• The number of persons recovered from COVID-19 reaches ten (media)
• Two correctional service officials test positive for coronavirus (media)
• WHO: Kosovo to take speedy measures, situation can worsen (media)
• Kurti: Reciprocity towards Serbia to be gradually implemented (media)
• President Hashim Thaci's interview to T7
• Thaci to continue with consultation of political parties today (media)
• Hasani: Thaci should nominate winning party to form institutions (Kallxo/KTV)
• German Ambassador hails tariff removal (media)
• France welcomes tariff removal (media)
• Italy welcomes removal of tariff (media)
• Von Cramon to Thaci: Don’t play around with Constitution while people are dying (Koha)
• Abazi claims he does not understand actions of LDK leadership (RTK)
• Haziri: Tariff lifted without any coordination (media)
• PDK: Kurti is lying to the public about reciprocity measures (media)

 Kosovo Media Highlights

The number of persons recovered from COVID-19 reaches ten (media)

Media report that the number of the infected with COVID-19 in Kosovo is 133. The most recent ones are cases of contact, 11 of them from Topanica, one from Pristina and one from Gjakova.

Gazeta Express quoted Kamenica mayor Qendron Kastrati as saying that among the affected from Topanica, is a five-month baby.

Media report that a male patient from Mitrovica North born in 1973 has passed away on Wednesday in Nis, Serbia. Director of the Mitrovica North hospital Milan Ivanovic informed that the two patients transferred on Sunday to Nis ‘went on their own feet, and were in a good condition.’

However Kosovo’s National Public Health Institute gave also a good news that the total number of the healed from the virus has reached 10. Two of them are from Gjilan, one from Suhareka, and the rest from Shtime.

The total number of infected cases in Kosovo currently stands at 133.

Two correctional service officials test positive for coronavirus (media)

Kosovo's Correctional Service announced that 31 of its staff working at the detention centre in Mitrovica have undergone testing for coronavirus and that two have resulted positive.

The two officials have been placed on self-isolation.

The Correctional Service said that although there are no indications that any of the detainees in the facility is affected by Covid-19, they have sent a request to the Kosovo's National Institute for Public Health to test 48 detainees.

At the same time, director of the Kosovo's Correctional Service, Nehat Thaci, told RTV Dukagjini that the two infected officials are in a stable condition and that it is thought they got infected at a wedding in Zvecan on 14 March.

WHO: Kosovo to take speedy measures, situation can worsen (media)

Several online media outlets quote Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme and team leader for the international containment and treatment of COVID-19, as saying in response to a question from a Kosovo health portal that the healthcare sector in Kosovo is still in a difficult position.

Ryan said he was in Kosovo for several months to assist efforts in rebuilding the health sector and that he was aware of the challenges.

"Healthcare system in Kosovo has many shortcomings but it has dedicated and hardworking professionals. However, we need to make sure that the oversight of the cases is good. Kosovo should have an active detection system for cases and increase capacities to overcome the situation," Ryan said.

He added that Kosovo needs to take swift steps to be able to cope with the coronavirus situation as it can deteriorate in the coming period.

Kurti: Reciprocity towards Serbia to be gradually implemented (media)

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti said that reciprocity is a universally acknowledged principle in the international law and that the government’s decision to introduce reciprocity instead of the 100-percent tariff on Serbia will be implemented gradually.

He said that the people of Kosovo should be treated equally and without prejudices and that “there is no legitimate or legal reason to accept the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo and our authorities be discriminated and obstructed when they need to interact with authorities of Serbia in the trade, civil, or other inter-state area.”

Kurti said that since the CEFTA agreement aimed at elimination of trade barriers between the signatory parties entered into force, Serbia has applied a range of trade barriers towards Kosovo and has thus harmed Kosovo exporters and importers.

“Implementation of reciprocity measures by the Republic of Kosovo authorities will be gradual and a proportional response to the behavior of Serbia’s authorities,” Kurti wrote on Facebook.

President Hashim Thaci's interview to T7

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, in an interview to T7 on Wednesday evening, said he had no role in the no-confidence motion against the Kurti-led government.

"I had nothing to do with it," Thaci said. "I was not even in the Assembly. Members of the Kosovo Assembly used their constitutional and legal right. It is a matter of the MPs why they have mentioned my name. Their bitter experience with me in the elections has left its mark."

Thaci said there will never be any land swap between Kosovo and Serbia and that he has never discussed this. "There will never be any land swap or autonomy. All these options are out of the question. Kosovo will safeguard its territorial integrity. The border delineation will happen, the same way it happened with Montenegro. There will be no partition or another Republika Srpska. Not with me on the table. There is no bigger guarantee on the table than the United States," he said.

Thaci also said that after his mandate expires he plans to withdraw from politics. "I will work on something else, outside of politics," he said.

See more: https://bit.ly/3dXi5Kq

Thaci to continue with consultation of political parties today (media)

The President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci met on Wednesday with the leaders of the Vetevendosje Movement, the Democratic League of Kosovo and the Democratic Party of Kosovo, to discuss further steps after the motion of no-confidence on the government.

