Czech PM: Telekom-Telenor contract issue for Serbia

Tanjug/Strahinja Aćimović

Andrej Babiš, Czech Prime Minister, said in Belgrade on Wednesday that he knew about the business cooperation between state-owned Telekom Serbia and Czech private Telenor companies, but that the issue was for Serbia's side to deal with.

„Our ambassador (to Serbia) informed me about that. If I understood correctly, it’s a dispute between private companies, and as far as I know, the Commission For Protection Of Competitions should resolve it. I’m not supposed to deal with the topic,“ Babiš, who is on an official visit to Serbia, told a news conference.

United Group had said earlier there was a plan on business cooperation between Telekom and Telenor to suffocate media freedom in Serbia and push N1 and Nova S TVs off the market.

On the other hand, Telekom and Telenor claimed it was the business deal to increase the competitiveness in the market and that it was in line with laws and regulations.

N1 TV has recently revealed the details of the contract, and in several documents, it had access to, one of the goals mentioned was „to put an end to United Media and SBB businesses.“

The „destruction of SBB pushing it off the market“ is also stressed as the aim.

United Media has informed Serbia’s Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and the Minister of Culture and Information Maja Gojkovic about the letter which the company sent to the international institutions and European officials expressing concern over the Telekom Serbia and Telenor deal.