United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Wednesday 21 October 2020

LOCAL PRESS

UN Secretary-General: Kosovo’s Thaci, Veseli obstruct Specialist Court’s work (FoNet)
Vucic: Parliamentary elections to be held on 3 April at the latest (Tanjug)
Brnabic: I expect full implementation of Brussels agreement (RTS)
Dacic: It is an honor to be at the helm of the parliament (Sputnik/RTV/NSPM)
Mali: I will remain finance minister (TV Prva/RTV)
Milivojevic: Vucic announces early vote even before new government is formed (Nova S/Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Biden presents plan for US’ relations with B&H (FTV)
Biden’s team is full of people from Clinton’s administration who built their careers on myths of Serbs as genocidal people (Glas Srpske)
Izetbegovic and Erdogan discuss situation in the region, relations between B&H and Turkey (Dnevni list)
DNS leader Nesic leaves Serb caucus in parliament of B&H (EuroBlic)
US, Italian and UK embassies comment increased number of reports about election malversations and frauds (Dnevni avaz)
Croatia

Plenkovic: Milanovic's behavior is bizarre (Hina)
Croatia expects North Macedonia to open EU accession talks by year's end (Hina)
Montenegro

Members of Administrative Committee elected, Zogovic named as new chair (CdM)
Patriotic Association of Montenegro: Albanians again defended Montenegro (CdM)
Becic: Initiatives aiming to change country’s national symbols won’t be launched (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Zaev: The Macedonian language is me, the Macedonian language is you, the Macedonian language is all of us (Republika)
Albania

Rama in a joint press conference with Greek Foreign Minister Dendias (Radio Tirana)
Opposition pushes for abolition of Albania-Greece War Law (ADN)
Courts in total dysfunction: reform effects take a heavy toll (Tirana Times)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 19 October 2020

LOCAL PRESS

Brnabic: ZSO must be formed according to agreement, not as NGO (TV Pink/Tanjug)
Odalovic: Brussels has instruments to force Pristina to form ZSO (RTS)
Djuric: Serbia and US on the verge of possible redefining of relations (Politika)
Djukic Dejanovic: I don’t know anything about Socialists entering new government (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Vulin: It is in our interest for RS to progress and be successful and we only want peace, nothing more (ATV)
DNS abandons ruling coalition in the RS (ATV)
Other reactions to DNS decision to leave RS’ ruling coalition (BN TV)
Inzko claims that IC decided against further use of Bonn powers as it began new phase where responsibility is assigned to B&H political leaders and homemade solutions are preferred (Face TV)
Croatia

Serbia and Croatia express readiness to improve relations (Hina)
Covic: Election Law needs to be changed by end of year as elections in Mostar are to be held on 20 December (HRT1)
PM says President will bring into question purpose of his office (Hina)
Montenegro

Bosniak Party: We won’t join the new govt due to ideological differences (CdM)
Djeka received Krivokapic’s invitation, final decision of coalition still pending (Dan)
Albanian list is offered tourism and human and minority rights departments (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Mickoski calls for leaders’ meeting over talks with Bulgaria; Zaev sees no need (Republika)
Dimitrov: Official start of EU talks – either joint achievement or joint failure (Republika)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Serbia ready to resume talks with Pristina whenever Lajcak schedules meeting (RTS/Tanjug/Beta/Politika/B92)
Petkovic to Lajcak: EU’s ability as a mediator to be tested (RTS)
Petkovic, Botsan-Kharchenko meeting (RTS)
Drecun: Negotiations with Pristina in deep coma phase (RTS)
For eight years I have been listening about Vucic is preparing to betray Kosovo (Novosti)
RS is state even without chair in UN (Novosti)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Dodik: B&H Presidency has taken stance that B&H does not recognize independence of Kosovo; Dzaferovic, Komsic deny this information (N1)
Izetbegovic sends letter to international officials warning that HDZ B&H leader Covic is presenting things in B&H in distorted way (Hayat)
Dzaferovic: Nothing will ever be solved regarding B&H outside B&H and its institutions (Hayat)
EC condemns naming of streets in B&H after ‘prominent members of Ustasha movement’ (Oslobodjenje)
Court of B&H abolishes decision of B&H CEC that annulled verification of candidature of ‘United Srpska’ and Stevandic (Nova BH)
Pre-election campaign in B&H begins on Friday (FTV)
Croatia

Milanovic: B&H needs equality of all peoples, Bosniaks cannot elect two members of B&H Presidency (HRT1)
Minister Lavrov to visit Croatia 27 October (Hina)
Montenegro

Parties submit their proposals for the departments they are interested in (Dan)
Djeljosaj: Principles are more important than positions in the government (RTCG)
Abazovic: If someone doesn’t want to be part of the government, well that’s a pity (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

VMRO-DPMNE protest: Stop the abuse of EU funds (Republika)
Zaev again offers to visit Bulgaria (Republika)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Serbia expects Russian foreign minister’s visit soon — president (TASS)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: ZSO must not be reduced to NGO (RTS/Beta)
Vucic: Serbia will never join NATO nor impose sanctions on Russia (TASS/Tanjug/Beta)
Petkovic: Serbs will not be on-duty culprits in Kosovo and Metohija (Politika)
Drecun: Dialogue in deep coma, Lajcak to clarify his position (TV Pink/RTV)
Game Changer From Washington (CorD)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Izetbegovic: Belgrade meeting portrays support to SNSD and HDZ B&H for their policies (BHT1)
Islamic Community of B&H criticizes meetings of Serb and Croat political leaders without equal participation of Bosniaks (Hayat)
‘United Srpska’ Presidency expects Court of B&H to pass decision upon party’s complaint on B&H CEC’s sanction against ‘United Srpska’ by Friday (N1)
OSCE Head: We're aware of numerous irregularities in B&H election process (N1)
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to pay visit to B&H at end of October (Nova BH)
Montenegro

Buric: Ambassador of Serbia is mixing up roles (CdM)
Medojevic: URA has formed a huge capital that wants to prevent reforms (Nova M)
Republic of North Macedonia

Pendarovski denies report that Bulgaria asked Macedonia to amend its Constitution (Republika)
Albania

Ruci receives new UN Coordinator: We encourage initiative to resolve issues in the Western Balkans (Radio Tirana)

LOCAL PRESS

Vucic and Botsan-Kharchenko discuss negotiations in Washington and Brussels (Tanjug)
Simic: Pristina’s refusal to form ZSO is threat to survival of Serbs (RTV/TV Prva)
Lajcak cautious about Belgrade-Pristina dialogue process (N1/Pravda)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

Komsic: There are hidden motives of Belgrade meeting and they threaten European perspective of B&H (ATV)
SDP’s Becirovic and Our Party’s Cudic on Vucic-Dodik-Covic meeting (Glas Srpske)
Izetbegovic: It is not coincidence Vucic invited only two leaders from B&H (ATV)
Covic: Visit to Belgrade was very transparent (O kanal)
Covic: We had friendly dinner in Belgrade, discussing EU integration and regional issues (Dnevni avaz)
Montenegro

Struggle over power in a new govt: Who will be in Krivokapic’s cabinet? (CdM)
Zenka: There’s no way we are going to enter the new government (Pobjeda)
DPS: According to Krivokapic, Montenegro is a Serbian state (CdM)
Republic of North Macedonia

Mass VMRO protests against “Zaev’s corruption and the economic hardship” (Republika)
VMRO proposes a serious electoral reform (Republika/Kanal 5 TV)
Mickoski asks the government to answer if it’s true that Bulgaria wants a new treaty, with constitutional redefinition of the Macedonian nation? (Republika)