LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Our relations are raised to a new level (B92)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hosted the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. Vucic and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev signed an agreement on the establishment of the Council for Strategic Partnership between Serbia and Azerbaijan. The agreements between the governments of Serbia and Azerbaijan on readmission were signed by the Interior Ministers of the two countries, Bratislav Gasic and Vilajet Eyvazov. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure of the government of Serbia and the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan was signed by Goran Vesic and Rashad Nabiyev. Agreements were also signed in the areas of trade, social security, and cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises. The President of Serbia addressed the media first. "Dear President Aliyev, dear friend, respected ministers in the Government of Azerbaijan, I am happy that we can host a sincere friend of Serbia. We had a series of high-quality talks," said Vucic. He pointed out that he is sorry because the President of Azerbaijan will not be able to stay longer in Belgrade due to many commitments. "I hope they will come to us again soon. Serbia and Azerbaijan have a lot in common. Both countries hold on to their territorial integrity, and we are fighting on the basis of the international order based on the UN Charter. I learned from President Aliyev that there is little international law left worldwide, i.e. that few countries stick to it," said the President of Serbia. He added that our relations with Azerbaijan have been raised to a new level. Vucic expressed his expectation that in the next 20 days he will visit Azerbaijan and continue the discussion on important issues and deepen agreements on strategic cooperation. He said that we will protect our country at least half as successfully as Azerbaijan and pointed out that we know how to recognize our friends. After the President of Serbia, the President of Azerbaijan spoke. Aliyev pointed out that the signed documents represent the legal basis for relations between the two countries. Aliyev told a joint conference with Vucic that the basic factor in the development of our two countries is the friendship between him and Vucic. "We cooperate successfully in numerous areas. Serbia and Azerbaijan have always supported each other in the international arena," Aliyev said.

"Vucic and I are bound by friendship, and this is a fundamental factor for the development of our relations. The documents related to the strategic partnership are of great importance. Serbia and Azerbaijan have always supported each other in the international arena, and as Vucic said, we support each other in the fight for territorial integrity," he said. Aliyev pointed out that parts of our two countries were under occupation for a long time, and reminded of the UN resolutions, and that these problems were not solved. "It shows that the decisions and Resolutions made by international organizations are selective. Sometimes the UN Security Council adopts resolutions in days, sometimes it takes a few hours, but when it comes to our countries, we had to wait 27 years," said the President of Azerbaijan. He added that his country had to resort to force and the right to self-defense, and that every country has that right.

 

All agreements within the Brussels agreement must be implemented (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Antonio Tajani and Minister of Defence of Italy Guido Crosetto about bilateral relations between the two countries and the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Brnabic assessed that Italy is one of the most important political, economic and trade partners and that Serbia is strongly determined to further develop bilateral relations with Italy. Regarding the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the two sides reached a complete agreement that the preservation of peace and stability are the main priorities, crucial for the entire region of the Western Balkans, and that all agreements within the framework of the Brussels agreement must be implemented. Brnabic emphasised that Belgrade remains fully committed to the dialogue under the auspices of the EU. Speaking about the current situation and the implementation of the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, Tajani emphasised that everyone must be guided by the principle of Pacta sunt servanda, bearing in mind that only in this way can stability be ensured. He noted the determination of the Italian government to be even more present in the Western Balkans, a region of exceptional importance for this country, and added that Italy will strive to contribute in every way to the preservation of peace and stability. In this sense, as Tajani pointed out, the European path of the region and support for the integration process are extremely important. Brnabic expressed her gratitude for the presence and commitment of members of the Italian army within the KFOR Mission to preserve peace, protect citizens and Serbian monasteries in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Tajani with Dacic: Unilateral initiatives cannot lead to a solution to the problem (Tanjug/Politika/RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Antonio Tajani agreed that Serbia wants a greater presence of Italy in the region and is ready for further development relations between the two countries. At a joint press conference with Tajani at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dacic expressed his gratitude to Italy for supporting Serbia in European integration, with the message that Belgrade is vitally interested in a peaceful solution to the problems in Kosovo and Metohija. We participate in the negotiation process with Pristina even when we do not like the solutions offered, said Dacic, stressing that the possibility of Serbia agreeing to the admission of "Kosovo" to the United Nations is excluded. According to him, Serbia is ready to contribute to resolving the situation peacefully. The other side does not want that because the goal is to submit the north of Kosovo and Metohija to the sovereignty of Pristina, he said. He also pointed out that the visit to Tajani is a strong impulse for the development of bilateral relations between the two countries, which are otherwise good, but need to be further improved. Serbia is ready to further develop bilateral relations starting from the political sphere to economic relations, development of our foreign trade exchange and further increase of Italian investments in Serbia, he said. Tajani pointed out that Italy will do everything it can to reduce tensions in Kosovo and Metohija. Unilateral initiatives cannot lead to a solution to the problem, Tajani said. He stated that that Italy appreciates the constructive position that Serbia presented in Brussels on Monday regarding the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. He announced that today and in Pristina he will say that unilateral moves and initiatives are not needed. Peace is something we must preserve. We will do everything in our power to reduce tensions in that part of the Balkans, he emphasised. I am very pleased to be in Belgrade today because I have only heard words of praise from Serbian officials addressed to the Italian soldiers who are keeping the peace in Kosovo, and this is proof that Italy can play a positive role in keeping the peace in the Balkans, Tajani said. He assessed that Serbia, like Italy, pays great attention to the issue of migration and that the Serbian authorities are aware of the dangers and risks that migration brings. He added that he discussed with Dacic holding a business forum in Belgrade in order to organise a meeting of representatives of Serbian and Italian companies.

