LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: The only thing I can say is that I did my best to protect Serbia (B92)

Special envoys of five countries arrived on Friday in Belgrade to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. After the meeting, they addressed the public. “Today, we had a very difficult conversation,” Vucic said at the beginning of his speech. “An open and serious discussion. What we agree on is that a frozen conflict is not a solution, and that when you have a frozen conflict, it is a matter of time when irresponsible individuals will unfreeze it and endanger peace and stability in the Balkans,” he said. Vucic said that as the president of Serbia today, he was unequivocally faced with the problems and challenges that would be placed before our country if we did not agree with the proposed plan. “Under these and such conditions, we asked the four, plus Miroslav Lajcak, to help all of us overcome the turbulence we are facing in Kosovo, because we believe that it is high time to form the ZSO, which was not only promised but also signed 10 years ago. It is a matter of urgency, since only after that, conversation is possible, including any kind of normalization of the situation,” he added. He pointed out that Western diplomats welcomed Serbia’s progress on the European path. Vucic pointed out that there are difficult days and decisions ahead of us. “There are no nice or sweet talks here, and I can say that I did my best to protect and guard Serbia, which I will continue to do,” concluded President Vucic.

Consultations with government, parliament due in coming days

Vucic said on Friday he would hold discussions and consultations with government members, MPs and all significant social groups about a proposed plan for Kosovo and Metohija in the coming days. Speaking to reporters in Belgrade after a meeting with five international envoys, Vucic noted that he had said that “we are ready to accept the concept and work on implementing the proposed agreement”. “But I made one thing very clear, showing all the concern and reservations over one significant issue, but I cannot speak about that because the proposal is not public.” Asked to comment on the envoys’ assessments of Serbia’s progress on rule of law, Vucic responded he was unaware of any statements they had made on the matter, but noted that he hoped they had welcomed the progress, and added that he expected support for Serbia’s EU path. “I hope we will hear their voices because, for years, we have been listening to statements that reforms of the judiciary, prosecutor’s offices and all other things are necessary… We have done just that, and that is why I expect further support,” he said.

Lajcak: Community of municipalities crucial, German-French plan solution (Tanjug)

EU special representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak said on Friday in Belgrade the “overdue implementation of the association of the community of Serbian-majority municipalities is a crucial element for stability”. Speaking to reporters after a meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and five international envoys, Lajcak said the envoys remained convinced “the (German-French) plan we presented in September and discussed today is the best way for normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo and for European integration of the region”. “Our work will continue without delay,” he said.

Lajcak and four other envoys – US special Western Balkans envoy Gabriel Escobar, the foreign policy aides of the French president and the German chancellor, Emmanuel Bonne and Jens Plotner, and the diplomatic adviser to the Italian PM, Francesco Talo – met with Vucic on Friday afternoon. The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill.

Escobar: Kosovo prime minister does not need to accept ZSO, because Kosovo already did (Beta/VoA)

Gabriel Escobar, the US’s special envoy for the Western Balkans, said on Friday that he had had a very constructive meeting in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, with whom he discussed a Franco-German proposal for addressing the Kosovo issue, and that the next meeting between Serbia’s and Kosovo’s negotiators in Brussels could take place quite soon. Escobar said in a comment for the Voice of America (VoA) that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti “doesn’t need to agree” to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, because “Kosovo already did.” When asked if the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue would be restarted soon, Escobar said that “first of all, it never stopped,” but “the challenge is that it became an instrument for crisis management”. “We want to get it back to the strategic level based on the Franco-German proposal. We believe that the proposal is very good. The United States supports it fully, and we want it to be a good solution for both countries. In other words, we want it to open a European perspective for both countries, and to open opportunities for closer cooperation not only with Europe, but also the region and the U.S.,” the US envoy said. Escobar said that the international community wanted the Kosovo prime minister to establish the Community, underlining that it was part of the agreement that was going to be implemented. “One person and one party cannot give up the implementation of legally binding clauses, that’s a fact. We will do it, I will do it by finding partners – there are many people who would like to see a better relationship between the Serbs in the north and the rest of the country,” Escobar said.

Brnabic: Nothing regarding Kosovo will be decided without the people (TV Pink/FoNet)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated, regarding the situation in Kosovo, that the government is not hiding anything and that nothing will be decided without the citizens.

“It’s important for us to continue to fight for a strong Serbia in every aspect. We will communicate everything openly and transparently with our people, we will make all difficult decisions with our people, and we will bear all the responsibility,” Brnabic told TV Pink.

According to her, since the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has been in power, everything has been done transparently, but when addressing the people Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, “seems to moderate”.  “Vucic is often much more direct and explicit when he defends Serbia’s interests in closed meetings, behind closed doors, than when he says what he was saying,” Brnabic said. She accused the opposition that their negative reactions to the government’s moves to resolve the Kosovo issue show that they “start from themselves and from how they worked”. She added that the citizens will once again be able to hear Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic talk about the talks he had with international negotiators, and that economic growth will also be discussed at the government meeting, to which Vucic is also invited, tomorrow.

Dacic: Serbia needs to be united (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian Foreign Minister and leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dacic said on Sunday that all attacks on President Aleksandar Vucic, in the days when Serbia should be united, only harm the country and, he says, are only in favor of the enemy. Dacic pointed out that this is the time when all parties and politicians should show responsibility and full unity.

“Vucic, as always, showed all his greatness and strength, expressing his firm intention for Serbia to remain committed to dialogue, so that it would not be pre-judged and attacked for refusing to participate in the search for a political solution to the Kosovo crisis, while at the same time expressing a firm determination to protect our national and state interests,” Dacic told Tanjug. Stating that the attacks on Vucic harm the state, Dacic assessed that it is especially hypocritical when the attacks come from those political parties from the opposition that had a particularly negative role when they were in power, which, he says, led to the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence. “Serbia is only as strong as it is unique. That is why the Socialist Party of Serbia and I will be a strong pillar of national and state unity,” said Dacic.

