LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Pristina will withdraw taxes, but we paid high price (B92/RTS/Beta/Tanjug)

Pristina will withdraw taxes on goods from Serbia proper sooner or later, President Aleksandar Vucic said, but also stressed that this cost Serbia a lot. Asked by journalists in Davos to comment on Avni Arifi, the head of the Ramush Haradinaj‘s cabinet, saying that the government in Pristina could temporarily suspend taxes, Vucic noted in a statement for RTS that this would happen sooner or later. “Whether they will abolish, suspend or otherwise find some other way, I don’t care at all. Zhey have inflicted enormous damage and brought tremendous tensions. I said that this revokal will happen and it will happen. Nevertheless, we paid a high price,” said Vucic. However, it says, and no one will compensate this, neither Pristina nor the EU, nor anyone else. Also in Davos on Wednesday, Aleksandar Vucic met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Davos on Wednesday.  After the meeting with Merkel, he said she had invited him to visit Berlin again and that they had mostly talked about Kosovo and Metohija and Serbia’s European integration. “It was not a simple conversation. We in Serbia have one view on solving the issue, while the countries that recognize Kosovo have a different position. But it seems to me that Merkel appreciates and respects our wish to talk and reach compromise,” he told reporters. Vucic said that she respected Serbia’s wish to talk and reach a compromise with Pristina. “The issues we discussed the most were Kosovo and Serbia’s European integration. Merkel, I believe, appreciates and respects our wish to talk and reach a compromise,” Vucic told reporters. The Serbian president said Chancellor Merkel showed understanding regarding the import fees Pristina had introduced on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I spoke about the fees, to which, I believe, Germany showed a response of understanding, since they always advocated free trade and the normal flow of goods, capital, people and services,” Vucic added. “And I learned a great deal from Merkel on this day. From her I heard that compromise was something that brings about good results and that people should strive to compromise, and not destroy or humiliate their adversaries. Whether we will understand that in Serbia is a different matter altogether,” the Serbian President stated. He said he believed it was certain that Belgrade would have significant support on its European path from Germany and Merkel. He said he and Merkel also discussed all important issues in relations between Serbia and Germany. “We noted that we have approached the amount of almost five billion euros in trade. Germany is by far Serbia’s most significant trade partner, with 13 percent of overall trade, and those numbers are increasing,” Vucic stated. He said he thanked Merkel for the large number of German investors in Serbia and that he asked her to persuade new ones to come to Serbia.  The bilateral trade volume is now close to 5 billion euros, he said.

Dacic reacts to Cerar’s statement (Novosti)

“I am surprised how come Miro Cerar didn’t wonder about Slovenia’s EU future when he stood calmly next to Putin in Vrsic in 2016 or when his country, not so long ago, was jostling to host the Russian President by offering hospitality for the historical meeting with Trump? Not to mention what kind of blow for Slovenia’s EU values is the fact that the Serbs there do not have the status of a national minority to this day, even though they are the largest community, nor do they have the right to education in their language,” Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Novosti in response to criticism of his Slovenian colleague Miro Cerar who called Serbia to voice its stand as to whether it is still on the EU path after the latest events: the visit of Russian President Putin and the protests in Belgrade.

Juncker offers assurances to Vucic on steel quotas (Tanjug)

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has informed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that Serbia’s usual trade flows in three product categories would not be significantly affected by the proposed EU steel import safeguards, if at all. Vucic wrote to Juncker on 10 January to point to the possible consequences the safeguards on imports of certain categories of steel could have for Serbia. In response, Juncker noted a review clause that had been inserted unequivocally included the possibility of adjusting the safeguards in case they lead to adverse effects such as risks to stability or risks to economic development of priority trade partners, the presidential press office said in a statement. Based on Vucic’s request, the European Commission has committed to review the situation by July 2019 at the latest, Juncker also noted.

Seven new members join Serbia’s SzS opposition grouping (N1)

While ruling coalition led by President Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) considers an early vote, the opposition Alliance for Serbia (SzS) increases the number of its members with seven new parties, unions and organizations, N1 reported. The newcomers include the Democratic Union of Vojvodina Hungarians (DZVM), the Green Ecological Party, Association the City’s Guardians, Vojvodina Socialist Club, Serbian Harmony, The Association of Retired Military Personnel Unions and the Union of Post Office Workers. “We must leave aside some of our views and political stands; we must find what we have in common and join forces to dethrone this regime,” Aron Conka from the DZVM said.

