LOCAL PRESS 

Petkovic: Kurti undermining Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Tanjug/Novosti/RTV) 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic has assessed on Monday that the statement by the future Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti, whereby he brings into question the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) and threatens Serbia with seeking alleged war compensation, directly undermines every possibility and future of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. In a press release, he pointed out that this request is additionally absurd, considering that according to international law, it is impossible for a province to demand war compensation from its state. Petkovic pointed out that the basic prerequisite for the resumption of talks is building of mutual trust, and that is not possible without respecting and implementing the agreements signed so far. “As a credible partner in the dialogue, Belgrade has fulfilled all its international obligations and expects to have a reliable interlocutor on the other side of the negotiating table who is also ready to implement the agreed,” Petkovic said. He also pointed out that Belgrade expects “Pristina to abandon electoral and war rhetoric and instead of threatening with ‘Greater Albania’ or denying its obligations, approach the formation of the ZSO as agreed in Brussels 2894 days ago, without subsequent unilateral interpretations”. “Belgrade will always be ready to discuss and support initiatives and agreements aimed at building a common future and peace in this region, but it will never agree to blackmail,” Petkovic concluded.

Stefanovic: Serbia deeply worried over participation of so-called Kosovo in military exercise (RTS) 

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic talked on Monday with US Ambassador to Serbia Anthony Godfrey and the new US Defense Envoy in Belgrade Colonel Corey Shea. Stefanovic welcomed the new envoy, and expressed the expectation that the previous experiences he gained in diplomatic duties in the Western Balkans will also serve him in the future. He informed his interlocutors that Serbia continues to pursue a balanced policy and work on improving relations in the field of defense with all countries and international organizations, in accordance with the long-term strategic commitment to maintain the status of a military neutral state. Stefanovic and Godfrey emphasized the importance of cooperation between the two countries in numerous areas, such as the State Partnership Program with the Ohio National Guard, which is mutually important and useful in all segments of military cooperation. Also, the interlocutors pointed out the importance of the results that Serbia achieves by participating in multinational operations.

Stefanovic expressed concern over the participation of the so-called Kosovo security forces in the “Defender Europe 21” exercise, organized by NATO and the US Army. As he emphasized, Serbia appreciates the fact that it was informed in the spirit of partnership about the organization and performance of the exercise before it started, but it is deeply worried because the participation of the so-called Kosovo in it is contrary to all international acts. Godfrey said that he understood Serbia’s concerns, although the two countries have different views on this issue, saying that the United States wants to continue intensive cooperation with the Serbian Army. He expressed hope that a bilateral exercise between the two armies could take place as early as this year. They concluded that there is interest in continuing and expanding military cooperation between the two countries, and stressed the importance of bilateral defense consultations, the aim of which is to harmonize strategic guidelines for improving cooperation in the coming period.

Vulin: Belgrade will work on preventing Kosovo from joining Interpol (Beta/FoNet) 

Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin told the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Urs Schmid that Belgrade would work actively to prevent Pristina from submitting a request to join Interpol.

“That would be unacceptable,” Vulin said. He added that so-called Kosovo cannot be a member of an international organization, especially the one dealing with data on drug cartels, Vulin said according to Serbian Interior Ministry’s press release on Monday. Vulin also met the Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Katsumata Takahiko and reiterated his country’s strong objection to Kosovo’s Interpol membership.

Borrell: Debate on Western Balkans at next meeting of EU FMs (Beta) 

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said on Monday that EU foreign ministers will have a “comprehensive debate” about the Western Balkans at their next meeting. Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, Borrell said that the region remains a priority for the EU. He presented his report on developments in the Western Balkans and the recent visits to Belgrade, Pristina and Podgorica by his special representative Miroslav Lajcak. The Foreign Ministers of Croatia and Romania, Gordan Grlic Radman and Bogdan Auresku presented a request on behalf of nine EU member states for a comprehensive strategic debate on the Western Balkans at the next ministerial meeting in order to strengthen the EU’s engagement with the countries of the region and confirm its commitment to expansion. The idea for a debate on the region was initially launched in a letter from nine foreign ministers to Borrell on 5 March because of dynamic internal political developments in the countries of the region.

