LOCAL PRESS

 

Drecun: Prishtina is trying in every way to destabilize the situation (RTS)

 

The President of the Parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), Milovan Drecun, told RTS that Pristina undertakes daily provocations against the Serbian people and tries in every way to destabilize the situation in the southern Serbian province. Yesterday, the director of the Office for KiM, Petar Petkovic, was forbidden to visit KiM, which is the ninth time this year. The visit was announced in advance and according to all procedures. The President of the Parliamentary Committee for KiM, Milovan Drecun, said that the ban on visits to Petar Pekovic is a hindrance to freedom of movement and non-compliance with agreements regarding visits. "They hinder in every way the director of the Office to communicate with the Serbian people on KiM and to provide them with all the necessary help without which our people could not survive," said Drecun. These are, as he says, almost daily provocations, which Pristina undertakes against the Serbian people and the officials of the Serbian state, and which are reflected in the prohibition of visits, arrests, through daily attacks and provocative statements, to classic military actions in the north of the province. According to him, Pristina is deliberately destabilizing the situation and preventing Petkovic from visiting the Serbs in KiM is an integral part of that destabilization. Drecun states that Pristina has completely surrounded the north through numerous armed military formations. "Until now, we have had threats to the Serbian people in the north of KiM south of the Ibar. There were bases for special parapolice units, but also the so-called Kosovo security forces," and that was a kind of horseshoe," (referring to the shape of the position) said Drecun. With the construction of new bases, Drecun points out, we have encircling, a military occupation of the territory. It is worrying that nothing happens without the knowledge of the Quint countries, said the president of the Parliamentary Committee for KiM.

 

Hill: With the consultation plan, Russia wants to justify the war in Ukraine (FoNet)

 

US Ambassador Christopher Hill says that he saw the Consultation Plan signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Russia, that there is nothing special in it, but that Russia wanted it to justify its war in Ukraine. In his statement to FoNet, Hill emphasized that Serbia has the right to conduct its foreign policy, but that the US has the right to clearly state what it thinks about certain decisions.

 

Christopher Hill said that they did not know what was written in the Consultation Plan signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Russia at the end of the week of the United Nations General Assembly, but they knew that signing a contract with a country like Russia was unusual and that they wanted clarification.

 

"I saw the plan, there is not much in it. The question is why Russia wanted it and obviously Russia wanted the plan to justify its war in Ukraine. Russia's behavior was condemned by everyone in the US, in India, even China criticized, no one supports them in this effort. The question is why they would get validation from anyone for what they did to their neighbor," Hill said.

 

When asked why they asked for an explanation of the signing of the protocol and whether it was an example of a coordinated campaign of pressure on Serbia from the West, Hill said that Serbia is not under attack, but that Russia is attacking Ukraine and that they asked for an explanation because it was strange that at the end of the week Serbia signed an agreement with Russia at the UN. Asked to explain the position that no one should sign anything with Russia now, Hill said that people should understand that it is not about Serbia, but about Russia and the behavior of Russia, which is committing war crimes in Ukraine and has gone beyond the limits of what is acceptable for anyone. "The question is why sign anything with them now, Russia should be focusing on getting out of Ukraine and begging the rest of us for forgiveness," Hill said.

 

When asked whether there is room for the country to remain neutral and whether Serbia has the right to conduct its own foreign policy, Hill pointed out that Serbia has the right to conduct its foreign policy, but that the US has the right to clearly state what it thinks about certain decisions, and that in this case Russia is behaving in a terrible way and no one should stand by and say that it is okay for one country to do such a thing to another.

 

Asked to comment on the fact that Serbia will not recognize referendums in four areas in Ukraine controlled by Russian forces, Hill said: "Serbia is right, it should not recognize those referendums, because they were not properly conducted, these are referendums at gunpoint, with threats of bayonets against people".

 

Russian Embassy: Hill’s statement is inappropriate (FoNet)

 

The Russian Embassy in Belgrade said it was shocked by US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill’s inappropriate statements on Russia-Serbia relations, saying that "sooner or later" the USA will have to give up its "neo-colonial habits and unjustified ambitions to be the "world governor-general". This time he really outdid himself, wildly demanding, as if he had such a right, explanations from the authorities of the host country regarding the signing of the consultations plan between the foreign ministries of Serbia and Russia for 2023 and 2024, said the Embassy. It is sad to see how low American diplomacy can fall in order to carry out the tasks of imposing on sovereign states Washington’s position on “unity in Russophobia,“ replacing international law “with an order based on rules favorable only to the USA,” and expanding the market – on the basis of unfair competition – for American energy products, said the Embassy.

 

We have no doubt that many in Serbia, which was a victim of the American and NATO aggression in 1999, categorically refuse to accept this approach, said the Embassy. The Russian Embassy said it will continue its efforts to consistently strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation in all areas of mutual interests, including the dialogue between the foreign ministries on a wide range of issues. It added that it “advises” Hill to get acquainted with the Vienna Convention which is easy to follow “because all one needs to do is to respect other states’ right to an independent policy.”

