LOCAL PRESS

Brnabic: Referendum only and exclusively on the issue of justice (TV Vesti/RTV/Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said last night that there will be no restrictions on electricity and heating and that citizens and the economy can be calm, adding that the situation with electricity is much better than the previous day. In a statement for TV Vesti, Brnabic said that the persons responsible for the omissions will be sanctioned, and that the damaged citizens would receive a reduction in their bills. Speaking about the opening of a new cluster in the negotiations with the EU, she assessed that it was a great recognition for Serbia for our reforms and everything we have done in previous years. All the countries of the Western Balkans – Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Albania did not receive any new open or closed chapters, while we received only praise, she emphasized. As she stated, in the past few years, we have dealt with environmental protection in such a way that we have managed to establish standards sufficient to open the chapter. She congratulated all the citizens of Serbia on the opening of four chapters from Cluster 4, adding that we now have 22 chapters out of 35 open and that a new cluster is expected to open next year. She also told the citizens of Serbia that the referendum, which is scheduled for 16 January next year, is exclusively on the issue of justice. The bottom line is that we have been working to reduce the impact of politics on the selection of judges. If you vote NO in the referendum, it means that there will be no continuation of European integration in the next four years, she stated. According to her, the referendum is a key issue in the field of the rule of law, and if it fails, it will not be possible to call a referendum on the same issue by 2026, in accordance with the Law on Referendum and People’s Initiative. This referendum is a question of whether we want a more responsible and efficient judiciary, more independent of politics, Brnabic explained, adding that her recommendation, as citizen and Prime Minister, is that everyone should go to the referendum and vote YES.

Petkovic: Kurti’s self-will is direct violation of basic human rights (RTS)

At the end of the year, there is no progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Apart from the stagnation of talks between the two sides, tensions are further exacerbated by Pristina’s decision not to allow a referendum on amending the Serbian Constitution in the southern province, but also the sixth ban on the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic’s entry in Kosovo and Metohija this year. Over the past two decades, all election cycles organized by Belgrade have been conducted in Kosovo and Metohija with the assistance of the OSCE. Belgrade has now been informed by the Pristina administration that a referendum on amending the Constitution will not be possible in the southern province. “By deciding to ban the referendum, Albin Kurti is trying to deepen the crisis, even though Resolution 1244 guarantees the right to vote, which is also in the mandate of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and Metohija. That is why we also addressed Brussels and the Quint countries that are seriously examining this issue and I expect a positive answer, because Albin Kurti’s self-will is a direct violation of basic human rights,” Petkovic told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS). For the sixth time this year, Petkovic was not allowed to enter Kosovo and Metohija, and he was not even informed about that before he came to the administrative crossing. “There is no explanation, I did not receive any e-mail with a negative answer, as before. Until the moment I came to Jarinje, I did not know that my visit was forbidden,” said Petkovic. Petkovic points out that Pristina’s claim that Donika Gervali was not allowed to come to Bujanovac is not true, because all visits were agreed, among other things, by the Brussels agreement. The Brussels administration has been practically on winter vacation since Monday, so by the end of the year, there will probably be no more meetings between the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina, neither at the highest nor at the technical level. “There is no rest for us and we are fighting for our people. Belgrade is ready and committed to participate in the dialogue and we are always ready to go to Brussels. The Pristina side refuses talks and does not want to discuss all key issues. Speaking of the past year, we have had two serious crises with the incursion of Rosu into northern Kosovo and the wounding of Srecko Sofronijevic. We are fighting frantically to preserve peace and stability. It is not an option to surrender but to insist and fight for agreements and what has already been signed,” said Petkovic.

Stano: Petkovic should have been allowed to visit (RTS/Tanjug/Kosovo Online)

EU spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy Peter Stano called on Pristina to reconsider its decision to ban the visit of the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic, which he said had been announced in accordance with an agreement on official visits. “We have taken into account recent developments regarding official visits. We would like to emphasize once again that we expect both parties to fully implement all previous agreements, including the agreement on official visits. According to the agreement, all visits should be conducted in a way that improves the normalization process or contributes to the overall work in the context of the EU-supported dialogue. We expect the parties to respect these guidelines,” Stano told Kosovo Online when asked to comment on the ban faced by Petar Petkovic, while Kosovo Minister Donika Gervala will be allowed to visit Bujanovac and Presevo today. The EU spokesman stressed that Petkovic’s visit to Kosovo was appropriately announced in accordance with the agreement, so it should have been allowed, as is the case with Minister Gervala’s visit to southern Serbia.  Stano said that, as EU High Representative Josep Borrell said last week in the context of the Stabilization and Association Committee, the EU has called on Kosovo to allow official visits that meet the guidelines, including those of Petkovic. We call on Kosovo to reconsider its decision in that regard, Stano said.

Lajcak: Serbia, Kosovo experts discuss license plates issue (N1)

EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues Miroslav Lajcak said on Wednesday that expert delegations from Belgrade and Pristina met for a third time to discuss the issue of vehicle license plates which raised tensions over the summer. He said in a Twitter post that the Working Group on License Plates held its third meeting in Brussels with the experts from Kosovo and Serbia engaging in an in-depth discussion.

“I am confident that they will find a permanent solution for the benefit of their citizens,” Lajcak wrote in the post. Tensions rose a few months ago when the authorities in Pristina decided to ban vehicles with Serbian license plates from entering Kosovo. The issue was resolved temporarily with stickers covering Serbian state insignia on license plates.

USAID strong development partner for Serbia (RTS/Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic attended on Wednesday night the opening of the exhibition entitled “Twenty Years of Partnership / Creating Together” on the occasion of marking 20 years of partnership between the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Republic of Serbia. Some of the partnerships from the past two decades were presented in photographs and videos at the Yugoslav Cinematheque, and the opening of the exhibition was attended by Serbian parliament speaker Ivica Dacic, US Ambassador to Serbia Anthony Godfrey and USAID Mission Director Susan Fritz. Brnabic pointed out that USAID is a partner not only of the government of Serbia, but also of businessmen and companies. Godfrey said USAID’s support for small businesses ranges from providing equipment and technology to helping improve their products, better connect and conquer domestic and foreign markets. Fritz underlined that Serbia has proven to be a strong development partner and that it is planned to continue cooperation in the next five years on the foundations that have been set together. It was pointed out at the ceremony that USAID invested $882 million in Serbia, which are intended for the economic and democratic development of our country, and as announced, that cooperation will continue in the future.

