LOCAL PRESS

Vucic, Kukan discuss Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta/RTS)

“Serbia is ready to continue the dialogue even in the situation with heightened political and security tensions which are primarily unfavorable to the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said following the meeting with the delegation headed by European Parliament (EP) official Eduard Kukan.  Vucic informed Kukan, who chairs the EP Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilization and Association Parliamentary Committee, about the reasons for the break in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, saying that none of the obligations stemming from the Brussels agreement had been implemented, primarily the forming of the Community of Serb Municipalities.  Vucic also expressed concern over Pristina’s intention of forming a military force in Kosovo which he believes will cause a destabilization of the region.

Dacic: China placed Kosovo on the agenda, certain countries against (RTS)

China has placed Kosovo on the agenda and plans a session on 14 November, but certain Western countries oppose this, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told RTS. “An alternative is voting on the agenda, but this has never happened,” said Dacic. He says that Spain will firmly stand with Serbia when it comes to defending the territorial integrity and sovereignty. “There is no chance for the EU to set as a condition for Serbia’s EU membership the recognition of unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo,” says Dacic. Speaking about Kosovo’s initiative to become a member of Interpol, Dacic says he doesn’t believe that Kosovo will receive membership in this organization. “They are elaborating the wish to become an Interpol member with the fact that they will fight better against crime, terrorism and so forth. This is most ordinary nonsense and lie. They need membership in Interpol in order to demonstrate confirmation of their status, i.e. statehood,” says Dacic. “It is true that even if some territories, and not states, are Interpol members, they are so with the consent of these states. Voting Kosovo’s membership would be direct violation of Interpol’s statute, but also violation of all those rule that we had been establishing decades ago, and this is that the status issue first needs to be resolved, and then only Kosovo’s presence in some international forms. This story is politically motivated and has great support of Western countries,” says Dacic. Considering that two-thirds of the total number of votes is necessary for voting membership, he assesses that there are big chances that Kosovo will not pass and he doesn’t believe that something like that will happen. “If UNESCO was at issue or some political matter, I could say with certainly that this will not happen, but here we are faced with large lobbying and presence of various means, starting from delegations being offered money to come to Dubai, and since they are already coming let them vote for Kosovo, but also there will be those whom they will pay in vain since they will vote against,” concluded Dacic.

Support of Cyprus to Serbia at upcoming General Assembly of Interpol (RTV)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic today met with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades to discuss the harmful consequences of the possible membership of the so-called and self-proclaimed “Kosovo” in Interpol. On the sidelines of the third “European Union and Arab World Summit”, held in Athens, Stefanovic briefed the Cypriot President on the attitude of Serbia regarding the request of Kosovo for admission in this international police organization.

He stressed that the possible admission would be a gross violation of international law and would constitute a violation of UNSCR 1244, as well as the rules and procedure of the Interpol. He added that only UN member states and observers can be Interpol members. Anastasiades recalled that his country did not recognize the so-called “Kosovo” and that it will provide full support to Serbia at the upcoming General Assembly of Interpol.

Jeremic: Serbia close to agreement with Kosovo (Beta)

The leader of the People’s Party (NS) Vuk Jeremic has stated that Belgrade has never been closer to an agreement with Pristina. Serbia has never been closer to delineation with Kosovo, he said, adding that a legally binding agreement to normalize Belgrade-Pristina relations will be signed in 2019 unless someone prevents the Serbian authorities from doing so. “There has never been more intensive, behind the scenes, negotiation about a demarcation and the process is being brought to an end. Unless we do something to stop the regime, they will sign a legally binding agreement on normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo in 2019,” he said. According to Jeremic, that would mean Kosovo’s membership in the UN and the “unstoppable” creation of a Greater Albania. “Serbia has entered a stage in which preventing the expression of different opinions has become an integral part of political life,” he said and recalled the increasingly frequent attacks on opponents and bans on opposition gatherings.

