LOCAL PRESS

 

Baerbock: The countries of the Western Balkans "absolutely and completely" belong to the EU (Tanjug)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Baerbock, said, on the eve of her visit to Slovenia, that the countries of the Western Balkans fully belong to the European Union and that Berlin's goal is to strengthen the EU, which will also include the countries of the region. In a statement published on the website of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Baerbock emphasized that everyone needs the EU, which will remain the "security anchor" of Europe.

 

"In a world where crises and conflicts overlap in Europe's immediate neighborhood, we need a European Union that will act quickly and decisively tomorrow and the day after tomorrow and remain a security anchor for all of us in Europe," said the German head of diplomacy. "Germany and Slovenia are united in strengthening our common Europe, making it suitable for the future and including the countries of the Western Balkans in our midst. For us, a strong European Union, just like NATO, is an irreplaceable life insurance in uncertain times," added Baerbock. She stressed that the countries of the Western Balkans "completely and absolutely" belong to the European Union. "These are not just empty words. It is in our security interest - in Ljubljana, in Berlin and in the whole of Europe. In order to achieve this, the necessary reforms must be completed in the countries that want to become part of the European family. At the same time, the EU must keep his word and take steps in the expansion process, when the conditions are met," continued Baerbock. Baerbock assessed that due to "Russian imperialism in the heart of Europe", the EU cannot afford "gray zones".  "Together with Slovenia, we are working on reforms in the EU in order to set the course for an enlarged Union. Progress in the enlargement policy and internal reforms of the EU must go hand in hand," the German minister concluded.

 

Representatives of the Serbian List with Barbano demand a greater presence of EULEX on the ground (RTS)

At the meeting with the head of EULEX, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, the Serbian List demanded a greater presence of the EU Mission in the field with a special request that they engage in the issue of the security of the Serbian people, as well as unjustly arrested Serbs. A delegation of the Serbian List led by President Zlatan Elek met in Kosovska Mitrovica with the head of EULEX, Major General Giovanni Pietro Barbano. At the meeting, they discussed the political and security situation in Kosovo and Metohija, reported the Serbian List. On that occasion, the delegation of the Serbian List demanded a greater EULEX presence on the ground with a special request that the Mission be involved in the security of the Serbian people, as well as the unjustly arrested compatriots who are in custody. "It was emphasized that the interest of the Serbian List and the entire Serbian people is the preservation of peace, and that this is our request, and at the same time, an obligation from the EULEX mandate," the announcement states.

 

Kosovo Serbs’ request to dismiss mayors refused (N1)

 

Kosovo Serbs tried but failed to file requests to dismiss the mayors of four northern majority-Serb municipalities. It said that delegations in Mitrovica North, Leposavic, Zvecan and Zubin Potok brought the paperwork to the headquarters of their municipal administrations where civil servants refused to accept them. The requests are in line with the instructions issued by the Kosovo government to replace the mayors who were elected in a vote boycotted by the Serbs. The election of those four mayors led to violent protests earlier this year. Members of the delegations said that they were not allowed to hand in the requests. They said that requests would be sent to Kosovo Central Election Commission and that they would inform the European Union and Quint countries. One report said that the police were called to the municipality headquarters in Zvecan to take down the names of the delegation members.

 

Serbia Against Violence coalition representatives visit Kosovo (Beta, N1)

 

Ahead of the December 17 early parliamentary elections, representatives of the Serbia Against Violence election ticket visited on Monday the town of Gracanica, Kosovo. Miroslav Aleksic, who heads the coalition’s election ticket, addressed the public in Gracanica saying that the Serbia Against Violence coalition is against the adoption of the Franco-German plan for Kosovo. He said the people in Kosovo should know that on December 17 they will be choosing a government that will decide on Serbia’s future. He accused the incumbent Serbian government of handing to the Kosovo authorities, “on a plate,” the police, judiciary, the energy and telecommunications systems and putting the Kosovo Serbs in a very difficult position.

 

Aleksic said the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) has become pointless. “The CSM should have been formed much earlier, when the Brussels Agreement was signed, when that made sense. Right now, it seems that the ZSO is just throwing dust in the eyes, making it look as if the Serbs are getting something, but essentially, we will get nothing. Everything needs to be reset and put back on the table,” said Aleksic.

 

Serbia Against Violence candidate for MP Srdjan Milivojevic said in Gracanica that Serbs living in Kosovo are exposed to both Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s and Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s terror. He said Vucic has done more to help the creation of greater Albania than all the commanders of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army together.

