LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Relations with Turkey at historic high (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday the present level of Serbia-Turkey relations was higher than ever in the modern history of the two peoples and countries, and noted that results in bilateral trade were excellent. At a press conference with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Belgrade, Vucic thanked his counterpart for visiting Serbia and noted that Erdogan’s visits were always a great honor and a special privilege for Serbia. “I believe the results we have achieved demonstrate that we have succeeded in taking our relations to a very high level that I would say is the highest in the modern history of our peoples and countries,” Vucic said. He said the volume of bilateral trade had increased from significantly below 1 billion Euros to nearly 2.5 billion Euros and was seeing a major rise this year. “I believe we are on the right track to accomplishing an objective set by President Erdogan - a volume of trade of 5 billion euros, which we did not believe was possible,” he said. He said he was especially pleased that Turkish investments kept coming to Serbia and that Turkish companies were employing nearly 10,000 people in the country. He thanked Turkey for the idea of a joint project to build a Novi Pazar-Tutin road in southwestern Serbia. He said a bridge that was being constructed by a Turkish company as part of a Kuzmin-Raca motorway section in western Serbia looked impressive. Vucic said he expected the 19.1 km section to be finished soon, completing a motorway connection between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He said the many other projects with Turkey were hugely important for Serbia. He said the meeting with Erdogan had also addressed greater cooperation between the two defense ministries as well as stepped-up military and defense industry cooperation. “We have made no secret of the fact that we want to buy Bayraktar UAVs. Everyone wants those UAVs, we have queued up to buy them and I believe Serbia can acquire them next year. We are prepared to pay more money than the initially agreed dozens of millions of Euros,” Vucic said. He said they had discussed joint training that would enable Serbian paratroopers to make jumps from as high as 6,000-7,000 m. The role of the two ministries of foreign affairs is also important and they always hold consultations, Vucic said, adding that FMs Nikola Selakovic and Mevlut Cavusoglu maintained a very fair relationship.

Vucic thanked Turkey for supporting the Open Balkan initiative and for efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region. He said they had discussed the situation in Ukraine, the issue of sanctions on Russia, as well as all other important matters, including energy. Vucic said he had asked Erdogan that Turkey help Serbia with transmission of electricity from Azerbaijan. He said they had discussed stability in the region and the importance of maintaining peace, and added that they had reiterated their positions on the integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “And on respect of the Dayton Agreement and the integrity of Republika Srpska within Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is what I added. We discussed the relations between Serbs and Bosniaks, as well as a trilateral meeting of Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, he said. Vucic said that he discussed with his Turkish counterpart the possibility of Turkey helping with electricity supplies. “This winter will be very cold for all of us, and if you listened carefully to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the next one will be polar for the whole of Europe,” Vucic stressed. During a joint press conference with Erdogan Vucic was asked how he interprets this morning’s speech by the President of Russia, who warned that a disaster awaits Europe and the world, and how it could affect our country. Vucic replied that a cold winter awaits us all. “I couldn’t see all of Putin’s speech, but I would define it as follows. This winter will be very cold for all of us, and if you listened carefully, the next one will be polar for all of Europe,” he underlined. Vucic also said that it seems to him that no one wants to find a solution for the Ukrainian war. “I’m afraid that everyone is expecting the defeat of the other side, not a compromise. If you really think you will easily defeat Russia militarily... What’s left for us to do is prepare well for a cold and polar winter,” said Vucic. Answering a journalist’s question about the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, Erdogan said that Turkey is ready to provide support in every possible way to reach a solution. “We have seen positive developments and I hope that there is a positive acceleration that will be sustainable in the Balkans, because the Balkans can no longer tolerate this kind of problem,” said Erdogan. Erdogan said that he hopes that after the agreement on the documents, an agreement will be reached in the near future on the issue of license plates with Pristina, as well as on other disputed issues. “We are very satisfied that an agreement has been reached when it comes to crossing borders with ID cards only between Serbia and Kosovo. When it comes to license plates, I hope that an agreement will be reached as soon as possible, as well as on other problematic issues,” he said. We have pursued a policy of balance between Russia and Ukraine, and we will continue to strive for that. However, there are certain countries whose stance we do not agree with, Erdogan said today in Belgrade. He was answering questions from journalists who wanted him to comment on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech this morning, regarding the price of gas. According to him, the situation is such that Russia has used its trump card, and Europe is in trouble. However, he insists that this could have been taken care of earlier. Additionally, Erdogan believes that a diplomatic solution will be found. “Russia has stopped supplying gas, prices have gone up, and now everyone is looking for alternatives. Why didn't you think about it earlier? Russia obviously had an ace up its sleeve,” said Erdogan.

