LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: We did not expect some countries to stab us in back in UNGA vote (Tanjug/RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday in New York Belgrade had information about what countries would vote for a Srebrenica genocide resolution in the UN General Assembly on Thursday and that there would be “disappointing news” about the positions of some countries that had not been expected to stab Serbia in the back. “But we did expect big pressure and we knew there would be changes of positions, and that they would keep silent all the time and ultimately side with those that are big and powerful, but there will also be those that will endure the pressure and show they are ready to fight for the truth and oppose perverse principles,” Vucic told reporters in New York. “We are doing our job as much as we can, in spite of all difficulties,” he noted. “The only promise I have made to people is that we will work day and night, and that will not be without results,” Vucic said.

Vucic: I am asking the Greek brothers to exercise restraint (B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke from New York and appealed to Greece.

Vucic stated that he does not believe that the Greeks will vote for the resolution and pointed out that he trusts his Greek friends. “We have worked hard and we have many friends. It is difficult for many people and they are under a lot of pressure. The news appeared as if it was certain that the Greeks would vote in favor of the resolution. I don’t believe that, I believe in our Greek friends, I believe in our Greek brothers. I believe in many others that they will show with their voice how much they respect their Serbian friends, I know they cannot be against it. Thank you to everyone in our country, thank you to everyone in Serbia, I invite all our friends around the world to once again raise their voices in defense of the libertarian, small nations that have no greater protection than the UN General Assembly. There is no turning back, Serbia is all we got. Serbia will win,” Vucic said. “I am asking Greek brothers and friends to exercise restraint”.

Passing Srebrenica resolution would lead to tensions, Vucic tells UAE Ambassador to UN (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the UAE’s Ambassador to the UN Mohamed Abushahab in New York on Tuesday to discuss the upcoming UN General Assembly session on a Srebrenica resolution and all aspects of the potential passage of the imposed document. Vucic informed the Ambassador that passing the resolution would lead to fresh tensions, deep divisions and reopening of old wounds in the region as well as in many countries worldwide. “In that sense, I reiterated that the UAE, as a country firmly committed to promoting peace, reconciliation and connectivity, represents an example of diplomatic prudency that we all need today more than ever before,” Vucic wrote on Instagram. Vucic pointed out the dangerous precedent and the motives behind the resolution as well as hidden agendas not aimed at remembrance for victims but at pressuring Serbia over other outstanding issues. “I especially noted that Serbia, unlike other sides that took part in the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, has always shown sincere piety towards all victims, along with a readiness to face historical events with a view to creating healthy foundations for reconciliation and cooperation as well as preservation of hard-attained peace in the region,” Vucic wrote in the post. After the meeting with Abushahab, Vucic also met with Ambassadors Adonia Ayebare of Uganda, Inga Rhonda King of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Menissa Rambally of Saint Lucia.

Vucic: I asked Ambassador Khalek Mahmoud for Egypt’s support to Serbia in UN General Assembly (Tanjug/RTV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has announced that he discussed the draft resolution on Srebrenica, unilaterally imposed on the agenda of the UN General Assembly, with Permanent UN Representative of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mahmoud Abdel Khalek Mahmoud, and asked him to invest Egypt’s great reputation by supporting Serbia’s position during the vote in the UN. “I reiterated Serbia’s readiness to oppose these precedents in every possible way until the last moment in order to defend peace, stability and dignity of the Serbian people,” President Vucic posted on Instagram.

Nebenzya: Resolution can increase tensions in entire region, Serbia has Russia’s support (RTS/Tanjug/RTV)

Russia’s UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said on Tuesday after a meeting with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic in New York that Serbia has had Russia’s support from the very beginning when it comes to the proposed resolution on Srebrenica, stating that this document can increase tensions in the entire region. After the meeting with Vucic, Nebenzya said that it went very well, like every meeting at any level between representatives of Serbia and Russia.

