LOCAL PRESS

Vucic thanks Italy for support, protection of Kosovo Serbs (Politika/Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met on Tuesday with Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini and thanked Italy for providing continued and strong support for Serbia’s European path, as well as for protecting the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and Serbian holy sites there. Vucic said he was pleased Serbia and Italy maintained stable friendly relations and intensive cooperation in all significant areas, the presidential press office said in a statement. “Italy is Serbia’s third-largest external trade partner. We must and we can take defense cooperation to a higher level. We are very satisfied with the cooperation with the Italian army in international missions, and we are particularly grateful to Italy for protecting the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and Serbian holy sites,” Vucic noted. He added that maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans was Serbia’s top interest. “Serbia has been one of the fastest-growing economies lately and we do not want to jeopardize that,” Vucic said. Speaking about the current international crisis, Vucic said Serbia was advocating peace and respected the norms of international law and the principle of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Guerini conveyed to Vucic the regards of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and the Italian government. He said bilateral trade reflected the good quality of the relations between the two countries. He noted that the cooperation within EU missions and the participation of Serbian Armed Forces troops in the Italian peacekeeping contingent in Lebanon were excellent and that Italy would in October retake command over the KFOR mission, which he said was a major contribution to stability. “We are aware that the current crisis at international level is a risk to security and that the consequences of the crisis would be felt in all areas, in particular in the energy sector,” Guerini said. He reiterated Italy appreciated Serbia’s role in establishing stability in the region and supported Serbia’s European path, and added that integration of Western Balkan states was essential for maintaining peace as well as for progress and economic growth across the region. The two officials agreed that the holding of a fourth joint session of the Serbian and Italian governments as soon as international circumstances permitted would be an additional impetus to advancement of overall relations and boosting the strategic partnership.

Mihajlovic: National security depends on energy stability (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said on Tuesday the national security of every state depended on energy stability and independence and that the green agenda remained a global process. Through the green agenda, Serbia will secure long-term energy stability, Mihajlovic said in Prague after attending a round table on energy security and diversification in Europe, hosted by the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation (P-TECC). “It was an important conference at which we discussed energy security, and the fact that energy security equals national security is gaining even more relevance now,” Mihajlovic said. According to a statement from her ministry, Mihajlovic said the relevance of the green agenda had also been discussed, and noted that all those who believed that countries had withdrawn from the decarbonization process were wrong. “That is because the green agenda – or faster and more efficient development of capacities using renewable energy sources and boosting energy efficiency – is one of the ways for every state to be independent and that is our objective,” Mihajlovic said. She noted that work on an integrated national climate plan and energy strategy was underway and that the strategic documents would define the development of the energy sector in the decades to come. “The essence is to do all we can to be fully independent in electricity generation in the decades to come. We must be careful about what kind of energy we will produce, and that is not an issue that concerns only Serbia, but also the stability and development of the entire region,” she said. Mihajlovic said the discussion topics included energy sources that could contribute to energy diversification, energy security and energy independence.

Ukrainian Embassy calls on Serbian authorities to remove letter “Z” and support Ukrainians (Beta)

The Ukrainian Embassy in Belgrade called on 29 March on the Serbian authorities to remove the letter “Z” from public spaces which expresses a hostile stance toward Ukrainians, and to publicly embrace the defense of the Ukrainian people. “We once again direct the attention of all Serbian government representatives to the letter ‘Z’ that is on many walls, cars and even a tank at a stadium and which for Ukrainians means the cry: ‘Kill the Ukrainian’,” the Embassy said. The Ukrainian Embassy added that it expected “the Serbian government to take the initiative in removing these genocidal messages toward Ukrainians” and come out with “at least the same public statement in defense of the brotherly Ukrainian people” that the Ukrainian diplomatic mission issued in Belgrade in 2019. The Embassy said that in October 2019 it, “voiced its deep resentment at the provocative statements against the brotherly Serbian people,” that could be heard during a soccer match between Dynamo Kiev and the Danish Copenhagen.

