LOCAL PRESS

Vucic today with Lajcak (RTS)

The special envoy of the European Union for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, is staying in Belgrade today and tomorrow. The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, will meet with the EU’s special representative, Miroslav Lajcak, at 2:30 p.m. in the Presidency building, the Service for Cooperation with the Media of the President of the Republic announced. Lajcak previously visited Pristina on Thursday and Friday, where he stated that the purpose of his visit was to gather information on how Belgrade and Pristina see the implementation process. President Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of the temporary institutions in Pristina, Aljbin Kurti, confirmed that they will meet in Ohrid on March 18 as part of the EU-mediated dialogue.

Lajcak: Belgrade, Pristina accepting a good part of agreement would be a success (Beta)

The European Union’s special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Miroslav Lajcak, said on March 10 that the Agreement on the Normalization of Relations between Belgrade and Pristina would be implemented at least in part, if not fully, because the two sides had agreed to it. Lajcak said in an interview with the Kossev website that in the next round of talks, scheduled to take place in Ohrid, on March 18, the agreement would be finalized, and that a roadmap would be defined, or at least Belgrade and Pristina would make considerable progress. According to the EU representative, even if Belgrade and Pristina refuse to accept the agreement in its entirety, alignment in a major portion of the roadmap would be a success. Speaking on the Community of Serb Municipalities, Lajcak said that the models for the Community would not lead to dysfunctionality, but improve transparency and trust between

communities. “We believe we should be inspired by European models, instead of trying to create something that has never been tested, which we don’t know how it will function,” Lajcak said, repeating that the Community of Serb Municipalities was aimed at improving communication and cooperation between Serb-dominated municipalities and the government in Pristina, to define clear rules for communication and cooperation between the Serbs in Kosovo and the government in Belgrade.

Vucic says will go to lake Ohrid on March 18, Community of Serb Municipalities prerequisite (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed that he will go to Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, on March 18 to continue the dialogue with Pristina, but noted that the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities “is the only thing” that was not up for discussion in the coming rounds of dialogue. On March 11, Vucic reiterated that establishing the Community was a prerequisite because the governing document had already been signed in Brussels. “If you will, you will, if you won’t, you won’t, just don’t waste our time. I’m a little bothered that everyone is silent and no one is responding. That makes everything pointless. Why did you invite me to the wedding when the bride and groom are nowhere to be seen,” Vucic said answering reporters after touring Lake Vlasina. “I will go to Ohrid. Why would I leave them the option to portray us as crazies or unwilling to negotiate? Someone, though, needs to explain the purpose of it all to me,” the president of Serbia said.

Petkovic: Prishtina is trying to save a member of the so-called KBS who shot Serbian children (RTS)

Director of the Office for KiM Petar Petkovic stated that the lawyer hired by the Office submitted a request to reclassify the attempted murder of Serbian children in Gotovusa on Christmas Day as attempted aggravated murder, as well as that the epilogue will be known at a new hearing scheduled for March 16. and that international representatives will be informed about the whole case.

Petkovic wrote on his Twitter that the lawyer decided to do something like that because the prosecutor from Urosevac qualified the attempted murder of Stefan and Milos Stojanovic in Gotovusa as “causing a general danger with the use of weapons”, as if, according to Petkovic, a member of the so-called KBS Azem Kurtaj shot in the air and did not seriously injure Stefan and Milos. That’s why the lawyer hired by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija filed a request to reclassify the crime as attempted aggravated murder, and the epilogue will be announced at a new hearing scheduled for March 16. We will also inform the international representatives about the whole case. “It is worrying that for this qualification of the act, in practice, an effective prison sentence is not imposed, but a suspended sentence with a fine. It is obvious that Pristina intends to save a member of the KBS from prison, even though it is a man who shot Serbian children with the intention of killing them,” wrote Petkovic.

SNS Presidency session; Vucic: There will be neither humiliation nor surrender (B92)

The session of the Presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) started Friday afternoon. The session of the highest party body of the SNS is attended by its president, Aleksandar Vucic. “On April 26 or 27, I will announce the Party Assembly for May 27. We will elect all party bodies,” said Vucic. “We don’t hold Main Board sessions often enough, and it’s good to get together and listen to each other. Regarding the party assembly, in accordance with the SNS statute, which we talked about at the Presidency, on April 26 or 27, I will call the assembly for May 27 this year. Internal party elections are already underway, somewhere they are taking place in a good way, somewhere in a less good way,” said Vucic.

He announced that all party bodies will be elected at the assembly at the end of May. “But even today, I want to talk about it, about my idea, for the first time at the Main Board session I will present something that could also be a decision of the party assembly. I think it is a strategic and essential decision, since we will be under great external and internal pressures. Because when someone is not in power for 10 or 11 years, they don’t understand it as their incompetence, but they will look for the culprits in us, and thus aggression becomes the basic motto of their political activity,” said Vucic.

Vucic said that the establishment of CSM is defined by the Brussels Agreement. “Some people refuse to implement the CSM. We will face great pressures. And in the midst of all this, they gave them visa liberalization. In the coming period, we will be under additional pressures. They want to drag Serbia into a conflict with NATO. If I were to be some kind of Putin, and Kurti is a kind of Zelensky. Unfortunately, they obviously have the support of part of the international community in this, because it is their child,” said Vucic.

“They had the opportunity to put pressure on Pristina with visa liberalization, but as you can see, it doesn’t occur to them. They don’t want normalization. They all together want to humiliate Serbia. No matter how hard they try to make it happen, I tell you – it won’t happen. There will be no humiliation, no capitulation, no surrender. We are preparing for talks on Monday and Tuesday. After that, I’m going to Ohrid. Believe me, I don’t even know why we’re talking. Should we recognize Kosovo? You’ve been talking in vain,” said Vucic.

Vucic pointed out that Serbia is in a difficult position, but that it is holding up well. He also stated that there is no such party as SNS. “We need the support of all good and important people in the difficult period we are in. We also need to see some new people on the Serbian political scene, the time is coming for rejuvenation, but also for some people who do not have to be young when it comes to their age, but they have to offer a refreshment on our political scene,” said Vucic, speaking about the founding of the Movement.

He showed page 4 of the daily newspaper Danas, as an example of how brutal hate campaign is conducted. “This tells you that there are no boundaries in hatred, that there are no boundaries that someone will not cross,” said Vucic and read the article in which he should be tried for possible participation in organizing “significant criminal groups that were involved in organizing technical negotiations in several of Nis municipalities”, and in which his alleged godfather is mentioned, whom the president claims he does not know.

“When you have that on a daily basis, then you realize that you can’t fight against it, that you have to call and deny something 1000 times a day. That’s why we have to find people who will devote themselves to politics on the same ideological matrix. That’s why it is important to make some kind of personnel reconstruction and to dedicate ourselves to the future of Serbia, to secure it,” said Vucic. “Conspiracy theorists are becoming those who want to seize power in Serbia every day, as well as those whose salary was 300 euros in Serbia at the time, who betrayed Kosovo and Metohija,” he said. He points out that we need people who have enough knowledge and courage and want to fight. “We have such people in the party, but more needs to be done. Let’s see what we can do for people, we should listen to them,” Vucic points out.