“This is a man who will never admit that he has already recognized Kosovo’s independence. Serbian Parliament MPs never received the content of the Franco-German plan that is being talked about and we don’t know what Vucic signed and where he got the constitutional powers to sign anything,” said Milivojevic. He added that the opposition in the Serbian Parliament has requested the formation of an inquiry committee that would investigate all facts and circumstances surrounding the September 24 incident in the village of Banjska, Kosovo. “We never shed light on everything that happened there, the Parliament never discussed it,” Milovojevic said, adding that this incident put the Kosovo Serbs in a difficult position.

 

The Serb List said Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti continues to fully support (Party of Freedom and Justice leader) Dragan Djilas in the coming elections. “To this end he organized today the unhindered arrival of Djilas’ pals, Srdjan Milivojevic, Miroslav Aleksic, Aleksandar ‘Cuta’ Jovanovic and others, to Kosovo, with the aim to cause divisions among the Serbs here,” said the Serb List. Party of Freedom and Justice is a member of the Serbia Against Violence coalition.

 

Jovanovic to Kurti: No silence on Kosovo (N1)

 

Serbian Liberal Democrat Party (LDP) leader Cedomir Jovanovic said after a meeting with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti that there should be no silence about Kosovo. Jovanovic was in Pristina to meet Kurti. “I’ve known Kurti for 30 years … after this meeting I believe that the blood spilled in Banjska is the last blood spilled in the conflict between the Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo,” he said in an X video post. He added that he believes in Serbian society and its ability to support the needed political changes so that “everyone in Kosovo can find peace and we get the right to a new beginning”. The Kosovo government issued a press release saying that Kurti and Jovanovic discussed the latest events in Kosovo and Serbia and their mutual relations as well as the need to strengthen rule of law in the Western Balkans and respect for human and minority rights as guarantees of peace and security in the region.

 

Council of Europe experts criticize Pristina: Council of Europe experts consider the use of police forces in the north of KiM to be excessive (RTS)

In the report of the Council of Europe expert group, the authorities in Pristina are criticized for the excessive use of police forces in the north of Kosovo. Experts state that the Pristina regime has no will to establish the Union of Serbian Municipalities (ZSO), does not respect international agreements, and criticizes the non-implementation of the court decision on the return of property to the Visoki Decani monastery. A report by experts of the Council of Europe (CoE) was published, in which certain moves and decisions of the authorities in Pristina are criticized.

Kosovo has been criticized for excessive use of police forces in the north of the country in the report of experts of the Council of Europe, who have addressed the adaptation of Kosovo's legal system to the standards of the organization, to which Kosovo submitted the application for membership last year. There, it is found that while the political institutions have shown more determination to fight corruption and organized crime, they do not always respect the independence of the judiciary and that there is a worrying tendency for the excessive use of special police forces in the north of Kosovo.

 

Kosovo is portrayed as a country that does not respect the decisions of the courts nor international agreements, in the Report on the adaptation of the legal system of Kosovo to the standards of the Council of Europe. The document was compiled by the experts of this institution, who stayed in Kosovo from September 24 to 27. There, the delays in the rule of law are described in Kosovo, with an emphasis on the implementation of the law in municipalities populated by a Serbian majority.

 

In the part that refers to the tensions in the north, which culminated in the terrorist attack in Banjska i Zvecan, Kosovo is requested to refrain from police actions that could lead to major clashes. According to the document, only thanks to KFOR it was possible to avoid the biggest escalation of the situation.

 

"In the event of violent and illegal protests or roadblocks, the Kosovo authorities favor the rapid and forceful use of special forces to restore public order, even if there is a high risk that the use of force by the police will lead to in violence and mass bloodshed. Only thanks to the strong stance of KFOR, it became possible to avoid a major escalation of violence in recent cases," the document reads.

 

"There is no will for the establishment of the ZSO"

 

In the part devoted to the dialogue, the document mentions the Union of municipalities with a Serbian majority (ZSO) , which states that at the moment there is no will for its implementation.

 

"The court concluded that the proposed legal framework 'did not fully meet the constitutional standards'. However, the Court in principle and in general did not rule out the possibility of such an association. The Court dealt with the specific proposals presented in the General Principles, and the Court was concerned, among other things, by the vagueness of the term 'general exercise,'" the document reads. "The Court noted that the Principles regarding the organizational structure of the Association/Community raised concerns regarding the respect of the diversity of resident communities within the participating municipalities and the reflection of this diversity in the personnel and structures of the Association/Community as required by the Constitution. This judgment has been used by Kosovar politicians to declare that the establishment of such an association is unconstitutional in itself and no new agreement has been reached on the possible statute of such an association. At the time of our visit, the current government does not seem to want to establish such an association."

