LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: “Extremely hypocritical” Cameron’s statement on support for Pristina (RTS)

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said that British Foreign Minister David Cameron‘s statement that Great Britain will help Prishtina get new recognitions is “extremely hypocritical” and deserves the harshest condemnation. Ivica Dacic emphasized that David Cameron never mentioned that Albin Kurti and the Pristina authorities have been refusing to implement the Brussels Agreement for 11 years, which, he reminds, among others, was signed and guaranteed on behalf of the European Union by the British Catherine Ashton.

“Also, not a single word did he mention the terror and violent expulsion of more than 200,000 Serbs, as well as the destruction of Serbian Christian churches and monasteries from the Middle Ages, Cameroon promises the so-called state of Kosovo help with new recognitions and admission to international institutions,” Dacic told Tanjug.

Dacic reminded that Great Britain recognized the authorities in Pristina only one day after the unilateral declaration of independence, on February 18, 2008, and has been supporting it for 16 years, during which time the so-called the state of Kosovo is recognized by only 84 members of the United Nations, while, as he says, 109 countries are on the side of small but proud Serbia. Dacic pointed out that Serbia will continue to be a constructive factor in the dialogue, but also points out that it has the right, no less than any other country in the world, to protect its national and state interests and its territorial integrity.

“And I would invite Cameroon, when he returns to London, to go just a few steps in front of his office and look at the mural ‘Britannia Pacificatrix’, which shows Britain with its allies after the First World War, where Serbia and Belgium are shown as little girls hanging from the skirts of Britain as their protectors. “It’s time, fellow Cameron, to either put away that mural, that is, history, so that it doesn’t sting your eyes, or to think about your statements,” said Dacic. The head of Serbian diplomacy also reminded that the Brussels Agreement was signed in 2013, when Cameroon was prime minister, and that Great Britain, as the country where Catherine Ashton comes from, was also the guarantor of its implementation.

Vucic and Mitsotakis: There are all conditions for strengthening cooperation between Serbia and Greece (RTS)

President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis agreed in a telephone conversation that there are all conditions for cooperation between the two countries to continue to strengthen in various areas this year, stressing the opportunities provided by the energy sector. Aleksandar Vucic spoke on the phone with Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the press service of the President of the Republic announced. The two officials agreed that all the conditions exist for the cooperation between the two countries to continue to strengthen in various fields this year, stressing the opportunities provided by the energy sector. Vucic expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Mitsotakis for the fact that Greece respects the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, as well as for the contribution to stability in the region. Mitsotakis reiterated Greece’s support for Serbia’s European path, with the hope that progress will be more visible this year. The two officials agreed to meet soon in Belgrade to discuss bilateral relations, the regional situation and global issues in more detail. On that occasion, the arrival of representatives of Greek companies is expected, who would discuss the development of economic cooperation with Serbian entrepreneurs. Prime Minister Mitsotakis expressed great interest in the participation of Greece in the specialized world exhibition EXPO 2027, agreeing with President Vucic that it is a great opportunity not only for Serbia, but also for the entire region.

Serbia to improve its grades – will the Hungarian presidency of the EU give it a wind at its back (RTS)

Nothing new, is the shortest answer to the question of what happened in the field of European integration in the past year, not only for Serbia. In addition to the European Plan for the growth of the Western Balkans worth six billion euros, Serbia also received an announcement of possible membership in 2030. And in Brussels, Belgium, as the host, took over the presidency of the community in a year in which the European Parliament elections await that institution.

One of the founders of the European Union, Belgium, with Brussels as its capital, the seat of the community, is presiding over the Union for the 13th time. This time, the Belgian motto is protect, strengthen, prepare. Dusan Gajic, RTS reporter from Brussels, says that when it comes to Serbia, it is difficult to predict what steps Serbia could expect in this and the next period. At the end of last year, the European Commission concluded that in a technical sense Serbia is ready to open a chapter within cluster 3, but in a political sense a significant number of countries do not want to discuss the next steps, until there is a significant degree of harmonization of Serbia with the EU’s foreign policy, says Gajic. The President of Serbia expects the greatest pressure in January and February, as he said, because of Kosovo and Metohija, and because of Russia.