“All people live better, but it is not better when you live indecently better than the way you used to live. That is why we need the Movement. I have no doubts about the historical role of our party, it changed the course of Serbian history, raised Serbia from the abyss and started to be part of the developed world. Keep in mind that people will not always look at the results, have their own emotions and expect you to align with them, leading a country and leading a party is not always the same. Our party is leading the country, we must not act and speak like others”, states Vucic and points out that he is satisfied that people who are no longer ministers are still there, and that they continue to work, and that this shows the strength of the party.

“Those who didn’t, it means that they were there only because of the position they held,” said Vucic. “My request to you is to prepare for a time that is not easy for our country. Starting tomorrow, I will go on a tour of Serbia, by the end of the year, I will visit 25 districts, I hope I will be able to go to Kosovo and Metohija as well,” Vucic said. “We will talk to people in several places, I am especially happy that I will go to Bosilegrad because no one has been there since King Alexander, so let’s see what we can do for the people there,” said Vucic.

We will try to visit every municipality in Serbia in the next year, he added. After the address of the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, the session of the Main Board was closed to the public.

Minister Vucevic addressed the media

After the session of the Main Board, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic addresses the media, saying that Vucic’s Movement will bring together all those who love Serbia. Vucevic said the Movement will bring together all those in favor of “an independent, sovereign Serbia that has no boss on any side of the world.” “We want to sit on our chair, to think with our own heads, and not have anyone tell us what to do. SNS has changed Serbia for the better and SNS is ready to invite everyone who wants to get involved in strengthening Serbia,” he said. Those who attack Vucic are also the ones who envy him the most, said Vucevic, adding that “Vucic abides by the Constitution, the oath, he is driven by love for the Fatherland, and makes rational decision.”

SNS officials Milos Vucevic, Vladimir Orlic, Ana Brnabic, Aleksandar Martinovic, Nikola Selakovic, Tomislav Momirovic, Aleksandar Sapic, Zlatibor Loncar, Maja Gojkovic, Petar Petkovic, Sinisa Mali, Nebojsa Stefanovic, attended the session.

Vucic: Serbia facing more and more pressure (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday March 10 that severe pressure was in store for Serbia, adding that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti had confirmed that he would not set up the Community of Serb Municipalities, because it conflicted with the laws of Kosovo. Vucic said at a session of his Serbian Progressive Party’s steering committee that the hypocrisy of all those involved in the process was the main problem, because everyone was “staying quiet” about what Kurti had said, adding that the pressure against Serbia would grow, but that Serbia would not recognize Kosovo’s independence. “Trust me when I say that I’m not clear as to what we are supposed to talk about. They said the talks were constructive, but they were so constructive that they refused to accept the one thing that should have

been discussed,” Vucic said, adding that those involved in the process knew that the Community of Serb Municipalities was a commitment accepted more than 10 years ago, and that it only had to be implemented. Vucic said that on April 26-27 he would call the next party convention for May 27, and that the party would elect its bodies during the session. He added that elections were already underway in some places and that “some people are trying to protect their positions in the party.”

Defense Minister, Church head on need for unity (N1)

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic told the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Friday that the country needs the unity of the state, church and the people as well as the unity of the military and the church. Speaking during Patriarch Porfirije’s visit to headquarters of the Serbian Armed Forces Guards, Vucevic said that the unity of the church and military was broken off decades earlier but is now being restored.

The Patriarch said that “there is nothing more natural than priests being with their people everywhere, especially in a specific service like the military”. “The military surely needs spiritual support, spiritual orientation and spiritual consolation,” the church elder said and recalled that he was involved in the process of forming a chaplain service. He blessed all service people and offered a prayer for peace.

Dveri and celebrities demand session on Kosovo and declarations from SPC and SANU (Danas)

Conservative movement Dveri demanded of Parliament Speaker Vladimir Orlic to urgently schedule a special Parliament session about the content of French-German agreement before the next meeting between Vucic and Kurti in Ohrid. Vucic himself is called in the announcement to explain at the session what he has accepted, but also to present the plans on implementation of the agreement that he accepted to continue working on. Dveri also requested a declaration from Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) about the agreement. Aside from the leader of the movement Bosko Obradovic, the request was also signed by another 47 celebrities, among which

were Matija Beckovic, Slavenko Terzic, Milos Kovic, but also the leaders of other conservative parties such as Milos Jovanovic (NDSS), Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski (Zavetnici) and Vojislav Mihailovic (POKS).

Djilas believes Serbia would have a better position regarding Kosovo if it had aligned foreign policy with EU (TV Prva)

Serbia would have a stronger negotiating position regarding Kosovo had it aligned its foreign policy with the European Union on time and imposed partial sanctions against Russia, stated Dragan Djilas, president of the oppositional Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP).

In a guest appearance on TV Prva, he said that the country is isolated and alone against everyone it cannot have a stronger position in the negotiations on Kosovo, adding that he expects elections at all levels to be held by the end of the year. “When such a situation occurs in the country, when there is a crisis and there are issues such as Kosovo and sanctions against Russia, it is best to hold elections and check the legitimacy of the

government,” Djilas said.  He added that he does not support the French-German proposal on Kosovo, saying that the document would be more favorable for Serbia had it been closer to European views. “We urge for the imposing of partial sanctions against Russia, because everyone sees that a new Berlin Wall is being built and we must do that,” said the SSP leader.

PM: Brnabic: Serbia paying price for not imposing sanctions on Russia (Beta, TV Prva)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that Serbia is paying the price for not imposing sanctions on Russia but that the agreement on the normalization of relations with Kosovo would not have been different even if Serbia had imposed the sanctions. “Does the non-introducing of sanctions cost us – yes, Serbia is also paying that price. But the agreement would not be one iota different, that has nothing to do with it. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic was honest when he explained it to the citizens. We pay a certain price because we were able to get a better price for government bonds, more favourable loans, more investments” Brnabic told TV Prva. She also said that “the price of independent politics is always paid” and that the agreement would have been different had it not been for Aleksandar Vucic, because he put the topic on the agenda and fought for things that were thought to be impossible, so today world officials are saying „that it is not recognition of Kosovo, but normalization.”

Drecun: In Ohrid, there is no chance of reaching an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)

Milovan Drecun, the president of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, points out that on March 18, at the meeting in Ohrid in North Macedonia, within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, there will be no chance of achieving any serious progress. He emphasizes that Serbia remains firm in its position that it cannot accept and agree “with the membership of a fake state in the UN, that we cannot recognize them in any way”. Serbia will not agree or remain silent regarding the issue of Pristina’s entry into the United Nations, nor will it recognize the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vucic said. The EU’s special envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, said from Pristina that the Union of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) will be formed according to one of 15 European models.

Milovan Drecun assesses that Miroslav Lajcak is not behaving in a way that can make it possible to reach any agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, especially with the statement “that now is not the time to form the ZSO”. “Well, of course not. That is the key condition we set, it was also discussed at the previous meeting in Brussels. First, the implementation, the implementation of the agreement on the ZSO from Brussels, and then everything else. Lajcak is now practically trying to defend Kurti‘s intransigent position, and on the other hand, the EU rewards him with visa liberalization,” the president of the parliamentary committee points out. In this sense, he assesses that instead of Pristina suffering appropriate punitive measures, because as he points out, “Pristina does not understand otherwise” the messages sent to it, they reward them and encourage them to persist in their views.

