LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic meets with Botsan-Kharchenko (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko on Tuesday. During the meeting, Vucic and Botsan-Kharchenko discussed subjects in the domain of bilateral cooperation, also exchanging views on the geopolitical situation, the presidential press office said in a statement. They also discussed the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as regional affairs. Vucic once again reiterated Serbia remained committed to a policy of peace and cooperation as the only way of solving open issues. Vucic expressed gratitude for Russia's support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. Vucic also expressed the hope lasting peace would soon be established on European soil.

 

Vucic: $1 billion loan from UAE will ensure Serbia’s liquidity (RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is Serbia’s great and true friend, and that the $1bn loan approved to Serbia by the UAE will ensure Serbia’s full liquidity. Following his meeting with Mohamed bin Zayed, who is paying a visit to Belgrade, Vucic said that the loan will be at Serbia’s disposal a day after the loan agreement is ratified, because Serbia still has to take care of some technical issues. “Sheikh Mohamed is such a great friend of this country that he was angry with his own people thinking that they were slowing things down, but they are not, we are,” Vucic said, RTS reported on its portal. He said Serbia currently has two billion and two hundred million Euro in its account. “So, full liquidity without a problem. And when this billion is in the account of the Republic of Serbia, then it is clear to you that we have great liquidity,” said Vucic.

Asked if any agreement has been reached with the UAE regarding oil, Vucic said that he cannot talk about oil supply but only about long-term plans. The President said he hopes he will be able to also interest Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in some other investments. “Today, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, our great friend, arrived in Serbia for a visit. I am very happy that we have the opportunity to exchange opinions with him today and tonight, when the Prime Minister and many ministers will be with us. We can learn a great deal and see what the plans and expectations are. If there is anyone who knows what we can expect in terms of oil prices and quantities, it is him,” Vucic told the media, RTS reported. “We talked about the overall situation, both in Ukraine and in the region. I informed him of what the West expects of Serbia, and to what kind of, some would say pressure, some would call it differently, we are exposed to,” Vucic added. Vucic thanked Sheikh Mohamed for every kind of support and assistance, noting that the one million US dollar loan with 3 percent interest that Serbia got from the UAE, under such favorable conditions, is an almost incredible thing for Serbia.

Hill: Serbia needs to deal with energy dependence (Beta)

 

US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said that a lot is being done to help Serbia deal with its dependence on Russia for fuels. According to Hill, Serbia has to move away from Russia in terms of energy needs. “Serbia needs to diversify its energy supply sources and move away from Russia which has proved to be a very unreliable supplier,” he told reporters at an event in the National Public Administration Academy.

 

Serbia's cooperation and partnership with ICRC, UNHCR (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic spoke on Monday in Geneva with President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Mirjana Spoljaric Egger about Serbia's cooperation with that humanitarian organization. Selakovic conveyed to Spoljaric Egger the openness of Serbia to provide an additional contribution to the mandate of the ICRC through continued cooperation with that organization. Selakovic pointed out that Serbia is ready to contribute to the mandate of the ICRC through the continuation of long-term and high-quality cooperation and partnership with the ICRC. Selakovic also met with High Commissioner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Filippo Grandi in Geneva, on the sidelines of the UNHCR ExCom meeting. During the meeting, opinions were exchanged on cooperation and partnership between Serbia and UNHCR in the direction of seeking permanent solutions for all categories of forcibly displaced people on the territory of Serbia.

 

Mihajlovic: Serbia to stop importing Russian oil via JANAF (Tanjug)

 

Serbia will no longer be importing Russian crude oil through Croatia's JANAF pipeline after 5 December, but only non-Russian oil, Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic said on Monday. "We produce 20 pct of our oil and the remaining 80 pct will be non-Russian oil. As far as I know, NIS, as the only crude oil importer to Serbia, has an agreement with JANAF under which all oil it has procured from Russia should pass through the oil pipeline by December 5 and only non-Russian oil should be passing through it after that," Mihajlovic told Tanjug.

She added that Serbia would have sufficient quantities of crude oil and that the percentage of imported Russian oil had been varying in the past, standing at 50 pct over the past few months.

Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs confirmed on Monday Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban had agreed to build an oil pipeline from Serbia to Hungary. "The new oil pipeline would enable Serbia to be supplied with cheaper Urals crude oil, connecting to the Friendship (Druzhba) oil pipeline," Kovacs said in a post on his official Twitter account. He added that, at present, Serbia's oil supply was "largely via a pipeline through Croatia, but this is unlikely to be possible in the future because of the sanctions that have been adopted."

 

Ponos: Vucic actively desensitizing his voters (Nova/Beta)

 

Zdravko Ponos, the leader of the Serbia Center movement, has stated that the current regime “will be actively working on desensitizing its voters to ensure they swallow the bitter pill of introducing sanctions against Russia.” “It will be easier to swallow accompanied by an increase in pensions,” Ponos said in an interview for Nova. Ponos went on to add that it will be interesting to watch the “evolution” of President Aleksandar Vucic’s “weekend sermons.”

 

Rejected; Serbia voted against Russia (Blic)

 

The UN General Assembly voted to reject Russia's initiative to hold a secret vote on whether to condemn the move to annex four regions in Ukraine. Serbia was among the 107 countries that were in favor of public voting, writes Blic. The General Assembly decided, by 107 votes in favor, to hold a public vote, rather than a secret ballot, on a draft resolution condemning Russia's "so-called illegal referendums" and "attempted illegal annexation". Diplomats said a vote on the resolution was likely to take place on Wednesday or Thursday. Serbia itself is among the 107 countries that at the UN General Assembly voted against Russia's initiative to vote secretly for a resolution condemning illegal referendums and the attempt to annex parts of Ukraine. Only 13 countries opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution last night, another 39 countries abstained, and the remaining countries, including Russia and China, did not vote. Russia argued that Western lobbying meant that "it can be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly". During Monday's meeting, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, questioned the move to condemn Moscow. "What does this have to do with peace and security or an attempt to resolve the conflict? It is another step towards division and escalation, which I am sure is not something that the absolute majority of countries in this room need," Nebenzya said. After the General Assembly decided to hold a public vote on the draft resolution last night, Russia immediately tried to get the body to reconsider the issue, but it was largely unsuccessful. Moscow moved to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine - Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, after organizing what it called referendums. Ukraine and its allies declared the vote illegal and forced. The draft resolution of the UN General Assembly calls on states not to recognize Russia's move and affirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

 

Italian General takes over as KFOR Commander (Beta)

 

Italian Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia took over as commander of KFOR from Hungarian Gen. Ferenc Kajari in Pristina on 10 October. NATO Allied Joint Force Command Naples commanding officer Stuart B. Munsch and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani attended the change of command ceremony. Gen. Kajari thanked his associates and stressed that his time as KFOR commander would never have been as successful without the exceptional service of KFOR staff and subordinate units. He said relations with Kosovo institutions were very good.

KFOR's 27th commanding officer began his first address in his new position by remembering all dead -- not only mission members, but all family members and victims of conflicts in the Balkans. The Italian general called KFOR a success story, and said that this success stemmed from the dedication of everyone who contributed, politically and on the ground, to stability, security and freedom of movement, to the good of all communities in Kosovo, and to constructive dialogue.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H CEC orders recount of ballots for RS President (N1/Nova BH)

 

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of B&H ordered the opening of bags, and recount of ballots at all regular polling stations for the level of the RS President and Vice-Presidents. The order refers to 2,239 regular polling stations in the RS, and the Brcko District where citizens voted for the RS. The order came after complaints were received, but also after video footage and other relevant documents from the polling stations were reviewed. Monday’s decision of the B&H CEC was not unanimous, and it was preceded by a discussion between the members. Six CEC members voted in favor, while one was against. RS opposition parties have been submitting, for days, video footage and documentation that they say proves election irregularities in the RS. They urged the CEC to recount the votes, and they even held protests due to this situation. The CEC members deliberated on Monday if the decision on recount of votes was premature. CEC member Vlado Rogic was against it, saying it was not in line with the B&H Election Law. He believed that they should have completed the publication of complete election results first, before reviewing complaints and making decisions. Other Commission members said that the election process, especially for the level of the RS President, was “contaminated” and that recount must be done in order to publish the full results afterwards. President of the B&H CEC Suad Arnautovic said that they received number of evidence that prove undoubtedly that election process has been contaminated in a way preventing establishing results of elections for the RS President and Vice Presidents in line with law. Arnautovic said that the election process was so contaminated that it was impossible to continue normal counting of the votes. Speaking about how this decision could affect the elections in B&H, when it comes to the RS President and the RS Vice Presidents, it is perhaps enough to say that the difference between the first-ranked candidate Dodik and the second-ranked candidate Trivic is 29,000 votes, noted the reporter.

