LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Most difficult part of plan envisages for us not to oppose Kosovo’s membership in international organizations (RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked for being able to present another report, and also to speak about all key problems. “The point of today’s day is not to transfer responsibility on this house, or our people on the whole, or on anyone. I have never run away from responsibility as the President of the Republic, I brought the most difficult decision, and except in one case, it seems that these decisions were always in the best interest of both the Serb people and all Serbian citizens,” said Vucic. “Today I will speak and point to the worst points of the so-called French-German initiative and I will not hide anything. Thus, I will not speak about some prettier things from the plan, I will speak about the most difficult and worst for Serbia, for people in Serbia to know that their President, or their government or their parliament have nothing to hide from them,” said Vucic. For conclusions and decisions on this issue and other issues there will be time, but it is important for people to know what we are facing, said the President.

 

Many questions, but small number of responses 

Many issues on Kosovo and Metohija, he notes, last more than 600 years, but there is a small number of responses. He recalled the exodus of the Serbs which began in 1981. “Have we ever thought what we have done or that Kosovo has become only a target of political gaming. For me Kosovo is more than that,” said Vucic. He noted that the most important thing today, more important than the plan, which, as he said he is not allowed to show entirely, but he will present everything that is worst for Serbia, these are the circumstances, the moment, momentum, time frame in which it is happening. “Today we are present to some kind of a third world war which will be more extensive in the months ahead of us. This conflict will be only more difficult and greater. When we have this in mind it is clear that some small cannot have the freedom as much as they would wish to have for both life and decision-making. We are one of the rare countries that brings decisions on its own. I am proud of this of such Serbia,” said the President.

 

Pristina’s political offensive

“From the moment of the outbreak of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, there has been a general political offensive by Pristina together with part of the Western allies to change the situation on the ground. From the promise of the Quint and the EU that they will do everything to enable our people to participate in the elections, and then from Kurti’s opposition to doing something like that. They thought that this would influence the elections in Serbia. Of course, the Serbs swallowed dumplings knowing that they were being denied their basic rights on which their civilized life depends. Then things started to get worse,” Vucic points out. In all conversations, he adds, anywhere in the world, they were never open with the Pristina side. “They saw us as enemies, and we didn’t understand why this aggressive approach in the desire to continue oppressing our people. After that, we have many attacks on Serbs, first on those who transport medicines, then the interception of consumer goods. All that time brutally in violation of the Brussels agreement and annexes, they come with special units armed to the teeth, they continue to mistreat people. They caught a boy and a girl in their arms and stripped the man down to his bare skin. It was hard for the representatives of our people, especially in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, where 97 percent are members of the Serb people. Then they continued to invent problems about IDs,” said Vucic.

 

Pristina doesn’t want to form the ZSO

Pristina does not want to form the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) in Kosovo and Metohija, even though this was foreseen by the Brussels agreement back in 2013, but only to provoke a war conflict and Serbia into conflicts with NATO and the whole world, and present themselves as victims of the Balkans’ Zelensky, the President said. Vucic. Vucic stated that the Pristina regime started harassing the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija only with the aim of humiliating them and provoking a conflict. “After establishing the barricades, their only intention, since they did not intend to implement the ZSO, is to provoke a war conflict, to bring Serbia into conflict with NATO and the whole world, and to present themselves as victims of the Balkans’ Zelensky and us as aggressors, as someone who has threatened, look at the hypocrisy, ‘the territorial integrity of the sovereign and independent state of Kosovo’,” Vucic pointed out. He added that the whole game was about that and that’s why the arrests of Serbs started. Vucic said that after the withdrawal of Serbs from Kosovo institutions, Pristina scheduled elections for December in four Serb municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and then, although they promised to postpone them, just 12.5 hours before the officialization of that decision, which they already knew, they sent special forces to occupy the premises of the municipal election commissions in the north of Kosovo and Metohija.

 

About French-German initiative: 90 percent of what was made public is true

Speaking about the so-called Franco-German initiative, Vucic says that 90 percent of what has gone public is true. He also states that this plan was released to the public by “some from the international community who wanted it”. “The plan that I received was not published, there are small differences. So, someone else who wanted to make it public and of course from the Pristina side, in order to cause hysteria in Belgrade, in order to again turn out to be the good guys, and the Serbs to blame for everyone,” said Vucic. “In that plan, perhaps the only good thing in the preamble itself is that it says: ‘Starting from historical facts and not calling into question the different points of view of the parties on fundamental issues, including status issues’. Where for the first time they allow us to look differently at status issue of Kosovo in relation to what they call Kosovo, and we call it Pristina,” says Vucic. He points out that everything else in that plan derogates the provision that we could refer to. He especially highlighted point 4, the second paragraph, which states that “Serbia will not oppose Kosovo’s membership in any international organization”. “Whether we oppose or not oppose the Council of Europe at a moment they decide, they will have a majority. Whether we oppose or not oppose for NATO, they will have a majority. Whether we oppose or not oppose for the EU, this is their decision,” said Vucic. He says that he has heard stories that they cannot be accepted into NATO. “No, you will prevent NATO from admitting Kosovo to NATO. So pointless, it’s only important that people hear it,” says Vucic. He points out that the biggest problem is precisely that part of the plan. ‘As soon as I read this, it was clear what it was about - you are faced with a choice, what are the consequences and what is our choice,” said Vucic. What was agreed, he adds, is to go ahead with what is an obligation from the Brussels agreement, which is the ZSO, which Albanians don’t want to implement “ZSO cannot be a model of some non-governmental organization, ZSO must be what was signed in Brussels,” said Vucic.