 

Russia at the UN Security Council: What about Kosovo? "Double standards of the West" (Tanjug)

 

Russia's special military operation in Ukraine would not have been necessary if the West had forced Kyiv to respect human rights. This was stated by the Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vasiliy Nebenzya at the Security Council session. Nebenzya said that the special operation would not have been necessary if Ukraine had respected basic human rights, and above all the right to life. "The West, which supported the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija, is applying double standards when it comes to referendums in the Donetsk People's Republic, the Lugansk People's Republic, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions," Nebenzya pointed out. He recalled that the West insisted that Kosovo and Metohija had the right to secede from the state of Serbia, because it allegedly violated the rights of Albanians.

 

KFOR held the "Golden Sabre" exercise (RTS)

 

KFOR announced that it held a pre-announced "Golden Sabre" exercise at the training ground of the base in Novi Selo, under the command of the Deputy Commander of KFOR, Brigadier General Luca Piperni. It focused on the integration of the different assets and capabilities of KFOR and tested the ability of the various contingents contributed by NATO Allies and partners to successfully respond to any threat that might endanger freedom of movement and security throughout Kosovo.

 

At the end of the exercise, the KFOR Commander, Major General Ferenc Kajari, expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the professionalism, dedication, and commitment demonstrated by all of the KFOR and EULEX personnel who took part in it.

 

Through regular exercises, KFOR maintains a high level of operational readiness. Our mission is fully focused on the daily implementation of our mandate — based on the UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999 — to provide a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement, for the benefit of all communities living in Kosovo. KFOR has a flexible, agile and visible posture on the ground, which allows to promptly and effectively tackle any development on the ground that could affect the security situation; and to undertake all measures necessary to continue fulfilling its UN mandate.

 

Djilas pays visit to U.S., says Serbia must not make the mistake of disconnecting from civilizational trends (Beta)

 

A delegation of the Freedom and Justice Party consisting of Dragan Djilas, Borko Stefanovic and Marinika Tepic held in Washington on Sept. 27 a meeting with Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried and U.S. special representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar, the party has said in a statement. Djilas pointed to the need for harmonizing Serbia's foreign policy with the EU's policy, saying that the EU's behavior toward Serbia had been wrong and that threats of freezing the country's European integration process were wrong because they would not increase support for the EU in Serbia. He added that relations with the U.S. were a priority for Serbia's future. We are aware that this is a moment where we have to choose, which is why Serbia must not make the mistake of marginalizing itself and disconnecting from modern civilizational trends. The EU is our biggest trade partner and it is a fact that the bulk of direct investments comes from the West, while a responsible policy that places Serbia's interests first must be based on these facts, Djilas stressed. Party vice-president Marinika Tepic spoke about human rights violations, freedom of the media, crime and corruption and presented the Freedom and Justice Party's proposal for creating a regional center for fighting organized crime in Belgrade. The party delegation will continue its visit to the U.S. with meetings in the National Security Council, Senate and Congress.

 

MP: Either we will impose sanctions on Russia, or sanctions will be imposed on us (N1)

 

SSP MP Vladimir Obradovic said on Tuesday that EU was “preparing the ground for the imposition of sanctions on Serbia”, N1 reported. “I do not think it will happen soon, I do not think it will happen radically, but there is some preparation of the ground. Either we will impose some form of sanctions on Russia, or the rest of the world will impose sanctions on us. It is not a question of whether we want it, but whether our country and economy are more important to us at this moment, or Russia’s”, Obradovic said. He believes that the proposals that Serbia should stay away and be neutral are not feasible. “That is not possible. It would have been really great if it was possible, to move to another planet, while things were resolved on this one. But that is simply not possible at the moment. I agree that it would be great, but the reality is not like that”, Obradovic said.

 

Brnabic: Serbia is not neutral regarding the war in Ukraine, we condemned the aggression (Beta)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated that during a meeting with representatives of the Japanese authorities in Tokyo, she explained Serbia's position and why it does not impose sanctions on Russia due to the war in Ukraine, but also pointed out that Serbia is not neutral and that it condemned the aggression against Ukraine. The Prime Minister added that Japanese politicians do not exert pressure like politicians in Europe, but they are interested in hearing Serbia's position. "We are not neutral on this issue, our position is completely clear, we joined the UN resolutions and the EU declarations where we condemned the aggression against Ukraine, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that we will not recognize the results of the referendum, the only difference is that we did not and do not we want to impose sanctions on Russia and we have well-reasoned reasons for that," Brnabic told Serbian journalists in Tokyo.

