• 49 cases of coronavirus in last 24 hours (media)
• Health minister says mass testing will get underway soon (media)
• “Lajcak’s visit is effort for EU to resume role in dialogue” (Koha)
• Tusk to Hoti: Dialogue with Belgrade to restart with new energy (media)
• Dacic: We’re not optimistic on agreement with Kosovo (media)
• AP: Putin suggests he was key in Kosovo airport occupation (Zeri)
• KSF to launch military academy recruitment campaign (media)
• Association of journalists condemns threats against reporter (media)

Kosovo Media Highlights

49 cases of coronavirus in last 24 hours (media)

Kosovo’s National Institute for Public Health said in a statement on Sunday evening that 49 new cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the last 24 hours.

The new cases are from the municipalities of Vushtrri, Peja, Prishtina, Gjilan, Prizren, Istog, Mitrovica and Fushe Kosove.

Health minister says mass testing will get underway soon (media)

Kosovo's Health Minister Armend Zemaj spoke to reporters about the increasing number of coronavirus cases in Kosovo over the recent weeks and said that lockdown measures will not be reintroduced as a response. He said however that mass testing will get underway in the coming days.

Zemaj also said that there are ongoing discussions about the reopening of the Pristina Airport and noted that they have increased capacities for handling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Lajcak’s visit is effort for EU to resume role in dialogue” (Koha)

 The TV station reported on Sunday that EU Special Representative for the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, is scheduled to visit Kosovo and Serbia soon, as part of efforts to resume talks between the two countries. According to Koha, Lajcak will stay in Prishtina on Tuesday, where he will meet with the leaders of state institutions.

Local political commentators argue that Lajcak’s visit to Prishtina is part of efforts by the European Union to resume a facilitating role in the process of dialogue.

The Office of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has not said if the President will maintain his position not to meet with Lajcak if the EU does not give visa liberalisation to Kosovo.

Tusk to Hoti: Dialogue with Belgrade to restart with new energy (media)

President of the European People's Party and former President of European Council, Donald Tusk, wrote a letter to Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti congratulating him on the new post and noting that his appointment comes at a time when Kosovo is facing major challenges in regards to the Covid-19 pandemic and its repercussions as well as the need for political reconciliation in the region.

"Dialogue with Belgrade must also be restarted with new energy; indeed, there seems to be now a new momentum for this," Tusk wrote.

Dacic: We’re not optimistic on agreement with Kosovo (media)

Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Sunday that success in the process of dialogue depends on Kosovo’s readiness for compromise.

“If they think that the compromise and the solution is that we will simply recognise Kosovo, they must know that this not realistic and that no one can request this,” Dacic said.

Dacic said Belgrade’s objective is for Serbia to protect its national and state interests. “We have engaged in serious negotiations and dialogue must continue,” he said.

Dacic also said that any agreement that is reached must be adopted by the United Nations Security Council.

AP: Putin suggests he was key in Kosovo airport occupation (Zeri)

Zeri carries a story published by the Associated Press's stating that the Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that he was a key figure in the takeover of Kosovo’s airport by Russian troops at the end of the 1999 war.

In an interview shown on state television Sunday, Putin said that as then-head of the country’s security council he was approached about the plan by military general staff chief Gen. Anatoly Kvashnin.

“And I told him: 'If you consider it appropriate, then do it,'” Putin said.

Read the story: https://nyti.ms/2MXAV7N

KSF to launch military academy recruitment campaign (media)

The Kosovo Security Force is planning to launch information campaign next week about recruitment procedures for its military academy.

KSF Commander, Lieutenant General Rrahman Rama, told Kosovapress news agency that the military academy will also be receiving applications from regional countries like Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. The course content of the academy will be in English.

Association of journalists condemns threats against reporter (media)

The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) has strongly condemned an arson attempt of a vehicle owned by a journalist in Mitrovica.

The Association called on relevant authorities to urgently investigate the case saying such threats against journalists are "completely unacceptable."

Journalist Shkumbin Kajtazi wrote on social media that a person tried to put his car on fire by and that he was prevented from doing so by the local residents. According to the journalist, this act was prevented by the local residents.