LOCAL PRESS

 

Belgrade's delegation meets with Lajcak in Brussels (Tanjug)

 

A Belgrade delegation headed by the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met with the EU Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak in Brussels on Thursday morning. The delegation includes 18 experts prepared for discussions on all topics - the status of a Community of Serb Municipalities, energy and missing persons. After Lajcak's bilateral meetings with the delegations from Belgrade and Pristina, a trilateral meeting is due to take place.

 

Government committed to respecting rights of national minorities (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Head of the OSCE Mission Jan Braathu and US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill about the measures implemented by the government of Serbia to improve the position of national minorities in Serbia. She pointed out that the policy of the government of Serbia is based on tolerance and respect for the rights of national minorities and that it is committed to solving all the challenges of minorities through dialogue and strengthening mutual trust in the spirit of tolerance, which contributes to the development of society as a whole. Brnabic pointed out that Serbia is a successful example for solving the issue of national minorities, which is evidenced by the continuous work on improving laws and other acts related to the adequate application of the language and script of national minorities and the representativeness of minorities in political and democratic processes. The officials emphasised the importance of advisory and other forms of support to Serbia in this area, as well as encouraging dialogue at the national and regional level.

 

Improvement of cooperation, exchange of experiences with UAE in field of justice (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Minister of Justice of the United Arab Emirates Abdullah Al Nuaimi about bilateral relations, as well as the improvement of cooperation and the exchange of experiences in the areas of the judiciary and the rule of law.

Brnabic assessed that the relations between the two countries are at the highest level so far, which was achieved through political dialogue, economic cooperation and strengthening of strategic partnership, especially after the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between our countries. She pointed out that the UAE is an important foreign trade partner and export market of Serbia, and she expressed the expectation that the partnership between the two countries will enable the arrival of a larger number of investors from the UAE. She recalled examples of good practice of cooperation in the field of eGovernment, pointing out that she expects projects in the field of digitization and innovative technologies with companies from the UAE. The Minister of Justice of the UAE pointed to the good relations between the two countries and the continuous development of economic cooperation, stressing the importance of the signed bilateral agreements in the field of justice and the possibility of cooperation in this field. At the meeting, which was also attended by Serbian Minister of Justice Maja Popovic, further steps were discussed in order to achieve substantial progress in the exchange of experiences and cooperation in this area.

 

Gasic: Kosovo Albanian mafia supplying weapons to people smugglers in northern Serbia (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic said on Thursday organised crime groups smuggling migrants in northern Serbia were assisted by Albanian mafia from Kosovo and Metohija. "They are not migrants, but organised crime groups we are fighting against. Let's distinguish between migrants and organised crime groups assisted by Albanian mafia coming from our southern province. All weapons are coming from down there," Gasic said at a cornerstone-laying ceremony for a new Gendarmerie Command building in Rakovica, Belgrade. He thanked the Gendarmerie personnel for their engagement in curbing illegal migration in the border cities of Subotica, northern Serbia, and Pirot, southeastern Serbia.

 

Miscevic: Serbia obliged to align visa regime with Schengen lists (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian EU Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic said on Wednesday Serbia was under an obligation to align its visa regime with the Schengen white list and black list. Speaking to Tanjug after attending a European People's Party conference on EU integration of the Western Balkans, Miscevic said the obligation resulted from the integration process. She said Serbia needed to introduce visas for countries included in the EU visa regime. "You have seen we have done that with six countries since the beginning of this year alone. The positive list must be aligned, too, by excluding some states from our visa regime because they are on the Schengen white list," Miscevic said, adding that Mauritius was the latest country to be excluded from Serbia's visa regime. She said a working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had prepared an action plan and that the next step was a plan for making a visa policy, which is a part of the EU accession talks process.

 

EU Ambassador presents progress report to speaker (N1)

 

EU Ambassador Emanuele Giaufret presented a copy of the European Commission 2023 progress report on Serbia to parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic on Wednesday. A press release quoted Orlic as saying that he is satisfied “that the EC Report unequivocally confirms our country’s progress in important reforms and numerous individual areas”. “Progress was recorded in Chapters 23 and 24, in terms of freedom of expression, Serbia was rated even better than in the previous report,” he said and added that progress in the fight against corruption and media freedom was praised by EC President Ursula von der Leyen in a recent meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Orlic said that Serbia has not regressed on any of the negotiation chapters. He voiced satisfaction that the report noted Serbia’s economic progress. “In addition, speaking of the Serbian parliament, the report accurately notes that the percentage of laws adopted under urgent procedure in the current legislature is 12%, which is significantly lower than during some of the previous legislatures,” said Orlic. The press release did not quote Giaufret who wrote in an X post that “the further strengthening of democratic institutions is central in Serbia’s accession process to the EU”.