Opposition United for Serbia’s Victory calls on people to vote on Sunday (N1)

The opposition United for Serbia’s Victory coalition candidates walked through the center of Belgrade on Tuesday under the slogan Victory Walk, calling on people to turn out and vote in Sunday’s presidential, early elections and the capital’s elections. “We should preserve the spirit of optimism and goodwill until Sunday when we can turn our destiny in another direction; on Sunday, we have the opportunity to stop this once and for all. We need everyone who thinks differently from the (ruling) Serbian Progressive Party (SNS)… to go to the polls and vote,” the coalition’s candidate for Belgrade Mayor Vladeta Jankovic said. He added that SNS shows its face, especially in the last days, with rising violence, which is not something close to us. Marinika Tepic, the first on the coalition’s parliamentary list said: “Please make Sunday a solemn day for us, don’t look at the sky – they announced rain, bring an umbrella, bring your loved ones and help liberate our Serbia and Belgrade because people deserved to live better.”

Ponos: I will unite Serbia and be president of all citizens (Tanjug)

The presidential candidate of the United for Victory of Serbia coalition Zdravko Ponos says that, if he wins the elections, he will treat all citizens equally and unite Serbia. In a promotional video of the coalition, Ponos said Serbian society was divided because the ruling party had divided the citizens into its own and the rest. “I will unite Serbia, I will be the president of all Serbian citizens, I will be just what the Constitution of Serbia requires me to be – the Constitution states that the president of Serbia represents the state unity of the Republic of Serbia,” Ponos said.

PACE delegation to observe Serbian elections (Tanjug/Beta)

A Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation will be in Belgrade from 1 through 4 April to observe the Serbian presidential and early parliamentary elections, alongside observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the European Parliament and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), the Council of Europe announced on Tuesday. Before the 3 April elections, the 19-member PACE delegation, headed by Polish politician Aleksander Pociej, will meet in Belgrade with the leaders and representatives of political parties, members of the ODIHR Election Assessment Mission, the president of the Serbian national electoral commission and representatives of NGOs and the media. “A member of the Venice Commission – the Council of Europe’s group of independent legal experts – will provide legal support during the visit,” the CoE said in a statement. The international observers will hold a joint press conference in Belgrade on 4 April, the statement also said.

Serbia’s officer killed in UN mission in Congo (FoNet/N1/Reuters)

Lieutenant Colonel Dejan Stanojevic, of the Army of Serbia (VS), was killed during aerial reconnaissance in the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in a helicopter crash in the east of the country, the Serbian Defense Ministry confirmed on Tuesday. The initial news said the helicopter was shot from the ground, caught fire and crashed, leaving no survivors. Stanojevic, 42, has been a VS member since 2002 and in the UN Mission in Congo since 2021. “With his departure, the Army of Serbia lost an honorary member, an excellent officer and an expert in electronic operations unit,” the Ministry said. The UN published earlier that a VJ officer was in a helicopter with seven other crew members, six Pakistanis and one Russian. Reuters reported the Congolese army’s claim the helicopter was shot down by rebels from the M23 Movement, which the organization denied.

Demostat: Voter sentiment has changed (Tanjug)

According to a new Demostat survey, 32 pct of Serbians would like the country’s ruling coalition to remain in power after the 3 April elections, 30 pct would prefer to see a change of government, while 38 pct are indifferent to who is in power because they believe all parties are the same. The pollster’s head researcher Srecko Mihailovic said the telephone survey was based on a sample of 1223 respondents from across Serbia and noted that the voter sentiment had undergone a surprising change over the past few months. He said the participants’ responses to the question of how the present government affected their lives were identical as 38 pct said they were indifferent to who was in power, 32 pct said the present government made a positive impact on their lives, while 30 pct said it would be good if someone else was in power. Also, 40 pct of participants said they favored the ruling parties, 35 pct said they supported the opposition, while 25 pct said they supported neither the ruling parties nor the opposition. “That shows that the difference in favor of the Serbian Progressive Party is not as large as the party is trying to present it to be,” Mihailovic said. According to the survey, 32 pct of participants said the main topic ahead of the elections was the economy, 24 pct said it was the fallout from the Ukraine crisis, while others said it was corruption and crime and environmental protection, respectively.

Demostat: 13 percent of Serbian citizens believe that Serbia should be on Ukraine’s side (Beta)

Half of Serbian citizens believe that Serbia should be neutral in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, 21 percent think that Serbia should be on Russia’s side and 13 percent believe that Serbia should be on the side of Ukraine and the EU, a 29 March opinion poll conducted by the Demostat research and publishing center shows. A total of 16 percent of respondents did not answer the question. Asked whether they were concerned that the conflict could spread to the former Yugoslavia, half said that this was a realistic danger while a little over one fourth said they did not believe that this could happen. The other half said that they saw no danger, while 28 percent of respondents are convinced that this will not happen and 21 percent said they were not really sure that this would not happen. Three percent of respondents did not answer the question. Demostat program director Zoran Panovic said that “favoring Russia” was also reflected in the campaigns of many patriotic parties. “The Socialist Party of Serbia and the ruling party are stressing relations with Russia,” Panovic said at a presentation of the pre-electoral poll and added that the survey showed that “the top incumbent officials” are spreading the most panic about potential shortages of food and gas.