“I would like to stress the commitment that President Vucic has in this case, which is very important for the Serbian people. We talked a lot about this revisionist history, which is on the rise, not only in this case, but also in general,” Nebenzya told the Serbian media in New York. He stressed that some powers want to change the history of the Second World War, the history of events in the Balkans in the 1990s, and a manifestation of this is the proposal for a resolution on Srebrenica, which will soon be voted on by the UN General Assembly. Nebenzya said that the resolution worsens the situation in the Balkans and can increase tensions in the entire region, not only in the country (Bosnia and Herzegovina)  a part of whose leadership initiated the vote on the draft of that document. “We are aware that the resolution may be adopted but that it will be a Pyrrhic victory for those backing it,” said the Russian Ambassador. Nebenzya added that he will speak at the session of the UN General Assembly on Thursday, where the proposed resolution on Srebrenica will be discussed, but did not want to reveal what he will say in order not to warn those he will address in advance. “From the very beginning, Serbia has had Russia’s support,” Nebenzya said in response to a journalist’s question of “whether Russia will support Serbia”.

Vucevic: EU can’t be complete without WB countries (Beta)

Serbian Prime Minister Milos Vucevic said yesterday that the EU path was the goal of Serbia’s foreign policy, adding that the EU would not be complete without the Western Balkan countries under its roof. Speaking at a conference titled “From big enlargement to quick enlargement: 20 years of big enlargement of the EU”, organized by the German Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Vucevic said that Serbia would pursue the EU path as it was the decision solidified in 2008, and was also clearly stated in his cabinet program. Vucevic explained that these words were not formal or “implied”, but rather represented Serbia’s political goal in the international arena. He also said that Serbia was ready to make a compromise, but also believed that the EU should be applying the same rules equally to all, and that they should be clear and unchanging once a process had been launched. Vucevic said he was happy to see Serbia making progress on the green agenda front, as well as in relation to reforms of the judiciary and the economy, but also for being able to preserve peace. He also said that Serbia tended to frequently forget the amount of donations and grants provided by the EU, stressing that the biggest support had been offered by the EU institutions.

Miscevic: EU admits new members under geopolitical pressure (Beta)

Serbian EU Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic described the EU enlargement yesterday as a geopolitical, constantly changing process, noting that there was no uniform negotiation process or accession deadline and that Serbia had done a lot to create space for the country to pursue its membership path. “The EU actually does not like enlargement and accepts new members only under geopolitical pressure. A big enlargement took place in 2004 in the wake of a major geopolitical change, when the world was trying to establish a new balance of powers, which is more or less the case today,” Miscevic said at a conference titled “From big enlargement to quick enlargement”. Miscevic also said that there was no uniform negotiation process or uniform admission deadline, and called on the EU member states to bear in mind how much the enlargement process was different today compared to the past. “One should not forget that the membership process is always a political decision of all member countries, and it has always been so and will be so. When there is a good political will or a political agreement, then the path is clean and clear and it is easy to overcome problems,” the Minister said. The deputy head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Plamena Halacheva concurred that there was a political impetus, but said that the process depended on each candidate country and that a consensus in the society was also needed. Halacheva also said that each enlargement process was unique as the EU was not a frozen project, noting that the process was today harder as the candidate countries were required to align with the EU acquis which is growing on a daily basis.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: “Open threat against Serbs in Kosovo” (Tanjug)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija announced today that the stone throwing targeting the elementary school in the village of Gojbulja, in the municipality of Vucitrn, during which the glass on the front door and one security camera were broken, cannot be understood in any other way than as an open threat made against the Serbs Kosovo and Metohija. The Office added that similar attacks, which happen almost daily, are a consequence of Albin Kurti‘s anti-Serb policy. According to reports, this is not the first attack on the school in Gojbulja, because the same group of Albanian youths who stoned the school last night, have done so in the past 2 to 3 times a year, during which they would break the door, the windows, and write derogatory graffiti on the school’s facade. It is stressed that although the police, KFOR and EULEX had been always properly informed about the attacks on the school, and security camera recordings showed the perpetrators of the incidents, they have not been sanctioned to this day. “It is clear that extremists consistently and in an organized way attack institutions that symbolize the institutional presence of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija, and this is a particularly sensitive issue, because it is a facility attended by children. We stress that the stoning of the elementary school in Gojbulja is certainly not a harmless incident, but a planned action, which aims to threaten the security and intimidate the Serb population,” the announcement states. It adds that this incident shows that a perverted and anti-civilization system of values is being permanently established in Kosovo and Metohija, which advocates hatred towards everything that is Serb, which Pristina, led by Albin Kurti, not only supports but also encourages, and that is why the Office appeals on international missions to step up their activities and take visible and decisive steps, in order to ensure the safety of Serbs and Serbian institutions and prevent violence.