 

Selakovic: Nothing controversial in Vucic’s statements following meeting with Slovenian President (RTS/Tanjug)

 

There is absolutely nothing controversial in what President Aleksandar Vucic said at the joint press conference with Slovenia president Borut Pahor last Saturday in Belgrade, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said on Tuesday, reacting to the statement of the Slovenian Ministry that it is “very surprised with Vucic’s statement”, and its summoning of Serbian Ambassador in that country Zorana Vlatkovic for talks. Selakovic said on Tuesday that Vucic, in his statement on Saturday, “drew attention to the inviolability of internationally recognized borders of UN member states, as one of the fundamental principles of international public law, without differentiating the application and respect of that principle depending on countries,” RTS reports. “For Serbia, this principle applies to Serbia and to Ukraine and to other internationally recognized UN members. This principle is clear, solid and universal, and so is Serbia’s position, and those who don’t respect it will always seek excuses and provide unsubstantiated explanations for their stances,” Selakovic said.

 

Drecun: Brnabic’s visit sent message to Pristina and international community (Tanjug)

 

Milovan Drecun, MP and recent chairman of the parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija, assessed that Prime Minister Ana Brnabic’s visit to the southern province was a message to the international community and Pristina that Belgrade is determined to solve problems peacefully, as well as that Serbia will not give up on protecting its people. Drecun assessed that the Prime Minister’s visit to Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic and Zvecan - Banjska came at a very sensitive moment for the Kosovo Serbs, in which freedom of movement, security, and the survival of the Serb people are threatened in the north. “That is why it was very important for her to come and calm down our people, to show them that the state will take care and will not allow anything bad to happen to them, that they will try to solve the problems in a peaceful, political way,” Drecun told Tanjug. “Parallel to those stabilizing messages, we received unacceptable messages from the representatives of Pristina in Bujanovac and Presevo, which were misused to introduce the non-existent issue of the Vranje basin into the dialogue, which shows that Pristina uses every moment and event not to promote reconciliation and agreement, but to further burden the relations of Serbs and Albanians, Belgrade and Pristina,” Drecun assessed.

 

Petkovic: With his visit to the north, Kurti wanted to cause tensions (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic assessed today that the visit of the Prime Minister of the provisional institutions in Pristina Albin Kurti to the north of Kosovo and Metohija was aimed at causing tensions, provocations and instability. As stated in the announcement of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, Petkovic pointed out that the success of Prime Minister Ana Brnabic’s visit to the southern Serbian province is best evidenced by the fact that the very next day Albin Kurti “ran” to take pictures in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. “Only, Ana Brnabic was enthusiastically welcomed by several thousands of Serbs, while Kurti had to secretly sneak around the north of our province, secretly and covertly, and the only ones who welcomed him were members of ROSU,” said Petkovic. As stated in the announcement, “there is no doubt that Kurti remembered well how the Serb people unequivocally showed him that he had nothing to look for in the north of Kosovo and Metohija when he last publicly tried to step into a Serb region”. He assessed that “it was good that Kurti watched in detail the visit of the Serbian Prime Minister to Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan and Leposavic, because he could learn how to send messages of peace, democracy and stability and who the Serbs only accept as their Prime Minister”.

 

Patriarch Porfirije: Cancellation of EuroPride appropriate (RTS/RTV/Tanjug)

 

Serbian Patriarch Porfirije said on Tuesday the recent cancellation of EuroPride was appropriate, and recalled that, since the beginning of the world and time and until their end, matrimony and family had been and would be defined as a union of love of a man, a woman and their children. He said the announcement of a EuroPride parade in Belgrade had sparked a major debate and divisions and controversies not only in Serbia, but everywhere the Serbs lived. "This subject has been imposed on us in an artificial way and it is completely contrary to the system of values of our people, as well as to that of our brothers and sisters of other faiths who we live with. Representatives of traditional churches and religious communities have directly spoken to me about this. For that reason, I consider the cancellation of the event to be appropriate," the Patriarch said in a special statement released by the Serbian Orthodox Church. "We fully understand the essentially justified great concern of our people, which felt that coarse promotion and imposition of policies and ideologies aimed at destroying the pillars that our identity has been built on for centuries and at making everything fragile, relative and fluid is a deep and systematic threat to all the fundamental values it has been faithful to for centuries, in particular, to the sanctity of matrimony and family," he said. "At the same time, I would like to remind that the Church of Christ respects the God-given freedom of every human being, and that is why the Church is against any form of violence and public stigmatization or persecution of anyone," he also noted.

