Belgrade Media Report 14 December
LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic: Western partners must tell us which documents they want to respect (Tanjug)
• Brnabic pleads to EU to help secure Pantic’s release (Tanjug/RTS/RTV/Politika)
• Brnabic appeals to KFOR, EULEX to do their job as Serbs in Kosovo feel unsafe (Beta)
• Brnabic: Escobar too adamantly against valid SC resolutions (Tanjug/RTV)
• Serbia committed to continuing cooperation with UNMIK (Tanjug/RTV)
• Orlic: We can promise we will fight for peace, development (TanjugRTV)
• Odalovic: KFOR’s response may be negative, but Serbia’s request is bringing Resolution 1244 back to life (RTS)
• Petkovic: Delivery of verdict to Ivan Todosijevic was carefully calculated to intimidate Serbs (Tanjug/RTV)
• Serbs have been on the barricades for 5 days now: Night was calm in Kosovo, situation still tense (RTS)
• Continuation of successful cooperation with UNOPS (Tanjug)
• EU Council expects Serbia to align with EU foreign policy (Beta)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• EU General Affairs Council approves granting of candidate status for B&H (AJB)
• Sattler on GAC’s decision: Celebration should begin when everything is finished (FTV)
• B&H officials welcome GAC’s decision (Nova/Dnevni avaz/O Kanal)
• Dodik: Komsic’s policy is policy of lies, there is no NATO path of B&H (Glas Srpske)
• Kovacevic: We are satisfied with process of formation of state authorities (Glas Srpske)
• SNSD’s coalition partners support agreement between SNSD, HDZ B&H and ‘The Eight’ (ATV)
• First session of B&H HoR Collegium held (FTV)
• B&H Court finally receives SNSD’s appeal against decision of B&H CEC on election of fourth delegate from RS in B&H HoP (Nezavisne)
• Alkalaj again acts without consent of Presidency in UNSC re report of MICT; Reactions of RS politicians (RTRS)
Croatia
• Croatian PM: 2022 is the year of delivery (Hina)
Montenegro
• Bilcik and Picula disappointed: Results of voting in parliament might push Montenegro into deeper political crisis and constitutional chaos (CdM)
• EU, Western diplomats call for withdrawal of controversial law in Montenegro (CdM)
• Djeljosaj: Current political elites undermined the state of Montenegro (CdM)
• New candidates for Constitutional Court judges by January end at best (RTCG)
• Bastijancic: Djukanovic returned the President Law to parliament as factual error was made (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Kovachevski: Kosovo events could have negative effects in region, solution lies in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Sitel)
• Kovachevski – Wahl: N. Macedonia prepared to preside over OSCE in 2023 (MIA)
• North Macedonia takes over A5 presidency in 2023 (Kanal 5)
• Osmani meets Djukanovic, Abazovic in Podgorica (MIA)
• Council of EU adopts enlargement conclusions, including on North Macedonia (MIA)
Albania
• Illegal immigrants, Albania and UK in a joint Task Force (Radio Tirana)
• Britain increases investments in Albania to stop the flow of illegal immigrants, bilateral agreements and official exchange signed (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, December 14, 2022
Albanian Language Media:
• Application for Kosovo’s membership in the EU, signed (Koha)
• Kurti: We will submit membership application to Czech presidency of EU in Prague (media)
• Kosovo Police refute Serbian media reports that Pantic was mistreated (media)
• Ministry: No agreement stops special police units from going to the north (RFE)
• Kurti: Foreign investments have increased by 46 percent compared to last year (Kallxo)
• Mehaj: The fourth anniversary of the army finds us with great successes (media)
• Mitrovica North SL assembly members replaced by those from Civic Initiative (media)
• Edita Tahiri: Escobar silenced Kurti (Ekonomia)
• Borrell talks about Thaci: We arrested him while he was still president (media)
• Ukrainian MP sends Zelensky request for recognition of Kosovo’s independence (Ekonomia)
• PSD with “Tension for Association” action in front of the government (Koha)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic’s question: Western partners to say which documents they will respect, mentioning the sixth from Thessaloniki on EU enlargement to the WB (media)
• The Kosovo government made a decision on land expropriation in Leposavic and Z. Potok (KoSSev)
• North Mitrovica Municipal Assembly: New councillors sworn in (Kontakt plus radio)
• Petkovic: Serb-majority municipality taken over by Albanians (Radio KIM)
• Serbs on barricades for fifth day, night went peacefully (RTS)
• Vucic to meet with Lajcak, Escobar on Wednesday (Tanjug)
• Radosavljevic: Serbs are not against (CSM) ZSO, but against what it symbolises (VoA)
• EU Council expects Serbia to align with EU foreign policy (N1, Beta, RTS)
• Dacic to UNMIK chief: UN important for territorial integrity (media)
• Family of Dejan Pantic say his innocence can easily be proved, if trial is just (RTS)
• Brnabic reacts to Escobar’s remark on return of Serbian security personnel (Kosovo Online, social media, Danas)
• Odalovic: Situation in Kosovo requires serious reaction of international community (Tanjug)
• Verdict delivered to Todosijevic, Petkovic says additional pressure on Serbs (Radio KIM)
International:
• Scholz says Balkans joining EU is in Germany’s interest (AP)
Read More →UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, December 14, 2022
• Escobar, Kurti, Lajcak call for normalization of situation (media)
• U.S. categorically against return of Serbian forces to Kosovo (RFE)
• Lajcak: Much better ways to remove barricades than with bulldozers (Telegrafi)
• U.S., EU envoys urge Kosovo and Serbia not to fuel violence (Reuters)
• Stoltenberg: NATO is very focused on Kosovo (Telegrafi)
• Barricades still up in north despite calls for removal (Pristina Insight)
• Sarrazin: Crisis in north of Kosovo should be used to advance dialogue (RTK)
• EU congratulates Kosovo on reforms (media)
• EULEX: Security situation in north of Kosovo is worrying (Klan)
• Kovacevski: Kosovo-Serbia agreement guarantees peace in the region (RTK)
• Kosovo, facing some opposition, to apply this week to join EU (Reuters)
• Far-Right Protesters Rally In Belgrade In Support Of Kosovar Serbs As EU Urges De-Escalation (RFE)