What does the European Union expect from Serbia?

“First of all, let’s recognize the Pristina documents, but also make concessions, when it comes to the entry of the so-called Kosovo into international organizations. I think there will be further pressure. This leads to the fact that they, that is, France and Germany, believe that they should let’s let Kosovo into the UN according to the principle of two Germanys. Where the pressure will go is towards the introduction of sanctions against Russia,” points out Dr Slobodan Zecevic from the Institute for European Studies. In the last two years, Serbia has not progressed in negotiations for EU membership. Last year, the assessment of preparedness for membership given by the European Commission was not improved either.

Milena Mihajlovic from the Center for European Policies points out that for the last five or six years, that rating has stagnated at a rating of 3, on a scale from 1 to 5, which means an average rating and no substantial progress. “First of all, Serbia has not made adequate progress in basic, fundamental reforms. It is cluster 1 in the negotiations and that cluster defines the dynamics of negotiations in all other areas. So, if there is no progress in the fight against corruption, the fight against organized crime, in the functioning basic democratic institutions,” Mihajlovic points out. What we got was six billion euros of aid from European funds within the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

When can Serbia hope for membership

“The EU’s goal is to make us full-fledged consumers on the European market. If you have low wages, you cannot be a serious consumer and buyer of EU products. Therefore, they have the intention, they are trying to increase the standard of the population in the Western Balkans. Are they the funds are sufficient, I’m still not sure, considering that EU member states receive much more funds from their funds than we do,” Zecevic believes.

The leaders of the Union marked the fall of 2030 as the year in which Serbia and other countries of the region can hope for membership. Meanwhile, the reform of the Union itself is being prepared in order for the new member to be received. What could be heard in the first days of 2024 is that the Belgian presidency should remind the European community of the basic postulates, and the Hungarian one should put the wind at Serbia’s back from July.

Serbian Election Commission releases parliamentary election results (Beta)

Following a repeat of parliamentary elections at eight polling stations, the Serbian Election Commission released the results Jan. 3. The commission published the election results on its website, having processed the ballots cast in all the polling places. The Aleksandar Vucic – Serbia Must Not Stop coalition won 46.75% of the votes. The opposition list Serbia Against Violence won 23.66% of the vote, and the list of candidates Ivica Dacic – Prime Minister of Serbia gained 6.55%. The coalition NADA won 5.02% of the votes, Branimir Nestorovic‘s list We – The Voice of the People won 4.69%, and the coalition between the Oath Keepers party and the Dveri movement gained 2.76% . The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians won 1.7%, the Serbian Radical Party – 1.46%, and the list led by Usame Zukorlic and Tomislav Zigmanov gained 0.76% of the voter support. The ticket SDA Sandzak – Sulejman Ugljanin received 0.57%, and the list Political Struggle of Albanians Continues – Saip Kamberi – 0.35% of the vote. The People’s Party ticket won 0.88%, and the Together for the Future 0.18%, according to the Commission. The Russian Party won 0.3% of the votes, Cedomir Jovanovic‘s list 0.24%, and the alliance between Sasa Radulovic and Boris Tadic 1.18% of the vote. The Serbia in the West received 0.14%, and the Albanian Democratic Alternative 0.08% of the voter support.

Djilas: Election manipulation assumes massive proportions, Western support to Vucic astonishing (Beta)

The Dec. 17 elections were massively rigged, especially the local polls in Belgrade, where there was evidence of organized voter migration from other regions of Serbia and abroad, but official reactions from the European Union and the United States are, at best, subdued, Dragan Djilas, the president of the Freedom and Justice Party, said on Jan. 3. In an op-ed for the Politico portal, Djilas criticized the lack of stronger reactions from Western officials, who, according to him, seemed more concerned about the stability of the Serbian government than electoral fraud.

