LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: The movement is important. I’m only interested in Serbia, that we save Kosovo and Metohija (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that there are many important issues ahead of us, many difficult challenges, but also many good things. “From Monday, I will start consultations in accordance with the Constitution. During the next week, I will talk with those who want to talk, there will be those who will not. I will consult with everyone who wants to talk, and after that, I will appoint the mandate holders,” Vucic said. “As for objections, I think that is the smallest objection, I think it is pointless. Regardless of whether I am the holder of a list or not. The electoral roll is something that is available to everyone. Any person can check whether he is registered or not. The electoral roll is always an excuse for some people who don’t want to know enough, who pretend not to know, and use it as an excuse for their own failures,” Vucic told RTS. He pointed out that there will be no reduction in tensions in society as long as you have media that focus all their activity against political opponents. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m ready to talk and do everything possible to reduce those tensions and to discuss all the key issues, but those key issues cannot be ‘we want power without elections because we think that we should form the government regardless of the results’,” said Vucic. “I am sure that we will have a large majority, but it would be good if a certain number of them join in with their criticism, good criticism, based on evidence, from the opposition is a great contribution,” said Vucic. When it comes to the Resolution of the European Parliament, Vucic stated that at the beginning of it, it is stated that he “abused his position” by calling the elections, and he reminds that the elections were called at the express request of the opposition parties.

About the elections

Vučić announced that, if there is no legitimate majority, we will have new elections in Belgrade. “We have a legal majority of 56 or 57 councillors, and we need 56,” Vucic told RTS. President of Serbia pointed out that the former mayor of the capital, Dragan Djilas, ruled Belgrade with the Socialists, even though he had no legitimacy. As he pointed out, it is obvious that there is no “green light” from Dr. Branimir Nestorovic and his list. President of Serbia pointed out that he is the creator of the People’s Movement for the State. “What is Serbia going to do about it? Artificial intelligence is coming… What are we going to do about all these issues? The movement must be something that must understand that the protection of state and national interests is of vital importance for our country, a movement in which everyone who wants can join. I’m only interested in Serbia,” said Vucic and added: “To save the country, not to give in on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, above all on the issue of joining the EU…”. He pointed out that People’s Movement for the State is important and that he must understand well what the practical interests of our country are. “Let us fight for the country every day, to gain the most we can and to lose the least we have to,” said Vucic. Vucic spoke about the criticism and threats that were directed at his family on a daily basis.

About sanctions against Russia ​

Vucic stated that he is not beating his chest and that Serbia has condemned, as he says, “the attack on Ukraine”. “For two years, we are the only ones in Europe who have such an attitude. Did I tell Russia yesterday that I swear to them? I didn’t. They asked me, I said ‘I don’t know’, but my ‘I don’t know’ means more than from great friends ‘firmly yes”. I have proven it by my actions. I cannot guarantee to another country how I will behave, because I am guided by the interests of my country. But I have proved in these two years that we can be more persistent than all those who said “yes, yes, yes” and that shows what kind of stable and independent politics Serbia is leading. This madness is going in a much more difficult direction everywhere in the world. I see victory euphoria now in Russia. I would like to see it less. I see the reaction, and all the defense mechanisms, rising in the West and becoming more and more fierce and dangerous. I hope it will not end in even greater tragedies. And it seems to me that I was right when I said two years ago in which direction it would go. And where Serbia is going to be, it will act in accordance with its interests,” said Vucic. He stated that he had a 40-minute telephone conversation with Charles Michel, and pointed out that the conversation was open. “We talk about everything, a very useful conversation about Serbia, the growth agenda, of course and Kosovo and Metohija, of course also Banjska. I say ‘I’m to blame’, to explain what happened when it’s simply not worth it. I will always be on the side of the Serbs who are exiled, is it my fault? It’s my fault. I know who’s looking for whose fault. I’m not fooling around and pretending to be naive, no problem, hit where it’s due, no matter what, I love what our guys did. It wasn’t violence, they were expelled from their hearths… I think that Europe must look at its strategic interests and offer something to Serbia. This is a good chance for us, whether we will be a member of the EU in 3 or 4 years, we will not, but can we get a green light, we can do all that and it all means a better standard of living in Serbia, a better life for our pensioners,” said Vucic and added: “We have to protect our hearths and our land in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia”. “It’s their child. No matter how angry they are with him, they will caress him so that ‘the child sleeps well in the cradle,'” he said, talking about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and Albin Kurti. He points out that Serbia will not recognize the fake state of Kosovo. “The six of them were across the street from me in Brussels. I told them, “Everything we said we would fulfill, we cannot fulfill that which is contrary to the Constitution of Serbia, what I also said in the parliament, we have never lied to anyone, and that is: we cannot fulfill the territorial integrity of Kosovo, the membership of the United Nations and the agencies, institutions and organizations of the UN”. Through these discussions we are having here, the problem is that we are harming ourselves and our country and giving Kurti “ammunition”, and that is what we are doing all the time, but what am I going to do here, when there is a greater desire and need for everyone to harm Serbia, at least by bringing something bad to Serbia to harm Aleksandar Vucic at least a little because that is a more important goal than doing something good for our country,” he said. Vučić said that “this is a historic opportunity for us to make a result that we have never had, to push through these 4 years”. He asked the people who will be in power to do their job and not “to waste energy on nonsense and rumors that are almost always untrue”. “There are not easy times ahead of us, but I myself will have three more years of energy, as long as my mandate lasts, to fight with all my heart for you and for our Serbia,” Vucic pointed out.