 

Dacic: Serbia acting responsibly; we want to preserve peace (TV Pink)

 

Serbia and, in particular, its President Aleksandar Vucic acted responsibly in the most recent talks with Pristina because the approach was that "we will not step away from the negotiating table even if we do not like something that is on it", says Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. "We are acting in that way because we want to preserve peace, even if it is just fragile peace, and, through negotiations, we are trying to reach a solution that is sustainable and that will ensure that there is compromise by both Belgrade and Pristina and that the people in Kosovo-Metohija know there will be no problems in the period to come," Dacic said in an appearance on TV Pink on Wednesday. He said reports that US pressure was the reason behind Albin Kurti's decision to postpone the enforcement of vehicle reregistration were true and that, as always before, it had turned out that the US had to twist the arm of those it had been helping for so many years, or threaten to do so. He said Kurti was the most to blame for the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija. He noted that Kurti saw himself as a messiah who is supposed to save Albanians and that, for that reason, he spoke ill of previous ethnic Albanian politicians, including the signatories of the Brussels agreement. "The tolerance of the international community has run out because it has nowhere else to go, and the alternative is a start of conflicts. What Kurti wants is not realistic because no ethnic Albanian police officer will be able to come to the north of Kosovo as the Serbs see that as a military takeover of the north, and the north will never recognise Kosovo as independent," Dacic said, adding that maintaining peace in Serbia's southern province was the most important thing.

 

Odalovic: The situation in the north of Kosovo sets us back to 2013 (RTS)

 

The President of the Commission for Missing Persons Veljko Odalovic has said that the recent events in the north of Kosovo reset the situation to 2013 and that Kurti, who said that the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) will not be formed, is responsible for that. He indicates that Serbia once again showed that it is in favor of compromise and the implementation of the Brussels Agreement, but that Albin Kurti continues with provocations in the north of Kosovo, with the desire to cause an incident. "Serbia has tried everything to lower this announced escalation and these tensions raised by Kurti and to be a constructive partner in the dialogue, even though it is very difficult to reach an agreement with Kurti on anything. There are some good things in anything bad, the first is that Serbia has confirmed its constructive approach and the search for a peaceful solution. It's good that the European Union has finally identified Kurti as someone who is not ready to compromise and is not ready to look for a solution, but stubbornly and persistently rejects everything that is his obligation," Odalovic told RTS. The third moment is important, adds Odalovic, and that is that Kurti still had to listen to someone, to postpone the implementation for those 48 hours and give himself some space in which he could above all look for a strategy. "Whether it's today's meeting in Brussels where the main negotiators of Belgrade and Pristina, Petar Petkovic and Besnik Bislimi, will meet with the EU special representative for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak I don't know. It's possible that he gave Bislimi some other guidelines. But if Bislimi is going there with what Kurti went to Brussels with, that's another big problem," says Odalovic. The deadline is running out, Odalovic stresses, we will see how all this will unfold today, the most important thing is that there is no escalation and that there have been no incidents during this time. "But in any case, the solutions were on the table and President Vucic offered related to the license plates themselves and the mention of those, let's call them status-neutral KS plates, as one of the solutions that would certainly give Kurti an honorable way out of this whole story if he's ready to look for a solution. If he's ready to create problems and that's unacceptable for him, that's a new challenge," assessed Odalovic. He pointed out that the deployment of special forces from Pristina is a form of additional pressure and harassment of the Serbs in the north, and a provocation with the desire to cause an incident. "Kurti sent a large police force to the north of Kosovo with the aim of raising tension, creating a sense of insecurity among the Serbs, and in any case, the moment he decides to go for implementation by force, he will have no choice but to have some forces. I think that this is something that unfortunately neither KFOR nor those who are responsible have reacted to. It was signed, it was agreed, it is clear that the forces of ROSU and those special units cannot go to the north of Kosovo without the consent of the commander of KFOR," Odalovic stressed.

