Daily Media Highlights

Monday 28 May 2018
LOCAL PRESS

• Brnabic: Everyone forgets I am a technocrat Prime Minister (FoNet)
• Dacic on Kosovo partition, Ivanovic murder, lobbying (B92/TV Prva)
• Stefanovic: No readiness of Pristina to resolve case of Ivanovic’s murder (Tanjug)
• Stefanovic: We must never give up from Brussels agreement (Radio Belgrade)
• Ghana will reconsider issue of status of Kosovo (RTS/Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• B&H CEC: 72 political parties, 39 independent candidates submit application for taking part in October elections (N1)
• Businessman Pavlovic to run for post of RS President (TV1)
• RS President Dodik meets with Russian President Putin (RTRS)
• Kosarac: If SDA wants unitary B&H, we will fight for independence of RS (Oslobodjenje/ Srna)
• Croatian parliament adopts Law on Management of State Property, B&H could lose valuable property in Croatia (TV1)
Croatia
• MPs vote in Tolusic and Horvat as new Deputy PM and Economy Minister (HRT)
• B&H protests Croatia’s state property management plans (Hina)
Montenegro
• Montenegro’s ruling party wins Podgorica elections (CDM)
• Wilson: Djukanovic will lead Montenegro into the EU (TV Pink M)
fYROM
• Dimitrov and Kotzias defend national interests in New York, head to Brussels to continue dialogue (MIA)
• Majority of the EU member states support opening accession negotiations with Macedonia (MIA)
• A year after Zaev's win, Cabinet to reshuffle on Friday (MIA)
Albania
• DP, urgent meeting with allies after the latest protest (ADN)
• US Ambassador denounces pressures on judges for Tahiri case (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• BiH's SDP party elects candidate for upcoming general elections (Xinhua)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Friday 25 May 2018
LOCAL PRESS

• Brnabic: Serbia appreciates support of EP in process of European integration (RTS/Beta)
• Vucic: I oppose frozen conflict even though 80 percent of Serbian citizens support it (RTS/Novosti)
• Joksimovic: Serbia ready to open five chapters (Beta/Tanjug/FoNet)
• Dacic: EU is our key goal; as many chapters as soon as possible (Beta/Tanjug/B92)
• Drecun: We are not satisfied with the overall result of EULEX (RTS)
• Vulin: No formation of Army of Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Xhaferi: Macedonia and Serbian have common goals (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• What Inzko answered to B&H CC (Klix.ba)
• Dodik: Register all beneficiaries of funds from foreign governments and foundations (RTRS)
• Izetbegovic: We will have to reorganize and simplify system in B&H (TV1)
• Komsic submits candidacy, coalition with Civic Alliance (Hayat)
• Sepic and Ahmetovic candidates of Independent Bloc (EuroBlic)
• Cavic: SzP coalition agreement harmonized (BNTV)
• Court of B&H confirms 14 years in prison to Azra Basic for war crimes against imprisoned Serb civilians (RTRS)
• They are creating Serb list for Federation of B&H (EuroBlic)
• Palmer expresses concern over increasing nationalist rhetoric in B&H (Dnevni avaz)
• US House Committee on Armed Services approves funds for greater military cooperation with Western Balkans (FTV/Glas Srpske)
Croatia
• President meets with US Attorney General Sessions (Hina)
• Sessions praises relations with Croatia (Hina)
• Grbin and Hajdas Doncic report Plenkovic for conflict of interest (HRT)
Montenegro
• Serbian media fail again: Border control unchanged (Pobjeda)
fYROM
• Macedonia becomes full-fledged member of Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (MIA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Greece, FYROM Seek to Solve Name Riddle in New York Talks (Greek Reporter)
• ND slams Tsipras over comments on FYROM name dispute (ekathimerini.com)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 24 May 2018
LOCAL PRESS