Drecun believes that Lajcak is making contradictory statements that the ZSO will not be formed on the basis of the Brussels Agreement, but that some other modalities will now be sought in order, as he assesses, to enable Aljbin Kurtito obtain any sort of exit, due to criticism from the public and the opposition, for not achieve mutual recognition.

“Our management team, which was formed on the basis of the agreement, back in 2018, and after that two more times, the last time in April of last year, informed Lajcak that the draft of the statute was prepared. And all this time he failed to convince Pristina that that draft of the statute should be considered. Don’t explain the procedures to us now, but take the draft of the statute and put it on the agenda of the summit meeting between Presidents Vucic and Kurti, and after that enter into the procedure of forming the ZSO”, says the president of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija.

What Serbia expects from the meeting in Ohrid

Commenting on Aljbin Kutrti’s statement “that he is going to Ohrid, but that he will not accept the formation of the ZSO”, Drecun states that Kurti is a political adventurer. “Instead of forming the ZSO, he is taking a completely different path. Now he will go to Ohrid, so why are you going to try the Ohrid trout? You can go yourself. The key here is that some agreement must be reached, progress must be reached,” emphasizes Drecun. He says that Kurti is trying to insert into that plan the so-called mutual recognition and to have a trade with the ZSO. “They will form something that should be similar to the ZSO, which according to this proposal would be called the “Self-Government of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija”, but to receive mutual recognition in return,” said Drecun.

However, as for the meeting in Ohrid on March 18, he says that he does not expect anything from it, just like in Brussels. “We will remain firm in our position that we cannot accept and agree with the membership of a fake state in the UN, that we cannot recognize them in any way. I think that in Ohrid there will be no chance to achieve any serious progress Milovan Drecun concluded.

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Stano comments on Belgrade-Pristina relations and implications on other countries of Western Balkans (ATV)

Spokesperson for the European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano, commenting on the Belgrade-Pristina relations and the implications on other countries of the Western Balkans, said that the EU sees relations between Belgrade and Pristina as something that needs to be improved and normalized, and this is why the EU has been facilitating the dialogue about the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo for more than 10 years. “This is very important because this is a very essence of the EU, of what we are and what we try to be and achieve, i.e. the reconciliation and good-neighborly relations”, Stano assessed. He stressed that both Serbia and Kosovo are still struggling to overcome the legacy of the past, but both of them at the same time are looking forward and they stated very clearly that their strategic priority is the EU membership, which the EU accepted and gave them the EU perspective with readiness to help them resolve their vital and huge problem of their relations.

According to Stano, this is the process the EU is very much committed to and will be doing the facilitation as long as needed, but in the end is up to Serbia and Kosovo to agree to make the necessary compromises, to show the necessary level of European maturity and European behaviour, and finally be able to make the compromises, overcome the legacy of the past and agree on the normalization of the relations. He stated that this will be for the benefit of people in Kosovo and Serbia, for the benefit of their mutual relations but also for the benefit of the region as it will then serve as an example of how the reconciliation is done and how it works.

Asked if the EU is responsible for failing to implement the Brussels Agreement signed more than 10 years ago under the EU mediation, Stano reminded that in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue the EU acts as a facilitator, which means that it helps the parties find an agreement of series of agreements and then help them to be able to implement them, but that the EU does not tell them what they have to do and only the two parties alone have to do the work. He concluded that it is absolutely illegitimate and misplaced to try to blame the EU for whatever shortcoming there might be in this dialogue or in the implementation of the Brussels Agreement, because Brussels and the EU are not part of the agreement but they only provided the platform and environment to agree on something and the implementation of the agreement is between the two parties which agree.

Asked to comment why some of the European countries refer to the Union of Serb municipalities(ZSO) in Kosovo as one of the key chapters of the Brussels Agreement as to another Republika Srpska (RS) or a new Serb entity in the Balkans and why it is such a bad thing to have Serb autonomy of any kind, Stano reminded that the establishment of the ZSO in Kosovo is one of the commitments stemming from the dialogue and agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia and this is an obligation one needs to take steps to proceed with fulfilling this obligation. “What various people and political say is not really for us to comment. We are the facilitator of dialogue, we are doing our job and encouraging parties to sit down, discuss and achieve progress, and to make sure that whatever has been agreed already needs to be implemented. Off course, each country has its own context and politicians, including the EU member states, and they might have the political agendas. However, as for the EU, it is based on the rule of law and principles so if you agree to something and take international obligation – then the only way is to deliver on it, otherwise you do not get credibility and cannot be considered European”, Stano concluded.

Asked to say why is there such a pressure on Serbia and the RS to impose sanctions against Russia, Stano emphasized that there is no pressure on anyone to do anything, but the EU only wants those who committed to the European values to live up to what they promised. He explained if a country, Serbia in particular, is in the EU accession process and it does not align with the EU foreign policy decision, then the country is basically in violation of one of the criteria which says that it is expected to progressively align with the foreign and security policy decisions and actions of the EU. “B&H is doing well here, especially over the past months and in the last period B&H has actually improved its rate of alignment with the EU decisions from 38 to 81 percent, which is a very good delivery and we appreciate B&H’s aligning with most of our foreign policy decisions already”, Stano assessed. However, he said that not only that Serbia does not align with the EU decisions, but it actually decreases its alignment. He explained that the main question here is “are you truly European” if there is such a vital issue for the EU as the protection of Ukraine and condemnation of the illegal aggression by Russia which violates every single principle in which the EU believes aside of the international law and the UN Charter. Stano added that this question also goes for all the countries around the world.

Asked what the EU would gain if B&H joins sanctions against Russia in circumstances in which that would affect good economic and political ties the RS has with Russia, Stano reminded that one of the EU principles is “united we are stronger”, so it is not really what the EU would gain from the RS specifically cutting the ties with Russia, but how the EU and the international community respond to something so outrageous, so brutal and so inhumane as Putin’s aggression against the Ukrainian people. “This is not the time to be neutral and European values to which you aspire to are under attack, because if Ukraine falls – the whole system of international rules is falling as well”, Stano stressed.

RS President Dodik informs Russian Ambassador Kalabukhov of attempts of seizing property from RS (RTRS)

At a meeting in Banja Luka on Friday, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik informed Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Igor Kalabukhov about the attempts to seize property from the RS and emphasized that the issue was resolved by the Dayton Agreement and that the property belongs to the entities. The RS President reiterated that the RS is not changing its position regarding the introduction of sanctions against Russia and that its constitutional position must be respected within this framework. During the meeting, other current issues in the RS, B&H, and the region were discussed.

State Department reacts to Dodik’s threats with secession of the RS: USA will not give up on people of B&H (Oslobodjenje)

The State Department reacted to the recent statement of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik in which he threatened with secession of the RS. The statement reads: “The USA rejects comments of Dodik from March 9 in which he tried to undermine the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and in which he threatened many times with session of the RS from B&H.” The statement added that article 3. of the DPA clearly states that the RS must respect decisions of B&H institutions, including final and binding decisions of the B&H CC. It was also stated that the USA proudly stands with people in B&H. The press release further reads: “Separatist rhetoric and threats to the DPA are irresponsible, dangerous and damaging for progress of B&H in the further Euro-Atlantic integration. We are committed to continue to support sovereignty, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic character of B&H and to consider responsible those who try to undermine B&H institutions and the DPA. Our commitment is strong, and USA will not give up on people of B&H.”

