Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 282 new cases, five deaths (media)
• Zemaj insists: Covid vaccine will arrive in February (media)
• Kosovo and Israel formally establish diplomatic relations (media)
• Osmani: Kosovo-Israel relations, historically strong (media)
• Hoti and Szunyog discuss current developments in Kosovo  (media)
• CEC draws ballot determining order of parties in elections (media)
• CEC approves over 100,000 voter applications, rejects nearly 30,000 (media)
• Survey shows perception of citizens in Kosovo and Serbia on Dialogue (media)
• Status conference in Mustafa case held today at Specialist Chambers (media)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic with Macron in Paris, solemn reception in front of the Elysee Palace (RTS)
• Janjic: Formation of government in Pristina will depend exclusively on Serbian List (Kosovo Online)
• Vucic: Hysteria in Kosovo; Serbs exposed to provocations (B92)
• Brnabic: Serbs in KiM kept their composure and showed dignity (RTV)
• “What awaits us in dialogue with Pristina after arrival of new White House administration” (RTS)
• Szunyog: EU expects Visoki Decani monastery’s property to be registered in cadastre (KoSSev)
• Serbian List officials and Office for KiM Director received Covid-19 vaccines in Raska (KoSSev)
• Serbia signing contract for another 11 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, PM says (N1)

Opinion:

• Elections 2021: Week 2 — What Did I Miss? (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Serbian President Sends Lieutenant To Washington As Belgrade Seeks Tighter U.S. Relations (RFE)
• Justice on Hold: War Trial Delays Jeopardise Serbia’s Progress to EU (Balkan Insight)

Humanitarian/Development:

• "Vaccine nationalism" (B92, Tanjug)
• Serbia’s foreign trade at EUR 40 billion in 2020 (N1)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 282 new cases, five deaths (media)

282 new cases of COVID-19 and five deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 184 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. 

Zemaj insists: Covid vaccine will arrive in February (media)

Kosovo's outgoing Minister of Health, Armend Zemaj, reiterated that the first Covid vaccines will arrive in February.

"We are waiting for the vaccines. The anti-Covid vaccine will be in Kosovo during the month of February. Intensive preparations are underway in the family healthcare centres," Zemaj said today.

Gazeta Express meanwhile quoted a spokesperson for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, saying that the first vaccine doses expected to rollout in Kosovo will only account for 3 percent of the population while the aim is to vaccinate at least 20 percent of the population by the end of 2021.

Kosovo and Israel formally establish diplomatic relations (media)

Kosovo and Israel have formally established diplomatic relations via a virtual ceremony that took place today.

Kosovo's acting Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla and Israel's Foreign Minister Gabriel Ashkenazi signed a document stating that the two countries establish diplomatic ties to increase cooperation in many fields, Koha reports. 

The decision on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel was achieved last September at the White House between Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic.  The agreement was mediated by the former U.S. administration under  then-President Donald Trump.

Several media in Kosovo highlighted the move as 'historic' while Haradinaj-Stublla described it as one of the major achievements for Kosovo. 

Osmani: Kosovo-Israel relations, historically strong (media)

Kosovo's acting President Vjosa Osmani hailed the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel.

"Relations between our two people have been historically strong and based on solidarity and friendship. The act of establishment of diplomatic relations paves way for the deepening of bilateral inter-institutional cooperation as well as in other fields of common interest," Osmani said in a statement ahead of the virtual ceremony formalising diplomatic ties.

Hoti and Szunyog discuss current developments in Kosovo  (media)

Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti met today the Head of the EU Office in Kosovo/Special Representative Tomas Szunyog. The two discussed the political and economic situation in Kosovo, the fight against Covid-19 and the European integration agenda, a press release issued by the Government of Kosovo said. 

"Prime Minister Hoti expressed the commitment of the acting Government to carry out all obligations with full responsibility, in line with Kosovo's legislation and Constitution, until the formation of the new Government.''