 

A 10-point plan

President Vucic presented the 10 points on Serbia’s policy in the following period.

Under point one he stated that Serbia’s policy will be “to preserve peace and stability in almost any way and at any cost, to refrain and not respond to provocations unless property and people’s lives are threatened as in 2004”. “Peace and stability are not just slogans, it is something that brings back and brings life to Serbia, which allows us to preserve the biological survival of our people,” emphasized Vucic.

Point two – is persistent persistence on the formation of the ZSO, which must be the legal and physical framework for the rights of our people in Kosovo and Metohija. “Let’s not think about how they will ban medicines, how food will come, newspapers and everything else,” said Vucic.

Under three is security for Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Security for Serbs is part of both the point of peace and stability and the point of ZSO. “Security is that no one thinks when sending a child to school, so that we can deal with other issues,” the President pointed out.

Under four is a better life for our people in Kosovo. “We are investing a lot of money, a lot of investments, almost 900 million Euros,” said Vucic.

Under five, says Vucic, unlike those who like to shout slogans, he said that Serbia will discuss even the worst papers, because Serbia has no right to repeat past experiences.

“Yes, talks, negotiations, which concern all key issues, up to talks about symbols, up to talks about everything, about how who should be represented in numerous bodies,” says Vucic.

Under six is the preservation of vital state and national interests. “We will continue to preserve military neutrality, to protect it and to build the army. Today it is 15 times stronger than it was. Another thing is to preserve our independent decision-making. That no one from the East or from the of the West, that political decisions are made only in Serbia and never outside of Serbia. The third part of the point is respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia,” notes Vucic.

Under seven – Serbia’s vital interest is to stay on the EU path. “They are lying when they say that 43 percent of people are in favor of remaining on the EU path, the percentage is much smaller. The EU path means many things for Serbia, both investments and standards, and salaries and pensions. We expect that by the end of the year the average salary will exceed 800 Euros. We need that path because today we live in a different reality. Today we are surrounded by countries that are either in NATO or NATO is there. And part of our territory is NATO. And where are we going to go in case of conflict, how to save salaries and pensions. We put in too much effort.

Under eight is the growth of Serbia - healthcare, energy, food and the military. There is less and less food, and it is the bearer of inflation everywhere. Today, we only have record amounts of coal, record amounts of gas in landfills. We have record amounts of storage, over 500 gigawatt hours. The army must be much stronger and stronger. The army saved our people in Kosovo and Metohija, because they knew that we would not allow a pogrom. We need the development of healthcare, from new drugs to clinical centers.

Point nine – resumption of talks. ‘I said that we would continue the talks, I did not sign anything. I thought that because of the youth in the country, which needs investments, factories, new scientific centers, companies, we need to keep these people here. Today, Serbia officially has more inhabitants than Bulgaria, probably for the first time,” says Vucic.

“If we were a European pariah, we would be, completely isolated and with whom no one would talk. You cannot function alone,” notes Vucic.

Under ten, we have the Serbia 2025 program and salaries will increase. “We can partly touch the demographic problems if we behave in a responsible manner,” Vucic points out. We are, he points out, in a difficult and delicate moment. “On the one hand, we have to help our people in Kosovo and Metohija, avoid condemnation and take care of vital interests,” Vucic pointed out. He pointed out that between remaining in power and the mandate guaranteed by the Constitution, he knows what he has to do. “There is no choice between Vucic or Serbia, because Vucic is always on the side of Serbia,” said the President.

 

Incident at Serbian parliament session on Kosovo (N1)

 

Thursday’s parliament session deteriorated into a shouting and shoving match between the ruling coalition and nationalist opposition parties following an exchange of accusations. President Aleksandar Vucic responded sharply to opposition heckling during his presentation of a government report on the Kosovo talks with speaker Vladimir Orlic issuing several verbal warnings. The sound on the live coverage on the state TV featured only what the president and speaker said with the microphones on the MPs’ benches turned off. Nationalist opposition MPs unfurled a banner saying No Capitulation and carried smaller signs with similar messages. The session broke down well into question time after the Head of the Dveri movement Bosko Obradovic MP lashed out at Vucic, ending his address saying that he is not in the opposition to Serbia but to Vucic. MPs from Vucic’s Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and other ruling coalition parties rose out of their seats to confront Dveri, Oathkeeper and other opposition MPs with a line of plain clothes police forming in front of the bench the President was seated in. Vucic responded with offensive remarks to the opposition calling them thieves and cowards and loud statements of his commitment and love of Serbia. The incident calmed after a few minutes with Vucic and speaker Orlic calling ruling coalition MPs to return to their seats. Vucic made more offensive remarks directed at three opposition MPs when the situation calmed.