 

She assessed that she had a "good meeting" with her colleague Fumio Kishida, and this morning she also met with representatives of the parliamentary friendship group between Japan and Serbia. "We will use that meeting to build our political and economic ties with Japan," she pointed out and added that at the meeting with the prime minister there was great interest in Serbia's position towards the war in Ukraine. She added that it is important to explain the positions of the Serbian authorities to the Japanese government, because investments largely depend on the government's recommendations. "I hope that our position here (in Japan) will be better understood and that it will not have any negative effects on the additional inflow of investments from Japan." I am returning with a lot of optimism that we will have good news in the months ahead and in 2023," she told the Serbian media in Tokyo.

 

Selakovic: Vucic’s address to the nation will most likely be on October 8 (Tanjug)

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Selakovic said that he expects Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to address the nation on October 8, most likely after important meetings in the upcoming period, as well as to talk about Serbia's future political course and the formation of a new government.

 

Nikola Selakovic, guest on Happy TV, said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be in Bulgaria on October 1 for a meeting with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that he will meet with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as with the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen. "As early as October 3, President Vucic should meet in Budapest with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer. After that, on October 5, we will have an attempt by the so-called Kosovo to start the admission procedure for membership in the Council of Europe, which we are vehemently fighting against", Selakovic said and stated that Vucic will attend the first summit of the European Political Community in Prague on October 6. The head of Serbian diplomacy stated that he has no doubt that pressure and messages will be sent to Serbia at the summit in Prague to change its foreign policy and position, although they cannot answer the question posed by President Vucic, which refers to why the territorial integrity of Ukraine is worth more than the territorial integrity of Serbia. After returning from Prague, as Minister Selakovic said, President Vucic will attend the opening of the new factory of MTU, a German company that repairs engines on Airbus planes, and it is an investment worth 107 million euros. "I most likely expect that on October 8 Vucic will address the nation and that he will also talk about the political situation," Selakovic said.

 

Russia defends Serbia's interests when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija

 

When asked about the signing of the Consultation Plan of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Russia, Selakovic stated that it is a two-year consultation plan and a paper that has no legal validity, as well as something that we sign with many countries in the world. According to him, it is a kind of schedule of meetings on the topic of bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation, which is important because Russia is a member of the UN Security Council and defends Serbia's interests when it comes to Kosovo and Metohija. "It is not about any political conspiracy, evil intent, moreover, it is about the fact that this is a pure attempt to discipline Serbia, to use some sufficient reason to attack Serbia and to attack our foreign policy position, which is principled and challenging for others. We have a reason that we are pursuing such a policy, the reason lies in the past and political facts concerning our specific position on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, in the first place," said the head of Serbian diplomacy.

 

As he emphasized, President Vucic’s speech at the 77th session of the General Assembly is nothing but a sublimation of his policy and the policy of Serbia, which is very clear, reasonable and supported by solid arguments. "Serbia has not changed its principled position. We have not introduced sanctions because we have our own rational approach here as well. When it comes to respect for the principle of inviolability of borders, and there is also the issue of Ukraine, our position is clear and there is no dilemma, and that position is not changing. If Serbia were to change such a position, Serbia would be shooting itself in the foot, spitting in its own face, how can you defend the position of the survival of KiM in Serbia, then we would be spitting on Resolution 1244, which is our strongest support in the fight for KiM," emphasized Minister Selakovic.

 

Asked about possible attempts to expel Russia from the UN Security Council, Minister Selakovic stated that the fact that a considerable number of state representatives are talking about it means that someone has that idea in their head. "It is essential for us that Russia remains in the UN Security Council," said Selakovic and stated that the possible exclusion of Russia would be a disaster for us and that he hopes, believes and wishes that this will not happen.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina 

 

Croatian Government admits that proposals of changes to B&H Election Law from July this year are the result of secret negotiations between the leaders of Croatia and HR Schmidt; OHR did not confirm Croatia's involvement in changes to B&H Election Law (FTV)

 

FTV reported that proposals OF changes to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) from July this year are the result of secret negotiations between the leaders of Croatia and High Representative Christian Schmidt. According to FTV, everything was confirmed with one sentence on the official account of the Government of Croatia via Twitter. The Tweet reads: "We spoke thoroughly and discreetly with HR Schmidt for months. When the president got involved in that process and insulted Schmidt, his enthusiasm to correct the injustices against the Croats in B&H probably waned a little.” The OHR gave no concrete answer with regard to the Croatian Government admitting that Schmidt was acting under the influence of the neighboring Croatia. The OHR did not confirm Croatia's involvement in the changes to the Election Law, although – as FTV reported – Croatian Government confirmed that behind the disputed changes to the Election Law is not only the will of the HR. This has been perceived by the public as if the instructions for electoral reform have arrived from HDZ led by the Croatian political elite, all under the guise of protecting Croats in B&H. However, the action then failed under the pressure of the B&H public. To what extent Croatia participated in the creation of amendments to the Election Law, the OHR answered briefly, avoiding a concrete answer: "In accordance with his mandate, the High Representative maintains regular contacts with the signatory countries of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), as well as with international partners and domestic actors". Reporter added that, although at the end of all failed meetings the only solution was considered to be the one achieved within B&H, those from the neighborhood are also being imposed, concluding that Schmidt can decide what will prevail and what the decision will be.

