LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic presents the ministers in the new government of Serbia (B92/Tanjug)

 

After the session of the SNS Presidency, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke up and announced the members of the new government. Vucic presents candidates for new government of Serbia. “We talked about the current political situation, the composition of the new government and what is of crucial importance for us,” said Vucic. “We just finished the session of the Presidency, where we exchanged opinions. I will not talk too much about the political situation except in a few sentences. When we took power there in 2012, and I don't think that power is an ugly word, although it has turned into an ugly word. That is a nice word. We changed Serbia and did a lot of things well,” Vucic began. The President then announced the items on the agenda. “The presidency accepted Ana Brnabic’s proposal on the composition of the new cabinet,” said Vucic. “Even 45 percent are women. I told you that I hope that our party will never become one of those yellow parties, which have become a business of political organization," he added. He said that he is proud of some of the members of the government, but also of others who will not be in the new composition. He especially emphasized the importance of Marko Djuric's position. "There will be pressure regarding foreign policy. No one wants to understand our position, and why? As soon as someone understands it, it means that our position is not good. We have a division in Serbia. We make decisions independently, without external factors and without tycoons who will never decide on the future of Serbia. All those pressures will only be more severe. We have a guilty conscience with a part of the international community because of everything they have done to us, and they will look to wash away their guilty conscience through the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. The agreement cannot be you Serbs will lose everything. You are no longer able to humiliate us as you have humiliated us for decades. The essence of our policy is a free, independent Serbia. Sometimes we will make decisions that hurt, but we will always make them ourselves,” Vucic stressed. He recalled that the new government is being constituted in a difficult moment, in a time of war.

Prime Minister - Ana Brnabic,

Her Deputy and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Ivica Dacic

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense - Milos Vucevic

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance - Sinisa Mali

Minister of Foreign and Internal Trade - Tomislav Momirovic

Minister of Economy - Rade Basta

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management - Jelena Tanaskovic

Minister of Environmental Protection - Irena Vujovic

Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure - Goran Vesic

Minister of Mining and Energy - Dubravka Negre

Minister of Justice - Maja Popovic

Minister of State Administration and Local Self-Government - Aleksandar Martinovic

Minister of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue - Tomislav Zigmanov (leader of the Croat national community in Serbia)

Minister of Internal Affairs - Bratislav Gasic

Minister for European Integration - Tanja Miscevic

Minister of Education - Branko Ruzic

Minister for Innovation, Science and Technological Development - Jelena Begovic

Minister of Health - Danica Grujicic

Minister for Labor, Employment, Veterans and Social Affairs - Nikola Selakovic

Minister for Family Care and Demography - Darija Kisic

Minister for Tourism and Youth - Husein Memic

Minister of Sports - Zoran Gajic

Minister of Culture - Maja Gojkovic

Minister of Rural Development - Milan Krkobabic

At the beginning of the session, Vucic said that the SNS Presidency accepted the composition of the government with one abstention and added that the new cabinet was made to “live through this winter and maybe the next one”. “That’s it, then there will come even more fundamental changes,” he added. Vucic also said that the current ministers Nebojsa Stefanovic, Branislav Nedimovic, and Jadranka Joksimovic will not be in the new government. “They will continue to work hard for our party,” said Vucic. “There will be over 45 percent of women in the government. I am proud of that fact. There will be many blows to the government as well, so I will try to be a lightning rod as much as possible, I can’t do anything anyway, it’s my last mandate. I will fight to keep Kosovo and Serbia intact and for it to progress. I wish the government a lot of success and I want you to work hard,” concluded Vucic. The current director of the Office for Information Technology Mihailo Jovanovic and Electronic Administration Marko Blagojevic have been proposed as the Minister of Information and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Public Investments in the new government of Serbia, Tanjug learns. In the new government of Serbia, the three ministers without portfolios will be Novica Toncev, Djordje Milicevic and Edin Djerlek, Tanjug was told in the government of Serbia, and the proposal for the new composition of the government was sent to the parliament of Serbia.

 

 

Vucevic: New government to decide on new intelligence chief (N1)

 

Milos Vucevic, the former mayor of the northern city of Novi Sad, currently a candidate for defense minister and deputy prime minister of Serbia, said that the ministers from previous composition of the government who were not nominated again, including Nebojsa Stefanovic and Zorana Mihajlovic, were not punished and that making changes to the team from time to time is a necessity. Speaking after the session of the Main Board of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on Sunday, Vucevic is that the new government will make a decision on the vacant post for the Director of the Security and Information Agency (BIA). It is expected that the parliament will convene on 25 October to appoint the new ministers. “Why is someone punished if after six or eight years they are no longer a member of the government? You have to change the team from time to time. Then we don’t need elections, then the government is rewritten from term to term. It is natural that the composition changes. This composition is a kind of combination,” said Vucevic responding to questions about former ministers who were not on the list for the new government. Asked about the new intelligence chief and media speculations that the current Minister of Internal Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin, will become be appointed to the post, Vucevic said that this was not discussed today. “The new government of the Republic of Serbia will have to declare on that. Today, no other personnel decisions were discussed except for the members of the government. After the elections, the government will present the personnel solution in agreement with the President of the Republic,” he noted.

