LOCAL PRESS

Peaceful night in Kosovo, citizens continue to gather in front of municipalities in the north (RTS)

In Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), the night passed peacefully. Uros Vukasinovic, who was arrested on Monday, was ordered to be detained for 30 days. Citizens continue to gather in front of the municipalities in the north and demand the release of the Serbs and the withdrawal of the special forces.

The situation at the administrative checkpoints is getting worse – the passage of all cargo trucks is blocked. This was done by the drivers of trucks with Serbian license plates as a sign of protest because they cannot enter KiM for a week, while their goods are spoiling and delivery deadlines have passed, as a result of which they have millions in damages. They say that there are around 700 trucks in parking lots from Kraljevo to Jarinje. They call on Pristina to allow them passage and say that they are not interested in politics, nor what license plates are on the trucks. Aljbin Kurti answers – the measures at the crossings are not commercial, they were brought because of the arrest of Kosovo police officers.

Uros Vukasinovic, who was arrested on Monday in Leposavic, was ordered to be detained for 30 days by the court in South Mitrovica, lawyer Nebojsa Vlajic confirmed.

The special envoy of the European Union for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, says that he is very concerned about the situation in the north of KiM, that this moment is important and critical and that de-escalation is necessary. The Kosovo issue must be resolved by the end of the year, because Kosovo will not be in the center of attention in 2024, says Lajcak.

The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that the crisis in northern Kosovo has the potential to turn into an international and regional conflict, and that the US fully supports the EU’s efforts to resolve the crisis. Escobar also says that the three arrested Kosovo police officers should be released immediately.

The prime minister of the temporary institutions of Pristina, Aljbin Kurti, said that the three arrested Kosovo policemen were kidnapped, and that “Serbia committed aggression on June 14”.

Director of the Office for KiM, Petar Petkovic, strongly denied claims that Pristina police officers were arrested on the territory of KiM. There was no kidnapping, adds Petkovic. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia answered all points of EULEX’s questions regarding the arrest of Pristina police officers, he adds.

Petkovic: There was no kidnapping, an absolute lie by Kurti and Gervala (RTS)

The Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), Petar Petkovic, stated that it is an absolute lie of the prime minister of the temporary Pristina institutions Aljbin Kurti and minister Donika Gervala that the Pristina policemen were arrested on the territory of KiM. There was no kidnapping, adds Petkovic. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Serbia answered all points of EULEX questions regarding the arrest of Pristina police officers.

Everything that Kurti and Gervala said at the press conference, talking about some kind of kidnapping, is also a lie, pointed out Petar Petkovic. “There was no kidnapping. They were caught in the territory of central Serbia by the special anti-terrorist unit of the Ministry of Interior of Serbia in the vicinity of the village of Gnjilice in the municipality of Raska, where they came with automatic rifles and two pistols,” said Petkovic at an extraordinary press conference.

Petkovic stated that the Pristina liaison officer visited them and made sure that they were in excellent conditions and that their treatment was good, unlike the condition in which the arrested Serbs were, brutally beaten. Petkovic also said that he wanted to point out the treatment of the arrested Serbs by the Kosovo police and that, unlike the Pristina police, our police acted in accordance with the regulations and the law. “No one was mistreated or beaten. This was confirmed by the Pristina liaison officer who had the opportunity to visit the arrested police officers,” said Petkovic. He pointed out that the arrested Pristina police officers were housed in excellent conditions. “Each of them has their own room and food. They got everything they wanted,” said Petkovic. He said that Kosovo Serbs were innocently arrested, and that evidence was presented for them, where it is clear that “they are now languishing in a casemate only because they are Serbs, and because they politically opposed the violence perpetrated against Serbs by Pristina and Aljbin Kurti”. “We urgently request the release of all the arrested Serbs, the withdrawal of the ROSU police and fake mayors,” said Petkovic.

Kosovo police beat and mistreated all arrested Serbs

Petkovic said that the liaison officer between Belgrade and Pristina, Dejan Pavicevic, visited the unjustly arrested Serbs from KiM who are in the detention centers in Podujevo and Gnjilane, and on that occasion he confirmed that the Kosovo police has mistreated and beaten all the arrested Serbs. “In Gnjilane, he visited Rados Petrovic and Dusan Obrenovic, who were arrested on May 29, and in Podujevo he also visited Milun Milenkovic Lune, Nemanja Vlaskovic, Dalibor Spasic, and Milovan Bozovic, who was arrested at the beginning of April this year,” Petkovic said. He added that Pavicevic, who on his way to Belgrade and will make an official report on everything, establishing that the Kosovo police has particularly mistreated and beaten the arrested during the arrests and during their transport to the detention centers. “Some of themsustained severe injuries. Especially Dusan Obrenovic and Milun Milenkovic Lune. By the way, taking in consideration when the Serbs were arrested, the injuries are still visible, Especially on Lune and Dusan Obrenovic,” said Petkovic. He added that Pavicevic also said that Milenkovic had stitches on his head, bruises under his eyes and that traces of violence and beatings were visible on his body. “They have beaten him while they were interrogating him, while he was sitting tied to a chair. At one point, the doctors even demanded that Lune go for a head scan. During his arrest, special officer of ROSU hit Lune several times in the head with a gunstock and that he was covered with a white cover to hide the injuries so that they cannot be seen during the transport,” said Petkovic. He pointed out that the arrested Serbs are doing well, but also warned that many of them will have permanent scars that will remain.

MUP responded to all EULEX questions about the arrested Albanians

The Director of the Office for KiM said that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Serbia answered all points of EULEX’s questions regarding the arrest of Pristina police officers. He added that Serbia is ready to offer evidence and participate in the investigation and again proposed that EULEX experts come to Belgrade and conduct a polygraph examination of members of the MUP, the Anti-Terrorist Group of the Special Police Unit, who arrested three members of the so-called Kosovo Police R. Z. B. S. and M. Sh. depth in the territory of central Serbia. “That way, they can clearly ask the question of where the Kosovo policemen were arrested, and whether members of the Serbian police crossed the administrative line or not. Our policemen did not step over the administrative line. Kurti lies and deceives all the time. You also have a KFOR report that clearly points to that,” said Petkovic. He added that it is clear that in this situation Aljbin Kurti is lying, deceiving and trying to defame Belgrade at all costs. “When you offer all the evidence and when you also say that you are ready for any kind of cooperation and polygraph examination, it is clear that you have a clear conscience and that you did everything in accordance with the regulations and laws,” concluded Petkovic.

Bishop Teodosije: Arrests, threats and abuse of arrested Serbs lead to an even greater conflict (RTS)

Bishop Teodosije expressed deep concern about the recently arrested Serbs who are in detention units in Gjilane and Podujevo. “Arrests and abuse of Serbs by the police lead to an even greater conflict”, warned the bishop and called for an immediate de-escalation of tensions. Bishop recalls that the lawyer representing the detained Serbs stated that it is practically impossible to legally protect the accused, because their accusations are not legally founded, while the arguments from the Serbian side are openly ignored.

“The liaison officer of the Government of Serbia in Pristina, Mr. Pavicevic, regarding the injuries suffered by the arrested Serbs at the hands of the Kosovo police and their treatment in prison, gave a worrying report that will be shared with international representatives. According to Pavicevic’s observations, the detainees were physically abused during and after arrests and still have visible injuries. Such a behaviour is against all the legal norms of a civilized society,” adds Bishop Teodosije. The bishop, together with the clergy, will try to visit the detained Serbs as soon as possible, he pointed out. At the same time, Bishop expressed the expectation that the EULEX mission in Kosovo will verify the allegations of the indictment against the arrested Serbs, as well as everything they went through during and after their arrest.

“In the current very tense situation, Bishop appealed once again for a restraint from all sides, and to preserve peace, condemning violence by any side. The Serbian Orthodox Church was and remains on the firm stand that all existing problems must be solved in peace and by dialogue. However, it is difficult to continue the dialogue in an atmosphere of constant threats, arrests and rhetoric that criminalizes all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija (KiM) and that threatens for even further escalation of violence,” emphasized Bishop Teodosije.

“All these days, our church continues to pray for KiM and calls on the faithful people to trust in God and preserve peace,” the announcement concludes.

