LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: There is no question of membership in the UN and no recognition (RTS)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, said, speaking about the war in Ukraine, that he is afraid that there will not be peace yet. After the meeting with the Italian Minister Antonio Tajani, he addressed the journalists, saying that the war in Ukraine is a difficult position for Serbia at this moment. “We are satisfied that we preserved the peace,” said Vucic. He also reminded that in the Italian press, after the start of the war in Ukraine, on February 24, one could read dozens of articles in which they wrote that it was only a matter of time before Serbia would attack Bosnia and Herzegovina. “It is clear to everyone that these were untruths, and that Serbia is trying to protect itself,” said Vucic. “We would like the war in Ukraine to stop right away,” he added, explaining that the West is only looking at who will win and who will lose. “We are interested in when the peace will come. You mustn’t say that today because you will get cussies. Serbia wants peace, hopes for peace and we hope that it will bring us relief. Whether there will be peace or not, I am afraid that it won’t happen,” concluded Vucic.

“Serbia has never used tricks… Unlike all of them… What I told them in Brussels, Belgrade, has not changed one iota. It is legally binding when I sign or verbally agree to it… Serbia will work on implementing everything… There is no question of membership in the UN and no recognition. This rest, which means a normal relationship between Serbs and Albanians, without tensions, Serbia will implement, and whether someone else will implement it, we will see” Vucic said.

Escobar: The agreement in Ohrid is legally binding, even though it has not been signed (RTS)

The State Department’s special envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that the agreement reached in Ohrid few days ago is a step towards the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and that it is legally binding, even though it has not been signed. At an online press conference, Gabriel Escobar pointed out that it took a lot of courage and vision from the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, and the Prime Minister of the Temporary Institutions, Aljbin Kurti, to reach an agreement, during the dialogue three days ago in Ohrid.

“This agreement is legally binding for both parties. Although it is not signed, it is an agreement in every sense,” said Escobar. According to him, the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, made it clear that the parties have committed themselves and that the implementation of the agreement will affect the European path of both parties. “The agreement is the path to the reconciliation of Serbia and Kosovo. It is important that we explain how the two sides will continue. Implementation must begin immediately and both sides will benefit from it. I believe that Euro-Atlantic integration is the most important. We will progress only if the agreement starts to be applied as soon as possible,” Escobar said. As he pointed out, Serbia must work on the key elements of the annex. “For both sides, it is important that everything left from the Brussels Agreement is implemented. This is expected from both sides. We will continue to work with both sides and our partners,” said Escobar.

When asked if the membership of Kosovo and Metohija in international organizations was discussed at the meeting in Ohrid, he replied that he could not say that, but that everything that was written in the European proposal was discussed. Escobar added that it is a general matter that the European path of both Pristina and Belgrade is conditioned by the implementation of the agreement on the normalization of relations, and that the EU will closely monitor the process so that the agreement is not only accepted, but also to create positive long-term cooperation. According to him, the fact that the summit was organized in Ohrid is a great indicator that North Macedonia is working on its European path.

“The implementation of the agreement is expected immediately, the dialogue will continue”

He says that the idea of forming the ZSO does not depend on the EU but on Pristina, as well as that the interest should be the betterment of the people who live there, but that the “constitutionality” of KiM should not be violated. “The implementation of the agreement is expected immediately, the dialogue will continue, because we want the normalization plan to succeed. We want the interaction of the two countries, that both move quickly towards Euro-Atlantic integration”, concluded Escobar and added that the summit in Ohrid was not about mutual recognition but in order to find a peaceful solution in the region.

Speaking about Russia’s influence on right-wing movements in Serbia, Escobar said that there is no evidence, but that it is known that Russia, through the media and social networks, is trying to participate in the narratives of right-wing organizations that would slow down Euro-Atlantic integration. “We believe that Russia wants to make it difficult to implement the agreement, but this is a local problem and the solution must be local, and the solution is regional reconciliation,” said Escobar and explained that Russia was not present at the summit, nor was it mentioned.

Borrell: EU membership depends on the implementation of the European proposal (RTS)

Membership in the European Union will depend on the implementation of the European proposal, the position of Brussels is repeated by the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell. “The agreement is considered an integral part of the European path of both parties. It will be part of the negotiating chapter 35 of Serbia, it will be part of the conditions that Kosovo needs to fulfil. Now it is something binding and we will have to carefully monitor the implementation process,” Borrell said. The priority in implementation for Belgrade remains the Union of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO).

“I think the most important thing is that Serbia managed to present the ZSO as the main prerequisite for any further steps in the process of normalization of the relations. With the fact that it was not the ZSO that was mentioned, but the self-government for the Serbs, which will, first of all, be built on the basis of the Brussels agreements determined by the EU representative, that is, the mediator,” says Stefan Surlic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Political Sciences.

Long-time correspondent from Germany Miroslav Stojanovic states that it is very important that the ZSO is not part of the road map, but of the process that was already in Brussels and was agreed upon ten years ago. “Accordingly, there are principles, content, and the relativization of what is contained in that content is not allowed,” said Stojanovic.

