LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Successful participation of Serbian delegation in New York (RTS/Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic assessed on Friday that the participation of the Serbian delegation at the UN General Assembly was very successful because it achieved all the goals set.

Dacic told reporters in New York that he had meetings with representatives of 92 countries, as well as with more than 20 international and regional organizations, together with President Vucic, who led the Serbian delegation. He also said that a number of meetings were held with the most important countries in the world, which is of great importance for strengthening our international position. Considering that we want to define the circle of the most important countries that can play a big role in the further development of the political situation in our region, especially when it comes to relations with Pristina, Vucic held meetings with the US President, German Chancellor, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and others, Dacic specified.

He said that he had personally spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron, who said that he is awaiting elections in Kosovo and Metohija in order to become more actively involved in solving problems in relations with Pristina, that is, in continuing the dialogue. Dacic noted that the Russian side also clearly expressed support for Serbia, and he also pointed to extraordinary meetings with the foreign ministers of Germany, China, France, therefore with the most important countries for the course of world politics. According to him, one of the goals of our delegation was to talk with countries that recognized Kosovo to review their decisions, and as a result, at least five countries will suspend recognition of Kosovo by the end of the year. The aim was also to empower our friends to remain on the principle of non-recognition of Kosovo and to respect the territorial integrity of Serbia, and we were assured that there would be no change in that attitude, Dacic underlined. The issue of Interpol was also discussed at many meetings and on the basis of these talks, we can express our belief that “Kosovo” will not become a member of this police organization at the next session in Chile.

Brnabic, Stefanovic: Three laws that will improve electoral process to be amended soon (RTS/Politika)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic announced that amendments to the Law on Financing Political Activities, the Law on Public Enterprises and the Law on the Anti-Corruption Agency will be on the agenda of the next government session, noting that it is the result of discussions with the OSCE and the ODIHR with a view to improving the electoral process. Brnabic and Stefanovic, who is also chairman of the OSCE and ODIHR Cooperation Working Group, emphasized that the ODIHR mission will be in our country in November, to participate in the election process. Brnabic said that much has been done so far to change the electoral process and recalled that the government has made 11 conclusions in the last two sessions addressing the recommendations of the ODIHR and non-governmental organizations, including CESID and Crta. What we, as the government, have promised to do, we have done to improve the electoral conditions. We want this to be the best and most transparent process so far. We have done a lot in the first place on the electoral roll, and the Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government is still working on it, Brnabic said. According to Brnabic, it is important for citizens to know that it is in the state’s interest to improve the overall electoral environment and to make it much better than it was before. Stefanovic also said that much has been done to increase transparency primarily related to the electoral roll, adding that citizens will be able to view the excerpt from the electoral roll in the future after the election process is over. I hope that the amendments to the three laws resulting from discussions with the OSCE and the ODIHR will not only be enacted but also implemented within 60 to 90 days, said Stefanovic. All three laws are changing in terms of tightening sanctions, defining what is misuse of public resources and standardizing everything we discussed with the OSCE on the transparency of the election process, he explained.

Jeremic: People’s Party will not change its decision to boycott elections (Beta)

The leader of the People’s Party (NS) Vuk Jeremic has said that the governing model used by President Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is leading Serbia directly to ruin and that the future government must not copy it. “Vucic and his crew will surely face justice,” the People’s Party said in an announcement. “In order to change the system, we have to win in the elections, and the fastest way to winning is boycotting the election farce that will take place in the spring. If we’re united and persistent, Vucic will be forced to call fair and honest elections, and in them the Progressive party will be eliminated,” Jeremic stated. Jeremic also said that soon parts of the international community will begin pressuring the opposition to participate in the elections as it is not in the foreign interest to have the current Serbian government delegitimized when Serbia is about to sign an agreement allowing Pristina into the United Nations and, thus,  practically, recognizing Kosovo’s independence. “The People’ Party will surely not change its decision to boycott the elections – it’s final. We hope that our fellow opposition parties will not succumb to pressure either. We have to remain firm and united and then, very soon, we will have new elections under altered circumstances,” said Jeremic. Jeremic announced that the People’s Party will present its program of renewal of Serbia on 3 November, at a party convention. The programs concerns the “day after” the Progressives are no longer in power, and deals with entrepreneurship, agriculture, the Serbian Diaspora and culture. “Prerequisites for a successful economic program is declaring war on corruption and establishing the rule of law. This makes for 90 percent of any sustainable plan, the other 10 being tax policies, targeted incentives, and so on. By abolishing corruption we’ll create true competition, free of the Progressives’ hold, and thus make available significant funds which will be used for the improvement of social status of the poorest of citizens,” Jeremic said in Subotica, during the founding of the party chapter in that town.