Lajcak: The Kosovo issue should be resolved by the end of the year; Escobar: The crisis in Kosovo has the potential to become a regional conflict (RTS)

The Special Envoy of the European Union for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, Miroslav Lajcak, says that he is very concerned about the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), that this moment is important and critical, and that de-escalation is necessary. The Kosovo issue must be resolved by the end of the year, because Kosovo will not be in the center of attention in 2024, says Lajcak. The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, points out that the crisis in northern Kosovo has the potential to turn into an international and regional conflict, and that the US fully supports the EU’s efforts to resolve the crisis.

Miroslav Lajcak, at a joint video conference with the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, and pointed out that he is concerned about the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. “Since May 26, we have people on the streets, there is the Kosovo police, KFOR. We have seen several incidents, but right now the priority is to withdraw people from the streets, to de-escalate,” Lajcak said at a press conference at the Atlantic Council. He believes that there is no justification for the riots on May 29 in Zvecani. “There is no doubt that people came that day with the intention of hurting someone or even killing them. But, likewise, we cannot say the same for all Serbs, that there are 45,000 criminals in the north, but to identify the real criminals, and to help the Serbs who want a normal life,” Lajcak said. When it comes to the new elections for mayors in the north of KiM, Lajcak said that it would be good if the elections were held as soon as possible. “However, there is no deadline, everything depends on the political will. Of course, there is a legal procedure that must be followed,” explained Lajcak.

Meeting in Brussels – crisis management meeting

Lajcak is convinced that the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and the Prime Minister of Pristina’s temporary institutions Aljbin Kurti will soon come to Brussels for a meeting, and when asked what if Kurti does not change his position, the European envoy replied that he believes that escalation is not in Kurti’s interest. “I don’t believe that the escalation and further violence is in Kurti’s interest. I think he is a democrat and believes in the rule of law. But let’s not speculate about what would happen. They never really said ‘no’ to dialogue, I think we will have a dialogue in Brussels soon,” Lajcak pointed out. He stressed that it will be a meeting of crisis management regarding the current situation and pointed out that he expects both leaders to come committed to finding a solution. “We are very clear in what we expect. The next step is to adopt measures, to show that certain leverage exists. The EU has clearly shown that it is ready to move towards a positive agenda, but above all, de-escalation is necessary. The region is very worried, because this conflict raises many questions, investors are wondering if it is safe to invest in the region… EU leaders are very clear, they are following the process very concretely,” Lajcak added.

The first step must come from Pristina

He pointed out that the first step must come from Pristina, which should tell the mayors not to work from municipal offices, and then from Belgrade. “The Ohrid Agreement is legally binding, there is no doubt about it. We have started implementation, adopted the declaration on missing persons, the first three steps have been done, but now we have been stopped by escalation. We will either have normalization or confrontation, there is no third option,” Lajcak said. He stated that none of the parties must do anything unilaterally, because, as he added, such actions have so far led to violence and tensions. “We have a platform, the agreement from Ohrid, but if there is no such thing, then the parties could try to do something on their own. The Union of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO) is internationally legally binding for Kosovo, it was not invented by Escobar and I. Serbs should have the right to protect their culture, language. What we want to do is to create a statute together, to create the best model, there are 16 European models on municipal communities, there is no need to go further than that,” Lajcak said.

When mentioning the possibility of KFOR strengthening forces in Kosovo, Lajcak believes that it would be a step backwards. “The Kosovo issue must be resolved by the end of the year, because in 2024 Kosovo will not be in the center of attention. There are elections in the USA, Europe… We must return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. It is important for a politician to be in the right team, on the right side of history, but that’s not enough. You can’t say the EU and the US are wrong, and you’re right,” Lajcak said.

Escobar: The crisis in Kosovo has the potential to become a regional conflict

The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that the crisis in northern KiM has the potential to turn into an international and regional conflict, and that the US fully supports the EU’s efforts to resolve the crisis. He pointed out that “Kosovo wants to be a part of Europe and that by normalizing relations, it will be in line with EU rules”. “We, as the biggest supporter of Kosovo, want to see them in the EU and NATO and we actively encourage both sides to focus on dialogue and work hard to achieve what was agreed upon in the Ohrid agreement,” Escobar said.

He expressed the view that the three arrested Kosovo police officers should be released immediately. “We want the policemen to be released immediately. Whether they were kidnapped or accidentally found themselves on Serbian territory, they have nothing to look for there. They must be returned to their families immediately,” said Escobar.

Speaking about the elections in four municipalities in the north of KiM, he said that the USA saw the need for elections, that they recognized the results and the legitimacy of the mayor, but also told the government in Pristina that it was not necessary for them to work from municipal buildings. “I saw how it was done in the USA, it is not unusual to work outside the buildings intended for that. I’ve been in the government since I was 19 years old and I’ve seen how it’s done from other locations, for example during covid,” he said.

Asked to comment on the protests in those municipalities, he stated that whoever attacks members of KFOR, and the Kosovo Police should bear the consequences. “KFOR members also told us that the 90 people who were there were peaceful protesters who wanted a better and more peaceful life. We are not saying that all these people are fascist militants,” said Escobar.

We encourage both leaders to accept the European plan unconditionally

When asked how the US supports the EU in mediating the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, he pointed out that the only path to normalization is the path of dialogue with the mediation of the EU, and that it is good that this is the job of the EU. “We encourage both leaders to accept the European plan unconditionally, not their own individual plans. There is no other option for de-escalation, and I must say that the Euro-Atlantic public is united on this issue. The very idea that one of them sets their own conditions is reckless,” Escobar said, adding that he would like to see more of a ‘strategic vision’ from both sides. He added that, from the perspective of the USA, the main characteristic of the Balkans is a great opportunity and that the next generations in this area can capitalize on those opportunities. “I believe that there are some people who survive politically in the conditions of a permanent crisis, and I hope that both sides and both leaders will understand that de-escalation is the only way to progress in the region,” said Escobar.

Asked about possible consequences, he said that they are obvious, but he also pointed out that the USA offers partnership and coordination above all. “If we cannot have basic communication, we cannot move forward towards the implementation of the Ohrid agreement.” It’s not primarily a consequence, but a choice that both sides have to make,” Escobar said, adding that the goal is to bring Kosovo closer to Europe and NATO, and that the US will help bring investments to the region and Serbia, but that it cannot be done if there is no cooperation and vision”.

Speaking about certain criticisms that state that he is too lenient towards the Serbian side, he assessed that everything the USA has done in the last 15 years has been in favor of Pristina.

“Serbia did not want to recognize independence, we did not agree with that. Serbia wanted to say that the elections and mayors were illegitimate, but that too passed. We pressured Serbia on the issue of license plates and barricades, even in connection with the Council of Europe, all of that was against Serbia, almost unilaterally. We ask Kosovo to recognize and accept its international obligations. It wasn’t all that compromising for Kosovo, on the contrary,” Escobar pointed out.

Biden ordered: Extend the state of emergency; The Balkans poses threat to the USA (Tanjug)

U.S. President stated that in accordance with the National Law on Emergency Situations, Decree on emergency situation in the Western Balkans remains in force. Joseph Biden pointed out that for this reason it is necessary to continue the state of emergency declared by Executive Order 13219 for the Western Balkans.

“The acts of extremist violence and obstructionist activity, as well as the situation in the Western Balkans, which impedes progress toward effective and democratic governance and full integration into transatlantic institutions, set forth in these executive orders, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”, said Biden in a message to Congress, it was published on the website of the White House. According to a statement published on the White House website, the executive order was originally signed on June 26, 2001, and was subsequently amended by the Executive Order dated May 28, 2003, which was expanded under Executive Order 14033 and remains in effect after June 26, 2023.

Brnabic: I am asking you, dear friends from the EU, to help us preserve the peace (RTS)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the European Union is the largest peace project in the history of the world and that Serbia wants to be part of that unique economic, political and security project, to which it has long belonged, not only in terms of its geography, but also in terms of culture and history, tradition and value system. She asked EU leaders to show that they stand behind the principle of the rule of law, i.e. full respect of international agreements. “I am asking you, dear friends from the EU, to help us preserve peace, because peace is the most important European asset,” Brnabic emphasized.