 

Dacic: Discussions at US State Department successful (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said his discussions in Washington ahead of Thursday's National Prayer Breakfast had been successful for Serbia and that the US State Department had once again confirmed Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's actions were correct. Dacic said Serbia was protecting its state and national interests without jeopardising its own future.

"The US sincerely supports the stance that a Community of Serb Municipalities is something that was previously agreed, rather than a topic of discussions, and that it must be formed to enable further dialogue and then start implementing an agreement," Dacic told Tanjug in Washington. He noted that he had had a series of very important meetings at the State Department. He said Derek Chollet, counsellor to US State Secretary Antony Blinken, and US special Western Balkans envoy Gabriel Escobar had made it clear they supported Serbia's principled position. Blinken has also confirmed this in a conversation with Vucic, Dacic added. It is important that Serbia's red lines were outlined clearly and that it was said we cannot let the Brussels Agreement, signed ten years ago, be annulled, Dacic said. He said the US State Department officials had told him the US would act in a transparent manner and inform Serbia of everything. They said they are serious about their warnings to Albin Kurti that there can be no discussion about the Community of Serb Municipalities, Dacic said. "We are satisfied with that stance, we do not know how this will end, but Serbia will definitely be constructive," Dacic said, adding that the US supported continued US-Serbia strategic and bilateral relations. Dacic said he had also spoken with US Senator Ron Johnson and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, who co-chairs a Serbian caucus. He said Tenney had proposed a visit to Serbia by a US Congress delegation led by her.

 

Djurovic: Quint states changed stance on Pristina's CoE bid in past two weeks (Tanjug/Politika)

 

The so-called Kosovo's bid for Council of Europe (CoE) membership was not discussed by the institution's Committee of Ministers on Wednesday after Iceland, the chair of the meeting, did not propose its inclusion in the agenda, says Serbia's Ambassador to the CoE Aleksandra Djurovic. "Two weeks ago, at a meeting held on January 18, we had a debate on the issue and it became clear that there is no unified position of the member states and that there are differing views about the timeframe in which it could appear on the agenda," Djurovic said in a statement to Tanjug. That did not happen at the time, but there was an intent to put Pristina's application on the agenda on 1 February, she said. "However, in the two-week period we were able to see a change in the position of some of the most significant countries - in this case, the Quint states. Primarily, here in Strasbourg, Italy came forward with the position that this is not the time to raise that issue given the situation on the ground - that is, the recent numerous violations of the human rights of Serbs," Djurovic said. She said the position had later been backed by France and, a few days ago, Germany. "They expect a more constructive approach by Pristina in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue," she said. When asked to comment on reports that US embassies had sent a joint note to the foreign ministries of some CoE member states, requesting that the issue of the so-called Kosovo's CoE membership not be put on the Committee's agenda until Pristina changed its stance on a Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija, Djurovic responded that she could neither confirm nor deny them. "I can only say that has not happened in Strasbourg itself, but it may have taken place at bilateral level because the US is an active party in the dialogue itself. As we have been able to see, Escobar has made statements indicating their interest in the dialogue being successful. But the US is not a CoE member state, they have observer status here, so, in fact, the Quint countries that are the most active on that issue here are Italy, France and Germany," Djurovic concluded.

 

Serbs from Dren village do not give up the protest, demand immediate suspension of works (RTS)

 

Residents of the village of Dren and other hamlets near Leposavic spent the night in the open, on the road that leads to their properties, where work is being done to open new roads and widen the existing ones due to the construction of a police base. They demand an immediate suspension of the works. As the RTS reporter reports, dozens of members of the Kosovo police were this morning in the village of Dren near Leposavic. They arrived at the place where the local property owners protested last night, where the preparatory work for the construction of the base of the special border police began. In the meantime, they withdrew, but part of the police force remained at the site of the works. The Serbs are still gathered and are demanding an immediate suspension of the works. With the presence of the police, work began on the road that leads from the main road in the direction of Leposavic to the hamlet of Zaselje in Lesak, and further to the top of the hill where, according to the decision of the government in Pristina, illegal land expropriation took place. The decision on the expropriation of private properties in the villages of Dren and Lesak, without the consent of the owners, was made by the government in Pristina on 16 January, and after 10 days it notified the local self-government with the details of the plots in question.

 

Hill: Serbia chose to go West, relations with Russia weakening by the day (N1)

 

It is important that the Serbian side has been very constructive in terms of engaging on the European plan with Kosovo and ultimately that will affect the pace by which Serbia moves toward the West, said US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill. Serbia has already made a choice to go West and I think for many Serbs it has been very frustrating that the process is taking so long, Ambassador Hill said on the Behind the News talk show. “I hope that the result of all this will be a much better pace, a faster pace (of European integration),” said Hill.

