LOCAL PRESS

Vucic says Kurti wants to drag Serbia into a conflict with NATO (TV Prva/Beta/N1/RTS)

Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic said Saturday that he hopes Serbia will succeed in preserving peace because there is nothing more valuable than peace. Vucic told TV Prva that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is looking for “a sufficient reason for the nonsense he utters” wanting to drag Serbia into a conflict with NATO, but Serbia must avoid that conflict. When asked about Kurti’s claims that in the 1990s, Red Star fans started riots that sparked war conflicts and that they will continue to do so now, Vucic said that “war conflicts are tried to be caused by the one who talks about it, not someone else”. “We understand that they perceive Kosovo as independent, and they ignore the fact that the citizens of Serbia see Kosovo as part of the Republic of Serbia,” said Vucic and added that a compromise solution should be sought, but that Kurti does not want to seek a solution, but to expel all Serbs. Vucic said that US sanctions against Security and Information Agency director Aleksandar Vulin were a message to him, but that “for as long as I am president, foreigners will not run Serbia” but Serbia’s citizens. “It’s definitely [a message] for me,” Vucic told TV Prva. He added that Vulin “is a decent man”. “I do not want any individual to come before state policy. I do not know if the state will be at risk at some point so that we will have to change our decision, but as you know I’ve been saying that for a year and a half,” Vucic said, referring to sanctions against Russia. Vucic asked: “What am I supposed to do [about this message]? Kneel down and beg for mercy to stay in power longer?” He declared that nothing like that could happen. “For 11 years now, here in public, they have been saying that I came to power because I promised foreigners I’d do something,” Vucic said, adding that the elections would happen whenever the opposition “wants,” but that the opposition “no longer knows if it wants elections or not. Vucic commented on the text stating that British intelligence officers want a war on Kosovo, saying that our services are analyzing it. Asked about the thesis circulating in some media, that British intelligence officers are setting the conditions for the alleged war in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, he said that he does not think that London has a reason for unrest. “I’m not sure that everything is correct, I’m not sure that everything is incorrect either. Our services are analyzing it now. I, unlike people who react irrationally, need time,” said Vucic and added: “I don’t think that at this moment London has a reason to provoke conflicts in the Balkans. There is no doubt that it is well connected with both the foreign and domestic services of Great Britain. In the coming days, I will talk to Sir Stuart Peach, Air Chief Marshal, appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Western Balkans in December 2021.” Vucic has stated that all elections will be held in April or May of next year, without specifying whether he also meant early presidential elections, or only local and parliamentary elections. “We will go to the polls when they want that. I don’t even know any more whether they want or don’t want elections. If there are no great desires for that to take place earlier, we will have all elections in April, May,” said Vucic. Vucic said that Republika Srpska (RS) entity was “created by the will and desire of the Serb people on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H)”, who originally wanted to remain living in Yugoslavia, and then to form their own entity in which they could feel freely, who inherited their right and adhere to the Dayton Peace Agreement. “Serbia supports the Dayton Peace Agreement. Everything that was agreed in Dayton, everything that is the agreement between the three peoples in B&H and that is in accordance with the Dayton Agreement, we will support,” Vucic said. He pointed out that he does not agree with the assessment of activist Aida Corovic that the upcoming “joint commemoration of 28 years since the ethnic cleansing of Serbs from Croatia is proof that RS is a genocidal creation”. “RS is not a genocidal creation. We differ from many others because we are ready to talk about the crimes committed by members of our people against Bosniaks and against members of other peoples, but I am afraid that none of them is ready to speak and listen to anything when it comes to crimes against members of the Serb people,“ he added. He said that he does not think that Serbs should be ashamed of the upcoming commemoration. “Yes, we are going to commemorate the grave and terrible crime that was the ethnic cleansing of the Serb people from Croatia or a good part of the former ‘Republic of Serb Krajina,’ and I don’t think we should be ashamed of that,” Vucic said.

Vucic: Gratitude to Museveni for supporting sovereignty of Serbia throughout its territory (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic yesterday expressed his gratitude to President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the fact that his country adheres to the principle of territorial integrity and supports the sovereignty of Serbia throughout its territory in all international organisations, institutions and bodies, which we do the same when it comes to Uganda and all African countries. At a joint press conference with the President of Uganda, Vucic expressed his gratitude to Museveni for the invitation to the Great Congress of the Non-Aligned Movement, which will be held on 19-20 January 2024 in Kampala. He stated that Uganda is one of the four youngest countries in the world with enormous potential, and that during today’s talks, the delegations of the two countries touched upon issues of concrete cooperation. According to him, before the end of August, a delegation of our experts will visit Uganda, with at least one or two ministers, to discuss agricultural cooperation, but also strengthening relations in all other spheres, while in the field of defense we can improve existing cooperation. The President said that Air Serbia will focus on Africa in the coming period, and that Kampala can be a place from where we can go further to other African destinations, especially to the south, but also to central and western Africa. We will try to concretise these agreements in the best way and create cooperation that will suit the citizens of Uganda and Serbia, Vucic said and expressed the hope that by the end of next year a direct Belgrade-Kampala line could be established. The President of Uganda stated that he had very useful talks in Belgrade, stressing that he came to visit Serbia in order for the two countries to renew cooperation. He recalled the importance of the Non-Aligned Movement, the excellent relations that the two countries had during the time of Josip Broz Tito, but also the engagements of Yugoslav companies, especially Energoprojekt, which built a very good infrastructure in Uganda.