Hoti and Szunyog also spoke about the measures that Kosovo authorities have undertaken in response to the Covid-19 pandemic with Hoti thanking the EU about the continuous support to Kosovo. He also said the Government is determined to continue implementation of the European Reform Agenda and maintain the progress already achieved, namely with regards to enabling the citizens of Kosovo visa-free travel to Europe.

CEC draws ballot determining order of parties in elections (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) organised a draw today to determine the positions of political parties running in February 14 elections.

Representatives of political parties at the CEC drew the numbers which determined that Vetevendosje Movement (VV) will run under the number 127 at the ballot, the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) will have number 132, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) 134, the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) 135, the Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) 121, Serbian List (SL) 119.

Head of the CEC, Valdete Daka, said at the event that they are committed to ensuring an election process in line with the Constitution of Kosovo and applicable legislation.

CEC approves over 100,000 voter applications, rejects nearly 30,000 (media)

The Central Election Commission (CEC) has approved a total of 101,839 applications for voting outside of Kosovo and rejected 29,633. The CEC explained that the figures are based on preliminary reporting from the voting service. 

In a statement issued today, the CEC  said that during the period between 13 to 21 January, the CEC received around 131,500 applications for registration of voters outside of Kosovo. The vast majority of these applications were submitted via e-mail while only 33 through regular post and another 195 through fax.

The CEC further noted that the main reason behind the rejected claims is the inability to determine the identity of the applicants or the failure of submitting signed applications. "65 other cases have been refused because the applicants would not have been 18 years of age on election day."

Survey shows perception of citizens in Kosovo and Serbia on Dialogue (media)

The Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) and Belgrade Center for Security Policy (BCSP) co-authored a survey on the perception of citizens in Kosovo and Serbia about the dialogue and identity issues which they presented today.

The survey included over 1,100 respondents above the age of 18, half of them in the rural areas and the other half in urban areas. It was conducted between September and October 2020 and 90 percent of respondents included members of the Albanian community, 8 percent of Serb community and the rest of other communities. 

The survey also asked respondents questions on issues like: the Association/Community of Serb-majority municipalities, territorial exchange, Mini-Schengen initiative, timeframe when a final agreement is expected.

Key findings as highlighted by the authors of the report include: 

Majority of citizens of Kosovo and Serbia support the dialogue process; however, they have diametrically opposed perception of the goals of the dialogue. While most Kosovo citizens believe the goal of the dialogue is mutual recognition, in Serbia the goal is perceived to be return of Kosovo to Serbia with wider autonomy;

Citizens of Kosovo and of Serbia largely share their negative perceptions of the dialogue process, with respect to transparency and its impact. Most citizens of Kosovo and Serbia think that the dialogue lacked transparency and it did not change anything or that they had any personal benefits from the process. This suggests significant shortcoming in communication approaches of the EU and governments of Kosovo and Serbia;

Citizens of Serbia are less optimistic compared to Kosovo citizens about the future of the relations between the two countries. Majority of the Serbs do not expect to see normalization  of relations with Kosovo Albanians regardless of the outcome of the dialogue;

The citizens’ perception of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue seems to suggest that they do not view the process to mean normalization between the two societies of the countries, but it is rather seen as normalization between state authorities. Agreements and achievements in the dialogue that are reached in Brussels do not see to be translated in the same way in the society as a whole. In other words, a final agreement between Kosovo and Serbia that would be seen to constitute achievement of normalization, would not signify the same for the citizens in both countries. Therefore, normalization of the relations process should not supplant the clear necessity that these result show for a process of reconciliation and healing between peoples of Serbia and Kosovo.

See the report: https://bit.ly/3t9353w Status conference in Mustafa case held today at Specialist Chambers (media)

The fourth status conference in the case against Salih Mustafa took place at the Specialist Chambers courtroom today. 

Mustafa, former commander of the KLA, is charged with four counts of war crimes, including: arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture, murder.