Asked why the European proposal is a secret, he said he would not call it a secret, but something in traditional diplomatic channels. “If you try to do diplomacy in the newspapers or even on television, you run into a lot of misunderstandings,” he said, adding he thinks it is better to discuss such matters across the table. Asked if Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic would “cross the line” by releasing the proposal at the upcoming parliament session, Hill said that was a “hypothetical question” but that a big discussion on the issue of Kosovo in the parliament is needed. “I think it is appropriate to have this discussion but I will leave it to others to decide what needs to be released and what does not,” said the Ambassador. He said that Serbia “had held onto its sanctions policy even longer that the Russian Army, or whatever we want to call it, has held onto Kherson”. “The issue of Serbia’s relations with Russia – you can see them weakening by the day. You can see much more interest in working with the EU and, frankly, more interest in working with us,” said Hill. He reiterated the US government’s stance that Serbia should join the sanctions against Russia, but added that it is not true that Serbia has not done anything because it has condemned Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. Asked if Belgrade’s position in negotiations with Pristina is weaker because it has not imposed sanctions on Russia, the Ambassador said these are different issues. Asked whether Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti or Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is more cooperative, the Ambassador laughed. “If I thought that answering that question would help the negotiating process I would answer it, but I will leave that up to your imagination,” he said. Hill said the main issue stemming from the Brussels agreement has to do with the Community of Serb Municipalities. “So I think there is some urgency getting that agreed, getting everyone to understand that once you accept something in an international agreement you have to fulfill it,” said Hill. The Ambassador declined to comment on press “leaks”, but said that the international negotiators’ position “has been very clearly conveyed in Belgrade and in Pristina”.

 

Vucic speaks with US Secretary of State Blinken (N1)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said he spoke on the phone with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about “the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia’s European path and bilateral relations between Serbia and the US”. “We exchanged views on the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, I particularly emphasized that peace and stability in the entire region and a secure economic future are the key goals for all the people living in the Western Balkans,” Vucic wrote on Instagram. He said they agreed that Serbia and the US have “multiple opportunities to improve partnership and bilateral cooperation in various fields”.

 

Public figures appeal: Serbia taking Kosovo back is an illusion (Beta)

 

A group of public figures, among them former ambassadors, journalists and historians, urged on Wednesday the representatives of state authorities, political institutions and the people to accept the so-called German-French plan for Kosovo, as an opportunity for Serbia to, “for the first time, definitively turn towards Euro-Atlantic integration”. The signatories of this public appeal assess that “endless debates about whether Kosovo was an integral part of Serbia and Belgrade’s irresponsible policy that has been in place since the 1990s, have been overcome by reality”. They assessed that “taking Kosovo back into the state framework of Serbia is not only an illusion, but is also impossible without a new war, which would once again take Serbia into an immeasurable regression”. “Serbia must finally come to terms with and accept the consequences of its own policies, because neither the Serbs, nor the Albanians have any perspective in Kosovo without that,” the signatories declared. Some of the signatories of the appeal are Serbia’s former ambassador to Germany Ivo Viskovic, Sonja Biserko of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, lawyer Cedomir Stojakovic, author Svetislav Basara, historian Milivoje Beslin and journalist Rade Radovanovic.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Konakovic and Dodik meet in Banja Luka: Authorities at B&H level are stable; Topics on which there is no agreement will not be discussed within coalition at B&H level (BHT1/N1/Nova BH)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik met with Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Foreign Affairs and People and Justice (NiP) leader Elmedin Konakovic in Banja Luka on Wednesday. On this occasion, Dodik and Konakovic discussed unblocking of several projects and they agreed to form joint legal teams of the RS and the Federation of B&H (FB&H) that would deal with that. Dodik and Konakovic agreed on the need to seek unity at the state level on numerous issues that need to be resolved for the sake of a stable and functional B&H. On the other hand, Dodik and Konakovic disagreed on the issue of abolition of excise duties, as well as the issue of imposing sanctions to Russia. Dodik asked Konakovic to re-introduce equal representation of all constituent peoples in embassies of B&H. Dodik said: “We discussed the manner in which open issues and deadlocks will be resolved, and this primarily applies to projects.” Konakovic stressed the need to set focus on issues that can be resolved and that everyone can benefit from, instead of focusing on controversies. Konakovic and Dodik underlined that the authorities at the B&H level are stable and that they will agree on projects that are at a standstill. N1 noted that everything seems to be clear when it comes to the authorities at the B&H level, reminding that the coalition partners at the state level disagree when it comes to sanctions against Russia, legitimacy of the High Representative and abolishment of excise duties on fuel. Dodik pointed out that the main principle in their cooperation is to regularly consult on all open issues and try to reach consensus and agreement. Konakovic announced that he will often communicate with Dodik and with others at the political scene stressing that there are many open issues. Konakovic stated that foreign affairs are not a personal matter adding that this is a matter of B&H’s relations in the region. Dodik announced Konakovic’s visit to Serbia soon adding that the issue of border should be solved. Dodik said that the introduction of RS sanctions against Russia is unacceptable for the RS, but he thinks the same about the introduction of visas. Konakovic told Nova BH that he thinks visas should be introduced for Russian citizens, while Dodik thinks it should not. He points out that both of them stood in front of the journalists and openly said how things are. He said that if there is a vote where he decides, that visas will be introduced, and on the other hand, if the decision is made by a group of people who are closer to Dodik, then they will not be able to. Konakovic will soon go to a regional tour, where he will talk with colleagues from Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro. One of the issues they will discuss is the issue of resolving the border, especially with Serbia. In the conversation with his colleagues from Serbia, he should also resolve the future of the ‘Buk Bijela’ project. Konakovic believes that legal teams must look for solutions to solve problems within the framework of the B&H Constitution, and not how to stop something. He said that every hydropower project in these times is good for B&H, but that it must be in accordance with the B&H Constitution.