 

Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic admitted that the Government of Croatia was directly involved in the negotiations with the High Representative Schmidt on changes to the Election Law in B&H. "We spoke thoroughly and discreetly with High Representative Schmidt for months. When the president (of Croatia Zoran Milanovic) got involved in that process and insulted Schmidt, his enthusiasm to right the injustices against the Croats in B&H probably waned a little," the official Twitter profile of the Croatian Government carried the words of PM Plenkovic. Presenter noted that the HR did not impose the planned political changes to the Electoral Law, except in the technical part, but there is a possibility that he will do so after holding the General Elections, scheduled for October 2.

 

Komsic comments on Croatian Government's admitting that it negotiated changes to B&H Election Law with HR: Things have finally come to surface (Nova BH)

 

Commenting on the Croatian Government's admitting that it negotiated changes to the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Election Law with High Representative Christian Schmidt, member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic said on Tuesday that things have finally come to the surface. Komsic said that he believes this information saw the light of day solely because of the internal quarrel between Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and his government. "But I believe that it is good that it came out, that we can all see it and that it is clear to everyone what it is about. We know that, and it is not just a couple of months, they have been working on these last Schmidt's moves for a couple of months, and not just them, let us not lie to ourselves. Schmidt was also ready to go in that direction. He was hindered by the resistance here in Sarajevo, he was hindered by protests and the lack of consent from his home country, the Federal Republic of Germany, which refused such an approach to solving the problems in B&H," Komsic pointed out. “This has unfortunately become a standard in our political practice and in public. In any other country, this would be a prime scandal, there would be resignations, and diplomats would be withdrawn. However, in our country, it is just another anecdote in the pre-election folklore”, said Komsic.

 

HDZ 1990’s Cvitanovic expects OHR will make necessary interventions into Election Law (Vecernji list)

 

Vecernji list carried an interview with HDZ 1990 leader Ilija Cvitanovic who was asked, among other issues, what HDZ 1990’s key messages during the campaign are. Cvitanovic replied by saying that we are at a delicate political moment for the Croat people since some parties from political Sarajevo have announced guillotine for legitimate representatives of the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) through the announced election frauds.

Asked if he expects that the High Representative (HR) will enact just changes to the Election Law prior to the elections, Cvitanovic said that the international community’s (IC) inconsistent and biased policy created this misbalance, which is against the Croats, stressing that the HR is the final authority in interpretation and application of the Dayton agreement. According to Cvitanovic, he expects from the HR to fix the injustice and finish the job he has started. In this context the HDZ 1990 leader said the HR has the mandate to take care of the Dayton agreement, stressing that the Constitutional Court of B&H contested provisions of the Election Law by labelling them as anti-Dayton, which is why the HR has to respect provisions of the Constitution and complete the job he has started regarding the Election Law because it is obvious there can be no agreement with policies from Sarajevo. “Therefore, I expect that the High Representative will implement the Constitutional Court’s judgment in the ‘Ljubic’ case and implement judgments of the European Court (of Human Rights) pertaining to existence of discrimination in our electoral legislation”, said Cvitanovic.

 

Asked what will happen if there are no changes (to the Election Law), knowing that the Election Law has no articles regulating the filling of the Federation of B&H (FB&H) House of Peoples (HoP), Cvitanovic replied by saying, among other issues, that one should recall messages coming from Bosniak radical circles, who were saying they need to control the Central Election Commission (CEC) in order to complete the job of kicking the Croats from the authorities. According to Cvitanovic, it is completely unacceptable and in that sense ‘we’ expect the OHR will prevent such a scenario by making necessary interventions into the Election Law that would enable implementation of election results that would secure the legitimate election will.

 

Asked if he expects the Bosniak elites will try to establish some new platform, Cvitanovic said such attempts will probably happen in the post-election period, underlining that the Alliance and the Platform, which were created under auspices of some international stakeholders in B&H, were the defeat of the international justice. “To elect in the name of other, ignoring the legitimate election will of the Croats is the road to collapse of B&H”, added Cvitanovic.