Vucevic: Vucic was presented with consequences of not accepting agreement (RTS)

Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic told RTS on Saturday that international mediators not only reiterated the Franco-German platform for further talks during Friday’s meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic but also that the President said he was presented with the consequences of not accepting the proposed agreement. “Nothing nice is being offered to us here, and difficult decisions are expected,” said Vucevic. Speaking about the Friday meeting between President Vucic and international mediators, Vucevic told RTS that he understood the President’s message that he was presented what the consequences of not accepting the agreement proposal as the basis of the agreement between Pristina and Belgrade. “What was presented to the President, as I understood it in yesterday’s conversation that I attended when the President informed the Patriarch and a large number of bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church about some current issues, and it was nothing pleasant for the citizens of Serbia, so great challenges lie ahead. Nothing is being offered to us here, and difficult decisions are expected,” Vucevic said.

Military cooperation between Serbia, Hungary at an extremely high level (Tanjug/Politika)

Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic and Hungarian Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky stated that the military cooperation of the two countries is at an extremely high level, noting that its further improvement is possible. Speaking to journalists after the meeting at the Guard House in Topcider, Vucevic said that forms of military-military, military-economic, military-technological, military-scientific cooperation were discussed at the meeting with the Hungarian delegation, assessing that a new chapter in strengthening relations in the field of defence between the two countries. He expressed his gratitude to the Hungarian armed forces for the very correct and professional engagement in carrying out their tasks as members of KFOR, as well as for the good attitude towards the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija. Vucevic added that they discussed the war in Ukraine, the political situation in Europe and the world, but also the events in the region, while the Hungarian delegation was once again presented with Serbia’s views on Kosovo and Metohija. He reminded that Hungary is the most sincere friend and ally of our country in the process of EU integration. According to him, the topics of today’s talks were joint infrastructure projects, a high-speed railway that will connect the two capitals, continued investments by companies from Hungary, because Serbia is a good place for foreign investments. Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that the Western Balkan region is of strategic importance for Hungary and that throughout history the country has paid great attention to that region, whose key actor, as he said, is Serbia. From a political point of view, Hungary fully supports the accession of Serbia to the EU, because we believe that it would contribute to better stability in the region and serve Serbia’s interests, the Minister pointed out. In today’s time of great crisis we must continue to cooperate, because for us that time will cause concern on different levels – both in terms of security and economic issues, he said.

Drecun: Kurit’s anti-Serbia rhetoric incites violence against the Serb people (RTS)

The Chair of the parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun told RTS’ press review this morning that Pristina does not respect everything that was agreed and that they are now being pressured by Western countries to realize the Community of Serb Municipalities. “From our side, it was clearly stated that without the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), there is no return of Serbian political representatives to the provisional institutions of self-government, and that there is no continuation of the dialogue if the ZSO is not realized,” said Drecun. He assessed that the Americans are perhaps the most persistent in the efforts to establish the ZSO and added that the proposal for the statute of the Community has been sitting in Miroslav Lajcak‘s drawer for years and that it was up to him to put it on the agenda at one of the meetings of the delegations of Belgrade and Pristina. “Kurti persistently talks about the rights of the Serbs instead of the Community. Therefore, he will not even mention the Community of Serb Municipalities. Also, this European proposal does not talk about the Community of Serb Municipalities, it talks about a certain self-government for the Serb people, they say about the Serb community on Kosovo and Metohija,” stated Drecun. Speaking about yesterday’s attack on a 15-year-old boy in Suvi Do, Drecun said that Pristina is tolerating it and thereby encouraging attacks on the Serb people. “If the police do not react appropriately against those who cause violence, if the prosecution does not react properly, if the judiciary does not react, if the punishments are light or not punished at all, then this is the result of the politics pursued by Pristina, that strong anti-Serb rhetoric of Albina Kurti and other officials in the provisional institutions of self-government, certainly does not discourage violent people, but incites them to violence against the Serb people,” emphasized Drecun.

Djilas: Our policy towards Kosovo is dialogue (TV Prva)

For me, it would really be a crime for someone to recognize the independence of Kosovo, but it would also be a crime for someone to deny our children and Serbia a European future, the leader of the Party of Freedom and Justice Dragan Djilas said Sunday, adding that this year he expects new elections at all levels, except for the presidency. “Let’s see what is written in that Franco-German proposal, if it gives a European future to Serbia without the recognition of Kosovo and if it enables further normalization of relations, if all that is so, then we would be ready to vote for it,” Djilas told TV Prva. The essence is not to strengthen the position of Aleksandar Vucic in those negotiations, but the position of Serbia, Djilas noted. He repeated that it would be irresponsible for him to comment on the proposal for solving the Kosovo issue “which none of us has seen”. “I expect it to be available to the citizens, to the parliament, to see what the proposal is. For us, there are red lines, which are the recognition of Kosovo and Kosovo’s membership in the UN,” Djilas said. “Our policy towards Kosovo is to enable our children and generations to come to go to Decane, Gazimestan, Gracanica. Our policy is conversation and dialogue, although it is difficult to conduct such a dialogue with Albin Kurti,” Djilas concluded.

Opposition reacts to Vucic’s willingness to accept Kosovo agreement concept (N1)

