Albanian Language Media:

• COVID-19: 341 new cases, three deaths (media)
• Humolli: First vaccines in Kosovo expected to be from AstraZeneca (RFE)
• State Department: United States will stand by Kosovo (media)
• Osmani: Israel's recognition strengthens Kosovo's international standing (media)
• Kosovo ministry heralds new horizons in relations with UAE (media)
• Hoti: We will win on February 14 (Kallxo)
• Kurti and Osmani declare the arrival of "2021 spring" (Kallxo/Klan)
• Haradinaj promises the opening of a new chapter for Kosovo (Klan)
• Limaj: NISMA will be the surprise of February elections (Telegrafi)

Serbian Language Media:

• Vucic will talk to Putin soon; main topic – vaccines (B92)
• Brnabic: Vaccination is about saving lives, not geo-politics (DW, Focus, N1)
• Rakic: The fight for Serbian interests is not easy, but it is an honourable duty (RTS)
• Merkel: Serbia vaccinates faster than the rest of Europe (B92)
• Seventeen protected witnesses to testify at Kosovo former leaders’ trial (Beta, N1)
• Dacic: ''We have always said that Kosovo is our Jerusalem'' (RTV, Tanjug, Politika)
• Now, Serbia could not fulfill what has been signed (B92, Sputnik)
• Shooting in majority-Serb Kosovo village (media)
• KLA graffiti inscribed on a wall in Gorazdevac, Office for KiM reacts (Radio kontakt plus, Radio Gorazdevac)
• Arlov: KP rejected appeal to ban on entry with no explanation and a “rejected“ stamp (KoSSev)
• NGO Aktiv launches initiative to amend the Law on the Use of Languages (KiM radio)
• Slavisa Petkovic: We will try to change everything (Radio KIM)
• Telekom General Director: Ambitious plans to expand “Telekom Serbia” in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• Still no answer from Serbia’s Commission to Telekom-Telenor deal; Others react (N1)
• Fabrizi: Serbia showed resilience during coronavirus pandemic (N1)

Opinion:

• Could the Kosovo story end in Greater Albania? (opendemocracy.net)
• Thunder On, Sistes! (Kosovo 2.0)

International:

• Lunić: It is understandable why Serbia wants KFOR to stay in Kosovo (EWB)
• Kosovo Visa Liberalization Not in Portuguese Council Presidency Agenda Either (schengenvisainfo.com)
• French citizens’ convictions against enlargement are not firmly held (EWB)

Humanitarian/Development:

• Kosovo film wins three awards at Sundance Film Festival (Prishtina Insight)
• Varhelyi and Viola Von Cramon tackle issue of illegally kept lion in Gnjilane (KoSSev)

   

Albanian Language Media  

  COVID-19: 341 new cases, three deaths (media)

341 new cases of COVID-19 and three deaths from the virus were recorded in the last 24 hours in Kosovo. 

207 persons have recovered from the virus during this time. 

Humolli: First vaccines in Kosovo expected to be from AstraZeneca (RFE)

Isme Humolli from the World Health Organisation office in Kosovo told Radio Free Europe that the first contingent of Covid vaccines are expected to arrive in Kosovo sometime in February as part of the COVAX vaccine alliance. 

"According to the latest news, we believe that by the middle of February, possibly the third week of the month, the first contingent of Covid vaccines will arrive.  The donation will cover for twenty percent of the population, which means two-dose coverage for 360,000 persons in Kosovo. We are in discussions with AstraZeneca and Pfizer. These are the two manufacturers that we are in talks with on how to ease procedures for the vaccine rollout in Kosovo but it is expected that the first batch will be from AstraZeneca."

Humolli said they expect 50 percent of the population in Kosovo to be vaccinated by the end of the year. "This is what has been planned but we left the threshold for up to 70 percent of the population by the end of 2021."

State Department: United States will stand by Kosovo (media)

The U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price commented on formalisation of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Serbia saying that the move helps promote stability, peace, and prosperity in both regions.

"The United States congratulates Israel and Kosovo on formally establishing diplomatic relations. Yesterday was a historic day," Price said at a press briefing.

"When our partners are united, the United States is stronger. The United States will stand by Kosovo as it continues to move forward on its Euro-Atlantic path," he added.

Osmani: Israel's recognition strengthens Kosovo's international standing (media)

Acting President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, had a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the Israely Assembly Knesset, Yariv Levin, following the formal establishment of diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel. 