Today Thaci will continue with the consultations. He will meet the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) Ramush Haradinaj at 10:00 hours, Leader of the Serbian List Goran Rakic at 10:30, Leader of the Social-Democratic Initiative Fatmir Limaj at 11:00 and representatives of the 6 Plus parliamentary group at 11:30.

Gazeta Express quotes Thaci as saying that after these meetings, he will announce his position on whether there is going to be a new government or new elections today.

He added that he will act in complete compliance with the Constitution of Kosovo.

Hasani: Thaci should nominate winning party to form institutions (Kallxo/KTV)

Former President of the Constitutional Court, Enver Hasani, told KTV that President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci should not be holding consultative meetings with political parties without nominating the winning party in last elections to form new institutions.

"Holding consultations with other political parties represents a violation of the constitutional standard set out and interpreted by the Constitutional Court ruling of 2014," Hasani said.

German Ambassador hails tariff removal (media)

The German Ambassador to Kosovo, Christian Heldt, tweeted on Wednesday that Germany welcomes the decision of Kosovo's acting government led by Prime Minister Kurti to completely lift tariffs against goods from Serbia and BIH, introduced 2018. This is an important precondition for resumption of normalization dialogue. Task now to gradually rebuild trust for the EU-led process to start soon".

Held said that "existing grievances like non-tariff barriers should be settled by both countries within existing EU-facilitated dialogue framework".

"The EU has offered support here which should be taken up to create level playing field for goods from both sides now," he added.

Heldt also said that "all countries, also Kosovo and Serbia, facing unprecedented challenges with COVID19. This is not the time for political maneuvering, but to focus on overcoming the health crisis for population. Regional cooperation of utmost importance in this context. #inthistogether."

France welcomes tariff removal (media)

The French Embassy in Prishtina issued a statement on Wednesday welcoming the tariff removal.

"France welcomes the decision of the caretaker Government of Kosovo led by Albin Kurti to completely lift the tariffs against Serbian and Bosnian products, which were introduced in November 2018. This is an important precondition for the resumption of the normalization dialogue with Serbia. The task is now to gradually rebuild trust so that the EU-led negotiations can start soon."

"Existing grievances, concerning non-tariff trade barriers, for example, should be settled in the framework of the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which the EU facilitates."

"All countries, including Serbia and Kosovo, are facing enormous challenges vis-à-vis the new COVID-19 virus. This is not the time for political maneuvering. Both governments should focus all their efforts on overcoming the health crisis. Regional cooperation is of high importance in this context."

Italy welcomes removal of tariff (media)

The Ambassador of Italy to Kosovo, Nicola Orlando, took to Twitter on Wednesday to say that "Italy welcomes Kosovo’s 100% tariffs removal. EU-facilitated dialogue must now resume as soon as possible. All pending issues with Serbia must be addressed within this framework. Fight against Coronavirus demands joint efforts and cooperation."

Von Cramon to Thaci: Don’t play around with Constitution while people are dying (Koha)

 The European Parliament Rapporteur Viola Von Cramon sent a message to the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci.

“The president of #Kosova @HashimThaciRKS should think twice whether it is smart to dismiss the current government. In times of the crisis u need a functioning government in place. “Don’t play around with the constitution”, while people are dying. Would be my advice #COVIDー19,” she wrote on her Twitter account.

Also through Twitter, von Cramon congratulated the decision of the acting government to lift the 100 percent tariff on the goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Abazi claims he does not understand actions of LDK leadership (RTK)

Acting Deputy Prime Minister Haki Abazi accused members of LDK for parallel agendas during the governing coalition.

“I do not understand Mr. Hyseni’s going to the U.S.I also do not understand Mr. Hoti’s going to Munich. If someone wants to summarize the actions, then it is obvious that there was an attempt to create a parallel governing agenda,” he said.

Speaking about the recent decision of the Constitutional Court with regards to the curfew, Abazi said that it was a contradictory decision.  ‘We did not violate the Constitution. Extension until 13 April shows that we did the right thing.”

Haziri: Tariff lifted without any coordination (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) deputy leader and Gjilan Mayor, Lutfi Haziri, reacted on Wednesday to the removal of the import tariff on Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The tariff was lifted without any coordination, especially with the U.S. government. I don’t see that it has given any oxygen to the grave political situation. Even though another government fell because of the tariff, today's decision will have consequences," Haziri said.

PDK: Kurti is lying to the public about reciprocity measures (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) reacted to the decision of the Kosovo’s caretaker government to lift the tariff on Serbian goods and replace it with reciprocity measures calling it ‘ridiculous.’

“Populist actions and ridiculous decisions of a dismissed prime minister are pitiful,” PDK said in a statement accusing acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti of undermining the seriousness of Kosovo and playing with the sentiments of its people.

“We call on the government to play its constitutional caretaking role, especially in battling the COVID-19 pandemic and in the emergency aid to the country’s economy.”