 

Lopandic: Germany, France want more direct inclusion in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta)

 

The announcement of the additional engagement of France and Germany in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue confirms the thesis about the West's assessing the situation in the Balkans as uncertain and that, in the context of the war in Ukraine, greater engagement with the aim of reducing tensions would be necessary, the vice-president of the European Movement in Serbia Dusko Lopandic has told Beta. Lopandic told Beta that the fact that Macron and Scholz had assigned their advisors, Jens Ploetner and Emmanuel Bonne, to help the EU mediator in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak indicated a kind of continuity of France and Germany's actions with the time of Angela Merkel, and recalled the announcements of a possible top-level meeting in Paris. In his words, the inclusion of chief foreign policy advisors perhaps represents an implicit announcement of a top-level meeting within the dialogue. "At the same time, that indicates the attempt of the two largest EU states to be more directly included in the dialogue, in which the US had the greatest visibility in the recent period, after that of Lajcak," said Lopandic, who is a diplomat with many years of service. However, he added, the letter by Macron and Scholz, while declaring that Belgrade and Pristina were expected to make "tough decisions", remains unclear regarding the "European prospects" that would make the process of "normalization" easier for the two sides. On the other hand, Lopandic said, in Serbia's case, words about "EU orientation" are not accompanied by action – quite the opposite. "Positive steps regarding the solving of some issues, like the ID cards, or the positive atmosphere at the Open Balkans summit, cannot be a replacement or compensation for true reforms and for making the country more EU-like in issues such as the rule of law, strengthening of institutions or the fight against corruption," Lopandic concluded.

 

Serb man arrested at Gazimestan sentenced to eight months in prison (RTS)

 

A Serb man arrested in the Gazimestan memorial complex near Pristina, after a St Vitus's Day commemoration on June 28 was sentenced to eight months in prison by a Pristina Basic Court on Tuesday. Twenty-year-old Belgrader Nikola Nedeljkovic was previously charged with “inciting ethnic hatred and intolerance”. Nedeljkovic has been in detention in the north of Kosovska Mitrovica for over two months. Time spent in detention will count towards his sentence, the Kosovo Online news portal reported. RTS said Nedeljkovic had been ordered to pay 80 Euros in court fees. The first-instance verdict may be appealed. During a hearing earlier in the day, Nedeljkovic once again pleaded not guilty. Nedejkovic was arrested as he was leaving the memorial complex and was later accused of allegedly chanting “Kill, kill the Shqiptar”. The only witness of the offence was a police officer who arrested him. Nedeljkovic’s attorney Jovana Filipovic said after the sentence was pronounced that the alleged evidence presented by the prosecutor and witnesses were irrelevant and that it was symptomatic that only they have heard the chanting. “The indictment was not supported by absolutely any material evidence,” she said. On Tuesday, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic called the sentence against Nedeljkovic “scandalous”.

 

Vucic speaks at the session of the UN General Assembly on 20 September (B92)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic will participate in the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The UN Annual Assembly in New York will last from 20 to 26 September, the media reports. High-level delegations from almost all countries of the world will participate in the general debate, during which Vucic will speak, which will be an opportunity to discuss current events in the world during the regular session, almost certainly with an emphasis on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Vucic and Selakovic are expected to hold numerous meetings with representatives of the UN, as well as several countries, at official talks, but also on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Erdogan meets with B&H Presidency members within official visit to B&H, states High Representative should not make interventions in relation to B&H Election Law (FTV) 

