LOCAL PRESS 

Vucic: Meeting on dialogue will not be easy for either side (Tanjug/RTS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in Brussels on Monday he did not expect an upcoming meeting on continuing the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to be easy or nice for either side but that discussions were the only solution.When asked by reporters whether he expected Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to be cooperative if he showed up at the May meeting, Vucic responded that not much should be expected from a single meeting but that it was good that there were meetings and that discussions were held as a way of easing tensions. “Our job is to guarantee security to our people and to see what we can do for them and that is why we are motivated to go to Brussels. But will it be easy? No one expects it to be easy – it will not be easy or nice for us or for them either. Still, it is better to talk, you must always talk because that is the only solution,” Vucic said.

Serbia can harmonize 60% of foreign policy with EU  

A special political topic, he stated, was our acceptance or unification with the EU declarations, which is now at the level of slightly more than 52%. Serbia has its own interests and calculations, and until it becomes a member of the EU, it cannot fully harmonize its foreign and security policy with the EU, he said. “In the EU, we would like to harmonize that policy with them 90 percent, but that is not realistic, I cannot promise what we cannot fulfill. I did not lie today, I said up to 60 percent, Serbia can afford that, but we have and other state and national interests that we protect,” Vucic said, answering questions from journalists. Asked whether Serbia will have to 100% harmonize its foreign and security policy with EU policy if it wants to become a EU member, Vucic said that we will only have to when our country becomes a member. “It is neither tomorrow nor the day after tomorrow. When you lead a country, you must consider all its interests. Imagine imposing sanctions on Russia every day, then what to expect from the Russians and how to support us in terms of our territorial integrity and how to ask them for help. Or, you want us to give up Kosovo immediately and tell us that it is so, and then we no longer have to vote for anything … We have moral obligations, but as an independent and sovereign country we have the right and responsibility to be serious in relations with other countries as well. What did China or Russia do bad to us so that we impose sanctions on them?” Vucic asked. Vucic said that Serbia of course supports the integrity of B&H. “I have said this a thousand times. Integrity of the RS – that is our obligation. I have not seen any document, no one presented such a document to me and I cannot lie about that, nor condemn anyone,” Vucic said.

Borrell: Reforms, alignment with EU foreign policy required (Tanjug/RTS/Beta) 

EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell said in Brussels on Monday an acceleration of Serbia’s EU accession required implementation of reforms, as well as alignment with the EU security and foreign policy, and highlighted Serbia’s commitment to continue the dialogue with Pristina to reach a final agreement. “The EU is completely committed to the European perspective of the entire Western Balkans, for sure, with Serbia at the core of this region. We have been focusing on the accession negotiations of Serbia and possibilities to increase the speed of this process,” Borrell told a press conference after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The accession negotiations need to be “more dynamic, but this can only happen if there is more progress on reforms and in their implementation… The EU expects Serbia to deliver on the reform agenda, in particular on the rule of law and media freedoms,” he said. He thanked Serbia for its important contribution to European security and defense missions and operations. Borrell also said Serbia must align with the EU foreign and security policy and positions, in particular with restrictive measures. “Many member states require a strong alignment of Serbia,” he said. He said the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue had also been discussed and that he had welcomed Vucic’s commitment to the EU-facilitated dialogue and encouraged him “to continue on this path to reach a comprehensive legally binding agreement on normalization of relations.” Borrell also announced that a new round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was expected to take place on 11 May. “…I want to use this opportunity to underline the continuous and unequivocal support of the EU to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of B&H, as much as the other countries of the Western Balkans. I think that we should concentrate on things that matter, things that work in a constructive dialogue needed to move B&H forward on its European path, and not to debate about ideas that distract us from our shared work of bringing the whole of the Western Balkans into the EU,” Borrell said.

