LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: No agreement with Pristina, it must implement agreements (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Friday no agreement whatsoever had been reached with Pristina on vehicle licence plates in Kosovo and Metohija and noted that both Belgrade and Serbs in the province wanted to see signed agreements implemented and respected. In a statement to Tanjug, Brnabic said Belgrade was concerned because it did not see any results of Pristina’s discussions with the EU and the US. “Albin Kurti is saying that the Brussels agreement does not exist. Those are bad signals. The agreement does exist and what has been signed must be respected,” Brnabic said. She also noted that Belgrade expected Pristina’s discussions with the EU and the US to produce results. She said rule of law was a European principle also reflected in implementation of signed agreements and noted that Belgrade had met its commitments a long time ago. She recalled that, under a 2021 agreement on licence plates, a sticker regime had been introduced and an agreement made that it would not be changed without mutual consent but that Pristina had unilaterally breached the deal. Commenting on Pristina’s claims about 20 modalities, Brnabic said: “They can have as many as 120 modalities. I do not care about that. Pristina must implement what has been signed,” she said.

 

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: No agreement with Pristina has been achieved (RTS)

 

According to the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, no agreement has been reached on the license plates or the return of Serbs to the institutions. As the Office for Kosovo and Metohija points out, this is the most ordinary disinformation and the distribution of fake news with the aim of Pristina trying to remove responsibility for the violation of all agreements. “No agreement has been reached on the license plates or the return of Serbs to the institutions, as the media in Pristina are trying to spread that propaganda, and some media in Belgrade have reported it,” said the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) apologizes for the publication of the unverified and incorrect news of the FoNet agency that an agreement on license plates between Belgrade and Pristina was reached in Brussels, which was published in the Morning news.

 

Reactions of Serbs who left Pristina institutions (TV Most/Tanjug)

 

The citizens who left the services of the provisional institutions in Pristina on Thursday in Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvecan signed contracts with Serbia, guaranteeing that they will have the same income as in their previous jobs. "We received decisions thanks to our state and our President Vucic, who provides us with financial and moral support for our survival in Kosovo and Metohija," former police officer Gordana Mitrovic told TV Most, reports Tanjug. Another former police officer, Nikola Milic, said that the signing of the contract showed that the state of Serbia and the leadership stand behind the Serb people. "This is great satisfaction, both morally and financially. An indicator that we will survive and stay in these areas," said Milic. Former court employee Velimir Micovic said that the signing of the contract is proof that the Serbs have a future here. "As a young man with a young family, I can survive here, I can plan my future here. I want to thank the state of Serbia for this gesture, for not leaving us in the lurch, but giving us the wind at our backs to stay," said Micovic.

 

EU invites Vucic and Kurti to Brussels (N1)

 

The EU has invited Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti to Brussels to discuss finding “a European solution” to the biggest crisis in Kosovo since 2013, said EU spokesperson Peter Stano. Regarding the escalating and crisis situation between Kosovo and Serbia, I can only stress that the engagement of the EU, as the facilitator of the dialogue, is ongoing, and that we expect European behavior that leads to a European solution, said Stano. We have invited President Vucic and Prime Minister Kurti to Brussels for a high-level meeting and we hope that this meeting will take place very soon, Stano added. Asked to comment on some Pristina media reports that an agreement on the license plates has already been reached, that is, that EU envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has already sent a draft European proposal to Belgrade and Pristina, Stano said the EU does not comment on speculations which he described as counterproductive.