RS President Cvijanovic: Right to self-determination is universal; Meeting with Vucic was good move because Belgrade is right address where we must go and talk (Vecernje Novosti)

In an interview to Vecernje Novosti daily, Republika Srpska (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic said that the RS’ response to SDA declaration will be in line with the Constitution and laws and announced that the RS parliament will hold a session in October to adopt conclusions which will represent “a sublimation of stances of the RS and analysis of an overall situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) with all of its deviations”. Cvijanovic also said that SDA declaration was a trigger to include certain matters in agenda. “One year after the elections, the RS is the only one which has formed institutions and functions normally. This was not the case in B&H or Federation of B&H”, Cvijanovic explained. Asked whether the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H will be formed any time soon, Cvijanovic replied by saying that she thinks nobody should be exhausted over this matter anymore and added that “we showed that we want to promote the concept in line with which election winners should form the authorities. We participated in talks. We explained why this is good. However, it is obvious Sarajevo does not want this and their stance is blockade of B&H”. With regard to the failure to form B&H CoM, Cvijanovic said that the RS can function even without B&H in practice and noted that Sarajevo is trying to blame the RS for the failure to form B&H CoM as well as for the fact B&H Parliament is not working. “How can B&H Parliament work if B&H CoM was not formed? It is obvious Sarajevo does not care about functioning of B&H or European path”, Cvijanovic argued and added that this year could have been crucial on B&H’s way to the EU but Sarajevo failed to recognize it and it blocked B&H’s European path. “EU officials said that there can be no European path without formation of authorities and that blackmail is not a solution”, Cvijanovic added. Following different interpretations of conclusions reached at the recent meeting of RS politicians and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Cvijanovic noted that unity must exist in strategic political life of the RS and added that she expects every “normal party” in the RS to stay on that course whenever integrity of the RS is under attack. “I am disappointed to see that opposition parties feel the need to explain that our opinions are different. Well, of course we do not have same opinions, we are different political options. Their explanations are sad!”, Cvijanovic said and added that the meeting with Vucic was a good move because “Belgrade is the right address where we must go and talk”. “We went to Belgrade to see how we can stop evil that is being prepared for the RS. President Vucic acted as a statesman and we had politically quite mature discussion”, Cvijanovic added. Cvijanovic also denied claims that she is in a quarrel with SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and claimed she has never been and will never be in a quarrel with Dodik. Finally, Cvijanovic was asked to comment on the fact the RS responds to all attacks from B&H by saying that it has the right to self-determination, to which she replied by saying that the principle of self-determination is not a right someone wants to obtain on their own but it “is a universal right stipulated by international documents, which apply to the RS as well”. Cvijanovic concluded by saying that the problem in B&H is that there is a political structure in Sarajevo which has been trying for years to show that the Dayton structure cannot function and that abolition or change of the Dayton Peace Agreement to the detriment of entities is needed: “Sarajevo must know that it will receive an adequate response from the RS to such attempts”.

REGIONAL PRESS

SNSD Executive Board meets, Dodik says 5 August agreement does not exist anymore (RTRS/BN TV)

SNSD Executive Board held a session in Banja Luka on Friday afternoon. The topic of the meeting was conclusions of the meeting of SDA and HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) delegations held on Thursday. SNSD leader Milorad Dodik emphasized that his party is open to swift formation of the state-level authorities in B&H, but said this process must not be conditioned by anything. SNSD Executive Board confirmed that its members discussed the overall economic and social situation in Republika Srpska (RS), and agreed that an analysis will be completed by next week, to determine the biggest issues and ways of solving them. One of such issues is average salaries in this entity, which Dodik said the RS Government will raise in line with the funds available within the Budget. Commenting the speculation of certain media in B&H on presence of NATO forces on Mt. Manjaca, Dodik said this information is false, assuring the public “there is no NATO presence on Manjaca, nor will it ever be”. He reminded that he prevented all previous attempts of the B&H Presidency for holding NATO military exercises on the RS territory, adding he will continue to work in the same direction. “There is not one NATO unit on Manjaca; there is a number of observers that are watching the exercise performed by the Armed Forces of B&H (B&H AF). This kind of exercise was held every year before and will probably be held in years to come, as long as that army exists (B&H AF),” Dodik stated.

