Belgrade Media Report 19 March
LOCAL PRESS
Vucic-Merkel video meeting: Fast dialogue resumption (Tanjug/Beta/B92/RTS/RTV)
Brnabic: If needed, the state of emergency will last four months (Tanjug/B92)
Stefanovic: Thousands of potentially infected come to Serbia: 25.000 people in self-isolation (TV Prva/Tanjug)
Government suspends international passenger traffic from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport until further notice (Tanjug/Beta)
Number of coronavirus cases rises to 97 in Serbia (N1)
Army of Serbia secures borders, migrant centers, hospitals, airports (Beta)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Thirty-nine confirmed coronavirus cases in B&H more than 15,000 under medical supervision (FTV)
B&H Presidency adopts decision on engagement of B&H Armed Forces (BHT1)
Dodik: Set up check point of our police at each border crossing; It is high time this was done at inter-entity boundary line as well (RTRS)
Extraordinary session of B&H Coordination Body for Protection and Rescue held (O kanal)
Federation of B&H Civil Protection Headquarters introduces two new measures due to coronavirus pandemic (FTV)
SC government adopts decision to declare state of natural and other disaster in SC (N1)
USC Crisis Headquarters bans work of restaurants, coffee bars and other services due to coronavirus pandemic (BHT1)
Border police officer arrested for allowing persons from countries with COVID-19 to enter B&H in return for money (ATV)
Minimum of 6,000 people receive decision on isolation in B&H (Hayat)
Croatia
President Milanovic addresses the nation on Coronavirus crisis (Hina)
In Croatia, 99 are infected with coronavirus (HRT)
Montenegro
Montenegro guarantees protection and assistance (CDM)
Six new cases of coronavirus in Montenegro (CDM)
New measures of Montenegro’s Ministry of Health (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia
Pendarovski: The fact that we are declaring a state of emergency for the first time indicates how complex the situation in the country is (Republika)
Osmani: EU reaches consensus to launch accession talks with North Macedonia (MIA)
Seven new coronavirus cases confirmed Wednesday evening, total number of patients in Macedonia rises to 42 (Republika)
Albania
As of today, only 6 hours of pedestrian traffic permitted in Albania (Oranews)
Number of Coronavirus cases in Albania reaches 64 (ADN)
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES
China is winning the coronavirus propaganda war (Politico)
Read More →UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 19, 2020
Albanian Language Media:
• Haradinaj does not rule out joining a technical government (media)
• EP Rapporteur warns against non-confidence motion (Koha)
• NATO Chief requests lifting of tariff and resumption of dialogue (RTK)
• LVV continues to ignore no confidence motion (Express)
• Veliu: LDK does not allow breach of partnership with U.S., Kurti is a coward (RTK)
• Number of coronavirus cases in Kosovo reaches 20 (RFE)
• Daniel Serwer writes a letter to President Thaci (RTK)
Serbian Language Media:
• In Serbia, eight new cases of coronavirus – a total of 97 (B92, covid19.rs)
• Brnabic: If needed, state of emergency could last four months (B92, Tanjug)
• RFE: Agreement reached on Lajcak as EU Special Representative (Kontakt plus radio, RTK2)
• Stoltenberg: Tariffs on Serbian goods not helpful, NATO operational in coronavirus circumstances (Tanjug, Kosovo-online)
• Rakic responds to Bahtiri: In sea of Bahtiri’s lies, only true thing is that he did not get permit from us (Kosovo-online)
• Vucic and Merkel’s video meeting: Fast dialogue resumption (Tanjug, B92)
• Radovic: Kosovo police are proceeding according to an operational plan (KoSSev)
• Fabrizi: EU will continue helping Serbia (FoNet, N1, Blic)
Opinion:
• Listening To The Pandemic: Time To Get Real (Balkan Insight)
International:
• Kosovo’s Crisis-Hit Govt Threatened with No-Confidence Vote (Balkan Insight)
• Belgrade Streets Empty as Serbian Curfew Begins (Balkan Insight)
• The Latest: Serbia closes main airport for passenger flights (wboc.com)
Humanitarian/Development:
• As Cities Around the World Go on Lockdown, Victims of Domestic Violence Look For A Way Out (time.com)
Read More →UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 19
LDK initiates motion of no confidence (media)
Prime Minister Kurti press conference (media)
Veseli: PDK will soon decide on no-confidence motion (Indeksonline)
Osmani: Me and Lumir Abdixhiku were against the motion (media)
Kurti and Risi discuss security implications of COVID-19 (RTK)
Merkel and Vucic for reopening of Kosovo-Serbia dialogue as soon as possible (media)