Former Serbian president Boris Tadic estimated that the offered agreement to resolve the status of Kosovo can enable Kosovo’s membership in the UN, even if this is not explicitly stated in the text itself. He added that it is unacceptable for the President to express his readiness to accept the agreement without consulting the competent institutions. A similar problem was pointed out by the Dveri movement and the NADA coalition. Dveri asked for an urgent parliament session, where MPs would be informed about the content of the agreement. The leader of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina Bojan Kostres is currently the only one who asked the President of Serbia to sign the French-German plan for Kosovo. “As far as I’m aware of the agreement that is being offered, I once again publicly point out that such an agreement may indeed enable Kosovo’s membership in the UN, even if it is not explicitly stated in the text itself,” Tadic Tweeted. According to him, the German proposal that was brought by the then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel during his term of office “was nowhere near as dangerous for the preservation of the territorial integrity of Serbia as this agreement”. The leader of the People’s Party Vuk Jeremic wrote on Twitter that “‘accepting the concept of the agreement’, which implies that Serbia agrees with the international equality of ‘Kosovo’, is an extremely dangerous step. From that, Pristina’s seat in the UN can be reached overnight, even if that is not Vucic’s intention. It is tragic that he didn’t write to Moscow and Beijing”. The Dveri Movement requested the urgent convening of a session of the Serbian parliament, where President Vucic would inform the deputies of the details of the Franco-German plan for Kosovo “as well as the dangers and challenges that would be placed before Serbia if it does not accept that proposal”. The NADA coalition, consisting of the New DSS and POKS, asked the President of Serbia to urgently inform the citizens about the content of the so-called Franco-German agreement, that is, the EU plan for Kosovo. President Vucic was asked on the basis of which powers and which decisions of the competent authorities did he assume the obligation, meaning, express the readiness for Serbia to accept the concept and to work on the implementation of the proposed agreement? The leader of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina Bojan Kostresis currently the only one who asked the President to sign the French-German plan for Kosovo. Kostres asked Vucic to stop playing with the future of the citizens of Serbia and to stop leading an indecisive policy, but to save Serbia from new sanctions, economic decline and destruction.

SPC against independent Kosovo (Tanjug/Novosti)

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) has stated that it is convinced that the state leadership and Vucic will refuse any condition that are aimed at establishing an independent Kosovo. “The spiritual leader of the Orthodox Serbs and archpriests in attendance have once again reiterated the known, clear and unambiguous position of the Serbian church that Kosovo is an integral and inalienable part of Serbia and that its preservation within the borders of Serbia is a constitutional obligation and imperative for the Church, as well as for our state,” the statement said.

Former ambassador: Vucic capitulated, Serbia did not (Beta)

Former Serbian ambassador Nebojsa Vujovic said on Sunday that President Aleksandar Vucic had capitulated on Kosovo and Metohija, but that Serbia had not. Vujovic told Beta in an interview that Serbia had Resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council on its side, which stated that Kosovo and Metohija was an integral part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, that is Serbia as its successor. “Vucic capitulated, but Serbia did not capitulate. Serbia has Resolution 1244, which Vucic sold out. Anyone who sells out Resolution 1244 will bear that cross on his back. I don’t want to trip up the president of Serbia, he trips enough on is own. Serbia will survive Vucic and nothing will bear his name,” Vujovic said in comment on Vucic’s statement that Serbia is ready to accept the concept and implementation of the Franco-German agreement on solving the Kosovo issue. He added that Vucic had much less room to maneuver now. “The US is a superpower. Anyone who wants good relations with them has to think, talk and act the same way they do. Anyone who tries to stall them, to say one thing and do another, usually fares badly,” the diplomat said, adding that the Serbian president had made a big misstep recently by simultaneously relying on Russia, China the US and EU.

Office for Kosovo claims Serbian boy allegedly beaten by Albanians (N1)

A Serbian boy named Lazar M. (15) was allegedly beaten by four older Albanians in the ethnically mixed neighbourhood of Suvi Do, Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced. “He left the house on foot this morning when he was hurled at out of a moving car, in Albanian. The child lowered his head, which was a sign to the Albanian extremists that he did not understand the language and that he was a Serb, so they stopped the vehicle and beat the boy up,” said the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. “Accompanied by his father, he came to the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica with visible head injuries, hematomas and scratches, as well as a bruise under the eye, and according to him, the attackers hit him several times in the chest and stomach area. A complete diagnosis was made on him and he was discharged for home treatment,” said the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic spoke with the father of the injured boy, supported him and offered all the help of the Office.

Kenya reiterates it will not recognise so-called Kosovo (Tanjug)

Kenya has reiterated it will not recognise the self-declared independence of the so-called Kosovo, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Tanjug on Friday. In a correspondence sent to Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in response to a congratulatory message on occasion of its Independence Day, Kenya said it respected the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and remained committed to the principles of international law. It said its position on the so-called Kosovo remained the same. Kenya remains committed to the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity of your country and supports a peaceful resolution in line with international law, and that is why our position on Kosovo remains the same, the correspondence said.

Text of the “European” proposal of “the basic agreement between Kosovo and  Serbia” 20.1.2023. (NSPM/Danas)

Aware of the responsibility to maintain peace;

Committed to contributing to fruitful regional cooperation and security in Europe;

Realizing that the inviolability of borders and respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the protection of national minorities, are basic conditions for peace;

Acting on the basis of historical facts and without prejudging the different views of the parties on basic issues, including the issue of status;

With the desire to create conditions for the cooperation of the parties for the benefit of the people,

The following is agreed upon:

Article 1

The parties will mutually develop normal, good neighborly relations on the basis of equal rights. Both parties will mutually recognize relevant documents and national symbols, including passports, diplomas, vehicle plates and customs stamps.

Article 2

Both parties will be guided by the purpose and principles established in the Charter of the United Nations, especially those on the sovereign rights of states, respect for their independence, autonomy and territorial integrity, the right to self-determination and the protection of human rights and non-discrimination.

Article 3

In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the parties shall settle all disputes between themselves only by peaceful means and shall refrain from the threat or use of force.

Article 4

The parties start from the assumption that none of them can represent the other party in the international sphere or act on its behalf. Serbia will not oppose Kosovo’s membership in any international organization.

Article 5

Both sides will support their aspirations to become EU members.

Article 6

While this basic agreement represents an important step in normalization, both sides will continue the EU-led dialogue process with renewed momentum, leading to a legally binding, comprehensive agreement to normalize relations. The parties agree that in the future they will deepen cooperation in the fields of economy, science and technology, traffic and connectivity, relations in the judiciary and law enforcement, post and telecommunications, health, culture, religion, sports, environmental protection, missing persons. and other areas, similarly through reaching specific agreements

Article 7

Both sides advocate for the achievement of concrete arrangements, in accordance with the relevant instruments of the Council of Europe and using existing European experiences, in order to ensure an appropriate level of self-government for the Serbian community in Kosovo and the possibility of providing services in Kosovo, some specific areas, including the possibility of financial assistance from Serbia and direct channels of communication between the Serbian community and the government of Kosovo. The parties will formalize the status of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and ensure a high level of protection of Serbian religious and cultural heritage, in accordance with existing European models.