REGIONAL PRESS

SDA announces it will initiate procedure for changing name of RS (N1)

SDA announced that they will file a motion to the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Constitutional Court (CC) to revise the constitutionality of the name of Republika Srpska (RS). This comes one day after the delegations of SDA and SNSD held a meeting in Sarajevo where they discussed formation of B&H authorities. SDA stated that the reason for their initiative is the fact that the B&H Constitution proposed equality of all three constituent peoples, but the name of the RS goes against this and the European Human Rights Convention. They said that they announced this initiative in order to stop discrimination since the name of the RS showed that the rights of those who are not Serbs in this entity are violated. Representatives of SDA stated that Croats and Bosniaks in B&H are not allowed to learn their mother tongues and to be employed equally in the RS institutions. They also said that decisions of the B&H Constitutional Court are not respected either, highlighting the one regarding 9 January. Bosniak member of B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic said that the Human Rights Convention is above the B&H Constitutional Court and it would not be the first time for the court to decide on the violation of human rights. SDP’s Miro Lazovic said that this initiative does not deny the entity of the RS nor its competences, but it requests the respect of certain human rights. The Office of the High Representative (OHR) and other international institutions in B&H. The OHR stated that they do not want to comment on this initiative, at least not until it becomes formal and the motion is filed.

Dodik: SDA initiative – initiative for disassociation in B&H (Srna)

B&H Presidency Chair Milorad Dodik stated Wednesday the SDA initiative to launch a legal procedure before the B&H Constitutional Court to re-examine the name of RS has nothing to do with the B&H Constitution, that it is totally unacceptable and an act of dismantling the Dayton Peace Agreement and an “initiative for disassociation in B&H”. “Article 1, paragraph 3 of the B&H Constitution reads that B&H is made up of two entities -RS and the Federation of B&H. That means that RS is a constitutional category and that its name cannot be disputed,” Dodik told a press conference. According to him, RS was recognized internationally by the Venice Commission in 2005 when it said that RS was a factor of international law, which signed all 12 annexes to the Dayton Peace Agreement, including Annex IV called the B&H Constitution. “The basis for adopting the Dayton Agreement was the prior Geneva and New York meetings which defined that RS was a party in drafting the Dayton Agreement and all its annexes,” said Dodik. It was confirmed later in New York where RS was once again confirmed as a party in establishing peace in B&H, he added.  Dodik recalled that the SDA initiative was not a novelty and that it dated from the time of the former SDA leader Sulejman Tihic, who revoked it, under foreign pressure, obviously. The B&H Presidency Chair said that RS did not have any trust in the B&H Constitutional Court, which confirmed the constitutionality of the law on the Court and Prosecutor’s Office even though it was not competent for judiciary under the B&H Constitution.

RS President Cvijanovic: SDA dangerously toying with B&H (ATV)

SDA announced on Wednesday that the party will launch a legal proceeding before the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H for consideration of the name of RS. In her reaction to SDA’s announcement RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic underlined that SDA dangerously toying with B&H, adding that announcement of this party is evidence of hostility towards the RS. She stated that “this will additionally motivate will of politics and people in the RS to defend from attacks of this type.” Cvijanovic stressed that instead to work on things important for B&H, i.e. on improving of economic-social situation in B&H and progress on the EU path, SDA decided to cause new tensions. Cvijanovic said that SDA decided to tackle the issues that divide B&H internally and deepen the mistrust between the constituent peoples of B&H.

RS PM Viskovic: RS permanent and constitutional category (Srna)

RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic told Srna that the SDA’s announcement on launching a legal procedure for re-examining the name of RS is insane as RS is a permanent and constitutional category that has been internationally verified. “I will remind the SDA that RS is one of the entities in B&H verified in Dayton by international act in the presence of great powers. I do not know where the SDA got such idea from to launch such insane initiative in order to change the name of RS,” said Viskovic. On behalf of the government and the RS institutions, he has said that the SDA will not succeed in its intention and will not be allowed to do it. “They tried to influence the RS Day celebration, i.e. they tried to stop us celebrating 9 January. They have witnessed their failure, so they will not succeed in what they have announced,” Viskovic has added. According to his opinion, it may be the high time for RS to review its further paths. “It is obvious that we (RS) mostly advocate the survival of such B&H. What the SDA is doing is not an attack on RS, but on B&H,” said Viskovic. Those who are enthusiastically advocating for B&H are doing this” he has said. He has said that instead of establishing power at the level of B&H, working in the process of European integration, resolving citizens’ life issues, the SDA is trying to make RS main culprit for everything. “If they are not interested in B&H, it is certain that RS is also not interested. Such B&H is damaging us,” Viskovic has said. He has pointed out that RS formed government in time. “We expected it would be the case with B&H institutions, before the New Year, in order to deal with certain issues. Obviously, this is not the intent and what the SDA is doing is insane. It can be said that this is happening in a society that is not normal. B&H is so specific that the question if such B&H suits RS should be posed,” Viskovic has concluded.