Dodik: B&H is not state, nor will it ever be, nor will it ever take control of property belonging to RS; He rejects State Department’s assessment that he is trying to undermine B&H CC (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated on Saturday that “Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is not a state, nor will it ever be, nor will it ever take control of property belonging to the RS.” Dodik rejected the State Department’s assessment that he is trying to undermine the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H with statements about property as incorrect and speculative and called on them to specify in which article of the Constitution it is written that property belongs to B&H. Dodik pointed out that “the issue of property represents a red line over which the RS will not cross.” Dodik said that the RS absolutely respects the Constitution and the Dayton Agreement, while the US does not, as shown by the actions of the State Department. Dodik further said that “if you want to create an anti-Dayton B&H, as you have been creating it until now, we will not be in that B&H.” “They are trying to destroy the constitutional order in B&H by not wanting to state where in the Constitution it is written that immovable property belongs to B&H and that I should respect that. If it was written there, I would respect it, but it is not simply written,” Dodik pointed out. Dodik emphasized that B&H is not superior to the RS, and that the Americans want to do just that. “B&H is not a state, nor will it ever be a state, nor will it ever take control of this property. This property belongs to the RS. Not even the State Department will stop it,” Dodik underlined. Dodik believes that such an assessment by the State Department was written by Muslim lobbyists, who abused that American institution.

Zakharova: US State Department’s approach to sovereignty of Serbia and BiH is reminiscent of split personality (RTRS)

Commenting on the statement of the head of the US State Department’s press service Ned Price about the Dayton Agreement, Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova stated that the US State Department’s approach to the sovereignty of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is reminiscent of a split personality. Zakharova referred to the statement of Price, who said that Washington will continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H and call to account those who strive to undermine the institutions of B&H and the Dayton Agreement. “Unbelievable. Ned, try to replace B&H with Serbia, Republika Srpska (RS) with Kosovo, the Dayton Agreement with the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and you will get a diagnosis – split personality,” Zakharova wrote on her profile on ‘Telegram’. Zakharova reminded that, contrary to the decision of the UN Security Council, Washington recognized the independence of Kosovo in 2008, which violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the multinational Serbia.

Kosarac: B&H does not have property; Other RS politicians comment on issue of state property in B&H and RS (ATV)

The Republika Srpska (RS) politicians commented on issue the of state property in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and the RS. The RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said that the assets of the RS are Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) category and will remain so. “Regular courts can pass a temporary measure. The Constitutional Court cannot issue a temporary measure. Here, it adopted a temporary measure prohibiting the use of that law until the final decision of the Constitutional Court. This does not cause any significant problems for us. We will wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court and the moment it is announced, we will immediately make a new law and propose it to the (RS) National Assembly”.

B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac said that some people should already understand that the RS is unquestionable, stable, functional and has its constitutional right and opportunities to protect its interests. Kosarac was quoted as saying: “They cannot tire us as much as we are determined to work in the interest of strengthening the capacity of the RS”. Kosarac stated: “The property is the property of the RS. B&H has no property. Have them read it several times. The fact that they want to model B&H according to the principle of the former influence of High Representatives, of making certain imposed decisions, is a long past time. We do not have a High Representative today. The High Representative does not exist in B&H, and then they tried to reorient themselves towards the influence of the Constitutional Court of B&H”.

Becirovic: Nobody can play with state property of B&H; This is red line for all B&H patriots (Dnevni avaz)

Bosnjak member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Denis Becirovic, asked if Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik could start again with blockades and obstructions as he did in the previous mandate, said: “I sincerely prefer the policy of cooperation, dialogue and resolving issues of ordinary citizens of B&H. Competent state bodies have passed decisions to move in direction of the Euro-Atlantic and European integration. Unanimously adopted decisions of state bodies also bring the obligation of harmonizing our foreign policy with the West. Unfortunately, with his one-sided moves Dodik is trying to block what I have stated in previous sentences. It is the time that the EU also shows credibility and strength in stopping of this destructive politician even more since he keeps openly supporting the policy of Vladimir Putin. Dodik is not just a problem of B&H.” Becirovic added that Dodik will continue with his current policy for as long as he is allowed to act in this manner.

Asked if the High Representative Christian Schmidt should react with regard to the authority formation in the Federation of B&H (FB&H), Becirovic said: “There cannot and must not be short-term solutions for important issues and in accordance with wishes of individuals and some political parties. There must be long-terms solutions, principled ones and in accordance with standards, which are in force in developed countries. Unfortunately, the HR did not strengthen democracy but ethnocracy on October 2.”

Asked if the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H on the RS law on immovable property can put an end to Dodik’s attempts to one-sidedly seize the state property, Becirovic said: “It is an undisputable constitutional and legal fact that property belongs to B&H. Nobody can play with the state property of B&H. This is a red line for all B&H patriots. Competent bodes must protect the constitution and laws.”

Becirovic said that the competent state authorities are obliged to defend the state and state property of B&H in the legal way prescribed by the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), the B&H Constitution, the laws of B&H and the final judgements of the Constitutional Court of B&H. Becirovic pointed out that the state of B&H possesses not only the external but also the internal continuity of the Socialist Republic of B&H, which is functionally represented by the state authorities. He emphasized that the term ‘state’ in the Constitution of B&H refers exclusively to B&H. Becirovic’s statement reads: “The state of B&H and the state authorities of our country have no need to steal anything from anyone. Neither logically nor legally, the state of B&H cannot take away what belongs to it according to international and domestic law. This is impossible to do in any country in the world. B&H is a state, it is written in the first article of the Constitution of B&H, and we do not intend to prove the most obvious facts every day, but we do intend to defend state property and the state through legal instruments. State property reflects statehood, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity that belong exclusively to the state of B&H, not to the entities”.

US Embassy in B&H reacts to announcements of adoption of controversial laws on activities of NGOs and changes to Criminal Code in RS; says move to introduce Russian model of foreign agent legislation is part of alarming pattern (O kanal)

The US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) reacted on Friday to the announcements of the adoption of controversial laws on the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and changes to the Criminal Code in Republika Srpska (RS), which limit the freedoms of organizations and individuals. “The United States has always supported the right of people around the world to exercise their fundamental freedoms. This includes the rights of the residents of the RS to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of the press. The proposed laws would stigmatize and silence the independent voices in the RS seeking to build a democratic and prosperous future for its residents… This move to introduce the Russian model of foreign agent legislation is part of an alarming pattern, coming on the heels of the RS authorities’ March 2 announcement that they will introduce amendments to the criminal code criminalizing defamation and insults and imposing jail sentences for the publication of video, photos, or documents without consent,” the US Embassy in B&H said in a statement.

In recent days, the authorities in the RS announced plans to adopt two “repressive, undemocratic laws that, if implemented, would drastically violate the rights and freedoms of people living in the RS”, the US Embassy in B&H stated. “These laws would only benefit the ruling coalition in its efforts to consolidate its power. And they would be to the detriment of everyone else”, the Embassy’s statement says. The US Embassy in B&H strongly condemned the announcement of the introduction of a “foreign agent” law to regulate the activities of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the entity and dismissed statements by RS President, Milorad Dodik, who said that such a law is in place in the US. According to the US Embassy, however, the law is more in line with Russia’s policy. “We have seen this movie before, and we know how it ends. When Russia expanded its foreign agent legislation in 2020, it too claimed that it was merely copying the US model. Nothing could have been further from the truth, and we have seen the results”, the Embassy said, adding that Russian authorities have used their repressive legislation to “suppress dissent, eviscerate civil society, and eradicate free media”.

