LOCAL PRESS

Vucic from Moldova: I begged Serbs to struggle peacefully, first true US condemnation of Pristina provocations (RTV/Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is participating in the Summit of the European Political Community in Chisinau, and upon his arrival, he addressed the public. He stated that this morning he spoke with the Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and asked them to persevere in the fight for law and justice, and to do so, above all when it comes to KFOR, in a peaceful manner. “As they did yesterday and the day before yesterday, it’s important for us to continue trying to make some people understand that 3.4 percent (turnout) does not make an election legitimate and that they do (Pristina) should not impose their will by force and should not send special police forces (to the north) and should not harass and persecute the Serb people,” said Vucic. He added that today he will also have meetings with Scholz and Macron, as well as many other prime ministers and presidents. “We will try to do our best to get things back to normal and de-escalate, and whether that will happen – it takes two to tango and it doesn’t depend on us alone,” said Vucic.

Pristina’s provocations met with real condemnation by the US for the first time

He said that the US is not changing its course towards Kosovo, but that Pristina’s actions towards the Serb people have been condemned by that country for first time and that he expects the same from Europe, and announced that he expects Miroslav Lajcak and Gabriel Escobar to arrive in Belgrade next week. Asked whether the US is changing course towards Kosovo and whether they can influence Albin Kurti, Vucic said that even a child would not be able to accept that conclusion because it is quite clear who is responsible and guilty for a specific situation. “But if you ask me strategically, of course nothing in particular in that overall attitude towards Kosovo and the situation in the region will change. However, it is important that, if nothing else, at least they can hear us. When someone has been going too far for months and is unable to do anything except provoke the Serb people – this was the first time that met with real US condemnation, and I am grateful to them for that,” said Vucic. He said he hopes that this will be the case with the EU as well and added that, however, he is sure that it will not be the case with all of them. “But we don’t have God knows where to go. Next week I expect the arrival of Lajcak and Escobar in Belgrade. And the situation is much more complicated. The problem with this is that we could have predicted what happened three days ago in Kosovo, and did predict it, but we could not prevent it. It’s a problem when you see that things are going in a bad direction, and no one can prevent it because there is stubbornness and irresponsibility, then it represents a serious problem that is not easy to solve,” stressed Vucic.

Vucic asked Erdogan to use his reputation and influence to help maintain peace and establish stability in the region (Tanjug)

In a telephone call with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic congratulated the Turkish leader on a recent election win and wished him success with leading his country on the path of development during his new presidential term. Vucic noted that Turkey was an extremely important partner to Serbia, not only bilaterally, but also in the international political arena, Vucic’s presidential office said in a statement. Erdogan inquired about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and Vucic presented a timeline of events that have led to an escalation of violence against the Serb community there. He also asked Erdogan to use his country’s reputation and influence to help maintain peace and establish stability in the region. “I hope that, besides existing projects, we will be working together on new endeavours that will accelerate the strong development of the entire region, bring people closer and connect economies,” Vucic said. Vucic invited Erdogan to visit Serbia.

Serbia pays special attention to improvement of relations with Germany (Tanjug/Politika)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked yesterday with members of the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the Bundestag about bilateral relations with the Federal Republic of Germany, reform processes in Serbia and the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Brnabic pointed out that Serbia pays special attention to the improvement of bilateral relations with Germany, as a leading economic partner, and expressed her gratitude to that country for the support it provides in the field of dual education. When it comes to human rights, she underlined that the Serbian government insists in principle on dialogue and a broad inclusive process when considering all relevant social issues, formulating policies and drafting legal acts. She also stated that with the formation of the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue, the legal and institutional foundation for the establishment of social dialogue was laid, as a new mechanism for considering all important issues and finding joint solutions. She also pointed to the fact that in the territory of the southern Serbian province, in the heart of Europe, the basic human rights of Serbs are denied and threatened. Brnabic highlighted Belgrade’s continued willingness to carry on with the dialogue on the normalisation of relations with Pristina, and in that context pointed out the necessity of implementing the Brussels agreement. She appealed to the Committee for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid of the Bundestag to take an active role in solving the problem of human rights violations in Kosovo and Metohija and to condemn the violations of human and minority rights of Serbian, as well as other non-Albanian communities. Committee Chairwoman Renata Alt said that Germany is closely following the events in Kosovo and Metohija and condemns any form of violence and will continue to support the dialogue.

