LOCAL PRESS 

Vucic: Relations with neighbors and friends much more than conventions (Beta/RTS) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic called the government’s decision to rescind its order to expel Montenegrin Ambassador to Serbia Tarzan Milosevic absolutely correct, saying that the relations with one’s neighbors and friends are much more than conventions. Vucic said that by revoking the expulsion order, Serbia has shown that it is strong and “has nothing to lose.” “We’ve done a good thing for Serbia… It’s up to us to show that we want friendly, best possible and fraternal relations with Montenegro. I believe that our decision will help bring about a better atmosphere and introduce greater responsibility in relations,” the President stated. The idea to rescind the order was his, Vucic further said, adding that Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic both agreed with him. The President said that Selakovic, when the Serbian Foreign Ministry had made its decision to declare Milosevic a persona non grata, was acting in accordance with the Vienna Convention, “and how a sovereign country should act,” but that he, personally, was of the opinion that neighborly relations are “much more than conventions.”

Selakovic: We offered a hand to Montenegro, we want best possible relations (RTS) 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic has told the evening news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that he is certain that Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic has not done any diplomatic violation, as stated in the elaboration and declaration for persona non grata in Podgorica. “Even if he did, this is no reason for him to be declared persona non grata.

He did not speak about the highest legislative body, about the decisions of the Great National Assembly from 1918, he spoke in a conciliatory, peaceful tone, he said that if we differ on views from the past, that is no reason not to be close now,” said Selakovic. According to Selakovic, Serbia has shown it has dignity and reacted reciprocally, giving the Montenegrin Ambassador 72 hours to leave Serbia. Serbia withdrew that decision today. “We showed how big we are as a country and how important it is to have the best possible relations with Montenegro, we showed a hand. We are ready to invest in it,” he said, adding that the state of Serbia cannot go over the fact that 30 percent of Montenegrin inhabitants are our fellow nationals. Selakovic says that the state advised on this decision with the Serb political representatives in Montenegro Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic. “This was also their position and that is why I think it was a good decision. When someone argues with a brother because he insulted him, one shows how great she/he is if she/he says ‘I offer my hand’. We are clearly interested in strengthening relations with Montenegro, we expect to implement such processes with the new government. Our desire is to strengthen relations with the new government. From our side there is great readiness and there has never been a reason for us not to do so,” said Selakovic. Relations between Serbia and Montenegro are not just any relations. “We are two states that have trade exchanged that is seriously to the benefit of Serbia, out of 857.3 million Euros of trade exchange last year, nearly 93 percent – 787.4 million Serbia exported to Montenegro, this is our economic interest. It is more than that to ordinary people – origin, relatives, many of them have real estate there,” noted Selakovic. He believes that the annulment of the decisions from 1918 was aimed at creating a legitimate basis for a clash with the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC). “If you announce the decisions of the Podgorica Assembly and claim that it was an occupation one, which is not what the historical facts say, then that is the introduction to a clash with the SPC.A different presentation of the role and actions of the state of Serbia, the Serbian army, the government from 1914-1918 as opposed to what our people observe, it is not what we share and it is not our position,” said Selakovic.

 

Serbia withdraws decision to expel Montenegrin Ambassador (Tanjug) 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic announced that on Sunday night, Serbia will withdraw the decision to expel the Ambassador of Montenegro to Serbia, Tarzan Milosevic. After the meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic and Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic, Brnabic pointed out that this move is in accordance with the Viennese Convention and Protocols. She also said that conventions are important, but that life and our friendship with Montenegro are more important. She reminded that Serbia last night denied hospitality to Ambassador Milosevic after Montenegro declared the Ambassador of Serbia in Podgorica, Vladimir Bozovic, a persona non grata. She stated that it was done in accordance with Article 9 of the Viennese Convention on Diplomatic Relations. According to her, in the desire for Serbia to extend another hand of cooperation and friendship, because there were many conflicts in the region, Vucic asked the representatives of the government to reconsider that decision. We also consulted the representatives of the Serbian people in Montenegro, who supported this decision. Serbia will unilaterally withdraw the decision on the expulsion of the Montenegrin ambassador to Serbia tonight, Brnabic pointed out.

Petkovic congratulates new mayor of north Kosovska Mitrovica (Politika) 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic congratulated the Serb List and Milan Radojevic on another convincing victory. In a statement sent to Politika it says: “The policy of the Republic of Serbia in Kosovo and Metohija has won and once more received convincing support from citizens. The Serbs in north Kosovska Mitrovica confirmed unwavering will to stay and survive in Kosovo and Metohija, in which they will be supported in every way by President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian government.”

