Belgrade Media Report 23 September 2022

LOCAL PRESS

Big powers are ready to resolve the "Kosovo knot"? Vucic: Do we have a choice? (B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic addresses the public from New York, where he is participating in the work of the 77th United Nations General Assembly. President Vucic spoke about the meeting with Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, and said that it was not the last meeting yesterday.

"This was probably one of the most important meetings so far, some say that he is the most important man in the USA. The meeting lasted a long time, we also talked about the economy, political issues, Serbia's aspirations in the region, Kosovo. It is not easy to agree on certain issues. Conversation was open and honest, and when there is such a conversation it must always bring some benefit," he said.

He pointed out that Sullivan is the future of American politics, and he is in such a position that he decides on key issues in the world. "We discussed all the issues. I spoke about Serbia's positions, and we agreed to jointly strengthen economic activity between Serbia and the USA. We are both satisfied that Rivian is coming to Serbia. When one Jake Sullivan knows that Rivian Automotive Inc. is coming to Serbia, that means something", he said.

Sullivan added that he knew a lot more about what the president said before the UN, and he points out that he is a man of great intelligence, and extremely informed.

"And I rarely say that. I spoke with the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, about respect for territorial integrity. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes. We will also have a meeting with Guinea-Bissau and Niger, perhaps with the president of the Congo. Tonight, we also have the World Economic Forum, I believe that there be Dmytro Kuleba, Saudi and many other leaders," he said.

Vucic said that today around 1 or 2 p.m. US time, the duties will be completed, and then he will return to Belgrade. He added that Sullivan also reported on our attitude towards cooperation with China, and their investments in the Steel Plant. "I'm saying what I always say. And I didn't hide anything from the UN speaker. I and Mr. Wang Yi had a good and cordial conversation, we always will. I think it's important to protect our position and good relations with the People's Republic of China," he said.

He pointed out that it does not mean much that more people saw his speech than the speech of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. "He is in the center of attention now. I don't think he personally is happy about it. My speech attracted attention because it was different, because someone small dared to tell the truth. I was approached last night by the heads of missions of some of the most important countries. They came out of the hall to wait for me, congratulate me, and say that they haven't heard such a speech in the last 10 years".

Vucic pointed out that he defended our position passionately and with arguments, and we showed everyone that we are not a handful of oats that anyone can eat. "Now they all know that we showed that narrative of unity in the fight for territorial integrity. Because we reminded them of some things that they don't want to remember, when it comes to respect for territorial integrity and the UN Charter. It's not a question of strength, but the narrative and the story is more difficult if someone is there to remind them how they respected the UN Charter a few decades ago".

He said that this is precisely why the great powers will go to the trouble of solving the Kosovo knot as soon as possible. "But do we have a choice? If I go out to talk about ecology, I can't, there is a crisis in Kosovo. Food and energy shortages are there. I can't talk nonsense. That speech is not a double-edged sword, but our position in general. We cannot appease anyone by keeping silent. Only then would they focus on us like eagles. And now they see that we are small, but ready to fight," he said.

He said that his words were chosen carefully. “I disclosed facts, not political views,” he said. "I presented the facts. Some are happy because of it, some of the biggest countries in the world. And some are not happy. And my job is to work for the citizens of Serbia. Whether they are happy or not, I don't care." He said that the whole world is used to "Slava Ukraine", and that some are ashamed that he ended his speech with "Long live Serbia". "Some political opponents laughed, because they make fun of their country, they are ashamed of being from Serbia. And I am not ashamed. If Zelensky can say "Glory to Ukraine", why should I be ashamed to say "Long live Serbia" ". In Montenegro they say "May it be eternal". Why can't we say "Long live Serbia". Well, I'm proud of that. Let's go to work", said Vucic.

Regarding the document proposing a Western "solution" for Kosovo, which arrived from German and French negotiators, and whose existence Brussels denies, the president said the following: "Am I crazy? I was reading a non-existent paper. I didn't want to receive the paper, because if it appeared in public, they would say it was my fault. And they can't do it like this," he said.

After Serbia was put on the NGO "watch list" because of Pride, he said that he is trying to do everything he can to save everyone's head. "You want to be fair, to protect those people in public. And then some reciprocate like that. It makes no sense".

He said that Serbia would not go to war, that he understood the views of Pristina, and that he "admired the strength of their army and weapons". He added that he does not know what the new package of sanctions for Russia announced by EU officials is, and that he will see if it has anything to do with us. "Who will remember all those huge packages. We will see if they will make any difference when we are concerned or not," said Vucic. The president emphasized that he will not return to Serbia encouraged, but with the spirit of a man who is ready to fight for his country.

The EU denies the authenticity of the "non-paper" dialogue framework between Belgrade and Pristina (RTS)

Brussels denied the authenticity of the so-called "non-paper" published on an Albanian-language portal a few days ago, which concerns the alleged content and dynamics of the future dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels. Spokesman for foreign affairs and security policy of the European Union, Peter Stano, said that "usually they do not comment on the media that publish alleged EU documents, nor do we comment on the authenticity, nor the substance". "But in this case, what was published claiming to be a new dialogue framework is completely wrong. We have never seen such a paper before and it does not come from the EU's dialogue team," Stano said.

The so-called "non-paper" was published last Saturday, and it supposedly expresses the views and involvement of French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the dialogue process. The so-called "non-paper" presents a ten-year vision of the future of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, and states that a "new framework" has been presented to both sides. At a conference held on September 21 in Pristina, the Prime Minister in Pristina, Aljbin Kurti, described "non-paper" as a document without authorship and refused to comment on it further. "It is neither useful nor correct to comment on documents without authors," stated Kurti. He emphasized that only documents written in Brussels are official and can be commented on. The published document states a proposal by which Belgrade would accept the reality of Kosovo, but would not recognize it as a state, which would pave the way for the five EU countries that currently do not recognize Kosovo to do so.