 

Serbia elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the third time in a row (Politika/Kosovo Online)

 

Serbia was once again, for the third consecutive time, elected as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board. As announced on the UNESCO website, Serbia received the most votes in its Eastern European group - 137, reports Kosovo Online. Serbia's candidacy was announced a few days ago by Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in a speech at the General Assembly of this organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture. Ambassador of Serbia to UNESCO Tamara Rastovac Siamasvili, who chaired the Executive Board for the last two years, assessed before the vote that Serbia has a great chance of being re-elected to that body and that the candidacy submitted by Belgrade once again was well received by the member countries. "What stands out from our point of viee in conversations with colleagues and representatives of UNESCO member states is that Serbia is the balancing factor in UNESCO, including the Executive Board. So, we are a country that absolutely insists on dialogue, on seeking compromise, consensus and multilateralism. This is something that is also a feature of our foreign policy, and it is also manifested in our performance here at UNESCO. This is something that I also insisted on as the chair of the Executive Board," Siamasvili told Kosovo Online. Former Serbian diplomats pointed out before the vote that Serbia's reelection to the UNESCO Executive Board would be a confirmation of the constructive role that Serbia plays in this international organization, which would enable Belgrade to be active in this body on a daily basis. They said that membership would contribute to being able to react urgently in any situation, including when, eventually, Pristina reactivates its request for membership (in UNESCO), which is currently "dormant". New members of the UNESCO Executive Board from the same electoral group are Albania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

 

Vojvodina assembly dissolved, provincial elections called for 17 December (Tanjug/RTV)

 

The speaker of the assembly of Serbia's northern province of Vojvodina Momo Colakovic on Thursday dissolved the legislature and called early provincial elections for 17 December.

Ninety-five of 120 assembly members voted in favour of the decision, four voted against and five did not take part in the vote. The dissolution of the assembly was the sole item on the agenda. The provincial polls will be held on 17 December, simultaneously with early elections for the Serbian parliament and local elections in some parts of the country.

 

Dveri: All candidates to answer key questions (Beta/Politika)

 

A vice-president of the Serbian Movement Dveri, Tamara Milenkovic-Kerkovic, said yesterday that all participants in the elections should answer the question of whether they support “the French-German ultimatum for Serbia to recognize the state of Kosovo” before election day, as it would make it easier for voters to understand who would get their vote. Milenkovic-Kerkovic believes that the truth the regime is trying to hide, using lies, bribery and manipulation will be very easy to discover if every participant in the 17 December polls is asked if they support the Franco-German plan, Serbia’s entry into the EU made conditional on renouncing the Serbian territory of Kosovo and Metohija, and sanctions against Russia. “Do you support Serbia’s entry into NATO? Would you allow Rio Tinto to exploit lithium in Serbia, even if environmental devastation was the price to be paid? Do you think it’s all right to usurp the property of Serbian citizens in the process of privatization of public enterprises, and to give away public land without paying a fee for converting it into private property?” Milenkovic-Kerkovic offered a few questions for the candidates to answer.

 

NADA coalition: MPS should be elected directly by voters, not by parties (Beta/Politika)

 

The NADA coalition, consisting of the New Democratic Party of Serbia and the Movement for the Revival of the Kingdom of Serbia, assessed yesterday that Serbia’s electoral system should be changed so that the citizens could elect their representatives directly, instead of having parties appoint them. “The first step towards the abolishing of the party-run state is to change the electoral system, so that the citizens are finally able to elect their representatives by name and biography, from the local to the republic level. Representatives will respond to the people and not to party leaders, which is the case at present,” the President of the New Democratic Party of Serbia Milos Jovanovic declared in a written statement. The President of the Movement for the Revival of the Kingdom Vojislav Mihailovic assessed that the members of parliament, when they are elected by the people, would have greater freedom in deciding on whether to support the executive power’s draft laws and decisions or not.

 

Zelenovic calls on citizens to vote for Serbia Against Violence (Danas/Beta)

 

The co-president of the Together party Nebojsa Zelenovic appealed to Serbian citizens yesterday to vote for the list of candidates “Serbia against Violence” in the next elections on 17 December, explaining that it’s not just a “political choice,” but “a great battle for normal life”. Zelenovic said in an interview with Danas that the “Serbia against Violence” was able to “guarantee a victory over ubiquitous bullying” to which Serbian citizens had been exposed to. “A decision by a large number of public figures and intellectuals to join the ‘Serbia against Violence’ protests and the election campaign is an incentive to go to the polls. I have a deep respect for those brave people and the way they are fighting for their country,” Zelenovic said, adding that violence, corruption and increasing prices “destroy society”.

 

French embassy says it will consider returning WW I memorial (KoSSev)

 

The French Embassy in Pristina said on Wednesday evening that it would look into returning all the monuments and memorials at the Serbian WW I military cemetery back to their original positions following the displacement of the memorial to Serbian soldiers for an Armistice Day ceremony, the KoSSev news portal reported. The French and German Ambassadors traditionally lay wreaths at the cemetery where Serbian and allied soldiers are buried but this year they decided to displace the central memorial plaque and place a plaque commemorating French KFOR troops. The decision drew fierce criticism from the Serbian community in Kosovo. A petition to return the memorial was launched and KoSSev editor in chief Tatjana Lazarevic wrote an open letter calling for the return of the memorial to its original position and saying she would consider returning her French Order of Merit. “Given the current circumstances and emotions, the embassy will look into, with all sides, the technical possibilities of returning all the monuments on the military section of the cemetery to where they were earlier and that includes the new memorial to the French soldiers who lost their lives while serving with KFOR,” a statement said. It also expressed regret over what the statement called “polemic over the reorganization of the memorials”. The statement ended calling for respect of the memory of all soldiers fallen in WW I.