 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived on Tuesday in an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) within his regional tour, and he was welcomed with the highest military honors in front of the B&H Presidency. The reporter notes that the welcoming ceremony was followed by series of meetings, and goes not to say that Erdogan was accompanied by a large number of Turkish ministers, and welcomed by, among others, B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic, B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac and B&H Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic. On the occasion, the agreement on mutual protection and exchange of confidential information in the field of defense industry was signed, increased economic cooperation between B&H and Turkey, continuation of the Sarajevo-Belgrade highway, and cooperation in the energy sector and industry zones were announced, as well as a new way to strengthen relations between the two countries, i.e. B&H and Turkish nationals being able travel between the two countries with IDs only. Addressing the press conference after the meeting in the B&H Presidency, Chairman of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic said: “Immediately before this press conference, we talked about movements of Turkish and B&H citizens to B&H and Turkey with IDs only. Members of the (B&H) Presidency agreed to that, President Erdogan agreed to that. The only thing remaining is procedure that should be implemented by the (B&H) Council of Ministers.” President Erdogan said: “We made that decision and our foreign ministers will implement necessary procedures and after that, we will travel from Turkey to B&H and from B&H to Turkey with IDs. We attach great importance to the project of the Sarajevo-Belgrade highway which foundations were laid in 2019. My colleagues pointed to some important issues related to this project, especially in regard to financial activities and we gave necessary instructions to the Ziraat Bank General Director to eliminate the existing issues as soon as possible.” The reporter notes that, as expected, political issues were also discussed, and Erdogan expressed his opinion on the possibility of High Representative (HR) in B&H Christian Schmidt imposing amendments to the B&H Election Law. “We should not have the HR’s intervention, that goes against democratic principles. We should make every step in that regard. We have the period shorter than one month, and in this period, any HR’s intervention is an intervention in democratic process in B&H,” said Erdogan. All three B&H Presidency members agreed said visit is very important and pragmatic, and B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik said that meeting with Erdogan is one or rare occasions when the B&H Presidency members “are not in dispute”, when they work, reach agreements and make progress. Addressing the press conference, Dzaferovic said: “The issue of the (B&H) Election Law is an internal matter of B&H, and you could hear such message from the speech of President Erdogan in a nice, polite manner.” Dodik said: “We are also aware here that without the political agreement among political representatives of peoples in B&H there are no institutional decisions. Referring to institutions, it is not always like that in B&H. If peoples fail to agree, there are no institutional decisions. Therefore, I call for resolution of those issues, expel Schmidt as soon as possible.” B&H Presidency member Zeljko Komsic said: “I can only hope that Mr. Schmidt will stick to democratic tradition of the country he comes from. If you expect me to refer to what Mr. Dodik said, you rightly expect that. Everything Mr. Dodik said is actually in favor to the thesis that the Dayton Peace Agreement is an outdated category and should be amended, B&H needs a different constitution.” Addressing the press conference, Erdogan said: “It is of vital importance that elections on October 2 are transparent and constructive, and that is important not only for B&H, but also for our entire region. Because of that, promoting election atmosphere that will contribute to prosperity and wellbeing of the country in the process leading to the elections is of special importance for peace and stability of B&H. Decisions related to the Election Law are adopted by these three leaders. They should adopt that decision, and we should not have the High Representative’s intervention, that goes against democratic principles.” In addition to commending Erdogan’s activities in B&H and the region, Dodik used the opportunity to criticize the West over “interfering with internal affairs of B&H” and pointed out the need for local solutions. Dodik also mentioned Turkey’s assistance to B&H during the crisis initiated by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Dodik said: “I would like to thank President Erdogan, because he personally influenced so that necessary quantities of fertilizer are secured for B&H in key moments, that we have implemented and ensured stable agricultural production here, not endangered due to the lack of fertilizer.”

 

Delegation of Turkey meets with representatives of B&H parliament (Hayat) 

 

Following meeting with members of B&H Presidency, delegation of Turkey consisting of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ministers in Turkish government and some 100 entrepreneurs paid visit to the Parliament of B&H where they met with members of Collegiums of both Houses of the B&H parliament. One of those who failed to welcome Erdogan was leader of HDZ B&H and member of B&H House of Peoples (HoP) leadership Dragan Covic. Reporter commented that reason for this might be the fact Erdogan stated he opposes changes of the Election Law of B&H advocated by Croatia and consequently by HDZ B&H. Collocutors discussed cooperation between Turkey and B&H in upcoming period. Reporter commented that this meeting was of rather formal nature and that further details on it have not been provided. Erdogan was welcomed by speaker of the B&H HoP Nikola Spiric and deputy speaker of the B&H HoP Bakir Izetbegovic. The reporter notes it is interesting that Covic did not attend the meeting, the reason of his absence is not known, and it is also not known if Covic’s absence is connected to Erdogan’s statement, he opposes changes in the B&H Election Law, whatever the case is, a message conveyed after the meeting was that it is necessary to continue to work on strengthening relations between B&H and Turkey, and that the best way to do that is to further develop trade between the two countries. During his Tuesday visit to B&H, Erdogan paid a visit to memorial cemetery Kovaci and grave of the first Chairman of RB&H Presidency Alija Izetbegovic. The reporter noted that the grave of late Izetbegovic is one of places Erdogan pays visit to every time he is in Sarajevo. Chairman of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic, B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turkovic and leader of SDA and delegate in B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Bakir Izetbegovic visited Kovaci along with Erdogan. Erdogan also met with Grand Mufti of the Islamic Community Husein Kavazovic. In his speech, Erdogan stressed that Turkey always stood by B&H’s side and he stated that Islamic Community B&H needs to be a leader in the unity in the difficult period that B&H is currently facing. Kavazovic expressed his content with the visit and thanked Erdogan for everything that Turkey is doing for B&H and Muslims in B&H.