 

Covic and Konakovic optimistically talk about formation FB&H government (FTV)

 

FTV analysed the ongoing process of formation of authorities in the FB&H reporting that it becomes more and more uncertain and instead of becoming clearer, things are getting more and more complicated. Reporter argued that while recounting of support within ‘The Eight’ is underway and while some parties within the coalition expressed their uncertainty, their coalition partners expressed optimism. Namely, leader of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic announced on Wednesday the formation of new FB&H authorities within two weeks. In the meantime, SDA is pretty confident and the party claims that authorities cannot be formed without them, while the NIP responded by saying that they have the majority even in the FB&H government led by the outgoing FB&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalic. According to FTV, after turbulences among the parties of ‘The Eight’, it remains unknown who will assume the post of a new FB&H PM. However, Covic confirmed that this party also negotiated with SDA arguing that he personally did not have any contacts with SDA officials who denied these claims. Vice President of SDA Mirsad Zaimovic told TV that these are nothing but spins of HDZ B&H. On the other hand, SDA’s Edin Ramic observes cooperation of HDZ B&H, SDA and SDP B&H as an exit out of the current situation that leads to formation of a new FB&H Government. Reporter underlined that parties of ‘The Eight’ strongly dismissed the option to form a coalition with SDA. Leader of the NIP Elmedin Konakovic also said that the new FB&H government will be quickly formed. He added that they enjoy the majority even in the FB&H government led by Novalic since they enjoy the support of five HDZ B&H’s ministers, four ministers of SBB B&H and one minister from NiP. He argued that thus, even if SDA blocks all these processes, they will reach decisions the way they want, while it is time for SDA to realize that they need a serious reform and that the party should become the opposition. FTV noted that the SBIH also believes in the stability of the majority and according to the party, they enjoy the necessary support despite of small disagreements. Thus, the SBIH’ support to leader of SDP B&H Nermin Niksic becoming a new FB&H PM is not called into question, noted reporter. SBIH MP Admir Cavalic said that if some parties like HDZ B&H and SDP B&H begin negotiating with SDA, this would ruin the basic concepts.

 

Niksic: We will talk to everyone at cantonal and FB&H level, but final decision will be reached by SDP Main Board (Dnevni avaz)

 

In statement to the daily, SDP leader Nermin Niksic said that his decision to “open opportunity to our cantonal organizations to talk to all parliamentary parties in cantonal assemblies regarding forming of the majority and governments” has drawn much of public attention. Niksic explained to the daily whether this also comprehends opening of the talks with SDA. “Simply, after part of the coalition abandoned the parliamentary majority at state level, voting for House of Peoples, I see no justified reason for us to blindly hold on to the story about the coalition, while some others only observe their narrow-party interests. This decision does not prejudge final decision, but at the same time means that SDP cannot be taken for granted and even though they are the biggest party, at the same time deceive them wherever it is possible. In the end, we will talk to current partners in these cantons and the final decision where SDP is concerned, will be reached by SDP Main Board,” said Niksic.

 

B&H Presidency members meet Finer, Sloat; They discuss political, security situation, formation of authorities (FTV/Nova BH)

 

Within their ongoing visit to the US, members of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic, Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic met on Wednesday US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer and Senior Director for Europe at the National Security Council Dr. Amanda Sloat. The officials discussed the political and security situation, as well as formation of authorities. Nova BH reported on the meeting of the B&H Presidency with Finer and Slout. The Presidency members expressed their gratitude for the support of the USA so far. The following security challenges in B&H and energy security were also discussed. Members of the Presidency of B&H also met with members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen. The discussed current foreign policy issues, as well as about internal political, economic and security situation in B&H. The Presidency thanked the US Senators on their interest and the help the US has been providing to institutions of B&H at all levels of authority. As part of her visit to the USA, Serb member and Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic will attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday. During her visit to the USA, Cvijanovic spoke with the Ambassadors of Serbia, Hungary, Croatia, North Macedonia and B&H to the United States.

 

Becirovic with Congresswoman Wagner: B&H must strengthen its presence in US (Dnevni list)

 

Member of the Presidency of B&H Denis Becirovic held a separate meeting with member of the US Congress Ann Wagner, who is according to the daily one of most influential members of the House’s Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services. During the meeting, Becirovic presented new approach aimed at stronger diplomatic action of B&H in the US and agreed concrete activities with Congresswoman Wagner. Becirovic stated, among other issues, that in the past four years, anti-B&H forces were working on “weakening our position in the US, which must change”. “B&H must be more strongly represented in the strongest country in the world and that is why I want to strengthen our presence in the US with smart moves”, said Becirovic, stressing that citizens of B&H, just like citizens of the US, believe in advantages of multi-ethnic society, mutual respect and tolerance.

 

Dodik informs Macdonald that RS institutions are fully dedicated to implementation of economic and social reforms (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik met with UN Resident Coordinator for B&H Ingrid Macdonald in Banja Luka on Wednesday. Dodik informed Macdonald that the RS is politically and security stable and that the RS institutions are fully dedicated to the implementation of economic and social reforms. Speaker of the RS parliament Nenad Stevandic and RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic also met with the UN Resident Coordinator for B&H.