Other RS politicians react to SDA’s announcement that they will initiate procedure for changing name of RS (N1/Srna)

SDA announced on Wednesday that the party will launch a legal proceeding before the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H for consideration of the name of RS. Reacting to this announcement, NDP Leader Dragan Cavic said that RS is the cornerstone of B&H, thus there is no B&H without RS. “The SDA directly violates the B&H Constitution that was agreed upon in Dayton, and by the Geneva and New York agreements before Dayton. RS entered the Constitution of B&H with its full name, i.e. Annex 4, which is invariable, without amending the Constitution” Cavic has said. He has said that this is another adventure of the SDA, the party that swears in B&H, but does everything to dismantle it. “As they did not stand any chance, nor is it objective or possible to stop or challenge the celebration of the RS Day, as the state holiday of RS, it is even more impossible for RS to change its name” Cavic has said. He has said this is another additional intensification of inter-ethnic relations in B&H, directed by the SDA, who knows for how many times, and noted that he does not know where it all leads. The deputy of the Socialist Party (SP) in the RS parliament Goran Selak said that it would be much better for SDA representatives to leave the rhetoric of conflicts in the past, where it belongs to, in order to start reviewing ways to improve the quality of life for the people who elected them instead of reviewing RS. “If the SDA and their representatives in the B&H institutions do not have better things to do than reviewing the name of RS, they are free to review it. In the end, they will come to conclusion that RS is the reality which would be best to accept and turn to work and cooperation with others, instead of constantly insisting on the conflict, “Selak has said regarding the SDA’s announcement on re-examining the name of RS. He has pointed out that the SDA’s rhetoric is from the past, when high representatives were fulfilling all their whims of spoiled children. “However, that time has irretrievably passed. It would be much better if they began to review the way to provide decent living to those who voted for them,” Selak has added. Leader of the Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS) Marko Pavic said that RS fought for its autonomy in the 1990s war and that when it got its present name, there were no objections from either the international community nor anyone in B&H. “The name is a permanent category and is related to the residents of RS and the issue of its name would probably never be launched if it wasn’t for certain problems in the Federation of B&H and at the State level, where it is impossible to appoint the government either at the State or cantonal or entity level,” Pavic said. Pavic said that whenever they could not do something that should be done according to the law and constitution, they always raised the issue of RS and that the same thing happened this time. “B&H cannot prosper if we will always look for something that separates us and I think we should look for something that brings us together, something we have in common, something that brings prosperity and future, instead of constantly going back and seeking something we will argue about, disagree or whatever,” said Pavic. President of SDS Vukota Govedarica said that, after the meeting between SDA and SNSD that happened on Tuesday, he is afraid that this is a political game. He explained that a major problem is created to solve a minor one. Namely, SDA is trying to explain the upcoming events to its voters, which will be the agreement with SNSD. President of PDP Branislav Borenovic said that this is the path to blockade. He added that no one who is normal will continue to talk to a party that requests the change of the name of the RS. He reminded that this is happening one day after the meeting where they said that the tensions need to be reduced. Borenovic stressed that this means political chaos and it will be a very harmful decision which leads into turbulent times. President of ‘United Srpska’ Nenad Stevandic said that he is sorry that SDA returned to 1992 and if this is cheap populism then it can be ignored. He said that if this is not the case, everyone needs to worry about their future and act seriously. ˝It is a lucky condition that the RS is strong and stable, the institutions work, there are no problems and it is ready for all challenges,” said Stevandic. Borenovic concluded: “We are entering into a big and uncertain political period for which SDA is fully responsible”.