 

Brnabic: Government is pro-Serbian (TV Pink)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic was a guest on TV Pink last night when she pointed out that we will have strong names in the new government. She said that the circumstances have become serious since the election until today. "The government that is in the technical mandate is still the government that performs all the tasks important for citizens. From the time the elections were held until today, the Third World War has practically started, the circumstances are serious and it was more important to prepare for the winter," said Brnabic. She added that this means a responsible leadership. "We have strong names in the government, very professional people. It is a pro-Serbian government. There is neither left nor right, neither East nor West, it is a government that deals with and defends our national interests. the SNS, as the backbone of this government, has shown that holding positions are not important to us," added the PM-designate. She said that she is a proud member of the SNS and that she felt proud yesterday because former ministers came out and expressed gratitude for having the honor of working for their country, and that she thinks such a gesture is "rare". Brnabic added that the SNS, as the backbone of this government, has shown that holding positions are not important to it, and that she will give important roles to people whom she thinks can "pull even more, bring new energy and ideas and the party will stand behind those people even when they are not its members". Commenting on the criticisms about the long deadline to form the government, i.e. to reveal the candidates for ministers, Brnabic said that the government that is in a technical mandate is still the government that performs all the tasks important for the citizens, and that everything is in accordance with constitutional deadlines. Commenting on the fact that Tomislav Zigmanov was proposed as Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Brnabic said that she was glad that he accepted that offer. "I think it's a good signal. Certainly, if you look at the criteria of the Council of Europe and some other international organizations, we are already a country that is at the top of the European list regarding the respect of minority rights. This is just another step in that direction, so I think it will be good," said Brnabic. The show touched on President Vucic potentially stepping down as head of state, and Brnabic expressed her hope that it would not come to that, but noted that the president clearly showed foreigners that he is ready to sacrifice his position. "Even if that happens, the SNS policy will not change. The answers will be the same as long as the Serbian Progressive Party is here," she added. According to Brnabic, Vucic never made a move unless he had three planned moves in advance. "In difficult times, this led us to be one of the most respected countries in Europe, Serbia is known throughout the world as a country that leads an independent policy. When I was writing the expose for the parliament, I noticed that there were as many as three pages of data on who had visited Serbia since October 2020, and that at was at the time of coronavirus. The president won that position for us with the smartest work. We will never get to the point where he has to resign. It's an honor to work side by side with such a man," said Brnabic. She said that Vucic is a "political mastermind" and that he never makes a move without having planned three moves in advance and alternative ones. She also touched on solving the Kosovo issue, as well as the potential deadline by which an agreement should be reached – 24 February, according to what the Albanian Post is publishing. Brnabic said that she does not know about that date, and that if the West threatens Serbia with blackmail, she will not support such a policy. "I think that in the course of the last five years, they have changed their rhetoric towards Serbia. We have a correct relationship, although we disagree on some things. The West is bothered by Serbia's stance because they project, that is, they have committed aggression and violated the resolution of the United Nations Security Council," she stated. The Serbian Progressive Party celebrated its 14th birthday over the weekend, and the prime minister said that she is most proud of the fact that Serbia leads an independent policy. "We started with an average salary of 330 euros, and at the end of this year it will increase to 700 Euros. Among the many successes are the high speed rail, we have confidence that we never had before, but we know that we have to work a lot. We are facing the most difficult time so far and I am very concerned, but I know that there is a way to overcome this too," says Brnabic.

 

Amendments to Law on Ministries adopted (Tanjug/RTS)

 

The Serbian parliament adopted Friday night the Law on Amendments to the Law on Ministries, which provides that the new government of Serbia will have a total of 25 ministries. 150 MPs voted for the amendments to this law, 44 were against, and one MP did not vote. The government of Serbia will have the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure. The new government will also include the Ministry of Mining and Energy, Ministry of Internal and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government and Ministry of Human and Minority Rights and Social Dialogue. Also, there will be the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of European Integration, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and Ministry of Family Care and Demography. The new government will also include the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Rural Care, the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, the Ministry of Tourism and Youth, the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Public Investments. Amendments to the Law on Ministries are a step towards the formation of the new government of Serbia, and it is expected that the future ministers will be sworn in next week after the discussion in the parliament.

 

Vucic: No progress in reaching consensus on license plates (Beta)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday that ahead of a 31 October deadline set by the authorities in Pristina for Serbs in Kosovo to replace their Serbian license plates, the two parties “are not an inch closer” to a solution. Vucic said that the situation was not simple for Serbia, and that the Quint ambassadors shared their concerns at a meeting with him, fearing new escalations in Kosovo and Metohija. “I promised to do everything to avoid tensions and de-escalate potential conflicts,” the President said. When asked what was in the document that he received from the ambassadors, Vucic said that it was agreed not to publish the agreement, but that it was about Kosovo. “There are things we can do, things to which we reacted to differently. That is all I can say,” Vucic said.

 

Petkovic accuses Pristina chief negotiator of ‘excelling in lies’ (N1/RTS/Politika)

 

Petar Petkovic, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, accused Besnik Bislimi, the Head of Pristina's negotiating team in the dialogue with Belgrade, of “excelling in lies” after he told media that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says in private meetings in Brussels he understands he should recognize Kosovo but that it takes time. “With his latest statement, Pristina’s chief negotiator Besnik Bislimi continues to excel in his lies,” said Petkovic, calling Bislimi’s statement “the most shameless lie” and accusing him of “hypocrisy, which he uses all the time in the dialogue process”. According to him, Bislimi is “starting from himself” in his all statements, including the last one, which psychology defines as “self-projection”. “In fact, Bislimi is the one who promises anything and everything in Brussels, but this is an issue that needs to be of more interest to the public in Pristina,” said Petkovic. The senselessness of Bislimi’s statements, he added, “is most vividly seen when he boasted on Twitter that the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomed Pristina’s entry into this institution, for which Mr. Bjorn Berge himself reprimanded him, which speaks volumes about the credibility of what Bislimi say”. “There is no doubt that Bislimi often says what he would actually like to hear but the only truth that President Vucic clearly and unequivocally repeats is that he will never recognize the independence of the so-called Kosovo and always strongly defends the position of Belgrade and the Serbian people, which is why the Pristina delegation always returns from negotiations with a broken nose,” he stressed. Pristina chief negotiator, added Petkovic, “should better work on the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, which he committed to in Brussels in front of the Serbian delegation, but also in front of Mr. Lajcak, than brag about these kinds of gaffes shamelessly in front of the domestic and international community”.