 

Konakovic meets EU Ambassadors, Sattler, says EU path is priority (FTV)

 

B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Elmedin Konakovic met on Wednesday Ambassadors of the EU member states in B&H and Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Johann Sattler. Following the meeting, Konakovic stated on social media that the EU path is a priority. On the other hand, Sattler underlined the importance to harmonize foreign and security policy of B&H with the EU’s foreign and security policy. Sattler also stated that they discussed number of topics.

 

Croatian President: Serbia will have to recognise Kosovo (Hina)

 

Serbia will have to recognise Kosovo in some way, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Wednesday, adding that Belgrade must realise that it will come out of the "Serbian-Russian romance" as a "cheated lover." In Serbia “some things must change” so that it can join the West, where it is “welcome,” he said at a joint press conference with Slovenian President Natasa Pirc-Musar. “The situation in Ukraine is the beginning of the end of the apparent Serbian-Russian romance in which Serbia will realise it is the cheated lover,” Milanovic said, adding that Serbia and the Kosovo issue “bother Russia.” “Russia is trying something with Ukraine and the example of Kosovo sticks out. Russia will have to recognise Kosovo sooner or later or pretend that it recognises it in order to legalise what it’s doing in Ukraine. That’s the reality,” Milanovic said. According to him, “there is no love” between Belgrade and Moscow, only interest in which Serbia serves Russia. Milanovic said Serbia will also “have to recognise Kosovo in some way” and that Kosovo politicians, whom he called “his friends”, will have to give status to the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo, “which they agreed to and signed on.” As for his recent statement that Kosovo was taken from Serbia, he said it was a fact because Belgrade did not agree to it. “Serbia was left without Kosovo. It didn’t give it up voluntarily, it lost it in a war,” Milanovic said. “I could have said it differently, that Serbia was left without Kosovo or that Kosovo was extracted from Serbia, but I guess we all agree that Kosovo was once part of Serbia,” Milanovic said, adding that he does not have to assure anyone of his attachment to Kosovo Albanians. Milanovic said he always called on statesmen whose countries have not recognised Kosovo to do so. He also had a message for the Serbian tabloids who applauded his statement that Kosovo was taken, saying “curb your enthusiasm.” They won’t like this, he added.

 

Croatian and Slovenian Presidents announce a Brdo Brijuni Process summit for the fall (HRT1)

 

The Brdo-Brijuni Process is an annual multilateral event that was initiated in 2013 by Slovenian President Borut Pahor and Croatian President Ivo Josipovic. The first official meeting was in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia. The main focus of the Process is the enlargement of the European Union to include the countries of the Western Balkans. President Zoran Milanovic received his Slovenian counterpart Natasa Pirc Musar in Zagreb. The Slovenian President, who assumed office in late December, symbolically selected Croatia for her first foreign visit. The focus of their talks was on the situation in Southeast Europe and the continuation of the Brdo Brijuni Process, the main goal of which is the enlargement of the European Union to include the countries of the Western Balkans. During their talks to the two leaders emphasized the good relations between the two countries, as well as the desire for further talks and cooperation. “I see this as a very nice beginning to good cooperation, which can only further develop in an even better direction than these past two years, and I think that they were moving in a very good direction over these past two years. And I think that relations between our two countries are better than they were three or four years ago,” said President Milanovic. For her part President Pirc Musar said that dialogue among the countries in the region is much needed and that Croatia and Slovenia should lead those talks. Both also voice strong support for the continuation of the Brdo Brijuni Process and announced that the next summit would be held in the fall in North Macedonia. The Brdo-Brijuni Process includes EU member states Slovenia and Croatia and Western Balkan countries Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, all of which either have membership candidate status or are potential candidates for EU membership.

 

Djurovic: Agreement over three judges of the Constitutional Court reached (CdM)

 

Members of the Constitutional Committee and heads of caucuses have met in Villa Gorica to discuss the candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court. After the meeting, the parliament’s speaker Danijela Djurovic confirmed earlier reports of CdM suggesting that they had reached the agreement over the election of three candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court. “We’ll make hard effort to reach the agreement and get the needed majority for the election of the fourth candidate,” Djurovic stated. The goal of the meeting was to agree on candidates who would get the necessary support in the parliament. The meeting was attended by the speaker of the parliament Danijela Djurovic, DPS MPs – Danijel Zivkovic, Vesna Pavicevic, Suzana Pribilovic, Jovanka Lalicic and Ljuidj Skrelja, URA MPs – Suada Zoronjic, Milos Konatar, FORCA MP Genci Nimanbegu, the Democrats’ MP Boris Bogdanovic, SNP MP Dragan Ivanovic, DF MPs Branka Bosnjak, Jovanka Bogavac, Slaven Radunovic, SDP MP Draginja Vuksanovic Stankovic, BS MP Kenan Strujic Harbic and SD MP Ivan Brajovic. This is the sixth attempt to elect judges of the afore-mentioned court. The Constitutional Court interviewed 26 candidates who applied to the public call for election of four judges of the Constitutional Court. They are going to propose four candidates, while the final decision is up to the Montenegrin parliament by the vote of two-thirds, that is, three-fifths of MPs.

