United Nations Office
in Belgrade

Daily Media Highlights

Friday 22 March
2019

LOCAL
PRESS

• Vucic:
  I’m reluctant to slate early elections because I hope I can restart the
  dialogue with Pristina (La Repubblica/RTS/Tanjug/B92/Beta)
• Brnabic:
  Only Washington had made one step more (RTS/Beta)
• Brnabic:
  1999 bombing did not happen due to fault of Serbian citizens (RTS/Tanjug)
• Grasso
  rebuts Drecun (Danas)
• DS
  condemns relativization of Karadzic verdict (Beta)
• SRS:
  There was no genocide in Srebrenica, Serbia must react (Beta)

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia & Herzegovina

• Director
  General of ICMP: Chapter in the history of conflict of the Western Balkans
  closed (Radio Sarajevo)
• Statement
  by the spokesperson on the final judgement in the Karadzic case (Radio
  Sarajevo)
• Karadzic's
  message: The tribunal's decision is a 'barren revenge' (RTRS, Srna,
  N1)
• Urgently
  remove NATO posters from schools in Brcko (Srna)
• Zvizdic:
  Bosnia may close its border, just as the EU has done (N1)

Croatia

• President
  to visit Jasenovac Memorial on her own (Hina)
• German
  President Steinmeier visits Zagreb (Hina)

Montenegro

• Agreement
  on Future by "Odupri Se" proposes Government of Civil Union (TMN)
• Agreement
  on future is not acceptable to DF (Pobjeda)
• Markovic:
  Protests in Montenegro do not pose a threat to state (TMN)
• Montenegro
  and Kosovo: Role models for Euro-Atlantic integration (TMN)

Republic of North Macedonia

• We take
  Zaev at his word for early parliamentary elections, we believe that
  Siljanovska will win (Republika)
• Mickoski
  – Zaev TV duel on Tuesday (Republika)

Albania

• Albania
  opposition holds new rally (ADN)

INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA SOURCES

• Karadzic
  trial shows bias and politicization of UN tribunal — Russian Foreign
  Ministry (TASS)
• Lavrov:
  NATO airstrike on Chinese embassy in Belgrade in 1999 could have been
  deliberate (TASS)
• U.S.-Russia
  competition Intensified in the Balkans (China Military)

LOCAL
PRESS

Vucic: I’m reluctant to slate early elections because
I hope I can restart the dialogue with Pristina (La
Repubblica/RTS/Tanjug/B92/Beta)

Serbian
President Aleksandar Vucic has told the Italian newspaper La
Repubblica that Serbia was absolutely stable, Vucic said when asked whether
stability was threatened in the aftermath of the weekend conflict. He added
that violent perpetrators do not represent Serbia. "I assure Europe:
Serbia is absolutely stable. Unfortunately, peaceful demonstrations that did
not involve many people became violent. The police guaranteed peace and order
in a moderate manner. You will no longer see unpunished violence in the streets
of Serbia. We are more stable than ever, the opposition parties are losing
their support in the polls," Vucic said in his interview to the Roman
media outlet, that he gave during his visit to Germany. When asked if he
"feared conflict, since opposition leaders are urging 'going all the
way'," - the Serbian President recalled that "once they launched
violence, he immediately called a press conference, assuming that a protest
would be held in front of the Presidency. "They asked for my resignation,
I said publicly that I was a legitimately elected president and that I would
not resign. I said, 'I respect your protesters, although you are few, but not
your leaders, among whom are fascists and thieves'. I do not care about my own
destiny, I am in power because I have been elected and I am trying to implement
difficult, courageous reforms. I am not afraid of their violence," Vucic
said. Asked "why he would not call early elections" - Vucic said that
"a vast majority of citizens are on his side" and that he "is
thinking about that." "But I'm reluctant because I hope that I can
restart the dialogue with Pristina. It's impossible to negotiate during an
election campaign, that's the point," Vucic said. When the interviewer
remarked that the opposition accused him of limiting media freedoms, and
comparing him to "Milosevic, Orban, and Kachinsky"
- the President replied that he "always said that the situation with the
Serbian media is not the best. "But the current media climate has been
created by opposition leaders to destabilize the country, Dragan Djilas
and his wealthy associate Dragan Solak own the highest-ratings cable
network and various television channels. They influence all of the weeklies,
and at least two daily newspapers. In the public broadcaster (RTS) - that they
attacked - it wasn't me who appointed the directors and editors, they were there
before. When the current opposition leaders were in power, they shut down 3,000
companies, I opened 200 and since I have been in power economic growth has been
at 4.4 percent - under them it was less at than 3, 1 percent," Vucic said.
He added that "the unemployment rate has fallen from 26 to 11
percent." "I am conducting a dialogue on the topic of the media with
international organizations and the European Union - not with those oligarch
thieves and media magnates like Dragan Djilas: while he was the mayor of
Belgrade, he stole 500 million euros," Vucic said. Asked during the
interview about the previous day's second instance verdict against the first
Republika Srpska president Radovan Karadzic, Vucic said that he was in
Germany "for important political and economic talks" and that he
would speak about the verdict "the next day (today) in Serbia."
"I'm afraid that this can only provoke political contradictions and
divisions," Vucic said. Asked "how much the past makes the region's
present more difficult" - Vucic said that "in the whole region,
unfortunately, the past is too present in political debates." "I am
working hard and will trying as much as I can to overcome this situation in
Serbia and I hope that every leader will do the same. Dialogue and economic
growth are the future," Vucic said. Asked about the "tense situation
with Pristina that wants to take control of the huge Trepca mine" in
Kosovo that is "historically Serb" - and "whether there is a
risk of conflict" - Vucic said that he "spoke about precisely this
with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg." "I told him
that we appreciate the work of KFOR (which La Repubblica's reporter said was
'almost entirely Italian' - ed.) - They have been protecting the Serbs in
Kosovo. We expect them to continue to do so. Without the permission of KFOR and
NATO, Pristina cannot make any move. I hope they will not endanger the peace.
Faced with the risk of a pogrom (of Serbs in Kosovo) we will have no choice but
to protect our people. However, we hope that KFOR, in which I have confidence,
will solve any problem and that Pristina will act rationally," said Vucic.