 

Poll: SNS’ rating at 39.2, Serbia Against Vioence at 25.8 percent (Beta)

 

The electoral ticket “Aleksandar Vucic – Serbia Must Not Stop” has the support of 39.2 percent of citizens, while 25.8 percent would vote for the ticket “Serbia Against Violence,” according to the November survey of the Nova Srpska Politicka Misao (NSPM) portal. According to the survey, the Socialist Party of Serbia would win 8.1 percent, while 8.4 percent of those interviewed said they would vote for the opposition, but did not know who to vote for. The Dveri and the Oath Keepers combined would win 5.1 percent, the NADA coalition, consisting of the New Democratic Party of Serbia and the Movement for the Revival of the Kingdom of Serbia, would win 4.4 percent, while the People’s Party would be the last to pass the census, with 3.2 percent. According to the survey, the coalition of the Social Democratic Party and the Enough Is Enough would win 2.5 percent. According to NSPM’s report, 38.8 percent of those interviewed support Serbia’s EU membership, while 63.4% support stronger relations with Russia, China and the BRICS countries.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

HR Schmidt at Rose-Roth seminar: B&H Constitution does not envisage secession of the entities (Dnevni avaz)

 

High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt addressed NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 105th Rose-Roth seminar in Sarajevo on Wednesday, focusing on the Dayton Peace Agreement and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H)'s future perspectives. “Next week will mark the 28th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement which has provided a framework for stable peace, rebuilding, and reforms towards full integration of B&H in the EU. The peace process and EU integration are therefore not mutually exclusive”, said HR Schmidt.  The HR also said that the B&H Constitution does not envisage secession of the entities, but still the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country are constantly under threat, just as functioning of the institutions. In his presentation titled ‘DPA and Perspectives for the Future of B&H’ Schmidt’ reminded that the DPA has brought a new Constitution and that the OHR contributed a lot to creation of the structure for functioning of the legislation in the period immediately after the war ended. The HR stressed: “Opposing the attacks on the DPA, B&H Constitution and the institutional organizations is still a priority in my work.” He added that politicians from Republika Srpska (RS) have not given up on secessionist polices, but they have intensified their activities lately. Schmidt added: “I cannot make compromises when the DPA is in question since it is my mandate that I take very seriously.” He sent the message that it is necessary to prevent moving backwards in the process of reforms, development of democracy and rule of law. Schmidt believes that now is the time that B&H accelerates implementation of the reforms since approaching the EU is a goal that we all aspire to. He stressed that there is still a lot of work to do since this is a country in which it has not been done enough when corruption, rule of law and election malversations are in question. "The first decade after the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement was crucial and effective, and now 30 years after the war, the country seems to be far from that. State sovereignty and constitutional competences are threatened by representatives of the RS Government", said Schmidt. He stated that corruption, unconstitutional behavior and constitutional changes are undermining the country. He stressed that the security situation is not threatened. "On the surface, everything is calm, but in this region and the country, you have to be very careful and follow the development of the situation, which could be destructive. This is about the behavior of the people from the RS, but also about the fact that we do not know how close the ties between the President of the RS Milorad Dodik and the Russian President Vladimir Putin are", said HR Schmidt. “Speaking at the 105th NATO Parliamentary Assembly's Rose-Roth Seminar in Sarajevo on the perspectives of B&H and the Western Balkans in an unstable international security environment, Schmidt focused his remarks on the Dayton Peace Agreement and B&H's future perspectives. Next week will mark the 28th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement which has provided a framework for stable peace, rebuilding, and reforms towards full integration of B&H in the EU. The peace process and EU integration are therefore not mutually exclusive, said HR Schmidt.

 

Schmidt has used opportunity at Rose-Roth Seminar in Sarajevo to again attack RS, RS officials warn Schmidt is one who threatens sovereignty of B&H (RTRS)

 

Christian Schmidt “has used the opportunity” at the Rose-Roth Seminar hosted by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Sarajevo to “attack RS again”, adding that this time “the illegal High Representative” said that sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H is under threat because the RS politicians have not given up on secessionist policies. Addressing the event, Schmidt said: “Sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country is constantly under threat, the same as the functioning of institutions. The Constitution of B&H does not stipulate the right to secession of entities. Politicians in the RS have not given up on secessionist policies, but they intensified them.” The RS officials replied by stressing that Schmidt is the only one who threatens sovereignty of B&H. RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik reiterated that Schmidt’s appointment was not formally confirmed by the UN Security Council and therefore the RS does not recognize him as the HR, stressing that even if the situation regarding his appointment is different – “he does not have the right to do this.” According to Dodik, secession has never been on the RS’ agenda and neither it is on the agenda today, but what the RS has on the agenda is “peaceful dissolution” that will be verified one day, and whether someone wants to admit it or not – B&H has never been more divided as it is today. SNSD delegate in B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Radovan Kovacevic stated that the biggest threat to B&H sovereignty is Schmidt himself who fights against the RS and its people, which will not be tolerated. He stressed that Schmidt came to B&H with a task to disempower the RS. Kovacevic reminded that the Constitution of B&H stipulates the obligation to comply with the international charters, primarily the UN Charter that defines the right of peoples to self-determination if they are tyrannized – which is the case with the RS people in B&H. B&H Minister of Security Nenad Nesic (DNS) assessed that it would be for the best if Schmidt stops dealing with the RS and to start dealing with his legitimacy instead. “No one wants to undermine the constitutional organization, and no one speaks about secession, but we speak about peaceful dissolution if there is no way to reach agreement within B&H. It is normal to speak about any option that would bring better life for the peoples on this territory”, Nesic stated. RTRS commented that “the foreigner without legitimacy” again tried to interpret the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) under cliché that he will not let anyone undermine the DPA, noting that Schmidt himself has put his hand on the RS property with support of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H and political Sarajevo and attacked the RS officials after they made clear that the RS will not allow the usurpation of its property.