Serb party leaders to meet regarding SDA initiative (Srna)

B&H Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik has stated that he convened a meeting of leaders of political parties in the RS parliament and Parliamentary Assembly of B&H over the SDA’s announcement of an initiative to re-examine the name of RS. “I believe that it is very important for RS to once again come to a consensus on this issue at that level. We will require the RS parliament session if the initiative is submitted to the Constitutional Court of B&H. We will then require adequate measures,” Dodik has stated in a press conference. According to him, a RS parliament session will be held automatically if formal form of initiative is sent by one or two (out of three) members of the B&H Presidency. He has urged the SDS to go with the SNSD in the decision-making process at the parliament on RS independence, if this initiative gets submitted to the Constitutional Court. Dodik has warned that this SDA’s initiative, if launched in a formal form before the Constitutional Court, is the initiative to dissolve RS from B&H. “If your intent is to expel RS from B&H, you are doing the best job possible” Dodik has said. According to him, RS does not intend to endure and wait for the outcome of the process “without trusting the decision of the Constitutional Court that acts in such way”. “It is evident that the Bosniaks do not want anyone in B&H, the majorization of Croats s visible, the election of a Croat Presidency member with Bosniak votes, the disparagement of Croat cantons in the Federation of B&H, the rejection of RS, the rejection of the RS Day – an initiative by Bakir Izetbegovic. Now, questioning the RS name tells us that we have nothing to look for in B&H” Dodik has explained. He has emphasized that RS is unquestionable, as well as its name, its territorial and political organization. “RS is unquestionable, its name and its existence, thus this initiative is unacceptable. It is incompatible with the B&H Constitution. The structure of RS is visible in all parts of the B&H Constitution” Dodik has said. Dodik has said that the SNSD interrupts every discussion on the formation of the Council of Ministers with the SDA until the situation regarding this SDA’s initiative is clarified. “Maybe they wanted it. This has crossed the line. The SNSD will not enter into talks about forming government with parties challenging RS and its name. They obviously have some of their own Serbs from the previous structure of power who are suitable for them, therefore they play this game,” Dodik has said. He has said that the SDA must publicly reject the initiative as it is a condition for the continuation of talks on forming a government. “Someone is playing game here, I do not play. I am calling them to withdraw this announcement tomorrow and give up any initiative of this kind. Then we can talk and continue to work. If the initiative is not withdrawn, we will do what I said – a meeting of leaders,” Dodik has said. He has emphasized that, if B&H Presidency member Sefik Dzaferovic signs an initiative to the Constitutional Court, he does not intend to cooperate with him. “I will not leave the Presidency, but my participation in the work will be questioned. It is the moment when I will not leave the Presidency, but will not work there.” This is the moment when all talks on the joint institutions formation cease. If one wants to be responsible for such a thing, let one do with this initiative what one wants,” Dodik has said. The B&H Presidency Chairman has stressed that Bosniaks do not want to live with others, and that the initiative comes five days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Dayton Agreement should be changed. “This is the dismantling of the constitutional and Deyton order of B&H. This is a line which cannot be crossed and I will not cross it. I do not want someone to downplay RS in this way. We will not wait for the Constitutional Court’s decision, we will seek out our friends, some of whom I have already contacted,” said Dodik.

Dodik: RS authorities could take control over the border overnight (N1)

RS is fully prepared for secession from B&H and all it takes for it to happen is a parliament decision, B&H Serb leader Milorad Dodik, who is now the Chairman of the country’s tripartite Presidency, told N1 in an interview on Wednesday evening. The threat came after the leading Bosniak party, the Party for Democratic Action (SDA), announced it will ask the Constitutional Court whether the name of RS is in line with the Constitution, arguing that it excludes other ethnic groups living on its territory. The Bosnian Serb leader said he distrusts the Constitutional Court which will “always rules against the RS.” The Court is composed of nine members, two members per majority ethnic group in the country and three foreign judges. Dodik and his party have been complaining for years that the foreigners tend to side with Bosniaks and “outvote” members from the other two ethnic groups. “If the SDA wants to do this, I will push for rigorous protection measures in the RS,” Dodik said. “We have all laws that enable us to take control of the border overnight already written. All we need to do it schedule a parliament session and we can do this” said Dodik. He called upon the country’s Bosniaks and Croats to renegotiate the setup of B&H and use the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement as a basis for negotiations as many changes were introduced in B&H that violate the agreement. “The B&H Constitution nowhere says that B&H is in charge of the judiciary. That was imposed by a High Representative. Two entities never agreed for the judiciary to be at the state level” he argued. The B&H flag was also something that was imposed by a High Representative, he said. He assessed that nobody is happy with how the country is set up. “Today everyone is dissatisfied equally, Serbs, Bosniaks, Croats, and even the international community.” Dodik announced that he would speak to Serb representatives on Thursday and that he expects his position to be supported as “this is a thing that unites us all.”