 

RS opposition welcomes B&H CEC’s decision (N1)

 

The B&H CEC ordered the opening of bags, and recount of ballots at all regular polling stations for the level of the RS President and Vice-Presidents. The order refers to 2.239 regular polling stations in the RS, and the Brcko District where citizens voted for the RS. The order came after complaints were received, but also after video footage and other relevant documents from the polling stations were reviewed. Members of the RS opposition also asked the RS police and the RS Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate these election irregularities. The opposition said this time they are determined to fight for the truth and to use all political and other means for clarifying things regarding election frauds and irregularities. They said they would organize new protests, but also blockades, if the irregularities are not investigated. Opposition leaders tried to get in touch with RS Interior Minister Dragan Lukac on Monday to speak with him about the election frauds and irregularities. However, he was unavailable, and they spoke about this with his associates. Nebojsa Vukanovic from ‘Za pravdu i red’ said they do not know why the police and the prosecution is waiting to react to their claims. He accused the RS police of having double standards and of trying to intimidated people that went to the opposition’s protest in Banja Luka. Speaking about the recount of votes, SDS Vice President Milan Radovic said the CEC must open the bags, recount the ballots and compare the data with the things stated in records of the polling station committees. In his comment of the B&H CEC’s decision, PDP leader Branislav Borenovic said that citizens’ protests were justified and the CEC’s decision proves that the opposition was telling the truth. The opposition expects for the truth regarding the votes for the RS President to be determined after the recount. He says this is a first, big, and very important step in the fight for truth and the rule of law. SDS leader Mirko Sarovic welcomed B&H CEC’s decision and stressed that there is a chance for justice to be served. The RS opposition stated that they will request a meeting with the Chief Prosecutor of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Banja Luka to demand reaction of the District Prosecutor’s Office regarding their reports on election theft, warning that they base their complaint on violation of four articles of the Election Law of B&H. The RS opposition announced that they plan to hold a protest in Sarajevo by the end of the week – first to stage protest outside the building of B&H CEC and then to hold a protest walk to the building of the Office of the High Representative (OHR). They noted that they do not ask for any kind of interventionism from the High Representative (HR), but that they just want to say that it is intolerable that he ignores all the abuses and says that there were only minor irregularities in the election process.

 

Dodik holds press conference in Belgrade and he accuses RS opposition of working with foreigners, primarily Schmidt (RTRS)