'Serbian-Albanian Friendship' website – contribution to regional reconciliation (N1/Beta) 

The website 'Serbian-Albanian Friendship' was launched on Monday, supported by the European Movement in Serbia and the European Fund for the Balkans. During the online presentation of the new website https://srb-al.emins.org/ as a part of the initiative 'Towards Policy of Serbian-Albanian Friendship,' the president of the European Movement in Serbia, Jelica Minic, welcomed the website, saying it would "help many, especially young people, learn about the good sides of Serbian-Albanian relations, about which little has been known." She added that the project, in a broader sense, had made a modest contribution to better understanding and reconciliation in the region. The initiative marked the final phase of the 'Democratization and Reconciliation in the Western Balkans' project implemented in six countries in the region by the European Movement in Serbia, the Institute of Philosophy and Social Theory in Belgrade, New York University in Tirana, the Institute for Central and Eastern and Balkan Europe (Italy), The University of Dubrovnik and the School of Science and Technology of the University of Sarajevo, with the support of the European Commission. The website contains a database of the extensive knowledge of Serbian-Albanian relations in Serbian, Albanian and English. The database includes books, video material, media material and archives, material, like documentaries or feature films and information on publications and theatre performances links to other projects. "We want to offer examples of friendship, cooperation, alternative relations, realized or unfulfilled political projects, which characterize the Balkan region and tell alternative stories to those who are too often nurtured in the media, education and scientific discourse," the website said. One of the authors of the website, Aleksandar Pavlovic, thanked everyone who contributed to its realization and prominent intellectuals and NGO activists who shared views on how to improve Serbian-Albanian friendship.

REGIONAL PRESS 

 

Office of Disciplinary Counsel forms case on basis of audio recording whose main actors are B&H HJPC President Tegeltija and former B&H HJPC member Buha (BHT1) 

 

Counsel formed a case regarding the audio recording whose main actors are President of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Milan Tegeltija and former member of the B&H HJPC Milijana Buha. According to the recording, Tegeltija gave promise to Buha that he will appoint her sister to the post of a judge in the Banja Luka District Court and he also said: “It should not be a problem for her to apply in Gradiska or Prijedor and that she works there for a year and we shall transfer her here afterwards. I will deal with the strategy because you are not familiar with it.” The conversation also shows Tegeltija explaining to Buha how to arrange this without endangering her career and the position in the HJPC and without involvement of media. Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alena Kurspahic stated that after the formation of the case, one expects concrete moves to be undertaken by either the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel or the B&H HJPC itself, while all other information regarding the case are a secret for now. Both Tegeltija and Buha have rejected charges of attempted illegal employment. Tegeltija told the media that this is an attempt at manipulation and discrediting. "The only thing that I can confirm is that member of HJPC Milijana spoke to me about the issue of her conflict of interest in case of her sister applying to a vacancy a year or two years ago, which is quite normal, and that I told her that this would represent conflict of interest in that situation. As one can see, a year or two years after those conversations, Sanja Cegar is still an expert associate in the Banja Luka District Court, where she was when those conversations took place. Therefore, in this case, everything is clean as a whistle," Tegeltija was quoted as saying. Buha stressed that she did not ask for her sister to be appointed to the Banja Luka District Court and that this is an attempt at discrediting of the B&H HJPC President.

OHR calls on President of HJPC Tegeltija to resign (O kanal) 

 

Following the newest affair of President of the HJPC Milan Tegeltija, the Office of the High Representative (OHR) called on Tegeltija to resign. The OHR stated on Friday that Tegeltija should demonstrate professional and personal integrity which will also help to repair the image of the HJPC that was additionally undermined with an audio published on Thursday. The audio recorded Tegeltija allegedly speaking with former member of the HJPC Mirjana Buha regarding employment of her sister. The OHR underlined that the HJPC deserves a different, a more professional president and that after the newest affair, it is almost impossible to renew the integrity of the current President of the HJPC.  OHR stated that the reputation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina judiciary is currently at the bottom and it suffered another strong blow with the appearance of the new video. According to OHR, after this audio and the previous affair in which Tegeltija was involved, it is almost impossible to renew the integrity of the President of the HJPC, while talks like the one on the audio recording seems to be truly demoralizing and demotivating for the entire judiciary that is the basis of every country and every society.