 

Dodik: Bosniaks want political domination and elimination of Serbs and Croats; Croats should have their own third entity in B&H (Glas Srpske)

 

Speaking for Serbian media, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency member Milorad Dodik stated that Serbs today have two states today – Serbia and Republika Srpska (RS), while Croats have one state. He underlined that this is a very important and undeniable fact. Commenting relations between Croats and Serbs, Dodik said that there are statements which are difficult to agree with, such as the statements of Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. However, Dodik underlined, it is not his job to constantly seek differences, but to do something useful for his own community. He noted that it is very unpleasant to have a country which is a member of both EU and NATO at one’s borders while the RS is not even internationally recognized. According to Dodik, Serbs are forced to fight for the right to have their own identity in B&H, which forced the RS to somehow amortize the pressure coming from Croatia. He reminded that he has repeatedly stated that Croats should have their own entity within B&H. Dodik emphasized that Bosniak want political domination that will eliminate the identity of Croats first, and later Serbs as well. According to him, this desire is based on old ideas of late B&H Presidency Chairman Alija Izetbegovic. Dodik said that he is grateful to Serbia and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic for their support in projects such as construction of the bridge over Raca River near Bijeljina. Dodik said that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a rational approach to the current issues in B&H. Dodik explained that during his most recent visit to B&H, Erdogan presented the stance that local political leaders should attempt to reach agreements, rather than waiting for solutions to be imposed by the West. He noted that he shares a similar opinion.

 

RUGIPP: Constitutional Court decision refers to property registered as property owned by B&H, there is no such property in RS (Glas Srpske)

 

The Republika Srpska (RS) Administration for Geodetic and Property Affairs (RUGIPP) stated that it has been informed about the latest decision of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Constitutional Court (B&H CC) regarding state property. However, RUGIPP underlined, the decision refers to the state property which is registered in public registries as state property owned by B&H. RUGIPP emphasized that there is no property in the RS which is registered as state property owned by B&H. B&H CC decided last week to annul the RS Law on Immovable Property Used for Functioning of Public Authority. According to the laws of the RS, RUGIPP explained, the immovable property which is considered property of a public authority institution that uses the property to work and function in the territory of the RS is registered as property owned by that institution. “For example, all school buildings in the territory of Srpska are registered as property of the schools as public institutions, all court houses are registered as property of the courts, all hospital buildings are registered as property of public institutions of hospitals. Immovable properties that are used for functioning and performing duties of local administrations are registered as properties owned by local communities and the RS”, RUGIPP stated. Agriculture land and land of former farmer cooperatives, squares, streets and local roads are registered as property owned by the local authority in whose territory the properties are located. Forests which used to be registered as public property, waters, speedways, regional roads and highways are registered as property of the RS. RUGIPP emphasized that it is an executive institution of the RS authorities, and it performs its duties in line with laws and Constitution of the RS.

 

Croatia 

 

Croatian Parliament's Committee for Croats outside Republic of Croatia holds theme session ahead of general elections in B&H (HRT1)

 

Ahead of the upcoming general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), the Croatian Parliament's Committee for Croats outside the Republic of Croatia held a theme session in Zagreb on Tuesday. The topic of the session was 'B&H as a state of completely equal constituent peoples, as well as national minorities and other citizens - no more and no less'. Croat intellectuals from B&H used this opportunity to once again warn about the difficult situation in B&H. Croat intellectuals from B&H warned that the political position of Croats in B&H has never been more difficult because according to the current B&H Election Law, in the next general elections in B&H, all Croats can go to the polls and vote for the same person, but that person will not be their representative.

 

Representative of the Institute for Social and Political Research in Mostar Ivan Vukoja stressed that the existing B&H Election Law has created such a situation in which it is possible that 100 percent of the Croat electoral will results in zero percent participation in authorities both at the entity and at the state level. Croat intellectuals from B&H said that these manipulated and unfair rules of the game were set for the Croats by the international community by going in favor of the Bosniak majority. Croat intellectuals from B&H warned that as the elections in B&H approach, everything is followed by a political campaign full of dangerous messages.

 

Representative of the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Mostar Drazen Barbaric said that "the election campaign in one segment, the pro-Bosnian one with all this range of actors, is militarized." "And it has an important semantic element in it, which is anti-Croat hysteria," Barbaric pointed out. Croats from B&H warned that Bosniaks have a strong international protector in Turkey, Serbs have an international protector in Russia, and they have an international protector only in Croatia. Therefore, they expect official Zagreb to systematically send a clear message to the EU and the region. "A semantic narrative and operational policy must be imposed so that everyone understands, including Sarajevo and Banja Luka, that the path from B&H to Brussels must simply lead through Zagreb," Barbaric underlined.

 

Head of Istria County: Italian far-right’s election victory is due to turmoil (Hina)

 

"The result of Italian elections should be respected, and I hope that the victory of the far-right will not lower democratic standards and human rights (in Italy)," state agency Hina cited the head of Istria County, Boris Miletic, as saying on Tuesday. “Croatia and Italy have exceptionally good relations, and Istria has had excellent relations with Italian regions such as Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto for many years,” he told Hina. Miletic downplayed the result, which put the far-right party Brothers of Italy in position to form the next government, by saying that the results of Sunday’s vote was “more a protest vote, given the situation in Europe, with problems from inflation to higher energy prices.” He said living standards in Italy had been declining for many years, as evidenced by the fact that there were far fewer Italian tourists visiting Istria today compared to a decade ago, and that the election results were more due to these circumstances, rather than a “vote for far-right politics.”

