United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Friday 22 December 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Kuburovic: Serbia probably to demand that Mladic receives medical treatment in Serbia (RTS)
• EU: Belgrade and Pristina decide in dialogue (Beta)
• Dittman, Djuric discuss Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta)
• Brnabic, Antic put Trans Balkan Corridor Transmission Line into operation (RTS/Tanjug)
• Antic: Srbijagas and Gasprom introduce new point of Russian gas import to Serbia (Beta/RTS)
• Kukan: General impression positive (Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• ICTY officially closed down (FTV)
• B&H HoR representatives discuss HNS B&H’s Proposal of Election Law of B&H (N1)
• Dodik asks Ivanic to have B&H support Israel and Trump (Nezavisne)
• Ivantsov: There will be no more use of Bonn Powers (Nezavisne)
• Dodik: B&H AF will no longer participate in marking of RS Day (K3 TV)
Croatia
• Government denies knowledge of Russia’s energy plans for Croatia (Vecernji list)
• Euro, Schengen and OECD foreign policy goals in 2018 (HRT)
• Croatian-Serbian flood protection project completed (Hina)
Montenegro
• Tannock: Medojevic accused all MEPs of being corrupt (CDM)
• Lawsuit to Strasbourg court over election irregularities (Dan)
fYROM
• Zaev, Sela fail to agree on health minister post (MIA)
• Mickoski will be the only candidate for the leader of VMRO-DPMNE at the congress (Meta)
• Carovska-Jevtic: Issue of return of Kosovo refugees to be closed (MIA)
Albania
• US Ambassador Lu, meeting with the new Chief Prosecutor Marku (ADN)
• New Chief Prosecutor ultimatum to the subordinates (ADN)
• Disorders in parliament, 10-day expulsion for 7 opposition MPs (ADN)
• Opposition MPs’ expulsion, Paloka: Illicit act (ADN)
• Basha meeting with 5 EU diplomats (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Serb President Sees Second Term Unlikely After EU Work Ends (Bloomberg)
• FYROM Considers Referendum for Name Dispute with Greece (eu.greekreporter.com)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 21 December 2017
LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: It is Serbia’s job not to harm Russia (Tanjug/B92)
• Vulin: Further modernization of techniques and combat systems agreed in Moscow (RTS)
• Brnabic: No open issues with Montenegro (RTS/Tanjug)
• Serbia demands return of its materials assigned to ICTY in all tried cases (RTS)
• Mihajlovic: Serbia has done everything to construct Bratunac-Ljubovija Bridge and resolve border issues with B&H (Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• OSCE’s Berton discusses Election Law issue with reps of main political parties in B&H (FTV)
• OSCE: General elections will be held in 2018 (N1)
• Versions of adopted set of excise laws are not identical in all three official languages (TV1)
• Session of Collegium for the EU integration held (BNTV)
• SDA condemns Vucic’s decision to posthumously reward Russian Ambassador Churkin (Oslobodjenje)
Croatia
• EU encouraged by meeting of Croatian and Slovenian prime ministers (HRT)
Montenegro
• Political strategy is not stronger (RTCG)
fYROM
• Prominent members of VMRO-DPMNE demand the postponement of congress for the election of a new leader (Meta)
• VMRO-DPMNE: Every day we shall be blocking a border passage (Meta)
Albania
• SMI, Luan Rama: Provisional chief prosecutor position, non-existent (ADN)
• Speaker Ruci sued by Democratic Party for abuse of duty (ADN)
• Basha, unexpected meeting with US Ambassador Lu (ADN)
• SMI Chairwoman Kryemadhi meets US Ambassador Lu (ADN)
• Berisha accuses EU and USA diplomats for unilateral support of Rama (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Balkans trap: As Serbian president goes to Russia, US plots to ‘finish the job’ (RT)
• Corruption, a threatening phenomenon in the Balkans (Ora News.tv)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 20 December 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Putin to Vucic: Moscow to support any mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo; political dialogue in line with UNSCR 1244 (Beta)
• Serbia, Russia sign several agreements (RTS/Tanjug)
• Russia confirms it wants to join Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (B92/Tanjug)
• Lazanski: Visit to Moscow was more than successful (RTS)
• Brnabic: Serbia still not satisfied with implementation of agreements by Pristina (RTS)
• Fico to Guterres: Balkans is once again starting to burn (Beta/Tanjug/TASR)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Izetbegovic: Serbs force themselves out of Sarajevo (EuroBlic)
• Zvizdic returns from Brussels (FTV)
• Zvizdic meets IMF’s Ilahi (Oslobodjenje)
• EU: We will monitor how money from excise duties is being spent (Nezavisne)