Ana Brnabic, at the formal reception before the start of the “EU Week of Opportunities”, organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, stated that in many respects Serbia is already part of a unique and common European space. “The EU is the largest investor in Serbia, by far the most important economic partner and by far the most important financial donor,” said Brnabic. She added that in terms of value, on all the most important political issues, and as she stated, today for the EU it is certainly the issue of the conflict in Ukraine, the positions of Serbia and the EU do not differ. “The Republic of Serbia provides principled and sincere support to Ukraine, its territorial integrity and sovereignty. We always, at every moment and regardless of time, circumstances or actors, respect and defend the basic principle of international public law and the UN Charter – the inviolability of the international borders of sovereign countries, members of the UN,” pointed out Brnabic. She added that Serbia’s position is that for the sake of peace, predictability and stability in the world, this must be a principle that everyone will respect at all times. “We apply that principle, of course, also when it comes to our country – and that’s how we also approach the dialogue with Pristina. Our greatest desire, our greatest interest and our first priority is peace. I still use the opportunity today to ask our partners from the EU to help us preserve the peace and ensure that Serbs in Kosovo live without fear of daily torture, arrest, mistreatment, inhumane treatment – to ensure at least the basic principles of the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija (KiM),” emphasized Brnabic.

During her speech, the Prime Minister asked EU leaders to show that they stand behind the principle of the rule of law, that is, full respect for international agreements. “So, I am asking that finally, after more than 10 years, the Brussels Agreement is implemented and that the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) is established. I am asking you to prevent innocent people from being arrested and detained just because they are Serbs, to prevent them from being subjected to vandal torture while in custody and while neither the families nor their legal representatives can reach them,” said Brnabic. She assessed that such behavior on the soil of the European continent simply must not be acceptable in the 21st century. “I am asking you, dear friends from the EU, to help us preserve peace, because peace is the most important European asset. You will always have a reliable and credible interlocutor in Belgrade,” said the Prime Minister.

She pointed out that Serbia has been intensively cooperating with the EU and its member states for a number of years on the implementation of a comprehensive reform on the way to full membership in the EU. “Full membership in the EU is our strategic foreign policy goal. We believe that the European peace project represented by the Union can be fully completed only with the admission to full membership of the Republic of Serbia and the other countries of the Western Balkans. The reforms we are undertaking are fundamental and irrevocable and will change our society irrevocably.” Our readiness to implement them is not questionable,” emphasized Brnabic. The Prime Minister pointed out that Serbia implements reforms primarily for the sake of the citizens themselves and added that the European values are those that the citizens of Serbia deserve and inherit, and that they are important precisely because of a better quality of life and a higher standard of living. “We are proud of the results achieved in the previous period in those reform processes and grateful to our European partners for the help they provide us along the way. I sincerely hope that in the time ahead we will succeed in speeding up our European integration at least a little, because I believe that it is our common desire and our common interest,” said Brnabic.

Vucic: We can always count on the support of Cuba; Diaz-Canel: We want to improve economic ties (RTS)

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez is on an official visit to Serbia. After a ceremonial welcome in front of the “Serbia” Palace, he spoke with President Aleksandar Vucic, and a plenary meeting of the delegations of the two countries was held. It is important that we can always count on Cuba’s support, and as far as we are concerned, Serbia has always been on Cuba’s side, said President Vucic. The Cuban president points out that we need to improve the economic ties between the two countries. After the plenary meeting of the delegations of the two countries, two bilateral agreements were signed. An Agreement on the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic passports and a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in Agriculture were signed.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic expressed satisfaction with the visit of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Vucic said that it is important for Serbia that it can always count on the political support of Cuba, just as that Caribbean country can count on the support of Serbia.

“This is the first visit of the Cuban president after almost four decades. I am glad that I could talk with the president of Cuba and understand how Cuba and the Cuban people are fighting for their freedom. I am grateful for Cuba’s support when it comes to the territorial integrity of Serbia, and especially in Latin American and Caribbean countries, whenever it was necessary to get their support,” said Vucic.

The President of Serbia said that there is great interest in cooperation, especially in the field of healthcare. Vucic said that there are many areas, from politics to social life, for the expansion of cooperation. “Serbia is a country that is self-sufficient in agriculture, and we have significant surpluses, and we are working to overcome the difficulties when it comes to food exports. Cuba is a superpower in sports, and we see an opportunity to expand cooperation there, and our health experts are interested in cooperation and knowledge transfer in that area,” said Vucic. During the conversation with the Cuban colleague, there was also talk about biotechnology and cooperation in scientific and innovative projects. “We can give each other a lot, there is mutual benefit. We broke records in software services, last year it amounted to over one billion, which is 43 percent more than the previous one. Our trade exchange can and must be much greater,” emphasized the president of Serbia. There was also talk about tourism cooperation. “What is very important is that we talked about tourism cooperation, to see how to further develop that area. There is an interest of our people to visit Cuba, the distance is not a small obstacle, but our people travel more and more, they have more money than before, it will be one of the good destinations for the future,” emphasized Vucic.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel conveyed his greetings to President Vucic from Cuba and thanked him for the reception. “People on the street recognized our procession, so they greeted us, and that happened again this morning. There are obviously close ties of friendship that were established in previous decades, ties that were started by Fidel Castro and Tito,” said Miguel Diaz-Canel. He reminded that Serbia and Cuba have 120 years of interstate relations. He said that it is a great honor for him to be in Serbia to return the visit. “We spoke with President Vucic and members of his cabinet, and we confirmed the relationship to strengthen the ties of our countries. We want to improve investments and economic ties. Our dialogue is excellent, and we have excellent relations between the ministries of foreign affairs. We must develop cooperation in culture, health and sports,” said Diaz-Canel.

“Thank you to Serbia for the continuous support and I want to use the opportunity to thank on behalf of our people for the great help we receive from the Serbian people, the Serbian state, and this is one example of the position and attitude that should exist between friendly countries like ours. The Cuban president said that their positions, when it comes to supporting the territorial integrity of Serbia, will remain the same and that Serbia will have the support of Cuba.

Dacic: Gratitude to Algeria for not recognizing the unilaterally declared independence of KiM (RTS)

The Head of Diplomacy, Ivica Dacic, met with the Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf, and expressed his gratitude to Algeria for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. Ivica Dacic reminded that Algeria did not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija (KiM). “Algeria respects the principle of border protection, that is, the territorial integrity of countries, and we are really grateful for that. It is also of great importance to us that Algeria was elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, and it is very important that we have our friend as a member in the Security Council,” said Dacic. He pointed out that Serbia will have Algeria’s interests in mind when it comes to regional issues and problems concerning Algerian interests in that part of the world. “We are ready to exchange opinions, to inform each other about the situation in our region and the region in which Algeria is located. We are all directed together towards the United Nations and accordingly we think that the UN should have a key and main role when it’s about the issue of KiM and the issue of Western Sahara and other regional issues,” said Dacic.

Attaf expressed his opinion on the similarity between the situation of KiM and Western Sahara. “You know our positions on issues that are very important for your country, such as the issue of KiM. In our region, we also have the issue of Western Sahara, which has a destabilizing factor on the entire region. Not solving that issue still prevents the construction of regional integration that would be good for every country in the region. I said yesterday and I repeat today, there is a great similarity between KiM and Western Sahara. The issue of KiM was born from the violation of an important security principle, which is the inviolability of borders. Because the principle of inviolability of borders was violated, that issue opened up. And as you said, it should be resolved in its natural context, which is the UN,” Dacic added. He emphasized that a similar principle also exists in Africa, namely the principle of the inviolability of borders, which was not respected, and that is why the issue of Western Sahara exists today.

Minister Dacic emphasized the importance of decades of friendship and diplomatic relations established with Algeria 61 years ago. “We are very interested in the further development of our bilateral relations, and in this respect, it is very important that the visits of the two presidents, our president Vucic to Algeria and the Algerian president to Serbia, take place. We also agreed that I will visit Algeria by the end of the year,” said Dacic. “Since the last time I was in Algeria was nine years ago, the mixed committee for cooperation between Algeria and Serbia is being reactivated, the Government of Serbia has appointed the Minister of Agriculture Jelena Tanskovic to the position of co-chairman from our side, and in this respect, it is really important that this committee create a road map on how to strengthen cooperation in various areas,” Dacic added.