Brammertz: SRS members will have to show up at court (N1)

Members of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) will have to show up before the court due to the charges for the contempt of court, chief prosecutor for the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals Serge Brammertz told N1. Brammertz, who was on a visit to Belgrade on Sunday, said he did not discuss this matter with Serbian officials because the decision on the appeal filed by an independent prosecutor against the MICT’s decision to transfer this case to Serbia’s judiciary, is yet to come. “What we always say is that this matter won’t disappear, they will have to show up before the judges regarding the alleged crimes they committed. I think there are many good reasons why this case should stay in The Hague, and if the situation had been the same as two years ago when the Tribunal was still functioning, there is no doubt the process would have been carried out in The Hague. Now, with the Mechanism, which has restricted instruments and changed competencies in such cases, the judges decided what they thought was the best for the case. If, however, this case is transferred to Belgrade in the end, we will be closely monitoring how it is carried out,” Brammertz concluded.

Pushkov: Moscow is not against the idea of delineation (Politika)

Russian senator Aleksey Pushkov told Politika in an interview that he doesn’t see the smallest reason why Russia would oppose correction of borders as a solution for the Kosovo issue. “There is a Russian position that was presented a long time ago, which hasn’t changed, that we support what Serbia considers right for itself,” said Pushkov. “If Serbia agrees on correction, I don’t see the smallest reason why Russia would be an opposition to this. During talks of our presidents, foreign ministers, different options may appear, but it doesn’t mean that Russia opposes the Serbian plan. I repeat, I have never heard one single Russian official that opposes the plan on delineation. It is another question as to how achievable is it,” said Pushkov. Asked why could it not be achievable, he says there are parts where the Serbs live, but which cannot be ‘taken out’ from Kosovo. “Secondly, would the Kosovars agree to corrections, and, thirdly, we must take into account the stands of the EU and US. Moscow will support the Serbian government in those solutions which Serbia considers possible, achievable and necessary, thus, optimal. That is the realistic Russian position,” said Pushkov.

REGIONAL PRESS

SDS Main Board convenes, expresses full support to SDS leader Govedarica (ATV)

A session of the SDS Main Board was held in Banja Luka on Sunday. According to ATV, the session of the SDS Main Board was convened following a turbulent week in SDS and serious mutual accusations between the leading people of SDS. SDS leader Vukota Govedarica expelled on Saturday SDS Vice-President Kostadin Vasic from the party allegedly because he violated the Statute of SDS and presented untruths. Vasic did not attend Sunday’s session of the SDS Main Board. According to unofficial, unconfirmed information obtained by ATV, certain members of SDS from Doboj, Zvornik and Sokolac could suffer the same fate as Vasic. According to ATV, it seems that there are at least two factions in SDS – the one gathered around Govedarica and the one gathered around experienced members of SDS who advocate reviewing the party’s current policy primarily at the B&H level. ATV unofficially learned that B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic (SDS) changed his opinion regarding cooperation with SNSD. Namely, although he previously said that SDS should negotiate with SNSD, Sarovic stated on Sunday that it is too early for forming a coalition with SNSD. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Defense of B&H and member of the Doboj branch of SDS Boris Jerinic, but also all other members of SDS City Board in Doboj, left the session of the SDS Main Board before it was completed. ATV learned that Jerinic was extremely dissatisfied with the manner in which SDS officials from Doboj were welcomed in Banja Luka on Sunday. Namely, before the start of the session of the SDS Main Board, certain members of SDS from Banja Luka region could be seen in front of the building in which the session took place, holding banners which, among other things, read that President of the SDS City Board in Doboj Obren Petrovic should be ashamed of himself. ATV also unofficially learned that session of SDS Main Board was quite turbulent.

SNSD believes RS patriotic bloc at level of B&H will be formed in order to adequately protect interests of RS (RTRS)

SNSD Spokesperson Radovan Kovacevic stated on Saturday that SNSD believes that Republika Srpska (RS) patriotic bloc at the level of B&H will be formed in order to adequately protect interests of the RS and its citizens, adding that the RS – not SNSD needs this bloc. “Those who were part of authority at the level of B&H in the past mandate, although they were minority then when it comes to the number of votes they won in the RS, got clear message in the general elections that they have not worked in the interest of the RS citizens and that citizens expect them too to change something if they want to achieve some better result in the future,” Kovacevic asserted. Commenting on the need to form a Serb coalition at the level of B&H, political analyst from Belgrade Dragomir Andjelkovic stated that it is important to have such coalition and it is realistic to expect its forming since this kind of cooperation between SNSD and SDS was also functional before. According to Andjelkovic, it is undisputable that all Serbs in the RS want the same thing when it comes to national interests and therefore there is a need to fully homogenize the Serb bloc.

