United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 31 May 2021

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: I won’t sign independence of Kosovo (Beta/RTS/Politika/Novosti)
Unanimously - SNS and SPAS united (B92)
Selakovic: Serbia proud of China’s support regarding Kosovo and Metohija (Politika/RTS)
Djuric: Biden administration recognizes Washington agreement (Politika)
Serbian Orthodox Church elects Joanikije to serve as Metropolitan of Montenegro (FoNet)
Impersonal position on Kosovo and Metohija (Danas)
Knezevic: This is an unprecedented scandal (B92)
General Mojsilovic: KFOR only legitimate armed formation in Kosovo and Metohija (RTV)
Provelegios: Recognition of Kosovo by Greece will not happen (Tanjug)
Germany nominates Schmidt although it was advocating shutting down of OHR (Politika)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Inzko reflects on Schmidt’s appointment as new HR (Face TV)
Cvijanovic points out that imposition of solutions is unacceptable to RS (RTRS)
Dodik: PIC’s appointment of Schmidt as new HR is unacceptable (ATV/RTRS/RS Radio)
Croatia

Voters in four biggest cities elect new mayors (Hina)
Croatian President returns war decorations to General Branimir Glavas (Hina)
Venice Commission and European Union are getting involved in electoral reform in B&H (Vecernji list)
Montenegro

Embassies prevented Krivokapic from signing fundamental agreement with SPC via (Pobjeda/Vijesti)
Metropolitan: Concord, unity needed just as much as air (Dan)
Albania

Committee of Inquiry approves the report on impeachment of Meta (Radio Tirana)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: We are hoping Greece will not recognize Kosovo (Tanjug/RTS/Politika)
Vucic after meeting with Patriarch, bishops and Dodik (Tanjug/B92/RTS)
Vucic to Botsan-Kharchenko: Days ahead difficult for our country; Botsan-Kharchenko to Vucic: Russia’s active support for defense of international law norms and, thus, Serbia’s territorial integrity (RTV/Tanjug)
Brnabic against redrawing borders accepted by United Nations (Politika/Tanjug)
Stefanovic with UNOB Head (RTV/Tanjug)
SPC: Krivokapic presented Patriarch so far untold reasons for postponing of signing of Fundamental Agreeement (RTS)
Inzko: Dayton does not foresee peaceful dissolution of B&H (Politika)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Inzko resigns, PIC SB appoints Schmidt as next HR (BHT1)
Schmidt: I will dedicate myself to OHR vigorously and in close exchange with international community, responsible parties and citizens of B&H (Al Jazeera Balkans)
International community’s reactions to Schmidt’s appointment (Dnevni avaz)
Dodik: Inzko’s resignation is international community’s bluff, RS has no intention of cooperating with illegitimate High Representatives (ATV)
RS MPs comment appointment of new High Representative (Nezavisne)
Borenovic believes that appointment of Schmidt as new HR proves intention of international community to seriously deal with B&H that is not ready to be country without HR; Kovacevic criticizes Borenovic’s statement (RTRS)
FB&H reactions to Schmidt’s appointment (Dnevni avaz/Nova BH)
Dodik attends discussion ‘Original Dayton or peaceful separation in B&H’ in Belgrade: Peaceful separation is good at least to enhance our negotiation position, to gain something back; I believe position of RS will be solved in next ten years (RTRS)
Delegation of US Congress visits Sarajevo, meets Minister Turkovic (Oslobodjenje)
B&H reaches agreement with Croatia regarding disputed border crossings (BHT1)
Croatia

Plenkovic discusses strengthening bilateral cooperation with Chinese delegation (HRT)
Montenegro

MPs vote again in favor of amendments to prosecutorial law (CdM)
Djukanovic’s cabinet: Instead of fanatical obsession with President, Krivokapic should focus on PM position (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

President Pendarovski meets with Pope Francis (Republika)
Albania

Roth hopes a positive decision is taken on Albania (Radio Tirana)
Premier calls on EU to convene first Intergovernmental Conference (ADN)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 27 May 2021

