LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Intelligence and counter-intelligence protection to be boosted (Tanjug)

 

Speaking to reporters after last night's shooting spree in Mladenovac that left eight people dead, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that the level of intelligence and counter-intelligence protection across the country would be stepped up. He noted that Serbian authorities would start implementing a set of measures adopted by the government two days ago. He also said the state needed support from judicial authorities to be more efficient. "We will seek the support of judges and prosecutors, rather than have to struggle to obtain a warrant to search the flat of a murderer," he said. He said a series of urgent measures would include the introduction of stricter requirements for possession of firearms. On behalf of the Serbian government and on his own behalf, Vucic extended condolences to the families of those killed in Mladenovac as well as in Wednesday's massacre in a Belgrade primary school. "We are united in pain and grief," he said. "This is an attack on our country, and every citizen feels that," he said. Vucic announced that the police would recruit several thousands of new officers in the next six months to ensure there was one police officer in every school. "That way, we will boost security by 90 pct and reduce peer violence by 80 pct," Vucic said. He said the Mladenovac shooting was an act of terrorism. "The task of our units was to arrest and neutralise a terrorist. The criminal has been arrested and will never see the light of day again. He will never get out of prison," he said. He also announced a review of licences for possession of firearms. "All people who have firearms will undergo a review and no more than 30-40 thousand pieces will remain. We will have Serbia disarmed and double the penalties," he said, adding that the Interior Ministry had been ordered to toughen requirements for possession of hunting firearms as well.

 

Government adopts series of conclusions after massacre at Vladislav Ribnikar primary school (Tanjug/RTS/Politika/RTV)

 

The Serbian government began yesterday's session with a minute of silence for all the victims of the horrific massacre that took place yesterday at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school in Belgrade. At the session, ten conclusions were adopted that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic presented yesterday. The first conclusion represents a two-year moratorium on the issuance of permits to keep and carry small firearms (authorisations for the acquisition of weapons, weapons certificates, etc.). Within three months, the Ministry of the Interior will review all issued weapons permits. Within six months, the Ministry of the Interior will control the persons who have permits to keep weapons, especially the fulfillment of the legal requirements for the safe accommodation and storage of weapons and the separate storage of ammunition. Within the same period, the Ministry of the Interior will also review whether access to weapons and ammunition to minors and other unauthorised persons has been adequately prevented. The work of all shooting ranges will be subject to control of the Ministry of the Interior in the next three months. After that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, within a month, regulations will be drawn up on the conditions and manner of using shooting ranges, including the ban on access to minors. The Ministry of Justice, within the framework of the existing Working Group for the amendment of the Criminal Code, will prepare amendments to the law that would prescribe criminal liability for persons who enable minors and other unauthorised persons to get possession of firearms and who train minors and other unauthorised persons to handle firearms. The Ministry of Justice will also, within the existing Working Group for amending the Criminal Code, consider the possibility of amending the Criminal Code in order to lower the age limit for criminal liability of minors from 14 to 12 years, while respecting international and European standards. It is important to note that the Ministry of Justice has already taken the first steps in this matter, by sending a letter to the European Commission. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Information and Telecommunications will, within a month, consider the possibility of tightening sanctions for non-compliance with the prescribed obligations of media service providers, including the Internet and other electronic platforms, as well as social networks, with regard to the prohibition of program content that highlights and supports violence, criminal and other illegal behaviour, broadcasting scenes of brutal violence and other content that can seriously harm the physical, mental or moral development of minors. Within a month, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health will prepare regulations that will allow the introduction of mandatory drug tests in secondary and primary schools for students in the seventh and eighth grades. Within ten days, the government will form the Council for the Prevention of Peer Violence, which will, among other things, ensure the organization of mobile teams for peer violence through protocols between centers for social work and other services (educational and health institutions, police), which would respond urgently to cases of peer violence and in consultation with trade unions of educational workers and associations of parents of students, considered the expediency of adopting a measure banning the use of mobile phones in schools. The government will also, within ten days, form a working group for the safety of children on the Internet, which will consider the introduction of measures to ban access to websites (DarkNet and similar), which contain advice on how to commit murder, acquire drugs or firearms. Members of the government made a decision to declare a day of mourning on the territory of the Republic of Serbia, which designates 5, 6 and 7 May as the days of mourning. The Serbian government also sends its deepest condolences to all the families of those who died in yesterday's tragic event.