KFOR requests to be informed timely of police operations (Beta)

The NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR, asked yesterday that local institutions inform it in a timely manner of police operations or operations by the Kosovo Security Force that affect regional security. KFOR said that it was informed right before an operation at the offices of Postanska Stedionica bank in northern Kosovo and added that none of its personnel participated in the operation. “KFOR was informed right before the operation at Postanska Stedionica’s offices in the northern municipalities: Severna Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok. KFOR personnel were not included in the execution of these operations. KFOR expects timely consultations for every operation by Kosovo police or the Kosovo Security Force that can affect regional security,” a statement said. It added that KFOR continued to support the EU-led dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and that it was providing the security framework necessary for diplomacy to advance. KFOR continues to perform its mandate – based on UN Security Council resolution 1244 in 1999 – to secure a peaceful and safe environment for all communities that live in Kosovo and the freedom of movement, at any time and without bias, it said.

Higher Court dismisses Go-Change electoral list in Belgrade’s Vracar municipality (Vreme)

The Higher Court in Belgrade dismissed the electoral list of the opposition Go-Change movement for Belgrade’s central municipality Vracar due to fewer valid signatures than required by law, learns the weekly magazine Vreme.  According to the magazine, the Higher Court issued a ruling annulling the decision of the Vracar municipal election commission approving the electoral list number 9 “Dr Savo Manojlovic – I am Vracar – Go-Change,” for councillors in the Vracar Municipal Council. The Vracar election commission’s decision was appealed by Vladimir Tupanjac, a lawyer of the NGO Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA), who pointed out that Savo Manojlovic’s electoral list was supported by 370 valid signatures, and that 600 are required. On 23 April 2024 there were 63,673 registered voters in the municipality of Vracar. Under article 43, paragraph 1, point 4 of the Law on Local Elections, in order for an electoral list to be proclaimed, it must be supported by signatures of at least 600 voters in a local self-government unit with up to 70,000 registered voters on the day of the calling of elections.

Zuroff hopes Srebrenica resolution will fail, says UNGA “worst place” to vote on it (Tanjug)

Simon Wiesenthal Centre Director Efraim Zuroff said on Tuesday he hoped a UN Srebrenica genocide resolution would fail and noted that the UN General Assembly was the “worst place” to vote on the matter because it was a “political vote”. In an interview with Tanjug, Zuroff noted that passing such a resolution would be bad for the Balkans and that no genocide had taken place in Srebrenica. “The definition of genocide is to wipe out a nation, a country or a specific national group – how could Srebrenica be declared genocide if the Serb troops allowed 25,000-33,000 people who were in Srebrenica to go home, not in any way harmed?” “If they had wanted to carry out a genocide, they would kill all the 33,000 people, but that is not what happened,” he said. “Not every war crime is genocide,” said Zuroff, a renowned Holocaust expert and Nazi-hunter. He said that, due to the Holocaust, the term “genocide” was “the gold standard of tragedy”. “People think that if they can get their tragedy or their cause classified as genocide – at least as genocide, if not the Holocaust – that they will get much more help, much more support, financial support, (that) people will help them,” he said. “I think the General Assembly of the UN is the worst place, the last place which should even vote on such an issue, because it is a political vote, not an analysis of historical events,” Zuroff said. Commenting on Germany’s support for the resolution, he said “the Germans always like to spread the guilt around”. He said the Srebrenica genocide claims were a “total farce”. If Srebrenica is genocide, “who knows what other incidents that are not genocide” will get to the UN, and there will be requests that “they be declared also as genocide,” he noted, warning of the danger of the meaning of the word “genocide” becoming “diluted” and the term becoming “meaningless”. He said the proposed resolution also violated the Dayton Agreement, under which all three entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina must agree on moves like this. Zuroff said that, instead, the draft resolution was an independent initiative of Bosniak Muslims. “They violated the Dayton agreement and they want to get a prize,” Zuroff said. Asked if the resolution could improve the relations among Western Balkan nations, Zuroff said it would “do the exact opposite”. “This is bad for the Balkans, this is bad for history, this is bad for the peace of the world. If everything is going to be genocide, that means nothing is genocide,” he concluded.