 

B&H-Turkey business forum commences (Hayat) 

 

On the occasion of the visit of the delegation of Turkey at helm with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to B&H, a business economic forum between B&H and Turkey will be held in one hotel in Sarajevo on Tuesday. Participants of this business forum will be addressed by Erdogan, Chair of B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic, B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac, Turkish Minister of Trade, President of the Foreign Trade Chamber of B&H and Board for International Economic Relations of Turkey. Latter two officials should sign a memorandum on cooperation. Reporter commented that B&H has deep economic relations with Turkey. Dzaferovic stated earlier on Tuesday that Turkey has best relations with B&H in regards to trade privileges. Hayat reminds that free trade agreement between B&H and Turkey has been in force since 2003, adding that ever since then volume of bilateral trade exchange has been increasing. Volume of bilateral trade exchange in 2003 amount to some BAM 206 million, while in last year it was around BAM 1.4 billion. By end of 2021, Turkey invested some BAM 519 million in B&H. Over last five years, volume of trade exchange between two countries is around BAM 5.9 billion. Total worth of goods important from Turkey in 2021 was around BAM 1.1 billion, while B&H exported goods worth BAM 360 million to Turkey in same period.

 

Cikotic and Lenarcic sign agreement on B&H joining EU Civil Protection Mechanism (FTV) 

 

B&H has officially joined the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, after B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic and European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic signed an agreement on Tuesday, according to which B&H has officially become a full member of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. FTV reports that, by signing the said agreement, B&H joined the Mechanism members that have access to mutual cooperation and assistance, and will be eligible to more projects, more funds, but will also have greater obligations. Addressing the press conference, Cikotic said: “Under principles of solidarity and reciprocity, we can assist others, but also get assistance from others. Member countries commit to exchange of information, coordination of joint operations and distribution of resources to ensure more efficient response to catastrophes in the members of this Mechanism and outside the EU.” Lenarcic said: “I saw during the demonstration exercise in April, how all civil protection services from B&H, from Republika Srpska (RS), the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and the District Brcko, can cooperate, can work together and can even work together with services from the neighboring countries. This procedure as well, carried out quickly and efficiently, proves it is possible to work together based on joint interests”.  Spokesperson for the FB&H Civil Protection Administration (FUCZ) Majda Kovac said for FTV that the FUCZ has formed 11 special units composed of FUCZ employees, who undergo continuous trainings in line with the modules of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. FTV reminds that after floods in 2014, EUR 2.5 million was allocated to B&H for reconstruction, civil protection services underwent training and it was recommended to work on increasing civil protection capacities in the country before joining the Mechanism. Commenting on this, President of the Association for Risk Management (AZUR) Haris Delic said the money and all available capacities and knowledge were used in the best possible way. FTV reports there are six non-EU countries that are members of the Mechanism, and all countries can expect assistance in responding to emergency situations caused by climate change when national capacities are insufficient. The reporter notes that B&H has been in situations to need such assistance, and goes on to say that, by joining the Mechanism, B&H will have the opportunity to receive more substantial assistance. “I think it would be good to recognize the possibility to purchase aircrafts adequate for wildfires, because that is one of the challenges we face every year,” said Cikotic. FTV reports that before the signing the agreement, Lenarcic met with the B&H Presidency members, and on the occasion, it was underscored that joining the Mechanism is an indicator of possible changes in B&H that will bring the country closer to the EU. In the next five years, membership fee for B&H will be only 30 per cent of total amount, another form of support to B&H on its EU path. On the occasion, Cikotic and Lenarcic stated that fast and efficient work was done in four months, proving that things may develop in B&H in the same manner. Cikotic said: “As of today, in addition to several other countries, i.e. Island, Norway, Turkey, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, B&H is joining to the team of countries that are not the EU member states, but they are members of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.” Lenarcic said: “The EU Civil Protection Mechanism is a symbol of solidarity, mutual assistance between the EU member states and participant countries, B&H is becoming, and even with third countries. Any country in the world can ask for assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.”

 

Dodik, Varhelyi have phone conversation: Dodik says institutions at level of B&H work on conditions for status of candidate (RTRS) 

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik had a phone conversation with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi. According to RTRS, the two officials discussed issues related to the EU integration of B&H. On this occasion, Dodik pointed out that institutions at the level of B&H are working on solving of issues that represent direct conditions for the country’ status of the candidate. According to Dodik, he will advocate solving of issues that are important not just for the EU path of B&H but that are important for citizens of Republika Srpska and the Federation of B&H. Varhelyi noted that effort is visible and that things should continue in this direction in order to get EU funds.