 

Bilchik: End the mandate of the current government and pave the way for new elections (Pobjeda)

 

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association Vladimir Bilchik said that the solution to the political crisis in Montenegro lies in ending the mandate of the current government and calling new parliamentary elections. In the author's text for The Parliament, Bilchik says that Podgorica has no more time to waste. Although Montenegro is one of the youngest countries in the world, it is known as a leader in the process of joining the EU. To date, Montenegro has opened all 33 negotiation chapters and temporarily closed three. A NATO member with a stunning Adriatic coastline and dramatic mountain ranges, Montenegro declared independence from the union with Serbia following a closely watched referendum in 2006. After applying for EU membership in 2008, the country officially began the accession process in June in 2012. In principle, Montenegro should have a direct path to accession without major obstacles to become the next EU member state. Unlike some other countries of the Western Balkans, Montenegro does not have a long-term bilateral dispute with its neighboring country. Its citizens have consistently given enormous support to EU accession, and according to polls, that support is about 70 percent in favour of EU membership. With Russia's brutal war of aggression in Ukraine, Montenegro has also shown 100% compliance with the EU's common foreign and security policy, including all sanctions against Moscow. The Russian invasion of Ukraine reshaped EU enlargement policy. In 2022, the EU welcomed three new candidate countries: Ukraine and Moldova in June and Bosnia and Herzegovina in December. The Union pays more political attention to the situation in the accession process. At the same time, however, by the end of 2022, various EU actors have noticed that Montenegro is no longer rushing towards the bloc, but is at best standing still. What happened? Last summer, the government in Podgorica lost majority support in the Assembly, the national parliament. Since then, Montenegro has been sinking into a deeper political crisis. Last October, the European Commission assessed that "political instability, government instability and tensions" hindered significant progress on reforms and subsequently on the country's EU accession path. The most recent and serious escalation of the political crisis took place before Christmas. On 12 December 2022, the parliament of Montenegro adopted a controversial law limiting the powers of the president, despite the fact that such a law went directly against the urgent opinion of the Venice Commission. This was a major challenge for Montenegro's long-standing European ambitions, including respect for constitutionality and the rule of law. The EU and the international community warned Montenegro against the adoption of these amendments and repeatedly emphasized the absolute urgency of electing judges for the country's Constitutional Court, which it did not do either. Consequently, and for the first time in the history of joint parliamentary meetings, I had no choice but to cancel the scheduled 21st meeting of the POSP in Strasbourg last December. What is the way out of the current impasse? A quick political agreement is needed in Montenegro to end the mandate of the current government and pave the way for new parliamentary elections. At the same time, leaders from the entire political spectrum must speed up European integration reforms in order to meet the expectations of the vast majority of Montenegrin citizens who support their country's future in the EU. Podgorica has no more time to waste.

 

Gashi: Compromise possible, SDSM-AfA talks to finish first (MIA)

 

Once talks between SDSM and Alliance of Albanians (AfA) are completed, we will discuss our staying or leaving the Government coalition. We are open for compromise and distribution of cabinet posts, said Alternativa leader Afrim Gashi on Wednesday. Gashi said party bodies made the final decision while adding that Alternativa has always been a cooperative party. "If AfA and SDSM reach an agreement, we will see whether our agreement to join the Government is affected in any way," said Gashi. As party leader, he is prepared for compromise and concessions regarding cabinet posts. The Alternativa leadership met on Wednesday evening in Gostivar, to discuss future steps in case of AfA's incorporation in the Government. Gashi noted there is currently no offer to debate within the party.

 

AfA: Justice and health sectors discussed in government talks (MIA)

 

The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health are the sectors we aim to head, Alliance of Albanians (AfA) sources told MIA over the talks on cabinet posts if the party joins the government. Party sources say talks focus on these two sectors, adding they have the proper human capacities to head them. AfA says talks on a third cabinet post, second and third-tier personnel will continue in the coming days. AfA's priority is fight against organized crime and corruption and that is why they want their people to be represented in all institutions related to this field, such as the Public Revenue Office (PRO), Customs Administration, police etc, at various levels.

 

Tupancheski: Not sure quick ministerial reshuffles is best solution (Sitel)

 

I am not sure that quick ministerial reshuffles are the best solution, however, not everything depends on the Ministry of Justice. A lot of things depend on factors that are not directly connected, unfortunately or fortunately, with the Ministry, said Minister of Justice Nikola Tupancheski on Wednesday. Asked about the possible government reshuffle with Alliance for Albanians joining the government coalition, Tupancheski said that they are absolutely not affected by the potential development of events, and they are ready to respond to all challenges. “I said that we will do our best until our last day at the Ministry of Justice. I wouldn’t like to comment on the political or party context, however, we are definitely a Ministry which can boast with the results it has achieved. However, we also have a certain idea on how to complete our previous concepts in terms of realization and the improvement of the situation in our country,” said Tupancheski in answer to a journalist’s question.