Djuric: Business with the Balkans round table held in Washington (Tanjug)

The first Business with the Balkans round table, hosted by the American-Central European Business Association, was held in Washington on Tuesday with the aim of promoting economic, trade and investment potentials in the Western Balkans and forging ties with interested US companies and business organizations. At the event, which brought together representatives of the region and senior US Department of Commerce and State Department officials, Serbian Ambassador to the US Marko Djuric presented Serbia’s current economic indicators, which reflect a continued positive trend of economic development in the country, the Serbian Embassy in Washington said in a statement. Djuric outlined the key advantages of doing business in Serbia as an attractive investment environment, including well-developed infrastructure, a competitive tax policy, a highly qualified workforce and numerous incentives for investors.

“Serbia is moving forward with full steam. The fact that, despite the pandemic, we are quite certain to end this year, too, as one of Europe’s three best performing economies, with 7.5 percent GDP growth, is a testimony to our responsible and wisely conceived policy,” said Djuric, the initiator of the round table. Serbia is committed to regional economic integration and cooperation with all partners in its part of Europe, he noted. Djuric noted that Serbia was highly appreciative of US support to the Open Balkans initiative, which he said was aimed at strengthening the region economically in line with European values and concepts. The meeting was also attended by representatives of major US corporations such as ExxonMobil, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Koch Industries.

Joksimovic expects progress in EU talks during French presidency (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian European Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovic on Wednesday said she expected the Western Balkans to remain high on the EU agenda during the French presidency of the bloc in the first half of next year. In a statement to Tanjug, Joksimovic also said she expected Serbia to be given support for opening Cluster 3 in its EU accession talks. She said that, in a draft document on the priorities of its presidency, France had indicated the Western Balkans and the enlargement process would not be neglected or forgotten. “We have been listening for a long time to the narrative that elections are approaching in France and that the enlargement policy is not popular, which might be true, but at no time has France distanced itself from the Western Balkans and enlargement, and it keeps the Western Balkans high on the agenda in the draft of its priorities,” Joksimovic said. She noted that France, the initiator of a new methodology of EU accession talks, had strongly supported Serbia when it comes to opening clusters, in recognition of the country’s immediate acceptance of the new methodology. “I believe that in the second half of the French presidency, which ends on 30 June, Serbia will have the support for opening Cluster 3,” Joksimovic said.

Stefanovic: Serbia determined to strengthen cooperation with EU in defense (Tanjug)

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic participated on Wednesday in a meeting of members of the Central European Defense Cooperation (CEDC) initiative and representatives of the Western Balkans region. The meeting, held via video conference, was dedicated to talks on the prospects for the Western Balkans’ EU accession. Stefanovic said that the EU enlargement represents for the countries of the Western Balkans and for the EU itself a strategic investment in peace, democracy, prosperity, security and stability in the whole of Europe. The security of the Western Balkans is a common responsibility and obligation of all of us who live in this area. In the past period, Serbia has confirmed its firm determination to, through dialogue, contribute to the strengthening of all types of cooperation with the surrounding countries, he said. As he stated, Serbia has harmonized its strategic documents with the EU Global Strategy, which shows a firm determination to strengthen cooperation in the field of defense and security with the European Union, while improving national security and defense. Also, Serbia engages its military and civilian capacities in the missions and operations of the United Nations and the European Union, which confirms that it is a reliable partner in international relations and, at the same time, strengthens the interoperability of its army, Stefanovic explained. He said that by signing the Administrative Arrangement with the European Defense Agency, we have further intensified cooperation with EU countries in the field of defense.

Serbian, Russian general staff officers discuss cooperation in Moscow (Beta)

Serbian and Russian General Staff officers met in Moscow on Wednesday to discuss bilateral military cooperation and the global and regional security situation, a Defense Ministry press release said. It said that the two general staff delegations also defined ways to improve military-military cooperation with focus on joint exercises and training. Talks between the Serbian and Russian armed forces were set up in 2014 as an annual event held in both countries. This was the first meeting at the level of General Staff operational department chiefs, the press release said adding that this gives the planning process a new quality.

Aspen Institute report warns of lack of media freedom in Serbia (N1)

The Aspen Institute Germany said in a report that media freedom is a key problem for democracy in Serbia and for the country’s EU accession, adding that there have been repeated reports of a lack of media freedom, media capture, or media bias as some of the key reasons for the country’s democratic decline. “The problems with media freedom in Serbia are well documented. Serbia fell 39 places in the Reporters without Borders Media Freedom Index since 2014. According to IREX’s Media Sustainability Index from 2019, Serbia finds itself near the bottom among post-socialist states, only ahead of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan,” the report said. It said that media capture is a term well suited to describe the situation. “Media capture is famously defined as a situation where “media have not succeeded in becoming autonomous to manifest a will of their own […] whereas various groups, not just the government, use it for other purposes”. In Serbia, state capture is mostly exercised by the government and individuals associated with the ruling party, mirroring their absolute dominance in the political arena. “There is a high degree of dominance of pro-government media. Besides the public broadcaster Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), all four private media with a national frequency (Pink, Happy, B92, and Prva) are owned by individuals close to the ruling party,” the report said. It warned that the question of ownership is tightly connected with the question of public financing. “Pro-government media are financially supported in different ways by the state through co-funding schemes by the Ministry of Culture and Information and by local municipalities… However, due to an untransparent process, these co-funding schemes result in financing pro-government media, including national-level media and media outside the municipalities in question”, it said and listed advertisements by public enterprises, promotional services paid by government ministries, tax debt restructuring, and favorable loans as other forms of financing. “The most controversial mechanisms of state influence in the media sphere are the actions of Telekom Srbija, a joint-stock telecommunication company in which the state is the majority shareholder. Telekom Srbija is the owner of several television channels and there are allegations of Telekom’s funds being used to create, finance, and purchase media outlets to the benefit of their government-aligned owners… Telekom Srbija is also expanding its cable network by purchasing several smaller cable operators. Not only does this give the company a huge market share, but it represents a danger for media freedom as Telekom’s cable network does not broadcast any of the cable channels critical of the government, such as N1 and Nova S. The market battle between Telekom Srbija and the United Group has also become a battle for media freedom in practice,” the report added. According to the report, the situation deteriorated in 2021, as actions of Telekom Srbija directed against media pluralism continued. “First, there was an agreement with Telenor on cable network distribution with an explicit ambition to hurt United Group. Then Telekom Srbija purchased the rights to broadcast the English Premier League for six seasons for allegedly ten times more than what United Group previously paid. Experts pointed out that this was a political move aimed at hurting United Group, as well as increasing the influence of President Vucic and his party in Serbia and across the region. Telekom Srbija also launched Euronews Serbia as direct competition to N1 television, de facto providing the state with another news channel,” it said. It said that the watchdog Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) is often criticized for its passivity and is referred to as a “captured” institution. REM failed to revoke any licenses despite clear breaches of the binding program plans, submitted by the television stations which have national frequencies. “In recent years critical media were faced with different kinds of institutional pressures. Tax inspections were used by the government to intimidate independent media outlets,28 while SLAPP (strategic lawsuit against public participation) charges were submitted by private companies which were reported to have corrupt deals with the state. The report said that Serbian government-controlled media outlets have a strong influence on the Kosovo Serbs and that the Kosovo Albanians believe that the Serbian tabloids represent the unanimous opinions of people in Serbia, often using racist and offensive language. It said that the situation is similar in Montenegro where the portals of three Serbian pro-regime tabloids are the most visited sites and added that two private television channels with national coverage (Adria and PRVA TV) until recently pursued an editorial policy often associated with the Serbian regime and the domestic pro-Serbian political formation Democratic Front, one of the constituents of the new parliamentary majority.

