Belgrade Media Report 22 February 2023
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Wednesday 22 February 2023
LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic: West wants Kosovo card out of Putin’s hands (TV Pink/FoNet)
• Vucic speaks with Sanchez (RTS/Tanjug)
• Vucevic meets with Egyptian, Cypriot military officials in Abu Dhabi (Beta/RTV)
• Improving cooperation of Serbia, NATO in order to preserve peace, stability in region (Tanjug/RTV)
• Judicial conference: Judicial reform in Serbia should include changes to legal and political culture (Beta)
• Popovic says judiciary free of political influence (N1)
• Zubin Potok residents demand removal of special police bases (RTS/Politika/Novosti)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• RS parliament delegation pays visit to Moscow; Stevandic: RS will continue to cherish its neutrality (RTRS/FTV/Srna)
• Becirovic submits request for assessment of constitutionality of law on immovable property used for functioning of public authorities of RS (RTRS)
• HR Schmidt has passed decision amending law on Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center (O Kanal)
• Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center: Decision of HR to amend Law on Center for Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial and Cemetery for Victims of 1995 Genocide is historic (N1)
• Dodik: There was no genocide in Srebrenica (AJB/N1)
• Kristo, Covic meet Dodik in Banja Luka, discuss CoM, EU path of B&H, ways to unblock projects (RTRS)
• Kosarac calls for affirming of ‘New Eastern Interconnection’ project, claims Izetbegovic is regional problem (Dnevni avaz)
• Kosarac threatens that RS will block projects in FB&H if RS is not allowed to connect to gas pipeline from Serbia; Comments of politicians (Nova BH)
• Keso slams Konakovic’s announcement on B&H CoM and Croatian government talking about reform to Constitution, Election Law of B&H (Dnevni list)
Croatia
• Konakovic meets Croatian officials; Importance of bilateral and economic cooperation, readiness for addressing open issues underlined (HRT1)
Montenegro
• Strujic Harbic: Most important thing is that Constitutional Court starts working from Monday (Portal Analitika)
Albania
• Rama meeting with the speaker of the Assembly of Japan, Hosoda (Radio Tirana)
• Balla: Assembly, a special role in the process of European integration (Radio Tirana)
• Albania and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, cooperation in the fight against cybercrime (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 22, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, February 22, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Borrell, Lajcak to hold separate meetings with leaders, followed by joint meeting (media)
• Kurti on confiscation of 6,000 bullets in north: Another victory for rule of law (media)
• Kurti: Sending of draft law on Bureau to Constitutional Court, desperate move (media)
• Hoti reacts to Kurti: Who fears laws being sent to court, has political aims (Nacionale)
• Govt adopts formation of structures that will draft anti-corruption strategy (Gazeta 10)
• Govt spokesman: Court did not address 2013 agreement on Association (teve1)
• Kadrijaj: Support Govt in talks with Serbia if approach is in line with U.S. (Gazeta Blic)
• LDK official: If Kurti forms Association, agreement with Serbia reached (Gazeta Blic)
• Rasic: Serb parallel bodies pressuring Kosovo Serbs not to apply for aid (Express)
• Ahmeti on reserved seats: They shouldn’t exist forever (Nacionale)
• Specialist Chambers raid apartment of Thaci’s former advisor, reasons unknown (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• Residents of ZP: What if someone came to your property, and then turned up to negotiate over that same property? (KoSSev, media)
• Nenezic: To paraphrase Reagan’s words to Gorbachev – Mr. Kurti, tear down this base, and then we’ll talk (KoSSev, media)
• Jaksic announces lawsuit at public discussion in ZP, asking for suspension of expropriation (KoSSev, media)
• Andric Rakic: Meeting failed to fulfil legal requirements, what will be built on the expropriated land was not revealed (KoSSev, media)
• Vucic: CSM will be discussed in Brussels (FoNet, N1)
• Vucic talks to Spanish PM about Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Kosovo Online)
• Dacic meets with NATO’s San (Tanjug)
• Kurti claims “Wagner” around, KFOR says “no evidence” (Kosovo Online, Reporteri, France 24, Klan Kosova)
• NADA: Foreign investors will not leave Serbia, if it refuses Franco-German proposal (Danas, Kosovo Online)
Opinion:
• Janjic: Vucic should not go to Brussels if there is no talk of CSM (ZSO) (KoSSev, Beta, N1)
International:
• EEAS statement on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (eeas.europa.eu)
• Lührmann: European proposal would remove obstacles on Serbia and Kosovo EU paths (EWB)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, February 22, 2023
• Borrell to meet Kurti and Vucic separately before joint meeting (media)
• Osmani, Steinmeier agree there is “special momentum” with EU proposal (RFE)
• COMKFOR Ristuccia interview with Klan Kosova
• Svecla: Groups orchestrated by Belgrade trying to destabilise Kosovo (RTK)
• ‘Do not go Away’ Sends Powerful Message to Youth of Kosovo (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo Started Year With Inflation Over 12 Per Cent (Prishtina Insight)
• Glimmer of Hope, Glimmer of Flame Comes to The Hague (Prishtina Insight)
• Kosovo Ex-Guerrilla Accused of Torturing Prisoners as Hague Trial Opens (BIRN)