EUD, US Embassy seek immediate reaction to recent crisis in B&H’s judiciary (Hayat) 

 

Representatives of the international community in B&H criticized President of the HJPC of B&H Milan Tegeltija. Representatives of the EU Delegation (EUD) to B&H said that all holders of judicial functions must be flawless and the EUD called upon HJPC members to immediately deal with this new crisis. The EUD emphasized that certain measures must be undertaken. The US Embassy in B&H called all relevant institutions, especially the state Prosecutor’s Office, to investigate the claims on corruptive activities within the judicial system. The US Embassy in B&H warned that all relevant institutions, particularly the Prosecutor's Office of B&H, need to address and investigate allegations of corrupt activities in the judiciary earnestly.

Tegeltija denies accusations about his involvement in latest affair regarding appointments, claims that alleged recording of his phone conversation is montage and cannot be authenticated (Face TV) 

 

President of the HJPC of B&H Milan Tegeltija reflected on accusations about his involvement in the latest scandal regarding appointments in the judicial institutions. Asked to comment this case, Tegeltija said that he was already in identical situation in May of 2019 because he and other members of the HJPC were under serious pressure back then as well as they are now (Tegeltija presumably referred to the period when the ‘Potkivanje’ case was revealed). According to him, this is all part of campaign for his removal and said that there are no doubts who is conducting this campaign but he was refraining from mentioning any names so far due to the nature of his job, as well as because he did not want to create an atmosphere where certain institutions at the state level could not cooperate. Tegeltija claimed that the recording published by media is not an actual recording of a real-life event but “a montage” and its authenticity cannot be verified whatsoever. He stressed that he already knew a year ago that he was recorded on multiple occasions and at least four well-known and respectable officials can corroborate his claims. He explained that he spoke over the phone to Director of the Intelligence-Security Agency of B&H (OSA) Osman Mehmedagic a.k.a. Osmica a year ago and told him about information that he is unlawfully under surveillance and being recorded in various situations, all in order to record as much video and audio footage as possible and use different parts to create a montage. According to Tegeltija, Mehmedagic promised to look into it as he had no such information and call back, which he did few days later and confirmed Tegeltija’s claims. However, Tegeltija stated that Mehmedagic denied issuing order for surveillance and being involved in any way while claiming that rogue sections of the OSA are behind everything and he has no control over them. He deems that such highly sophisticated montage could not have been created in Banja Luka and it had to be created by the OSA or rather its rogue sections whatever Mehmedagic meant by that. Tegetlija underlined that he does not record his phone calls but Mehmedagic can attest to everything aforementioned, including his own confirmation regarding the OSA’s rogue section running everything. He emphasized that first and foremost recording has to be conducted lawfully regardless of who is recorded, which is why he intends to file a criminal report. He said that it is high time to put things straight and recognize the situation for what it truly is, namely “a brutal assault” on the judiciary by the OSA or its rogue sections as Mehmedagic would put it. He warned that this was an attempt of a takeover of the judiciary. He deems that it is no longer possible to hide the fact that intelligence and para-intelligence structures have been waging war against the judiciary, or at least parts of the judiciary, in the background for years. He explained that those intelligence and para-intelligence structures or rogue sections of the OSA consist of individuals who directly execute orders. However, Tegeltija said that he does not want to mention anyone in particular because the intelligence system is enormous and he does not know each one of more than 3,000 employees. He reiterated that he was aware of being recorded on multiple occasions, adding that he actually saw individuals who recorded him few times but he does not know any of them personally. He pointed out that he often posts photos and recordings of himself on social networks and he understands that he consented to anyone using those photos and recordings by making them public but no one has the right to use surveillance or wiretapping to look into his private life. He stressed that it would be inappropriate to comment on alleged recording of his conversation with Milijana Buha because it is nothing more than a montage and he urged everyone who listens to it to pay close attention as it is possible to hear changes in tone, pitch and background noise in parts where different recordings were stitched together. After airing the recording in question, reporter asked Tegeltija to comment on its contents, to which Tegeltija replied that he has no intentions whatsoever to provide his interpretation or an explanation because it is not an actual and authentic recording of his phone conversation with Buha but a montage “and montages cannot be interpreted”. Furthermore, he stated that such unlawful montage is not suitable for examination or to serve as evidence of anything. “I think that Mehmedagic himself sadly thought that I can influence proceedings against him and I really do not,” Tegeltija said. He noted that Mehmedagic, MP and former Minister of Security of B&H Dragan Mektic and many others deem him to be involved somehow and often identify him as a mastermind behind judicial proceedings against them, which is utter nonsense. He revealed that the statement issued by the Office of High Representative (OHR) is what worries him the most, mainly because it was different from statements issued by foreign embassies and “it gave authenticity to something that was not given authenticity by anyone else and that cannot be given authenticity”. He argued that the OHR cannot know if the recording is authentic or not unless the OHR was somehow involved in its creation. Tegeltija noted that it could be nothing more than a careless and rushed reaction from the OHR but the OHR should explain how it was able to confirm authenticity of unlawful recording that both he and Buha dismissed as false. He accused the OHR of directly meddling with individual cases related to ongoing affair and ‘Potkivanje’ affair in May of 2019, saying that High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko is the interpreter of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) and does not have the right to meddle with cases or influence proceedings in any way. Tegeltija underlined that his second term as HJPC President will expire in a year and a half anyway, but added that he is concerned for the safety of judicial officials and members of HJPC who are deemed to work against SDA’s interests. He pointed out that SDA and its leader Bakir Izetbegovic had to learn to keep quiet and refrain from commenting ongoing affair in public because their statements regarding ‘Potkivanje’ affair exposed its political undertone. He claims that there are no legal options to transfer holders of judicial posts from one court to another and they have to work at least three years at one court to be in consideration for a job in other courts, which is common knowledge within the judiciary and he would never propose to transfer Buha’s sister to a court in Banja Luka but the creator of alleged recording was obviously unaware of this. He also admitted to talking to Buha about her sister’s career in the judiciary on multiple occasions but always in Sarajevo, adding that he clearly told Buha there is no option or possibility for her to avoid resigning over conflict of interest if her sister is a candidate for the post of a judge at any court in Banja Luka. He noted that many of his colleagues called him to offer support but he did not speak to SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, Izetbegovic or any other politician. He stressed that he did not get warm reception in Sarajevo and he was labelled as one of Dodik’s men even before he was initially appointed as the HJPC President. Tegeltija also told about a lunch attended by himself, Mehmedagic, then-President of the Court of B&H Meddzida Kreso, then-Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency of B&H (SIPA) Perica Stanic, then-acting Chief Prosecutor of B&H Gordana Tadic and two foreign ambassadors whose identity he did not want to reveal out of respect for their countries. He was asked to appoint candidates of certain ethnicity to certain posts and this was a sort of attempt to directly influence the HJPC President. When he refused and explained that decisions on appointments would be made by HJPC members, he became target of different attacks. Tegeltija claimed that he was warned by many to expect assaults if Tadic is appointed, adding that Mehmedagic himself who told his friend to advise him to prepare for “an avalanche” of assaults if Tadic is appointed. He underlined that any of two other candidates would have been more acceptable choice but Tadic was appointed and brutal assaults on him became constant.