Osmani thanked Levin on his country's decision to recognize Kosovo, expressing hope that the new chapter will be a good opportunity for the intensification of relations in many areas. In this context, relations with Israel have been considered to be of strategic importance. "Acting President Osmani said that the state of Kosovo with the recognition by Israel has further strengthened its international position and expressed her hope that the action of the state of Israel will be followed by other non-recognizing states," a statement issued by Kosovo presidency reads.

In the capacity as the Speaker of the Assembly of Kosovo, Osmani also underlined the importance of the commencement of inter-parliamentary cooperation, given the fact that the Kosovo’s legislature has already established a Friendship Group with Israel.

Kosovo ministry heralds new horizons in relations with UAE (media)

Kosovo's outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla, met today the new non-resident Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Kosovo, Nabila Alshamsi, and expressed appreciation for the country's continued support.

Haradinaj-Stublla said she conveyed to the UAE ambassador the commitment of Kosovo to use the new momentum to capitalise on the potential for deepening bilateral cooperation. 

"I hailed the reaching of the Abraham Accords by the UAE and Israel, under the United States mediation, and underlined the importance of the common impetus of our countries to expand the diameter of peace and security to the Balkans and the Middle East," a press release issued by the Kosovo ministry quotes Haradinaj-Stublla as saying. 

Hoti: We will win on February 14 (Kallxo)

Outgoing Prime Minister of Kosovo and leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) ticket Avdullah Hoti said Kosovo is ready to return to normality.

In a visit to a Kosovo company, Hoti said he decided to begin the election campaign by sending a message that the economy is one of their main priorities.

Hoti said he was convinced that LDK would win elections on February 14. "We have the best programme, without a question. We are not unknown people to make the citizens think about whether they can experiment with us or not. We have managed the country in the most difficult moments in the last 20 years," Hoti said. 

Kurti and Osmani declare the arrival of "2021 spring" (Kallxo/Klan)

Leader of the Vetevendosje Movement Albin Kurti and acting President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani visited the city of Peja where they declared the arrival of what they termed as "2021 spring".

"We are having good weather and it seems this campaign is signalling the spring of 2021," Kurti said.

Kurti and Osmani said their joint ticket will win the parliamentary majority in the February 14 elections.

Kurti said that the official launch of the campaign will take place tonight in Pristina but that they chose to first visit Peja "which has given so much to the liberation war and to peace in Kosovo."

Osmani said she very much hopes to see the wind of change felt in Peja and across Kosovo. 

Haradinaj promises the opening of a new chapter for Kosovo (Klan)

Leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj launched the party's election campaign pledging the opening of a new chapter for Kosovo.

Haradinaj said they chose to open the campaign in Prizren as the city that has played an important role in the history of Albanians: "We are starting off our race for President from Prizren where we Albanians have written history a century and a half ago. Today we are opening a new chapter of the future of Kosovo," Haradinaj declared.

Limaj: NISMA will be the surprise of February elections (Telegrafi)

Leader of Social Democratic Initiative (NISMA) Fatmir Limaj said at the launch of the election campaign that his party will be the surprise of elections and that Kosovo has never before needed more the voice and the spirit of the liberation war.

"We have never so far made compromises with the interests of the country. I am addressing you today, my fellow fighters across Kosovo, in stressing that Kosovo has never been in a greater need to have a unification of the liberation spirit, I call on all patriotic families that gave their all to come here, to align and join this liberation spirit," Limaj said adding that NISMA guarantees that the voice of the liberators will be heard and live on. 

     

Serbian Language Media

  Vucic will talk to Putin soon; main topic – vaccines (B92)

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will talk to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, by phone in exactly half an hour, it was confirmed for the portal B92.

According to B92, the topics of conversation between Vucic and Putin will be economic cooperation between Serbia and Russia, military-technical cooperation, but above all the purchase of a new amount of vaccines against coronavirus.

See at: https://bit.ly/3czjgkU Brnabic: Vaccination is about saving lives, not geo-politics (DW, Focus, N1)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told the German Focus weekly that the Serbian authorities never made coronavirus vaccines a political issue, adding that the country of origin did not play any role in choice of vaccine, DW reported.

“It’s about saving lives in the pandemic, not about geo-politics. If vaccines are available and we can get them we have an obligation to do so for the sake of our citizens”, she told the weekly.

She is quoted as saying that the main reason for Serbia’s success in inoculating the population is the fact that official Belgrade could get vaccines from across the world, only making sure that they were safe. “Our balance and good partnerships proved useful in these times. They provided an opportunity to get vaccines from the West and from our friends in China and Russia”, she said.

