LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic thanked Equatorial Guinea for its consistent support for preservation of Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity (Tanjug/Politika)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Equatorial Guinea Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue on Thursday to discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation - in particular in agriculture - as well as the most pressing geopolitical issues. The President thanked Equatorial Guinea for its consistent support for the preservation of Serbia's sovereignty and territorial integrity despite the pressure the African country was facing. Vucic said that, especially at the present time, full respect of international law was necessary for the sake of global peace and prosperity, and added that Serbia was firmly adhering to the principles of international law, the presidential press office said in a statement. In particular, Vucic noted that Serbia would strive to help its friends to overcome the crisis regarding supplies of basic foodstuffs, as well as transfer Serbian know-how and technology to Equatorial Guinea. "We agreed there is untapped potential in the agriculture, construction and energy sectors, as well as great interest among companies in our country in taking part in further infrastructure development in Equatorial Guinea. Our objective is to also continue cooperation in the IT sector, culture, sports, as well as in education," Vucic said. He added that discussions between Serbia and Equatorial Guinea about exchanging diplomatic representative offices would be continued as well. Vucic invited Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo to visit Serbia soon. Conveying Mbasogo's regards to Vucic, Mangue said Serbia was a crucial partner to Equatorial Guinea and that it was extremely important to boost bilateral cooperation in areas crucial for development. He thanked Vucic for efforts to alleviate the impact of the Ukraine conflict on Equatorial Guinea and noted that his country would never forget a Serbian donation of COVID-19 vaccines that had helped save many lives. The parties also agreed that the number of Serbian scholarships available to Equatorial Guinea students be increased.

 

Agreement on cooperation in defense with Equatorial Guinea signed (Tanjug)

 

Serbia and Equatorial Guinea signed an agreement on defense cooperation on Thursday.

The agreement was signed at a Belgrade meeting between Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic and Equatorial Guinea Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, in charge of national defense and state security. Stefanovic and Mangue, who is on an official visit to Serbia, said the agreement was a good foundation for establishment and development of cooperation and that it helped the advancement of overall bilateral ties, the Serbian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. Stefanovic said that, despite being geographically distant, the two countries were connected by decades-long friendly relations, and thanked Equatorial Guinea for its non-recognition of the so-called Kosovo and its principled support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. Mangue said Equatorial Guinea considered Serbia as an important partner and was committed to development of cooperation in all significant fields, from defense and the agriculture and construction sectors to education. He once again thanked Serbia for a donation of COVID-19 vaccines, the statement also said.

 

Selakovic: Stability, good neighborly relations crucial for region’s development (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic stated today that contemporary geopolitical events confirm the importance of improving regional cooperation and conducting a responsible regional policy, which, above all, means resolving all open issues through dialogue. Addressing the participants in a ministerial meeting of the South-East European Cooperation Process, which is being held in Thessaloniki, Selakovic stated that the development of the region is not possible without preserving stability and improving good neighborly relations, to which Serbia is fully committed. He assessed that the enlargement policy is one of the most important instruments of the European Union, not only for ensuring the stability of the region and its further economic prosperity, but also for the stability and security of the entire EU. As he pointed out, full membership in the EU is one of Serbia's foreign policy priorities, and we believe that the place of the entire region is in the Union, because without its inclusion, the European political and economic space will not be complete. Referring to the situation in Ukraine, Selakovic said that Serbia is fully committed to respecting the principles of territorial integrity and political independence of states, as one of the basic principles of international law. According to him, Serbia is in principle committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and in that sense supports all efforts aimed at negotiations. We are also ready to provide all kinds of humanitarian aid to the endangered population and to participate in the reconstruction of cities in Ukraine, said the Serbian Foreign Minister.

 

Vucic with Szijjarto: For even closer cooperation in energy (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto on Friday to discuss further advancement of bilateral cooperation, the situation in the region, engagement in the energy sector and the strategic partnership between the two countries in many other fields. Vucic noted a need for even closer cooperation in energy and joint infrastructure projects and the meeting also addressed concrete steps aimed at implementing them. "We especially discussed the issues of transit capacities as well as gas supplies, and agreed that unobstructed energy transit between our two countries is another proof of the exceptional, responsible and friendly cooperation between Serbia and Hungary," Vucic said. Vucic once again noted that Serbia maintained a sincere and sustained commitment to advance its ties with Hungary, and said that the relations were at an all-time high thanks to the commitment and openness of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban's government to bilateral cooperation. "I thanked Minister Szijjarto and PM Orban for Hungary's consistent and strong support for Serbia's European integration, which they note always and everywhere," Vucic said in a statement released by the presidential press office.