 

Miletic, who is from the regional and liberal party IDS, said that the far-right had been on the rise in Hungary, France, and Sweden as well, adding that a deterioration of democratic standards and human rights “would be the worst-case scenario” that this might lead to.

 

Commenting on past statements by Italy’s likely new prime minister and leader of Brothers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, in which she claimed Croatian regions of Istria and Dalmatia are Italian, Miletic said such statements were part of election campaign and should not be given too much attention. “Territorial claims should be put aside, that’s past tense, one should look to the future, but Giorgia Meloni, when she becomes prime minister, should certainly distance herself from them,” he added. He said that he hoped that Italy “won’t become another cog like Hungary or Poland which wants to erode project Europe, which is the European Union and peace.”

 

Montenegro 

 

Picula: Former ruling majority offers unsustainable options; U.S. Embassy reiterates that DF is not their partner (Gradski portal)

 

Following the interview of the outgoing Prime Minister, Dritan Abazovic, for Voice of America (VOA), when he reiterated that URA, along with the Democratic Front (DF), was going to vote for the initiative on dismissal of the President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, and that his party could guarantee that the government comprising the DF wouldn’t step out of the Euro-Atlantic course, Gradska TV sent an e-mail to both Western embassies in Podgorica and European officials, asking them to take their position if Mr Abazovic doesn’t give up on the formation of a government with the political leaders whom Russia’s President Vladimir Putin described as real heroes back in 2019 in Belgrade, and who now claim that Putin’s their leader.

 

In a response, the U.S. Embassy reiterates that the DF is not their partner, while the European Parliament warns that Montenegro doesn’t need a government comprising representatives of the parties which are under the influence of Russia and President Vladimir Putin.

 

PM Dritan Abazovic, whose government didn’t survive a no-confidence vote, despite warnings of the Western allies, doesn’t give up on his intention to set up the third government in cooperation with the DF. As he stated in the interview for VoA during his stay in New York, he heard about the warnings of both the USA and the EU, but considered them as non-binding.

 

The European Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Montenegro, Tonino Picula, tells Gradska TV that the proposed solution of the former ruling majority doesn’t seem like a sustainable option and that elections are the best solution to get out of the crisis.

 

Malliotakis presented Abazovic with a special award from the US Congress (CDM)

 

American congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis presented the special recognition of the American Congress to Dritan Abazovic, the Prime Minister in technical mandate, yesterday in New York. "In the Special Congressional Award, it is written that the Prime Minister of Montenegro is "acknowledged for his exceptional contribution and wished for success in the coming years", according to the Government's announcement delivered to the media. In her speech, Malliotakis praised the results of the Montenegrin Prime Minister in the fight against corruption and organized crime and encouraged Abazovic to continue to maintain good relations between the United States of America and Montenegro. According to the statement, Abazovic expressed his gratitude for the award and, in a conversation with congresswoman Malliotakis, pointed out that the two countries traditionally inherit extraordinary relations, embodied in partnership cooperation within the NATO alliance, and that the USA remains the main foreign policy partner of our country.

 

Local elections in 14 municipalities, the main battle for Podgorica (CDM)

 

Local elections in Podgorica and 13 other Montenegrin municipalities are scheduled for October 23. The deadline for submission of electoral lists expires at midnight. In addition to the citizens of Podgorica, the local government will also be elected by the citizens of Bijelo Polje, Bar, Budva, Danilovgrad, Zabljak, Zeta, Kolasin, Pljevlja, Plav, Pluzine, Rozaj, Tivat and Savnik.

 

The local elections are being held at a time when the Constitutional Court is blocked, the Government is in a technical mandate, and the initiative to dismiss Milo Djukanovic from the post of President of Montenegro is in the process, after he refused to give the mandate for the composition of a new government to the proposal of the parliamentary majority from August 2020 government to Miodrag Lekic.cIn addition, local elections are held according to old laws because there was no political will to implement electoral reform, despite several years of calls from the European Union.

 

"This is an opportunity to test the forces on the political scene," political analyst Stefan Djukic told Radio Free Europe (RSE). He points out that their importance is very great because they precede the extraordinary parliamentary elections which, due to the political crisis, are expected next year at the latest. Regular parliamentary elections should be held in 2024.

 

Battle for Podgorica 

 

The main battle in the local elections will be fought in Podgorica, where almost 190,000 inhabitants live, almost a third of the citizens of Montenegro. Parties with eight electoral lists will fight for the votes of more than 143,000 voters in the capital. The main political battle will be fought between, on the one hand, the current city government led by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of Milo Djukanovic, and on the other hand, the parties that narrowly defeated the DPS at the state level in the 2020 parliamentary elections. In those elections, these parties, the pro-Russian Democratic Front, the Democrats and the Civic Movement URA, won nearly eight thousand more votes in Podgorica than the DPS with its coalition partners. "Everything has changed from August 30, 2020 until now. The local elections that were held in the meantime (Budva, Niksic, Tivat) were held in municipalities that are not "Montenegro in miniature", so they are not a realistic indicator of the balance of power. Now we have Podgorica, which has a budget that is almost like that of the state," Djukic believes.