Brnabic also said the vaccination was not something to be debated as a foreign policy issue but as a question of public safety. “We are grateful for support from abroad”, she said, adding that Serbia looked to Israel as an example. “There is a lot of tension in global efforts to buy vaccine but we chose cooperation and an exchange of knowledge, for example in talks with Israel, to protect our population and make sure the vaccination is safe”, she said, adding that Serbia initially signed a contract with BionTech/Pfizer and got a first shipment from them and receiving what she said was “enormous support” from Russia and China along with the European Union.

Asked about inoculation for Kosovo Serbs, Brnabic said that they are not on the wrong side of the border dispute created by Pristina of their own free will. “We will not punish them for that,” she said. According to the prime minister, the Serbian authorities will not sit idly by watching “Pristina’s geo-politics prevent us from vaccinating people in places with majority Serb populations or allowing them to be placed at the bottom of the list”.

Rakic: The fight for Serbian interests is not easy, but it is an honourable duty (RTS)

The election campaign officially started in Kosovo today. The President of Serbian List Goran Rakic told Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) this morning that the elections in Kosovo are extremely important for the future of the Serbian people.  

“In these elections, as well, we will have to show how many of us there are, how determined we are to defend what is ours and to show that this year’s uncertainties have not tired us and that we are ready to keep our ancestral lands,” Rakic told RTS.

He pointed out that Serbian List was the umbrella party of Serbs in Kosovo, which, as he said, had the full support of the President of Serbia, Prime Minister and Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Rakic said that the Serbian List “neither can nor wants to decide on who the Albanians will elect as their representatives”.

“Some politicians dream that others will represent Serbs and not the Serbian List. Serbian people have always prevented those intentions. The fight for Serbian interests is not easy, but it is an honourable duty,” he emphasized.

He noted that these elections were extremely important for the future of Serbian people, emphasizing that the Serbian List would not allow surprises.

“You are aware of all the pressures to which the Serbian List is exposed to, it is a proof that we are on the right path,” Rakic said and called on Serbs, Bosniaks, Roma and Gorani to support the Serbian List.

He expressed hope that the campaign would run in the best atmosphere.

“A provocation like the one in North Kosovska Mitrovica, during the unannounced arrival of Kurti and Osmani, worries me, as well as the citizens. I want to believe, first of all, that KFOR will not allow such situations to happen again,’’ said Rakic and added that he was proud of the citizens’ responsibility, who were always ready to protect themselves, their families and their freedom, but in a civilized and democratic way.

Merkel: Serbia vaccinates faster than the rest of Europe (B92)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel assessed on state television ARD that a country like ‘Serbia vaccinates faster’ than the rest of Europe with ‘Chinese vaccine’.

Angela Merkel's government is being criticized for the slowness of the vaccination campaign in relation to countries such as Great Britain or the United States. She called on the Germans to "endure some more time" and warned of the danger of various strains of COVID-19.

To the journalist's statement that Serbia vaccinates faster than Germany and whether the problem is if the countries outside the EU are faster, Merkel answered that it is true that Serbia vaccinates faster.

"Serbia vaccinates faster, with the Chinese vaccine. We have always said that any vaccine that gets a permit from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is welcome. I talked to the Russian president about it, and heard good news about the Russian vaccine today. Every vaccine is welcome in the EU, but only those that provide all the necessary data to EMA will be accepted", Merkel said.

She pointed out that the European Commission did not want to take responsibility for vaccination, because in the past, politics had to take responsibility, which is not wanted this time.

"We are fighting for trust in vaccines. By the end of the third quarter, as I said before, we will offer the vaccine to all citizens," she emphasized.

See at: https://bit.ly/3tpUTMG Seventeen protected witnesses to testify at Kosovo former leaders’ trial (Beta, N1)

The Specialist Court trial of Kosovo's former top officials Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasiqi for crimes during and after the 1998-1999 war, is set to hear the testimonies of 17 protected witnesses.

As the Court put them under protection, neither their identities nor testimonies would be publically available.

Kosovo’s former president Thaçi’s lawyer David Hupper disputed the Court decision, saying it was brought „in general, based on subjective fear in unfounded statements.“

The Specialist Prosecutors’ Office said the pre-trial judge decided that those witnesses’ public appearance was risky.

The same judge has rejected the four defendants’ request for temporary release from detention.

See at: https://bit.ly/3rl7cro Now, Serbia could not fulfill what has been signed (B92, Sputnik)

After the latest recognition of the so-called state of Kosovo by Israel, Belgrade's room for maneuvering is rather narrowed, Sputnik writes.