EU Rapporteur: Calls for mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo not politically useful at present time (TV Insajder)

The calls for mutual recognition of Serbia and Kosovo are not politically useful right now, European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilcik has said. In an interview to TV Insajder, Bilcik said he was “not pleased” by the fact that the sentence about mutual recognition was included in June EP agenda. This formulation is “not useful”, said Bilcik whose country Slovakia is one of the five EU member states that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence.

Regarding Belgrade joining the EU sanctions against Russia following its aggression on Ukraine, Bilcik said that Serbia, because it has opted to join the EU, should honor European rules. However, what happened during these past months is that the foreign and security policy of Serbia, and its synchronization with that of the EU, has fallen at a lower level in comparison with where it stood before Russia’s attack on Ukraine, he pointed out.He also commented this summer’s visit of interior minister Aleksandar Vulin to Moscow, when he met with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Many in the EU did not understand why the Serbian interior minister meets with the Russian foreign minister, in particular at such a delicate political moment, when Russia continues its aggression on Ukraine, Bilcik told TV Insajder.

Vucic with Victoria Nuland: We discussed the most important global and regional geopolitical issues (RTS)

President Aleksandar Vucic met with US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly. "The meeting with Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, as always, was extremely open and meaningful. We discussed the most important global and regional geopolitical issues, but also additional opportunities for strengthening the partnership dialogue with the USA, both in the economic sense and in the context of comprehensive bilateral cooperation," announced Aleksandar Vucic on Instagram. He stated that he used the opportunity to thank Mrs. Nuland for her serious, rational and open engagement and understanding of the situation in the Western Balkans.

Vucic with Raisi: Serbia appreciates Iran's consistent position on non-recognition of Kosovo's independence (RTS)

The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, met with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. President Vucic reiterated his gratitude to President Raisi for Iran's consistent, firm and principled stance on non-recognition of Kosovo's unilaterally declared independence despite numerous pressures, which Serbia especially appreciates. President Raisi emphasized that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to adhere to the principles of respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries, and that his country's position on this issue will remain unchanged in the case of the Republic of Serbia, in accordance with the principles of international law and the UN Charter, it is stated. in the press release of the Presidency.

Vucic and Nahyan on projects of mutual interest in New York (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on the sidelines of the General Debate of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. "Always a great working atmosphere at meetings with our friends from the UAE," Vucic said on Instagram. The President of Serbia wrote that he spoke with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan "at length and openly about all important current issues, but also about specific projects of mutual interest." "I reiterated that the all-round cooperation and strong mutual relations between Serbia and the UAE are of enormous comprehensive importance for us, bearing in mind not only the fascinating progress of this country in all areas, but also the increasingly influential position it occupies on the international geopolitical scene," said Vucic.

Foreign Minister's 18 bilateral meetings with ministers in New York (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic had bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of 18 countries, during the third day of the 77th session of the U.N. General Assembly. During bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Estonia, Andorra, Singapore, Bahrain, Hungary, Barbados, Liechtenstein and Egypt, Selakovic proposed concrete steps for advancing political and economic ties, strengthening of the contractual base for cooperation and exchange of delegations, the Serbian Foreign Ministry announced on Sept. 22. "One of the key topics of the talks, as in the past few days, was Serbia's struggle for the protection of key state and national interests pertaining to Kosovo and Metohija," the statement reads.

Ponos says: Vucic’s speech in UN “quite all right” (Danas)

Leader of Movement Serbia Center (SRCE) Zdravko Ponos said on Thursday that the “substance” of Vucic’s speech at the UN was “quite all right” and that the tone of his address to the world differed from the one he uses for “internal purposes”. Ponos said Vucic made good parallel, underlining the importance of territorial integrity of UN members, and comparisons between Ukraine and Serbia. He said Vucic’s address to the world was “much better summarized and more reasonable” in comparison to what he serves Serbian citizens when he travels somewhere. “As for the speech itself, it was okay, he did not voice any worrying tone or messages on account of our region. These things are being closely followed and watched”, Ponos said. I believe that the conduct of the Serbian delegation from the audience was not in line with “good practice and decent behaviour”, as they rose up and applauded Vucic at the end of his speech.

Healthy Serbia Leader supports staged “referendums” planned in occupied regions of Ukraine (Beta)

Leader of small regional political party Healthy Serbia Milan Stamatovic has supported the holding of staged “referendums” in four occupied regions of Ukraine, news agency Beta reports on Thursday. Stamatovic, who is also president of a small mountain municipality of Cajetina in Western Serbia, met in Moscow with officials of the Duma and ruling United Russia party, Healthy Serbia has stated. During the meeting, Stamatovic supported “the striving of the Russian side to ensure the survival and future of the Russian people in Southern and Eastern parts of the former Soviet Republic of Ukraine”. “We sympathize with the suffering of all who have been affected by the conflict in Ukraine and, on the other hand, we fully understand the wish of the people in majority Russian lands, such as the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozje regions, to decide at a referendum on whether or not they want to join Russia”, Stamatovic said, according to the statement. Right-wing youth Stamatovic also met in Moscow with Roman Lubarsky, of Duma’s committee on regional policy and local self-government, with whom he discussed organizing the European Youth Forum Golden Spring 2023 on Mount Zlatibor, located in the Cajetina municipality. In a statement of Healthy Serbia, the Golden Forum is described as a “new format for linking youth organizations of conservative parties from Europe and around the world”.

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dodik reveals new details of talks with Putin: Russia stands by DPA (RTRS)

According to RTRS, Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik revealed new details of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin a day after his return from Moscow. According to Dodik, they discussed global movements on the market of energy sources and Russia is ready to deliver energy sources to Europe by economic price. According to Dodik, Putin knows the situation in B&H very well and Russia stands by the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution of B&H. Dodik stated that Putin was interested about the upcoming elections and the election reform, adding that Putin believes that peoples should be given the right to the constituent status. Dodik said: “Thus, we now have two tendencies: the one that believes that the Constitution should be respected and the one in B&H, that does not want to respect the Constitution. I understood that Russians support the Constitution of B&H and they want to protect the Constitution. We find this convenient.”