Brnabic: Only Washington had made one step more (RTS/Beta)

Serbian
Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told RTS on Thursday evening
that the abolishing of import taxes by Pristina was not in sight, but that the
French-German initiative was dedicated to their abolishing. “This initiative is
certainly going toward abolishing the taxes, because we said the dialogue would
not resume until that happens,” Brnabic said, without disclosing the details of
the initiative. Brnabic said it was good that Washington, Berlin, London and
Brussels were advocating the abolishing of fees, but added that it was sad to
see that the EU had not done more, and that only Washington had made one step
more. “They denied visas for leaders from Pristina, they were the only ones who
had done something apart from declarative calls to Pristina to abolish taxes,”
she said. “It seems to me that the abolishing of fees is not in sight; I have
not seen Pristina thinking about acting constructively, I think they are only
trying to complicate the situation and turn away from the dialogue as much as
possible,” Brnabic added. She said that the authorities had done nothing to
provoke the radicalization of the One of the Five Million protests in Belgrade.
“The violent break-in into the Serbian Broadcasting Corporation to me means
that the peaceful protests are over,” Brnabic told the channel and added that
my being here is my support for the station. She said that it was also very
important not to relativize violence. "It is very important not to
relativize the violence by saying that they are to blame, but that the station
and government are also to blame, we need to know who is to blame and all of us
to condemn them as a society," Brnabic said.

Brnabic: 1999 bombing did not happen due to fault of
Serbian citizens (RTS/Tanjug)

At
the conference dubbed “NATO aggression on the FR Yugoslavia: 20 years after”,
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said today that Serbia is aware of
the mistakes it has made in the past, but added that NATO bombing in 1999 was
the fault of others, not the citizens of Serbia.

Brnabic
stressed that Serbia must not forget the victims of that bombing, destroyed
factories, bridges and devastated economy, but that it has to try to forgive
because it is the only way to realize its great potential, to turn to the
future, partnership and cooperation. No one should criticize Serbia for faults.
We are aware that we made mistakes, but the bombing in 1999 was the fault of
others, not of the citizens of Serbia who at the end of the 20th century were
the victims of those with whom we fought for freedom and justice in two wars.
For the future it would be good for them to be aware of those mistakes, she
repeated. Brnabic has said that for the past 20 years we have been trying to
get an answer to the question of how a small country has become such a big
opponent of the most powerful forces, but also what are the reasons for the
precedent that a sovereign country can be attacked without a decision of the UN
Security Council. We ended the conflict in which we were not equal with a
destroyed country. In Serbia, in 1999, we were all targets, irrespective of
gender, age, nationality, religion or political affinities, Brnabic recalled.
According to Brnabic, our country will remain faithful to tradition and history
and will never forget the friends who stood with her in the most difficult
times, with special thanks to Russia and China. She said that the country will
develop partnership relations with those who took part in the bombing in 1999
and build bridges with those that we do not even understand today, judging that
this is the only way to better.

Grasso rebuts Drecun (Danas)

KFOR
is not involved in the training of Kosovo security forces. The military drill
that you are mentioning was made public several days ago and it is part of a
bilateral agreement, like many agreements that many nations have with Kosovo,
without any presence of KFOR, KFOR spokesperson Vincenzo Grasso told Danas,
commenting yesterday’s accusations of the Chairperson of the Serbian
parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun. Drecun
told TV Pink that the joint drill of the Albanian Army and
so-called Kosovo security forces is intended to intimidate the Serb people in
the province, and that KFOR was silent about it. “KFOR continues to operate
impartially within the UN mandate in order to guarantee security and safety to all
people in Kosovo, and such training does not represent any threat for security.
Over the past days, KFOR, and especially COMKFOR, have called many times all
leaders, speakers and the media, to refrain from creating unnecessary tensions
and to be careful not to cause deeper consequences with their rhetoric. Using
such rhetoric and spreading false information cause fear among the people and
risk of establishing an environment where one isolated incident may escalate,
says the KFOR spokesperson.

DS condemns relativization of Karadzic verdict (Beta)

On
March 21 the Democratic Party (DS) condemned every relativization of the
sentencing of Radovan Karadzic. The Democrats called on the authorities
and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to desist with a campaign to
present war criminals as heroes. The sentencing of Karadzic is important for
facing up to the past, establishing responsibility and creating the
preconditions for building a future without the mortgage of the past, the party
said. This decision establishes individual responsibility and proves that the
Serbian people, collectively, are not to blame for the crimes that were
committed. “This gives satisfaction to the victims and hope to everyone
fighting for the human ideals of freedom, peace and understanding. This is
precisely where our individual and partisan responsibility lies and that of
society as a whole to prevent revisionist interpretations, nationalistic
rhetoric and violence toward those who think differently in the coming period,”
the party said.