Ahead of the session, the pre-trial judge asked the parties to provide update on whether the Specialist Prosecutor's Office has completed disclosure of evidentiary material, including exculpatory evidence and whether  there is any material that remains to be

disclosed. It also called on the prosecution and defence to state whether they completed respective outstanding investigations and if not, when they expect to complete them. Furthermore, the judge also asked the defence to state whether it intends to disclose evidence to the prosecution and whether it wants to seek protective measures for witnesses. The parties were also expected to present views on the date for the next status conference.

Mustafa's  defence attorney requested the next status conference take place in two months' time citing ongoing investigations. It also said a third party is involved in the case which has made the defence more complicated. The defence also argued for the trial against Mustafa to begin in July.

The prosecution meanwhile requested for the trial to begin in March saying that its initial file will be submitted on 15 February.

     

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic with Macron in Paris, solemn reception in front of the Elysee Palace (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today in Paris with the President of France Emmanuel Macron who staged a solemn reception in front of the Elysee Palace.”I want to emphasize the place that Serbia has for France”, Macron said, RTS reports.

RTS further reported Macron said he is very much pleased over the opportunity to welcome Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic again.

"I well remember the fantastic welcome I was honored with and I remember the organization when I came to Belgrade in July 2019 with a lot of friendship and I was extremely honored and it was warm around my heart", Macron said.

He pointed out that despite pandemic it is necessary to continue the dialogue with the neighbours, in particular with the Western Balkans. “I want to emphasize the place that Serbia has for France”, Macron noted.

“Last year, we defined a new methodology for EU’s accession negotiations, and I want to thank President Vucic who said from the very beginning that he supports this methodology and that we can move forward together to fulfill obligations and accelerate reforms and necessary progress of Serbia on its path to the EU as well as to jointly respond to aspirations of the people”, Macron said.

Macron on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue

French President also said he would discuss with President Vucic Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

“These are important negotiations run under the EU’s auspices and I want to emphasize once again support of France to the EU Special Envoy Miroslav Lajcak”, Macron said.

He added he spoke in November with Kosovo Prime Minister Avduallah Hoti, and he would speak with a new prime minister following elections in Kosovo.

“We had talks full of confidence with the President Vucic on this issue, and I want to welcome the risks he has taken several times to offer some solutions that were innovative. I am ready to support them, the only solution that would bring about progress regarding this issue, and this is the only issue crucially important for your country and your people, and these are solutions both sides have agreed to, that (solutions) have been recognized and that would enable us to finally resolve this important issue in the core of our Europe”, Macron said.

He emphasized support for all those who wished to improve relations between Belgrade and Pristina.

"Count on my support, and I will continue to be with you to make progress on that path, the path of normalization of relations, but also the path that would lead to stability and peace in the region, and I know that is your goal" Macron said.

Bilateral cooperation of France and Serbia continues

Macron further said that bilateral cooperation between France and Serbia continues, and as an example he mentioned reconstruction of the Belgrade subway.

He also mentioned Belgrade’s airport managed by French company. “France is a partner and we want to move forward relating to the economic issues. I want France to be stronger and more present and continue investing in Serbia”, Macron noted.   

Vucic: France is traditional friend of Serbia

During the address to the media, prior to the meeting, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked President Macron for his committed work and efforts to advance bilateral relations and cooperation.

“France is an important country for us and our true traditional friend. With the dedicated approach of Macron we hope we can resolve the problems but also increase our economic cooperation and trade exchange that amounted to EUR one billion and 200 million in 2019”, Vucic said.

Serbian media earlier recalled this is the 11th meeting of the two officials and the topics of today’s meeting include Kosovo and Metohija issue, Serbia’s integration in the EU, Belgrade subway and bilateral relations between the two countries. The two presidents would also discuss the coronavirus pandemic.

Janjic: Formation of government in Pristina will depend exclusively on Serbian List (Kosovo Online)

Director of the Forum for Ethnic Relations Dusan Janjic told portal Kosovo Online that in connection with the elections in Kosovo, the only thing that is certain is that the formation of the government in Pristina will depend exclusively on the Serbian List, and that the foreign policy priority of the USA and Germany in the Western Balkans in 2021 will be BiH , not Kosovo.

