Vucic: "If we don't do it, who will?" (B92, O2)
Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic confirmed in an official press release that he met with Kosovo president Hashim Thaci on Friday in Vienna.
"Bring W. Balkans into EU to keep Turkey and Russia at bay" (B92)
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz has called on the EU "to bring the Balkans into its orbit."
In an interview for Germany's Handelsblatt, quoted by Tanjug, Kurz "warned of the growing influence of Turkey and Saudi Arabia."
"In Sarajevo and Pristina, for example, women are paid to wear the full veil in public. We cannot look on and do nothing," the Austrian minister said.
Austrian FM Kurz: Dialing prefix for Kosovo, historic (RTK)
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz hailed the decision of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to grant Kosovo a dialing prefix as historic, the Austrian news agency APA reported. Kurz recalled that Austria applied on behalf of Kosovo on 1 January 2016 and that the ITU decision will enable cheaper and simpler telephone calls. Furthermore, he said the agreement reached between Kosovo and Serbia under the EU facilitation stipulates the establishment of a new telephone operator, part of the Serbian Telecom, which will be licensed by the Kosovo Regulatory Authority.
Dačić and Hoxhaj eye to eye (Kossev)
Serbian and Kosovo Foreign Ministers Ivica Dačić and Enver Hoxhaj, attended the working lunch organized by Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.
"An important meeting with Sebastian Kurz and Johannes Hahn and colleagues from the Western Balkans to discuss issues affecting the region and Europe", Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhaj published a photo on his Twitter account of the working lunch in New York, where he sits across from the Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić.
Austrian FM to visit Kosovo tomorrow (RTK)
Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz is expected to visit Kosovo and meet institutional leaders tomorrow. Kurz is currently on a tour of Balkan countries and is visiting Albania today. Yesterday, he was in Belgrade and met Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Kurz called on leaders in Serbia to intensify dialogue for normalization of relations with Kosovo as a precondition for EU membership.
Kurz: Agreements eliminate all obstacles (Dailies)
Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz stated that the Belgrade-Pristina agreement eliminated all obstacles and that there was nothing left in the way of opening of the first chapters in the EU accession talks for Serbia.
In an interview for Tanjug, Kurz said that the agreements bear key importance.
These were necessary for EU accession and they bring stability to the entire region of the Western Balkans, Kurz said.