It practically comes down to reconsidering the decision to move the Serbian Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, to which we have committed ourselves in the Washington agreement. This is also indicated by the statement of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, that we will "build relations with the Jewish state in accordance with the new circumstances."

As things stand now, the Washington agreement seems to be tailored to the interests of Israel, the closest ally of the United States. The only item that has so far, albeit partially, been fulfilled is the last point in the act that was supposed to concern the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina signed with Washington, and it refers to Israel.

Its place in that economic agreement did not pass without surprise even during the signing. The one signed by the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Avdullah Hoti, and the then US President, Donald Trump, clearly states that the so-called Kosovo and Israel agree to mutual recognition, while the one signed between the Serbian and US presidents specifies Belgrade's obligation to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by July 1, 2021.

Israel, obviously, did not waste time, Sputnik further estimates, and states that no matter how much the move of Israel and Pristina was expected, it was probably not expected that the last item from the Washington agreements would be the first, at least partially realized. Especially considering the provision that Pristina and Belgrade should forget about the recognition of the so-called Kosovo for a year.

Could that now bring some new consequences? As the Serbian chief of diplomacy Nikola Selaković noticed, it is interesting to see whether there will now be Muslim and Arab countries which will recognize the so-called Kosovo.

When asked if this can happen, considering the attitude of the Arab and Muslim world towards Israel, as well as the Palestinian question, Slobodan Janković from the Institute for International Politics and Economy is skeptical.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3pLA0Jh Dacic: ''We have always said that Kosovo is our Jerusalem'' (RTV, Tanjug, Politika)

We have the right to be angry with Israel because of the recognition of Kosovo's independence, because we have always said that Kosovo is our Jerusalem, said last night the President of the Assembly of Serbia, Ivica Dacic. 

Speaking on the RTV show 'Pravi ugao’, Dacic said that the move by Israel will probably have consequences on the relationship between Serbia and that country.

"We have always said that Kosovo is our Jerusalem, and now someone, our Jerusalem recognizes that it is Albanian, so that cannot but leave consequences for the relations between Serbia and Israel," said Dacic when asked to comment on the statement of Israeli Ambassador to Serbia Yahel Vilan, who expressed hope that recognizing Kosovo's independence would not disrupt good relations between Serbia and Israel.

That recognition of Israel, says Dacic, is another indicator that every country and people in the world see their interest first, and here, he adds, the interest of Israel was for ''a Muslim country" to open an embassy in Jerusalem.

He reminds that the Washington agreement left Israel to decide what is better for them, and that Serbia will base its further attitude towards Israel and the decision to transfer the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Israel's attitude towards Serbia.

"President Vucic immediately said that the attitude towards Israel will be based on Israel's attitude towards us," said Dacic. 

He noticed that in Pristina, the recognition of the so-called Kosovo is perceived by Israel as a "victory of the recognition blockade", and Dacic adds that it is not a "victory of the recognition blockade", but American aid.

"If it weren't for America, that would never have happened," Dacic emphasized.

Speaking about the action of withdrawing the recognition of Kosovo's independence, which, according to the Washington Agreement, was blocked until June this year, Dacic answered briefly - that June will come as well.

"If someone thinks that countries will now rush to recognize Kosovo, I think they are wrong. In the previous period, 19 countries withdrew the recognition of Kosovo's independence, and that process is unstoppable, perhaps temporarily," Dacic said, reports Serbian media. 

He points out that Pristina, even with Israeli recognition, still does not have a majority in the United Nations General Assembly, and where out of 193 members, they can get a maximum of 93 votes.

Shooting in majority-Serb Kosovo village (media)

The Serbian state TV (RTS) said on Wednesday that two people were shot in a restaurant in the Kosovo village of Laplje Selo.

It said that a “visibly drunk Albanian man refused to leave the Bela Vista restaurant and pulled out a pistol following an argument, shot and wounded the owner” Serb Boban Ristic. Another Albanian, who was with the shooter, was also wounded. Laplje Selo is in the Gracanica municipality which has a large Serb population and is located near Pristina.

Gracanica police chief Bratislav Trajkovic confirmed the incident in a statement to local media, adding that the two wounded men had been taken to the Gracanica hospital and were in stable condition following surgery.

Meanwhile, Kosovo-online portal reported the police identified four suspects, and arrested two of them, while two remain at large. 