Article 8

The parties will exchange permanent missions. They will be located at the seat of the respective government. Practical issues related to deployment of missions will be addressed separately.

Article 9

The commitment of the EU and other donors to create a special package of financial assistance for joint projects of the parties for economic development, connectivity, green transition and other key areas was noted on both sides.

Article 10

The parties will establish a joint commission, chaired by the EU, which will monitor the implementation of this agreement. Both parties confirm their obligations to implement all previous agreements.

REGIONAL PRESS

B&H CC postpones decision on constitutionality of amendments to FB&H Constitution and B&H Election Law imposed by HR Schmidt on election night (Nova BH)

Nova BH reports that even though it was expected, the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Friday did not make a decision on the constitutionality of amendments to the Constitution of the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and the B&H Election Law which were imposed by High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt on the election night. Nova BH reminded that the motion for review of constitutionality of these amendments was filed by B&H Presidency member Zeljko Komsic (DF) and former member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic (SDA). The B&H CC stated that this case will be decided at one of the next plenary sessions of the CC, possibly the one that will be held in March. The B&H CC in December refused to adopt a temporary measure and temporarily prohibit the application of Schmidt’s amendments. Nova BH stressed that many are of opinion that the B&H CC in this mandate will not in any way interfere in the process of formation of the authorities in B&H. Nova BH noted that the FB&H is now in a specific situation given that the SDA-DF bloc has the control package in the Bosniak Caucus of the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP), and only they can propose the Vice-President of the FB&H from line of the Bosniak people. As Nova BH noted, there are already announcements that if someone from SDA is appointed the Vice-President of the FB&H from line of the Bosniak people that he will not support the appointment of the FB&H government that should be headed by SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic, which would lead the process of formation of the authorities in the FB&H into a stalemate. The CC of B&H discussed a motion for review of constitutionality of the part of the Law on the Flag of B&H in which the term ‘joint institutions’ is used. The abovementioned motion was filed by Denis Zvizdic, who at that time held the position of Deputy Speaker of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR). According to the decision of the B&H CC, the term ‘joint institutions’ is not in accordance with the Constitution of B&H that only knows the term ‘institutions of B&H’. The CC underlined that B&H is not a state union but rather a state with its sovereignty and historic continuity. Hayat reminded that the Republika Srpska (RS) politicians constantly use the term joint institutions to present B&H as a state union of two territories. Zvizdic stated: “Because those who used such a phrase, ‘joint institutions’, actually wanted to prejudge that the state of B&H is complex, made up of entities and the Brcko District, which is completely contrary to the Constitution of B&H. Only B&H continues its legal existence according to the Constitution of B&H”. Commenting on the decision, Zvizdic said that the B&H CC passed an important historical decision because those who have used the term ‘joint institutions’ wanted to prejudge that the state of B&H is a complex stated made up of the entities and Brcko District, which is completely opposite to the Constitution of B&H. He explained that according to the Constitution of B&H, only B&H continues its legal existence as a state in line with the international law while the entities and Brcko District are constituted in line with the Constitution of B&H. “Everyone who used the unconstitutional term ‘joint institutions’ should stop using it after this decision”, Zvizdic concluded.

Cvijanovic on B&H CC’s ruling declaring term ‘joint institutions’ unconstitutional (N1)

Commenting on the ruling passed by the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H according to which the term ‘joint institutions’ is unconstitutionally used for the state-level institutions in B&H, Serb member of the B&H Presidency and B&H Presidency Chairwoman Zeljka Cvijanovic ironically wondered if the acts of B&H Parliament published in the Official Gazette of B&H on establishing the building and land complexes for the seat of B&H institutions, in which the term ‘joint institutions’ is mentioned,  should be annulled – thus annulling the transfer of ownership and moving out all the institutions – given that B&H CC declared the term ‘joint institutions’ unconstitutional “in one of its numerous political stunts.”

PDP Main Board adopts conclusion according to which PDP does not recognize results of elections for RS President (N1/BN TV)

A session of the Main Board of PDP was held in Banja Luka on Sunday. N1 stressed that PDP leader Branislav Borenovic tried with all his might to convince the journalists that PDP will be saved from split and that there is no significant schism in PDP. However, as N1 stressed, the fact that the session of the PDP Main Board lasted more than seven hours shows that things are not so good behind closed doors. Borenovic told a press conference during breaks of the session that the PDP Main Board adopted a conclusion according to which PDP does not recognize the results of elections for the Republika Srpska (RS) President. The PDP Main Board adopted a number of conclusions, including that the political party will remain in opposition both in the RS parliament and the B&H parliament, will not support the B&H CoM’s new convocation and will not accept official election results for the RS President. “We will vote against that B&H CoM convocation, because it is the B&H CoM formed exclusively for the distribution of political parties’ spoils, where the offices and privileges are dominant to such extent that promises given during the election campaign are being forgotten, and it is exclusively a matter of personal and political parties’ interests. So, nothing can surprise as anymore in relation to the current authorities led by SNSD both in the RS and at the level of joint institutions for years”, said Borenovic. He informed that the PDP Main Board also formed a working group tasked with conducting preparatory activities for the PDP assembly expected to take place in 2023. ATV unofficially learns that the session was tense, and that the atmosphere was bad. This could have been predicted from PDP official Jelena Trivic’s public announcement, a few hours before the session. She planned to expose individuals from the party. In this regard, she published a post on her Facebook profile, which reads: “At the session, I will present all the evidence about the theft of the election, as well as the evidence about all those who helped the regime and betrayed not me but all those people who truly wanted a better, fairer and more orderly RS.” Trivic directly accused Drasko Stanivukovic of cooperating with her opponent, SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, to her detriment. Trivic also said that she cannot remain in a party which Stanivukovic is a member of.