Five permanent UN Security Council members condemned Pristina: Unprecedented consensus (Novosti)

All five permanent members of the UN Security Council have voiced their unequivocal condemnation of Pristina’s aggressive and destabilizing actions. This attitude of all five permanent members of the UN Security Council – USA, France, China, Great Britain and Russia is an extraordinary turn of events, assesses the foreign policy advisor of the Prime Minister of Serbia Nikola Stojanovic. This is a rather unprecedented consensus in the current global political landscape. It serves as the most unmistakable indication that the policies pursued by Albin Kurti and his administration are not only detrimental to stability, but also inherently flawed, deeply discriminatory, and contrary to any idea of peaceful coexistence between the Albanian and Serb communities.

Kremlin: Russia supports Serbia, Kosovo Serbs’ rights must be observed (Beta)

Russia supports the Serb population in Kosovo and believes their legal rights and interests must be protected, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov also said Moscow was following with concern the unrest in Kosovo, which escalated last Friday when Kosovo Police special units occupied the municipal administration buildings in the north of Kosovo so ethnic Albanian mayors, elected in a vote boycotted by the Serbs, could take office. “We support Serbia and the Serbs unconditionally… We consider that all legal rights and interests of the Kosovo Serbs must be observed,” Peskov told a daily news briefing, adding that there must be no room for “provocative actions”.

Washington is furious with Pristina: You will bear the consequences (Tanjug/B92)

The US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that Pristina will bear the consequences because it did not listen to the advice of the United States. Hill added that this will affect relations with Washington, but that he is not familiar with all the details either. He told reporters in Belgrade and added that progress must be made in the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, the formation of the ZSO and the continuation of the dialogue. “Our Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made it clear that he opposes any moves Kurti has made that are contrary to all the advice we’ve been giving and Blinken has said there will be consequences. We must try not to lose our compass and direction, and it is the formation of the CSM, the normalization of relations. It is necessary for the Balkan region to be reconciled and to continue in the direction of the EU and Euro-Atlantic integrations,” Hill said. He added that the previous days were very difficult in many ways, and that United States of America regretted all the attacks on KFOR and NATO soldiers and it should not happen again.

KFOR this morning took control of the main intersection at the entrance to Zvecan (Tanjug)

Early this morning, KFOR members took control of the main intersection at the entrance to the town of Zvecan, as well as several other intersections in the town itself, reports Tanjug.

This was done in accordance with the agreement with the Serb List, which asked KFOR to deploy in places where members of the so-called Kosovo police were. At the same time this morning, on an improvised table behind barbed wire not far from the building of the Municipality of Zvecan, the employees of the provisional authority symbolically signed the list of those who came to work today. Since last Friday, Serbs have not been allowed to enter the building and come to work.

REGIONAL PRESS

IRMCT Appeals Chamber sentences Stanisic and Simatovic to 15 years in prison each for joint criminal enterprise, crimes against non-Serbs in B&H and Croatia (BHT1)

The Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) pronounced on Wednesday the second instance verdict in the case of former leadership of Serbian State Security Service Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, sentencing Stanisic and Simatovic to 15 years imprisonment each for crimes committed against Bosniaks and Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Croatia. The reporter notes that Stanisic and Simatovic are the first Serbian officials convicted for war crimes in B&H. Stanisic and Simatovic have been sentenced for aiding and abetting persecutions, killings, deportations and forced removal of Bosniaks and Croats in B&H. The Appeals Chamber also granted part of the Prosecution’s appeal and found that Stanisic and Simatovic are also guilty of a joint criminal enterprise (JCE), which had a purpose to forcibly remove the majority of non-Serbs throughout the war in B&H. They were also found guilty of crimes in Bijeljina, Zvornik, Doboj, Trnovo, Samac and Sanski Most. During the reading of the verdict, Presiding Judge Graciela Gatti Santana said that the Appeals Chamber “abolishes prison sentence of 12 years for Stanisic and imposes a prison sentence of 15 years’’, and “abolishes prison sentence of 12 years for Simatovic and imposes a prison sentence of 15 years”. The reporter notes that trial to Stanisic and Simatovic has been the longest process in the history of The Hague Tribunal, lasting close to two decades. In the upcoming period, the Court will decide where Stanisic and Simatovic will be referred to serve their prison sentence, and the time they spent in detention will be considered, i.e. over seven years for Stanisic and over eight years for Simatovic. The verdict handed down by IRMCT Wednesday rounded off the work of the Hague Tribunal on establishing the facts and prosecuting war crimes in former Yugoslavia.