“By criminalizing actions that are usually handled as civil matters, this legislation would threaten freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and have a direct effect on journalists’ ability to report the truth,” the US Embassy said in the statement. As the Embassy said, the proposed laws “would make it difficult for citizens to hold the RS Government accountable and would enable corruption to flourish”. It is also added that “yesterday’s attacks on the property of journalists in the RS and the belittling response of the authorities clearly show how uncertain the situation is already for independent media in the RS”. “This law, which the RS National Assembly (RSNA) will consider on March 14, would drastically worsen the situation and threaten the existence of free and independent media, which are the foundation of a healthy democracy”, the Embassy emphasized.

RS President Dodik calls on US Ambassador Murphy to stop interfering in internal issues (RTRS)

The statement of the US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), which referred to the idea of a new Law on NGOs in Republika Srpska (RS) as undemocratic and repressive, sparked a series of reactions on Friday. The US Embassy warned that the law is modelled after Russian legislation. In his reaction, RS President Milorad Dodik called on US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy to stop interfering in internal issues and to stop behaving as a president of a political party. Dodik assessed that the US Embassy’s statement is hypocritical and added that this law will be modelled after the US legislation. Dodik noted that no announcements will prevent the adoption of a law by which the RS will treat foreign NGOs as foreign agents. Dodik said that it seems everything is disputable to them, mainly because the Law on NGOs treats the obligation that whoever receives international funds and is registered under the Law on Associations and Organizations of the RS, must also report the use of the money to the Ministry of Justice. “It is known that many of their NGOs financed political processes here, it is known that this was never recorded”, the RS President pointed out. The RS President added that the US Embassy also stated that the amendments to the RS Criminal Code violates freedoms of the RS.

Ambassador Michael Murphy must stop behaving like the leader of a political party in B&H or a lawyer for the Islamic Community. He is the representative of the USA and I urge him to finally start acting like it, because everyone’s patience has an end,” Dodik was quoted as saying. “It is obvious that the American ambassador is acting like the leader of a political party in B&H, in the RS. By the way, he belongs to the generation that was brought up on the American violence that ruled here. It is obvious that they are commenting on their own law when they say that in RS something is. Apparently, this kind of need to constantly impose something, absolutely persists”.

The last person who has the right to give lectures on democracy is Murphy, said Dodik. He sent a message to Murphy saying that he should try for at least one day to do the job for which he came to B&H and for which he is paid, and not to interfere in the internal affairs of B&H, that is, the RS, from day to day. “It is not at all surprising that Michael Murphy is regularly the first to teach us his vision of democracy, i.e. to regulate and determine the rules of behaviour in the host country, and now he would also regulate the legislative system in the RS”, emphasized Dodik. He said that it is obvious that only in B&H it is an established practice that every American ambassador gives himself the right to decide, comment and interfere in the internal affairs of a country, so Michael Murphy continued this infamous tradition, says a press release from the Office of the RS President.

Dodik: RS remains consistent to regulate its public space; RS will follow European standards in processes of legal regulation (ATV)

In light of criticism of criminalization of defamation, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik wrote in his column that in its process to legally regulate its public space, the RS will follow existing European standards and the best solutions, whilst the level of limitation will not be higher than in the European Union (EU) countries, noting that since the RS revealed its intention to legally regulate its socio-political and media space “in line with its legitimate goals and in accordance with the existing international standards, a brutal campaign has been launched by local and foreign self-righteous people”. Dodik also wrote the RS will legally regulate its public space, with the priority being the protection of internal sovereignty, socio-political life and citizens from hate speech and fake news, mechanisms used by different centres of world power in an attempt to influence social, political and “and any other life’’ in the RS. “Their strategy aims to create preconditions for centralization and governing of the RS from outside, because if the RS is not capable to regulate own socio-political life, then it needs to be regulated from another centre outside it. Recognizing such intentions, the RS realized it is time to put an end to the weapons of the special war against it’’, Dodik was quoted as saying.

Dodik called on all interested citizens and organizations and especially journalists to participate in the process of adoption of the law on criminalization of defamation, prevention of spreading of fake news and hatred speech through public discussion. Dodik emphasized that a brutal campaign aimed to prevent the RS from protecting its internal sovereignty and citizens from hatred speech and fake news – that have capacity to create chaos – has been launched. Dodik went on to saying that this is not the first attempt to undermine position and reputation of the RS. He added that the RS understood these intentions and realized it is a time to put an end to these weapons used for special war against the RS. Dodik underlined that there have been years-long attempts to create negative image of the RS among citizens on the ground of lies, deceptions and defamations and with a goal to discredit the RS institutions and its legitimate and legal representatives. The RS President reminded that 36 out of 47 member countries of the Council of Europe (CoE) define defamation as a criminal offense and those committing it can get prison sentence.

Ambassador Kalabukhov: I think time has come when we do not have to listen to what our enemies say and comment on our policy (RTRS)

The statement of the US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), which referred to the idea of a new Law on NGOs in Republika Srpska (RS) as undemocratic and repressive, sparked a series of reactions on Friday. Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov commented on the fact that Russia passed a Law on NGOs in 2020 modelling the US Law on NGOs and said: “I think the time has come when we do not have to listen to what our enemies say and comment on our policy. We must be confident in the defence of national interests and sovereignty, and that is why I want politicians and journalists in the RS to find those points of compromise.”

Stano says freedom of speech and freedom of media are one of basic freedoms which belong to principles of EU, and EU holds them very dear (ATV)

Spokesperson for the European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano, asked to assess the draft amendments to the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska (RS) defining the defamation as a criminal offense given the fact that most of the EU countries have criminalized the defamation, said that one of the EU rules is not to comment on the ongoing internal processes because the legislation of any country or entity in this case is internal affair as long as the broad legislative framework, the context and the limits are being respected. He stated that in this particular case the easiest thing to do regarding the intention to introduce a legislation is to take examples from the existing European norms, because in the process of accession there will be process of alignment of the existing laws with the European norms and laws once the EU opens the accession talks with Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Stano stressed that this will prevent a lot of troubles, criticism, polemics and disagreements. He reminded that the freedom of speech and the freedom of media are one of the basic freedoms which belong to the principles of the EU, adding that the EU holds them very dear and is aware that this is very important for functioning of democratic societies. “This is why it is very important to see how exactly the law dealing with defamation or disinformation is being phrased because in some cases you can have a very good intention with the defamation law, but then depending on individual articles – suddenly you find out that someone actually tried to combat the freedom of speech or to repress it”, Stano concluded. He also reminded of countries that have adopted the so-called law against disinformation but in some cases these laws were used to fight what journalists publish and things the respective governments do not like, stressing that this is not okay.