Journalist to run for Serbia’s president in 2022 (N1)

Srdjan Skoro, a freelance journalist, told N1’s morning program he would run for Serbia’s president in April next year, adding he believed he could win over the incumbent Aleksandar Vucic. “I think I can win that race,” Skoro, 58, said and called on his friends from the Assembly of Free Serbia and colleagues from the opposition to support him. So far,  the opposition nationalist Dveri Movement leader Bosko Obradovic announced his candidacy. Vucic had not confirmed he would run for the second term, but his political allies said he should. Presidential, early general and Belgrade elections are due in Serbia on 3 April 2022. Skoro said he would be nominated by a group of citizens he would form, adding some opinion polls suggested he could be a good candidate but did not specify. He said he was not paid by either Vucic or Djilas. He added he did not discuss the candidacy with other colleagues from the country’s opposition, adding it was the least ready for the presidential vote since it was considered lost to Vucic in advance. “That is not true,” Skoro said. “I think the people will have a chance to see a different story, a different approach,” he added and said he would not have a rich campaign.

Hill’s hellish agenda for Serbs (Novosti) 

Commenting on the announcement on mission goals of new US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill, Director of the Center for Social Stability Ognjen Karanovic assessed that Hill’s messages prove that the new US Administration plans to launch a synchronized and accelerated solving of Kosovo issue and situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) as of the next year. “It is clear what Hill’s tasks in Belgrade will be, but this does not mean that he will succeed in this. His rhetoric before the Senate committee is a part of revival of narration of relations between USA and Serbia from 1990s. It would be terrible if this very experienced diplomat failed to understand that the present day geopolitical relations have drastically changed and that those old narratives are no longer valid,” Karanovic said and added that nobody can expect Serbia to give up its national interests, i.e. Kosovo, support to the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and cooperation with Russia. Former diplomat Vladislav Jovanovic said that Hill’s messages related to Kosovo, Republika Srpska (RS) and Russia are nothing new and added that the fact Hill said he wants to see a strong Serbia as a guardian of stability in the Balkans “was a statement made out of courtesy” so that Serbia would have a softer stance on him. “Intentions of the US foreign policy are obvious, it will do everything in order to bring the triangle Serbia-Bosnia-Kosovo in a harmony suitable for them: for us to recognize Kosovo, to ‘help’ pacify the RS and to ‘wipe out’ foreign elements in this area along the way, primarily Russia and China. Personally, I think that this goal of Washington is not achievable. It is unrealistic to expect Serbia to stop providing assistance to Serbs outside of the country, to agree to have a part of its territory cut off and to give up support of Moscow, Beijing and other places.”

Professor Stevan Nedeljkovic told the daily that he expects the focus of cooperation to be on economic matters, i.e. more substantial participation of USA in financing of infrastructural projects, loans for small and medium enterprises and improving of investment level in Serbia. “In this way, Serbia would be brought closer to USA and EU and, by reduction of importance of Russia and China in our country, their influence in the entire Western Balkans would be reduced as well,” Nedeljkovic assessed. Program Manager of ‘New third world’ Dimitrije Milic argued that US President Joseph Biden’s administration has the strategy to show that democracy is a better organization than autocracy offered by Russia and China and, in this context, USA will try to show that cooperation with USA pays off better as well as that the West promotes a better model of organization and offers a greater stability and prosperity.

Army of B&H’ is being lined up, yet West is shutting its eyes before it (Novosti/Politika) 

“‘Bosniak’ members of the Presidency of B&H Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic are not even hiding the intention to create ‘an Islamic army’ anymore” yet the international community still decided to attack Banja Luka and Milorad Dodik “just because he wants to return to the RS what belongs to it in fields of judiciary and defense as in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA)”. In a statement to Novosti, security expert Dzevad Galijasevic said that the meeting of Komsic and Dzaferovic with representatives of the Association of Generals of B&H on Monday “unmasked the intention of SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic to form a single-ethnic and Islamic army under the umbrella of the official institutions of B&H ” and he argued that this is a continuation of warmongering policy of SDA because none of Serb or Croat generals got involved in political relations or offered a military solution for the crisis. “The goal of this meeting was not to calm down tensions, but just the opposite,” Galijasevic said and claimed that this meeting was synchronized with the latest moves of Brussels, including threatening messages on possible new intervention of NATO in B&H. Politika also carried Galijasevic and reminded that Croatian portals also criticized the meeting by saying that this was an unnecessary raising of tensions both by generals and “by this radical duo”. The portals added: “Just imagine the situation in which Serb generals offered their services to Dodik and Croat generals offered their services to the Croat People’s Assembly”.

REGIONAL PRESS

Peach resumes with visit to B&H, meets with MPs, opposition, international representatives (Nova BH) 

On the second day of his visit to B&H, the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Stuart Peach held series of meetings with B&H politicians as well as with representatives of the international community in order to provide support to those committed to achieve progress in B&H. Reporter commented that this visit should be observed as expression of interest of the UK to become more active in the Western Balkans and B&H, with support of the EU and the US. According to Nova BH, this is one of the reasons for Peach’s meeting with High Representative Christian Schmidt and US Ambassador to (B&H) Eric Nelson that was held on Wednesday. Peach also met with leaderships of both Houses of the (B&H) parliament. Following the meeting with Peach, deputy speaker of B&H House of Peoples (HoP) and leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic said that the UK actually never stopped taking care of B&H, adding that three Lords from the UK contributed significantly to development of B&H, adding that he especially refers to Lord Paddy Ashdown. Izetbegovic stressed that he believes the UK can help in stabilization of the situation in (B&H). HDZ (B&H)’s delegate in B&H HoP Marina Pendes expressed hope that political factors in B&H will manage to reach consensus and to start a dialogue. Pendes underlined that they expect Special Envoy Peach to provide support in this regard. Peach met on Wednesday with representatives of opposition parties in B&H as well. Pendes said that political leaders represent parties which represent the people in B&H and this was defined in the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA). She assessed that certain people take what they like from the DPA and ignore what does not suit them. Pendes said that it is important to have a discussion and focus on an institutional dialogue.Following meeting with the UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, leader of PDP Branislav Borenovic stated that it is not a good sign when big powers are interested in the situation in one country. He added that B&H does not need it, because it would mean a big crisis is at the scene in B&H. Borenovic also said that the policy of tensions, conflicts and warmongering should be replaced with the policy on economic and social topics, the EU agenda and the fight against corruption. SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic said that the international community should be more aggressive in implementing their measures if they have any. Deputy speaker of the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Nikola Spiric (SNSD) said that he asked Peach to influence opening a dialogue with representatives of the RS parliament and to discuss its conclusions, for the sake of seeking the most rational solution. Peach also met B&H Minister of Defense Sifet Podzic and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces B&H (AFBiH) Senad Masovic. They discussed the situation in B&H and the effect of the political crisis on the defense system. Peach stressed that the UK government will continue supporting the B&H Ministry of Defense and the B&H AF and they will not allow the undermining of these institutions. The UK supports the Euro-Atlantic future of B&H. The reporter commented that this is why the UK Special Envoy met with B&H Minister Podzic in order to express support to single armed forces of B&H.

