LOCAL PRESS 

Vucic: ZSO must not be reduced to NGO (RTS/Beta) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated on Wednesday that the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) must not be reduced to the status of a non-government organization, and underscored that, for Serbia, the constitution of Kosovo was inconsequential. Vucic pointed out that, because of the events in the world, it was important to discuss a compromise solution with the EU envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak, who is visiting Belgrade on 15 October, adding that Serbia would always participate in dialogue. He announced that the designate prime minister Ana Brnabic would announce the nominations for the new government by the end of the week, or by 19 October at the latest, and that it would then be up to the party organs participating in the talks to make the required decisions.

Vucic: Serbia will never join NATO nor impose sanctions on Russia (TASS/Tanjug/Beta) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the TASS news agency that Serbia will never join NATO or any other military organization nor impose sanctions on Russia even if it is pressured.

“Serbia has not and will never impose sanctions against the Russian Federation despite the fact that we were under pressure and will probably be under pressure because we are on the path to Europe we will maintain our position and won’t spoil relations with Russia,” he said in an online interview for the Russian agency. He said that Belgrade will not change its view of the NATO bombing of 1999 regardless of the aid that Washington intends to provide to reconstruct bombed buildings in Belgrade. “Our attitude has not changed at all. On the contrary. We have to turn to the future and accept restoration aid but that will not change our view of those events,” he said.

Vucic said that Serbia will continue its independent policies despite criticism in the European Commission report and will maintain friendly, kindred relations with Russia. He said that Serbia has not changed its stand on the Kosovo issue after the Washington agreement was signed to normalize economic relations, adding that there is no political aspect. He said a very long and difficult search for a compromise on Kosovo is coming.

Petkovic: Serbs will not be on-duty culprits in Kosovo and Metohija (Politika) 

There are two main strategic reasons why the provisional institutions of Pristina are obstructing the formation of the ZSO, the new Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said in an interview with Politika. The first one is that separatists in Pristina and at the administrative level wish to preserve full Albanian political supremacy in Kosovo and Metohija, says Petkovic, stressing that the ZSO is practically one political ban of the Serbs that they could not influence. “The second, and I would say more problematic motive, is that the Albanian political elite in our southern province has the urge to make the Serbs on-duty culprits for everything that is occurring in Kosovo and Metohija, and that is why, in a kind of mass nationalist, almost racist blindness, it constantly and programmatically disenfranchises them. There is also the third, tactical reason, and this is an attempt at blackmailing Belgrade in the Brussels dialogue process in order to extort concessions on our part,” said Petkovic.

Drecun: Dialogue in deep coma, Lajcak to clarify his position (TV Pink/RTV) 

The dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina has fallen into a deep coma, says former Chairman of the parliamentary committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun, adding that he sees no room for resuming negotiations on Kosovo and Metohija as long as Pristina refuses to form the ZSO. Drecun also thinks that the EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak should clarify his position in the negotiations, noting that the European official is lenient and showing tacit understanding towards Pristina, which, he recalls, blocked the dialogue. “I cannot understand Lajcak’s position that is leading to biasness and one-sidedness. First, Lajcak defined the red lines in the talks, which is not his job, and second, he says that Pristina should unite all political capacities in order to increase power and influence, Drecun told TV Pink.

Game Changer From Washington (CorD, by Ljubica Gojgic) 

Under the current political situation between Belgrade and Pristina, but even more so with the whole package the U.S. administration put on the table, for all three parties – Serbia, Kosovo and Israel – we felt this could be a game changer under which it would serve our interests to change our policy towards Kosovo – Ambassador Yahel Vilan 

The new Israeli ambassador arrived in Serbia during the time of two significant changes in bilateral relations. After more than a decade of refusing to recognise the independence of Kosovo, led by the stance that it could set a bad precedent, Israel announced that it is changing its decision. At the same time, and on the basis of an agreement reached with U.S. President Donald Trump, Serbia should join the small number of countries that have relocated their embassies in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

In this interview for CorD Magazine, ambassador Yahel Vilan says that implementing this element of the agreement will be high on his list of priorities. At the same time, he adds, he will lobby for the strengthening of economic relations and the arrival of new Israeli investors in Serbia.

