United Nations Office in Belgrade Daily Media Highlights Thursday 5 March 2020 LOCAL PRESS • Vucic: Us recognizing Kosovo but getting nothing – there will be none of that (RTV/Tanjug) • Joksimovic: Importance of maintaining open communication with France (Tanjug) • Patriarch Irinej at the State Department (RTS/Politika) • SzS announces election boycott at all levels (Beta/Tanjug) • Popov: Migrant numbers dropping (N1) • First election list submitted to RIK: SNS collected 50.000 signatures in a few hours (Tanjug/B92) REGIONAL PRESS Bosnia & Herzegovina • Mostar: Delegations of SDA, HDZ B&H meet; No progress reached at meeting (BHT1) • Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says proposed amendments on formation of B&H CC are fully in line with DPA and legal priorities harmonized between B&H citizens (RTRS) • UK Ambassador Field: UK seriously takes all attacks at legal and constitutional framework of B&H (Dnevni list) • B&H officials comment on migrant crisis (BHT1) Croatia • EU Defense Ministers hold informal meeting in Zagreb (Jutarnji list) • Borrell: I told Turkish leadership that unilateral actions will bring no solutions; Western Balkans is priority for EU and me personally (Jutarnji list) • NATO’s Stoltenberg, Ministers of Defense of EU member states meet in Zagreb to discuss new migrant situation (HRT1) • Zagreb: Plenkovic, Stoltenberg discuss security challenges (HRT1) Montenegro • Darmanovic: Hostile propaganda against Montenegro was launched in Belgrade (MINA) INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES • Vucic: Most Serbs Prefer a ‘Frozen Conflict’ with Kosovo (Foreign Policy)

LOCAL PRESS • Vucic: There is no big plan and agreement for Kosovo (RTS/Tanjug) • Brnabic: Serbian diplomacy has every right to ask countries to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo (Beta/Politika) • Vucic slates regular parliamentary elections for 26 April (RTS/Beta) • Pastor slates provincial elections for 26 April (Beta/Politika) • Gojkovic slates local elections for 26 April (Tanjug/RTS/Beta) REGIONAL PRESS Bosnia & Herzegovina • New Sarajevo Canton government appointed (FTV) • Dodik: B&H CC is just called B&H CC, this is occupation court that wants to create new political system (RTRS) • Muratovic: If OHR fails to act, Chairman of B&H Presidency has right to address UN SC and asks for OHR to secure implementation of DPA (Dnevni avaz) • Radoncic: My first responsibility is to defend sovereignty of B&H and B&H citizens and then care about migrants (N1) • Number of migrants in B&H is expected to increase to 10,000 (O Kanal) • Western Balkan countries should jointly protect borders of Western Balkans (ATV) Croatia • Plenkovic: We all stand in solidarity with Greece (Hina) Montenegro • Is Montenegro braced for a large wave of migrants? (CDM) Republic of North Macedonia • Coalition with Besa – the beginning of the end of SDSM? (Republika/Netpress) • Dimitrov: If there is no decision on negotiations, the EU will send a bad signal to the region (Republika/Slobodna TV) INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES • Serbia Keeps Pressure on Kosovo Despite Western Push for Thaw (Bloomberg News) • Serbian President Sets Election Date as Boycott Threat Fades (Bloomberg News)

LOCAL PRESS • Dacic: Sierra Leone withdraws recognition of Kosovo (Tanjug/RTS/RTV) • Vucic and Thaci met at the White House (VoA/Tanjug/Beta) • Daily communication between police forces of Serbia, Hungary (RTS/RTV/Tanjug/Beta) • Lutovac calls DS assembly, suggests that party’s Statutory Commission be disbanded (Beta) REGIONAL PRESS Bosnia & Herzegovina • Radoncic says B&H will not be able to deal with 10,000 migrants per day; Comments of B&H Border Police officials (O Kanal/BHT1/Glas Srpske) • SDA Collegium will discuss issue of audio recording on Tuesday; Sarajlic resigns to all party posts (Al Jazeera Balkans) • Session of HDZ B&H and HNS Presidencies held; Covic optimistic ahead of meeting with SDA (BHT1) Montenegro • Vukovic: Recycling the old matrix will be in vain (Dnevne novine) Republic of North Macedonia • European Commission confirms Macedonia should start the EU accession negotiations (Meta) • Spasovski hopes for a date for negotiations (Republika) • Foreign Affairs Minister Dimitrov interviewed by Greek daily newspaper To Vima: What is important now is for the accession negotiations to start and the division among the people to be overcome (Meta) • Macedonia increases the number of border policemen and soldiers in case of a new wave of refugees (Meta) Albania • Thousands supports President's anti-govt protest as Meta calls on people to rise (ADN) • Rama: EC report shows that we have successfully done our homework on integration, now it’s up to EU countries (Radio Tirana) • Cakaj: Tripartite initiative Albania-Croatia-Kosovo established to boost relations (Radio Tirana) • Yuri Kim: EU accession process and the reforms required will make Albania stronger. We hope EU will say “YES” to Albania (Radio Tirana) • Maas: Germany committed to a speedy start of EU membership negotiations with Albania (Radio Tirana) INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES • What is in the Commission’s updates on North Macedonia and Albania? (EWB)

