LOCAL PRESS

Serbia responsible, constructive in dialogue, Vucic tells Hill (Tanjug/RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill on Tuesday to discuss the current situation in the region, in particular after the latest round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels last week. Vucic clarified to Hill the positions held by Serbia in the dialogue, in which it is participating in a responsible and constructive manner.

Vucic said Serbia approached seriously the process of seeking a solution to the current crisis, caused by Pristina’s unilateral moves, the presidential press office said in a statement. Vucic told Hill Kosovo Serbs were unconditionally requesting the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities. Noting the tensions in Kosovo and Metohija, Vucic said it was important that Pristina comply with an agreement under which its special forces can cross into the north of Kosovo and Metohija only with the consent of NATO and the mayors of the four Serb municipalities. Vucic and Hill also discussed Serbia-US bilateral cooperation.

Vulin: Serbia only European state that had not imposed sanctions (Tanjug/Beta/Politika)

Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin, who is on an official visit to Moscow, met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday. Vulin noted that Serbia, under the leadership of President Aleksandar Vucic, was not forgetting the centuries-old brotherhood and was the only European country that had not imposed sanctions on Russia or joined the anti-Russian hysteria, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. Noting that Lavrov is a sincere friend of Serbia and the Serbs, Vulin expressed great gratitude to the Russian Federation for its consistent respect of the sovereignty and integrity of Serbia and for its non-recognition of the false state of Kosovo. Vulin noted that Serbia was an independent country that chose its friends on its own. He expressed deep regret over the fact that, by the will of other countries, Lavrov was unable to visit Belgrade in June, and noted that this represented a violation and trampling of all principles of international law. Lavrov said Russia would continue to support Serbia in preservation of its territorial integrity. Vulin noted that Serbia would never forget the assistance of Russia and its President Vladimir Putin who, following a plea by Vucic, prevented in 2015 the passage of a UK-sponsored UN resolution branding the Serbs as a genocidal nation. The two ministers noted that Serbia and Russia maintained exceptional diplomatic relations and successful bilateral cooperation also in times of great challenges, just like Vucic and Putin maintained an exceptionally good personal relationship, the statement said. Later, Vulin also met with Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov and Rosoboronoexport Director General Aleksandr Mikheev to discuss further cooperation between the Interior Ministry and Rostec.

Lavrov to Vulin: Russia, Serbia developing dialogue (N1)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Serbian Internal Affairs Minister Aleksandar Vulin that the two countries are developing a dialogue on all levels despite what he said is a complex international situation. A Foreign Ministry press release quoted Lavrov as saying that Presidents Aleksandar Vucic and Vladimir Putin speak by phone to compare positions and coordinate further steps. The press release said that Lavrov and Vulin discussed bilateral and regional cooperation, both countries’ commitment to strengthening their strategic partnership and close coordination in efforts to reinforce stability and security in the Balkans. “Bearing in mind the recent deterioration of the situation in Kosovo and tensions there, they pointed out the need to regulate the situation in the province on the basis of strict respect for the norms of international law, relying on UN Security Council resolution 1244 and full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity, legal rights and interests of Serbia,” it said.

Orlic talked to Botsan-Kharchenko (RTS)

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko told Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic that the two countries will continue their cooperation in energy and other fields. A press release quoted Orlic as saying that Serbia is on the European path and maintains relations with traditional friends but gives the priority to its vital political and economic interests.

Orlic expressed gratitude for the principled stance and support of the Russian Federation regarding the preservation of Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the parliament announced. He stated that Serbia, faced with unilateral and dangerous moves by Pristina, which directly endanger the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija, is making great efforts to preserve the peace, stability and security of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko emphasized that the position of the Russian Federation regarding Kosovo and Metohija will not change.

Vucevic: Serbia must be patient, rational about Kosovo issue (TV Prva/Tanjug)

Serbia must be patient and rational about the Kosovo issue, consider all its steps well and govern itself by national interests, Serbian Progressive Party official and Novi Sad Mayor Milos Vucevic said on Tuesday. Dialogue is key for Belgrade-Pristina relations, Vucevic told TV Prva. “Serbia must be at the negotiating table, however much Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic may find it unpleasant to sit at the negotiating table. That is his state duty and his responsibility to the citizens, and it is always better to negotiate, even unsuccessfully, for two days, than to shoot at each other for two hours,” Vucevic said. Serbia is demonstrating a will for compromise that would satisfy both sides, but compromise is impossible if the Serbian side is supposed to back down and the Albanian side is supposed to get everything, as has been the case in the past, Vucevic said. Serbia is doing everything to avert an escalation, Vucevic said, noting that there would be no expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija. He expressed the hope KFOR would understand its mission well and would not let Albin Kurti, the PM of the provisional Pristina institutions, “play with fire”. The latest round of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in Brussels did not only produce no progress on the issues of vehicle license plates and personal documents for Kosovo Serbs, but Pristina came with new demands, making the complex situation in Kosovo and Metohija more complicated, he said.