Stano: Pristina’s police action escalatory, jeopardizes negotiations (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

The EU noted with concern Monday’s “Kosovo Police” operation at the offices of the Serbian Postal Savings Bank in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. “The closure and confiscation of these offices without prior notice or coordination and only a few days after the last Dialogue meeting, which also covered the question of the premises of the Postal Savings Bank, is escalatory and goes against the spirit of normalization and it undermines Kosovo’s good faith in achieving normalization of relations through the Dialogue,” EU spokesperson Peter Stano said in a statement. “Yet again, uncoordinated actions by one of the parties put the implementation of the agreement on the path to normalization at risk. The operation by the Kosovo Police also jeopardizes the ongoing negotiations on a temporary solution for people negatively affected by the regulation of the Kosovo Central Bank on cash operations. In the continued absence of sustainable alternatives, this will have negative effects on the daily lives and living conditions of Kosovo Serbs and other communities eligible for financial transfers from Serbia. Monday’s operation proves again that Kosovo authorities prioritize unilateral and uncoordinated actions rather than cooperation with its friends and allies. The status of all Serbia-supported structures and services is foreseen to be resolved in the EU-facilitated Dialogue, in connection with the establishment of the Community of Serb municipalities,” the statement said. “The EU urges Kosovo and Serbia to return to the negotiations table and to agree to the latest compromise proposal tabled by the EU Facilitator that allows the eligible beneficiaries to receive financial transfers from Serbia,” Stano also said.

REGIONAL PRESS

New York: B&H Presidency’s Becirovic meets Ambassadors of Greece, Jamaica and Liberia to UN ahead of vote on Resolution on Srebrenica (FTV)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Chairman Denis Becirovic held separate meetings with the Ambassadors of Greece, Jamaica and Liberia to the UN, in New York on Tuesday. The meetings come ahead of the vote on the Resolution on Srebrenica in the UN General Assembly scheduled for Thursday. Becirovic stressed at the meetings that the international community has an obligation towards genocide victims, but also an obligation to civilization “not to allow for the genocide to happen anytime and anywhere.” He stressed that the Resolution on Srebrenica is not directed against any nation, adding that therefore it is encouraging that a growing number of people in Serbia have started to realize that the Resolution is in the interest of Serbia as well. Becirovic pointed out that there is no reason for any country not to vote for the adoption of the resolution on the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. “The adoption of the Resolution represents a civilized act of solidarity with the victims of genocide and their families. There is not a single legal, political, moral or historical reason for any country in the world not to vote for the Resolution on the genocide in Srebrenica”, said Becirovic. Becirovic also met with Ambassador of Brunei to the UN Hajah Noor Qamar binti Haji Sulaiman. Becirovic pointed out the importance of adopting the resolution on July 11 as an International Day of Remembrance and commemoration of the genocide in Srebrenica committed in 1995. “The resolution is in the interest of all humanity and its messages are universal. Its adoption will send a message about the importance of building sustainable peace, preventing genocide and educating young generations in the spirit of tolerance and togetherness,” Becirovic pointed out.