Brammertz: Verdict in case against Stanisic and Simatovic proves that there was no civil war in B&H, but international conflict that political leaderships of neighboring countries took part in (BHT1)

The Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) pronounced on Wednesday the second instance verdict in the case of former leadership of Serbian State Security Service Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic, sentencing Stanisic and Simatovic to 15 years imprisonment each for crimes committed against Bosniaks and Croats in B&H and Croatia. IRMCT Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz thanked journalists who did not lose interest in the work of IRMCT and left with Mothers from Srebrenica who attended the pronouncement. “The Appeal Chamber confirmed that the JCE encompassed many areas of B&H and Croatia. The sentence was increased from 12 to 15 years for both of them, which reflects the gravity of the crime. This is the last verdict before the Tribunal that demonstrates that it was not a civil war or internal conflict within the borders of B&H but an international conflict in which the political leadership of neighboring countries played a significant role, in this case Serbia. I once again note that this is individual responsibility of political and military leadership, in this case of leadership of the Security Service,” said Brammertz. Brammertz also said that other members of the JCE were Slobodan Milosevic, Milan Martic, Milan Babic, Goran Hadzic, Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic, Momcilo Krajisnik, Biljana Plavsic and Zeljko Raznatovic Arkan. “Those were campaigns of crimes devised and implemented by political, military and police leaders in B&H, Croatia and Serbia, who decided to use crimes to cleanse territories from innocent civilians of different ethnic and religious groups. There are still thousands war crimes suspects throughout former Yugoslav countries who still have not been processed”, Brammertz concluded. “This was the last case for us, but there are hundreds more cases which domestic judicial bodies will be dealing with and we will provide all possible assistance to them in the upcoming years.”

Becirovic: After the verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic confirmed JCE, B&H is closer to establishing full true on the aggression against RB&H (N1)

N1 carries political reactions to the verdict rendered in the ‘Jovica Stanisic – Franko Simatovic’ case before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals on Wednesday. Bosniak member of B&H Presidency Denis Becirovic stated that after the verdict confirmed the joint criminal enterprise, B&H is closer to establishing full true on the aggression against the RB&H. He called on Serbia to distance itself from the crimes committed in the past war and stop denying the genocide, also requesting the opening of archives that have not been available to competent bodies to date. Becirovic said that the verdict is a new opportunity for Serbia to clearly distance itself from architects, directors and perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and other crimes, in order to be able to jointly build a prosperous future. He assessed that the future of B&H, Serbia and the wider region is not in hegemonistic policies, conflicts and arguing, adding that condemning war criminals and their policy is an important precondition for strengthening good-neighborly relations, stability and sustainable development. Becirovic also said this verdict is a step forward, a step closer to forming the final truth about the character of war in B&H. “We believe that today, after this verdict as well, politicians from the neighboring countries, but also some from B&H, must realize that the policy of force, aggression, genocide and crime does not pay off, and that there are always mechanisms that sanction such policies”, Becirovic underlined. Addressing a press conference in Sarajevo on Wednesday, Becirovic said: “The verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic is important because two former heads of the Serbian Security Service have been legally convicted. The special importance of this verdict lies in the fact that the top leaders of the Serbian Security Service have been legally convicted of crimes and involvement in the aggression against the Republic of B&H. The Appeals Chamber found, among other things, that Stanisic and Simatovic are responsible as members of a joint criminal enterprise for crimes committed by various Serb forces in 1992 in B&H, in Bijeljina, Zvornik, Bosanski Samac, Doboj and Sanski Most, and for crimes committed in 1995 in Trnovo and Sanski Most. Transcripts from The Hague Tribunal trials, as well as documented digital evidence, provide much more detailed information about the role of Slobodan Milosevic and Serbia than the verdicts themselves.”

Komsic: If international community chooses to reward project ‘Serb World’, verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic could only remain as a dead letter on paper (N1)

N1 carries political reactions to the verdict rendered in the ‘Jovica Stanisic – Franko Simatovic’ case before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals on Wednesday. Croat member of B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic assessed that the verdict brings a judicial condemnation of the ‘Greater Serbia’ project and the current ‘Serb World’ project, stressing that there is continuity between these two structures and the international community should be aware of that when they analyze the current political situation in the Western Balkans. Komsic also said that if the international community chooses to “reward” that project (‘Serb World’), this verdict could only remain as “a dead letter on paper”. Komsic referred to the verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic as the final legal condemnation of the ‘greater Serbia’ project, which the intelligence structures of neighboring Serbia in the 1990s stood behind, as well as the verdict on the current project of the so-called ‘Serb world’, which – as he noted – is also a project that current intelligence and political structures of Serbia are behind.