RTRS noted that there will be no increase of price of gas supply for citizens of Republika Srpska (RS) ahead of the upcoming winter. Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers Zoran Tegeltija said that he sees safety with gas supply and price at the same level in good political and friendly relations between Russia and the RS. In his opinion, all this paves a way for new investments and development. Tegeltija argued that they should continue working on construction of a gas pipeline through the RS and thus, enable construction of gas power plants that will create enough quantities of electricity for domestic market or for export.

According to RTRS, Russian media assessed energy safety and preservation of the original Dayton as the most important aspects of the meeting Dodik-Putin. Editor-in-chief of Sputnik's Serbian-language service Ljubinka Milicic said that this is very important for the RS that is small, in constant danger and under constant threats. Milicic assessed that it would be very difficult to fight without the support of Russia and Serbia. Journalist of the Belgrade-based Politika Aleksandar Apostolovski assessed Dodik’s visit to Moscow and his meeting with Putin as a pragmatic move, adding that in this way, Dodik is trying to secure not just energy safety but also to preserve the original Dayton. Leader of SDS Mirko Sarovic said that he has nothing against Dodik’s visit to Moscow but the timing is disputable adding that he would congratulate him if he met Putin on October 3. Member of SNSD Presidency and B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac said that Sarovic is not happy about the meeting arguing that this shows that Sarovic is still helping the international community (IC) that promotes him as an alternative in the RS.

Dodik: Dzaferovic presents his own views at UN GA (RTRS)

Commenting on the speech of Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Sefik Dzaferovic before the UN General Assembly (UN GA), Serb member of the Presidency of B&H Milorad Dodik argued in his post on Twitter that Dzaferovic continued to act unilaterally and he violated both the Constitution of B&H and Rules of Procedures of the Presidency of B&H by presenting his private stances before the UN GA and by falsely claiming that he is speaking on behalf of B&H: “Everything this ‘keeper of the chair’ said in his speech was his personal stance and B&H has nothing to do with it”. The daily reminded that Dzaferovic addressed the UN GA on Wednesday and said that the membership in the EU and NATO are foreign policy goals of B&H and he also said that he expects B&H to move forward on this path after October 2 elections.

Ambassador Vujic: I will talk with US Senators to tell them that it would be damaging if bill of US Congress’ House of Representatives was adopted (Nezavisne)

The US Congress’ House of Representatives adopted a bill to deter destabilizing activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). B&H Ambassador to the USA Bojan Vujic stated that there is a possibility that this bill will be adopted in the Senate. He added that he will talk with US Senators to tell them that it would be damaging if the above-mentioned bill was adopted. According to Vujic, the bill is already being used in internal political debates, which goes against the Dayton Peace Agreement. He also noted that the way in which the bill was written and proposed ignores the legitimate interests of constituent peoples. In his opinion, the reason for this is the fact that Bosniak lobbyists from the Bosniak community in the US have succeeded to push through the resolution which can be used as an ace card to undermine and change the Dayton Peace Agreement in an illegitimate manner.

Dodik: B&H joining NATO is impossible (Dnevni list)

Dnevni list reports that member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Milorad Dodik told (Russian) RIA Novosti news agency that B&H joining NATO is impossible because Republika Srpska (RS) will not support the idea. “The Serb people, the RS, do not support B&H joining NATO and that is our permanent position, despite all the events on the global scene and pressures by various factors who advocate decision on joining NATO alliance”, said Dodik, stressing that the RS has its decision in the matter. Namely, he reminded that, according to a decision of the RSNA, joining NATO is impossible. “That procedure, to say the least, would have to go through certain steps in the parliament, and I am certain the parliament will not adopt such a decision. Therefore, our presence in NATO is absolutely impossible in the past”, stated Dodik.

Constitutional Court of B&H puts out of force RS Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority (Hayat)

At Thursday’s plenary session, the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), deciding on the request of six delegates of the B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP), established that Republika Srpska (RS) does not have the constitutional authority to regulate the legal matter that is the subject of the Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority, used for the functioning of the public authority of the RS, because this is the jurisdiction of B&H. The B&H CC placed the disputable law out of force. The Court reiterated its position from earlier decisions that the state tried to resolve the issue through formation of the Commission for State Property.

Hayat reminded that High Representative Christian Schmidt suspended the abovementioned Law until the final decision was made by the B&H CC. The B&H CC also stated that the state property issue has not been solved yet and that there is a true necessity for B&H to solve this issue as soon as possible. Al Jazeera reminded that the RS National Assembly (RSNA) on February 10 this year adopted the RS Law on Immovable Property which practically prescribes the registration of property used by the RS institutions to the RS. A day before this law was supposed to enter into force, High Representative Christian Schmidt made a decision on its suspension until the decision of the B&H CC. Back in 2005, former High Representative Paddy Ashdown adopted the Law on the Temporary Prohibition of Disposal of State Property of B&H according to which all immovable property which is located in BiH and which belonged to B&H through the Succession Agreement belongs to B&H, that is, it is managed as state property. The Law on the Temporary Prohibition of Disposal of State Property of B&H will remain in force until the B&H Parliament decides otherwise, that is, until it decides which property can be used by the entities, municipalities, cities or some other units in B&H.

One of the appellants for constitutionality review of the Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority, SDA delegate in B&H House of Peoples Dzevad Mahmutovic said that he expected the B&H CC to make such a decision. He said RS authorities simply cannot understand that the only place where discussions on state property can be led is the B&H Parliament. “The Constitutional Court says this in its decisions every time”, Mahmutovic adds. Explaining the request of the six delegates, Mahmutovic said they are forced each time to react to the attacks on state property done by politicians from the RS. We will do that in the future, if same attacks are repeated, he promises. Mahmutovic stressed that all future attempts of the RS to dispute B&H’s right to have its property at disposal will end up unsuccessfully.