 

Ivan Vukovic at the helm of the DPS list 

 

On the list of the DPS, which has ruled in Podgorica for twenty years, are two social democratic parties, parties of minority nations and the civic initiative 21 May. The list is led by Ivan Vukovic, the current mayor of Podgorica, high-ranking DPS official, doctor of political science, he was a lecturer at the American George Washington University as the first Fulbright scholarship holder for post-doctoral studies from Montenegro. As the key achievements of his management of Podgorica so far, Vukovic cites the improvement of the city, the construction of modern infrastructure, but also the fact that in 2022 the capital city's budget achieved a record income of over 100 million euros. Vukovic is known for his good relations with his colleagues from the region, especially with the mayor of Sarajevo, Benjamina Karic, with whom he signed the Agreement on twinning of Sarajevo and Podgorica in July of this year.

 

DPS opponents come out in multiple columns 

 

The pro-Russian Democratic Front is led by the doctor Jelena Borovinic Bojovic, who was the Minister of Health in the government of Zdravko Krivokapic, who was voted out of confidence at the beginning of the year. She became known to the wider public when she treated SPC Metropolitan Amfilohija, who died in October 2020, from the corona virus. She is close to the Serbian Orthodox Church. During her mandate, the DPS accused her of "bringing Montenegro to the position of leader in corona virus infection".

 

Alekse Becic's Democrats will compete with two smaller parties, one of which is Miodrag Lekic's DEMOS, who is the candidate for the mandate of the parties (DF, Democrats, URA) winning the 2020 election.

 

The URA civil movement, the party of the prime minister in the technical mandate of Dritan Abazovic, will appear independently, and will be led by Luka Rakcevic. The Socialist People's Party of the Deputy Prime Minister in the technical mandate of Vladimir Jokovic will also perform independently.

 

New in the elections are the civil movement Preokret Srdjan Peric and the movement "Europa Sad", which were founded by Milojko Spajic and Jakov Milatovic, two ministers from the so-called expert Krivokapic Government.

 

They are the creators of the reform of the same name, which increased the minimum wage to 450 euros. With that reform, the previous allocations for health care were abolished from the monthly salaries of employees, which is why some parties accuse them of financially endangering Montenegrin health care.

 

Campaign without tension for now 

 

Is it because of the political crisis at the state level, during which two governments "fell" in half a year, that the campaign for the local elections so far is going without major tensions. Parties hold rallies mostly in closed spaces, without national symbols. Djukic also notices a change in the rhetoric of the pre-election campaign, compared to the previous ones in which, he recalls, identity issues dominated, which he considers positive: "I hope they understood that even the voters are not happy when you get into those stories and messages charged with nationalism. Here, in the campaign of the DPS list, we see a completely different performance compared to the previous ones - no suits, red colours (national flag), anthems... They force local themes. It is a very normal campaign of someone trying to defend the government," he said.

 

And the opposite side, says Djukic, started "easier", without talking about "thieves and fraudsters", but talking about what their projects and ideas are. "Everything indicates that the situation is different now and that citizens can hear some different messages, compared to what they have heard from political leaders so far," he concludes.

 

Foreign interference  

 

Although in almost all electoral processes in Montenegro, including local ones, in recent years there have been attempts to interfere from the outside, in this campaign only one such accusation has been recorded so far. Namely, the Freedom and Justice Party from Nis warned in a statement dated September 26 that the head of the Nisava district, Petar Babovic, a member of the Serbian Progressive Party of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, is "on a party assignment" in Montenegro, where he is "helping" with other Nis “progressives” in the campaign for local elections in Budva". They did not specify the number of public officials in question. From that party, they also recalled the affair that happened in 2021, "when eight “progressives” from Nis were expelled from Montenegro for participating in the election campaign." Let us recall that some political parties and analysts claimed that the campaign during the local elections in Niksic last spring was marked by the meddling of officials from Serbia and Republika Srpska.

 

Elections without the Constitutional Court? 

 

And while the political campaigns continue, the party will have no one to consider their appeals during the election process unless at least one judge of the Constitutional Court is elected. That court currently does not have a quorum because it now has only three judges out of seven.