 

Brnabic: Adopted measures aim to prevent tragedies like yesterday's (TV Pink)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated that yesterday the government adopted a whole set of measures with the aim of ensuring that cases such as yesterday's tragedy at the Vladislav Ribnikar primary school never happen again, assessing that the tragedy would not have been prevented even if those measures existed before this case. In a statement for Pink Television, she opposed certain claims that the system failed. I do not deny that there are many problems, they are the problems of the modern world and problems of many countries, it is up to us to see if we can do something better and provide additional support to schools, teachers and everyone who needs it, she stated. She said that the government will also form a Council for the Prevention of Peer Violence, stressing that this topic has been worked on long before. According to her, meetings were held with trade unions, talks were held with NGOs and discussions about amendments to the Law on Education, regulations on how to fight against peer violence in schools were changed, and the platform "I'll Guard You" was created. She emphasised that this morning the Ministry of Justice forwarded and started consultations with the European Commission regarding changes to the Criminal Code in order to reduce the age limit for criminal responsibility of minors from 14 to 12. We have examples in the EU where the age limit is lower than 14, which is 8 in Greece or 10 in France, she added. Speaking about shooting ranges, she reiterated that the Ministry of the Interior should carry out strict control over the work of all shooting ranges, and that, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice, amendments to the regulations should be prepared within a month, and that access to shooting ranges for minors should be explicitly prohibited. It will be especially difficult to implement the measure concerning the improvement of children's safety on the internet for technological reasons, but also because of many organisations and individuals who will characterise it as an attack on freedom of speech, she assessed. Brnabic rejected claims that the system had failed in the case of the Belgrade school shooting that left nine people dead. She told TV Pink that the measures adopted by her cabinet would be implemented intensively. According to her, everyone has to try to calm things down in Serbia “primarily because of the children of Serbia and the state of psychosis we have fallen into and try to move forward”. Brnabic said that no one can reconcile with the unbelievable and incomprehensible tragedy. She said that there wasn’t a single person in the government who hadn’t cried, adding that “it’s up to us to see what we can fix”.

 

Constant rise of cooperation between Serbia, Japan (RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic yesterday received Ambassador of Japan to Serbia Takahiko Katsumata on a farewell visit. On that occasion, Dacic expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Katsumata for his personal contribution to the intensification of political dialogue and cooperation between Serbia and Japan, considering that during his mandate significant contacts of high-ranking officials of the two countries took place, while the overall cooperation was raised to an even higher level. In the talks, it was stated that the relations between the two countries, which last year marked the 140th anniversary of friendship, are substantive, high-quality and constantly on the rise. The mutual readiness for further strengthening of mutual dialogue, exchange of visits at all levels and further intense connection of the two countries through the improvement of cooperation in a large number of areas, especially on the economic level, was confirmed. Dacic wished Ambassador Katsumata much success on a professional and personal level, saying that he can always count on the friendship of Serbia and the Serbian people. Ambassador Katsumata assessed that the special quality of the relations between Serbia and Japan is given by the fact that Serbs and Japanese have always been together and supported each other both in good and bad times. The Ambassador of Japan stated that he brings back very good memories from Serbia, expressing his gratitude for the exceptional understanding and cooperation of the state leadership, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other state institutions of Serbia.

 

Dacic: EU officials condemn dissolution of Management Team for creating Community of Serb Municipalities (TV Happy)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said yesterday that EU officials had said that the dissolution of the Management Team tasked with presenting the first draft of the Community of Serb Municipalities' statute was not in the spirit of dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Dacic, president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, said during an appearance on TV Happy that it was important how the situation would unfold on the ground on 28 May, when the Albanians were supposed to take over the four Serb-majority municipalities in north Kosovo after elections boycotted by the Serbs. "This could be a trigger that could incite a spiral of incidents. The person who comes must enter Serbian offices and hang the Kosovo flag," Dacic said.