Vucic talks with Michel about relations between Serbia, EU (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic talked yesterday over the telephone with European Council President Charles Michel about relations between Serbia and the EU and the situation in Kosovo. Vucic wrote on Instagram that he had had a good and important talk with Michel on the prospects for speeding up Serbia’s European path, as well as the realization of the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. “I reiterated Serbia’s commitment to continuing the reform and European integration process and said that I hoped that in the next several months I would have the opportunity to take new steps on the road to full membership in the EU,” the Serbian president said. Vucic added that he had discussed the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans which, he said, was supposed to “strengthen and bring our economies and societies closer,” as well as continuing work on important joint infrastructure projects that “contribute to a better life for all of our citizens”.

Brnabic: Government ready to cooperate with ODIHR, international probe would be loss of sovereignty (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Wednesday her government was absolutely ready to continue its quality and constructive cooperation with ODIHR and find a way to meet the organisation’s recommendations but that an international inquiry into the December Serbian elections would be a direct breach of sovereignty that no country would allow. “That would mean you do not have your own institutions and that foreigners can come to your country and question citizens, which is equivalent to occupation – it is a loss of sovereignty,” Brnabic told reporters in Despotovac. She said it would never be clear to her why the opposition wanted to trample the sovereignty of its own country underfoot. “That will forever remain a disgrace and a stain on their names,” Brnabic said.

Drecun: Kurti creating obstacles in dialogue through unilateral moves (TV Pink)

The outgoing chairman of Serbia’s parliamentary committee on Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Wednesday Pristina’s PM Albin Kurti was constantly creating obstacles in the dialogue with Belgrade through unilateral moves aimed against the survival of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. “Something else is underneath those moves – there is no de-escalation in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, Kurti is delaying to the maximum extent the elections to be held in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, there is no withdrawal of special parapolice units, and he has also not withdrawn a decision to ban the movement of goods from central Serbia,” Drecun told TV Pink. He also said Pristina was constantly acquiring arms for a so-called Kosovo army. “On one hand, they are verbally attacking Belgrade for allegedly preparing some kind of destabilisation or attack on Kosovo and Metohija. They want to decide about deployment of our security forces in central Serbia and speak of Serbia as some kind of Vladimir Putin‘s or Russia’s proxy. They are shifting the blame on Belgrade for everything they do or plan,” Drecun said. Some NATO member states are providing constant support to a transition of the so-called Kosovo Security Force to an army, Drecun said, noting that Pristina’s defence minister had said its military budget had doubled to 202 million Euros in the three years of Kurti’s rule. “He said that 115 million Euros has gone to arms purchases,” Drecun explained.

Djuric: We have exposed Kurti’s disinformation systematically (Tanjug/Politika)

Serbia’s outgoing Ambassador to the US Marko Djuric said on Tuesday Pristina’s PM Albin Kurti had developed an “imposing capacity” for spreading disinformation about Kosovo-Metohija in the international community and that Serbia had approached that systematically and that it had a responsibility to expose that with facts and through developing capacities to fight disinformation. “We have approached that in a very systematic manner. Every day, we submitted argumentation to the key addresses, the numerous offices monitoring the situation in the Western Balkans,” Djuric told Tanjug in an interview. “We have been able to formulate the argumentation in a manner and from an angle that were appealing to the audiences here,” he said. He said the Kosovo issue and Kurti’s actions showed the strength of a hybrid information war Kurti was waging against Serbia on a daily basis to divide Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and portray their leaders as a criminal organisation and divide the Serbian public over the Kosovo issue. Commenting on Pristina’s arms acquisitions from Western states, he said he believed everyone would be better off without militarisation of Kosovo and Metohija and that the Pristina authorities had no good intentions not only towards the Serbs, but all non-majority communities in the province. “I think this is understood by more people today than it was perhaps three years ago,” he noted. Djuric also said that, with strong support from Serbia’s president, government and other state institutions, he and his team had done everything in their power to build a political infrastructure in Washington for Serbia and generations to come as well as to forge ties with the US political class. He noted that this was not only about material investments made to boost Serbia’s presence in the US, but also about ties, contacts and a network of influence he and his team had created by working day and night, building a “solid foundation”. “To me, the word continuity is key, because what we have started in the past several years is producing certain short-term results as well. Some of that is visible, too. But the main results of our work and efforts here and Serbia’s investment in its presence in the US should come over the medium and long term. That is where we need to demonstrate that we are a state,” Djuric said. He said successful attempts had been made to get the sizeable Serbian American community involved in these efforts. “Our community in America is a big, big potential for all Serbs… We are talking about close to one million or one million people of Serbian ancestry living in the US today,” Djuric said.

Ambassador says Russia wants Kosovo issue back in UN SC (Sputnik/N1)

Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko said on Tuesday that Moscow supports the return of the Kosovo issue to the UN Security Council. Speaking at a Russian national holiday reception at the embassy, the ambassador said that support for Serbia’s territorial integrity is one of Russia’s most important political stands as a permanent UN Security Council member. “We respect the fact that Serbia has not agreed to and will not accept sanctions against Russia despite attacks, pressure and threats which allows us to move forward and develop relations without delay in all fields,” the Sputnik portal quoted him as saying. The reception was attended by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic, Chief of General Staff Milan Mojsilovic, parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic and several other cabinet ministers and officials.