Bilcik: Vucic commitment to reforms crucial (N1) 

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilcik MEP said that President Aleksandar Vucic’s commitment to reforms is crucial on the country’s EU path. “President Vucic’s visit to Brussels comes at an important time for a European future of Serbia. I therefore appreciate the President’s commitment to domestic reforms, which will be crucial in accelerating Serbia’s path towards the EU. I welcome the President’s strong support to Serbia’s European future, which he underlined in our meeting,” Bilcik said in a press release. The press release said that they had a frank discussion about the European Parliament’s position on Serbia’s EU reform process and about the EP-facilitated Inter-Party Dialogue in Serbia. “I have assured President Vucic of my full institutional commitment and support for Serbia’s European future,” it added.

Vucic: We will analyze the non-paper, recognition of so-called independence of Kosovo unacceptable (Tanjug/RTV/RTS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that the new non-paper published by Pristina’s Koha, which refers to the alleged solution to the Kosovo issue prepared by Germany and France, was not accidentally “thrown out”. He says that someone much smarter and more cunning than him came up with a non-paper about Kosovo and Metohija. He added that it was someone who is familiar with relations in the Balkans, and that the interests of both Serbia and Albanian are networked. “I read it last night when I returned from Brussels, that non-paper was composed by someone who is much smarter, much smarter than me, much more cunning. I see that everyone is denying, but this second non-paper gave me more worries than the first one,” he said. He added that someone very smart came up with that paper. “One key thing is recognition of an independent Kosovo, which is terrible – ‘here are 90 percent of things that are less important, but the most important thing goes to us’,” he said. According to him, about 50 people in the world are dealing with the issue of Kosovo, and he suspects one person. “This is a fantastically smart woman, because I think that no one else could put it together and create it,” he said and added that political motives are yet to be discussed. He said that the dialogue will start only on 15 May, and that experts from all over the world will hurry to say ‘no’ or ‘yes’. Asked if it was an indirect trial balloon, he said he could not claim that. “Let’s look at things, let’s look, let’s get to that, to see if my suspicions are justified, if that person composed that paper. I know exactly who could have done that, because it’s not possible for it to be someone who doesn’t know and who was not at every meeting,” Vucic stressed.

EC: We haven’t seen non-paper; Bloc is against border changes (N1/Beta) 

The European Commission (EC) officials said on Monday, they hadn’t seen a non-paper with suggestions for border changes in the Western Balkans and reiterated the Union had been against any modification of the sort. On Monday, Eric Mamer, an EC spokesperson, told a news conference that the European Union’s view had not changed and the bloc did not support borders redrawing. “That’s something that should be set aside once and for all. Whatever papers might appear, our view is obvious,” he told reporters.

Dveri agrees to take part in inter-party dialogue (Beta)  

The Dveri movement announced that it would accept an invitation to meet with

the European Parliament mediators in the inter-party dialogue and would also take part in talks between representatives of the authorities and the part of the opposition that did not accept foreign mediation. Dveri leader Bosko Obradovic said that the party leadership had decided at a session to accept parliament speaker Ivica Dacic’s invitation for direct dialogue between the authorities and the opposition, set to start on 28 April. “We said yes to the invitation we received from the EU Delegation in Belgrade, to meet, on 5 or 6 May, with the EP delegation that will mediate in the dialogue between the authorities and the opposition in Serbia. After a lengthy exchange of opinions, during which many arguments for and against these two decisions were heard, the principled position was adopted by a majority of votes that Dveri will participate in all talks on election conditions that may lead to free and fair elections,” the movement quoted Obradovic as saying.

REGIONAL PRESS 

PIC SB condemns moves of RS regarding peaceful separation in B&H (O kanal, Nova BH)

The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) condemned the current political discourse centered on peaceful dissolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The statement, which was not signed by Russia, reads that the PIC SB condemned the steps by representatives of Republika Srpska (RS) and state-level officials towards dissolution negotiations, including advocating for the breakup of the country via an online advertising campaign. “Territorial integrity of B&H is guaranteed under the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP) and international law, and change to its internal structure can only be made in accordance with the Constitution of B&H, with which all parties remain obliged to fully comply. Continued inflammatory rhetoric, activities aimed at dissolution or secession and other claims concerning the redrawing of maps pose a serious threat to peace and stability and as such undermine the GFAP. Rhetoric calling into question the existence of either entity or referencing potential for war is likewise destabilizing and unacceptable”, reads the statement issued by the PIC SB.

