Kosovo

A petition calling for the abolition of free tuition privileges for Montenegrin citizens in Serbia has caused a stir after it was reported to have collected amost 14,000 signatures.

The petition calls on the Serbian education authorities to allow Montenegrins to attend state universities only as ordinary foreigners, which means they must pay to study.

Pristina's request for UNESCO membership has been sent directly to this organization - after the UN rejected Kosovo's application for UNESCO membership.

This is what Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told the state television RTS late on Wednesday.

The deputy Kosovo foreign minister has denied Serbian FM Ivica Dacic's statement that the UN refused to forward Pristina's membership bid to UNESCO.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic's initiative for establishing a joint remembrance day for all victims of the wars of the 1990s "is a great step forward."

The Serbian government called on the EU to intervene after Kosovo Serb political party leader Oliver Ivanovic, who is on trial for war crimes, was remanded in custody again.

The Self-Determination Movement has threatened to organize the most fierce unrest so far and blockades of all institutions in Kosovo.

This opposition party in the Kosovo assembly announced it would do so if Pristina "accepts to form a community of Serb municipalities."

The latest disagreements between Athens and Belgrade could lead to Greece moving toward recognizing Kosovo, writes Koha Ditore.

Aleksandar Vucic's initiative for a common day of remembrance is good - "but the region is still not ripe enough for it," says Sonja Liht.

A long-delayed agreement on car insurance between Serbia and Kosovo has come into effect, which should cut the insurance costs for drivers by roughly half.

The deal assumes that drivers of vehicles registered in Kosovo will be now able to cross into Serbia with third-party liability insurance, MTPL.

Ivica Dacic has confirmed that the United Nations on Tuesday "did not accept to forward to UNESCO Kosovo's request to join" the latter organization.

The foreign minister said this in a statement for the Belgrade-based daily Blic.