Other FB&H politicians, political parties comment on verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic (N1)

N1 carries political reactions to the verdict rendered in the ‘Jovica Stanisic – Franko Simatovic’ case before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals on Wednesday. SDA Vice President Safet Softic stated that the verdict confirming the existence of the joint criminal enterprise has great historical significance regardless of rather symbolic sentence of 15 year in prison for severe crimes Stanisic and Simatovic were charged with. HDZ 1990 leader Ilija Cvitanovic said that the verdict proves the involvement of the former Serbian State security structures in the war in B&H, stressing that he is glad that the verdict also recognizes the areas from which Croats were persecuted as well, such as Samac and the region of Posavina. NS and NiP welcomed the verdict and said that it confirms the responsibility of Serbia in the past war in B&H. Federation of B&H (FB&H) Prime Minister and SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic stated that this is a verdict against individuals, criminals and the political-military leadership of Serbia at the time it was led by Slobodan Milosevic. Niksic added: “This is not a verdict against all Serbs.” People and Justice (NiP) stated: “This is an important verdict because it will represent the fundamental fact that the political leadership of both neighboring countries, Croatia and Serbia, were part of a joint criminal enterprise (JCE) and that they directly participated in the aggression against B&H.” Our Party (NS) underlined that this verdict is a stamp on all previous evidence of Serbia as the aggressor of B&H and its unquestionable support for crimes that resulted in hundreds of thousands of B&H citizens being killed, wounded, raped and exiled. SDA stated that this political party considers it particularly significant that the final verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic established that they were part of a JCE headed by the President of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic, at the time and whose goal was to ethnically cleanse part of the territory of B&H through murders, deportations, and persecution from the non-Serb population. Delegate in the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Zlatko Miletic (For New Generations) noted that this verdict might create an opportunity to revise the lawsuit against Serbia. Delegate in the B&H HoP and HDZ 1990 leader Ilija Cvitanovic notes that this verdict shows the absolute involvement of Serbian intelligence agency in everything that happened in Croatia and in BiH. SBiH’s delegate in the B&H HoP Dzemal Smajic stressed that, on this day, all those stories that this was about a civil conflict have been brought down.

Dodik: No reconciliation was established by decisions of The Hague Tribunal but they created even deeper misunderstanding in this region (RTRS)

The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals rendered on Wednesday the final verdict in the ‘Jovica Stanisic – Franko Simatovic’ case, sentencing former Serbian State Security officials Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic to 15 years in prison each for war crimes in Croatia and B&H. Commenting on the verdict, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated that there is no Serb who will not be sentenced by the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunal, the same as in the case with Stanisic and Simatovic. Dodik stressed that “The Hague emits force, arrogance and injustice and all that the Hague Tribunal wanted to achieve has failed.” He added that no reconciliation was established by decisions of the Hague Tribunal, but they created even deeper misunderstanding in this region, reminding that those who were killing Serbs have not been tried. Dodik stated that the ICTY’s earlier decision to try and sentence the entire political and military Serb leaderships, both in Serbia and the RS, will be probably ended with the ‘Jovica Stanisic – Franko Simatovic’ case. “They did not have any facts, the same as in the ‘Vojislav Seselj’, ‘Biljana Plavsic’ and many other cases”, Dodik concluded. Dodik said: “Force, arrogance, no law. Everything they wanted to achieve with The Hague Tribunal, everything has been missed. No reconciliation has been established here with the decisions of The Hague Tribunal. Lack of understanding has only been increased in this region’’. “Their verdict absolutely says that the length of the imposed sentence is identical to the fact that they had no evidence and that they were looking for a time period so that the 15-year sentence would be the same as their stay in The Hague. This means that the two cannot sue the Tribunal and collect compensation”, Dodik was quoted as saying.

Nuzdic; ICTY has not dealt with crimes committed against Serb victims, which means that it failed to include all the crimes in former Yugoslavia (N1)

Acting Director of the RS Center for Research of War, War Crimes and Tracing Missing Persons Viktor Nuzdic stated that the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals should try individuals instead of trying the states, nations and imposing collective responsibility. He stressed that the ICTY has not dealt with crimes committed against Serb victims, which means that it failed to include all the crimes in the area of former Yugoslavia.

International, regional reactions to verdict in Stanisic and Simatovic case (FTV)

The US Embassy to B&H welcomed the final verdict by which the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) convicted former leadership of the Serbian state security service Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic for war crimes in B&H. “This is a key step towards the accountability of the individuals who are responsible for the immense suffering of the people of B&H. We hope that it can provide some sense of justice to the victims and their families,” wrote the Embassy. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) commented on the final verdict by saying: “This verdict fulfills the task of the Mechanism, which refers to the prosecution of cases of the most serious crimes committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia”, the OHR stated. However, the OHR underlined that “this cannot mean that those who committed these crimes, who have not yet been tried, will remain unpunished.” Croatian President Zoran Milanovic commented the final verdict by saying: “They fought here and in B&H, which again does not mean that it is a classic war crime in itself. This can lead to a war crime and I, according to everything I know and see and have seen, regardless of the fact that they are Serbs and worked for the Serb side, I think that they are guilty, and I think that this punishment is justified”, Milanovic told the reporters.