MFA: Twitter accounts of several Serbian embassies suspended (Tanjug/Politika)

The Twitter accounts of Serbia’s embassies in Armenia, Iran, Indonesia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Kuwait and the account of the Serbian consulate-general in Chicago were suspended on 18 August without any explanation or prior notice of any violation of the network’s rules of communication, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Monday. “Without going into the business policy of Twitter as a company, we note that censoring the diplomatic representative offices of a democratic state that is not under any sanctions is impermissible, in particular if one takes into account that some of the said profiles were opened recently and were inactive, and that the remaining profiles contained no content that could be described as inappropriate,” the Ministry said in a statement. The Republic of Serbia is a country strategically committed to EU membership, and we are adapting our political and democratic standards, which also include media freedoms, to the highest European standards, the statement noted. “That it is why it is absurd that several of our diplomatic and consular representative offices are being censored on a social media network that boasts of promoting democracy and pluralism of thought.” The Ministry has contacted Twitter with a request that the accounts of the diplomatic and consular representative offices be unblocked. The ministry noted that the Twitter account of the head of the Directorate for Cooperation with the Diaspora and Serbs in the Region, Arnaud Gouillon, had also been blocked last week without any explanation but had meanwhile been unblocked. “We express the hope that the blocking of the Twitter accounts of our diplomatic and consular representative offices is not a part of attempts to silence and thwart Serbia in the fight for the truth, in particular about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija,” the statement said.

Serbian parliament to hold special session in Kosovo in September (TV Prva/Beta)

On Monday, parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic announced that, in September, the Serbian parliament would hold a special session devoted to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, adding that President Aleksandar Vucic would be invited to attend. “The situation in Kosovo and Metohija is quite grave. This has become apparent to everyone – people understand that it is no joking matter,” Orlic told TV Prva. Commenting on Vucic’s Sunday presidential address, Orlic stated that its main message was that an exodus of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija would not be allowed to happen. “With regards to Kosovo and Metohija, the West has been consistently hypocritical. In politics, it is difficult to speak of justice and grand principles, but only Serbia is striving to maintain peace and stability,” Orlic said. Asked whether a special session of parliament would be held to discuss the introduction of sanctions against Russia – which the opposition has proposed – Orlic stated that the opposition’s motions were hollow and that both the opposition and establishment should act united with regards to Kosovo and Metohija.

Rakic: Joint meeting on Wednesday of councilors of assemblies of four municipalities from north (RTS)

Representatives of the Serb List reiterated the request to KFOR to ensure peace for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija in accordance with its mission under UN Security Council Resolution 1244, confirming that President Aleksandar Vucic has their full support in finding a compromise solution in the next ten days. Goran Rakic, at an extraordinary press conference, after yesterday’s conversation with the Serbian President, reported that a joint meeting of councilors of the assemblies of four municipalities from the north of Kosovo and Metohija was announced for Wednesday in Zvecan. “This time, in the event that no compromise solution is reached, we will start by leaving all institutions, first we politicians, and then everyone in turn, the court, the prosecution and the police, and in this way there will be a total dismantling of the Brussels dialogue that Pristina rendered senseless by persistently refusing to form the ZSO even after almost 10 years and by constantly violating the Brussels agreement,” noted Rakic. He called on KFOR soldiers not to be passive as they were in 2004 when the Serbs experienced a pogrom. “They are not here to take the side of Pristina and to prevent our people from fighting for their human and political rights. In this sense, I am telling them that they need to deploy their forces in order to act preventively and not allow the Albanian special forces to bring in heavy machinery and firearms in purely Serb areas in the north,” said Rakic.