 

Dodik: RS remains committed to policy of sovereignty and rejects international tutorship, integration of RS and Serbia is legitimate political goal (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik said that the West dreams of (operation) ‘Storm’ in north of Kosovo and Metohija, that Serbs become marginal minority nobody cares about, just like they (West) dreams of ‘Storm’ in B&H, against the RS, but he would not recommend it. Dodik reminded that US Special Representative Gabriel Escobar recently said that everything they do in last one year, they do in interest of Kosovo and Metohija in order to make it a visible member of the international community. But, added Dodik, owing to policy of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, more than 20 countries withdrew recognition of Kosovo in the last few years. Dodik further said that Prime Minister of self-declared Kosovo Albin Kurti is exponent of the Western part of the international community, which suits the international community because it wants blitzkrieg in north of Kosovo and Metohija, so Serbs become a marginal minority nobody would care about. He further stated that when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, the EU carries out rotten policy, stressing that self-proclaimed Kosovo should never be recognized and that B&H will not do it as long as the RS exists. “We will never recognize their documents, that they can enter B&H with personal IDs. If any Albanian from Kosovo has a passport or personal ID of Serbia, he/she enters B&H. To us, Kosovo is not a state”, said Dodik.  The RS President also asked how it is possible that Kosovo breaks away from Serbia, whilst the RS does not even have the right to talk about it. Dodik also criticized Germany by saying: “You send us a man who has nothing to do with the law and you say you stand behind him. Behind (Christian) Schmidt? What kind of Germany is that?”, asked Dodik, who reminded that it was normal for Germany to unite West and East Germany, asking why Serbia and the RS are not allowed to do the same because they are the same people. The RS President further said he is not yet physically endangered, but will find a way to protect himself, assessing that the unification of Serbia and the RS is a legitimate political goal because of which some call him ‘ultranationalist’. “The fact that Berlin, London, Brussels or Washington do not like it, it does not mean I am wrong”, said Dodik. According to Dodik, the only resistance and protection would come through national and state unification and the integration of Serbia, and the RS is a legitimate political goal and the right of the Serb people. He further warned there are mujahedeen cells in B&H, reminding that ‘a service’ (did not mention which service) came up with data there are 3,500 ‘holy warriors of Islam’, who wait for order to do something. Speaking about the perspective of the region to join the EU by 2030, Dodik said he is not an optimist, reminding that the enlargement was planned back in 2000, but nothing happened, adding that there is less optimism about the EU in the region as well. In this context, Dodik said the enlargement will not happen until it is in interest of the EU states like they suddenly did because of geo-political reasons in cases of Romania and Bulgaria, or like today in the case of Ukraine, which has been granted the status of EU candidate. He further assessed that the UK leaving the EU undermines the whole concept and leaves one pondering that the EU is the US branch office. Dodik also said he is convinced the US will continue to run the EU until the moment the EU falls apart. In addition, Dodik said the accession criteria the EU imposes to the Western Balkans cannot be met by 18 current EU Member States. As for situation in the Middle East, Dodik believes the solution lies in establishing of two states – Israel and Palestine. Commenting on reflections of the Middle East conflict on security in B&H, Dodik reminded of escalation of anti-Semitism in B&H, warning that there are 3,500 Mujahideen in B&H and more than 500 have participated in the war on the side of ISIL, of whom some 150 returned to B&H.

 

MPs of SDP B&H, NIP and Our Party send letter to European countries, EU institutions and USA in response to letter sent by SNSD (Klix.ba)

 