See at: https://bit.ly/3oJf44u KLA graffiti inscribed on a wall in Gorazdevac, Office for KiM reacts (Radio kontakt plus, Radio Gorazdevac)

“KLA Kosovo” graffiti was inscribed on a wall of a family house during the night in Gorazdevac village, nearby Pec. This upset the citizens who live in that part of the village, who reported the case to Kosovo police, Radio Gorazdevac reported.

It was also reported that next to the road where the graffiti was written, there was Kosovo police who were investigating the case.

In addition to that, Radio Goraždevac received messages from residents who live near the Monument to the victims of Gorazdevac, who claim that the flagpole was broken, and the Serbian flag was taken away. As Radio Gorazdevac  finds out, this case was not reported to the Kosovo police.

Similar incidents have occurred in Gorazdevac village several times in previous years.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Do such examples show that the hunting season for Serbs is open?

Office for Kosovo and Metohija reacted to the writing the graffiti “KLA – Kosovo” on the wall of a house that belongs to Krstovic family in Gorazdevac, and said such an actions were sending a clear and unambiguous message that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija were not welcome, and as a rule, the perpetrators of such incidents remained without sanctions.

The Office said in a statement that this message caused huge distress to the five-member Krstovic family, but also to the rest of Serbian population in this place.

It recalled that pre-election campaign for the upcoming Kosovo early parliamentary elections has begun, and that, according to the assessment of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, “now there is no doubt that it will be aimed at intimidating the remaining Serbs and the anti-Serbian platform”.

It is added that last night’s incident in Laplje Selo, when Boban Ristic was also shot by an Albanian, also testifies to that.

“Do such examples show that the hunting season for Serbs has opened in Kosovo and Metohija”, The Office asked.

It urged international representatives on the ground to strengthen their presence in Serbian communities and ensure peace and security for Serbs and other non-Albanian communities.

“Such actions send a clear and unambiguous message that Serbs are not welcome in Kosovo and Metohija, and as a rule, the perpetrators of such incidents remain without any sanctions”.

Office appealed to Serbs “to remain calm and united and not to fall for provocations, because the goal of such actions is to provoke an unbalanced reaction of the Serbian side”.

Arlov: KP rejected appeal to ban on entry with no explanation and a “rejected“ stamp (KoSSev)

The Head of the Humanitarian Committee for Helping Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija from Banjaluka (Republic of Srpska, B&H), Milorad Arlov was twice banned from entering Kosovo last year, KoSSev portal recalled.

Meanwhile, Arlov has sent an appeal to the Kosovo police but the envelope containing the appeal was returned to the sender with the stamp “rejected“, his lawyer, Dejan Vasic told KoSSev.

Arlov who was entering the territory of Kosovo unhindered through Jarinje border crossing for years in order to deliver humanitarian aid to Kosovo Serbs and attended various events in predominantly Serbian areas was banned from entry on June 26th and then on December 27th last year.

According to the document submitted to the KoSSev portal by Arlov, dated December 27th, the reason for the entry ban reads - “Is considered to be a threat to the public order and public security, national security or international relations“.

The other document dated in June last year, containing the “rejected“ red stamp of the Kosovo Border Police, it cites that Arlov “is a person for whom an alert has been issued for the purposes of refusing entry in the national register”.

Milorad Arlov’s lawyer, Dejan Vasic told KoSSev that he sent an appeal to the Kosovo Police’s Appeals and Complaints Commission within the set deadline, but it was returned as allegedly rejected.

“After some time, the appeal I sent by mail was returned, the envelope was open, and the back of it contained a stamp ‘rejected’“, Vasic confirmed for KoSSev, adding that no explanation was given as to why the appeal was rejected.

In addition to the police, memos were also sent to the embassies in Pristina – the US, Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, and UNMIK, with the aim of “informing them about the violation of basic democratic rights to free movement“, Vasic further explained.

Arlov also called on international representatives to help him obtain an explanation as to why he was banned from entering Kosovo and in removing the ban, which he described as “unjust.”

KoSSev spoke earlier today with Kosovo Police Spokesperson Baki Kelani who requested a written note.

Arlov believes that the reason for the ban lies in his humanitarian work organized for years by the board from Banja Luka, which aims to assist Kosovo Serbs.

“Albanians, Roma, Ashkali, Bosniaks, everyone has the right to help their own people and no one is banned from entering (cf. Kosovo) except for me – a Serb, who has never given a single political statement. Time will show the purpose of the ban, where it comes from with no explanation or a single valid legal reason why freedom of movement and human rights have been violated, based on which every normal society must rest without precedent“, Arlov said.