According to the report, such an interpretation of the decision of the Constitutional Court is abusive. "While the Court was critical of the specific document submitted to it, it expressly stated 'that the Association/Community of municipalities with a Serbian majority will be established as provided for in the First Agreement, ratified by the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo and announced by the president of the Republic of Kosovo'", he writes there.

 

Furthermore, the report mentions the non-implementation of the other decision of the Constitutional Court for the properties of Visoki Decani Monastery. "While the Court plays an important role as the guardian of the Constitution, in a politically sensitive case the authorities have so far not implemented a Court decision that dates back to 2016. The Court decided that 24 hectares of contested land belongs to the Monastery of Decani. This ruling was criticized by politicians and, despite repeated calls from the international community, was not implemented. This is a clear violation of the rule of law. The authorities of Kosovo must implement without further delay the judgment of the Constitutional Court in the case of the Monastery of Decani", he writes there.

 

"Politicians from relevant positions sometimes criticize the decisions of the courts in sensitive cases with inappropriate language and in a way that can damage the independence of the judiciary. The judgment of the Constitutional Court in the case of Decani Monastery was not only not implemented but was severely criticized by the holders of high political functions".

 

The report also mentions the case when Prime Minister Albin Kurti "was curious to know the name of the prosecutor who had made the decision to release a Serbian suspect from prison".

 

Resignations of Serbs in the north

 

While the resignation of Serbs from Kosovo's institutions, including the police, the judiciary and the prosecutor's office, is described as problematic, the report welcomes the fact that those resignations were not approved by the Judicial Council and the Prosecutorial Council, leaving the opportunity for the Serbs to return to their positions. The report also mentions the decisions of the Government of Kosovo from August last year regarding the expropriation of lands in the north of Kosovo, for which the Serbs have complained.

 

"Representatives of the international community, including the OSCE, the EU, EULEX and the USA expressed deep concerns about these decisions since the procedure followed was not in accordance with the laws and regulations of Kosovo. Among other things, the decisions did not identify, as required by Article 44 of the Constitution, the public purpose or public interest that necessitates these expropriations. However, it seems to be generally assumed that the intention is to build police stations on those properties. This way of proceeding is not in accordance with the rule of law and is likely to undermine the trust between the Serbian community and the institutions of the Government of Kosovo. Authorities should also make greater efforts to communicate the reasons for expropriations to the general public," the report says.

 

Intimidation of witnesses in war crimes cases

 

A major problem is the protection of witnesses in sensitive cases such as war crimes, which are being handled by the Specialized Chambers in The Hague. "Witness protection was already identified as a major problem for war crimes trials in Kosovo by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Resolution 1784 (2011). Subsequently, a witness protection law was adopted in September 2011, but witness protection is very difficult in a country as small as Kosovo. The most sensitive cases are now handled in The Hague, and the Kosovo prosecutors we met during the visit did not express any particular concerns in this regard. However, it seems significant, as pointed out by the Human Rights Commissioner in her memorandum 56, that in the trial of the Specialized Chambers they were dealing with a case of intimidation of witnesses", says the report.

 

As for the fight against crime and corruption, the report praises the institutions of Kosovo in some of the actions taken. There it is mentioned that the position of Kosovo in the Corruption Perception Index in "Transparency International" has improved from the 104th place to the 84th place, but it is considered insufficient. “The number of relevant court cases remains relatively low, and high-profile corruption cases are often returned for retrial to the Basic Court by the Court of Appeal. Organized crime investigations remain vulnerable to corruption and illegal interference. There is a clear need to further strengthen the various institutions and bodies that fight corruption, including additional resources. Kosovo authorities must continue their efforts to fight corruption and organized crime and ensure the proper implementation of the new legislation in this area", the document emphasizes.

 

On May 12, 2022, Kosovo applied for membership in the Council of Europe. In her letter, Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz defined Kosovo as "a European country strongly committed to human rights and the rule of law". On 24 April 2023, the application was forwarded to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for consultation. As a result, at the proposal of the president, the Parliamentary Assembly appointed the jurists to compile the report on Kosovo. This report will serve the Parliamentary Assembly in drafting the opinion for the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

 

Election commission determines number of voters, election tickets (RTS)

 

The Serbian state TV (RTS) said on Monday that there are just over 6.5 million registered voters in Serbia. It said that the Republic Election Commission (RIK) had determined the number of people eligible to vote at the December 17 parliamentary and local elections stands at 6.500,165. According to the RTS, Serbia’s central election commission also confirmed 18 election tickets for the parliamentary elections. Those election tickets are fielding a total of 2,817 candidates for the 250 seats in the Serbian parliament. The European Western Balkans site said on its Serbia Elects pages that according to the 2022 census, Serbia has a population of 6,647,003 with analysts estimating that more than a million people who are on the electoral roll live abroad. The RIK confirms only the election tickets for the parliamentary elections while the candidates and election tickets for local elections are confirmed by local city and municipal election committees. The election tickets for the Assembly of Vojvodina are confirmed by the Vojvodina provincial election committee.