Representatives and delegates of SDP B&H, NIP and Our Party in B&H parliament sent a letter to hundreds of addresses in European countries, EU institutions and USA as a response to the letter previously sent by representatives of SNSD. The letter was delivered to President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, President of the EU Council Charles Michel, Speaker of the US House of Representatives Mike Johnson, President of the US Senate Patty Murray and other relevant representatives of institutions of the EU, Council of Europe and USA. At the beginning of the letter, the parties pointed out that its purpose is to inform them about the current political-security situation in B&H and added: “B&H, especially over the past several years, has been faced with unconstitutional, secessionist and retrograde policies that are encouraged and promoted by individual officials of SNSD political party with Milorad Dodik at the helm”. The letter added that the territorial integrity, sovereignty, political independence and international legal subjectivity of B&H is being constantly disputed: “In the official documents from 2015 Congress of SNSD, Milorad Dodik listed the secession of the RS entity from B&H as his strategic goal, i.e. completion of wartime goals by political means. For this purpose, anti-Dayton activities are being intensified, constant crises and blockades of functioning of the state and its institutions are being created, and pro-state political forces and representatives of international community in B&H are being rudely and aggressively insulted and provoked”. The authors of the letter noted that SNSD targets two institutions which represent an obstacle for anti-state policies – the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H. “At the same time, they are carrying out activities to destroy the Court of B&H which has been successfully working for almost 20 years, solely because of the fact that a criminal procedure is being carried out before this court against Milorad Dodik for violation of laws of B&H, i.e. decisions of the High Representative and B&H CC”, the letter noted. Parallel with this, the letter added, the RS authorities with SNSD members at the helm, are trying to take away the state property of B&H through adoption of unconstitutional documents in the RS parliament. “It is especially worrying to see announcement on destroying of state institutions, such as the Armed Forces of B&H, Intelligence and Security Agency of B&H, State Investigation and Protection Agency, Indirect Taxation Authority etc., which represents a direct attack on the constitutional order of B&H”, the joint letter of B&H MPs noted and added that SNSD and Dodik are extremely pro-Russia oriented, which is something Dodik confirmed by decorating Russian President Vladimir Putin with a medal at the peak of Russia’s aggression on Ukraine. “Milorad Dodik is also the only politician in Europe who personally visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow twice since the start of the aggression on Ukraine and expressed to him full support for all activities that he is carrying out. All of the said only confirms the fact that high-ranking officials of SNSD are the extended arm of Kremlin’s regime in the Western Balkans and a proxy of Russia’s interests in B&H”, the letter noted. The letter also argued that the adoption of the law that criminalizes defamation was a direct attack on freedom of media and expression and reminded that the RS pariament plans to adopt a law that will declare civic society organizations and international organizations financed by international grants as agents of foreign influence: “Such prohibitions exist only in autocratic dictatorship regimes and there is no room for them in B&H, whose foreign policy determination is the membership in the EU and NATO”. The letter went on to say that “the fabricated ‘religious radicalism’ or ‘foreign interventions’” are not the biggest threat to peace in B&H, but the biggest threat are activities of SNSD officials, most of which have already been blacklisted by USA and UK. The letter added that destabilization of Europe is a recognized goal of the regime from Kremlin, which hopes to accomplish it through allies like Milorad Dodik. “Therefore, it is important to realize this in time and act preventively. The international community must increase the number of troops in the EUFOR mission in B&H as soon as possible, NATO must invite B&H to become a member as soon as possible, and the EU must launch accession talks, because we want to be a part of democratic western associations and we believe that this is the path that has no alternative”, the joint letter noted. The letter was signed by member of the Collegium of the House of Representatives of B&H Denis Zvizdic, Speaker of the House of Peoples of B&H Kemal Ademovic, Chair of SDP B&H Caucus Sasa Magazinovic, Chair of SDP B&H Caucus Nihad Omerovic, Chair of NIP Caucus Sabina Cudic, Chair of Our Party – BHI KF and representatives Rejhana Dervisevic, Ermina Salkicevic-Dizdarevic, Mia Karamehic-Abazovic, Aida Barucija, Jasmin Imamovic, Albin Muslic and Predrag Kojovic.

 

SDA MPs send letter to US Congress and European Parliament (Klix.ba)

 

Members of B&H parliament who represent SDA sent a letter to hundreds of addresses in response to the letter recently written by MPs who represent SNSD. SDA's letter noted that this represents a reply to “lies and fabrications on B&H, Bosniaks and SDA” and the letter was signed by Chair of SDA Caucus in the House of Representatives of B&H Serif Spago.

The letter was delivered to the US Congress and European Parliament. SDA’s letter argued that SNSD’s letter is full of lies and fabrications and added that those who signed SNSD’s letter are also persons who were ‘blacklisted’ by USA for undermining of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and corruption, including SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. “In that letter, the Bosniak people and its former and current political and religious representatives were accused of Islamic radicalism, terrorism and anti-Semitism. Serb nationalists have been recycling such lies about Bosniaks for the past 30 years”, the letter noted and argued that unsubstantiated accusations and lies against Bosniaks in 1990s were “propaganda and ideological fuel for hordes of (Slobodan) Milosevic, (Radovan) Karadzic and (Ratko) Mladic, which carried out the aggression on B&H, committed genocide in Srebrenica, systematic mass war crimes and full ethnic cleansing of non-Serb population”. The letter reminded that the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) ruled that there was the joint criminal enterprise, and that official Belgrade too was involved in it: “The evil was finally stopped thanks to NATO strikes and cooperation of Bosnian and Croatian Army. The Army and legal government of B&H, with Alija Izetbegovic and his party SDA at the helm, which was also accused of Islamic extremism by sentenced war criminals Karadzic and his associates, protected and defended civilizational principles in the territory controlled by it”. SDA’s letter noted that, unlike the Serb side, there was no joint criminal enterprise on Bosnian, i.e. Izetbegovic’s side, while crimes against other people were systematically prevented, there was no mass banishing of Orthodox and Catholic believers, multi-ethnic Bosnian character was preserved as well as all Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish places of worship. SDA reminded that Karadzic and his associates were sentenced to many years in prison, while Izetbegovic was remembered as the man of peace who defended universal values under impossible circumstances. SDA claimed that the same policy that was carried out by Karadzic during the war is being carried out in peace by Milorad Dodik. Milorad Dodik is responsible for delays of reform processes that were leading toward the membership of B&H in NATO and EU, he is responsible for permanent crisis which regressed economic recovery of the country. He awarded a medal to Karadzic after Karadzic was sentenced for genocide, he awarded a medal to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin after Russia launched the brutal aggression on Ukraine”, SDA’s letter noted and argued that Dodik wants to achieve Karadzic’s wartime goals and he is openly attacking constitutional-legal order of B&H, its institutions and he is threatening with the secession and obstructs the DPA. “He insults the High Representative, German Christian Schmidt, on a daily basis and he disputes his decisions because of which he stands trial before the Court of B&H. He insults and belittles diplomatic representatives of USA, UK and other western countries. He openly supports the aggression of Russia on Ukraine, and he represents the main associate of Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime in the Balkans and he meets him frequently. He cooperates with Russian para-military formations. He supports and encourages Serb extremist movements that are closely connected with Russia. He denies verdicts of international courts and genocide against Bosniaks. He glorifies sentenced war criminals Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. He insults Bosniaks as people and their religion, he jeopardizes democracy and media freedom”, SDA’s letter pointed out. The letter also warned that Dodik and his associates are diverting attention by accusing Bosniak political and religious representatives of Islamic radicalism and terrorism, just like Karadzic and his associates did against Alija Izetbegovic. “Radovan Karadzic was not stopped in time, and this produced terrible, blood-shedding consequences. We hope Dodik will be stopped”, the letter concluded.