“When Slobodan Milosevic ruled Serbia, the West – led by the United States – strongly supported democratic changes in the country. But now, as Serbia backslides into autocracy under President Aleksandar Vucic, that commitment seems to have disappeared,” the party leader stated. Djilas added in the article that Vučić delivered abroad “what the West wants to hear,” while at home he “condemns the West for not respecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” Vucic refuses to impose sanctions against Russia, “encourages belligerent feelings towards Kosovo, and has under control most of the country’s media space for over a decade, Djilas has cautioned.

Students begin atypical actions after Jan. 10 (Beta)

One of the organizers of recent protests by students and activists in Belgrade, Nikola Ristic, said on Jan. 3 that “rebellion by students and young people over election rigging on Dec. 17” would continue after Jan. 10. Ristic said in a comment for the Danas newspaper that “the date on which the protests will continue hasn’t been set yet,” but that various “atypical” activities would be organized across Serbia. “Our goal is to motivate young people. We will begin our activities after Jan. 10, when we’ll also decide when the next protest rally will be held in Belgrade,” Ristic explained. When asked to define the atypical activities, Ristic did not want to answer. Ristic is one of the organizers of the protests and blockade at the Kneza Milosa Street in Belgrade. Students and activists joined the 24-hour blockade a couple of days ahead of New Year’s Eve.

Sapic: I will invite councilpersons for talks about Belgrade government (Beta)

The president of the Transitional Body of the City of Belgrade, Aleksandar Sapic, stated on Jan. 3 that, after the entire election process is completed and the results of the elections in Belgrade proclaimed, he would invite all councilpersons for talks, to see if the current authorities have the majority in the City Hall, including the councilpersons from the New Democratic Party of Serbia.

“I deeply believe that the patriotic, national voters, cannot accept (them) being closer to those who would give up Kosovo and Metohija and proclaim the Serbs a genocidal nation, which are the theses of the ‘Serbia Against Violence’ group, which the New Democratic Party of Serbia has supported,” Sapic stated for TV Happy, referring to the leadership of the NADA coalition, consisting of the New Democratic Party of Serbia and the Movement for the Restoration of the Kingdom of Serbia, Milos Jovanovic and Vojislav Mihailovic. Sapic said that he had read about the coalition’s leaders having declared that they would not respond to his invitation about forming the city authority but added that he had no need to talk with them, anyway. He said he would not conduct any secret talks about forming the city government but would invite all those who won a seat on the city council to accept his program for the city’s development and provide constructive proposals. “If there is no majority, we will go for repeated elections. It’s no skin off my back,” Sapic said.

National Gathering coalition ceases to exist (Beta)

The National Gathering coalition, which consisted of the Dveri movement and the Oath Keepers party, has ceased to exist and its members will work individually and carry individual responsibility, the Dveri movement announced on Jan. 3. “As of the moment of dissolving the National Gathering coalition, Serbian intellectuals who provided the principled and program support during the election campaign, no longer stand behind the statements of the individual member parties of the former coalition,” the statement reads. This ticket won 2.76 percent of votes in the Dec. 17 parliamentary elections and did not pass the

parliamentary threshold. The ticket was headed by Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski and Bosko Obradovic, while some of the intellectuals who supported it are Rastko Ristic, Caslav Koprivica, Aleksandar Lipkovski and others.

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina

RS Ruling Coalition Announces RS Election Law/Changes to B&H Election Law (ATV)

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik held a meeting with leaders of political parties gathered around the SNSD-led ruling coalition in the RS and the heads of party caucuses in the RS National Assembly (RSNA), in Banja Luka on Wednesday. Dodik stated: “We are here determined to create a new law, which is in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and the Constitution of the RS, which would be called the RS Election Law, to present it to our partners in the Assembly, first of all, the opposition political parties, which implies the constitutional positioning of the RS in implementation of these elections that I mentioned, with the fact that it does not interfere with the issue of elections at the level of members of the (B&H) Presidency, therefore, that would still be done by the B&H Central Election Commission, and the representatives in the (B&H) House of Representatives, which would again be done by that Central Election Commission. All other elections would be conducted by our RS Election Commission, which would in fact be strengthened by this law that we will propose, and in that way, constitutional rights and competences for conducting elections would be returned to the RS. In this regard, we will very soon, after the consultations we have arranged, propose a text of that law to the RS National Assembly to be adopted by urgent procedure”.