Nimetz: The rejection of the Prespa Agreement can have dangerous consequences (Meta)

The rejection and failing for the Prespa Agreement to enter into force can have deep and even dangerous consequences, remarked the special UN envoy Matthew Nimetz in the interview for the Greek news agency ANA -MPA, regarding the talks between Skopje and Athens about the name dispute. “A new agreement and a quick solution in case if the Prespa Agreement fails are not possible, and both sides will probably withdraw even from a lot of issues that were already agreed upon. It can cause a variety of scenarios some of which can have serious consequences” said Nimetz. The subsequent new agreement between Skopje and Athens, according to him, would last for years, since all issues, including the name for all-around use – erga omnes will be returned to a starting position, and probably there will be a different political momentum in both countries, including changes in the regional and the global political scenery. “An agreement was finally reached after longstanding intensive and difficult talks and negotiations because each side believed that is has managed to reach the essential elements of its own national interests, with an understanding that the agreement will bring peace, stability, and friendship instead of the continuation of the conflict,” said Nimetz. When asked whether at the United Nations the language is going to be recognized as “Macedonian”, Nimetz stressed that in the official list of countries including the languages that was prepared by a group of UN experts for geographical names (UNGEGN), the country is evidenced as “Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia” with a reference stating “Macedonian.”

Tsipras reveals the Greek truth about the Prespa Agreement (Nezavisen vesnik)

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has published a special video message for the citizens of Greece, saying it is time to discover the facts about the Prespa Agreement with Macedonia and to find out the truth. “With the Prespa Agreement we protect our (province) Macedonia. We overcome fear and with inertia of self-confidence we open the way to peace and economic growth,” Tsipras said in a video entitled “The Truth about the Prespa Agreement”. This agreement, as Greek prime minister stresses, is “the cornerstone of friendship of the Balkan region, of cooperation and fraternity of nations.” “Our neighbors differentiate their identity, admit that their language is Slavic and that their culture is not in any way related to the ancient Greek heritage. Through the Prespa Agreement, we recognize citizenship, not the ethnic group. There will be no irredentism in their textbooks. They change the names of the monuments, infrastructure and public space,” Tsipras said. In the current Greek campaign for interpreting the benefits of the Prespa agreement, he answers several of the most frequently asked questions: What was the national line accepted by the previous governments? What does Greece get from the Prespa agreement? How is Greece secured in case any next government decides to withdraw from the Prespa agreement? What will happen if Greece does not ratify the Prespa agreement?

Asked whether Greece recognizes the “Macedonian nation” and “Macedonian language”, his answer was – no.

1) The agreement defines only the “citizenship” of the neighboring country’s citizens, which is a legal relationship between the citizen and the state. In addition, FYROM formally confirmed to Greece through the Memorandum of Understanding of 16/1/2019, which is legally binding for FYROM, that the use of the term “nationality” in the English version of the Prespa Agreement refers only to “citizenship”. In fact, both Greece and FYROM, in their official translations of the agreement, attributed the English term “nationality” to the word “citizenship”. In addition, in all international texts (both conventional and non-negotiable) the term “nationality” denotes nationality, not national origin.

2) Today, more than 25 years, in the passports of Macedonian citizens, citizenship is defined by the word “Makedonsko” (“Macedonian”). Since 2009, even for FYROM, visa liberalization for the Schengen area applies to citizens with those passports.

3) Since the entry into force of the Agreement, “/citizen of North Macedonia” is added to all travel documents in citizenship, on the term already in use.

4) The Prespa agreement does not mention or regulate ethnic issues. In addition, the amendment to the FYROM Constitution states that “citizenship does not specify, nor does it determine the ethnicity of the citizens of the country”. This is stated explicitly and binding on FYROM in a verbal note sent from Skopje.

5) Accordingly, the Agreement does not recognize the “Macedonian people” or “the Macedonian nation”. Moreover, the agreement does not deny the right of Greek citizens to call the citizens of our neighboring country under the terms they use today (Article 7).

As for the recognition of the language, the explanation reads:

1) The Third UN Conference on Standardization of Geographical Names held in 1977 in Athens recognized the “Macedonian” as an official language. However, in his speech in September 1959, Foreign Minister E Averof stressed: “The Macedonian language spoken in Skopje is not spoken in Greek Macedonia and has its own grammar and syntax”.

2) The designation of the Macedonian language, codename MK, MKD, has been used since 1994, with no asterisks, as can be seen on the official UN website (see pages 1 and 94), and as it is formally presented by the International standardization organization with ISO 639-1 and 639-2.

3) The agreement explicitly states that the official language of the neighbor belongs to the group of Slavic languages and is “not related to the ancient Greek culture” of Macedonia and “is not related to […] the history, culture and heritage of Macedonia (Article 7 (4)).

