• COVID – 19: 643 new cases, 17 deaths (media)
• EP will again call on non-recognising countries to recognise Kosovo (RFE)
• “Vetevendosje will not engage in deals for Kosovo President post” (media)
• Daut Haradinaj doesn’t rule out coalition with Vetevendosje (media)
• Almqvist: Fake news study doesn’t represent position of EP (media)
• Engel: Serbia cannot join EU without recognising Kosovo (media)
• Albright: US and EU to cooperate in initiatives in Western Balkans (media)
• Montenegrin government: Footnote for Kosovo was a technical mistake (media)

COVID – 19: 643 new cases, 17 deaths (media)

643 new cases of COVID – 19 and 17 deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 757 patients have recovered from the virus during this time. There are 14,123 active cases of COVID – 19 in Kosovo.

EP will again call on non-recognising countries to recognise Kosovo (RFE)

The European Parliament will again call on the five non-recognising member states to recognise Kosovo’s independence as soon as possible, the news website reports. The call is included in a draft report on Kosovo at the Foreign Affairs Committee prepared by the EP Rapporteur for Kosovo Viola von Cramon. “It is noted that five member states have not recognised Kosovo yet and there is repeated call for them to do so. The recognition would be in the service of the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia,” the document notes.

The document notes that there is continued political instability in Kosovo especially after the October 2019 parliamentary elections. It calls on Kosovo to step up efforts to address problems in the areas of rule of law, essential rights, the functioning of institutions and economic developments. It also expresses regret over the government’s decision to dissolve the anti-corruption task force in Kosovo Police.

The document notes that Kosovo remains the only country in the Western Balkans, whose citizens need visas to travel in the Schengen zone, although Kosovo has met all the requirements for visa liberalisation since 2018.

The EPs welcome the position of the European Commission that Kosovo must get visa liberalisation and they call on the Council to move urgently on the matter.

The EP calls on Kosovo to step up efforts in the fight against corruption and organised crime and to display higher political readiness to meet the conditions set out in the European Reforms Agenda.

The document expresses regret over the government’s decision to dissolve the Ministry of European Integration and calls on new structures to have the required level of competencies to best coordinate the integration process.

A considerable part of the report focuses on the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, saying that the Parliament welcomes the resumption of the dialogue and the commitment of both countries to the process. Prishtina and Belgrade are called to maintain their constructive engagement toward a comprehensive agreement but also to implement the agreements reached so far.

The report takes note of the September 4 agreement in Washington for the normalisation of economic relations and stresses that trans-Atlantic cooperation is key for stability in the region.

The document also calls for greater efforts to resolve the fate of missing persons from the last war in Kosovo.

“Vetevendosje will not engage in deals for Kosovo President post” (media)

Vetevendosje Movement (VV) MP Dimal Basha said on Tuesday that Vetevendosje will not engage in discussions for a deal on the post of Kosovo President. “Haradinaj said that the post of President belongs only to him and that there is no other way. He sees this as a deal whereby he would return the favor to other parties later. The PDK says the post belongs to them. The LDK meanwhile agrees to give the post to anyone including the PDK as long as they have the government,” he said.

Basha said Vetevendosje is in contact with Acting President Vjosa Osmani on a no-confidence motion against the Hoti-led government.

Basha said he does not favor pre-election coalitions with any political party. “We need to go to new elections as soon as possible for the good of the country. The longer this government stays in power the more damaging it will be for the people. The country’s interest is to manage the pandemic and the economy because we are losing millions,” he added.

Daut Haradinaj doesn’t rule out coalition with Vetevendosje (media)

Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) parliamentary group chief Daut Haradinaj said in an interview with Klan Kosova on Tuesday evening that the AAK is open to an eventual coalition with Vetevendosje Movement despite major differences.

“Despite our differences, we are not enemies with Vetevendosje. So, we don’t rule out the possibility of a coalition with Vetevendosje even before the elections. The red lines have been removed for years now, despite the fact that there are stronger statements during election campaigns,” he said.

Haradinaj said that there are no cracks in the ruling coalition and that AAK will not vote for any other candidate for Kosovo President except its leader Ramush Haradinaj. “There are no cracks in the coalition, but we have also never been more prepared for elections. We have no conditions, we are holding discussions with opposition parties too,” he added.

Haradinaj also said that the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) joining the ruling coalition without getting any of the senior posts (the Prime Minister or the President) would help solve the current situation created after Hashim Thaci’s resignation from the post of Kosovo President.

Almqvist: Fake news study doesn’t represent position of EP (media)

Viktor Almqvist, Press Officer for the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, said in a statement to Dukagjini TV on Tuesday that the recent study on fake news in the Western Balkans does not represent the position of the European Parliament but that it is important as it serves the European MPs in their debates about the Balkans. The study triggered many reactions by politicians in Kosovo and continues to be part of the public debate.

“Such studies are often used to start discussions among European MPs on different policy areas. The Parliament often requests such studies as they serve as important basis for debate. The content of the studies is and remains the sole responsibility of their authors. Therefore, the text does not represent an official position of the European Parliament for example toward Kosovo. This is why I would advise you not to view this as a position of European MPs,” Almqvist said.

Engel: Serbia cannot join EU without recognising Kosovo (media)

Eliot Engel, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Tuesday that despite progress in the Western Balkans “there are many open issues in the region that require a U.S. leadership and closer cooperation with our European partners”. One of the key issues in this respect, he said, are relations between Kosovo and Serbia and the recognition of Kosovo.

“What is most important is for Serbia to look forward. Kosovo is independent and this will never be reversed. Different countries blocking Kosovo’s recognition and its membership of the United Nations will only obstruct Serbia because its bid to join the European Union will not be accepted until it recognises Kosovo,” he said.

Engel also said that all those that have committed war crimes must be brought to justice but that there is no pressure on Serbia to deliver on this. “It seems that Serbia, which is responsible for the majority of war crimes, is practically facing no pressure domestically or from the international community to bring the perpetrators to justice. Meanwhile, Kosovo, a victim of the war, has been forced to create a hybrid court with international prosecutors and judges,” he added.

Albright: US and EU to cooperate in initiatives in Western Balkans (media)

Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State, said on Tuesday that her greatest achievements were the engagements of the U.S. in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She said the foreign policy of the new administration under President Joe Biden in the Balkans should be based on cooperation with the European Union. She argued that the foreign policy must focus on the fight against corruption and a regional approach instead of an approach with individual countries.

“The United States and the European Union must work together to support initiatives that help Kosovo, Bosnia and other countries to create economic ties with Europe and their neighbors and to encourage needed political reforms,” she said.

Albright also said Kosovo must be internationally recognised and become a member of the United Nations and that this membership must not be a subject of an eventual veto by Belgrade.

Montenegrin government: Footnote for Kosovo was a technical mistake (media)

Most news websites report the Montenegrin Ministry of Health said in a statement on Tuesday that the footnote for Kosovo in an official document was a technical mistake.

Kosovo was mentioned with a footnote in one of the first documents of the new government in Montenegro and the Ministry of Health about the new measures against the spread of the COVID – 19 pandemic. “A technical mistake happened while preparing a table with the new measures against the COVID – 19 pandemic, whereby Kosovo was presented with a footnote. Immediately after noticing this, the information services of the Ministry of Health corrected the mistake as can be seen on the official webpage of the Ministry of Health and the Official Gazette of Montenegro,” a statement issued by the Ministry of Health noted.