United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Tuesday 29 October 2019
LOCAL PRESS

• Dacic: Much better foreign political position of Serbia (RTS/Tanjug/RTV)
• Former chief of UNMIK’s Regional Serious Crime Unit Stu Kellock: Intelligence services knew who suspects were in journalists’ deaths (RTS/UNS)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Izetbegovic: Meeting with HDZ B&H cancelled due to personal reasons, Covic obviously supports Dodik regarding CoM and ANP (TV1)
• Dodik: Reject High Representative’s Bonn powers (Srna)
• Dodik: It is evident that certain IC’ reps accepted conditioning, siding with Bosniak efforts to impose certain decisions which should be reached in regard to ANP (RTRS)
• Dodik: Conditioning and interference of IC and HRs has been lasting for too long and special session of RS parliament will be held precisely because of that (RTRS)
• Covic takes over seat of speaker of B&H HoP, says EU, NATO integration will be his priorities (BHT1)
• Officials in B&H welcome North Macedonia’s President’s initiative for organization of extraordinary summit dedicated to Western Balkan countries’ path to EU (Glas Srpske)
Croatia
• Minister Grlic Radman comments on Dzaferovic’s claims Croatia runs unilateral policy towards B&H (HRT1)
• Bosnia’s HDZ to back Grabar-Kitarovic for Croatia’s President (Hina)
Montenegro
• Canak: Brussels has done a huge injustice to Montenegro (Dnevne novine)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Nikos Kotzias undertakes international initiative for the Balkans (Nezavisen vesnik)
Albania
• The Conference: US Policy in the W. Balkans in focus (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• North Macedonia PM says EU accession halt putting name deal at risk (ekathimerini.com)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Monday 28 October 2019
LOCAL PRESS

• Dacic: 31 October UN SC session on Kosovo and Metohija to be held (Tanjug)
• Brnabic signs Free Trade Agreement with EAEU (Tanjug/Beta)
• Congo’s President: Serbia, Congo are loyal partners (Beta)
• Congo not changing its position regarding Kosovo and Metohija issue (RTS)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Meeting of SDA and HDZ B&H delegations, scheduled for Monday, cancelled without official explanation (N1)
• Osmanovic: SDA is ready to participate in changes to Election Law, but we do not want to participate in additional ethnic divisions in B&H (Oslobodjenje)
• Covic: We must form B&H CoM so we can continue with integration process (Oslobodjenje)
• Cvijanovic: We will not be defending B&H from those destroying it (Glas Srpske)
• Dzaferovic: Actions between Washington and Brussels is most important for B&H (Dnevni avaz)
• Izetbegovic on Palmer’s statements before US Senate: It is a good thing that Washington has awaken (TV1)
• Osmanovic: Palmer is an operative, not diplomat (Oslobodjenje)
Montenegro
• Berlin backs Montenegro’s EU aspirations (Dnevne novine)
• Raonic: Three countries are blocking Montenegro’s negotiation talks with EU (CDM/Dan)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Pendarovski suggests holding regional summit to confirm EU path (Nezavisen vesnik)
• Rift between Zaev and Pendarovski on whether to keep implementing the Prespa treaty (Republika)
• Zaev says he has arguments to persuade Macron to change his mind (Republika)
Albania
• Pendarovski: Both states have made the same progress and deserved to receive the green light for moving ahead (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• A meeting with Albania's president: "We were, and will remain here" (ahramonline)
• The domino effect of the French veto (New Europe)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Friday 25 October 2019