Stano dismisses reports Borrell has postponed trips to Belgrade, Pristina (Tanjug)

European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano dismissed on Tuesday as “absolute nonsense” reports that EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell had postponed visits to Belgrade and Pristina following discussions with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Pristina’s PM Albin Kurti in Munich. Asked by Tanjug to comment on media reports that Borrell was supposed to travel to Pristina and Belgrade on 26 and 28 February, respectively, but that the trips have been put off, Stano said Borrell had planned completely different visits/activities for those dates much before any Munich meetings.

REGIONAL PRESS

Kristo meets members of GAC, expresses conviction EU Council will open accession negotiations with B&H in March (RTRS/Nova BH)

Chairwoman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo met with members of the EU General Affairs Council (GAC) in Brussels on Tuesday to talk about B&H’s activities on the European path. Kristo expressed gratitude for getting invited to the meeting, which took place just prior to EU GAC session, stressing there is evident progress of B&H when it comes to the European path. She stated that progress was achieved in 2023 and it has continued in 2024 with accelerated dynamic, underlining that the CoM has achieved significant steps towards fulfilling 8+1 conditions, in other words the 14 key priorities. Kristo further said that B&H’s foreign and security policy is for the first time 100% aligned with the EU foreign and security policy. In context of the electoral reform, Chairwoman Kristo stressed the importance of changes and amendments to the Election Law, as well comprehensive electoral reform. She said it is crucial that the solution to this and other issues must be a result of an internal dialogue and agreement because only solution by B&H institutions can secure long-term security, stability and improve relations in BiH. She went on to say: “Therefore, I am convinced that the EU (Council) will, taking foremost into account our results, as well as our efforts and achieved progress, open our negotiations in March”. “In a special way, I would also emphasize that it is very important that we are working intensively and actively on changes to the B&H Election Law, which of course interested them in a special way. I also pointed out that it is particularly important for all of us in B&H to implement a complete reform of the electoral legislation, and this implies both the implementation of the decisions of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H on the legitimate representation of the constituent peoples and the implementation of all the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights what we are all in B&H fully committed to,” Kristo emphasized. Following the meeting with Kristo, State Secretary in the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and member of GAC Andreja Metelko-Zgombic said that Croatia is monitoring recent development of the situation in B&H and Croatia expects the EU leaders to reach consensus regarding the start of negotiations with B&H. Nova BH explained that following recent visits of several EU officials to B&H, B&H officials have embarked on a diplomatic offensive in an effort to persuade the EU to set the exact date for the start of the accession negotiations with B&H at upcoming session of the European Council scheduled for March 21 and Kristo used this opportunity to inform the EU officials about BiH’s progress, in particular that B&H has met two out of four main requirements by adopting the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism and signing the agreement with the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders. Kristo said that B&H authorities are working hard to adjust and adopt the Law on Courts and the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest, thus meeting the remaining two requirements, but B&H authorities are also working on other important laws, namely the Law on Border Control and the Law on Protection of Personal Data. The reporter argued that B&H has one month left to achieve historic progress on the path to join the EU or it will face the most difficult standstill in its history and strong backing from Croatia and Austria may not be enough for the EU to set the date for the start of negotiations.

Kristo meets Commissioner Varhelyi; Varhelyi: B&H authorities need to engage in solving of open issues so that the EU related reforms can be resumed (N1)

Chairwoman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo met with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Brussels on Tuesday. During the meeting with Varhelyi, Kristo stressed that decisions should be passed by B&H authorities, including decisions referring to amending of the Election Law. Varhelyi wrote on X platform that B&H authorities need to engage in solving of open issues so that the EU related reforms can be resumed. Varhelyi also wrote that the European Commission (EC) is preparing a report on B&H ahead the European Council session in March.

Edtstadler after meeting with Kristo: B&H is committed to the process of joining the EU (Klix.ba)

After a meeting held with Chairwoman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo in Brussels on Tuesday, Austrian Minister for the EU and Constitution Karoline Edtstadler sent the message that B&H is committed to the process of joining the EU. She added that B&H has taken necessary steps and now it is up to the EC to represent a report on progress of the country so that heads of countries and governments can actually decide on the beginning of accession negotiations with B&H in March. The Minister believes that this is absolutely necessary considering the fact that we are in a completely changed world and that this impetus must be used. Edtstadler added: “Also, B&H must exert efforts to stay on a right track. This is our political orientation, and if there is a political will, then this is possible. We must not be unsuccessful in regard to this.” The Minister further said that next step must be followed, and a negotiating framework must be set. She concluded that she sees commitment of B&H and that many things have been done already, and that it is their turn now. She stressed: “I expect that the EC will inform about this as soon as possible.” The Minister noted that there was progress made in the process of the EU integration of B&H last year, but many things have been done this year. Edtstadler also noted that many laws have been adopted, she mentioned the agreement on Frontex and said that these are important steps.