SRS: There was no genocide in Srebrenica, Serbia must
react (Beta)

A
member of parliament from the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Natasa Jovanovic
raised the issue in the Serbian parliament, about what the state would do after
the "shameful and draconian" sentence to Radovan Karadzic. She
addressed that question to President Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister
Ana Brnabic. Jovanovic said that the court in The Hague was anti-Serb
and that the cases it processed were politically orchestrated, by orders of the
western powers. She claimed that, even in the second-instance proceedings, the
court had been unable to find that Karadzic advocated any crime and that,
therefore, it attempted to impose that he (Karadzic) is also guilty of the
Srebrenica genocide. “There was no genocide in Srebrenica and history will
prove that,” Jovanovic stated.

REGIONAL PRESS

Director General of ICMP: Chapter in the history of
conflict of the Western Balkans closed (Radio Sarajevo)

The
Director-General of the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP),
Kathryne Bomberger, issued a statement following the verdict of the UN
International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in the case of
Radovan Karadzic.

“A
chapter in the history of conflict of the Western Balkans closed, when the MICT
upheld the conviction of Radovan Karadzic for genocide and war crimes and
extended the sentence to life in prison. “As those who were responsible for
crimes are brought to justice, it is important that their victims are not forgotten.
In the former Yugoslavia, 40,000 people went missing as a result of the
conflicts. More than two thirds of these people have been accounted for as a
result of the action of regional governments, working together with ICMP.
However, 12,000 people are still missing, including one thousand of the 8,000
victims of the Srebrenica Genocide.

ICMP
provided evidence in the Karadzic trial, presenting expert testimony on its
work to assist in identifying thousands of victims through a DNA-led
identification process. Last November, the representatives of the authorities
responsible for accounting for missing persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia signed a Framework Plan with ICMP that
lays out steps to boost their cooperation and increase their effectiveness in
accounting for those who are still missing throughout the region. The
international community must continue to support this process. Convicting those
responsible for war crimes is an essential element in upholding the rule of
law. Ensuring that governments fulfil their legal obligations to account for
those who are missing as a result of these crimes and to secure the rights of
all surviving families of the missing is an important element in the same
process.”

Statement by the spokesperson on the final judgement
in the Karadzic case (Radio Sarajevo)

The
final judgement in the Radovan Karadzic case before the International
Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) by the Appeals Chamber closes
a case relating to some of the most tragic events in Europe’s recent history,
involving war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Our deep sympathies
are with those who lost their loved ones and those who survived.

The
European Union fully respects the decisions of the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the IRMCT. We reiterate the need
for full cooperation with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal
Tribunals, as the ICTY’s successor. The EU expects all leaders in the region to
support the decisions of the international tribunals and to refrain from any
statements or actions casting doubt on the independence or the impartiality of
the adjudication process. Denial or revisionism contradict the most fundamental
European values. International criminal justice not only contributes to ending
impunity but also to fostering broader trust and reconciliation within Bosnia
and Herzegovina and in the region as a whole. The EU also supports the
effective and efficient domestic processing of war crimes, to complement and
follow up on the work of international tribunals. Reconciliation requires an
honest and factual assessment of the past, coming from within societies and
bringing together all parties to the conflict. Education and awareness are key.

Karadzic's message: The tribunal's decision is a
'barren revenge' (RTRS, Srna, N1)

Bosnian
Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic, whom a UN's court sentenced on
Wednesday for the war crimes from the early 1990s, said in the aftermath of the
final verdict that it was actually him and the Serb people who already won. In
a statement for RTRS, Karadzic's attorney read a message that his
client wrote after the appeal judges handed down the final verdict in this
case. “The sacrifice I make is much less than what others did. Thousands of
young men had built Republika Srpska (RS) with their lives. The many are
post-war disabled veterans, while the mothers whose sons, often only sons, gave
their lives for the freedom of the Serb people made the biggest sacrifice.
Those are the true victims” Karadzic said. For Karadzic, The Hague tribunal's
decision was a “barren revenge” that can do no harm to him, “an old man.”

“We
did not surrender at the hardest times, and even in prison I won't stop
fighting for the truth about our just battle in the war that was imposed on us
and in which all three peoples were killed,” Karadzic wrote in his
post-sentence letter. The first President of the then RS, said this battle was
just. “We justly fought for the freedom and equality of the Serb people in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because of that, let's always and in all occasions,
show dignity, not hate others and let's proudly keep what is above all of us –
RS,” he added.

Urgently remove NATO posters from schools in Brcko (Srna)

Posters
promoting NATO were placed on the secondary schools in Brcko, which is strongly
condemned by Serb political parties in power in the district, which are
demanding secondary school principals to immediately remove them. "Posters
of a military alliance by no means belong in schools, among children and youth,
especially if one takes into account the fact that half of B&H population
strongly opposes B&H's accession to NATO over its embarrassing role during
the aggression against Republika Srpska and Serbia," reads a statement
signed by the SNSD, SP, PDP parties and deputy Uros Vojnovic. The
statement reads that NATO is the last organization to teach children moral and
human values. "Therefore, we demand the principals of all secondary
schools, in which these shameful posters appeared, to immediate remove these
posters or they will face legal sanctions," the statement reads. Brcko
high school students, after coming to school, voiced their disapproval over the
posters, and reported this to the local media.