 

Serbia signs agreement on storing natural gas in Hungary (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto signed on Friday a bilateral agreement on continuing the cooperation in the energy sector, after which Srbijagas and Hungary's MVM CEEnergy Zr also signed a deal under which Serbia will be able to store natural gas in Hungary next winter. The agreement on the purchase of natural gas and logistics services was signed by Srbijagas General Manager Dusan Bajatovic and representatives of the Hungarian company. Under a previous agreement reached by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, Serbia will be able to store 500 million cubic m of natural gas during the winter. After a 25 May meeting with Szijjarto in Budapest, Mali said Serbia would be able to draw 3 million cubic meters of gas a day from Hungarian storage facilities in October, 6 million cubic m a day in November, December and January and 3 million cubic m a day in March.

 

Vucic: Serbia, Montenegro need to reset relationship (Adria TV/Tanjug)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says Serbia and Montenegro need to reset their relationship as they can do many things together in the future to the benefit of their citizens. "I hope we can do many things together in the future, even make next winter easier for each other and help each other as it will be a very tough winter for both countries," Vucic said in a statement to Montenegro's Adria TV. "We need to slowly reset our relations and start building them to restore the emotion, the respect and the love we used to have because hardly anyone is closer to us than we are to each other," Vucic said. When asked if he would visit Montenegro soon, Vucic responded affirmatively. "I will definitely come to Montenegro, but whether that will be an official or a private visit is another matter. Montenegrin PM Dritan Abazovic has received an invitation to pay an official visit to Serbia on 29 June, and he is welcome," Vucic said. There are many talking points and many things to deal with in the interest of all, he noted.

 

Diplomats: Common European future only solution to region’s past problems (Beta/Politika)

 

A common European future is the only solution to the Western Balkans' problems from the past that have not been overcome, and Serbia is expected to truly respect the EU's values in the time of a new war in Europe, said speakers at the opening of a conference on cooperation and the region's European path, in Belgrade on 9 June. "Reconciliation and cooperation might sound paradoxical at a time when war returns to our continent with Russia's aggression against Ukraine, but this conflict, on our doorstep, is fueling tension and polarization on our continent," stated French Ambassador to Serbia Pierre Cochard. In his address at the opening of the conference titled "Towards a common European future of the Balkans: Historical and contemporary views of regional cooperation," Cochard said that polarization was also observed among the people of Serbia, some of whom were returning to "the 1990s way of thinking" and that he hoped that would be overcome. "The glorification of war criminals is a phenomenon that is still present in this region and it is necessary to overcome the divisions that have marked the history of the Balkans. There is one solution standing before the Balkans and Europe, and that is the common European future – the only thing that provides an answer to the region's problems and gives an innovative response for overcoming the past," the EU's Ambassador to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret said at the gathering. The Head of the Council of Europe's mission in Belgrade Tobias Flessenkemper stated that, in the spirit of the best possible organization of the European continent, there was room for all to join the multilateral framework. "There is room for everyone to join the multilateral framework, which is very beneficial for the region and for dealing with the difficult issues that have not been closed yet," Flessenkemper said.

 

Serb List representatives refuse to receive summons of Kosovo Special Prosecution (Politika)

 

Officials of the Serb List refused, on Thursday, to receive the summons to appear before the Kosovo Special Prosecution because of an alleged violation of the constitutional order, Belgrade media reported. The summons was issued to the leader of the Serb List Goran Rakic, deputy leader Igor Simic and member of the presidency Slavko Simic. “On behalf of the Serb List we remain by the standpoint that none of the persons from that list, and also our members, will respond to this summons since this is pure political persecution which has as a goal the banishment of our people from these areas, and also that in the event of an arrest of anyone from that list, protests will ensue with all democratic and non-democratic means and also the carrying out of civil disobedience,” states the announcement.

