LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Important that Macron does not impose stance on Kosovo (Beta/Tanjug/RTS/RTV)
Brnabic: Report on Saturday (Tanjug/RTS)
Dacic: Motive for Israel’s recognition of Kosovo Jerusalem as capital (TV Prva/Beta)
Vulin: Asylum system of Serbia one of most organized in Europe (Tanjug/RTS)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Dodik: Serb people do not receive ultimatums well; Inzko showed hatred towards Serb people, qualifying them as collectively responsible for war crimes (Hayat/RTRS)
Inzko says he is not one who imposed collective responsibility on the RS, but the RS has imposed burden of guilt on Serb people (Nova BH)
B&H Presidency members and US Ambassador Nelson discuss current situation in B&H, EU path (N1)
Covic: Reaching agreement on Law on Elections requires participation of international representatives (Fena)
Cavara: SDA’s plan is to remove Croats from all decision-making offices and create unitary Bosniak state (Oslobodjenje)
Prosecutor’s Office of B&H interviews Dodik regarding ‘Icon’ affair (FTV)
Croatia

Croatian MEP calls for faster integration of Western Balkans into EU (Hina)
Montenegro

Pisonero: Montenegro needs progress in reforms, not regress (Pobjeda)
Albania

Albania moves from a 'hybrid regime' to a 'flawed democracy' (ADN)
Rama: We are in the same class with the US and the EU! (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break: The Future of Israel-Balkan Relations (The Media Line)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 4 February 2021

LOCAL PRESS

EU sources: Macron, Vucic to reveal innovative plans for Kosovo (Beta)
Chrysostom on election of Patriarch: We’ve done everything to prevent foreign factor interference; Enthronement in the Serbian Patriarchate of Pec (Tanjug/RTS/B92)
Palestinian Foreign Ministry disappointed by Kosovo (Beta)
Economist's Democracy Index: Serbia given lowest grade since 2006 (Beta/EWB)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Inzko requests RS parliament to annul awards presented to war criminals (N1)
RS officials react against Inzko’s request (BN TV)
Salkic: HR’s action is commendable but only if it truly means change in position of international community towards RS politicians (N1)
FB&H officials welcome HR’s letter (N1)
BH Bloc and Coalition for Mostar fail to reach agreement on candidate for post of Mayor of Mostar (N1)
Nelson meets Covic: Forming of FB&H government must not be blocked (Dnevni avaz)
Croatia

Croatian PM protests to EP President over incident involving Italian MEPs (Hina)
Thousands protest in the capital against Covid restrictions on businesses (HRT)
Montenegro

Reinke to Djukanovic: I do not want to see foreign influence on Montenegrin process (CdM)
Kordic-Presker: Montenegro determined to accelerate reform processes toward EU membership (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Dimitrov survives no-confidence vote (Republika)
Albania

Kim: Party leaders should clean up candidate lists (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Putin reaffirms Russia’s position on working out balanced solution over Kosovo to Vucic (TASS)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic, Putin: No one can break the friendship between Serbia and Russia (RTS)
Xi Jinping invites Vucic at China and CEEC Summit (RTS/RTV)
Rakic: The fight for Serbian interests is not easy, but an honorable duty (RTS)
McAllister: Fajon, Bilcik to lead EP delegation in inter-party dialogue (Beta)
Tegeltija: There can be no progress in B&H for as long as there is High Representative (Politika/Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

B&H CEC schedules elections in Doboj and Srebrenica on 21 February and in Travnik and Ustikolina on 11 April (BHT1)
SNSD submits criminal reports against members of B&H CEC and B&H Court judges (RTRS)
Covic meets Croatian Minister Grlic Radman (O kanal)
Croatia

Plenkovic: Incident with MEPs at border will be reported to European Parliament (Hina)
Pupovac condemns Knin fortress incident as extremely harmful and disgraceful (Hina)
Republic of North Macedonia

Pendarovski proposes that the census is postponed by a few months (Republika)
VMRO-DPMNE starts initiative for collecting signatures for nullifying the census law (Republika)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

EU regrets Kosovo’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem (Reuters/EurActiv)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Tuesday 2 February 2021

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: It takes two to make a deal (TV Pink/B92/Politika)
Selakovic: More understanding today for Serbia’s stands (RTS)
Dacic: Inter-party dialogue to continue in March (Tanjug)
Fajon: Serbia has made some progress, but insufficient (DW/Beta)
H.E. Demetrios Theophylactou, Ambassador Of Cyprus To Serbia: International Law Vs. The Law Of The Jungle (CorD Magazine)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Corruption is key obstacle on B&H’s path to EU (Fena)
Parties fail to reach agreement on candidate for new Mayor of Mostar (O kanal)
Maric: I am certain that we will elect new Mostar Mayor by mid-February (Hayat)
Covic: HDZ B&H candidate should be elected as new Mayor of Mostar (N1)
SNSD to file criminal complaints against B&H Central Election Commission members and three judges of Court of B&H (ATV)
Covic: Changes to B&H Election Law in line with Mostar agreement are top priority (Hayat)
SDA calls on HDZ B&H to unblock process of implementation of 2018 General Elections results (Hayat)
MEP Fajon: I fear for B&H, it is like ticking bomb (Dnevni list)
Croatia

PM: Italian Socialists who visited Croatia were not official EP Delegation (Hina)
Republic of North Macedonia

VMRO-DPMNE Vice President Nikoloski meets Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto to discuss the need to open Macedonia’s EU accession talks (Republika)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Serbia ‘not happy’ with Israel’s recognition of Kosovo, says it will impact ties (The Times of Israel)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: France is Serbia’s traditional and true friend (RTS)
Macron: I am grateful to Vucic (B92)
Vucic: There is hysteria in Kosovo and Metohija now, Serbs exposed to provocations (B92)
Brnabic: Serbs in Kosovo demonstrated dignity (TV Pink/Tanjug/RTV/Novosti)
French Ambassador on developing economic ties with Serbia (Beta)
Godfrey: Biden and his team will take into account Serbian interests (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

SNSD to file criminal complaints against B&H CEC members; Dodik apologizes to Bjelica-Prutina (BHT1)
SDS, PDP and DNS announce joint participation in Doboj elections and their support for Grujicic in Srebrenica (Hayat)
US Ambassador to B&H Nelson meets with Dodik (RTRS)
Cvijanovic: Story about any High Representative who will be in charge in B&H is slap in face for both EU and B&H (Srna)
Dodik says Turkovic sent note verbale to Croatia without authorization of B&H Presidency (RTRS)
Inzko: If Turkovic continues to glorify war criminals, I will request from EU to ban her entry (N1/AJB)
EU’s flag in front of Croatian Embassy in Sarajevo damaged; EUD to B&H condemns this act of vandalism (N1)
Croatia

Croatian police prevent four MEPs from visiting border area between Croatia and B&H (N1/Avvenire.it)
Bozinovic: The entire situation with MEPs is provocation; Croatian MoI says that they acted in accordance with Croatian and European law (HRT)
Grlic Radman surprised with Turkovic’s criticizing of verdict to Mahmuljin (Vecernji list)
Cavara argues Bosniak parties replaced some of B&H CEC members in illicit and constitutional manner, says role of High Representative Inzko will be remembered as negative (Vecernji list)
Montenegro

Montenegro expelled eight citizens of Serbia (Vijesti)
Austin: Russia uses ethnic conflicts in the Balkans to undermine stability (Pobjeda)