He indicated that Serbia and Algeria have about 200 million dollars in foreign trade exchange and that it can certainly be much larger, as well as that there are great potentials in various areas, including defense, culture, education, sports… Algerian Minister Ataf expressed his gratitude and confirmed that Algeria and Serbia will continue to exchange, discuss and inform each other in the spirit of solidarity and respect for the interests of these two countries.

President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with Attaf, about bilateral relations. President Vucic stated that he spoke with Attaf “about the additional strengthening of already excellent relations”. “Serbia and Algeria are bound by traditional friendship and decades of cooperation, and together we will continue to work on strengthening economic relations, trade exchange and all other areas of importance for both countries,” wrote Vucic on Instagram.

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina

RS institutions representatives and ruling coalition party leaders hold meeting on B&H CC’s decision, demand from B&H CC to reverse its decision until noon Friday (Nova BH)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik held a meeting on Tuesday, with the RS institutions representatives and parliamentary political party leaders to discuss the decision of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Constitutional Court (B&H CC) that enables the B&H CC to hold plenary sessions without participation of minimum requirement in terms of number of judges from the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and RS. Following the meeting Dodik called on the B&H CC to reverse its decision by Friday, otherwise the RS will undertake countermeasures, including adoption of the law on non-execution of the B&H CC’s decisions in the RS.

The reporter notes that the officials from the RS conveyed that the B&H CC’s decision constitutes anti-Serb, unconstitutional and anti-Dayton behavior and the situation “that resembles the situation in 1991, when Serbs were excluded from decision-making process”, and they presented an ultimatum for the B&H CC to reverse its decision from Monday and pass a new decision according to which that institution will not pass any decisions until the Law on B&H CC is adopted, in case the B&H CC fails to do that until noon on Friday, the RS National Assembly (RSNA) will hold a special session June 27 to discuss the law on non-execution of the B&H CC’s decisions and ensure legal protection for individuals who refuse to implement its decisions, which, according to the RS officials, is one of the key arguments of the B&H CC, i.e. failing to implement the B&H CC’s decisions is a criminal offense.

Dodik said the responsibility for the situation is with US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy and UK Ambassador to B&H Julian Reilly and he called on the European Commission (EC) to help resolve the issue, noting that if B&H CC continues to behave in the same manner, the next step may be that the RSNA refers to the B&H Parliament its draft law on B&H CC, following which the issue of new RS Constitution would be opened, directed toward affirmation of the RS, “not outside B&H, but going back to the original B&H”.

Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Dodik said that the B&H CC’s decision is a proof “that the Court is a part of an insidious plan to collapse the RS that has been underway for some time and that the (B&H) CC showed it does not have good intentions towards the RS and the constituent people, that this way it violates the decision on constituent status, a decision passed by the same court, and especially the constitutional one in the process of equality of entities, that the CC behaves arrogantly and in anti-Serb manner and that it wants to outvote the Serbs to the point  they are excluded from the constitutional decision-making process as envisaged by the Constitution, and equality guaranteed by the Dayton (Peace) Agreement in the context of equality of entities”.

RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said: “With such decisions, there will be no agreements within B&H. Is this a test balloon for a future move, a move regarding property? Do not even dare”. Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic said that the B&H CC has been creating legal uncertainty for over ten years for the citizens in the RS and in the FB&H, and “together with other foreigners – in addition to its three judges that sit there – and mostly with OHR and those who support that OHR, in addition to creating legal uncertainty, it has been taking us from one experiment to another experiment”.

RSNA will hold a special session Wednesday to discuss Proposal Law on amendments to the Law on Publication of the RS Laws and Other Regulations under urgent procedure. The material submitted for the session reads among others that High Representative (HR) in B&H Christian Schmidt, who is not recognized in the RS, was not confirmed by the United Nations Security Council (UN SC) and cannot pass decisions, i.e. his decisions cannot be published in the Official Gazette of the RS and thus cannot have legal consequences.

Opposition leaders fail to attend Dodik’s meeting; Milicevic: There is no B&H CC without Serb judges (BN TV)

The leaders of the opposition parties in Republika Srpska (RS) were invited to attend meeting in Banja Luka hosted by RS President Milorad Dodik, but they did not attend it. SDS leader Milan Milicevic said that without Serb judges, there is no Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), just as there is no B&H without the RS. PDP leader Branislav Borenovic stated that it is evident that the new-old coalition at the level of the joint institutions of B&H, made up of SNSD, HDZ B&H and the ‘Troika’, did not bring stability, projects, good laws and harmony, as they announced, but only the division of positions and privileges. “The authorities that control almost all legislative, executive and financial levers in the RS, the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and joint institutions must understand that the Dayton B&H is defended with compromises, wisdom, stability and rationality, and not with daily petty political moves. This should also be understood by those who cannot leave the framework of politicking and understand that every poke in the eye of the RS means a step back not only in development, but also in the survival of B&H,” Borenovic was quoted as saying.

Tegeltija says B&H CC’s latest decision changes nature and character of this institution (Nezavisne)

The daily reminded that the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) on Monday erased provisions on postponement of its sessions unless at least three judges appointed by the Federation of B&H (FB&H) House of Representatives and one judge appointed by the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) attend it. RS President Milorad Dodik’s Advisor Milan Tegeltija said that B&H CC, with its decision, “changed the nature and character” of this institution. “If the quorum does not have a judge appointed to this court by the RSNA, then the CC becomes the CC of the FB&H which, as such, cannot make decisions related to the RS. This makes its decisions illegitimate and non-mandatory for the RS because those are decisions of an institution in which there are no judges appointed by the RSNA”, Tegeltija claimed.

Delegate in the Serb Caucus of the House of Peoples of B&H Radovan Kovacevic said that B&H CC overstepped its boundaries set by the Constitution. Kovacevic added that all those who think that they can “reshape the Constitution to create some kind of B&H that is heading towards of becoming a civic country” are very much wrong. “All those who think that the RS will silently watch as someone abuses B&H CC to violate BiH Constitution and forcibly change the structure of B&H to the detriment of the RS and Serb people are wrong too”, Kovacevic noted. Kovacevic said that “B&H can survive only on what it was based on, i.e. the Dayton Peace Agreement and Dayton Constitution of B&H, which is only valid and possible for B&H”.

FB&H HoR Commission on Election and Appointment postpones session to discuss appointment of B&H CC judge (Nova BH)

The Commission on Election and Appointment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) House of Representatives (HoR) has postponed its session to discuss appointment of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Constitutional Court (CC) judge scheduled for Tuesday. Commenting this, Commission member Dragan Miokovic (Our Party) said he received an e-mail Monday afternoon informing “that Commission Chair, Mr. (Mladen) Boskovic is postponing the session”. Commission member Eldar Comor (SDA) said that the e-mail also read that the commission members will be timely informed about when the session will be rescheduled, noting “what the reasons are, we can only assume”.

The reporter notes that the issue of B&H CC judge appointment has become much more than selection of a constitutional court expert. Commenting on the issue, Senior Assistant at the Faculty of Law in Sarajevo Harun Iseric said every selection by a parliament is “a political selection”, regardless of the institution, noting “whoever is selected, it will be a political decision by the FB&H Parliament’’, explaining that in other countries in Europe or in the US, “appointment of a judge in the highest court is a political issue par excellence”.

The reporter reminds that the appointment of the B&H CC judge has been the issue since Mato Tadic retired over one year ago, noting that there have been discussions over the past several months whether the FB&H Parliament would appoint the new judge based on only the first-ranking candidate Marin Vukoja, or whether they would consider the entire list of candidates.

Commenting on this, Miokovic said that all ten candidates on the list “are legal and legitimate. They have been selected in accordance with relevant procedures. Our Party insists on lawfulness. We are legalists, and the first ranking (candidate) will have our support. Whether that is Mr. Vukoja or someone else, we would do the same”. According to SDA, parliamentary majority in the FB&H HoR is questionable, which may be one of the reasons to delay the process. Comor said: “I think that parliamentary majority for this issue is questionable. The public suspects what the reasons may be, and I do not want to claim anything, but the parliamentary majority confirmed the government with 51 votes (…) and if a caucus or a parliamentary group abstains in that context, the decision is questionable. Adopting a decision with 48 or 49 votes will not lead to an appointment”.

