Belgrade Media Report 1 June 2023
LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic from Moldova: I begged Serbs to struggle peacefully, first true US condemnation of Pristina provocations (RTV/Tanjug)
• Vucic asked Erdogan to use his reputation and influence to help maintain peace and establish stability in the region (Tanjug)
• Serbia pays special attention to improvement of relations with Germany (Tanjug/Politika)
• Five permanent UN Security Council members condemned Pristina: Unprecedented consensus (Novosti)
• Kremlin: Russia supports Serbia, Kosovo Serbs’ rights must be observed (Beta)
• Washington is furious with Pristina: You will bear the consequences (Tanjug/B92)
• KFOR this morning took control of the main intersection at the entrance to Zvecan (Tanjug)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• IRMCT Appeals Chamber sentences Stanisic and Simatovic to 15 years in prison each for joint criminal enterprise, crimes against non-Serbs in B&H and Croatia (BHT1)
• Brammertz: Verdict in case against Stanisic and Simatovic proves that there was no civil war in B&H, but international conflict that political leaderships of neighboring countries took part in (BHT1)
• Becirovic: After the verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic confirmed JCE, B&H is closer to establishing full true on the aggression against RB&H (N1)
• Komsic: If international community chooses to reward project ‘Serb World’, verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic could only remain as a dead letter on paper (N1)
• Other FB&H politicians, political parties comment on verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic (N1)
• Dodik: No reconciliation was established by decisions of The Hague Tribunal but they created even deeper misunderstanding in this region (RTRS)
• Nuzdic; ICTY has not dealt with crimes committed against Serb victims, which means that it failed to include all the crimes in former Yugoslavia (N1)
• International, regional reactions to verdict in Stanisic and Simatovic case (FTV)
• OHR prepares new law to criminally charge those who do not respect decisions imposed by Schmidt (RTRS)
• Dodik: Western diplomats, the US and UK in particular, will not be able to ruin friendship between Serb and Russian people (RTRS)
Croatia
• EC President Von der Leyen: EU has new plan for Western Balkans to bring region closer to EU even before full membership (HRT1)
• Zoran Milanovic: Serbia must stop repeating “Kosovo is Serbia” (N1)
Montenegro
• EC offers new growth plan for WB; Von der Leyen: Common goal is to speed up the path to the EU (MINA)
• Turkish Ambassador: Erdogan is carefully following the events in the Balkans, the relations between Montenegro and Turkey will become stronger than ever (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Kovachevski at GLOBSEC Forum: United Europe – only answer to crises and challenges (MIA)
Albania
• Rama from Bratislava: Serbian army on the borders of Kosova, power equal to zero. Parties should terminate the agreement (Radio Tirana)
• Bratislava Summit, Rama meets Macron (Radio Tirana)
• US Ambassador in Albania urges the members of the High Judicial Council to continue the implementation of the reform in Justice (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, June 1, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
• Blinken urges ‘immediate de-escalation’ in the north (Koha)
• Osmani: Allies need to help us stop Serbia’s destabilising actions (Koha)
• Kurti: The mayors in the north should be in the municipal buildings (Koha)
• Osmani meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (media)
• Borrell: Violence is not the right way, it must be punished (media)
• Kovacevski: Peace in Kosovo means peace in the Western Balkans (Klan)
• Kosovo Police: Calls for protest in Mitrovica South, ill-intended and suspicious (media)
• Police investigating announced protest; suspected to be initiated from abroad (Kallxo)
• Svecla: Calls for protest in Mitrovica South do not help Kosovo (media)
• Musliu on calls to protest: They are suspicious and ill-intended (Indeksonline/KSP)