Peach addresses citizens of B&H via video message: It is great to be back (Nova BH) 

UK Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Stuart Peach addressed citizens of B&H via video message. Peach stated that the UK Government wants safe and secure Western Balkans with strong democratic institutions and robust rule of law. “I am here today in Sarajevo as a part of mine first visit to B&H in this role. It is great to be back,” stated Peach. The UK Special Envoy stated that he has a long history of public service, adding that most recently he was the most senior military officer in NATO. “Before that I held a number of senior UK military roles, including the Chief of Defense Staff. But in this position, I will be bringing together my personal experience with the best of the UK diplomatic, security and trade expertise to support political solutions and to promote Euro-Atlantic integration,” said Peach. Peach said that the UK wishes safe Western Balkans with strong democratic institutions and rule of law. Peach also said that during his visit to B&H he will meet senior officials, as well as young activists who promote peace and reconciliation. Peach stated that the UK Government will not allow undermining of state institutions in B&H. Peach also underlined that the UK, together with the US and the EU, will increase their presence in B&H as well as work on establishing dialogue and supporting B&H and its institutions. Peach confirmed that the UK supports sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H, along with unity of the B&H Armed Forces (AF).

Schmidt: I do not rule out possibility of imposing sanctions against RS (BN TV/ Deutschlandfunk) 

In an interview for Deutschlandfunk, High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt warned of the danger of “a creeping dissolution of B&H”, pointing out that the international community has underestimated the secessionist aspirations. Schmidt also stated that he does not rule out the possibility of imposing sanctions against the RS. Schmidt said that sanctions are currently being intensively discussed as a reaction to the aspirations for secession. “It is conceivable that every payment that arrives in B&H could be conditioned, or that those, who act contrary to the Dayton Agreement or who possibly direct funds into their own pockets, will be exposed to sanctions,” he confirmed. Schmidt told Deutschlandfunk he followed with great gratitude the statement of German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock about Milorad Dodik. Schmidt was here referring to Baerbock’s statement on the need to introduce sanctions against Dodik and anyone else who violate the Dayton agreement or put the money into their own pocket. HR Schmidt added by saying he has the so-called Bonn powers in his drawers. “I have the keys to the drawers and I do not rule out anything,” added the HR. He also expressed conviction that the Americans are working on a strategy together with the EU and the UK.

Strik: EU needs urgent change of policy in B&H (Nova BH/BHT1) 

MEP Tineke Strik addressed the European Parliament (EP) on Wednesday and warned that the EU should pay more attention to B&H. Strik requested a discussion on the situation in B&H, because this country is experiencing the crisis that could destabilize Europe. Strik underlined that for months now, leader of Bosnian Serbs Milorad Dodik has been violating the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and constitutional order of B&H. She reminded that last week Dodik made the last, concrete step towards secession. MEP Strik stressed that the policy of the EU to calm down tensions is not functioning and it even seems it legitimizes Dodik’s demands and undermines legitimate institutions. She emphasized that this is a slap for all people in B&H fighting for the democratic future of this state. “We need urgent change of our policy in B&H. It should start with sanctioning of those responsible for the current crisis,” explained Strik. Strik was quoted as saying: “There is another crisis that could destabilize Europe and we seem to be asleep. I call on the European Council to put the crisis in B&H on the agenda and prevent another potential security crisis in our neighborhood while we still can.” BHT1 comments that despite calls for sanctions against Dodik by German Minister of Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock, this did not did not arise attention of the EU parliamentarians. The crisis in B&H was not included in the agenda of the session that is scheduled for Thursday. Dodik pointed out that he explained to the German Ambassador to B&H Margret Uebber that he cannot prevent sanctions from being introduced but that he is not bound by anything German officials say.

Chollet: Undermining of B&H institutions is unacceptable (Dnevni avaz) 

Derek Chollet, Councilor to US State Secretary Antony Blinken, talked on the phone with Milorad Dodik on Wednesday. “Today in a call with Milorad Dodik I emphasized that steps by the RS ruling coalition to undermine B&H institutions are unacceptable. Corruption and anti-Dayton actions will bear consequences. There must be a return to dialogue within B&H institutions,” Chollet wrote on his Twitter account.

HJPC to harmonize statement regarding RS parliament’s decision to suspend Law on HJPC, form HJPC and appoint judges and prosecutors at RS level (O Kanal) 

The High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) started a two-day session on Wednesday. The HJPC will discuss the conclusions adopted by the RS parliament regarding the transfer of competences from B&H to the RS level. President of the HJPC Halil Lagumdzija said that they cannot ignore this decision. O Kanal reminds that the RS parliament convened at a session on Friday where decisions were adopted which stipulate the formation of RS level institutions for the judiciary, military, taxation and security. Lagumdzija also said that the HJPC already talked to representatives of the international community to prepare the discussion on this issue. The HJPC decided to try to harmonize on Thursday a statement regarding the RS parliament’s decision which plans to suspend the Law on HJPC, form the HJPC and appoint judges and prosecutors at the level of the RS. At first, it was planned that the members try to harmonize the statement on Wednesday and to discuss these issues at the next session of the HJPC planned for 17th and 18th of January or during the special session of the HJPC. HJPC member Mustafa Sabic asked HJPC members to pass a conclusion on the RS parliament decisions and issue a statement because the HJPC will be directly impacted if the conclusions of the RS parliament are realized. Dutch judge Kees van der Weide who acts as an advisor to the HJPC stated that he is glad that the HJPC is discussing the matter, and he offered his opinion. HJPC member Davor Martinovic noted that a special session of the HJPC on the RS parliament conclusions should be held. Commenting the HJPC session, RS parliament deputy speaker Milan Petkovic stated that HJPC reports to the RS parliament, and not the other way around. He underlined that no conclusions of the HJPC are binding for the RS parliament.