 

Janjic: Vucic’s and Serbia’s negotiation position weakened (Beta)

 

Political analyst Dusan Janjic stated yesterday that the unannounced return of the Serb List party into the Kosovo Assembly was proof of the weakened negotiation position of Serbia and President Aleksandar Vucic in solving the Kosovo crisis. Janjic told Beta that Vucic had decided to return the Serb List into the Kosovo institutions in order to postpone the local elections in North Kosovo, scheduled for 18 December. "Vucic has realized that his moves over the past 10 days – the walking out of Kosovo institutions and the fuelling of tension with tales about drones – have not yielded results. In talks with representatives of the Quint, he accepted to return the Serbs into the institutions of Kosovo and, in return, have the local elections in Kosovo's northern municipalities postponed, as well as the implementation of the decision on changing the car license plates," Janjic stated. He believes that the Serb List will return to the Kosovo government, "which will be the undoing of everything Vucic has said and done in the past month". "The reaction to Albin Kurti's provocation with reciprocal measures on car license plates was fierce. Belgrade has pulled the Serbs out of the Kosovo institutions, even the police. It is obvious that the Quint has pressured Kurti into delaying the implementation of decisions for the north of Kosovo, and Vucic into returning the Serbs into the institutions," Janjic said.

 

Serbia, Angola sign security cooperation agreement (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic and Minister of the Interior of Angola Eugenio Cesar Laborinho signed today an agreement on cooperation in the field of security and public order between the ministries of the interior of Serbia and Angola. The two ministers also agreed on joint trainings for members of the two ministries. Gasic pointed out that our country is committed to improving relations with friendly countries, and noted that relations with Angola date back to the time of the Non-Aligned Movement. He expressed gratitude for respecting the territorial integrity of Serbia and for the fact that Angola did not recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. Laborinho said that Angola will never recognise the independence of the southern Serbian province, recalling that the then SFRY was the first to recognise the independence of the Republic of Angola.

 

Serbia wants to participate in UN, EU peacekeeping missions (Beta)

 

Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic said that Serbia wants to participate in peacekeeping operations and missions under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) whenever there is capacity and opportunity. At a celebration marking the Peacekeeping Operations Center Day and the 20th anniversary of the Serbian Armed Forces’ participation in multinational operations, Vucevic said that, “unfortunately, the importance of peacekeeping missions has also been seen in Serbia.” “Even today, we look, with anxiety, at all that is happening in our southern province or in the region, believing that those who are engaged there on behalf of the international community are aware of their responsibility and have sufficient capacity to protect and achieve the goal for which they are there,” the Defense Ministry quoted Vucevic as saying. The Minister said he was certain that the General Staff, with General Milan Mojsilovic at helm, will do everything that is up to the Serbian Armed Forces to send soldiers to such peacekeeping missions and that they “return well and alive and help the people living in whose areas.” Chief of the Peacekeeping Operations Centre, Colonel Mirjana Milenkovic said that 285 Serbian Armed Forces members are currently deployed in UN and EU peacekeeping missions and that they “worthily represent the military profession and the Serbian medical profession”. Milenkovic added that 5,500 Serbian Armed Forces members have so participated in 10 peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the UN, and in six EU-led missions.

 

Botsan-Kharchenko: No one gave you the right to lecture Russians (Politika)

 

Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko sent a message to his colleagues, Ambassadors of Canada, Poland and Great Britain, that “no one gave them the right to lecture Russians”. I would advise the ambassadors to redirect their attention to their countries’ relations with Belgrade. Above all to find ‘wisdom, trust and remembrance’ within themselves and to take an honest look at their countries’ duplicitous politics on Kosovo, said Botsan-Kharchenko reacting to an article by Ambassadors Giles Norman, Rafał Perl and Sian Macleod published Thursday in Politika under the headline ‘Wisdom, Trust and Remembrance’. In a statement published Friday in Politika the Russian Ambassador said the Western ambassadors’ article was “a primitive pamphlet whose headline is completely contrary to its content,” adding that, for some reason, “the authors of the text do not remember the 1999 bombing of Serbia on the May 9 Victory Day, and on the so-called May 8 Europe Day.” “And in Ukraine? Where is your compassion regarding the eight years of systematic genocide against several million inhabitants of Donbas, whose protection Russia stood up for? Just as it rose again as a bulwark in the path of neo-Nazism that the West encouraged and encourages in Ukraine, sending its mercenaries into the ranks of its supporters. Where is your anger over the war crimes of the Kiev regime, the killing of civilians by rockets and grenades from your countries? What about the military biolabs where the most dangerous experiments were conducted? Where is the righteous indignation over the violent Ukrainization of national minorities by Kiev: Russians, Hungarians, Romanians, Bulgarians and others?’ asked Botsan- Kharchenko.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Schmidt congratulates newly- elected members of B&H Presidency on their election (O Kanal/FTV)