• Albanian protesters leave: Did not even know who called the protest (Nacionale)
• Kosovo’s special prosecution investigating two Serbs for terrorism (Kallxo)
• Abdixhiku: Coordination is needed with international allies (Kosovapress)
• VV MP on Haradinaj’s motion: Ridiculous and paradoxical, you lack votes (Gazeta Blic)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: I asked north Kosovo Serbs to persevere in peaceful manner (Tanjug, media)
• Osmani: Serbia has no place among European nations (Danas)
• Goran Rakic thanked KFOR; the existence of the miners of the “Crnac” mine is threatened (Tanjug)
• Former president of Zvecan Municipality: If ZSO had come to life, we would not have come to this situation (RTS, Tanjug)
• Todic: We expect the international community to reason with Kurti (Kosovo Online)
• The court in Pristina ordered the detention of two Serbs arrested in Zvecan, condemnation from Belgrade (Beta, NMagazin)
• Atiq requested membership in the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo (Radio Mitrovica sever, KiM radio, KoSSev)
• Andric Rakic: Kurti leads politics to the last NATO soldier (Beta, KoSSev)
• Ristuccia: Kurti brought the mayors despite the doubts of the international community (Radio Mitrovica sever)
• The former Minister of Agriculture of Kosovo, Nenad Rikalo, sentenced to three years in prison (NMagazin, Beta)
• Mitrovica: Protest over, one incident recorded (KiM radio)
International:
• Kosovo president calls on Serbia to stop destabilising country (Reuters)
• NATO chief says alliance ‘does not give up’ on political solution to Kosovo clashes (AA)
• EU Leaders To Discuss North Kosovo As Crisis Persists (RFE)
• Kosovo Counts Cost of Delays to Integrated Health Database (BIRN)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, June 1, 2023
Albanian Language Media:
President Osmani to meet Macron and Scholz in Chisinau (media)
Kurti: Despite difference in approach, U.S. key partner we’ll always consult (media)
COMKFOR: If we didn’t intervene, we’d now be mourning the dead (Koha)
U.S. asks Serbia to stop Kosovo Serbs from attacking KFOR (media)
Erdogan talks with Kurti and Vucic about situation in north of Kosovo (media)
Peach: Reckless action of the government, Kosovo’s image damaged (Koha)
Police: Three police vehicles damaged; journalists also attacked (media)
Svecla: Belgrade continues tendencies to destabilise Kosovo (media)
Reporter: Persons with “Wagner” insignia covered them when they approached US soldiers (Kallxo)
Haradinaj: Kurti is a threat to the country, he should leave (Klan)
Schmidt: There can be no war between Serbs and Albanians (Klan/Phoenix TV)
Serbian Language Media:
KFOR at the main intersections in Zvecan, continues to control municipal buildings in the north of Kosovo (RTS)
Vucic to CNN: Belgrade met all obligations, Pristina did not (N1, Danas)
Kosovo Serb newsrooms defend Zvecan cafe owner labeled as a „traitor“ on social networks (Kosovo)
Serbian list: Obrenovic and Petrovic peacefully expressed their protest, the court’s decision illegal and unfounded (Radio Mitrovica sever)
Buxhala: Disheartening that many people in Kosovo believe that in the conflict between the EU/US and Kosovo, that the former will lose rather than the latter (KoSSev)
Albanian rapper Stresi called for “Let’s March for the North” (KoSSev)
International Media:
Why do Kosovo-Serbia tensions persist? (AP)
‘Overreaction’: Kosovo leader blasts US response to violent unrest (politico.eu)
NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo set up barriers amid violent clashes (Aljazeera)
Statement by High Representative Borrell on ongoing confrontations (Reliefweb)
Kosovan PM says he could consider early elections in north if violence ends (The Guardian)
NATO troops on guard in northern Kosovo for third day amid protests (France 24)
Kosovo Serbs Continue Protests As NATO Bolsters Peacekeeping Force (RFE)
NATO troops on guard in north Kosovo for third day amid protests (Reuters)
‘Z’ Marks The Trouble Spot: Russia’s Symbol Of War Appears In Northern Kosovo (RFE)
Kosovo: Why is violence flaring up again? (bbc.com)
Efforts to defuse Kosovo crisis intensify amid more protests (euronews.com)