On Thursday, the prime minister of the temporary institutions in Pristina will inform the deputies about the details of the last round of negotiations. In the meantime, he informed the ambassadors accredited in Pristina about it. The American diplomat expressed Washington’s expectations. “We have constant expectations from Kurti to work with us in order to fulfil what Kosovo has committed to and to form the Union of Municipalities with a Serbian majority, which is part of this process. Today we agreed that it is important to move forward with the implementation of all parts of the basic agreement, as well as that we should work on the implementation of the annex of the European proposal,” said Jeffrey M. Hovenier, US Ambassador in Pristina.

Serb List to US Ambassador: ZSO before elections (N1)

Officials of the Belgrade-backed Serb List told US Ambassador in Pristina Jeff Hovenier that they won’t stand in elections until the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) is formed. They said that the Kosovo police special units also have to withdraw from the north of Kosovo.

A press release said that the party’s delegation, headed by leader Goran Rakic, met with Hovenier and told him the party would not field candidates in the coming early local elections in majority-Serb north Kosovo municipalities until their demands are met. “Those are the forming of the ZSO and withdrawal of all of Pristina’s special units from the north of Kosovo and Metohija,” the Serb List said after the meeting with the ambassador.

Fajon: Kosovo-Serbia deal implementation important, should be assisted (Beta)

Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon stated on March 20, commenting on an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina about executing a deal on the path to normalization of relations, that the implementation was the most important thing now and that the two sides should be given help with it. “The agreement, as accepted by Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, is a sort of foundation, but now it needs to be seen what the implementation will be when it comes to establishing the Community of Serb Municipalities, when it comes to some normalization of relations,” Fajon told the Slovenian STA wire service in Brussels. Fajon’s comment about the fact that the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia had not signed the agreement was that “the point is that the two sides have undertaken to carry it out.” “We’ll remind them of that, too,” she said. She stressed that both sides needed help with moving toward the shared goal — normalization of relations, one step at a time, and gave assurances that Slovenia will provide assistance in implementation of the agreement, that is sensitive to both sides.

Georgian PM tells Serbian speaker his country supports Serbia in dispute over Kosovo (Beta)

The Serbian speaker, Vladimir Orlic, met in Tbilisi on March 20 with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili, whom he quoted as saying that the two states shared the same views, while jointly promoting and respecting the international law. The prime minister said Georgia’s view on Kosovo was well-known and would not be changed – Georgia “strongly supports Serbia,” the Parliament of Serbia stated. Orlic said that Georgia could count on Serbia’s support in the EU integration process. Serbia’s EU accession is “burdened heavily” by the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue, Orlic said, adding that Serbia faced Pristina’s unilateral moves on a daily basis, along with “an insolent refusal” by Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to set up the Community of Serb Municipalities, a “decade-long wait notwithstanding.” In an earlier joint statement, Orlic and his Georgian counterpart, Shalva Papuashvili, reiterated mutual support to territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the two states’ accession to the EU.

Vucic spoke with Orban, meeting in Belgrade soon (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that he will soon meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Belgrade. President Vucic spoke on the phone with Viktor Orban, it was announced on the Instagram account @buducnostsrbijeav. He pointed out that they discussed all the key issues for the region, Europe and the world. “A real friendly conversation with Viktor Orban on all key issues for the region, Europe and the world. Meeting soon in Belgrade. Long live the friendship of Serbs and Hungarians, Serbia and Hungary,” wrote Vucic.

Brnabic with Roth on bilateral relations (RTS)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke with the chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth, about bilateral political and economic relations between Serbia and Germany, Serbia’s European path, as well as the rule of law. Ana Brnabic emphasized that the partnership between the two countries is progressing more and more every year, which is also confirmed by the fact that Germany is Serbia’s number one trade partner, according to the Government announcement. She pointed out that Germany is a leading partner in the exchange of services, primarily in the field of information technologies. The Prime Minister said that the Serbian economy is increasingly oriented towards the IT sector and that we highly appreciate the fact that large German companies are opening more and more of their research and development centers in Serbia. As an example, she cited the company Continental, which opened its development and research center in Novi Sad, which is of crucial importance for our economy. She emphasized that the inflow of German foreign direct investments is significant, bearing in mind that companies from that country employ approximately 80,000 workers in Serbia.

Brnabic said that the priority of Serbia’s foreign policy is membership in the EU, which implies the continuation of the implementation of reforms, primarily for the sake of a better quality of life for the citizens of Serbia. As an example, she cited the constitutional reforms that were adopted last year, which followed the adoption of judicial laws in the National Assembly last month, and which together should contribute to a more independent and efficient judiciary.

The President of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs, Michael Roth, said that Germany supports the accession of Serbia and the Western Balkans to the European Union, and reiterated that the implementation of reforms in all areas of society is crucial on this path.