Dacic: No reason to call for snap elections in Serbia (TV Pink)

The leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Ivica Dacic said that the elections announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for the spring should be regular and that there is no reason to call for early elections. Dacic said on TV Pink that the votes in the Assembly showed that there is no crisis of power and that there is therefore no need for extraordinary elections. He added that the number of votes for the election of Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic as Minister of Education showed just that because a crisis arises when there is not enough votes in the functioning of the parliament. The SPS leader said that the institutions should work in their full mandate and that this is a reflection of the stability of the society. As for the US placing Serbian Security and Information Agency director Aleksandar Vulin on its list of sanctions, Dacic said that evidence was requested, but did not arrive and that he was convinced that there was no evidence against Vulin.

Drecun: Elections are not way out of crisis in Kosovo, since there is still no ZSO (Tanjug/RTV)

The Chair of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun stressed that activities of the political West are present when it comes to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, but that there are no positive developments since Pristina refuses to return the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija to the state before the elections there, and before the Serbs left the institutions. “Whenever there is room for manipulation, Pristina uses it, especially the prime minister of provisional institutions of Pristina Albin Kurti,” Drecun told Tanjug. He pointed out that provisional institutions in Pristina are using the vacations of EU bureaucrats to implement their tactical ideas and are showing no willingness to do what the EU asks of them in order to calm the situation. “The way out is not only in holding (new) elections, since there is still no Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO),” said Drecun. He stressed that the Serbs who have been arrested have not yet been released, nor have members of para-police units withdrawn from the north of Kosovo and Metohija. “The situation in the north cannot be calmed as long there is the terror that Kurti implements through the mechanism of force. We see preparations so that members of so-called Kosovo army may appear in the north at any moment,” he stressed. Drecun added that Kurti has made unilateral steps on the ground and that this is his tactic. “The fake state of Kosovo has the support of the US at the political level. The goals of Kurti and the Washington administration do not differ when it comes to Kosovo. The positions are the same. Kosovo as a state, and Belgrade should recognize that fake state, and it should join NATO and UN,” Drecun said. However, he pointed out that small steps by the US, which are reflected in the recent visit of Serb List representatives to Washington, can bring benefits, stating that it is good for people who participate in political decision-making to hear about the facts that the Serb side always presents. “Small steps by the US can be of essential importance for the survival and normal life of the Serb people, as well as for preservation of peace in Kosovo and Metohija. The US has a principle of striving to preserve multi-ethnicity in territories where there is multi-ethnic population. They can help preserve the position of the Serb people, and how willing they are to do that will depend on their assessment of whether they will be able to bring the fake state of Kosovo closer to the final goal,” Drecun said. He added that the US will not have any understanding for the position of the Serb people if that threatens the key goals related to the membership of so-called Kosovo in the EU and NATO. According to Drecun, Kurti has greatly strengthened his position based on his hatred of the Serbs, and the story of the north has fed his political power, so instead of falling, he has strengthened at this moment. “The Americans are in a hurry to bring the EU draft agreement to an end. They are sending a message to Kurti that if there is a de-escalation of the conflict in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, they will put full pressure on Belgrade in order to implement what they consider to be an agreement, so that Belgrade would recognize the fake state, and enable it to become a member of the UN,” said Drecun. He also added that the Americans are working in favor of the fake state of Kosovo, but that Kurti is hindering them in realizing their goal. “If the situation in the north of Kosovo were to stabilize, full pressure would immediately shift to Belgrade,” concluded Drecun.

Continuation of China’s support to Serbia’s territorial integrity (Tanjug/RTV)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met today, as part of his official visit to China, with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of that country Deng Li. In the meeting, the officials expressed mutual satisfaction with the extraordinary bilateral relations, which are characterised by a comprehensive strategic partnership, which is given a special quality by the friendly relations between the two presidents, Aleksandar Vucic and Xi Jinping. Petkovic expressed Serbia’s full support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China, and thanked China for its principled support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia. He presented the difficult security situation in which the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija find themselves, especially since the coming to power of Albin Kurti, which is characterised by a rapid increase in violence against Serbs and other non-Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija and the violation of their basic human rights. Deng Li conveyed assurances to Petkovic that the People’s Republic of China will continue to support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, with a clear opposition to Pristina’s unilateral moves. He emphasised that the Chinese side supports finding a solution to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija through peaceful means, on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244, and particularly emphasized the support and insistence of Beijing regarding the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities as soon as possible.