Tegeltiija said that certain structures with close ties to SDA are working hard to put the judicial system under their control and their primary goal is to remove him from the post of the HJPC President as this is expected to cause a chain reaction. He warned that SDA would then be able to use the judiciary a tool for prosecution of Croats and Serbs, as well as Bosniaks who disagree with the party. Tegeltija announced that he intends to convene a session of the HJPC next week and he will not make any decisions until he hears what all members of the HJPC have to say about current situation. Meanwhile, Chairman and the Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik said that the RS will not allow its staff to be subjected to unconstitutional, illegal and brutal threats to their security from political Sarajevo, with the blessing of one part of the international community (IC) and the OHR. Dodik emphasized that it is completely unbelievable that the President of the HJPC, as someone who is the head of the judicial system, without any legal basis or court order has been continuously, systematically and illegally monitored, recorded and wiretapped with the aim to edit some contents in order to remove him from this post because he does not serve some policies. “B&H is obviously conceived and functions as a country of lawlessness and brutal illegal force used by political Sarajevo against the staff from the RS with the blessing of that international factor which hypocritically advocates for the rule of law” Dodik was quoted as saying.

Dodik: Tegeltija is illegally wiretapped in order to remove him (Dnevni list) 

 

Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik, who commented the latest affair involving Milan Tegeltija said that brutal illegal attacks on Tegeltija, who is the Republika Srpska (RS’) staff in joint institutions and who is not obedient to SDA and the international factors, paint a true picture of B&H. According to Dodik, it is incredibly that the HJPC President is being permanently and illegally followed, wiretapped and recorded with the aim to rig a content with the ultimate aim to remove Tegeltija from his post because he does not serve some policies.  “It demonstrates senselessness of B&H as a state, especially senselessness of B&H and its rule of law,” said Dodik.