Croat parties in B&H insist on amendment of current Election Law (HRT1)

HDZ B&H recoded a good result on the recently held general elections in B&H. In negotiations for forming of authorities on all levels in B&H, parties that form the Croat People’s Assembly in B&H (HNS B&H) will participate jointly, as the ‘Croat bloc’. HNS B&H will continue to insist on amending the current Election Law of B&H. On the cantonal levels, forming of authorities should go on a faster pace, while there will be some issues with the Federation of B&H Parliament and the B&H Parliament. Parties will have to discuss possible coalitions in the upcoming period. A bigger problem will be created during forming of the new convocation of the Federation of B&H House of Peoples (HoP). HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic recently stated that there are no legal, nor constitutional conditions for implementing the election results. Croat parties in B&H insist on the amendment of the Election Law, as they do not want for a similar scenario to happen in the future, like the one with election of DF leader Zeljko Komsic for the position of Croat member of the B&H Presidency. Croats in B&H do not see him as their legitimate representative and wish to have the same rights as other two constituent peoples, to choose their own representatives, not allowing others to choose for them. Covic recently held separate meetings in Mostar with Head of the EU Delegation in B&H, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, and with Russian Ambassador to B&H, Petr Ivantsov. Covic presented his views on the Election Law to the ambassadors and stated he will be persistent in his wish to change such an unconstitutional law.

Plenkovic: What happened at last elections in B&H, is tricking of sense and spirit of DPA (Slobodna Dalmacija)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, asked if he is satisfied with the effect of his statements in Brussels as a part of his diplomatic initiative with regard to resolving the issue of equality of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) said: “Croatia is a signatory of the DPA. We are the country which is most interested in European future of B&H, but in equality of Croats as well. What happened at the last elections in B&H, at least when election of a member of B&H Presidency in the area of the Federation of B&H is in question, is tricking of the sense and the spirit of the DPA. The legitimate representative was not elected… Dragan Covic has won 80% of votes of Croats and he needed 70, 000 of votes to reach Zeljko Komsic. This is the message sent to Croats by Bosniak people, which has majority, that Croats cannot interpret as positive in any way. Exactly this message of tricking the spirit of the Dayton, I thoroughly explained to heads of states and governments of the EU countries at the highest level in a very simple way. And I must admit that most of them completely realized then what this is about. This is why support followed, that is understanding of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, French President Emmanuel Macron, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, while EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini also respected argumentation. It was agreed that the discussion on election results in B&H is placed on the agenda of a session of EU Foreign Ministers and to see in detail how to resolve the issue of a fair election law, whose implementation in accordance with the ruling of the Constitutional Court of B&H in ‘Ljubic case’ would prevent such scenarios. I believe that this would serve the interest of whole B&H and not of one political party and one people as some try to present it. This serves the interest of long-term stability of B&H and good relations among its all constituent peoples, who should truly be equal in institutions.” Asked about the path for resolving the situation in B&H, Plenkivic said: “Look, we were so much engaged in a political-diplomatic offensive two years ago so that a request for B&H’s membership in the EU is submitted and we gave in the European Parliament at that time considerable contribution to lobbying efforts and helped B&H much more than some member countries. Not everybody had a benevolent stance on this. European path is crucial for continuation of reforms and higher quality life of all people in B&H.”