According to Janjic, two women, Vjosa Osmani and Vlora Citaku, have the best chance of taking the position of president of Kosovo, and expect new early parliamentary elections within a year.

Although all public opinion polls in Kosovo predict a convincing victory for the Self-Determination movement, Janjic points out that it will be difficult to form a stable ruling majority after the February 14 elections.

"I see some very interesting forecasts, but I don't think that anyone will be able to exceed 50 percent, let alone 54 that is predicted. It will be uncertain who will form the government. If the Self-Determination Movement wins the majority, there is a problem with their coalition capacity. Kurti is simply a man who does not know how to preserve the coalition, which he showed in his previous attempt to lead the government. He even quarrels very effectively with the international community, which had a lot of sympathy for him. All in all, the formation of a government will be uncertain, which will last 3 to 4 months. The only thing that is known is that without the Serbian List, it will not be possible to form a majority and that it will be part of the government, whoever forms it, "Janjic emphasizes.

A political analyst from Belgrade warns that the whole of 2021 in Kosovo will be marked by elections.

"In Kosovo, we will constantly have elections throughout the year. In such a situation, there is no serious work, neither on suppressing the pandemic, nor on strengthening freedoms, but only elections and election campaigns, "Janjic points out.

In addition to extraordinary parliamentary and local, Kosovo expects the election of a president, after the formation of the parliamentary majority.

Janjic sees as the problem that a qualified majority is needed to elect a president. ''So, it can happen that if Kurti wins more than 40 percent, he gets a government, but there is no president from Self-Determination,'‘ he adds. 

However, of all the candidates for the new president of Kosovo, the director of the Forum for Ethnic Relations gives preference to women.

"The most serious candidates for the new president are two women, Vjosa Osmani and Vjora Citaku. Osmani will probably win over Citaku, because in the Kosovo political corps, however, her exceptional closeness to the current administration in Washington will decide," Janjic believes.

The institutional crisis and the political situation in Pristina directly affect the dynamics of negotiations with Belgrade.

"There will be no dialogue. Lajcak has already said that there are no negotiations during the elections. I think that is wrong. Lajcak allegedly knows that the new Kosovo government will be strong, and I doubt that, and I am sure that in a period of one-year Kosovo will go to the new early parliamentary elections again. In addition, they have local elections beforehand, so in 2021 there will be nothing from the Brussels dialogue," Janjic is convinced.

Janjic adds for Kosovo Online portal that the new US administration also announces a possible change in the format of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.

"It is possible that until the autumn, the talks will be only at the level of consultations, and after that a new format will be approached. This means that the newly elected president of Kosovo and Vucic, who is in office, in a shortened procedure, following the Oslo model, will discuss and resolve whatever they need to resolve. However, it is possible that the resolution of Kosovo will be left to 2022, because it is obviously not a priority for the Americans, nor for Belgrade and Pristina in terms of dialogue," Janjic said.

According to Janjic, the joint statement of German Chancellor Merkel and US President Biden that the Western Balkans is a foreign policy priority during 2021, refers to BiH.

"The priority will be Bosnia and Herzegovina and it will be dealt by Biden this year. This is what the joint statement with Chancellor Merkel refers to, that the Balkans will be a priority this year. When we say priorities, we mean four years and the whole Balkans, but Bosnia and Herzegovina will certainly be a priority in 2021," concludes Janjic.

Vucic: Hysteria in Kosovo; Serbs exposed to provocations (B92)

President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said that the main topic of the meeting with the President of France would be the issue of Kosovo, reported portal B92. 

Vučić said that this will be the 11th meeting between him and the President of France, Emmanuel Macron.

"We will discuss many important things, this is our 11th meeting. Macron is one of the most important world leaders and a sincere friend of Serbia, and his visit to Serbia in 2019 was of historical significance for our relations and since then, our political and economic cooperation have just an ascending level”, he noted.