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: The world hasn't seen such political liars (Tanjug/Novosti/B92)
• 3 questions for 3 answers from the Russian and the Deputy US Ambassador in Belgrade (Vecernje Novosti)
• Kocijancic: EU goal is to resolve all issues in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Tanjug/RTV)
• Bishop Maksim: Granting order to Vucic is not supported by majority in Church, division of Kosovo is treason (NIN/Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Dodik: Palmer continuing practices of his predecessors (Srna)
• Other reactions to statements made by US Special Representative for WB Palmer (RTRS/N1)
• Brkic: Croats will vote for ANP, it should be immediately sent to Brussels (Vecernji list)
• EP adopts resolution that Albania and North Macedonia met conditions for beginning of EU accession negotiations (N1)
Montenegro
• Montenegro’s army maintains its presence on the border with Russia (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Thimonier: The Prespa Agreement isn’t the sole precondition for starting accession talks (Nezavisen vesnik)
• Hahn: The consequences for both countries and the region could be catastrophic (Nezavisen vesnik)
Albania
• McAllister: The optimal solution, green light for North Macedonia and conditional green light for Albania (Radio Tirana)

United Nations Office in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Thursday 24 October 2019

LOCAL PRESS

• Vucic: Serbia faces political and security challenges (Beta)
• India’s continued support for Serbia’s territorial integrity (Tanjug/RTV)
• Djuric: Unheard of racism in counting of Serb votes in Kosovo and Metohija (RTS/Tanjug)
• Office for KiM: International missions in Kosovo and Metohija to monitor the Arsic case (Tanjug/RTV)
• US and Russian Ambassadors on resolving Kosovo knot (Novosti)
• Falconi: France wants Serbia and region in EU (Beta)
• New US Ambassador arrives in Belgrade (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• SNSD and DNS led by party leaders Dodik and Pavic agree that functioning of coalition is not in question (RTRS)
• France launched unofficial diplomatic consultations; Privileged special partnership to certain Western Balkan countries, instead of membership in EU (Nezavisne)
• Newly-appointed EP’s Rapporteur for B&H Rangel: I am willing to help B&H on its European path (N1)
Croatia
• Plenkovic: After last three years of intensive work, we reached level that was necessary for EC to conclude that Croatia fulfilled criteria for joining Schengen area (HRT1)
• EU Commissioner Avramopoulos: With Croatia as a member of Schengen Area, the EU could face migration and security challenges better (HRT1)
Montenegro
• Japan supports European perspective of the Balkans (CDM)
Republic of North Macedonia
• Zaev: Too early to discuss technical government (Nezavisen vesnik)
• Ahmeti rules out forming a pre-election coalition with SDSM (Republika)
• Kotzias: The government is undermining the Prespa Agreement (Nezavisen vesnik)
• European Parliament to put a motion for a resolution on opening accession talks with Skopje and Tirana (Nezavisen vesnik)
Albania
• Albania will withdraw from the “mini-Schengen” if Kosovo is not involved in that co-operation (Radio Tirana)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Macron says ‘no’, and a government is already falling apart (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
• Testimony by Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer

LOCAL PRESS

• Dacic: Serbia respects principle of sovereignty, political independence (Tanjug)
• House of Representatives unanimously passes “Bytyqi” Resolution (RTS/Tanjug)
• EU will not explicitly ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo (Tanjug/Politika/B92)
• Bilcik: My first step is to help Serbia progress on EU path (RTV)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Zvizdic with Palmer and Cormack in Washington: ANP is condition that should be met (TV1)
• Dodik: Zvizdic is not in charge of creating B&H's foreign policy (Srna/RTRS)
• SNSD, DNS leaders to meet on Wednesday; Dodik: I believe coalition between SNSD and DNS will survive (ATV)
• Migrant crisis not subsiding (BHT1)
Croatia
• European Commission confirms Croatia is prepared for Schengen (Hina)
• Slovenia criticizes EC decision on Croatia's Schengen preparedness (Hina)
Montenegro
• Markovic-Merkel meeting contributed to better relations between Montenegro and Germany (CDM)
• Former Foreign Minister says expecting Serbia to adopt EU values is unrealistic (HRT)
Republic of North Macedonia
• US Senate ratifies Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol (Republika)
• Mickoski: Zaev refused elections in January; VMRO-DPMNE has a plan for EU integration of Macedonia (Republika)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

• Balkan nations bank on regional ties after EU snub (Financial Times)
• Iran, Serbia discuss bilateral ties (MNA)