Dodik: RS government to hold session in Srebrenica on day of UN GA’s vote on resolution; Resolution will speed up falling apart of B&H (BNTV)

RS President Milorad Dodik announced on Tuesday that a session of the government and the leadership of the RS will be held in Srebrenica on Thursday, 23 May, the same day when the UN General Assembly will vote on the UN Resolution on Srebrenica. On that day, RS officials will lay flowers and wreaths at the Serb cemetery in Bratunac. Dodik also confirmed that they asked the Memorial Center in Potocari to allow the RS government delegation to lay a wreath there as well. Dodik said that he has yet to receive a response from the Potocari Memorial Center and reminded that he previously visited it and paid his respects to the victims. He added that what happened in Srebrenica was a serious mistake of the past leadership, noting that Bosniak officials never paid their respect to Serb victims. Dodik added that they have not received yet an answer to their request from the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Center as they probably think that this is some kind of provocation, noting that this has nothing to do with provocations and the RS authorities just want to show that they respect the victims, but they do not accept that it is about “a political decision on genocide.” Dodik stressed that this is not provocation but a stance of the RS authorities towards victims. “We do not accept that genocide occurred, and one can pose question about how individual can commit genocide. Experts claim that genocide did not take place and we cannot ignore Israeli experts”, underlined Dodik. Dodik assessed the resolution as an illegal initiative and a whim of representatives of the Bosniak people. “There were no decisions by any B&H body to initiate this resolution. It is a unilateral criminal act by Zlatko Lagumdzija and those of his who say it, (Chairman of the B&H Presidency Denis) Becirovic and others. Judging by what we are witnessing today, this will obviously lead to a greater degree and a faster degree of disintegration of B&H than they can imagine”, noted Dodik.

Dodik: Resolution on Srebrenica is historic injustice toward Serbs (RTRS)

RS President Milorad Dodik said that Resolution on Srebrenica will most notably serve the interests of Muslims in B&H to force Serbs to moral disqualification. Dodik noted that past 35 years ends with this shameful document which needs to determine the next 35 years. He noted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his team made a huge effort on this matter: “Vucic left couple of days early to New York to talk to our friends. He received a blessing by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije. Serbian Orthodox Church understands that this is not only political, but also historic injustice toward Serbs.” Dodik noted that today’s world is labeled by the decay of international law, which is seen through change of the voting method in the UN General Assembly on Srebrenica Resolution. “Consensus was expected on this matter, but Americans brought in their own rules. We expect that the sum of those who abstain from voting and those who will be against the resolution, will be higher than the simple majority. This would be a small satisfaction in the given situation, and I would say that this would be a historic victory. Majority of the countries will not even apply this Resolution in their local legislation and education system. Political decision is used to impose educational content. We reject this and will not do this,” said Dodik. Commenting Montenegro’s behavior in regard to Resolution, Dodik said it is “shameful” and stressed that if Montenegro votes in favor of the Resolution in UN GA, there is no reason for Serb representatives to continue to give legitimacy to government led by Milojko Spajic. Dodik said that The Hague Tribunal was Court for Serbs, because their sentences to Serbs were much higher- total of 1,100 years of prison. “There is an attempt to use individual verdict to write a history. This is a political court for one people,” said Dodik. He also noted that they will never introduce sanctions to Russia, because this would leave huge stain on the Serb people: “We must not fall for tricks and our sanctions would not damage Russia, but the stain would remain. And what would we have from the West if we would do that- nothing. This is why the rights decision is: no sanctions.”

Cvijanovic: We do not accept any collective responsibility (RTRS)

Serb member of the B&H Presidency, Zeljka Cvijanovic, sent the message that she refuses collective responsibility for any kind for developments in the past. She added that it is sick, useless and problematic to insist on voting on the Srebrenica Resolution in the UN GA and to advocate respect and co-existence in B&H at the same time. She argues that an end to a wartime rhetoric should have been put a long time ago and a normal life should have started. As for voting on the UN Resolution in the UN, Cvijanovic stressed that a machinery stands behind this which is trying to use the current global situation. Cvijanovic added that due to developments in the world, “they abuse Srebrenica as some reconciling spot”. She added: “In this way they are trying to patch a divided world. It is not just divided, but it is destructive.” Cvijanovic further noted that there is no unified support when this Resolution is in question and if it were adopted it would be far from consensus and a unanimous, global support. Cvijanovic also said that in her opinion, all victims deserve absolute respect adding that she “does not make difference and does not run a campaign against anyone”. Cvijanovic noted that those in Sarajevo do not view the situation in this way and they falsely claim that somebody denies victims. She added: “We do not accept any collective responsibility.”