 

Formation of common regional market considered at Berlin Process meeting (Tanjug/Politika)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic participated on Friday in Berlin in the meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs participating in the Berlin Process, where the topics included preparation of the summit of this initiative on 3 November as well as energy security, the migrant crisis and the European integration of the Western Balkans. After the meeting, Selakovic pointed out that at that meeting, which was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock, there was also talk about the formation of a common regional market, cyber security, but also a higher degree of cultural cooperation between partners in the Western Balkans. According to him, the meeting was attended by ministers from the Western Balkans, as well as foreign ministers of Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia and Bulgaria, as well as representatives of Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Poland. He reported that at the meeting with the ministers of foreign affairs of North Macedonia and Greece, Bujar Osmani and Nikos Dendias, he discussed the security and energy crisis in Europe, as well as the migrant crisis. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister also met with Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom Leo Docherty.

 

Mojsilovic voices concern over assistance to so-called Kosovo Security Force (RTV/Tanjug)

 

At Friday's meeting with new KFOR Commander Maj-Gen Angelo Michele Ristuccia, Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff Gen Milan Mojsilovic noted that unilateral moves by the provisional Pristina institutions were not helping calm the situation on the ground, and expressed concern over the fact that some countries contributing troops to KFOR were assisting the development of the so-called Kosovo Security Force. Mojsilovic and Ristuccia discussed activities that were underway to maintain and advance peace and stability in the territory of Serbia's southern province, the Serbian Armed Forces website said. Mojsilovic noted that, under UN SC Resolution 1244 and all signed agreements, KFOR was the only legitimate security actor in the province and that, as such, it had a duty to be the first to react in case security in Kosovo and Metohija was breached.

 

Vucic with Botsan-Kharchenko: Much-needed peace in Europe to be established (RTV/Tanjug)

 

In a conversation with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko on Monday, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Russia for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and expressed the hope much-needed peace in Europe would be established as soon as possible. The parties also discussed the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and Vucic noted that, despite all challenges, Serbia continued to pursue a responsible policy of peace and cooperation and remained committed to full implementation of agreements reached to date and respect of international law, the presidential press office said in a statement. Besides the geopolitical situation and regional affairs, Vucic and Botsan-Kharchenko also discussed bilateral cooperation.

 

Escobar: No deadline for Kosovo agreement (RTS)

 

US Special Envoy Gabriel Escobar told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) on Friday that no deadline has been set for an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina. He said that he does not know of any proposal from Europe which would require a solution within weeks but warned that quick progress is needed in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. According to Escobar, the Franco-German proposal should be carefully considered in the context of one of the worst crises in Europe since WW 2. He said that consolidating the community and creating stability in Europe is important while dealing with the Ukraine crisis. That is why creating a stable situation in the Balkans is absolutely important now, he said.

 

Borrell: Sustainable solution paramount in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta)

 

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said after a conversation with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday that the most important thing in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was finding a sustainable solution. "In the current geopolitical setting it is more crucial than ever to find a sustainable and comprehensive solution to the normalization of relations. We remain in close touch," Borrell tweeted.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H CEC publishes results of elections for all authority levels except for RS President and Vice-Presidents (N1)

 

Preliminary results of the general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) were published by the Central Election Commission (CEC) of B&H on Sunday. The results were published for all levels of authority in B&H, except for the Republika Srpska (RS) President and Vice Presidents. According to the results for the House of Representatives (HoR) of B&H, out of 41 seats SDA gets nine seats (Semsudin Mehmedovic, Denijal Tulumovic, Nermin Mandra, Midhat Causevic, Amor Masovic, Semsudin Dedic, Serif Spago, Edin Ramic and Safet Keso), SNSD gets six seats (Zoran Tegeltija, Radovan Viskovic, Nebojsa Radmanovic, Obren Petrovic, Sanja Vulic and Miroslav Vujicic), SDP B&H gets five seats (Jasmin Imamovic, Zukan Helez, Sasa Magazinovic, Albin Muslic and Rejhana Dervisevic), the parties gathered around the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) of B&H get four seats (Darijana Filipovic, Marinko Cavara, Predrag Kozul and Slavko Matic), DF-GS (Zlatan Begic, Vlatko Glavas and Milan Dunovic) and NiP (Denis Zvizdic, Nihad Omerovic, Mia Karamehic Abazovic) get three seats each, while NS (Sabina Cudic, Pedja Kojovic), NES (Zlatko Miletic and Jasmin Emric), PDP (Branislav Borenovic, Mira Pekic) and SDS (Darko Babalj and Mladen Bosic) get two seats each. ‘For Justice and Order’ (Aleksandar Maletic) gets one seat, the same as DEMOS (Cedomir Stojanovic), ‘United Srpska’ (Milan Petkovic) and BH Initiative (Aida Barucija). The RS-based SDA also gets one seat. As for the Federation of B&H (FB&H) parliament, SDA gets 26 seats, the parties gathered around the HNS and SDP B&H get 15 seats each, DF-GS gets 12 seats, NiP gets seven seats, NS gets six seats, NES gets five seats, SB&H gets four seats, HDZ 1990 gets three seats, while POMAK, PDA, BH Initiative, HNP and HRS get one seat each. The election results for the RS National Assembly (RSNA) shows the domination of SNSD with 29 seats, SDS gets 13 seats, PDP gets eight seats, SPRS, ‘Pokret za drzavu’ and DEMOS get five seats each, while ‘United Srpska’, ‘For Justice and Order’ and DNS get four seats each. ‘Srpska People’s Party’ and SPS get three seats each. As for the cantonal assemblies in the FB&H, SDA gets the highest number of seats in the Sarajevo Canton, Tuzla Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, Central Bosnia Canton and the Bosnian Podrinje Canton. NiP gets seven seats in the SC, the same as SDA. HDZ B&H gets the highest number of seats in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, West Herzegovina Canton and the Posavina Canton. NES gets eight seats in the Una-Sana Canton (USC), the same as SDA.

