Belgrade Media Report 17 May 2021
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Monday 17 May 2021
LOCAL PRESS
Vulin: Serbia expects Russia’s support in preventing any changes in the mandate of KFOR and UNMIK (RTS/Tanjug)
Dacic: Request from withdrawal of KFOR more of a threat than realistic (TV Pink/RTV/Tanjug)
Pahor: EU underestimates emotions in Western Balkans (Tanjug)
Fifth session of the Committee on Kosovo and Metohija held (Serbian parliament)
NATO: All decisions about KFOR are consensual (EurActiv/Beta)
New non-paper: Kosovo remains in Serbia for 99 years, special status envisaged? (Tanjug/B92)
Working group for dialogue without foreign mediation formed (Tanjug/RTS/NSPM)
Holy Synod of Bishops of SPC to start on 24 May (RTS)
Cvijanovic: Peaceful dissolution can be an option (Politika)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Dodik attends Delphi Economic Forum in Athens, says there is no other country in which High Representative decides on internal issues (Hayat)
Dodik says basis for peaceful dissolution of B&H was made in DPA (Srna)
Brdo-Brijuni Process will take place on Monday; Pahor: This may be chance to make something new for peace, stability in region; Dzaferovic: No talks about B&H outside of B&H; Pejanovic: Change of borders will not be on agenda (RTRS)
Cubrilovic does not expect concrete solutions from meeting of Brdo-Brijuni Process (Nezavisne/N1)
Kalabukhov says Russia’s principled position is that OHR should be closed and that Russia will not support Schmidt’s appointment to post of HR (N1)
Brkic holds phone conversation with Palmer and Murphy to discuss current political situation in B&H, B&H’s NATO path and changes to election legislation (Oslobodjenje)
Covic: B&H Election Law will be adopted by end of June with limited corrections of Constitution of B&H; There will be compromises but not about legitimate representation of peoples (RTV HB)
CoE, EU Delegation to B&H, OSCE Mission and UN to B&H say more has to be done in B&H (Oslobodjenje)
US soldiers who will participate in ‘Immediate Response 21’ military exercise arrive to Sarajevo (Nova BH)
‘Immediate Response 21’ military exercise serves as topic of political clashes in RS (Nova BH)
Netanyahu thanks B&H and other countries for supporting Israel in latest conflict with Palestinians; Dzaferovic, Turkovic: B&H does not and cannot support killing of innocent civilians in Gaza (O kanal)
Croatia
Citizens elect representatives in local elections (Hina)
Milanovic supports EU integration of Western Balkans as soon as possible (Hina)
Montenegro
Krivokapic to Lajcak: I believe Montenegro will be next EU member state (CdM)
Albania
April elections, first boxes to be reopened amid manipulation claims (ADN)
Conflict with Palestine, Israel’s PM thanks Albania for support against ‘terrorist attacks’ (ADN)
Plane with 267 American soldiers arrived at Rinas Airport (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2021
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, May 17, 2021
Albanian Language Media:
• COVID-19: 25 new cases, one death (media)
• Hoti: About 10 thousand citizens were vaccinated during the weekend (media)
• Kurti: For 55 days of government, we have done a lot of work (media)
• Trendafilova: KSC is not an ethnic court, victims are of different ethnic backgrounds (Klan)
• President Osmani met with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic (RTK)
• Gresa Caka-Nimani elected president of the Constitutional Court (media)
• Protest in front of Ministry against violence of girls in schools (media)
• Kosovo authorities seize over 2 tons of cocaine? (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Seven new cases of Covid-19 registered in Serbian areas on Saturday (Radio KIM)
• Vucic: Serbia has always advocated for inviolability of UN recognized borders (Kosovo-online)
• Stano: The dinner will be a sign of wider political engagement of the EU and the Western Balkans (Tanjug, Kosovo Online)
• Western Balkans leaders’ summit today in Brioni, Vucic after that in Brussels with Stoltenberg (Radio Mitrovica sever, RTS)
• Brnabic-Kurti meeting in Brussels tomorrow, geopolitics on the “menu” of the working dinner (Kosovo Online, Tanjug)
• Serbia’s Vucic will skip Western Balkans leaders’ working dinner in Brussels (N1)
• All municipal boards of the SNS in Kosovo for the removal of Stefanovic from party and state functions (KoSSev)
• Vucic: I would rather lose my head than give up Serbia, seizure of Kosovo is end of everything (KoSSev)
• Enthronement of Patriarch Porfirije in Pec Patriarchate postponed (KoSSev)
• Bishop Teodosije requested OSCE support for survival of Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo (RTS)
• Montenegro is not sending infantry platoon to KFOR (KoSSev)
• Dacic: Request for KFOR withdrawal more threat, than it is realistic (Kosovo-online)
• Health ministry official: More than 42 percent fully vaccinated in Serbia (N1)
• Petkovic: Kurti deceives public with statements on lawsuit against Belgrade (Kosovo-online)
International:
• Catalysing anti-corruption in the WB achievable only by an alliance of stakeholders, latest report highlights (EWB)
• Montenegro Scraps Plan to Join NATO Mission in Kosovo (Balkan Insight)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Another “weekend” series of domestic violence and violence against women (KoSSev)
• PM Brnabic: Celebrations as of June 21 if 50 pct of population is vaccinated (N1)
• How IDAHOBIT came to Kosovo (Kosovo 2.0)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, May 17, 2021
• COVID-19: 47 new cases, 3 deaths (media)
• Kurti to travel to Brussels this week (media)
• Osmani to participate in Brdo-Brijuni process (media)
• Dialogue and regional cooperation, criteria for approximation with EU (Koha)
• Haziri: Dialogue, only way to resolve problem with Serbia (media)
• “Serbia demanding broad autonomy for Serb-majority areas in Kosovo” (RFE)
• Serwer: Serbia can still be sued for genocide in Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• LDK slams Kosovo Government’s foreign policy strategy (media)
• Kosovo Government says Israel has a right to defend itself (Express)
• Palokaj: We dream about the day when NATO would leave Kosovo (Koha)
• Robelli: Russian and Serbian special war through “Zuerst” (Koha)
• Protest today for safety of girls in schools (media)