US Ambassador Murphy says he is encouraged with faster formation of authorities in B&H than in past, warns politicians often forget of consequences of their inflammatory rhetoric (EuroBlic)

In an interview to the daily, US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Michael Murphy commented on the process of formation of the authorities at the level of B&H and also asked whether he supports the structure of the authorities formed by ‘The Eight’, SNSD and HDZ B&H without SDA, Murphy replied by saying that USA does not make any decisions with regard to which parties will be in the authorities. Murphy added that he is encouraged because of several matters related to the formation of the authorities including the speed of formation of the authorities, knowing that it is much faster now than in the past. Murphy added that the country needs the authorities because it is faced with numerous economic and political challenges, and it needs a functional, efficient and responsible government to focus on solving of those problems. Secondly, Murphy said that there is also the fact that parties discuss programs and policies and added that parties must focus on matters they promised to voters and also matters they agreed they can implement. “None of this will be easy. Reaching of compromise is difficult, there are many reforms, many issues parties promised to solve and which have been left unsolved for years. The former authorities made little progress. Therefore, there are no guarantees that there will be success, but these things that I listed are positive and one must be a cautious optimist when it comes to opportunities”, Murphy explained. The daily reminded that Dodik, as well as many others against whom USA imposed sanctions, had a great result in 2022 general elections. Asked whether he thinks USA did them a favour in this way, Murphy said that these are very serious activities of the US government which are not undertaken easily and which are based on evidence. Murphy reminded that there is a legal process that needs to be carried out before a decision on imposing sanctions is made and he added: “I would not describe this as something that goes in favour of anyone. If they didn’t care about sanctions, they would not be speaking about it”. Murphy added that, based on results of 2022 general elections, leaders who did not win or won few votes, scored such results as a consequence of sanctions and their behaviour towards citizens of this country. “Citizens said there will be consequences, we will not give you our support. Therefore, I do not think, I would not describe this as doing favour to anyone”, Murphy added. Murphy went on to say that the trajectory of B&H in the past four years was not positive and noted that one of big problems in B&H was a terrible inflammatory rhetoric, attacks on the state, attempts to undermine B&H and its institutions and territorial integrity and this mostly came from RS President Dodik and his associates. Murphy noted that he is concerned not only because of Dodik’s rhetoric, but also because the rhetoric of other officials who use inflammatory nationalist rhetoric and they keep forgetting about consequences of what they are doing. “This region witnessed consequences of such rhetoric. It witnessed it and responsible political leaders must avoid it”, Murphy said and added that this is not limited to a single political party or a group. Murphy said that the decision of Dodik to award a medal to Russian President Vladimir Putin is very bad and opposite to all aspirations of people in B&H and aspirations towards the EU institutions. Murphy assessed that awarding the medal to Putin was “a big shame” and reminded that Putin launched an aggressive war and invasion of Ukraine. The daily noted that Murphy, “in his first interview to media from RS”, also spoke about current development of political events in B&H, celebration of 9 January as the RS Day, candidate status of B&H and many other topics. Asked to comment Dodik’s statement that he is willing to award a medal to presidents of all countries that guaranteed the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and US President as well, Murphy said: “If President Dodik and RS wish to honour President (Joseph) Biden, the best way to do that would be to change their course, stop attacking Dayton structures, stop undermining sovereignty, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic character of B&H and start playing a constructive role in building of B&H and future of this state which goes in favour of all of its people. This includes efficient authorities at all levels, both the state and entity ones, and in this way they can honour President Biden”. Asked to comment on the latest polemics between the Russian Embassy to B&H and US Embassy to B&H, Murphy said that the Russian Embassy to B&H or any other embassy to B&H will often comment on the policy or stances of USA and they have the right to do that, as they are diplomats and they can speak about certain matters if they want. However, Murphy added: “Unfortunately, they often use lies when they speak about USA and they present misinformation and we occasionally have to correct such things and react while following a general rule. In fact, we do not have much contacts, actually we have no contacts since the Russian Embassy decided to withdraw from the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). If Russia wants to change its behaviour related to this region or Ukraine, we would welcome it. They launched an aggressive invasion of Ukraine and killings”, Murphy said and noted: “If they want to play a constructive role in B&H, we will welcome it, but it is up to them”. Murphy was asked to comment on speculations that there could be some type of a conflict or violence in the Western Balkans. Murphy reiterated that the US Embassy to B&H supports territorial integrity, sovereignty and multi-ethnic character of B&H in frame of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and added: “We will not calmly stand on a side and watch or allow a dissolution or violence in this country”. Murphy added that it is true that geopolitical situation in Europe and worldwide is different than it was just one year ago and it has certain security implications both for stability and for the Western Balkans and entire Europe: “There is a terrible tendency of political leaders here to use inflammatory rhetoric, nationalistic rhetoric to try to play with fears and encourage fears among people. This happens in the entire B&H. This is not coming from only one part of the country, it is coming from all sides, this is what is dangerous”. Murphy expressed his concern because of the climate in B&H and because of the path certain leaders in the country are following and he warned that those who suffer are citizens of B&H. Murphy added that leaders in the country will have to change their behaviour, they will have to change what they are saying and the way in which they are carrying out their policies. “They must accept the idea of compromise and focus on issues that are important for citizens, common people of this country, which is building of a better future for them”, Murphy concluded. In an interview to the daily, US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy spoke about claims that B&H was granted the candidate status because of the war in Ukraine. Murphy said that it would be correct to say that the geo-political situation affected Brussels’ decision to grant the candidate status for B&H and reminded that “the EU said, and it was certainly true, that leaders in this country and authorities in the past four years have done almost nothing to deserve this status”. However, Murphy said that he thinks the EU’s message should be that it is not trying to steal B&H from Russia’s influence because its message should target citizens of B&H and it should say that B&H has its institutional place in the EU. “I think that their statements that they are with you, with citizens of B&H, is the right message that must be sent to this country”, Murphy said and added that political leaders in B&H must take the opportunity they are given because it happened too often in the past that they wasted chances they were given. Murphy also said that USA hopes the new authorities will manage to reach compromise and agreement on reforms this country needs to carry out in order to make a progress on the path to the EU. Asked whether the problem lies in the fact Bosniak politicians are unable to agree to talks without calling for foreign influence, Murphy said: “I think the problem is lack of readiness of politicians to sit at a table and hold productive and open talks and reach compromise. I think this is a problem of all political parties in this country”. Murphy said that compromise must be made and concluded by saying: “The challenge here, and I said this to individual political leaders, is that someone will have to be first to have enough courage to do the right thing instead of carrying out the policy of production of fear and nationalism”. Murphy said that he can understand young people who wish to leave the country because politicians constantly fail to keep promises and because corruption is terrible in B&H, but he called young people not to lose their hope because he believes changes are possible. “There is a chance with regard to the NATO reform programs, with good coalitions that are coming to power at the state level, entity levels and of course cantons. People must take this chance and opportunity, young people must realize the fact whether there is still a chance for them to speak up and raise their voice”, Murphy said and concluded: “I would like to say at the end – keep up, endure, believe! USA will support people who want to bring positive changes here”.