Commenting the statement by Dodik that there were no NATO members at the Combat Training Center of the B&H Armed Forces on Mt. Manjaca over the past days, the NATO Headquarters Sarajevo stated that members of the NATO’s advisory team were present during the inspection at the military barracks, as well as several different scenarios of the exercise, reports BN TV. “The most numerous unit of the B&H Armed Forces was being evaluated at the Combat Training Center on Mt. Manjaca over the past four days,” reads the statement issued by the NATO Headquarters Sarajevo. SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic recently said that talks are being led between leaders of three largest parties in B&H, and their stances in regard to formation of authorities and the adoption of the Annual National Program (ANP) have been brought a bit closer. Dodik denied this, saying the RS will never agree to adoption of this document nor accept B&H’s accession to NATO. He reiterated his previous stance on continuation of cooperation with NATO, but underlined the RS will never support the idea of joining the Alliance.

Asked to comment amendments to the Election Law of B&H, Dodik said he supports HDZ B&H’s proposal and believes the Law should be “modernized”. He, however, noted he would never support a proposal that aims to merge the general and local elections in B&H.

Dodik: SDA is responsible for failure to implement agreement on authority formation from 5 August (ATV)

At a recent meeting with HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic, SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stated that a way out of the current political crisis in authorities in B&H lies in implementation of the agreement of SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD on authority formation, signed on 5 August. Izetbegovic even called on the potential Chairman-designate of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) to prepare a plan that would be based on this agreement. Izetbegovic also reiterated that SDA insists on adoption of the Annual National Program (ANP) for NATO. Izetbegovic’s statements on this matter sparked harsh criticism of officials from RS. SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated that SDA is responsible for failure of the agreement from August 5, and stressed that he is not interested in what Izetbegovic is saying. “We are not partners with SDA, and we have the capacity to from the authorities, based on the elections. We want to complete our quotas and lead a policy of agreement as much as that is possible”, the SNSD leader pointed out. SNSD’s delegate in the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Dusanka Majkic said that Izetbegovic showed that he is not giving up on playing games he came up with a long time ago. “I am completely shocked by the latest stance of Bakir Izetbegovic, who presented it after talking to the HDZ B&H leader and who directly addressed the candidate for the future CoM Chairman-designate in terms of calls for coming out with a plan. These are all obvious games where he keeps calling for talks, over and over again. So, we cannot expect anything from that” Majkic underlined. ‘United Srpska’ leader Nenad Stevandic called on Izetbegovic to rethink what he is doing and to realize that he is to be blamed for the failure of the agreement on authority formation. Stevandic warned that Izetbegovic needs to stop blackmailing the RS. Stevandic stated: “He (Izetbegovic) should talk to his party and agree whether they are interested in stay of the RS in B&H or not.” DEMOS leader Nedeljko Cubrilovic asserted that the RS has a prepared response to blackmail coming from Sarajevo, as well as that it has constitutional mechanisms to protect itself from majorization in B&H. According to Cubrilovic, the problem is in the fact that the Constitution of B&H is being neglected and misused. PDP Honorary President Mladen Ivanic assessed that the reason for failure to form the authorities in B&H is the lack of will for reaching compromise. Ivanic considers that it will be very difficult to form the authorities at the level of joint institutions.

Dodik: Palmer ignores reality in B&H regarding NATO (N1)

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik commented the meeting of Chairman of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic with US Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Matthew Palmer, and he said that there is no consensus in B&H over the matter of joining the NATO and any statements saying that it will happen are false. Dodik, who vehemently opposes B&H making any steps toward membership in the NATO, said that Palmer and Komsic are “ignoring the real situation in B&H”. “He knows perfectly well that this will not happen, but he is still trying because Komsic tends to abuse the position of Chairman and tends to present the situation in B&H regarding that in an unrealistic way,” Dodik said. “Two people who think alike have gathered and they are trying to achieve a breakthrough with false statements. Palmer knows well that there is no consensus regarding that, nor will it be reached” he added.

