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Belgrade Media Report 23 August

LOCAL PRESS   Vucic talks about Macedonia, Kosovo and internal dialog (RTS) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told RTS that there is no reason to worry about the relations between Belgrade and Skopje. “We do not want conflict, but we have to protect our interests and preserve the face of Serbia.” He pointed out that resolving the status of Kosovo is one of the key issues and thanked everyone involved in the dialogue.   "There is no reason for panic and great concern, no one wants a conflict and there will be no conflicts, but we have to preserve and protect our state, we need to preserve and protect the face of Serbia, that is our job and that is our constitutional obligation, "Vucic said. He stressed that the Serbs and Macedonians are two very close and friendly people, regardless of their current authorities and their feelings towards each other. "I am convinced that the leadership of Macedonia, as well as the leadership of Serbia, will have this on their mind during further talks and the views on the future, because it is difficult to find two closer nations than Serbs and Macedonians," Vucic said. He believes that relations between Serbia and Macedonia will move in a better direction. "It's better when you open certain topics, then there will be more focus and more attention unlike when you’re hiding something and avoiding to talk about it” Vucic added.   He pointed out that whatever you do in our country you are always a target of criticism. "If you want to recognize the independence of Kosovo, you are a traitor, if you do not want to recognize anything regarding Kosovo, then you are a crazy warmonger, and if you want to talk, then you are both," Vucic said. He reminded that Macedonia recognized an independent Kosovo, and that “the reaction of those who were the great experts in our country was to expel the Macedonian ambassador”. "Of course, we have not done anything and we have not achieved any result" said Vucic.   The President recalled the event when, after several months of protests that were instigated by some Western countries, there was a change of the government in Macedonia, when a BIA member who was working in Skopje appeared in Sobranje and when a big pursuance against him started.   Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, commenting on the statement by Kosovo Minister for Dialogue Edita Tahiri, that there is no reconciliation without Serbia's apology for war and genocide and that the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on internal dialogue about Kosovo is just the performance for West, Vucic said: "I really cannot comment on what Edita Tahiri says. Commenting on her statements simply loses every sense." I once told her in Brussels, during the negotiations: "Go and leave now." And she had to go out, because I did not want to continue the conversation. Sometimes it just does not make sense to listen and answer, so it's better to keep quiet and say nothing" the President said.   He stated that for our country it is healthy and important to talk about Kosovo and Metohija. “I see those great Europeans, all those great experts - Pajtic, Jeremic and Jankovic enjoying the warm waters around world, while somebody here is working for 20 hours and fighting for their country, they say that I finally have to do something that I promised to somebody who brought me to power. These people do not understand anything, the difference between me and them is not only in the confidence of the people, but also in the fact that today I’m not preparing for any elections. All the elections I won most convincingly, the parliamentary and the presidential ones," Vucic said.   Vucic emphasized that he is now working for his political legacy and fights for the future of this country. "That's why I want to talk and solve the problem that is unresolved and that many see as unsolvable" Vucic said. "I want to have peace for our children, I want to provide them with a future," Vucic said, adding that he heard different opinions, including the ones suggesting the closing of the borders towards Macedonia. "There is no middle ground - to be normal, to protect our interests, not to be extremists. Such Serbia alone can win, be responsible, decent, normal," Vucic emphasized.   It is worth fighting even if we have just one percent of chance regarding Kosovo and Metohija. "If someone thinks that we should not fight and that this should remain a Cyprus model, that the conflict should continue for the next 100 or 200 years, then I will tell you that you do not care about your children, the future of our children and the future this country, "said Vucic. He emphasized that he thinks this is one of the key issues and that he is grateful to all the people who are participating in the dialogue on Kosovo. He stressed that he never said anything bad about anyone participating in the dialogue. "I am ready to talk about it in a wider and more narrow format” Vucic said.   Speaking about relations with countries in the region, President Aleksandar Vucic pointed out that Serbia always reacted quietly, resolutely and emerged as a winner. "Croatia has imposed sanctions against us twice, we always reacted quietly, decisively and emerged as winners. We never sent a bad message to Bosnia and Herzegovina, although there were various messages coming from there, even physical attacks on top state officials, but we always maintained the peace and stability" said the President. He added that we have reacted the same way regarding Montenegro, that now we have the best historical relations with Hungarians, that we have excellent relations with Romania and Bulgaria, and that we are trying to build as close as possible relations with Albanians.   Vucic-Zaev call statement doesn't mention Kosovo, or spies (B92) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Wednesday had "a long and open" telephone conversation, it has been announced. A joint statement said that the Serbian President and Macedonian Prime Minister reached agreement on five points, cited as follows:
  • "The Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia will resolve any possible disagreement in their mutual relations exclusively through dialogue;
  • Regardless of any political differences on certain important political and regional issues, Serbia and Macedonia will jointly fight not only to preserve, but also to promote friendly relations between the Serbian and Macedonian people and the citizens of Serbia and Macedonia;
  • The Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia will make even greater efforts to further improve economic relations and increase trade between the two countries;
  • In accordance with international public-legal regulations, the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia shall, in good faith and on a friendly basis, protect the rights and interests of diplomatic and consular missions on their territory;
  • The Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia will intensify mutual communication at the highest level, support each other on the European path and contribute to the stability of the region by strengthening good neighborly relations." Not much can be inferred from this joint statement - while the reasons behind this week's diplomatic drama between Belgrade and Skopje - the latter's u-turn on the policy announced three months ago, and support for Pristina's UNESCO membership, and its "offensive intelligence work directed against Serbia's institutions and organs" - are not even mentioned.
  Provoking conflicts will spin out of control once, Jankovic warns (Danas) The policy of constant threats of conflict being conducted internally and externally by Vucic will spin out of control once, Movement of Free Citizens leader Sasa Jankovic told Danas daily on Wednesday. The decision to recall Serbian diplomats from Skoplje is very worrying, he said. “Serbia has had very good relations with Macedonia over the past decades which is something we failed to do with any of the countries of the former Yugoslavia,” Jankovic said. Vucic’s policy of provoking conflicts while trying to present himself as someone who is working to avoid conflicts and as a factor of stability in the region has now resulted in bad relations with Skoplje, he said. Instead of recalling its embassy staff, Serbia should be resolving disputes diplomatically “because we know what continues on in foreign policy once diplomacy withdraws,” Jankovic said.   President Vucic with British Ambassador (Beta) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met in Belgrade, on Aug. 22, with the British ambassador to Serbia, Denis Keefe, to discuss bilateral and regional issues, as well as preparations for the next Western Balkans Summit, to be hosted by Great Britain in 2018. The Serbian presidency quoted Vucic as saying that Britain was very important for Serbia, because of shared interests in the future and the country's considerable support and assistance to Serbia. Vucic was proud of fiscal consolidation and a budget surplus, which were the results of very painful measures, while both officials described the Serbian economic situation as satisfactory, despite the problems arising from natural disasters. The British diplomat said his country wanted to play a positive role in the region, heralding a visit by British officials, including a permanent under-secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and two parliamentary delegations.   President Vucic and German Ambassador discuss internal dialogue on Kosovo (Beta) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said at an Aug. 22 meeting in Belgrade with the German ambassador to Serbia, Axel Dittmann, that the three would be a better future for the Balkans if Serbian-Albanian relations improved. The Office of the Serbian President quoted Vucic as emphasizing the importance of an internal dialogue on Kosovo, as well as the continuation of Belgrade's talks with Pristina, for the establishment of durable peace in the region. "If we manage to establish a better Serbian-Albanian relationship, this region will have a better future," Vucic said. The German ambassador said that "the call for an internal dialogue was a serious, responsible move." The presidency reported that the economic situation in Serbia was another topic discussed by the two officials. The president and the German diplomat were pleased to see the number of German companies in Serbia growing, and the ambassador suggested a German department should be opened at the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis, because it might produce new, educated staff for the German companies. The rule of law, institution building and Serbia's EU accession were also discussed at the meeting, the Office of the Serbian President reported.   