 

Bosniaks want to rule Croat Caucus in FB&H HoP through central Bosnia (Vecernji list) 

 

The daily reads that although the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H clearly warned in its judgment (Ljubic case presumably) of a practice of one people electing delegates to the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP) for other people, representatives of the Bosniak parties will again use the ‘legal vacuum’ in an attempt to push their people into the Croat Caucus (in the FB&H HoP) this year. According to reporter, the Bosniak parties will use their numerical advantage and will use the Bosniak votes to elect their Croats into cantonal assemblies, who will then be elected into the FB&H HoP. President of HDZ B&H Cantonal Board of Central-Bosnia Canton Radoje Vidovic has confirmed for the daily that in this canton, as well as in neighboring Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnaiak parties have placed their Croat candidates high up on the ballots, which reveals their true goal. Article also reminds that Head of the Croat Caucus in the FB&H Ivo Tadic recently told the daily that in case there is no agreement (on the Election Law) “and it is obvious it (agreement) is not possible, we come to a situation that we will, if (High Representative Christian) Schmidt does not impose changed, fall into a serious political crisis”.

 

Opposition MPs unite in calling for Plenkovic to step down over Ina Affair (N1) 

 

Opposition MPs in the 151-seat parliament united on Tuesday to called on Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his cabinet to step down, in the wake of the revelations of illegal gas trading at the national oil company Ina, accusing the ruling HDZ party of corruption. All 11 opposition party clubs held a joint meeting on Tuesday in Parliament to discuss the Ina gas sale scandal, after parliament speaker Gordan Jandrokovic (HDZ) refused their request to convene an urgent meeting of parliament about this case. The suspects in the Ina scandal — former Ina executive and low-ranking member of HDZ, Damir Skugor, Skugor’s father Dane, the former head of the national bar association, Josip Surjak, Surjak’s business partner, Goran Husic, and the former CEO of a publicly-owned regional gas distributor PIS in eastern Croatia and also a member of HDZ, Marija Ratkic, allegedly defrauded Ina of more than 1 billion kuna (€133 million). Investigator allege that Skugor, who was in charge of gas trading, signed contracts supplying Ina’s natural gas to Ratkic’s company PIS at fixed prices which were well below market value. Ratkic would then re-sell the gas at the same price to a private-owned business called OMS Ulaganje owned by Surjak and Husic, who would then go on to sell the gas to buyers abroad, at prices often ten times higher – investigators found that the suspects were buying gas from Ina via Ratkic’s company for €19.5 per mWh only to sell it on the open market for €210 per mWh. The scheme was only discovered after large sums appeared in the account of Damir Skugor’s father Dane, a pensioner living quietly near Sibenik, which led the bank to notify authorities under rules adopted to combat money laundering. Investigators allege that Damir and Dane Skugor pocketed nearly 500 million kuna (€66 million), that Husic took more than 90 million kuna (€12 million), and Surjak another 68.9 million kuna (€9 million). In addition, more than 200 million kuna (€27 million) in profit was discovered in the bank account of OMS Ulaganje. Ratkic is not suspected of acquiring any financial gain from the scheme. During questioning, Skugor said he was not guilty, and that the gas was sold in line with Ina’s standard business policy. MP Ivana Posavec-Krivec of the Social Democrats – a group of former members of the Social Democrat Party (SDP) – described the behaviour of PM Plenkovic in this case as “shocking and nonchalant.” Her party colleague, MP Domagoj Hajdukovic, said that if the PM had no knowledge of what had happened at Ina then that means that he has no control, and that “we are powerless, incapable and impotent to manage our strategic resources.” On the other hand, if Ina’s management and the government had some knowledge about the case then they are “the biggest thieves in the history of this country.” Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader, MP Pedja Grbin, said that “the common denominator in all the plunders is HDZ membership.” Grbin said that opposition parties would “use all parliament tools to free the country of the shackles that are pushing it downward.” Leader of the conservative populist party Most, MP Bozo Petrov, said that “two words best describe this situation: insolence and impertinence.” MP Sandra Bencic of the Green-Left Bloc said that PM Plenkovic was responsible for the scandal, and asking rhetorically whether the government would sue Ina over this case. “The prime minister has to go. This is a case that is reason enough to hold a new election.” Bencic insisted on political responsibility also because of the decision of the state regulator Hera which issued a permit to buy and sell gas to a new-founded company with a single employee, which ended up being implicated in this scandal.

 

Mandic: First we’ll elect parliament’s speaker and management, then government (CdM) 

 

The former parliamentary majority had a very successful meeting today. We had fruitful discussions, devoted a lot of time to the program of the future government and challenges ahead, primarily, a difficult winter – the energy crisis which has hit Europe, salaries and pensions and food supplies, one of the leaders of the Democratic Front (DF) Andrija Mandic said at the news conference. “As for the implementation of the program and people who should be appointed and who should work, we agreed to select the best and most capable ones, and the parties are going to analyse the situation and propose their candidates. In line with the agreement, we’re going to reset the entire system, elect new parliament’s management, and then the new government. It’s evident that we wish to make a step forward and do everything we can so that the entire Montenegro is satisfied,” Mandic said.