‘United Srpska’ Presidency adopts draft declaration on inviolability of RS as response to SDA Declaration (ATV)

Presidency of the ‘United Srpska’ adopted on Sunday a draft of the Declaration on the RS Inviolability, which is said to be a response to the SDA Program Declaration, adopted on 14 September. ‘United Srpska’ members emphasize that SDA Declaration is anti-Dayton, anti-constitutional and anti-Serb. The party leader Nenad Stevandic said that the Declaration on RS’ Inviolability is greatly based on the UN Convention of Human Rights, especially the part that says peoples have the right to self-determination, social, economic and cultural development. “That document will be available as of today, in the form of a draft; it will be sent to our coalition partners as contribution to the joint strategy and preparations of a joint response to SDA Declaration, which we all agreed was anti-constitutional, anti-democratic and anti-Serb” Stevandic explained to members of the press. His party supported SNSD’s conclusions on the protection of the RS and its rights. Stevandic also commented on the fact that ‘United Srpska’ is considered to be the most successful party in the RS when it comes to gathering new members. He said that the growth of this party is evident and they continue to attract new members in all municipalities across the RS. ‘United Srpska’ members say they expect to take second place in this entity during 2020 local elections. During the session of ‘United Srpska’ Presidency, the main topic was the current political situation in B&H.

International diplomats to launch new round of negotiations amongst SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD (Vecernji list)

Vecernji list daily learned that the international diplomatic representatives in B&H, namely the EU Delegation to B&H, have gotten involved in processes in B&H again, in order to ensure the formation of the state-level authority. SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic announces he expects new round of meetings and negotiations amongst SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD in the upcoming days, in order to unblock the authority formation process. Daily noted that success of these negotiations mostly depends on an agreement on the NATO integration process and adoption of the Annual National Program (ANP), as SNSD as main RS representative vehemently objects it. EuroBlic daily also learned from a source that the announced meeting might be more serious than originally believed, as the foreign diplomats want local leaders to put the issue of ANP aside and only focus on formation of the Council of Ministers of B&H. Apparently, Izetbegovic is now being pressured into letting go of the ANP as a condition for formation of B&H CoM. Other sources from Sarajevo believe that the international diplomats want to change the content and name of the ANP, namely, to remove the term ‘National’ from it, so SNSD leader Milorad Dodik will accept it.

US Senate Committee on Armed Services announces additional commitment to B&H due to growing influence of Russia and China (BHT1)

The US Senate Committee on Armed Services has announced the additional commitment to B&H due to growing influence of Russia and China. The Committee assessed at its recent hearing on the security situation in Southeastern Europe that two biggest focal points in the Balkans include the political blockade in B&H and the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, and that stronger US’ engagement in this region is necessary. Participants in the hearing stressed that unstable and conflicting Balkans undermines the US national security, and that diplomatic withdrawal would be a huge defeat of the US. They announced that US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer will be engaged more in the crisis in B&H than in the crisis in the Kosovo-Serbia relations. Janusz Bugajski of the Center for European Policy Analysis stated that he cannot imagine the armed conflict between Serbia and Kosovo for instance, especially because of the NATO presence’s in Kosovo, the Camp Bondsteel and restrictions set on Serbia, but that he could imagine the renewed armed conflict in B&H. “I do not think that the Serb leadership in Republika Srpska (RS) would want this, but they play games with the idea of secession and dysfunctional or failed state. I would say that Banja Luka has become a place of the biggest Russian interference, which is probably greater than the influence in Belgrade in this region. The reason for this is because (Serb member of B&H Presidency) Milorad Dodik is financed by Russia,” Bugajski stressed. Executive Vice President of the Atlantic Council Damon Wilson assessed that Russia is less focused on maintaining its limited influence in the region and more focused on undermining the US’ influence through obstructing the EU and NATO integration processes. “Without an agreement, Russia will have its influence on Serbia and the region as well. Lack of agreement encourages nationalist political debates that slows down the development of democracy in Serbia and makes possible for Kosovo leaders to avoid severe issues on governing. More decisive turning of Serbia towards Europe will ensure the protection that is necessary for B&H”, Wilson asserted. Collocutors agreed that when it comes to China’s influence in the region, the economy is China’s primary goal as this country wants to access the EU marked through the Balkans, concluding that China have benefits from regional stability and it does not want to cause internal divisions – unlike Russia.