Ruling parties in RS to pass individual decisions on participating in local elections; SNSD announces its decision to participate in elections (RTRS)

Delegations of the parties of the ruling coalition in RS held a meeting in on Tuesday and reached a conclusion that all parties should individually decide whether they will participate in the local elections in B&H. This conclusion was reached after the opposition did not accept the RS authorities’ proposal that no political party in the RS should participate in the elections according to the rules imposed by Christian Schmidt. After the meeting of the ruling coalition, the Presidency of SNSD confirmed that this party will participate in the elections. RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said that the ruling coalition had no alternative to this conclusion, after the opposition decided to participate in the elections. Dodik noted that the decision was difficult, but also that there is great responsibility not to allow the opposition to desecrate the RS according to the scenario of – as RTRS quoted – “political Sarajevo and certain foreign embassies.” Dodik underlined that the parties of the ruling coalition are forced to submit election lists in order to prevent the opposition, political Sarajevo and foreigners from realizing their scenario. “This is a decision we have to make. There were different opinions. I still find that we should not have gone to the polls and tried to win our status that maintains the sovereignty of the RS and that this is the essence of the relationship and differences we have with the other side”, added the RS President. In addition, the RS President claims that going to the polls is not recognizing any of Schmidt’s rules. Dodik said that “the illegal High Representative’s decisions” still remain unacceptable, adding that the RS continues with the adoption of its Election Law. “They in the opposition are the ones who try to justify themselves more to the centers of power in Sarajevo, Schmidt and others, than they want to lead a dialogue. They believe that dialogue can be conducted with unelected foreigners, but not with political actors who have received institutional support from the people. We will win because we are leading a realistic policy, the policy of the RS”, pointed out Dodik. According to the ruling coalition, the opposition parties did not count on the Election Law of the RS, because they did not even vote for it in the RS parliament. So, the ruling parties believe that the plan was to seize power and create chaos in the RS with foreigners. Speaker of the RS parliament and United Srpska leader Nenad Stevandic noted: “We are responsible people. We cannot allow riots in the RS. We cannot allow the opposition to take over municipalities without the will of the people and then go to war with us, and in those municipalities, we call elections according to our law.” The ruling coalition predicts that the Election Law of the RS will not enter into force for 1.5 month until it passes the procedures. Currently, it should be subject to a decision by the Joint Commission of the RS parliament and the RS Council of Peoples (CoP). If there is no agreement, it will proceed to the Constitutional Court (CC) of the RS. SNSD’s delegate in the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Radovan Kovacevic said: “We will never accept Christian Schmidt. On the other hand, we have a situation where the opposition parties, which represent the minority will of the people, will take advantage of this situation, and we must not leave the local communities and their fate to those who are not interested in the interests of the RS. They are interested in the interests of foreign principals who do not want anything good for the RS.”

Sattler meets Covic, emphasizes importance of adoption of state budget, opportunities presented by Growth Plan (Dnevni avaz)

Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Johan Sattler met with the Deputy Speaker of B&H House of Peoples and HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic on Tuesday.  As Sattler stated after the meeting, he underlined the importance of continuing with key reforms on B&H’s path to the EU. Sattler also stated that adoption of the state budget is a prerequisite for a number of steps forward. It is also important to make full use of the opportunities presented by the Growth Plan, he underlined. Covic’s office issued a statement reading that Sattler and Covic discussed the current political situation, the EU integration process and the functioning of B&H institutions. They also emphasized that the adoption of the budget for 2024 and the implementation of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans are high priorities that must be realized as soon as possible. Covic stated that the adoption of the budget is crucial for the stability and efficient operation of all levels of government, especially in the context of B&H’s EU path. Ahead of the upcoming chairmanship of the House of Peoples, Covic stressed the importance of stable functioning of the B&H parliament in order to achieve a full contribution to development and progress, both on the internal and external political level. The commitment to the accelerated implementation of reforms and maintaining the momentum on the way to the European Union was emphasized, stated Covic’s office.