 

Stano: Management Team should be in place until adoption of ZSO statute (N1)

 

EU officials believe that Kosovo and Serbia will “sincerely and effectively” deliver on all the commitments made until now, said European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano. He added that the dialogue has been running for over ten years, and that there are a number of commitments that are still pending and need to be delivered on and implemented, including those agreed in February in Brussels and in Ohrid in March. Stano added that the Management Team was not part of the Serbian or of the Kosovo delegation, but a self-standing delegation. “They were invited to join the meeting for one point of the high-level meeting on Tuesday to present the draft statute. They were specifically invited for the presentation of this statute, of this draft, and they were not part of either the Serbian delegation or the Kosovo delegation. Regarding the composition of the team, this is in line with the dialogue agreements, the parties have agreed on the composition of the Management Team, whereas the members of the Management Team have been proposed by Serbia, and officially appointed by Kosovo,” Stano noted. “What happened on Tuesday was that the Management Team proposed and submitted the first draft, that means we kick-started the process, and the process is not finished. Therefore the decision to dissolve the Management Team violates the letter and spirit of the dialogue agreements and any decision regarding the Management Team needs to be agreed in the framework of the EU-facilitated dialogue,” said Stano.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

First FB&H government session held (O Kanal)

 

The first session of a new convocation of the FB&H government was held on Thursday. FB&H Prime Minister Nermin Niksic said they adopted conclusions on stopping the employment in all public institutions, agencies and companies that fall under the jurisdiction of the government. The new convocation expects from members of the management boards of the public companies to make their mandates available to the government but there will be no, as they said, “abuse of procedures or laws, or revenge and persecutions”. However, Niksic said that when a government changes, there should be a change in the management boards that were previously appointed by the old government. Addressing a press conference, Niksic explained that if the new government decides to keep these old management boards, then they will stay at their posts. The FB&H Prime Minister said the laws and procedures are clear, and he does not wish to lie or play some kind of games. Niksic points out that they will agree on people that will be appointed to the management boards and there will be no “fake vacancy procedures” for those posts, because the FB&H government officials will publicly and transparently reveal who will be the people appointed to these posts. “I believe this, what I am talking about, would be much more transparent and better and of more quality. If we had that luck, the best thing would be for the best candidates to be chosen through vacancy procedures, but we know that that is not the case, and we will try to change something in the future. But, what the situation is now, I believe people that will implement the policy of the government should be chosen”, Niksic assessed. He said some of the people that are currently siting in the mentioned management boards have compromised their posts and their mandate quite a lot.

 

SDA says that new FB&H government began its mandate by announcing gross violations of law (Nova BH/FTV)

 

SDA issued a statement reading that the FB&H government imposed through violence committed against the Constitution started its mandate by public announcement of violation of law. The statement reads that a method of selection and dismissal of managements in public enterprises in the FB&H has been clearly defined by the law. SDA called on managements of public enterprises not to accept a call of FB&H Prime Minister Nermin Niksic. They also stated that once again Niksic demasked false promise of ruling parties on intention to depoliticize public enterprises. SDA says that the newly-appointed FB&H government started the mandate with an announcement on a gross violation of the law. With such announcements, Niksic completely unmasked another false promise of the ruling parties about the intention of depoliticizing public companies, “considering that in practice they obviously plan to do the opposite and thus definitely put public resources under the control of political parties”. “SDA calls on members of the administrative structures of public companies not to succumb to pressure and calls for illegal behavior,” reads the SDA statement.

 

Niksic meets Ambassador Sattler (Avaz)

 

New FB&H Prime Minister Nermin Niksic met on Thursday with Head of EU Delegation Johann Sattler. The meeting was also attended by Head of EU Delegation’s Political Section Elisabet Tomasinec. They discussed the priorities and strategic dedications in work of the new government. Sattler congratulated Niksic on the appointment and offered EU’s assistance to work of the new government.