Ambassadors Sattler and Murphy stress importance of having most competent people in B&H Constitutional Court (Nova BH)

Head of the EU Delegation (EUD) to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and EU Special Representative (EUSR) in B&H Johann Sattler and US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy conveyed it is of highest importance to have the most competent people as judges in the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) and it is necessary to follow the rules that are very clear. Addressing the press conference, Sattler said: “When it comes to the Constitutional Court, I can only say that the procedures are very clear. There are rules that should be followed. I do not know now by heart what the number of candidates is, but it is very clearly and precisely stated what the basic principle that should be followed is, whether it is appointment in the Constitutional Court or in any other institution, and that is appointment of the best, the most qualified candidates”. Murphy said: “Whether it is the RS, the state level, canton or any other level of government or whether it is the appointment of people who will run public companies we mentioned earlier, or appointment of police commissioners or judges, it is absolutely important to appoint the most competent people”. Murphy stated that he shares opinion of Sattler, namely that they want to see best possible candidates appointed judges of B&H CC.

RS Govt discusses amendments to law on publishing laws that stipulate decisions of HR not to be published by Official Gazette of RS (RTRS)

At its special session held on Tuesday and ahead of special session of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) scheduled for Wednesday, the RS Government discussed in urgent procedure Proposal of Amendments to the RS Law to Publish Laws and Other Regulations. The Proposal was submitted to parliamentary procedure by group of MPs in the RSNA and the Government established there is constitutional ground for its adoption. The Proposal stipulates erasing of regulation reading that laws and other acts passed by High Representative will be published in the Official Gazette of the RS. The explanation reads that Christian Schmidt cannot be considered High Representative, because he has not been appointed in line with Annex X of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The Proposal stipulates that laws and other acts passed by Schmidt will not be published in the Official Gazette of the RS.

The RS Government underlined that the document is in line with the Constitution, legal system and rules for drafting of laws and other regulations of the RS. According to the RS Government, the constitutional basis for adoption of the law is stipulated in the provisions of the Amendment XXXII item 4 of the article 68 of the RS Constitution according to which the RS organizes and secures constitutionality and legality. Besides, the RS Government also mentioned the Article 7, paragraph 1, item 2 of the Constitution of the RS according to which the RSNA adopts laws, other regulations and general acts. The RS Government also said that the Proposal of Amendments to the RS Law to Publish Laws and Other Regulations arranges the manner of publishing of laws, other regulations and general acts in the RS Official Gazette as well as formation, status and managing with the RS Official Gazette.

US Embassy: By refusing to publish High Representative’s decisions in RS Official Gazette, RS is violating its obligations under Dayton Peace Agreement (Dnevni avaz)

Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly is expected to convene on Wednesday and discuss changes to Law on Publishing of Laws and Other Regulation which would eliminate the obligation to publish decisions of the High Representative in the RS Official Gazette. According to the daily, this is an obvious attempt of the RS to destroy the institution of the OHR and its authority based on the Dayton Peace Agreement, and to move towards the final stages of coup d’état and gradual secession of the RS. The daily asked the US Embassy to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) for a comment, and the Embassy responded that Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement obliges all signatories, including the RS, to fully cooperate with the High Representative. “No political rhetoric or changes to entity laws can exempt institutions from this obligation. By refusing to publish decisions of the High Representative, the RS, its institutions and those working for the institutions are violating their obligations under the Dayton Peace Agreement”, the US Embassy stated.

Zvizdic: We are ready to submit a motion to the Constitutional Court of B&H (FTV)

Speaker of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Representatives (B&H HoR) Denis Zvizdic spoke on the occasion of the special session of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) announced for Wednesday, where the Law on Amendments to the Law on the Publication of Laws and Other Regulations of the RS will be considered. The amendments will regulate that the decisions of High Representative in B&H, Christian Schmidt, will not be published in the Official Gazette of the RS because he “does not have legality”. “In the event that tomorrow the RSNA adopts a law that will regulate that the decisions of the High Representative are not published in the Official Gazette of the RS entity, we are ready, if the OHR (Office of the High Representative) does not react, to submit a motion to the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H, because this is a serious attack on the constitutional and legal order of B&H”, Zvizdic wrote on Twitter.

Orban to pay visit to RS on Thursday and Friday (RTRS)

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban will pay visit to Republika Srpska (RS) on Thursday and Friday. This visit was announced by RS President Milorad Dodik several days ago. Orban will pay official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and after Sarajevo, he will visit Banja Luka on Thursday afternoon. Prime Minister of Hungary met on Tuesday in Belgrade with President of Serbian Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Vucic said that he and Orban talked on Monday evening with RS President Milorad Dodik about regional issues. Serbia and Hungary signed series of bilateral agreements.

B&H CoM and Croatian Government hold joint session in Zagreb, discuss cooperation and open issues between two countries; Minister Kosarac expresses concern over Croatia’s position on Trgovska Gora (Nova BH)

The Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers (CoM) and the Croatian Government held a joint session on Tuesday in Zagreb, discussing improvement of cooperation and open issues between the two countries. According to the host and guests, the joint session was held in a positive and working atmosphere. Topics of discussion included, among others, joint infrastructural projects, construction of the Southern Gas Interconnection and B&H’s EU integration. The two governments also discussed nuclear waste disposal center at the Trgovska Gora, but no formal conclusions were made.

The reporter comments that Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic tried to vividly explain there is no reason for concern in that regard. Addressing the press conference after the session, Plenkovic said that if someone were to stand next to the nuclear waste disposal center “for 365 days, 24/7”, they would not be exposed to radiation, noting “it would be significantly lower compared to radiation a passenger on a flight from Europe to America is exposed to during one flight”.

The reporter notes that although for B&H CoM Chair Borjana Kristo the progress has been made by even including the Trgovska Gora in the agenda, B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac is not satisfied with Croatia’s current attitude with regard to the issue. Addressing the media after the session, Kosarac said: “There is no agreement from the other party to form joint bodies, there is no agreement from the other party to open that issue by looking for the third location and I would say that I am concerned about positions I heard today in Croatia. As early as today, upon returning to B&H, I will have a meeting in Novi Grad, continue to work on that issue and seek full support from other EU members”.

The reporter notes that Croatia, on the other hand, remains reserved with regard to the Hydropower Plant ‘Upper Horizons’ in eastern Herzegovina. Although it was expected, changes to the B&H Election Law were not discussed, but earlier stances were reiterated. Addressing the press conference after the session, Kristo said: “Within the signed guidelines and principles with parliamentary majority at the level of B&H, we signed (agreement) and committed to implementing within six months limited constitutional reform and electoral reform in B&H, because that is our obligation in accordance with the (B&H) Constitutional Court’s decisions on legitimate representation of constituent peoples”. Plenkovic said: “We expect political parties and the institutions in B&H to take the responsibility, as it should be, and adopt a new framework that will be much more just, and fair compared to this one we have seen over the past several years”. Plenkovic also said Croatia will continue to support B&H’s Euro-Atlantic integration, noting that with regard to open issues, like borders and property, it is clear that both parties will need more time and more discussions “to finally close them”.

Croatia

PM: Bosnian and Croatian governments’ joint session will boost bilateral ties (Hina)

The governments of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) held their third joint session in Zagreb on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic called it “a continuation of a sincere, continuous and steadfast partnership” and an impulse to boost the bilateral ties. Plenkovic reiterated Zagreb’s strong political support to B&H. B&H’s journey to the EU is more important than ever before, the Croatian PM said.

In December, Bosnia was granted the status of EU membership candidate. The chairwoman of B&H’s Council of Ministers, Borjana Kristo, told the session that the B&H government was aware of the great significance and crucial role of Croatia in the adoption of the December 15 decision on B&H’s candidate status. All that has helped accelerate the reform processes, she added.