 

Radoncic announces removals in SBB B&H, says Dodik’s address to UN was destructive, slams Izetbegovic for threatening Zvizdic (Dnevni avaz) 

 

SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic warned that election thefts represent a big problem in B&H and he noted that SBB B&H is getting ready for 2022 general elections. He noted that some members of SBB B&H “turned rogue”, i.e. they took mandates or managerial positions and started acting “like SDA personnel acts”. Radoncic said that only several presidents of municipal boards of SBB B&H resigned after the local elections and announced: “I will remove all 50 of them. Both presidents of municipal boards and presidents of cantonal boards. We will have trustees who will be working on preparations for SBB B&H Congress in April. We will come up with a young team and well will give chance to young people”. Radoncic also said that SBB B&H cannot withdraw from the Federation of B&H (FB&H) government because that would mean giving the FB&H government in hands of HDZ B&H. He called SDA, HDZ B&H and DF to finally form the FB&H government because SBB B&H is being held hostage to political situation in the FB&H.  Radoncic confirmed that SBB B&H will not be in the new government of the Sarajevo Canton (SC), but also in governments of Posavina Canton, Tuzla Canton (TC) and Zenica-Doboj Canton (ZDC). He assessed as ridiculous the speculations on his intentions to take over SDA as well as speculations that SDA and SBB B&H might merge. “Although, I would be an excellent leader of SDA, because SDA is a powerful machine. That party needs a serious program and leadership that is not a leadership of a single family,” Radoncic assessed.

Asked to comment on claims of SNSD leader Milorad Dodik that HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic agreed on formation of the third entity, Radoncic said that he cannot say that this is true because he never heard such claims coming from Dodik, Covic or Izetbegovic. Radoncic assessed that Dodik’s recent address before the United Nations (UN) was destructive: “Do not underestimate him, he is a cunning politician. He wanted to say to the entire world ‘see – this is a banana-state, I am primitive but this country should not exist’. He sacrificed a pawn to get the king. His address was extremely dangerous and harmful and luckily all countries – both EU and USA – reacted in the way they did. By doing that, he caused damage both to himself and to the RS”.  Asked to comment on “threats Bakir Izetbegovic sent to SDA Vice President Denis Zvizdic”, Radoncic reminded that Izetbegovic said Zvizdic “is only about to see his true face” and he assessed that this statement is not suitable for a democratic politician. “I know what this means and what kind of threat this is. He sent a message to Zvizdic that he will form a team of 20 people – intelligence officers, journalists, people who will say the worst things about him. ‘We will be ordering one text against you each day. We will publish books against you written by some kind of a driver, you will be stopped by 50 special police officers, you will go back and forth in courts’. I have been through all of that. Izetbegovic’s message is not only a message for Zvizdic, it is a message for everyone. I survived his true face. Zvizdic is lucky Izetbegovic is the weakest he has ever been. He crushed his teeth on me and SBB B&H”, Radoncic claimed. Radoncic also claimed that SDA has had no solutions for economic problems, regional relations or other state issues for the past 10 or 15 years.

Zvizdic: SDA should either renew its personnel and restore lost authority in SC and broader area or it will maintain ‘status quo’ and face collapse in 2022 elections (N1/Faktor) 

 

The intraparty disputing involving SDA senior official and deputy speaker of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Denis Zvizdic continues. According to N1, poor results of local elections in municipalities in Sarajevo Canton (SC) where SDA lost most of the posts of Heads of Municipalities and other issues appear to have shaken the friendly relations between Zvizdic and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic. In his latest criticism of SDA, Zvizdic called out the SDA leader’s wife, General Director of the Sarajevo University Clinical Center (KCUS) and member of the SDA Cantonal Board in SC Sebija Izetbegovic in a post he published on his official Twitter account. Namely, Zvizdic reacted to the KCUS General Director’s earlier public statements and tweeted that the number of votes that SDA won in most of the polling stations in Sarajevo is lower than the number of doctors that were expelled from KCUS. Zvizdic previously called on all members of the Cantonal Board of SDA, including Sebija Izetbegovic, to accept responsibility for “the worst election result in the history of SDA” and to submit irrevocable resignations to posts in that Board.  In an interview for Faktor, Sebija Izetbegovic reacted to Zvizdic’s criticism noting that SDA achieved a better result in this year’s local elections in SC than back in 2012 when Zvizdic was at the helm of the Cantonal Board. She assessed that the current causes of the poor election results were both internal and external, adding: “Of course that I will not resign at Denis Zvizdic’s request, because neither he nor any other individual appointed me to that or any other post. I have responsibility towards those who voted for me and there were many who did. When it comes to the opinion that I should withdraw from politics, everyone has the right to their point of view, but the opinion of 13,000 people is more important than the opinion of individuals.”  Zvizdic then replied in another Twitter post, noting that Sebija Izetbegovic’s statements are untrue and that SDA constantly grew both in terms of quality and quantity in the past thanks to his efforts in the Cantonal Board. Zvizdic pointed out that it is clear to him that SDA should either renew its personnel and restore the lost authority in SC and broader area, or it will maintain ‘status quo’ and continue humiliating the electorate that will result in collapse in the elections of 2022. He also wrote: “It is clear to everyone that Prime Minister (of Federation of B&H and SDA official Fadil) Novalic and his career was only jeopardized by an unnamed woman who ordered him over the phone to purchase the respirators.” The Cantonal Board of SDA in Sarajevo issued a statement, saying that Zvizdic is stating lies and false claims about this political party. The Cantonal Board of SDA in the SC called on Zvizdic to stop holding “private collegiums with people who are trying to bring down SDA from the outside”. Member of the Cantonal Board of SDA in the SC Mirza Celik told N1 that he does not understand what the board did poorly and underlined that there is a need to carry out analyses to establish what led to the poor election result in the SC.

