Albanian Language Media:

• COVID – 19: Six deaths, 141 new cases (media)
• CDHRF: Special Court with double standards and information darkness (RTK)
• Grenell and Price clash over Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)
• Veseli calls on Albanians in Montenegro to vote (media)
• Kosovo schools to open in September (Kallxo.com)

Serbian Language Media:

• One new case of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)
• EU expects Pristina authorities to continue supporting Specialist Court (Radio KIM)
• Djuric met Lajcak in Brussels, meeting with Hyseni on economic topics to follow (Kosovo-online)
• N1 guests: Publics negatively prepared for dialogue, little is known about details
• Belgrade hopes Lukashenko won't be angry with Serbia for joining EU Declaration (N1)
• Chamber of Commerce: Germany supports Western Balkans and EU integration (BETA, N1)

International:

• Serbian President Plans WWII Jasenovac Memorial with Bosnian Serbs (Balkan Insight)
• Serbia Praised for Endorsing EU Criticism of ‘Unfair’ Belarus Elections (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Air Serbia resumes flights to Brussels (N1)
• Epidemiologist: Serbia's people coming back from holiday monitored for infection (N1)

   

Albanian Language Media

  COVID – 19: Six deaths, 141 new cases (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement today that six deaths and 141 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded over the last 24 hours. 143 persons have recovered from the virus during this period. The highest number of new cases is from the municipality of Prishtina (23).

CDHRF: Special Court with double standards and information darkness (RTK)

The Council for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) issued a press release, which says the Special Court is acting in complete contradiction with the United Nations (UN) Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The CDHRF emphasizes that transparency and accountability are a necessary condition for the development of democracy, stability and the functioning of the rule of law.

CDHRF further criticizes the Specialist Chambers for lack of maintaining any connection with the Kosovo Justice system except for requiring absolute submission through the support of any request, regardless of whether it is contrary to the Justice system in Kosovo or the will of Kosovo Assembly deputies.

“Claim that this Special Court is currently part of the Kosovo Justice system is as true as saying that it is part of the Ethiopian Justice system,” is written in the press release.

“Just as they voted for the Law on the Special Court, members of the Assembly may amend this Law or even dissolve this Court,” is also emphasized in the press release. 

Grenell and Price clash over Kosovo-Serbia dialogue (media)

The U.S. Presidential Envoy on the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue Richard Grenell argued on Twitter with Barack Obama’s former Assistant Ned Price.

“Richard Grenell consistently touted two marquee initiatives during his time in the administration: diplomacy between Kosovo and Serbia and global LGBTQ decriminalization. The first failed spectacularly, and the second is something his party won’t allow him to discuss,” Price wrote.

“Kosovo and Serbia negotiations are at the White House next week. Your team ignored the people of Serbia and Kosovo for 8 years. And never made decrim a priority. Your current candidate Joe Biden called gays a security risk,” reads Grenell’s response.

Veseli calls on Albanians in Montenegro to vote (media)

The leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) Kadri Veseli, has called on the Albanians in Montenegro to go to the polls on August 30, in the elections that will be held in this country.

“By voting for the Albanian lists, they strengthen their role to influence the decision-making of this state, in order to meet their legitimate demands. Our compatriots in Montenegro are a valuable constructive factor, which they have proven by supporting the independence referendum, NATO entry and all processes and democratization reforms of this friendly country. Strengthening the voice of Albanians in the state institutions of Montenegro is for the benefit of this neighboring country, because everywhere Albanians live they maintain the Euro-Atlantic orientation and unreservedly support the strengthening of liberal democracy and coexistence in diversity," Veseli wrote on Facebook.

Kosovo schools to open in September (Kallxo.com)

The Ministry of Education has told news agency BIRN that primary and secondary schools in Kosovo will open from September 1, six months after the government shut down all schools to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

The Kosovo Government has decided to reopen all of Kosovo’s public primary and secondary schools from the beginning of September, announced.

Rame Likaj, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, said that following a meeting with municipal leaders on Thursday, the schools would reopen  in three stages throughout September. 

The Ministry of Education and Science has prepared three different scenarios for the start of the new school year, in pandemic times, Scenario A- Return to school premises, Scenario B - combined learning and Scenario C - learning from different platforms. But, it has not yet been decided concretely for anyone.

The government is yet to finalise its decision on the plans for health and safety measures to protect staff and pupils, Likaj added.

   

Serbian Language Media

  One new case of Covid-19 registered in Serb areas in Kosovo (Kosovo-online)

According to the latest information one new case of Covid-19 infection was registered in the Serb-populated areas in Kosovo, while ten persons have recovered, Crisis Committee of Mitrovica North announced today, Kosovo-online portal reports.

Out of 55 tested samples one was positive, and the case was registered in Gnjilane.

