United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 29 July 2020

LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Serbian side not acquainted that there will be some document on the agenda in Brussels (RTS)
Djuric will be handed a draft comprehensive agreement implying de facto recognition of false state of Kosovo (Novosti/RTS/B92)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

SBB B&H’s Cavka answers Dodik: B&H’s sovereignty is unquestionable (Dnevni avaz)
Montenegro

DPS: Metropolitan Amfilohije and things that matter to him (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Institutions should be formed as soon as possible, conclude Ahmeti and Holstein (MIA)
VMRO-DPMNE in effort to form parliamentary majority, Mickoski tells Holstein (MIA)
North Macedonia sending platoon to NATO’s Kosovo mission (MIA)
Albania

President urges SP to give up unilateral constitutional changes (ADN)

LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Serbia to resume derecognition campaign, if Kosovo continues lobbying (TV Pink/Beta)
Dacic: Belgrade to carry on if international community does not react to Pristina’s announcements (TV Prva/Beta)
Djuric with Botsan-Kharchenko about problems of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija (RTV/Tanjug)
Stankovic: I don’t recommend anyone to underestimate Serbia (Politika)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

B&H HoR adopts harmonized text of Proposal of Law on Budget (O kanal)
Arnautovic: Sole reason for scheduling elections in Mostar for 20 December is the Election Law and fact that changes of law came in force on 18 July (Oslobodjenje)
EuroBlic publishes part of recently declassified US documents which show former US president Clinton advocated attack on Serbs following massacre in Srebrenica (EuroBlic)
Dodik: It is time to review idea of Clinton from 1995 and for Serbs to have referendum on secession (ATV)
SSS B&H holds protest against amendments to Labor Law, calls on FB&H government to withdraw it (Nova BH)
Croatia

Opposition agrees with President's criticism of Covid-19 response team (Hina)
Montenegro

DPS and DF tried to discredit Becic, Democrats claim (Pobjeda)
Davidovic: We have an obligation only to the people and the church (Dan/In4s)
Republic of North Macedonia

AA/Alternativa coalition holds protest in Skopje against election fraud (MIA)
SDSM: We’ll form a government much more committed to people’s interests (MIA)
After the new statute, VMRO will promote new local and national level officials (Republika)
Alliance of Albanians rejects DUI proposal for a new unified Albanian platform (Republika)
Albania

Parliament approves motion to not impeach President Meta (Tirana Times)
Electoral reform: US & EU call for consensus (Tirana Times)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 27 July 2020

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic with Chinese Ambassador about Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (RTV)
Vucic grateful for Israel’s position to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia (RTV/RTS)
Vucic: If Pristina is not calmed down by mentors, we will be five times more successful in withdrawals of recognitions (RTS/B92)
Dacic: Serbia will have an answer to Hoti’s announcement on continuation of lobbying (RTS/Tanjug/Sputnik)
Djuric: They should better send Pristina the Brussels agreement, you cannot enter the UN with a tank (RTS)
Lajcak, Reeker discuss Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

HDZ B&H announces it will not support anything that newly-appointed B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic proposes (BHT1)
Covic: Unacceptable precedent was made by announcing organization of special elections for Mostar (BHT1)
Officials in B&H react to Covic’s letter (N1)
Croatia

President says would like to see Deputy PM Milosevic at “Storm” anniversary (Hina/N1)
Montenegro

Preparation of electoral rolls underway, leaders of parties promised to increase women’s representation to 40% (Dan)
Elaborate preparations of DPS: Support beyond expectation (CDM)
DPS: We will defeat the policy personified by the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro (CDM)
Democrats running independently in Budva elections (Dan)
Dacic laments the destiny of Knin Serbs, while he himself shaped it (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia

AA/A spokesperson: We don’t exclude anyone, but it would be very difficult with DUI in the government (MIA)
Osmani: These are the five pillars of the Albanian platform (Republika/TV21)
Albania

Socialist majority is changing the constitution (Tirana Times)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 23 July 2020

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: They want the same, they want an independent Kosovo (RTS/B92)
Vulin thanks Botsan-Kharchenko on Russia’s active support and principled stand in preserving Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty (RTV)
Bujanovac, Albanian parties independently form government (RTS)
Expert teams of Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels (Tanjug/RTV)
NATO Week in Belgrade: Only nine percent of people support membership (N1)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Vucic: Serbia motherland of all Serbs worldwide (Srna)
B&H CEC calls on B&H CoM to urgently react and secure money for local elections, otherwise they will not be held on 15 November (Nova BH)
Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee adopts Rules of Procedure after five years (FTV)
Roth: Balkans is not backyard, but central courtyard of EU (Nezavisne)
Croatia

Tenth parliamentary Assembly sworn in (HRT)
Montenegro

Pazin: Government proposal was the end line of compromise (CDM)
Brajovic: We can only accept dialogue about the implementation of the law (CDM)
Markovic: Claiming that the government is working on converting Montenegrins into Catholicism is nonsense (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Ahmeti invited to testify at The Hague-based Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (MIA)
Pendarovski to hold consultations with parties before giving mandate to form gov’t (MIA/TV 21)
Albania

SP and parliamentary opposition: 5 June agreement to be voted on 23 July, lists to open on 30 July (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

ANALYSIS - Corona elections in North Macedonia produce ambivalent results (Anadolu Agency)

LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: KFOR is the only legal and legitimate military formation in the province (RTS/Tanjug/Beta)
Vulin: Germany violates international law by delivering arms to Kosovo (FoNet/RTV)
Djuric: Serbian delegation travelling to Brussels for technical negotiations (TV Pink)
Romanian Foreign Ministry: No change of stand on Kosovo (RTS)
Fabrizi: Significant part of EU funds to be directed to Serbia (RTS)
Intensive cooperation between foreign ministers of Serbia, China (RTS/Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

B&H HoP adopts 2020 B&H budget but text of this document still requires harmonization in both Houses of B&H parliament (BHT1)
Bakalar comments decision of B&H HoP regarding budget (Dnevni avaz)
Dzaferovic: I expect budget to be harmonized and adopted in upcoming days (Hayat)
Sattler: Adoption of the budget will enable holding of local elections, including holding of the elections in Mostar (BN TV)
Statements of Dzaferovic and Izetbegovic on war crimes against Bosniaks spark fierce reactions in RS (EuroBlic/Srna)
Croatia

Croatia to receive more than 22 billion Euros from EU budget and recovery fund (HRT)
Montenegro

Markovic: Negotiations with SPC without results, we only asked them to register (CDM)
Episcopal Council: The government had no sincere intentions, registration humiliation for the church (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Zaev: New government coalition to be formed in August (MIA/A1on)
VMRO-DPMNE committee authorizes Mickoski to negotiate for new parliamentary majority (MIA)
Alliance for Albanians and Alternativa to protest against vote rigging next week (MIA/TV24)
Albania

Electoral reform: Gov't – opposition clash continues (Tirana Times)
Law Commission approves agreement between political parties (Radio Tirana)
OSCE/ODIHR praises the Albanian parliament (Radio Tirana)
Balla meets with Hoti: Focus on two governments’ priorities and economic recovery (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Angela gave the green light, the Germans are arming Kosovo (Sputnik)