SDP B&H’s Helez comments on Izetbegovic’s statement regarding election of Lendo for FB&H Vice-President (Nova BH)

SDP B&H representatives Friday reacted to the statement by SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic that after SDA’s Refik Lendo is elected the FB&H Vice-President, he (Lendo) will not support SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic’s appointment as the Prime Minister of the FB&H. SDP B&H Vice-President Zukan Helez said that this is a very serious statement and announcement of blockades, noting that Niksic has a parliamentary majority behind him. “If that happens, it is currently not worked out what to do next. What the High Representative imposed does not specifically say what to do if there is a blockade. Therefore, the High Representative is obliged to state in his explanation what to do next if a blockade is made. In my opinion, the logical scenario is that if he does not support the man behind whom the majority in the House of Representatives stands, this is called a blockade,” Helez said.

SDA officials announce protests against formation of authorities without SDA (Dnevni avaz)

The daily carried a brief interview with SDP candidate for office of B&H Minister of Defense Zukan Helez who commented the statements of some SDA officials who claim that citizens will raise up against formation of authorities without SDA. According to Helez, parties of ‘The Eight’ have a strong majority in the B&H Parliament. He called on SDA representatives in the B&H parliament to vote in favour of future good proposals, noting that there will be many. “You know how it was for us in the past four, eight or even 30 years, when the coalitions were led by those who are now announcing protests because they are going into the opposition. I do not know who are the people who would go out in the streets, because our young people, and even the middle-aged ones, are leaving the country in masses. Those who are announcing protests can help us who have the majority to completely legally and legitimately form the authorities. You do not have to be a minister or a director to be a patriot. You cannot prevent everybody from working just because you are not in power”, said Helez. In his opinion, the protest announcements are dangerous, and the attacks against B&H’s main allies like EU, USA and UK are shameful. Commenting the statements of SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic who claims that SDA is the main patriotic party, Helez stated that Izetbegovic is trying to mobilize patriots to defend the party which did not improve the country they risked their lives to defend in the 1990s. “This quasi-patriotism is being highlighted by someone who has no good intentions. In 1992, nobody asked us which party we belong to. We stood up and got organized ourselves because we did not get much from the state”, Helez concluded. B&H House of Representatives (B&H HoR) Speaker Denis Zvizdic announced that an urgent session of B&H HoR will be held later this week to confirm the appointment of the new B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM). Considering the fact that ‘The Eight’, HDZ B&H and SNSD hold an absolute majority in the B&H Parliament, the appointment should be just a formality. This means that the new state authorities will be formed without SDA, and according to the daily, SDA is about to suffer a major loss because it will lose control over the state budget, as well as several important state institutions. SDA will lose control over B&H Foreign Ministry which SDA used to create foreign policy and appoint diplomats. However, the biggest blow will be the loss of control over the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) which was one of the main instruments of power used by SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic and his wife Sebija Izetbegovic, claims the daily. According to the daily, SDA used the resources of OSA to apply pressure on political opponents and other institutions. Depoliticization of OSA could lead to a more liberated work of other institutions, especially in the field of law enforcement and judiciary, and uncover some major corruption cases. Aside from the formation of the new B&H CoM, it is expected that ‘The Eight’ and HDZ B&H will also form the FB&H authorities. While Izetbegovic admitted that SDA will not be part of the state-level authorities, he still hopes that SDA will be part of the authorities at the FB&H level. According to the daily, SDA threatens with blockades because it hopes to get the position of FB&H Vice President.

Croatian President criticizes EU for attitude towards Hungary, anti-Russian sanctions (Hina)

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic strongly criticized on Jan. 20 the European Union’s attitude towards Hungary and the EU’s decision to introduce sanctions against Russia, adding that he could relate to Budapest which is at odds with the EU over the rule of law and, according to critics, too soft on Russian President Vladimir Putin. A part of the EU Cohesion Fund was frozen for Hungary, and the country’s access to it made conditional on respect for the rule of law. “As I see it, this is one of the most acute problems. With no clear criteria, might makes right with regard to the issue of money, which is the key issue. Hungary’s ruling party Fides has a certain policy, which might be more to the right, but it’s still European,” Milanovic said at a joint press conference with his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Novak, the Hina news agency reported. Speaking on the Union’s sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, Milanovic said “the sanctions are a disaster, totally stupid.” “They are not working, and it is only a matter of time before someone realizes how detrimental the sanctions are to Europe. Moreover, we have brought Russia and China closer together,” he added. Novak said that the Croatian president “is bravely acting on the European stage,” adding that he was her first guest from a foreign state since her election in March 2022.