LOCAL PRESS • Vucic meets with Palmer in the course of US visit (B92) • Vucic: Grenell is right, it is an attempted hoax (Beta/B92) • Dacic: Kurti is playing maneuvering games (RTS) • Joksimovic: Serbia preparing for new wave of migrants (FoNet) REGIONAL PRESS Bosnia & Herzegovina • Day of RS and 28 years since adoption of first constitution of RS marked in Belgrade (ATV) • First session of commission for cooperation of RS parliament and Serbian parliament held in Belgrade (RTRS) • Sattler: End the blockades, decisions of CC of B&H are final and binding (Vecernji list) • Attendees of last week’s meeting in Istocno Sarajevo receive letter from EUD, OSCE, US Embassy to B&H (N1) • SNSD Executive Committee rejects EUD, OSCE and US Embassy's letter as act of pressure; Dodik deems letter as inappropriate interference in B&H internal matters (FTV) • Ivantsov: Inzko is obstacle to compromise in B&H (Glas Srpske) • Izetbegovic: We will fully analyze this scandal and sanction all responsible (BHT1/FTV) • Radoncic: B&H has very limited capacities to fight against influx of migrants (BHT1) Montenegro • Vucic meddled in internal affairs of Montenegro. Again. (CdM) • Djukanovic: European Convention is an inspiration for Montenegrin society (CdM) Republic of North Macedonia • Zaev-Miskoski debate (Kanal 5 TV) • BESA doesn’t see other Albanian parties joining their coalition with SDSM (Republika) • EC expected to again recommend opening of accession talks with Macedonia and Albania (MIA) Albania • Meta promises new lawsuits against majority's officials (ADN) • Rama praises Kurti's decision to lift 100% tax (ADN) INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES • Serbian president tells ‘Post’ he will buy weapons from Israel (The Jerusalem Post) • Montenegro's president accuses Serbia and Russia of undermining independence (Reuters)

LOCAL PRESS • Vucic: It is not my job to stop Dodik, but to speak on behalf of Belgrade (RTS) • Joksimovic: Confirming clear European perspective for Western Balkans (Tanjug) • V4 advocates quicker accession process for all Western Balkan countries (Beta) REGIONAL PRESS Bosnia & Herzegovina • Dodik reacts to HR's statement: Bonn Powers are past, I will fight against Inzko and against anyone else (ATV) • Dodik’s statements at his Thursday’s press conference cause reactions of B&H politicians (N1) • Komsic, Dzaferovic host reception on occasion of B&H Independence Day, Dodik fails to attend it (N1) • Dodik: Reception in Presidency is private party organized by Dzaferovic and Komsic (Srna) • Komsic: Fight for independence of B&H ended because B&H is sovereign and independent country (Hayat) • Dzaferovic: Current political moment in B&H is very difficult (BHT1) Montenegro • Brajovic: Support should be expressed in the elections, not on streets (CdM) Republic of North Macedonia • Spanish Congress of Deputies ratifies NATO Accession Protocol (Republika) Albania • Cakaj at Visegard 4 focuses on Albania’s EU accession and visa liberalization for Kosovo (Radio Tirana) • German delegation: Germany will continue to support Albania in its EU accession process (Radio Tirana) INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES • Kosovo: Statement by the Spokesperson on the announcement to lift import tariffs (EEAS) • Bosnia’s ‘Second Collapse’ is Starting to Look Inevitable (BIRN)