Serb List fails to live up to Vucic’s assurances to media (KoSSev/N1)

The Serb List failed to live up to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s assurances that its leaders would speak to all media. The Serb List, the strongest Kosovo Serb political party, held a news conference in Mitrovica on Monday but invited only select media which are viewed as supporters of the Serbian authorities, the KoSSev news portal reported. KoSSev said it was not invited to the news conference, adding that a number of other local media from the north of Kosovo were also not invited but that several others viewed as pro-regime were there and aired footage from it. The news conference was held by Serb List leader Goran Rakic with the party’s MP in the Kosovo Assembly Igor Simic and the mayors of majority-Serb northern municipalities. Rakic said that the Serbs would withdraw from all Kosovo institutions, including the judiciary and police, if a compromise solution is not found, adding that the leaders of the four majority-Serb northern municipalities would meet in Zvecan.

Milivojevic: Belgrade-Pristina dialogue going badly since Vucic became President (Beta)

Political scientist Cvijetin Milivojevic said that negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina have been going badly since Aleksandar Vucic became Serbian President and that the Kosovo issue should be taken back to the United Nations Security Council. Milivojevic said the UN Security Council is the place from which the Belgrade-Pristina was initiated and where it will end, and that any solution that is reached will go to the Security Council for verification. “The Security Council only gave the EU a mandate to coordinate these negotiations, not to adopt or impose solutions. Why hasn’t Serbia asked, for ten years, for the issue of Kosovo to be taken back to the Security Council because it is obviously not going well when managed by EU negotiators,” he said. Milivojevic said that the Serbian President, neither under Serbia’s Constitution nor under the Law on the President of the Republic, should be a negotiator in negotiations on the potential cession of a part of Serbia’s territory, because that is not one of the president’s powers. “This is the job of the government, which is the executive body, and then, in second instance, possibly a people’s referendum. Vucic has been discrediting the state institutions since 2012,” said Milivojevic, adding that there have been a number of different negotiators on Pristina’s side as well as people in charge of the technical part of the negotiations, so why would the prime minister or president always have to go there. By participating in the negotiations in Brussels, Vucic has “subverted the institution of the president of the Republic”.

REGIONAL PRESS

SDA: SDA will never agree to new solutions, which are worse than Dayton Agreement and which lead to additional divisions (NAP.ba/ATV) 