Dodik: RS will form its own HJPC; If sanctions are imposed against the RS, German officials will be unable to speak to any RS’ official from ruling majority at any authority level (ATV) 

Reacting to the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) announcing it will discuss conclusions adopted by the RS parliament, Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik said on Wednesday the RS would form its own HJPC, and the HJPC would no longer have any competence over the RS. “How much we give for the judiciary in the RS and we have nothing from that. We have the excommunicated people who have no responsibility towards the RS. They cannot prosecute criminals, and they are only waiting for foreigners to come to tell them what they need to do. We do not need such judiciary,” said Dodik for the media. Commenting on potential sanctions by Germany, Dodik said he was not elected by Germans, but by his people. “The international community gives different qualifications on who is a dictator autocrat, while appointing Christian Schmidt for the High Representative (HR) although he was not appointed by the United Nations Security Council (UN SC)” Dodik was quoted as saying. “Now we are fighting against what they are imposing on us that is injustice, and we are to blame. I do not care I am to blame according to them. They will not allow Dodik to enter Germany. Well, I have not been there for five years now, and I do not need to go now. So what? I should be afraid of that?” said Dodik for the media. Dodik also said the foreigners demand unconditional return of representatives from the RS to the B&H Parliament and putting on the agenda the law imposed by former HR in B&H Valentin Inzko, without offering anything in regards to that, and the response from the RS was “Withdraw Inzko’s solution and then we will talk.” According to Dodik, the meeting of two other B&H Presidency members, Zeljko Komsic and Sefik Dzaferovic, with generals of the so-called B&H Army is a sign of intention and nervousness, with them understanding they could not deal with the debate if something is constitutional or not, that is in no way related to the RS, and he reiterated no one in the RS said they would do something violent. Dodik assessed that this meeting had nothing to do with the processes that were initiated in the RS, and that no one in the RS has said they plan to do anything by using violence. All people are aware of the fact that there is no B&H without the Serbs in it, and the RS as its integral part, Dodik said. Dodik commented on the possible scenario of Germany imposing sanctions on the RS, where he said that – in that case – the RS authorities would turn to borrowings through the London stock exchange and other stock exchange markets in the world. Dodik said that the RS would introduce its counter-measures against Germany. According to Dodik, if sanctions are imposed against the RS, German officials will be unable to speak to any RS’ official from the ruling majority at any authority level. Dodik also said that even economic sanctions are not that important. “There has not been arrangement with the IMF for five years, because they demand to centralize five other sectors. We say we do not want it. You should not be giving us money we should return with interest rates and still condition us politically,” concluded Dodik.

Stanivukovic: I am categorically against sanctions against Dodik, he represents RS (Dnevni list) 

Mayor of Banja Luka Drasko Stanivukovic said that when it comes to introduction of sanctions against Milorad Dodik, he (Stanivukovic) is categorically against sanctions against any politician, especially against politicians who represent the people and the RS. According to the Mayor, certain politicians should be judged in the elections and through institutions and laws. Stanivukovic went on to say that he has never been opposition to the RS and that he can be opposition only to certain political stakeholders, ideas and intentions that he finds are not good for the RS.

Serbian leaders on B&H political crisis (ATV/RTRS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he opposes any sanctions against any individual in the RS, being of view that sanctions brought nothing good. “As for potential sanctions against individual persons in the RS, and my proposal to the Serbian government is to take that stance, and I will certainly take that position as the President, that I absolutely oppose any type of sanctions, because I do not think that sanctions have brought anything to anyone. And, we will not adopt the decision, if you agree with that, on imposing any sanctions against anyone from the RS,” said Vucic. Minister of Interior of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin said that the security situation in the region is getting more complicated, but he argued that this is not because of Serbia which strictly respects the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) which stipulates that B&H is comprised of two entities and three constituent people. Vulin claimed that Serbia is destabilizing nobody but is actually a factor of stability in the Balkans. Vulin also reminded of the statement of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Serbia will not support any sanctions and that the border between Serbs on Drina River will not be established. Vulin added that the RS is not questionable and reminded that nearly one million Serbs live there, which has to be respected and protected. Vulin reminded that Boris Tadic gave a statement to Sarajevo media recently in which he attacked the policy of the RS and kept reiterating that he would set up a blockade on Drina River. Vulin went on to praise Vucic for strongly defending the RS and Serbs. Vulin said that the RS will remain the foreign policy priority of Serbia. Asked to comment on the statement of US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar who said following his meetings with representatives of political parties in Banja Luka and Sarajevo that he “agreed on matters, there will be no war” Vulin replied by saying: “If it will be up to Serbs, then there will be no war for the next one thousand years”. Vulin reminded that there was an attempt to assassinate Vucic in Srebrenica and that nobody has been held responsible for that yet and he noted that Serbia is carrying out an adequate investigation to find out the truth. Vulin concluded by saying that if a similar attack happened against (SDA leader Bakir) Izetbegovic or anyone else during their visit to Serbia, it would represent the cause for a war. Serbia is a guarantor of implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and it will not allow for Serb people in B&H to be diminished through transfer of competencies, said Serbian parliament speaker Ivica Dacic as a guest of RTRS. Dacic emphasized that the RS’ survival is a national interest of the Serb people and Serbia. “Our interest is that no one diminishes the competencies of the RS without their will. Our interest, and theirs, is for no one to threaten with abolition of the RS – by some wars, conflicts, and other things. That is, I believe, the most important thing not just for the Serbs but also for all people living in B&H,” Dacic underlines.

Palmer, Eichhorst postpone visit to B&H; Negotiations on B&H Election Law halted (N1/Hayat/BHT1) 