Croatian ministers Grlic Radman and Tramisak visit Mostar; Covic: B&H Election Law could be changed within six months (Hayat) 

 

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman and Croatian Minister of Regional development Natasa Tramisak visited Mostar on Saturday. The main topic of the visit was the requested changes to the B&H Election Law which are one of the main conditions of HDZ B&H. President of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic said that he is optimistic that within the next six months they will have changes to the B&H Election Law which will ensure the legitimate representation of people with constituent status. He added that this will ensure a step forward towards a European B&H. Grlic Radman said that the wish is for the B&H Election Law to be changed after elections in Mostar take place. He added that the changes to the law are necessary to ensure equality and to reflect the spirit and intent of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA).

B&H Security Minister Cikotic once again included in war crimes indictment (ATV) 

 

B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic will be returned to the indictment for war crimes against the Croat civilian population in the area of Bugojno, by the decision of the Prosecutor's Office of B&H. Cikotic returns to the indictment for war crimes against civilians in the ‘Dzevad Mlaco et al.’ case, from which he was illegally deleted two years ago, without the consent of Croat victims. Notice of acknowledgment of the complaint against the order to suspend the investigation against Cikotic, signed by Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Gordana Tadic, arrived at the addresses of Croat victims from Bugojno, 51 witnesses of the Prosecutor's Office of B&H in the ‘Dzevad Mlaco et al.’ case. Bruno Bozic, the lawyer of a group of Croats from Bugojno, the witnesses of crimes who filed a complaint with the Prosecutor's Office, also received this notification. On the basis of that, he estimated that it means that Cikotic is apparently returning to the status of a war crimes suspect. “I would not prejudge the further course of the proceedings, but it is certainly good that the Prosecutor's Office of B&H has accepted the objection and will once again, as stated in their letter, consider and evaluate all evidence before making a final decision in this case,” Bozic emphasized. For years, Cikotic has been indirectly linked to the expulsion of 15,000 Croats, death camps and the killing of civilians. In reaction to this announcement, Chairman and the Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik stated that the Prosecutor's Office of B&H should do its job. "Let the Prosecutor's Office do its job. It is obvious that there are many efforts and that they show not everything was done adequately," Dodik told reporters in Banja Luka. According to Dodik, it is obvious that the initial investigation was not conducted in an adequate manner. Dodik added that there is a general sense of dissatisfaction over situation in B&H judiciary, but he believes that B&H judiciary institutions will be able to restore public trust.

 

Parliament: Minister Coric wins Vote of Confidence (Hina) 

Economy and Sustainable Development Minister Tomislav Coric has won the confidence of the parliament following a no-confidence vote on Friday. Fifty-one MPs voted in favor of the no confidence motion of the necessary 76 votes for the motion to be adopted, while 76 voted against. There were no abstentions. "I declare that the decision on showing no confidence in Minister Coric has not been adopted," parliament speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said after the vote. The no confidence motion was launched by 40 opposition lawmakers claiming that Coric had granted preferential treatment to the investor in the Krs-Padjene wind park, for unlawful employment, and for a possible violation of the principle of impartiality when he participated in the re-appointment of Dragan Kovacevic as head of the JANAF oil pipeline company, as well as favoring the Hungarian MOL company at the detriment of the Croatian oil company INA.

During the debate in parliament, Coric denied all the claims while Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic referred to the opposition's arguments as ridiculous adding that Coric enjoyed his full confidence. "Minister Coric is a good person and has my support," Plenkovic said then.

Coric also enjoys the support of his party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) , which was confirmed on Friday by HDZ whip Branko Bacic. Bacic said that during the two-day debate on the no confidence motion, the opposition did not prove any unlawfulness in Coric's work. We managed to prove that a coalition exists on the political scene between the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Homeland Movement (DP), Bridge, Sovereignists and Workers' Front, said Bacic.