Simic: In the US everybody aware of Kurti’s responsibility for situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTS)

The Vice President of the Serb List Igor Simic stated that all the representatives of the US administration, with whom the Serb List delegation spoke during their visit to Washington, are absolutely aware of the responsibility of the Prime Minister of the provisional institutions of Pristina Albin Kurti for the difficult situation in Kosovo and Metohija. In a statement for Tanjug from Washington, Igor Simic said that the representatives of the Serb List at the meetings they had with the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar and then in the Senate and in Congress, had the opportunity to become better acquainted with the US position regarding Kosovo and Metohija. He added that he considers the visit to be extremely important because it comes at a time of extreme tension and escalation in Kosovo and Metohija, which was caused by Kurti’s unilateral moves. “The voice of the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija is very well heard. They are absolutely aware of the responsibility of Albin Kurti, his actions and intentions, so I believe that they are absolutely disappointed by his moves and that what he did to the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija is not the way problems between Serbs and Albanians should be resolved. Kurti wanted to solve with unilateral moves open political issues that should be resolved within the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, with the help of special units, which are illegally in the north of Kosovo and Metohija,” said Simic. Simic says that it is obvious that the expectations of the US are the road map presented by the EU, and that the difference in attitudes is that they have more confidence that Kurti will withdraw special units from the north, that is, that conditions will be created for holding local elections. “We conveyed the position of the Serb people from the north of Kosovo and Metohija, not only the Serb List, that the elections are not a magic pill that will solve all the open issues caused by Kurti’s unilateral moves. With his move, he showed that he does not want the coexistence of Serbs and Albanians and that his only goal is expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija,” Simic pointed out. He emphasized that the elections cannot be discussed at this moment and that they made it clear to all interlocutors, because the elementary conditions for respecting the rights of the Serb people have not been met. He says that he does not want to be too optimistic, but that he wants to believe that what they heard there will translate into action. “I expect that the US, through its representatives in KFOR, will guarantee peace to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, prevent the arrest of our citizens and direct involvement in the proceedings against our fellow citizens in which Pristina has so far not presented any evidence of their guilt. I believe that the US and its representatives will not allow Kurti to oppose them, NATO and the EU. When we talk about the rights of Serbs, we are in the same position as the EU and the US, who believe that it is necessary to de-escalate the situation as soon as possible,” said Simic.

Djilas says Vucic’s policy on Kosovo is wrong (Beta)

Freedom and Justice Party president Dragan Djilas said on Saturday that the Serbian Progressive Party’s and Aleksandar Vucic‘s policy on Kosovo and Metohija was wrong and that Kosovo was now farther away from Serbia than 11 years ago. “Everything we do is always viewed through results. And the results of that policy is that Kosovo today is farther from Serbia than it was 11 years ago,” Djilas told Beta. According to him, the most egregious consequence of the Progressive party and Vucic’s policy is that the Serbs in Kosovo are “unsafe at every turn.” He stressed that Serbs today were not just unsafe in southern Kosovo, but in northern Kosovo as well where they constituted the absolute majority. Asked by Beta whether the Serbian state could keep the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija safe, Djilas said Serbia was on the wrong side today just like in 1990, and that there was not much to be done to protect the Serb people in Kosovo without Western allies. Asked for his view of a solution to the current crisis in northern Kosovo, Djilas said “a big mistake” was made with late last year’s decision for Serbs to leave all Kosovo institutions. He stressed that he and his party would never recognize Kosovo as independent and that they stood for reconciliation between the Serb and Albanian peoples and cooperation in all areas.

Ukrainian Embassy: Serbia should urge Russia to stop aggression, we did that to stop NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 (Beta)

The Ukrainian Embassy in Serbia has said in a press release that Ukrainians would like to see an appeal to Russia on the parliament of Serbia’s website, urging it to stop its aggression against Ukraine, similar to the appeal that the parliament in Kyiv released during the bombing of the former Yugoslavia in 1999. In the 28 July release on Ukrainian Statehood Day, the Embassy went on to say that in 1999, Ukraine “sent a very loud appeal to the world” to stop the bombing campaign against Yugoslavia, through the website of its parliament, the Vrhovna Rada. “The address by the Vrhovna Rada on that matter was published on the parliament’s website. Do Ukrainians want to see a similar address supporting Ukraine on the parliament of Serbia’s website? Yes. Whether they will is a question for our Serbian partners,” the embassy said. The Embassy also said that Ukrainian Statehood Day would not be celebrated on 28 July any longer, but on 15 July as of next year, as the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church had decided to accept the Julian Calendar.

New Serbia Against Violence protest held in Belgrade (Beta)

Serbia Against Violence protesters in front of the seat of the attorney general showed their sentiments toward Attorney General Zagorka Dolovac by booing, using whistles and vuvuzelas and chanting “resign.” Rally moderator Smiljan Banjac told the demonstrators that “the attorney general has been turning a blind eye to scandals for years, and Dolovac is the blindest”. Jurist Sofija Mandic said “the system is rotten and dangerous, lying in wait for a new victim every day”. She also said that “organized state violence against the citizens” would stop in Serbia when the attorney general became independent. The protest concluded with a reading of demands and the organizers saying “we will not give up”. The demands include that Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and Security and Information Agency director Aleksandar Vulin be sacked. The demands voiced at the protests, organized technically by parties in the pro-European opposition, include the dismissal of the Electronic Media Regulatory Body Council, shutting down print media and tabloids that publish fake news and consistently violate the journalist code of ethics, revoking the national coverage licenses of the TV Pink and TV Happy stations for “promoting violence” and sacking the management of Radio and Television of Serbia.

