Belgrade Media Report 8 August 2022
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Monday 8 August 2022
LOCAL PRESS
• Brnabic: Serbia cherishes remembrance of its victims (RTS)
• US strongly supports Belgrade-Pristina dialogue with EU mediation (Tanjug/RTS)
• Serbia committed to stronger cooperation with Colombia (Politika/Tanjug)
• Selakovic: Principled position of Paraguay, Brasil and Salvador regarding Kosovo and Metohija (RTV/Tanjug)
• Selakovic attends inauguration of Colombian President (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Serbs want ZSO, not documents of false state of Kosovo (Tanjug/RTV)
• Petkovic: I hope Pristina will take following dialogue seriously (RTS)
• Brnabic: SNS consultations on PM designate, government to begin on Monday (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)
• Escobar: Talks on formation of Community of Serb Municipalities must begin (Tanjug)
• Mojsilovic visits Mrce Base in Ground Safety Zone (RTS)
• People’s Party requests extraordinary parliament session on Kosovo (FoNet)
• Russian journalist detained in Kosovo for espionage released from custody (N1)
• Detention of Russian journalist Aslamova in Kosovo and Metohija is a provocation (Sputnik/Tanjug/RTV)
• Shots fired towards Zubin Potok (N1/KoSSev)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Escobar briefs press about relations between Kosovo and Serbia; Escobar says US will support B&H government formed after free elections; Escobar says US supports OHR and changes to Election Law imposed by Schmidt (AJB)
• Six US senators suggest adoption of law to enable NATO to deploy military mission to B&H in case Russia blocks extension of EUFOR’s mandate in November this year (O Kanal)
• Dodik: Initiative of US senators to ensure that NATO deploys military mission in B&H is occupation and unnecessary escalation of tensions (ATV)
• 2022 General Elections (BHT1/Oslobodjenje)
• Kristo meets Plenkovic, general elections in B&H was one of special topics of the meeting (Dnevni list)
• Covic congratulates Oluja anniversary (Dnevni avaz)
Croatia
• Croatia marks Day of Victory and Patriotic Gratitude, Day of Croatian Veterans and 27th anniversary of Operation Oluja (HRT1)
• Prime Minister and President dismiss Serbian insults after 5 August celebrations (HRT1)
• Izetbegovic: We will not succumb before pressures and blackmails (Jutarnji list)
• Noah Gal Gendler: State of Israel supports proposals of Croat side regarding electoral legislation changes (Vecernji list)
Montenegro
• Agreement with the Church of Serbia legally void, says Vujanovic (Gradska RTV)
• EU Delegation in Montenegro: Every act of broad public interest should be the subject of adequate consultations (Antena M/Pobjeda)
• Nikolic: Government has to fall in order to unblock EU integration process (RTCG)
• Montenegro supported the new package of EU sanctions against Russia (RTCG)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Escobar: North Macedonians are Europeans, historically they are Europeans, culturally they are Europeans (MIA)
• Work for citizens of countries of Open Balkans without visas and work permits (MIA)
• IPSOS poll: VMRO-DPMNE will win early elections by a margin of nearly 200 thousand votes compared to SDSM (Republika)
Albania
• Begaj meets China’s Ambassador to Albania Zhou Ding, exchanging views on Chinese-Albanian relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields (Radio Tirana)
• EU Ambassador in Tirana: Albania has started a new chapter towards the EU! The opening of negotiations offers great opportunities (Radio Tirana)
• Analyst Richard Kremer: Albania and North Macedonia part of the European family in 2030 (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 8, 2022
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 8, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• PM Kurti for RFE: Situation in north could have escalated into armed conflict
• PM Kurti interview with La Repubblica
• Joseph: Open Balkan undermines the Berlin Process (Deutsche Welle)
• Turkish President Erdogan to visit Balkans next month (Klan Kosova)
• Two deaths and 331 new cases with COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Pristina claims licence plates not topic of 18 August meeting, Escobar, journalists think otherwise (KoSSev)
• I expect Brussels meeting to be constructive, Brnabic tells Hill (Tanjug)
• Peoples’ Party (NS) demands extraordinary Parliament session on Kosovo (KoSSev)
• Russian journalist declared ‘persona non grata’, banned from visiting Kosovo (KoSSev, Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List: Do not fall for Pristina’s provocations (RTS)
• Rohde responds to Petkovic (Kosovo Online)
• Insulting graffiti and swear-words written in Donja Brnjica (Radio KIM)
• State Secretary Starovic: Kurti’s behaviour pattern unlikely to change (N1)
• Selakovic attends inauguration of new Colombian President (N1)
• Global Firepower: Serbia ranks 61 on Global Firepower index (N1)
• Brnabic: SNS consultations on PM designate, gov’t to begin on Monday (N1)
International:
• ‘Spying’ Russian Journalist Rejected by Kosovo Back in Serbia (BIRN)
• ‘It’s a privilege to represent my country’: Dua Lipa is made an Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo by President Vjosa Osmani (Daily Mail)
• Wild east: five Balkan countries to discover for your next holiday (The Guardian)
• Bangs for Bucks: Serbian Arms Dealer Makes Mockery of US Sanctions – Again (BIRN)
Humanitarian/Development:
• Broken dreams’ of Murdered Women Become Mural in Prishtina (Prishtina Insight)
• Joksimovic: EU approves 223.7 million Euro grant for projects in Serbia (N1)
• Saudi Arabia approves meat, milk imports from Serbia (Tanjug)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, August 8, 2022
• Borrell confirms invitation to Vucic and Kurti to discuss way forward (Koha)
• Kosovo pledges no talks with Serbia two topics that activated the north (Koha)
• PM Kurti says “criminal gangs” behind attack against police in north (media)
• EULEX chief condemns attack against police in the north (media)
• Interior Minister Svecla visits Bernjak border crossing (Kallxo)
• Russian reporter Daria Aslamova declared persona non grata in Kosovo (media)
• Kandic: Regions where Delic operated, over 2,000 civilians killed (RTK)
• Dua Lipa Thrills Fans Performing on First Day of Sunny Hill (BIRN)
• ‘Sunny Hill was kept where it belongs’, Kurti receives Dua Lipa (euronews.al)
• 618 new cases, one death from COVID-19 in last 24 hours (media)