Your Excellency, having arrived in Serbia only recently, what have you set as the goals of your ambassadorial term in Belgrade?

The goal of our Embassy in the next couple of years will, of course, be to further improve the great relations that already exist between Serbia and Israel. The decision of President Vucic to relocate the Embassy of Serbia to Jerusalem will also be very high on our agenda for the coming year. In addition, we will try to bring more companies to invest, to do business between Israel and Serbia, and when the COVID-19 Pandemic is over I hope to see a way for more tourists to travel between Serbia and Israel.

You arrived at a very interesting juncture for bilateral relations between Israel and Serbia. What do you expect from the newly opened office of the Government of Serbia in Jerusalem, which is set to deal with economic cooperation?

The Office of the Government of Serbia in Jerusalem definitely sends a message that economic cooperation is one of the main focuses of our bilateral relations and an area in which Serbia would like to see improvements. In addition, it has been mentioned that the Office will concentrate on cooperation in the innovation sector and innovative economy. This includes a wide spectrum of high-tech and cyber tech, and presents a great opportunity for both countries.

Due to the many similarities between us, Serbia has chosen Israel as the model of how a small country can turn into a start-up nation with an innovation ecosystem. We have had numerous Israeli speakers in Serbia at various events, conferences, bilateral visits and similar. Initial contacts between the two tech communities have been created. What we would like to see in the future are concrete joint ventures, joint projects and business deals between the two communities. The Office of the Government of Serbia will definitely assist in this matter.

In this regard, I would like to use this opportunity to mention that we have just appointed an Israeli Co-Chairman of the Joint Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation. We hope to see the first joint committee meeting held in the near future, after Serbia appoints its representative.

Which areas of the economy do you consider as being particularly interesting when it comes to strengthening mutual cooperation?

Traditional areas of cooperation, such as agriculture, have room for further expansion, especially in the field of precise agriculture and irrigation. Another area of cooperation that the Embassy of Israel is promoting is water management and clean tech. On its EU accession road, Serbia will have to develop 350 water treatment facilities. On the other hand, Israel holds the world record in recycling, with 85% of wastewater purified to the level of use in agriculture. In this regard, Israeli knowhow can be of great use to Serbia. Only last year we held a water conference and business forum in Novi Sad to encourage more cooperation in this field. In line with the newly opened State Office for Economic Cooperation in Jerusalem, IT and cyber tech are the areas in which we hope to see major breakthroughs. The time has come to further expand opportunities for businesses to cooperate on joint ventures and R&D centres, and maybe encourage mutual investment funds.

The public is extremely interested in the announced relocating of the Serbian Embassy to Jerusalem, in accordance with an agreement reached in Washington. Did you receive confirmation that Serbia will move the embassy by July 2021 during your recent conversation with the President of Serbia?

That is a very important issue for us. Naturally, we believe that all embassies of countries that are present in Israel should be located in our capital, Jerusalem. Of course, we warmly welcome Serbia’s decision to move its Embassy to Jerusalem by July next year. We will do our utmost to work together with the Government of Serbia to see that happen. In my meeting with President Vučićc we discussed the ways Israel and Serbia should work together on various issues.

Your country spent more than a decade in the group of UN members that don’t recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. What led to Israel changing its stance?

In the past there were two main reasons that caused us to refrain from recognition. One is, and always was, our strong and important relations with Serbia, and the second was the precedent it could represent concerning the Palestinian issue. One could rightly claim that these two reasons remain very relevant today. And yet, under the current political situation between Belgrade and Pristina, but even more so with the whole package that the U.S. administration put on the table, for all three parties – Serbia, Kosovo and Israel – we felt this could be a game changer under which it would serve our interests to amend our policy towards Kosovo.