Plenkovic welcomed the decisions by the High Representative to B&H, Christian Schmidt, as a framework for making B&H more functional and internal relations within the country more harmonious. Croatia is ready to help B&H on its European journey with its experience but expects BiH’s constitution and electoral law to be changed, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the end of a joint session of the two countries’ governments in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Cooperation and Croatia’s help on B&H’s European path were among the main topics of the third joint session of the two governments.

“Croatia is ready to share its experience with B&H, and it expects issues like the constitutional reform and the reform of the electoral law, which are the foundation of the functioning of any state, to be resolved,” Plenkovic told reporters. The Croatian prime minister expressed confidence that B&H would embark on the next election cycle “with a new, fairer election system which guarantees the equality of all constituent peoples and all B&H citizens.” The reform of the B&H electoral legislation was not on the agenda of the joint session of the two governments but B&H Prime Minister Borjana Kristo of the HDZ B&H party stressed that it was “an obligation of political representatives of B&H institutions.” “I want to stress that that is an issue that still burdens relations, the political situation and the work of institutions in B&H, and ultimately the country’s European path,” Kristo said.

Kristo, who chairs the B&H Council of Ministers, added that this was a priority issue and that B&H had committed to implementing within six months limited changes to its constitution and election law, as well as to implementing rulings by the European Court of Human Rights “to remove any kind of discrimination against any individual not belonging to any of the three constituent peoples.”

Kristo said that B&H “is focused on the process of European integration and there is a political and institutional consensus on the matter,” as well as that it was up to B&H politicians “how strong and fast the country will walk on its European path.” Any kind of help from friends in the EU is “of great benefit”, she said.

Speaking about the issue of nuclear waste disposal on border between the two countries, which B&H authorities strongly object, Plenkovic explained that this is a location in the Banovina region, which is not inhabited and where they would store only the items that do not radiate much, such as gloves and other equipment. “The location is not intended for the storage of spent nuclear fuel. We are not aware that there has been any incident anywhere in countries that have similar landfills. The landfill would be seismically resistant and water contamination would not be possible,” he said, adding that contamination of waste waters would not be possible, and Croatia would apply the highest standards. “It is not in our interest to endanger our residents, and not even the residents of a neighboring country,” he stressed.

Montenegro

Six years have passed – Montenegro has not closed a single EU chapter (RSE)

For the last decade, Montenegro has proudly carried the epithet of leader in the process of accession to the European Union (EU) and “the first next member”. And Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic said that Montenegro should pull the other countries of the region into the EU like a locomotive. However, for six years, Montenegro has not closed any of the negotiation chapters. During that period, the Democratic Party of socialist Milo Djukanovic was in power for the first three years, and the pro-Russian Democratic Front, the Democrats and the URA movement were in power for the other three years.

The interlocutors of Radio Free Europe (RSE), the president of the foreign policy committee of the European Parliament, David McAllister, and the former minister of European integration, Gordana Djurovic, agree that too much time has been wasted. “High political tensions, failure to build consensus and lack of dialogue… All this not only halted progress in EU reforms, but also pushed Montenegro into a deep political and institutional crisis,” McAllister told RSE. And Djurovic sees the reasons in political instability, party recruitment, frequent changes in the negotiation structure and insufficient political support disproportionate to that which citizens have for the EU.

Citizens’ support for EU membership reached a record 79.3 percent, according to a survey conducted in May for the needs of the Delegation of the European Union in Podgorica. Montenegro has been conducting accession negotiations on EU membership since June 2012.

“Soon we are celebrating the anniversary – 11 years of negotiations. The example of Croatia is already far behind us, and we are going more towards the experiences of Turkey, which has a lot of frozen chapters and has been negotiating since 2005”, said Djurovic. Croatia negotiated for eight years.

What do they say in the Ministry of European Affairs?

The Ministry of European Affairs (MEP) says that the key reason for not closing the chapter is insufficient progress in chapters 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (Justice, freedom and security), which dictate the pace of progress: “There were no agreements in the Parliament of Montenegro, as well as results in the work of the prosecution and courts, those segments of the process that the Government and the negotiation structure could not influence”. Montenegro opened all 33 chapters and temporarily closed three. The last of the 33 negotiation chapters was opened in June 2020, during the time of the Government of Dusko Markovic (DPS), during whose mandate a chapter was closed for the last time. In the same year, in August, the DPS government was replaced, and the pro-Russian Democratic Front, the Democrats and the Citizens’ Movement URA came to power. They voted for Zdravko Krivokapic‘s government, which had no visible results in European integration. She was replaced after 14 months. The next government, that of Dritan Abazovic, was elected on the promise to speed up the negotiation process.

Djurovic points out that that government did not use the opportunity from June 2022 to speed up the progress of Montenegro. “This would somehow have been achieved if we had taken advantage of the moment we had last year, when we should have taken the path of the EU, and not the path of the Basic Treaty, the fall of the Government and the deepening of the political and institutional crisis… That opportunity was not used.” After the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, there were frequent calls from the international community to speed up the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkan countries, in order to prevent the reflections of the war and Russia’s attempts to obstruct their European orientation.

Djurovic: There is no professional staff, the experts have left

The former Minister of European Integration assesses that numerous personnel changes after the change of government in 2020 have weakened the administrative structures of the ministries involved in the negotiations with Brussels: “Management at the level of general directors has changed over 95 percent compared to the situation three years ago. There are no professional staff in the key ministries dealing with the integration process. More than 50 percent of people are missing in the MEP alone, which is sufficient confirmation of the Government’s commitment. Simply, you don’t invest in people”. He also notes that the negotiation structure has been changed eight times since 2006 – which included, among other things, the establishment and closure of the Ministry for European Integration. He says that these are “exceptional administrative attacks on a slightly larger administration, not on a small Montenegrin one, where very important policies are often reduced to one or two dedicated officials”. “They leave, others come, they have no one to learn from.” The current Ministry explains that in the previous period they worked on the reconstruction of the negotiation structure in order to improve the efficiency of work groups and improve coordination. “Our goal is to retain experts and preserve institutional memory, and stabilize the negotiation structure and make it resistant to political changes.”

Hard to make decisions on key issues

The Ministry justifies insufficient progress in the last three years by the lack of parliamentary support for reform processes: “After 2020, Montenegro enters a more turbulent political period in which the necessary parliamentary majority is often unattainable, it is more difficult to make decisions on key issues, especially in the area of justice, which are necessary for the fulfilment of temporary and final benchmarks.” They add that Abazovic’s government recorded significant results in the fight against corruption and organized crime and media freedom. They also state that they have done most of their “homework” for the four chapters, but that it is ungrateful to predict when it will be closed. They expect that key issues in the area of the rule of law, such as the appointment of the supreme state prosecutor, the completion of the Constitutional Court and the Judicial Council, will be resolved in the new convocation of the parliament, which is expected to be constituted in mid-July.

Restore political and institutional stability

Early parliamentary elections were held in Montenegro on June 11, in which the Europe Now Movement won the largest number of mandates in the Parliament, from whose ranks the new government will be appointed, and which has European integration at the top of its political agenda. McAllister from the EP tells RFE/RL that it is important that the new authorities use the opportunity to restore political and institutional stability and make serious progress in the field of key EU priorities, above all in the field of the rule of law. The European Head of Diplomacy and Commissioner for Enlargement Josep Borrell and Oliver Varhelyi recently called for the rapid constitution of the Assembly and the formation of the Government, which will be dedicated to reforms.

Report of the European Parliament: List to be implemented by the end of the year in accordance with EU standards (RTCG)

The European Parliament (EP) encourages the President, the new Parliament and the Government of Montenegro to focus on the key reforms that are needed for the country to make progress in EU integration, and remains ready to cooperate with all political actors to support the country in maintaining its strategic exchange rate, it is stated in the first draft of the report of the European Parliament for Montenegro, the rapporteur Tonino Picula.

The document deplores the fact that high political tensions, polarization, failure to build consensus on issues of national interest and lack of inter-party dialogue have stalled progress in EU-related reforms and pushed Montenegro into a deep political and institutional crisis. Montenegro prides itself on its long-term commitment to EU integration, which is supported by a high level of public support, but it is also emphasized that progress in the negotiations depends on the fulfilment of temporary benchmarks in the area of the rule of law. Parliament regrets that no chapter has been closed in the past six years.