Zvizdic: Bosnia may close its border, just as the EU
has done (N1)

If
Bosnia’s western border to the EU remains closed for migrants, then the country
will have to close its eastern border too, Chairman of B&H’s Council of
Ministers Denis Zvizdic said on Thursday. The country will remain
committed to the principles of humanity and international law when migrants
seek asylum, but not many of their requests are sincere and B&H needs to
protect its borders just like the EU has done, he said. “Migrants from EU
countries are coming to B&H with the intent to return to the EU again. They
come from Greece, and if reports that a large number of migrants are leaving
Greece in May are true, then we really have to think about fully closing the
B&H border,” he said. Thousands have entered B&H on their way towards
EU countries since the beginning of 2018. However, they got stuck there after
surrounding countries closed their borders, particularly Croatia, B&H’s EU
neighbor. Migrants continue trying to enter the EU illegally but Croatian
border police have reinforced the border to B&H and are turning them back.
B&H needs to resolve its issues with its neighboring countries regarding
the migrant flow, Zvizdic said, explaining that many Iranians enter Serbia as
tourists and then cross over to B&H as migrants. He also mentioned that
Hungary and some other countries have offered to help B&H secure its
border.

President to visit Jasenovac Memorial on her own (Hina)

Commenting
on statements by representatives of ethnic minorities that again this year
again they would not attend the government-sponsored commemoration of victims
of the World War II Jasenovac concentration camp, President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic
said that she regretted "ideological divisions and that we are constantly
going back to the past instead of focusing on issues of everyday life" and
that she would therefore go to Jasenovac "to pay tribute to the victims in
silence" again this year. "I'm quite upset that we are putting those
divisions in the center of political debate" she said. Grabar-Kitarovic
went on to say that everyone had recognized that regimes such as Fascism,
Communism and Nazism were criminal. "Tribute should be paid to all
victims" she said. "I said that I would attend the Jasenovac
commemoration if we all go together. We all commemorate the victims and everyone
does it in their own way, which makes no sense. I will go there to bow in
silence to the victims because they deserve that," Grabar-Kitarovic said.

German President Steinmeier visits Zagreb (Hina)

The
European Union must not lose itself in bilateral quarrels, German President
Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Zagreb on Thursday after meeting with
Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, with whom he agreed that
the prospects of even better bilateral cooperation would occur in 2020, when
both countries are set to preside over the European Union. Steinmeier began his
two-day official visit with talks in Grabar-Kitarovic's office during which
they said the two countries shared the same views on many European issues and
that they were strongly linked by the Croatian community in Germany. In a joint
press conference after the talks, Steinmeier said Croatia, as the newest EU
member, was a bridge between the European bloc and Southeast Europe, with which
it shares a common past. There were difficult periods in that past, he said,
urging the countries of Southeast Europe to resolve outstanding issues. In
Europe, "dealing with the difficulties of the past paved the way to the
future," he said. Grabar-Kitarovic said Croatia supported the
Euro-Atlantic perspective of all Southeast European countries. "In that
sense, we want a stable Southeast Europe, notably Bosnia and Herzegovina."
She said that Croatia would dedicate another summit on EU enlargement to
Southeast Europe while chairing the Council of the EU in the first half of next
year. The calendar envisaged that we assume responsibility one after the other,
Steinmeier said. Germany will chair the Council in the second half of 2020.
"That's a chance to cooperate even better at European level."
Grabar-Kitarovic said the two countries shared common European values and
commitment to a strong EU. Croatia will always remember "the key role of
Germany and other close friends during the struggle for survival, notably the
then Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher,"
she said, adding that Croatia continued to count on Germany's support. Croatia
appreciates Germany's "constant and strong" support for Croatia's
membership of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, said
Grabar-Kitarovic. The EU will "become safer and stronger when Croatia
enters the Schengen and euro areas" she said. "In that respect, we
are counting on Germany's support," she added, noting that Croatia is
making big efforts to efficiently monitor "the EU's longest eastern external
border." Steinmeier said Croatia was a new member state but has
"settled in the heart of the EU" as a bridge helping to overcome the
difficulties between old and new member states. He illustrated Croatia's role
with the Three Seas Initiative, which some in Europe saw as an attempt to
distance new member states from "the old Europe." Croatia said from
the very beginning that the Initiative must not be used for political purposes
and invited other countries to join, which Germany did, he said. "A lot is
at stake in Europe" today, which is why the European Parliament election
"isn't just another election in history" as it "will decide on
the different drafts of the European Union's future," he added.

Agreement on Future by "Odupri Se" proposes
Government of Civil Union (TMN)