 

Opposition officials file charges over SNS call centre (N1)

 

Opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition officials said they filed criminal charges against several people including Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) leader Milos Vucevic following an investigative report on a party campaign call centre. The charges were filed by coalition officials Jelena Jerinic and Djordje Pavicevic following the publication of a CINS investigative report which showed that the SNS set up a call centre which paid cash to staff who were told to photograph their ballots on December 17 to prove that they are loyal to the party.

 

Jerinic said that the charges were filed to remind the prosecution to do its job, adding that President Aleksandar Vucic’s statement that the call centre is not illegal was a form of pressure on prosecutors. She said that the charges were filed against the owners of the unregistered hostess agency which set up the call centre, Defense Minister Milos Vucevic as the legal representative of the SNS, several unidentified employees of the Ministry of State Administration and Local Government, employees of a number of municipal administrations among others. She said the people named were accomplices in crimes. “We don’t think the existence of the SNS call centre is a criminal act. It’s clear that there is no ban on a call centre but the unauthorized collection of personal data is forbidden as are violations of the equality of citizens and failing to pay taxes into the budget is forbidden as is the buying of votes,” Jerinic said.

 

EP observer mission, including Bilcik, Von Cramon, to arrive in Serbia on December 14 (Beta)

 

A European Parliament (EP) mission is slated to arrive in Belgrade on December 14 to observe the forthcoming elections in Serbia, and will include the rapporteurs for Serbia and Kosovo, Vladimir Bilcik and Viola Von Cramon, the Demostat research and publication organization has reported. Alongside Bilcik, a Slovenian MEP from the European People's Party, and Von Cramon, a German MEP from the Greens, Klemen Groselj and Javier Nart from Renew Europe group, and Andreas Schieder from the Socialists and Democratic group

will be part of the mission, Demostat learned unofficially from sources at the EP. The EP observers, who will arrive on the last day of the election campaign, will be part of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights’ mission observing the snap parliamentary vote in Serbia on Dec. 17. The decision to send an observer mission to Serbia was made upon receipt of a letter from Serbian Speaker Vladimir Orlic requesting an observer mission be appointed.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Draft agreement to be discussed in Brussels states that EU is ready to open EU accession negotiations with B&H once necessary degree of compliance with membership criteria is achieved (BNTV)

According to article published by Reuters on Monday, the draft agreement envoys of 27 EU Member States will discuss in Brussels on Tuesday states that the European Union (EU) “is ready to open EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved”. The article also states that EU diplomats and officials said that the first draft prepared for discussion was bound to change. “The meeting marks the start of preparations among the 27 for a December 14-15 summit of the EU's leaders that is due to decide on integration prospects for Ukraine, B&H, Moldova, Georgia and others”, reads the article.

 

EUD/EUSR Spokesperson Koenig explains the process of Second High-Level Political Forum (Oslobodjenje)

Second High-Level Political Forum will take place on Tuesday in Brussels. Spokesperson for EU Delegation and EU Special Representative, Ferdinand Koenig reminded that during the First High-Level Forum, which took place on May 17th, 2023, political and institutional leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) took over the obligation of carrying out of certain number of key activities, in order to move forward toward EU integration. He noted that focus of the meeting was at soon as possible fulfilling of accession talks and participants agreed to meet again in six months. “In the meantime, the European Commission recommended opening of the accession talks with B&H, under condition that conditions necessary for the membership are additionally fulfilled,” said Koenig.

 

He noted that the Second Forum will be held in the same format, i.e. under the presiding of European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and Chairwoman of Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo. “Other invited participants include Joint Collegium of B&H Parliament, Heads of the Caucuses, Deputies of the CoM Chair, Director of Directorate for European Integration (DEI), Federation of B&H (FB&H) and Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Ministers, Prime Ministers of ten cantons in the FB&H and Brcko District Mayor,” said Koenig. It is expected that participants will discuss progress in meeting of 14 key priorities, reform steps and reforms for the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans. Before the Forum, party leaders will meet Commissioner Varhelyi.