Can you explain whether and when the announcement of the recognition of Kosovo will be formalised (If that does not happen by October, as it is not yet formal)?

It is a fact that, besides the statements made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi and American President Trump on 4th September, to the best of my knowledge nothing has yet been done on the ground between Israel and Kosovo towards realising the mutual recognition as stated in the Washington agreement. As far as I know, there are no timelines as yet. What I can assure you is that we will be informing our friends in Serbia about our moves. I will do my utmost to make sure that we do this with full transparency and Serbia’s knowledge in advance.

What forms the basis of your belief that this move by the Israeli government, which was only agreed in Washington with the Kosovo side, will not jeopardise your country’s relations with Serbia?

One can never be sure about political moves and how they will impact future relations, but I can definitely hope that, based on our long-lasting friendship and the importance that the two countries attach to each other, we will also find ways to overcome this decision by Israel.

Let us not forget that Serbia has great relations with many countries around the world that have recognised Kosovo. The same goes for Israel with countries that have recognised Palestine.

After formally recognising Kosovo’s independence, will Israel support Kosovo’s request for membership in the UN and other international organisations?

At this point not actively, I assume, but there was no discussion of that topic whatsoever. I think it is too early. As a country that has suffered like no other in the United Nations arena, I can assure you that Israel will express the highest sensitivities regarding that issue.

Washington and U.S. President Trump are linked to another meeting that has been characterised in the media as historic. Can you tell us what you expect from the agreement on the normalisation of relations between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE?

We appreciate President Trump and his role in the peace agreements between Israel and the two important Gulf countries of the UAE and Bahrain. For us, this is the sign of a new era. Primarily, I would like to point out one very basic psychological element. Namely, Israel and Israelis are living in a very claustrophobic environment, in a huge geographic area extending from Morocco in the west to Pakistan in the east. If you check the whole corridor, until now we have only established friendly diplomatic relations with two countries – Egypt and Jordan. So, upgrading such a reality to include another two countries in the heart of the Gulf is significant for us, as a people. On top of that, there are significant positive economic outcomes for very important players in various financial fields, from tourism, aviation and numerous other investments. In the last week alone, after the agreement was signed, we witnessed many connections between companies on both sides. There is an interest in investing in the Israeli high-tech sector and we believe that, economically, this can be a boost for both Israel and those countries, and for the world as a whole. Politically, it is a strong sign for other countries that never had any real reason not to talk to Israel or have peaceful relations with Israel and which have just allowed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to overtake their own interests. I hope they will understand that this should not remain a condition and that we can move forward in a positive direction.

I also hope that it will help bring Palestinians back to the negotiating table, because for too long they’ve felt that there is lot of support for their hard-line position. I am optimistic that this breakthrough will lead to a resumption of the peace negotiations between us and the Palestinians.

The world is facing a new wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. News initially arrived from Israel, in March 2020, about successes achieved in working on a vaccine against the virus. How much progress has been made with that?

Like most other researchers around the world, Israeli experts are fully committed to finding a solution that will help all people. We have numerous scientific centres and institutes in Israel that are exerting all their efforts and knowledge to develop treatments and vaccines for COVID-19.

Once any major breakthrough comes, it will be in the media at the very same moment. I hope it will happen soon, so we can share it with the world.

One gets the impression that the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic is also a training ground for the continuation of the political struggle on the international scene. When news arrives from Israel about the country’s readiness to cooperate with Russia in the continuation of the testing of a Russian vaccine, does that prompt negative comments from your partners in the West?

Israel is cooperating with whomever possible, because we don’t believe that there should be room for politics in saving the lives of millions of people around the world. Just a few months ago, we conducted some successful trials with India and I’m sure that we’re working with all possible partners and countries. Politics must not play any role in that field, as we should all unite to fight COVID-19.