The PIC SB also stated that uncertainty and instability and consequential need for constant international supervision are the real price that citizens pay, while their leaders deal with fruitless work. The PIC SB underlined that the entities have no right to separation from B&H, adding that they legally exist only based on the Constitution of B&H. The PIC SB repeated its commitment to territorial integrity and basic structure of B&H as a single, sovereign country that consists of two entities and where three constituent peoples, Others and citizens are equal. The PIC SB emphasized that entities do not have right to secession. It was added that citizens want their representatives to stop with this dangerous rhetoric and that instead of it they focus on fight against pandemic, strengthening of the rule of law and implementation of economic and other reforms.

Russian Embassy to B&H responds to PIC SB’s statement: Inadequate steps were taken by all sides (RTRS)

The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) issued a statement not supported by Russia and condemned steps made by the RS representatives and those on positions at the B&H level in the direction of negotiations on separation, including formation of negotiation teams and advocating for disintegration of B&H. The PIC stated: “The continued inflammatory rhetoric, activities aimed at dissolution or secession and other claims concerning the redrawing of maps pose a serious threat to peace and stability and as such undermine the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP)”. This statement, which was suggested by the Office of the High Representative (OHR) was not supported by the Russia’s Ambassador who deemed it imbalanced and stated: “We believe that it is tendentious to accuse only one side in particular, especially since the situation has escalated, among other things, in the context of insulting statements by the other side, which were not at all calm but inciting”. The Russian Embassy pointed out that the PIC Steering Board must strictly respect the wording of the GFAP. The Russian Embassy stated that all sides took inappropriate steps amidst the heated discussion which was caused by foreign political factors. Underlining that PIC SB must strictly adhere to the letter of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the Embassy noted that it is once again noticing “attempts to deliberately twist its text”. “A very pronounced example is promotion of the thesis that B&H ‘includes two entities’, although the Article 3 of the Constitution clearly states that ‘B&H consists of two entities. This is not just a semantic difference” the Russian Embassy stated. According to the Embassy, B&H must determine its foreign policy goals independently and PIC SB should not comment the issues of Euro-Atlantic integration. The Embassy concluded that Russia advocates sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H, whereby its constituent peoples and citizens must decide about their destiny on their own, without foreign influence.

Member of B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic assessed the attempt to deny integrity of the state as the deepest sign of disrespect and he reminded the Russian Embassy about Article I of the Constitution of B&H: “Selective appealing to Constitution of B&H, trying to increase the role of the entities at expense of the state of B&H as an integral unit and saying that entities are above the state, represents not only a bad message by the side of Russia, but an obviously conscious overlooking of the facts. B&H has state continuity, it existed before the entities and it will continue to exist after them”.

Dodik: Croats are meaningless because Bosniaks sideline them, I am convinced B&H will fall apart (Dnevni list)

Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik said for ATV on Sunday, that the ‘European structures’ function on basis of some virtual reality or virtual goal, according to which they do not want to understand the situation in B&H. According to Dodik, the European structures are still pushing Muslims the promise from 1995 that they will create them a state tailored to their liking, adding that the problem is that the RS opposes it. The Presidency Chairman further noted that Croats have been brought into a meaningless position because Bosniaks sideline them and that the RS is now a problem, and since Milorad Dodik leads the RS, he has been labeled as culprit. In this context Dodik said he is dedicated to the RS becoming an independent state, which is something he is not hiding, arguing that he does not want people to go to war because of it. “I have never called anyone to war, nor tried to do something from that perspective, but I am convinced that B&H will fall apart because nobody wants to work in it, and it is exactly the dysfunctionality of B&H that leads to that,” said Dodik. Following the statement of Dodik that “Croats in our country are insignificant because Bosniaks outvote them”, MP Zlatko Miletic argued that Dodik has been carrying out all of his activities in a planned and systematic manner for years and has been “launching his secessionist desires quite successfully in media and social-political space in B&H”. Miletic argued that domestic police, intelligence and prosecutorial institutions obviously do not have enough strength to deal with such behavior “having in mind the fact that this man has been jeopardizing B&H’s integrity by his statements, which is punishable by the Criminal Code of B&H”. Miletic also argued that there is a new phenomenon as well, knowing that representatives of the constituent people are now jeopardized by other representatives of their own people. “Serbs who are trying in a certain way to establish a normal state or normal B&H are traitors of Serb people for SNSD. At the same time, representatives of Croat people are jeopardized by HDZ B&H, and the latest example of such kind is the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) where health workers of all ethnicities have been trying to exercise their rights since 2019. Having in mind that the competent Prime Minister and minister are members of the Croat people, there is nobody who would be able to convince me that this is not discrimination of this part of population,” Miletic explained. Delegate in the House of Peoples (HoP) of B&H Mladen Bosic noted that Dodik is getting ready for elections and assessed that Dodik launched his election campaign too early. With regard to Croats, Bosic argued that they are “positively discriminated in B&H”, i.e. they a great part of influence and authority when compared to the number of Croats in B&H. Delegate in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) HoP Aner Zuljevic argued that Dodik is getting too much public attention lately and he claimed that Dodik is actually trying to hide “years old crimes he had committed through the RS institutions and private arrangements. I think he should have gone through a serious medical examination over the past several months to confirm whether he is capable of performing duties in the institutions of the system because what he has been doing lately is closer to a medical phenomenon than politics”. Finally, Zuljevic argued that Croats in B&H are outvoted by HDZ B&H and claimed that HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic claims he is committed to the European integration yet he is doing everything in his power to drive B&H as further apart from the EU as possible.

Izetbegovic reveals that few years ago Pahor asked him about breakup in B&H (BHT1)

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic revealed that while he was serving as a member of the B&H Presidency, Slovenian President Borut Pahor asked him about breakup in B&H. Izetbegovic stated that this happened five or six years ago during Pahor’s visit to the B&H Presidency. “I did not allow for such a thing to go public because he came for a friendly visit and then gave a statement that is devastating and then he repeated it. Perhaps, it seems to him that something like that is normal. But, after Tomasicas, Srebrenicas, ‘Luka Brcko’ and all those places where innocent people were killed, one cannot allow opening of a story that it could be anything but B&H. I believe that this is actually, perhaps he is naively, in some good intention, saying – break up like Czechs and Slovaks – in looking for a solution. He stated such – pardon me for saying – nonsense. But what they did after that was not at all naive. To throw it out there, in public discourse, and then see the reaction, see our reaction and that is why my reaction was too strong. (To see) the reaction of the international community and whether there is a chance to do such a thing. That is from some cuisines that are not only in Slovenia, which are primarily in Belgrade and probably in Zagreb” Izetbegovic underlined.

RS parliament expected to discuss proposal of initiative for talks between RS and FB&H and three constituent peoples on possible solutions for B&H (BHT1)

