevendosje movement beat the old regime parties that had run Kosovo like a cartel for decades.

There was much talk then in Kosovo as there is now in Montenegro about new dawns and fresh starts. Political corruption was going to end and the rule of law enthroned. Then, as now, there was talk about how the old order was finished.

The problem was that the Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, wasn’t quite as finished as some thought. Kurti would soon find out that he was not presiding over a revolution; it was more like an interlude.

See at: https://bit.ly/3m13d1G On the crossroads between Serbia and Kosovo (israelhayom.com)

Today, Serbia is looking for a family and Kosovo is looking for recognition, and Israel is precisely situated on the intersection between the two.

Less than a month since the declaration of the Abraham Accord (August 13) – the normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel – on Friday we happily received even more diplomatic tidings: Serbia and Kosovo are expected to open their embassies in Jerusalem, alongside the embassies of the United States and Guatemala.

This is history in the making: Serbia will be the first European country to do so and Kosovo will be the first Muslim-majority country. And similar to the UAE – Donald Trump, the president of the United States, is the patron. Do you remember the diplomatic tsunami we were promised by Ehud Barak in 2011? Perhaps what he actually meant was waves of love?

Trump's tweet on Friday was optimistic and encouraging: "Another great day for peace with Middle East – Muslim-majority Kosovo and Israel have agreed to normalize ties and establish diplomatic relations. Well-done! More Islamic and Arab nations will follow soon!"

Something good is happening in the Middle East under Trump's auspices and in the Netanyahu era. We cannot forget, however, that there are elections in the US in November. A Trump victory is becoming extremely significant. The Trump-Netanyahu duo has already realized a great deal of its potential, but there is still much more to accomplish. Netanyahu's speech before Congress against the Iran nuclear deal, and Trump's subsequent withdrawal from it, actually enhanced the two allies' ability to maneuver diplomatically in the Middle East – the opposite to the line of thinking espoused by Barack Obama and his cohort of experts/pundits.

Despite the proximity between the UAE deal and Friday's announcements of the embassy openings and Israeli recognition of Kosovo's independence, the two stories are quite different from one another.

See at:https://bit.ly/2R3iAYT Serbia's fmr president: Vucic's promise to move Tel Aviv embassy against UN & EU (FoNet, N1)

Serbia's former President Boris Tadic severely criticised the current head of state Aleksandar Vucic on Monday because of the decision to move the country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, adding it was the violation of the UN Resolution after the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to ask nations not to establish diplomatic missions in the historic city.

He told a news conference the Washington agreement was "the most devastating step" in Belgrade's foreign policy.

"With this agreement, Serbia accepted to move its embassy to Jerusalem, and Israel accepted to recognise Kosovo's independence in return," Tadic said, adding only the US and Guatemala had done it.

He said that on one hand it was "extremely sensitive foreign policy issue," after the UN resolution saying it was unacceptable to the Islamic community, and on the other, that Serbia already had good relations with Israel.

The UN passed that Resolution on December 21, 2017, following the US President Donald Trump decision to move his country's embassy to Jerusalem two weeks before when he formally recognised the city as the capital of Israel.

Tadic said that was an extremely wrong political promise, bearing in mind that it also meant the Israeli's recognition of Kosovo's independence.

If that happens, Serbia will be the second country in Europe besides Romania, which announced it in March, despite the European Union's opposition.

Analysts have said that that part of the Belgrade – Pristina agreement signed at the White House was the most important topic for the US President Donald Trump's foreign policy during the campaign for the presidential elections in November.

Commenting on other agreed topics, Tadic said that "after this agreement, it will be irrelevant whether Serbia will recognise Kosovo's independence. That kind of the deal relativises the importance of the recognition because it will be unimportant following all these agreements which implicates the recognition of Kosovo," Tadic told reporters.

Other surprising elements in the agreement were the commitment not to install 5G network "from the insecure suppliers," which referred to the Chinese Huawei company without mentioning it, and some also not specified steps regarding Belgrade relations with Russia. Those are in line with the EU foreign and economic policies which Serbia has to follow once it joins the bloc.

But, Tadic said that Vucic jeopardised relations with China and Russia by accepting those points of the White House agreement.    

Professor Vojin Rakic, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics for Europe (Haifa), told N1 TV that "such behaviour will have serious consequences for Serbia. The consent to the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem, by which Serbia violated UN Security Council Resolution 478, gives Albanians the right to ask - why then do you persistently insist on Resolution 1244," which is neutral regarding Kosovo's final status.

See at: https://bit.ly/2FfSRKp

International

Kosovo’s Bosniaks, Struggling to Survive Between Albanians and Serbs (Balkan Insight)

They are Muslims like the majority of Kosovo Albanians, and speak a similar language to Serbs, but Kosovo’s minority Bosniaks have encountered discrimination, violence and poverty as they endeavoured to survive the turbulent wartime and post-war years.

“There they were, four innocent bodies lying dead.”

This is how Emilia Redzepi, a former Kosovo minister and MP who leads an ethnic Bosniak political party, the New Democratic Party, described the aftermath of the murder of the Skenderi family on the night of January 10, 2000.

Married couple Sezair Skenderi, 50 and Anifa Skenderi, 48, their 20-year-old daughter Adrijana and her 70-year-old grandmother Dulja were a Kosovo Bosniak family who lived in the neighbourhood of Tusus, in the Prizren municipality. All of them were killed.

No one was prosecuted for their murders. Their neighbours claimed they did not see nor hear anything, but Redzepi does not believe that to be true.

Tusus is a very small neighbourhood, and according to Redzepi, after the Skenderi family was massacred, the majority of its inhabitants were afraid to leave their houses for months in a row.

See at: https://bit.ly/2DD9PSj Peskov calls incident over Zakharova's Facebook comment about Serbian president misunderstanding (interfax.com) 

The controversy surrounding Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova's comment on Facebook regarding Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was prompted by "a misunderstanding due to certain wordings," Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, reaffirming Russia's profound respect for Serbia's leadership.

"Indeed, there may have been a misunderstanding due to certain wordings. I know that my colleague has offered her apologies," Peskov told reporters.

"We assume that no one will have any doubts about our commitment and deep respect toward Serbia as a whole and the leadership of Serbia, in particular," he said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3iaz51h

Humanitarian/Development

  Southeast European countries lead Europe in COVID-19 cases per 100k People (Balkan Insight)

Latest data show that several Balkan countries have the highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in Europe.

Latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, ECDC, say seven countries in the Balkans have had the highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100 thousand inhabitants over the last 14 days.

When the 27 members of the European Union, six Western Balkan countries and EU candidate member Turkey and Moldova are analysed together, seven of the top 10 countries in Europe are from the Balkans.

Montenegro takes the lead with 179 cases per 100 thousand habitants, followed by Moldova with 158.

After Luxembourg and France, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Croatia are ranked in fifth, sixth and seventh places, with 114, 94 and 94 registered cases per 100 thousand inhabitants in the last 14 days.

See at:https://bit.ly/328XKhl WHO Director: This is not the last pandemic, the world must be ready (B92, Reuters)

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said today that the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday the world must be better prepared for the next pandemic, as he called on countries to invest in public health.

“This will not be the last pandemic,” Tedros told a news briefing in Geneva, as Reuters reports.

“History teaches us that outbreaks and pandemics are a fact of life. But when the next pandemic comes, the world must be ready – more ready than it was this time”, WHO Chief Tedros concluded.

See at:https://bit.ly/2R1GRyC