SDA issued a press statement, stating that solving the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), which has been denied democracy such is the one existing in other European countries, needs the support of USA, UK and EU which have mechanisms to make Serbia and Croatia to respect Dayton Peace Agreement. The statement reads that in the time of the world crisis, especially the war in Ukraine, B&H can be a trigger for deeper problems in Europe, because of great influence of Russia, stressing that in case internal actors in B&H do not get support of Belgrade and Zagreb, they will return to respecting of the laws and decisions of international and domestic courts. SDA stated that this needs to be a starting point in solving of relations in B&H and in the region, underlining that SDA will never agree to new solutions, which are worse than Dayton Agreement and which lead to additional divisions. “The only acceptable trajectory is additional strengthening of institutions of the state and reforms which get B&H closer to democratic standards of the EU,” reads the statement. The statement also noted that this approach can be secured through strengthened engagement of states witnesses to the DPA and opened dialogue between B&H, Serbia and Croatia which would lead to relaxation of relations in the region. Stressing that only mutual respecting of state institutions can lead to strong progress, SDA underlined that they will make sure that B&H will never accept humiliations from its neighbors, especially certain leaders who demonstrate open hatred toward B&H and Bosniaks. “In this moment destructive policies from the neighborhood are at the level, where for instance Serbian officials openly bring in connection solving of their relations with Kosovo with integrity of B&H. On the other side, Republic of Croatia is openly interfering in B&H’s internal relations especially in regard to Election Law. In this they are using all mechanisms, especially abusing the membership in the EU and NATO. We are convinced that the USA, UK, EU member states, as well as other NATO member states, are aware of the fact that unstable South-East Europe suits only Russia. B&H is in the center of this destabilization, because Russia has strong allies in SNSD and HDZ. This is not even held a secret in the public,” the statement reads. Therefore, SDA is asking for implementing of extensive reforms, which would be supported by Western countries. The statement further stressed that constitutional reform and changes to the Election Law have to contain symmetrical solution for both entities, underlining that relations in the Federation of B&H (FB&H) cannot be solved separately from the same or similar relations in Republika Srpska (RS). SDA goes on and lists which solutions this includes, stating that for instance posts and competencies of entity presidents and vice presidents have to be harmonized, underlining that RS vice presidents have no competencies, while FB&H vice presidents are vital for forming of the government. The statement reminds of decisions of the B&H Constitutional Court about equality of peoples and underlined that Bosniak and Croat people in the RS are deprived of rights regarding forming of the government. SDA noted that it is necessary to harmonize solutions in regard to FB&H House of Peoples and RS Council of Peoples, and concludes it is necessary to remove blockades in functioning of the FB&H which would enable undisturbed appointing of the government, judges of Constitutional Court and functioning of both Houses of the FB&H parliament. SDA letter also states that B&H is constantly under attack of SNSD’s secessionist threats, and HDZ B&H’s aggressive campaign to amend the FB&H Constitution and the B&H Election Law in order to ensure HDZ B&H remaining permanently in power. The document reads that in presenting B&H as a non-functioning state, SNSD and HDZ B&H are greatly supported by Croatia and Serbia, and the greatest damage is caused to Bosniaks. The document also reads: “Serbia avoids signing an agreement with B&H on the state border. The border line is known and established, but Serbia avoids signing the agreement by demanding that before agreeing an exchange of territory, which mainly refers to the border on the Drina River, the potential of which Serbia uses without compensation.” When it comes to Croatia, SDA noted that Croatia also avoids ratifying the signed agreement on the state border with B&H, prevents B&H from unhindered access to the open sea guaranteed by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, obstructs the Agreement on the passage of B&H to the Port of Ploce, and disputes the Agreement related to Port of Ploce. “In addition, Croatia refuses to return property belonging to B&H”, mentioned SDA in the document. In their letter, SDA claims that Croatia and Serbia provide support exclusively to policies that cause division in B&H. They stressed that if such support did not exist, there would be no destructive policies in B&H. ATV also reported on SDA document and noted that less than three years ago, SDA issued the so-called program declaration, in which they stated the establishment of the Republic of B&H, as a civic state without entities and constituent peoples, as their political goal, reminded the reporter. In the meantime, SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic noted that the weapons industry produces for ‘God forbid’ situations, and in recent months, he said that Bosniaks are counting themselves, and he threatened dissenters with wagons. Neither then, nor now, not a single serious criticism came from the international community, noted the reporter.

Dodik on SDA document: It is best to try to find agreement to return to original Dayton or to peacefully separate (ATV) 

SDA shared a document in which they marked the culprits for the political situation in B&H and found the solution. It does not take one a lot to guess when it comes to SDA, commented the presenter, and the culprits are Serbs and Croats, while foreigners are a solution. SNSD and its leader Milorad Dodik, HDZ B&H, and then Serbia and Croatia, are the biggest culprits for the current situation in B&H according to the latest document directed by SDA. The solution, according to the well-known, as the reporter said, subject mentality of politics in Sarajevo, envisages the disciplining of Serbs, Croats and their home countries with the help of the Anglo-American stick. Dodik stated: “B&H is a failed country, the failure of which has not yet been announced by anyone. It is best to try to find an agreement to return to the original Dayton. If not that, then to peacefully split up. When we say to them that we want to separate peacefully, it does not work, it does not function. There is no chance, there is no future. They respond that they want war. We do not want war. But we are also ready to defend RS, and no one should doubt that the RS is ready and capable of defending its institutions, its territory and its people.” Addressing the media, Dodik said: “They are imagining they are B&H, that they certainly are not. They are one third in B&H, in its political system. Ideologically speaking, it is an Islamization of B&H policy, a policy of taking B&H for themselves, of usurping. It is an anti-constitutional policy, because what they propose is not in line with the Constitution, and they have not proposed amendments to the Constitution. Instead, they want, contrary to that, to develop a new practice that would be anti-constitutional and anti-Dayton, according to which they would reduce constituent peoples to marginalized groups, and the protection of their national rights would be guaranteed by them whom you cannot trust. It is filled with lies.” Dodik stated that “emphasizing Russian influence in the country in which we have live broadcast of the breakdown of German diplomat who is staying here illegally is hypocrisy which is difficult to describe”. “Muslims still insist on anti-Russian hysteria in order to score a few points for themselves. The demand to the Western countries to implement and support reforms sends the message that Serbs and Croats should not even be asked about anything and that the agreement of Muslims and Western countries is sufficient,” said Dodik.