The RS parliament is expected to discuss in the coming days a proposal of the initiative for talks between the RS and the FB&H and the three constituent peoples on possible solutions for B&H. This is proposal of SNSD which was accepted by SNSD’s coalition partners at a meeting which was recently held on Mrakovica. RS parliament speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic told BHT1 that he is not excluding the possibility that the initiative will be discussed later than envisaged by the proposed agenda. Cubrilovic stressed that “we must stop expecting that the international community will bring us a solution for B&H and that peoples will live in accordance with the rules of one people.” Cubrilovic expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the first domestic initiative since the Prud talks in 2008 was immediately discarded in the FB&H. “Should not that be viewed from a positive side and side of something that could bring better solutions for the organization of B&H so that it could function as a state union in accordance with the Dayton principles? The problem here is that the other side, primarily the Bosniak side, does not accept that the basis of these talks is Dayton,” Cubrilovic underlined. Representative from the ‘Together for B&H’ RS Caucus Senad Bratic stressed that representatives can discuss all topics in the RS parliament, but in accordance with that authority level. Bratic believes that the place of decision-making can only be the B&H Parliament, noting that he sees the cause of dysfunctionality of the state of B&H in inaction and obstruction of representatives of institutions. “Certain individuals, especially at the B&H level, are doing everything, or they are not doing, or if they are doing, they are doing it contrary to what is necessary for the state to be functional,” Bratic pointed out. PDP RS MP Igor Crnadak believes that SNSD’s initiative is frivolous and unclear. “The FB&H is not in Africa. It is the neighboring entity. SNSD’s partners, SDA and HDZ B&H, are in power there and if this had any seriousness to it, we would get a finished proposal on peaceful dissolution which SNSD agreed with its coalition partners. This is additional harrowing that SNSD is preparing for the public in the RS,” Crnadak said. Constitutional law professor Nurko Pobric stated that talks, if they even happen, must be exclusively conducted in the B&H Parliament, stressing that if the framework of dialogue is the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), the subject can only be its Annex 4, i.e. the Constitution of B&H. Banja Luka professor Mile Dmicic, on the other hand, is of the opinion that the original principles of the DPA need to be the basis of talks that are legal and legitimate. Dmicic stressed that the goal should be concretization of constitutional solutions, while negotiators should be signatories to the DPA which, according to the Constitution, are an integral part of the state of B&H. The proposed agenda for the 16th regular session of the RS parliament which will begin immediately after the completion of 15th regular session of the RS parliament scheduled for Tuesday also includes the letter of the High Representative in which he is asking for charters to be taken away from persons convicted of war crimes. SNSD’s Igor Zunic stated that it is necessary to open internal dialogue on future of B&H free of any outside influence. He underlined that anyone who wishes B&H and its citizens well should engage in such dialogue. Zunic underlined that constant relying on the High Representative hoping that he will lead to unitarization of B&H is not functioning. He warned that if this continues, the RS will have to look for other solutions. SDS’s Davor Sesic described SNSD’s initiative for dialogue between the RS and FB&H as politicizing trick. He underlined that political leaders have many opportunities to talk, and the only topics they should be discussing are COVID-19 challenges, economy and ways to keep young people in B&H. RS parliament deputy speaker Milan Petkovic said that B&H obviously needs more dialogue, and noted that there is nothing bad about SNSD’s initiative.

B&H HoP to discuss changes to Election Law eliminating double functions in legislative and executive institutions (Nezavisne)

B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP) will convene on Tuesday, and among other issues, it will vote on proposed changes to B&H Election Law which eliminate the possibility of elected officials to be in two parallel legislative and executive offices at the same time. B&H HoP member Lazar Prodanovic (SNSD) stated that it is definitely necessary to regulate the matter of parallel functions. At the same time, it is also necessary to secure smooth functioning of executive authorities until new authorities are elected and formed after elections. Prodanovic noted that there are cases of officials who are members of cantonal assemblies and FB&H HoP, while at the same time they are also acting as ministers. In his opinion, this problem can be solved by freezing the parliamentary mandate for a limited period of time until new executive authorities are formed. This would also limit the time for formation of new authorities. A new election would be called if executive authorities cannot be formed within the given time. Prodanovic announced that SNSD will present amendments to the proposed changes in line with these principles. SDA’s Amir Fazlic stated that he expects the proposed changes to B&H Election Law to be adopted, because it would be morally right to do so. HDZ B&H’s Barisa Colak stated that it is not acceptable that one person is allowed to propose a law as a minister, and then vote for that law as member of parliament. He announced that HDZ B&H will probably submit an amendment to the existing proposal.