President Vucic with UAE Ambassador (Tanjug) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Aug. 22, in Belgrade, with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Serbia, Juma Rashed Al Dhaheri, to discuss the projects run jointly by the two states. The ambassador handed over to the Serbian president a letter by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, underlining that during his term he would work to improve bilateral relations, the Office of the Serbian President reported. The UAE diplomat was particularly pleased to see the Belgrade Waterfront project grown into, as he put it, a symbol of Belgrade. President Vucic said he was proud of the joint projects in Belgrade and across Serbia. The presidency quoted Vucic as saying that the crown prince's visit to Belgrade last June was very important for the development of bilateral relations.   REGIONAL PRESS   Bosnia and Herzegovina   Vucic meets Govedarica (Oslobodjenje) Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met SDS leader Vukota Govedarica in Belgrade on Wednesday. They discussed current issues in Republika Srpska (RS) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Govedarica stressed that the RS needs a modern national policy which defines responsibility towards one’s own people in which dirty interests of any political party must be defeated.  He added: “One of the main features of such policy should be economic progress which would improve living standard of citizens and which would prevent exodus of people.” They agreed that the last century was the century of suffering for Serb people but that the century of development and prosperity must be ahead of Serbs. They also agreed that dialogue and looking for solutions must not have an alternative for the sake of interest of Serb people and all others. Vucic and Govedarica agreed that implementation of regional projects, which would connect the region, increase its economic potential and attract investors, should be speeded up. Govedarica also expressed gratitude to Vucic for his support and support of Serbia to the RS and expressed belief that the RS will continue to have full support of Serbia on the road towards preservation of its own integrity and everything that was created during the last period.   Parliament of B&H to face crisis after SNSD MPs have left parliamentary commissions (Dnevni list) Dnevni list daily reads that the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) will face crisis in terms of its functionality because SNSD representatives and delegates decided to leave parliamentary commissions in both chambers of the Parliament as well as joint commission. According to the daily, there are no legal obstacles to functioning of the Parliament of B&H because commissions can be filled with other Serb representatives and delegates, however everyone agreed that the quality of work will be compromised. SNSD MP in the B&H House of Representative Dusanka Majkic penned an article on Tuesday, explaining the seriousness of the situation, stating that the Alliance for Changes, with its seven representatives and two delegates, will have to fill as many as 42 posts on the commissions. According to her, SDS alone will have to fill 41 posts. She also reminded that SNSD left the commissions because SDA and its leader Bakir Izetbegovic, with the help from SDS, expelled Nikola Spiric from the post of the Chairman of the Parliament of B&H’s Joint Commission for Supervision of Work of OSA, claiming that removal of Spiricis against interests of the RS because it leave the intelligence sector without control.  Daily further reads that several SDS representatives and delegates said they cannot and do not want to fill posts formerly occupied by SNSD. Member of the B&H House of Peoples Collegium Ognjen Tadic said he will not occupy any of the posts because he is too busy as it is.   SDA’s Dzaferovic: Proposals of amendments to B&H Election Law adopted in B&H HoP is unacceptable and it will not be adopted in HoR (Hayat) Speaker of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Representatives (HoR) Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) commented for Hayat on Tuesday the proposal of amendments to B&H Election Law, drafted by the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS). In a statement given over phone, Dzaferovic said that the proposal of the amendments adopted in B&H House of Peoples (HoP) is unacceptable and added that the document will not be adopted in B&H HoR. He added that the proposal of the HNS does not eliminate discrimination established by the (European) Court of Human Rights. Dzaferovic described the proposal as an introduction of new ethnic divisions in the Federation of B&H Parliament and establishment of domination of HDZ B&H in Mostar. He stated: “No threats or blackmails can change political standpoints. No threats or blackmails can bring solutions that oppose elementary principles which are the basis for functioning of this state. Realization of threats and blackmails can lead only to responsibility of decision-makers and those who are entitled to reach deals and not change of political standpoints. Instead of threats and blackmails, we (SDA) propose dialogue and, in line with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and B&H Constitutional Court, B&H Constitution and Constitutions of the entities, finding of a solution that will meet these standards”.   OHR calls for talks, all parties obliged to implement B&H CC’s decisions (Hayat) The Office of the High Representative (OHR) called for talks on amendments to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Election Law saying that they do not want to comment hypothetical situations, but reminded that all parties have the obligation to implement decisions of B&H Constitution Court (CC), as final and binding.   