Reactions on SDA document (ATV) 

SDA has sent a letter to its officials in a form of a document on the current crisis in B&H and proposals for its resolution. According to RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic, this was another in a series of SDA political pamphlets. However, one should not ignore nor minimize the consequences that can be produced by the SDA documents, said Cvijanovic.  Cvijanovic stated that is not a good way to build good relations in the region and in B&H. “It would be good if SDA were someone to promote coexistence in a way that someone’s something would not be usurped whilst talking about coexistence, and that they comply with what the DPA gave. It would be better for them to invest their energy in seeking ways how to building good relations with Serbs and Croats within B&H, instead of constantly developing plans beyond the DPA, constituent status, equality and everything that should enable a normal life here,” said Cvijanovic for the media. Deputy speaker of the RS parliament Milan Petkovic recalled that the Constitution of B&H prescribed asymmetric solutions regarding the state organization of the entities which, as he says, entails all other differences, including the role of president and vice presidents. “Therefore, in order for the solutions to be identical in both entities, it would be necessary to have two federally governed entities or two unitary governed entities. Given that this is not the case, it is not possible to have identical powers of the president and vice-presidents in both entities,” Petkovic stressed. RS parliament deputy speaker Denis Sulic reminded that all three peoples agreed on the issue of the B&H framework and that it can only function like that, “which should finally be clear to political Sarajevo”. “In the RS, you will always have resistance to any type of imposition. That needs to be clear to people in political Sarajevo and part of the international community,” Sulic said, reminding that the methods of electing the president of the RS and the FB&H are different. SDS leader Mirko Sarovic stated that positions presented in the SDA’s document are not new, neither is the fact they are similar to the goals of the so-called civic political parties in the FB&H, however cooperation with all of them is a political reality. The Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) stated it is filled with lies and personal opinions. According to the HNS, SDA and its leader Bakir Izetbegovic, with the election campaign approaching, are heightening tensions in relations between constituent peoples, that proves they are the factor of instability, for which they accuse others. “Everyone saw through their lies; thus, the agitation is greater. Unaware of failed, absurd and ungrounded repetition of misguided political positions, actually, they present themselves as the key destabilizing factor in B&H, what the officials across the European Union (EU) and the world are now familiarized with. SDA persistently advertises journey into an uncertain state, not only within institutions and the rule of law, but also within political and institutional framework through undisguised attempts of Bosniak rule over the FB&H”, reads the HNS’ statement. HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said that after political leaders failed to reach an agreement through the standard two-year-long negotiation process that was scrutinized by the public, “it was clear after the statements of individual political officials from Sarajevo that their strategy was to buy time to keep the status quo”.

Dodik announces criminal complaint against Dzaferovic if he participates in Crimea Platform Summit contrary to Dodik’s vote and Rules of Procedure (Hayat) 

B&H Presidency held an extraordinary session in Sarajevo on Monday, at which proposal of Serb member of B&H Presidency and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik that B&H Presidency Chairman Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA) skips participation at the Crimea Platform Summit in Ukraine was rejected. Dzaferovic has accepted an invitation he received from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to participate at the summit, after which Dodik requested an extraordinary session of B&H Presidency and proposed a conclusion for Dzaferovic not to participate at the summit.  Dzaferovic and Croat member of B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic voted against Dodik’s proposal. Dodik also proposed a conclusion that B&H takes neutral stance regarding Russian military operation in Ukraine, which was also rejected under explanation that B&H’s previous official stances on the issue would thus be changed. The Crimea Platform is a diplomatic initiative involving a large number of heads of state and government, including all EU and NATO members, launched by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the aim of reversing the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014. Dodik stressed the importance of the B&H elected officials acting responsibly and avoiding taking sides that would “cause additional problems and divisions, primarily in B&H”, and proposed a conclusion as follows “the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s invitation sent to the B&H Presidency Chairperson”. After the voting on the conclusion, Dzaferovic said that it was not adopted with two votes against it and one in its favor. Following this, Dodik reminded that Bi& “generally took a neutral position on the crisis in Ukraine”, since 2014 including the issue of Crimea “where I stress the principled position to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and in that regard, that is absolutely the only agreed position that can be presented”. Dodik also said the participation in the Summit would mean B&H is not neutral in regard to conflict in Ukraine and would lead to worsening relations; if Dzaferovic participates in the Summit, that would constitute violation of the Rules of Procedure, because B&H’s foreign policy must be agreed at the level of the B&H Presidency. “I will only say it is necessary to again discuss this item of the agenda at the first next session. Bearing in mind it is (scheduled) for the day after tomorrow and that you clearly want to participate in that (Summit) contrary to these opinions, I will only say if that happens contrary to these opinions and the procedure adopted by the (B&H) Presidency, Mr. Dzaferovic, I will use my rights and file a criminal complaint against you for failing to comply with the Rules of Procedure,” said Dodik at the B&H Presidency’s session. Dodik said it is not the first time that Dzaferovic falsely represents himself, and does everything to undermine the institutions, as well as to damage trust in the institutions. “I think that this B&H, with such policy can never succeed, and should never succeed. Probably, everyone notices this is the end of that country, the only thing being waited now is to declare its end. Whether that will be in the next two, five or ten years, that is irrelevant, but it is clear this country cannot continue at all”, said Dodik for RTRS. According to Dodik, the only role of the B&H Presidency Chairperson is to schedule the session. “He did not think it relevant to put it on the agenda, instead, after receiving the information, I requested extraordinary, i.e. urgent session – and that has been done – with only one item on the agenda, i.e. whether to participate or not,” said Dodik. Dodik also said the participation in private capacity and presenting private opinions is Bosniak politicians’ practice, with what they undermine B&H.