Russian Embassy criticizes OSCE for urging RS authorities not to adopt law on foreign agents (Oslobodjenje)

The Embassy of the Russian Federation to B&H issued a statement noting that the call of the OSCE Mission to B&H to the competent authorities in RS not to adopt the law on the Special Registry and Publicity of work of Non-Profit Organizations is an obvious abuse of authority and called on the Mission’s management “to take a more objective and impartial view of the reality in B&H”. “We are concerned about the recent statement of the OSCE Mission to B&H, published on the organization’s official website. Among other things, it contains an appeal to the authorities of the RS to stop the process of adoption of the so-called law on foreign agents”, the Embassy stated. According to the Embassy, the OSCE’s call represents a “gross interference in the internal political processes of sovereign B&H and an obvious abuse of authority”. “The fact that this attack on the RS is not the first in the context of the pressure of the Mission on Banja Luka regarding the issue of human rights is regrettable. We observe a visible imbalance in the approaches of the OSCE to the entities of B&H, which tends to criticize only the RS”, stated the Embassy.  The statement further notes that laws similar to the one which is in legislative process in the RS have been in force for many years in the countries of the so-called civilized Western world, including the USA, without causing “any kind of allergic reaction from the OSCE”. The Russian Embassy noted that according to the authorities of the RS, this is an initiative developed according to the American model and that in this case, the policy of double standards in the OSCE’s activities is obvious. “It is extremely important that the work is carried out taking into account the interests of all constituent and other peoples in B&H in strict accordance with the mandate that the Mission received,” reads the statement.

Milovic: Vote for Jasenovac Resolution would be a hasty and non-state-building move (CdM)

Commenting on the plan of the parliamentary majority to adopt the Jasenovac Resolution, the Montenegrin Justice Minister Andrej Milovic has said that Montenegro should follow its own and the interests of its citizens and the European path, and not some other country’s, adding that it shouldn’t use certain resolutions to relativize others. Minister Milovic has pointed out that he backs the Srebrenica Resolution that the UN General Assembly is supposed to discuss on Thursday, but that the Montenegrin government decided not to be one of its sponsors due to its relations with Serbia. Milovic is paying an official visit to the United States where he met with officials of the US Department of Justice and FBI, among others.

Montenegro celebrates Independence Day (CdM)

Montenegro is celebrating Independence Day, that is, 18 years since it has restored state independence in a national referendum. In the referendum held on 21 May 2006, 419.240 citizens, that is 86.5% of the total number of voters, cast their ballot. A total of 230.661 of voters (55.5% of Montenegro citizens) backed the country’s independence, while 185.002 of them (or 44.5%) wanted the country to stay in the union with Serbia. Before that, the Parliament of Montenegro adopted the Referendum Law, following the recommendation of the European Union. In order for the referendum to be successful, it was needed to ensure the support of 55% of voters. On the occasion of Independence Day, people in Montenegro won’t be working on 21 and 22 May.

SEC presents new MPs with certificates of election (MIA)

The State Election Commission presented certificates of election on Tuesday to candidates who won a seat in Parliament at the 8 May parliamentary elections. The certificates were accepted by authorized representatives of VMRO-DPMNE’s coalition, SDSM’s coalition, Worth It coalition, Levica and the Znam Movement. The DUI-led coalition did not send a representative to accept the certificates of election. VMRO-DPMNE’s secretary general Gjorgjija Sajkoski after accepting the certificates said he expects the new parliament to form by 28 May, and the new government to be formed by mid-June. “We expect the parliament of the Republic of Macedonia to be formed by 28 May, and we also expect to have the new government in the Republic of Macedonia by mid-June. I want to voice enormous gratitude to the citizens of Macedonia for the support they gave to VMRO-DPMNE and the great responsibility. I want to state that this is a great responsibility for us, as a parliamentary group, as VMRO-DPMNE, but we will justify it,” Sajkovski said. Branko Georgievski accepted the certificates for the MPs of the SDSM-led coalition, while Bashkim Asani accepted those of the Worth It coalition. Georgievski briefly congratulated all participants and all citizens “for the maturity they have demonstrated” and wished the future Parliament success in its work. Asani thanked the State Election Commission and all citizens who participated in the elections and expressed gratitude to the Albanian voters, for the, he said, “13 seats won so far”. Jovana Mojsovska, authorized representative of Levica, pledged to oppose the “establishment parties in Parliament” with greater forces in the next term. The representative of the ZNAM Movement, Daniel Stojchevski, said the Commission had done its job, despite, he said, certain issues with the biometric identification devices. “This was overcome, and I hope there won’t be such problems again,” Stojchevski said. According to the preliminary results released by SEC, VMRO-DPMNE’s Your Macedonia coalition won 58 seats in the parliamentary elections, DUI’s European Front coalition won 19 seats, SDSM’s Coalition for European Future won 18, the Worth It coalition won 13, and ZNAM and Levica won 6 seats each.