 

CEC’s Piric: CEC has one-month deadline to determine who will be Croat representatives in RS parliament (Glas Srpske)

 

Commenting claims that the B&H CEC has not determined who will be members of the RS parliament from the line of the Croat people, CEC spokeswoman Maksida Piric stressed they have a one-month legal deadline, from the day of the elections i.e. 2 October, to determine who the representatives are. Piric stressed the representatives are not determined by an automatic information application the CEC uses, instead it must be done manually. According to the daily, it is expected that the representatives will question will be: Anja Ljubojevic and Mijo Perkunic (both SNSD), Diana Cekic (PDP) and Andrea Gajic (Pokret za drzavu coalition).

 

Control recount of votes for elections for RS President and Vice-Presidents continue at Main Vote Counting Center in Sarajevo (O Kanal)

 

The control recount of votes for the elections for the President and Vice-Presidents of RS continued at the Main Vote Counting Center in Sarajevo on Sunday. The recount continued with the control of ballots from Derventa and Bosanski Brod. The B&H CEC stated that the results for the President and Vice-Presidents of the RS will be determined when the conditions for that are met. The CEC expects that the recount process will speed up, given that control of votes for other authority levels is not taking place. N1 reports that midnight on Tuesday is a deadline for submission of possible requests for the recount of ballots for all levels of authorities in B&H. The control recount of ballots from polling stations in Derventa, Brod and Nevesinje is underway at the main ballot counting center in Sarajevo’s Zetra, after which the ballots from polling stations in Bratunac and Srbac will be recounted. It was announced that this process could be completed by Wednesday or Thursday if the current pace continues. B&H CEC President Suad Arnautovic stated that the results for the RS President will be published once the conditions for that are created, reminding that the main ballot counting center in Sarajevo’s Zetra has not completed the activities on the control recount of ballots for the RS President. Representatives of the B&H CEC said that out of 2,239 polling stations in the constituency of the RS, around 1,700 polling stations from 13 cities and municipalities were processed. Arnautovic said that the B&H CEC expects that the rest of the activities under the order of the CEC will go faster because a larger number of people will work on these activities. "Smaller municipalities and cities with polling stations with fewer registered voters have remained. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday until midnight are the three days to submit a request for a recount," Arnautovic said. According to SNSD, there will be no formation of authorities at the level of B&H until confirmation of the election results for the level of the RS President. SNSD’s spokesman Radovan Kovacevic stated that it is clear that there are no mismatches shown in the process of recount of ballots for the RS President that could affect the election results in any way, stressing that it is expected that B&H CEC will correct its shameful omission and publish the results for the RS President as well by Monday the latest. SNSD’s Sanja Vulic said that the SNSD-ruling coalition will convey a clear message during a rally on Tuesday that it strongly opposed retailoring of the election will of the RS voters who chose SNSD candidate for the RS President Milorad Dodik to be new RS President.

 

Sattler: B&H CEC is very important institution, and its right and duty is to examine every claim of irregularity in the election process (Glas Srpske)

 

The daily carried an interview with Head of EU Delegation and EU Special Representative Johann Sattler. Asked to comment his column published before the election in which he called on citizens to change the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) by voting, which was interpreted by some as an invitation to citizens to vote for change against the parties which are currently in power and as unacceptable interference in the election process, Sattler replied that he did not use such phrase in his blogpost. He explained that in his text, he called on citizens to participate in the election and vote as they see fit, because that is the essence of democracy. “If people believe that the same ones need to stay in power, it is their decision. However, there is something, especially among the younger people, and that is the claim that they cannot change anything with their vote. That is wrong and dangerous. Democracy consists of participation, and that was the essence of the message”, Sattler explained. Asked to comment the support he expressed for the CEC, Sattler said that strong institutions are the pillars of democracy, which is why the EU supports important institutions. He underlined that B&H CEC is a very important institution, and its right and duty is to examine every claim of irregularity in the election process. Noting that two years ago, B&H CEC did a very good job, Sattler expressed hope that it will be the case this time as well. Asked to explain why he and the EU support Christian Schmidt although he was not legitimately appointed to the office of High Representative by a resolution of the UN Security Council, Sattler replied that the EU and he personally support the OHR because it is a part of the Dayton structure. “It is not a secret that the EU wants B&H’s progress on the European path and we openly said that we would like to see more domestic solutions. That is why we were part of the electoral and constitutional reform process together with our American colleagues, bit unfortunately, compromise was not achieved”, Sattler noted. He added that in the EU integration process, decisions will have to be made by parliaments in B&H, and this will ultimately mean less international supervision. Asked if he supports Schmidt as well as OHR, Sattler briefly replied with a yes. Asked how B&H can negotiate with the EU on membership with OHR still present in the country, Sattler said that B&H is not in the negotiation stage yet.

 

Dodik says RS will restore competences for organization of elections in RS, announces protest rally in Banja Luka (RTRS)

 