 

Serbia faces with the ultimatum (RTS)

 

In the amended text of European Parliament's Report on Serbia, which RTS had insight into, Belgrade is asked to impose sanctions on Russia and decide on the EU. In addition to the known conditions related to the rule of law and the normalization of relations with Pristina, the report emphasizes that compliance with EU foreign policy, including sanctions against Russia, will determine the further course of accession negotiations, according to RTS. The text of 40 amendments agreed upon by the leading political groups, especially emphasizes the need for harmonization of Serbia with the EU's position towards the war in Ukraine, the area of rule of law, fight against corruption and media freedoms. The European Parliament states that it supports Serbia's membership in the EU, adding that it depends on the political will of the Serbian authorities and readiness for "irreversible reforms, primarily in the rule of law". In a number of amendments on relations with Russia, which significantly expanded the initial text of the rapporteur Vladimir Bilcik, MEPs called for "urgent sanctions", expressing concern that Serbia was "among the few European countries that did not comply with the EU position", and that it ranks last in the region in terms of compliance. "We advocate that new negotiating chapters be opened only when Serbia takes the necessary measures in that regard, including the area of the rule of law," the report said. The parliament "regrets the continuous flights between Belgrade and Moscow" at a time when EU airspace is closed to flights from Russia, and calls on Serbia to "consider its economic cooperation with Russia".

 

The EP calls on Serbia to suspend military cooperation with Russia

The European Parliament calls on Serbia to suspend military cooperation with Russia, including projects such as the Russian Humanitarian Center in Nis. The parliamentarians are also worried about Serbia's military cooperation with Russia, Belarus and China and the purchase of military equipment from these countries, which they say is "70 percent of total equipment purchases" in Serbia, as well as reports of wiretapping of Russian opposition leaders in Belgrade. The amended text of the report on Serbia criticizes "the spread of misinformation about the Russian aggression on Ukraine, including through the media close to the government" and calls on the Serbian authorities to take "decisive steps in the fight against the most present false news". One of the accepted amendments assesses that there is "disproportionate visibility of third countries", while some of the media are "the main source of anti-EU and pro-Russian narratives in Serbia".

 

MEPs welcome Serbia's engagement in regional co-operation

The European Parliament welcomes Serbia's participation and engagement in regional cooperation mechanisms, emphasizing in particular the decision to donate 600.000 vaccines against COVID 19 to the countries in the region. The report also welcomes the invitation of the Serbian authorities to the representatives of the Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina to participate in the work of the institutions of this country. A number of new amendments address assessments of insufficient progress in the fight against corruption and media freedom. "Restrictions on media freedoms and misuse of the media for political purposes negatively affect the democratic process in the country," the report, which will be voted on at a 14 June session of the Foreign Policy Committee, said. The final text of the report on Serbia, in the form of a resolution, will be adopted at the plenary session of the European Parliament in July.

 

RIK rejects complaint of Coalition of Albanians of the Valley (Novosti)

 

The Republic Election Committee (RIK) has rejected the objection submitted by the list of the Coalition of Albanians of the Valley against the Decision of the Municipal Election Commission in Bujanovac dated 2 June. The Coalition of Albanians of the Valley earlier announced that, if RIK confirms the decision of the municipal committee regarding the results at one polling station in the village of Veliki Trnovac in the Bujanovac municipality, they will again take the case to the Administrative Court.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Money for holding B&H general elections finally paid into B&H CEC's account (BHT1)

 

The Central Election Commission (CEC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) held a press conference on Thursday to update the public about the situation regarding conducting of general elections, scheduled for October 2. On this occasion, the CEC members confirmed that the funds for implementation of the election process have been secured and that the funds have been transferred to the CEC’s account. However, the CEC members did not hide their disappointment over the fact that High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt had to impose the decision on financing, given that the B&H institutions did not show readiness to adopt the decision on the full amount. The CEC members, nevertheless, welcomed the fact that the elections can be conducted at an accelerated pace. CEC Chairman Suad Arnautovic stated: “I am informing the public in B&H that the funds in the amount of BAM 12.528 million for conducting the general elections, scheduled for October 2, are operational.” According to Arnautovic, this means there is no more dilemma about the holding of elections according to plan, but it will be necessary to compensate for the lost time. Arnautovic thanked the HR for imposing the decision on financing, but he also thanked B&H Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda, who previously refused to allocate the funds for elections or the full amount for the elections, for urgently and fully executing the HR’s decision. CEC member Vanja Bjelica-Prutina noted that for her it is a disappointing fact that “a third factor had to impose the decision, since the domestic institutions failed to recognize the importance of financing the elections”. CEC member Ahmet Santic noted that the CEC will hurry up in organizing the elections and expressed hope that they will manage to make it on time. CEC member Vlado Rogic confirmed that the CEC is functioning at full capacity and respects the decision of the HR.