Meanwhile, six patients have recovered in the north of Kosovo, including four in Mitrovica North and two in Leposavic. South of the Ibar River four patients have recovered including three in Gnjilane and one in Gracanica.

At the moment 42 persons are hospitalized. 37 are at the Clinical Hospital Center in Mitrovica North, one in Belgrade, one in Kragujevac and three in Nis, the portal recalled.  

EU expects Pristina authorities to continue supporting Specialist Court (Radio KIM)

The EU Foreign and Security Policy spokesperson Nabila Massrali said yesterday afternoon the EU expects Kosovo authorities to continue adhering to their commitment to the rule of law and the mandate of Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague, Radio KIM reports.

Asked about proposal of the Kosovo President Hashim Thaci that Kosovo Assembly by constitutional amendments extends the mandate of the Specialist Court, Massrali told Radio Free Europe that Kosovo should adhere to all provisions of the law and constitution that clearly define the mandate and the work of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.   

Amendment from August 2015, based on which the Specialist Court was formed envisages that the mandate of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office would last for the period of five years, unless Kosovo authorities were notified earlier about the end of the mandate in line with the law on ratifying international agreement between Kosovo and the EU.

The next paragraph, however, envisages that in absence of the notification on the end of the mandate, the mandate shall continue until the notification on its end that would be published in line with the same law and in consultation with the government.

There are different interpretations of Thaci’s proposal among legal experts in Kosovo.

Some consider that in line with usual procedure the amendment of the president should be sent to the Constitutional Court that should assess it, and after that be sent to the Kosovo Assembly for consideration and addition.

On the other hand, there are experts of the constitutional law who think that Constitutional Chamber of the Specialist Court should declare its stance on this proposal, arguing that by exchange of letters between Kosovo and the EU, Kosovo has transferred sovereignty to the international organization in this case the EU, and therefore continuation of the mandate depends on the stance of the Constitutional Chamber of the Specialist Court that would assess amendment of the Kosovo President Thaci. 

Djuric met Lajcak in Brussels, meeting with Hyseni on economic topics to follow (Kosovo-online)

Serbian Government Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric met today in Brussels with the EU Special Envoy for Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak ahead of the new round of experts’ talks between Belgrade and Pristina, Tanjug news agency reports.

Prior to the meeting with Djuric, Lajcak met chief of Pristina delegation Skender Hyseni, and after that all the three sides should continue the talks on missing persons, displaced persons and economic issues together.

It is expected that today’s round of Belgrade-Pristina talks would end around 18.30. 

N1 guests: Publics negatively prepared for dialogue, little is known about details

Tatjana Lazarevic, KoSSev portal editor told N1 broadcast “Novi dan” that the EU does not provide precise information about the dialogue, while Stefan Surlic from the Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences assumes that the teams participating in this dialogue and meetings are acquainted with the topics of the dialogue.

Lazarevic said “it was fair to say that this time as well the EU does not provide precise information”.

“As it was the case in the first phase of the so-called dialogue in Brussels neither prior nor after the meeting, only some short information that the meeting would be held were provided. Based on what we hear from Pristina they would talk about the economy, although these are speculations”, she added.

On the other hand, Surlic assumes that the teams participating in the dialogue and the meetings are acquainted with the topics of the dialogue.

“But in essence, we know little about details. In some way it is understandable, because publics are negatively prepared for the dialogue, and political messages contribute to it,” he said.

According to him this dialogue shares the fate of previous ones.

“It is about the minimum of mutual trust and maximalist exceptions on the side of the organizers. The dialogue is spoken about as forced by the western partners”, he added.  

Belgrade hopes Lukashenko won't be angry with Serbia for joining EU Declaration (N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Thursday that Belgrade had joined the European Union Declaration about Belarus, following the elections there, in the process of synchronizing its foreign policy with the bloc, but that it could not be forgotten that Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko was the only world leader who visited Serbia during the 1999 NATO bombing of the country, N1 reports.

"We must not forget Lukashenko's friendship in those difficult times for our people. I hope Lukashenko won't feel bitter about it," N1 quoted Brnabic as saying.

Sem Fabrizi, the head of the EU Delegation in Serbia broke the news about Serbia's decision on Wednesday, welcoming it.

The US ambassador to Serbia Antony Godfrey also praised Belgrade for joining the Declaration which condemned the "unfair and unfree" elections in Belarus and the reaction of the country's police against the pro-democracy demonstrators. 

See at:  https://bit.ly/2Eu7fOU Chamber of Commerce: Germany supports Western Balkans and EU integration (BETA, N1)

During its European Union presidency, Germany will support the strengthening of the Western Balkans' economic integrations and the establishment of a more robust framework for cooperation between the Western Balkans and the EU, Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) said in a statement on Thursday, BETA news agency reports.