The deadline for the B&H CEC to announce the preliminary election results expires on Sunday night at midnight. SNSD leader and B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik stated that the competences for the election process will be returned to the RS level after the illegal actions of B&H CEC.  He underlined that CEC will no longer be able to influence the election process and manipulate the will of citizens of the RS. Dodik explained that the RS will adopt its own election law which will allow the RS Election Commission to organize and oversee the local elections, as well as elections for the RS parliament and RS Presidency. “After all, what does Sarajevo have to do with the elections in the RS”, Dodik noted and added that B&H CES does not have the constitutional right to organize elections in the RS anyway. Dodik also stated that SDS and PDP tried hard to transfer the sovereign right of the RS citizens to make their own decisions to Sarajevo. SNSD’s Stasa Kosarac stated that the RS will react to unconstitutional actions of B&H CEC with constitutional action – i.e. by restoring its constitutional competence to organize the election process. According to him, several members of B&H CEC from Sarajevo, working together with the RS opposition parties, are trying to twist and change the will of citizens of the RS. “They want to deny the sovereignty of the election process in the RS”, Kosarac noted. Dodik’s advisor Milan Tegeltija stated that the opposition parties which deny the election results and demand their annulment are in fact ignoring the will of citizens which was clearly expressed in the election.  He underlined that despite some minor discrepancies, it is already clear that Dodik won the election with at least 30,000 votes more than PDP’s Jelena Trivic. Political analyst Stevica Dedjanski stated that Dodik expectedly won because he defends the national interests of Serbs. According to him, the “occupation forces” in BIH tried to rig the election. The reporter reminds that SNSD and other ruling parties will hold a protest rally in Banja Luka on Tuesday to express dissatisfaction over the opposition’s demands for annulment of the election. Commenting the rally, Dodik stated that the rally will be organized in order to allow citizens the opportunity to express their will. Opposition parties accused SNSD of dividing the Serb people. RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic dismissed this accusation as unfounded and reminded that the opposition parties organized rallies of protest against the will of the people. She underlined that the opposition parties discredited themselves by falsely claiming victory in the election night and by creating “the post-election circus”. Analyst Dragomir Andjelkovic stated that even supporters of the opposition parties should attend the rally because nobody should be allowed to undermine the RS. Meanwhile, the President of SNSD Milorad Dodik published a video on his Twitter account, calling citizens to attend the gathering organized for Tuesday in Banja Luka. He called citizens to join the gathering in the ‘Mladen Stojanovic Park’ to show the power of their gathering. B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac stated that the announcement of Dodik that reports will be filed against the B&H CEC in case the results for the RS President race are not published on Saturday as justified. He said that Dodik is protecting the election will of citizens and it is logical that he is responsible, because citizens elected him.

 

Opposition to citizens: Ruling authorities cannot make you attend Tuesday’s gathering (BN TV)

 

RS opposition claims Tuesday’s gathering of members of the ruling authorities is an attempt at defending and keeping Milorad Dodik’s regime in power in this entity. Ahead of the gathering, it seems that ruling authorities are pressuring the employees of public institutions into attending the event, even threatening to fire them if they do not comply. An official document of the SNSD Secretariat was also revealed to the public which backs these claims. That document contains a specific number of people that need to come from each city or municipality of the RS. The gathering is planned for Tuesday in Banja Luka. The abovementioned document speaks of a number of 30,000 people that need to be sent from RS cities and municipalities to this gathering. Since this is a work day, there will be less people than there would be during weekend days. The opposition says these people are being misused to create a false image of “mass support of citizens for the ruling regime in the RS”. After opposition protests, the ruling authorities need this gathering to cover up the large election theft they committed, the opposition members emphasize. President of the List ‘Za pravdu i red’ Nebojsa Vukanovic told that people are being threatened and blackmailed, and they were openly informed they will lose their jobs in public institutions if they do not attend the mentioned event. Vukanovic believes no major messages will be sent from the gathering. It only serves the purpose of “admiring the leader”, Vukanovic said, referring to SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Vukanovic addressed the RS citizens and told them they should attend the gathering only if they really want to. “No one can force you to do that. Feel free to contact us, we will protect you. No one can touch the people, no one will be fired, and no one will suffer the consequences”, Vukanovic promises. Raising tension through national and warmongering rhetoric is best seen in SNSD’s video, which served as a call for citizens to attend the protest. BNTV noted that the video was ironically called ‘Otadzbina zove’ (The fatherland is calling). The video calls people to defend the RS from foreign mentors and traitors. During a press conference, PDP Vice President Igor Crnadak urged for this gathering to be peaceful. He said the ruling authorities should hear what the RS people are saying on the streets, or what Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is saying, and all this comes down to the need to maintain peace and stability in the RS. “Listen to common sense, do not cause riots”, Crnadak pleaded. He added that the opposition is “rightfully concerned” as some people wrote on social media that they plan to fight against the opposition with guns. SDS leader Mirko Sarovic stated that the problem is not in organizing of protest rally in the RS, but in the propaganda, video created by the ruling regime. “Even though (Serbian) President (Aleksandar) Vucic for days has been calling for reducing of tensions in the RS, Milorad Dodik is showing that he is not up to the moment and continues with his propaganda, to divide our people. Instead of Vucic, it seems that Dodik decided to listen to (Croatian President) Zoran Milanovic who announced Banja Luka’s Maidan (Maidan Revolution or Revolution of Dignity or Ukrainian Revolution, from February 2014 at the end of Euromaidan protests, when clashes between protesters and security forces in Kyiv culminated in ousting of then elected President Viktor Yanukovych),” said Sarovic.

 

Informal group of citizens to organize protest in front of OHR on Monday (O Kanal)

 

A protest is scheduled to take place in front of the OHR building in Sarajevo on Monday. The protest is organized by an informal group of citizens due to discontent with the decision that High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt passed, using the Bonn powers to impose the amendments to the Election Law of B&H in the night of the general elections on 2 October. Even the politicians, who used to call on Schmidt to impose the amendments, have started criticizing his decision given that the solution did not meet their expectation and what they hoped it would bring. Co-organizer of the protest Nihad Alickovic said that the citizens should come out in the streets and express their discontent, because no one asked the citizens “whether they agree with imposing of something that does not go in their favor”. Alickovic noted that HR Schmidt imposed the decision following the lobbying of Croatia and its Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Alickovic also criticized the political parties in B&H for failing to pass decisions that are important for B&H and its citizens, stressing that the main reason is in the fact that the parties follow their own interests. SDA’s representative in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Semsudin Mehmedovic underlined that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic had political initiative to meet with political representatives of other peoples but other sides obviously received a hint from the international community. Our Party (NS) Presidency member Damir Arnaut said that use of Bonn powers is not the problem, but rather that the problem is in the imposed solutions that are contrary to the Constitution of B&H. Arnaut noted that he was told in July in the OHR that, two years ago, Izetbegovic signed with HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic something that includes the use of the term legitimate representatives. SDP B&H Presidency member Besima Boric assessed that the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) has put “the ethnonational issue on the pedestal”. According to Boric, the Constitution from the DPA includes mechanisms of hindrance and this is what has caused the current situation.