 

Dodik: RS has hired legal team to file lawsuit in Germany against Schmidt (Nova BH)

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik confirmed on Thursday that Republika Srpska (RS) has hired a legal team to file a lawsuit in Germany against High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt for, as Dodik claim, false representation as the HR and detrimental activity in B&H. In a post at his official Twitter account, Dodik noted that the legal team is already gathering evidence to submit with the lawsuit. Addressing media on Wednesday, Dodik said that the HR in B&H is a non-existent person in regard to this function and that Schmidt should be deported in line with procedures defined by the Law on Foreigners in B&H.

 

HR Schmidt says functional state does not need international community and B&H tends to become EU member state, adds he will keep using Bonn Powers but with high level of restraint (FTV)

 

HR Christian Schmidt, commenting on his statement given at the end of May when he said that B&H could be mocked by others if it is incapable of affording the ballot printing and if the world now laughs at B&H in a situation in which he had to ensure the election funding through his latest decision, said that this is not the case now because the Central Election Commission (CEC) of B&H has informed that it will be able to organize all activities on preparation of the October general elections after the budget was defined by joint work. He thanked B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) and B&H Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda for contributing to a situation in which the funding is now resolved, but that they could have adopted the draft budget six month ago. Asked to say if the fact that the HR had to impose the decision on the election funding represents the defeat of the international community, B&H authorities or citizens who elected such authorities, Schmidt said that he would not say that this is the defeat but there should be gratitude for having resolved things together, stressing that it is a good thing that the general elections will be held on 2 October. He said that he wished he did not have to act, but that he respects those who organize the election process, so he needed to do his part of job and impose the decision on the election funding in order to make things functional, noting that this move is not spectacular but it is a recipe how to make things function that he learned from his own experience in Germany. Commenting on the statement of the Croat Peoples’ Assembly (HNS) of B&H according to which the HR’s decision on the election funding has annulled B&H’s sovereignty, Schmidt stressed that all those who are concerned for sovereignty of the state of B&H should contribute to implementation of sovereignty. He stated that a functional state does not need the international community and that B&H tends to become the EU member state, adding that he will keep using Bonn Powers but with high level of restraint. “To be honest, I think it is sad that we came to the point where such actions are needed in the first place. It is possible to make decisions but there needs to be an agreement. Democracy that implies arguing, debates and opposing stances are normal, but democracy does not mean that people keep arguing about one thing without resolving the issue or reaching a solution and blaming each other for the failure. We need a different path and change of political environment in the country. No one will gain or lose anything by making compromise and being ready to reach a common solution,” Schmidt asserted. Commenting on how he assessed that his imposed decision is necessary and that there is no more time to waste, Schmidt stated that he met on Tuesday with representatives of B&H Ministry of Finance and B&H CEC, and they jointly concluded that faster pace is necessary, reminding that B&H CoM should have ensured the election funding worth some BAM 20.5 million by 19 May but it failed to do that. Schmidt added that he set June 6 as the deadline and B&H CoM adopted the draft budget for 2022 and allocated part of the funding, but this sum was insufficient, so he needed to make the right decision to make sure that the entire sum requested by B&H CEC is ensured for the elections.