REGIONAL PRESS 

RS, Croat officials react to Izetbegovic’s statement on need to arrange B&H as civic state (RTRS)

In the midst of the convulsive fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the enormous increase in the number of sick and dead in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic again calls for a constitutional re-composition based on the principles of civic organization. “B&H should be a unitary state of a civic constitutional-legal concept”, said Izetbegovic at the session of the Association of Independent Intellectuals ‘Krug 99’.  The Republika Srpska (RS) officials say – it would be better for him to be active in the procurement of vaccines against COVID-19 and prove that he cares about the health of citizens, than to deal with an impossible mission. “It is time for B&H to move to a modern system in which there is no discrimination and which is not based on the constituent peoples,” Izetbegovic said during the session. The ‘civic’ B&H, according to Izetbegovic’s vision, is nothing but an attempt to minimize the rights of Serbs and Croats. And a strong step towards Islamic B&H – which Alija Izetbegovic, Bakir’s late father, also aspired to. And not so long ago, Bakir boasted that his father had achieved his life goal – the return of Islam. Deputy speaker at the B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP) Nikola Spiric assesses Izetbegovic’s aspirations towards the unitary organization of B&H, in the conditions of a catastrophic pandemic, as extremely irresponsible. “It remains to be seen what a functioning B&H means in terms of international guardians and whether there are any differences. So my view is that we need to reach an agreement on us before global players reach an agreement on us. Otherwise, everything is a hollow story,” Spiric emphasized. In the context of the earlier story about constitutional changes in B&H, which was pushed to the background by the coronavirus pandemic, implementation of Izetbegovic’s ideas with a grotesque interpretation of the role of SDA is neither realistic nor possible for the RS – the messages are sent from the RS. “If Bakir Izetbegovic wants to create a civic B&H, he can do it freely, but without the RS in B&H. That is something in which we will not bother him,” said SNSD Spokesman Radovan Kovacevic. Kovacevic said B&H can only survive if it sticks to the original Dayton Peace Agreement. Croats have long recognized the intentions of SDA, hidden under the cloak of “false citizenship”. “Obviously there is an attempt on the scene to do something that someone’s father started, but I think we have enough democratic forces to prevent it,” underlines Federation of B&H (FB&H) President and HDZ B&H Vice-President Marinko Cavara.

Field describes benefits of cooperation with NATO (Oslobodjenje)

UK Ambassador to B&H Matthew Field warned that no country in the world can face numerous challenges alone – starting with climate changes to the pandemic, cross-border crimes and cyber attacks. “We all need partners and friends. We all need a chance to improve ourselves through cooperation. And this is exactly what cooperation with NATO offers,” Field said. Field reminded that the contact of B&H with NATO dates back to 1990s conflicts, including the vital role the NATO played in peacekeeping after the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) was signed and he also reminded that the support of NATO during 2014 floods was a great example of cooperation in times of need. “In nearly three years as UK Ambassador to B&H, I am especially proud of the work we continue to do with the B&H Armed Forces, as partners and friends. I have never met such dedicated and professional individuals, often forced to wrestle with insufficient resources and political obstruction. Visiting representatives of B&H in UK military academies are regular recipients of our highest recognitions for individual excellence. And during this most difficult of years, the UK military has supported their B&H counterparts, including protective gear, medical facilities, training and equipment,” Field said and added that the UK fully supports the mission of General Eric Folkestad, to advise and assist defense and security sector reform, providing UK military staff to his team. “Although spelt out many times before, I will again underline that cooperation with NATO does not prejudge any potential future membership. The door to NATO is open to new members, as seen recently with Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia. But only B&H can decide whether to come in. Until such a time, implementation of these reforms are an end in themselves, especially the professionalization and streamlining of the B&H Armed Forces. The NATO path is also well served by implementing positive change in areas including the transparency, human rights, corruption, the judiciary, civil society and the environment. Others taking this route have seen economic benefits including greater investor confidence”, Field reminded and concluded by saying that the UK will keep turning up and making a difference, alongside NATO partners, in the Western Balkans and beyond.

Minister says EU must help Bosnia and Herzegovina become politically stable (HRT)