 

SPC: Patriarch Porfirije did not meet with Schmidt (ATV)

 

His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Porfirije did not meet with Christian Schmidt during his visit to Belgrade, the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) announced on Saturday. The announcement states that neither Serbian Patriarch Porfirije, nor the Church as a whole, interferes in the election and post-election process, anywhere and anytime, including in RS or B&H. “In these turbulent times, the Patriarch especially prays for the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of all peoples in B&H”, reads SPC’s statement. The Information Service of the SOC states that the most important, first and headline news on the Internet presentation of the Belgrade daily Danas is a completely false, fabricated text that said that Patriarch Porfirije met with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and German politician Christian Schmidt at the Patriarchal Palace. The SPC points out that Danas, almost as a rule, builds its stories about the Church on the basis of half-truths, and often on complete falsehoods, as is the case with this text, and that they know why they did what they did. “Nevertheless, for the sake of the faithful people, especially in the RS and B&H, where such invented and false texts cause confusion and mistrust in the people towards the Church and Patriarch Porfirije, we are obliged to say that no meeting of this kind was held, nor planned, nor the Patriarch, in any variant, met with Schmidt during his visit to Belgrade these days”, explains the statement. The SPC notes that the German politician visited the St. Sava Temple on Thursday, 20 October, and the public was informed about it via the Temple's website.

 

The leader of the Croat minority in Serbia candidate for human rights minister (HRT)

 

Serbia did not recognize Croats as a national minority until 2002. The majority of the Bunjevci and Sokci communities traditionally identify as part of the Croatian minority as well. According to the 2011 census, there were 57 900 Croats in Serbia, mostly residing in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The leader of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, Tomislav Zigmanov, has been named the ministerial candidate for human and minority rights in the new Serbian government. The decision was announced by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at a meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party: "The minister for human rights and social dialogue, and I expect that this will be a shock for you, is Tomislav Zigmanov, the leader of the Croatian national minority in our country." Zigmanov commented on his candidacy on social media: "Thank you Aleksandar Vucic for the trust you have placed in me, it will not be betrayed! For the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, this is recognition for its consistency in advocating for social justice, inclusive policies, the rights of national minorities and the good of Croats in Serbia. Such convictions will continue to be my guiding principles." Meanwhile, the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry issued a statement in which Minister Gordan Grlic Radman congratulated Zigmanov on his candidacy: "In light of the work invested to date and the dedication in representing and promoting the rights of Croats in Vojvodina, Minister Grlic Radman expressed his belief that the commitment of the ministerial candidate will contribute to strengthening the position of Croats in Serbia."

 

Foreign Minister says EU candidates must align with the bloc's common values (HRT)

 

Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said in Berlin on Friday, ahead of a meeting of Western Balkan and EU foreign ministers as part of the Berlin Process, that all EU candidates must align their foreign and visa policies with those of the EU. “All Western Balkan countries must show clear commitment to EU policies and align their policies with the EU’s, which naturally includes the visa regime,” said Grlic Radman, underlining the need for those countries to also align their foreign and security policies. Grlic Radman highlighted the importance of the Berlin Process for the further integration of Western Balkan countries aspiring to join the EU. “The Berlin Process shows Western Balkan countries that they must stand on the right side of history and demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian people as well as unity in the condemnation of the Russian aggression,” said Grlic Radman, in a thinly-veiled message aimed at Serbia. He noted that the meeting would also discuss energy and economic policy as well as energy independence. “Considering its experience and geopolitical advantages, Croatia can offer itself as an energy hub for Central European countries,” said the minister. The meeting is being held in preparation for an EU and Western Balkans summit, scheduled for 3 November.

 

Ukrainian soldiers welcome to train in Croatia, say retired generals (HRT)

 

Retired Croatian generals, Josip Lucic and Slavko Baric, commented on reports last week about Ukrainian soldiers being trained in EU member-states - including Croatia.  President Zoran Milanovic, the Commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces, remains critical of the move; and so do some members of the opposition who think it's best for Croatia to remain neutral. At the same time, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Ukrainian soldiers would be more than welcome to train in the country. Furthermore, as a member of NATO and the EU, Croatia was certainly not a neutral player on the international stage and that the country stands firmly in solidarity with Ukraine. General Lucic, a former Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, said Croatia must be a reliable partner to international allies and called for a clear and unified political stance. "We should follow common policies and help Ukraine. We can see now that our president is isolated from European and NATO policies. This presents a major problem because our president is leading the entire country down the path towards isolation," said Lucic. Slavko Baric said the war in Ukraine had taken on a new dimension and was no longer a local conflict. He said Croatia should indeed help train Ukrainian soldiers but only with a clearly defined mandate. "We must know very clearly exactly what kind of training this will be, the way they will be carried out, and - obviously - they must be conducted within our means and capabilities. Only in this way can we help this country which has been attacked," added Baric.

 

Local election results (RTCG)

 

The coalition All for Our City has won the most votes in the elections in Podgorica, but the majority is held by the parties that won the parliamentary elections in 2020, according to the preliminary results of the local elections held yesterday in 14 Montenegrin municipalities. DPS was in power in 8 out of 14 cities where local authorities were elected. But, as things stand now, DPS will form the government in Bar, Plav and Bijelo Polje, while the opposition parties won in Pljevlja, Zabljak, Danilovgrad and Kolasin. According to preliminary data, the change of government took place in 7 municipalities. According to the latest data, DPS will be in power together with SD and SDP in Plav. In Rozaje, the Bosniak party achieved an absolute victory.

On the other hand, the political forces that won power at the state level on 30 August 2020 were convincing in Podgorica, Zeta, Zabljak, Pljevlja, Budva and Tivat.

 

Vukovic: Respectable result achievedꓼ encouraging is the fact that the idea of civic and European Podgorica received convincing support from citizens (CdM)

 

The holder of the list All for Our City Ivan Vukovic said that they achieved a respectable result. The movement All for Our City individually is a convincing winner of the local elections in the City of Podgorica. To win up to 24 mandates is a respectable result in any European democracy. Of course, whether we expected more and a better result – the answer is clear. We expected that people would evaluate our performance in a different way, in a political sense. However, they gave their judgment and there is no polemic with that”, said Vukovic. He thanked his colleagues and team who were with him during the previous 4 years. “We are proud of the fact that life in Podgorica is better and more beautiful today than it was 4 years ago”, Vukovic said. Encouraging is the fact that the idea of a civic, European Podgrica has received convincing support from citizens, said Vukovic.