Man says Kosovo Serb businessmen were behind politician’s killing in 2018 (KRIK/N1)

Boban Bogdanovic, a friend of the murdered criminal Aleksandar Gligorijevic Puki, told KRIK that Ljubomir Lainovic murdered Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic and that the kill was ordered by Zvonko Veselinovic, a controversial Serb businessman from Kosovo. Bogdanovic said that “Aleksandar (a member of the arrested Veljko Belivuk clan) told me who the organizers were, who ordered, and who killed Oliver Ivanovic”. As he told KRIK, Gligorijevic said Ivanovic’s killer, Lainovic, was the son of the once fierce man Branislav Lainovic Dugi from Serbia’s northern city of Novi Sad. “He committed that murder. The man who organized his arrival in Kosovo, who prepared the logistics of Oliver Ivanovic’s murder, is Milan Radoicic. The man who ordered Oliver’s murder is Zvonko Veselinovic. That is what Aleksandar Gligorijevic Puke told me,” Bogdanovic said. Both Radoicic and Veselinovic are notorious businesspeople from Kosovo with links to ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). Radoicic is a deputy leader of the Serb List, a Kosovo Serb party backed by Belgrade. Pristina suspected the two of involvement in Ivanovic’s assassination but did not charge them. According to Bogdanovic, Gligorijevic also told him his task was to give 50,000 Euros to Lainovic. The money came from Belivuk, “for the job done”. “When he paid him, they were in Novi Sad, in a club,” Bogdanovic said, adding Gligorijevic told him that Lainovic explained the money was for a good job in Kosovska Mitrovica, where he ‘drilled’ Oliver Ivanovic. “He used those words,” Bogdanovic told KRIK. He added that Veselinovic paid for the murder and that Belivuk gave money to Gligorijevic, who handed it over to Lainovic. Bogdanovic said that after he went public, he would give a statement to the Prosecutors’ Office and offer to be a witness in the investigation into Ivanovic’s murder and would seek state protection. Aleksandar Gligorijevic Puki was killed in 2020 by his former associates Belivuk and clan members, and his body was butchered with the word “betrayal” engraved on his back. The clan believed he turned against them, KRIK said. Bogdanovic also spoke for KRIK about the connections that Gligorijevic had with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and other details from crime and sports. He said that President Aleksandar Vucic had nothing to do with Ivanovic’s murder. He added that Vucic’s son Danilo was a friend of Gligorijevic, but not from the world of crime. Later on Tuesday, KRIK journalist Milica Vojinovic told N1 that “immediately after the interview was published, Bogdanovic went to the Prosecutors’ Office”. “But there was no one there to see him. He was then taken to a police station and interrogated for several hours. He told them everything from the interview and they promised to forward his statement to the prosecutor and that he would see what to do with it, which is a logical sequence of events. Then, we have this scandalous statement from the Interior Ministry. The police are not competent to speak about it and judge such things; that is a prosecutor’s job. The police did not even ask him for evidence. He is willing to provide all communications with Gligorijevic and everything he has and said he accepted the polygraph test, but that he did not want it today, but in the coming days,” she said. In the reaction to Bogdanovic’s claims to KRIK, the members of the main opposition coalition United for Serbia’s Victory Marinika Tepic and Miroslav Aleksic said that “new evidence about links of the authorities with Ivanovic’s assassination” was not only “a crime story”, but the collapse of the state. As long as the suspects in Ivanovic’s murder, they said, were not detained, “there won’t be peace in this country”. At the same time, the Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) Department for Fight Against Organized Crime said they invited Bogdanovic to inform the investigative bodies about his findings as stipulated by the law. “MUP regrets that Bogdanovic did not present any new facts, nor did he confirm any of his allegations either with material evidence or witness statements. All his allegations rely exclusively on his alleged conversations with the deceased and refer to the alleged actions of the deceased, and are therefore completely unverifiable,” the statement added. It added that Bogdanovic rejected the polygraph test.