See at: https://bit.ly/3tnlSIA NGO Aktiv launches initiative to amend the Law on the Use of Languages (KiM radio)

The law (on the use of language) that exists in practice no longer means anything, says Ognjen Gogic, manager of the project "Creating a bilingual Kosovo" implemented by the NGO Aktiv, reported portal KiM radio.

Gogic emphasizes that many citizens are not aware of their legal rights.

"One part of fellow citizens from the Serbian community is aware of their rights, the other part is less familiar with it. What everyone has in common is that no one is trying to fight for their right anymore. Even if they know that there is a Law on the Use of Languages, they know from experience that it means nothing to them in practice. This problem has become more pronounced in recent years, with the increasing integration of Serbs into the Kosovo system and, above all, with the completion of the integration of the judiciary. All the shortcomings of that law, which no one refers to anymore, were shown there," he said.

Gogic points out that this law had a very important role, that it established a system of bilingualism and established basic language rights, but it turned out that, 14-15 years after it was passed, it has shortcomings that need to be changed.

"What we have noticed with the institutions in practice is that the Serbian language is treated as an option. As if, in some situations, you can be provided with a translation, but with a delay, and it doesn't have to be of particular high quality. So, it is more symbolic use of the Serbian language in institutions. I must say that our analyzes show that this is a consequence of the legal gaps that exist in that law. This law is not precise enough about the obligations of institutions when it comes to the use of official languages. We, in fact, want it to be firmly defined through the law, so that no one would think that it is an option, but that it is an obligation that institutions have towards citizens, that citizens are the ones to choose, in every situation, which of the two official languages will be the language of the proceedings being conducted," stated Gogic.

The manager of the project "Creating a bilingual Kosovo" believes that the Law on the Use of Languages will be much more functional if the first phase of each procedure in the institutions is to determine the language in which the procedure will be conducted.

He emphasized that, on the occasion of this initiative, a large number of meetings and round tables were held last year, at which they hosted members of other non-governmental organizations, institutions and the international community, from which they received support. Gogic says that they are very open to suggestions, and if the institutions took over this proposal, then a wider space would be opened for discussion on how to arrange it.

Slavisa Petkovic: We will try to change everything (Radio KIM)

The leading candidate of the Serbian Democratic Alliance List Slavisa Petkovic told RTV KIM it will not be difficult to motivate citizens to choose his political option at the upcoming elections, adding he would try “to change everything”.

He also said should he win the trust of the citizens, he would work on everything that the current authorities didn’t work on.

He opined that Serbian List made Gracanica look like an ordinary village, that the health and education sectors were destroyed, less and less children were attending the schools and that the economic situation was disastrous.

Unlike other political parties in Kosovo, this list didn’t officially start campaigning today by visiting its constituencies. Petkovic said they would avoid organizing larger gatherings due to epidemiological situation.  

Telekom General Director: Ambitious plans to expand “Telekom Serbia” in Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever)

Today, General director of “Telekom” Vladimir Lucic has visited MTS d.o.o. in North Mitrovica and on that occasion spoke with Telekom workers about further cooperation and plans in front of the new facility, reported Radio mitrovica sever. 

“It is a great honour for me to visit our workers in Kosovo and Metohija today and to give you an interview here in front of the building that will be the pride of Telekom Srbija and whose construction will be completed in May. We have ambitious plans to expand Telekom Srbija in Kosovo and Metohija, to be the leader,” Lucic said.

“Last year, we worked intensively and increased several times over our number of users of fixed telephony and IP television. This year, we plan to at least double the number and be on the right path to be number one here as well” Lucic said.

He stated that Telekom Srbija would continue to work tirelessly, in order to become a regional leader and an economic giant.

“Our goal is for Telekom Srbija to be a regional leader and economic giant, but on that path we are often attacked by competition in central Serbia, but we are confident in ourselves and we will work unwaveringly, no one will stop us in doing so and Telekom Srbija will be the strongest company in the region and the strongest company in Kosovo and Metohija. All our plans will be seen soon,” he emphasized.

Still no answer from Serbia’s Commission to Telekom-Telenor deal; Others react (N1)

Serbia's Commission for Protection of Competition has not decided yet about its jurisdiction over the Telekom Srbija – Telenor agreement, but some local and international organisations warned on Tuesday the deal would enlarge the existing state monopoly in the media sphere.

However, there was no word from Telekom Srbija on Tuesday and no answer to N1’s request for an interview with the company’s director Vladimir Lucic who said all operators would get the same offer from his company.

That hasn’t happened although Telenor’s agreement was secretly concluded last December.

