United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 12 July 2017
LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic to launch a broad dialogue on Kosovo in September (Novosti)
• Serbia supports OSCE in fight against terrorism (Beta)
• Orizio praises Serbia’s efforts to handle migrant crisis (Beta)
• Cadez: Economy to be central topic of Trieste summit (Tanjug)
• Djuric re-appointed Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija (RTS/FoNet)

REGIONAL PRESS
• Zvizdic to attend 2017 Western Balkans Summit (TV1)
• RS government accepts Draft Treaty establishing SEE Transport Community under certain conditions (RTRS)
• Holding of Trieste summit questionable due to arrogance of RS (Dnevni avaz)
• Prosecutor’s Office of B&H terminates investigation against Dodik, Cvijanovic in referendum case (ATV)
• Dodik and Covic meeting: We discussed cooperation at all levels (Klix.ba)
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Croatia
• Slovenian FM: If I were PM, I would not receive Plenkovic (Hina/STA)
Montenegro
• Becic’s policy of “youth and courage” short-lived (CDM)
• “A mystery”: If Serbia finds where Marovic is, he will be arrested (CDM)
fYROM
• FM Dimitrov says he regrets Dacic’s statement (MIA)
• Trilateral meeting Tsipras – Vucic – Borisov in Thessaloniki, Macedonia will be one of the topics (Meta)
• Pence speaks on the phone with Zaev, Tsipras (MIA)
• MEP Vajgl: New Macedonia’s government aware of need for serious approach to reforms (MIA)
• Government dismisses steering and supervisory boards in public sector (MIA)
Albania
• 2017 Western Balkans Summit – stepping up regional cooperation to advance on the European Union path (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Mogherini: Berlin Process is not a substitute for the EU enlargement (European Western Balkans)

LOCAL PRESS

• Serbian officials on Srebrenica (B92/Tanjug/Happy TV)
• Germany close, reliable partner of Serbia (RTS/Beta)
• Roth: Serbia is key country in the region (Beta)
• Serbia, Greece traditionally friendly countries (Beta/RTS)
• Strengthening cooperation between Serbia, Turkey in field of energy (Beta)
• Scott conveyed to Stanojkovic US concern over case of Bytici brothers (Danas)
• Samardzic: In the dialogue there is no longer a good solution for the Serbs (Blic)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Numerous high-ranked officials arrive to Potocari (Klix/Faktor.ba)
• Meeting of EU-B&H Stabilization and Association Council held in Brussels (BHT1)
• Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Angelino Alfano: Region needs to overcome internal divisions and accusations from past (Glas Srpske)
• McAllister: There needs to be equality of three peoples in B&H (Vecernji list)
• HDZ B&H Presidency discusses blockade in reform processes (BHT1)
• HDZ B&H and SNSD might jointly run in upcoming elections (EuroBlic)
fYROM
• Zaev-Roth: Germany will support Macedonia in its reformatory process (Meta)
• Dimitrov-Kurz: Austria remains strong supporter of Macedonia's Euro-integration (MIA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Political instability in the Balkans: the remedies are long-term (Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso)

LOCAL PRESS

• Brnabic: I gave transcript to Chepurin (Beta/Blic)
• Merkel to Brnabic: Rule of law, Kosovo, Serbia’s EU accession landmarks (Beta)
• Odalovic hopes new court will provide at least some answers (Novosti/Tanjug)
• Serbian Foreign Ministry: Membership of “Kosovo” in WCO suspended (RTS/Beta)
• What is Serbia’s future in Kosovo and Kosovo’s in Serbia (Blic)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Reactions to B&H CC’s decision on HNS’ proposal of changes to Election Law (TV1)
• Covic: Decision of B&H CC on provisions of Election Law is logical (Dnevni avaz)
• Plenkovic: Croatia expects implementation of changes to Election Law of B&H (Hayat)
• Covic: I am not pleased with work of any level of authority (Dnevni avaz)
• Covic and Ivantsov discuss current political situation in B&H (Nezavisne)
• Dodik: B&H will collapse and disappear on its own (Vecernji list)
• Srebrenica prepares for 11 July commemoration in Potocari (N1)
Croatia
• Croatian and Bosnian governments hold joint session in Sarajevo (Vecernji list)
• Slovenia hopes Merkel and Macron will pressure Croatia (Index.hr)
fYROM
• Dimitrov and Zaharieva are putting finishing touches on the Agreement for good neighborly relations (Meta)
• VMRO-DPMNE: Zaev’s silence raises doubts as to whether he is selling out the country (Meta)
• Ahmeti: Joining NATO under the temporary reference and then the solution of the name dispute (Meta)
Albania
• What does the Albanian co-governance platform contain? (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Central European States Urge EU to Speed up Enlargement in West Balkans (Reuters)