Vucic says no reaction to senseless lies in KRIK report

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic refused to comment the KRIK investigative portal’s report on who killed Kosovo Serb opposition leader Oliver Ivanovic. “The competent bodies should do their job and it’s better not to react to senseless stories and lies,” Vucic told TV Pink. “I can’t even comment that,” he said when asked about Bogdanovic’s interview for KRIK.

REGIONAL PRESS

EU, US ambassadors and OSCE submit package of integrity changes to B&H Election law (FTV) 

Ambassadors of the US and EU, as well as the OSCE submitted an updated version of the package of integrity changes to the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Election Law to the Inter-Agency Work Group for Changes to B&H Election Law (IAWG). They stated that the package is a compromise of solutions which are in accordance with the wishes of citizens and priorities of the European Commission. The officials stated that during the most recent round of negotiation hosted in Sarajevo, these changes were discussed but there was no final agreement on them.

Zvizdic: B&H needs European perspective; Jandrokovic: Croats are constituent people and must have same rights as other peoples (Oslobodjenje) 

Speaker of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Denis Zvizdic addressed on Tuesday participants of the conference of speakers/presidents of the EU Member States, which is taking place in Brdo kod Kranja in Slovenia. Addressing a session dedicated to the EU as guarantor of stability, security and progress of the region, Zvizdic stressed that the EU and NATO integration are key priorities of B&H’s foreign policy that have no alternative. According to Zvizdic, peace, stability, economic prosperity, rule of law and democratic standards “are the main goals we want to preserve, establish and improve”. “And perhaps the most important thing: B&H is key factor of peace and stability in the Western Balkans”, added Zvizdic. According to the B&H HoR Speaker, B&H achieved significant progress on the road of the EU integration and implementation of reforms between 2015 and 2019, however in recent months B&H has been facing unconstitutional blockades of work of the state institutions, as well as dangerous secessionist ideas and intentions. “The message we should send must be clear –the Western Balkans is the EU’s and the European trans-Atlantic partners’ zone of interest. That is why B&H needs clear European perspective and a sui generis approach on the road of the EU integration”, said Zvizdic. Meanwhile, speaker of the Croatian parliament Gordan Jandrokovic stressed, among other issues, the need for respect of Croats, who are a constituent people in B&H. According to the daily, situation in Ukraine is the main topic of the conference, however there were also discussions about the Western Balkans. Jandrokovic said that ‘we’ are especially sensitive about the events in south-east Europe and especially in B&H. “I stressed it is important to provide European perspective to B&H, on principles of the territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as equality and status of constituent peoples of all three constituent peoples,” said Jandrokovic. According to him, Croatia is especially interested in position of the Croat people, who are least numerical people, however it must have the same rights in B&H and must feel comfortable living with Bosniaks and Serbs.

Lovrinovic: There is still time for agreement about Law on Elections (FTV) 

Representative in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Nikola Lovrinovic (HDZ B&H) told FTV that certain activities are taking place in order to resume talks on changes to the Law on Elections. According to Lovrinovic, there is ‘relatively’ some time left in order to reach an agreement before the (general) elections are called, adding that some activities are being prepared and some are happening. He further stated it is impossible to implement any kind of elections, stressing that it is impossible to form the Federation of B&H (FB&H) House of Peoples (HoP) and subsequently the B&H HoP. “Therefore, the elections are in a way illegal”, said Lovrinovic. He went on to say that we will be facing even bigger problem in the future, namely that we will have the Council of Ministers of B&H and the FB&H Government in the technical mandate.

Dodik and Kalabukhov discuss political and economic situation in B&H (RTRS) 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik talked on Tuesday in Istocno Sarajevo with Ambassador of the Russian Federation to B&H Igor Kalabukhov. Dodik and Kalabukhov exchanged views on the current political situation in B&H and economic co-operation between the two countries. The interlocutors pointed out the importance of respecting the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of B&H, as well as the fact that B&H consists of two entities and three constituent peoples.