 

High Representative Christian Schmidt has congratulated the newly- elected members of B&H Presidency, Denis Becirovic, Zeljka Cvijanovic and Zeljko Komsic on their election. He reminded them that they represent interests of all citizens of B&H. “… All these efforts aim at ensuring that B&H is a stable and prosperous country desirable to live in, and at preventing further youth outflow”, Schmidt said in a letter to the new B&H Presidency members. He emphasized that swift government formation at all levels of authority must be the highest priority, followed by continuation of reforms that advance the Euro-Atlantic integration of B&H. “I encourage you, along with all those who bear political responsibility, to focus on delivering results to lay the ground for the EU integration”, Schmidt stated. He concluded that combating corruption in all spheres of society and ensuring economic development are very important, noting that the international community is ready to support these efforts. Schmidt also said that upcoming challenges to be addressed include strengthening of the unity of the state of BiH, de-blocking of appointments in several state institutions, combating corruption in all spheres of society, ensuring economic development and implementation of constitutional reforms and non-discriminatory legislation. “The European future of B&H is indisputable and represents the most important strategic foreign policy priority. By December the European Union may take the crucial decision on candidate status of B&H. Commitment by B&H Presidency to fulfill remaining important priorities necessary for B&H to obtain the candidate status in the European Union is of a paramount importance”, Schmidt stressed in a letter.

 

Konakovic denies that PDA’s Puzic of ‘The Eight’ coalition joined SDA’s list in Posavina Canton for FB&H HoP (O Kanal)

 

O Kanal reminds that it is clear now that representatives of Bosniaks who will have control of the Bosniak Caucus in the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP) will be a part of the authority structures in the FB&H, and their number depends on the vote in the Posavina Canton Assembly. SDA stated on Wednesday that the SDA candidate list will be joined by PDA representative in the Posavina Canton parliament Mujo Puzic, which means that SDA would nominate one Bosniak delegate to the FB&H HoP. However, NiP leader Elmedin Konakovic denied the information on Thursday, showing a document that clearly indicates that Puzic remains a part of ‘The Eight’ coalition, along with independent candidate Emir Besirevic and SDP B&H’s Damir Hamidovic. O Kanal concluded in case that the support ratio remains 3:3 for the candidate lists of SDA and ‘The Eight’ coalition, the decision on the election of a Bosniak delegate from the Posavina Canton to the FB&H HoP could depend on a draw.

 

HNC Assembly holds inaugural session (BHT1)

 

New convocation of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNC) Assembly held an inaugural session on Thursday. On this occasion, representatives of the Central Election Commission of B&H (B&H CEC) have officially assigned mandates to newly elected members of the HNC Assembly. During the session, Caucuses of constituent people were formed after which SDA’s Dzafer Alic and HDZ B&H’s Tomislav Martinovic were elected in the Assembly’s leadership from the rank of Bosniaks and Croats respectively, while Serb Caucus will provide its candidate for the leadership later. Former speaker of the HNC Assembly Serif Spago explained that representatives of the Serb Caucus come from three different parties and their proposal of candidates for the post of the Head of Serb Caucus and one remaining post in the Assembly’s leadership will probably come after official formation of the parliamentary majority. The election of delegates in the FB&H House of Peoples from the HNC was additionally included in the agenda for the session. Martinovic expressed expectations that the lists of candidates for the FB&H HoP delegates from HNC will be submitted by Monday and the Assembly will submit official nominations by 1 December.