Vucic with Tajani, after the meeting of the Forum for Business and Scientific Cooperation between Serbia and Italy (RTS)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, met today with the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, Antonio Tajani. The two officials will participate after the meeting at the Forum for Business and Scientific Cooperation between Serbia and Italy, and then at 11:30 a.m. the signing of bilateral documents is planned. Vucic and Tajani are also scheduled to address journalists. In an interview with Tanjug on Monday, Tajani said that the goal of the Forum is to support the growth of the Serbian economy, which is one of the leaders in the region and offers great opportunities for Italian companies. 246 Serbian and 149 Italian companies will participate in the forum, and around 400 bilateral meetings have already been scheduled, the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia (PKS), which organizes the forum with the support of Italian partners, the Italian Embassy in Serbia and the Italian Trade Agency, reported Tanjug.

Dacic: The conference on Stepinac in Brussels was wrong and provocative (RTS)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Ivica Dacic, said in Brussels that Serbia protested at the European Parliament regarding the Conference on Alojzije Stepinac, organized by MEP Zeljana Zovko. In a statement to journalists, the head of Serbian diplomacy said that this is not the first time that Serbia has faced this issue. “Whenever something like that happens, the answer refers to the ways and procedures of the EP’s functioning. That it is not a common position of the EP, that the MPs have the right to it… It is true that it does not gather a large number of interested parties, it is mostly reduced to a few people and mostly from the Croatian national corps,” he said.

Dacic believes that this is a provocative and deeply counterproductive move. “We think it is an attempt to historically relativize and rehabilitate a movement that was on the side of fascism, a movement that symbolized the genocide of Serbia, Jews and Roma. A movement that meant the conversion of Serbs to the Catholic faith,” said Dacic. He says that the road to reconciliation cannot lead through the rehabilitation of Alojzij Stepinac. “The institutions of the EU were founded on the victory over fascism. Where is the greater irony? I think that those who gave their lives in the fight against fascism, I don’t know how they would view the rehabilitation of Stepinac now,” said Dacic. The conference on Stepinac is planned for March 21 at the headquarters of the European Parliament, and the organizer is HDZ MP in the European Parliament Zeljana Zovko.

The EU refused the participation of the Pristina delegation without a footnote at the donor conference (RTS)

The European Union prevented the Minister of Finance of the temporary institutions of Pristina, Xekuran Myrati, from participating in the donor conference for Turkey and Syria in Brussels, insisting that the so-called Kosovo will be presented with a footnote. Xekurani Myrati announced on his Twitter account that he was prevented from participating in the conference, with the assessment that the so-called Kosovo in Brussels “was not respected in the right way”. “Unfortunately, my country could not participate and contribute due to the incorrect and discriminatory treatment of the organizers, who insisted on using the footnote, contrary to the letter of the original Brussels agreement and the spirit of today’s conference,” Myrati wrote, according to Reporters. He complained that the Pristina delegation changed three planes to arrive in Brussels to attend a donor conference in support of the citizens of Turkey and Syria affected by the devastating earthquakes. Kosovo’s self-proclaimed independence was not recognized by five EU member states.

Dacic: Serbia sends 1.5 million euros in aid to Turkey and Syria (RTS)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic, said that Serbia decided to provide additional aid to Turkey and Syria, after the catastrophic earthquakes in early February, of a total of 1.5 million euros, 750,000 euros for each country. The head of Serbian diplomacy, at the plenary session as part of the donor conference, said that in the first days of the tragedy, the Government of Serbia formed an operational team for the coordination of humanitarian aid, in order to help the people of Turkey and Syria. As he pointed out, the Government of Serbia has so far sent 2.8 million euros to Turkey and 2.98 million euros to Syria.

“We welcome the initiative of the EU and Sweden, and I use this opportunity to express my condolences to the families of the victims. We share the pain with those who have lost their loved ones, and it is clear that our solidarity in expressions of reverence and condolences is not enough. That is why the Government of Serbia allocated additional funds for two countries for a total of 1.5 million euros, 750,000 euros for each,” said Dacic. He stated that Serbia’s aid will not stop with this and that we are ready to continue providing support. “Such events serve as a reminder that we can only provide adequate answers to global challenges together. European unity is very important in these circumstances,” concluded the head of Serbian diplomacy.

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

Dodik: Becirovic is a Bosniak member of B&H Presidency, he does not have any rights or jurisdiction when it comes to the property of the RS, and therefore his request to Attorney General’s Office of B&H is unfounded (ATV)

Bosniak member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency, Denis Becirovic, asked the Attorney General’s Office of B&H to give its review on what was done regarding the protection of the alleged property of B&H, ATV stated. A response came from Republika Srpska (RS) which said Becirovic does not have any rights or competencies when it comes to the RS’ property, which is why his request towards the Attorney General’s Office of B&H is unfounded. Reactions from the RS also say that Becirovic’s request towards the Attorney General’s Office of B&H is completely in violation of the Constitution of B&H. RS President Milorad Dodik says that the Attorney General’s Office of B&H should not even exist. “Denis Becirovic is a Bosniak member of the Presidency, elected on the territory of the Federation of B&H (FB&H). He does not have any rights or jurisdiction when it comes to the property of the RS, and therefore his request to the Attorney General’s Office of B&H is unfounded. The property issue was resolved by the Dayton Agreement, everything else we hear and see is a violation of an international agreement and the Constitution of B&H as an integral part of that agreement”, Dodik was quoted as saying.