Ministers Spajic, Milatovic: Croatia strongly supports Montenegro’s European path (Gov. PR Service)

Montenegrin Minister of Finance and Social Welfare Milojko Spajic and Montenegrin Minister of Economic Development Jakov Milatovic are paying an official visit to the Republic of Croatia, at the invitation of Croatian Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Zdravko Maric. The visit aims to further improve economic cooperation with Croatia, which strongly supports Montenegro’s European path. The Montenegrin Ministers met with Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Croatia Tomislav Coric and Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Zdravko Maric. The Montenegrin Ministers will also meet with Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac and pay a visit to Croatian Telecom, Croatian power utility HEP, Croatian car manufacturer Rimac Automobili, the Croatian Chamber of Economy and the Zagreb School of Economics and Management. Minister Milatovic noted that the new government of Montenegro has a clear goal to accelerate the EU accession process, which has been relatively slow so far. Montenegro is, in fact, a leader in EU integration, but it was because it did not have certain geopolitical problems like other countries in the region. Montenegro has been negotiating with the EU for eight years, and all chapters are still open. Montenegro could have progressed much faster in that direction and this Government will complete the process started. The Economy Ministers agreed to meet with businesspeople from the two countries. Minister Spajic emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership between the two countries, and thanked the Republic of Croatia for its support on the European path. He stressed that Montenegro and Croatia have been cooperating for many years in multilateral forums, as well as through a number of other projects aimed at strengthening fiscal sustainability and efficient management of public finances in accordance with the requirements of the European Union. The meeting discussed the current fiscal policy measures implemented by the Government aimed at strengthening the stability and sustainability of public finances. The hosts praised the extraordinary success achieved by the new budget and the projected deficit of only 3 percent. Minister Coric wished the new government of Montenegro to use these historical changes that have taken place in Montenegro, expressing Croatia’s support. He expressed satisfaction with the friendly and open relations between the two countries. “In terms of support and assistance, the Republic of Croatia is at Montenegro’s disposal. Approaching the EU brings a certain dynamic, but the fact that you are determined to accelerate the accession of the EU can only encourage positive comments from our side. We can always organize consultations on certain issues. Therefore, you can expect the support of both Croatia and the Ministry,” said Minister Coric. At the meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Maric, Milatovic said that he was very aware of the fact that both countries were facing a crisis that arose before the pandemic, and that it was a good idea to jointly look at the challenges and analyze economic development plans. “Montenegro wants to get acquainted with the business model of the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in order to see the possibility of adjusting the Investment and Development Fund to better contribute to the economic recovery, but also how to best use European funds to restructure the economy and construct infrastructure. In addition, this visit aims to inform businesspeople and entrepreneurs from Croatia about the vision of the new government, in order to intensify business cooperation.”

Mickoski: The Macedonian Spring is coming (Republika)

A day after leading a major protest in Skopje, for the release of political prisoners, VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski announced an “interesting Macedonian Spring”. Mickoski called into a TV show to say that the mass outpouring of the citizens of Skopje is proof that “the public is angry at the injustices and the failures in our society”. “Given all that is happening in our education, with our healthcare, with tens of thousands of our citizens who lost their jobs, companies that are going under, our people are losing their livelihood. We are worst in the Balkans and in Europe in our lack of vaccines, as we wait someone to give or borrow us some vaccines… That is why the citizens came out in the streets,” Mickoski said. The protesters also demanded early general elections to be held in October, along with the planned municipal elections. Mickoski says that it is clear the PM Zoran Zaev government will be defeated at those elections. The government has nothing more to offer, just devastation and sliding back for our country. That is why VMRO-DPMNE and the Macedonian organizations from the diaspora called the citizens, and a huge mass responded, to protest against the wrong-headed policies of the government and for the release of those who are unjustly detained and imprisoned, Mickoski added.