REGIONAL PRESS 

 

Izetbegovic: Belgrade meeting portrays support to SNSD and HDZ B&H for their policies (BHT1)

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic commented again the Belgrade visit of HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) leader Dragan Covic and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Izetbegovic deemed it senseless that ‘two are trying to team up against the third’ and assessed as symptomatic the fact that meetings are being staged in Belgrade after Dodik’s meeting in Zagreb. “I think things are clear. This is actually support to Mister Dodik and Mister Covic for their policies. Mister Dodik and SNSD have been slowing down B&H for 15 years and they have begun doing so radically in the last mandate, in the past two years,” Izetbegovic said. He added that if Covic’s demands were met in the capacity that HDZ B&H is requesting, without any compromises, it would make the existence of Houses of Representatives senseless, as everything would be left to the Houses of Peoples where HDZ B&H has absolute control. He stated that it would also make the existence of civic and left-wing parties pointless, as everything would be divided in three.

Islamic Community of B&H criticizes meetings of Serb and Croat political leaders without equal participation of Bosniaks (Hayat)

 

Commenting on recent meetings of Serb and Croat political leaders, Head of the Islamic Community of B&H Husein Kavazovic said that because the focus of those meeting is on B&H, Bosniaks follows those activities with caution. “We are forced to warn and reiterate that agreements arising from such talks, without equal participation of Bosniaks, were devastating for the region,” Kavazovic was quoted as saying. Kavazovic noted that most residents of B&H aspire to see B&H as a member of the EU and NATO, because of which it is surprising to see “disintegration processes both in B&H and in the region”. Kavazovic also said that “territorial aspirations” should have become past by now and he called everyone to turn towards prosperity in order to bring EU values to B&H and keep children of B&H in the country.

 

‘United Srpska’ Presidency expects Court of B&H to pass decision upon party’s complaint on B&H CEC’s sanction against ‘United Srpska’ by Friday (N1)

 

The B&H Court has received an appeal filed by 'United Srpska' against the decision of the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) banning the participation of 'United Srpska' in the upcoming local elections in B&H. The Court could declare on the abovementioned appeal already on Thursday. While they are waiting for the decision of the Appellate Division of the Court, leadership of 'United Srpska', but also candidates on lists of 'United Srpska' who do not declare themselves as Serbs, addressed the public on Wednesday, following a session of the Presidency of 'United Srpska'. Candidates of 'United Srpska' who declare themselves as Bosniaks, Croats and Jews told a press conference that they believe that their rights to be elected in the upcoming local elections were violated with B&H CEC's decision and that disputable video of 'United Srpska' is not insulting. Leader of 'United Srpska' Nenad Stevandic is sticking to the position that one cannot interpret the artistic perception of the disputable video, but that if one is interpreting the law, it is on the side of his party. "Perception is not legal merit, unless this is a joint attempt at discriminating a party outside all laws," Stevandic underlined. Stevandic said that the fact that the Court of B&H is stalling with a decision before the start of the election campaign represents an attempt to cause damage to 'United Srpska'. Representatives of ‘United Srpska’ once against criticized B&H CEC, stressing that the ban does not have legal grounds and that they hope for good news from the Court of B&H. They said that they expect the Court of B&H to pass the decision upon the complaint of ‘United Srpska’ by Friday.

OSCE Head: We're aware of numerous irregularities in B&H election process (N1)

