State "not ready to make deals" with businessman

BELGRADE First Deputy PM Aleksandar Vucic says he "did not interpret the withdrawal of Miroslav Miskovic from the daily Press as a peace offering". This, the minister continued, is because "there is no place for bargaining either with Miskovic or anyone else". State "not ready to make deals" with businessman Vucic made the comments after some media reported that the businessman's decision to withdrawal from the tabloid's ownership structure was "a peace offering to the deputy prime minister". "It turned out that everything I said regarding the ownership in the Serbian press is true and it is good that the case has started to unwind," Vucic noted. "It is important to respect transparent ownership and to make it clear who owns what in Serbia," he said, and added: "Many realize it now why some articles were published, who commissioned them, and what some people wished to achieve. It turns out everything we said about Politika, Novosti, Dnevnik and Press was true." Vucuc reiterated that he "did not talk with Miskovic and maintained no contact with him", and pointed out that he "had no plans to do so either". Representatives of media associations also commented on the decision of the Delta Holding owner, announced on Monday. NUNS President Vukasin Obradovic said he thought Miskovic was motivated by "the new circumstances" - i.e., a deal he allegedly struck with the new authorities. "This is not about freedom of the media, this is about a trade-off between Mr. Miskovic and the new authorities, obviously Mr. Miskovic thinks that he can appease them somewhat, obviously they launched some mechanisms about investigations into his business," Obradovic was quoted as saying. UNS President Ljiljana Smajlovic was equally unconvinced by Miskovic's explanation, nevertheless, she welcomed his decision to pay the daily's debts: "Whatever it was that prompted Mr. Miskovic to not only give away his share, but also to pay off the debt - and that's very important - he has acted, conditionally speaking, very generously, and it is now up to the Press journalists to use this opportunity as best they can." Aleksandar Vucic (Tanjug, file) B92 Beta Tanjug

State "not ready to make deals" with businessman

Vučić made the comments after some media reported that the businessman's decision to withdrawal from the tabloid's ownership structure was "a peace offering to the deputy prime minister".

"It turned out that everything I said regarding the ownership in the Serbian press is true and it is good that the case has started to unwind," Vučić noted.

"It is important to respect transparent ownership and to make it clear who owns what in Serbia," he said, and added:

"Many realize it now why some articles were published, who commissioned them, and what some people wished to achieve. It turns out everything we said about Politika, Novosti, Dnevnik and Press was true."

Vučuć reiterated that he "did not talk with Mišković and maintained no contact with him", and pointed out that he "had no plans to do so either".

Representatives of media associations also commented on the decision of the Delta Holding owner, announced on Monday.

NUNS President Vukašin Obradović said he thought Mišković was motivated by "the new circumstances" - i.e., a deal he allegedly struck with the new authorities.

"This is not about freedom of the media, this is about a trade-off between Mr. Mišković and the new authorities, obviously Mr. Mišković thinks that he can appease them somewhat, obviously they launched some mechanisms about investigations into his business," Obradović was quoted as saying.

UNS President Ljiljana Smajlović was equally unconvinced by Mišković's explanation, nevertheless, she welcomed his decision to pay the daily's debts:

"Whatever it was that prompted Mr. Mišković to not only give away his share, but also to pay off the debt - and that's very important - he has acted, conditionally speaking, very generously, and it is now up to the Press journalists to use this opportunity as best they can."