The draft report highlights serious concerns about malicious foreign interference, destabilization efforts, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in Montenegro. It notes that religious institutions can be used as a tool for external influence and condemns Serbian interference in this regard; The cyber-attack in August 2022 on the digital infrastructure of Montenegro is also condemned and our country is called to actively strengthen resistance by adopting a strategy to combat hybrid threats and a relevant action plan.

On the other hand, the document welcomes Montenegro’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including all sanctions adopted after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as well as material and humanitarian support to Ukraine. The active participation of Montenegro in the missions and operations of the common security and defense policy of the EU, as well as in NATO missions, is welcomed.

Finalize the appointment of judges as a priority

The European Parliament expresses regret over the adoption of the controversial Law on Amendments to the Law on the President by the Parliament of Montenegro in December 2022 and welcomes the initiation of the procedure for the evaluation of the constitutionality of the Law by the Constitutional Court, according to the document. The appointment of three judges of the Constitutional Court is welcomed as a step towards solving the constitutional crisis, but also regrets the fact that the Constitutional Court has been left without a quorum since September 2022. MEPs call on the new parliament to finalize the appointment of judges as a priority; Efforts are being made in the fight against organized crime through legislative changes and the arrest of key figures, an increasing number of final judgments, but the EP is still concerned about long trials and frequent delays.

The draft EP report reiterated the call for local elections to be held on the same day, welcomes the fact that elections in 14 municipalities were held on the same day in October 2022, and calls for a strong legislative framework in this regard. The EP notes that the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections were competitive, that candidates were free to campaign and enjoyed equal opportunities to reach voters. However, there are still concerns about the media’s vulnerability to internal and external influences regarding campaign coverage. The document calls on Montenegro to establish a credible and effective criminal justice response to corruption and notes improvements in corruption prevention and a positive trend in the work of the Agency for the Prevention of Corruption.

The census to be carried out by the end of the year in accordance with EU standards

The European Parliament calls on Montenegro to step up its efforts in the fight against hate speech, harassment on the networks, politically biased reporting and foreign influence in the Montenegrin media. MPs express concern about the deep political polarization and the pressure exerted on the local media market by the expansion of regional media competition.

The report welcomes some positive steps, such as the introduction of stricter penalties for attacks and threats against journalists and the establishment of an ad hoc commission to monitor violence against the media, however, it reiterates the need for effective implementation of the commission’s findings and recommendations. Montenegro is invited to conduct a population and housing census by the end of this year in accordance with EU and international standards. The signing of the Fundamental Agreement with the Serbian Orthodox Church amid criticism from civil society and political disagreements is noted with concern.

Hesitations about the “Open Balkans”

The document notes the active participation of Montenegro in regional cooperation, and the MPs recall their hesitation regarding the Open Balkans initiative and note Montenegro’s participation in the June and September summits as an observer. On the other hand, the recent agreements in the context of the Berlin process are welcomed. Montenegro is called upon to take concrete steps to resolve long-term bilateral disputes in a constructive and good-neighborly manner.

Continue alignment with the visa policy

In the draft report, the European Parliament welcomes Montenegro’s decision to terminate citizenship through the investment program on December 31, 2022, and emphasizes the need for further harmonization with the EU visa policy. It welcomes the easing of the inflation rate, but notes that it is still one of the highest in Europe. The report notes the reduction of Montenegro’s public debt but continues to express concern about debt-related vulnerabilities and calls on Montenegro to take further steps towards the sustainability of public finances and to develop measures to reduce the shadow economy.

North Macedonia

Osmani: All parties to work towards de-escalation of situation in Kosovo (MIA)

In a Twitter post Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani, underscored the need to abide by the international community’s Roadmap for de-escalation, reminding that the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) is tasked with providing a safe and secure environment in the northern municipalities. “As Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, I communicated with the foreign ministers of Serbia and Kosovo. I reiterated my call for urgent de-escalation in the northern municipalities of Kosovo,” wrote Osmani on Twitter.

According to the FM, it is crucially important that Serbia grants immediate access to and release the detained police officers. “It is crucial for all parties to work towards peace, and I urged them to do so! OSCE offered and stands ready to assist as requested,” added Osmani.

Osmani in London: Stable and prosperous region in United Kingdom’s focus (MIA)

As part of his visit to the United Kingdom, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani held meetings Tuesday with Alicia Kearns, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the House of Commons; with Martin Vickers, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for North Macedonia and trade envoy for the Western Balkans; the Group’s Deputy Chair Baroness Barker, and MP Wendy Morton, former Minister for Europe.

According to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the meetings Osmani expressed gratitude over the cordial and continued British support which reflects the highly developed and partner relations between the two countries 30 years after their establishment.

“We highly value the UK’s support in strengthening parliamentary democracy in North Macedonia, in key areas such as the rule of law, building up the capacities of the judiciary and the security sector, fight against corruption, gender issues,” said Osmani, noting that the country is committed to fulfilling the EU membership criteria.

Osmani briefed his hosts about the constitutional amendments process, with the expectations that it will be completed by the end of the year, enabling the country to resume its EU accession talks.

According to the Ministry, at the meeting, opinions were exchanged over the current situation in the Western Balkans, and it was stressed that the United Kingdom’s focus on the region is of exceptional significance when it comes to a stable and prosperous Balkans.

On Tuesday, Osmani also held a meeting with Nick Katsaras, the Director General for Russia and Ukraine at the National Security Secretariat in the British Government, during which they spoke about OSCE’s role in protecting the fragile European security architecture. Osmani in his function as Chairperson of the Organization, spoke about the planned activities, as well as the upcoming challenges calling for a joint response. The Foreign Minister will conclude his visit to Great Britain with a meeting with the British Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Stuart Peach.

Government endorses text of EC agreement on North Macedonia-Serbia cross-border cooperation programme (MIA)

The Government reviewed and adopted Tuesday the report on signing a financing agreement between the European Commission and the Republic of North Macedonia over the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme North Macedonia-Serbia 2021-2027 and endorsed the harmonized text of the agreement.

Deputy PM for European Affairs and National IPA Coordinator, Bojan Marichikj, has been designated to sign the financing agreement on the Government’s behalf. The IPA III Cross-Border Cooperation Programme North Macedonia-Serbia supports cross-border cooperation with a view to promoting good neighborly relations, fostering Union integration and promoting socio-economic development, the Government said in a press release.

U.S. designates Struga Mayor Ramiz Merko for significant corruption (MIA)

The US Department of State has designated Struga Mayor Ramiz Merko as generally ineligible for entry into the United States due to his involvement in significant corruption.

“While serving as Struga’s mayor, Merko misappropriated funds and interfered with judicial and other public processes, damaging the public’s faith in North Macedonia’s democratic institutions and officials. Today’s action sends a message that the United States stands with North Macedonia to foster stability through the strengthening of democratic institutions and addressing rule of law deficiencies. This designation reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combat corruption, which harms the public interest, hampers countries’ economic prosperity, and curtails the ability of governments to respond effectively to the needs of their people,” says Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller in the press statement.

Aggeler: United States to continue to call out anyone who undermines rule of law (MIA)

United States Ambassador Angela Aggeler says the people of North Macedonia deserve integrity from their public officials and a system that holds them accountable, following the designation of Struga Mayor Ramiz Merko and his family as ineligible for entry into the United States, based on findings of significant corruption.

“The people of North Macedonia deserve integrity from their public officials, and a system that will hold them accountable. The United States will continue to call out anyone – regardless of position or political party – who undermines the rule of law, threatening the progress and stability of North Macedonia,” says Ambassador Aggeler in a statement at the US Embassy Facebook account.

Earlier, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a press statement that while serving as Struga’s mayor, Merko misappropriated funds and interfered with judicial and other public processes, damaging the public’s faith in North Macedonia’s democratic institutions and officials. “Today’s action sends a message that the United States stands with North Macedonia to foster stability through the strengthening of democratic institutions and addressing rule of law deficiencies. This designation reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combat corruption, which harms the public interest, hampers countries’ economic prosperity, and curtails the ability of governments to respond effectively to the needs of their people,” reads the statement. The Department is also designating Merko’s wife, Shpresa, and three adult children, Genc, Nazmije, and Drenushe as ineligible for entry into the United States.