Cvijanovic on Becirovic’s request to Office of Attorney General of B&H regarding activities related to state property: Becirovic did not file request on behalf of B&H Presidency (BHT1)

BHT1 reports on an extraordinary session of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency held on Monday. The reporter notes that there is still a dispute within the B&H Presidency related to state property. BHT1 reports that Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic said she is of view there is no constitutional framework, i.e. the basis to regulate the issue of property at the level of B&H, because “otherwise, entities would not be requested to transfer it to B&H level”. Commenting on B&H Presidency member Denis Becirovic’s request to the Office of Attorney General of B&H, in which Becirovic requested information on activities undertaken by that institution and in relation to legal protection of state property and property interest of B&H, Cvijanovic said that Becirovic filed the request on his behalf and not on behalf of the B&H Presidency. Cvijanovic noted that Becirovic spoke for himself, and not on behalf of the Presidency. “Therefore, it is his private position, not the official position of the institution”, explained Cvijanovic. She argues that it seemed as if someone wanted to deliberately produce crises, through persistent dissolution of the Dayton constitutional order of B&H. Cvijanovic stressed that the issue of property is one of many anti-Dayton initiatives strived to be implemented in B&H with the cooperation of political Sarajevo and the international factor. This, says Cvijanovic, led us to one more unconstitutional experiment which, as has been the case until now, caused a political crisis.

B&H Presidency adopts Proposal of Law on Budget of Institutions of B&H and International Obligations of B&H for 2023; Komsic votes against Proposal over salary increase for politicians and lack of funds for AF B&H (BHT1)

At its extraordinary session held on Monday, the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency adopted the Proposal of Law on Budget of Institutions of B&H and International Obligations of B&H for 2023. BHT1 reports that B&H Presidency member Zeljko Komsic voted against the Proposal due to increase in salaries of politicians and insufficient funds allocated for the Armed Forces (AF) of B&H and explained that lack of funds for the AF B&H jeopardizes their activities. The Office of the B&H Presidency member Denis Becirovic has issued a statement denying Komsic’s allegations and stating that BAM 100 million increase is planned for the defense sector and additional BAM 40 million for AF B&H operational costs. RTRS noted that the budget is expected to be adopted in the B&H Parliament by the end of the month. During the session, the B&H Presidency also accepted a plan of the B&H Council of Ministers to find within three months a systemic solution for regulation of salaries and allowances.

SDA: Adoption of 2023 draft budget that does not stipulate funds for equipping B&H AF undermines B&H’s defense capacities, prevents NATO accession (Hayat)

SDA stated on Monday that the adoption of the 2023 draft budget that does not stipulate funds for equipping the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) directly undermines B&H’s defense capacities and prevents the country’s NATO accession. SDA stressed that by approving the draft budget in the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) and in the B&H Presidency by outvoting Croat member of B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic, representatives of ‘The Troika’ coalition have once again proven their readiness to meet all wishes of SNSD and HDZ B&H in exchange for having posts in the ruling structures. “After they removed the NATO integration from the government formation agreement, the SNSD-HDZ B&H-SDP B&H-‘The Troika’ ruling coalition demonstrated in practice that they give up on B&H’s path to the NATO membership in this mandate”, SDA concluded.

B&H CoM adopts Program of Economic Reforms for the period 2023-2025 (N1)

The Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers (CoM) held an extraordinary phone session on Monday and adopted the Program of Economic Reforms for the period 2023-2025. The document will be delivered to the European Commission (EC) and it was drafted in line with guidelines of the EC based on proposals that competent institutions from the state and from the entity levels delivered. According to N1, the focus will be on 25 reform measures within structural reforms that were recognized by all levels of power as important for strengthening competition and removal of obstacles for economic progress and growth of B&H during the aforementioned period. Macro-economic and fiscal framework – drafted in coordination of the Directorate for Economic Planning and Ministry of Finance and Treasury of B&H – is part of the program. BHT1 reports that the program structural reforms are organized in 13 areas, including public finance management, green transition, digital transformation, business environment and decrease of grey economy.

B&H CoM Chair Kristo discusses B&H’s EU path with European Council President Michel, EU Commissioner Varhelyi, EP President Metsola in Brussels (BHT1)

BHT1 carries that Chairwoman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo met on Monday with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Brussels. On the occasion, Michel congratulated Kristo and the B&H CoM on the adoption of the Program of Economic Reforms for the period 2023-2025, noting it is an additional incentive for accelerating reform processes on B&H’s EU path, and Kristo said that the 14 key priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission (EC) remain in the focus of the work of the B&H CoM, however stressing the importance of completing the authority formation process at all levels for the successful continuation of the reform process, as well as the importance of electoral reform.