• Chinese President ready to take relations with Serbia to new level (Tanjug)
• Brnabic: Serbia committed to development of friendly relations with Macedonia (Beta/Tanjug)
• Vulin: SPC recommendations will not determine state policy (TV Pink/Tanjug/B92)
• Xhaferi: Relations with Belgrade friendly (N1)
• Serbs hope that they will resolve all their problems with the aid of Russia (spc.rs/Srna)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Venice Commission experts conclude that issue of election legislation can be resolved at level of Federation of B&H Parliament (Klix.ba)
• Sebija Izetbegovic decides not to accept her candidacy for post of Bosniak member of B&H Presidency (BHT1)
• Dodik to attend SPIEF and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin (Nezavisne)
• B&H CoM unanimously adopts measures and actions that should be taken in order to put migrant crisis in B&H under control (BHT1)
• Cvijanovic: I am very dissatisfied with state institutions’ actions in dealing with influx of migrants (TV1)
• Brammertz meets representatives of Prosecutor's Office of B&H and B&H institutions (FTV)
• Acquittal of Oric to be revoked, he will be ordered re-trial (EuroBlic)
Croatia
• Coalition partners back PM’s pick for economy minister (HRT)
• Jeff Sessions begins visit to Croatia (HRT)
fYROM
• Dimitrov meets UN Secretary General Guterres in New York (MIA)
• US supports Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, Skopje-Athens efforts for name issue settlement (MIA)
• President Ivanov meets US State Department's Matthew Palmer (MIA)
• Sekerinska in Montenegro: Macedonia deserves to be next NATO member (MIA)
Albania
• Protests, Basha gathers DP Parliamentary Group (ADN)
• Basha: EUR 200.000 offered to witness to deny audio-recording (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Thaci: Time Needed To Mull Whether Convicted Ethnic Serb Can Join Top Kosovar Court (RFE/RL)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 23 May 2018
LOCAL PRESS

• Brnabic: Belgrade ready for dialogue with Pristina (Beta)
• Belgrade receives new message from Berlin (Beta/B92)
• Djuric briefs Sarrazin on problems faced by Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug/Beta)
• EU membership common goal of Serbia, Macedonia (Tanjug)
• Military cooperation in Balkans a must (FoNet)
• Laketic: First location Vranje municipality, and then Kosovo (RTS)
• Fajon: Anchoring W. Balkans no substitute for EU accession (Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Experts from Venice Commission discuss changes to Election Law with parties in Sarajevo (FTV/TV1)
• OHR submitted its opinion on election of FB&H delegates to B&H CC (Dnevni avaz)
• Dodik announces he will meet Putin on Friday (EuroBlic)
• Mektic announces he will talk to FRONTEX reps about helping B&H deal with migrant crisis (Dnevni list)
• Brammertz starts official visit to B&H as part of preparation of his report to UN SCF (FTV/BHT1)
fYROM
• Gruevski sentenced to two years in prison (N1)
• Merkel voices support for finding mutually acceptable solution to name issue (MIA)
• Greek government junior partner says solution to name dispute unlikely (MIA)
• Zaev submits list of nominees for new government members to parliament (MIA)
• Parliament adopts draft law on amending the Electoral Code (MIA)
• Serbia, Macedonia agree to reactivate intergovernmental mixed commission for minority rights protection (MIA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Serbia, Turkey, and Russia - alarm bells for Europe (TransConflict)
• A Pro-Chinese Pivot Is The Last Chance To Save Serbia (eurasiafuture.com)

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: No change of policy (Beta/RTS/Tanjug)
• Dacic: No trade with EU over deadlines (RTS)
• Brnabic: Multiple importance of construction of Nis-Sofia gas pipeline (Novosti)
• Joksimovic, senators from France on European integration of Serbia (Beta)
• Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija adopted report on the work of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija (RTS)
• Stefanovic: No foreign drones over Belgrade (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• One should not allow meddling in B&H’s internal matters (Srna)
• Venice Commission experts with representatives of B&H parties (Dnevni avaz)
• Lives of "little stars" embedded in foundations of RS (Srna)
Croatia
• Increase in number of anti-Serb incidents in Croatia recorded (Hina)
Montenegro
• Markovic: We can defend our national interests (Pobjeda)
• Djukanovic: Fighting for independence was worth it (Pink M)
fYROM
• Zaev: Republic of Ilinden Macedonia name proposal still in play (MIA)
• Dimitrov: No other more appropriate proposal than Republic of Ilinden Macedonia (MIA)
• Tzanakopoulos: We welcome acceptance of erga omnes, but best solution is choosing one of the names proposed by UN mediator (MIA)
• Court acquits Zaev in Bribe case (MIA)