Representatives
of the "Odupri Se" (Resist) protest movement have proposed the
Agreement on Future to the opposition deputies to agree to jointly advocate for
the formation of a government of unity, whose primary task will be to create
the conditions for maintaining fair and free elections. As announced at
yesterday's press conference, protest organizers hope to achieve unity of 39
opposition deputies in the Montenegrin Parliament, which is 49 percent of the
representative body. They remain at the earlier demands for the resignation of
senior officials, and the opposition offers a common platform for resolving the
political crisis. In the document entitled "Agreement on Future", the
signatories agree that the election of ministers in that government is on a
parity basis - one-third of the representatives of the ruling majority and
parliamentary opposition parties and a third of the non-partial personalities.
It is stated that the function of the president of the government of civil unity,
which will act in a limited mandate, cannot be a member of the parties that are
now in power. "Opposition parties have offered a draft agreement that is
the result of comprehensive consultations with integrity intellectuals, and the
document is subject to change in one part," Dzemal Perovic,
representative of the organizing committee of protest "Odupri Se".
The signatories, as envisaged by the agreement, will not participate in local,
state and elections for President of the State, scheduled before meeting the
demands of the citizens reported on the protests and the primary task of the
government of the civil union. The Government of Civil Unity will not change
its current foreign policy approach to Montenegro by its activity or
decision," he said in the agreement. Perovic replied that the cooperation
with this political alliance from the beginning of the protest was correct, to
the journalist question whether they expected support from the Democratic Front
that the representatives and sympathizers of these parties are regularly
involved in civil protests and that there is no reason to believe that they
will now be different. He stressed that the parties for their particular
attitudes and politics would have the opportunity to seek support from citizens
at the first free elections to be organized in Montenegro when the conditions
are met. The agreement envisions the consent of the signatories that a mandate
of the government of civil union is necessary to review all laws that call into
question the inalienability of private property, the reduction of the VAT rate
and the abolition of all the privileges enjoyed by ministers in the government
and the institution's leadership. It is necessary, as stated, to increase the
minimum labor cost to 60 percent of the average earnings in the past year, and
to introduce a ratio of the lowest and highest earnings to public employment in
the rate of 1:5. The agreement provides that during the mandate of the
government of civil unity it is necessary to adopt laws on the origin of a
property of public officials and their affiliated persons, which would enable
the seizure of illegally acquired wealth and a property whose background is
impossible to prove. Prevention of party membership, including specific
measures, activities and legal solutions, as well as priority work on the
establishment of the Constitution of Guaranteed Social Justice, citizens'
safety and the establishment of a real social dialogue. Among the steps that
are necessary to undertake during the mandate of the government of civil union
is to ensure the independence of the Montenegrin judiciary, including the
adoption and implementation of a comprehensive plan for the protection of
judicial institutions from political and party influence. Energy measures are
also foreseen to protect independent regulatory bodies, primarily the
Anti-Corruption Agency, the State Audit Office and the Personal Data Protection
Agency, and free access to information from political and party influences.
Among the necessary steps of the future government is the provision of full
freedom of the media, with particular reference to the informative work of the
Public Media Service RTCG, to provide accurate, timely and complete information
of citizens.

 "All
the signatories to the Agreement have their political and moral credibility to
fulfill these obligations and commit themselves to the beginning of
constructive and consistent work on the concrete principles, methods, and means
necessary for the realization of the points of the Agreement," the
document states. In the organizing committee of the "Odupri Se"
movement, they believe the agreement will be supported by all opposition
parties until Saturday, "because there is no reason not to maintain the
unity we have already achieved," said Dzemal Perovic.

 Perovic
said the deal had already been approved by Democrats, URAs, Demos, SNP, and
Independent Deputies. "We are convinced that DF will be wise to evaluate
the unity of citizens that has been achieved and will do everything to unite in
this sequence of steps to bring this peaceful transition together. I believe
that all of us will respond positively by Saturday because there is no reason
not to preserve the unity we have already achieved," Perovic said at the
press conference, saying he would not negotiate with the government
representatives while claiming that one of the organizers other. "As long
as speculated that someone else stands behind us, we will not respond to such a
dialogue call. When a serious dialogue call comes, we will do as it is said in
the Agreement, so we will work together to form a government. We will not go to
the negotiations, but a united opposition will go along with us," Perovic
said. Perovic said opposition parties were offered a draft agreement that was
the result of comprehensive consultations with intellectuals of integrity,
stating that the document was in some cases subject to amendments. He claims
that he will not negotiate part of the boycott of elections, parliament and
foreign-policy directions of Montenegro. "Why is this noise rising so much
when three o'clock in the morning we were talking about it? Some parts are
taken or vacated, because we cannot go back to issues like the boycott of all
elections until the fulfillment of the conditions and only the new government
can prepare the first fair elections in Montenegro. There is no participation
in the assembly when it comes from undemocratic choices. If the crisis did not
go in some wrong direction, we did not seek resignation from deputies, but only
unbiased," Perovic said, stating that the stability of the state should be
safeguarded. Perovic also said that any attack on the organizing committee
would do nothing to bring about the regime because he is dealing with citizens.
The organizers, as he said, only articulate their will. e said that the deal
would be offered to minority peasants, but that there will be much more
pressure on citizens and masses. Perovic said and will follow pressures from
abroad, citing that this is the last year of this regime.

He
repeated that there is no current in the Organizing Committee, although there
are different attitudes among the members. "When we make decisions, then
we all stand behind it. I do not see a more significant step than to have 39
deputies on Saturday. Our suggestion would be to overwhelm the Assembly over
laws to show the supremacy of the opposition and the citizens," he said,
citing as an example of forming parliament in the shadows. He told the flippant
businessman Dusko Knezevic not to take the protest, but to continue with
the revelation of the regime affair. "We appreciate that he is doing a
great thing because he can only do it as an insider inside the system. He has
been legitimized as a repentant and is prepared to bear his share of
omnipotence. We call him to continue in that part of it, and not to absorb our
protest," Perovic said.