Izetbegovic and Moore: Patient work for better relations between the peoples in B&H (Klix) Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Bakir Izetbegovic received the Head of OSCE Mission to B&H Ambassador Jonathan Moore, in a farewell visit. After a three-year mandate at the head of the OSCE Mission to B&H, Ambassador Moore is leaving this office and our country soon, and he visited Bosniak member of the Presidency of B&H, Bakir Izetbegovic, on that occasion. During his visit, Ambassador Moor expressed his gratitude for all the support, openness in communication and patient work in reconstruction and building of better relations among the people of B&H. He also expressed his regret that he is leaving unresolved issues of discrimination in the education of returnee children in the RS behind him, but he is hoping that this will change soon. Member of the Presidency of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic emphasized that the OSCE Mission to B&H had an experienced, competent and good person in the Ambassador Moor, who left a positive mark in the society of B&H. Together with expressions of gratitude for his overall contribution to the development of B&H society, Izetbegovic wished success to Ambassador Moor in his diplomatic career. Member of the Presidency of B&H Izetbegovic and Ambassador Moor expressed their mutual hope that the OSCE Mission to B&H, in co-operation with local politicians, will continue supporting B&H on its path to regional political, economic and social integration.   Austrian FM Kurz expresses concern over increasing influence of Muslim countries on Western Balkans (RTRS) Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz expressed concern over increasing influence of Turkey and Saudi Arabia on Western Balkan countries. Kurz told the German press that women are being paid to go to the streets of Sarajevo fully covered, which he sees as radicalization. According to RTRS, this is not the first time that Kurz warned the EU that it should not remain silent while Turkey and Saudi Arabia are spreading in the Balkans. Kurz was quoted as saying: “In Sarajevo or Pristina women are being paid to go to streets fully covered in order to change the image of the city.” Kurz stressed that this must not be passively observed. He added that the EU accession process of Western Balkan countries should speed up so that Turkey and other forces can be kept under control. The Islamic Community (IZ) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) issued a statement denying Kurz’s claims that women are paid to go to the streets of Sarajevo covered and assessing such statement as inappropriate. “IZ B&H has no knowledge that anyone is paying Muslim women in B&H to dress in a certain way and is of stance that everyone – including Muslim women – have the right to dress however they want.” Political analyst Adnan Huskic assessed for RTRS that Kurz’s statements should be observed in the context of parliamentary elections that will take place in Austria. Huskic underlined that the EU has many internal issues, so the path of Western Balkan countries will not significantly speed up until those issues are solved. The Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) also assessed that Kurz is making such statements with the aim to score political points ahead of the elections in Austria.   Croatia   Covic and Plenkovic meet in Zagreb, discuss changes to Law on Elections of B&H, construction of Peljesac bridge (Vecernji list) Vecernji list daily reads that Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Dragan Covic met with Croatian Prime Minister (PM) Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb on Tuesday. Covic’s office issued a statement which reads: “We must return to the tracks of accelerated integration of our homeland B&H to the EU. Thank you to Andrej Plenkovic for unreserved support for European B&H”. Daily reads that although details of the meeting were not published, it managed to learn that main topics of the meeting were changes to the Law on Elections of B&H and the Peljesac bridge issue. Covic expressed view that changes to the Law on Elections of B&H have to take place in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H, which should secure legitimate representation of peoples in the House of Peoples and the Presidency of BiH. In this context daily reminds that PM Plenkovic earlier stressed that changes to the Law on Elections is an important reform, which should enable stabilization of the situation in B&H. Regarding the issue of Peljesac bridge, daily reads that PM Plenkovic said Croatia is determined to build the bridge in order to connect its territories, arguing that Croatia respect all B&H’s condition regarding size of the bridge.   fYROM Dimitrov: The government did not give orders for any intelligence activities against Serbia (Meta) The Government does not intend, nor did it give orders to carry out intelligence activities against and to the detriment of some of our neighboring countries, including Serbia, said today Macedonian Foreign Minister, Nikola Dimitrov at a press conference commenting on the accusations of his Serbian counterpart Ivica Dacic that Serbian diplomats in Skopje had their telephones tapped, that they were intimidated, and followed. Dimitrov stressed that they are waiting for official information from Belgrade about such claims, because they do not want to get into speculations. He said the new government’s basic approach is solving, not creating problems. “The success of our neighbors is our success, and our success is also a success for our neighbors”, said Dimitrov. According to Dimitrov, if there are misunderstandings, they should be resolved through a direct conversation. “On Sunday, immediately after receiving the note, I called Dacic , but I did not get through to him. Yesterday, through the Macedonian embassy in Belgrade, we asked for a telephone conversation that is likely to happen tomorrow”, said Dimitrov.   