OHR prepares new law to criminally charge those who do not respect decisions imposed by Schmidt (RTRS)

RTRS reports that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) has not yet made a comment on whether they prepare the amendments to the Criminal Code of B&H to criminally charge all those who do not respect decisions imposed by (High Representative) Christian Schmidt. The RS officials commented that whatever Schmidt, and his advisors draft this time will not be published in the Official Gazette of the RS or respected on the territory of the RS, reminding that Schmidt has been usurping the function of the High Representative for nearly two years now without the approval of the UN Security Council (UNSC). They stated that the time has come for Schmidt to start respecting the local and international legal acts or to be held criminally accountable for violating them. “As soon as they pass this law, they can prepare criminal reports right away. They leave us no choice and force us to the point from which there is no coming back even for us and we will pass our decision on the status. We want and can be in B&H under condition to return the initial Dayton Peace Accords, with formations we are ready to agree on at the level of B&H – not with force they impose on us here”, RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik told reporters on Wednesday. He warned that the imposed force can only deepen the contempt of Serbs and the RS. Dodik said that he will not accept such random decisions. He said he was ready for a dialogue within the framework of the original Dayton Agreement, but that he would not agree to have anything imposed on them. He said that they can immediately prepare criminal charges, as soon as they pass that law, and pointed out that the OHR is pushing them against the wall. Dodik said that HR Schmidt will pass like the US aircraft passed, and that when you act from a position of power, you can only get contempt from the Serbs. Speaker of B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Sredoje Novic (SNSD) stated that if Schmidt decides to usurp the role of a legislator, he will deprive B&H of parliamentarism that is necessary in a democratic society. He assessed that this means the creation of a system of absolutism and that B&H needs to definitely abolish its parliament and authorities, which is unseen anywhere in the world and cannot be brought in connection with democratic principles. According to Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov, whatever Christian Schmidt plans and prepares – he is not the legitimate High Representative. He reminded that the Russian Federation and China have a principled stance according to which B&H does not have the HR now, as his mandate was not approved by the UNSC. Kalabukhov stated that regardless of all the laws imposed by the OHR, all the things concerning the situation in B&H should be a product of local political actors in B&H.  Russia states that the OHR’s behavior has long been inconsistent with international law. Kalabukhov said that he is grateful that Dodik and the RS share Russia’s position that there is no HR in B&H, because Schmidt did not receive Security Council mandates. As for the law, he said that the OHR has written a lot of laws, and that he can write as many as he wants.

Dodik: Western diplomats, the US and UK in particular, will not be able to ruin friendship between Serb and Russian people (RTRS)

Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov and RS President Milorad Dodik met in Banja Luka on Wednesday. They stressed after the meeting that the RS and Russia have traditional economic, cultural and spiritual ties, adding that not even the stories about the alleged malign Russian influence can change that. They announced that opening of the Russian Federation office in Banja Luka, which will take place soon, will be yet another proof of strategic diplomatic relations between Russia and the RS, adding that the Russian Embassy to B&H will then be at the RS’ service to primarily implement what was announced at Dodik’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Kalabukhov and Dodik also visited the construction site of the Banja Luka-based Serb-Russian temple under construction. They were informed on the pace of construction works by the clergy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who said that the highest interior design standards for the temple will be defined by experts from Russia. Addressing the reporters in Banja Luka, the two officials said that the construction of the temple that was supposed to be built a hundred years ago proves the persistence, commitment and ties between the Serb and Russian people. They stated that once the construction of the temple as a monumental building is over – it will testify and be a symbol of friendship between the two nations. Dodik reminded that the RS Government has so far allocated some BAM 20 million for the construction works and announced that they will continue to allocate funds for this purpose. He said that the brotherly relations between the Serb and Russian people cannot disappear regardless of various allegations on ignorant malign influence of Russia. Dodik stressed that the Western diplomats, the US and UK in particular, will not be able to ruin friendship between the Serb and Russian people, “regardless of how much they try and finance those who work on the abolition of the RS – not even when the US aircrafts fly over the RS thus causing provocations and intimidation”. Kalabukhov also announced financial assistance from Russia to continue the construction works. He stressed that the temple once it is finished will give a recognizable appearance to Banja Luka, adding that it is being built for future generations. Kalabukhov stated that the Serb-Russian temple has great significance for ties between the Serb and Russian people.  Commenting on the US Air Force bomber aircrafts flying over B&H on Tuesday, Kalabukhov compared the flights with a situation in which Americans watch Japanese kamikazes overflying Pearl Harbor or Al-Qaida aircrafts overflying Pentagon and Empire State Building for instance. The RS President’s Cabinet issued a press statement saying that Dodik reiterated the clear stance of the RS when it comes to the imposing of sanctions against Russia and he said that the RS’ constitutional position must be respected in this context, adding that he informed Russian President Putin about this too. “It was concluded during the meeting that the priority is to preserve peace and stability, preserve the Dayton Peace Agreement and that an equal dialogue of all sides, without imposing of decisions, is the only way to progress in B&H”, the press statement of the RS President’s Cabinet concluded.