Komsic: News agency misreported my statement on Croatia (N1)

B&H Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic never told UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adam Dieng that Croatia and its government deny the WWII genocide the Nazi-aligned Independent State of Croatia (NDH) committed against Serbs, the Roma and Jews, but that some individuals in Croatia do, Komsic’s office said, arguing that Hina misreported.

The news agency reported on a meeting between Komsic and Dieng held in New York on Saturday. Komsic equated the Srebrenica genocide denial in B&H’s Serb-majority region with the “the crime of genocide against Serbs, Roma and Jews” committed during WWII under the Nazi-aligned NDH (Independent State of Croatia), saying it “is denied through the public and political activity of some individuals.” “With this in mind, the Office of the Chairman of the Presidency of B&H believes the HINA news agency should apologies to the citizens of the Republic of Croatia because of the accusation they tried to attribute to the Chairman of B&H’s Presidency, Zeljko Komsic” the press release said. The release also criticized Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, who said Komsic is using “anti-Croatian rhetoric.” The reaction was a result of the “continuous practice of propaganda” by the HINA news agency which Grabar-Kitarovic is expressing through “diplomatic speech,” Komsic’s Office said, adding that this it “part of the special propaganda activities which are being conducted not only against B&H’s Presidency Chairman but also against B&H.”

President denounces statement by chairman of Bosnia’s presidency (HRT)

The Office of President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic reacted strongly on Sunday to a statement made by Bosnian Presidency Chairman Zeljko Komsic, in which he allegedly told UN officials in New York that Croatia continued to deny acts of genocide committed against Serbs during the Second World War. President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic reacted to the alleged statement by accusing Komsic of using anti-Croatian rhetoric. “Zeljko Komsic, the member of the presidency imposed on Croats, is the personification of the outvoting of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). In the absence of his own vision and ability to solve problems within B&H, his relentless and unfounded anti-Croatian rhetoric further confirms that he is not only illegitimate but also that he is an irrelevant interlocutor when it comes to international relations or any other matter” read the statement released by the president’s office. Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said that Komsic lacked a vision for the future peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The minister said that Croatia vehemently denounces all totalitarian regimes. He said the elected leader of Bosnian Croats should “concentrate on his role in B&H and work towards his country’s stability.” Meanwhile, opposition leader Davor Bernardic of the SDP also reacted. He said that while his party has warned about the relativization of fascism in Croatia, he added that there was no denial of the crimes committed by fascism by any “serious political party or individual in Croatia.” According to a press release from Komsic’s office on Saturday, he told a UN official in New York that in Croatia “the crime of genocide against Serbs, Roma and Jews” committed during WWII “is denied through the public and political activity of some individuals.”

Slovenia can’t block Croatia’s Schengen entry indefinitely, says Plenkovic (Hina)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Friday that if Slovenia decided to block Croatia’s Schengen entry, it would not be able to do so indefinitely. “They can’t block indefinitely. We are a member state, we have enough mechanisms. That’s all I’ll say,” he told Croatian reporters in Brussels who asked him if Slovenia could stop Croatia’s Schengen Area accession for a long time. Plenkovic is on a three-day visit to Brussels. He met European Commission Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis and Finnish PM Annti Rinne, whose country is the current Council of the EU chair. Plenkovic said he was pleased with Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker‘s guarantee that next month Croatia would receive a positive assessment on the meeting of the Schengen entry criteria, to be followed by a political debate at the Council of the EU. All member states must approve the accession. Plenkovic also said it was not realistic to expect a decision to that effect during Croatia’s EU presidency in the first half of 2020. “We believe we have met the criteria. Now there will be a political debate, but not during our presidency. The Schengen entry criteria are objective, we have met them, and if there are some political issues, we will deal with them at the Council.” Plenkovic said he did not expect problems from the member states which now were against Bulgaria and Romania entering Schengen. Both have had a positive assessment of their compliance with the criteria since 2011. Plenkovic also said that he and Dombrovskis talked about the implementation of Croatia’s euro action plan and preparations for joining the European Exchange Rate Mechanism II. “The Commission is following in detail what we are doing, and we are doing it within the deadlines we have set, therefore the process if going well,” he said, adding that a Commission delegation collecting data as part of the European Semester would visit Zagreb in October. “I talked about those topics with Vice-President Dombrovskis and the Commission has a positive view of our reform efforts,” Plenkovic said.