Asked to say how his proposal of amendments to the Election Law of B&H would look like, Schmidt stressed that the election funding is a legal obligation of B&H authorities, but the electoral reform and the need to amend the Election Law of B&H is a different thing. He stated that it needs to be made sure that discrimination of constituent peoples and others is prevented, reminding that some of the court rulings warning of discrimination, such as the rulings in the ‘Sejdic-Finci’ or ‘Ljubic’ cases, have not been implemented yet and these rulings should not be forgotten. Schmidt stressed that the electoral reform talks are necessary, but the situation in which B&H politicians blame everything on the international community and have expectations from the international community after they cannot find a common solution through negotiations is intolerable. He said that everyone has to sit together and try to find solution and that he is ready to support this process within his competences, but that the agreed amendments need to get support in B&H parliament. Commenting on the failure to agree on technical amendments to the Election Law of B&H and the possibility that he imposes these amendments in order to ensure more transparent election process, Schmidt stated that he is sorry that the technical amendments failed to be adopted and that B&H CEC could also contribute to transparency of the election process by making certain improvements through its rules, noting that it would good to reach an agreement on the so-called transparency package and make certain changes for the sake of citizens and voters. Asked to comment on the allegations that Brussels prepares a document for B&H politicians according to which there will be no obstructions in the process of formation of authorities, Schmidt reminded that the Federation of B&H (FB&H) is still faced with a situation in which the FB&H government has not been formed yet but it has the technical mandate government from previous convocation for four years now, which is a way too long. He added that therefore high level of cooperation is necessary and serious talks need to be held after the elections on how to find solutions in order to avoid mutual blockades and obstructions, reminding that similar talks were held during electoral reform negotiations in Neum. Schmidt said that these topics are expected to be discussed at the upcoming meeting hosted by European Council President Charles Michel, who invited the leaders of B&H parliamentary parties to Brussels to participate at the meeting. Asked to comment on the stance of Serb ember of B&H Presidency and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik who does not recognize him as the High Representative and his relations with Dodik, Schmidt said that he could only recommend Dodik to focus on talks instead of spreading insults, as he is one step close to a phase in which people will no longer take him seriously. Commenting on Dodik’s announcement that RS has hired a legal team to file a lawsuit against him in Germany for false representation, Schmidt stated that Dodik should take care of B&H and the RS, stressing that the international community should not concern him. He wondered what kind of talk Dodik uses in communication, adding that he acts like he is a lumberman in the woods. He underlined that a person who performs the function of the Serb member of B&H Presidency is expected to behave seriously and responsibly, as well as that he treats his political opponents and the HR in this manner. According to Schmidt, in the past weeks Dodik has adopted some laws and regulations in the RS parliament that are not in line with the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA), but now let’s everyone together work on improvement of the situation. Commenting on the RS parliament’s decision to postpone the transfer of competences from the level of B&H to the level of the RS by six months, Schmidt said that he welcomes this pragmatic decision that came as a result of awareness that such actions are not okay. He assessed that it would be better to completely annul this process, noting that the RS authorities interpret certain topics through specific items in the Constitution of B&H differently than they are actually defined and therefore dialogue on this problem should be held in order to identify these items. Schmidt stressed that if Dodik believes that he will achieve something by threats from the RS once he comes to the EU, then he has not yet understood how things function as nations in Europe have learned how to mutually cooperate and Europe brings unity. He conveyed a message for Dodik stressing that he should “cool off a bit” and think about what he could do for his country, adding that this is a question he should answer. Schmidt concluded that the main question for himself is what he could do together with B&H authorities to help B&H become a better country.

 

Cvijanovic: Imposing of decisions by foreigners is unacceptable (ATV)

 

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said on Thursday that in the situations when a member of the Presidency of B&H from rank of Serbs is outvoted there are mechanisms to transfer this issue to the RS parliament that is a final instance in this regard. Cvijanovic stressed that this is constitutional mechanism that protects the RS and promotes the RS parliament as the place where decisions are made. She wondered “what is so sick” that cannot be agreed upon in B&H in advance, so that there are less such mechanisms of protection. The RS President underlined that imposing of decisions and usurping of authorities of domestic institutions by foreigners is unacceptable. She went on to saying that every imposing and usurping of authorities that belong to domestic bodies by any foreigner or by any forum is unacceptable, especially because no foreigner got right to usurp competences of domestic institutions by any international act. Cvijanovic stated that even a legal and legitimate High Representatives did not get mandate to act in this way, to impose laws and remove officials. “They provided such authorities to themselves and they are not authorized for it,” explained RS President Cvijanovic. Cvijanovic assessed that “disorder rules in the B&H Presidency” because, she says, Presidency members Sefik Dzaferovic and Zeljko Komsic are “running away from solutions” and they rely on the international community. The situation in B&H gets further complicated when the international factors meddle in the country’s affairs, Cvijanovic concludes. Among other things, Cvijanovic also stated that foreigners try and show that they want to acknowledge interests of one constituent people, while working everything possible to detriment of the other two peoples which she assessed as highly harmful and devastating for B&H. In her opinion, all this ruins the credibility of the international factor in B&H and diminishes chances to domestic institutions to do their job. She underlined that no foreigner - including those elected in a legitimate way - was authorized by any act to usurp competences of domestic institutions. Cvijanovic argued: “They are like some dark cloud in B&H that keeps on pressuring us.” In her opinion, the Bosniak policy actually advocates and calls for sanctions and interventions of foreigners instead of inciting internal dialogue with Croats and Serbs.

 

Novakovic-Bursac on outvoting of Dodik in B&H Presidency: Stronghold for outvoting are stances of part of international community and behavior of opposition in RS (Nezavisne)

 

Head of SNSD Caucus in B&H House of Representatives Snjezana Novakovic-Bursac said that outvoting of Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik in the B&H Presidency certainly has stronghold in stances of part of the international community that shows readiness to violate the Constitution, laws and procedures. She pointed out that the stronghold is also behavior of the opposition in RS that in her opinion, showed readiness not to support a veto of the Serb member of the B&H Presidency in the RS parliament. The daily reminded that Dodik requested on Wednesday to put items on the need of B&H to access the initiative ‘Open Balkans’ on the agenda of the B&H Presidency, to remove Chairman of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic from his duty, to take a stand on unconstitutional and illegitimate representation of Christian Schmidt as High Representative that the RS does not acknowledge and on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, while the other two members of the B&H Presidency voted against all of the Dodik’s proposals.

