Merkel: Germany not against EU enlargement (B92)
BERLIN -- German Chancellor Angel Merkel has said she is "looking forward to the visit by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić to Berlin."
Djuric discussess Kosovo situation with Belgian delegation (RTS, Tanjug)
BELGRADE - The head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo-Metohija Marko Djuric has discussed the situation in the Serbian province with a delegation of the Belgian foreign ministry.
The Belgian delegation visiting Serbia is headed by Jean-Arthur Regibeau, Director General at the ministry's Directorate for Multilateral Affairs and Globalisation, and Thursday's discussions were also attended by Belgian Ambassador to Serbia Leo D'aes.
Djuric briefed the delegation on the challenges facing the Serb community in Kosovo-Metohija, in particular the province's displaced population, the Office
Kosovo votes under shadow of war crimes probe (Reuters)
(Reuters) - Hashim Thaci's "thumbs-up" gesture has become his trademark in election campaigns since he helped lead the guerrilla insurgency to throw off Serbian rule over Kosovo 15 years ago.
Kusturica ‘persona non grata’ in Kosovo? (Srna)
Serbian movie director Emir Kusturica stated today that Pristina’s announcements that he will be declared ‘persona non grata’ due to his plans to make a movie on human organ trafficking in Kosovo and Metohija, presents a blow to Kosovo’s democracy. Kusturica stressed that he is not the one who invented the story on organs, but that it is Dick Marty who submitted his report to the Council of Europe. “I neither invented it, nor I understand the nervousness of the chairperson of the Kosovo associations of move artists (Lirik Gjelaj).
Vucic: Serbia pillar of stability in region (RTS, Tanjug, Vecernje Novosti)
VIENNA - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has noted that Serbia is a pillar of stability in the region and that the country is doing its best when it comes to the negotiation process with Pristina.
In an interview to Vienna-based daily Der Standard ahead of his Wednesday visit to Austria, Vucic said that after the agreement was signed in April last year, much has been implemented, and that recently a final, very important agreement on the judiciary was reached.
Concerning the forthcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo-Metohija, Vucic said that there is no doubt that Serbia has neve
EU doors "open to all Western Balkan states" (B92)
VIENNA -- Austria's FM Sebastian Kurz has said that 100 years since the beginning of the First World War "we must work together to create a common European future."
Defense Minister meets UN officials (Tanjug)
BELGRADE - Serbian Defense Minister Bratislav Gasic thanked UN Resident Coordinator in Serbia Irena Vojackova-Solorano and head of the UN Office in Belgrade Peter Due for UN assistance to Serbia during the recent catastrophic floods.
Gasic also underlined the Serbian government's concern over the decision of interim institutions in Pristina to form Kosovo armed forces, Defense Ministry stated in a release.
"We see the international presence as a guarantee of security in Kosovo-Metohija, which is why the current process of reducing international troops is watched with concern," Gasic noted.
And where is the union of municipalities? (Vesti)
Belgrade politicians have promised in local elections that they will unify all Serbian municipalities in Kosovo, however six months later there are no traces of that promise. Unity of Serbs - that is a basic message of candidates of Srpska Ticket, where even the opponents in last local elections managed to find the room for themselves. All harsh words have been put behind and they don’t even remember tough words they exchanged.
Đurić: Time for Serbs and Albanians to end the dispute (Blic)
The new Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Đurić said yesterday in Gračanica/Graçanicë that doors of the Office will remain open for all who live in Kosovo and Metohija, and that the time has come for settling the dispute between Albanians and Serbs. “It’s time for the dispute amongst us to end, that solution is found which will satisfy, as much as possible, needs of all, including Albanians.
Nikolic: KiM elections pose a challenge (Tanjug)
BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said in a meeting with British Minister for Europe David Lidington on Monday that the government of Serbia will take a joint stance on whether to invite Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) to vote in the June 8 elections, considering the questionable conditions under which the citizens would vote and what they would gain from it.
Lidington voiced the opinion that the Serbs should participate in the upcoming KiM elections in order to achieve democratic legitimacy and the capacity to engage with the international community, the president's press service