 

Schmidt on his decisions regarding FB&H government: Urgent solution was needed and I provided it (BHT1)

 

Guest was High Representative Christian Schmidt. Asked if he feels that his decisions regarding the FB&H Constitution and Election Law made on 2 October and 27 April were the right decisions, Schmidt said that he only amended decisions, which are supposed to me made by the elected officials in order to prevent blockades. He underlined that the FB&H holds the world record when it comes to blockades. He also reminded that for the past four years, the FB&H had a caretaker government which was not appointed by the FB&H parliament at all. He noted that the FB&H now has a new government which has its responsibilities. “What I tried to do is fill the void in laws, the void in the Constitution. Nobody could predict in the Washington Agreement or the Constitution what would happen if the FB&H leadership fails to reach an agreement and if the parliament cannot take a vote on the new government. In many European countries, this would mean dismissal of the parliament”, said Schmidt. He explained that a rapid solution was needed, which is why he took a proposal that was also discussed by the parliament and turned it into a temporary solution. He underlined that it is now up to the parliament to come up with a permanent solution. Schmidt noted that with his decision, he proposed a possible solution which might fully enter into force in a year. Asked to comment the speculations that he made his decisions under mediation of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Schmidt said that people are always looking for a culprit.  He noted that unlike RS President Milorad Dodik, Plenkovic talks to him. Asked if he receives his instructions from Plenkovic, Schmidt replied: “There are many people who call on me to do something and send messages, but I am the one who decides what will happen. I have learned in the meantime – decisions I make are made by myself alone. I would however prefer them to be made by the parliament. It is not the job of the international community, but the job of B&H.” Schmidt reminded that prior to the election on 2 October 2022 there were many speculations about his possible decisions. “I did what I did, and I informed everybody. Everything else is speculations. You do not have to follow that lead anymore. I know what are my obligations to B&H citizens and the Dayton Peace Agreement. I do not owe anything to the Americans. Maybe they were the ones who made speculations as well, but they too could only observe me making decisions. They could maybe comment them, but they could not influence them,” Schmidt emphasized. He also underlined that the new FB&H government was appointed by the FB&H parliament and it is held accountable by the FB&H parliament. Schmidt noted that the EU is also very carefully monitoring the work of the FB&H government and B&H authorities, because B&H was finally granted the status of EU candidate. Asked to comment the criticism he faces, the fact that the RS does not recognize his status of a High Representative and the fact that some people describe him only as “the High Representative for the FB&H” or “the High Representative for Bosniaks”, Schmidt said that people say many things. He noted that the fact is that he is the High Representative. However, said Schmidt, he hopes that he will not have many successors because what is important for B&H is its path to the EU integration, which means a path to independence. “B&H has a joint statehood, and it (B&H) is headed towards Europe and it must decide what is important for the FB&H, for the RS and for Brcko District. That is the foundation of B&H”, said Schmidt. He added that he does not feel unwanted in B&H because he has learned to make a distinction between the political discourse and different statements. Schmidt noted that there is an official who refuses to meet him (Note: Schmidt was probably referring to RS President Milorad Dodik), but there are also people who do want to talk to him. He underlined that especially people who are not in politics are very friendly and willing to talk to him. Asked to comment the protests against his decisions that were held outside the OHR building on several occasions, Schmidt said that peaceful protests are a legitimate right of citizens who have the right to express their opinion or their disagreement with something. According to Schmidt, the demands made by protesters should be addressed to B&H parliament, because it is B&H parliament that should amend the Constitution, implement rulings of the European Court for Human Rights and implement the 14 key priorities for B&H’s EU path. He underlined that he wants to help B&H parliament, rather than use his powers to impose decisions. Asked how long he plans to stay in B&H, Schmidt jokingly said he likes it so much in B&H that he does not like to think about his departure. He underlined that in several years, elected officials of B&H should take responsibility for making all decisions. Asked to comment the issue of state property and the fact that the first consultative meeting of a group of experts for state property appointed by the OHR has been recently held, Schmidt said that the group consists of experts and underlined that the OHR is deliberately discussing the issue at the expert level in order to avoid politicization. He noted that the expert group will be available for public debates. Schmidt underlined that there is no intention to deprive the RS of any rights. However, he reminded, there is a decision of the B&H Constitutional Court on state property, and a state-level law is needed to regulate the issue of property. Asked to comment the fact that B&H Presidency Chair Zeljka Cvijanovic will also be there, and asked how he will react if Cvijanovic challenges his legitimacy before the Security Council, Schmidt stated that in this case, Cvijanovic will receive a response from the UN which she will not like. He noted that if Cvijanovic wishes to have Russian advisors, she may be falsely informed by them. He underlined that his position of a High Representative of the international community is clear and that he will act in this capacity.