 

MEP Zovko from Croatia: Croatia has never and will never block status of EU candidate for B&H (Dnevni list)

 

Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Croatia Zeljana Zovko stated that Croatia will continue to advocate that B&H and entire Western Balkans is not removed from the EU’s agenda. Zovko assessed it is a strong signal for the Western Balkans countries, especially B&H, because the European Parliament constantly stresses that Croatia is the biggest advocator of the (EU) enlargement and that B&H becomes part of the EU, foremost because Croats live in B&H and they as a people want to have the same conditions, not have the borders. “This is momentum that cannot be missed. The same way has been offered like in case of Ukraine, on condition that that eight recommendations are met and that an agreement on the Election Law is reached, in line with decisions of the Constitutional Court, and that the authorities are formed”, stressed Zovko, confirming that Croatia has never and will never block status of EU candidate for B&H.

 

Djurovic: We haven’t reached agreement on any issue (CdM)

 

Parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic has announced after today’s meeting with the representatives of the parliamentary parties that no agreement has been reached that would lead to the unravelling of the political crisis in which Montenegro has been for a long time. “Unfortunately, we have not reached an agreement on any issue. I urge everyone to find the strength and responsibility in order to reach a solution to solve the issue of the Constitutional Court and other issues important to citizens”, Djurovic has told reporters after today’s meeting. She has pointed out that she is ready to organize the next meeting, if there is a will and desire. “But if it’s going to be for everyone to talk about the problems, and they stay nailed in their trenches, then I don’t see the purpose of those meetings. Today, the strongest positions were taken by the opposition. The government offered some compromise solutions”, she has pointed out. The President of the state and DPS leader Milo Djukanovic attended the meeting, but left after three hours due to previously scheduled commitments. Today’s meeting was not attended by DF leaders Andrija Mandic, Milan Knezevic and Nebojsa Medojevic. URA leader Dritan Abazovic did not attend the meeting, either.

 

Lekic: Head of state causes problems with his unconstitutional behavior (CdM)

 

DEMOS leader Miodrag Lekic believes that there was no progress at today’s meeting organized by the parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic with the representatives of the parliamentary parties. “We have made no progress. The DPS representative in an armored position presented their positions which they have been communicating these days. By electing the Constitutional Court, we solve the problem of the Law on the President. We did not receive a concrete answer to our request as to whether they have any objections to the names of the candidate judges for the Constitutional Court. The head of state caused these problems with his unconstitutional behavior,” Lekic claims. He points out that this is a blockade by the opposition, i.e. by Djukanovic, Lekic says.

 

Konjevic: Djurovic doesn’t have capacity to lead process of reaching agreement for solution to political crisis (CdM)

 

SDP leader Rasko Konjevic has announced that he believes that the parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic does not have the capacity to lead the process of reaching an agreement to resolve the political crisis in Montenegro. “I think progress has been made. We raised mutual trust a step higher. The parliament speaker hasn’t got enough capacity to manage this process”, Konjevic has told reporters after today’s meeting organized by Djurovic with representatives of the parliamentary parties. He has pointed out that he suggested that while the dialogue is ongoing, solutions contrary to the Constitution should not be processed through the parliament, referring to the Law on the President of the State. “I don’t know how it is possible for the parliament to vote no confidence to the government, and then ‘the Prime Minister dismisses me and Ranko Krivokapic’,” he has said.

 

Bosnjak: Djukanovic said he had no intention of giving mandate to Lekic (CdM)

 

After today’s meeting convened by the parliament speake, Danijela Djurovic with representatives of the parliamentary parties, MP of the Movement for Changes Branka Bosnjak has announced that the President Milo Djukanovic said that he had no intention of giving the mandate to Miodrag Lekic. She repeated that Montenegro was in a deep crisis.

“The priority is the selection of judges of the Constitutional Court. Some masks have fallen. President Milo Djukanovic has no intention of giving the mandate to Lekic, that’s what he said. We have not taken anything away from the President’s competence by law. He mentions some dissolution of the Parliament, but that would be a violation of the Constitution. I urge us all to get serious,” Bosnjak has told reporters. DF MP Simonida Kordic has stressed that “we don’t have a government, we don’t have a prime minister-designate. The issue of whether the President violated the Constitution is being questioned, and the opposition is questioning the Law on the President,” she has stated.