Croatia
• Survival of Croats in B&H is national interest (HRT)
• Cerar visits Plenkovic, no agreement on arbitration implementation (Jutarnji list)
Montenegro
• DF’s excuse: We had to be impudent towards Tannock (CDM)
• EP report on Montenegro reflects no political or party views (CDM)
fYROM
• Zaev, Dimitrov meet with BiEPAG experts (MIA)
• Zaev: Citizens, not governments, play main role in decision-making (MIA)
• Dimitrov: National consensus and holding of referendum on name issue (MIA)
Albania
• Basha: Provisional Chief Prosecutor election null (ADN)
• Opposition’s protest, Basha: Fair reaction against Constitution’s violation (ADN)
• EU condemns violence in opposition’s protest (ADN)
• Opposition’s protest, 10 MPs to be prosecuted for public disorder (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Russia's Gazprom increases contracted gas volume to Serbia to 2 Bcm/year (Platts)
• Visa Liberalisation Report: Questions and Answers (European Commission - Press release)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Tuesday 19 December 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic, Rogozin: To strengthen cooperation (RTS)
• Vucic: Thanks to Churkin Serbs were not labeled as genocidal nation (Beta)
• Dacic: Boosting political cooperation, economic relations with Russia (RTS)
• Brnabic: Continuation of dialogue with Pristina essential (Beta)
• Selakovic: Insisting on property, continuing development of economic relations (Tanjug)
• When Putin schedules a press conference, it means he has something to say (RTS)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• US Embassy to B&H and OHR dismiss third entity as realistic option (TV1)
• B&H politicians, political analysts comment on Covic’s statement on third entity (N1)
• Dodik meets Hearne (TV1)
• Zvizdic attends meeting of PMs from region with Mogherini (BNTV)
Croatia
• Plenkovic: Croatia and Slovenia have to find middle ground over border dispute (Hina)
• Vukovar deputy mayor urges authorities to enable Serbs to exercise right to mother tongue and script (Hina)
• Ivan Vrdoljak returns as HNS President (T portal)
Montenegro
• EU to send encouraging message to Western Balkans (CDM)
fYROM
• Western Balkan leaders view 2018 as vital for their countries’ giant step towards EU (MIA)
• Zaev meets Siyarto (MIA)
• Gruevski has complained to Siyarto that in Macedonia human rights and freedoms are violated (Meta)
• There will be news on the name dispute after the holidays, says Dimitrov (Meta)
Albania
• DP-SMI announces massive protests after New Year’s Eve (ADN)
• Rama: Opposition’s protest shameful (ADN)
• US Embassy condemns violence during opposition’s protests (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Serbia balances between Russia and the West (DW)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 18 December 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Status of Kosovo in World Customs Organization disputable (Beta/government website)
• Dacic: Kosovo is no state, cannot join Council of Europe (Tanjug)
• Vulin: There can be no armed force in Kosovo except KFOR (Tanjug/B92)
• Djuric within internal dialogue: Serbia will request revision of privatizations in Kosovo and Metohija (RTS/Tanjug)
• Izetbegovic: I am ready to cooperate with Vucic, but not to the detriment of B&H (Danas)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Covic: Third entity realistic possibility for B&H (FTV)
• Dodik and Covic support removal of foreign judges from B&H Constitutional Court (FTV)
• Sejdic, Finci comment on Dodik’s claims on ruling (TV1)
• Inzko commented the last Communique adopted by the PIC (Nezavisne)
• Wigemark: Media speculations about ‘2+2+2’ Strategy of EU for Western Balkans are completely false (BHT1)
• Crnadak meets ambassadors of Serbia, Montenegro and Albania, chargé d'affaires of FYROM (N1)
• Dodik: We will follow Serbia on issue of demarcation with B&H (Factor.ba)
• RS plans to join Serbian lawsuit against NATO claiming contamination with depleted uranium (Glas Srpske)
• Brammertz: criminals are still celebrated in Serbia, Croatia and RS (Factor.ba)
Croatia
• Breakthrough? Slovenian Prime Minister coming to Zagreb to discuss border issue (Vecernji list)
Montenegro
• Abazovic announces fierce political debates in spring (Pobjeda)
• To accelerate EU accession, Montenegro must end its internal conflict (MINA)
fYROM
• Zaev-Rama: EU members inclined to embrace Western Balkans (MIA)
Albania
• Tensions in parliament, MPs clash with security guards, gas bombs in and outside parliament headquarters (ADN)
• Berisha calls on opposition MPs to burn their mandates (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Nimetz upbeat on talks, but obstacles lurk (ekathimerini)