Dodik pays visit to Tatarstan: If opportunity presents itself, I will meet with Putin (RTRS)

Following visit to Belarus, delegation of Republika Srpska (RS) at helm with RS President Milorad Dodik started an official visit to Russian republic Tatarstan. On the first day of his visit to Tatarstan, Dodik visited Orthodox church and mosque in capital of this Republic Kazan. The RS President said that it is an example of coexistence of different nationalities and religious groups. He added that this is the best example how coexistence and mutual respect can be functional in B&H. Reporter commented that thanks to quality cooperation, Islamic and Orthodox communities in Tatarstan managed to preserve peace after dissolution of the USSR. Dodik underlined that reason for this is the fact Muslims remained faithful to their homeland, adding that this is essential difference between Tatarstan and B&H. He emphasized that two biggest religious communities, namely Islamic and Orthodox found a method to function together. RS Minister of Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society Zeljko Budimir visited several important educational institutions in Kazan and talked about improvement of cooperation with institutions of the RS. Reporter noted that opening a ceremony of international sport competition ‘Games of Future’ will be held on Wednesday in Kazan. Some 2,000 athletes will take part in it and according to some assessments, around 150 million will watch these games via online streams. Among other officials, Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony of ‘Games of Future’. Reporter noted that this will be opportunity for RS President Dodik to meet and talk with Putin. The RS President stressed that if opportunity presents itself, he will meet with Putin. “It will be honor for me. I would come every week if it was possible, because Putin is a man leading a successful nation”, explained Dodik. On Tuesday, the RS delegation also visited the Agency for Investment Development of Tatarstan, the IT park and the Kazan Federal University. On Wednesday, Dodik will meet with the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and his associates. Then follows Dodik’s interview for the Russian media, which are following this visit with great attention, commented the reporter. Dodik commented that this is also an opportunity to learn about the situation in Tatarstan itself, which has both Muslim and Orthodox citizens in a ratio of almost 50-50. Dodik pointed out that people in Tatarstan said that at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union, they managed to preserve peace and coexistence.

Lukashenko: B&H, Moldova, Georgia and Serbia will be drawn into NATO, in line with the Ukrainian scenario (RTRS)

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko stated during meeting with heads of Belarus national security bodies that Finland and Sweden joining NATO is a new phase of (NATO) expansion to the East. According to Lukashenko, ‘they’ will draw B&H, Moldova, Georgia and Serbia into the Alliance and all this will take place in line with the Ukrainian scenario. He went on to say, among other issues, that appetite and activity of the collective West will grow, and that Washington and its allies will continue to make NATO bigger. “Almost all European leaders turned into American vassals and there is no any doubt about which policy and interests dominate in territory of the EU”, concluded Lukashenko.

Grlic Radman with Bulgarian FM Gabriel: I especially appreciate Bulgarian support to European path of B&H (Vecernji list)

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman stated on Tuesday, after his meeting with Bulgarian colleague Mariya Gabriel, that Croatia and Bulgaria have similar views and interests within the EU and NATO and that he especially appreciates Bulgaria’s support to the European path of B&H. Grlic Radman and Gabriel agreed it is necessary to continue the process of the EU enlargement into south-east Europe, which includes meeting of the criteria, the rule of law, good neighborly relations, respecting rights of ethnic minorities and alignment with the EU foreign and security policy. According to the daily, messages after the meeting should be viewed in the context of Croatia’s strong efforts for European path of B&H.

Special Envoy of France for the Western Balkans: The government’s work in the first hundred days is impressive (CdM)

“The government’s work in the first hundred days is impressive. Montenegro delivers results and as such is a role model for everyone in the region and beyond”, said the special envoy of France for the Western Balkans Rene Troccaz, who met with Prime Minister Milojko Spajic. At the meeting, it was assessed that the relations between Montenegro and France are at the highest level and that dynamic political dialogue will be reflected in more successful economic cooperation. On this plan, as it was assessed, the signing of the interstate agreement agreed upon during the meeting between Spajic and French President Emmanuel Macron will make a strong contribution. Spajic, introduced the special envoy of Troccaz to the activities in terms of European integration and assessed that if he continues with this dynamic, the government could count on closing a significant number of chapters by the end of the year. “We see membership in the EU first of all as an opportunity for deep economic integration that will bring greater opportunities to our economy, but also support the government’s ambitions to improve the standards of all citizens.” We consistently implement the program. We are not deviating even a millimetre from what we promised our citizens and our partners in the EU”, said the Prime Minister. “We see serious developments in Montenegro. The census was, among other things, carried out brilliantly. It is a model of political culture that needs to be nurtured in this region,” Troccaz pointed out. He pointed to the need for better traffic connections between the countries in the region and pointed out that the role of Montenegro is very important in terms of preserving the stability and further prosperity of the countries of the Western Balkans. “France sees in Montenegro a strong lever for the European perspective of all the surrounding countries”, said Rene Troccaz, the special envoy of France for the Western Balkans. The meeting discussed the realization of infrastructure projects, and on that front, Prime Minister Spajic said, 2025 will be the most important year for Montenegro. “In 2025, we expect a big infrastructure flywheel in Montenegro, especially when it comes to traffic infrastructure,” he said. The interlocutors assessed that there is room for intensifying cooperation between Montenegro and France in numerous areas of mutual interest, especially in the field of traffic, infrastructure and tourism.