4) Also, according to the Agreement, Greek citizens reserve the right to continue to apply to the above-mentioned language under the conditions they currently use (Article 7 (5)).

About the trade measures, the explanation reads:

1) The Prespa Agreement does not affect the validity of the Greek trademarks under the name Macedonia. In particular, the provisions on trademarks are fully compatible with European legislation and with international law, and in particular with the Madrid Commercial Property Treaty. This means that trademarks registered by Greek companies at national, European or international level and containing references for Macedonia are fully protected.

2) The status of the neighboring country as a future candidate for EU membership implies an obligation to adapt to the European acquis. Products bearing an Appellation of origin (AOs), as well as products for geographical indication (PGI) that are related to Macedonia, have already been identified with the existing EU regulations and apply exclusively to Macedonia. Macedonian wine, for example, is embedded in the EU regulation. By their very nature, geographical definitions refer to specific regions, not to entire countries. The fact that the agreement contains an explicit reference to the work of an international expert group within the EU guarantees the interests of our country’s companies as a member state.

3) The agreement creates the conditions for a dialogue between the two business communities of the two countries that will in good faith find a way out and solutions to other issues that may be related to brands and corporate logos in the future. However, what is guaranteed in European and national legislation has been introduced and does not change.

Vlatko Gjorchev, possible presidential candidate of VMRO-DPMNE (Meta/Nezavisen Vesnik)

At the upcoming VMRO-DPMNE convention, Vlatko Gjorchev, MP, will be one of the candidates who will vie for VMRO-DPMNE’s nomination for the upcoming presidential elections. Gjorchev confirmed this for Nezavisen Vesnik and is expected to hold a press conference today. He believes that with his experience and knowledge he will succeed in winning the votes from on the presidential elections. The public call for candidates for successor of Gjorge Ivanov that was published by the main opposition party VMRO-DPMNE, lasts until the end of the month.

Rama handed over Foreign Ministry to Cakaj, ‘President doesn’t intervene’ (ADN)

President of Albania Ilir Meta was asked what he thinks about the Prime Minister, Edi Rama‘s decision to hand over the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to Gent Cakaj, a candidacy that was turned down by the President. He responded by saying that the President doesn’t intervene and doesn’t comment on the acts of internal organizations of the executive body and that of ministries. “I, as the President of the Republic, do respect the constitution and I am very aware of my competences as to which institution I should delegate the constitutional authority in reaching international agreements in the name of the Republic of Albania,” said Meta.

Meanwhile, Democratic Party (DP) MP, Tritan Shehu commented Rama’s decision to hand over the duty of Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs to Gent Cakaj, by saing that this decision is unconstitutional and unprecedented. “The Prime Minister, by handing over the Ministry to the candidate turned down by the President, committed an unconstitutional and unprecedented act. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs can’t be handed over to anyone, as it is a very important ministry. This decision damages a lot our state and international interests,” said Shehu. Former President, Bujar Nishani, also reacted on the decision of Premier, Edi Rama, to delegate his duties and responsibilities as Foreign Minister to Cakaj. Nishani stated that this action was scandalous and humiliating to Albania and the institutions of the country. Furthermore, he added that Rama’s speech was the most demeaning speech in all history of Albania. “The Prime Minister’s speech and his action in one of the most important Albanian institutions as the Foreign Ministry is, was the peak of the most scandalous, humiliating, embarrassing and condemnable pattern in all Albanian history. The power he obtained and transferred doesn’t exist. He invented an illegal power. Just as humiliating, was the behavior of Cakaj, who undertook the action to transport the ‘bomb’ against Albanians,” declared former President Nishani. The Leader of the Republican Party, Fatmir Mediu, declared on Wednesday that the delegation of the post of Foreign Minister from PM Rama to Deputy Foreign Minister Cakaj, is an absurd move, which shows the decay of the Albanian government. According to him, the delegation comes at a time when the country faces national challenges such as opening negotiations with the EU or discussing maritime borders with Greece, issues that require maximum engagement. “Rama’s act to delegate a constitutional authority as Foreign Minister of a Deputy Minister Genc Cakaj is an absurd move, which shows the decay of the Albanian government. Reducing the level of representation in major diplomatic issues is devastating to foreign politics, unprecedented and idiotic. No more than Enver Hoxha and worse than Vladimir Putin” said Mediu. He added that the Premier Edi Rama is destroying the country by building the corruption. Strong reaction came from Kosovo and concretely by the Self-Determination Movement, after the Prime Minister Rama delegated the post of the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, to Gent Cakaj. According to the Activist of this Movement from Kosovo, Arber Zaimi, Baton Haxhiu is defining Albania’s foreign policy with Rama’s insistence. “The Socialist Party’s sympathizers should not be blind. Let’s read the Baton scripts online against Rama and SP before 2013. Baton Haxhiu is a friend of all, and as he has shown, he has been friends with both Berisha and Meta. Baton Haxhiu has become Rama’s biggest confidante, going to high-level meetings with him and proposing Ministers. This Baton, who had links to the Serbian intelligence chief during the war and declared himself killed to be safe, defines Albania’s foreign policy today with Rama’s insistence help,” said Zaimi. The Activist from Kosovo added that all of this, is happening in a time that borders of Balkans are more unstable than ever.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Romanian EU Presidency to push Western Balkans case, minister says (EurActiv, by Zoran Radosavljevic, 23 January 2019)