 

Djukanovic’s DPS falls from power in local elections (Vijesti)

 

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic’s Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) lost the local elections in 11 of the 14 municipalities where the vote was held, Podgorica daily Vijesti said.

It said that the DPS lost in several of the municipalities where it has been dominant to date, including the capital Podgorica where about a third of the Montenegrin electorate lives. Vijesti said that the Europe Now (Evropa sad) movement came out on top with plans to take over in the capital and at least three other cities. The daily said that there were no serious incident except in the town of Savnik where the vote was not held at the biggest polling station and was stopped at two others because polling commission members refused to allow people recently entered into the electoral rolls from other municipalities to vote. Charges were filed against those polling commission members. According to preliminary results released by the Center for Democratic Transition, the DPS-led coalition won 38.1 percent of the vote in Podgorica and will remain in power in just two places – Bar on the coast and Bijelo Polje in the north of the country. The DPS was followed by Europe Now (headed by former minister Jakov Milatovic) with 21.7 percent of the vote. The Center for Democratic Transition said that the turnout was just under 70 percent in Podgorica compared to 2018 when 64.4 percent voted and the 2020 parliamentary elections when 81.1 percent voted.

 

Mickoski ready to negotiate on anything, but seeks guarantees from EU first (Alsat M)

 

VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said he is ready to discuss all open issues in the country, considered as an obstacle to membership in the European Union, but is first seeking guarantees from the EU that the country will join the Union until 2030. Mickoski said he is open to even talk face to face with SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski “in order to set the red lines for all those who want to give a different connotation to Macedonian identity, language and people in the future.” At a party conference, organized on the occasion of the 129th anniversary of the Macedonian revolutionary struggle, Mickoski emphasized that the truth must be spoken face to face with all international and local political representatives. “If we change the preamble, will we become a member of the EU by 2030 as they promise us? Will someone sign that Macedonia will be a member of the EU until 2030 as they promise us? Will the European Parliament adopt a resolution that will accept the uniqueness of the Macedonian language, and not say it is a linguistic norm as someone tries to tell us? Will the European Parliament and the European Commission adopt a decision or resolution, whatever it may be, for the uniqueness of the Macedonian identity, history, culture, tradition, customs? Let’s talk about these guarantees... I also call upon our political opponent SDSM for all-Macedonian unity on these issues, and I am ready to talk face to face with Dimitar Kovachevski", said Mickoski, VMRO DPMNE leader.

Mickoski said Saturday that they will not support amending the Constitution until the European Union gives guarantees that the country will join the Union and that the country we will not be subject to new veto from the eastern neighbour. “Until someone from Europe and Brussels will come and give a clear guarantee to this Macedonian people and to the citizens of Macedonia, then we will be able to sit down and discuss everything. Until then, there will be no changes to the Preamble and no interventions in the Constitution,” Mickoski said. Asked about the conditioning by the Albanian MPs that they would support the inclusion of other nationalities in the Preamble only if the Albanian language becomes official in the country,

Mickoski said that it is unprincipled and non-European. “If you are asking me about the process of altering the Preamble of the Constitution in order to include parts of nationalities, and as a reaction to that process, that process occurs, I can say that it is unprincipled and non-European, because if you believe in the European agenda, as they say, they should believe unconditionally. It is the essence of that process,” he said. Under these circumstances, under a dictate and an ultimatum, he said, we will not agree as VMRO-DPMNE and as a parliamentary group led by VMRO-DPMNE to change the Preamble  because that would be humiliating for us. “Our goal is not to start the negotiations, which according to the government have started, but our ultimate goal is for Macedonia to be a part of the EU and we are ready to talk to get certain guarantees that this is the last request that we will not be subject to additional veto by our eastern neighbor, that we will not be the subject of assimilation and hegemonic behavior,” Mickoski added. “Therefore, we say that our goal is to be part of the EU, and that is our goal and the goal of our citizens. We say that the inclusion of a part of the Bulgarian people in the Preamble was an obstacle, and does the Macedonian people have a guarantee if that happens, there is no  guarantee. Until someone from Europe and Brussels will come and give a clear guarantee to this Macedonian people and to the citizens of Macedonia, then we will be able to sit down and discuss everything. Until then, there will be no changes to the Preamble and no interventions in the Constitution,” he said. According to Mickoski, the issue of the use of the Albanian language is the subject of the Law on Use of Languages, which is reviewed by the Constitutional Court. “I said in an interview that we should wait for the decision of the Constitutional Court. If you mean that norm of about twenty percent, I have also said many times in the past that I am ready to sit down and talk with anyone, about Badinter principle, to have a fair system in Macedonia, where people will not progress because they are part of some kind of number, but because they are worth it, because they are competitive, they have knowledge, etc.,” said VMRO-DPMNE leader Mickoski, who attended opening ceremony of kindergarten in the Aerodrom municipality on Saturday.