Agreement on future is not acceptable to DF (Pobjeda)

Democratic
Front probably won’t sign the agreement sent to opposition parties by the
representatives of “97.000 Odupri se” movement. Several sources said that the
document “is barely acceptable” to the most powerful opposition political
alliance, since it has been drawn up without prior consultations with most
opposition parties, with clear hints that the authors of the document were
Civil Movement URA and Vijesti daily. “We’ll say what we think in
the next two days. We are not very sure about part of the people from the
opposition board. As far as protest are concerned, we have no doubts, they
should continue, and we’ll give them our full support,” said the source of Pobjeda.
“Agreement on the future” is acceptable to URA and Democrats, while SDP has
said that the document should be considered at the meeting between the
representatives of opposition parliamentary parties and independent members of
the parliament and organizers of the protest. Socialists People’s Party will do
as other parties do – if everybody accepts, so will they. Demos will make the
decision by Saturday. Representatives of “97000 Odupri se” movement, together
with opposition representatives, have proposed the “Agreement on Future”, by
means of which they would all oblige to advocate for the formation of the
Government of civil union. The government would act in limited mandate and its
basic task would be creating conditions for holding fair and free elections. DF
hasn’t officially answered to the movement yet, but one of the leaders of this
opposition alliance, Nebojsa Medojevic, wrote on his Facebook profile:
“DF is loyal to the people and Montenegro, not to the embassies of foreign
states”.

Markovic: Protests in Montenegro do not pose a threat
to state (TMN)

Civic
protests do not pose a threat to the state and its political system, according
to Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, who assessed that the
government of Montenegro is persistent in the protection of the state and its
citizens. Prime Minister explained that the demands for the resignation of the
representatives of the Government were not grounded because, as he says, the
Government has support in the parliament in which it was elected. Markovic
announced that the state is becoming more and more stable. "Montenegrin
institutions are capable and ready to protect the constitutional and legal
order of our country at any time and in any circumstances,” Markovic estimated.
This conclusion of the PM was based on the fact that Montenegro is a state with
established institutions; the country is a NATO member, a politically stable
country based on democratic and European values. "Therefore, despite the
challenges that accompany us, we are achieving to protect the state, protect
the citizens and their interests, and the attempts of destabilization have made
our security apparatus more compact, and the state more stable" Markovic
emphasized. The Prime Minister also pointed out that the European and
Euro-Atlantic future, as well as the independence of Montenegro, cannot be
endangered in any way: "I want to believe that even protesters do not want
to endanger the independence of our country. I want to believe that they do not
want to demolish Montenegro, but build the country towards a better future.
Still, we will not allow the creation of an overthrowing atmosphere, because
that is an ambience that can lead to unwanted consequences," the PM stated
during the assembly. He added that protests are a democratic and legitimate way
of expressing opinions and that the representatives of the government fully
understand their need to emphasize their demands, especially when they are
motivated by the desire to improve the standards and quality of life of
citizens. However, as PM explained, the citizens of Montenegro must all agree
that the government is working on improvements daily, which is confirmed by
notable results that are visible and measurable.

Montenegro and Kosovo: Role models for Euro-Atlantic
integration (TMN)

Minister
of Foreign Affairs Srdjan Darmanovic paid an official visit to the
Republic of Kosovo at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Foreign Affairs Behgjet Pacolli. Minister Darmanovic also met with
Kosovo Assembly speaker Kadri Veseli and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.
The officials noted that Montenegro and the Republic of Kosovo have developed
very good relations and expressed their satisfaction with the frequent
political dialogue that strengthens the overall cooperation. "It is
essential that all actors in the region cooperate closely, as well as to act
responsibly for the purpose of faster integration into the European
Union," said Darmanovic. Pacoli emphasized that the two countries are
sincere friends. cherishing good neighborly relations and mutual support.
"The Montenegrin contribution to regional stability is very important and
the citizens of our country appreciate it," Pacoli stressed. The
meeting with Veseli noted excellent cooperation between the two countries,
which was confirmed in the previous period when addressing issues of common
interest. "The Republic of Kosovo and its citizens have great respect for
the results of the Montenegrin state policy," Veseli underscored. The
importance of the parliamentary dimension of cooperation between the two
countries was also emphasized as an important segment of the overall relations.
During the meeting with Haradinaj, the head of the Montenegrin diplomacy
stressed that Montenegro closely monitors and supports the dialogue between
Kosovo and Serbia, stressing that it is important for the two sides to achieve
a sustainable agreement that will be in the function of the long-term stability
of the Western Balkans. Commenting on bilateral relations, the Kosovo Prime
Minister said that " Montenegro is an example of successful development
and a role model in European and Euro-Atlantic integration process." The
two officials also pointed out the need to boost economic cooperation between
the two countries, primarily through better infrastructure connections.
Darmanovic particularly highlighted the issue of the status of the Montenegrin
community in Kosovo, which is in the focus of attention of the Government of
Montenegro, hopeful that the Montenegrin national minority will soon receive a
constitutional and legal treatment. In that context, the Kosovo officials said
that they strive for the recognition of the status in the highest legal act of
Kosovo, greater representation and a better position of the Montenegrin
community. Darmanovic also spoke with the representatives of the Montenegrin
emigrant societies, and pointed out the assurances of the Kosovo side that
their status will be recognized in the future by the Constitution. They also
discussed the soon opening of the Development Centre of Montenegrins, which
will be the hub of cultural, economic, scientific and educational projects of
Montenegro's community in Kosovo. Darmanovic and Pacoli signed an agreement on
cooperation between the two countries in the context of accession to the
European Union. "Montenegro is set, based on its commitment to good
neighborly relations and close regional cooperation, to share experience and
expertise in the process of European integration with all its neighbors,"
Darmanovic stated, adding that Kosovo can count on Montenegro's support for its
EU bid.