Dodik pointed out that “it is unacceptable to live in a country where someone imposes election rules, which are normally negotiated by political entities”. “The Central Election Commission of B&H previously completely unconstitutionally took over certain powers in the conduct of elections, which belong to the RS. We believe that the issue of the Election Law is one of the most important issues and that the adoption of that law must be the result of the agreement of internal political factors,” said Dodik.

“We agreed to create that law, it is already ready, like many others that we have announced, and in this regard we will very soon, after the consultations we have already agreed, propose the text of the law to the RS National Assembly to be adopted in an urgent procedure. We cannot allow the election process to be managed through various brokers. This would mean that before the adoption of that law, there will be a law prohibiting the operation and application of the provisions of the B&H Election Law on the territory of the RS,” Dodik pointed out. Participants of the meeting in Banja Luka also discussed the seat of the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H, and they all agreed that Banja Luka should be the seat. “There is almost a general consensus that the headquarters should be in the RS and imagine then the Bosniaks try to force it to be in Istocno Sarajevo. The current Appellate Division is moving, its headquarters will be in Banja Luka and will be elected by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) taking over the issue,” Dodik said.

Dodik announced the legislation will be submitted to the RSNA in the urgent procedure: “We cannot allow speculators to run this process. This is a sovereign right of the peoples. It is not stated anywhere that the B&H CEC is competent for implementing elections at lower authority levels.”

Dodik also said that the relations between the RS and the authorities at the B&H level were damaged because of Christian Schmidt. Dodik stated: “Nowhere does it say that the CEC is competent for, if (in) the Constitution, I mean exclusively, it is not said that it is competent for conducting elections at some lower levels of authority. So that would have to be its given constitutional right, and they do not have it. Therefore, this is the moment when we will of course return it to where it belongs, which is under the competence of the RS, and (let them do) as they wish in the Federation of B&H (FB&H). This would mean that before the adoption of that law, a law will be passed that prohibits the operation and application of the provisions of the B&H Election Law on the territory of the RS, which goes on to say that the competence related to elections at the local level, what I have explained, at the level of the RS, that is, the RS and the FB&H, cannot be conducted on the territory of the RS. How it will be solved in the FB&H is not our problem”.

SNSD coalition partners welcome conclusions made at the meeting with Dodik (ATV)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik held a work-consultative meeting with representatives of coalition parties and heads of caucuses in the RS National Assembly (RSNA) on Wednesday. They reached the agreement that the RS will create its own election law that will be in line with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and the Constitution of the RS and announced that the new law will be sent to the parliament in an urgent procedure.

ATV carried comments of the coalition partners after the meeting with Dodik. The RSNA Speaker Nenad Stevandic said: “It is completely natural that the RS Election Commission conducts elections in the municipalities of the RS, and that, I do not know, the Central Election Commission does this as far as the members of the (B&H) Presidency and the B&H Parliament are concerned. These are things that were (written) earlier, and remained, let us say, in the Constitution of the RS, which has not been changed. Therefore, we will just formalize it”. Stevandic announced the meeting with opposition representatives in the RSNA for January 8, noted the reporter. The reporter stated: “This is a fight for the constitutionality and legality of the RS, because the election law is one of the most important issues. In this way, the RS also protects its competences within B&H. The RS is actually doing everything within the Dayton Peace Agreement and within its competences. And in fact, in this way, it also protects the Constitution of B&H, which gives it the right to choose”.