 

Abazovic: If Milo Djukanovic and DPS wish Montenegro well, they’ll vote for Constitutional Court judges (RTCG)

 

PM Dritan Abazovic has said that if the Democratic Party of Socialists and its leader Milo Djukanovic wish Montenegro well, they will vote for at least one candidate for Constitutional Court judge on 28 November. “The situation in Montenegro is not as complicated as it wants to be portrayed. We have to unblock the Constitutional Court and our chance to do that is on 28 November, when the session is scheduled. It would be good to elect all four judges, and if not all four, at least one, which would mean that the Constitutional Court in Montenegro has a quorum and that is the key to unblocking all other processes”, said Abazovic, answering the questions of journalists in Belgrade. He expects only one thing from tomorrow’s meeting in the parliament with parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic. Commenting on where he sees himself in the new government when the entire process is unblocked, Abazovic points out that there are two ways – one is to move towards a new government, and the other is snap elections. “I am always satisfied in everything. I think that despite the crisis, Montenegro still finds a way to rise and move forward. I expect this and every government to work without restrictions, and all with one goal – a better standard of living for citizens”, Abazovic has said. Speaking about relations with Serbia, he stated that cooperation with that country was at a high level.

 

Thousands of citizens at WE ARE NUMEROUS protest (CdM)

 

In front of the parliament of Montenegro in Podgorica, the second civil protest of the WE ARE NUMEROUS movement was held. It was attended by thousands of citizens from Montenegro. The demands from the first protest were repeated, namely the withdrawal of changes to the Law on the President of Montenegro, an agreement on the election of judges of the Constitutional Court and the holding of snap elections. After the speeches were read, a protest walk was organized from the parliament, along Stanko Dragojevic Street past the Montenegrin National Theatre (CNP), then along Ivan Crnojevic Boulevard to Sloboda Street, after which the citizens returned to the position in front of the Parliament. During the protest, citizens chanted slogans against the current government and the Prime Minister in technical mandate, Dritan Abazovic. It was stated that the citizens of Montenegro were fighting for justice, honor and survival and that they would not give up on that. One of those who addressed the gathered citizens DPS MP Nikola Janovic said at the protest that “there are no people made of plasticine among us”, stressing that “there is no greater force than when spite awakens in the citizens of Montenegro”. Challenging Montenegro, Janovic told the authorities, “is the worst thing you can do and then”, he points out, “you have already lost”. “Defeats and victories are an integral part of life and you can’t escape from it. The point is that real winners do what is necessary in complicated situations. It takes faith in yourself and in those who are with you. And you head for the goal. We have to do that! We must win! There is no turning back for us”, Janovic pointed out. The protest was attended by DPS MPs Jevto Erakovic, Danijel Zivkovic, Aleksandar Bogdanovic, Andrija Nikolic, Abaz Dizdarevic. There was also the DPS deputy leader and the mayor of Podgorica Ivan Vukovic, and the honorary SDP leader Ranko Krivokapic.

 

Kovachevski: N. Macedonia and Serbia closer to agreement on natural gas (Telma/MIA)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said Thursday that North Macedonia and Serbia are now much closer to reaching an agreement which would allow the Macedonian gas plant to use Serbia’s natural gas surplus in order to produce electricity. “This will make it possible for our industry to receive cheaper electricity than the one it gets from the markets, and Serbia will be able to compensate for its shortages of electricity especially in the southern part of the country. We were asked numerous times if we had reached a solution. Our teams have not stopped working and I think that right now we are closer to a solution than we were at the beginning,” said Kovachevski at the end of his address at the joint press conference with Western Balkan leaders.