"Tomorrow is the main topic of Kosovo and Metohija, then the European integration of Serbia," he announced.

Vučić said that France wants progress on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija by 2022, when it will take over the presidency of that union. "Having in mind the gravity of the situation we are facing in the entire Balkans, it is not easy at all, but I will be very honest and talk openly to Macron about it," Vucic announced.

Regarding the European integration of Serbia, Vučić pointed out that it is important to finally, on the basis of the proposal presented by France to the EC, which Serbia accepted, to apply the new methodology.

"To open more chapters, through the so-called clusters by June, and twice as many by December. But we must do important things in the area of the rule of law and progress through the economy," Vucic said.

When it comes to bilateral relations, Vučić reminded that the trade exchange between Serbia and France reached 1.2 billion in 2019, and would be, he says, even higher today, instead of falling by six percent in 11 months last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

About the elections in Kosovo and Metohija

Vučić said that what was happening in Montenegro in the previous days was unprecedented.

"I cannot believe that they kept them at the border because they had several Serbian tricolors, and they also had three laptops. I am ashamed to talk about the expulsion of Serbian citizens who have contracts with their employers, we must show that we are more responsible and not endanger Serbs there", he said. Speaking about the events in Kosovo and Metohija due to the local elections, Vučić warned of provocations in the north of that territory.

"There is now hysteria about the elections, because the victory of the coalition around Haradinaj is expected," he said.

He thanked the Serbs for their restrained reaction during the arrival of Albanian politicians in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and noted: "We must preserve peace."

"You came to the Serbs to humiliate them, insult them, and to tell the Serbs: this is not yours, this is ours. The Serbs abstained and the reaction was verbal, there was no physical violence, I want to commend them for their restraint. We must keep stability not because we are weaker, but because peace and stability suit us the most, because Serbia is going faster than ever. Neither regional nor world relations have changed so quickly. Our opportunity is to make greater growth now," Vucic said.

When asked about the wiretapping incident, Vučić said that the competent authorities were doing their job concerning that particular issue.

See at: https://bit.ly/2NOXRcZ Brnabic: Serbs in KiM kept their composure and showed dignity (RTV)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Sunday that Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija faced the fact that political leaders from Pristina were trying to get cheap political points, instead of dealing with life issues and helping the people as much as they could, Radio Television of Vojvodina (RTV) reports.

She thanked the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija who had a moderate reaction, kept their composure and showed dignity in the face of provocation of Albin Kurti and Vjosa Osmani, who were in the north on Saturday.

“They live in an atmosphere of constant provocations”, Brnabic told TV Pink.

She recalled the statement of President Aleksandar Vucic that Serbia did not send weapons and tanks to Kosovo, but vaccines and medicines, and Pristina’s reaction to that showed what the Serbian people could expect.

She emphasized Belgrade was always open for cooperation, reminding that, at the moment when Pristina lacked PCR tests, 1,000 tests were sent from Belgrade, at the moment when it didn’t occur to any of their partners that they needed support.

She added this was not even talked about until the news leaked from Pristina Ministry of Health.

“We are ready to help, just as we would be ready to help Albanians with vaccines now”, Brnabic underlined.

She said that Serbia was also helping other partners in the region, and added that Pfizer vaccines hadn’t been sent to North Macedonia yet, as Pfizer’s consent was needed.

“Serbia wants to show solidarity”, she stressed.

Reacting to Kurti and Osmani's visit to Mitrovica North, Igor Simic from Serbian List said that Osmani and Kurti “tried to endanger the peace, and with their incursion to the north make a show of force and intimidate the Serbs”.

“Reaction of Serbs was at a high level. They were restrained, but they sent a message to the people who want to bring unrest that they have no place in the north. Kurti announces the formation of ‘Greater Albania’ and then comes to the north, so the reaction couldn’t have been any different”, Simic said.

He pointed out that there were people with KLA insignia with them who were also armed.