N1 reports that talks on changes to the Election Law of B&H were halted, or even brought several steps back. Managing Director at the European External Action Service (EEAS), Angelina Eichhorst, and US Special Envoy for Electoral Reform in B&H, Matthew Palmer, cancelled their visit to B&H until further notice, and it is unclear when the talks might continue. As this happened, political parties that took part in the negotiations have started to back out of the talks. Ahead of SDP B&H Presidency session, SDP Vice President Zukan Helez said it is pointless to talk about a law “while the country crumbles”. Helez said talks can only be held on technical changes to the election process. He says true will of the people would be presented if the election process was improved and new technologies introduced. SDA could also follow SDP’s steps and back out of the talks. SBB B&H members say they will wait for a final decision from SDP B&H. Leader of ‘People and Justice’ (NiP) Elmedin Konakovic warns that the doors to negotiations should not be closed. In the meantime, multiple sources confirmed that Palmer and Eichhorst postponed their visit to B&H, and this was conveyed to leaders of B&H parties. ‘Our Party’ (NS) member Damir Arnaut asked on Twitter why SDP B&H and SDA said they would abandon negotiations when representatives of the international community (IC) already said talks will be halted and that they cancel their trip to B&H. HDZ B&H members did not react to this news. They previously said changes to the B&H Election Law must be adopted by the end of 2021. They believe a new crisis will be created in B&H if this matter is not resolved. Hayat reported that several political parties consider withdrawing from the talks on amendments to the Constitution and the Election Law of B&H. The reason for considering withdrawal from talks lies in unconstitutional and anti-Dayton activity that undermines the situation in B&H. SDP issued a statement, noting that this political party considers that “the Election Law is an extremely important political issue, but protection of constitutional and legal order currently represents a priority”. BHT1 also reported that Palmer and Eichhorst postponed their visit to B&H adding that the reason for this is the current political situation and withdrawal of some political parties from negotiations on the election law. Withdrawal was announced by the DF and SDP. SDP’s representative in B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Sasa Magazinovic said that it is certain that SDP is withdrawing from negotiations on election law reforms. Magazinovic stated: “We believe that nothing but the unblocking of institutions and the work of judicial bodies to prevent unconstitutional action can be discussed.” DF representatives unofficially told daily that if SDP withdraws from talks they will follow. ‘Our Party’ stated that talks on Election Law in the format they were held in, were doomed to fail.

Osmanovic about postponing of electoral reform: First unblock work of institutions (Dnevni avaz) 

In a statement to the daily, SDA Vice President Adil Osmanovic commented the information that US Special Envoy to B&H Matthew Palmer and Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Angelina Eichhorst postponed the talks on electoral reform until further notice and he stated that it is necessary to work on the changes of the Election Law, but now is not the best time considering the blockade of state institutions. “I assume, if the information is true, that maybe one of the reasons is that Palmer and Eichhorst want to buy time in a certain way in order to allow undertaking of certain activities on the unblocking of the state and state institutions, so the talks would continue in a calmer atmosphere. It is very difficult to discuss solving of Election Law when you enter the election year, but we are witnesses that it is very difficult to discuss such important matters in such situation, under such blockades,” ends Osmanovic.

EUD/ US Embassy issue joint statement about talks on electoral reform: Leaders have not done the work necessary to bring the B&H political system in line with EU regulations and court rulings (Oslobodjenje) 

EU Delegation to B&H and US Embassy to B&H issued a joint statement about the talks on electoral reform, warning that political leaders have failed to do the job necessary for harmonization of political system of B&H with EU regulations and court rulings. “When U.S. and EU officials met with B&H political parties and civil society earlier this month to discuss electoral/constitutional reform, leaders agreed they would prepare in advance of a next round of discussions. We have seen little progress since. Leaders have not done the work necessary to bring the B&H political system in line with EU regulations and court rulings. Apart from that, following the unacceptable further escalation by the RS parliament on 10 December, the political crisis is deepening. Renewed efforts to mediate now, before the end of the year, will unfortunately be futile. Such efforts will only bear fruit once the parties sincerely work with each other to find solutions. We have heard commitments from the ruling coalition on constitutional and electoral reforms that can achieve parliamentary support.  Equally important in moving B&H forward are reforms to make elections more secure, trustworthy and to create a government in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) that functions. The time has come to live up to those commitments. We urge the parties to back down from maximalist proposals, which are not supported by international and EU standards and lack support within parliament or society. Democracy is neither about perpetual stalemates to force through one’s demands nor about imposing the will of the majority. We also urge the RS representatives to fully return to the institutions. The EU and the U.S. have invested in a dialogue that recognizes the concerns and interests from all sides. This process is an opportunity to deal with discrimination, dysfunctionality and election fraud. Considering the political landscape and climate in B&H, we believe these reforms would be a major step forward. Parties know what is needed to take aim at the root causes of chronic political crisis in B&H – corruption, lack of trust and low democratic standards. It’s up to the them to step up and come to the table ready to take action. We therefore call on all sides to engage and contribute in this process in a meaningful way, in the interest of the people of B&H,” reads the statement.

Milanovic sends letter to Plenkovic expressing dissatisfaction with EU GAC conclusions on B&H (Jutarnji list) 

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic sent a letter to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic expressing his dissatisfaction over the inaction of Croatian government with regard to the conclusions of the EU General Affairs Council on stabilization and enlargement process adopted on 14 December. As Milanovic’s Spokesperson Nikola Jelic confirmed, Milanovic warned that the adopted conclusions do not guarantee the rights of Croats in B&H as one of the constituent peoples. According to the daily, Milanovic’s letter does not explain what exactly Milanovic refers to, because all available information on the process of adoption of the conclusions indicate that Croatia in fact strengthened the position of B&H Croats. The daily notes that the conclusions were adopted late in the afternoon, after the EU member states had difficulties coming to a consensus during the debate. Several countries, including Croatia, Bulgaria and Greece expressed their reservation regarding different conclusions. For Croatia, the most significant conclusion was the Conclusion 59 about constitutional and electoral reform in B&H. The daily notes that for Croatia, it was important that the conclusion refers to the necessity to eliminate all discrimination and inequality, and to implement rulings of B&H Constitutional Court, because this would eliminate the possibility of outvoting. The Conclusion 59 mentions all of this. The original proposal of the conclusion did not contain the reference to the rulings of B&H Constitutional Court, which is why Croatia considers that it managed to include the reference which was important for Croats. According to the daily, the conclusions of the Council do not mention any ethnic group, and this is probably the reason for Milanovic’s complaints.

State Secretary in Croatian Foreign Ministry Andreja Metelko Zgombic welcomed the conclusions, noting that they send a strong message to the South-East European countries and Turkey, reiterating the EU’s dedication to the enlargement process. She noted that Croatia’s goal is to end the outvoting of Croats in B&H. Milanovic deems that adopted conclusions do not guarantee rights of Croats as constituent peoples in B&H, adding that this is unacceptable, especially because in this way the government failed to respect stances harmonized at session of National Security Council of Croatia.

Bosniak parties achieved their goal; Palmer and Eichhorst not coming to B&H (Vecernji list) 

Vecernji list is writing about the fact that US Special Envoy for Electoral Reform Matthew Palmer and Director for Western Balkans and Turkey of European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst have decided to postpone their visit to B&H (in order to continue the electoral reform negotiations). The daily notes that the Bosniak parties managed to claim another ‘victory’ i.e. postpone talks about changes to the Law on Elections of B&H. By doing so, argues daily, the Bosniak parties have joined their Serb colleagues in blocking the implementation of important reforms that would stabilize B&H and steer it towards Europe. Author underlines it was the only strategy of the Bosniak side all along. The daily also learns that Palmer and Eichhorst could return to B&H in mid-January. According to daily, Palmer and Eichhorst decided not to come to B&H after the leading Bosniak parties, SDA and SDP that is, practically harmonized their positions that talks on the electoral reform should be stopped.