HR meets Tajani and Schallenberg; Complete engagement and dedication to EU integration demanded from B&H politicians (Oslobodjenje)

High Representative Christian Schmidt met with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg in Sarajevo on Friday. During the meeting the HR stated that a wider IC demands from leading political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) nothing less than a complete engagement and dedication to the process of joining the EU. The OHR stated that the HR thanked the Ministers for continued support to B&H, to the OHR and the mandate of the HR in accordance with the DPA.

B&H FM Konakovic meets with his Italian and Austrian counterparts, Tajani and Schallenberg; Tajani and Schallenberg underline that Italy and Austria support HR Schmidt’s work (O kanal)

Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani and Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Schallenberg paid a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) on Friday. Tajani and Schallenberg held a meeting with B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konakovic, underlining full support for B&H’s path to full membership in the EU.

Tajani and Schallenberg also referred to the actions of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik and High Representative Christian Schmidt. “For us, the Western Balkans is a priority, to work diligently in this country. I proposed a business forum to merge our companies and have joint investments in our companies. We are ready to cooperate more strongly on the problem of illegal migration,” Tajani said. Tajani noted that “Schmidt is a good man who builds bridges and is engaged in it.” “It is not an easy job, and we support him in his work,” Tajani underlined.

Schallenberg pointed out that Schmidt has one of the hardest jobs and “it is up to the people of this country to make it easier for him and that you do not need this international monitoring.” “It is difficult for him, and he has our support and must use the Bonn powers. The long-term goal is to see him as a partner, because this monitoring limits the sovereignty of B&H,” Schallenberg said. Schallenberg reminded that B&H was granted the EU candidate status last year. “There is a new opportunity that must be seized here in Sarajevo. This is a strategic task for us, and not some backyard. Too much time has been wasted and you have the fourteen key priorities to fulfil and we will help you there,” Schallenberg said. Addressing the joint press conference after the meeting, Schallenberg stated that HR Schmidt probably has one of the toughest jobs on the EU path of B&H, stressing that B&H authorities should tend to have a situation in which the international supervisions will not be needed. He said that BiH needs a feeling of unity with everyone being on the same path engaged on economic and European perspective, adding that the HR has his and Tajani’s support and he needs to use the Bonn Powers, but that a long-term goal is to see the HR as a partner for B&H’s full sovereignty.

Konakovic underlined the importance of the EU path for B&H, as well as warned of the tasks that await B&H on that path. “The entire international community, including other major world powers, is turning its attention to the processes in B&H because of the danger that this part of the Balkans could be activated again in terms of some bad events that are nothing new here,” Konakovic said. Asked about the latest secessionist rhetoric of RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, Konakovic told the press that he did not expect that Dodik will replace his secessionist rhetoric with the one about the EU integration so soon, but he stressed that his political course is a policy based on agreement that has so far yielded very swift results within the ruling coalition. He said that he is unhappy with such statements of Dodik, but still he is happy with results yielded in the first 30 days of work of the new ruling structures in B&H.

Italian FM Tajani and Austrian FM Schallenberg meet with B&H Presidency members (BHT1)

Members of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy Antonio Tajani and with the Minister of European and International Affairs of Austria Alexander Schallenberg.  They welcomed the views of the governments of those two countries that the European perspective of the Western Balkans should be a priority for EU action in the future. Talks on bilateral relations were evaluated as very good, friendly and without open questions. It was established that negotiations for the conclusion of a number of bilateral agreements have been initiated, and that the Agreement on Economic, Trade and Technical cooperation is in the phase of harmonization. Following the meeting, Serb member of the Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic stated that she appreciates support of Italy and Austria in the process of the EU integration of B&H. She added that these two countries are among the most important foreign trade partners of B&H and she is glad that there is general consent in terms of further strengthening of the cooperation and bilateral relations.

During their Friday’s official visit to B&H, Tajani and Schallenberg met with Chairwoman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo. Kristo, Tajani and Schallenberg, among other things, discussed B&H’s European path. Kristo informed Tajani and Schallenberg about the process of formation of authorities at all levels in B&H and expressed the belief that this process will be completed soon in order to start the reforms that are part of EU integration. Kristo emphasized that the priorities of the B&H CoM are the fulfilment of fourteen conditions set by the European Commission (EC). Kristo pointed out that an important link in stabilizing the political situation in B&H is the amendment of the electoral legislation, the implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H and all verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Sarrazin: We must strengthen and develop Berlin Process; All reginal initiatives are welcome if they respect EU regulations and include all six Balkan states (Nezavisne)

The daily carries an interview with German Special Envoy for Western Balkans Manuel Sarrazin. Speaking about the Berlin Process, Sarrazin reminded that all six Balkan states signed three agreements at the Berlin Summit last November. He underlined that all six states are expected to ratify and implement the agreements. Commenting the rumours about Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik not supporting the Berlin Process, Sarrazin underlined that Dodik has been supporting it from day one. He underlined that there is a wide consensus on support for the Berlin Process across the region and noted that since such wide consensus is a rare occurrence, it is necessary to protect and develop the Berlin Process.

Asked if he believes that there is a kind of competition between the Berlin Process and the Open Balkan initiative, Sarrazin said that all regional initiatives should be aligned with EU regulations and they need to treat all Western Balkan states equally. “We have stopped with the pointless quarrel of ‘Berlin Process versus the Open Balkan’. We do not have time to waste on this or that model. I have neither time nor patience for that, I want things to move forward. But the condition is that the process must include all six states”, said Sarrazin. He argued that all six Western Balkan states should cooperate, develop together and offer more security to potential investors. Sarrazin argued that Dodik’s rhetoric drive away many German investors and noted that German investors created 80,000 good jobs in Serbia. “Once the RS, B&H, Western Balkans and Germany are in the EU together, nobody will think about the ‘economic prosperity’ offered by Russia and China”, Sarrazin noted.

Croatia

Croatian party to support incumbent Djukanovic in Montenegro election (Hina)

The Croatian Civil Initiative (HGI) will support the incumbent Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic in the presidential election scheduled for 19 March, the political party of the Croatian minority in Montenegro announced. The HGI called on voters and sympathisers to vote for Djukanovic so that Montenegro can continue along the pro-Western path.

“Since its establishment in 2002, the HGI has been fighting, without calculation, for the independent Montenegro, a member of NATO and the European Union. Djukanovic has successfully led all the processes that positioned Montenegro within the circle of Western civilisation, which are the HGI’s goals too. We have seen that both society and government have regressed since the last parliamentary election and Montenegro’s EU membership prospects are seriously jeopardised,” the party said in a statement.

In addition to Djukanovic, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists, the presidential election will be contested by the leader of New Serbian Democracy, Andrija Mandic, the deputy leader of the Europe Now! movement, Aleksa Becic, Social Democratic Party member of Parliament Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic, the leader of United Montenegro, Goran Danilovic, and influencer Jovan Radulovic. A total of 542,154 people are eligible to vote. If none of the candidates wins more than half of the votes on 18 March, a second round of voting will take place on 2 April.

Montenegro

Lekic: No majority for govt composition, 3 URA votes missing (RTCG)

PM-designate Miodrag Lekic has decided to renew the negotiations on the government formation, and he offered the Black on White coalition, whose support he lacks in Parliament, to be part of his cabinet or to support the minority government. Lekic, in an interview with the MINA agency, says that he has made the decision to renew the negotiations on the formation of the government after PM Dritan Abazovic informed him that he could not secure the support of 41 MPs for the formation of a government. Lekic adds that he will try to form a government by 16 March, when the deadline expires, that for now he has the support of 37 MPSs if the parliamentary majority, and that he lacks 4 votes from the representatives of the Black on White coalition. He says that he has offered the Black on White coalition (URA and Civis), to be part of his cabinet in positions that were previously agreed upon.