Another Serb in Kosovo and Metohija accused of an alleged war crime (Tanjug/Ekonomija online)

Special Prosecutor’s Office of the so-called Kosovo announced that it has filed an indictment against Serb Z. A. He is suspected of having allegedly committed the criminal act of “war crime against the civilian population” during the war in Kosovo. The announcement states that Z. A., in collusion with other members of the Serbian police, “dressed in the uniform of the Serbian police and armed, deprived B.M. of his freedom and injured him by inhumane torture, mistreatment and causing serious physical injuries, trauma and health consequences, as well as threats to his life”. As reported by the Pristina portal Ekonomija online, Z. A. allegedly participated in the forced expulsion and displacement of the citizens of Kamenica and that district in general.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dacic: The only ‘spirit of Dayton’ is the consistent application of the original ‘letter of the Dayton’ (Glas Srpske)

Daily carries an interview with Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic, who spoke of current political situation in B&H and the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Dacic said Serbia closely follows the situation in B&H because, apart from being its closest neighbour, Serbia is also guarantor of the Dayton Agreement. He said it is unacceptable for Serbia that someone makes a distinction between ‘the spirit of Dayton’ and ‘the letter of Dayton’. He says that the Dayton Agreement is a result of a compromise, a difficultly reached and delicate balance, and any attempts at disrupting that balance will lead toward destabilization of B&H. If that happens, the entire region will destabilize, Dacic adds. “The only ‘spirit of Dayton’ is the consistent application of the original ‘letter of the Dayton’”, Dacic underlined. He strongly rejected claims on Serbia trying to destroy B&H, and said Serbia, and RS, have been working for years to improve relations in the region and to create a climate of good relations and cooperation. Asked if he believes this kind of Dayton B&H can survive in the future, Dacic said it is not up to Serbia to comment on such things or make any predictions. He said three constituent peoples in B&H and the two entities will talk about the future and the issues and solve them together. He does not believe meddling of foreigners in B&H is good, and he underscored that imposed solutions are never good ones. Dacic was also asked to comment on major issues that Serbia is facing, especially in the south. He was asked if he believes in honest dialogue with representatives of self-proclaimed institutions in Pristina, and whether the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) will be formed according to past agreements. He reminded that he has been part of the EU-mediated talks, alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, since the beginning. In those ten years, Dacic says he saw no major progress, while Serbia did everything on its part to implement the agreements. He emphasized that the Pristina side did everything to make this process more difficult. Serbia does not have any major expectations, he says, but we will insist on previously reached agreements and their implementation, primarily the formation of the ZSO. “Until that obligation from the Brussels Agreement is implemented, it is pointless for us to agree on anything besides that”, Dacic stressed. At the end of his interview, Dacic commented on parallel that is frequently made between the RS and Kosovo. He says this shows the double standards that Serbia and Serbs in general are faced with. He said in both cases, the common thing is that international obligations are being violated, and to the detriment of Serbia and the Serb people. Dacic points out that people that violate these obligations are, as a rule, never sanctioned.

Dodik: I am not Russian, I am not American player, my only goal is to preserve and protect the RS (Glas Srpske)

The daily carries an interview with RS President Milorad Dodik, who spoke of the current political situation in B&H. Speaking about the recently reached agreement with partners from the Federation of B&H (FB&H), Dodik said that implementation of the agreement does not only depend on the RS officials but that they know exactly what they are looking for. Besides the set of European laws, which will be discussed in the B&H Parliament at the end of August, Dodik says they are also preparing a law that will treat the matter of foreign judges in the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H. He reminds that the B&H Constitution foresees the departure of foreign judges five years after the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), and this has not happened yet. Dodik emphasizes that working group has by end of August, or by September, to present a solution for this issue. When commenting work on the state level, Dodik said “everything that is being done on the level of B&H is a difficult process”. The main issue, Dodik assessed is that there are three sides in B&H, with many variations and opinions on all those sides. The most important thing is not to believe that quick solutions are the best thing for B&H. He said laws on non-implementation of the B&H CC decisions and non-publication of decisions of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in the Official Gazette of RS will remain in force. Dodik believes that what follows should be talks on the adoption of a new B&H CC law. He explains that proposal of RS officials is to have three judges in that court from each of the three constituent peoples in B&H, and that during decision-making at least one judge from each of the constituent peoples is present. Asked to elaborate on his statement where Dodik said he does not trust the EU and its intentions, the RS President said, “EU is not what it used to be”. He points to the many internal issues within the EU and says that all makes him doubt about EU’s moves in the next five to ten years. He does not believe the EU has a concrete plan for the Balkans, and he no longer trusts the promises. He was directly asked if the EU’s decision on not financing certain projects in the RS will actually endanger this entity. “In the operational sense yes, but we cannot be consumers of some financial assistance, which is never enough, and for us to give up on strategic matters. If we are not visible, we do not then care about the EU, why would we be in some processes that reduce our autonomy. We are not naive, today the Western world is not the only place of financing. Their financing is increasingly rigorous and is based on buying and selling. If they give you something, they expect changes in the society. Once we would lose what we have we would never bring it back, except in one variant which I would not speak of. We will not give up on the RS. Those in Brussels know that. When they see there are alternatives, they jump on us”, Dodik told Glas Srpske. He was asked if he believes letter of B&H Presidency member Zeljka Cvijanovic to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has yielded results. I believe it did, Dodik said. He explains that the letter asked if Christian Schmidt was appointed (to the High Representative post), and Guterres did not say that he was. He spoke of everything else, unimportant things, but he did not say that Schmidt was appointed, Dodik underlines. Speaking about Russia and accusations that say he is a “Russian player”, Dodik answered that it amuses him when someone says that Russian President Vladimir Putin gave or ordered him to do something. “I am not Russian, I am not American (player)”, Dodik emphasized, adding that his only goal is to preserve and protect the RS. At the end of the interview, Dodik was asked about the reactions after his recent meetings with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, and the fact that he came to Hvar Island by helicopter. He explained the helicopter belongs to Vucic and he just used it while the RS’ helicopter is at regular maintenance. He asked Vucic to loan the helicopter, and Dodik sees no reason why someone would make a big deal out of this. He added that there was nothing illegal about that, and the mentioned visit was announced in advance.