 

OSCE organizes conference dedicated to reform of criminal justice system in B&H (Hayat)

 

The OSCE Mission to B&H organized an international conference in Sarajevo on Wednesday on the occasion of ‘Marking of the 20th Anniversary of Criminal Justice Reform in B&H: Two Decades Back, Two Decades Forward (Conference). Head of the OSCE Mission to B&H Brian Aggeler stated that for 20 years of its work, the OSCE Mission to B&H monitored over 2,500 cases and almost 16,000 hearings and thus, got a comprehensive insight into work of judiciary. Aggeler said: “Based on this detailed analysis over the years, we offered recommendations for improvement. Unfortunately, as of 2003, there are obstacles and problems. This is why development and implementation of much needed reforms in the best case, goes in a mixed way. Based on lessons learnt in the past period, it is of crucial importance to secure impartiality, efficiency and professionality of the system of criminal justice of B&H. Thus, the rule of the law will become the leading principle and practice.” He called on actors of judiciary processes to use their reports and recommendations for further activities and problem solving and underlined that the OSCE remains a partner in the judiciary process. President of the High Judicial and the Prosecutorial Council (HJPC) Halil Lagumdzija stated at the conference that the fact that B&H does not have a supreme court means that people in judiciary have a lot of problems, as this supreme court would be an institution in charge of harmonizing the jurisprudence. He added that the HJPC B&H is trying to substitute that role – which the state supreme court would have – and they form panels for harmonizing the jurisprudence. Lagumdzija explains that four highest courts at the level of B&H take part in work of these panels. Director and Executive Editor of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) in B&H, Denis Dzidic, pointed out that reform laws, which the EU insists on, and which are part of the 14 key priorities, and must be worked on, are quite focused on the judiciary in B&H – as this was recognized as the main problem in the country. Dzidic said the goal is to achieve the rule of law.

 

Konatar: Voting on Constitutional Court judge scheduled for 22 November in Cetinje (MINA)

 

URA MP Milos Konatar said that he hoped that the seventh judge of the Constitutional Court would be elected at the parliamentary session on 22 November in Cetinje, which, he said, was the first of the necessary steps to unblock the judiciary. He told the journalists, after the sessions of the Collegium of the parliament speaker, that he was glad that URA’s initiative to schedule a session to elect the seventh judge of the Constitutional Court as soon as possible was accepted. Konatar added that according to his colleagues’ media statements, there were at least 50 MPs ready to vote for the candidate for the seventh US judge – Faruk Resulbegovic. Speaking about the upcoming population census, Konatar said that for URA the census was a statistical, not a political issue, and that he hoped that all actors would refrain from any political campaign. He added he agreed with the opposition getting all control mechanisms.

 

Mandic: It was agreed that we will schedule a session in a week to vote on the judge of the Constitutional Court (MINA)

 