 

Zakharova: PIC SB’s decisions adopted without Russia, as full member of the body, are not legitimate and do not reflect the position of international community, and such meetings cannot have legal consequences in B&H (RTRS)

 

The decisions of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC SB), adopted without Russia, as full member of the body, are not legitimate and do not reflect the position of the international community, and such meetings cannot have legal consequences in B&H, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. She pointed out that there is “flagrant volunteerism and unacceptable self-activity of the members of the Steering Board and the Office of the High Representative (OHR)”. “They obviously have problems with the fact that part of the international community, which represents Russia, takes a different view regarding the implementation of the Dayton Agreement in B&H and the development of the situation in that country. Nothing else can explain the attempts to push the wishes on behalf of those in charge of creating conditions for the successful promotion of the reconciliation process in B&H,” Zakharova emphasized.

 

Dodik: Dzaferovic has no consent for participation in SEECP meeting in Thessaloniki (RTRS)

 

Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik stated that B&H Presidency Chairman Sefik Dzaferovic did not have consent of the Presidency to participate in the Summit of Heads of States and Governments of the Process for Southeast European Cooperation (SEECP) in Thessaloniki and that he informed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about that. Dodik stated that at Wednesday’s session of the Presidency, he voted against the conclusion for Dzaferovic to travel alone and asked that all members of the Presidency go to the summit, because “Dzaferovic could not be trusted, which he had proven several times”.

 

Komsic: Hosts of summits in Thessaloniki and Ohrid refused to allow Dodik to take part in those meetings (BN TV/Istraga.ba)

 

B&H Presidency member Zeljko Komsic told N1 that the hosts of the summits in Thessaloniki and Ohrid refused to allow B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik to take part in those meetings. Commenting on the information that Dodik was supposed to travel to Greece for the summit of heads of state and government of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), Komsic said that it is true that Dodik tried to do everything to come to Thessaloniki, but the invitation referred only to B&H Presidency Chairman Sefik Dzaferovic. "Dzaferovic was not able to travel there and a decision was made for Dodik to go, but they replied that the invitation only applies to Dzaferovic," Komsic was quoted as saying. Komsic told N1 that hosts of summits in Thessaloniki and Ohrid have rejected the request for Dodik’s participation at these events. Komsic added “we in Sarajevo like to believe that this is a message to Dodik”. Komsic explains that only the B&H Presidency Chairman attends such summits. Dodik was supposed to travel to Greece in the upcoming days to attend a meeting in Thessalonica with several European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Istraga.ba portal has published that Dodik canceled his trip because he was told that he cannot attend a dinner with other leaders, adding that this is probably because of Dodik’s retrograde policy that does not suit the European leaders and that it is clear that Dodik as SNSD leader leads himself and his partners into political isolation.

 

Cikotic: B&H has capacity to become full member of NATO (Hayat)

 