The leaders of these parties rejected Bacic's claims. MP Tomislav Tomasevic of the Green-Left Bloc underlined that Minister Coric has become a burden not just to the government but to the entire country too. He himself admitted that he is not competent for that portfolio. It is obvious he granted preferential treatment to the Krs-Padjene investor with whom he ate and drank in an illegal bar owned by the director of a public company that he as minister was responsible for, said Tomasevic. The public has said that it does not trust this minister and he is the most unpopular minister in the government, added Tomasevic.

Croatian parliament approves deployment of troops to nine international missions (Hina) 

Parliament on Friday gave the green light for the deployment of Croatian army personnel to nine international peacekeeping missions in 2021 and 2022. The proposal was put forward under six decisions each of which was put to a vote. They received between 108 and 112 votes in favor.

The peacekeeping operations in question are: the UN's KFOR operation in Kosovo, the EU's Sea Guardian mission in the Mediterranean, NATO's Forward Enhanced Presence in Poland, Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2, EU Naval Force Somalia Atalanta, and UN peacekeeping operations. The ruling majority rejected the amendments submitted by the Social Democratic Party and the Green-Left Bloc proposing that the government submit to parliament an annual report on peacekeeping operations involving the Croatian armed forces. Parliament accepted the explanation by the State Secretary at the Defense Ministry, Zdravko Jakup, that the government would report on the participation of Croatian army personnel in international peace mission in an annual report on defense as had been the case so far.

 

Krivokapic: This government hasn’t even started and has already been harshly criticized (CdM) 

“The government truly wants to carry out reforms. Any competent person will be welcome in the government. This government hasn’t even started and has already been harshly criticized. People were concerned more about the names than the vision of the future Montenegro. Our vision is progress and prosperity of every citizen of Montenegro. We don’t want to divide”, Krivokapic said. According to him, if the government achieves at least half of what they have imagined in four years, “we will get close enough to state that quality of life has become significantly different”. “This government is formed by prime minister and prime minister only. None of the hypotheses is true. If I wanted a government which consists of friends and relatives, I wouldn’t belong there. None of the candidates is my relative,” Zdravko Krivokapic pointed out. Why did prime minister-designate decide to nominate Olivera Injac as minister of defense instead of Goran Djurovic? Krivokapic answered that she is an expert in the area of security.

“Goran Djurovic is a renowned name. He’s a philanthropist, he’s successful, a great strategist. Olivera Injac is professor of security and assistant professor at the University of Donja Gorica. She is fluent in two languages and that’s the measure we should note as a measure of relations to European integration. She is also recognized in Brussels. She has longtime connections with the University in Ljubljana. Profession must be taken into account. It must dominate,” Krivokapic said. Why was the invitation for the conference sent by URA? “We had a meeting and Mr Abazovic offered to send an invitation. We didn’t mind that”, he said. Krivokapic doesn’t remember that he talked about expert government during election campaign. “The most important thing is that this government starts working. If you think a name is a measure, I disagree. I am probably not very knowledgeable about politics, but I’m ready to catch blackmails. I don’t have any friends among candidates for ministers. I know these people but they are not my friends”, he said. How did he come by the names for the minister of interior?

“Everybody knows Sergej Sekulovic. He’s party related to Ministry of Interior, partly to human rights and gatherings. Most importantly, he’s a lawyer, oppositionist and he’s clean. He has straightforward and firm opinion. That prompted me to propose him,” Krivokapic said.

 He assures that he wants cooperation with everybody, even with DF. “We will cooperate intensely with all heads of parliamentary clubs. This is our joint project. If we have the same objective, why would anyone cause problems? Let’s just forget what happened before and focus on the future,” Krivokapic states. He also claims that Montenegrin identity is indisputable. “Four values were left as legacy to my family: respect, justice, honesty and truthfulness,” he said.

 Krivokapic confirmed that he had talks with Jovana Marovic but pointed out that she is not candidate for chief negotiator. “As far as the Agency for National Security is concerned, name of the candidate for the manager of the service deserves special attention. We have decided to direct this system to security and stability of the country,” Krivokapic said. He added that they suggested formation of the staff academy in the state administration sector and set of courses.