Zivkovic with Troccaz: Full commitment to EU membership, concern about the reconstruction of the government with anti-European parties (CdM)

The President of the Democratic Party of Socialists of Montenegro Danijel Zivkovic met with Rene Troccaz, the special envoy of the French government for the Western Balkans who is staying in Montenegro, whom he introduced to the activities of the DPS, emphasizing the party’s strong commitment to the EU integration process and its constructive role in the opposition in that direction. “Nevertheless, we have concerns regarding the direction of the state policy and the European path of Montenegro, especially if we take into account the announcement of the reconstruction of the government with parties that have shown through their actions so far that they are opposed to European values”, stressed Zivkovic and added that it should be a warning sign, and that in the context of the regional and international situation, an additional effort by all actors is needed in order to maintain the European perspective of Montenegro and the Western Balkans. In this direction, Zivkovic expressed his belief that the actions of the Special Envoy will be an encouragement for Montenegro and the Western Balkans and a confirmation that France, bilaterally and within the EU, will continue to affirm the enlargement policy and provide expert and political support to the European perspective of Montenegro. Troccaz shared his satisfaction with his first official visit to Montenegro and assessed that Montenegro is a leader in the process of integration into the EU and expressed the expectation that in the coming period reforms will be implemented rapidly so that in the foreseeable future Montenegro will achieve full membership, which is a mutual interest and the state and the EU, especially taking into account geopolitical developments. He confirmed France’s strong support on Montenegro’s path to the EU.

Maslenikov: Spajic made a rather interesting statement, the expansion of the EU to the Balkans means drawing the countries of the region into a confrontation with Russia (Russian Izvestiya/CdM)

Ambassador of Russia in Montenegro Vladislav Maslenikov said in an interview for Russian Izvestija, which was published on the website of the Russian Embassy, that the expansion of the European Union to the Balkans means drawing countries in the region into a confrontation with Russia. He evaluated Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic‘s statement that following the EU sanctions policy did not bring any benefit to the country as interesting.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajic, said at the last forum in Davos that following the European Union’s sanctions policy did not bring the country any benefit. Can we expect that Montenegro can lift sanctions against the Russian Federation or at least stop supporting new packages?

Maslenikov: That was quite an interesting statement by the prime minister, who came to head the government a little more than three months ago. In Podgorica, it was established for the first time at such a high level that joining the EU’s anti-Russian measures did not bring any benefits to Montenegro. Russian diplomats in Montenegro have been constantly talking about it since 2014, since the then government headed by Milo Djukanovic joined the sanctions against the Russian Federation, which are illegitimate from the point of view of international law. On the one hand, it is certainly good that someone in the leadership of Montenegro has “grown up” to state this fact publicly. However, it is difficult to see any sign of the likelihood that Podgorica can lift the sanctions or at least refuse to join the EU’s new package of anti-Russian measures. In the economic dimension, Russia did not even notice their sanctions. And for the Montenegrin economy, the losses are very noticeable – and this is openly confirmed to us by representatives of domestic business, especially tourism, and ordinary citizens of the country. The topic of these economic losses is very painful for the Montenegrin authorities, who do not publish any data about it, and it is possible that they do not collect it. Back in 2019, the Montenegrin media published a figure of two billion euros, which is valid for their assessment of the damage from anti-Russian sanctions, introduced in 2014. Given that the following governments of the country continued to follow the madness of EU sanctions, it is reasonable to assume that Montenegro has lost at least twice as much in the past almost five years. At the same time, the citizens of Montenegro do not support the sanctions policy of the Montenegrin authorities. According to public opinion polls, 71.3 percent of Montenegrins are now against sanctions against Russia, a year ago 66 percent of citizens supported that position.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro recently “boasted” that the country’s authorities have reduced the share of tourists from Russia to eight percent, as well as the general dependence on the Russian tourist market and investments. How hard was the closure of direct flights with the Russian Federation felt by the Montenegrin tourism industry?

Maslenikov: It is strange to hear the sentence “we have done a lot for this” from the head of the government, who actually started work in November, that is, a month and a half after the end of the tourist season in Montenegro. Second, I would first look at the statistics for the 2023 tourist season, which have not yet been released. Frankly speaking, this is already the third government in the country obsessed with the idea of “replacing” Russian tourists. Of course, compared to the record year 2019, when 350 thousand Russians visited Montenegro, the number of our tourists has decreased. However, the main reason for this is not some targeted work of the Montenegrin authorities, but the coronavirus pandemic, which affected at least two tourist seasons in Montenegro – 2020 and 2021. It’s no secret that in the summer of 2021, the Government of Zdravko Krivokapic, including those who today brag about reducing the share of tourists from Russia, persistently persuaded us to restore direct flights between Russia and Montenegro, despite the very high rates of spread of COVID-19 in this country at that time. After that, in anticipation of the 2022 tourist season, Podgorica, following the EU, closed its airspace to Russian airlines. Despite this, almost 170 thousand Russians visited Montenegro in 2022. This is 8.3 percent of the total number of tourists in Montenegro, and more precisely – the third place in terms of the number of tourists and the second in terms of overnight stays (16.4 percent). That is, even without direct flights with Russia, Montenegro was visited in 2022 by almost 50 percent of the record number of Russian tourists in 2019. Taking into account the fact that, according to statistics, tourists from Russia stayed longer in domestic resorts and spent more money compared to guests from other countries, in 2022 alone, the Montenegrin tourism economy lost 46 million euros due to anti-Russian sanctions.