NPS leader Darko Banjac said that the RS will adopt its election law in the RSNA, which regulates the implementation of elections on the territory of the RS. It is in accordance with the Constitution, in accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement, because the Dayton Peace Agreement says that the entities implement the elections for the local level, Banjac pointed out. SP leader Petar Djokic commented: “Our actions in the coming period will be exclusively focused on the protection of the constitutionally established order of B&H, which derives from the Constitution of B&H, that is, from the Dayton Peace Agreement. And all the activities that we carry out and that we plan to carry out in the coming period will be based on this principle of respect for the Dayton Peace Agreement”. DEMOS leader Nedeljko Cubrilovic stated: “This is a fight for legality, for constitutionality. The election law is perhaps one of the most important or the most important law after the Constitution, so let us add to that the Property Law that is currently under attack. I think this is a normal reaction of political actors from the RS and a way to try and protect what is truly ours”. NDP leader Bojan Sapuric commented that this law would solve some technical characteristics that were imposed.

Dodik: RSNA will not appoint judges for B&H CC until Court is reformed and mandate of foreign judges is over (ATV)

As of Wednesday, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has no judges from the rank of the Serb people. The Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly (RSNA) will not appoint the missing judges, until the Constitutional Court of B&H is reformed, and the mandate of foreign judges ends. The RS previously appointed judges of the Constitutional Court of B&H, to a good extent convinced that fairness is possible in terms of the operation of this Court, said the RS President Milorad Dodik. Unfortunately, as Dodik said, this has not been the case in recent years, which is why they cannot trust that institution. The Serb judges there served as decoration and not as a constructive part of protection of the Constitution, not only of the Serbs and the RS, but of the constitutional values. They abused it to the extent that everything became meaningless, said Dodik.

Dodik stated: “We have clearly said that those two judges will not be appointed until the new composition of the Constitutional Court is regulated and all illegal and unconstitutional powers that it acquired by adopting rules that are beyond anything in B&H are taken away from it. The Constitutional Court is decadent, because it destroyed the values of the Dayton (Peace) Agreement, submitted to some political demands coming from Western countries and Muslim policy in B&H, and it cannot be a reference in the sense that it is trusted or respected. That is why, believing and knowing that they will engage in anti-constitutional activities, one day they prescribed that disobeying the decisions of the Constitutional Court is an alleged criminal offense. This means that they can decide one day that there is no RS and that we must not rebel because that is the decision of the Constitutional Court. And when we know that it is three foreigners and two Muslims who decide there as the five biggest, then you know what awaits us. It is a story about the property, it is a story about the coat of arms, it is a story about a lot of things they did to us”.

Dodik: If someone dares to initiate any process against anyone in the RS due to marking of RS Day, the RS will react through certain set of measures (BNTV)

Speaking about the Day of the Republika Srpska (RS), RS President Milorad Dodik said that the central event will be the academy on January 8, which will be held in the Borik Hall in Banja Luka. Dodik added that on January 9, a parade will be held in the center of Banja Luka. Dodik also stated that if someone dares to initiate any processes against anyone in the RS because of their RS Day and the activities that they carry out, the RS will react with a certain set of measures, which will show that it is ready to defend its right to January 9 and its existence. Dodik said that the RS will not lose January 9 as the date of its foundation because it is a historical fact. Someone from the outside cannot come and tell them what to celebrate, and it would be the same if someone came and said that January 7 is not Christmas, claimed Dodik. Dodik stated: “January 9 is the primeval day that we, the Serbs in this region, have determined. To give up on that day is to give up on yourself, your history, to trample on everything, to accept that you are ready to listen to the dictates of Muslims and foreigners and that in this way you are changing your character and your identity. Of course, that is not possible. Therefore, on January 9, 1992, the Serbs made a historic decision in Pale. Just as they confirmed that decision in the referendum where a large number of people came out and 99 percent of them said that January 9 is the RS Day. So, there is no force, especially one as empty as this story about that Christian Schmidt and some other things, that could forbid it. After all, they will be able to see everything, very, very impressive”. “I am proud of our people who gathered around this day. I am proud to the fact that we marked it in Istocno Sarajevo last year and that there were no excesses.”