BHT1 reports that Kristo also met with EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi to discuss the European integration and regional issue. On the occasion, Varhelyi noted that the meeting is “a strong political signal and support to B&H on its EU path”. Kristo also met with the President of the European Parliament (EP) Roberta Metsola.

Kristo underlined the key importance of reform of the election legislation in line with the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H and verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights. Kristo and Michel agreed that the issue of migrations is of crucial importance for preservation of peace in the region but also in the EU. Kristo emphasized that European B&H has no alternative and that the EU accession process remains B&H’s foreign policy priority. Varhelyi said that this meeting is a strong political signal and support for B&H on its European path. Michel congratulated on the adopted program of economic reforms of BiH for the period 2023-2025.

EC VP Schinas: Status of candidate for B&H is first tangible legal step in the enlargement process (Vecernji list)

European Commission (EC) Vice President (VP) Margaritis Schinas said: “The most important thing of all is the irreversible path of all the countries of the region towards membership in the European Union. It is something that is probably not happening at the speed that many would expect, but my personal belief is that it is an irreversible process”. Schinas was the keynote speaker at a panel on the topic titled ‘The path of the countries of the Western Balkans to Europe’, which was held as part of the annual conference of the Association of Balkan News Agencies – Southeastern Europe (ABNA-SE) in Thessaloniki (on Monday). He noted that it will take time for that process, but it will happen, adding that to a certain extent, it also produces positive results, such as the offered agreement between Pristina and Belgrade. “Part of this process is, of course, that we granted candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina for EU membership. This is not just an abstract goal, this is the first tangible legal step in the enlargement process and now we have to move to phase two, which is to address the 14 key priorities that we have already identified as the most relevant,” Schinas added.

B&H Presidency confirms names of new ambassadors (ATV)

At the session of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency held on Monday, new diplomatic representatives of B&H in the world were appointed. Serb member and Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, decided on ambassadors from the rank of Serbs, after she received the proposal from Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik. New B&H Ambassador to Romania will be Milorad Zivkovic, while Biljana Gutic-Bjelica will be the new B&H Ambassador to Hungary. Aleksandar Vranjes will be the B&H Ambassador to Serbia, and Sinisa Bencun will be the B&H Ambassador to Austria. Bojan Vujic should be the new Head of the B&H Mission to the UN in Geneva. Obrad Kesic will be the new Head of the B&H Mission to the EU. Sinisa Berjan will be the new B&H Ambassador to China, while the new B&H Ambassador to Greece will be Dragan Vukovic. Dragan Jacimovic will be the new B&H Ambassador to North Macedonia. Bora Bronza will be the new B&H Ambassador to Switzerland. Koviljka Spiric will be the B&H Ambassador to Poland, Dusko Kovacevic will be the B&H Ambassador to Israel, Aleksandar Bogdanic will be the B&H Ambassador to Canada, Aleksandra Micic will be the B&H Ambassador to Bulgaria, and Bojan Djokic as the B&H Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates. Tatjana Telic will be a B&H Consul in Chicago, and Vera Sajic will be the B&H Consul in Stuttgart.

Denis Becirovic selected the following ambassadors: Damir Arnaut (Germany), Osman Topcagic (UK), Erol Avdovic (Belgium), Zlatko Lagumdzija (UN), Haris Basic (Council of Europe), Amira Arifovic-Harms (Italy), Anesa Kundurovic (Denmark) and Elma Kovacevic-Bajtal (Croatia). Zeljko Komsic appointed the following ambassadors: Dragan Mihaljevic (Turkey), Sven Alkalaj (USA), Vanja Filipovic (Head of Mission to NATO), Slavko Matanovic (Jordan), Dario Novalic (Slovenia), Danka Savic (Head of Mission to international organizations located in Austria) and Mato Zeko (Japan).

Croatia 

KOS director sentenced to 20 years in absentia for war crimes (HRT)

For war crimes against Croatian civilians and prisoners of war in camps on the territory of Serbia and Croatia, the former head of the Yugoslav military Counterintelligence Service (KOS) was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison at the Osijek County Court on Monday.

Aleksandar Vasiljevic was charged with having committed the crimes as the head of the Security Directorate of the then Yugoslavian Federal Secretariat for National Defense (SSNO), during Croatia’s fight for independence, an armed conflict on the territory of the Republic of Croatia between the regular armed forces of the Croatian Army and the paramilitary units of the insurgent Serbs and the forces of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA).

On October 10th of 1991, Serb and JNA leaders established prisoner of war camps in Serbia and the occupied parts of Croatia (Begejci, Stajicevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Nis, and Stara Gradiska). In the indictment against Vasiljevic, the prosecution pointed out that on the same date, by order of the Security Administration of the then Yugoslav SSNO, Vasiljevic, as the head of the said Administration, appointed subordinates as the de facto commanders of the camps and sent several groups of security officers to interrogate POWs. From the beginning of October 1991 to May 1992, Croat civilians and soldiers captured in the areas of Osijek, Vukovar, Karlovac, Stara Gradiska, Slunj and other places in Croatia, were illegally brought to and detained in the camps in Serbia.