Minister: Croatia will not allow arrest warrants for pilots wanted by Serbia (RTL/Hina) 

Croatia will use all available legal means to protect its pilots, Justice and Public Administration Minister Ivan Malenica said on Monday, calling the proceedings in Serbia a politically staged attempt that could be a reason for blocking Serbia’s accession to the EU. “The Croatian government has clearly stated that it will protect all its citizens, all its defenders, generals, and, in this case, pilots. Therefore, we will use all available legal means if such a moment comes,” Malenica said in an interview for RTL television. This means that in this case, which refers to the pilots, Croatia will not allow that an international arrest warrant be issued, the minister said. According to Malenica, this is one of the mechanisms and tools at Croatia’s disposal, although it is too soon to speak of specific legal moves, since Croatia has not received any information yet regarding the proceedings conducted in Serbia, and all that is being discussed is based on reports in Serbian media. “Nothing official has come from Serbia yet. For now, we only have information from Vucic’s media. There is no official communication on this case,” the minister noted, adding that Croatia would do everything to protect its generals and “the dignity of the Homeland War”. Commenting on the statements by lawyers of the injured parties that it is a lie that the rights of the Croatian pilots were violated because they didn’t have a chance to make a statement, Minister Malenica said these were “untruths”. He pointed out that Croatia had conducted approximately 3,000 criminal proceedings related to war crimes and in the past year there were no unanswered subpoenas referring to Serbia. He said that with regard to legislation, Croatia had clearly aligned itself with the EU, “so the question is what Serbia is doing and whether it really wants to join the EU”. Malenica added that Croatia would employ all legal mechanisms at its disposal and insist on certain issues being resolved bilaterally.

No resolution of the political crisis, no one is deviating from their positions (RTCG) 

There is no end in sight to the complicated political situation after the fall of the government. All political actors have taken positions from which they do not deviate. At this moment, it is only clear that the responsibility for the outcome is being shifted from one side to another. The Democrats will not enter into any kind of coalition with the DPS, but not even into models like the SNP and URA entered into, said the leader of that party Aleksa Becic, noting that there are three options on the table, and that the first is to respect the will of the people from 30 August.