EC President Von der Leyen: EU has new plan for Western Balkans to bring region closer to EU even before full membership (HRT1)

President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula Von der Leyen stated on Wednesday that the EU has a new plan for the Western Balkans. According to Von der Leyen, the main goal of the EU’s plan is to bring the Balkans closer to the EU even before full membership in the EU. The EC President elaborated on the plan, saying: “The growth plan that we propose today is built on four pillars. The first aims to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU single market. The second is deepening regional economic integration. The third is to speed up fundamental reforms, and the fourth is to increase pre-accession funds. If we finally understand that it is not enough just to wait for friends outside the Union to approach us, it is not enough to say that the door is open. We must also take responsibility for the ambitious members of our Union to come much closer to us. The shock waves sent by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin‘s war of aggression also affected the six countries of the Western Balkans. But this only brought us closer. We extended to the Western Balkans the same solidarity measures that we took within our Union.” Von der Leyen noted that Europe should “put more money on the table’’ to make people’s lives better and facilitate the integration process. The plan includes four points, i.e. to bring the Western Balkans closer to the EU Single Market, to deepen regional economic integration, to accelerate judicial reforms and combating corruption and to increase pre-accession funds. “’ We finally realize that it is not enough to just wait for our friends outside the Union to move closer to us. The Western Balkans could join our Digital Single Market in areas such as e-commerce or cybersecurity. We could facilitate our trade in goods and payments. We want to offer the Western Balkans some of the advantages to membership in advance. But this means that certain requirements of membership also have to be met in advance’’, Von der Leyen was quoted as saying. Von der Leyen addressed the events in Ukraine and sent a message of support for its European efforts. “This is a war against our values, against the idea of a united and free Europe. For the first time in our history, a country was attacked because of its desire to be part of the European family. The will of the Ukrainian people to accept the values of our Union is clearly expressed. They are also fighting for our freedom and our values – democracy and the rule of law, freedom of speech and the freedom to determine our own destiny”, she underscored. HRT1 noted that this Forum is being held in midst of some tensions in the Western Balkans region, primarily the ones in the north of Kosovo. That is why forums like this one are important, because the officials get to speak about issues and try to find solutions for them in a swifter way. Primie Minister Andrej Plenkovic commented on the situation in the north of Kosovo on Wednesday. Plenkovic said that the fact that the decision to recognize that country would be fatal for the political career of any Serbian politician contributes to the complexity of the situation in Kosovo. He also said that Zagreb wants peace and a quick end to the incidents, referring to the clashes between KFOR forces and Serb protesters in the north of Kosovo, in which more than 80 people were injured on Monday. According to him, the international community must mediate in the negotiations, calm the situation and find a solution so that the Serbs in the Serb-majority north of Kosovo will still participate in the democratic process. Without that, signals of trust and building coexistence cannot be sent, said the Croatian Prime Minister.

Zoran Milanovic: Serbia must stop repeating “Kosovo is Serbia” (N1)

Serbia must accept that Kosovo is independent, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said, reports N1. “Serbia must understand and accept that Kosovo is independent. “Unfortunately, this is not accepted by several other members of the European Union,” Milanovic said. He added that at the NATO summit last year, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he was the only one who called for European countries, which have not yet done so, to recognize Kosovo. “But it’s like talking to a wall. “Some countries have not recognized it because they are afraid of precedents that could eventually, in some crisis moment, in some immunity decline, be applied to their countries and that something can be taken from them also,” Milanovic said. He also said that Serbia should stop repeating that Kosovo is Serbia. “No bro, it’s a done deal,” he added.