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik held a press conference on Monday in Belgrade. There, he presented the preliminary election results presented by the B&H CEC so far. According to those results, Dodik is in the lead in the race against PDP candidate Jelena Trivic. He currently has around 29,000 votes more than Trivic. He informed the public in Serbia about other election results – which show that SNSD is the absolute winner of elections. Speaking about the situation in the RS, Dodik said the RS is stable in every way, and emphasized that its economy is making significant progress seen through increase of salaries and pensions, as well as many investments. Dodik said what the opposition is trying to present in the RS is a false image, and something that was “imported from the outside”. Explaining his visit to Belgrade, Dodik said he came to “set things straight” and to present the facts, which are often falsely presented by some media in Serbia. He went on to say that his SNSD had more votes at the state level than the entire RS opposition, but also more votes than the biggest political party in the FB&H – SDA. Dodik accused the opposition of working with foreigners, primarily Christian Schmidt, with the goal of removing all those that do not think like they do. He also commented on Schmidt’s announced decision that refers to the state property. Dodik said Schmidt’s decisions will not be accepted in the RS, and even if he adopts something, that will not be implemented in the RS. During Belgrade press conference, Dodik said they are speaking with some German citizens about the possibility of them suing Schmidt before a German court for false representation. “We will complete this. We hired a significant legal team that is working on that, and we will find a way in which we will prove, even there, that that is a big fraud”, Dodik underlined. Speaking about his relations with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Dodik said they have good relations and speak on the phone almost every day. He believes his meetings with Vucic and Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot affect the election results in B&H. Dodik emphasized that he did not win due to his friendship with Vucic, or with Putin, but because people in the RS love and support him and his policies. Dodik reminded that B&H CEC was, as Dodik said, illegally appointed and that it consists of PDP’s and SDS’ associates. If the RS opposition is dissatisfied, they can talk to B&H CEC because their people, who are directly motivated politically, are there, added Dodik. The RS opposition goes from door to door to complain, commented the reporter. Dodik said that the law dictates that any complaints about elections can be made only after the results are officially published. Dodik claimed that 98 percent of votes were already counted and that preliminary results showed that Dodik has the advantage with 29,000 votes more. He said that, if all the votes that were not counted yet were given to the RS opposition, it would still not be enough to change the result. Dodik also said that none of Schmidt’s decisions will be implemented in the RS. He claimed that Schmidt’s is trying to ingratiate himself with Sarajevo. Dodik also said that the EU has double standards for giving the candidate status to Ukraine compared to B&H that waited 15 years for that. Dodik said that he is proud of his relations with Putin. Dodik said he is very satisfied that he met with Putin three times in the last 10 months. He said he does not care for the fact that the British rage at Putin, because Dodik also rages at the British. Dodik stated that the British have been roaming here for 150 years and destroying the Serb national interest, so he does not care that they are angry. Dodik added that he is against the war in Ukraine and the continuation of these operations. Dodik said that he wants that to be over as fast as possible but that it does not depend on him. Dodik also said that today’s B&H was imposed, that it is unconstitutional and not according to the will of the people. He said that such BiH was created by foreigners and not the people who live in B&H.

 

Dodik announces lawsuit due to B&H CEC’s decision to recount votes for RS President: B&H CEC's decision is politically motivated (RTRS)

 

At an urgent session, the B&H CEC decided that all ballots for the RS President will be recounted, even though this institution is yet to publish full preliminary election results. Serb member of the B&H Presidency, SNSD leader and party candidate for the post of RS President, Milorad Dodik gave an interview for RTRS and commented this decision. He said he has no problem with the recount of votes, but the problem is the fact that CEC is not doing its job in line with the law. Due to this, Dodik announced he would file a lawsuit against the B&H CEC and its members. Dodik believes the Commission should have first completed the vote counting, then published the preliminary results, after which a three-day deadline would be given for any type of complaints. “It is obvious that they succumbed to some political influences, or the streets; we see that very often in Sarajevo”, Dodik said, adding that Christian Schmidt also succumbed to the pressure from Sarajevo protests, and he made the decision he made a few months ago due to that. We are not naïve, Dodik points out, saying the CEC is “politically tinged”. He reiterated his stance on the BiH CEC being appointed illegally. He added that he believed that the Commission would have some professional dignity and honor, but unfortunately, that did not transpire. Dodik reminds that the CEC swore that it would work in accordance with the law just a few days ago, only to make a complete different decision on Monday. The SNSD leader announced they would file a complaint against the BiH CEC decision on Tuesday to the Court of B&H, if such a move is not forbidden in the meantime. “If there is any judiciary, then that decision should be annulled”, Dodik assessed. The Court should force the CEC to publish the preliminary election results, to then review all the complaints, Dodik adds. He accused the Central Election Commission of having double standards, as not all political subjects were allowed to file complaints. They have their own ‘criteria’, and they obviously misused those criteria, Dodik told RTRS. He emphasized that he does not mind any recounting of votes, he just did not expect things to be done in this way. He says the chosen way is illegal and it raises some doubts about the reasons behind such decisions. Dodik said the RS officials will wait for the recount to be completed, and then decide what their move will be. He underlines that he is not making threats, but said that he does not trust the B&H CEC and promised that “they should not be surprised by the reaction from the RS”. He added that every reaction from the RS will be in line with the law. Dodik continued to speak about B&H as an “impossible country”, saying this is the only country in which things like this could happen and that people do not react to it. The CEC has lost all its professionalism and credibility when it started working for the RS opposition parties, Dodik stated.