Guterres to Djukanovic: Montenegro is the voice of common sense (CDM)

The United Nations, UN, especially appreciates initiatives towards peaceful problem solving in the region, in which Montenegro is the voice of common sense, the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, told at the meeting with Montenegro’s President, Milo Djukanovic.

President Djukanovic ended his visit to New York where he attended the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. “Montenegro is a member state with no problems. Relations between Montenegro and the UN are excellent, and cooperation in all areas appropriate” Guterres added. He expressed his expectations that the future composition of the European Commission will show somewhat greater enthusiasm for the EU enlargement to the Western Balkans. Djukanovic, on the other hand, reaffirmed strong partnership and commitment of Montenegro to the UN values and multilateralism, and invited the UN Secretary-General to visit Montenegro on the 15th anniversary of Montenegro’s membership in the United Nations, as it would be a strong message for the region as well. President Djukanovic pointed out to key priorities of further development of Montenegro – continuation of EU integration and preservation of dynamic economic development – noting that the UN intervention in accelerating the integration of the region would be extremely significant having in mind the strong conviction that the WB problems cannot be solved beyond the European Union and Euro-Atlantic structures.

Western Balkans integration guarantees stability of the region (CDM)

Further integration of Western Balkans into the EU and NATO contributes to stability, said Minister of Foreign affairs, Srdjan Darmanovic in the ministerial meeting of the US-Adriatic Charter A5. The meeting discussed the importance of the process of Euro-Atlantic integration of WB countries as well as continuous support of the USA in the process. Darmanovic said that Montenegro was committed to common goals and continued to be active promoter of open door policy. “A5 and other regional initiatives are crucial to the security of our region, European and Euro-Atlantic perspective of WB countries,” said Darmanovic. Commending the achievements of North Macedonia, he pointed out that another country would soon become NATO ally.

In the margins of the UN General Assembly, Darmanovic attended ministerial meeting of the new initiative – Alliance for multilateralism in the organization of Germany and France. “It was concluded that multilateral order based on rules guaranteed international stability and peace”, said the representatives of the Ministry.

Pompeo makes official visit to Montenegro in October (CDM)

US Embassy confirmed that US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, would come to Montenegro. Between 1 and 6 October, Pompeo will travel to Montenegro, Italy, the Holy See, North Macedonia and Greece. US Embassy spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, announced that Pompeo would take part in the US and Holy See Symposium on partnership with religious organizations.

“Pope Francis will welcome Pompeo to his private presence chamber. He will also meet Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See and with the Secretary for Relations with States, archbishop Gallagher” pointed out Ms Ortagus. In Rome, Pompeo will have meeting with Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, Prime Minister, Guiseppe Conte and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio. He will also visit Abruzzo to see the home of his ancestors. “After that, Pompo will go to Montenegro where he will meet with Milo Djukanovic, Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Srdjan Darmanovic,” said Ms Ortagus. Secretary of State will then visit North Macedonia where he planned to hold a meeting with the president, Steva Pendarovski, PM Zoran Zaev and other officials. Finally, Pompeo will visit Athens and have a meeting with Greek PM, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias and Minister of Defense, Nikos Panajotopulos.

Dutch FM: Skopje and Tirana should be assessed independently (Nezavisen vesnik)

Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok said that Skopje and Tirana should be assessed independently when it comes to opening EU accession talks. “I believe that North Macedonia and Albania should be assessed independently because they are different countries with different problems and different degrees of progress. I’ve also indicated earlier that I think the rate of progress in North Macedonia is clearly greater than that in Albania,” Dutch FM Blok told a session of the European Affairs Committee. According to Blok, Albania is a different case when compared to North Macedonia. “Albania should be able to start negotiations as soon as it meets the criteria. That is not yet the case” Blok said. FM Blok noted that his country’s position had remained the same that there wouldn’t be negotiations with Albania unless requirements from June 2018 were met, which meant that the Netherlands would “veto Albania on 18 October, regardless of the decision of the German Bundestag.