Meanwhile, Lekic informed the leaders of the parliamentary majority of August 2020 that he had not yet had the necessary majority to form a new government, as he lacked three votes from the URA MPs. This is stated in Lekic’s third and last letter to the leaders of the parliamentary majority, which Portal RTCG had access to. Lekic previously informed the winning parties from August 2020 that he had had a meeting with Abazovic on 10 March, at which Abazovic told him that he had failed to reach an agreement in contacts with MP Genci Nimanbegu and reach the number 41 necessary for the formation of a new government.

CIVIS MP Srdjan Pavicevic, in his reply to Lekic, stated that Lekic had his support for the formation of the 44th government with the participation of CIVIS in it, as was the case in the previous two governments. It remains for him, as he says, to state that he still does not have the required majority for the composition of the 44th government – now 3 votes in the Parliament are missing.

Djukanovic: Dissolution of parliament should be considered in detail, I’ll wait for lawyers’ position (RTCG)

The Constitution of Montenegro stipulates that president of Montenegro may adopt the decree on dissolving the parliament if a prime minister-designate doesn’t set up a government within three months from the day he was given the mandate, says the President of Montenegro and Leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, Milo Djukanovic, in an interview for the parliamentary show aired on the public broadcaster, RTCG.

Djukanovic also mentions the speculations that he’s going to dissolve the Parliament of Montenegro after 16 March if the Prime Minister-designate, Miodrag Lekic, doesn’t form a government. According to him, PM-designate Lekic’ mandate to form a government is problematic: “I’ve been considering that inter-dependence of the constitutional clause seriously, the Law on President as well, and if the PM-designate doesn’t set up the government until 16 March, my position will be clear, in line with the Constitution,” Djukanovic said. He didn’t precisely say whether it meant he’d dissolve the parliament. “Some lawyers think I should do it, but I believe that everything should be considered in detail”.

The DPS’ presidential candidate also says that he offers the completion of the European road of Montenegro in the next five years, that is, during the new term of office as president of Montenegro. “Now we need to complete that job, reinforce the character of civic Montenegro, strengthen reforms and complete the European path. It’s a key value”. The President also notes that there haven’t been any reforms over the past two years, but other countries of the region faced the same situation. “The EU threatened to block the negotiations.”

On the election of heads of the justice system, Mr Djukanovic says that it was a condition for supporting the minority government. “It became even more important after the EU made decision to prioritize the European integration over the aggression against Ukraine. In that moment, our government didn’t meet all the requirements for the political reasons, not because it forgot to do so. It wasn’t because of the ignorance, as I warned PM Dritan Abazovic to not go that way”.

He also denies that his withdrawal from the political life of Montenegro was a requirements during the negotiations on the minority government. “Some people wished for it, but that’s rude. It’s up to me and the party I’m running”.

President Djukanovic also considers that it’s very important to hold the extraordinary parliamentary elections and that there are no obstacles to have them this year despite the announced census. “It’s important to have a politically legitimate government so that it may carry out such an important job as census is, because it’s not just about counting people, but keeping a good records which would serve the state policy”. He prioritizes the parliamentary elections, which should follow the presidential ones “and if we manage to conduct the national census by the end of the year, we won’t make a mistake for sure”. Milo Djukanovic concludes with stating that he’s sure he’s going to be the winner of the forthcoming presidential election, adding that it won’t be a tragedy if there comes to the second round of the election. If he’s elected president again, the region will remain in the spotlight – Europe as well – but he will never cease to cherish relations with the traditional friends of Montenegro.

Djukanovic says not anti-Serb but opposes Greater Serbia policy (RTCG)

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic said on March 11 that he was not anti-Serb, but that he was against the Greater Serbian agenda, adding that his relationship with Serbian President

Aleksandar Vucic was decent. “Not only members of my wider family, but a large number of friends, too, live in Belgrade. I don’t go there because there hasn’t been a political need. I phrased it very clearly. I am not anti-Serb, all of Montenegro is not anti-Serb. We are Serbia’s friends,” Djukanovic told RTCG. He stressed that he was “against the Greater Serbian agenda, when Serbia feels the need to regulate the lives of Serbs outside Serbia,” which, he said, spoils inter-country relations, and not only with Montenegro, which had experienced this phenomenon. Speaking on his relationship with the Serbian president, he described it as completely decent, but not as close as before, most of all because of Serbia’s changed attitude toward the region. “We never tried to hide it. We covered the topic in detail at a dinner in Jerusalem, and the topic of the history of the Church in Serbia… Belgrade continued with the same agenda and that has led to a certain distancing. Not to hostility,” added Djukanovic, who is also a candidate in Montenegrin presidential elections slated for March 19.

Abazovic: We support Becic, he’s the best candidate for president of Montenegro; Becic: Our disagreement hasn’t lasted for too long (CDM)

The Civic Movement URA is going to support the Leader of the Democrats, Aleksa Becic, in the forthcoming presidential election, the Leader of URA and outgoing Prime Minister, Dritan Abazovic, said earlier today at a joint news conference. Becic said that he was convinced in his victory. “We had some disagreements and there were some inappropriate words, but the main reason why we decided to support Becic is the fact that he participated in the fight for democracy so we had to appreciate it. We think he’s the best candidate for president of Montenegro,” Abazovic said. He also noted that he wished success to Becic on 19 March, in the second round of the election as well. “We’ll always be his friends,” the PM noted, adding that the goal was to gather civic forces in Montenegro. According to Aleksa Becic, URA’s support is a guarantee that he’s going to take part in the second round of the election, which is the basis of civic Montenegro.

Uljarevic: Decision on Fundamental Agreement will determine the public perception of new judges of the Constitutional Court (CDM)

The way in which the Constitutional Court is going to declare on the constitutionality and legality of the Fundamental Agreement with the SPC would also determine the way in which both the public and relevant addresses are going to perceive the new judges of this court. I particularly point out to this because the SDP’s initiative for assessing the constitutionality of the agreement has strong legal justification, while the judges are responsible to put this issue before their personal or political orientation, the Executive Director of the Centre for Civic Education, Daliborka Uljarevic, has noted.

On 9 March, the SDP MP and candidate running for the presidential election, Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic, on behalf of this party, submitted to the Constitutional Court the Initiative for the Assessment of Constitutionality of the Fundamental Agreement which Dritan Abazovic signed with the SPC in August 2022. According to Uljarevic, it was expected that they’d submit the Initiative, as it’s in line with earlier publicly expressed views of the SDP.