Dodik: Immovable property in B&H belongs to the entities exclusively (AJB)

Commenting on the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) repealing the Republika Srpska (RS) Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority, B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik repeated on Thursday the earlier position that immovable property in B&H belongs to the entities exclusively. Dodik said that the B&H CC is an ill-favoured court. Dodik announced that the RS will ignore this decision and continue to apply it regardless of criminal responsibility. Dodik's stated: “This is a group of people who are politically motivated to create a problem and create some new system here that is not possible. The property belongs to the entities according to the Dayton Agreement. It is written in the Constitution that everything that is not expressly given to B&H does not belong to B&H. In this way, B&H could not control anything, except what the entities give. However, they want to change that paradigm. They brought a man who was not elected to the (UN) Security Council, they bring foreigners to the Constitutional Court. With two Muslims, they create and do what they want here”. Regardless of the different interpretations of this decision, it should ultimately be respected, commented the reporter. "The property is ours and let them remember that it is ours, regardless of what they think and they are trying to send a message to the Western world in this way that there is someone here who does not respect the CC, and the CC does not respect the Constitution. How can you respect the CC that does not respect the Constitution," Dodik said.

Cubrilovic: B&H CC’s decision is politically motivated (BHT1)

The decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) to put out of force the Republika Srpska (RS) Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority sparked reactions in the RS. Speaker of the RS National Assembly (RSNA) Nedeljko Cubrilovic said that this is a politically motivated decision, adding that acting of the B&H CC is detrimental and dangerous. He added that symptomatic demands aimed to jeopardize the RS and its status in the area of property-legal issues have been constantly submitted over last four years. Cubrilovic also said that it is obvious that the B&H CC continued with this decision to implement Sarajevo political goals directed against the RS and its property. In his opinion, the basic of this policy is to totally disempower the RS and take away its competences and property and thus, the RS and its institutions must confront this practice in a systemic and a committed way. Cubrilovic reminded that according to the DPA, the territory belongs to the entities in a ratio of 51 percent for the Federation of B&H and 49 percent for the RS. "It is clear to everyone that through the Constitutional Court of B&H, attempts have been made for a long time to carry out a quiet redistribution of competences, established in 1995, between the RS and B&H. This is not only contrary to the Dayton Peace Agreement and the Constitution of B&H, but is extremely dangerous for the entire internal organization of B&H," Cubrilovic was quoted as saying.

B&H HoR Speaker Radmanovic: B&H CC put itself above B&H Constitution; Kovacevic: Instead of protecting B&H Constitution, B&H CC took over the role of the lead grave-digger of B&H (Glas Srpske)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Representatives Speaker Nebojsa Radmanovic (SNSD) stated that the decision of B&H Constitutional Court to put out of force the RS Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority is inane, and that B&H Constitutional Court obviously once again succumbed to pressure of the political Sarajevo in cooperation with individual members of the international community. “Once again, B&H Constitutional Court put itself above laws and B&H Constitution. Individual members of the international community who have supported the unconstitutional actions of the Constitutional Court in recent period bear the greatest responsibility for this, and Bosniak politicians frequently used this to file motions whose outcome was known in advance”, said Radmanovic. He underlined that in line with the Dayton Peace Agreement, all property belongs exclusively to the entities, and that B&H Constitutional Court once again overstepped its competencies by deliberating on a matter which is outside its jurisdiction. Radmanovic reminded that local political leaders have been unable for years to reach an agreement on the state property. According to him, they were close to reaching an agreement ten years ago, but politicians from Sarajevo undermined that agreement. Radmanovic warned that the political Sarajevo is using Constitutional Court to achieve goals which were not achievable by political means. He underlined that this is detrimental to overall relations within B&H.

Sarovic: B&H CC’s decision was expected, but it is still completely unacceptable (BN TV)

The Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) placed the Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority, which is used for the functioning of the public authorities of Republika Srpska (RS), out of force on Thursday. SDS members strongly reacted to this. SDS and PDP MPs in the B&H Parliament called this decision “predictable” as there are three judges of the B&H CC that are foreigners and they always make decisions in this Court in line with their wishes and principles. SDS leader Mirko Sarovic told BN TV that this is the umpteenth time that the B&H CC showed it wishes to play the role of lawmaker, and make decisions that only suit the interests of that institution. Sarovic believes that the B&H CC was not competent to make a decision regarding the abovementioned Law, as it can only review things that connect to the B&H Constitution. Sarovic said the RS is forbidden from managing and using its own properties because the B&H CC made a lot of decisions it was not supposed to make. “I am dissatisfied over this decision. It was expected, from such judges, but still completely unacceptable, in any way”, Sarovic underlined. Sarovic concluded that after the elections, the issue of the B&H CC judges must be resolved, as it is also one of the 14 key priorities stated in the European Commission’s (EC) Opinion. He calls the decision on replacing the foreign judges with domestic ones “inevitable” and says changes must happen to avoid further crises and problems in B&H.