Jandrokovic: EU should focus on SE Europe, Moscow might use vulnerabilities (Hina) 

The EU should in particular focus on south-eastern Europe and monitor the impact of the Ukraine war on the situation in the region as well as the potential growth of Russian influence, Croatian parliament speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said on Tuesday. “We need to follow the potential effect of a spillover of the Ukraine conflict to neighboring areas as well as to south-eastern Europe,” Jandrokovic said in his address on the second day of the conference of EU parliament speakers in Brdo Pri Kranja, Slovenia. “I emphasize that the European Union should in particular focus on south-eastern Europe,” he added. Jandrokovic said the main challenges to stability in the region were issues stemming from the past conflicts and Russia might use “vulnerabilities to expand its influence.” That’s why it is necessary to support the European membership prospects, sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina based on the equality of all three of its constituent peoples and their legitimate representation in the country’s political institutions, he added. Jandrokovic said that the EU should focus on south-eastern Europe because otherwise other countries would spread their influence and pose “a potential threat to the EU and our values”. “Russia is already showing an inclination towards these parts of Europe,” he noted. Jandrokovic said that Croatia “strongly condemns” the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, which began on 24 February, and that the Croatian Parliament had adopted a resolution by consensus condemning the invasion. On the sidelines of the conference, Jandrokovic met on Monday with his counterparts Igor Zorcic from Slovenia, Juri Ratas from Estonia and Marketa Pekarova Adamova from the Czech Republic, while on Tuesday he is due to meet with Spain’s Meritxell Batet Lamana.

PM given green light for cabinet reshuffle (HRT) 

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic – the leader of the ruling HDZ – chaired an internal party meeting in Karlovac on Tuesday afternoon to discuss, among other things, a cabinet reshuffle. Media has speculated on the move since the arrest last month of former construction minister Darko Horvat on suspicion of abuse of office in his previous role as economy minister. Plenkovic confirmed after the meeting that the entire HDZ leadership gave him absolute support in any eventual reshuffle of cabinet ministers in his government. Although he did not comment on specific names or ministries, Plenkovic said a reshuffle would give his government the freshness and strength it needs to finish out the two-and-a-half years remaining on their current mandate. Media speculation has focused on changes within the ministries of Economy and Sustainable Development, EU funds and Regional Development, and Labour, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Boris Milosevic. It was reported that the reshuffle could take place ahead of the Easter Holidays.

Croatian oil pipeline Janaf will stop transports to Serbia due to EU sanctions (Hina) 

State-owned oil pipeline operator Jadranski Naftovod (JANAF) said on Tuesday that in light of the EU sanctions against Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, it would stop transporting crude oil to Serbia’s NIS company from mid-May until such time the sanctions are in place. JANAF does not operate directly on the Russian market, but Council Regulation (EU) 2022/428 of 15 March 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine also includes the contract for crude oil transport in 2022 which JANAF has concluded with NIS, JANAF reported via the Zagreb Stock Exchange. JANAF said that it will not be in a position to realize the provisions of that contract as of 15 May 2022 and as long as the restrictive measures imposed by the EU are in force. Given that it is not currently possible to foresee the potential duration and future intensity of the restrictions, it is not possible to estimate the effects of the restrictions so that they do not jeopardize JANAF’s current financial status and business, the company said. The company said it is monitoring developments on a daily basis and is in close contact with its clients. It is also monitoring the measures introduced by the government, EU and competent institutions and is estimating the risk and possibility of the measures being relaxed. JANAF can adapt its business to clients’ demands and alternative scenarios of doing business in the oil transport market, the company said, adding that it does not expect any significant negative deviations in its operation. In mid-January, JANAF reported that it had concluded a contract with NIS for crude oil transport for the period from 1 January to 31 December 2022. NIS is majority-owned by Gazprom Neft, which holds 56.15% of shares, while the Serbian government owns 29.87% and small shareholders hold 13.98% of the company’s shares. In mid-March, the EU agreed on a fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia, including a ban on investment in Russia’s energy sector, a ban on exporting luxury goods, and a ban on importing steel products from Russia. The sanctions also include a ban on any transactions with key Russian state-owned enterprises across different sectors, including Gazprom Neft.