Speaking ahead of a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister said that the European Union must devote more of its energy to B&H and its ambition to join Euro-Atlantic institutions. Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic Radman reiterated Croatia’s longstanding position that the EU must put B&H at the heart of its focus in the coming period: “I have said many times so far that this region, which is actually the closest to us, needs and deserves more attention. And therefore I am looking forward to a more comprehensive debate at one of our next meetings. And this is why I’m going to present today a contribution on B&H, which is actually a joint initiative of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia and Croatia. We must help B&H in achieving political stability and institutional functionality.” The six countries point out in the document that B&H must remain at the center of the EU’s attention, that the country’s membership of the EU is both a priority and an aspiration, and that in order to achieve that goal, a comprehensive transformation of its entire society is needed. One of the first goals on this path is to acquire candidate status, for which it is necessary to meet 14 priorities defined by the European Commission. The document also says that B&H is based on the principle of the equality of the three constituent peoples and all its citizens, regardless of which part of the country they live in. In order to meet the political criteria, B&H must implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. It further notes that the fragmented political landscape as well as a climate of mistrust between political representatives in B&H often results in a functional blockade of institutions and setbacks in key reforms. For this reason the six signatories feel that only a firm anchor in European values and standards when it comes to the civic and political rights of all three constituent peoples can help B&H strengthen its stability and prosper. To achieve this, key reforms, including electoral law reform, need to be adopted without further delay before the 2022 general elections, the document reads. The joint contribution of the six EU member states says that the new election law should be in line with European standards and the recommendations of the OSCE and the Venice Commission, in order to avoid any manipulation in the election process. “We want B&H to take a decisive and sustainable step towards political stability, a functioning market economy and the well-being of all its citizens. The stability, security, prosperity and functionality of B&H as a single, united and sovereign state is of paramount importance, not only for her immediate neighbors but also for the region, the EU and the whole of Europe,” the document concludes.

Establishing of Commission for Cooperation with NATO will intensify dialogue between B&H and Alliance (Vecernji list)

B&H has established the new Commission for Cooperation with NATO, which the daily describes as extremely important for elevation of relations between B&H and NATO to a higher level. B&H Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Josip Brkic who is the Chairman of the Commission for Cooperation told the daily that technical cooperation of NATO and B&H always took place at the level of commissions, but this time, due to the long process of formation of authorities, establishing of the Commission for Cooperation with NATO was also delayed. He explained that the Commission now has a new name, but there is no significant difference in its scope of work. “B&H Council of Ministers tasked us with developing strategic documents on relations between B&H and NATO, participating in programs…There is no difference in content. In terms of work methodology, the same mechanism as in B&H Council of Ministers is being introduced for the first time. This means that apart from the Chairman, votes of the deputies will play a crucial role,” said Brkic. He expressed hope that the Program of Reforms for 2021 will be completed by April. Brcko also hopes that the cooperation between B&H and NATO will intensify and that B&H will be able to make up for the lost three months. Brkic is expected to meet with NATO Deputy Secretary General soon. Commander of the NATO HQ Sarajevo Eric Foklestad also spoke about cooperation between B&H and NATO recently. He welcomed the establishing of the Commission for Cooperation, noting that it represents the group of people who will decade on future areas of cooperation. He reiterated that the door of NATO remains open, and highlighted the importance of cooperation in response to numerous security challenges and risks. Folkestad also underlined that no country can face modern challenges alone, and emphasized that B&H authorities need to focus on reform of defense and security institutions. Hungarian Ambassador Krisztian Posa who is in charge of contacts with B&H on behalf of NATO also welcomed the establishing of Commission for Cooperation with NATO. The daily concludes that B&H is facing a period of intense reforms and establishing of a clear dialogue with NATO with consensus of representatives of the three constituent peoples.

Croatian FM says non-paper on B&H was ‘well accepted’ among EU ministers (Hina)

A non-paper on B&H that was prepared at Croatia’s initiative, has come across a good reception with EU foreign ministers, Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlic-Radman, said on Monday. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, Grlic-Radman presented the non-paper on B&H supported by Croatia,  Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus. “The document was well accepted and everyone commended it,” said Grlic-Radman after the meeting. He added that the initiative was launched three or four months ago and the document was hammered out by the countries willing to support it. Grlic-Radman said that he discussed the document with several ministers including the foreign ministers of France and Germany, who also backed it. The document is a basis to discuss B&H at the next EU foreign ministers council as part of the discussion on the Western Balkans. “Croatia is the driver of this initiative with which we wish to present B&H as an important issue for the European Union which should be more visible on the geopolitical space in Southeast Europe,” said Grlic-Radman. He underscored that Croatia is the most interested and most sincere advocate of B&H’s Euro-Atlantic journey.

DF putting huge pressure on Krivokapic (CdM)

Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic needed only several days to change his mind, that is, views, from “the government is stable and needs no reconstruction” to the fact that he talked to the leaders of the DF and the SDP about its reconstruction, when he, according to some sources, offered Milan Knezevic the position of a deputy prime minister. It seems that a political pressure of the DF is so huge that the Prime Minister had to change his mind a.s.a.p. Moreover, the PM must have been “scared” of the DF threats that they would not vote for any law, not even the budget if amendments to prosecutorial laws proposing the abolition of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, SDT, and setting up of a new body are not adopted. Their intention to abolish the SDP and get rid of the Chief Special State Prosecutor, Milivoje Katnic, was derailed by Brussels after which the ruling majority had to postpone the adoption of prosecutorial laws until they’re aligned with European partners. Brussels then noted that Montenegro needed the continuation of reforms, not to regress. Montenegro already has institutions that need to improve their work, therefore, it does not need new bodies but clear progress in the area of the rule of law.