Cvijanovic: Veto is not a whim, but a reaction to plain, insolent policy that comes from Sarajevo (Glas Srpske)

Daily carries an interview with Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic who spoke of the current political situation in B&H. She said it is difficult to predict what B&H will look like in ten years. If things remain the same and nothing changes, Cvijanovic is not optimistic about B&H’s future. But she believes if order is brought to joint institutions, then the future can be much better and stable. Precondition for that is that everyone respects the Constitution and that nothing is taken away from anyone, she added. She spoke of the past eight months of work in the B&H Presidency, when she was also the Chairwoman. She did not expect much of this institution, but she said there were some situations in which the members could not agree on important matters. She said her approach was always to be open for talks for the benefit of all citizens of B&H. Asked about colleague Denis Becirovic (SDP B&H) and his more “radical” approach to doing things in the state Presidency, Cvijanovic said that is Becirovic’s choice as he believes he must fight for his post and position. She would do things differently as she believes Becirovic’s approach is wrong. Asked about outvoting in the B&H Presidency, Cvijanovic said there were situations in the past eight months when she had to react and veto the decisions, but she knew every time that RS had a response ready to such behaviour and that the RS institutions would back her moves. She said veto is not a whim, but a reaction to “plain, insolent policy” that comes from Sarajevo and has the aim of ordering the RS what to do. Cvijanovic underscores that this will not be tolerated. Cvijanovic also commented on her letter sent to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres about appointment of Christian Schmidt. She said Guterres indirectly responded by saying what the RS officials already know, and that is that there is no relevant UN Security Council resolution regarding Schmidt’s appointment. That is the essence, he did not have to write that, but he did point us to a database that proves exactly that, Cvijanovic elaborated. She also said the RS officials will check everything out and determine if a version of the letter was falsified. Cvijanovic said Guterres will also be informed about the findings, sometime in August. She said if it is proven in the end that someone falsified the letter, then there will be sanctions. She promised she will keep writing about this scandal. Asked if relations between the B&H Presidency, the B&H Foreign Affairs Ministry and the B&H’s Mission to the UN could be improved, Cvijanovic said she highly doubts that that can be changed. Decades of problems lie behind us, and I do not know if all can be resolved, she said. In conclusion of the interview, Cvijanovic spoke of the B&H’s foreign policy strategy, which expired in March and a new one should be created. She said the new strategy will not be adopted until some things are agreed and arranged in a proper way. We should not adopt something that we will not fully respect, she emphasized.

RS and Serbia will jointly commemorate Day of Remembrance of martyred and exiled Serbs in ‘Oluja’ operation (RTRS)

RS and Serbia will once again jointly commemorate the Day of Remembrance of the martyred and exiled Serbs in the ‘Oluja’ (Storm) operation this year, for the first time on the territory of the RS. The twenty-eighth anniversary of the great Serb suffering will be marked on Friday, 4 August in Prijedor. Along with the leaderships of the RS and Serbia, Serbian Patriarch Porfirije is expected to attend. There was a considerable number of Serbs from the then Republic of Serb Krajina who in August 1995, fleeing the offensive of the Croatian army, found refuge in Prijedor on their way to Serbia through the Serb territories in B&H. That is why the anniversary of the ethnic cleansing of the Serb people in the Croatian action ‘Oluja’ will be held in the city that witnessed the suffering. Only gathered Serbs can preserve historical memory, which is the basis of national unity, is the message from the RS and Serbia. In the Croatian military-police operation ‘Oluja’, which began on August 4, 1995, 250,000 Krajina Serbs were expelled from the territory of the then Republic of Serb Krajina, nearly 2,000 were killed and disappeared, of whom about three quarters were civilians over 60 years old. The commemoration of the anniversary of the persecution of Krajina Serbs will be preceded by a joint session of the governments of the RS and Serbia in Banja Luka. According to the words of Deputy Prime Minister of the government of Serbia, Sinisa Mali, joint projects will be discussed, as well as new investments from Serbia in the RS. “By strengthening our ties, we build bonds for future generations and at the same time create a more attractive and competitive economic environment. There is no local self-government in the RS that has not received at least RSD 1 from Serbia in recent years, and it will remain so because Serbia has enough money and wants to help and support the RS”, Mali said.