US Ambassador to Croatia Kohorst: USA is very much concerned about situation in B&H; B&H must change current Election Law (Slobodna Dalmacija)

US Ambassador to Croatia Robert Kohorst, asked if the USA supports further EU enlargement in southeast Europe, stated: “Absolutely. I believe that it is very important that countries of southeast Europe are part of the Euro-Atlantic integration. We believe that the EU brings stability and prosperity and encourages positive values is these countries. I would say that the whole process of the EU accession is very useful for these countries because they become better societies in this way. For this reason, we strongly support the countries which want to become a part of the EU and the EU to make possible for them the processes which will result in this. It is the same with the NATO. We would like to see new members from southeast Europe but all in due course. You cannot become a member unless you are ready for it. Changes in the society and some reforms are a pre-requisite for full membership when joining both the EU and NATO is in question.” Asked if he sees as a potential problem in the future the open opposition of Serbs in B&H to membership in the NATO, the Ambassador replied: “Partnership of B&H in the NATO will be a long and difficult process exactly because of this, because people in Republika Srpska (RS) are not in favor of accession to the NATO. However, I believe that we can overcome this and that we can convince authorities in B&H, all three constituent peoples, that joining the NATO serves their interest.” Asked to comment on general elections in B&H and criticism of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic regarding election of a Croat member of B&H Presidency, that some in B&H interpreted as direct interference in internal matters of another state, Kohorst replied: “I understand position of both B&H and Croatia. I believe that Croatia is trying to protect the Croat people in the status of one of three constituent peoples in B&H. Unfortunately, as far as I understood, constitutional laws are written in a way that you can have election results that do not suit someone. The question is if this is in the spirit of the law. I cannot give an answer to this question. We support the concept of three constituent peoples, while B&H should implement reforms of the Election Law taking care of the DPA and the Constitution, as well as recent court rulings which interpret laws.” Asked if this potential crisis situation worries him, the Ambassador said: “We are very much concerned about stability in B&H. We would like for all three sides to sit together and reach an agreement which meets needs of all of them. This is very difficult but there are no easy solutions. Each of three constituent peoples must be ready for compromises, in the interest of B&H. America wants to encourage this, that all sides are interested in what is best for B&H and not just for their own people, at the same time staying faithful to the concept of three constituent peoples.” Asked to comment on journalist’s claim that Croats complain that we have in B&H now three peoples and three entities, the Ambassador said: “This is the system established by the DPA over 25 years ago. The country must live with this system until it is revised. What we try to encourage is that they reach a compromise solution and revision which will meet needs of all sides.”

Boskovic: Montenegro contributes to the stability of Kosovo (CDM)

This region can become completely stable by full integration with the Western Balkans and its NATO membership. We should commit to economic development and improvement of social status of the citizens of Montenegro, said Minister of Defense, Predrag Boskovic during his official visit to Pristina. He pointed out that Montenegro and Kosovo have good relations and that Montenegro is ready to help Kosovo on its European and Euro-Atlantic way. By participating in the peace action of KFOR, Montenegro contributes to the stability of this region.

“This visit was planned in order to show our friend in Kosovo what it looked like when Montenegro was going through very demanding but very important journey of reforms in order to meet the standards requires by all 28 EU Member States. We wanted to indicate the obstacles they might face so that they can avoid making mistakes we made. The question of the stability of the region is very important, since all Western Balkans countries are interrelated, and instability in one of them causes the instability in others. With stable cooperation with the countries from the Region, we believe we can move forward,” said Boskovic. As NATO member, Montenegro became part of the regional security structures with two Montenegrin officers being part of their missions. Montenegrin soldiers also take part in peace missions under the auspices of the EU and UN, in Afghanistan, Mali, Somalia, and Montenegro is proud of that. “Last year, we increased the participation in the missions by 60%. Abilities of a soldier today are at much higher level than 12 years ago, and I am sure we will keep contributing to peace missions as much as we can. Montenegro is number 1 among 29 NATO members with 27% of soldiers who were part of missions,” said Boskovic. Boskovic thinks that NATO accession was a correct decision.

“This way, Montenegro provided long-term stability and safety. We are part of the strongest military but also political organization in the world and for the domicile population that means guarantee of human rights and respect of all other rights,” said the Minister.