B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic, speaking about the security situation in B&H, said that the overall security situation in B&H is stable "which does not mean that B&H does not have the presence of a large number of security threats, risks, challenges". "But, at the same time, B&H has the ability to respond to most of those threats and we can assess the security situation in B&H as relatively stable, at the level of security present in the region," Cikotic said. He pointed out that B&H has latent danger from some policies or ideologies "which are still claiming the right to parts of B&H." "I believe that, in that respect, there is an increased threat to the stability and peace in B&H. But I also believe that B&H is showing specific ability to last despite the attempts to challenge the subjectivity, sovereignty and independence of B&H and I believe that one of the very positive things is the fact that there are more and more international actors present in B&H. More and more of them are directly establishing the truth about the facts that determine politics and security and many other aspects of functioning and life in B&H," Cikotic underlined. Asked whether now is the time for B&H to ask for accelerated accession to NATO, Cikotic said that he believes that B&H's movement through the Partnership for Peace (PfP) during the initial years was remarkable momentum. "Then, B&H moved the fastest through the PfP mechanisms of all the countries that went through those mechanisms. The moment politics took over the decision-making and the international community distanced itself, then the process was slowed down, and it was almost stopped. I believe that its rapid entry into NATO is in the interest of all citizens, all peoples and all constituent elements of B&H because then it is a guarantee of stability, security, economic and overall prosperity of the country and it practically excludes the possibility of further survival of some policies or hope of some aspirants to parts of B&H," Cikotic underlined. Asked about B&H's progress on the NATO path, Cikotic said that B&H passed through all the mechanisms of movement of a country from the invitation to the PfP to joining the Membership Action Plan (MAP) which is the last phase in which a country is tested through five chapters in terms of its overall readiness to become a full member of NATO. "We have submitted the first program of reforms. The delivery of that document is late this year, but with the interest of NATO and increased level of cooperation of B&H state institutions through one or two annual cycles, I expect that a precondition for B&H's invitation for full membership could be created," Cikotic underlined. He stressed that certain countries were asked to join NATO with a much lower degree of readiness than B&H, especially when it comes to the security system, but also the overall political and legal system. Cikotic emphasized that he believes that B&H has the capacity to become a full member of NATO because in the past 15 years, B&H has demonstrated in many sensitive, practical aspects of functioning of NATO that it is ready to carry out many national and international missions which are of interest to NATO. Commenting on Russia's interference in B&H's NATO path, Cikotic said that Russia's position is exaggerated and overemphasized. "I believe that B&H is thinking about its membership in NATO in its own interest and not against anyone," Cikotic underlined. He pointed out that Russian presence in the region of the Western Balkans is not, as a rule, constructive. Cikotic stressed that unilateral contesting the decisions on B&H's NATO path by certain actors of the political life in B&H under the influence of Russia would harm those contesting that path the most. Commenting on the bomb threats against a number of institutions in B&H which were reported in the previous days and weeks, Cikotic said that one has to take into account that different networks which practically all institutions are connected to and all electronic devices which people use have become a possible security or war sphere. "In the theory of security, cyber space is sometimes defined at the fifth dimension of war and we have to understand that security or political goals are being realized within special operations which primarily have technical-communication dimension in the cyber sphere. However, damages can be huge," Cikotic said.

 

Zakharova claims part of weapons intended for Ukraine already smuggled to B&H, Albania and Kosovo (N1)

 

“Western countries are ignoring the fact that arms shipments to Ukraine will certainly lead to the expansion of the black market in weapons in Western Europe, and some weapons from Ukraine have already been smuggled to B&H, Albania and Kosovo,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned on Wednesday. According to her, the authorities of the supplier countries are silent on this issue for now, but independent experts and relevant structures, such as INTERPOL, are already “sounding the alarm”. Zakharova said Russia is concerned about Balkan countries that want to be a part of NATO. She pointed out that Russia is thinking about what kind of future the Balkans will have “under the auspices of NATO, and also from such weapons on the black market”. She warned that those who deliver weapons to Kyiv will be responsible for the safety of their citizens. Zakharova has previously spoken of “NATO's destructive and unprincipled influence in the Balkans”.

 

Cikotic: Zakharova’s allegations are unfounded, untrue and ill-intentioned (O Kanal)

 

Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Russia is worried about the Balkan countries that want to be part of NATO and that part of the weapons intended for Ukraine has been smuggled into B&H. She said that the international crime groups have already built a scheme for weapons export from Ukraine, stressing that part of the weapons is in B&H, Albania and Kosovo. Commenting on Zakharova’s statement, the B&H Ministry of Security stated that they have no information according to which weapons from Ukraine arrived in B&H, noting that neither Interpol nor any other security agency has sent such information and that unfounded and fake information can be seen only as an additional attempt to destabilize the security situation in the region. B&H Minister of Security Selmo Cikotic stated that his Ministry has no indications that part of the weapons from Ukraine ended up in B&H, but that “we are getting used to hear only untruth about B&H from Zakharova and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lately”. Cikotic called Zakharova’s allegations unfounded, untrue and ill-intentioned.

 

Plenkovic: All that Cavara has done was for the goal of improving the status of Croats in B&H (N1)

 

After US issued sanctions against FB&H President Marinko Cavara, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic reacted. He told a press conference that Cavara has no properties or accounts in America, which is why he does not understand what the goal of these sanctions is. He once again spoke of the position of Croats in B&H and the need for their legitimate representation in institutions of B&H. Plenkovic said all that Cavara has done was for the goal of improving the status of Croats in B&H. Plenkovic said that the sanctions against Cavara are unfounded, reminding that Cavara is his friend and that they have talked about the sanctions. Plenkovic said that he told Cavara that Croatia supports him and that the decision on sanctions is unfunded and makes no sense at all, explaining that sanctions cannot harm him as all his property and activities are based in B&H.

