LOCAL PRESS

Vucic after the meeting with Soder: We proposed 7 important things (B92/Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke with Prime Minister of Bavaria Markus Soder.

After the meeting, a ceremony was held to present the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a ribbon to the Prime Minister of Bavaria. “Thank you for fulfilling what you said in Munich so quickly. I hope that you all feel at home in our country. We analyzed the relations between Bavaria and Serbia. Our side proposed seven important things,” said Vucic. “Back in 1970, we formed a mixed commission with Bavaria and we both agree that we should have a new session. I suggested Soder to help us in all forms of cooperation with the Technical University of Munich. That’s where the best you have is,” he added. “We greatly appreciate the way Söder addresses Serbia and its citizens, to show respect and to show that he sees us as partners and friends. Thank you very much for your visit, dear friend, feel at home,” said Vucic. “Thank you very much for the respect you have shown us and for the recognition you have given me today,” Soder began his address. “I did not come as a teacher and a judge, but to shape a common future. We are strongly in favor of Serbia’s accession to the EU. It is very important that the EU is not a community where everyone speaks the same. We especially respect that in all discussions we have a stable democracy. We are strongly in favor of Serbia becoming a member of the EU, because we think that Europe needs Serbia,” said Soder. He emphasized that it is extremely important to visit the strongest country in the Balkans, referring to Serbia.

Questions of the journalists

“For us, it is the biggest insult if you say that we are not hospitable enough. For us, hospitality means respect, friendship. I met Soder and I heard a lot about him and I had the opportunity to talk longer now in Munich. Today I tried to I hear and learn from Markus Soder. I am interested in cooperation with people, and he is the man who represents the people of Bavaria in the best way. That was the reason why we showed such respect,” answered Vučić when asked about Söder’s exceptional welcome. “We will always respect all norms of international law and clearly know who violated the UN Charter. We Serbs are experts in this. Everything is important to us and we do not have double standards. When Russia does something bad, we say it clearly. In this hysteria that it’s been more than two years, we haven’t heard such normal words as we heard from Söder and we will always know how to appreciate it,” he added. Vucic and Soder were asked if the world is on the brink of the Third World War. “Russia has clearly shown that it is advancing and that it is not interested in peace negotiations, and that is why it is very important to support Ukraine. We would not send troops to Ukraine, but we will be happy to support financially and in the form of weapons. The goal is not to spread the war, but to achieve truce and to get the attacks to stop, but I don’t think that’s possible at the moment,” Soder explained. and added that whenever Germany acted independently, it was not successful. “We will have some changes in some of our doctrines in the coming period. There are two scenarios. Either the West will go in the direction of a complete conflict with Russia, or with the help of the USA and China, some kind of truce will be established, which would mean a huge relief for the world. If they enter into the conflict, I’m afraid nobody will gain anything from it. I’m not sure that this conflict wouldn’t have more casualties than the Second World War which is unimaginable for the 21st century. We are small and insignificant in that sense, but in any case, it will affect Serbia. We must be ready for either solution and we will find out within 100 days,” answered Vucic.

Petkovic: Kurti cannot break Kosovo Serbs’ ties with their state (Tanjug/RTV)

In a reaction to Pristina’s removal of Cyrillic road signs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Thursday Pristina’s PM Albin Kurti could not sever the unbreakable ties between Serbs in the province and their state, Serbia. “Kurti can clamp down on Cyrillic road signs but cannot sever the unbreakable ties the Serbs have with their state! Those who know only of violence will never know what peaceful co-existence is. The Serbian Cyrillic has survived for centuries and it will survive the little tyrant, too,” Petkovic wrote in a post on the social media network X. Earlier in the day, workers escorted by the so-called Kosovo Police started removing old yellow Cyrillic road signs with place names in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and replacing them with blue road signs written in Albanian as well as in Serbian, but in the Latin script.

Dacic: Inadmissibility of any attempts by “Kosovo” to achieve membership in the Hague Conference (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met yesterday with Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law Christophe Bernasconi. Dacic underlined Serbia’s commitment to respect international law as one of the postulates of our foreign policy and pointed out the significant contribution that the Hague Conference has to the unification of the rules of private international law. He once again reiterated our views on the inadmissibility of any attempts by “Kosovo” to achieve membership in the Hague Conference and expressed his gratitude to Bernasconi for understanding our position. Bernasconi informed Dacic about the current and future activities of the Hague Conference and thanked Serbia for its contribution to the work of this organisation, a statement of the Foreign Ministry reads.