RS officials condemn Kavazovic’s message that Bosniaks will not give up and that they will fight for every inch of B&H (ATV)

Head of the Islamic Community (IZ) in B&H Husein Kavazovic attended on Saturday the ceremonial opening of the newly built mosque in Sapna. Addressing the thousands of believers present, Kavazovic said that everyone should be aware of the freedom they enjoy, “to build a mosque and express gratitude to God in it.” Kavazovic underlined that there are those who want to cause confusion among Bosniaks and that B&H is currently faced with a political crisis, “and there is no communication between the leaders.” “Bosniaks, be smart. Be smart. What we have at our disposal right now, this freedom in these parts of ours, we must be aware that it did not come by itself. We poured our blood and sweat to become a people and defend our freedom, and to preserve our B&H,” Kavazovic emphasized. “Bosniaks will not surrender, they will fight and win what belongs to them, which is every foot of this land.” This statement caused harsh reactions in RS. In his reaction, Milorad Dodik stated that the rhetoric of IZ B&H Head Kavazovic “irresistibly resembles the rhetoric of wartime commanders of military and paramilitary formations, in which Kavazovic also actively participated”. B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac (SNSD) pointed out that “it is extremely worrying that the Head of the IZ B&H Kavazovic, is increasingly playing the role of a radical militarist leader, instead of promoting peace and tolerance as a religious leader.” SNSD’s representative in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Milorad Kojic stated: “Unfortunately, it is the continuity of behaviour and, unfortunately, a kind of indoctrination of Muslim believers, who tomorrow, after such messages, are ready to even potentially do something to their neighbour, who is of a different ethnicity, who is of Serb ethnicity, as a result of such messages that they come from the religious leader.” Mayor of Istocno Sarajevo Ljubisa Cosic (SNSD) noted that such a statement is proof that intolerance and hatred towards everything Serb is constantly expressed. Cosic said that Kavazovic should know that there is no need to send such a message, because, as he says, all the corners of this country “are soaked in Serb blood for the sake of liberation from the aggressors”. Dodik also said that B&H equally belongs to Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats. Dodik warned that there was a civil war precisely because of the idea that the entire B&H belongs to Muslims. According to Dodik, Kavazovic’s rhetoric comes from military and para-military formations in which he actively took part. Dodik said that it would be way better for Serbs, Croats and Muslims and for peace in B&H, if Kavazovic remained in the uniform because in this way, “the religious leader speaks like an officer” just like in the most totalitarian Islamic societies.

Komsic and Becirovic ask B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs to urgently invite Vranjes for consultations; Cvijanovic expresses support to Vranjes; Konakovic comments on the case (BHT1)

BHT1 carried that the move of B&H Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Vranjes, who thanked Director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA) of Serbia Aleksandar Vulin for awarding scholarships at universities in Serbia to two Serb students after they glorified war criminals on social media, sparked opposing views among the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency members. Namely, Chairman of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic and B&H Presidency member Denis Becirovic asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of B&H to urgently invite the Ambassador of B&H to Serbia Aleksandar Vranjes for consultations in Sarajevo. The press release by Komsic and Becirovic reads: “Regarding the statements made by B&H Ambassador in Belgrade, Vranje, at the meeting with the Vulin, and especially after his media statement expressing gratitude to Vulin for giving scholarships to two female students who glorified war criminals, we ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of B&H that Ambassador Vranjes is invited to urgent consultations in Sarajevo to explain his actions.” Meanwhile Presidency member Zeljka Cvijanovic supports Vranjes’ work, saying: “It would be better to invite B&H Ambassador to the UN, Zlatko Lagumdzija, to determine whether the Mission of B&H in New York or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to blame for the falsification of the translation, as well as the original of the letter sent by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.” The B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted Vranjes. It was confirmed that Vranjes rejected consultations. B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konakovic said: “Komsic and Becirovic can personally invite Ambassador Vranjes. Until now, members of the B&H Presidency have invited ambassadors for talks and consultations, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in this sense serves only for technical support. The letter, in fact, was not even necessary. I suggest that the members of Presidency Becirovic and Komsic dismiss ambassador Vranjes according to the emergency procedure.” Vranjes stated that he did not receive any instruction from the B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was not summoned to Sarajevo for consultations upon a demand of members of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic. Vranjes explained that B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Konakovic refused to act in line with the demand of members of the Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic to summon him for consultations and explained that it needs to be a decision of all three members of the Presidency. He went on to saying that Konakovic demanded abovementioned two members of the Presidency to launch a procedure related to his status. Vranjes went on to saying that neither Komsic nor Becirovic can remove him. He added that it can be done by member of B&H Presidency from the rank of Serbs Zeljka Cvijanovic, by RS President Milorad Dodik and by the RS parliament. “As far as I know, neither Cvijanovic, Dodik nor Serb MPs deem that I made any violation or scandal”, explained Ambassador Vranjes. The B&H Ambassador to Serbia underlined that he talked with the RS President, and he got support for his activities, adding that he also got support from Cvijanovic. “It is a problem for them if the Serbian ambassadors go outside the framework of their narrative, their policies, and in this way, they want to exert a certain kind of pressure, to send messages to the Serb ambassadors that something will happen to them, that they will be attacked in this way or whatever. I want to tell them that all their actions are futile,” said Vranjes.