It is not yet known whether and when the winners of the parliamentary elections will be offered interviews. A, DF call is waiting. On the day of the overthrow of the government, they did their best to gather the winners of the parliamentary elections, but they were overpowered by the sparks between the President of URA and the Democrats. “We can take this opportunity to invite Mr. Becic, also the people from Prava Crna Gora, SNP, URA to come to an agreement first, to calm down, to somehow put those animosities aside between them. And then they are free to come to New Serbian Democracy in the DF with a proposal, a platform, any document,” said Jovan Vucurovic, a member of the DF. GP URA reiterates that they were also in the mood for an agreement on Friday, but that the Democrats did not want an agreement. Now, they say, they are no longer part of the parliamentary majority and the ball is in the court of the Democrats and DPS. “At this moment, as far as we know, there was no call for negotiations. Our position is clear, we can agree on extraordinary parliamentary elections, we can agree on unblocking the judiciary, on solutions for the VDT, the Judicial Council… As for the government, it is a question for the Democrats and the DPS, which make up the new parliamentary majority,” said Zoran Mikic from GP URA. “As far as we are concerned, those people and those parties that overthrew the 43rd Government, they can form a new parliamentary majority, they have already formed it. And that new government can only be within the parliamentary majority,” says Dragan Vukic from the SNP. DPS recently announced that they are ready for extraordinary parliamentary elections and an agreement on who will prepare them. It is already mentioned in the public that the mandate for the composition of the new government could be a nonpartisan person from the civil sector. DF say that they will no longer support such experiments, and URA and SNP that they don’t care. Vucurovic says to that: “Now some phantom NGO or someone from that sector needs to appear in order to be appointed by a foreign embassy. That is absolutely not acceptable. And I think that Montenegro has to get out of such a matrix.” The interlocutors of the RTCG, as they say, are only interested in not allowing the beheading of institutions, and that everyone should devote themselves to stability. The question is whether and how they can get there.

New majority or elections in Montenegro (RSE/CdM) 

After the vote of no confidence in the government of Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, some political entities demand the holding of extraordinary parliamentary elections, while others advocate the formation of a new government. There are several options for forming a government, from a party government with a concrete political program to a transitional government whose task would be to organize elections. The formation of a new government is a more realistic option than new elections, although all the combinations that are currently in play seem difficult to achieve, activist and columnist Stefan Djukic tells RSE. “It is more realistic that they form a new government, however impossible it may seem now. All of them are still running away from the elections, and I believe that there will certainly be some variant with which they will not be satisfied, but they will be able to cover themselves in front of their voters,” says Djukic. On 20 August, the government of Prime Minister Abazovic was voted no-confidence in the parliament of Montenegro. 50 deputies out of a total of 81 in the Montenegrin parliament voted for her overthrow. From now on, Abazovic’s government will function in a technical mandate, until the election of a new government.

Who would form the new government with whom 

The Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of Milo Djukanovic, which initiated the fall of Abazovic’s government, advocated reaching an agreement on the organization of extraordinary parliamentary elections. “After two bad experiments since 2020 (expert and minority government), we will have to agree on who will prepare those elections, so that they finally get a European government”, announced the DPS, adding that they are ready for a constructive dialogue with all parliamentary parties. The Pro-Serbian Democratic Front (DF) expects the parliamentary majority parties from August 2020 to reach an agreement and form a new government. The former parliamentary majority consisted of the parties gathered around: DF, the Democrats of Alekse Becic and the Civic Movement of URA Dritan Abazovic and the Socialist People’s Party (SNP). They overpowered the DPS for one mandate in the parliament, when they constituted the government of Zdravko Krivokapic in December 2020. That government functioned until February of this year, when it was overthrown on the initiative of the then Deputy Prime Minister, and then the new Prime Minister, Dritan Abazovic. However, a sharp political conflict opened between Abazovic’s URA movement and the SNP on one side, and the Democrats on the other, due to the fact that the Democrats voted for the fall of Abazovic’s government. Before the actual vote in the Assembly, Prime Minister Abazovic told his former partners “not to call him to the negotiating table” after the overthrow of his government. A series of statements were published in which these parties accuse each other of betrayal, of cooperation with the DPS, and reject the attempt to agree on the constitution of a new government. Smaller parliamentary parties call for an urgent agreement on the date of the elections and on the government that would prepare them.

Transitional government as an option 

The President of the Association of Lawyers of Montenegro Branislav Radulovic assesses for RSE that after the fall of Abazovic’s government, there are two possible options on the table – that Abazovic’s government continues to perform its functions in a technical mandate until new elections or that a transitional government is formed. “The question is whether the parliamentary majority that voted no confidence in the current government will allow the technical mandate holder and the vice prime minister from that position to run for election. Or will they agree to create a neutral government that would enable all subjects to be equal in the election process,” Radulovic points out. Radulovic says that the technical government would probably have the support of two-thirds of the deputies, but that it would not include party leaders. “That government would not be a classic, programmatic government. All parties would delegate a certain number of ministers, party technocrats, with a neutral prime minister. That government would keep the system functional, ensure the neutrality of elections. It would create the conditions for the next government to be stable, programmatic and to bring Montenegro into the EU,” says Radulovic.