 

Koprivica: First the allocation of seats, then about the names, the political agreement was not signed by 41 deputies (CdM) 

 

Democrat MP Momo Koprivica said after the meeting of the parliamentary majority on 30 August 2020 that an agreement was reached on certain methodological principles, and that the Democrats asked for the talks to continue. Koprivica pointed out that at the last meeting they accepted 100 percent of their colleagues' proposals, and that the same number of their proposals were rejected. "But we don't get angry and continue with a constructive approach. This means that we do not blackmail," Koprivica pointed out. He said that the Democrats at the meeting asked to first determine the methodology in the negotiations. "To determine what is the subject of distribution. That is accepted. Everyone agreed that first the subject of the distribution should be defined, what is in the distribution, and then only after the agreement on the distribution should we move on to the names and personnel story," said Koprivica. This package includes the new leadership of the Assembly, the President of the Assembly, presidents of committees, vice-presidents of committees who would be elected by the parliamentary majority, the Prime Minister, vice-presidents and members of the government, then the positions of state secretaries and secretaries in ministries... "It is precisely defined what is the package that is being discussed politically. It was accepted that the allocation of places should be completed first, and then it will be moved to the personnel story," said Koprivica. Then he disclosed one thing. "I would say that the organizer of the meeting asked for the political agreement to be signed by 41 deputies, but that was not done. You, as journalists, investigate who did not agree to put the signatures," added Koprivica.

 

Deputies of the URA Civic Movement refused to sign the Political Agreement (CdM) 

 

Deputies of the URA Civic Movement rejected the proposal for 41 deputies to sign the Political Agreement submitted last week by the Democratic Front at the meeting of the old parliamentary majority, CdM learned from a source from one of the parties that attended the meeting. "I would say that the organizer of the meeting requested that the Political Agreement be signed by 41 deputies, but that was not done. You, as journalists, investigate who did not agree to put the signatures of 41 members of parliament," said Democrat MP Momo Koprivica. "The principles of cooperation between the parties of the old parliamentary majority would be based on respecting the electoral will of the citizens expressed in the 2020 elections, and the goals would remain the fight against corruption and organized crime and preventing any return of the Democratic Party of Socialists to power," the Political Agreement states, among other things.

Andrija Mandic, one of the DF leaders who convened the meeting, said that they had agreed to elect the President of the Assembly and its leadership first, and then the government.

"The agreement stipulates that all seats will be reset, the new leadership of the Assembly will be elected, and then the new government will be elected. There is a clear good desire and intention to move forward and to do everything we can to the satisfaction of the whole of Montenegro," stated Mandic.

 

Novakovic Djurovic: Abazovic should remain PM (CdM) 

 

Regardless of the course and outcome of political negotiations, Dritan Abazovic should remain in the post of Prime Minister of Montenegro. First, to finish the processes he started, which are of key importance for the fight against corruption and organized crime, announced today the political director of the Citizens' Movement URA and the Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism Ana Novakovic Djurovic. As she said, in addition to the above, in the first 100 days of the government, Abazovic raised all the key issues from the Agreement for the formation of the 43rd government that he leads: economic, social, environmental, but also complex issues that divided society. "Thus, he showed responsibility and willingness to fulfil his promise. The fact that some of the signatories of the same agreement did not like the dynamics and way of working, it is now clear, was just an excuse to stop the most important processes of dealing with crime and corruption," she said. She pointed out that with a lot of work, there are always mistakes. "During the first 100 days, there were probably mistakes, but there was no deviation from the main direction for the recovery of Montenegrin society - and that direction means, above all, economic recovery and freeing the state from corruption and crime. The results of these activities have yet to reach their full extent, and that is why it is important that Dritan Abazovic has the opportunity to complete these key processes," emphasized Novakovic Djurovic. According to the political director of that party, URA will, as before, participate in talks with other political subjects, with the key ambition and desire that they result in an agreement on the most important issues related to our European path, namely appointments in the judiciary. "We are clearly of the opinion that the president of GP URA should remain the prime minister, because from the position of prime minister, he is the most responsible for creating a favorable environment for the operation of independent institutions, providing unreserved political support to the prosecution and other authorities in freeing the state from crime and corruption," Novakovic Djurovic concluded.