Djukanovic with Lundberg: Quickly elect a new government in order to fulfil its obligations with the UN (CdM) 

The President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic received the Resident Coordinator of the UN System in Montenegro Peter Lundberg, with whom he discussed cooperation between Montenegro and the UN, as well as current internal and regional issues. Djukanovic expressed hope for a quick election of a new government, so that everyone in the system can do their job, strengthen cooperation with the United Nations and continue to fulfil their obligations. According to the President’s Office, Djukanovic expressed satisfaction with the meeting and gratitude for the initiative of Coordinator Lundberg. He reiterated Montenegro’s absolute commitment to the UN and the Charter, as well as its general commitment to multilateralism, as confirmed by recent meetings with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Undersecretary Anne DiCarlo. The President emphasized that Montenegro is very committed to cooperation with the UN Office and agencies in Podgorica, emphasizing that we are in a very important period of defining the 5th annual framework for cooperation 2023-2027, which requires competencies and functional institutions in Montenegro, ready to responsibly and efficiently respond to the needs of further cooperation. In the spirit of that commitment, he expressed hope for a quick election of a new government, so that everyone in the system can do their job, strengthen cooperation with the UN and continue to fulfil their obligations. The UN Resident Coordinator in Montenegro was extremely pleased with the meeting and said that despite the turbulent year and challenges, much has been achieved, appreciating Montenegro’s active involvement in the human rights system and its role in the Human Rights Council. Lundberg stressed that the UN is fully ready to support Montenegro in the process of fulfilling its obligations in that area, which is also important from the aspect of European integration, the process of which is largely compatible with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. “With gratitude for the partnership, he informed Djukanovic about the development of a strategic plan for cooperation, which builds on previous good experiences of cooperation between Montenegro and the UN system, and mobilizes funds worth $ 70 million to support sustainable development. Lundberg emphasized that strengthening the social cohesion, overcoming divisions and combating hate speech were among the priorities of the 5-year cooperation framework, and that an important partnership could be achieved along those lines, especially in groups such as youth and women, it is stated in the announcement. Djukanovic confirmed his commitment to human rights as a priority in cooperation with the UN and satisfaction with the renewed membership of our country in the Human Rights Council, and agreed with the projected goals of the future framework, emphasizing that social cohesion is a very important task of responsible state policy. “Assessing that he registers certain progress in that area, he emphasized that there is room for progress, but also concern over the brutal offensive of nationalist political narratives for which emancipation and Europeanization are not the goal. “With regret that we are going through such phases, he expressed optimism in the continuation of the strategic direction of movement through the adoption of the European value system,” said Djukanovic’s cabinet. Coordinator Lundberg thanked the President for the detailed and open analysis of the current situation in the region and Europe, and expressed full support for Montenegro’s European path in line with the common goals of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda.

Pisonero: Montenegro should refrain from measures that would jeopardize EU path (RTCG) 

The European Commission (EC) called on the member states to immediately abolish all existing schemes for obtaining “golden passports” and to consider abolishing the citizenships given to Russian and Belarusian citizens who are on the EU list sanctioned due to the war in Ukraine. Montenegro, as a candidate country where the citizenship program is still being implemented in exchange for investments, is expected to refrain from any measures that could jeopardize the achievement of EU goals, Brussels said. European Commission spokeswoman Ana Pisonero emphasized that the Commission was closely monitoring the situation in the Western Balkans, “including developments that could be seen as circumventing measures applied in the framework of EU foreign and security policy”. “As a candidate country, Montenegro should refrain from any measures that could jeopardize the achievement of EU goals, including the use of its prerogatives for granting citizenship,” Pisonero said. She added that the European Commission “consistently advised Montenegro to abolish its citizenship scheme for investors due to the risks it poses, such as money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing, corruption and infiltration of organized crime”. Brussels reminds that in the 4th report of the Visa Suspension Mechanism, the Commission recommended Montenegro to abolish the citizenship scheme in exchange for investments as soon as possible.

US General’s report: Russia and China encourage divisions in the Balkans (AJB) 

Serbia has maintained its strategic goal of joining the European Union, seeking a balance between East and West, while B&H continues to face political and ethnic instability. This was stated, among other things, by General Todd Walters, Commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe (USEUCOM) and Commander of NATO Forces in Europe in a report presented to the Senate. According to the AJB reporter from Washington, Walters’ report also includes an assessment of the situation in the Western Balkans. “The Western Balkans remains a strategically important region as a link for strategic competition, where Russia, and now China, are using their malignant influence to strengthen existing ethnic tensions in an effort to foster instability. “Russia is using social and political pressures to prevent Euro-Atlantic harmonization and integration of countries,” he said. “Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, Balkan NATO members and partners have joined forces to help and support. The emergence of China as an alternative sponsor for economic and defense cooperation, under dubious conditions, further disrupts the region. “With our four newest NATO allies, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro, Croatia and Albania, we have expanded bilateral defense relations in favor of European collective security on NATO’s southern wing,” he added.