Milanovic, Orban meet in Budapest (Hina)

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Friday, Milanovic’s office said in a press release. They met, before a working dinner, at House of Music, a new museum dedicated to the history of music. Orban and Milanovic “discussed bilateral relations and topical international affairs at a working dinner,” Zoltan Kovacs from Orban’s office said on Twitter. Before meeting with Orban, Milanovic, on a two-day official visit to Hungary, met with President Katalin Novak and with representatives of the Croatian community, on which he called to do everything so that the good relations between the two countries could continue. “We are good neighbours, but we differ. We know where the line is. We also know that we are in Europe together. They have their problems, we have ours, but when it was complicated, in the early 90s, they were friendly. One should continue to build on that,” Milanovic told them. “Misunderstandings, if they existed at all, were tiny in relation to what the area of cooperation and friendship represents,” he said, adding that today there are no “painfully outstanding issues”. “I am extremely satisfied with the official talks. Our two countries and our two peoples share a long common history. I am satisfied with the bilateral relations between Croatia and Hungary and the fact that today we are friendly and allied countries. I am confident this visit will further strengthen our relations,” said Milanovic.

Peach: Reject destructive nationalism, Russia wants conflict in the Balkans (Vecernji list)

Vecernji list carried an interview with the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Lord Stuart Peach, who was asked, among other issues, to comment on recent tensions between Kosovo and Serbia, statement of RS President Milorad Dodik that the time has come for all Serbs to live in one state and the daily’s remark that many observers are warning that there could be another armed conflict in the Balkans amid the war in Ukraine. Lord Peach replied by saying he vividly remembers the wars in former Yugoslavia, years of fights and killings that left scars on generations of people on all warring factions. According to Peach, nobody wants to go through the dark days again, which is why we have to do everything we can to prevent any possibility of conflict in the region because of the young people. “When I say ‘we’, it is foremost the task for the local politicians, who must reject destructive nationalism, rise above unilateral interests and focus their policy on achieving results for citizens of their countries. It means working on reconciliation and reviving the economy. When I say ‘we’, I also mean the United Kingdom and our allies, who share firm dedication to security and progress of the region”, said Lord Peach. He further noted that ‘we’ know Russia is trying to spread its malignant influence on the Western Balkans, however the West is united in both going against the Russian aggression of Ukraine and Russia’s attempts to destabilize other regions. In this context, Lord Peach said ”we are much better adapted to the risks and have wider scope of diplomatic and political tools”. Asked what he thinks how strong Moscow’s influence on Serbia is, as well as Moscow’s indirect influence on the RS, Montenegro and the northern Kosovo, Peach replied by saying ‘we’ understand historic ties between peoples of Serbia and Russia, just as there are historic ties between the UK and all countries in the region. “This, however, is different from Russia’s efforts to destabilize countries across the Western Balkans, which we always stood against”, said Peach adding that ‘we’ have interest in the security of the region and will continues to protect it together with the allies and partners in the region.

Escobar: Montenegro close to institutional collapse (VoA/CdM)

The special envoy of the United States for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar warned of “many possible consequences” if Montenegro does not resolve the months-long deep political and institutional crisis. “Montenegro is in a very deep crisis. It is as closer to an institutional collapse as I have ever seen in any country. There is no government. Two governments fell and there was no progress in forming another one. They don’t have a quorum in the Constitutional Court that could confirm new elections,” said Escobar. The US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State reminded that the term of President Milo Djukanovic expires in the spring. The president of the parliament of Montenegro Danijela Djurovic recently announced presidential elections for 19 March. “It may happen that they don’t have a president to entrust the mandate, that they don’t have a government to move forward and the Constitutional Court to approve all decisions and confirm the election results”, emphasized Eskobar. The American official repeated that the main task is to immediately fill the vacancies in the Constitutional Court, “and then to go to the elections”. “They have to start with the Constitutional Court. And apart from that, we believe, polls also show that the vast majority of citizens want new elections. And that’s where they should start.” Escobar, referring to the opinion of the Venice Commission, said that any idea that “the Constitution is changed by a simple majority” is very dangerous. “We have already said that we are not sure that it would be a constitutionally valid government. We are not sure that we could rely on the decisions of such a government. We encouraged them not to do that,” Escobar concluded. At the end of December, the parliamentary majority declared the leader of DEMOS, Miodrag Lekic, as the mandate holder for the composition of the new government of Montenegro, based on the disputed amendments to the Law on the President that was previously adopted by the parliament, despite the negative opinion of the Venice Commission. US and EU officials have warned that a government should not be chosen based on the changes. Negotiations on the formation of the government have meanwhile failed. The current government of Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic is in a technical mandate, after it was voted no-confidence more than five months ago. In the meantime, the Constitutional Court is blocked because there are currently only three judges out of a total of seven and there is no quorum to decide on key issues in the country. Officials of the member states of the European Union have repeatedly warned Podgorica of the threat of stopping the accession negotiations, if the full functionality of the Constitutional Court is not ensured. Montenegro is currently undergoing a new process of electing judges, after the previous candidates did not receive the necessary support in the Assembly.

Becic: Democrats to have their own presidential candidate if talks with parties fail (CdM)

Over the past few days, the Democratic Montenegro publicly voiced its position that parties having similar program orientation should unite over a joint presidential candidate, the Leader of the Democratic Montenegro Aleksa Becic states. He also adds that the Democrats will have their own candidate if the parties having similar orientation fail to reach the agreement. According to him, their offer was well-intentioned and directed towards fair goal and safe future of Montenegro which would be achieved by the win of a joint candidate, most likely already in the first round. “It’s a mistake to interpret our offer as our weakness. On the contrary, it’s an expression of strength, state wisdom and, first of all, the responsibility towards both the citizens and state.” As for the Democrats, he points out, they are willing to cooperate with people who love their country, trust in its European future and who are ready to fight against divisions which did so much harm.

Radunovic: Djukanovic and DPS are weak, we can go into elections independently (MINA/Vijesti)

The Democratic Front, DF, will have a candidate in the presidential election, the Head of their caucus Slaven Radunovic has announced. He has assessed that there’s no need to join forces now when the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, has minimum support of citizens, whereas the impact of their leader Milo Djukanovic is not the same as before 2020. In an interview for Vijesti, Radunovic didn’t want to say precisely whether one of the leaders of the DF and the leader of NOVA, Andrija Mandic, would be their candidate. “We’ll inform citizens about it once we decide they should know about it”.