“It is good that everything went smoothly. A clear message was shown as to whose space this is, and I think that Kurti and Osmani understood that well”, Simic said.

Speaking about the vaccination of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, he said that after the Pristina’s attacks, vaccination was organized in Raska, Kursumlija and Bujanovac.

“That is running smoothly. Thousands of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija have had and will have the opportunity to be vaccinated”, he emphasized.

“What awaits us in dialogue with Pristina after arrival of new White House administration” (RTS)

For two weeks already, and even before the new administration was appointed, the question has been raised as to where the Balkans will be on the list of priorities in the new American administration. Although everyone agrees that Joseph Biden will first solve the internal problems in the United States, this does not mean that he will remove the Balkans from the list of his priorities. This was confirmed by the recent conversation with Angela Merkel, Serbian national broadcaster RTS reports.

Immediately upon taking the office, Joseph Biden began withdrawing a large number of his predecessor's decisions. However, this does not seem to apply to the Western Balkans.

In support of that, there was applause in the Senate for the efforts of the Trump administration for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, by no less and no more than the Secretary of State, Antonio Blinken. He is convinced that they can help Kosovo move forward, and hopes Serbia as well.

"As President Biden said, a comprehensive solution essential to the progress of Kosovo and Serbia should lead to mutual recognition. Preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries and strengthening democratic institutions", US Ambassador to Serbia Anthony Godfrey said.

In a conversation between US President Joseph Biden and German Chancellor Merkel Western Balkans was placed among the six foreign policy priorities along with Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.

Ambassador Godfrey also noted that Washington would implement obligations deriving from the Washington agreement.

“They are in the interest of Serbia, same as in the interest of the US. The US wants this region to be more economically connected. The State Secretary Blinken was clear in his address to the Senate that he supports economic normalization. And that is at the core of the agreements reached in Washington”, Godfrey noted.

Serbian Ambassador to the US, Marko Djuric said the agreements must be honored since Serbia believes it was significant that the first DFC office outside of the US was opened in Belgrade, which is a backbone of the Washington agreement.

“We are deeply convinced it is beneficial to us, because the Washington agreement guarantees the implementation of the court’s decisions relating to the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church”, Djuric said.

A journalist Ljiljana Smajlovic said, she does not belong to the school of thought that change in Washington means stronger pressure on Serbia.

“Biden will work with Europeans. The Europeans do not have any particular ideas and their idea was to soften Serbia to allow Kosovo to enter as many international organizations as possible. They also know Kosovo has problems on its own which have nothing to do with Serbia and the way how I perceive it they didn’t know how to help Kosovo regarding its internal democracy, let alone focus on pressure on Serbia”, Smajlovic said. 

Szunyog: EU expects Visoki Decani monastery’s property to be registered in cadastre (KoSSev)

“Respecting court decisions, especially the decisions of the Constitutional Court, is the key principle of the rule of law“, EU Special Representative to Pristina, Tomas Szunyog said, following in the US ambassador’s footsteps in reminding of the delayed implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision to return 24 ha of land to the property of Decani Monastery even though almost five years have passed since the monastery’s ownership of the land was confirmed, KoSSev portal reports.

“Kosovo has good laws, which unfortunately are not sufficiently enforced“, Szunyog said, citing the decision of the Constitutional Court on the property of the Visoki Decani monastery as an example.

“The fact that the decision of the Constitutional Court on the Visoki Decani monastery has not been implemented for five years is a serious issue“, he said during a guest appearance on RTK2.

According to Szunyog, however, certain progress was made late last year, when some administrative steps were taken between the municipal cadastre and the central cadastre of Kosovo.

“We expect that the decision will be made and the property of the monastery will be registered in the cadastre“, the Czech diplomat said.

In an op-ed published by the KoSSev portal earlier last week, the US Ambassador in Pristina, Philip Kosnett recalled law enforcement in Kosovo, which also includes the delayed implementation of the Constitutional Court’s decision to return 24 ha land to the Decani Monastery property.