 

Grkovska-Escobar: North Macedonia on right path to achieve its objectives, considered model in region (MIA)

 

Deputy PM for good governance policies Slavica Grkovska met Wednesday with Gabriel Escobar, US Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Representatives for the Western Balkans, discussing North Macedonia's important role in the region, representing a credible partner and ally for the United States. Grkovska said the strategic partnership with the US is of exceptional significance for North Macedonia, expressing gratitude for Washington's support especially in the field of corruption as one of the most significant priorities in building a democratic and economically stable society. Escobar said the government of North Macedonia has been undertaking continued steps towards achieving the country's goals and has been unconditionally engaged as NATO ally in the support for Ukraine, both through donations and by sheltering refugees-victims of the Russian aggression, the Deputy PM's Office said in a press release. Grkovska briefed Escobar on the activities of her Office regarding the fight against corruption, good governance and digitization.

 

Oliver Varhelyi met with the so-called Macedonian Bulgarians (Republika/BGNES)

 

EU Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Oliver Varhelyi met yesterday in Brussels with the representatives of the so-called Macedonian Bulgarians, reported the Bulgarian agency BGNES. The meeting was held at the request of the so-called Macedonian Bulgarians because of, as they say, “institutional hatred and systemic discrimination” in Macedonia, as well as after the incident in Ohrid with Hristijan Prendikov, who is currently undergoing treatment in Sofia. The so-called Macedonian Bulgarians will be represented by Petar Kolev, Georgi Trendafilov and Ljupco Georgievski.

 

Geer: Inclusion of Bulgarians in Constitution not changing its essence (Telma)

 

EU Ambassador David Geer says all countries that want to join the Union should apply human right standards and the Council of Europe monitors any candidate state in this regard. Ambassador Geer told Telma that despite the fact there are different opinions in the public over the constitutional amendments to incorporate Bulgarians, everyone should think what would this change mean in practice. "A constitutional revision is, first and foremost, a sovereign right of this country. Of course, we are seeing many different voices, but I believe it is important to take a step back and ask ourselves what does this constitutional change mean in practice. In reality, this means to include citizens of the country who identify themselves as Bulgarians. There is no change of the Constitution's essence, the country's identity or its core interests are not infringed. This country already has good results when it comes to interethnic relations. Let's make a comparison to other countries, Croatia for example, which incorporates more than 20 communities in its constitution, including Bulgarians, Albanians and Macedonians. This has not changed the nature of their constitution or affected the country's interests. I think the most important thing is to have a debate on the subject matter and to try to put aside any rhetoric that distracts us from the issue at hand," says Geer. He adds the EU is prepared to talk to everyone in order to explain the Union's viewpoint, but at the end of the day, the country is the one that should take the decision. The EU Ambassador also refers to corruption, which he sees as the biggest challenge for the country because it impacts the rights of citizens, access to education, health, employment, promotion. "In a broader sense, there have been some positive steps through the adoption of certain laws, some institutions are already efficient in their work, such as the State Commission for Prevention of Corruption and audit authorities. Nevertheless, as you are well aware, regulations are not enough, they should be implemented as well. Regarding the judiciary, there are individuals who are doing their job as they should but the public's trust in the judiciary is very low. Therefore, the judiciary and the prosecution should show the public that justice can be served through proper proceedings," notes Geer. He says the government must have the leading role but other institutions as well, including the media.

 

Role of the Assembly in the EU accession process/Balla meeting with the experts of the German Bundestag (Radio Tirana)

 

The head of the Parliamentary Group of the Socialist Party Taulant Balla, together with the leadership of the Group, held a meeting with the experts of the German Bundestag. In a post on Facebook, Balla reveals that the role of the Assembly in the European Union membership process was one of the topics discussed at the meeting. "Together with the Presidency of the Socialist Parliamentary Group and the experts selected by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, we discussed the new role that the Assembly takes on at this stage of the European Union membership process, on the need for a reform in the way the Assembly is organized in the committees of permanently and in increasing transparency with citizens and improving accountability and contacts with voters. The two experts in the German Bundestag, Dr. Sven Vollrath, Director of the Department for Europe in the German Parliament and Christoph Thum, advisor for European Policies in the SPD Parliamentary Group, will continue to assist our Parliamentary Group," writes Balla.

 

Begaj meets Ambassador of France in Albania, Elisabeth Barsacq; Pre-election situation on focus (Radio Tirana)

 

The President of the Republic, Bajram Begaj received in a meeting the Ambassador of France in Albania, Elisabeth Barsacq. In a post on social networks, President Begaj announced that the security of the region and the pre-election situation were discussed at the meeting. "I received the Ambassador of France in Albania, Elisabeth Barsacq. We discussed regional security issues, the war in Ukraine and the pre-election situation," Begaj writes.

 

Kim: Independent and free media, vital for democracy (Radio Tirana)

 

The US Ambassador Yuri Kim held a meeting with the head of the Union of Albanian Journalists Aleksander Cipa. During the meeting, Ambassador Kim reiterated US support for an independent and free media, which according to her is vital for Albania's democracy and the path to the EU. Ambassador Kim emphasized that for the United States, the freedom and safety of journalists are essential. Kim expressed concern over recent attacks and threats against journalists and called for solidarity among journalists to condemn such attacks and hold them accountable. "Threats and attacks against the media and journalists are threats against democracy," said Kim.