 

Cvijanovic wonders whether B&H CEC’s decision is evidence they were afraid of protests that RS opposition planned to hold in Sarajevo (Nova BH)

 

The B&H CEC ordered opening all bags containing ballots used for voting for the RS President and Vice Presidents at regular polling stations and ordered recounting of all ballots for this level of authority. RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said that it is interesting the B&H CEC failed to act in line with regulations and declared official results of elections before acting upon submitted complaints. She wondered whether the B&H CEC’s decision is evidence they were afraid of protests the opposition from the RS planned to hold in Sarajevo. Cvijanovic went on to saying that one of intentions of organizers of protests in Banja Luka was to exert pressure on the B&H CEC. She went on to saying that if the decision of the B&H CEC is legally grounded and if it is not aimed to suit the opposition and some embassies, then there will be no problems. Cvijanovic expects the CEC to explain to the citizens why this decision was made. She stressed that the Commission succumbed to the pressures from opposition protests, and decided to act based solely on the demands made from those protests. She said the decision is a precedent and casts doubt on the CEC’s true intentions in this process. Cvijanovic said the B&H CEC is afraid the opposition’s protests might be transferred from Banja Luka to Sarajevo.

 

OHR supports B&H CEC’s decision to order recount of ballots for RS President (FTV)

 

The Office of the High Representative (OHR) has expressed support for the decision of the B&H CEC passed on Monday to order recount of the ballots for the RS President. “OHR supports B&H CEC in professionally and objectively continuing its work on finalizing and certifying the election results. Independent investigation of reports on electoral fraud is essential for ensuring the integrity of the electoral process”, the OHR said in a statement.

 

B&H CEC representatives say that by adopting new implementing act, they will be able to implement decisions published in B&H Official Gazette (BHT1)

 

Representatives of the B&H CEC have stated that by adopting a new implementing act, they will be able to implement the decisions published in the B&H Official Gazette which refer to amendments to the B&H Election Law and the Constitution of the FB&H which were imposed by HR Christian Schmidt on election night. Representatives of the B&H CEC explained that after they assign mandates, one will have the opportunity to elect the President and Vice Presidents of the FB&H according to the amendments to the Election Law of B&H. Member of the B&H CEC Zeljko Bakalar said that the situation is clear. "Our services will, like they did back in 2018, perform the calculation using the calculation that was adopted in the Election Law and in the FB&H Constitution, because the High Representative amended provisions of the FB&H Constitution as well, and we will have to adopt such an implementing act if we want to have implemented election results," Bakalar underlined. Member of the B&H CEC Vanja Bjelica-Prutina said that members of the CEC had "a very friendly" meeting with Schmidt where the HR explained to them all the provisions in detail. "We asked for a written instruction which will make our job easier. I personally believe that in that sense, the CEC should be given as little freedom of interpretation as possible. We simply should be limited to the appropriate legal norms and apply them as they read without the intention of favoring anyone," Bjelica-Prutina underlined.

 

Schmidt announces that he will soon take action regarding state property which will also apply to RS (FTV)

 

HR Christian Schmidt has announced new detailed solutions to the issue of state property in B&H. He said that his next steps regarding the issue of state property will be all-inclusive and they will concern the RS as well, stressing that the RS will also be part of the EU integration of B&H. FTV reminded that the law on state property is one of the necessary conditions B&H needs to meet in order for the OHR to finalize its work in B&H. The international community in B&H and the  B&H CC have been battling for years the decisions of the RS parliament according to which the state-level property becomes the RS property. Schmidt suspended the application of the RS law on immovable property in April this year and B&H CC has recently done the same thing.