Stoltenberg: NATO data must be protected, we’ll check all members, especially new ones (CdM)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he won’t comment on intelligence issues in Montenegro. However, he stresses that NATO is focused on the protection of classified data and documents and points out that all members, especially new ones, will be checked. “At NATO, we are very focused on protecting our data, confidential information and documents. The Alliance doesn’t interfere when secret information leaks from the intelligence structures of a NATO member”, he said this at a pre-ministerial press conference in Brussels, on the occasion of the leak of confidential information from NATO allies. Stoltenberg emphasizes that NATO has a data protection verification system. A meeting of 30 NATO foreign ministers is to be held in Brussels today and tomorrow, with the participation of Montenegrin Foreign Minister Djordje Radulovic.

Rama discloses some of the topics discussed with Macron (Radio Tirana)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has disclosed some of the topics discussed with the President of France Emanuel Macron during their meeting, which came at the invitation of the French leader. Rama said that bilateral relations, the progress of the program of the French development agency, which is engaged in financing three important projects, France’s investments in energy in Albania, the European investment plan for the Balkans; the situation in the region, the progress of relations between the countries of the region, the dialogue process between Serbia and Kosovo, regional Schengen, etc. have been some of the topics under discussion. “It was an invitation from the President, with whom we had not met for some time, and he wanted to spend a working lunch with me to discuss bilateral relations, the progress of the program of the French development agency, which is engaged in financing three important projects, where the most important project is the investment for the finalization of all the work that needs to be done to complete the investments made in the water supply of the city of Durres and to finally guarantee for Durres 24 hours continuous supply of water, a commitment I asked for and the president took it over after the earthquake. Also another important financing for the power system, as well as another program for women and girls which is a very interesting, a program that we will implement together with the French development agency. At the same time, we talked about France’s investments in energy in Albania, where the company Voltalia is investing in the largest photovoltaic park in the region, in fact in Karavasta and also in one or two other important projects. We talked about the European investment plan for the Balkans, which is already an invested plan and we are committed to getting funding for some important projects with national and regional impact on transport, infrastructure, energy and digitalization. We have long been in the situation in the region, in the progress of relations between the countries of the region, for the dialogue process between Serbia and Kosovo, for the process of implementation of the four EU freedoms in the framework of the Schengen region and other topics that they have also occupied their part of the long conversation,” said Rama.

Ruci congratulates his new counterpart from Kosovo Konjufca (Radio Tirana)

Albanian parliament speaker Gramoz Ruci congratulated his new counterpart from Kosovo Glauk Konjufca. In the congratulatory letter, Ruci writes that Kosovo is facing great and difficult challenges, but that he is convinced that with the visionary leadership of Konjufca it will successfully resolve the basic tasks. He calls for intensified cooperation between the Parliaments of both countries in the future. On the occasion of the election of the Speaker of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo, on behalf of the Assembly of Albania and on my own behalf, I sincerely wish you success in your high and noble office. Kosovo today is facing great and difficult challenges, which can be fully met with the commitment of the new institutions of the Republic and close partnership with our strategic allies, the United States of America and the European Union. Under your visionary leadership, the Assembly of Kosovo will successfully face up and resolve the basic tasks of development, progress and Euro-Atlantic integration and increase the role and contribution of the Republic of Kosovo as a factor of peace and stability in the region and beyond. I take this opportunity to reconfirm the will of the Assembly of Albania as well as my personal that the cooperation between the Assembly of the Republic of Albania and the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo will be expanded and intensified.

Varhelyi: Accession of Albania and North Macedonia to EU as soon as possible (Radio Tirana)

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi held a conversation with the German Foreign Minister Heiko Mass, where the focus of their discussion was the process of enlargement of the Western Balkans. Through a status on Twitter, Varhelyi stressed that they exchanged views on the EU enlargement process, starting with the accession talks of Albania and North Macedonia. “Good discussion with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. We exchanged views on the Western Balkans and the need to move the enlargement process forward in the European Union, starting accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible. Our support for the region in the fight against COVID19 continues,” writes Oliver Varhelyi.