The President of the Assembly Andrija Mandic said that next week he will schedule a session of the parliament at which the election of the seventh judge of the Constitutional Court will be voted on. He told the journalists in the parliament that at the session of the Collegium of the president of the assembly, they agreed that the parliament will resume its session on Thursday (today) and that he is convinced that they will fill the vacant parliamentary seats. "We have reached an agreement to schedule a new session in a week, at which the vote will be taken on the election of a judge of the Constitutional Court", Mandic said. He pointed out that there is still one more attempt to reach the necessary majority in order for Faruk Resulbegovic to be elected as the seventh judge of the Constitutional Court and to complete that institution. "Thus, we are fulfilling an important obligation towards the citizens and on the way to the European Union," Mandic pointed out. He said that they opened a topic related to the election of the Supreme State Prosecutor (VDT) and the filling of the Judicial Council, and that this week they will open a dialogue regarding the resolution of those problems. Mandic explained that the situation is different here in relation to the election of US judges, because the election of the Judicial Council and the VDT must go through some parliamentary procedures. "The assembly will do a job that is very important, and I expect that we will bring good news to the citizens - that through dialogue we will reach a majority that will enable us to complete the work for the VDT, for the judge of the Constitutional Court, and for the three members of the Judiciary," he said. Mandic. He said that in the Collegium they have complete agreement that through dialogue and as wide a consensus as possible, a solution will be reached that will enable them to have a result that the previous parliamentary convocation failed to achieve. Mandic said at the Collegium, which was attended by representatives of all parliamentary clubs, they could not discuss the schedule in parliamentary committees because they did not know who the new deputies would be. "The filling of the board must be preceded by the election of deputies. That will be completed on Thursday - that is, the resignations will be noted, and new members of parliament will be elected," said Mandic. He said that Prime Minister Milojko Spajic and the parliamentary majority insisted that the census begin on 30 November, adding that in this way Montenegro saved almost a million euros. "And as for the agreement itself, I am very satisfied that the demands of the opposition have been met, that there is no excuse, not even the best, that someone could obstruct such an important thing as the census," said Mandic. He said that installing software that would allow every citizen to check the data entered in the database is one of the best suggestions. This, as stated by Mandic, will strengthen trust between state institutions and the citizens of Montenegro. "Good proposals should be welcomed, regardless of who they come from, whether from the opposition or the parliamentary majority. The requirements have been met, the start date of the census is 30 November, we can get everything done by then and I am convinced that the census will take place in a normal atmosphere because these data are very important", said Mandic. He said that the control mechanisms are now much better than the opposition in 2011. "This breakthrough, especially with the software, is the biggest breakthrough in the field of control that does not exist anywhere in the world. Here, everyone can make sure that the maximum conditions for control are provided", said Mandic. He said that they need a list where no one will deceive anyone, where there is no pressure and where no one can steal his identity from anyone. "I think that happened in some previous censuses, now the control mechanism is so strong that anyone who would try to abuse it would have to be held criminally responsible," Mandic said.

 

Milatovic: Montenegro has significant advantages in being first to reach full EU membership (CdM)

 

President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic announced that messages from European addresses have recently restored optimism that the EU was not giving up on the Western Balkans. He deeply believes that our country has significant advantages to be the first in the series to become a full member of the EU. “In a time of evident stagnation in the policy of enlargement, messages from European addresses recently restore optimism that the European Union is not giving up on the Western Balkans and that this region is of inestimable importance for the future of the European continent. And precisely at the moment when the question of the European future of the countries of the Western Balkans is again brought up to date, it is important to have events of this type, which aim to strengthen regional cooperation and discuss the key challenges and geopolitical implications of the EU enlargement process”, said Milatovic at the regional meeting of the Balkan Dialogues Initiative. He added that the European perspective for the Western Balkans represented not only a geopolitical vision, but also a promise of stability, permanent peace, economic growth and strengthening of democratic institutions and values. Confirmation that Montenegro is closer to the EU than the other candidates and that full membership of Montenegro in the European Union is possible even before 2030, if the necessary conditions are met, came in the previous period from the top European addresses. “That’s why I expect that as a society we will have the capacity and determination to make it happen”, concluded President Milatovic.

 

President Pendarovski meets with Romanian Foreign Minister Odobescu (MIA)

 

President Stevo Pendarovski met Wednesday with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, Luminita Odobescu, who is paying a working visit to North Macedonia. According to a press release by the President’s Office, the meeting focused on North Macedonia’s European aspirations and the progress of the screening process. Expressing gratitude over the support provided by Romania regarding the fulfillment of North Macedonia’s strategic commitments, President Pendarovski pointed to the need for progress in the Euro-integrations of the Western Balkan countries, in order to ensure stability, security, democratic development and prosperity in the region. “At the same time, President Pendarovski welcomed the signing of the action plan for cooperation between the foreign ministries in the next two years and the protocol for cooperation in education, which will contribute to further promotion of bilateral cooperation between North Macedonia and Romania,” said the President’s Office in a press release. Minister Odobescu and President Pendarovski also discussed the overall relations between the two countries; cooperation within NATO and the OSCE; as well as the situation in the broader region, including the events in Ukraine and the Middle East.

 

Xhaferi – Odobescu: Romania supports North Macedonia’s EU path, important to implement necessary reforms (MIA)

 

Romania supports the European path of the Republic of North Macedonia, but it is important to implement the necessary reforms as well, said the Foreign Minister of Romania, Luminița Odobescu, at a meeting Wednesday with parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi. Odobescu, who is on a working visit to the country, said the reforms have posed a challenge to most of the Union’s member states, including Romania. “She noted the importance of maintaining the intensity of the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, and the enhancement of economic cooperation. Minister Odobescu emphasized the mutual support of the countries from the Eastern and Western Balkans regarding the enlargement, while also touching upon the latest security developments in the world, such as the war in Ukraine, and the situation in the Gaza Strip,” said parliament in a press release. Xhaferi voiced special satisfaction from the opportunity to meet with a representative of Romania, a country with which, he said, we are continuously building friendly bilateral relations. “Speaker Xhaferi noted that the overall relations between the Republic of North Macedonia and Romania are characterized by a high degree of friendship, with constructive and open political dialogue, founded on partnership and mutual respect. Regarding the country’s Euro-integration process, he informed the Minister that the screening process is being concluded, and that parliament has begun the procedure to amend the Constitution which requires a two-third majority,” said parliament. Xhaferi and Odobescu agreed on the importance of the intensification of parliamentary cooperation, with a focus on cooperation on European affairs.

