United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 2 March 2019
LOCAL PRESS

• Dacic: Albanians cannot be the only people of Europe with two states (Tanjug/Politika)
• Vulin: Albanian politicians trying to provoke conflict (RTS)
• Drecun: US needs to clarify its position on Kosovo (RTS)
• Lutovac calls for unification of Democrats (Beta)
• Palmer: Belgrade-Pristina talks are not about border changer, but about recognition (Danas)
• Zakharova: Western media’s decisive role in decision to attack Serbia (Tanjug/B92/Sputnik)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Bosniak Presidency member: elected officials must respect the rule of law (Fena)
• The authority will be compiled of the elections winners (Srna)
• Dmicic: Amending of constitution may be regulated military neutrality (Srna)
Croatia
• Croatia ratifies Protocol on North Macedonia's NATO accession (Hina)
Montenegro
• Montenegro ratified the Protocol for the accession of North Macedonia to NATO (CDM/RTCG)
• The Prevlaka border dispute needs bilateral solution (Pobjeda)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Stevo Pendarovski is officially SDSM's presidential candidate (Nezavisen vesnik)
• Mickoski: The Zaevism has offered devastated bluffer Pendarovski for presidential candidate (Republika)
• Former Ambassador to Brussels is the latest presidential candidate (Nezavisen vesnik)
Albania
• Meta meets Haradinaj (ADN)
• President expresses gratitude to Albanians in North Macedonia (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Opinion: Serbia-Kosovo land swap will open Pandora's box (DW)
• Protests in Montenegro, Serbia, Albania urge EU to help defend rights (The Irish Times)

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: We're capable of intervening - but that was nothing (Tanjug/B92)
• McAllister: Abolishing taxes is the first step to Serbia-Kosovo agreement (Beta)
• Dacic, Joksimovic with McAllister (Beta)
• Opposition: We told McAllister we are united in protests (Beta)
• Dacic: Serbia, Albania can solve Kosovo issue by compromise (Tanjug)
• Stefanovic to Interpol: Only change is that many are giving up from recognition of Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Jeremic: Most Serbs will never accept independence of Kosovo (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• B&H House of Peoples: Izetbegovic Chairman, Covic and Spiric deputies (Srna)
• Bosniak, Croat Presidency members host Independence Day reception (Fena)
• B&H Prime Minister congratulates Independence Day (Fena)
• Dodik: 1 March is private holiday of Bosniaks in B&H (Srna)
• Viskovic: Who wants war, may they have it at home (Srna)
• Covic: There is no obstacle for the Council of Ministers to be formed soon (Nezavisne)
• Izetbegovic: Coalition between SDA and SBB more plausible than the one with DF (Srna)

Croatia
• Most parties support NATO membership for North Macedonia (Hina)
• Is this the end of Milo Djukanovic's rule? (Index)

Republic of North Macedonia
• Zaev meets Chancellor Kurz: Austria remains a great friend and supporter of the Republic of North Macedonia (Republika)

Albania
• SMI 'seeks' dialogue through President Ilir Meta (ADN)
• Democrats on the Electoral List, Refuse MPs Mandate (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Vucic Wants Opposition to Boycott Serbia’s Elections (BIRN)

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: Medvedja was and will remain Serbian (Tanjug/B92/RTS)
• Tenth session of governments of Serbia, Republika Srpska held (RTS/Tanjug)
• Brnabic: Further intensification of cooperation between Serbia, RS (RTS)
• Gojkovic meets with McAllister (RTV)
• McAllister to Serbian MPs: EU cannot be complete without Serbia (RTS)
• Trepca Director: We will not apply Pristina’s legal decisions (RTS/Tanjug)
• Bjørnstad: I would be surprised with Belgrade–Pristina deal in June (Beta)
• Serbian government to use name North Macedonia (RTS/Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• The constitutive session of the House of Peoples of the B&H parliament: Delegates are Izetbegovic, Covic, Radoncic (Oslobodjenje)
• Cvijanovic: RS will know how to react to all attacks (Srna)
• Dodik: The first RS constitution - one of foundations on which RS rests even today (Srna)
• Cvijanovic: First constitution set foundation of freedom and RS’ existence (Srna)
• Cubrilovic: Constitution - best foundation for preservation of RS (Srna)
• Deputy Defense Minister of B&H met with Military Delegation of Russian Federation (Fena)
Montenegro
• Opposition to get back to its obligations in parliament (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Zaev and Ahmeti agree on a joint candidate for the presidential elections (Nezavisen vesnik)
• Ivanov appoints generals ahead of presidential elections (Nezavisen vesnik)
Albania
• EP delegation ‘fails’ with Albanian opposition (ADN)
• DP leader for protests: I do not care what internationals say (ADN)
• Opposition’s protests will continue until the removal of government (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Kosovo PM Ignores US Calls to Scrap Tariffs (BIRN)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 27 February 2019

LOCAL PRESS

• Kosovo Serbs want to leave Kosovo institutions; Vucic asks them to wait for response from state for 45 days (RTS/Tanjug)
• Djuric: Not a single solution in sight (RTS)
• US wants resolution of Kosovo problem by year’s end (Srpski Telegraf)
• Brnabic to Schieb: Abolition of taxes precondition for continuation of dialogue with Pristina (Beta)
• Slovakia will not recognize Kosovo and continues to support Serbia’s EU path (RTV/Tanjug)
• Dodik: If Kosovo joins the UN, Republika Srpska will also invoke that right (RTS)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Forming Council of Ministers depends only on SDA (Srna/Vecernji list)
• Kovacevic: B&H may rest on consensus, not on blackmails (Srna)
• Single route agreed (Srna)
Montenegro
• The Montenegrin opposition not giving up, it is seeking a technical government (RTCG)
• A technical government is a helping hand for the DPS (RTCG)
• Russia’s trying to deter WB from Euro-Atlantic aspirations (Pobjeda)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Coalition partners clash instead of choosing a consensual presidential candidate (Meta)
• Government spokesmen insist everything is fine after tensions develop between SDSM and DUI (Republika)
Albania
• Opposition's protest turns violent (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• The Brief – Mapping out the Balkans? (EurActiv)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Tuesday 26 February 2019

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: Haradinaj makes his private Serb cabinet minister (Beta/B92)
• Brnabic: Taxes biggest obstacle to normalization of relations (RTS/Tanjug/Beta)
• Mihajlovic: First section of Nis-Merdare highway to start by year’s end (Beta)
• Presevo valley to be included in dialogue (FoNet)
• Kocijancic: There is no “Balkan Spring” (Tanjug)
• NGOs advocate harmonization regarding Kosovo and EU integration acceleration (Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: Zvizdic is certainly not the one to set conditions (Srna)
• Bosniaks use NATO as excuse to prevent Serbs appointments to State government (Srna/N1)
• Answers to additional questions submitted to European Commission (Srna)
• Cubrilovic: Constitution should be amended under broad agreement (Srna/Glas Srpske)
• Zvizdic: B&H will not be assembly point in the Balkans (Srna)
• Presidency Chairman opens Economic Forum 2019 (Fena)
• Izetbegovic - Kukic: Constructive and comprehensive meeting between SDA and PDA (Fena)
Croatia
• Interior Minister visits North Macedonia, discusses migration (Hina)
Montenegro
• It’s not up to Russia to decide who will become NATO member (Pobjeda)
• Ministry of Defense of Austria: Foreign policy and cooperation will provide security of the region (Partner)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Xhacka: The Western vision culminated with the signing of the Prespa Agreement (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Time for Europe’s longest-serving ruler to go (politico.eu)