Orlic: New Serbian parliament to have six deputy speakers (Tanjug/RTV)

The deputy president of the Head Committee of Serbia’s ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Vladimir Orlic said on Thursday consultations between political groups in the new national parliament had been completed successfully and that nine groups that had accepted an invitation to consultations would propose that the parliament have six deputy speakers. “All nine groups from the parliamentary majority and the opposition that honoured the invitation by Stojan Radenovic (who presided over the first session of the parliament as the oldest MP) to discuss joint work in the parliament will jointly propose that the 14th Assembly have six deputy speakers – two from the SNS, one each from minority national communities – Hungarians and Bosniaks – one from the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and one representative from the opposition We, A Voice from The People list,” a statement released by the SNS quoted Orlic as saying. He said the number of women among the parliament’s top officials was certain to be higher than ever before. Orlic said that, under an agreement reached at the consultations, two opposition groups would be heading the parliamentary committee on the diaspora and Serbs in the region and the committee on education, science and technological development. “An agreement on the makeup of parliamentary delegations was also reached. A delegation to the joint Republic of Serbia-Republika Srpska parliamentary forum – established at the end of last year – will be formed for the first time,” Orlic said. On Wednesday and Thursday, representatives of the SNS-led Serbia Must Not Stop electoral list, the coalition around the SPS, the We, A Voice From The People list and minority lists attended consultations on the election of the parliament’s deputy speakers and working bodies, while the opposition Serbia Against Violence and Hope for Serbia coalitions rejected invitations to take part.

Escobar with Kurti on Dinar issue: I hope Kosovo govt will be flexible (KoSSev/N1)

“It’s an emerging humanitarian issue that we need to address immediately and I hope that the government is prepared to be flexible in these discussions on the dialogue on Tuesday,” US special envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said following talks with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Thursday in Pristina. Escobar was referring to the recent Central Bank of Kosovo (CBK) decision on the euro as the sole currency in Kosovo and its impact on the Serb community. Approximately 100,000 Kosovo Serbs receive salaries, pensions, social benefits and other payments from Serbian institutions in Dinars yet they are now unable to collect their money, reported KoSSev. US special envoy is paying a visit to Kosovo in an attempt to persuade the Kosovo government to be more flexible, as the entire international community has been voicing concern over the Kosovo authorities’ treatment of Kosovo Serbs. He spoke positively about his meeting with Kurti, which was quite lengthy. “We had a very good discussion, and I made it very clear that no one can hear the stories from some of the most vulnerable members of this community, which is the disabled, the retired, the students, and not be moved by their stories of how this decision has affected them. The prime minister acknowledged that and he did promise that he would look into some of the proposals that I made to him today,” said Escobar when asked if there will be any changes regarding the implementation of the CBK decision on the Dinar. At the same time, he commended the Kosovo prime minister for the decision “that he made” on giving the Decani monastery title to land. “It was a difficult decision, but it was the right decision,” said Escobar, adding that he welcomes Kurti’s commitment to the rule of law and the decision made by the Constitutional Court.

Jovanovic: We are waiting for authorities’ response to call for dialogue (N1/Beta)

New Democratic Party of Serbia leader Milos Jovanovic has said that the opposition has issued a call to the authorities for dialogue on electoral conditions and that it is now up to the government representatives to respond. Jovanovic said the call for dialogue had been sent because opposition representatives were “responsible people” and that it was now a question of whether the authorities had “any sense to finally initiate a dialogue.” “If there is any common sense, we will go into the process of negotiations regarding electoral conditions… If there is no reply, we know what we need to do and then non-institutional struggle will be the final outcome of all of this,” the party quoted Jovanovic as saying on TV N1 today.  Regarding the upcoming session of the Serbian parliament scheduled for 18 March, Jovanovic said “it will pass how it will pass” and that “dissatisfaction on the opposition side will probably be expressed there”. “The point is, do these authorities have any sense and have they preserved at least a smidgeon of reason to finally launch a dialogue, i.e. talks with the opposition. All the attempts at dialogue that have existed so far have failed,” said Jovanovic.

Opposition party files criminal complaint against two ministers (Beta)

The Freedom and Justice Party yesterday filed a criminal complaint to the prosecutor’s office against Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic, Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Aleksandar Martinovic and multiple state secretaries at the ministry, for “election fraud, changing the electoral will of Belgrade citizens”. “These people are part of the organized group that tried to take Belgrade away from its citizens,” said the head of the Freedom and Justice Party’s Belgrade chapter Mila Popovic right before she submitted the criminal complaint. She underscored that in this way a chance was being given to the judiciary to do its job and protect citizens from the Serbian Progressive Party’s election violence. “We are waiting for some future Belgrade elections which will be held only after ODIHR’s conditions have been met,” stressed Popovic, adding that if those conditions were not met, then there would be no real elections. According to her, the Freedom and Justice Party has discovered as many as 89 addresses where “phantom voters” have been registered and the party will not give up trying to get an investigation into who is responsible for the fact that Belgraders had “a festival of violence instead of a holiday of democracy.” She said that a criminal complaint had been filed against Arena sports hall director Goran Grbovic too, because he had allowed the hall to be a “collection center” for voters from Republika Srpska in the elections for the Belgrade Assembly.