Serbia seeks balance between East and West 

Walters also said that Kosovo and Serbia must make significant progress towards the normalization of relations. “We support EU-mediated dialogue between the parties working on a peaceful and lasting solution. NATO Force for Kosovo (KFOR) retains a small but significant US contribution to strengthening regional stability. KFOR provides the conditions necessary for a secure environment in reaching a political solution on the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. “The United States is continuing important activities in the ten-year transition of Kosovo’s security forces to limited territorial defense forces,” Walters said. Speaking about Serbia, Walters said that the country has maintained its strategic goal of joining the EU, seeking a balance between East (Russia and China) and West. “However, Serbia recently joined 140 other countries in the United Nations General Assembly in condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. Serbia has a long way to go to finally join the EU, and its full alignment with EU foreign policy remains an important part of that. “The United States and our allies have improved bilateral defense ties with Serbia in recent years, with increased co-operation in military exercises, training and co-operation in international peacekeeping,” he said. He described B&H as “still facing political and ethnic instability”.

Challenging the Capabilities of B&H 

“Encouraged by Russian influence, the obstructionists are seeking greater autonomy for B&H’s political entity with a Serb majority, Republika Srpska, in order to weaken state authorities and thwart further alignment with Western institutions. Nationalist policies and narratives of ethnic divisions between Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats, and Bosnian Serbs challenge B&H’s ability to chart a path to lasting stability and eventual NATO membership. However, the United States maintains strong ties with the Armed Forces of B&H, helping them make progress in their efforts to meet NATO standards,” Walters said. “China is trying to expand its influence in this region primarily through economic means. Chinese investments are focused on large-scale transport, energy and information infrastructure. USEUCOM is concerned about China’s motives, as these initiatives put EU and NATO member states in an unenviable position and negatively affect security. “Furthermore, China continues to expand its defense and security ties with Serbia, especially through high-level visits, arms sales and exercises,” he added.

Macedonian historians expected to make major concessions to Bulgaria in a meeting later this week (Republika/MIA) 

Dragi Gjorgiev, head of the Macedonian delegation in the joint historic commission with Bulgaria, confirmed that they will meet on Thursday and Friday, to discuss Macedonia’s medieval period. The meeting is being organized against the backdrop of the regional summit in Sofia, where Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov announced that significant progress was made on the difficult issue of history. This is seen in Macedonia as announcement that major concessions will be made in the coming days, as the Kovacevski government is desperate to have the Bulgarian veto lifted in June. In the medieval period, Bulgaria insists that Macedonia recognizes Tsar Samoil and his significant kingdom as Bulgarian, not Macedonian. Gjorgiev also told MIA that the talks will include further moves on jointly honoring 19th century VMRO organizer and leader Goce Delcev, which would mean that Macedonia is expected to alter its history on the period of national liberation as well. Gjorgiev said that talks are on-going in a positive atmosphere, and that alignment of positions is expected.

Meta receives Soreca: Opening of membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia is of primary importance for the EU itself (Radio Tirana) 

Albanian President Ilir Meta received in a meeting Ambassador Luigi Soreca, on the occasion of the end of his term as Ambassador of the EU Delegation in Tirana. “I stressed the need to strengthen democratic institutions, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as the main pillars of the functioning of the state in a country aspiring to EU membership. The opening of membership negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia is of primary importance, both for our countries and for the EU itself. In the context of recent developments, I highlighted the importance of fully aligning Albania’s foreign and security policy with that of the EU, including the implementation of sanctions against Russia” Meta writes in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama thanked Ambassador Soreca for his contribution to Albania, and congratulated him on the new task he has already taken in the European service. “Thank you, dear Luigi, for your tireless work in Albania. Thank you, dear EU ambassador, for the great respect towards Albania,” wrote Rama. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhacka, also thanked Soreca, for the contribution he has given to Albania during his 4-year mandate, especially on the issue of EU integration. Xhacka calls Soreca in a post on social networks as a good friend of Albania, who made a tireless contribution during the earthquake and pandemic. “Thank you, dear Luigi, for everything you have done to support the integration of Albania into the European Union. But above all thank you for being a good friend of Albania. Your tireless work after the earthquake and during the pandemic will be remembered with immense gratitude. I wish you all the best in your new position!,” wrote Xhacka.