 

Cvijanovic: I do not care about answer of HR Schmidt, people elected me (Srna/RTRS)

 

Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic said on Thursday that she is convinced that B&H can be preserved only via internal dialogue, strengthening of trust and respect for constitutional competences, unlike High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt who thinks that B&H can be preserved via international interventionism or by drinking coffee and hanging out with legitimate or non-legitimate foreign representatives. Thus, Cvijanovic commented on the statement of Schmidt that in case that the Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency disputes his legitimacy, she will get an answer that she will not like. In a statement for Srna, Cvijanovic stated that she does not care about his answer because citizens of the RS elected her and this is how she assumed the position of the Serb member of the B&H Presidency, i.e. based on people’s big trust. Cvijanovic underlined: “If I address the Security Council, then I am doing it in the capacity and based on the mandate that people gave me in the elections. Obviously, he dislikes my democratic capacity, the fact that I was elected to this post, but this still does not give him the right to insult, threaten and much less to think that he can silence local politicians and make them act that something is democratic when it is not. He takes or not his legitimacy from verification in the Security Council and not based on what I think and I think that he is not above democratically-elected institutions and the will of citizens.”

 

HJPC starts session, elects members of Court Disciplinary Commission (BHT1)

 

The first day of a two-day session of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of B&H (HJPC BiH) took place on Thursday. During the first day of the session, the members of the Court Disciplinary Commission were elected, and the Disciplinary Commission for Establishing Facts of Violation of Duty of a Member of a Council was formed as well. The main focus of the session was performance evaluation of court presidents and chief prosecutors. The media did not have full access during the discussion, even though it was a very important topic for media representatives. President of HJPC B&H Halil Lagumdzija stated that he wanted a session open to the media, but it did not happen. He also added that the performance evaluation referred to four highest ranking judges of B&H Court, the Supreme Court, both entity courts, the Brcko District Court, the Appeal Court as well as chief Prosecutors in all Prosecutors’ Offices of B&H. He also explained that the evaluation is done by HJPC B&H according to parameters, and that he believes that the grades will be at the level of the ones from previous years. The session will continue on Friday, with one item on the agenda which is the appointment of holders of judicial functions in B&H - the President of the Municipal Court in Novi Travnik, the Municipal Court in Sanski Most and professional associates in both courts. Also, the Presidents of the District Commercial Courts of Istocno Sarajevo and Trebinje will be appointed.

 

Osmani: Formulation of constitutional amendments to show nothing controversial in process (Telma)

 

