Belgrade Media Report 4 January 2023
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Wednesday 4 January 2023
LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic: The Constitution has to be respected (B92)
• Brnabic: We preserved peace in Kosovo and Metohija thanks to wise policy (Tanjug)
• Dacic: No sanctions against Russia as long as Serbia can cope with pressure from the West (Beta)
• Dacic: Another country to derecognise so-called Kosovo soon (Politika/Tanjug)
• Chief of General Staff tours troops in Raska, Novi Pazar (FoNet)
• Jeremic: Solution to Kosovo question subordinated to rule of SNS and Vucic (Beta)
• Swedish Ambassador: We want accelerated EU accession, alignment with EU foreign policy (Beta)
• Detained Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija: Pantic spent holidays with his family, Trajkovic denied medicine (RTS)
• Pristina’s police at Jarinje arrest, then release teacher (Tanjug/Politika)
• KFOR removes last barricade in north of Kosovo and Metohija (RTS)
• EC: Situation in Kosovo remains fragile (Tanjug/Politika)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• SNSD’s Sulic says projects important for RS, the implementation of which stagnated, need to be unblocked at level of B&H (RTRS)
• Turkovic expresses concern about possibility that Sulic could be appointed B&H Minister of Human Rights and Refugees from rank of Bosniak people (FTV)
• Russian Embassy in B&H reacts to Turkovic’s statement about Sulic, says Russia does not interfere in process of formation of authorities in B&H (FTV)
• NES and SB&H: Talks with Dodik need to be suspended owing to Dodik’s activities (Oslobodjenje)
• No dissolution of “The Eight” (Dnevni avaz/AJB)
• Sulic’s appointment means that Bosniaks would be left without protection mechanism in CoM (Dnevni avaz)
• Istraga.ba learns OHR erases deadline to convene inaugural session of FB&H HoP (Hayat)
• RS makes final preparations for commemoration of 9 January (O Kanal/ATV/RTRS)
• Associations of war veterans and civilian victims of war in SC announce protest for Wednesday over marking of unconstitutional RS Day (ATV/RTRS)
• Vucevic speaks about marking of RS Day, says years ahead of us must be in sign of Serb uniting (Glas Srpske)
Croatia
• Croatian FM: Good neighbourly ties are important, but Serbia needs to meet expectations (N1)
• Croatian PM marks joining Schengen area with meetings with Von der Leyen, Slovenian President (Hina)
Montenegro
• No smaller country with higher tensions: Montenegro – a year of finding a solution to big crisis? (CdM/DW)
• Vukovic: Process of Montenegro’s deterioration should be stopped asap, we need agreement of pro-European forces (Portal Analitika)
• Reformist government, not a smuggling one should be formed (Pobjeda)
• Zivkovic: Lekic to be used by DF politically for its own interest, ministries already being traded like in 2020 (CdM)
• Ibrahimovic: Minister Adrovic and I are in government because of our responsible attitude towards citizens, we lead very important ministries for state (CdM)
• Abazovic: I have a correct relationship with Vucic, he isn’t governing Montenegro (Vijesti)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Kovachevski: We always have and always will insist on good neighbourliness and solidarity, no one can achieve anything alone (MIA/Tanjug)
• Analysis: North Macedonia has opened EU negotiations, process might not resume due to constitutional changes (MIA)
Albania
• 2022 year in review (Radio Tirana)
• Immigrants leave Albania after the holidays, flow out of the border points (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 4, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, January 4, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• State Department: Kosovo, Serbia should create climate for reconciliation (Reporteri)
• “European” plan to intensify the dialogue in January (Koha)
• Deputy Defence Minister: Serbia’s request to deploy troops in Kosovo is absurd (KP)
• Haxhiu: Mechanism to monitor human rights implementation by Special Court (Koha)
• LDK’s Hoti: Govt to explain why now is not time for mutual recognition? (media)
• Von Cramon on how non-recognising states could vote at PACE (Koha)
• Hoti: We don’t accept Serbia’s added paragraphs in missing persons document (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Recently detained Serbs – Pantic under house arrest, Trajkovic without therapy, and request for extending detention to Adzic (RTS)
• Slovak Ministry: Any change of position to depend on Belgrade-Pristina normalisation (Tanjug)
• Director of Museum of Genocide sent letters to ambassadors over plans to renovate Xhafer Deva’s house (Kosovo Online, N1)
• Quartet of Western envoys to visit Serbia after Orthodox Christmas (Tanjug, Novosti)
• Serbs from northern Kosovo call for protest, dissatisfied with Belgrade’s policy (Danas)
Opinion:
• After barricades: Instead of new Kosovo policy, old problems persevere in new year (KoSSev)
International:
• Soaring Air Pollution in Region Stokes Health Fears (BIRN)
• The DJ and the War Crimes (Rolling Stone)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, January 4, 2023
• EC: Situation in north still very fragile; talks on Association must start (media)
• KFOR: We’re examining Serbia’s request to deploy troops in Kosovo (Express)
• Hungary plays key role in Kosovo peacekeeping (Hungary Today)
• NATO Military Chiefs of Defence Meeting – 18-19 January 2023 (nato.int)
• Will Kosovo’s war ever end? (UnHerd)
• The religious propaganda that threatens Kosovo (Kallxo)
• The Peak of the Balkans Trail: Europe’s last true wilderness (BBC)