Visit of US officials Finer and Chollet postponed until further notice (Dnevni list)

Dnevni list daily reads that US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer will not arrive to B&H on Monday, 31 July as it was originally announced. The B&H Presidency stated that this visit has been postponed until further notice. Apart from Finer, Counselor of the United States Department of State Derek Chollet was supposed to pay official visit to B&H as well.

Croatian PM: Open issues straining relations with Serbia (N1)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said during a visit to Opatija that many open issues from the past continued to strain relations with Serbia, but that there was interest in advancing economic ties. When asked for a comment on the state of relations with Serbia, Plenkovic said they “are strained by the many open issues left by Milosevic’s aggression against Croatia with Greater Serbia as its objective”, Croatia’s N1 TV station reported. “On the other hand, it is in our best interest to develop economic ties, have Croatian firms in Serbia that operate on that market, and also their companies here,” Plenkovic said.

President and government spar over protocol (HRT)

The arrival of the President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik for a working meeting with President Zoran Milanovic on the island of Hvar on July 24, continues to be a source of controversy. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic have both said they had not been informed of the visit. The office of the President responded to the accusations by releasing a statement on Thursday evening that the Interior Ministry and the competent Border Administration had indeed been informed about President Dodik’s arrival. “The Interior Ministry acted in line with procedure, ensuring and conducting a border check upon Mr. Dodik’s arrival in Croatia, given that he was coming from B&H, which is not in the Schengen Area. Hence, everything was in line with procedure,” read the statement. The office of the president called it an “insult to common sense” to believe the Prime Minister had not been informed by the ministry of the interior regarding the visit, since – as they say – the ministry is fully controlled by Plenkovic and his party colleagues at the HDZ. On Friday, Minister Bozinovic confirmed the existence of the email, but said it had NOT been sent at the ministerial level and was, therefore, not properly received. “I didn’t receive any information. The arrival of a military or civilian helicopter is not a question for the Ministry of the Interior, but rather the Ministry of Transportation. The Office of the President sent an email to a lower-level department informing about the arrival of a helicopter to Hvar with a request to carry out passport control of the persons in the helicopter. This message insinuates that the administrative personnel should have contacted me personally. That’s ridiculous,” said Bozinovic. Minister Bozinovic also reacted to accusations that the ministry is under the control of the HDZ, calling them degrading and insulting to the country’s police. MP Stipo Mlinaric of the Homeland Movement said on Friday that it was a major security lapse on behalf of the prime minister if indeed the helicopter flew through Croatian airspace without his knowledge. “How could it pass through Croatia without the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs knowing? Is that the level of national security under Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic? If he didn’t know about the helicopter, then it’s his responsibility to call an extraordinary session of parliament to dissolve parliament and call an election,” said Mlinaric. According to the president, Milanovic and Dodik discussed the political situation in B&H – namely the equal participation of the legitimate representatives of all three constituent peoples – and relations with Croatia.

Milatovic to start consultations on PM-designate today (CdM)

President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic is starting consultations on the PM-designate for the composition of the new government today. He is to meet the representatives of Europe Now Movement (PES), Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and New Serbian Democracy (NSD). The consultations are to be held at President’s House in Cetinje. In the new parliament convocation, PES national candidates list, headed by Milojko Spajic, has 24 MPs, and the DPS-led Together coalition, headed by Danijel Zivkovic, has 21 MPs. PM-Designate announces his programme in Parliament and proposes government composition. A new convocation of the Montenegrin Parliament was constituted. The mandates of 81 MPs were verified, but speaker of parliament of Montenegro was not elected. Chairman Milan Lekic adjourned the session until the election of parliament speaker. In addition to MPs, the session was attended by representatives of state institutions, the judicial branch of government, the President of Montenegro, and high-ranking officials. The session began with the singing of the national anthem of Montenegro. The session was chaired by the oldest MP Milan Lekic of the For the Future of Montenegro coalition, assisted by the youngest MP Mirko Djukic of Europe Now Movement. Lekic announced that no candidate proposal for parliament speaker had been submitted to parliament service. “Since we don’t have any proposals, we will have a break, and you will be informed about the further continuation of the work”, said Lekic.

Ibrahimovic talked to Bilcik: New govt should be committed to following the European agenda (CdM)

Leader of the Bosniak Party Ervin Ibrahimovic, along with his associates Edina Desic and Admir Sahmanovic, held an online conference with the European People’s Party official, Vladimir Bilcik, Head of the EP Delegation for relations with Montenegro and Chair of POSP, Patrick Voller, the EPP’s International Relation Secretary and Jakov Devcic, Director of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung for Serbia and Montenegro. The conference topic was the current political situation in Montenegro. “The interlocutors underlined their strong support for Euro-Atlantic political forces in Montenegro, the hope that they’d form a new government soon, which would, based on its principles, program and composition, guarantee Montenegro’s commitment to the obligations from the European agenda,” it was said in a statement.

