United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 4 October 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: I do not expect EU reaction (TV Prva/Beta/B92)
• Djuric: Are other rules valid for the Serbs in everything? (RTS)
• EU: Kosovo a sui generis case, no double standards (Tanjug)
• Mihajlovic: Nis-Pristina highway currently higher priority than connecting Nis with the Ibar main road (Beta)
• Kosovo flag at session of parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija (Politika)
• Jeremic: Serbia will have to choose in 2018 between consenting to Kosovo joining the UN and aggravation of relations with the world (RTV)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: International community demonstrates double standards on example of referendum in Catalonia (Srna)
• B&H officials react to Dodik’s and Dacic’s statments (N1)
• Radmanovic says RS opposes membership in NATO, claims RS wants independence but not outside of Dayton (Nezavisne)
• Softic says indirect election of B&H Presidency members is acceptable for SDA (TV1)
• Opposition parties in RS to file criminal report against Director of Official Gazette of RS
• Veselinovic for delays in publishing of decision on referendum (EuroBlic)
• International officials in B&H emphasize importance of adoption of excise duties on fuel (TV1)
Montenegro
• DPS proposal on the dialogue coming soon (RTCG)
fYROM
• Chichakovski has called upon the political parties to stop all incidents (Meta)
• MoI: No tolerance of any incident during election campaign (MIA)
• EU: Macedonia institutions to provide conditions for credible local elections (MIA)
• Hoyt Yee: Establishing accountability for wiretaps important for NATO, EU accession (TV Alsat M)
• FM Dimitrov meets OSCE High Commissioner Zannier (MIA)
Albania
• Jean Asselborn: 2018 May be a very good year for negotiations; Any comparison to Crimea, Kosovo and Catalonia is ungrounded (ATA)
• Coalition with Albanians, Rama's special invitation (ATA)
• Electoral Reform/ DP proposes a new formula (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Balkan leaders back Serbia's bid to join European Union (Reuters)
• Prime Minister Tudose says Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia can be EU's defence wall (Agerpres)
• Rinkēvičs: Alignment with EU foreign policy of utmost importance for candidate states (European Western Balkans)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 2 October 2017

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: Europe, how come Catalonia cannot, but Kosovo can? (B92/Tanjug)
• Brnabic: Serbia respects Spain’s sovereignty (Tanjug)
• Dacic: Serbia supports Spain’s integrity (Beta)
• Dacic, Lavrov: Serbia, Russia relations on the rise (RTS/Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: Referendum on Court and Prosecutor’s Office of B&H or on status of RS are not issues that should be given up on (RTRS)
• Cubrilovic: No request for discussions on referendum or resolution on military neutrality in RS Assembly have been submitted (TV1)
• Opposition parties are preparing law on RS President that would allow his recall (EuroBlic)
• Dodik: This period is one of best periods of cooperation between RS and Serbia (RTRS)
• Members of UK House of Lords meet representatives of B&H parliament and the RS representatives (TV1)
Croatia
• Serbia honors officer who tried to blow up Croatian town (Vecernji list)
• Vulin in Sibenik: In every war there are as many truths as there are sides (HRT)
• PM Plenkovic and Angela Merkel discuss border dispute with Slovenia (Jutarnji list)
• Preparations for Cerar's visit to Zagreb to resume (HRT)
Montenegro
• Markovic: Opposition meeting disappointing (CDM)
• DF planning the return to parliament (Pobjeda)
• Pence: Kosovo to ratify agreement with Montenegro (RTCG)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Kosovo President: US Will Be Directly Involved in Final Kosovo-Serbia Deal (VOA)
• Serbia's Media Stage Blackout Over Pressure on Free Press (AP)
• Russian Ambassador Ivantsov: attempts to drag B&H into NATO become more energetic in spite objection of half of country (Sputnik)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Friday 29 September 2017

LOCAL PRESS
• Defense and culture ministers could be sacked (Politika)
• Stefanovic: Huge diplomatic effort to prevent Kosovo's entry into Interpol (RTS)
• Jankovic: Cooperation with Jeremic Certain, DS is not an enemy (N1)
• Jeremic founds People’s Party (Blic)
• Group of media start campaign for Media Freedom (VIP)
• Dacic in Moscow on September 29 (Beta)
• EP MP Andor Deli: Strategy for Serbia's accession should be a clear – cut political act (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• B&H HoP adopts declaration on Peljesac Bridge different than one adopted by B&H HoR (BHT1)
• European Commission: We expect B&H CoM’s report on what has been done with excise duties (Dnevni avaz)
• Izetbegovic: Lot depends on adoption of law on excise duties (FTV)
• Ramush Haradinaj calls on B&H to recognize independence of Kosovo (Klix)

Croatia
• Draft of new Family Law withdrawn under fierce criticism (HRT)