 

Dodik: We will see in Brussels how serious Europe is towards us (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik posted on his ‘X’ account on Monday that the RS is a serious and constructive partner, that actively contributes to accelerating the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and this is visible in everything done so far. He said that meetings in Brussels will show how serious Europe is towards B&H. “If there are digressions from earlier stances and we see this could happen, this means they are not sincere enough towards B&H,” said Dodik. He said it is difficult to be an optimist, especially when you see how much some of EU member-states, which object opening of accession talks, do not understand circumstances and relations in B&H. “Accusations which come to the RS account from the Netherlands show how much they do not know the structure of B&H and its Constitution, so they accuse RS representatives of “undermining” non-existent institutions,” wrote Dodik. He stressed that the RS will maintain its initial positions: “B&H can join the EU only without a foreign factor. This means there is no high representative, not the right one or the fake one, and there are no foreign judges. If they deviate from this again, then they cannot say that Srpska is the one obstructing processes. This is done by foreigners, and this is clear now.” Dodik noted that EU’s path can be undermined only by so-called Bosnian patriots, who brought down B&H institutions, turned them into party’s premises and “Muslim outposts”. “Nobody reacts to the circus we are observing in the Federation of B&H for days and attempts to bring the situation in B&H to a boiling point. The only reaction that comes from the EU and America always concerns the RS and such unilateral meetings will have to change,” ends Dodik.

 

Kosarac: It is important to repeat there is no High Representative in B&H; All as long as foreigners are imposing solutions, any kind of perspective, including European is questionable for B&H (RTRS)

Ahead of his trip to Brussels, Deputy Chair of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Council of Ministers, Stasa Kosarac, told RTRS on Monday that they will clearly repeat the stance that the High Representative in B&H does not exist, and that Christian Schmidt is illegal and illegitimate and his decisions cannot be implemented in B&H. “Especially in a way as stipulated by Amendments to Criminal Code, which absolutely has no grounds. We will clearly say that we want to have a more constructive story in the European integration in a way that it is necessary for Republika Srpska (RS) institutions to be visible, that coordination mechanism is used, to affirm the letter of the Dayton, basically on the agreement of two entities and three peoples,” said Kosarac. He repeated that it is important to negotiate with the EU: “It is important to repeat that B&H has defined a foreign-policy goal, which is the EU membership. That there is a necessity for continuation of fulfilling of certain recommendations and obligations, but in a way to acknowledge stances of RS institutions and that there is absolutely no imposing, because we recognize various forms of pressures from various ambassadors and other officials.”

 

Kosarac posted on his Instagram on Monday that as long as foreigners, especially an illegitimate High Representative, are enacting decisions, imposing solutions and harshly undermine sovereignty and the Dayton Agreement, any kind of perspective, including the European one, is questionable for B&H. “Solutions and perspective for B&H can be searched only in the agreement of domestic political actors. Nobody in this country, even the EU itself, need a colony, but a sovereign state, where legitimately elected representatives of the peoples will decide on internal issues,” wrote Kosarac, who will attend the 2nd Political Forum on EU path of B&H, with representatives of the EU in Brussels. He wrote that he is not overly optimistic about the outcome of the meeting: “My goal is protection of interests of the RS and presenting of its positions. I am encouraged by the fact that President Milorad Dodik will be in Brussels on the same day. This will be a chance to once again point out the fact that RS suggested adoption of 14 key priorities in a package and integrally, showing its full dedication for the EU path. In this process we insist on acknowledging of constitutional competencies and coordination mechanisms.” Kosarac said that a primary interest of RS officials is Law on Constitutional Court and departing of foreigners from this institution and closing down of the OHR. He stressed that the RS is not a disturbing factor or a factor of instability: “We have defined political stances and offer solutions for all open issues in B&H. Our stance is always the same - agreement of two entities and three constituent peoples within Dayton B&H, without international interventionism.”

 

Kosarac noted that European representatives constantly blame the RS for blocking the European integration of B&H, but that the true obstacle of the European integration of B&H is the joint goal of the international community and Bosniak people in B&H to keep foreign representatives in B&H. Kosarac also said that the international community has attempted to persuade the RS to change their stances on relevant matters, via financial blackmail by threatening that they will not approve investment projects unless the RS harmonizes their stance with those of the EU.

 

Becirovic and French Special Envoy for Western Balkans Troccaz discuss B&H’s path to EU and NATO (FTV)

The Bosniak member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Denis Becirovic and French Special Envoy for Western Balkans Rene Troccaz discussed in Sarajevo on Monday the current political and security situation, and B&H’s path to full membership in the EU and NATO. Troccaz said that France is carefully following the main issues in the region as well as regional cooperation initiatives, especially the Berlin Process. He added that he supports bringing the Western Balkans closer to the EU, and that France remains a strong partner of B&H. Troccaz leads the French delegation for the next two days at the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) session, noted the presenter. Troccaz also said that France is committed to preserving peace and security in B&H. Becirovic thanked France for supporting B&H on its path to full membership in the EU and NATO.