 

Zelensky invites Abazovic to visit Kiev (CdM)

 

Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic has spoken by phone today with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky has invited Abazovic to visit Kiev as soon as possible. In the conversation with the President of Ukraine, Abazovic has pointed out that Montenegro condemns the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and that from the very beginning it has been openly supporting Ukraine’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. Abazovic has emphasized that today European values of freedom and choice are defended abroad European Union and that Montenegro fully supports the EU’s attitude towards the Russian invasion against Ukraine.

 

Abazovic: With smart foreign policy, Montenegro overcame the negative experience with Russia (Pobjeda/CNN)

 

The Prime Minister of Montenegro Dritan Abazovic said that the government was trying in every way to help Ukraine in the war with Russia, and that the solution was in a dialogue between the two sides. In an interview with CNN, the Prime Minister said that Montenegro has a "very smart foreign policy”, and that experience has shown that pro-Russian forces in our country are not as strong as in the previous period. Abazovic reiterated that Montenegro condemns Russian aggression against Ukraine. "We have a clear position when it comes to foreign policy - we condemn Russian aggression, and our government has done a lot for the Ukrainian people. We have more than 10,000 refugees in Montenegro, and everyone is feeling well, living in our country without any problems. We hope that the situation will not be like this for a long time and that Russian policy will lead to the end of the war. "What is happening now is a shame for humanity, that we have this kind of aggression," Abazovic said. He also reminded that he had a conversation with President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as that he informed him that Montenegro would send additional assistance to that country. "We are a rather small country, we do not have that much capacity, but what we can and have done is to impose sanctions on Russia and to help Ukraine in accordance with our capacities." I am not as satisfied as some other countries have helped and I hope that others will do more. I call on everyone to help, but at the end of the day, the only way is to sit down and find a solution for peace through dialogue. That will be the only option, and any use of weapons and aggression complicates things," Abazovic added. Abazovic said that Montenegro, which has witnessed the negative Russian influence in the past, understands how the citizens of Ukraine feel today. He pointed out that the war in Ukraine is not a struggle between Ukraine and Russia, but a conflict of values. "It's a struggle for freedom and the opportunity for people to choose their lifestyle. We in the Balkans understand that because we had a lot of Russian negative influence here and a lot of war. Our solidarity with Ukraine is great because we really feel how they feel at the moment. But as in any situation, someone needs to sit down and find a solution. We do not want to believe that this war will go to the end because there will be no winner in that case", Abazovic emphasized.

Abazovic reminded that 20 percent of our tourist market are "people from Russia and Ukraine", and that this will not be the case this year, especially when it comes to tourists from Russia.

"But Montenegro is not giving up. Freedom and democratic principles have no price, we do not look at it only in an economical way. We are very clear in our sanctions. Now we are trying to open new markets to new destinations in Europe and other countries. Montenegro is trying to make a sustainable economic policy," said Abazovic. Asked how Montenegro managed to overcome the negative experience with Russia and the coup attempt, Abazovic said that we had succeeded in "smart foreign policy in the previous period". "We still have pro-Russian forces, but they are not as strong as they used to be. There needs to be communication with people, and we need to see what people’s needs are. If someone wants a better standard of living, using 18th and 19th century politics to achieve goals, that is not realistic. "Montenegro is a good example of how to achieve independence, NATO membership and be on the path to the European Union, and at the same time maintain stability in society," Abazovic concluded. At the "Open Balkans" summit in Ohrid, as he stated, there was also talk about how the region needs a group of leaders who will only deal with "shocks" during the crisis. "That is the way we want to be very ready for everything that will happen in the coming months," Abazovic concluded.

 

There will be elections in May 2024 together with the presidential ones, said Osmani (TV Kanal 5)

 

There will be elections in May 2024 together with the presidential ones, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani. In an interview with TV Kanal 5, Osmani stressed that there will be no elections in the coming period because, as he said, they estimated that it is not in the interest of citizens and the state. There will be elections in May 2024 together with the presidential ones and that is final, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani. So, we need to get that off the table as an opportunity for talks, Osmani said, adding that now the focus should be on how to manage the crisis. The country, says Osmani, is in an economic crisis and therefore, according to him, should find a way to have a basic agreement with the opposition to deal with the crisis. The problem with this approach is that political careers are most important in determining the political steps of the parties, Osmani said.