EC offers new growth plan for WB; Von der Leyen: Common goal is to speed up the path to the EU (MINA)

The new growth plan for the Western Balkans is based on bringing the region closer to the Single European Market, deepening regional economic integration, accelerating fundamental reforms and increasing pre-accession funds, the European Commission (EC) has announced. The President of the EC Ursula Von der Leyen presented a new initiative at the Globsec Forum in Bratislava, which should contribute to the continuation of the progress achieved in recent months, but also bring some of the advantages of EU membership to the population of the Western Balkans today. “The growth plan we are proposing is built on four pillars, which relate to bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU Single Market, deepening regional economic integration, accelerating fundamental reforms and increasing pre-accession funds,” Von der Leyen has explained. She has said that, to some extent, it is a new approach for the EU. “We are not only asking our partners to take new steps towards us. We are taking a big step towards them. Our common goal is to speed up their path to the EU, and for that, we are bringing our EU closer to the Western Balkans,” Von der Leyen has pointed out. She has said that they are ready to support the Western Balkans by increasing pre-accession funding. “There is a great need for investments in the Western Balkans. Those investments will improve people’s lives. And they will also facilitate the path to our Union. For this reason, we need to increase the resources dedicated to the Western Balkans”, Von der Leyen has stated. She has concluded that in these turbulent times, that four-point plan is the right offer for the Western Balkans.

Turkish Ambassador: Erdogan is carefully following the events in the Balkans, the relations between Montenegro and Turkey will become stronger than ever (CdM)

Montenegro and Turkey have excellent political relations, and in the future the relations will become stronger than ever, Turkish ambassador in Podgorica Baris Kalkavan has said in an interview for CdM. He has pointed out that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is following the events in the Balkans very carefully. Kalkavan has referred to the recently held presidential elections in Turkey, in which Erdogan won. He has stated that the turnout of Turkish voters in Montenegro was higher compared to other countries. “Turkey went through an election process that the whole world followed carefully. Turkish voters in Montenegro voted in our Embassy. We are glad to see that the turnout of Turkish voters in Montenegro is relatively higher compared to other countries. Representatives of political parties were present to make sure everything ran smoothly. The elections were completed in a manner befitting our democracy. I am sure that the results are favorable for Turkey and the entire region”, says Kalkavan. He recalls that the President of Turkey Erdogan was among the leaders who congratulated the President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic. Milatovic also congratulated Erdogan on his re-election. He points out that Montenegro and Turkey have excellent political relations. “It goes without saying that President Erdogan and President Milatovic have made a huge contribution to the improvement of bilateral relations to date. I believe that Turkey and Montenegro are more than partners. In the future, Turkish-Montenegro relations will become stronger than ever. We are trying to institutionalize relationships on these solid foundations. Bilateral political dialogue will continue to strengthen with mutual visits after the end of the election cycles”, the Turkish Ambassador has told CdM. They see, says Kalkavan, a trend of growth in economic and commercial ties, but the volume of bilateral trade and investment is still below its potential. On the multilateral front, according to the ambassador, the two allied nations also want to work together to resolve key regional issues and challenges such as the war in Ukraine. “President Erdogan follows the events in the Balkans very carefully. President Milatovic is well aware of the situation in the Balkan region. The cooperation of both leaders on common issues will contribute to well-being and democratic practice. We can also talk about the possibilities for cooperation in trilateral and quadrilateral formats in the foreseeable future”, Kalkavan has concluded.

Kovachevski at GLOBSEC Forum: United Europe – only answer to crises and challenges (MIA)