We take Zaev at his word for early parliamentary
elections, we believe that Siljanovska will win (Republika)

VMRO-DPMNE
president Hristijan Mickoski together with presidential candidate
Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, VMRO-DPMNE vice-president Aleksandar Nikoloski
and the secretary for international cooperation Timco Mucunski are on a
several-day working visit to Brussels. On Thursday, Mickoski, after the
meetings he had, said that the past two days they had extremely important and
useful meetings for VMRO-DPMNE, but also for the Republic of Macedonia, because
they informed their interlocutors about the real situation in the Republic of
Macedonia, about what is true reality for the Republic of Macedonia, and also
for all citizens of the Republic of Macedonia. During Wednesday’s parliamentary
assembly, I had very useful meetings with many presidents of our sister parties
who are part of our family, from the family of the European People’s Party, I
had several meetings with MEPs who are part of our sister parties within the
European People’s Party, and we generally talked about the reality in the
Republic of Macedonia, about the political persecution that is happening to
political opponents, mostly opposition thinkers in the Republic of Macedonia.
We talked about the lack of reforms in healthcare, education, and everything
that practically represents failure of the government of Zoran Zaev and
SDSM in the Republic of Macedonia. I also informed my interlocutors about the
period ahead of us in terms of the presidential elections that, and I informed
them about our strategy with just about a month until election day, about
everything we do on the field, but also about the campaign which will
officially begin on 1 April. Professor Gordana Siljanoska Davkova also had the
opportunity to meet with many Presidents and MEPs from the ranks of the
European People’s Party, to share her views, inform them about the program that
she will present to the citizens in the Republic of Macedonia as future
President of the Republic of Macedonia and all that represents a vision how
should our country develop further. Today I also had a quality meeting with
EPP’s President Daul. We talked about the developments within our European
People’s Party, but I also informed him about the current political
developments in the Republic of Macedonia, the violent behavior of the
Government, the violent behavior of the institutions, practically a month
before the voting in the presidential election. We talked about the political
persecution, the lack of reforms in the Republic of Macedonia, but we also talked
about the promise that the president of the government, Mr. Zoran Zaev, gave,
that if his candidate loses in the presidential elections, he will call for
early parliamentary elections in autumn. We take Mr. Zoran Zaev at his word
because we certainly believe that VMRO-DPMNE and professor Gordana Siljanovska
will win the presidential election, and thus fulfill the only condition that
Zoran Zaev has set himself, that is if he loses the presidential election to
call for early parliamentary elections in autumn. Early parliamentary elections
for the Republic of Macedonia will mean a new future, a real future, with real
structural reforms, no fake news that are delivered here in Brussels within the
European Commission, Mickoski said.

Mickoski – Zaev TV duel on Tuesday (Republika)

Opposition
leader Hristijan Mickoski and incumbent Prime Minister Zoran Zaev will
face on Tuesday. They will oppose their views and opinions on TV Kanal 5.
The TV duel starts at 18:30 h. According to Kanal 5, the two political leaders
confirmed their presence. According to the concept of TV Kanal 5, the duel will
last 100 minutes, limiting the answers to the questions in a duration of 2
minutes, as well as the possibility of exchanging replies and counter-replies.
The two guests will get questions on current topics that citizens expect
answers, and they themselves will have the opportunity to open one topic.

Albania opposition holds new rally (ADN)

Several
thousand opposition protesters tried to enter Albania’s parliament building
Thursday calling for the government’s resignation and an early election. Former
MP of Democratic Party (DP), Klevis Balliu declared this Thursday that
now it is the time for entering the parliament and dragging all those who have
stolen Albanians. The former MP stated that they don't accept to dialogue with
criminals, just like US doesn't accept to dialogue with terrorists. Moreover,
Balliu declared that the opposition's protests will continue until Prime
Minister, Edi Rama's removal.

"It
is the time for entering the parliament and dragging all those who have stolen
Albanians. The citizens are those who decided on the continuation of the
protest. We don't accept to dialogue with gangs, just like the US doesn't
accept to dialogue with terrorists," said Balliu. The rally is part of the
center-right Democratic Party-led opposition’s protests over the past month
accusing the leftist Socialist Party government of Rama of being corrupt and
linked to organized crime. The government denies the allegations. The leader of
the Democratic Party, Lulzim Basha declared on Thursday from Brussels
that Albanian opposition has the support of the European People's Party. He
said that the leader of the EPP, Joseph Daul declared that no compromise
can be done with democracy, media freedom and legal state. "DP is fighting
for these values and it has the support of EPP. Mr. Daul was clear on this
issue," underlined Basha confirming that the protests will go on and
opposition will not make steps back. After throwing projectiles and
firecrackers for about an hour, a group of protesters tried to break the police
line at the main parliament entrance but did not succeed. Riot police in the
second line did not intervene, and a nearby water cannon was not used. In
previous rallies, opposition supporters have tried to enter the parliament or
government buildings using smoke bombs and projectiles. Police have responded
with tear gas. The Socialists say the opposition’s protests aren’t helping
Albania’s progress toward membership in the European Union.