The OSCE is well aware of numerous irregularities in B&H's election process and it is important that all competent institutions engage, communicate with each other and solve all these issues, head of the OSCE Mission to B&H Kathleen Kavelec told N1. "There have been many problems this year, starting with the adoption of the budget. The pandemic caused major problems. We called on the relevant institutions to resolve them. The adoption of the budget has slowed down the process” she stated. Kavalec said that B&H's central institutions were supposed to provide money to buy protective equipment for polling stations, but that was left to municipal organizations. "I think most municipalities will solve their problems, but they are struggling. Everything could have been avoided with better organization" Kavalec said. Kavalec also spoke about the meeting she held with B&H's Chief Prosecutor, the Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency and the President of the Central Election Commission (CIK). "The goal was to help communication between institutions in order to prevent election fraud. We are encouraged by the views we heard. We are familiar with the two indictments in Brcko and Sanski Most from the last election cycle. This is a problem we have to deal with," Kavalec said. She is also aware of numerous reports of irregularities and identity theft. "It's important that all competent institutions at all levels engage and communicate, in order to solve all these problems. We will help. We have received a promise from the authorities that they will jointly solve these problems," she said. "The authorities need to address what may happen in the coming period. The CIK has decided to publish the electoral roll for people who registered to vote from abroad so that citizens can check it to reduce the possibility of election fraud. There've been examples of fraud and theft, and if the authorities do not react in a proactive way - the problem will only get worse," she added. The Head of the OSCE Mission said that in her opinion, the electoral roll should be a public document. “That's our opinion – a public document. If the court decides otherwise – then our opinion is that the rules must be amended. Voters must be able to make sure that their identity's not been abused,” Kavalec said.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to pay visit to B&H at end of October (Nova BH)

 

B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is supposed to visit B&H at the end of October. Lavrov’s visit was planned for 27-28 October. Last time Lavrov visited B&H was two years ago, when he met with members of the former convocation of B&H Presidency, former B&H Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak and the Republika Srpska (RS) officials. Lavrov will meet members of B&H Presidency and B&H Council of Ministers and he is also set to meet Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic. Dnevni avaz daily comments, Lavrov is paying visit to B&H in the moment when EU and USA visible increased their engagement in B&H. Daily noted that it is still unknown whether Lavrov will visit Banja Luka.

 

Buric: Ambassador of Serbia is mixing up roles (CdM)

 

Frequent statements made by Serbian Ambassador Vladimir Bozovic, including the one about “Mini Schengen”, show that the Serbian Ambassador tends to mix up his roles and act as the adviser to the future government, or even part of it, said candidate for MP from DPS list Marko Buric. He pointed out that Bozovic’s expectations that the new government will either accept or reject something are inappropriate because decisions by state institutions are rendered in accordance with the interests of Montenegrin citizens, not in accordance with the expectations of the ambassadors. “But government which is formed in monasteries and receives advice from the residence of the Serbian ambassador should definitely reconsider its credibility,” Buric said.

Medojevic: URA has formed a huge capital that wants to prevent reforms (Nova M)

In coming days, Movement for Changes will inform prime minister-designate, Zdravko Krivokapic, on the departments this party is interested in, said in the interview for Nova M Nebojsa Medojevic, leader of the Movement for Changes. Speaking about the security sector in which the Black and White coalition led by Dritan Abazovic is interested, Medojevic says that URA is a political organization founded by large transitional capital, i.e. the owners of Vijesti, hence the interest of one green party in this sector. This is actually the wish of the owner of Vijesti, that is, that large capital, to prevent reforms, Medojevic underlined.

The leader of the coalition For the Future of Montenegro, Zdravko Krivokapic, has been officially proposed as the prime minister-designate for the composition of the new government. He has already talked about the formation of the government with certain leaders of the parties that are part of the DF. Did you have a meeting with Krivokapic in the meantime on that topic and were any personal solutions agreed? 

Medojevic: We had a meeting at the level of the leaders of the coalition For the Future of Montenegro before Krivokapic received mandate from the President, so we clarified all unclear things regarding the principle of functioning and formation of the government. On behalf of the Movement for Changes, I informed the prime minister-designate about how we see the way of forming the government, and these days, we will inform him specifically about the areas we want to participate in this government. I think my associates and I have more or less already said publicly what are the areas that interest us. Politics is a public activity and I believe that everything should be said publicly and that nothing should be hidden and it is clear that the Movement for Change is interested in those areas that are close to the program of the Movement for Changes. These are democratic transition, reforms, the fight against organized crime and corruption, the fight against organized crime and corruption, strengthening ties with the NATO alliance and, of course, those areas where we have competent personnel, i.e. science, technology, development and education. Of course, we have more quality people who need to be agreed with the prime minister, and it concerns spatial planning and some development institutions. In any case, that part of the mandate of the government and the department that is compatible with the program of the Movement for Changes.