 

Dzaferovic receives credentials of new German Ambassador (BHT1/FTV)

 

Newly appointed German Ambassador to B&H Thomas Fitschen submitted on Monday his credentials to Chairman of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic. BHT1 reminded that Serb member of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik refused to support the granting of agrement to the new German Ambassador at two sessions of the B&H Presidency which is why the RS parliament discussed and voted on Dodik's veto, but did not support it. Dzaferovic and Fitschen stressed that B&H’s path needs to be in Euro-Atlantic integration, establishing of stable and prosperous society, contrary to divisive moves, especially on the ethnic agenda. Dzaferovic also congratulated re-election to “a proven friend of B&H”, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

 

Abazovic meets Pope Francis (gov.me)

 

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic met the head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis.

The Prime Minister was welcomed in an official reception which included a traditional honor guard of the Swiss Guard. During the cordial discussion, appreciation was expressed for the good existing bilateral relations. Furthermore, the positive contribution of the Catholic community to Montenegrin society was highlighted.

 

Picula: Kentera played an important role, it’s hard to say why he was dismissed (Pobjeda)

 

Savo Kentera, former head of the National Security Agency (ANB), played an important role in discovering the network of Russian spies in Montenegro, which, having in mind the current complex geopolitical situation – Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and determination of a common policy of the EU and its members states towards Russia – is extremely important. EU representatives in Montenegro as well as other international actors recognized his achievements, the EP Standing Rapporteur on Montenegro Tonino Picula told in an interview for Pobjeda daily. Picula underlines that the current composition of parliament cannot make decisions which would put an end to a halt in EU negotiations.

 

President Bajram Begaj convenes the meeting of the National Security Council (Radio Tirana)

 

President Bajram Begaj convened the meeting of the National Security Council today, where Prime Minister Edi Rama was also present. The Minister of Finance Delina Ibrahimaj announced that the cyber attacks on the TIMS and MEMEX system were the main topics of the meeting. The minister stated that every head of the institution that was present at this meeting reported on the measures taken, the level of impact and the measures that will be taken in the future. "We discussed about the current issues, where each institution reported on the measures taken, on the level of the attack and the measures that will be taken in the future to deal with the situation and prevent attacks that may come in the future", said Ibrahimaj. The meeting of the National Security Council lasted more than two hours, and was attended by the members of the National Security Council, Prime Minister Edi Rama, the Director of National Agency for Information Society, Mirlinda Karcanaj and the Governor of the Bank of Albania Gent Sejko.

Albania was hit by two major cyber attacks, the one against the TIMS system and the MEMEX system. During the month of July, the online public services of National Agency for Information Society were interrupted after a cyber attack, the biggest that Albania has ever experienced. It took several weeks for services to return to work, while the government guaranteed that all citizens' data had been preserved and had not been compromised. Public online services in the country fell prey to a cyber attack on 15 July, which was claimed by the pro-Iranian group Homeland Justice. The hacks were intended to disrupt the conference of an Iranian mujahideen opposition group in Albania, which was due to hold a conference on July 23 and 24, but was canceled due to threats of terrorist attacks. The Free Iran World Meeting was to be held at the camp, and among the guests were American lawmakers.

 

Kodheli in Pristina: Attention to Russian interventions in the region (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian permanent parliamentary delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, headed by Mimi Kodheli, participated in the Rose Roth seminar organized in Pristina. The topic of this seminar was "Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans: the long-standing challenges, new realities and future perspectives". In her speech, Kodheli asked for increased attention regarding Russian influence in the region. "The Western Balkans has a difficult and conflict-rich history. This should make us all be attentive to the interventions coming from Russia through friendly states that are part of the Western Balkans", she said. In his intervention, Member of Parliament, Bardhyl Kollcaku congratulated the Kosovo government on building the defense capacities of Kosovo Security Force and its contribution to peace and security in the region.

Kollcaku emphasized the need for increased attention to threats and non-traditional risks such as cyber-attacks, hybrid attacks, espionage, foreign interventions through illegal financing of political parties, social media and civil society. During the three days of the seminar, the highest representatives of Kosovo's politics were present too, including speaker of the Assembly Glauk Konjufca, President of the Republic Vjosa Osmani, Prime Minister Albin Kurti, some of the government ministers participating in various panels, experts in the field and representatives of international organizations. More than 100 participants, including Members of Parliaments of NATO member countries and partner countries, MPs of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and other guests attended this three-day seminar in Prishtina.