The European Commission screening is developing well, the negotiating framework is implemented as planned and the completion of the constitutional changes will mark the opening of the first chapter, said Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani on Thursday. FM Osmani, who held an online briefing from New York where he is set to address the United Nations Security Council on the OSCE Chairmanship priorities, said meetings in Brussels over the past week focused on the next steps and domestic dynamics regarding North Macedonia's tasks in the process. "The scenario is set in line with the negotiating framework but the devil is in the details. We want to have in mind the observations of all members, of Bulgaria, and the dynamics of the constitutional changes so that we consider all combinations. The negotiating framework is implemented as planned and the completion of the constitutional changes will mark the opening of the first chapter," said Osmani. Asked if there is communication with MPs and when is the parliamentary procedure expected to start, the FM said the working group on formulating the constitutional amendments has already started its activities, expecting the process to be straightforward, "because how and where the required intervention is to be made is already defined in the protocol". "I believe the public debate should start once the amendments are formulated. They should be adopted by the Government followed by a public discussion including journalists and experts, since we have been debating more about assumptions and conspiracies rather than the real formulation, namely the text that will be incorporated in the Constitution. I think that as soon as we return from Washington, the commission will have already produced certain formulation and that is when the formal public debate begins," said Osmani. According to him, this will be the most essential part of the debate, because citizens will realize, once they read the amendments, that everything else that had been said until then was part of a partisan-political propaganda, an attempt to instill fear among citizens, to polarize the society, to hunt for political points by using that fear. "The most crucial part in the process will be the presentation of the truth before citizens. The truth will be on display once citizens read the formulations and all propaganda topples as a house of cards, and people will see there is nothing controversial in the process. I believe this will be the turning point in the public discourse that will then impose a fresh dynamics in politics as well, both among lawmakers and political parties. When citizens see the formulations, I expect a different discussion regarding the process. However, if the opposition continues to make partisan calculations at the expense of the country and its people, then they will be the ones to answer questions before the citizens," noted Osmani. He added that discussions with MPs are currently informal but will be formalized right after the amendments are unveiled, both individually and on a party level. "I expect to see events in the parliament, the government, by media and the civil society, which will debate on the pros and cons and I see nothing controversial in MPs being part of that debate. Nevertheless, lawmakers should not deliver speeches compiled by the party, each and every lawmaker has his/her own position. If they say they are against, then they should say why and provide an alternative. Such a debate is very important, where all societal stakeholders will present their positions," said Osmani.

 

Dzhambazki demands EU to abandon negotiations with Skopje (Makfax/Lokalno/Press24)

 

Bulgarian MEP Angel Dzhambazki addressed an open letter to the European Commission demanding the EU to stop and abandon all accession negotiations with North Macedonia. Dzhambazki’s letter is motivated by the recent closure of Bulgarian Culture Club ‘Vancho Mihailov’ in Bitola. “This Macedonia cannot be part of the EU! We witness another anti-Bulgarian, xenophobic political repression of Bulgarians only because of their ethnicity. The EU must cease all negotiations for 4 membership with official Skopje because they fail to fulfil the obligations in relation to the respect of human rights,” Dzhambazki said. Dzhambazki also wrote a Facebook status about the 120th anniversary of the death of revolutionary Goce Delchev, claiming “I shall not allow Delchev’s name to be target of hackling in the hands of shameless political merchants from Skopje who only want to justify their anti-Bulgarian campaign,” Dzhambazki wrote.

 

Judge Sashko Georgiev elected Judicial Council chair (Alsat-M)

 

The Judicial Council elected Judge Sashko Georgiev as its new chair at an urgent session Thursday afternoon with eight votes in favor and four against. The session was chaired by vice-chairman Selim Ademi, who ahead of the vote said the Judicial Council chair would be elected if he received a minimum of eight votes in favor. At the same session, Ademi also submitted his resignation. The previous Judicial Council chair, Vesna Dameva, did not attend the session. Before the vote, Georgiev said he was proud of being nominated for the post. "I expect from all of us, together, united, to put in above-average efforts to restore trust, above all, between us and the public. That's why I urge you, all of us together: Only if this nomination is sincere will I accept this challenge. I urge all of you to contribute. If you back me up, I will accept the nomination," Georgiev said. Council members Mirjana Radevska Stefkova, Zoran Gerasimoski, Ivica Nikolovski and Meri Radevska, without elaborating further, said they voted against his appointment "in principle," because Georgiev had voted for his predecessor's dismissal. Dameva was abruptly dismissed last Wednesday at a public session of the Council. The reason given for Dameva’s dismissal was her refusal to put a new item on the agenda and her alleged concealment of US Ambassador Angela Aggeler's letter. Her dismissal was initiated by vice-chair Ademi, who, after hours of heated arguments, received the support of seven of the 13 Council members to dismiss Dameva from the post. After she was dismissed, Dameva said “the Council has turned into anarchy,” called the decision illegal and said it had been taken "to please some individuals from politics." Dameva's dismissal — and the developments that followed in the Judicial Council — caused public outcry, with legal experts also saying it was not legitimate. Sashko Gjorgiev is the third chairman of the Judicial Council in less than five months. The last two, left leveling serious accusation. Namely, few months earlier, Pavlina Crvenkovska resigned, saying there were pressures exerted from the judicial and business elite, while Vesna Dameva, before leaving, said there are political influences in the Judicial Council.

