Belgrade Media Report 18 March 2024
United Nations Office in Belgrade
Daily Media Highlights
Monday 18 March 2024
LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic: No one can take away Serbia’s right to truth about March pogrom (RTS/RTV/Politika)
• Vucic: They did not listen carefully – no surrender of Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTV)
• Dacic: Worst crimes committed against innocent people and clergy during Pogrom in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTV)
• Vucic: Meeting with Lajcak addressed unbearable living conditions for Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)
• Brnabic: Continuation of work on fulfillment of ODIHR recommendations (Tanjug)
• Significant cooperation with OSCE Mission, US Embassy to Belgrade (Tanjug)
• NADA coalition demands mixed committee to clean up voter roll (N1)
• Blinken: Kosovo, Serbia need to meet their obligations stemming from EU-mediated dialogue (Beta)
• Borrell: Time for Belgrade, Pristina to stop tensions, apply agreement (Beta)
• Giaufret: Opposition should take up its role in parliament (Beta/Politika)
• Djilas responds to EU Ambassador: Opposition would like to take parliamentary seats that belong to it, but they were stolen (N1)
• Serbian parliamentary constitutive session resumes (Beta)
REGIONAL PRESS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: Persecution of Serbs from Kosovo continues even after 2004 pogrom (Srna)
• Becirovic: I hope decision of European Council will be positive, negative decision would only make Moscow happy (Dnevni avaz)
• Dodik: Becirovic needs to explain to the public what kind democracy allows foreigner to annul decisions of institutions (RTRS)
• Becirovic: Statements of some politicians that opening of negotiating process basically means relocating of OHR do not have any foundation in DPA (Klix.ba)
• Escobar: RS has no capacity to oppose NATO or to declare independence (O Kanal)
• Dodik: Escobar’s assessment about the RS is lie (N1/Srna)
• Covic attends 20th HDZ Croatia General Assembly: April 17, when Croatian elections will be held, will be a non-working day in B&H as well (N1)
• Milanovic: Things done by HDZ B&H and its leader Covic, i.e. on the Zagreb-Mostar line, show that these people do not wish to solve problems of Croats in B&H (FTV)
Croatia
• Milanovic decided: Parliamentary elections on Wednesday, 17 April (HRT)
• Milanovic to head the SDP list: I will resign after the election victory (HRT)
• Plenkovic: Milanovic’s election run dispels the myth of presidential impartiality (HRT)
Montenegro
• Escobar: The most important task for Montenegro is to support everything the Prime Minister does, a risk if the former DF enters the government (RFE/CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Kovachevski: Upcoming elections to decide if country joins EU or gets stuck in uncertainty, isolation, divisions (MIA)
• Siljanovska-Davkova: Scandinavian policy toward neighbors, no need for veto threats (TV24)
• Bekteshi: Whoever loses should step back from politics (MIA)
Albania
• Begaj in Baku, meeting with the Deputy Secretary General of the UN (Tirana Times)
• Balla meets his Romanian counterpart: Deepening of cooperation between the police (Radio Tirana)
• Ambassador of the EU, Silvio Gonzato: I appreciate the leadership and responsibility shown by the parties in reaching the agreement (Radio Tirana)
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 18, 2024
UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, March 18, 2024
Albanian Language Media:
• Borell: Serbia and Kosovo have achieved very limited progress (RTK)
• Rama: Implementation of Agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, important (RTK)
• Von Cramon: Kosovo is lacking political will for progress in European integration (Klan)
• CEC to decide today on voting centers in the north (media)
• Escobar met during his visit, Director of Police and Afrim Bunjaku’s family (media)
• Biserko: Vucic destabilizing neighbors through Serbian Orthodox Church and security services (Nacionale)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: There is no agreement on dinar issue (Kosovo Online, RTV, Tanjug)
• Sentic: Instead of healing wounds that still hurt, we face attempts to relativize tragic events (KoSSev)
• SNV says Kurti’s statement about March violence aim to further intimidate and expel Serbs, call upon Rasic and Trajkovic to resign (KoSSev)
• UNS and DNKiM condemned RTK reporting over repeated untruth in relation to March riots (Kosovo Online, Radio KIM, media)
• Vucic: Meeting with Lajcak addressed unbearable living conditions for Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug)
• Kosovo Online: We expect arson vehicle case of our portal’s owner to be resolved (Kosovo Online)
• Since CBK decision entered in force, stock market and banks without interest for work in northern municipalities (Kosovo Online)
• Serbian List: Kosovo police to investigate Radoica Radomirovic over arsons of vehicles (Tanjug, media)
• Stojanovic: Vucic admitted that his policy is harmful to Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo (Beta, NMagazin)
• Smiljanic: The Serbs in the YU program building in Pristina survived a calvary on March 17, thought we would all be killed (Kosovo Online)
• The UN SC meeting on March 25 on the anniversary of the NATO bombing against the FRY (Kosovo Online)
UNMIK Media Observer, Morning Edition, March 18, 2024
Albanian Language Media:
• Borrell’s statement on anniversary of agreement on path to normalization, and the implementation annex (media)
• Blinken calls on Kosovo and Serbia to implement all agreements (media)
• Roth on new U.S. extra conditions for Kosovo at CoE: Unfair and unjust (media)
• Kurti’s message on 20th anniversary of March 17 riots (media)
• Government: Placing of signs in north in line with the constitution (Koha)
• Police arrest Serbian national for damaging traffic signs in Leposavic (media)
• COMKFOR: KFOR continues efforts to prevent any escalation (VoA in Albanian)
• Pacolli: Delays in meeting obligations lead to pressure and damage (media)
• Tahiri: Two important moments this week for CoE membership (media)
• Historians’ League wants Kurti to resign over Decani Monastery decision (media)
• CAA: U.S. must remain engaged in the Western Balkans (VoA in Albanian)
Serbian Language Media:
• Vucic: We will change our approach to the Kosovo issue; Serbia will no longer be subjected to a fait accompli (Kosovo Online)
• Borrell: It is high time for Kosovo and Serbia to break current vicious cycle of crises and tensions (N1)
• 20th anniversary of the March pogrom (KoSSev)
• Diocese on who paid the restoration of holy sites destroyed in the March pogrom (KoSSev)
• Kurti from Cabra: Children jumped into Ibar to avoid the escort of Serbian youths; unclear who then directed the demonstrators towards the Serbs (KoSSev)
• The SL: Self-Determination’s brutal lies – a continuation of a dangerous policy of hatred towards the Serbs (Kosovo Online)
• Self-Determination ahead of March 17: 3 children were killed in Cabra, peaceful Albanian demonstrators were shot by Serbian criminals, justice was not served (KoSSev)
• First referendum then elections: Four municipalities in north of Kosovo still without mayors (N1)
• Blinken: We need to see both Kosovo and Serbia keep tensions low (KoSSev, N1)