Memorandum of Cooperation signed (CdM) 

Leaders of the URA Civic Movement, Socialist People’s Party, CIVIS and minority parties in Montenegro, Dritan Abazovic, Vladimir Jokovic, Srdjan Pavicevic, Ervin Ibrahimovic, Nik Djeljosaj, Genci Nimanbegu and Fatmir Djeka have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation today. Even before the signing the Memorandum caused a storm on the political scene. The signatories have pointed out that this Memorandum is important for civil and European Montenegro, and that it will contribute to reducing divisions in Montenegro. “This is a big step forward for civil Montenegro, greater political cooperation of different political entities. Civil and European Montenegro has someone to rely on. This is for a better life of the citizens of Montenegro,” DPM and URA leader Dritan Abazovic said at the Memorandum signing ceremony. He called on all those to whom the stated principles are acceptable to support them.

This is not the creation of a minority government, the DPS is not coming back (RTCG) 

Leaders of the Civic Movement URA, the Socialist People’s Party (SNP), the Citizens’ Alliance CIVIS, the Bosniak Party, the Albanian Alternative, Forca and the Democratic Party signed a Memorandum of Cooperation today. Signing of the memorandum, as the president of GP URA Dritan Abazovic said, is not the creation of a minority government. Answering the questions of the journalists, Abazovic said that the signing of the memorandum was a pact of reconciliation and the creation of a table, from which, as he added, a message would be sent that Montenegro must behave differently in the future. Abazovic also said that this was not the creation of a minority government. After signing the memorandum, he said that the DPS will not return to power. “There is no return to power for the DPS, I announced my position earlier. I don’t have those irrational fears,” said Abazovic. He states that he would like all parties to sign or support today’s memorandum and called on them to do so. “This is a great step forward for a civil Montenegro,” Abazovic said ahead of the signing. The goal is to focus on reconciliation and economic development, Abazovic said. “This is a great step forward for European Montenegro as well, and we hope that this memorandum will be accepted by all MPs,” said Abazovic. “People who can cooperate and who are looking forward to every agreement are sitting here,” said Abazovic, adding that he was looking forward to signing the memorandum and future cooperation.

Abazovic: Criminal organisations were created with the support of certain political structures (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) 

If we want to ensure the rule of law, we must have big changes in the Prosecutor’s Office and the judiciary and achieve a greater justice, said Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic at the National Dialogue on Resistance to Organized Crime and Corruption in Montenegro. Abazovic pointed out that the state has done more in the fight against organized crime in the last year than in the last ten years, and that all types of the mafia have been attacked by the Police Directorate and the National Security Agency. DPM Abazovic emphasized that neither criminals nor those working illegally feel comfortable and added that Montenegro has achieved results against organized crime. Abazovic stated that, primarily because of the Prosecutor’s Office, high-level corruption remains a big problem for this country, noting that criminal organizations in Montenegro were created with the support of certain political structures and high officials of the Police Directorate.

Zaev to decide on his resignation next week (TV 24) 

PM Zoran Zaev said Wednesday he will step down as prime minister early next week. After the resignation is approved in parliament, he added he expects to be succeeded by the new SDSM leader Dimitar Kovacevski at the helm of the government. These days we are finishing the consultations with the coalition partners. What I can say is that important processes are being completed, in terms of program and government and personnel-wise, so I will make the decision somewhere at the beginning of next week and as soon as I make it I will immediately announce when it will be formalized in front of the parliament, Zaev told TV 24, after he handed over the position of president of the Social Democrats to the newly-elected leader Dimitar Kovacevski at SDSM’s main offices in Skopje. He believes that early parliamentary elections are not needed for the country, ie the economy to grow and develop.

BESA demands early elections as soon as possible (Republika) 

The Secretary of the BESA Movement Adnan Azizi, calling for holding early parliamentary elections in a Facebook post, after yesterday the EU General Affairs Council did not approve the start of negotiations for the country’s membership in the Union. He pointed out that “the government has been delegitimized” and that “parliamentary elections should be held as soon as possible.” Date… integration… EU…the process… they deafened us with empty slogans, and in fact they are doing their best to defend the government and to procrastinate until the last moment. There is no date – the government has been delegitimized, so early elections as soon as possible, otherwise these can only lead us to the abyss, Azizi wrote.

Pendarovski and Kurti reaffirm interest in promoting cooperation between Skopje and Pristina (Republika) 

President Stevo Pendarovski met Wednesday with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, as part of his official visit to Kosovo. At the meeting, Pendarovski and Kurti assessed that the relations between the two countries are friendly and constructive and in that context reaffirmed the interest in promoting cooperation in several areas of mutual interest. Pendarovski expressed satisfaction with the dynamics of contacts between the governments of the two countries, emphasizing that it contributes to building good neighborly relations between Macedonia and Kosovo, the President’s Office informed. The two high-level officials expressed satisfaction with the current economic relations and cooperation between the two countries and exchanged views on the possibilities for their further improvement. Pendarovski pointed out that infrastructure connection and cooperation in the field of energy, investment and tourism should be the focus of both countries in the coming period, according to the President’s Office. During the meeting, Pendarovski reiterated his support for Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and our country’s readiness to contribute in that direction, assessing that as a NATO member, the Republic of Macedonia supports the Alliance’s open door policy.

Pendarovski visits KFOR Regional Command – West in Kosovo (Republika) 

President Stevo Pendarovski during his Wednesday’s official trip to Kosovo visited the KFOR Regional Command – West in Pec, met with its commander, Colonel Andrea Bertazzo, and with Macedonia’s troops serving as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping mission. At the meeting with Colonel Bertaco, Pendarovski was informed about the overall activities of the KFOR Regional Command – West in support of peace and security in Kosovo. Pendarovski expressed support for the KFOR mission, stressing its importance for the stability of Kosovo and the entire region. Pendarovski stressed the readiness of the Republic of Macedonia to promote mutual cooperation and exchange of information of common interest, in order to meet the objectives of the mission. Pendarovski pointed out that with the participation of 65 members of the Army of the Republic of Macedonia in the KFOR forces, our country as a NATO member makes an active contribution to strengthening peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Osmani would cooperate in Zaev’s planned review of the Kumanovo terrorist attack trial (Republika) 

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani and Stevo Pendarovski discussed the plan by the PM Zoran Zaev to reopen several extremely divisive criminal cases – including the 2015 attack by a group of Albanian terrorists on the city of Kumanovo and the 2012 massacre of five Macedonians, including four youngsters, by three Albanian Islamists. In the first case, the attackers came from Kosovo – and were later given heroes’ burials there. In the 2012 Good Friday massacre, Kosovo harbors two of the three killers. Zaev agreed to ask for an international review of the two cases on request from the Albanian Alternative party, which made this one of its demands before agreeing to support Zaev’s fledging government. We need to wait for the trial for Kumanovo, ahead of the Macedonian Supreme Court, to end. Anything else I would say would be a political statement that doesn’t help the case, President Osmani said speaking about the attack on Kumanovo. She added that if Prime Minister Zaev is prepared to agree to an international review of the trial, then Kosovo will support this.