Serbian Patriarch: We will speak Serbian, not gender-sensitive language (Beta)

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said Thursday that people in Serbia do not agree to their mothers and fathers being called parent 1 and 2, maybe even 3 and 4, that they are against their children not knowing who their mother and father are, or who they are. “We do not and will not speak gender-sensitive language, but Serbian language. We will not agree to it that those who speak Serbian be denied human rights, and be punished for it,” said Patriarch Porfirije at a scientific gathering titled “Legal Aspects and Consequences of the Law on Gender Equality,” held at the National Library of Serbia. He stressed that the Serbian people “particularly express disapproval over the fact that from kindergarten, through elementary and high schools and universities, a change in consciousness and way of life of the individual and society as a whole is imposed, by promoting gender or, more specifically, LGBTQIA+ policy and practices.” “It is against every democratic principle that the personal preferences of a minority, which are not and must not be threatened in any way by anyone, become generally binding for the majority,” said the Patriarch. He called on law professors, scientists, lawyers and other meeting participants to propose legal measures that should shift the focus away from this law that is, as he said, trying to completely change our way of life.

NATO report: Presence in Kosovo remains key to stability of Western Balkans (Beta)

NATO continues to be strongly engaged in the Western Balkans, for whose stability the Alliance’s presence in Kosovo remains key, says NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg‘s annual report published yesterday. The report underlines that since 1999 the NATO-led KFOR mission has been helping to maintain a secure and safe environment for all communities in Kosovo, and freedom of movement, in close cooperation with the European Union, the United Nations and other international actors. The document also says that in 2023 KFOR played a crucial role in securing stability in Kosovo at a time of heightened tensions and increased instability in North Kosovo. After the violence in May and September, the allies deployed some 1,000 members of the reserve forces to the KFOR mission, which is the biggest reinforcement in the last 10 years, says the report. It adds that this enabled KFOR to triple the number of its patrols and quadruple its presence in North Kosovo. With KFOR, NATO continued to support the building of capacities of security organizations in Kosovo through its civilian and military team comprising around 40 members from 13 countries, reads the report. In 2023, the team offered advice and assistance in areas such as medical support, logistics, procurement, budget execution, and human resource management, the document adds.

Serbian government extends decision on protection of displaced Ukrainians (Beta)

The Serbian government extended the validity of its decision on providing displaced persons from Ukraine with temporary protection in Serbia. A press release said that this was done in order to provide a quick response to the humanitarian needs of displaced persons from Ukraine and their family members who cannot return to Ukraine due to the current situation.

“Members of the government passed this decision in view of the fact that the previous one expires on 18 March this year,” it added. The government explained that the validity of the decision was extended because, “due to the current situation in Ukraine, there are reasons why it is necessary to provide displaced persons with temporary protection in the coming period as well, so as to protect their basic human rights and freedoms”. Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainians as well of Russian citizens have moved to Serbia.

Stano: Chief negotiators of Belgrade, Pristina to meet in Brussels Tuesday (Tanjug)

The next meeting of chief negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina will be held in Brussels on Tuesday, 19 March, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed on Friday.

At a Brussels press briefing, Stano said the EU special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak had invited the chief negotiators to Brussels to continue discussions about a decision by the so-called Kosovo central bank on the use of the Serbian Dinar, and noted that other most pressing issues in the dialogue would be discussed as well. Asked by Tanjug when the new round of the dialogue would take place, Stano said it would be held on 19 March. US special Western Balkans envoy Gabriel Escobar said on Thursday he hoped the Pristina government would be flexible about its regulation banning the Serbian Dinar in Kosovo and Metohija in discussions to be held on Tuesday as part of the dialogue.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik, Covic and Niksic at panel discussion ‘The Future of B&H: On the Path to the EU’ in Vienna; Dodik: B&H will stop being a colony after 21 March (RTRS)

HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) leader Dragan Covic, SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and SDP leader Nermin Niksic participated in the panel discussion ‘The Future of B&H: On the Path to the EU’ at the conference organized at the Vienna School of International Studies (Diplomatische Akademie Wien) on Thursday. Dodik spoke at the panel discussion and conveyed the message about wanting, as Dodik said, the illegitimate High Representative Christian Schmidt and foreign judges of the Constitutional Court of B&H to leave B&H after 21 March. Dodik claimed that Schmidt makes decisions on laws in B&H as a false High Representative, which is not the case anywhere in the world, and that Republika Srpska (RS) will not live in an unconstitutional B&H. The reporter commented that moderate European optimism was heard during the panel discussion because Dodik and Covic expressed the expectation that the continuation of the European path would be necessary without a foreign factor in B&H, above all the decisive foreign factor, both in the political and judicial system of the country. Dodik and Covic clearly said that B&H should continue its European path independently and that the deciding factor in the country should be the local politicians elected by the people. On the other hand, Niksic was somewhat more reserved when it came to this topic, commented the reporter, but he was optimistic when it comes to the continuation of B&H’s European path and the opening of the negotiation process with the EU. The participants of the panel discussion and the audience were extremely interested in the relationship between Dodik and the Russian President Vladimir Putin, added the reporter. When asked whether he will continue to meet with Putin, Dodik answered affirmatively and said that he expects that in the future there will be numerous European leaders in front of Putin’s cabinet who, as Dodik said, will be waiting for meetings with Putin. When asked whether B&H will enter the pre-accession negotiations according to the decision that will be made on 21 and 22 March, Covic said it will, Dodik said it will not, Niksic said he sincerely hopes it will. Dodik said that after 21 March and the decision on negotiations, B&H must cease to be under international administration. Dodik stated: “…that on the 23rd, the false High Representative who was not appointed in accordance with Annex 10 should disappear there, and that foreign judges who are not citizens of B&H, and who are part of that judicial process, should leave the Constitutional Court”. Covic said that they should thank the foreigners for their help, but they have to make the key decisions themselves. Covic stated: “I am fully convinced that on 20 or 21 March, that means in seven days, we will get that positive answer and only then do serious trials come for us. We must reorganize, prepare B&H for a process that must be based on parliamentary democracy in B&H”. There is no alternative to talk and compromise on the European path, added the reporter. The goal is the same and the hope is a green light from the EU to open negotiations. Niksic stated: “Only then will we have to do serious work, when chapters are opened, to fulfil our obligations according to EU standards, but it is quite certain and we are encouraged that the efforts we have made have been recognized by the EU, by the European Commission”. There are still laws that have not been harmonized, such as the Law on the Court of B&H, about which there are disagreements, primarily because of the issue of the seat of the Appellate Division. Niksic said that they believe that the compromise they made by not calling it the High Court and the proposal for the seat to be in Istocno Sarajevo is sufficient compromise. Covic commented that, if they agreed that it should be in the RS, then the representatives of the RS authorities should define where it is most suitable. It is necessary to define changes to the Election Law without unpacking the B&H Constitution, without which, even after four election cycles, the Croats will not have a legitimately elected member of the B&H Presidency, added the reporter. Covic stated: “The Croat people have already been deprived of their representatives in the diplomatic network, ambassadors, consuls general for four mandates for four years. That is 14 representatives in today’s layout that are not there today, who would say something on behalf of the Croat people in the world”. When asked whether he will stop meeting with Putin if negotiations with the EU are opened, Dodik’s answer was the he will not. Speaking about the conflict in Ukraine, Dodik said that he does not justify war and that it is not an aggression. This, Dodik claimed, is not the relationship between Ukraine and Russia, but the West and Russia through Ukraine. Dodik stated: “Russia is also a witness to the Dayton (Peace) Agreement. Imagine us, as B&H, which was created and regulated by the Dayton Agreement, got a constitution, Annex 4 is the Constitution of B&H, now we, whom Russia has enabled to have, and carries out some kind of supervision, should impose sanctions on Russia because someone here in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, etc., is somewhat angry, so we need (to do) it now too. That is absurd”. Despite the separatist label they are trying to stick on him, Dodik repeated that they want a constitutional and Dayton B&H on the European path, which is not governed by foreigners, especially not through stolen competences. No president, not even the king, said Dodik, has the authority to impose laws, as Schmidt is trying to do. Dodik pointed out: “We oppose the decisions of illegal foreigners who impose decisions and laws. We believe that they should be agreed upon in the conversation of three constituent peoples and two entities”. According to the lawyer Anto Nobilo, questions about whether the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution will be strictly respected in B&H or whether they will be revised, whether B&H will be a state of two entities and three peoples or a state of citizens, are questions which, instead of an agreement between the three peoples, are being tried to be resolved by the unilateral action of Schmidt through criminal proceedings against Dodik, who Schmidt wants to remove from the political scene. Nobilo stated: “He writes the B&H Criminal Code himself and determines that whoever does not respect his decisions commits a criminal offense, goes to prison and is banned for life from engaging in politics or any state work”. Despite these goals, Dodik’s message even today is that the European path, which is used to change the constitutional order of B&H, is always the property of the country and not the imposition of decisions from outside. Dodik stated: “Either Europe will have to show or say that it can move forward with that international administration and that it is a new European standard, or that international administration will have to be cancelled and the people of B&H will have to decide sovereignly about that process”.

Commissioner Varheyli: If Council adopts proposal, EC will immediately start with preparing of negotiating framework (Oslobodjenje)

Addressing the journalists of European Newsroom, EU Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver Varhelyi stated that according to their assessment, B&H achieved necessary level of harmonization with criteria for membership and this is why the EC recommended opening of the accession talks. He noted that progress is registered in founding criteria for opening of the accession talks, i.e. rule of law, democratic functioning of institutions and fight against money laundering, corruption and organized crime and focus of the report was on the most recent developments in B&H, which Varhelyi considers encouraging. “Authority worked on all levels. Political coalition, which is at the helm of the country now, is making results,” said Varhelyi. Speaking about potential date for opening of the talks, Varhelyi stressed they do not deal with deadlines, but results: “It is very difficult to assume how much time is necessary to European Council to reach consensus. This demands unanimous opinion of member states,” said Varhelyi. He noted that if the Council adopts the proposal, the EC will immediately start with preparing of negotiating framework.