Mitsotakis: If new government in Skopje calls country whatever they want, EU road will remain closed (MIA)

I would like to send a message to Skopje and the new government here, a few kilometers from our border: if they dispute the core of the agreement on the country’s name and call it whatever they want, they need to know their EU road will remain closed, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Tuesday during a speech in Florina, MIA‘s Athens correspondent reports. Mitsotakis was “not happy to say this”, he said, because Greece wanted to have good relations with its neighbors. “The citizens of North Macedonia don’t want any tensions or nationalism. I wish and hope they come to their senses and get back on the right track,” Mitsotakis said. Ahead of the European elections on 9 June, Mitsotakis held an election campaign rally in Florina as part of his visit to the northwestern part of Greece. Among other things, he spoke about the name deal with North Macedonia, saying he was “displeased with the fact that our northern neighbors have chosen to go back in time and dispute the name of their country, which was agreed on via an international agreement.” He reiterated that New Democracy had been against the Prespa Agreement, but it could not be changed, torn or amended now, because it was an international agreement.

Kehagia: Prespa Agreement stipulates country name is irrevocable (Talk Radio 989/MIA)

The Prespa Agreement stipulates that the name of the country is irrevocable, ever since the constitutional name is “North Macedonia,” despite Mrs. Siljanovska calling her country “Macedonia,” Syriza spokeswoman Voula Kehagia said in an interview with Greek Talk Radio 989, MIA‘s Athens correspondent reports. Kehagia recalled that the country had entered NATO under the new name, North Macedonia, and she added that there would be no progress in the country’s EU integration if the name deal was not honored. On the three memorandums that her party had recently put to a parliamentary vote again, Kehagia said that if they had been ratified earlier, “Greece’s negotiating position in relation to the accession process of North Macedonia to the EU would have been stronger. “One of the protocols, which is about its relations with the EU, would have given us the ability to put much more pressure on them and influence them,” the opposition party spokeswoman said. Kehagia said the ruling party, New Democracy, although it kept saying the Prespa Agreement was a “bad deal,” was still essentially in support of it, albeit never overtly. “If they wanted to, New Democracy could invoke Article 19, which says that if one side – or both sides – do not honor it, they can turn to the United Nations, seek mediation from the UN Secretary General and find some solution. The government does not want to do this, because it supports the agreement,” Kehagia said.

Delegation of the Assembly, part of OSCE conference on Security of Artificial Intelligence (Radio Tirana)

A delegation from the Albanian parliament, led by Damian Gjiknuri and comprising members Ermonela Valikaj and Helidon Bushati, participated in the conference on “Security in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” held at the Parliament of Portugal. The conference commenced with an address from the President of the parliament of the Republic of Portugal, Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Attended by over a hundred parliamentarians from thirty OSCE member countries, as well as experts, university professors, representatives from private companies, research institutes, and diplomats, the meeting served as a platform for discussions on significant topics. These included raising awareness of the profound impact of Artificial Intelligence on security, safeguarding democracy, fostering open dialogue and collaboration to address legal, ethical, and human rights challenges associated with AI development and usage, and exploring new cooperation policies among national parliaments concerning their role as AI regulators. This conference provided a vital forum for exchanging ideas and best practices in the realm of Artificial Intelligence and security, promoting constructive dialogue among OSCE member states.