Pendarovski welcomed Bulgaria’s new approach to Macedonia (Republika) 

President Stevo Pendarovski welcomed the approach of the new Bulgarian Prime Minister to Macedonia, assessing that it is of particular importance for overcoming the dispute between the two countries. Pendarovski dismissed rumors that not getting a date could affect the destabilization of the country, adding that similar predictions were made in 2008, when the country joined NATO, but that did not happen. The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani said that the place of Kosovo and Macedonia is in NATO and the EU, and Brussels should give up injustice against the citizens of Kosovo as soon as possible and approve visa liberalization. Osmani expects the two countries to exchange practices on the common path to the EU. The process of European integration remains a priority above the priorities and is a process in which we help each other and continue to help each other. It should be noted that although Kosovo has met all the criteria for visa liberalization, the EU has not yet fulfilled its promise. I want to thank President Pendarovski for being vocal in the visa liberalization process for Kosovo as a neighboring country and at the same time for the mutual support we give each other in the European integration process in general. The two presidents concluded that the “Open Balkans” without the involvement of all Western Balkan countries is not functional, so the inclusion of Kosovo in that process guarantees success for its functioning. During his visit to Kosovo, Pendarovski also met with parliament speaker Glauk Konjufca and Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Pendarovski’s visit is also the first visit of a Macedonian President to Kosovo.

Xhacka receives her Montenegrin counterpart Djordje Radulovic (Radio Tirana) 

Albania and Montenegro focused on regional stability. At the conference after the meeting in Tirana, Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka and Montenegrin counterpart Djordje Radulovic pledged to open other common border crossings as well as projects such as the Adriatic Ionian. Xhacka and Radulovic assured for the treatment of minorities according to international and European law. “It is a special pleasure to welcome in Tirana my counterpart Djordje Radulovic, the Foreign Minister of a neighboring and friendly country such as Montenegro. I thank Minister Radulovic for the visit and for the opportunity we had to discuss closely the relations between us, but also for the situation in the region where excellent relations between our countries have long been a factor of stability and security but also a model for the region. I am pleased that the relationship between us has marked a marked progress and intensification in recent years. Montenegro’s membership in NATO, which Albania has fully supported and to which the Albanians of Montenegro have an inalienable contribution, has directly contributed to expanding the dimension of cooperation between us but also to consolidating the Euro-Atlantic perspective of region. Albania considers Montenegro an important regional partner, an irreplaceable ally in NATO and in the whole process of EU membership,” said Xhacka. Mrs Xhacka expressed the willingness to further deepen the dialogue and communication between Albania and Montenegro, to advance the common agenda of stability and integration. “We had the opportunity to discuss the deepening of bilateral relations, where an essential part of our discussion was the implementation of agreements signed at the first meeting of the two governments, the opening of new border crossings, increased investment and projects in cross-border areas, with an impact direct in increasing the welfare of this area, road transport, water, rail with a focus on their inclusion with European corridors, as well as the creation of joint tourist packages. Beyond these projects, in the framework of intergovernmental cooperation, I appreciate the commitment of our two governments for joint applications for EU funds to improve interconnection, various road axes, scientific, cultural, educational cooperation, etc. Let us turn Lake Shkodra into a developed and quality point of attractive tourism and this was one of the topics we discussed,” Xhacka added. She also stated that minorities also play a special role in the relations between the two countries. “We are proud that the Albanians in Montenegro and the Montenegrin minority in our country have continuously played the role of a unifying element, which further enriches our national societies. In this context, we believe that the increase of Montenegrin investments in areas inhabited by the Albanian population, the increase of the representation of Albanians in the central and local government, the increase of political representation in the parliament of Montenegro amid the adoption of the electoral law would serve to strengthen of mutual trust between citizen and government and between different ethnicities. Finally, the signing today of the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Diplomatic Academies of our two ministries will concretize the increase of cooperation, not only through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, but also through our own diplomats,” said Xhacka.

Meta: EU membership is uncompromising, inalienable and indestructible with other deadlocks (Radio Tirana) 

The President of the Republic Ilir Meta recalled the visa liberalization for Albanians 11 years ago, where he was part of Berisha’s cabinet. Meta writes that in less than two years, we met 42 conditions and more than 100 accompanying requirements, related to the rule of law, security and fundamental rights. In less than two years, we met 42 conditions and more than 100 accompanying requirements related to the rule of law, security and fundamental rights. Visa-free movement towards the EU has been the event with the greatest and direct impact on Albanian citizens, in the entire membership process. The right to travel without visas to the EU returned to the citizens and the Albanian state the dignity of free, unprejudiced people, opening new horizons and opportunities for building their European future. So it’s time to do everything we can to defend this great achievement. The European path of Albanians has been paved through the national awareness that the strategic goal of EU membership is uncompromising, inalienable and indestructible with other deadlocks, be they Balkan.

Still no date for the first intergovernmental conference with the EU (Radio Tirana) 

Although it has spoken out in favor of reconfirming EU enlargement, the General Affairs Council again failed to set a date for the first Intergovernmental Conference with Albania on Tuesday. The conclusions that have reflected the continuation of the fulfillment of the conditions by Albania even in the situation when the EU does not respond, but continues to keep dependent the decision of Bulgaria’s veto for North Macedonia, prove the welcome of the EU. The Council looks forward to holding the First Intergovernmental Conference with Albania as soon as possible, after the approval of the negotiating framework by the Council. On the other hand, the conclusions are taken in the parliamentary elections as generally well organized after a comprehensive reform in line with the OSCE / ODIHR recommendations, at the same time encouraging the further implementation of the OSCE / ODIHR recommendations. The Council underlines that comprehensive and constructive political dialogue in the country remains crucial and in this context, the Council welcomes the return of the opposition to parliament. The Council welcomes Albania’s good progress in the area of ​​rule of law, in particular the implementation of comprehensive justice reform, which has progressed steadily, and the strengthening of the fight against corruption and organized crime. Specialized structures against organized crime and corruption (SPAK) have already shown the first positive results. Efforts to build a solid track record need to continue, including high-level corruption and organized crime through proactive investigations and final decisions, and through further implementation of the action plan to address the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations, such as good cooperation with the relevant authorities of the EU member states is needed.