Is it possible to resume direct flights between Russia and Montenegro?

Maslenikov: In the foreseeable future, it is difficult to expect the restoration of direct flights between Russia and Montenegro due to the already mentioned harmonization of Podgorica with decisions on EU sanctions.

The EU and the US are actively discussing the possibility of confiscating Russian frozen assets and handing them over to Ukraine. The EU recently passed a decision, which allows the use of profits from it. Is the possibility of confiscation of Russian property being considered in Montenegro?

Maslenikov: Montenegro can hardly be included in the list of world financial centers. Our country did not keep its state financial assets here. Consequently, there is nothing to profit from. As for the private property of Russian citizens, some domestic media tried to raise an unhealthy arbitration, showing that allegedly almost 19 thousand real estate objects owned by Russians in Montenegro are under the threat of confiscation. But even the well-known decisions of the EU, with all their international legal illegitimacy, do not imply the confiscation of property of any holder of a Russian passport.

It is known that Montenegro has been a candidate for joining the EU since 2010. The country’s authorities expect it to join the EU in 2028 at the latest.

Maslenikov: The current state leadership sees its “historic chance” in the current declared readiness of the EU for expansion. At the same time, Brussels does not hide that this renewed interest in enlargement is connected with the Ukrainian crisis. In general, many Montenegrin politicians understand that this “enthusiasm for expansion” will disappear in Brussels immediately after the end of the conflict in Ukraine. But the people who are now in power in Podgorica are young, unencumbered by the political experience of the previous two decades (if we count from the declaration of independence in 2006), and it seems realistic to them to “move” into a slightly open window of opportunity. Here, they do not want to notice that the current EU has ceased and will no longer be the successful economic integration community it was before 2014. The key is that Brussels promises to allocate funds to Podgorica within the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans – otherwise, it is not that much: from the total amount of six billion euros for the entire Western Balkans in the period 2024-2027. Montenegro will receive around 413 million euros. Plus, Podgorica leaves no hope for access to community funds. The second question is – how full will these funds be after the senseless but unrestrained spending of the European Union to support the regime in Kiev? They prefer not to think about this here, as well as the fact that the “version of the Montenegrin dream” – that is, that Montenegro will enter the EU on its own and quickly – would actually mean one thing – everything inside the union has degraded so much, that Brussels needs to show the world its attraction at least for someone. In order, for example, to assess the prospects for the European integration progress of Podgorica, it is not necessary to “hang out” with the ambassadors of the EU countries – the information is literally at your feet. In addition, I have been dealing with EU issues for almost a quarter of a century – believe me, little has changed in the way Brussels deceives the candidate countries. Of course, formulations such as “the most advanced candidate”, “the next member of the EU” or “reforms still need to be worked on” were not invented yesterday and not especially for Montenegro. What has really changed is the level and severity of the requirements for entry candidates. In any case, towards the Western Balkans.

Russia openly says that it considers the expansion of NATO in any direction a threat. European politicians often talk about the need to include the Balkan countries in the union. Does the Russian Federation see the eventual expansion of the EU into the Balkans as a threat to its security?

Maslenikov: We did not oppose the previous waves of expansion. Now the situation is different, and the EU is different, it has mutated in support of NATO, implements an aggressive anti-Russian line and actively participates in the hybrid confrontation with our country. Consequently, the expansion of the EU into the Balkans means drawing the countries of the region into a confrontation with Russia.

What is the current level of economic relations between the two countries?

Maslenikov: Trade does not play a big role in the economic relations between Russia and Montenegro. As far as I remember, the highest trade turnover was achieved in 2021 – around 10.5 million Euros. In 10 months of 2023, mutual trade amounted to six million euros with a huge advantage over us – exports from Russia to Montenegro were almost 5.9 million Euros and imports from Montenegro were 0.1 million Euros. These are not very big numbers. But after Podgorica’s quick and thoughtless accession to the EU’s anti-Russian restrictive measures in 2014, in 2015 we were forced to respond with retaliatory measures. Therefore, in trade and economic affairs, Montenegro and Russia have a very narrow spectrum of possibilities, because they are surrounded by restrictive measures on both sides. Another thing is Russian investments. For all the years of Montenegro’s independence, the volume of our investments approached two billion euros. For the sake of comparison, in roughly the same period, Montenegro received around one billion Euros in grants from the EU.