We could hear your position in public regarding URA’s request that the security sector should belong to that coalition. We heard the statement of the leader of the Black and White coalition, Dritan Abazovic, that people who are loyal to the state and who are not politically colored should be in that sector. What’s your comment on that? 

Medojevic: It is a little strange for the party that belongs to the Green Movement to show interest in defending the army and security. This is not common. Usually these parties in the European Union show interest in ecology, sustainable development, human rights, possibly justice depending on their interests, and this is really the first time that URA shows interest in this very complex, very complex and very risky area.

Is a compromise possible in that sense, given the still strong position of URA? Do you remain of the opinion that you will not give up the security sector so easily after all? 

Medojevic: Here we now have one specificity. That is the question for the prime minister. So, the Movement for Change is a party that was formed by a group of intellectuals and experts from various fields, who were dissatisfied with the current political situation and decided to transform the NGO Group for Change into a political party whose name only says that we are reform-oriented and that since its founding, we have fought for reconciliation, primarily of Montenegrins and Serbs in Montenegro, i.e. those who voted for independence and those who voted for a common state. So that’s how we were established. URA was created by large capital, the transitional capital of the owner of Vijesti and a circle of transitional businessmen who acquired their capital in the affairs of the first Djukanovic family and of course with certain communications with this corrupt security service and other structures that enabled the acquisition of that capital.

There was a lot of controversy in the public about the interference of the church and church dignitaries in general in the formation of the government. Even certain negotiations were conducted in monasteries. You said earlier that the church should return to its role. How do you comment on the fact that the church interferes in politics in a secular state? 

Medojevic: This is simply a matter of protecting the principles of democracy, parliamentary democracy and constitutional relations between the state and the church. Democratic Front and Movement for Changes, having in mind the challenges we face, will extremely need the spiritual, moral support of prayer and in general the support that the church has as an authority. But we don’t need the church to interfere in operational daily political issues, to decide who will be the minister, whether the police will be within the Ministry of the Interior, who will be the head of customs … These are simply daily political issues and there is no place for the church. We think that it is in the interest of both the church and democracy and the new government and the church that everyone does their job.

There are big ideological differences between the coalitions that will form the government. Do you believe in the survival of the future government? 

Medojevic: At the moment, there are no big ideological differences because, to be honest, I can’t tell you what the ideology of the URA is or what the ideology of the Democrats is. I know about colleagues from NOVA and DNP who take into account the national interests of the Serbian people in Montenegro, Orthodoxy and Christianity in a broader sense, but I think that the Movement for Changes shows that this must be taken into account. We have been following certain principles from the beginning – democracy reform, reconciliation, zero tolerance for crime and corruption, radical change in the country and of course the protection of these values that our ideology speaks of – free market, primary property, respect for human rights, respect for identity, our past, traditions but of course in a modern sense. This does not mean going back to the Middle Ages, and negotiating tax policy in monasteries or deciding who will be arrested there, going back to the time of the Inquisition. It is not a good path and that is why I think that my message to our leaders in the church that everything should fit into the challenges that await us is extremely well-intentioned. The interests of citizens are above anything else, the people are looking for changes, the people are looking for harmony, it is not easy to always agree people who have different interests and different views on the future of Montenegro, so the important principle is to agree and compromise, not to blackmail or condition.

You have been at the head of the Movement for Changes for a long time. Now a part of the public fears that the Montenegrin identity is endangered. Is the independence of Montenegro on the exam and what, apart from the letter on paper – the Agreement signed, guarantees that the basic state and civil Montenegrin values are not endangered? 