Vote buying marks Albanian elections (Tirana Times)

The international observers’ preliminary reports on the 25 April elections in Albania, “saw authorities taking advantage of public office and allegations of pervasive vote-buying,” writes the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) through a press statement. According to the Head of the PACE delegation Aleksander Pociej, “allegations of widespread practices of vote buying throughout the election process remain a serious problem in Albania, and this has a negative impact on the general public perception and trust in the electoral process, so do the incentives and the pressure put on civil servants,” said Pociej. The international observers claimed that Albania’s elections “misuse of state resources was of concern,” says PACE.  The Special coordinator and leader of OSCE short-term observers Azay Guliyev, encouraged all political forces to take “additional actions to pre-empt a misuse of administrative resources and pressure on public civil servants in future electoral cycles.” In the press release from PACE it is described also the role played by the media, which “did not provide essential information for the voters to make their choice. The prevalence of vote buying throughout the country was also of concern.” PACE continues also by writing that “despite a well-developed legal framework in place to stop the misuse of state resources, many public figures continued to campaign during their official capacity. This, together with the launch of several large government infrastructure projects in the run-up to the election, gave the ruling party a considerable advantage.”

Joint Observation Mission of the OSCE/ODIHR, the OSCE PA and PACE make preliminary remarks on elections in Albania (Radio Tirana)

The head of the OSCE-ODIHR mission Ursula Gacek made remarks on the elections in Albania highlighting that they were transparent and calm and organized responsibly. “The Albanian parliamentary elections were characterized by a lively and comprehensive campaign, thanks to a legal framework that helped ensure respect for fundamental freedoms. At the same time, the campaign saw authorities take advantage of public office and allegations of widespread vote buying”, international observers said in a statement today. The Joint Observation Mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) revealed that despite some ambiguities and inconsistencies, the legal framework forms a suitable basis for democratic elections. Recent changes to the legal framework provided additional safeguards and were based on a broad political consensus. The new election administration coped well with the broad new tasks it had taken on and enjoyed general confidence. “Last year’s political agreement triggered important reforms and introduced e-technology which served to increase confidence in the electoral process. This shows that political compromise and convergence serve the best interests of the Albanian people,” said Azay Guliyev, Special Coordinator and Head of OSCE Short-Term Observers. “I encourage all political forces to hold the same spirit in the steps following election day and to take additional action to prevent misuse of administrative resources and pressure on civil servants in future election cycles.” About 3.5 million people registered to vote in the election, which took place against the backdrop of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While fundamental freedoms were respected, messages during the election campaign focused on party leaders rather than political platforms. The tone of language used during the campaign by some leading politicians was confrontational, and at the same time, the media did not provide essential information for voters to make their choice. The prevalence of vote buying across the country was also worrying. “Despite the general improvements in the general framework, claims of widespread vote-buying practices throughout the electoral process remain a serious problem in Albania, and this has a negative impact on public perception and trust in the electoral process. So are the incentives and pressures exerted on civil servants,” said Aleksander Pociej, Head of the PACE delegation. “PACE and the Venice Commission are ready to continue co-operating with the Albanian authorities to further improve the legal electoral framework in the country,” he said. “The newly introduced electronic voter identification system was installed in all polling stations. Its purpose was to reduce the risk of voter fraud, although hasty entry left no time for a public discussion or independent review of the new system. While the election day process itself was largely transparent and smooth, pandemic-related measures were poorly implemented and social distancing was not always respected. The introduction of electronic voting technology represents a significant and welcome improvement for Albania. I was pleased to witness the large-scale effectiveness of the biometric identification system, which was used throughout the country. This is an important step that can only strengthen confidence in the electoral process,” said Reinhold Lopatka, Head of the OSCE Delegation.” “Despite a well-developed legal framework to prevent the misuse of state resources, many public figures continued to campaign during their official capacity. This, along with the launch of several major government infrastructure projects before the election, gave the ruling party a considerable advantage. After many political conflicts in Albania in recent times, it is encouraging to see that confidence in the electoral process is slowly being rebuilt,” said Urszula Gacek, who led the ODIHR limited election observation mission. The international election observation mission in the Albanian parliamentary elections has 125 observers from 32 countries, consisting of 42 experts and long-term observers stationed at the ODIHR, 60 parliamentarians and staff from the PA and OSCE, and 23 from the PACE.