See at: https://bit.ly/36v2Iqd Serbian List officials and Office for KiM Director received Covid-19 vaccines in Raska (KoSSev)

Kosovo Serbs have been receiving their Covid-19 vaccines in Serbia proper cities for several weeks now. The leaders of Serbian List, along with Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Petar Petkovic, were vaccinated in nearby Raska on Friday, KoSSev portal reports.

The Office for KiM announced that Serbian List paid a visit to the Health Center in Raska to get an insight into the vaccination of Kosovo Serbs. SL chief Goran Rakic, Vice President Milan Radoicic, Igor Simic, and North Mitrovica mayor, Milan Radojevic, along with Petkovic, received the Chinese coronavirus vaccine, the Office also said.

Anyone from Kosovo who wants to be vaccinated can do it in Raska, Bujanovac and Kursumlija, Petkovic confirmed.

“While Pristina wants to set the vaccines on fire and prosecute our doctors like they are the greatest criminals, we in central Serbia are trying to do everything so that every person who wants to be vaccinated can do so. We can only defeat the coronavirus with the vaccine, and in that case, Serbia and the future will win“, Petkovic said.

Kosovo Serb politician Rada Trajkovic soon reacted to the news of the vaccination of the head of the Office for KiM and SL officials.

“Little by little, the ‘Office for KiM’ left Kosovo for Raska“, Trajkovic tweeted.

Director Petar Petkovic then commented on Trajkovic’s tweet:

“It is unbelievable that, even though you are a doctor, you cannot bear to witness the success of Serbia, which is well on the way with mass vaccination. Which of your Albanian politicians obtained the vaccines?“

The vaccination of citizens from Kosovo with Serbian health care system is being carried out in cities outside Kosovo – Raska, Kursumlija and Bujanovac. Although the vaccination program was launched briefly in northern Kosovo at the end of last month, it was soon halted after Kosovo institutions intervened. In the meantime, the Basic Prosecutor’s Office in North Mitrovica initiated the process to collect information concerning potential criminal acts of drug smuggling and illegal medical activities.

This then became the reason behind the protest of health care workers of North Mitrovica Hospital Center held on Monday in front of this prosecutor’s office.

Serbia signing contract for another 11 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, PM says (N1)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced new contracts for next week which will secure another 11 million Covid-19 vaccines for Serbia, adding that 438,000 people have already been vaccinated in the country, N1 reports.

Brnabic also said the planned quantity will be sufficient for the second doses, as half of every delivery that arrives in Serbia is left for that purpose.

Serbia is the first not only in the region but also in Europe in the vaccination as it secured the second doses for its citizens as well, she added.

The PM also said Serbia already signed a deal for 6.5 million vaccine doses.

“We will sign another contract for 11 million doses either on Monday or Tuesday”, she said, adding that a certain quantity of Pfizer vaccine is expected to arrive.

See at: https://bit.ly/3pCTFuR       

Opinion

  Elections 2021: Week 2 — What Did I Miss? (Kosovo 2.0)

By Tringe Sokoli, Jack Butcher

From Supreme Court ruling to eye-raising promises, all in one place.

Following the news every day can be exhausting at the best of times, even when there isn’t a pandemic playing havoc with our lives. 

So as we approach yet another round of elections, we don’t blame you if you feel like switching all phone notifications off, shutting down your laptop and avoiding the 24/7 news headlines like… well, the plague.

But while it might all be a bit too much to follow along in real time with the familiar rollercoaster of promises, debates and scandals, it doesn’t mean you don’t want to stay informed. 

That’s why, each week until election day on February 14, we’ll be bringing you the “highlights” (and “lowlights”) of the past seven days. 

Surprise, surprise…?

After last week’s decision by the Central Election Commission (CEC) not to certify the candidate lists of Vetëvendosje (VV), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) and Nisma, this week was always going to be all about appeals. 

On Monday (January 25), the Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) noted that it had received nine complaints from seven political entities, and 24 hours later it announced its decisions.

