• Four new cases of Covid-19, 43 recoveries (media)
• The declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb (media)
• Thaci wants visa liberalisation, candidate status for Kosovo (media)
• Kurti: Elections after pandemic the only way forward (media)
• Mustafa: We want a pro-European Kosovo, in friendship with U.S. (media)
• Kurti: No dialogue with maps, no agreement on partition (Express)
• Sources: Kurti complains to Pence that Thaci misinformed Grenell (media)
• Court says it will make merited decision on Thaci’s decree (Lajmi)
• PDK calls for resignation of government ministers (media)
• Hoxhaj: No to debates on whether we side more with U.S. or Europe (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

Four new cases of Covid-19, 43 recoveries (media)

National Institute of Public Health announced that four new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed on Wednesday in Kosovo.

Of the new cases, two are from Prizren municipality, one from Rahovec and one from Leposavic municipality.

The Institute said that on Wednesday, 432 samples were tested of which four resulted positive for coronavirus. At the same time, yesterday, 43 patients were declared as having recovered.

The declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb (media)

Several news websites carry the declaration adopted at the European Union – Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb on Wednesday.

Koha notes that the declaration reconfirms the European perspective of the Western Balkans and that it welcomed the appointment of Miroslav Lajcak as Special Representative for the Belgrade – Prishtina Dialogue.

In a similar tone, Telegrafi reports that the Summit confirms the EU’s commitment to the region and the commitment of countries in the region for a European future. Kallxo reports in its coverage that EU leaders pledged they will support Western Balkans countries in their fight against the COVID – 19 pandemic and that they called on Western Balkans to combat corruption and organised crime.

Read the full declaration in the following link: https://bit.ly/3bdaRz4

Thaci wants visa liberalisation, candidate status for Kosovo (media)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci said in his address to the EU – Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb through a video conference that the EU must urgently to adopt visa liberalisation for Kosovo. 

“20 years ago, at the Zagreb Summit the European perspective of Kosovo and the Balkans was confirmed. It is regrettable to hear the same commitment today but without a decision on visa liberalisation. In fact, even without the candidate status for membership in the EU, despite the fact that we have met all the requirements,” Thaci said. “The EU and member states have the power to change this negative trend. I called on them to show leadership and readiness to bring Kosovo closer to the European Union”. 

Kurti: Elections after pandemic the only way forward (media)

Acting Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti took part in a video conference hosted by the Group of European Socialists and Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament aimed at addressing challenges relating to Covid-19 pandemic, the political situation and cooperation in the Western Balkans.

In his remarks, Kurti spoke about measures that the government of Kosovo has taken to fight the spread of Covid-19 while with regards to the political situation, Kurti informed the participants about what he said was President of Kosovo's unconstitutional decision to form a government with parties that have not won elections.

He underlined that the only way forward is for Kosovo to hold elections once the threat of the pandemic is over. Kurti said elections will be the only way to respect the will of the people expressed on 6 October of last year.

Mustafa: We want a pro-European Kosovo, in friendship with U.S. (media)

Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) leader Isa Mustafa participated through a video conference at the Zagreb Summit on Wednesday. Mustafa participated at the summit as leader of LDK which is member of the European People's Party.

He said his party has clearly laid out its orientation for a pro-European Kosovo and a permanent friendship with the United States of America. 

Kurti: No dialogue with maps, no agreement on partition (Express)

The Kosovo Government led by Albin Kurti deems unacceptable any discussions that may involve border changes. Government representatives told the news website on Wednesday that there can be no dialogue with maps or any agreement that would include changes to the borders of the Republic of Kosovo. 

EU High Representative Josep Borrell in an interview with media from the Western Balkans did not rule out the idea of border changes between Kosovo and Serbia, saying that it is not up to the EU to tell the Serbs and Kosovars what they or should not agree upon. 

A spokesman for the Kosovo Government meanwhile said that talks on borders are unacceptable. “With regards to Mr. Borrell’s statement, the Government stresses that dialogue needs to be based on principles. We have already said what our position is on the issue: no agreement without dialogue and no dialogue with maps. For the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, discussions on the borders of the Republic of Kosovo as a premise for an agreement are unacceptable and so is any agreement that could have such an outcome,” the spokesman said. “Border changes, as a euphemism for territorial changes and the division of Kosovo is unacceptable and we will never allow this to happen”. 

Sources: Kurti complains to Pence that Thaci misinformed Grenell (media)

Citing unnamed sources, Klan Kosova reported on Wednesday that Kosovo’s acting Prime Minister, Albin Kurti, has sent a letter to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, allegedly complaining that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has misinformed the US Presidential Envoy for the Kosovo – Serbia Dialogue, Richard Grenell. 

Later in the day, Kurti’s office confirmed to Kallxo news website that Kurti has sent a letter to Pence. The letter was sent in mid-April and Kurti expressed his concerns over President Hashim Thaci’s plan for a land swap and for not properly informing Grenell. “He (Prime Minister Albin Kurti) did no complain about Ambassador Grenell, but rather expressed his concerns over President Thaci’s plans for a land swap, a euphemism for Kosovo’s partition, and for not properly informing Ambassador Grenell,” Kurti’s office said in its reply. 

An advisor to President Thaci took to Facebook to argue that Kurti’s letter “is another insult for the United States”. 

Court says it will make merited decision on Thaci’s decree (Lajmi)

The Constitutional Court said in a written reply to the news website on Wednesday that it is treating with urgency and priority the request of the Vetevendosje Movement to interpret President Hashim Thaci’s decree for a new government. The Court said in its reply that it will make a merited decision on the subject but mentioned no date. 

PDK calls for resignation of government ministers (media)

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) argued on Wednesday that the quarantine at the student dormitory in Prishtina “is being done in an abusive and irresponsibly way”, news websites report.

PDK representative Valdete Idrizi told a press conference that “the management at the dormitory has failed miserably and that people need to be held accountable”. “The PDK calls for a stop to the abuses. We call on the prosecution to conduct investigations at the dormitory. The investigations must be transparent, and the respective ministers must resign,” she said. 

Hoxhaj: No to debates on whether we side more with U.S. or Europe (media)

Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) senior official and former Kosovo Foreign Minister, Enver Hoxhaj, said in a debate on RTK on Wednesday that “we must not allow debates on whether Kosovo sides more with the United States or with Europe”.

“Those that make the decisions are at The White House, at the National Security Council and the Department of State, and all of them are in regular contact with Brussels and Borrell, although I have my reservations about the latter. The same are in communication with Angela Merkel and in direct touch with Paris,” Hoxhaj said.