 

Marichikj – Odobescu: Romania is a regional partner to North Macedonia on EU path (MIA)

 

Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European affairs Bojan Marichikj met Wednesday with Romanian Foreign Minister Luminița Odobescu, who is in a working visit to North Macedonia. Talks focused on bilateral cooperation, Romania's continued support for North Macedonia's European integration process and current events. Marichikj highlighted the importance of the friendly cooperation and long-term support Romania offers to North Macedonia on its path to the EU. Support that is focused on cooperation in several areas, including the fight against corruption, judiciary, cybersecurity, internal affairs and civil protection, the Secretariat for European Affairs said in a press release. The Deputy PM also said the government is firmly committed to the European integration process, and that the friendly cooperation between North Macedonia and Romania is a positive influence for the realization of the country’s strategic goal. "Cooperation between our two countries is very important on the road to EU, and Romania's positive experience and practice in that process are a good example for the implementation of reforms in our country," Marichikj said. "Romania, he added, is our key partner from Southeast Europe, and by establishing good ties in the region, we are ensuring a successful regional cooperation and a stable Western Balkans and Southeast Europe," the press release reads. According to the press release, Marichikj Interlocutors discussed Romania's experience with the EU integration process, as well as challenges of similar nature that were solved and overcame during that process, which contributed to the country's development, while also building greater trust in the system among the citizens due to the successful transition. The Romanian Minister stated that Romania is a close friend to North Macedonia, highlighting the support for the country's EU accession process. She said that this is a key moment for North Macedonia, stressing that due to their own experience, they are aware of the challenges the country is facing. At the end of the meeting, interlocutors concluded that the citizens of North Macedonia will gain a lot more trust once the challenges are overcome, and that the reform process will continue on the country’s path to the EU.

 

Osmani remains optimistic over constitutional changes (MIA)

 

Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Wednesday he remains optimistic that the constitutional amendments can be adopted and stressed that the government won’t stop working until the last moment to ensure the unique opportunity for fast-tracked EU membership is used, otherwise, he said, those who are threatening the country’s European future should be publicly named, and the finger should be pointed at them. “I think we need to work until the last moment, in order to adopt the constitutional amendments and take a step forward with this opportunity. However, if we fail, those who are threatening the European future, who are obstructing the prosperity of the country, the reforms, rule of law, who are pushing the citizens to leave North Macedonia, should be publicly named,” said Osmani in answer to a journalist’s question on whether it can now officially be said that the country won’t fulfill the requirement of the constitutional amendments and continue the negotiations with the EU in December. The Foreign Minister highlighted the necessity of adopting the amendments due to the “unique” geopolitical moment. “Without the constitutional amendments we won’t be able to hold the second intergovernmental conference during which the negotiating framework for further negotiations per chapters will be presented. In this case, the entire historical responsibility is borne by specific names and last names of MPs in parliament and a certain political party, and I think we should all point a finger at these people, at that political party which is threatening the European future. Why do I think that? Because the geopolitical opportunity for a serious, fast track to EU membership in 2030 is unique, and I don’t think it will exist next year as well,” said Minister Osmani.

 

Hasani welcomed in Tirana his Romanian counterpart Odobescu (Radio Tirana)

 

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani welcomed in Tirana his counterpart, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Romania Luminita Odobescu. The counterparts signed the Action Plan for Cooperation 2024-2025. "We look forward to further deepening our bilateral and multilateral cooperation as NATO Allies and partners, ensuring peace and security in Western Balkans and Europe" announced Hasani. Minister Hasani expressed his gratitude to Minister Odobescu for Romania's unwavering support to integration process of Albania and the Western Balkans.

 

Government of Albania approves the protocol with Italy on the immigrants (Radio Tirana)

 

The Albanian government has approved the ratification of the protocol, between the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania and the Italian government, regarding the agreement on immigrants. According to an official announcement published on the government's website, it has also proposed the draft law for the ratification of the agreement in the Assembly of Albania. The said draft law needs to be passed by the Assembly before taking effect.

 

The Balkans towards the common energy exchange market (Radio Tirana)

 

North Macedonia, Greece, Albania and Kosovo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to unify their electricity markets, as part of a process of involving all the Balkan countries. Joining a single electricity market will bring a new era of energy cooperation according to the stakeholders of its achievement estimate, recalling the important advantages for North Macedonia, Albania, Kosova and Greece. The effects are expected to affect to the improvement of energy security, the integration of new energy sources and the provision of lower electricity prices for consumers. All the Balkan countries are working fully and without reservations to become part of a single European electricity market with the ultimate goal of realizing it as a powerful tool for improving market liquidity, ensuring the power grid stability, integrating renewable energy sources, increasing transparency and competition. The same sources inform that the energy exchanges among the Balkan countries play an important part in this cooperation. Among them, Albania is mentioned as the first country, which that has set up this exchange market, while the inclusion of an EU member country such as Greece, is also significant.