The indictment further stated that as the responsible person in the chain of command, Vasiljevic knew that his subordinates, as well as members of other units, were torturing and killing Croatian detainees and that they routinely treated detained civilians and prisoners inhumanely, but that in spite of his knowledge of these crimes, did nothing to suppress such behaviour and punish the perpetrators, and was thereby complicit in the illegal actions and their consequences. As a result of the systematic abuse, 19 Croatian detainees were killed in the Serbian camps Begejci, Stajicevo, Sremska Mitrovica, Nis and Stara Gradiska, while a larger number of detained civilians and POWs suffered severe and life-threatening injuries, with the consequences of permanent damage to their health, additionally several women were systematically raped and sexually abused.

In presenting the verdict of 20 years in prison, the President of the Judicial Council Zvonko Vrban said that Vasiljevic’s guilt stems from the collected evidence, witness statements, reviewed material documentation and the statements of the defendant himself: “Detainees were physically and mentally tortured and abused in the camps on a daily basis, through interrogations conducted by members of the Serbian State Security Service, which Vasiljevic was aware of but did nothing to prevent, nor did he ensure adequate living conditions for the prisoners. In these inhumane conditions and daily abuse, 19 detainees were killed,” judge Vrban said.

Doris Pack: Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union (HRT)

Doris Pack, the veteran German politician, downplayed fears over Russia’s war in Ukraine spilling over into south-eastern Europe in an exclusive interview for HRT broadcast on Monday. The former chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for South-Eastern Europe was a strong proponent of Croatia joining the EU.  On the topic of Ukraine, she drew a parallel between the war there and Croatia’s Homeland War.

“Putin wants to restore the Soviet Union, he wants to destroy the national identity of Ukraine. If we look back at the rupture of Yugoslavia that was also the Serbian idea, Milosevic‘s idea, to keep Croatia and Serbia together, Yugoslavia together, and therefore it was a territorial question, like in Ukraine as well. But also, a little bit a national question,” Pak told HRT.

Pack also said that she does not fear that the war in Ukraine could spread to South-eastern Europe. “No, because we are united. We were not united in the 1990s, we were not interested then. Now, we know that we are on the side of the countries in South-eastern Europe. Most of them are already in NATO and I hope the rest will join,” said Pack. Pack was in Zagreb to receive an honorary doctorate from Vern University.

Montenegro 

SEC: Djukanovic won 35.37 percent, Milatovic 28.92 percent (CDM)

The State Election Commission (SEC) determined the provisional results of the presidential elections. According to those results, DPS candidate Milo Djukanovic won 119,673 votes, or 35.37 percent of votes. Europe Now candidate Jakov Milatovic won 97,858 votes, or 28.92 percent. The two will participate in the second round of the presidential elections on April 2.

Democratic Front candidate Andrija Mandic won 65,385 votes or 19.32 percent, independent candidate influencer Jovan Radulovic won 2,574 votes, or 0.76 percent, the candidate of the United Montenegro, Goran Danilovic, won 4,659 votes, 1.38 percent, the candidate of Democratic Montenegro, Aleksa Becic, won 37,562 votes, or 11.10 percent and Social Democrat candidate Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic won 10,669 votes, or 3.15 percent.

Abazovic boasted: Election day like in the countries of Western Europe, ministers contributed to Montenegro getting out of the jaws of the past (CDM)

Prime Minister in technical mandate Dritan Abazovic said at yesterday’s Government session that he is proud of how the election day went. “This was not the case with the previous elections. All citizens can testify that there were no tensions. Yesterday, it was like in the countries of Western Europe. Very pleasant atmosphere. We finally showed that we are a dignified and democratic society. All the participants in the election contributed to such an election process, with very conciliatory messages, without an outpouring of nationalism and extremism,” said Abazovic. As he added, all the fears that existed before are slowly disappearing.

“Everything that was carried as a burden by this government, that this or that will happen, that investors do not feel a sufficient degree of security, has gone with a wind and disintegrated into what is called daily political propaganda. I have all the ministers to thank for that, because I think they made a big, crucial contribution to Montenegro finally getting out of the jaws of the past and stepping into a new stage. That stage means breaking political monopolies, political fear, breaking the story that someone will steal something from us, take our country to another place, that some criminal structures will return, some people from the past will be re-involved in the structures of society… Nothing of that has happened,” Abazovic points out. He reiterates that Montenegro will get a new president, and his inauguration will be at the end of May. “I think that Montenegro needs to get a new president and it will get one. I think it will be to the joy of a huge number of citizens of Montenegro that we archive those policies of the past”, said Abazovic.

Uljarevic: Far more uncertain race in the second round, the result of Milatovic will depend on the real support of Becic and Mandic (Gradski portal)

Due to the difference in the number of votes won, the Democratic Front is one of the biggest losers of the election cycle in the presidential elections, said the executive director of the Center for Civic Education Daliborka Uljarevic, as a guest on Gradska RTV.