A united Europe is the only answer to the crises and challenges caused by this war, which has negative effects on the economy and energy, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Wednesday in Bratislava, where he is participating in the GLOBSEC 2023 Forum. Kovachevski stressed that the Forum, in which there are representatives from over 65 countries, is being held at a critical time for the European continent, a time of security and many other challenges which are a result of the war in Ukraine. “I expect that we will discuss the current challenges and the way in which we deal with the crises, as well as the importance of a united Europe, because only a united Europe can support the Ukrainian people’s fight for their independence and self-determination. Additionally, a united Europe is also the best answer to the crises and challenges caused by this war, which has negative effects on the economy and energy,” said Kovachevski. As a responsible member of the international community, a NATO member, OSCE Chair country and a country which has begun its EU accession talks, Kovachevski stressed that North Macedonia has the duty to actively contribute to the collective responsibility for peace, building democracy and human rights, as well as nurturing goodneighborly relations, because, he said, this is the only way to have a stable and economically strong region in Europe as a whole. “The events that happened on the European continent have irreversibly changed the world in the past year and a half. This is a signal for the governments, that if we want to win this battle from an economic and energy aspect, we have to do a lot, to act urgently, but also to have solidarity, to be united and work together. Only by doing so did we manage to tackle both the energy and economic crises during the difficult winter,” said Kovachevski. Alongside Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Kovachevski will address a panel on the topic “Open Roads: Balkans Back in Business”, during which, the PM said, they will discuss the importance of regional cooperation, the challenges faced by the region, but above all, the opportunities for the Western Balkan countries through the Open Balkan initiative, the Berlin Process and accelerated EU accession. “At the panel, together with Rama, we will speak about the practical aspects of the cooperation within Open Balkan, the effects of the initiative on the economic exchange between the three countries, which has significantly grown in the past two years. We will also talk about the security context of the war in Ukraine, however, we will also talk about the developments in our region. Of course, we will call for a calming of tensions and establishing dialogue, which is the only way to have peace in Europe again, and economic prosperity as before the war,” said Kovachevski. During the day, Kovachevski said he will hold bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which, he said, they will talk about important topics related to North Macedonia’s EU accession, as well as the bilateral cooperation with France. On Tuesday, on the sidelines of the Forum, the PM met with the EU’s Special Representative for the Western Balkans, Miroslav Lajcak. The Forum in Bratislava is attended by heads of state and governments from Europe and the world, as well as representatives of the most significant and influential international organizations. The discussions at the Forum will focus on three themes – continuing support for Ukraine, the resilience of Europe in the face of war, as well as mitigating the global consequences of the conflict by strengthening the economic and energy chains. The GLOBSEC 2023 Bratislava Forum has established itself as the most distinguished platform throughout the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, and the 18th edition of the Forum aims to remind the world that the CEE region has never been more crucial to ensuring global stability.

Rama from Bratislava: Serbian army on the borders of Kosova, power equal to zero. Parties should terminate the agreement (Radio Tirana)

Tensions in northern Kosovo were another issue that received the attention of the Globsec 2023 summit being held in Bratislava. Prime Minister Edi Rama considered the situation in the north as an incredible display of internal politics, as he pointed out “because the Serbian army on the borders of Kosovo has a power equal to zero”. The head of the government said that both Kosovo and Serbia have an agreement that must be concluded, which is mutual recognition, and as he said, the hesitation of the parties has produced this conflict in the north. “This conflict there, has a reason which, in my view, could have been completely avoided. It is not indicative of concrete problems. These mayors are elected by 1%, while 99% feel unrepresented. There is an agreement to be concluded, mutual recognition. And it is the reluctance to reach this agreement that produces these situations. This is the most incredible display of internal politics because the Serbian army on the borders of Kosovo has a power equal to zero. It is like the Mexican army appearing on the border with the USA. What can it do? Nothing! It has only to do with internal politics”, said Rama. Kosovo and Serbia, added the Prime Minister, are only one step away from concluding the historic Agreement, which he said, must be realized without fighting each other. “Unfortunately, before summer comes, we have a problem in the northern part of Kosovo. I don’t know why it happens in the summer, maybe because Kosovo and Serbia don’t have seas and heads get hot. Things have not been better between Kosovo and Serbia as they are only one step away from concluding a historic agreement. Now both sides have a kind of hesitation because they see that this will be done and they won’t have to fight each other anymore and this probably goes against their inertia, the need to fight. This is the perspective”, said Rama.

Bratislava Summit, Rama meets Macron (Radio Tirana)

Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is participating in the Bratislava Summit in Slovakia, dedicated to the Balkans with the theme “Open Roads: Balkans in business again”, has held a meeting with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. Rama evaluated this meeting as “very friendly”. Focus of the meeting was the topics of Western Balkans in the background of the conflict in Ukraine, the relationship of the Western Balkans with the EU and the need for a new political and economic approach, as well as the bilateral relations between France and Albania. Before this meeting, the head of the Albanian government gave a speech at the Bratislava Summit, where he made an analysis of what happened in Europe and the EU, as a response to the great crisis of the pandemic that hit Europe, but also the Balkans. According to him, between the years 2020-2021, the EU gave 47.5 billion Euro to the member states, while the SEE was given 1 billion Euro to all the 6 countries.

US Ambassador in Albania urges the members of the High Judicial Council to continue the implementation of the reform in Justice (Radio Tirana)

The US Ambassador in Albania Yuri Kim held a meeting this Wednesday with the High Judicial Council members. While expressing the strong support of the US for the HJC and other Justice institutions, she called on the members of the HJC to fulfill their duties with integrity and independence. Yuri Kim emphasized the importance of implementing the Justice Reform, in order for Albania to move forward. “It is time to break away from the old ways. Justice Reform must continue to implement in order for Albania to move forward, and officials must act with integrity despite threats and incitements,” said Ambassador Yuri Kim. Furthermore, Ambassador Yuri Kim urged the HJC to fill the remaining three positions in the Supreme Court with the most qualified judges as soon as possible.