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic on the French solution: We'll see what's going on between Pristina and Athens (TV Pink/Tanjug/Beta)
Vucic with Falconi: Serbia for compromise along with national interests (RTS/Tanjug/RTV)
Brnabic, De Falco discuss Serbia-US cooperation (Tanjug)
Hasanpur: We fully support Serbia’s territorial integrity (Radio Belgrade 1)
Exhumation of Kosovo war victims completed in western Serbia (N1)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

IAWG adopts Rules of Procedure (FTV)
Inzko: You will sooner get new High Representative than Law on Elections (Dnevni list/ Federalni Radio)
Dodik: Signatories to Annex 10 should give consent in election of new HR (RTRS)
Croatia allows transit traffic of trucks from B&H via Velika Kladusa-Maljevac border crossing (O kanal)
Croatia

Slovenian PM supports Croatia joining Schengen (HRT)
Kristo: Maintaining status quo regarding Law on Elections undermines foundations and brings into question stability of B&H (Vecernji list)
Montenegro

Xi Jinping to Djukanovic: We attach great importance to highway project implementation (CdM)
Several ambassadors recalled (RTCG)
Republic of North Macedonia

Roth comes to Skopje to encourage Zaev and Dimitrov, insists that a deal with Bulgaria is possible in June (Republika)
Albania

Roth: Negotiations should be opened with Albania and North Macedonia (Radio Tirana)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: I don’t expect any changes in Washington’s attitude towards Serbia (B92/Beta/parlamentnilisty.cz)
Support to priorities of Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship; Sweden supports EU mediated Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (RTS/Tanjug)
Dacic: Good cooperation with OSCE (RTV/Tanjug)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Krivokapic meets with senior RS officials in Banja Luka: Time has come for economy to dominate in region (ATV)
B&H trucks over 7.5 tons cannot enter Croatia at five border crossings (Nova BH)
Croatia

Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure states new Rulebook does not cancel existing routs for freight transport between B&H and Croatia (Hina)
Montenegro

Montenegrin Justice Minister: Text of fundamental agreement agreed upon with SPC (Dan)
Lakovic: Abazovic receives unprecedented support from MEPs for the fight against crime (Office of the Deputy PM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Bulgaria will ask the EU to provide guarantees that Macedonia will keep its promises (Republika)
Albania

Soreca: Albania passed the EU test with the elections! It has met the conditions to hold the Intergovernmental Conference (Radio Tirana)
Germany 'blames' Turkey and Balkans countries for high Covid-19 infections last summer; Rama reacts (ADN)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Tuesday 25 May 2021

LOCAL PRESS

Djuric reiterates that Biden administration will respect Washington agreement (TV Pink/Beta/Politika)
Selakovic: Serbia dedicated to development of overall relations with African countries (Tanjug/RTS)
Linde: Serbia making headway in reforms, quality needs work (Beta)
Mali: Financial assistance available to Kosovo Serbs as of 24 May (Beta)
Patriarch Porfirije: Assembly shows unity (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Krivokapic visits B&H (O kanal)
Krivokapic comments on Resolution on Srebrenica: Worst thing that is happening in this area is that these victims are being used for political purposes (O kanal)
Kalabukhov: Insisting on OHR remaining operational is paradox; NATO membership does not guarantee stability (Glas Srpske)
EU leaders are discussing harmonization of EU and US policies, this will have consequences for B&H (Nezavisne)
Komsic answers Covic: B&H will be civic state sooner or later (Oslobodjenje)
Dodik tells Palmer to free this region of his presence (Oslobodjenje)
Croatia

Plenkovic and Michel: Forced landing of plane unacceptable (Hina)
Republic of North Macedonia

Joint Macedonian – Bulgarian celebrations of the day of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in several European cities (Republika)
Radev insists that Macedonia’s path to the EU goes through Sofia (Republika)
Zaev calls on Bulgaria to recognize the Macedonian identity and language (Republika)
Iotova says that Bulgaria is looking into ways the historic dispute will be made part of Macedonia’s EU accession talks (Republika)
Putin: We congratulate our fraternal Macedonian people on the day of Ss. Cyril and Methodius (Republika)
Albania

Albania, a major breakthrough in diplomacy/ It is expected to be elected a member of the UN Security Council (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Picula: Softening of rhetoric necessary in Montenegro, Government should preserve country’s core values (European Western Balkans)