 

Pendarovski: The opposition's question about the referendum is practically to stop the European path (Libertas) 

 

At the referendum, we will receive a question from the opposition that will essentially ask the Macedonian citizens if they want us to stop moving towards the EU, President Stevo Pendarovski said yesterday, answering a journalist's question after the session of the Security Council. Pendarovski, in response to a journalist's question whether it is possible to receive compensation for the constitutional amendments if support is given for the VMRO-DPMNE referendum, said that "apart from the fact that such a thing is extremely immoral and no sane person would think of doing it, said that one also excludes the other." According to Pendarovski, the opposition's question for the referendum is to practically stop the European path. So, if you support such a referendum - classic anti-European with the question, there is no need to further change to the Constitution. One excludes the other. In short, we got what we expected. We received a question with which, in essence, Macedonian citizens are asked or will be asked - do you want us to stop moving towards the EU. That is the question, said Pendarovski. According to the President, it is strange why the Prespa Agreement is not mentioned in the referendum question, because, as he says, in the European negotiating framework with which we recently started negotiations, Prespa and the Agreement with Bulgaria are mentioned in the same sentence.

 

Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, VMRO-DPMNE will not support constitutional amendments (Republika) 

 

The leader of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski emphasized at the briefing with journalists that he is convinced that the announced referendum will succeed and that the citizens will recognize its importance. He said that regardless of the outcome of the referendum VMRO-DPMNE will not support the constitutional amendments for the inclusion of Bulgarians.

There are two dilemmas before us, what if the referendum, which should be mandatory, fails, and the second is that we don’t have a problem with Berlin or Paris, but we have a problem with Sofia, because without defining history according to their facts, we will neither start the negotiations nor progress on the path to EU membership. No one in the EU can guarantee us that Bulgaria will not continue with its veto policy. Hence, the only way is to cancel the bilateral agreement, which contains a clause or a word for its cancellation. A poisonous tree bears poisonous fruit. On the other hand, we are ready to negotiate a new agreement with Bulgaria without assimilation content, Mickoski said. He is convinced that the referendum will succeed, which requires national Macedonian conviction, but also the support of all citizens of Macedonia, Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Roma, Vlachs… because the Macedonian identity is directly attacked.

 

Rama: The image of Albania has changed, more and more French are coming to Albania (Metropole/Radio Tirana) 

 

Prime Minister Rama said for French channel Metropole that the image of Albania in France has changed and more and more French people are coming to our country. In the report "Exclusive Investigations", Rama also spoke about the progress of the EU integration process. As the journalist says in the report dedicated to our country, behind this success is a man who has been working for nine years to make Albania more European than ever. The Prime Minister emphasized that "it is not a predictable process, because it is a permanent policy in the Union, the internal policy of the countries". But according to him, "we must build a legal state". "I remember something that Michel Rocard told me a long time ago: You must understand that negotiating with the European Union to join it is a process of raising your country. We must build a legal state", said the Prime Minister. On the other hand, Rama emphasized that "the image that has been created for our country abroad is a stereotype for Albania and far from the Albanian reality". "I don't want to say that there is no corruption, in any case, Albania has problems with corruption precisely because we still do not have the rule of law and institutions capable of fighting all these phenomena", he added. Asked what Albania will bring to Europe, the Prime Minister underlined that "Albania is one of the countries of the Balkans". "I think it is more concrete what the Balkans can bring to Europe. More security, not only in the military sense, but also in the fight against illegal immigration, drugs, more security, more unity, because it is a bit like the stomach of Europe. Therefore, it is not a good idea to have the stomach separated from the body, because it can create many problems", he added. In conclusion, Rama assessed that "little by little, a change has started regarding the image of Albania in France". "More and more French are coming to Albania. It's really great that this is changing. And what's more, when people come to Albania, they are left speechless, because the Albania they find is completely different from the Albania they imagined reading these stereotypical articles about crime, drugs, mafia," he said.

 

Kodheli and Naco at the Conference on Foreign and Security Policy in Prague (Radio Tirana) 

 

The Chairperson of the Committee for Foreign Policy Mimi Kodheli, together with the Chairperson of the Committee for National Security Nasip Naco, took part in the Interparliamentary Conference of the Committees for Foreign Policy and Security, which was organized in Prague within the framework of the EU Presidency that the Czech Republic leads for this six-month period. The conference focused the work on four main pillars, the priorities of the Union after the adoption last March of the new strategy, Ukraine a model of political support and its reconstruction, the enlargement of the EU with the countries of the Western Balkans, disinformation and the hybrid threat. During her intervention in the panel dedicated to the Western Balkans and the enlargement process, Kodheli said that the unity of the European family was discussed for years, but Albania did not lose its direction despite having to wait years for a green light from the EU. During her speech, she also sought to turn attention from Kosovo, requesting the lifting of the visa regime for this country. In the parliamentary dimension of the presidency's activities, this format is one of the most important where parliamentarians can discuss and present national interests to a wider audience. The panelists share their comments as well as representatives of Brussels offices respond to the interest of the MPs. The next meeting will be held in March, in Sweden.