It added the support was agreed in a video conference between PKS head Marko Cadez, the German Minister of Economy and Energy, Peter Altmeier, and the Member of the Bundestag, Joachim Pfeiffer.

They said that several key events and forums would contribute to the geostrategic position of the region and its presentation as a unique investment destination, thanks to dialogue with decision-makers, governments of the 'Western Balkan six' and German support.

The six chambers of commerce of the Western Balkans countries, gathered in the association Chamber Investment Forum of the 'Western Balkans Six' (KIF ZB6), would organize an investment conference in Germany, PKS statement said.

Altmeier confirmed the importance of continuing the cooperation between the chambers of the 'Western Balkan six,' in identifying problems and open issues and reaching pragmatic solutions as efficiently as possible.

See at: https://bit.ly/3lllrKJ    

International

  Serbian President Plans WWII Jasenovac Memorial with Bosnian Serbs (Balkan Insight)

President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia and Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina will build a memorial complex together to honour the victims of the World War II Jasenovac concentration camp in Croatia.

Aleksandar Vucic announced on Wednesday that Serbia will fund the building of a memorial complex in Kozarska Dubica in Bosnia and Herzegovina in memory of those who died during WWII at the Jasenovac concentration camp, which was run by the Croatian fascist Ustasa movement.

Vucic said that it would be a joint project with Bosnia’s Serb-dominated Republika Srpska.

“We want all Serbs, wherever they live, to always be able to find a memorial in Republika Srpska that will clearly mark how much and how hard Serbs suffered and what the scale of the Jasenovac crime was, without falsifying history and hiding facts,” he told a press conference after meeting the Serb member of Bosnia’s tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, and representatives of Republika Srpska.

During WWII in the Independent State of Croatia, a Nazi satellite state, the over 83,000 Serbs, Jews, Roma and anti-fascists died at the Ustasa-run Jasenovac camp between August 1941 and April 1945, according to a list of victims’ names compiled by the Jasenovac Memorial Centre.

See at: https://bit.ly/3aZw1lU Serbia Praised for Endorsing EU Criticism of ‘Unfair’ Belarus Elections (Balkan Insight)

The EU and US ambassadors to Belgrade hailed Serbia’s decision to back an EU declaration saying that the recent presidential elections in Belarus were “neither free nor fair” and criticising the crackdown on post-electoral protests.

Sam Fabrizi, the head of the EU delegation in Serbia, praised the country on Wednesday for endorsing the bloc’s declaration saying that the presidential elections in Belarus were not free or fair and that “the people of Belarus deserve better”“.

“I welcome Serbia for joining EU Declaration on Presidential Elections in Belarus,” Fabrizi wrote on Twitter.

US ambassador in Serbia Anthony Godfrey also hailed Belgrade’s decision. “It is great to see that Serbia stands by its European environment,” Godfrey wrote on Twitter.

The declaration by EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrel, published on August 11, also criticised the repressive measures that President Alexander Lukashenko’s administration has used against protesters who have been demonstrating against the election results, which they claim were falsified to maintain his rule.

See at: https://bit.ly/3hzxHVQ    

Humanitarian/Development

  Air Serbia resumes flights to Brussels (N1)

The national airline Air Serbia said on Thursday it had started gradually renewing flights between Belgrade and Brussels, N1 reports.

"An Air Serbia Airbus A319 took off for the Belgium capital this morning," Serbian flag carrier said in a statement.

It is added that the flights, suspended on July 28 due to the coronavirus pandemic, would operate twice a week, on Thursdays at 6:45 am and on Sundays at 5:15 pm.

Pending demand and travel restrictions, Air Serbia plans to increase the flights to Brussels to three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, as of September 22.

"I am satisfied that we have re-established flights to Brussels, the seat of a large number of the most important institutions of the European Union The Belgium capital is an essential destination for Air Serbia", the company director of commercial and strategy Jiri Marek said.

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

Epidemiologist: Serbia's people coming back from holiday monitored for infection (N1)

The deputy director of Serbian Public Health Institute' Batut,' an epidemiologist Darija Kisic – Tepavcevic said on Thursday that the frequency of infection in people coming back for a holiday was monitored, N1 reports.

She told public broadcaster RTS that the country's anti-epidemic Crisis Team daily controlled those returning home. She added that there is a possibility of the 14-day mandatory self-isolation for the vacationers.

If such a decision were brought, she added, the public would be timely informed, adding that many people were asking about the possible isolation before heading to summer vacation. Kisic-Tepavcevic said "the virus circulates across all popular holiday destinations where the pandemic situation is worse than in Serbia."

Commenting on the start of the new school year on September 1 and the opening of cinemas and theatres, she said there was no risk of the virus spreading if the anti-epidemic measures were respected.

"Every gathering is risky, but if the preventive measures are in place, the risk is minimal," Kisic- Tepavcevic said.

See at: https://bit.ly/31yOKS4