LOCAL PRESS

• Further improvement of cooperation between Serbia, Great Britain (RTS/Tanjug)
• EU path must not, will not, and cannot spoil Russia ties (Tanjug)
• Full US support to Serbia’s EU path (Tanjug/Beta/RTS)
• Russia important economic partner of Serbia (Tanjug/Beta/RTS)
• Vulin receives Scott (Beta)
• Selakovic: Vucic clearly presented Serbia’s road (RTS)
• Tabakovic: We are paying Kosovo’s debts, too (Beta/Politika)
• Yee: Region will not catch up with EU even in thirty years (NIN)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Radoncic urges Izetbegovic to publicly explain what kind of role he was playing during defeat of Srebrenica (RTRS)
• B&H HoR postpones voting on report on work of B&H CoM (TV1)
• B&H HoR adopts conclusion demanding Spiric’s suspension at helm of Commission for Supervision of Work of OSA (RTRS)
• B&H CC to hold session on Thursday and discuss several topics, including implementation of its decision regarding Law on Elections (TV1)
• Dodik: Citizens will have final say in referendum on accession to NATO (N1)
Croatia
• European Commission: Arbitration decision should be implemented (Vecernji list)
• Slovenian leadership to meet after EU’s support in dispute with Croatia (Index.hr)
• Croatian PM expects EC to respect fact that border row is bilateral issue (Hina)
Montenegro
• Putin extended sanctions to Montenegro until 2018 (CDM)
• DF ready for the defense phase (RTCG)
fYROM
• Zaev: Action Plan 3-6-9 for serious breakthrough in Euro-integration process (MIA)
• Ivanov: Macedonia - example of how a country may be a subject of double standards (MIA)
• Baily expects to hear statements about US commitment to the Balkans from Pence's visit to Montenegro (MIA)
• Parliament to hold swearing-in ceremony for Albania’s new President on July 24 (ATA)
Albania
• Parliament to hold swearing-in ceremony for Albania’s new President on July 24 (ATA)
• Opposition leader meets with OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission (ATA)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Six Western Balkan states to create regional economic area with EBRD's help (Reuters)

LOCAL PRESS

• Brnabic: Serbia firmly on path towards EU (Beta/Politika/RTS/BBC)
• Zakharova: We don’t want Serbia to choose between us and EU (Beta)
• Drecun: Last attempt to process KLA crimes (N1)
• EU progress of countries of the region (Novosti)
• Kurti: Serbia wants Bosniazation of Kosovo (Danas)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: abolish marking of 1 March and 25 November (Srna)
• Dodik announces SNSD and HDZ B&H will decide on their partners in state authorities after 2018 elections (TV1)
• Delegation of European Council on Foreign Relations visit Banja Luka (TV1/N1)
• B&H Constitutional Court to discuss unconstitutional provisions of Election Law (TV1)
• Moore: HNS’ proposal of Election Law does not correspond to implementation of ‘Sejdic-Finci’ and ‘Zornic’ rulings (Oslobodjenje)
• No one has been held responsible yet for attack on Vucic in Potocari on July 11, 2015 (Nezavisne)
Croatia
• European Commission expects Croatia, Slovenia to implement arbitration award (Hina)
• New rules coming to Croatian borders for non-EU nationals (Jutarnji list)
Montenegro
• Political public opinion in Montenegro, June 2017 (RTCG/CDM)
fYROM
• Macedonia's government adopts urgent reform priorities draft plan (MIA)
• Hoyt Yee: The USA does not support any changes to the borders in the Balkans (Meta)
Albania
• SP starts hearing tour in Albania (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Erdogan’s Battles With West Threaten Balkan Stability (BIRN)
• Turkey rapporteur: ‘We are sending a very bad signal to the Balkans’ (EurActiv)