 

Marichikj: Not far from 80 MPs required for constitutional amendments (Alsat M/MIA)

 

We’re in talks with all groups and with all MPs, and I’m convinced we’re not that far from 80 MPs, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj said in response to a reporter’s question about the constitutional amendments. “At this stage everyone is expressing a wide range of ideas on the constitutional amendments and that’s good, but we will come at a stage when we’ll have to direct the agenda to what we really need for unblocking. Mr. Trajanov will also have the opportunity then to say under what conditions and whether he would support the constitutional amendments, but I think that apart from him, no one else has expressed reservation regarding support when it comes to the government majority. We’re in talks with all groups and with all MPs, and I’m convinced we’re not that far from 80 MPs,” Marichikj said in response to a reporter’s question about the number of MPs from the parliamentary majority that would support the constitutional amendments. As regards whether talks are underway with the opposition on this topic, the Deputy PM pointed to the leaders’ meeting held recently, adding that the aim of it was to open dialogue on the issue and such meetings will continue. “As I said, we are yet to reach out to all MPs and all parliamentary groups from both the opposition and the ruling majority in order to come up with a package that will be supported by 80 MPs,” said Marichikj. He pointed out that he doesn’t consider as pressure the visits paid by many European officials to Skopje, adding that he expects the trend to continue and he believes that such attention from the EU institutions and member states is in the country’s favor. “The process will continue and I’m convinced that it can only further develop. The German President will also visit us at the end of this month, and the trend will neither stop during next year. I believe North Macedonia should make the most of the attention it has from the European leaders, from the European institutions, as well as from the member states in order to remove all the obstacles, including the constitutional amendments and continue the negotiations after November 2023. It’s no pressure at all. It’s attention that is in our favor, and yet we should be aware that the blockade is in our hands and it depends on us how we will continue and whether we will continue,” Marichikj said. In the context of the dynamics of the screening, he noted that he is quite satisfied with the course of the screening. Bilateral screening for Chapter 24 is due next week and Chapter 23 in the first week of December, which is to complete the agenda for this year. “Of course, we must maintain the pace, we must have an equal level of preparedness in all Chapters, and we are ready and insist that we answer as many questions from the EC as possible,” said Marichikj. As regards the involvement of the parliament, he noted that at the current stage the burden is more on the government, but the parliament will have to act more after the screening reports arrive, and that the parliamentary national foreign affairs committee will also be involved and he expects support from its president coming from VMRO DPMNE Antonio Miloshoski. On whether any pressure is expected from Bulgaria regarding the screening, he said that every member state has the right to participate in the bilateral screening and ask questions, and regarding the freedom of association, he said the country has a good record, it has adopted a law in the parliament, and the Ministry of Justice is already working on a new law that will provide a framework for protection against the abuse of the freedom of association due to disruption of public order. In addition, so far the Chapter doesn’t mention obligations within the agreements and he doesn’t expect them to be mentioned, because good neighborly relations and the agreements found there are not subject to the screening process. “We’re ready to explain everything that our institutions do and we’re ready to overcome any weaknesses according to European standards, but it is important to us that this process is not bilateralized or additionally burdened with bilateral issues, and I think that this is the position of several member states, if not almost all of them,” Marichikj said after Thursday’s second event on the annual 2022 EC progress report on the country “On the European path: New reforms, new opportunities”.

 

Rama in Belgrade: We will have a regional master plan and investment guide! (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama spoke at the conference in Belgrade about renewable energy, saying that when it is acted regionally, access to financing is easier and it brings stronger partnership. He also hopes that the conversation with the Norwegian partners for the master plan and investment guide will continue. "The energy crisis has made us go beyond the borders. There is no doubt that in these difficult times, what we said before when we started the Open Balkans and when we urged for a wider cooperation becomes more and more obvious. We have to go beyond our borders because otherwise we are still small markets and what we need can be much more expensive and not only that. By acting regionally, we can have easier access to financing and we can have stronger partnerships in the private sector. Today was an important day. I am grateful to the Norwegian government for making it possible to start this conversation with the best structures. We hope that this conversation will continue and we will have the Norwegian partners with us for a master plan and investment guide", said Rama.