Covic: B&H will receive the invitation next Thursday, and it is necessary to prepare to make much bigger steps forward than was the case until now (Dnevni avaz)

Speaking for the daily, HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said that he is certain that for the next seven days, until the session of European Council, they will continue to receive positive signals regarding “our role, credibility and results, we achieved when it comes to the integration process”. He talked to the daily from Vienna, where he attended a panel discussion on B&H’s future together with leaders of SDP and SNSD Nermin Niksic and Milorad Dodik respectively. Covic said that he is certain that B&H “will receive the invitation” next Thursday and that it is necessary to prepare to make much bigger steps forward than was the case until now. He expressed satisfaction that they managed to do something that others assessed as correct, even though they have not completed everything they promised. “To tell you the truth, it is good to give us a little wind under our wings, that we can build plans by the end of the year on this European path and adopt decisions faster than ever. I believe that because of the entire ambient we can cross from difficult and dark issues onto the European stories, which can bring many good things,” said Covic. The daily noted that B&H still owes adoption of Law on Courts in B&H and changes to B&H Election Law and Covic expects that both laws, even though they are not harmonized, are submitted to a procedure to the B&H Council of Ministers. He argues that this will allow some manoeuvring space, and if the laws are adopted by the CoM, in a regular procedure this time, they be upgraded, improved and harmonized in a parliamentary procedure. He stressed that it is necessary to use the momentum and hurry up with these laws and submit them in the parliamentary procedure, “thus showing we can be trusted for future agreements as well”. The daily noted that despite the statement of EC President Ursula Von der Leyen that current authorities did more in a year than in last ten, it will be uncertain until the session of the European Council whether all 27 member states will support opening of the talks. Covic believes that nobody will raise this issue in the next seven days and that all member states will recognize the need for B&H to open the accession talks. “I believe that everyone recognized that we did the best possible in the ambient we live in and that we deserve this step,” said Covic. Covic agrees that it is necessary to retain the euphoria, reminding that Montenegro and Serbia opened the talks a long time ago. He stressed that there is much to be done, noting that it is necessary to draft a precise plan of things that need to be done in 2024 and 2025.

Ambassador Arnaut: Germany will continue to provide help to B&H regarding preparations for EU negotiations (N1/Dnevni list)

B&H Ambassador to Germany Damir Arnaut has told N1 that German politicians are very active when it comes to B&H and its EU path. According to Arnaut, member of B&H Presidency Denis Becirovic’s absolute priority was the relation towards Germany, the UK, the US, NATO, the EU and strongest members of these organizations, stressing that senior German politicians believe B&H is a strategic point in Europe. Speaking about Germany’s assistance in terms of the (EU) negotiations, Ambassador Arnaut said Germany practically offered the assistance the moment it introduced sanctions against RS authorities. In this context, Arnaut stressed the sanctions were introduced against the RS authorities, not the people, and that the pressure, together with the US sanctions, resulted in a more rational approach when it comes to the European laws. Arnaut further stated that one should stress that Germany gives huge support to High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt, which is of vast importance and strategic interest for B&H. In addition, Arnaut said that Germany will, once the negotiations with the EU commence, help a lot with the preparation.

4th session of the SAPC ends in Strasbourg: Institutions of B&H lack capacity for accession negotiations (Dnevni list)

The 4th session of the Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) ended in Strasbourg on Thursday with discussion about fulfilling of the 14 key priorities of the European Commission. The SAPC, which is a forum of the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of B&H and the European Parliament, discussed what B&H has done in terms of reforms and progress it has achieved in last one year. During the second day of the session, which was co-chaired by Vice Chair of EP’s Delegation to B&H and Kosovo Zeljana Zovko and Chair of Parliamentary Assembly of B&H Delegation to SAPC Snjezana Novakovic-Bursac, B&H was congratulated on getting the EC’s recommendation for opening of the accession negotiations. There were also talks about the need to continue with reforms during the period before the European Council takes a decision (on opening of the accession negotiations), expressing hope that the decision will be positive for B&H. It was also stated during the discussion that the institutions of B&H lack the capacity, especially at lower levels, for the forthcoming negotiating process. With regards to this, it was said the EC is working on providing strong expert and financial help and is ready to send experts from EU Member States to B&H to work with local experts.