INTERNATIONAL
MEDIA SOURCES

Karadzic trial shows bias and politicization of UN
tribunal — Russian Foreign Ministry (TASS, 21 March 2019)

MOSCOW.
The court proceedings in the case of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan
Karadzic have shown the bias and politicization of the International Residual
Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT) in The Hague, the Russian Foreign
Ministry stated. "The summary published on the website shows serious
discrepancies, which have been noted in the Karadzic trial since its very
beginning. The evidence base causes serious doubts," the ministry
stressed. "However, the Mechanism has inherited the vices of the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and decided to ignore these
circumstances, blindly following its anti-Serbian agenda and once again
demonstrating the bias and politicization of the ICTY-IRMCT tandem," the
Russian Foreign Ministry concluded. The ministry stressed that "such
selective methods not only show the bias and ineffectiveness of the ICTY and
the IRMCT, but also discredit the very idea of international criminal
justice." "By the UN standards, these bodies have received significant
funding, they were expected to aid the transnational peace in the Balkans.
However, in the end, there is no contribution to even talk about," the
ministry noted, adding that the Mechanism is a temporary institution, which has
to close its proceedings after reviewing all cases left over from the ICTY.

Lavrov: NATO airstrike on Chinese embassy in Belgrade
in 1999 could have been deliberate (TASS, 22 March 2019)

MOSCOW.
The NATO airstrike on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade on May 7, 1999, could
have been deliberate, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an
interview for NTV’s "U-Turn Above the Atlantic" documentary. "I
think it was an accident but I am not completely sure," Lavrov said when
asked to comment on the airstrike. A missile hit the Chinese embassy in
Belgrade during NATO’s operation in Yugoslavia, killing three Chinese
nationals. The North Atlantic Alliance claims it was a mistake, while the
Federal Procurement Office located nearby was the actual target of the attack.

U.S.-Russia competition Intensified in the Balkans (China
Military, by Ruan Guangfeng, Editor Xu Yi, 22 March 2019)

Recently,
NATO’s 29 members have signed an accession protocol with Macedonia at the
military alliance’s headquarters in Brussels. After the accord was ratified by
allied governments, North Macedonia(The Republic of Macedonia officially
changed the name into the Republic of North Macedonia since Feb 12,2019) will
become the 30th member of NATO, marking a step closer to NATO’s eastward
expansion. However, this move will likely escalate the competition between the
U.S.-led alliance and Russia. Macedonia insisted on joining NATO in order to
boost its economic growth at a greater pace and insure its national security.
However, this move will unquestionably raise tensions between the west and
Russia, getting North Macedonia drawn into the vortex of geopolitical
competitions between great powers. Due to its geographical significance, North
Macedonia’s accession will help NATO to further control the Balkans and reduce
Russia’s strategic space. The landlocked country has borders with Bulgaria to
the east, Greece to the south, Albania to the west and Serbia to the north and
occupies a core location in the Balkans. A window of the region toward the
Mediterranean in the south, Macedonia has long been an important trade and
military hub and a must passage for NATO to expand eastward. For this reason,
NATO has spared no effort to win over Macedonia. The US has provided aids
valuing a total of about US$750 million for Macedonia since 1991. Currently,
the Balkans still faces the Kosovo issue and the Bosnian conflict. This time,
NATO successfully solved the dispute between Macedonia and Greece, which can
serve as a useful reference to assist in the Balkan countries to NATO or EU
integration, thus further weakening Russia’s influence on the Balkans. The US
even declared that “Macedonia’s accession into NATO is one of Russia’s worst
nightmares,” which clearly indicated its strategic intention of “collaborating
Europe against Russia.” In Russia’s eyes, NATO’s eastward expansion undermines
the regional balance and severely threatens its national security. Russia has
long considered the Balkans part of its sphere of influence. With the accession
of Bulgaria, Romania, Montenegro and Macedonia into NATO, Russia is worried
that this might create a domino effect of ushering Georgia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina who have also already aspired to join NATO to rush for
participation. Thus, Russia has voiced strong opposition to Macedonia’s entry into
NATO, calling this another grave provocation. It firmly opposes NATO to
“continue pushing its infrastructure and even the entire military alliance
toward Russia’ border” and pointed out that this may cause Macedonia to “lose
its independent decision-making right in diplomatic affairs and increase its
national defense expenditures for undertaking due proportions of NATO’s
military spending.” Facing the pressure from the continuous enlargement of
NATO, Russia is likely to react fiercely. Not long ago, Russian Minister of
Defense Sergei Shoigu pointed out that the growing military strength of NATO
undermines the current international security system, and Russia would be
forced to take countermeasures. He also announced that Russia would reinforce
its troops in its Western Military District. In recent years, Russia has
constantly strengthened its nuclear power and accelerated the development of
new-concept weapons. Some advanced weapons have been successfully developed or
even put into commission, such as the S-500 air defense missile system, the
Kinzhal hypersonic missile, which can hit speeds of up to Mach 10, the
nuclear-powered 9M730 Burevestnik (SSC-X-9 “SKYFALL”) cruise missile and the
nuclear-powered unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV), also known as the Poseidon.
It is predictable that the strategic competitions between Russia and NATO will
remain complex and continue a spiral tit-for-tat exchange for a long time, and
the confrontation between the US and Russia is likely to intensify. It needs to
point out that a growing organization inevitably faces a paradox between size
and cohesion. With the increase of NATO members, due to their different
economic development levels, ethnic and religious conditions and security
concerns, those countries’ reliance on NATO also varies. As a result, their
willingness to share defense expenditures of the military alliance is also
different. In this context, the contradictions and differences of NATO members
are becoming increasingly obvious, adding the burden and the difficulty of
internal coordination and even causing an overall decline of its influence.