Albania

DoS supports Albanian Police’s action in Mujahideen camp (ADN)

US Department of State has supported the police action of Albania on June 20, when the State Police carried out checks in the Manza camp in Durres, where around 3,000 members of the Iranian opposition are sheltered. The General Director of the State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku, has confirmed that 15 police officers and 21 members of the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (MEK) were injured during this action. “The State Police in Albania assured us that all actions were carried out in accordance with the laws in force, including the protection of the rights and freedoms of all persons in Albania. We support the right of the Government of Albania to investigate any possible illegal activity within its territory”, said a spokesperson of the US Department of State.

The DASH spokesman also added that the US does not consider the MEK a “sustainable democratic opposition movement representing the Iranian people,” but has “serious concerns about the MEK as an organization, including allegations of abuse against its members.”

Director Rrumbullaku said that when the inspection of all facilities inside the camp began, when illegality, server rooms and computer equipment were found, the resistance of MEK members began. Albanian officials did not disclose what investigation SPAK is conducting against MEK members.

According to the announcement, the Police of Albania said that the controls were carried out by decision of the Special Court against Corruption and Organized Crime and by order of the Special Structure against Organized Crime and Corruption (SPAK). Representatives of the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (MEK) said that one person died as a result of the use of tear gas by the police. The Minister of the Interior of Albania, Bledi Cuci, said that the death of a person within the MEK, on Tuesday, has nothing to do with the actions of the police. Asked if MEK Iranians are hiding after the cyber-attacks that were carried out in July last year, which led to the breakdown of diplomatic relations with Tehran, Minister Chouci refused to answer.

In 2013, the Albanian authorities agreed – at the request of the United States – to accept about 3,000 members of the People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (MEK). However, the DASH spokesperson has emphasized that the US does not provide support or training for the MEK and does not contribute to the financing of this organization. Iran considers the members of this organization to be terrorists. Albania has severed diplomatic relations with Iran after accusing Iran of being behind a cyber-attack that took place in July 2022. Meanwhile, a year ago, for security reasons from terrorist threats, the World Summit of Free Iran, which was to be held on July 23 and 24 at “Ashraf 3” in Manza, Durres, was cancelled.

MEK’s violence against the Police is unjustified, we have offered them everything according to the agreement (Radio Tirana)

Albanian Minister of the Interior, Bledi Cuci, in a press conference together with the Director General of the State Police, Muhamet Rrumbullaku gave details about the control exercised today at the residence of the MEK community in Manza, where resistance was also reported.

Cuci stated that the violence perpetrated against the State Police by members of the MEK organization is unjustified, reprehensible and an attitude that puts even the hosts in a position, as it is a direct violation of the agreement with them. “I feel sorry, and even indignant, with the reaction of the members of the MEK organization to the State Police during the action. I feel sorry that Albania has offered them everything related to their shelter for humanitarian purposes according to the agreement, has offered them help, security, and even offered them protection against the threats coming from the secret services of Iran,” underlined Cuci.

Minister Cuci said that “we had concerns about non-compliance with the agreement, as recently their political activity has attracted the attention of the Prosecutor’s Office in Albania”. “SPAK (Special Anti-Corruption Structure) has started more than one criminal case related to this matter. As in fact every law enforcement institution in Albania should act, SPAK had reasons and reasonable suspicions and strong indications. In connection with this, the Court has been addressed to conduct an inspection and to seize the equipment that could be found relative to the case of SPAK,” informed Cuci. According to Cuci, the Court made a decision in compliance with Albanian laws. “It is an action that is directly related to the implementation of the Court’s decision to carry out controls in the territory and seize electronic devices according to the court’s decision. No one in Albania, including the members of the MEK organization who have taken refuge only for humanitarian purposes, has the right to oppose the Court’s decisions,” Cuci emphasized.

Asked if there will be a breakdown of the agreement with MEK members, Cuci said that such a thing will not happen, but emphasized that there should be a reflection on their part regarding the behavior towards the Albanian institutions. “We will not break the agreement, they have been sheltered for humanitarian purposes and this will continue, but it should be a reflection on their part regarding the behavior towards the Albanian institutions and the implementation of the law in Albania. There was no violence at any time,” said the Minister Çuçi.

Minister Ç Cuci uçi said that “Albania has been, is and will be a welcoming country. We have not had problems with neighboring countries, we are a peaceful, touristic country, we are opening up more and more, and I believe that for anyone who alludes that we may have been forced for these actions by other countries, even the regime of Iran, it is a claim that cannot be argued and unfounded for two reasons: the Albanian government did not intervene in the MEK camp, it was the Court, and secondly, our attitude towards the Iranian regime is very clear. We have also cut off diplomatic relations in recent years. These are malicious actions and for political purposes”. Minister Cuci also informed that “the death of the person in the camp was not caused by any action of the police forces. We are waiting for the forensic expertise, there are images from the police and from the members themselves inside the camp. Not even one member of the MEK organization in the camp was affected.”

E.U.-Western Balkans Summit of Thessaloniki/ Twenty Years of Hopes and Dreams (Radio Tirana)

The European Council and the E.U.-Western Balkans Summit of Thessaloniki, was held on 19-20 June and 21 June, respectively, marking an important step in the deepening relationship between the EU and the Western Balkan countries (Albania; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Croatia; the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Serbia and Montenegro). The European Union underlined once again the prospect of EU membership offered at the European Councils of Feira and Copenhagen, and outlined the concrete ways in which it is willing to support the countries of the Western Balkans as they move towards European Integration.

“The Western Balkan countries aspiring to join the EU can count on Slovenia’s support in their quest to join the bloc”, write Slovenian leaders Natasa Pirc Musar, Robert Golob, and Tanja Fajon.

Full declaration below

Today, 21 June, is the 20th anniversary of the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki, Greece. At this historic event, the European Union and the acceding and potential candidate countries from the Western Balkans at that time committed themselves to each other. The EU pledged to the European perspective of the Western Balkans, while the countries in the region endorsed the shared values of democracy, the rule of law, respect for human and minority rights, solidarity and a market economy. The Summit conclusions remain an abiding commitment for us all – the EU with its member states, including Slovenia, and the Western Balkans.

Slovenia highly values the Summit, as it gave new hope for the stabilisation of the region after years of wars, political instability and economic stagnation following the dissolution of Yugoslavia. It gave life to a dream of a European future that would lead to positive changes: increased prosperity, improved connectivity and enhanced people-to-people contacts.

In the last twenty years, much has been achieved through cooperation. The Western Balkans has seen a general stability. The countries of the region today enjoy the benefits of a visa-free regime, and the region has recorded steady economic progress since then. The EU is by far the biggest donor and investor in the region, as it naturally gravitates towards the Western Balkans, and vice versa.

Slovenia has been a firm supporter of enlargement within the European Union. We have assisted our Western Balkans partners by lending our political backing and by supporting enlargement-related processes in the region. We have assisted in every way possible. This has been our long-term policy that will not change.

It is no secret, however, that many opportunities have been missed on both sides. It appears that the initial enthusiasm for reform in the Western Balkans has partly evaporated over the two decades and that, as a result, the light at the end of the tunnel indicating EU membership appears to be farther away than we had hoped it would be at this point. However, the EU has been dealing with its own challenges, and the enlargement has not always been a priority. The European Union is now forced to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine, which has made us re-think our approach to the EU enlargement process in general. We believe it is clear that the enlargement process is fundamentally a strategic choice, not only a technical exercise. Nevertheless, further enlargement must follow the fundamental vision of the European integration process, which is based on solidarity and the actual progress of candidate countries. Courageous political decisions are needed.

Our messages to the region, to Europe and the world are clear. Firstly, the EU is objectively a very good choice for the region, but it is up to the Western Balkans countries to decide on their future. Secondly, Slovenia has no selfish interests in the region. Our policy is driven by solidarity with the countries and people of the Western Balkans. Slovenia wants what the people want: stability and security as a prerequisite for prosperity and economic progress. The Western Balkan countries aspiring to join the EU can count on Slovenia, now and in the future.