She points out that Djukanovic was within the framework of what was expected of him. “It is quite certain that he will go to the second election round. I think that the strength of the Democratic Party of Socialists is the strength of the Democratic Party of Socialists and a smaller number of minority votes, that is, the minority party that supported it. The result of Jakov Milatovic is somewhat surprising, on two levels. He is significantly better than Andrija Mandic, who was considered the most serious candidate for the second round. And this difference between them is such that it actually makes the Democratic Front one of the biggest losers in this phase of the election cycle. This means that in the second round we will have a far more uncertain race, which will honestly depend on the extent to which Milatovic will be supported by Becic and Mandic, even though they promised this very quickly and declaratively last night. But I believe that assessments will also be made based on the upcoming parliamentary elections,” says Uljarevic.

Commenting on the election results, Uljarevic emphasized that the voters sent two messages. “One message was sent to the current parliamentary majority and it is a message of deep dissatisfaction because Jakov Milatovic did not have their support. “The fact that they are now hanging on to his success and trying to frame it as something that would be the strength of the parliamentary majority is simply not sustainable, because in the Europe Movement we now have people who were not active before and did not belong to those structures,” Uljarevic pointed out. A vote for Jakov Milatovic, she explains, was simultaneously a vote against the parliamentary majority and against the DPS. “The Democratic Party of Socialists has not managed to transform itself in these two years to be attractive to voters as an opposition party and to expand the voter base,” Uljarevic assessed. She believes that the DPS should have gone to the elections with another candidate, a non-party personality. “In that way, they would have a wider coverage than what is only one political structure. That would be very difficult for Jakov Milatovic and other candidates to address. At the moment when DPS made the decision to go with its candidate, the logically strongest person they had was Milo Djukanovic, the current president of the country. However, the risk that his participation carries is enormous for him personally, for his political career, but also for the fate of the DPS,” Uljarevic pointed out.

She says that the support of the Democrats and the Democratic Front, which was sent to Milatovic, is declarative, and the next period will show whether it will be real. “We will see how much power they have to influence their voters. Let’s say there are some coalitions and leaders’ calls that didn’t have any strength. If we are talking about an alliance or some kind of support between the Democrats and the URA, we know that the URA, through its officials, called its voters to vote for Becic, and we saw that he is at the level of what is actually the strength of the Democrats. Either the leaders of URE had no influence on their voters in this sense or their electorate was melted to such an extent that it could not influence the election result. It is clear that Milatovic is in a much better position before the second round than Djukanovic,” says Uljarevic.

Although the DF is de facto in power, the big question, she says, is why they achieved such a result in the presidential elections. “They took some of the key state enterprises. For a long time, there has been this narrative about the outflow of DF voters towards the DF leader, which is why they, following marketing advice, proposed non-party figures who carried their lists. Starting with Miodrag Lekic, through Mladen Bojanic, then Zdravko Krivokapic and hiding behind them. I think the DF leaders are tired of that second role for some who, according to their perception, betray them sooner or later. That they wanted to try themselves even though it was clear that Andrija Mandic as such has certain limitations in the electorate. What is more interesting to me here is that Vucic let Milojko Spajic down the drain as a presidential candidate with the support of DF and DPS, thereby giving Andrija Mandic a boost. In fact, this shows that the support of Vucic does not mean success in the elections in Montenegro,” concluded Uljarevic.

North Macedonia 

Kovachevski: All parties responsible for constitutional amendments, not only declarativelybut concretely (MIA)

I believe that all political parties and all politicians who are declaratively in favor of EU membership, should now demonstrate that they are really in favor through decisions, determination and vision. All political parties have the responsibility, not only declaratively but also concretely, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Monday. Responding to a journalist’s question on how the constitutional amendments will be implemented, the PM said that one of the decisions that have to be made on the path to the EU is the adoption of the constitutional amendments in order to fulfil the obligations arising from the conclusions that Parliament adopted with a majority in July 2022, and which are a part of the negotiating framework with the 27 EU member states. “The constitutional amendments are not something that should be implemented by a single person, nor are they a process of a single political party or government, this is a process which is important for the whole society because it leads to a higher living standard, higher wages and so that our citizens are able to live in an EU member state, here, in North Macedonia,” stressed the PM. He stated that the constitutional amendments are outlined by the law and that the whole procedure is clear and transparent, it will be led by the Ministry of Justice and a yet to be formed working group of experts, and then the same process will be carried out in Parliament. “As a country we have demonstrated that we are a factor of stability in the Balkans and the greatest proof of this came when the Stabilisation and Association Council meeting with the EU was held in Skopje last week, where everyone was able to hear the clear positions of the European Commission’s Vice President and the Commissioner for Enlargement, according to which the negotiating framework is very clear, and supported by all 27 member states,” said Kovachevski.