Nikolic: DPS to make decision on presidential candidate in next few days (MINA)

A candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) will win in the presidential race in Montenegro, assessed DPS MP, Andrija Nikolic. He also noted that they’d make decision on their candidate in the next few days. Asked whether Milo Djukanovic would be a candidate, Nikolic said that Djukanovic won a landslide victory in the previous presidential election, adding that it was the most convincing victory in elections in Montenegro ever since parties have been set up. “DPS municipal organisations see Djukanovic as one of the most serious candidates for the highest state positions, including the position of the president of the country and prime minister,” Nikolic told MINA. “During the hardest times of the new political history of Montenegro, Djukanovic demonstrated the highest degree of responsibility towards state affairs, made decisions which projected the future of the country, chose the appropriate time and path leading to the realization of state interests.” As there are rumours in the public telling that Prof. Milica Pejanovic Djurisic, among others, might be the DPS candidate for president, Mr Nikolic notes that she has been engaged in important state affairs and was the first leader of the DPS, adding that she was the first woman to run the Ministry of Defense so the reputation she enjoys both in Montenegro and abroad makes her qualified to perform the highest state functions. On the fact that there were no consultations over the date of the presidential election, he assessed that not only it was a sign of disrespect for some non-written standards but the lack of democratic culture we’ve been witnessing in Montenegro. As he adds, it was not a surprise. “It all looks like a tactic to postpone the parliamentary election so that small political actors that control the overthrown government can keep the status quo and continue to violate the system as much as possible.”

Knezevic supported Vucic: I am convinced that he will not accept the ultimatum for Kosovo to become a member of the UN (CdM)

I am convinced that the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic will not accept the ultimatum for Kosovo to become a member of the United Nations, said one of the leaders of the Democratic Front Milan Knezevic. “For that, he has the support of the Serbian people on all five continents. This is no longer “high” politics, this is a meeting with history that we must not be late for,” Knezevic said on Twitter.

Kovachevski: Parliamentary majority to be bigger than what it is today (MIA)

There are honourable structures in SDSM. SDSM MPs are members of the Central Board and their vote is just as valuable as the vote of the party leader, and each one of them expresses their opinion. All SDSM decisions are unanimous, Prime Minister and SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski said Friday. “Not only are the MPs free to decide in accordance with their mandate and political position in the party, I will also say that the parliamentary majority will be bigger than what it is today,” PM Kovachevski said. He commented on Hristijan Mickoski’s statement from Thursday that para-criminal structures are pressuring government MPs who want elections. Kovachevski says that Mickoski is a man who wants to cover up a lie with another lie. “It’s the worst when a man tries to cover up a lie with another lie, and this is Mickoski’s third lie. A year ago, he was walking around Parliament claiming that he had the 61 MPs necessary to take the Government down, and the same night we saw him in hospital. Before the New Year, he also said that he has 61 MPs to take the Government down, only to call them semi-criminal now, and I don’t know what that’s about,” Kovachevski said.

This week is crucial for the entry of the Alliance for Albanians into the government (TV24)

The president of AfA Arben Taravari from Kumanovo emphasized that there is no proposal for two ministerial positions, according to the media reports on justice and health. There is no suggestion. These are speculations. You know three months ago you were telling us to propose ministers or not to ministers, it doesn’t matter, he said. Taravari confirmed that he met with the first person of DUI Ali Ahmeti, with whom he discussed the necessary number of deputies for the constitutional amendments. He said that in the coming days he will also meet with the leaders of other Albanian parties. The next ten days will be crucial for the entry of the Alliance for Albanians into the Government. The commission, which was announced by the leader of the party Taravari, and which, by the way, received the green light from fellow parties to continue the negotiations, actively starts work from today. After the intra-party consultations, the conditions will be drawn up, which Taravari will deliver to Prime Minister Kovachevski, who has already announced that the parliamentary majority will grow. From VMRO-DPMNE again yesterday with a reaction that this is an attempt for Kovachevski to artificially stay in power. It is not excluded the possibility that in the coming days Kovachevski will convene a leadership meeting with the coalition partners to more clearly draw the contours of the future possible government composition in which it is still uncertain whether Gashi will remain.

Albania’s chairmanship of the Berlin Process, Sarrazin: Together, we want to make this a success (Radio Tirana)

The Special Envoy of the Federal Government for the countries of the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, was in Tirana on Friday and Saturday for talks on the Berlin Process and Albania’s EU integration. The news was announced through a post on social networks by the German embassy in Tirana. German embassy in Tirana announced “he held talks with the Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka, the Chief Negotiator for EU Integration Majlinda Dhuka, the Commissioner for the Berlin Process Odeta Barbullushi and the Minister of State for Youth and Children, Bora Muzhaqi“. Sarrazin said he was very pleased that Albania has taken the presidency of the Berlin Process this year. Together we want to make this a success.” Albania will host the Berlin Process Summit this spring. The news was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama at the year-end dinner with representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Tirana. “We are proud and happy that we have been asked by our great partner and friend Germany to host the Berlin Process Summit next spring. We see it as an expression of appreciation and respect for what Albania is constantly doing to actively promote regional cooperation, peace and dialogue, closer ties with its Western Balkan neighbours, interactions between people and businesses from all our countries,” said Rama. The Berlin Process was established in 2014 as a platform for the countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) to speed up closer alignment with the EU and deepen integration and regional cooperation, as a key factor for economic development and peace in the Western Balkans.

Hohmann: Representatives of all political parties should make EU-related reforms their top priority (Radio Tirana)

The Eu Ambassador in Tirana Christiane Hohmann received at the House of Europe the deputies of the European Integration Commission and the EU-Albania Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization-Association. Hohmann said members of parliament play a key role in the EU accession process. “Representatives of all political parties should make EU-related reforms their top priority. The EU Delegation will continue to be there to support Albania in this difficult task,” said the EU Ambassador. EU Christiane Hohmann in a social media post.