Last ballot boxes to be counted – results (ADN)

More than 80 percent of the votes were counted as the final result of the Albania elections is expected to be made public this Tuesday. So far, the ruling Socialist Party won 73 mandates of MPs, Democratic Party 59 mandates, SMI 5 mandates while the surprise of these elections the party of former socialist, Tom Doshi 3 mandates. According to the last data of the Central Elections Commission (CEC) there are less than 1000 boxes yet to be counted but the result is not expected to change much. Socialists are toward their third mandate.

NATO’s Defender 21 exercise kicks off (ADN)

Army-led NATO exercise Defender 21, the largest military exercise in the Western Balkans, officially started on Monday with USNS ‘Bob Hope’ arriving at Durres port. The ‘Bob Hope’ is a supply ship that is carrying more than 800 pieces of equipment for use in the exercise. Two other ships will join. A defensive exercise in nature, Defender-Europe 21 is designed to build and exercise collective readiness to respond to threats. It will focus on crisis response scenarios and practice integrating and carrying out the efforts of the very different military services of the various armies, air forces, and navies. What makes it even more challenging is the complex nature of coordinating the activities of more than 28,000 multinational forces from twenty-six nations, not only during the exercises, but as they move through countries towards the thirty training areas located in the twelve countries participating. Albania’s role in this year’s exercise will be significant with the Albanian military’s comprehensive integration into the exercise. This marks a major step up for Albania and demonstrates the confidence that exercise planners have placed in its military. By hosting near-simultaneous missile defense exercises timed with activities in twelve other countries and conducting other exercise-related activities there will be a lot of activity. The port of Durres will be Defender-Europe 21’s only exercise site where a Joint Logistics over-the-shore operation will take place. This exercise involves moving military equipment from a ship to the shore. Albania and the other countries of the region have a significant role in ensuring the success of Defender-Europe 21 with each success serving to build momentum for future collaboration in this area.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES 

U.S. Commitment to the Western Balkans (Press Statement, by Ned Price, Department spokesperson, 26 April 2021) 

The United States is committed to supporting the countries of the Western Balkans on their path to European integration and membership in key European and Euro-Atlantic institutions.  We are working with Western Balkan countries and our European partners to advance the governance, rule of law, and anti-corruption reforms – as well as the promotion of independent media and vibrant civil societies – that will reinforce the region’s European perspective and advance the long-standing goal of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. We are committed to helping the countries of the Western Balkans deepen their own regional economic partnerships, achieve their climate goals, counter Russia’s energy coercion through diversification and clean energy development, and combat corruption and organized crime.  We also want to help the region grow and prosper while protecting strategic infrastructure and industries against China’s malign practices. In addition to our strong economic ties to the region, the United States values its partnerships in the defense and security space, including with our newest NATO Allies, Montenegro and North Macedonia.  We intend to further enhance that cooperation through joint training, exercises, deployments, and procurements. We welcome the progress made by Albania and North Macedonia on critical reforms and continue to support the opening of EU accession negotiations with both countries in June. The United States stands ready to support work towards a comprehensive, binding normalization agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, centered on mutual recognition, that lays the foundations for lasting cooperation and prosperity.  We support the EU-facilitated Dialogue and encourage the parties to reengage in this process with a sense of urgency to address both technical and political issues.  We will work with Serbia and Kosovo to implement their Washington Commitments in support of the goal of full normalization. The United States is working with the international community to support Bosnia and Herzegovina in pursuing the reforms that will enable it to prosper and secure EU candidate status, including electoral reforms. The Office of the High Representative (OHR), which was established 25 years ago under the Dayton Peace Agreement, has contributed significantly to peace and stability there.  We continue to support the important role of OHR in advancing the 5+2 agenda, with a renewed focus on anticorruption as key to entrenching the rule of law. As we have seen, recent unwarranted speculation about changing borders in the Balkans along ethnic lines risks fostering instability in the region and evokes memories of past tensions.  A stable, prosperous future for the Western Balkans must be based on good governance, rule of law, multi-ethnic democracy, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.