Haradinaj: Montenegrin soldiers of peace are welcome to Kosovo (Dnevne novine)

Montenegrin soldiers are welcome to Kosovo, said the Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj after the panel “Economic and European perspective of the Balkans,” which is taking place in Budva. Commenting on the presence of Montenegrin soldiers in Kosovo, he said that they are soldiers of peace. He also said that he’s happy to be in Montenegro. However, he didn’t want to talk about the delimitation and exchange of territory with Serbia. “The past was tragic, war on Kosovo was tragic, many people lost their life, the economy was damaged. We are ready for reconciliation,” said Haradinaj, adding that whenever the issue of territory and borders is raised, war and tragic events occur. “We are not interested in that. We lost a lot in the past, we won’t come back to it,” said Haradinaj.

Eight MPs to form caucus as independent lawmakers (MIA)

The eight MPs, who endorsed the constitutional revision, will start operating as independent lawmakers and they will form a new parliamentary caucus. Parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi told MIA that he had received notices from the eight MPs each saying that in the future in parliament they would function as independent lawmakers. Also, an official document was submitted to the parliament’s archive notifying that these MPs will form a new parliamentary group.  MIA has learned that MP Elizabeta Kanceska Milevska will most likely coordinate the new caucus. The new caucus in parliament will be part of the opposition camp, sources say. Its members will join talks on draft-amendments to the Constitution in which they will advocate for the four demands they sent to parliament before MPs voted for the constitutional changes on Oct. 19. The caucus in addition to Kanceska Milevska also includes Emilija Aleksandrova, Krsto Mukoski, Ljuben Arnaudov, Vladanka Avirovic, Saso Vasilevski, Zekir Ramcilovic and Nola Ismailovska Starova.

Greek citizen killed, Albanian Foreign Ministry reacts (ADN)

Albanian police shot and killed an ethnic Greek man on Sunday after he opened fire against officers taking down a Greek flag at a World War II cemetery in the village of Bularat, some 6 kilometers from Albania’s border with Greece. According to Albanian media reports the man, identified as 35-year-old Konstantinos Kacifa, opened fire against officers with a Kalashnikov assault rifle as they were taking down the flag he had raised at a cemetery for Greek soldiers who died in battle. The incident took place as the village, which is mostly ethnic Greek, marked the anniversary of Greece’s entry into the war in 1940. Kacifa reportedly ran into the village firing his weapon and then into the mountains in an effort to evade arrest but was intercepted shortly after by a team from the Albanian police’s special forces, who claimed that the 35-year-old shot at them before they opened fire and killed him. Kacifa, whose family hailed from the northwestern Greek town of Ioannina, was born and grew up in Bularat but had been living in Athens recently, according to reports. Photographs in Greek media show him dressed in military-style clothes, with a Greek flag patch on his arm. Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed on Sunday its regrets for the event happened in Bulgarat, where a Greek citizen was shot dead by police. According to this ministry, the politicization of this issue is unjustifiable. “The circumstances how the citizen Kostandinos Facifa lost his life was made public. State police made public the situation and it was a case of extreme aggression” said Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This institution appealed for political and diplomatic misgivings of this case as clear and unprecedented. “We assure our neighbors that Albania is a safe and peaceful country for all its citizens, including without any distinction those of Greek nationality,” reacted the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

Greece reacts: Murder of a Greek citizen, unacceptable (ADN)

Greek authorities reacted immediately after the death of a Greek citizen killed by police officers in Albania this Sunday. In close contact with Albanian authorities, closely followed, from the very first moment, developments related to an incident in the Albanian village of Bularat, where a Greek citizen allegedly opened fire against Albanian police with a Kalashnikov firearm, who in turn attempted to apprehend him. “A short while ago, we were formally informed that Konstantinos Katsifas was killed during an exchange of fire with Albanian police. We express our deep sorrow on the death of the Greek expatriate, as well as our condolences to his family.