Detailed statistics, which include the “origin” of investments, for 2023 have not yet been published. We only know that the inflow of direct foreign investments for January-October 2023 decreased by 46 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. This is strange considering that the main, as they say here, “international partners” of Montenegro are constantly announcing new investments in the country. In Podgorica, they have long avoided mentioning the Russian contribution to the economy of Montenegro. Moreover, since last year’s election campaign, there is a tendency to talk about Russian investments in a kind of negative context. It is especially interesting to hear such statements from the same people who told me two or three years ago that they would never forget the economic “boom” in Montenegro, generated by Russian investments in the 2000s. Now in Podgorica, he is clearly shying away from the fact that in 2022, Russia took second place on the list of the largest investors in the Montenegrin economy – with 127.2 million Euros or 11 percent of total foreign investments. In 2021, we were in first place with 192 million Euros, in 2022 – we lost the championship to Serbia. In the structure of Russian investments in Montenegro in 2022, 32 percent related to investments in Montenegrin companies and banks, while 48 percent – to the purchase of real estate. By comparison, real estate accounts for 48 percent of Turkish, 70 percent of German and 77.4 percent of American investments in Montenegro. In the meantime, the USA – with its 48-million-Euro investment in this country in 2022 – spent more in the past five years on the fight against some “malign Russian influence” in Montenegro. They set aside 50 million Euros for these purposes. I am sure that if they invested the same amount in the Montenegrin economy in the same five years – an additional 10 million Euros per year – it would bring much more benefits to Podgorica. Let’s see what the results will be in 2023, but in the first four months, Russia was again the largest investor in the Montenegrin economy with investments of 42.5 million Euros, while by the end of September the figure had risen to 82 million Euros. So if there is some decrease at the level of the year, it will obviously not be as big as in the case of other countries. But compared to 2021, the decline is very serious – more than doubled, and this is another consequence of Montenegro’s support for EU sanctions. An effect which for our country, let me remind you, is nothing more than a statistical error.

Many diplomats working in EU countries say that there are no more political contacts between the Russian Federation and European countries, and the dialogue is reduced to solving technical problems. How are things between the Russian Federation and Montenegro?

Maslenikov: Not only political dialogue, but also bilateral relations are almost frozen. The previous government of Dritan Abazovic became the absolute champion in destroying Russian-Montenegrin relations, in this regard it did more than the last two governments of the Democratic Party of Socialists Milo Djukanovic, which started this process. For the second year already, our embassy has been working in the most unfavourable conditions that the Montenegrin authorities have created for us for no reason. In the context of the “epidemic” of the expulsion of Russian diplomatic officers, which has affected Western countries, the reduction of the number of our diplomats in Montenegro to two units is still unprecedented. As far as we know, this whole story is based on the absolutely absurd idea of the Western “partners” of Podgorica that through a sudden reduction of the Russian diplomatic presence, the Montenegrin people can be forced to “stop loving” Russia. It turned out that the idea is inadequate and counterproductive – according to my experience, in the past period, the support of Montenegrin citizens for our country has significantly strengthened. To be honest, I did not expect that from some people who recently expressed solidarity with Russia. And if now, instead of government offices and diplomatic receptions in Podgorica, we attend events in numerous municipalities of the country more often, then this is for the better. In this way, we learn “first-hand” how Montenegro lives and breathes.

What are the prospects for improving relations with Russia?

Maslenikov: As for the possibility of something changing, the ball is in the Montenegrin side’s court. The question is whether Podgorica understands that relations with Russia will have to be renewed before the country enters the EU. Although the current political elite gives the impression that it will “return for friendship” at the moment when the EU reverses the enlargement process again or if – and that will certainly not be fast – Montenegro joins the EU and there is an inevitable disappointment because they “joined one EU and entered another”. And I didn’t invent that – in fact, I heard such an assessment from fellow diplomats from all countries that have joined the EU since 2004. The Montenegrin leadership, while acceding to the EU sanctions, did not ask its people for their opinion. Likewise, no one asked for the opinion of the people of Montenegro when joining NATO. And the gap between what the people want and what the Montenegrin authorities are doing towards Russia is obvious. In both Russian and Montenegrin society, there is a very high demand for the normalization of our relations and their return to the level of traditionally friendly and close ones.

Toshkovski and Bojmacaliev meet Slovenian Ambassador Presker (MIA)

Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski and additional Deputy Minister of Interior Mitko Bojmacaliev held a working meeting Tuesday with the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia Gregor Preskerduring which they voiced gratitude for the productive cooperation with the Embassy and the Slovenian Interior Ministry, especially during the migrant crisis, as well as the support provided during that period, said the Ministry in a press release. To that end, said the Ministry, Minister Toshkovski expressed his confidence that the good cooperation will continue in the future as well. “Toshkovski briefly acquainted Ambassador Presker with the functioning of the Ministry of Interior in the caretaker Government, as a Ministry with great responsibility regarding the organization of the coming elections and a guarantor of fair and democratic elections. He outlined the measures taken with the goal of facilitating the procedures for the issuance of personal documents so that the citizens can receive their personal documents in a dignified way. To that end, he noted that we are obliged to respect human rights regarding the free movement of the citizens,” said the Ministry. At the meeting, according to the press release, Ambassador Presker emphasized the support provided by the Slovenian Interior Ministry thus far, especially regarding the migrant crisis on a bilateral level and within Frontex as well, but also the support provided for the Ministry’s aviation units. Additional Deputy Minister Bojmacaliev voiced gratitude for the cooperation with the Republic of Slovenia and expressed wishes for its further enhancement.

ELECTIONS 2024 / Dashtevski: Parliamentary elections campaign to continue during presidential campaign silence (MIA)

While the election silence period is underway for the presidential elections, the campaign for the parliamentary elections will continue, said the head of the State Election Commission (SEC) Aleksandar Dashtevski on Tuesday, clarifying a previous statement. “Regarding a previous statement of mine, I would like to clarify, since the campaigns for the presidential and parliamentary elections overlap, the law is clear that there will be a period of election silence for the presidential elections from 22 April until 24 April. It won’t overlap with the other period of election silence [for the parliamentary elections],” said Dashtevski at an SEC session on Tuesday. The presidential elections will be held on 24 April, while the campaign is set to kick off on 4 April and last through to 22 April when the period of election silence will begin. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for 8 May, the campaign will begin on 18 April and last until 6 May. During the period of election silence for the presidential elections, the campaign for the parliamentary elections will continue.