Djurovic about Krivokapic’s decision: He could have informed me earlier, I’m a serious man (CdM) 

Goran Djurovic, who was the first candidate for minister of defense, claims that he was surprised by Krivokapic’s decision. He informed him about the change 10 minutes before press conference. “He called me ten minutes before the conference and told me he had changed his mind. That’s not clear. I told him I was surprised. If there were more candidates, he could have informed me earlier. I feel very uncomfortable because I’m a serious man and there’s no need for anyone to play with me. However, that’s his decision,” Djurovic said. He said that he would return to his business without further polemic. “I wish the new government success. I was willing to take the responsibility and duties. I was willing to leave my business and devote to the well-being of this country, but I guess Mrs Injac has better references and CV,” Djurovic said. However, Djurovic didn’t want to elaborate on that because he doesn’t know Ms Olivera Injac. I just think this could have been done in more humanly and more cultural manner,” Djurovic concluded.

Bozovic declared persona non grata. He’s urged to leave Montenegro (CdM) 

Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declared Serbian Ambassador to Montenegro Vladimir Bozovic persona non grata and urged him to leave Montenegro. The Ministry acted in line with Article 9 and 41 of Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. “After a long and continuous interference in the internal affairs of Montenegro, behavior and statements incompatible with the usual and acceptable standards of diplomatic office, after several verbal and written warnings about the unacceptability of such behavior, Ambassador Bozovic yesterday told that the illegal and illegitimate 1918 Podgorica Assembly represented “liberation” and “free will” of the Montenegrin people, and thus once again, in the most direct way, belittled the state that offered him a diplomatic hospitality,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro informed Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about this in a usual form – with a note – which will be handed to Ambassador Bozovic as well. Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reciprocated and did the same with our Ambassador but the decision was withdrawn quickly. EU reacted calling for the maintenance of stable neighborly relations. European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi praised withdrawal of Serbia’s and called on Montenegro to do the same.  Although they failed to react to Bozovic’s provocations, prime minister-designate and URA didn’t want to criticize Bozovic’s behavior either. On the contrary, Krivokapic criticized actions of the outgoing government. Bishop Joanikije also harshly condemned expulsion of the ambassador. Just like Knezevic and Mandic did.

 

Reeker writes to encourage Zaev, says the bilateral talks with Bulgaria should continue simultaneously with Macedonia’s EU talks (Republika) 

US Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker, who is a former ambassador to Macedonia, wrote to PM Zoran Zaev to encourage him in the dispute with Bulgaria, and took the position that the dispute should not hamper Macedonia’s EU accession talks. Because the United States values your partnership and remains committed to supporting (North) Macedonia’s further European integration, I am writing to share our disappointment that EU member states failed to reach agreement on approving a negotiating framework for (North) Macedonia. Your country has proven itself a confident new Ally in NATO and a great friend of the United States. EU accession remains a critical mutual interest and we will continue to advocate with our European partners in support of holding the inter-governmental Conference for (North) Macedonia during the German Presidency. We understand the challenges associated with working through intricate disputes but (North) Macedonia is no stranger to doing the hard work necessary to achieve greater peace and prosperity for itself and its neighbors. You proved this in security (?) the historic Prespa Agreement and by laying the foundation for a stronger relationship with Bulgaria through the 2017 Friendship Treaty. We encourage you, and EU member states, to continue to resolve bilateral disputes outside the EU accession process while aspirants simultaneously progress through the opening and closing of chapters. We appreciate your effort to negotiate in good faith, and to (sic) maintaining your commitments to secure the European future (North) Macedonia has proven it deserves. The United States will continue to support these endeavors, and it is our hope that your hard work results in continued progress on your EU accession path. We remain your partners, and we are optimistic that an IGC, marking the start of (North) Macedonia’s negotiations with the EU, will be held soon, Reeker wrote to Zaev. During the long dispute with Greece, and now during the growing dispute with Bulgaria, Macedonia has demanded that it is allowed to open EU accession talks and to join NATO, while conducting bilateral talks with the two countries that hold veto power. But Greece and so far, Bulgaria have been reluctant to give up their veto leverage over Macedonia.

Protests in 11 cities scheduled for this afternoon (Republika)

Protests will be held in 11 cities today, in revolt against PM Zoran Zaev’s readiness to accept all of the demands Bulgaria puts before him. This will be the fourth day of protests after Zaev’s scandalous BGNES interview, in which he agreed to redefine the historic narrative of the partisan struggle and the Bulgarian occupation during the Second World War, and blurred the distinction between the two nations. “We continue together, against the selling out of our fatherlands. The people are awaking and there is no turning back” said VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, whose party is organizing the protests. The rallies are scheduled in Struga, Gostivar, Kicevo, Makedonski Brod, Krusevo, Kriva Palanka, Kratovo, Sveti Nikole, Negotino, Gevgelija and Strumica. They begin at 18h.