In any case, it is unacceptable that the operation led to the loss of human life. We await for the Albanian authorities to provide complete clarification about the conditions under which the Greek citizen lost his life, and we shall proceed with all necessary action immediately,” reacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

When Merkel Talks, an Old Russian Ally Listens (Bloomberg, by Gordana Filipovic, Misha Savic, and Jasmina Kuzmanovic, 26 October 2018)

Serbia has pinned its future on EU membership and its president says the German chancellor deserves loyalty.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is determined to go down in history as the man who reconciled ethnic and territorial differences in a region synonymous with war. And that means allegiances are getting stretched. Russia’s biggest ally in the Balkans says he won’t cross German Chancellor Angela Merkel, however hard that sometimes might be. “We need to show fairness and loyalty,” Vucic said in an interview at his presidential palace in Belgrade on Thursday. Talking to Merkel “was not an easy conversation,” he said. “But I’ll never say anything against her.” The carrot of European Union membership juxtaposed with Russia’s keenness to maintain influence are testing traditional ties in the Balkans, at best a region held together by fragile international agreements and the balance of global powers, at worst a hotchpotch of blood-and-soil grievances. Vucic, 48, is at the center of that tug-of-war between east and west and key to how the immediate future plays out amid warnings from the EU and Germany over the potentially explosive consequences should the region’s leaders not be kept on board. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Oct. 5 on the eve of elections in Bosnia that the EU needed to raise the prospects of the region joining the bloc or risk sleepwalking into violent conflict. In the event, Bosnian Serb nationalist Milorad Dodik, an ally of Vucic, emerged as the most powerful leader in the country. Both men want to redraw borders to bring Serbs closer together, though Vucic has publicly defended Bosnian integrity set out in the Dayton peace accords of 1995. For his part, Vucic needs to reconcile with Kosovo, a predominantly Albanian state that declared independence in 2008, a decade after NATO forces drove out warring Serb soldiers from its territory. It’s a prerequisite of Serbia joining the EU, along with reforming the judiciary and fighting corruption. Vucic and his Kosovar counterpart, Hashim Thaci, appeared to near a deal this summer. But a mere mention that it may include a land swap in the region, where Europe’s bloodiest fighting since World War II took place, led to a push back from the international community and resurrected fears of another conflict in the volatile region. Merkel’s government likened it to opening Pandora’s Box. The U.S. under Donald Trump, though, appears more receptive to upending agreements it brokered. Vucic said Washington has altered its position toward Belgrade. “The U.S. administration is more open to listening to our side as well,” he said. Previously officials were telling Serbia it needed to recognize Kosovo, he said. “Now we can discuss something with Americans. That’s the change. They have opened doors, and that’s good.” Serbia, through culture and religion, traditionally forms part of Russia’s sphere, though the EU is by far the biggest investor the country of 7 million. Russia and China, which have sided with Serbia in its refusal to recognize Kosovo, now publicly vow to support any stance that the Balkan nation takes. Yet Russia is wary of supporting any the deal that could speed up Serbia’s EU membership and further reduce its already dwindling footprint in the Balkans. China may be more supportive as it sees its investments in the region as its way into Europe. While talks with Kosovo have stalled, Vucic expects to meet Thaci in Brussels again this year. A trip in September failed to even get them to sit down together. Serbia has repeatedly said it won’t give Kosovo an outright recognition. The two men also face opposition at home. Kosovo’s prime minister has repeatedly warned that ceding any piece of territory could reignite a war. Vucic, a former Information Minister for the late strongman Slobodan Milosevic, has the political mandate after becoming president last year following a three-year stint as prime minister and he has the backing of the current premier. But recognition of Kosovo still carries risks among voters, some cabinet members and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which has strong links to Russia. “Some people don’t like me because of my past, some people hate me because of some irrational reasons, some people hate me because of rational reasons,” he said in the hour-long discussion. Yet the “resolution of the problem between Serbs and Albanians is something that will change this region entirely,” he said. “Our region will be a machine of growth for the entire EU, and it doesn’t matter if it is going to be a part of the EU or at the entrance.” When it comes to the contents of any potential deal, Vucic declined to give details, though admitted it would be a tough compromise. “I will do my best to get closer to a solution, because that’s something that will save Serbia in the future, save many lives,” he said. Even as its citizens are getting more skeptical EU membership will ever happen, it’s the only way forward he said – and that means he listens to Merkel. “I even said that to Russia today,” he said. “We want to belong to that type of society.”