Medojevic: Montenegro is an independent state, a member of the NATO pact, we have seen that all signatories, regardless of ideology, have accepted that international agreements of the state of Montenegro are state agreements, not agreements of political parties. However, we now have a broad coalition government and we must harmonize state policy and not insist on party policies or personal perceptions of some identity issues. In any case, citizens can be peaceful. As a Montenegrin, as a sovereign, I often feel that my rights are also endangered. On the one hand, these prepaid Montenegrins and nationalists, and on the other hand, members of other extreme nationalism forms. Not only Serbian nationalism in Montenegro is active, but also Albanian and Bosniak, and everyone has aspirations for parts of the territory, and that can only be resolved by agreement.

The progress report states more or less the same weaknesses in Montenegro. Vesna Medenica announced her resignation. The system also appears to be blocked by acting states in important positions. How do you see the unraveling of that tangle? 

Medojevic: This is a consequence of the lack of will of the government to radically change the system because those changes would not suit the former regime and the former government. They wanted to formally change what they could and what did not harm them, and where it interferes with their interests, they did not change it. It is this area that we talked about – it means security, judiciary, prosecution. It has been so contaminated with corruption in these 30 years that radical reform measures are needed. It is not enough just to coordinate the security service, but to radically change them + everything depends on the political will of the government and the movement for change is looking for these positions in the government that would deal with reforms and coordination of reforms.

 

Pendarovski denies report that Bulgaria asked Macedonia to amend its Constitution (Republika)

President Stevo Pendarovski said that so far there is no written or verbal demand from Bulgaria that Macedonia amends its Constitution. The statement comes after opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski revealed that Bulgaria demands constitutional amendments under which Macedonia would redefine its nation and language along the widely distributed Bulgarian positions. Pendarovski said that there are intensive talks with Bulgaria over the past three months, with German facilitation, in order to enable the opening of EU accession talks – which Bulgaria has threatened to block unless Macedonia makes the required concessions. It is out of mind to talk about amending the Constitution or adding annexes to the 2017 friendship treaty. That is not needed, Pendarovski insisted. Pendarovski then added that Bulgaria has asked before that the 2017 Zaev – Borisov treaty is clarified, and that Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has asked for annexes or the signing of a new treaty, after he claimed that the current one is not being honored by Macedonia. He opened the possibility that a declaration is signed that would recommit the two parties to respecting the treaty.

 

Ruci receives new UN Coordinator: We encourage initiative to resolve issues in the Western Balkans (Radio Tirana)

Albanian parliament speaker Gramoz Ruci received the new UN Resident Coordinator in Albania Fiona McCluney on the occasion of the beginning of her term in Tirana. Ruci expressed his gratitude for the further cooperation between Albania and the UN as well as the readiness to deepen this cooperation and praised the support of Albanian institutions and the most vulnerable segments of the population to fight covid-19. Albania appreciates the UN support for the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals in Albania. Albania approved the Sustainable Development Goals, together with all other UN member states, in September 2015. The establishment of the Fund to Accelerate these Goals contributes to accelerating their realization. The Assembly adopted a resolution on the Sustainable Development Goals in Albania, in December 2017. In February 2020, the Assembly established the subcommittee “On Sustainable Development”, which operates under the auspices of the Standing Parliamentary Committee on Economy and Finance. Albania encourages the latest UN initiative on “Supporting Dialogue, Confidence Building and Reconciliation in the Western Balkans”. The philosophy of the UN initiative is commendable and goes in the spirit of resolving past and present regional issues through dialogue. We should all try to make it successful,” underlined Ruci. McCluney thanked Ruci, for the institutional and personal commitment as well as his constructive role in the drafting of the Albanian legislation as well as the cooperation with the organizations of the UN system. She expressed the assessment that the electoral reform, among other issues, has managed to guarantee gender equality in representation in the Albanian parliament and noted the commendable work of the parliament and Ruci for the ratification of international conventions and the drafting of legislation in support of human rights, children, refugees and asylum seekers.