Marichikj: EU membership no longer a theoretical chance, but real possibility (Telma TV) 

I believe all political parties are faced with the responsibility of continuing the path to the EU. We are aware that this is unfair and that the French proposal is not ideal. We were aware of that and proposed it in the Parliament. We are also aware that we have made too many concessions so far. But we are also aware that for the first time we have a real chance to finish the negotiations, i.e. to move forward and do what we hadn’t done for 17 years – finish the negotiations and become a member. It is a real possibility. It is no longer just a theoretical chance, but we have a real opportunity and we should use it, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj told Telma TV. “We can decide to the constitutional changes in two years, three years or five years. After all, it was also a topic of debate, of discussion during the negotiations regarding the French proposal. It certainly suited us to have more time, or to do it towards the end of the negotiations. But it could not pass as a plan neither in Bulgaria nor was it generally accepted. That’s why we’re in this situation now,” said Marichikj. According to him, that means the country has no more time to waste. “This is not the situation. This obligation will not go away. We can decide not to do that, we can decide to wait for elections. We have two processes in parallel – one is the screening process and the other one is the process of constitutional amendments. We must complete the two processes if we want to score at the end of this year and move to the next phase,” said Marichikj.

Escobar: Ohrid agreement aimed at regional reconciliation and accelerated EU membership for Western Balkans (MIA)

The U.S. has once again shown that it fully supports North Macedonia’s EU membership and wants to see the country become an EU member as soon as possible, but it is also closely following Kosovo and Serbia’s actions for the implementation of what has been agreed in Ohrid, and will continue to provide active support for the normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said at a media briefing Monday. At the briefing, Escobar said that all countries of the region deserve an accelerated EU accession, but that this will not be possible without regional reconciliation and mutual recognition. Although nothing was signed in Ohrid, Escobar said that an agreement exists and will be treated seriously. “This is a legal obligation agreed by both Serbia and Kosovo. The European Union also confirmed that we have an agreement, as did both leaders. And focusing on signatures is unnecessary, we have an agreement and we will continue forward,” said Escobar. He said that the countries of the region are European, their culture and history are European and noted that with “North Macedonia’s efforts to host and participate in an international peace conference that finished successfully, the region can positively affect its own stability and security, and with it the broader European security as well.” “My message to the European Union is that the Western Balkans is a region of opportunities, not of risks,” said Escobar. He responded positively when asked if Serbia and Kosovo should see the Prespa Agreement between North Macedonia and Greece as a positive example, saying that this is “the most successful model of inter-ethnic harmony in the region.”

“In the case with Serbia and Kosovo, we hope that they will see the relations between Greece and North Macedonia as a good example. There was a lot of symbolism in North Macedonia, a country that has good relations both with Serbia and Kosovo… (The Prespa Agreement) is the most successful model of inter-ethnic harmony in the region and there were numerous reasons why Ohrid was chosen… And I am glad that the meeting was held there and was successful,” said Escobar.

The U.S., said Escobar, knows that Russia, through the use of media disinformation and online activities, is engaged in opposition to the plan for normalization of relations, but also in disrupting the Euro-Atlantic integration of all countries in the region. “There is a great deal of Russian malicious influence in this process,” said Escobar, noting that there are individuals and groups in the region who support the Russian narrative, but, he said, “this is a local issue that calls for local solutions, while Russia is trying to create issues within the existing issues, placing obstacles for the region’s Euro-Atlantic integration,” “But, realistically, issues arise and these are issues of the region that should be solved through regional reconciliation. I can say that during the negotiations, Russia wasn’t mentioned nor was it present, and if it did send any messages over the weekend, they weren’t effective. We had a successful meeting and we set a fairly successful direction of regional reconciliation. And I believe this is positive,” said Escobar.

According to Escobar, the U.S. hopes that Kosovo, which is a part of the European family, will be recognized by all other EU countries, including the five countries which are yet to recognize it (Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Slovakia and Romania).

Albania 

The Security Council, Albania rejects Russia’s request: The case of Donetsk cannot be compared with Kosovo (Radio Tirana)

Albania has objected to the presence of an additional informant in the meetings of the Security Council on the issue of Ukraine. The proposal made by the Russian Federation for a civil society informant to join the meetings of such a structure has been considered a dangerous precedent by Albania. “With its stance, Russia is adding salt to the wound by inviting a representative of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” in a desperate attempt to legitimize what can never be legitimized, the occupation and forcible annexation of the territory of another sovereign country”, said Ferit Hoxha, the Albanian ambassador to the UN.

The Albanian representative has also rejected the parallelism of Kosovo with Ukraine on the part of Russia. “In its desperate attempt to distract the work of the Council, Russia goes so far as to make absurd comparisons between realities that have absolutely nothing in common, namely the so-called Republic of Donetsk, a territory of Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia and the Republic of Kosovo”, said Hoxha. The Albanian representative has argued that it was the International Court of Human Rights that legitimized through an Advisory Opinion the declaration of independence of Kosovo on February 17, 2008, which did not violate international law. Also, the international recognition of Kosovo is good, determined by the Security Council, the Albanian ambassador recalled, compared to the fact that Donetsk and Luhansk are territories annexed by force. “Finally, I don’t need to remind our Russian colleagues that Kosovo and Serbia regularly participate in Council meetings and are negotiating to find mutually agreed solutions to the common problem,” said Hoxha.