Borenovic: RS property remains its property, and it will be managed by the entity institutions (BN TV)

PDP’s Trivic strongly criticizes B&H CC after decision on Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority (BN TV)

The Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) on Thursday placed the Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority, which is used for the functioning of the public authorities of Republika Srpska (RS), out of force. PDP Vice President Jelena Trivic strongly reacted to this news, criticizing the B&H CC for making such a decision. “Today we received another confirmation that the Constitutional Court of B&H is not a court, but a monstrous institution in which nine multimillionaires sit. It is common knowledge that the judges of the Constitutional Court of B&H are obedient to their mentors (SNSD leader Milorad) Dodik, (HDZ B&H leader Dragan) Covic and (SDA leader Bakir) Izetbegovic. That is why it should not be surprising that the aforementioned trio ordered the judges of that court to issue a decision on the Law on Immovable Property, used for the functioning of public authorities, ten days before the elections”, Trivic stated. This, like all other decisions, were made to the detriment of RS, she added. “One of the first activities of the new authorities in the RS will be to investigate how the nine multimillionaires who sit in the B&H CC acquired those millions. It will be interesting to find out whether and how much individual tycoons paid for the decisions of the Constitutional Court of B&H”, Trivic emphasized.

Komsic argues High Representative Schmidt’s intention to impose changes to Election Law of B&H is attempt to ‘put out fire with gasoline’ (Oslobodjenje)

In an interview to the daily, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and candidate for this position Zeljko Komsic said that he is satisfied with the pre-election campaign so far and added that the response of people is perhaps even better than he hoped for. The daily noted that rumor has it that High Representative Christian Schmidt might impose essential changes to the Election Law of B&H on the day of elections or couple of days after the elections and asked Komsic what is, in his opinion, the red line Schmidt should not cross. Komsic replied by saying that Schmidt came from Germany which is, if nothing else, economically the most powerful country in the EU and he should not go below standards of the EU. “What turned out to be his intention, the direction he intends to follow, is completely opposite to the EU standards and Opinion of the European Commission on B&H, but also rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. Should he do what has been announced, I doubt B&H would ever be able to become a member of the EU with such solutions”, Komsic said and added that Schmidt is trying “to use gasoline to put out fire”. Komsic went on to say that the focus in this election cycle should have been on the integrity of the election process, prevention of election thefts and frauds, and the search for political solutions should have been launched with political partners who won mandates in fair elections. The daily reminded that Schmidt was obviously referring to Komsic when he said couple of days ago that “those who say ‘we will make a revolution now and we will annul all identities’ are also not working in favor of improvement of things” and asked Komsic to comment on this statement. Komsic said that he is not making any kind of revolution and added: “I would have been working in a different way had I wanted to make a revolution, much fiercer than Schmidt can even imagine. I do not know who advised him to say something like that. Or maybe it came from his head, which is even worse”. Komsic said that he is not in favor of erasing of identities but only in favor of equality of all people in B&H. “I am afraid Schmidt is under the influence of some politics which see things in B&H in a wrong way. I would recommend him to socialize with common people for a while”, Komsic said.

Speaking about his media conflicts with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and the statement which he gave on Milanovic recently by saying “sometimes it happens in democracy that people elect a donkey, and one must simply endure it because that is democracy”, Komsic said that he did not react on many occasions although Milanovic gave him reasons to react and his latest statements from Brdo kod Kranja (when Milanovic denied Srebrenica genocide) “were a confirmation that I made the right assessment about him”. With regard to the adoption of the Upholding the DPA Through Sanctions Act by the US Congress, Komsic stated that this Act requires implementation of rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and assessed that this is a good sign which came in a good time, because it will eliminate any confusion on moves of the US administration in B&H and entire Balkans. Finally, Komsic argued that there are “many candidates” for US sanctions, from politicians to those who gained money through shady deals, which only proves that democracy and institutions here are weak because they need assistance of Americans to at least make some things public, if nothing else.

Dodik: I share some positions about B&H with Milanovic (Dnevni list)

Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Milorad Dodik stated in Petrinja, Croatia (on Thursday) that he shares some positions about B&H with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. “Croatia thinks that status of constituent peoples should be secured for Croats in B&H, and the Republika Srpska (RS) believes that the status of three constituent peoples must be respected. That is something we have in common”, sad Dodik, reiterating that Serbs and Croats have difficult past because when some celebrate something, other grieve. “It burdens our relations, but we must move on. Nobody will impose anything to anyone from the past. Croatia has a state, and the Serbs have two states – the RS and Serbia. We will move that way and cooperate on issues we can”, said Dodik.

Croatia

Croatian 2021 Census: Less inhabitants, less men, less Catholics (Hina)

The final Croatian 2021 Census results have finally been published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS), which shows that there are less inhabitants, less men, and less people who identify as Catholic. As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the Central Bureau of Statistics has now published the final results of the Croatian 2021 Census on the total population by gender and age, as well as by ethnicity, religion, citizenship and mother tongue.

According to the Croatian 2021 Census, the Republic of Croatia currently has 3,871,833 inhabitants, of which 1,865,129 are men (48.17%) and 2,006,704 are women (51.83%). Compared to the 2011 Census, the number of inhabitants decreased by 413,056 persons or 9.64%.

The total number of inhabitants decreased across all of the country's counties, and the largest relative decrease in the number of inhabitants was rather unsurprisingly present in Central and Eastern Croatia, more precisely in Vukovar-Srijem County (20.28%), Sisak-Moslavina County (19.04%), Pozega-Slavonia County (17.88%). Brod-Posavina County (17.85%) and Virovitica-Podravina County (17.05%).

The share of the population aged 0 to 14 stands at just 14.27%, and the share of the population aged 65 and over is a considerably higher 22.45%.

Croatia's national population structure as of 2021

The results of the Croatian 2021 Census show that the share of Croats in the national structure of the population stands at 91.63%, the share of ethnic Serbs stands at 3.20%, Bosniaks 0.62%, Roma 0.46%, Italians 0.36% and Albanians 0.36%, while the share of other members of national minorities is individually less than 0.30%. The share of people who have declared regionally amounts to 0.33%, and the number of people who did not want to declare this at all amounts to 0.58%.

Religious affiliation

According to religious affiliation, 78.97% of people refer to themselves as Catholics, 3.32% refer to themselves as Orthodox, there are 1.32% Muslims, and non-believers and atheists amount to 4.71%, while 1.72% of people didn't want to state their religion or religious beliefs whatsoever.