Dimitrov: We will have France’s support to start EU accession talks (MTV)

Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov expects France to support North Macedonia for a date to start EU accession talks. “I honestly can’t believe that one of the greatest leaders of Europe would make such a strategic mistake. You can’t expect Europeization of the Balkans without encouraging positive trends. I think we’ll have France’s support” Dimitrov told MTV. Dimitrov said that afterwards there’d be a lot of work to be done back home. “In a way, the battle is moving back home. We have a lot of work to get done, and I’d say, even a new way of doing politics,” Dimitrov noted.

Rama: Opening accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia would be the wisest EU decision (Radio Tirana)

Opening EU accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia would be the wisest decision by the EU, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said in his address at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. “Providing a positive response to Albania and North Macedonia’s ambition to open accession talks will not merely be a reward of their merits but also strategically the wisest decision to be taken by the EU for the EU,” said PM Rama. Albanian Prime Minister Rama noted that stability, security, prosperity and democracy of the region can only be guaranteed by a European perspective.

Venice Commission: Meta has exceeded his powers and has violated the Constitution by annulling the June 30 election date (Radio Tirana)

The Venice Commission released its preliminary report regarding the decision of the President of the Republic Ilir Meta to annul the 30 June local elections. The Venice Commission has come to the conclusion that Meta has exceeded his powers and has violated the Constitution by annulling the June 30 election date. “The President violated the Constitution by annulling the elections and decided to postpone them without having such competence in the Constitution and the law. The cancellation and postponement of the elections violated the right of citizens to vote, ”the report reads. The Venice Commission Report states that local elections can only be canceled in case of emergencies, but even in this case it should be done in accordance with the legislation in Albania, i.e. when a state of emergency is declared, a procedure set forth in the Constitution.

Concerning the Commission of Inquiry into the dismissal of President Meta, the Venice Commission underlines that “It is the responsibility of the Assembly and further of the Constitutional Court to determine whether or not the President’s violation of the Constitution is serious. The President’s dismissal procedure is a legal and political process. It remains for the plenary session of the Assembly to decide on the nature of the violation and its importance, which may justify the dismissal of the President. “Venice Commission rules that opposition boycott of June 30th local elections cannot stop regular elections running. Otherwise, these parties would gain the opportunity / advantage to hinder any electoral process,” the draft reads.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

EU Set to Resume Expansion Push With Balkan Accession Talks (Bloomberg, by Nikos Chrysoloras, 29 September 2019)

The European Union will probably authorize the start of formal accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia next month, betting that the prospect of membership in the club will help further anchor the continent’s troubled Balkan region to the West. “In light of the progress achieved on reforms,” EU ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Oct. 15 will decide to “to open accession negotiations” with the governments in Tirana and Skopje, according to a draft of their communique circulated on Friday and seen by Bloomberg. While the wording could still change, a previous draft, also seen by Bloomberg, didn’t include the recommendation to begin talks. A similar push to open accession negotiations faltered in June, as countries such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark resisted. Western EU governments are exasperated by the failure of some eastern nations that joined the bloc from 2004 to uphold the rule of law and fight corruption. They are thus wary of admitting new members to the world’s largest trading club, where people, goods and services can move freely. Countries including Poland, Hungary and Romania — among the largest recipients of EU structural funds and agricultural aid — are at loggerheads with the European Commission over their democratic standards, and the bloc’s executive arm has so far failed to force them to fall in line. In its June communique on enlargement, the EU said that admission of new members should take into account the bloc’s “capacity to integrate” them.

Resolving the Bitter Battle Over the Name ‘Macedonia’: QuickTake

Even though accession negotiations last for years — or even decades, as in the case of Turkey — and their conclusion isn’t guaranteed, the launch of the process is a victory for the government of North Macedonia. It had invested most of its political capital in a deal with Greece to change the former Yugoslav republic’s constitutional name, hoping that this would pave the way for EU membership. The new Greek government has said it disagrees with the deal struck between North Macedonia and its predecessor, but won’t seek to annul it due to the need to preserve continuity in international agreements. Still, the wording in the draft communique seen by Bloomberg, which “strongly welcomes the historic Prespa Agreement,” could trigger a backlash in Athens, as most of the governing party’s voters oppose the pact.