Ambassador Kalabukhov: Decisions in B&H should be product of two entities and three constituent peoples (RTRS)

Russian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Igor Kalabukhov has stated in an interview for Srna news agency that the burning problem in B&H, which is cause of the current events, are unilateral actions that are direct consequence of foreign interferences. According to Kalabukhov, some countries and individuals are teaching peoples in B&H how they must live “imposing some fabricated solutions”. But in that way, added the Ambassador, problems get created. Kalabukhov stressed that ‘we’ see a formula for calming the situation down in decisions being a product of the will of two entities and three constituent people, without foreign mentors.

Asked if B&H is ready to meet the conditions in order to start the accession process with the EU, Kalabukhov stressed that the European integration, readiness to meet certain conditions and progress on that path are the sovereign issue for B&H and its relations with the EU. The Ambassador noted that the reality is that the EU is losing its foothold and that the sanctions against Russia have turned against the EU and that the European bloc has started losing competitiveness because of lack of Russian energy sources.

As for NATO, Kalabukhov expressed conviction that the Alliance cannot be the solution to key issues of peace and stability in B&H. Talking about the Western diplomats’ story about the ‘Russian malignant influence’, Kalabukhov said, among other issues, that Russia supplied B&H with natural gas between 1992 and 1995, and that during the 21st century, Russia is providing B&H, as a friendly country, with natural gas at lower price when compared to most European countries. According to Kalabukhov, the West has continued its neo-colonial policy via indirect mechanisms.

Kalabukhov said that the current political situation in B&H is complicated, and that the reason is not internal, but external, due to the representatives of the world minority who have been trying to solve their own problems at the expense of others, interfering in the internal affairs of other peoples and states. In an interview, Kalabukhov assessed that the burning problem in B&H, as well as the cause of the current events, are unilateral actions that are a direct consequence of external interference and influence.

Kalabukhov, Kosarac meet and conclude that Schmidt does not have legitimacy of the HR; They assess court process against Dodik as absurd (RTRS)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers Deputy Chair and Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations. Stasa Kosarac (SNSD) met with Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov, in Sarajevo on Wednesday. They concluded that Christian Schmidt does not have legitimacy of the High Representative because he was not appointed in line with the Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA). They assessed that court process against RS President Milorad Dodik is absurd. They stressed that Republika Srpska (RS )and its officials advocate internal agreement between the two entities and the tree constituent peoples in B&H within the Dayton-based B&H, adding that international interventionism is absolutely unacceptable.

Croatia

Prime Minister declines to reveal parliamentary election date (HRT)

In a Jan. 3 interview, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic refused to specify when the regular parliamentary elections would be held, promising they would not take place in the first quarter of this year, or in the last. “Parliamentary elections will certainly not be held in the first or fourth quarter of this year,” said Plenkovic in an interview aired during the Croatian Radio‘s “And now, the Government” show. Plenkovic said that “everything will be on time.”

The current 10th convocation of the Croatian Parliament was constituted on July 22, 2020, and the next elections for 151 deputies must be held by mid-September. The Parliament (Sabor) can be dissolved earlier. In addition to regular parliamentary elections, Croatian voters can expect European and presidential elections this year as well. A vote for the European Parliament is scheduled to take place in Croatia on June 9, taking place in other EU countries between June 6 and June 9. The first round of Croatia’s presidential elections will be held at the end of the year, while the beginning of the next year is traditionally reserved for the second round.

Montenegro

Gjeloshaj: EU, NATO and issue of Kosovo’s independence are red lines of my remaining in Govt. (CDM)

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Economic Policy and Minister of Economic Development Nik Gjeloshaj says in an interview for the CDM portal that the majority of Albanians supported the entry of the Albanian Forum into the Government of Montenegro. He adds that Albanians trust him, because, as he underlines, they know that in this way they best serve the interests, not only of Albanians, but of all citizens of Montenegro.