 

Dragan Koprivica, executive director of the Center for Democratic Transition (CDT), tells RFE/RL that politicians have been deliberately refusing to elect judges for more than two years because of their interests. "Even when there were good candidates, they found their flaws in order to be masters of the situation." Every day, Montenegro is put on the list of non-democratic states, says Koprivica and reminds that previously the elections were unconstitutionally postponed, electoral units were created during the election process (Zeta), and the situation with the Constitutional Court, if they do not elect judges, would be, as the grand finale. "I hope that no one will think of taking away the right to vote from citizens again. The Constitutional Court is the last instance for parties' appeals and is therefore a very important part of the process. The elections should be held on October 23 with a functional Constitutional Court", he points out. Koprivica points out that significant changes have not taken place even in the matter of sorting out voter lists and field controls, even though the opposition parties once enthusiastically announced this. He specifies that the elections will be held according to the old electoral laws because, as he says, the parties have been undermining electoral reforms for six years. "We have been talking about the new electoral reform for so long that people who were children at that time are now grown up and go to school. This shows how much the parties have captured everything, including this segment of political life in our country." For years, the European Union has been appealing to all political parties in Montenegro and asking them to reach an agreement on the qualitative amendment of the electoral legislation.

 

North Macedonia 

 

Kovacevski says talks being held with Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey on gas, electricity purchases (MIA)

 

North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said on Sept. 27 that his government was discussing purchasing gas for generating electricity with Serbia and buying electricity from Bulgaria and Turkey until the end of winter. "We are holding talks with Serbia and Bulgaria as well, but the situation there is a little more complicated because Bulgaria does not have a parliament at the moment, and their legislation is pretty limited where selling surpluses of electricity as a result of a direct agreement is concerned. We are talking with Turkey and I think that we are on the right path to securing basic energy. As for Serbia, we are waiting for a response because we were discussing gas which would later be used in a cogeneration plant," Kovacevski said. Kovacevski also said that a financial structure with lenders had been secured and that the end of negotiations with the International Monetary Fund was expected, while talks were being held with several of the Middle East's wealthier countries. He added that the government had a clear plan for how to face the energy crisis, which was to engage all production capacities.

 

Albania 

 

Homman meets Celibash: EU will continue to support the strengthening of Albania’s electoral process (Radio Tirana)

 

The EU ambassador in Albania, Christiane Hohmann, had a meeting with the head of the CEC, Ilirjan Celibashi. The focus of the talks was precisely holding free and fair elections and strengthening the electoral process for a democratic process where the voters' vote is respected. Hohmann emphasized that the EU will work to strengthen the electoral process in Albania, which will move the country forward towards full integration into the European family. "Pleased to meet with Commissioner Celibashi and hear about the CEC’s upcoming priorities. CEC plays a key role in organising free and fair elections. EU will continue to support the strengthening of Albania’s electoral process - as part of the country’s EU accession path," writes Homman. As the country prepares for the holding of local elections in 2023, the Electoral Reform Commission has been set up in the Parliament for its completion and change. The Electoral Reform Commission was approved in February 2022, but both DP and SP have not presented any proposal for amending the Electoral Code.

 

Sarrazin in Tirana: Germany by Albania's side in this reform process (Radio Tirana)

 

The Special Envoy of the Federal Government for the countries of the Western Balkans, Manuel Sarrazin, is currently visiting Tirana to hold political talks as well as to participate in the Tirana Connectivity Forum. The news is announced by the German Embassy in Tirana, which announces the agenda of the high German official in Albania.

 

During this visit he will meet Prime Minister Edi Rama, Foreign Minister Olta Xhacka, Minister of State for Youth and Children, Bora Muzhaqi, Chief Negotiator for the fulfilment of EU criteria, Majlinda Dhuka, Special Envoys of Greece and the Netherlands as well as leaders of the RYCO Youth Network and other contact partners in the political and civil society sectors. Opportunities for youth, justice reform and the environment will be the focus of the talks. At the start of the visit, Sarrazin said that "finally all the obstacles to the start of the process of membership talks with the European Union were removed. This took a long time, which is all the more reason to be happy. Albania is in the middle of Europe and the Federal Government supports the country's journey towards the European Union in many areas. But at the same time, this is the moment when a period of hard work and courageous and sometimes painful steps begins", he said.

 

Exports to Kosovo increase by 1.5 billion ALL (Radio Tirana)

 

According to the report published by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) on foreign trade, exports to Kosovo during the January-August period of this year reached 25 billion ALL, marking an increase of 1.5 billion ALL, compared to the same period of 2021. Meanwhile, imports also increased, reaching 10.4 billion ALL, from 7.6 billion ALL in the eighth month of 2021. Albania's main exports to Kosovo are construction materials, metals, minerals, fuels, as well as food, chemical and plastic products. Structure of exports to Kosovo also includes different kinds of furniture. According to INSTAT figures on Albania’s exports to Kosovo, agricultural products too are important, mostly tomatoes, citrus fruits, melons and cucumbers.

During this period, referring to the data, Albania has exported to Kosovo more than 11.4 billion ALL of construction materials and metals and about 3.6 billion ALL of minerals, fuel, and electricity. From the unexploited sectors so far, sectors such as textiles, leather products, machinery, sea products, processed wood products, etc. present potentials for a vaster range of trade exchanges.