Romania’s EU presidency will push to improve the prospect of membership talks for Western Balkan countries Macedonia (FYROM) and Albania, but only after the European elections in May, the country’s European affairs minister told EURACTIV in an interview.

George Ciamba, whose country took over the rotating presidency from Austria on 1 January, also said one of the main tasks of Romania’s six-month stint at the helm would be to reinforce the message of unity of the EU-27 after the UK’s departure from the EU on 29 March. “The message of unity is going to be the one that should be dominating. The Romanian Presidency is looking at the Sibiu Summit (on 9 May) by projecting this image of unity. If we’re going to be able to do it there, this is going to be a good omen for the upcoming European elections.” He said the EU’s enlargement, which has barely progressed since Croatia joined in 2013, “is high on our agenda, we are the children of enlargement, we know very much the value of enlargement”. “For us and Croatia and Bulgaria and Austria, this is a matter that should be moved jointly. It is part of the programme of the trio and there we have to use all the opportunities,” he said, referring to the recent and upcoming presidency holders, but cautioned: “It’s not an easy one. There is still political misunderstanding in some member states and [European] elections are not helping, but there is a window of opportunity and we are ready to do whatever is needed to move the issues, but we’ll need the help of the countries, they should deliver their own reforms.” The integration of the Western Balkans were at the centre of the Bulgarian presidency in the first half of 2018, but the issue was less of a priority for the Austrian presidency which succeeded it. The countries to hold the next two presidencies after Romania will be Finland and Croatia. Ciamba praised the so-called Prespa Agreement, a deal reached between Skopje and Athens last June after almost 30 years of dispute over the name of Greece’s northern neighbour, as an “important achievement that should not be wasted”. “Everyone speaks these days but doesn’t see the added value of the Prespa agreement. If it is ratified in Greece too, we are going to have a clear example of what Europe can deliver and the soft power of Europe in giving hope and winning hearts and minds in countries that are so willing to come in.” “This is even more refreshing at a time that someone wants to leave the Union, or is on the way out, to see that so many want to join the Union.”

Significance of Macedonia name deal

If the Prespa agreement is endorsed in the Greek parliament on Thursday, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia will officially change its name to North Macedonia, which should unblock its plans to join the EU and NATO. “We should put our efforts behind the Prespa agreement. It is an important example and could create momentum for other things to be solved in the region,” Ciamba said. Of the six Western Balkan EU hopefuls, only Montenegro and Serbia have opened membership talks, FYROM and Albania are official candidates, but without a date, while Bosnia and Kosovo lag further behind. Asked if FYROM and Albania may be able to get a concrete date, or even open accession talks by the end of this year, Ciamba replied:

“This is what we are aiming for at the General Affairs Council in June, of course, if everything goes on, if everything is on track.” “But I would not like to say too much now because the danger is if we say too much at the initial stage, having in mind the campaign that is coming in Europe, this would be injected there and I don’t think this should be the case. We are ready after the elections to be the first issue that we’ll tackle.” Turning to his own country, Ciamba said he was confident Romania would handle its EU presidency well and this should boost its chance of joining the EU’s passport-free Schengen area, from which Bucharest and Sofia have been kept out for 11 years. “We are fully convinced that, as we are going to perform, and I am confident that Romania is going to perform as presidency, this is going to have a positive effect on the Schengen issue for Romania, as it did for Bulgaria [which held the presidency in early 2018].

“We are confident that our performance is going to be good, great, and is going to leave something for Europe. This is going to increase not only our clout, but also the expectations and at the same time, is going to strengthen the political decision about Schengen.” He said Romania was meeting the criteria for joining Schengen, which is also the opinion of the Commission.