Grabbing all the headlines was its decision not to overturn the exclusion of VV’s leader and nominated prime ministerial candidate, Albin Kurti, or that of four other VV deputy candidates with recent criminal convictions. The ECAP decision stated that the rest of VV’s list should be certified, but the five uncertified candidates could not be replaced as the deadline for doing so has passed.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3t901V4      

International

  Serbian President Sends Lieutenant To Washington As Belgrade Seeks Tighter U.S. Relations (RFE)

WASHINGTON -- The massive new residence of the Serbian ambassador in the Embassy Row area of Washington is more than an upgrade for its young inhabitant and his family.

Ambassador Marko Djuric says the nearly 100-year-old, Georgian-style brick home is also a symbol of the investment the Balkan nation is making in its relationship with the United States, an important regional peace arbitrator.

A key aspect of that investment includes plans to open a trade office with consular services on the West Coast as Belgrade seeks to deepen ties with the U.S. tech industry.

Djuric told RFE/RL that Serbia will also open another consulate in a yet-to-be-determined American city -- adding to the ones it already has in Chicago and New York -- as part of a renewed outreach to its diaspora.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3rb35OE Justice on Hold: War Trial Delays Jeopardise Serbia’s Progress to EU (Balkan Insight)

In the last two years, 30 per cent of court hearings in war crimes trials in Serbia have been postponed, raising concerns about the country’s commitment to the rule of law - a key issue in its EU membership negotiations.

Serbian forces entered the village of Zahac/Zahaq on May 14, 1999, the day of one of the bloodiest massacres of the Kosovo war.

They ordered over 200 ethnic Albanian villagers to give them their money, jewellery and documents, and then to get into their cars or tractors and leave.

Among them were Hajrije Demaku, with her daughter Esma and son Faton. “In [the village of] Cuska, they took my daughter, they told her to get off the tractor, I thought they were going to ask her something, but they put her in a car and went away. What happened to her, I do not know,” Demaku told Belgrade Higher Court in June 2019.

Esma Demaku is still on list of missing persons from the Kosovo war.

Twelve former members of the 177th Yugoslav Army Unit are on trial for committing war crimes in the western Kosovo villages of Zahac/Zahaq, Cuska/Qushk, Pavlan and Ljubenic that day in May 1999. The indictment alleges that they killed at least 118 ethnic Albanians.

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Humanitarian/Development

  "Vaccine nationalism" (B92, Tanjug)

Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, warned again about the danger of "vaccine nationalism".

He pointed out that the fight over coronavirus vaccines could cause even greater inequalities in the world.

Speaking at a panel at the World Business Forum in Davos yesterday, Tedros said that there is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end the pandemic, vaccines, may exacerbate those same inequalities.

In yesterday's Twitter post, Tedros warned that if the virus continues to circulate and vaccine nationalism leads to a loss of confidence in international cooperation, if business operations and supply chains continue to be disrupted, everyone will pay the price in terms of long-term economic recovery.

“This could delay COVAX deliveries and create exactly the scenario COVAX was designed to avoid, with hoarding, a chaotic market, an uncoordinated response and continued social and economic disruption. Ultimately these actions will only prolong the pandemic,” he said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3tcFkaR Serbia’s foreign trade at EUR 40 billion in 2020 (N1)

The Republic Statistics Office (RZS) said on Friday that Serbia’s foreign trade stood at EUR 40 billion in 2020 and was 3.4 percent lower than in 2019.

Exports totaled EUR 17.05 billion or 2.8 percent lower than a year earlier while imports totaled EUR 22.95 billion and were 3.8 percent lower. The foreign trade deficit was EUR 5.9 billion or 6.8 percent lower than in 2019.

The RZS said that 74.3 percent of imports were covered by exports compared to 2019 when it stood at 73.4 percent.

European Union member states accounted for 61.4 percent of Serbia’s foreign trade. The country had a surplus of USD 2.1 billion in trade with CEFTA member states.

See at: https://bit.ly/3ct9TmC