Kovachevski: Electoral Code amendments ready, SDSM to support them once on parliament agenda (MIA)

SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski said Tuesday the Electoral Code amendments in line with the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations are ready and the party would support them once they are put for a vote in parliament. Kovachevski said it is too late for major changes in the Electoral Code, considering that the elections have already been scheduled. “We are ready to vote for the amendments today. There can be discussion on major changes, but I think, as do other parties as well, that now is too late for this since elections have already been scheduled,” Kovachevski told reporters. He added that SDSM would nominate its own presidential candidate, urging all political parties that share their values to support the nominee. “It is a legitimate right of every political party to nominate its own presidential candidate and I expect all those who share our values to support our candidate,” noted Kovachevski. The SDSM leader said the party would have heads of candidate lists in all electoral districts, whereas the decision on including candidates from DUI or other political parties in those lists would result from analyses and decisions within the party. Kovachevski reiterated that SDSM would unveil its presidential candidate at the party congress that is set to take place by the end of February or the onset of March.

Zelensky in Tirana/ Rama: Erdogan to deliver his message at Southeast European countries Summit (Radio Tirana)

During the joint conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Edi Rama highlighted that at the summit of Southeast European countries to be held on 28 February in Tirana, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will also be present, Turkish President Erdogan will deliver the keynote speech from his office in Ankara. “I have informed that in the coming days in Tirana, together with President Zelensky, we will hold a summit of Southeast European countries where Turkey is also invited, and I am grateful that despite the busy agenda and the impossibility of being physically in Tirana, the President has agreed to assess the summit through a direct link from his office with a message. We share concern and pain for what is happening in Gaza; we are convinced that it is time for a ceasefire that must be linked to the release of hostages and certainly must come from a joint force of the 5 Middle Eastern countries and Turkey. For us, Turkey is an irreplaceable actor in guaranteeing the future for Gaza and for Israel itself,” said Rama. He also emphasized that he discussed with the Turkish President the situation in the region and the relations between Kosovo and Serbia. “As always, I listen to the President who is interested in the progress of our region, the progress of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and his advice that progress and peace in the region be stronger every day. We have also shared opinions with the president on the conflict in Ukraine,” Rama was quoted as saying.

Erdogan: Albania and Turkey, factors of peace in Europe and the Balkans (Radio Tirana)

The President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed great pleasure in welcoming the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama and his delegation in Ankara on the occasion of the first meeting of the High-Level Cooperation, emphasizing that “today we confirmed once again to elevate our relations to a higher level”. At the joint press conference with Prime Minister Edi Rama, Erdogan underscored that, “last year we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Albania and Turkey. Our multidimensional cooperation continues to develop within the framework of the strategic partnership that we declared together with Prime Minister Rama in 2021”. “I emphasized once again,” he continued, “the importance Turkey attaches to the development of Albania and the support for the improvement of the welfare of the Albanian people. With the agreements we have signed, we have strengthened the legal basis of our cooperation,” Erdogan said. The Turkish president also focused on the goals of cooperation in the future, stressing out that ” The trade volume has reached $1 billion, our new goal is to increase it to $2 billion.”

Peleshi: The Military Cooperation Agreement with Turkey, an expression of the close relationship between the countries (Radio Tirana)

Albania and Turkey signed a Cooperation Agreement between the two countries in the military field. Albanian Minister of Defense Niko Peleshi, part of the Albanian delegation headed by Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is visiting Turkey for the meeting of the High Level Strategic Council between the two governments, expressed his gratitude for the continuous support given by the Turkish government for the modernization of the Armed Forces of Albania. “Hearty gratitude for the fraternal hospitality and a thank you for the continuous support for the modernization of the Armed Forces of Albania, from our ally and strategic partner, Turkey”, said Peleshi. According to him, the military cooperation agreement between the two countries is an expression of the close relationship between Albania and Turkey. “The signing of the Military Cooperation Agreement, an expression of our close relationship that will continue in the interest of stability and security in the Western Balkans, in the Mediterranean region and wider,” said Peleshi.

Albania-Turkey/ 6 agreements and memoranda of understanding signed (Radio Tirana)

The Albanian delegation led by Prime Minister Edi Rama is visiting Turkey for the High-Level Strategic Council meeting between the two governments. During this visit, in the presence of Turkish President Erdogan and Prime Minister Rama, 6 agreements and memoranda were signed today to further strengthen cooperation between Albania and Turkey. Thus, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change of the Republic of Turkey for cooperation in the field of environment. Also, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Tourism and Environment of the Republic of Albania and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey for sustainable forest and protected area management. The parties signed an agreement between the PM of Albania and the government of the Republic of Turkey on the status of the TIKA Tirana program coordination office. Similarly, a military framework agreement was signed between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the government of the Republic of Turkey, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding between the government of Albania and the government of the Republic of Turkey in the fields of Media and Communication for communication and public information.