Gathering the old majority in the new government is not realistic 

Columnist Stefan Djukic believes that it is unrealistic to expect the formation of a new-old majority, which would consist of the winners of the August 2020 elections – DF, Democrats and URA. “Given the shifts in party ratings and pleas for the same electorate and the ‘feigning’ of some purity [in the sense of who was and who was not and allegedly never will be with the DPS], I think that the restoration of the old majority in a new, third It is not realistic for the government,” Djukic said. Djukic states that there are additional reasons why it is unlikely that the parties of the old majority could be reunited in the new government. “There is great vanity of the leaders, which can be seen through the ‘revenge’ political moves in the relationship between the Democrats and the URA. First, the URA initiated the dismissal of the leader of the Democrats, Aleksa Becic, from the position of the speaker of the parliament, and now the Democrats are retaliating with a vote of no confidence in the Abazovic government,” added Djukic.

Western partners expect a solution to the crisis 

A unique message was sent from all important international addresses to overcome the existing political crisis. The rapporteur of the European Parliament for Montenegro Tonino Picula assessed that Montenegrin politics must decide – whether it will continue in the direction of European integration or whether it will become a commodity of Russian and Serbian interests in the region. “Citizens of Montenegro still clearly support membership in the EU, which should receive clear support in elections that would reflect that mood. Such an Assembly and government will certainly have the unequivocal support of the European Parliament,” Picula said on Twitter. He added that managing the approach to the European Union requires clear support without balancing petty political interests. “This was also shown by the fall of the government of Montenegro, which in the previous two years did not manage to secure the clear support of the Assembly for key pro-European decisions,” pointed out the rapporteur of the European parliament for Montenegro. After the fall of the government of Montenegro, the US State Department announced that Montenegro is expected to quickly form a new government or call extraordinary parliamentary elections.

At Zelenskiy’s invitation, Abazovic is participating in the Second Summit of the Crimean Platform (CdM) 

The Prime Minister of Montenegro in technical mandate Dritan Abazovic, at the invitation of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will participate in the Second Summit of the Crimean Platform, 23 August, the government announced. “The Crimean platform was held for the first time last year in Kyiv, bringing together a large number of state presidents, prime ministers, ministers and other European and international officials. Through the initiative of the Crimean Platform, among other things, the Russian Federation is condemned and called upon to stop the military aggression against Ukraine, to respect international and humanitarian law, as well as the rights of minorities, but also to liberate Crimea and return it to the auspices of Ukraine,” explained the government. At the meeting, in addition to Abazovic, numerous international officials confirmed their participation, as they say, after which the Joint Statement will be adopted. This year’s summit, due to war events, will be organized in an online format.

The EU supports Albania in the key areas of energy and infrastructure (Radio Tirana) 

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku held a meeting with the Ambassador of the EU in Tirana Christiane Hohmann. Hohman said that the EU-Albania cooperation in the key fields of energy and infrastructure development was the focus of the meeting. The EU ambassador emphasized that the EU is committed to supporting Albania in these key areas for its citizens and Albania’s integration into the EU. “Good first meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure & Energy Belinda Balluku about the EU – Albania cooperation in key areas of energy and infrastructure development. The EU is committed to supporting Albania in these key areas for its citizens and Albania’s EU integration,” said EU Ambassador Christiane Hohmann in a post on social networks.

100th anniversary of Albania-USA relations, American B-52 planes fly over “Skenderbeg” square (Radio Tirana) 

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of relations between our country and the United States of America, for the first time, two American B-52 planes have flown in the Albanian sky. They were photographed flying over “Skenderbeg” square, this is a sign of an increasingly strong cooperation between Albania and the USA. During this demonstration of the “Beast of the Skies” as the B-52 plane is otherwise known, present in the “Skenderbeg” square, were also the American Ambassador to Albania Yuri Kim, as well as senior Albanian military personnel. “We’re very happy to be here, in the middle of Tirana, in the middle of Albania for the historic flyover of two B52 bombers! As everybody knows these are the biggest aircrafts in the US military and they are conducting an exercise, flying over the region, including Albania but not just Albania. Other countries as well. It should make very clear that for the United States, our defense relationship, our alliance with Albania is extremely important. We stand by our NATO Ally always. First, last, always! There should be no doubt about that! And I am very pleased to be here with your Chief of Defense. I know that there have been some incidents recently, but we are with you all the way. And we’re looking forward to seeing the results of the investigation and holding accountable those who are responsible, ” said Kim.