 

Goce Delchev honored on 120th anniversary of death (MIA)

 

The Macedonian Orthodox Church - Ohrid Archbishopric held a memorial service while delegations and citizens laid flowers at Goce Delchev’s grave in the Skopje-based St. Spas Church on Thursday, to honor the memory of the Macedonian revolutionary and freedom fighter on the 120th anniversary of his death. President Stevo Pendarovski, Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski, a parliamentary delegation led by parliament Vice-Speaker Goran Misovski, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, and many other delegations laid flowers at Delchev's grave. No official delegation from Sofia arrived at this year's commemoration. On April 27, 2023, Bulgaria's caretaker Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov said no agreement has been reached with 7 North Macedonia for a joint commemoration of Delchev's death on 4 May, although there have been such agreements and practices in previous years. In addition, the parliament is set to present on Thursday at noon the "Goce Delchev" state award for outstanding contribution in the field of science in the interest of the Republic of North Macedonia. Also, a history corner will open within the Faculty of Education Sciences at Goce Delchev University, honoring the patron's teaching activities, vision and mission. A visionary inspired by revolutionary ideals, Goce Delchev was born in Kukush on February 4, 1872, and was active in revolutionary movements. He attended the Thessaloniki high school and the Sofia Military Academy. As the member of the Macedonian Revolutionary Organization, Delchev worked on the establishment of a network of committees and fighting units of the organization. Goce Delchev, who understood the world as a field for cultural contest among nations, was killed by an Ottoman unit on 4 May 1903, in the village of Banica, near Serres.

 

Albania revises the composition of the responsible team for Albania-EU negotiations (Radio Tirana)

 

The composition of the responsible Albania-EU negotiating group changes. The Minister of State has asked the government to make some changes in the team responsible for the negotiations, and in the treaty of accession of Albania to the EU. The responsible negotiator of this team will be Julian Hodaj, Deputy Minister of the Interior, until yesterday the responsible co-negotiator. While Besart Kadia, Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy, negotiator responsible for several chapters, will be replaced by Endrit Yzeiraj, also Deputy Minister of Finance and Economy. The Minister of State and Chief Negotiator and the negotiating group is the person responsible for the implementation of said decision.

 

The joint Albania-Azerbaijan committee, Balluku: the gas supply network of Korca and the direct airline in focus (Radio Tirana)

 

The joint Albania-Azerbaijan Committee was convened today in Tirana, focusing on economic, technological and industrial developments. As part of the work of this committee, the bilateral cooperation protocol was signed in areas such as energy, transport, agriculture, education or culture. The Deputy Prime Minister, at the same time the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku stated that the signing of the protocol paves the way to the implementation of the projects agreed in the work of the Committee, and to the deepening of relations too. Albania and Azerbaijan celebrate this year the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. "The energy field is the one that has the greatest interest between the two parties, considering important projects as the gas supply network of Korça, the expansion of the TAP consortium, and liquid gas in the Triport of Vlora," stated Balluku. On the other hand, Balluku pointed out, there was a discussion on cooperation in other fields too, such as transport, agriculture, education, culture, etc. "Another field of interest for cooperation between our two countries is that of transport, with the air transport being the main focus. The establishment of an airline between Tirana and Baku, is a request of the two countries," Balluku said. The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by the Minister of Energy of Azerbaijan Parviz Shahbazov.