Gjeloshaj underlines that jeopardizing key democratic principles, the pro-Western course of the state, membership in the EU, complete alignment of Montenegro’s foreign and security policy with the policy of the EU and NATO, and of course the issue of Kosovo’s independence, are the red lines of his remaining in the Government.

It is expected that the growth of the economy in the medium term will be led predominantly by domestic demand, through strong private consumption (growth of 3.3%) and the start of a new investment cycle, which will be stimulated by the easing of business barriers and regulatory reforms (growth of about 3% in the medium term), Gjeloshaj explains. This year, a new investment cycle is expected to begin, which will contribute to the growth of the economy, through announced investment plans from public sources and private investors, predominantly in the tourism, energy and infrastructure sectors, he stresses.

There is no economic growth without political and macroeconomic stability. It is a prerequisite for everything. “We are working intensively on this, but we are also working on specific reform activities in parallel”, he points out. Above all, Montenegro needs structural reforms and a new economic growth model. A model that will encourage production, especially the processing industry, which should be key for our economy somewhere, and above all for reasons of sustainability. Reducing the economy and filling the budget based on tourism and electricity exports is not sustainable, as the time during the Covid-19 showed us in particular, he emphasized. “Here we have to react urgently. We must improve and modernize our economy and develop modern economic models”, Gjeloshaj underlines.

North Macedonia

Kovachevski: No need for secret encounters, no meeting scheduled with Mickoski yet (MIA)

Prime Minister and SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski said Wednesday there is no need for secret encounters with VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski and added that when the meeting happens, it will take place in a public area. “I don’t see any need for secret meetings. When such a meeting happens, it will take place in a public area – MPs Club, Parliament, a cafe in downtown Skopje,” said PM Kovachevski when asked to comment on Mickoski’s statement that he would not accept a secret meeting. He added that such a meeting has not been scheduled yet while adding that parties are communicating on the issue. “The VMRO-DPMNE vice-president is in regular communication with the SDSM counterpart,” said Kovachevski.

On the announcements by the opposition parties of ethnic Albanians they would block the Parliament if a new member of the State Election Commission is not elected, the PM said discussions on the issue should take place in the Parliament. “The Parliament is the place for these discussions. These announcements are not a novelty, since the opposition parties of ethnic Macedonians have been blocking the Parliament for four years already. I hope there will be no blockades until the end of the current term,” said Kovachevski. He noted that talks with DUI on a “European Front” have still not taken place due to the New Year’s holidays.

Mickoski: Ministers in caretaker government to be unveiled after Epiphany (MIA)

VMRO-DPMNE will unveil the names of the ministers and additional deputy-ministers in the caretaker government after Epiphany (January 19), says leader Hristijan Mickoski. Mickoski told Pres24 there is still no announcement over a meeting with Prime Minister and SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski. “We will have a full picture of the composition after Epiphany. VMRO-DPMNE has many people who can respond to the challenge of the government posts. Regarding the performances of the caretaker government, I believe they have proved to be poor, full of conflict and standstill. Time is lost. That is why I proposed that the caretaker government is cancelled,” says Mickoski. He says no meeting has taken place with Kovachevski and “there is no public announcement of a secret meeting”. “I don’t know about Kovachevski, but I have nothing to share with him in secret,” adds Mickoski.

Albania

Minister Peleshi: By the end of this month, the Armed Forces will see the incorporation of two American Black Hawk helicopters (Radio Tirana)

Two American Black Hawk helicopters will be added to the arsenal of the Armed Forces later this month. The announcement was made by the Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi, emphasizing that this represents a substantial investment and a significant stride forward.

“Two US Black Hawk helicopters will be added to the arsenal of the Armed Forces, marking a significant investment and a crucial step forward. This addition will empower us to undertake tactical missions and emergency operations more effectively and safely,” emphasized Minister Peleshi. Furthermore, “This long awaited development, occurring at the start of the year, in cooperation with our strategic partner, the USA, signifies Albania’s commitment to enhancing its strength and security. It demonstrates our dedication to making Albania a safer and better-prepared nation, ready to face the challenges ahead,” added Peleshi.