 

Minister Helez and his Deputies meet Austrian delegation led by Minister Tanner; Support to B&H Defense Ministry, B&H AF and EU path of B&H expressed (NAP.ba)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Defense Minister Zukan Helez and his Deputies Slaven Galic and Aleksandar Goganovic received in an official visit a delegation of the Republic of Austria led by Austrian Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. The collocutors exchanged opinions about the current political and security situation in B&H and concluded that the recent extension of the ALTEHA Mission mandate in B&H at the time of increased security challenges is of extreme importance for preservation of the safe and stable environment in our country. The members of the B&H Defense Ministry delegation thanked Minister Tanner for overall support and help of Austria on the EU path of B&H and for numerous projects and one of the most important ones is education of B&H cadets at the Theresan Military Academy of the Republic of Austria Armed Forces. They also praised contribution to the EUFOR mission in B&H, where Austria has a leading role, and for considerable help of Austria in training of the B&H AF, resolving the issue of surplus weapons and ammunition and other important forms of assistance.

 

Helez informed the Austrian Minister about activities of the B&H Defense Ministry and B&H AF with an accent on the issue of development and modernization of the B&H AF, resolving the issues of the surplus weapons and ammunition and non-prospective military property and about importance of the Support Package for Strengthening Defense and Security Capacities of B&H (DCB). The participants of the meeting also discussed about progress of B&H on the Euro-Atlantic path especially in the context of the meeting of the B&H delegation with the highest EU officials in Brussels, where progress of B&H in meeting of set conditions and priorities will be discussed. Tanner praised efforts and activities of the B&H Defense Ministry and the B&H Armed Forces and said that her country will remain dedicated to B&H not only because of the joint history and friendly relations but also because of security challenges that “we” all together face. She added: “For this reason, the EU integration of B&H and the Western Balkans region is an important priority of Austria.”

 

Croatia

 

Dodik in interview with HRT1: Trial before Court of B&H is political process, Helez’s claims is lie, there are no camps in RS (HRT)

HRT1 carries an interview with Republika Srpska (RS) President and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik. Asked about the beginning of the trial against him before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) scheduled for Wednesday, Dodik stated that this is a political process. Dodik stated: “This has no basis within any law. The fact is that a foreigner (High Representative Christian Schmidt), who was not elected in line with procedures, changes laws with a decision to protect his misdeeds and claiming that anyone who fails to act as he says (…) goes to prison for six months to five years. This is the case in this particular case. This speaks more about B&H, a country that does not exist, a country that is absurd, a country without any sense, disorganized country that a foreigner can change laws with a decision.”

 

Asked to comment on claims of B&H Minister of Defense Zukan Helez on existence of para-military camps on the territory of the RS under auspices of Russia, Dodik characterized them as lies. He stated: “A convenient lie that has been marketed for a long time. The false narrative about some Russian influence. This is for the terrified citizens of Brussels where I am going today (Monday), where if you do not have electricity in one street, it's (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's fault, not the local authorities. A convenient lie. There are no camps, no paramilitary formations. If you have the EUFOR, the forces that are in charge of security in B&H and monitoring the development of the situation, and when they say that there is no such a thing, why should I explain anything else?” Dodik added that on the other hand there are serious information on jamaats and para-jamaats, foreign worriers and those who were part of the ISIL and who came back to their families in B&H.

 

Asked if he leading the RS towards a secession, Dodik stated that the rest of B&H will secede from the RS first. Commenting on his relation with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Dodik stated that they share the same values. Dodik argued that Milanovic is a consistent politician who understand things very well. In his opinion, Milanovic is informal, interesting and he protects interests of his state. Dodik said: “It (Croatia) also signed the Dayton Agreement and therefore, it is a guarantor of the agreement. It was unfairly expelled, as well as Serbia, from the decision-making process via the Peace Implementation Council in B&H.” Dodik assessed that this put Croatia and Serbia on the margins when it comes to B&H, while some others were put in a position to decide. Dodik said: “I believe that President Milanovic understands this very well and we share the same values.” Speaking about his relation with politicians in B&H, Dodik said that he always had a better cooperation with leader of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic than with leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic. Dodik underlined that unlike Izetbegovic, he never got in a situation with Covic of having an argument and disrespecting of something that they agreed. Dodik said: “In case of Izetbegovic, this is a result of the fact that Americans used to make them favourites for years. They always know that Americans will support them at expense of Croats and Serbs here in B&H. They are always in an easy-going position, and they can lie.”