Montenegro

Djukanovic: No elections, no legitimate government (Pobjeda)

The President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, says that his proposal for shortening the mandate of the Parliament of Montenegro and the decision not to accept the candidacy of Miodrag Lekic for the prime minister-designate is in accordance with the Constitution.

“My decision not to accept Mr. Lekic’s incomplete candidacy is absolutely in the letter and spirit of the Constitution. Now the Parliament is responsible because the Constitution has foreseen that I can either propose a prime minister-designate or suggest that the Parliament shorten its mandate, after which I would call elections”, President Djukanovic says.

So, it is clear, now the Parliament is on the move. He has also pointed out that he proposed that the session be held on 30 September. “Today, we have a seriously devastated system in Montenegro – public finances, economy, rule of law… This is not in the interest of any party or citizen of Montenegro. We must achieve responsible governance in the country. Since we have a delegitimized government, it is now clear to everyone what we have to do – get a legitimate government”, he points out. Development goals, he says, are achievable based on the use of our resources. “We just need a responsible government. We can lose two more years, but we will need more time to get out of the quagmire we have been led into by irresponsible state management”, he believes.

Answering the question whether the absence of the Constitutional Court is an obstacle to holding elections, President Djukanovic says that those two things are not mutually exclusive.

“As we know, when the electoral process is underway, the last option for those who feel that their electoral rights have been violated is the Constitutional Court. That is why everyone would feel much more comfortable if we had a Constitutional Court. Why we don’t have it – you should ask those who did everything to prevent us from having a functional Constitutional Court and brought us dysfunctional state institutions. I think that those who act in the interests of some other countries did and continue to do that”, says Djukanovic. Should we, he adds, now agree to what is clearly their intention – that due to the absence of a certain institution we cannot organize elections in order to confirm their thesis that Montenegro should not exist, I hope we agree on this – no.

Blazic: President has the last word, he can dissolve Parliament (RTCG)

After the proposal of President Milo Djukanovic to shorten the Parliament mandate, it is too late for the subsequent moves of the old majority, said the dean of the Faculty of State and European Studies Djordjije Blazic in a guest appearance on RTCG. He stated that the President’s decision not to give a mandate to Miodrag Lekic was not a surprise, and emphasized that Djukanovic has the possibility to dissolve the Parliament if the MPs do not vote for the mandate shortening. The parliamentary majority had a chance to propose a prime minister-designate for the composition of the new government according to the procedure provided for by the Constitution, but at this moment, as Prof. Blazic said, they have no subsequent chances. The fact that the president of the state did not grant a mandate to Miodrag Lekic is correct and that decision could not have been different, Blazic pointed out.

Vucurovic: Constitution violated because not all parties received the invitation to consultations; Krapovic: Like the majority, we could not leave room for Djukanovic (TVCG)

The President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic violated Article 95 Paragraph 5 of the Constitution of Montenegro because he did not invite all representatives of the political parties represented in the Parliament of Montenegro to a consultation, which he was obliged to do, Jovan Vucurovic, a member of the Democratic Front, said for on TVCG. "Djukanovic violated the Constitution and carried out a coup d'état. We collected 41 signatures, that is 41 signatures of the parliamentary majority, that is, people who won the elections on August 30. "The initiative for the dismissal of the President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, was launched and submitted to Danijela Djurovic," stated Vucurovic.

"Demos, United Montenegro, Prava Montenegro, Civis, and the Workers' Party did not receive an invitation, while the Liberal Party of Montenegro, which has the same number of mandates as the parties I listed, was invited. We did not violate any procedure, the Constitution was violated by the President of Montenegro," said Vucurovic.

"The President of the State has certainly violated the Constitution because he has the exclusive authority to propose the Assembly's mandate holder, so he does not exercise that authority. Therefore, the authority consists of the right and the duty to sign it. In the Constitution, it is stated that a representative is proposed to the Assembly, there is no option in which a representative is not proposed," said the Democrat MP Dragan Krapovic. Were we, as the majority, able, points out Krapovic, not to leave even a millimetre of space to Djukanovic for such a free interpretation of the Constitution, of course we did. That is why, as he states, they should have put 41 signatures on Lekic's candidacy for the mandate. "The problem here is the lack of those signatures. At the beginning of the negotiations, colleagues from DF sent a letter with good intentions, and informed that we will have a representative and that we will provide him with the necessary number of signatures. We also insisted all the time on those signatures because we are not surprised by that from Djukanovic and it is something we could expect, and 41 signatures would eliminate those risks", said Krapovic.

According to Goran Djurovic, an official of the Civil Movement URA, the mistake was made when the 43rd Government collapsed. "I would go in the direction of dropping the ball, talking in the language of compromise, because I don't think it makes sense to accuse each other at this moment. We have publicly said that Lekic has the support of the GP URA and that has never been questioned, Djurovic pointed out. He said that there is no concrete legal formality anywhere that says there must be 41 signatures, and that he thinks that everything has been complied with. "There is a clear majority in the Assembly to form the 44th Government. We can talk about whether it could have been this way or that, you have on the table a clear majority, there were always 41 signatures and it was never disputed. The bottom line is only that we have a clear majority like we have now, I think it is time for President Djukanovic to give the mandate to Lekic", says Djurovic.

On the other hand, Social Democrat official Nikola Zirojevic stated that the political structure that negotiated the formation of the government showed incompetence and ignorance, and that it is clear that early elections are the solution. He emphasized that Montenegro has gone backwards in the last two years, and that it is clear that a stable, European and responsible government is needed. "In the situation we are in, when the Constitutional Court is dysfunctional, I would say that these 41 signatures are worth nothing," Zirojevic pointed out.