Montenegro
• Opposition meeting starts: DF exclusion heightens tensions (CDM)

fYROM
• Hungarian PM Orban, former Slovenian president Jansa expect fair, democratic elections in Macedonia (MIA)
• MATTO: Full trade liberalization with Turkey and free-trade zone in Gevgelija (MIA)

Albania
• PM Rama reacts to OSCE/ODIHR Report on Albania’s general elections (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Selakovic “indifferent” over mayoral bid (IBNA)
• War Crimes Documentation Centre Opens in Kosovo (BIRN)
• Verdicts in Macedonia Shootout Trial Due in October (BIRN)
• Greek FM Kotzias: Athens, Skopje to set up joint committee to erase irredentism from textbooks (EPT TV)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 28 September 2017

LOCAL PRESS
• Stefanovic: Only sovereign U.N. members can join Interpol (Beta)
• Appeals Court frees Delta Holding owner Miskovic of some charges (Vecernje Novosti, RTS)
• Campaign against former Belgrade Mayor Djilas heating up following speculation about his candidacy (VIP, Vecernje Novosti)
• Brnabic: Frequent dialog requisite for advancing regional cooperation (Beta)
• Serbia joins EU battle group (Beta)
• NATO "concerned" over Thaci's rehashed "Kosovo army" plan (Vecernje Novosti)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Zvizdic holds meetings with DF and SDP Caucuses to hear their suggestions re set of laws on excise duties (TV1)
• RS insists on rotating representation of relevant entity and state ministers in Transport Community (FTV)
• Izetbegovic meets Ambassador Ferguson (Dnevni list)
• Dodik, Ivantsov discuss resolution on military neutrality (RTRS)
• Ambassador Ivantsov meets with Cubrilovic, Stevandic and Govedarica (RTRS)
• SDS leader Govedarica: SNSD’s claim of ‘Macedonian scenario’ in RS is pure nonsense (RTRS)
• SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD are parties with highest ranking (Fena)
• B&H CEC says 2018 general elections will be held even without changes to Law on Elections (BHT1)
• SDA calls on SBB B&H to leave coalition or stop with obstructions (Oslobodjenje)
• SBB B&H: OSA is under control of Izetbegovic and his wife (Nezavisne)

Croatia
• Medved: Vucic has no basis to comment on Croatian laws (Hina)

Montenegro
• Demarcation done deal for Darmanovic, impossible for Pacolli (CDM)

fYROM
• Davutoglu commends Macedonia's progress, says its future is in NATO (MIA)
• Gottemoeller: Montenegro’s entry into NATO means that the doors are open for Macedonia too (Meta)
• Court dismisses former PM Gruevski's request to have his passport returned (MIA)
• Albania set to pass law recognizing eight minorities, including Macedonian (MIA)

Albania
• Meta meeting with Haradinaj: Continuation of dialogue with Serbia in the interests of peace and stability in the region (ATA)
• Basha – Haradinaj: Full support for Kosovo on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Weakened Merkel is bad news for the Balkans (BIRN)
• Macedonia says planned register won't replace census (BIRN)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 27 September 2017

LOCAL PRESS
• Vucic: Serb-Albanian relations must be resolved once and for all (RTS)
• Vucic: UK should be more understanding of our position on Kosovo (Tanjug)
• Interior Minister thanks countries which helped in preventing Kosovo from joining Interpol (Blic)
• Vulin meets with Italian Security Agency delegation on migrants (Beta)
• SNS official criticizes verdict against Vasiljkovic (RTS)
• Joksimovic: More certain European future of Serbia (Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Directors of Croatian and B&H Security-Intelligence Agencies met and agreed there was no wiretapping between B&H and Croatia (BHT1)
• Covic, Novalic meet and agree priorities of Federation of B&H in upcoming period of time will be excise duties, budget and Questionnaire (TV1)
• International conference on new security challenges takes place in Sarajevo (TV1)
• RS President Dodik says RSNA will adopt resolution on military neutrality of RS soon (TV1)
• Macron: If EU is reformed, Western Balkans countries may join Union by 2024 (Dnevni avaz)

Croatia
• Grabar-Kitarovic u in a letter to Kavazovic: My words weren't directed against Muslims, Bosnjaks and B&H (Hina, HRT)
• Serbs and Croats "will have to be allies in future" (Vecerni list)
fYROM
Government to provide conditions for fair and democratic elections, Zaev tells Glover (MIA)
FM Dimitrov meets EU Commissioner Hahn (MIA)
SPO wants to confiscate 2.2 million euros in assets and property from Gruevski, Protoger and Dimovski (Meta)

Albania
• PM of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj to visit Tirana on Wednesday (ATA)
• Albania to support Kosovo’s NATO membership, says Xhacka (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• I would rather kill myself than steal a vote, Vucic says (IBNA)