RS government adopts Action Plan for alignment of RS regulations with EU acquis (BHRT)

The RS government convened o Thursday and adopted the Action Plan for alignment of RS regulations with EU acquis. The Action Plan is based on priorities of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, recommendations of the Subcommittee on Stabilization and Association, recommendations of European Commission’s Report on B&H and priorities defined by the European Commission’s Opinion on B&H’s Membership Application. It outlines activities which will be implemented by 12 ministries and two administrative institutions.

US Embassy: Annual Threat Assessment warns of Dodik’s provocative steps (Oslobodjenje)

The US Embassy to B&H posted on X on Thursday: “The US Intelligence Community’s Annual Threat Assessment, a public document prepared every year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, reflects the collective insights of the US Intelligence Community and focuses on the most direct and serious threats to the United States primarily during the coming year. One threat category is potential intrastate turmoil. The Annual Threat Assessment regarding the Balkans and B&H was clear and straightforward: “Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik is taking provocative steps to neutralize international oversight in Bosnia and secure de facto secession for his RS. His action could prompt leaders of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) population to bolster their own capacity to protect their interests and possibly lead to violent conflicts that could overwhelm peacekeeping forces.”

Dodik: All scribblings from the US are created by US Embassy in Sarajevo, with Murphy at helm; Murphy is trying to stuff as much garbage as possible on the RS (RTRS)

RS President Milorad Dodik stated that all “scribblings” (reports) from the US are created by the US Embassy in Sarajevo, with Michael Murphy at helm and that Murphy “is trying to stuff as much garbage as possible on the RS”. “This would not happen if it was not created from Sarajevo. You have a pathological type, US Ambassador Michael Murphy, who is dedicated to this. He is trying to stuff as much garbage as possible on the RS, through various lies and untruths, which are specific for such pathological types, such as he,” said Dodik, commenting the U.S. Embassy’s annual threat assessment. Dodik said that Murphy will leave soon and then it will be seen what the new structure will be like, noting that they will talk to them if “they offer opportunity in a rational way and acknowledge the interest that exists and if they respect the letter of the Dayton”. He argues they will not agree to love the RS for the sake of happiness of US Ambassador.

Dodik: It is ridiculous for US to impose sanctions against my associates because of celebration; Additional statments (RTRS)

Posting on his X on Thursday, RS President Milorad Dodik commented new sanctions imposed by the US Administration against three of RS officials. Dodik noted that the USA is objectively the only country and diplomacy, which can be discontent by awarding the status of a candidate and this is why they are silent, and this is why they sanction people because of organization of a celebration. “The USA have an imperialistic approach in foreign policy. They are not the first or the last global force which is acting in such a way. On the other side, in internal policy the U.S. have very complex, dynamic and problematic relations, which we can only describe as political crisis on the brink of conflict. In this internal dynamics, political elites use sanctions,” wrote Dodik. He noted that there is a case where one institution bans a former president from running in elections, then the other institution removes the ban and so on: “There is no difference in how parts of the state of America act toward their own politicians and how they act toward us. We need to be fair and say that, like we from the RS are fair to say that no sanctions can intimidate us. And to wish honest American citizens for their state to overcome this situation as soon as possible. For God’s sake, people are sanctioned because they organized a day of celebration.” He stressed that this is “at the level where conservative elites, close to business and liberal capitalism, impose sanctions to trade-unionists because they organize celebration of May 1 and fight for rights of workers”. “It is that absurd. We are not stupid, and we are clear why yesterday was selected for this. B&H is a country, which imperialistic interests would want to run from their embassies. The RS does not agree with this. We can be managed only by representatives elected by our peoples. And yesterday of all days, when the EU is delivering Progress Report on our EU path, the best one in the last ten years, you remember to impose sanctions to my associates because of celebration,” wrote Dodik. He stressed that this is ridiculous: “This is appropriate for some empire from a comedy, not a serious state. However, this is also a question for the EU, which in current international circumstances, allows to be often led by geopolitical interests outside Europe, rather than vision of its founders.” The RS, Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H Stasa Kosarac said that this is “the proof of the American arrogance” and he added that he will treat those sanctions as if they were medals because “the RS’ birthday will be marked in future as well.” Deputy speaker of the B&H House of Peoples and HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic briefly commented on the sanctions that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury introduced against close associates of RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Covic said that sanctions have brought nothing good to anyone in B&H in the last 30 years.