Zaev to attend informal meeting with the Western Balkans leaders on Brach (Meta) On the 26th of August, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev will attend an informal meeting of the presidents of Western Balkans governments on the subjects of regional integration, informs the government press service. During the meeting, to which the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will be the host, several working sessions will be organized on issues concerning regional cooperation and the strengthening of the Western Balkans integration processes. Apart from the presidents of the Western Balkans countries, the meeting will be attended by the European Commissioner, Johannes Hahn and the World Bank’s Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Cyril Muller.   Dimitrov will ask for help in Berlin for starting the EU negotiations (Meta) The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikola Dimitrov, during the visit to Berlin on the 6th of September, will ask Germany and the European Union to help Macedonia to completely accomplish the Euro-Atlantic integration. “This is a chance for the EU and Germany to show that not only they are able to help by stopping the crisis and to prevent it going deeper, but also to help when there are good things happening and there is a good development, and to accomplish this task in order to reach the final goal and achieve success” said Dimitrov. When asked whether at the meeting with his colleague Sigmar Gabriel he shall ask Germany to take part in the process of solving the name dispute with Greece, Dimitrov said that what is even more important now is to secure the start of the association negotiations.   Macedonian consul delivered a speech against the backdrop of a map showing Great Macedonia (MIA) We are looking forward to hosting Greece's Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias next Thursday, Nikola Dimitrov told reporters on Tuesday. "In the next few days we will be closely cooperating regarding the agenda and with respect to the confidence building measures," the Foreign Minister said at a news conference in Skopje, in which he also referred to an event in Toronto, which came under fire from the authorities in Athens after it was revealed that a Macedonian consul delivered a speech against the backdrop of a map showing Great Macedonia. According to Dimitrov, the event hadn't been organized by the Macedonian consulate in Toronto. However, he stressed, to have one's picture taken with a map covering a territory of Greece is neither a policy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor of the government of Macedonia. "As a minister of foreign affairs, I will not allow 'excursions' that breach the Constitution of the Republic of Macedonia envisaging that international treaties signed by Macedonia are part of our legal order and they will be respected. It's in Macedonia's interest to abide by the 1995 Interim Agreement," stated FM Dimitrov. He said the case was being investigated and the consul general had been called home for consultations. "This is not our policy, this doesn't do any favors for us. We want to join NATO, which means Greece tomorrow might be our ally and Macedonia should be an ally with Greece. I want to clearly declare that in the future such excursions will not be tolerated. The future of this country and the interest of its citizens are far too important for someone to be making such a mistake," FM Dimitrov concluded.   Albania   New Government's structure, Ministries that will change (ADN) The new Government's structure is expected to be presented on Sunday during the National Assembly of the Socialist Party. The meeting will take place on August 27 and it will be decisive for the future of the socialists that in their second mandate will lead alone the country. New Governance will be smaller. Sources of ADN learned that two ministries will merges in one. So, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Integration will be one starting from September. Sources also learned that part of the new governance is expected to be even Lindita Nikolla. She won in Lezha and makes possible that SP ranks as the first political party in this district. Same for the ministry of Education and the one of the Culture, that will be one ministry after a month and the same procedure will be applied for the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama's new Government is expected to have an equal balance between men and women. As September is coming, rumors within Rama's office speaks for new Governance composed by new and old socialist figures. Fatmir Xhafaj is expected to be appointed as Interior Minister, while Damian Gjiknuri will continue to direct the Ministry of Energy.   INTERNATIONAL PRESS   EU calls for calm after Macedonia, Serbia diplomatic incident (BIRN) An EU Commission spokesperson told BIRN that the diplomatic incident in Skopje “is a bilateral issue between the two countries, which the EU is closely following” in a statement Tuesday. “We look to both sides to exercise restraint and deal with the issue calmly, in the spirit of good neighborly relations,” the EU Commission said. The European Parliament’s Rapporteur for Serbia, David McAllister, issued same statement ahead of an impending visit to Serbia. Serbia unexpectedly withdrew all diplomatic staff from Skopje, Macedonia, on Sunday. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the foreign minister, Ivica Dacic, said on Monday they withdrew diplomatic staff from Macedonia after receiving intelligence about “offensive actions” planned against Serbia. Vucic said on Monday that Serbian embassy staff was withdrawn from Macedonia after Belgrade obtained “evidence of very offensive intelligence against the institutions of Serbia.” Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic gave a similar statement to Tanjug news agency, also citing “offensive actions against the Republic of Serbia.” Both Vucic and Dacic also said "foreign powers" were also involved, but declined to provide more details. However, the former EU ambassador to Macedonia, Erwan Fouere, told BIRN that the departure of staff is a disturbing development. “If there are differences of opinion between neighbors, removing the entire diplomatic staff as Serbia has done in the case of Macedonia is not the way to resolve such differences. Quite the contrary,” he said on Tuesday. Fouere added that the new Macedonian government led by Zoran Zaev has gone out of its way to establish a close and respectful relationship with Serbia through mature dialogue. “President Vucic should reciprocate a spirit of statesmanship instead of trying to act as the new 'strongman' of the Balkans,” he emphasized. Meanwhile, Vucic met on Tuesday with German and British ambassadors, but the Serbian press releases bear no indication that the diplomatic incident was discussed.   NATO “closes its Adriatic doorstep” while turning Montenegro into puppet state (Sputnik) NATO managed to not only shut the Adriatic shores, but, in fact, subjugate all of Montenegro, the former mayor of the Montenegrin city of Cetinje, Alexandar Aleksic, told Sputnik. Aleksic, now an opposition activist, said that the current situation on the Montenegrin political scene should only be viewed in the context of the new circumstances that have arisen since Montenegro entered NATO against the will of its citizens. "This decision was made in the US powerhouses hidden from the eyes of weak President Trump. Since his inauguration, the hopes that Washington will change its foreign policy have collapsed like a house of cards," Aleksic said, referring to a raft of rapid resignations from Trump's team. In this vein, Aleksic quoted prominent American diplomat Henry Kissinger as saying long before Trump's inauguration that "for decades we've been tearing apart the US administrations" and that "it can happen this time, but do not start with it." "After Montenegro's access to the alliance, NATO not only 'closed' its Adriatic doorstep, but actually took control of all the power ministries in Montenegro; in addition, the alliance takes control of the country's domestic and foreign policy as well as the government and the opposition. When asked to comment on US Vice President Mike Pence's remarks about Montenegro being a leader of the region, Aleksic said that this leadership has no positive associations. "Yes, Montenegro is the leader of the region when it comes to the number of dolphins killed off its coast, the volume of imported food, fishing with dynamite, the lack of its own production, [hefty] national debt and inability to control its own airspace," he added. Aleksic also cited "the minimum number of military and police", as well as "the maximum number of doctors in Montenegro who leave to work abroad for good." Additionally, he referred to "the lack of journalistic investigations, collaboration between the state apparatus and criminal elements, the number of invented parties suffering from political impotence and the speed of introduction of kidney transplantation operations." Finally, Aleksic pointed to "the impudence" of Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Brian Hoyt Yee who said that the US wants to be sure that neither Russia nor any other country can easily influence foreign and domestic policies in the Balkans. "So yes, I agree, Montenegro is the leader of the region. With a minus sign," Aleksic said. When asked how he sees Montenegro's role in NATO, Aleksic said that this role "will be directly proportional to the size and strength of the country."   He recalled that "NATO's army, including both active forces and reservists, has 7,420,000 people, while the Montenegrin army numbers a total of 2,350 people." "This just shows that Montenegro entry into NATO is really just about geopolitics and geo-strategy. The move was taken by the US military and industrial complex which manages empires and decides what is due to be built in Montenegro." He warned that Montenegro's NATO membership is fraught with destabilization and the strengthening of criminal clans as well as additional debts in the country; according to Aleksic, "the juiciest pieces will certainly go to foreign banks."   On June 5, Montenegro officially became the 29th member state of NATO. The decision was made by the country's parliament, without putting the issue directly to the people in a referendum, as the majority was always against the new military membership. Podgorica was invited to join NATO in December 2015, in the alliance's first expansion into Eastern Europe in six years. The Montenegrin government accepted the invitation, causing mass protests across the country. On May 19, 2016, NATO member states signed the accession protocol.