The Commission told N1 it had not decided yet, because „the question which relates to the issue of the Commission’s jurisdiction seeks a complete analysis of the given material, then the consultations and cooperation with other institutions and organisations and bodies.“

On the other hand, the international Visegrad Insight organisation‘s report said that Czech billionaire Petr Kelner’s PPF targeted Serbia’s telecommunications market to align its business operations with the government interests.

The report added the Telekom – Telenor contract with an open intent to push SBB out of the market and drew attention in Slovenia where PPF Group controlled over crucial media.

The Independent Association of Serbia’s Journalists (NUNS) President Zeljko Bodrozic warned that Telekom „already interferes into the media sphere although the law bans it and de facto runs several cable TV stations, what is unacceptable. What concerns us is that the current Telenor owner, a Czech businessman, has shown he knows how to endanger media freedom in the Czech Republic and Slovenia. That sends us a signal that all working groups we are taking part in are just a cover for the European Union and Serbia’s alleged accession process. All those documents are a dead letter. “

See at: https://bit.ly/3tkY7AR Fabrizi: Serbia showed resilience during coronavirus pandemic (N1)

European Union Delegation in Serbia head Sam Fabrizi said that the country has shown resilience to the crisis and an ability to ease the economic results of the coronavirus pandemic, N1 reports.

Fabrizi told the Vojvodina 2021 conference that the pandemic did not affect the unambiguous commitment of the EU to the expansion of the Union to the Western Balkans, and recalled that the EU secured EUR 750 million in macro-financial aid to the region and a package of 1.7 billion through the European Investment Bank (EIB).

“In Serbia the funds were directed towards support for the health care sector with almost EUR 17 million in donations for Serbia between March and December, including help with equipment for vaccination, the so-called cold chain and the delivery of vaccines”, he said.

See at: https://bit.ly/2MyQVjX      

Opinion

  Could the Kosovo story end in Greater Albania? (opendemocracy.net) By Timothy Less

If Kosovo makes practical moves towards unification with Albania, the government in Belgrade will come under strong domestic pressure to stop the process.

‘We’ll hold a referendum on unification with Albania. Remember that’. So said Ramush Haradinaj, the veteran politician and candidate for Kosovan president. With elections pending, that could be dismissed as rhetorical bluster were it not for the fact that a merger of some kind with Albania is Kosovo’s only remaining geopolitical option.

This situation has arisen from Kosovo’s failure after thirteen years to gain recognition of its independence from Serbia. Its demand has faced constant resistance from Belgrade which is opposed to formally ceding Kosovo because of the Serbs’ emotional attachment to the place and their belief it was illegally confiscated by the West. To complicate matters, the Kosovo Albanians have opposed making any meaningful concessions to Serbia in return for recognition because they believe Serbia is morally obliged to accept Kosovo’s independence following its attempt to cleanse the territory back in 1999; many western governments agree.

In 2011, the EU opened a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina which aimed to normalise their relations but this initiative ground to a halt mid-decade as Serbia maintained its opposition to recognising Kosovo. European leaders tried to entice Serbia with the prospect of EU membership if they ceded the territory – and the threat of non-membership if it did not – but this incentive proved inadequate. For as long as Serbs refused to accept Kosovo’s independence as an outcome, the Albanians refused to negotiate seriously with the Serbs about anything else.

In the US, politicians observed the EU’s failure to deliver Kosovo’s independence with frustration. Not only was the stasis in talks blocking Washington’s goal of integrating Serbia and Kosovo into the Western alliance; but the open question over Kosovo’s status also provided an entry point in the Balkans for Russia and China, which backed Serbia’s position on Kosovo at the UN.

See more at: https://bit.ly/3oJSkBs Thunder On, Sistes! (Kosovo 2.0) By Paula Petricevic

Public in the Balkans is finally listening and speaking about sexual violence. 

I wish she had told me her story. I wish I could retell it. But it’s no longer possible. What remains is only an untold trauma that was greater than trust, that couldn’t break through all the love, that was incommunicable. And final.

This is why every “Why did she wait till now?” or “Why did she keep silent” puts a finger in my wound, deepening it and dredging through space and time, yet unable to bring about any words. However, even though so many courageous women — supported by each other — decided to speak out about the sexual violence and rape they’ve experienced, there’s little space for silence and it’s the survivors who are solely entitled to it.

When the wall of silence falls

Earlier this year, in mid-January, one of the survivors decided to break the silence.