10th convocation of Croatian parliament dissolved by unanimous vote (HRT)

2024 is a super-election year for Croatia. Not only with voters be going to the polls in June to vote for European Parliament, but they will also be voting in the Croatian parliamentary and presidential elections. After voting on some forty items debated over the past two weeks, the 10th convocation of parliament was dissolved by unanimous decision on Thursday. This was followed by a series of press conferences at which MPs summed up the past four years. deputy parliament speaker and HDZ MP Zeljko Reiner: “I can calmly say that I am satisfied. We passed a whole series of laws that ensured higher salaries, higher pensions, the tripling of baby bonuses, and significantly increased social rights. What I am not satisfied with is the level of political communication, which unfortunately, from mandate to mandate, descends to a lower and lower level.” From the opposition, Pedja Grbin, the president of the center-left SDP had this to say about the 10th convocation: “I have nothing particularly new to say, except that from our perspective it was the most fun to watch our colleagues from the HDZ whine that we don’t propose anything, and then practically 2, 3, 4, or 5 weeks after we propose something, they copy us.” Representing the center-right opposition MOST MP Marija Selak Raspudic was critical of the HDZ-led majority and its role in trivializing the role parliament is supposed to play in Croatian political life: “What will remain as a bitter memory will be the reign of Andrej Plenkovic and Gordan Jandrokovic, that reduced parliament to a role of a mere rubber stamp for the government. And parliament is a key institution in the country that is supposed to manage the processes in Croatia.” President Zoran Milanovic will now set a date for the parliamentary elections at which citizens will elect representatives for the 11th convocation of Croatian parliament.

Milanovic to announce election date (HRT)

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanovic, who is staying on Dugi otok, when asked about the date of the election, said that the date of the election is a military secret, and he will announce it tomorrow (today). President Zoran Milanovic assessed that this was just under four years of theft and dishonour. “In some kind of Wikipedia of political dishonour, Andrej Plenkovic and his gang have embedded themselves with such a force, like a tanker, that everyone else, all scumbags and bums, have been reduced to the level of a footnote,” he added. He asserted that the “evil time” ended with a few violent gestures, the main one being the appointment or processing “as biomass,” of Ivan Turudic as the chief state attorney. Referring to Turudic’s swearing-in, in which not a single judge of the Constitutional Court participated, Milanovic asserted that they also understood that he could not continue and that he was declared by them to be a person who is not worthy of that duty according to the opinion of the vast majority of judges. “This is a man who is strongly contraindicated. Like alcohol for a person with liver disease. It can’t go together. And it finally goes to its end. That has now been discontinued. They disbanded after months of fiddling, lying, and manipulating, commented Milanović, noting that it was a matter of wrangling, lying in order to gain one’s own better and stronger initial position for those elections. “That’s what AP did all the time,” he said, referring to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. He also referred to the so-called Lex AP which parliament adopted yesterday, stating that it is an attempt to discipline and settle a situation where there is civil disobedience and awareness that some things must be made public, because it will not be known who steals and lies. “For Plenkovic, it is a life-threatening situation. He is the protector of thieves and corruption in Croatia. Maybe I wouldn’t have said that seven years ago, but now it’s clear to every child. Every sardine knows that. The one whose head was cut off, understands it,” he said. On Thursday, representatives in Croatian parliament voted to dissolve their 10th convocation, and the President of the Republic, who according to the law determines the date of parliamentary elections, can do so at least 30, and at most 60, days after the dissolution of parliament.

Mandic: Continuation of parliamentary session on 18 March, it’s time for compromises and mature decisions (CdM)

The parliamentary session, which was suspended on Wednesday at the request of the Democrats caucus, will continue on Monday, 18 March 2024, said parliament speaker Andrija Mandic. In the end, according to him, the agreement should be made on time, and it does not have to solve all the problems, but, as he says, “it should at least solve the existing misunderstanding”. “It’s time for compromises and mature decisions, and I expect that everyone in the parliamentary majority is guided by exactly those ideas”, said Mandic.

Spajic: No political instability, question for Democrats is whether they will leave government (CdM)

The Law on Internal Affairs states that the government will appoint one of the candidates for the position of the acting director of the Police Directorate. The candidate proposed by Interior Minister Danilo Saranovic did not receive support, PM Milojko Spajic said. He has added that nothing terrible is happening. “The government has a constitutional obligation to deal with the security of the state. That function and responsibility is extremely urgent. The line minister had no further formal proposals, the government authorized the prime minister to choose the candidate with the best references that I proposed”, said Spajic at the press conference after today’s cabinet meeting. Responding to questions about whether he would start the process of dismissing Minister Saranovic and whether the Democrats would leave the government, Spajic did not want to comment. He claims that they had a fantastic meeting today (yesterday). “We adopted information relating to financing the relocation of all institutions from the old government building for the needs of prosecutorial institutions. The US offered to help equip those offices. In a month, the building will be at the complete disposal of the prosecutor’s offices”, emphasized Spajic. He has confirmed CdM’s information that DPM Aleksa Becic and Minister Saranovic were not present at the cabinet meeting. Spajic claims that there is no political instability in any form.