Lekic: I have no right to give up, the Assembly will not accept Djukanovic's instructions (Pobjeda)

The leader of Demos, Miodrag Lekic, said that due to circumstances, he found himself in the role of a candidate for the mandate and that after everything that happened, he has no right to give up. He believes that there are still legal arguments for him to be a mandate holder. "I don't think the train has passed. At the negotiations, a consensus emerged around me, and this created a responsibility for me, and I concluded that I had no right to give up on this. I will try to respect the rules of democracy and act in this situation," said Lekic. He believes that President Milo Djukanovic bypassed some procedures when he made a proposal to shorten the mandate of the Assembly, stressing that the Parliament will not accept his instructions for a reason, which "plays a political game below the level". "He is not interested in the general interest of getting out of the crisis, but has his own goals, and one of them is to analyse the results of the 2020 elections," said Lekic. He believes that the Government of Zdravko Krivokapic was formed under church influences, and that of Dritan Abazovic under international influences. He pointed out that citizens know that the Constitution has incredible loopholes. “Analogies are often taken that are not reliable. Everyone pulls out what suits them and tries to bypass the Assembly. The Assembly is not only a factory of laws, it is the highest political body. When the Assembly is uncomfortable, it is a real phenomenon," Lekic stressed.

When asked whether the negotiators of the old majority provided Djukanovic with a solid room for manoeuvre to explain the decision he made, Lekic replied that this space was created during the previous two years. "From the beginning, it started without the rationale of democracy and the way it functioned. Instead of building trust in that narrow parliamentary majority, joint work, with all possible differences and interests, prevailed over another system. We had a government, where I do not rule out that there were capable ministers, but we also had a completely disturbed situation. Instead of creating a working method between the Government and the parliamentary majority that does not have to be idyllic, but which must have some synthesis in order to run the country. That was left out," Lekic emphasized. As he said, there is an open space for the rehabilitation of the defeated regime, instead of starting to change the system, which, Lekic points out, is the biggest weakness.

He believes that it was a mistake that the Democratic Front said on September 15 that they would deliver to Djukanovic the name of the representative with the signatures of 41 deputies, but that it was of a technical nature. "I think it was a mistake, but that she didn't intentionally create a position for Djukanovic. The error is of a technical nature and it is irrelevant and the Constitution does not provide for it. He didn't want a solution, he obviously wished for all of this, so that he would remain as an institution and exert influence through the Government", said Lekic, stating that he believes that the DPS and Djukanovic are making personnel inroads in this government.

When asked why MPs of the URA GP did not sign the proposal for him to be the mandate holder for the composition of the new government on Monday, and they did a day later, Lekic says that he would not enter into any evaluations.

The Democratic Front started collecting signatures for the dismissal of Djukanovic (CDM)

The Democratic Front started collecting signatures for the initiative to dismiss the President Milo Djukanovic, and DF MP Predrag Bulatovic said in the Assembly that the DF wrote the initiative and signed, in accordance with the Constitution, the "procedure for the dismissal of the President of the State". He said that Djukanovic violated the Constitution in the part that he did not invite the representatives of the UCG, Prava Montenegro, the Workers' Party, nor the representative Miodrag Lekic to consultations. "The constitutional provision was not respected, he did not invite Miodrag Lekic, Goran Danilovic and Maksim Vucinic to consultations," said Bulatovic. The Constitution of Montenegro provides that the procedure for determining whether the President of Montenegro has violated the Constitution can be initiated by the Assembly, upon the proposal of at least 25 deputies.

Djurovic returned the initiative to Djukanovic (RTCG)

The President of the Parliament of Montenegro, Danijela Djurovic, returned to Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic a request to hold an extraordinary session of the Parliament, where the shortening of the mandate of the Parliament was supposed to be discussed, RTCG Portal learned unofficially after the collegium of the President. The reason for this is that the request was not legally correct. In the explanation, it is stated that a procedural error was made, because the President of Montenegro did not submit a Proposal for a decision that should be voted on. Slaven Radunovic, head of the DF deputies' club, pointed out this yesterday. "Until now, the proponents have also attached the decision that needs to be voted on. That is why we think that this request should be renewed in a way that is orderly," he said yesterday.

Abazovic with Biden: You are a great friend of Montenegro (CDM)

US President Joseph Biden hosted a reception last night for world leaders attending the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister in technical mandate Dritan Abazovic said that "the American president is a great friend of Montenegro". "In a short conversation with the President of the United States of America Joseph Biden and the first lady Jill Biden, Abazovic said that the American president is a great friend of Montenegro, to which Biden replied affirmatively: "Yes, I am! It's nice to see the young prime minister," Abazovic's cabinet announced.

Abazovic, as they stated, told the American president that "Montenegro will fight organized crime and corruption, which the United States of America should help with." The Prime Minister in his technical mandate also emphasized that the state of Montenegro will preserve its Euro-Atlantic foreign policy course.

"The reception was held at the American Museum of Natural History, where the Prime Minister, together with the advisor for foreign policy, Djordje Radulovic, also spoke with Charles Michel, President of the European Council, Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Prince Albert II of Monaco, President of the Republic of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani and others," Abazovic's cabinet said.

Krivokapic at a working dinner with transatlantic partners at Blinken's invitation (CDM)

At the invitation of US State Department Secretary Anthony Blinken, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ranko Krivokapic attended a working dinner convened in New York for heads of diplomacy of transatlantic partner countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

The focus of the conversation, as stated, were current challenges on the geostrategic level, and the importance of strengthening Euro-Atlantic ties in a world affected by aggression, the consequences of which spill over to all countries. The head of Montenegrin diplomacy was also at the United Nations Security Council, at a briefing dedicated to preserving peace and security in Ukraine, which was convened by France as the presiding country.

Abazovic and Guterres: Overcoming global crises with joint forces (CDM)

Prime Minister in technical mandate Dritan Abazovic met in New York with the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres. "We need to do our best in order to jointly overcome global crises, starting with Covid, through the war in Ukraine, to the energy crisis that awaits us during the winter and spring", it was announced on Twitter of the Government.