Belgrade-based actress Milena Radulović reported her former acting teacher Miroslav Mika Aleksić for rape that — according to her — had taken place on several different occasions nine years ago. Back then, Milena was a 17-year-old attending the “Stvar srca” [“Matter of the Heart”] acting school run by this — tentatively speaking — educator.

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

International

  Lunić: It is understandable why Serbia wants KFOR to stay in Kosovo (EWB)

SARAJEVO – It is understandable that Serbia wants KFOR to stay in Kosovo, given that the latest report of the OSCE Mission shows that there has been an increase in incidents, said Nikola Lunić, Executive Director of the Council of Strategic Policy in an interview with the Oslobođenje portal.

Speaking about Serbia’s cooperation with NATO, Lunić stated that building interoperability is in the interest of acting in multinational operations, exercises and Serbia’s contribution to the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy.

“Cooperation in the field of civil protection and emergency situations enables us to gain useful experience, improve structures and raise national and regional capabilities for responding to natural disasters and other emergency situations”, Lunić says.

In addition, he believes that the lack of military cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans only raises the level of mistrust, which leads to unnecessary political tensions.

Lunić explains that cooperation within the NATO program “Science for Peace” is important for Serbia, where young scientists are engaged through various projects.

See more at:https://bit.ly/2NXttNH Kosovo Visa Liberalization Not in Portuguese Council Presidency Agenda Either (schengenvisainfo.com)

The Portuguese Presidency of the European Union Council, which started its work in January, and will hold the Presidency until the end of June, has failed to include the issue of visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens in its agenda.

Previously, five other EU Council Presidencies have not dealt with the issue: Austria (July-December, 2018), Romania (January-June, 2019) which doesn’t even recognise Kosovo as a country, Finland (July-December, 2019), Croatia (January-June, 2020) and Germany (July-December 2020) which Kosovo considers as one of its most powerful allies.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2MU2CBS French citizens’ convictions against enlargement are not firmly held (EWB)

PARIS – A majority of people in France are opposed to the Western Balkan countries joining the EU, but for most this issue is not a salient one and attitudes are not firmly held, shows the new research on French public opinion on EU membership of the Western Balkans „It’s the EU, Not Western Balkan Enlargement” conducted by the Open Society European Policy Institute.

The research found that approval or disapproval of Western Balkan enlargement is most closely associated with overall evaluations of the state of the EU, feelings of political control, and to an extent with attitudes towards previous rounds of EU enlargement, rather than with factual knowledge of the Western Balkans or explicit worries concerning them.

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

Humanitarian/Development

  Kosovo film wins three awards at Sundance Film Festival (Prishtina Insight)

‘Hive’, the debut feature film by Kosovo filmmaker Blerta Basholli, has broken records at the Sundance Film Festival, winning three of the five awards available in the World Cinema Dramatic category at the US’ leading independent film festival. 

Hive was awarded the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize, while Basholli also picked up the Directing Award. Through a video message, Basholli said that being awarded by her favourite festival was “indescribably important” to her.

‘Hive’ is based on the life of Fahrije Hoti, a Kosovo Albanian woman whose husband went missing following a massacre by Serbian forces in the village of Krushe e Madhe on March 25, 1999. 

Basholli stated in her acceptance speech that she wished to share the awards with the film’s crew, but especially with Hoti, “whom I’ve held in my heart from the first moment I met her, and is an example for all of us.”

See more at: https://bit.ly/2Myaf0J Varhelyi and Viola Von Cramon tackle issue of illegally kept lion in Gnjilane (KoSSev)

The wellbeing of a lion kept illegally in a restaurant in Gnjilane, then transferred to the Crni vrh resort in the Shara mountains, is currently being considered by the European Commission. This decision was reached after Viola von Cramon raised the issue with this institution and Oliver Varhelyi responded on behalf of the EC, KoSSev portal reports.

In November last year, animal lovers and the public were greatly disturbed after a photo showing an exhausted lion locked up in a tiny cage emerged. The illegally kept lion was discovered in November of 2019 in a resort in Gnjilane after the lion was most likely smuggled into Kosovo.

On November 8th, 2020, the Kosovo Animal Rights Foundation recalled the inhumane conditions the lion had been living in for a whole year.

The efforts of animal protection associations and activists in ensuring that the lion is adequately cared for led to the animal being transferred to a resort in the Shara mountains and placed in a small space that was adapted as a temporary solution.

Judging by the criticism by animal protection activists, there were no permanent solutions from the competent Kosovo Ministry of Economy and Environment or other institutions.

See more at: https://bit.ly/2YDTxzo