Forty-six percent of Montenegrin citizens support NATO, 44 percent of them support leaving the Alliance (Pobjeda)

Forty-four percent of Montenegrin citizens would vote for Montenegro to leave the NATO alliance, while 46 percent of citizens would vote for the country to remain in this alliance, according to the latest NATO report for 2023, which was presented at the NATO headquarters, reports Pobjeda. Compared to last year’s report, the number of those who would leave NATO increased by 12 percent, and the number of supporters decreased by two percent. Data from the report show that the majority of citizens of the Alliance member countries would vote for their country to remain a member of NATO in the referendum (66 percent), which is a drop compared to the same period last year, when 70 percent of citizens of the member countries supported remaining in the alliance. The number of those who would leave the alliance also increased by one percent, so now 12 percent of respondents believe that their country should leave the alliance. When asked – if you would vote for or against your country’s membership in NATO, how would you vote – 46 percent of the surveyed citizens in Montenegro would say that they would vote for the country to remain in this alliance, while 44 percent would vote for the country to leave the alliance. 10 percent of citizens answered that they did not know. 46 percent of respondents in the country believe that NATO reduces the possibility that a foreign nation will attack our country, while 33 percent believe that this is not the case. And these data indicate a change compared to last year, when 55 percent of citizens answered the first question in the affirmative, and 31 percent in the negative. At the NATO level, the data are the same as compared to last year, so the majority of allied citizens still feel safe in their country. Presenting the report, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the world has become more dangerous, but that NATO has become stronger. “The data is clear: public support for NATO is extremely strong – on both sides of the Atlantic. If the vote were held today, the vast majority of citizens throughout the allied countries would vote for NATO. For example, in the United States, only 13 percent would vote against,” Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels. The head of NATO said that over 80 percent of citizens believe that North America and Europe must continue to work together for our common security. “Thus, throughout the Alliance, support for NATO remains strong. NATO citizens also continue to express strong solidarity with the brave Ukrainians. Across the Alliance, two-thirds of people want their country to continue supporting Ukraine. This is important, because NATO allies provide 99 percent of the total military aid,” said Stoltenberg. According to the latest report, Montenegro allocated 106 million euros for defense in 2023, which is 24 million more than the year before. Starting this year, Montenegro allocates two percent of GDP for defense, which is the Alliance’s request. The report showed that Montenegro spends 128 dollars per capita on defense.

Escobar: North Macedonia should be immediate candidate for EU membership (MIA)

North Macedonia should be a full candidate and an immediate candidate for European Union membership, according to US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, who is currently visiting Pristina, Kosovo. “North Macedonia should be a full candidate and an immediate candidate for European Union membership. North Macedonia has been a very solid partner, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as NATO and the OSCE,” he said in a statement posted on the US Embassy in North Macedonia’s social media pages. Speaking to the press in Brussels ahead of his visit to Pristina, Vienna and Podgorica, Escobar said North Macedonia’s previous government had been committed to the state’s NATO membership and accession to the EU, MIA‘s Brussels correspondent reported on Tuesday. Escobar added that the US administration was expecting that the new government formed after the elections would also be committed to NATO, joining the EU, and fighting against corruption. He said he hoped to visit North Macedonia after the elections, because during this visit to the region, he said, he would be focusing on issues related to recent developments in Kosovo and in Montenegro. Asked if the US Senate’s proposed resolution to advocate for the opening of the first negotiating cluster of the EU with North Macedonia without additional bilateral conditions was a change in the US position on the country’s constitutional amendments, Escobar said both North Macedonia and Bulgaria were important NATO member states and allies of Washington. The USA, he said, encouraged North Macedonia and Bulgaria to continue their dialogue based on facts. Washington had received assurances from Bulgaria that they wanted North Macedonia to join the EU, Escobar said.

Begaj in Azerbaijan, meeting with his counterpart Aliyev: Energy and tourism, at the top of the agenda (Radio Tirana)

Albanian President Bajram Begaj is on an official visit to Azerbaijan, where he held a meeting with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev. In a post on X network, Begaj writes that they discussed advancing political cooperation and strengthening economic cooperation. According to the head of state, energy and tourism are at the top of the agenda. “Productive meeting with my dear friend the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan today. We are advancing our political cooperation and strengthening the economic cooperation in key areas of mutual interest. Energy and tourism are at the top of our agenda,” writes Begaj. During the visit, President Begaj was awarded the “Nizami Ganjavi International Award for 2024.” This award is given to personalities with a high contribution to this forum. It has previously been received by very important personalities, among whom we highlight: Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, Suleyman Demirel, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the Head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and the King of Jordan, Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein.

Albania becomes a member of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats (Radio Tirana)

Albania becomes a member of the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats proposed by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. Albanian Minister of the Interior, Taulant Balla, present at the High-Level meeting of the UNODC, UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Vienna, confirmed Albania’s commitment to the fight against synthetic drugs, which have been identified as one of the greatest dangers for the lives of young people. “Synthetic drugs are a dangerous threat to our countries and our societies. They have a negative impact on the economy, society and law enforcement, bringing serious problems for the security of our countries,” said Balla at the beginning of his speech. He said that synthetic drugs are one of the main causes of lost lives among young people. The Minister of the Interior said that Albania has taken concrete measures to prevent the production and distribution of synthetic drugs, highlighting the plan of measures named “The School Safety”.