Guterres, it is said, indicated that the United Nations appreciates the excellent cooperation with Montenegro, which he pointed out is a very active member and on which they always count, just as Montenegro can count on the United Nations.

North Macedonia

Kovacevski-Guterres meeting: Cooperation with UN continues, strategic development goals priority (Republika)

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski met Thursday with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. At the meeting, Prime Minister Kovacevski expressed gratitude for the engagement of the UN in the Republic of Macedonia and emphasized that the cooperation will continue with increasing intensity, especially in implementing the new strategic goals for sustainable development for the period 2021-2025.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the engagement of the UN in the Republic of Macedonia is very important for strengthening the country’s capacities in key sectors and for advancing reforms. He expressed hope that cooperation with the UN will continue in the future in order to provide support for our development goals in our country’s European integration aspirations. Reforms in the areas of good governance, the fight against corruption, reforms in the judicial system, as well as the strengthening of social cohesion, will be the country’s priorities. The goal of the Government is to introduce important changes in the lives of its citizens, to improve the legislation, to strengthen the capacities and efficiency of the institutions, the Prime Minister pointed out.

The meeting confirmed our strong commitment to strengthening the role of the UN in dealing with global challenges such as Russian aggression against Ukraine, climate change, and lack of food. The Government of Macedonia, as indicated, is fully committed to the implementation of Agenda 2030, which refers to the goals for sustainable development of the UN and its integration into national strategic documents and plans. At the meeting with Secretary-General Guterres, Prime Minister Kovacevski also expressed interest in the increased participation of our country in the peace operations of the United Nations. The Republic of Macedonia, noted Kovacevski, is an active partner of international anti-terrorist coalitions and will continue to contribute to international efforts to fight terrorism.

Kovacevski attends reception hosted by U.S. President Biden (Republika)

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski and his wife Elena attended the formal reception for heads of state and government, hosted by United States President Joe Biden within the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday. The presence of Prime Minister Kovacevski at the reception organized by President Biden is another confirmation of Macedonia’s long-standing strategic partnership with the United States, as well as the support that we as a country receive in fulfilling the key goals, but also for the realization of the foreseen priority policies for economic, social and democratic prosperity of the state, said the government press service in a statement. The Government points out that the benefits of Macedonia’s membership in NATO and the strategic partnership with the US are of exceptional importance for the country, especially in a period of global economic and energy crisis that the whole world is facing.

Albania

Rama: Serbia should recognize Kosovo and apologize (Radio Tirana)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said that he agrees with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, that Serbia should not only recognize Kosovo, but also apologize to it. In a TV interview from New York, Rama spoke about the relationship with the Prime Minister of Kosovo, while adding that "Kurti and I do not agree on when this should happen". "I think that recognition and asking for forgiveness is the end of a process. The process does not begin with recognition and asking forgiveness", added Rama.

Rama said that the relations with Albin Kurti are fantastic. "We really have a very friendly communication. We talk a lot about different topics, confront opinions related to different political philosophies. Communication is really kind, brotherly, and friendly. It is as it should be, a very civil and friendly relationship. We don't have to agree on everything. We don't agree on the approach to Serbia, on how we should go to recognition and asking for forgiveness. We don't agree on the 'Open Balkans', but these don't prevent us from agreeing on many other things," said Rama.

He informed that on October 12th he will address the Council of Europe with a speech. "The issue is very sensitive. The Council of Europe has written a very dark page approving the Dick Martin report. Today that report has fallen completely. Rama will address the Council of Europe based also on the fact that the Assembly of Albania by consensus has passed a resolution rejecting Dick Martin's report. The Council of Europe should distance itself from that criminal report that has done a lot of damage to Kosovo. This is our initiative", said Albanian Prime Minister.

Rama meets Biden at the UN General Assembly (Radio Tirana)

The meeting between Prime Minister Edi Rama and US President Joe Biden took place in New York, where the Albanian Prime Minister is at the UN General Assembly Meeting. US ambassador in Tirana, Yuri Kim, revealed more details from the meeting. "US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Edi Rama are in New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly along with other world leaders. As member countries of the UN Security Council, we have a special responsibility to address Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack against another sovereign country, Ukraine," Kim wrote. Ambassador Kim listed also the priorities of the United States at the 77th UN General Assembly which also include the fight against food insecurity, the advancement of global health and global health security, observance of the Charter of the United Nations and the future of the UN.

Kim: We support all efforts, including the Open Balkans (Radio Tirana)

The US ambassador to Albania, Yuri Kim, congratulated progress of relations between Albania and the USA. At the "Albania-USA" conference that took place in Tirana today, as part of the 100th anniversary year of the establishment of relations between the two countries, the American ambassador Kim, congratulated progress of relations between Albania and the US, while saying that there is still a lot to do. Yuri Kim emphasized that United States will be by our Albania's side all the time.

In the meantime, Kim said to the media that the US supports the right of the countries of the Western Balkans to integrate in the EU and integrate among them too. Referring to the "Open Balkans", Kim emphasized the clear position of the US over the matter, which position she said “should be neither a surprise nor controversial for people". "We support the right of the Western Balkans countries to integrate in Europe and integrate among them," said Kim. "And we will continue to support all efforts, including the Open Balkans, so that they are consistent and contribute to the integration process led by the EU, which is also open to all 6 Balkan countries", stated the US ambassador to Tirana.

Albania – Croatia, first round of social security negotiations achieves agreement (Radio Tirana)

Albania and Croatia have achieved agreement over mutual social security recognition. The news was announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama. Commenting on the agreement, Rama points out that some three thousand Albanian citizens benefit of said agreement. Appraising the said agreement achieved in the very first round of negotiations, Albanian Prime Minister informs that after the completion of the technical process, next step is the completion of procedures for the agreement ratification.