“We are meeting the criteria, we invested a lot, we are fully aware this is the external border of Europe, it has to be reinforced and strengthened. I don’t see any other issues than what is related to different type of politics in a different type of member states”.

Contentious Vote on Macedonia Name Change & Stepping Stone for NATO in W Balkans (Sputnik, by Evgenia Filimianova, 23 January 2019)

Ahead of the decisive vote in Athens on Thursday – a vote that is likely to result in expansion of NATO – Greek lawmakers have less than 24 hours to decide on the deal that would see FYROM change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

Sputnik spoke to European affairs analyst Yannis Koutsomitis about the impact of the vote on both Athens and Skopje, political prowess of current heads of government in both countries and NATO’s strategic goals in Western Balkans.

Sputnik: Last week the Greek PM narrowly survived a vote of no confidence after his junior coalition partner withdrew support over the name dispute. And now he is facing the vote on the name change. What should Mr. Tsipras expect from the parliamentarians?

Yannis Koutsomitis: No all the MPs who supported him in the confidence vote will back the agreement. Some opposition MPs are considering voting for the agreement, 2 MPs from the Potami party and one MP who was until 2 days ago with the Movement for Change party, which rejected him for the willingness to vote for the agreement. Overall, my estimate is that between 151-152 MPs will vote for the agreement, which is just above the absolute majority [in the 300-seat house]. Another interesting development could happen if the opposition party New Democracy files a motion for a vote of no confidence in the government, which will suspend and postpone the debate for at least 3 days. We expect the final decision by Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis [leader of Greece’s New Democracy party] to be made later on Wednesday or early Thursday morning.

Sputnik: Greek parliamentary endorsement is a necessary step for the tiny ex-Yugoslav republic to start the process of joining the European Union and NATO. What are the significance and the implications of Macedonia’s accession to these organizations?

Yannis Koutsomitis: If the Greek government gets the agreement passed through the Parliament, then there will be a notification by Athens to Skopje and to the Secretary General of NATO. After that, the Macedonian government will sign the accession protocol in Brussels. As I hear from Skopje, it is expected to happen sometime in February. Then, the accession protocol will be sent to the 29 NATO member states for ratification. According to the Greek government, Greece will be the first country to ratify it. For NATO, Macedonia will be the newest addition in its military expansion, which is objected by Russia, as we know. Except for the president of Macedonia, the major parties agree to the country’s membership of NATO. The problem is that the whole change of name and constitution in Skopje came into force amid dubious democratic procedures. There are concerns about how Zaev’s government got the required votes to pass the decision. In June, the European Commission is expected to again submit a membership request for Macedonia and Albania to the European Council. The agreement between Athens and Skopje is a key part to this membership request. We don’t know yet, however, France’s position, as Paris had serious objections last year. We also don’t know who will be heading the Greek government in June because there is a possibility of a snap general election in May 2019. My understanding that Mr. Mitsotakis will be very reluctant to open the accession talks for Macedonia in June.

Sputnik: What is NATO gaining in having Macedonia join the alliance?

Yannis Koutsomitis: I can’t see great significance in that because Macedonia is not in a very strategic spot. Nevertheless, NATO’s aim is to complete the accession of all Western Balkan states to the alliance, which could affect the Kosovo-Serbia dispute. It is a step for NATO, while Kosovo-Serbia issue is the ultimate goal to manage.

Sputnik: There appears to be massive opposition to the name change in Greece. How can it affect the popularity of Mr. Tsipras, especially given he is to stand in a general election in October?

Yannis Koutsomitis: There is no tangible profit for Mr. Tsipras and his Syriza party. We have seen dropping popularity numbers, especially in the north of Greece, where it got very difficult for Syriza to campaign. However, there is a possibility that Syriza could gain votes from other left and centre-left parties because of the move to support the name change. Mr. Tispras has nothing to gain from this story and my take is that after the name change agreement is passed — he will focus more on issues, such as economy, to make the voters forget about the vote. It is a tense situation for Mr. Tsipras’s party.

Sputnik: Despite the prospect of EU and NATO membership, there is strong opposition in the Macedonian society to the new name, as many believe Zoran Zaev’s government gave up in a compromise. What are the repercussions of this for Social Democrats in Macedonia?

Yannis Koutsomitis: In March and April 2019, presidential elections are due to be held in Macedonia. There is a possibility that all this upset in the population may result in election of a president who opposes the Social Democrats, headed by Zaev. The role of the president is not that strong as to block the government but it would be a strong indication that the public is against the name change. In some way, the election could be seen as another referendum on the name change and the membership of NATO.

The views expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.