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)