 

Minister of Interior Cuci: 52% alignment with EU laws for the order and security chapter (Radio Tirana)

 

Speaking in the parliament about the progress report of the EU, Interior Minister Bledi Cuci said that this discussion is already taking place in a new context, since our country has another report with the European Union after the opening of negotiations. Referring to chapter 24, which deals with issues of order and security, Cuci emphasized that so far we have about 52% alignment with the EU acquis. He brought attention to the bilateral meeting in Brussels a few days ago, where Albania received encouraging evaluations for the work done. The Minister of the Interior drew attention to some of the achievements in the field of security. "To dwell briefly on some aspects that I mention and the progress report itself, I want to tell you and connect you with the facts that we have on the table today, vis-a-vis, all the observations and all the recommendations coming from the EU. Without question, the fight against organized crime is one of the most important, and one of the major problems for the Albanian government, where we are engaged, initially in terms of ambitious legislative and organizational changes, achieving very significant results in this direction", he emphasized. "It is worth mentioning that the structures of the State Police have increased the level of use of special investigation techniques, and these are words coming from EU institutions. And proactive investigations have increased, also lining up alongside European partners, as if we were a member country, in dozens of joint investigative or operational teams active at the moment", underlined Cuci. "With great objectivity, the negotiating group that the EU has made available has noticed, when it says that Albania has also taken steps in the fight against cyber security, taking into account the last attack. And together we evaluated the last action plan until 2025, and the progress report itself actually refers to the period before the cyber attacks, and in the discussions we had last week, that is after the cyber attacks, it was noticed that this progress is positive", said Cuci.

 

Ambassador King-Smith: The Albanian community will receive the appropriate assessment (Radio Tirana)

 

As part of the opening of the exhibition that marks the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Albania, Ambassador Alastair King-Smith spoke about the extraordinary value of friendship between the two countries and peoples. The Ambassador said that the Albanian community will receive the appropriate assessment for its contribution to Great Britain, while adding that work is being done between the two governments so that the emigration of Albanians takes place through legal alternatives. "As you know from recent media reports, we are facing a common challenge, the increase in the number of Albanians who are going to the United Kingdom illegally. Both our governments are working together to show people that there are alternatives, whether these are related to the valid opportunities within Albania or through legal routes to enter the United Kingdom. We are working to ensure that the Albanian community receives the proper appreciation for its contribution and that the Albanians here do not think that the only solution is to leave the country", said British Ambassador Alastair King-Smith. This call of the British Ambassador comes within the framework of the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and Albania, where an exhibition was opened at the National Theater of Opera and Ballet, which will be open to the public, from 09:00: 00 19:00 until Saturday 19 November. This message from the Ambassador comes after the debates that have been opened about the emigration of Albanians come after the British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, described it as an 'invasion' by Albanians who describe the English Channel with boats. She added that a solution had to be found for this very big problem.

 

Ambassador Yuri Kim warns: There will be more American investments when courts are clean! (Radio Tirana)

 

The American Ambassador, Yuri Kim, has evaluated the relations between the USA and Albania, adding that cooperation is important. She further emphasized that bilateral trade between the two countries is increasing. The US ambassador in Tirana, Yuri Kim, says that she is proud of Albania's strong relations with America. In her speech at the American Trade Meeting, Kim said that the US and Albania should strengthen their cooperation in the world of economy. "We are very proud of all the strong relationships we have built. We want to help Albania become prosperous. Negotiations with the EU are a world of opportunities for Albania. We know that between the economy of Albania and the USA we must have an open and transparent business environment. More American businesses are investing in Albania. Our bilateral trade is growing. Our trade relations are at their highest level. We want to strengthen the relationship even more. You also know about projects like Skavica, the hydropower plant there... Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, we also saw the impact they are bringing to the economy and the energy sector. What is happening in Albania can bring a significant contribution as a member of NATO to free Europe from Russia. The reforms are working... It is showing that Albania is open to business. Albania is a leading voice in the UN Council. US investment in Albania is much higher," she said, adding: "There will be more American investment when the courts are clean. There will be more investment when the rules for American businesses are the same as for anyone else," Kim declared.