 

Taravari: Alliance for the Albanians to reveal conditions for voting on constitutional

amendments next week (RFE/RL)

 

Arben Taravari, acting president of the Alliance for the Albanians party, in an interview with RFE/RL on Sunday said MPs of the Alliance for the Albanians in principle will vote for constitutional amendments, but they impose two conditions, which they will present to the “important embassies in Macedonia” during this week. “One of the condition is to remove the term 20 percent from the Constitution, to practically use both Macedonian and Albanian as official languages. But the first condition is going to be very interesting, which will be presented first to important embassies in Macedonia,” Taravari said. According to him, the conditions of the Alliance for the Albanians were prepared with international experts, who gave “both ideas and suggestions that would be good for the whole country”. “I think that it will not be rejected by any political party in Macedonia,” Taravari said. He said that the Alliance for Albanians is ready for early elections sometime in March-April if elections are held, but he believes that in this period of crisis the parties should be united. “I insisted on a non-party caretaker government even earlier,” Taravari said. He denied claims that he met with the DUI leader Ali Ahmeti and Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski for possible negotiations to be part of the Government. According to him, the Alliance for Albanians has the capacity and is open to make coalitions, but above all the party is interested in its structure and bringing about change in the Albanian political bloc. “I think that whenever the next parliamentary elections are held, the Alliance for Albanians will win and be part of the government. If not, I would definitely leave politics,” Taravari noted. “The policies of the Alliance for the Albanians remain the same. We also have a large number of intellectuals who are joining the Alliance for the Albanians for the first time, and I hope that next week we will promote them,” Taravari said.

 

FM Osmani at Berlin Process meeting: Common regional market and Open Balkans share

same goal (MIA)

 

It is high time to join the common regional market and Open Balkans. Both have the same objective, and they should be complementary, inclusive and observe our aspiration for alignment with the EU Acquis. This would also serve to put the efforts by the EU, US and UK under one umbrella of support to the region of the Western Balkans as an area of free and equal citizens, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani told the Berlin Process meeting of foreign ministers, hosted by Germany’s Annalena Baerbock. FM Osmani referred to the need to enhance the culture of dialogue and find compromise solutions that aim to provide an authentic contribution in the Europeanization of regional countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release. “By signing of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, the Bulgaria Friendship Treaty and the Prespa Agreement, North Macedonia can largely serve as an example and model of making positive solutions aimed at overcoming open issues on the Balkans, as well as promoting and enhancing regional cooperation,” said Osmani. Meeting participants also discussed the energy crisis and the need for solidarity among EU member-states, environment protection and the Green Agenda, role of civil society and youth involvement. At the meeting, FMs adopted a declaration for implementation of the common regional market and signing of agreement over recognition of academic qualifications/diplomas, professional qualifications and regional travel using IDs. The Berlin Process, serving as a complementary aspect of the Euro-integration process for the Western Balkans, aims to build a framework for enhancement of relations among regional states, for the purpose of economic growth and development, open market economy and acceleration of the reform progress in the interest of sooner EU integration.

 

Zelensky awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise to Talat Xhaferi (Republika)

 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise to several politicians around the world, including the parliament speaker of the Republic of Macedonia Talat Xhaferi. The order is awarded for significant personal merits in strengthening interstate cooperation, support of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and significant contribution to the popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world. The list of names to whom Zelensky awarded the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise can be read on the official website of the Ukrainian presidency.

 

EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tirana, Michel: We need each other (Radio Tirana)

 

The President of the Council of Europe, Charles Michel, through a post on Twitter, announced that the next summit of the EU with the Western Balkans will be held in Tirana, on December 6, 2022. According to him, the summit in question is a reaffirmation of the EU's strengthened commitment to the Western Balkans. "We will hold the next EU summit - Western Balkans in the region - on December 6 in Tirana, Albania, to reaffirm our strengthened commitment. The Western Balkans is a key priority for the European Union. The EU and the Western Balkans need each other," writes Charles Michel.

 

Meloni thanks Rama: We will cultivate strategic cooperation (Radio Tirana)

 

The newly appointed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni thanked Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama after the head of Albanian government congratulated her on the Twitter social network. Meloni writes that the relations between Albania and Italy are historic while she promises to maintain the strategic cooperation between the two countries. A day before, Albanian Prime Minister congratulated Giorgia Meloni, wishing her luck in her new duty, while further emphasizing the brotherly relations between Albania and Italy. Meanwhile, the President of the Assembly, Lindita Nikolla, also congratulated the new President of the Chamber of Deputies of Italy, Lorenzo Fontana, after his election as the head of this Chamber. "I am confident that the relations between the Assembly of Albania and the Chamber of Deputies will continue to be excellent and that the Cooperation Protocol, signed in April of this year, will serve to intensify our cooperation. Parliamentary cooperation will promote and support the all-round bilateral cooperation between Albania and Italy", said Nikola in the message to Fontana. Nikolla expressed his gratitude for the support that Italy has given to Albania on the way to European integration. "Reiterating the gratitude for Italy's strong support of Albania's European journey, I am convinced that this support will continue even during the negotiation process," she said.

 

Rama meets the Prime Minister of Israel, cyber security at the center of the talks (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama arrived on Sunday in Tel Aviv in a state visit, at the invitation of the Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid. According to local media, focus of the meetings with Israeli officials will be on cyber security and Iranian cyber-attacks on Albania. Albanian Prime Minister and other ministers accompanying him will hold meetings with President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Speaker of the Assembly Mickey Levi. Prime Minister Edi Rama's visit to Israel culminated in a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid. Rama, referring to this meeting, writes that the focus of the talks was "defense cyber security, economy and tourism". "With the Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber security and defense, economy and tourism," Rama wrote on his Facebook social network. The visit comes after Albania faced cyber-attacks for months by the "Homeland Justice" group. The Albanian government accused Iran and cut off diplomatic ties with the latter.

 

Resolution against Dick Marty's report/Nikolla letter to Speakers of Parliaments of the member countries of EC (Radio Tirana)

 

After Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaker of parliament Lindita Nikolla also sent a letter to the speakers of Parliament of the member states of the Council of Europe for the resolution against Dick Marty's report on the KLA war and the accusations of organ trafficking. Nikolla asks for their support, of the members of the parliaments as well as of the relevant delegations in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the correction of this tragic mistake, as the speaker of parliament calls it, towards Albania and Kosovo. "This is not only a demand for the right, truth and dignity of Albania and Kosovo, but also for the credibility of international political organizations and the values that they represent and protect," writes the speaker of the Assembly Lindita Nikolla in the letter. Nikolla has attached to her letter, in addition to the text of the Resolution, the text and speech of the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, held at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 12 October 2022.