 

Montenegro

 

Ivanovic with the ambassadors of Kosovo, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Mongolia: The focus is on strengthening bilateral relations and the Government's foreign policy priorities (CDM)

 

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Filip Ivanovic, spoke on Monday, in separate meetings, with the ambassadors of the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Republic of Slovakia and Mongolia. In the conversation with the Ambassador of Kosovo, Ariana Zerka Hodza, it was assessed that Kosovo and Montenegro are friendly, neighboring countries, committed to the continuous strengthening of bilateral cooperation in numerous areas, as well as the affirmation of active participation in regional initiatives. "The interlocutors emphasized that the relations between the two countries are based on the principles of mutual understanding and respect, and that they are additionally strengthened by a common European perspective," the announcement states.

 

During the meeting with the Bulgarian ambassador Stefan Dimitrov, the head of Montenegrin diplomacy pointed out the importance of improving cooperation in many areas of mutual interest, such as tourism, education, scientific, digital and cultural diplomacy. "It was pointed out the importance of the support that Bulgaria, as a friendly, allied and partner country, provides to Montenegro on its integration path, with the readiness to further strengthen and intensify the cooperation between the two countries", the statement added.

 

Minister Ivanovic also discussed the European path of Montenegro, as an absolute priority of the 44th Government, and the importance of the support of the member states, with the Slovak ambassador, Boris Gandel. He especially pointed out the importance of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" group, which advocates for faster integration of the countries of the region into the EU, which includes Slovakia. At the same time, they expressed satisfaction with the excellent bilateral relations, and the interlocutors agreed that the strengthening of economic cooperation should be in focus in the coming period", it is stated.

 

At the meeting with the Mongolian ambassador on a non-resident basis, the willingness to improve cooperation between two geographically distant but friendly countries was highlighted. "Both sides expressed interest in intensifying contacts in the fields of tourism and culture and pointed out the significant potential of strengthening ties through multilateral forums and organizations. The interlocutors also welcomed the recent appointment of the honorary consul of Mongolia in Montenegro, which is a confirmation of commitment to strengthening bilateral relations", the announcement concludes.

 

Milatovic: Fight for a more sustainable future with joint forces (MINA)

 

A more sustainable future can only be achieved through the joint cooperation of all countries, said the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, adding that a just and fair transition to a green economy is extremely important. In an interview with the Emirates News Agency on the occasion of his participation in the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, he said that everyone must work together to fight for a more sustainable future. "In that sense, the expectations I had from the COP28 conference have been fulfilled," said Milatovic. He stated that things can always be more ambitious. "We support the views of the Secretary General of the United Nations that we should work towards the complete elimination of fossil fuels from use, of course through a phased approach, so it is necessary not only to reduce their use, but to completely eliminate them from use," added Milatovic.

 

He said that everyone must work towards that goal. According to Milatovic, the transition to the green economy and the green agenda are extremely important, but in these efforts, one must always keep in mind that it should be a just and fair transition. "So, we need to take care of our economies and people who are currently employed in some of the sectors that rely on fossil fuels and help them acquire new and additional skills, diversifying our economies in a much more sustainable way - through energy efficiency, with efforts towards additional construction of renewable sectors and intensification of joint cooperation of countries in the world", said Milatovic.

 

He believes that this is the way to go. "We must be ambitious and persistent in this, and that is also the message that I personally promote as the President of Montenegro," said Milatovic. He said that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was a great host of the COP28 conference. "The conference was very successful, primarily because of the great achievement on the first day when the Damage and Loss Fund was established, within which developed countries will make contributions for the welfare of developing countries, which are most affected by climate change," said Milatovic. He considers this to be the main achievement of the event. "The vision of the leaders of the UAE and their efforts towards the realization of that vision were significant, and I want to congratulate them on what they did on behalf of all of us," said Milatovic. According to him, the world is a very complex place at the moment. As Milatovic stated, different parts of the world face different challenges, be it poverty, political uncertainty and tensions, wars. He pointed out that the challenge of climate change is one of the things that everyone in the world has in common.

 

"Both the UAE and Montenegro are committed partners within multilateral cooperation, and the presence of Montenegro at the COP28 conference and the fact that the UAE is its host is highly appreciated by both sides - the UAE and Montenegro are friendly countries, and our mutually excellent cooperation is a confirmation of that" Milatovic said. He said that numerous things prove that there are negative impacts of climate change in Montenegro as well. "Especially during the last 20 years, when we ourselves have witnessed frequent extreme weather conditions, both in winter and summer," said Milatovic. He said that it affects the infrastructure, the tourism sector in Montenegro and that this is exactly what is happening in the UAE. "And that's why I say that both countries are strongly committed to joint efforts, global efforts to make the world a sustainable place to live, to make our future sustainable," said Milatovic.