CPC organizes meetings with diaspora: 400 guests confirmed their arrival (CDM)

His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje and Metropolitan of Montenegro Mihailo, as we previously announced, made the decision that the year 2023 would be marked by a series of festive activities to meet the great jubilee of the Montenegrin Orthodox Church – 3 decades since its restoration on 31 October, the CPC states. “The first ceremony – Meetings with the diaspora will be held on 16 March in the congress hall of the Grand Hotel in Cetinje. The coordinator of this event, with the blessing of Metropolitan Mihailo, is Dusan Glendza. “More than 400 invitees from the Montenegrin diaspora around the world have confirmed their arrival so far”, CPC points out. CPC, since its restoration in 1993, is organizing this kind of event for the first time, which the diaspora greeted with enthusiasm. “The guests will be greeted by the head of the CPC, His Eminence the Archbishop of Cetinje and the Metropolitan of Montenegro, Mihailo, as well as the mayor of the Old Royal Capital Cetinje, Nikola Djuraskovic. The president of the Dukley Academy of Sciences and Arts, Blagota Erakovic, and the writer and publicist Borislav Cimesa will also give introductory presentations”, CPC has announced. Several representatives of the diaspora will speak at the meeting, and a rich cultural and artistic program is planned, as well as a festive dinner.

North Macedonia

Pendarovski: Reconciliation requires apology from Bulgaria for the deportation of the Macedonian Jews (Republika)

Nowhere in Europe had the morbid concept called “Final Solution of the Jewish Question” been more efficiently carried out than in then-occupied Macedonia. The authentic meaning of the word ‘justice’ in both Hebrew and Macedonian points to what corresponds to the truth. Justice means to recognize and name the truth and for it to be respected by all. Reconciliation requires an apology about the role of the then-pro-fascist government in Sofia in the deportation of the Macedonian Jews, said President Stevo Pendarovski in his address at the memorial of the 7,144 Macedonian Jews, who were deported to Treblinka death camp in occupied Poland 80 years ago.

Our compatriots were among the six million perished Jews. Their destiny depicts all stages of the Holocaust. First came discrimination. The then-fascist regime in Sofia adopted the law on protection of the nation, resulting in systematic discrimination of Macedonian Jews. Deprived of citizenship and legal protection, they were fired from public service, children thrown out of schools, families banished from their homes. The second step was isolation. At the order of the commissariat for Jewish affairs, the Jews had to wear the yellow Star of David in public, stigmatizing them through the eternal symbol of the Jewish identity. The third step was dehumanization, said President Pendarovski.

Almost all Jews from Skopje, Bitola and Stip, he added, were deported from the then-Skopje-based Monopoly to Treblinka, where almost one million Jews were killed in gas chambers, including 96 percent of the Macedonian Jewish population and a third of the Macedonian victims in World War II.

Faced with these facts, we are bound to ask the following questions: Do we, the current generations, have the right to calm down someone’s guilty conscience over the Holocaust of the Macedonian Jews? Can we stay silent before the historical revisionism that rehabilitates criminals and celebrates perpetrators? Should we forget who signed the systematic deprivation of the Macedonian Jews’ civil, economic and human rights and sent them to their death, asked Pendarovski.

He asked for an apology from Bulgaria for the role of the then-pro-fascist government in Sofia over the deportation of the Macedonian Jews.

The authentic meaning of the word ‘justice’ in both Hebrew and Macedonian points to what corresponds to the truth. Justice means to recognize and name the truth and for it to be respected by all. Reconciliation requires an apology about the role of the then-pro-fascist government in Sofia in the deportation of the Macedonian Jews, noted Pendarovski.

This is critical, added the President, in a time when the number of Holocaust survivors is dwindling and antisemitism is rising. Our institutions have the duty to implement the tasks that the country has undertaken at the international Holocaust forum in Malmo. Namely, educate pupils about the truth of this genocide and protect them from the dangerous virus of antisemitism through the mandatory visit of the Holocaust Memorial Center. Therefore, our duty is to remember and never forget, not allowing, ever again, the power of evil to get the chance to repeat the crime, underlined Pendarovski.

Meanwhile, MEP Andrey Kovatchev in the European Parliament organizes meetings with parliamentarians in which he claims that Bulgaria saved the Jews from Macedonia and Bulgaria. The event was held on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

As Macedonia marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the persecution of the Macedonian Jews in the Treblinka camp. On this very day, announcements are coming from Bulgaria that it also wants to be part of the history of the persecution of the Jews, but made up in its own way. In particular, the Vice President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova announced that they will build a museum dedicated to the rescue of the Jews. World history is clear that Bulgaria, as part of the fascist coalition, did not save the Jews, but helped to be deported to the death camp. Until a few years ago, there were living witnesses who told how the Jews, loaded in wagons were taken to a road from which there is no back. It is really unclear what rescue Jotova is talking about?

Republika already wrote that the Memorial Center of the Holocaust of the Jews in Macedonia is starting to bother Bulgaria more and more.

Bulgaria wants to question the authenticity of the exhibits, especially the railway wagon, which practically calls into question the existence of the Center itself, but also the deportation of the Macedonian Jews and especially the role of the Bulgarian occupation authorities in that tragic event from the Second World War war. That Bulgaria should not be a place where Jews will get another museum is also confirmed by the Bulgarian Jewish organization “Shalom”. This influential organization demands that Bulgaria stop distorting the history of the Jewish people. We will not remain indifferent to the attempts in the past weeks to change the history of the Holocaust in Bulgaria because the heavy anti-Semitic laws and state measures of the Bulgarian government have since presented themselves as seemingly accepted but non-existent in, let us not forget that these are the laws and regulations due to which thousands of people suffered during the Holocaust. This is an insult to the memory of our ancestors and to the merits of all righteous Bulgarians from this period, and we will not remain silent in the face of such neglect of the Holocaust, which is considered a crime in many countries of the European Union, said “Shalom”.

Albania

PM Rama to visit Greece on March 20-21 (Radio Tirana)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will visit Greece on March 20-21. Upon his arrival in Athens, Rama will not miss the opportunity to meet the Greek political class, precisely in one of the best moments of bilateral relations. Prime Minister Rama will arrive in Athens at noon on the 20th and will immediately start meetings with Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, with whom he will also have a working lunch. In the format of the talks, the Foreign Minister, Olta Xhacka, as well as a delegation of diplomats will be present to discuss some of the half-finished agreements between the two countries. The agenda of the Albanian prime minister on the 21st starts busy, where he will meet the speaker of the Hellenic parliament, Kostas Tasulas, to finalize it with the country’s president, Kateriana Saqelaropoulu. The agenda of the Albanian prime minister in Greece will end on the afternoon of the 21st, with his participation in the Delphi economic forum, where businessmen and heads of corporations from the largest in Greece will participate.

EU membership talks, the examination of the second group of chapters with Albania is wrapped up (Radio Tirana)

Albania has concluded the bilateral review with the European Commission of the second group of chapters of the EU membership negotiations. While announcing this news, the European Union appreciates that Albania’s membership negotiation process is moving forward with fruitful discussions on the internal market and the free movement of people, goods, services and capital. Meanwhile, reliable sources in Brussels told for RTSH that the explanatory review of the third group chapter out of 6 in total should be reviewed next week.

The pace of the talks so far leaves open the possibility that this process will end within this year, paving the way for the European Commission’s report on the proposal to open the first chapters. This progress also coincides with Albanian government ambition to achieve it before the end of the year. The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Olta Xhacka stated that it is the expectation of the Albanian government that within 2023 the country is able to hold the Second Intergovernmental Conference with the European Union. On the other hand, the achievement would be in realistic quotas of the country’s capacities to proceed with a large volume of legislation as at this stage, but especially pending negotiations for each chapter with a total of over 3000 Directives to pass to the parliament.