DUI-nominated ministers submit resignations, effective once VMRO-DPMNE votes for constitutional amendments (Kanal 5)

Government ministers coming from DUI have submitted their resignations, which will become effective after VMRO-DPMNE votes for the constitutional amendments. “The ministers and government officials from the order of the Democratic Union for Integration have resigned from their current posts. The resignations, Mr. Prime Minister, are automatically effective from the moment when the opposition votes for the constitutional amendments,” DUI leader Ali Ahmeti wrote in a Facebook post. Foreign Minister and DUI vice-president Bujar Osmani announced the decision at a press conference on Saturday. “We accepted all their demands. They wanted DUI to leave the government and our position is clear: the decision will be activated on the day VMRO-DPMNE votes in favour of the changes. We can even sign it today and it can enter into force on the day of the vote,” said Osmani. Earlier in the week, First Deputy PM Artan Grubi also said they are prepared to leave the Government once VMRO-DPMNE votes for the constitutional amendments. Asked if DUI was prepared to leave the Government, he said they are even prepared to give up on the first ethnic Albanian PM and the so-called ‘Przhino government’. “We give up on all of this and have early elections right after the vote on the constitutional elections, or have regular elections. Once the constitutional amendments are adopted, DUI will leave the government and let them govern until the end of the term,” Grubi told Kanal 5. One of the opposition’s demands at the leaders’ meeting in early June was the formation of a DUI-less government.

Ahmeti: All DUI ministers resign to unblock country’s European future (MIA)

DUI leader Ali Ahmeti has sent a public letter to Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski, in which he says that DUI-nominated ministers and officials are resigning from their posts, becoming effective on the day the opposition votes for the constitutional amendments. “Mr. Prime Minister, considering that our country, the Republic of North Macedonia, finds itself in a critical stage of its European future, considering integration as a political process over the past 20 years, considering that big decisions require responsibility and political and national sacrifices from each one of us, and starting from the opposition’s stipulation that they would vote for the constitutional changes if the Democratic Union for Integration left the government. Legitimately elected by the Albanian voter, aware of the hopes and dreams of people to join the big European family, considering that DUI and I remain committed to the integration in NATO and EU, as well as the continued alliance with the United States of America, which were, are and will continue to be the largest interest of all citizens, regardless of their national and religious background, the Ministers and government officials from the order of the Democratic Union for Integration submit the resignations from their posts! The resignations, Mr. Prime Minister, are automatically effective from the moment when the opposition votes for the constitutional amendments,” reads the letter.

US Embassy on 101st anniversary of diplomatic relations between US-Albania/ “Strong strategic alliance between US and Albania (Radio Tirana)

The US Embassy in Tirana posted on Friday a message on social networks, Facebook on the 101st anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment between the United States of America and Albania. “Today, marks the 101st anniversary of the official establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania. Official diplomatic ties between our countries began on July 28, 1922, shortly after the conclusion of the Paris Peace Conference, where US President Wilson stood by the Albanian people for your independence and sovereignty. Last year, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations, we celebrated the close friendship between our two nations, highlighting the strong strategic alliance between the United States and Albania. US President Joe Biden delivered a special message of hope for continued cooperation and for an even brighter future to the Albanian people. Here’s to many more years of friendship and cooperation!” the announcement reads.

101 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations Albania-USA/ Rama: Friends and allies (Radio Tirana)

Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted on Friday on the 101st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and the United States of America. In a Facebook status alongside photos of the two flags of Albania and the USA, Rama says that the two countries are “friends and allies”. Diplomatic relations between Albania and the USA began on July 28, 1922, a few months after the end of the Peace Conference in Paris, where the American President Wilson came out on the side of Albania. The first American ambassador in Tirana was Ulysses Grant Smith, who started the diplomatic mission on December 4, 1922. The first Albanian ambassador in Washington was Faik Konica, who was appointed to this position in 1929 by Ahmet Zogu. Then the American Embassy in Tirana was closed on September 16, 1939, while the freezing of relations lasted even during the time when Enver Hoxha came to power. Diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania were restored on March 15, 1991, after a break of 52 years. The US Embassy in Tirana was opened on October 1, 1991, with Christopher Hill as Chargé d’Affaires and succeeded by US Ambassador William Edwin Ryerson, who presented his credentials to the Government of Albania on December 21, 1991. At the historic ceremony in 1991 for the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, which restored diplomatic relations between the two countries, then Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs Raymond G.H. Saitc, said “the relationship between our countries dates back to the early years of this century, when President Wilson offered American support to the new Albanian state. The relationship was never forgotten by the thousands of Americans of Albanian origin, who maintained contact with their homeland all these years.” On June 11, 1991, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III was the first high-level US official to visit Albania after the long period of isolation of country. Since that time, US-Albania relations have progressed and grown, and Albania has become one of America’s staunchest allies, especially in the global counter-terrorism war.

Begaj on 101st anniversary of USA-Albania relations establishment/USA has always been by our side (Radio Tirana)

Albanian President Bajram Begaj published a congratulatory message on social network, Facebook on the 101st anniversary of diplomatic relations establishment with the USA, underlining that the relations between these two countries are getting stronger and stronger. “In this 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the USA, we see with pride how these relations are getting stronger and stronger. Throughout history, the USA has always been by our side, supporting us in all our major projects and successes, so we will always be grateful for that. Happy 101 years of friendship with the USA, the biggest strategic partner of Albania and Albanians,” Begaj writes.