UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2023
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 17, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• EU: The meeting in Ohrid will focus on finalising the Annex to the Agreement (media)
• Escobar optimistic about Ohrid: USA, the biggest supporter of Kosovo in the world (media)
• PM Kurti meets U.S. Envoy Gabriel Escobar (Klan)
• Osmani: Any tendency of Serbia to hinder agreement through conditionality damages dialogue (media)
• Konjufca meets with Escobar: Kosovo is constructive, unlike Serbia as an undermining party (media)
• March 22, deadline for applications for certification of political entities for elections in the north (media)
Serbian Language Media:
• 19 years since March violence, organisers not held responsible yet (N1, KoSSev, media)
• Activities to commemorate anniversary of March violence in Kosovo (KoSSev, media)
• Serbian officials on March violence (media, social media)
• US Ambassador Hill on March violence (Kosovo Online, Kurir)
• Vucic: We have still not received draft paper on what EU wants (Tanjug)
• KSF member suspected of wounding Serb youth in Gotovusa sent to house arrest (KoSSev)
• Reactions to send KSF member suspected of wounding Serb youth in Gotovusa to house arrest (Radio KIM, media)
• Vucic thanks Cuba for supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity (Tanjug)
• Obradovic: Vucic never said he is against Kosovo membership in UNESCO, Interpol (BETA)
• Vucic: We will preserve integral Serbia as written in Constitution (BETA, N1)
Humanitarian/Development:
• KoSSev director wins award for a story about life in Cernica, award money to be donated to a family in Koretiste (KoSSev, media)
Read More →Belgrade Media Report 17 March 2023
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Friday 17 March 2023
LOCAL PRESS
• We still haven’t received the draft of what the EU wants (RTS)
• Today marks 19th anniversary of anti-Serb pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug)
• Petkovic: Atmosphere that led to the March pogrom still exists (RTS)
• Serbia reliable, responsible collaborator of EU in migration management (Tanjug/RTV)
• Vucic meets with Johansson: The safety of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is a priority (Tanjug/RTS)
• Continuation of further harmonisation of Serbia with EU visa policy (Tanjug/RTV)
• Serbia wants best possible relations with its neighbours (Tanjug)
• Miscevic: Help of Croatia is important for Serbia’s EU integration process (RTV/Tanjug)
• Lutovac in Strasbourg: First membership in EU, ten criteria (Beta)
• Obradovic calls on Vucic to resign over announced support for Kosovo to join UN (Beta)
• Djilas: Consensus needed on Kosovo instead of stories that please people (RTS)
• Albanians in Serbia’s south want same rights as Serbs in Kosovo, as well as to unite with Kosovo (Beta)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Prosecutor’s Office of B&H: There is formed case about all blacklisted persons (O Kanal)
• Mehmedagic on US’ sanctions imposed against him: Claims are untrue and groundless (O Kanal)
• Ambassador O’Brien: Decisions on blacklisting Mehmedagic, Stankovic and Gacanin are result of long investigation based on analysis of a big number of experts (FTV)
• SDA: Aim of false accusations is to forcibly eliminate SDA from authority (Hayat/FTV)
• Leaders of ‘Troika’ request reaction of B&H Prosecutor’s Office after US sanctions were introduced (O Kanal)
• Covic says sanctions are something that should not be commented ever (Nova BH)
• RS politicians react to Izetbegovic’s statement that there could be conflict in B&H (ATV)
• HR Schmidt meets FB&H HoP leadership; Discuss authority formation in FB&H (FTV)
• Dodik: RS will continue to apply RS law on immovable property despite of decision of B&H CC and sanctions against Stankovic (FTV)
• EP Rapporteur Rangel presents his Proposal of EP Resolution on B&H (N1)
• B&H CoM adopts draft of Annual Action Plan for Energy Support provided by EU and information on drafting of judicial reform strategy (Nezavisne)
• NATO begins with implementation of assistance package for B&H which includes measures to strengthen B&H’s defense and resilience against cyber threats (Nezavisne)
Croatia
• Dacic: Serbia and Croatia need to stop distancing themselves from each other for cheap political points: Grlic Radman: Croatia and Serbia can and deserve to have better relations (Hina)
• Cvijanovic and Milanovic meet in Zagreb, discuss stability in region, B&H’s EU path and status of Croats in B&H (HRT1)
• Milanovic and Plenkovic swap insults over a lack of cooperation (HRT1)
Montenegro
• Djukanovic dissolves parliament (CdM)
• Djukanovic: It’s high time we finished this circus of Montenegro’s state policy having no government (CdM)
• Djukanovic: I didn’t want to bend my spine in front of anyone because it’s the backbone of Montenegro; Mandic: Vucic doesn’t listen to external orders, least of all from Russia (E TV/Prva TV/CdM)
• MCP: Citizens should cast a ballot, no one has the right to refer to support of the Church (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Grubi: Not aspiring to be first Albanian PM of North Macedonia (Telma/TV Dukagjini)
• Mickoski: Let’s hold early parliamentary elections (Republika)
• Borrell: It is the responsibility of all political leaders to work for EU membership (MIA)
Albania
• Borrell: EU supports the integration of Albania (Radio Tirana)
• Varhelyi: 30 million Euros for the economic and investment plan! Albania will be the first to have a liquefied natural gas terminal (Radio Tirana)
• National Integration Council/Varhelyi: You have my support (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 17, 2023
Borrell: Western Balkans can celebrate ‘big step’ if Kosovo and Serbia agree on document (RFE)
Osmani to meet Escobar today (media)
Gjini: We support signing of agreement; it includes recognition (Klan Kosova)
Krasniqi: There will be no agreement on Saturday in Ohrid (media)
Haziri: The agreement does not deserve the LDK’s support (Indeksonline)
Vucic: I don’t plan to sign anything in meeting with Kurti (RFE)
Escobar will take part in Ohrid meeting (RFE)
“Failure to reach agreement increases risk of unrest in north of Kosovo” (VoA)