 

He said that it is appreciated that the UAE particularly stands out as one of the countries that is very dedicated to that goal, adding that the same applies to Montenegro. "We are one of the first countries in the world to incorporate ecological status into the Constitution, since 1992 we have proclaimed that Montenegro is an ecological country, with the aim of having ecological policies, i.e. policies of sustainable development, transferred to all our national policies," he added. is Milatovic. This, as he said, is what he promotes on a daily basis and the reason why Montenegro has numerous innovative instruments through which it tries to be on the front line of the fight against climate change.

 

Milatovic reminded that the Fund for Accelerated Development of Montenegro was established last year, related to the goals of sustainable development. That Fund, as he said, was established as an innovative financial mechanism or platform, within which the Government and the private sector work together to finance projects and programs that lead to a more sustainable future. Milatovic said that the world has truly become a more complex place, especially in the past two or three years, with geopolitical tensions that are present all over the world - in the Middle East, in Eastern Europe, in West Africa. "I think that sometimes all these things make us all forget how important the issues of climate change are, which we all face together," stated Milatovic. In this sense, as he said, events like the COP28 conference held in the UAE are a clear reminder of how big that challenge is. "Also, events like that show us that we can achieve the goal of a more sustainable future only through the joint cooperation of all countries." If that is not the case, the big question is whether we will succeed in this," said Milatovic.

 

North Macedonia

 

First round of presidential elections on April 24, parliamentary elections and presidential runoff on May 8 (MIA)

 

Parliamentary political parties have reached an agreement to hold the first round of the presidential elections on April 24, followed by the presidential runoff and the parliamentary elections on May 8, said Prime Minister and SDSM leader Dimitar Kovachevski on Monday.

Kovachevski said there was a broad consensus on the amendments to the Electoral Code in line with ODCE/ODIHR recommendations. In addition, he said that the SDSM Executive Board decided late Sunday over the formation of a European front and nomination of a candidate for the presidential elections.

 

Mickoski: No conditions for constitutional changes, consensus reached over election date and Electoral Code (MIA)

 

VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said Monday that a broad consensus was reached over the date for the next presidential and parliamentary elections (April 24 and May 8, 2024), as well as over changes to the Electoral Code based on the recommendations of OSCE/ODIHR. Regarding the constitutional amendments, Mickoski said the position of VMRO-DPMNE, and its coalition is that there are currently no conditions for the amendments.

 

“We reached an agreement over amendments to the Electoral Code in line with the recommendations of the OSCE/ODIHR, and they will enter parliamentary procedure. So, the Code will change even though the rule of no changes six months before the beginning of election campaign is not being respected… I hope in the future this will not be the case,” said Mickoski at a press conference after the leaders' meeting. The VMRO-DPMNE leader said a complex period lies ahead, and that the next elections will determine what kind of country and society the people want to live in. “On one side, we will have an offer that will be presented by the current ruling coalition, while on the other side we will have an offer provided by the current opposition led by VMRO-DPMNE. There will be no chance to correct what we do on April 24 and then on May 8. I urge the citizens to stand behind the offer that will transform Macedonia into a country that we want to see,” said Mickoski.

 

Regarding the caretaker government, Mickoski said the issue was raised at the meeting, but there was no consensus, especially from the ruling coalition partners, to scrap the caretaker government.

 

Asked about the empty position in the State Election Commission, Mickoski said it legally belongs to the opposition coalition of ethnic Albanian parties. “I am concerned because the composition of the State Election Commission is yet to be finalized. I urge the parliamentary majority and the Speaker of Parliament to place this item on the agenda… Let’s not leave any room for shortcomings in the electoral process,” said Mickoski.

 

Xhaferi welcomes Czech Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs delegation (MIA)

 

Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi welcomed Monday a Czech Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs delegation led by Vladislav Vilimec. According to an official press release, Parliament Speaker Xhaferi said bilateral relations were characterized by traditional friendship, constant political dialogue and ongoing cooperation. He also spoke about the European integration process of the country, its final stages of the screening process as well as the process of constitutional amendments in Parliament, the release says. Expressing hope that the institutions of the European Union would maintain the perspective of the enlargement as a merit-based, credible process, Xhaferi also welcomed the EU's continued support through the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

 

Vilimec said North Macedonia had made difficult decisions so it could join the Euro-Atlantic and European family. He said the country should stay on the reform path to become part of the EU, adding that the Czech Republic would continue to provide support for its full European integration. Meeting participants also agreed there was great potential in economic cooperation between the two countries, the release adds.