 

Presenting benefits of European integration process to citizens of Serbia necessary (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister for European Integration Tanja Miscevic stated that yesterday in Strasbourg she spoke with EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi about the most important elements of progress that Serbia needs to show in the process of European integration. In a statement for Tanjug, Miscevic stated that she also spoke with the European Commissioner about the need to show Serbian citizens the benefits of the European integration process for everyday life. She pointed out that one of the excellent examples is emergency aid in energy in the amount of €65 million intended for citizens and small and medium-sized enterprises, adding that it is a big and important thing that speaks of the benefit of EU approximation. The Minister pointed out that she also spoke with representatives of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, and that on 21 November, she met with EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs Ylva Johansson, representatives of the foreign policy service and representatives of all EU member states in Brussels. She discussed with Johansson cooperation in preventing migratory flows, as well as the implementation of obligations from the chapters related to justice, security and the fight against organised crime. Harmonisation with the EU's foreign policy decisions and other elements of the Union's foreign policy, such as participation in the Union's military and civilian missions, were also on the agenda. She also pointed out that harmonising foreign policy positions is one of the most important priorities for defining the direction in determining our relations with the EU. The Minister announced that today in Strasbourg she will continue discussions in the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association – a joint committee of representatives of the Parliament of Serbia and the European Parliament.

 

France urges Serbia and “especially Kosovo” to accept EU car plates proposal (Beta)

 

France has called on Serbia and “especially on Kosovo” to accept the EU proposal for resolving the dispute over license plates, following the failure of negotiations for which Brussels has blamed Pristina, Beta reported. France calls on both sides, especially Kosovo, to accept the compromise proposal formulated by the EU, said a press release by a French Foreign Ministry spokesperson. France fully supports the European mediation effort that should facilitate progress toward a global and legally binding agreement between Serbia and Kosovo and progress towards the two countries’ European perspective, said the Ministry press release. France strongly urges the parties to continue their discussions in the coming days in the spirit of compromise, to implement the agreements that have already been reached, including the provisions on the Community of Serb Municipalities, said the press release. It added that France joins the calls of the EU to avoid any unilateral measures that could fuel tensions.

 

EP: Serbia to align with EU sanctions policy (N1)

 

The European Parliament adopted a recommendation on Wednesday to continue accession talks with Serbia only if it aligns with the EU sanctions policy against Russia. “Underlining the importance for the EU of prioritizing the alignment of accession countries with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, MEPs say that accession negotiations with Serbia should advance only if the country supports EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress on EU-related reforms,” a press release said after the recommendation was adopted by majority vote. The European Parliament also adopted a resolution “recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism” and calling for the isolation of that country, a press release said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

RS President Dodik hosts consultations with RS parliamentary parties (ATV)

 

RS President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik hosted three-hours-long consultations with parliamentary parties from the RS at the RS Palace in Banja Luka on Tuesday. On this occasion, all parliamentary parties except SDS, PDP and List for Justice and Order participated and expressed their support to the re-appointment of Radovan Viskovic from SNSD as the RS Prime Minister-designate. According to the support for nomination of Viskovic, Dodik announced that on Wednesday he will award the mandate for formation of the RS government to Viskovic. The appointment of ministers and distribution of ministries in the RS government among the parties will be discussed in the upcoming days. Dodik said that Viskovic will have a secured parliamentary majority of 53 votes in the RS parliament. Dodik assessed that the talks at Tuesday’s consultations were very constructive. Dodik confirmed that aside from its coalition partners from the previous mandate, former opposition parties DNS and SPS, as well as the ‘Movement for the State’ have endorsed Viskovic’s appointment. Dodik said: “Today we discussed the name of the Prime Minister-designate, as well as the policies we want to implement. We are all convinced and certain of one thing, which is that it is clear that a very difficult time full of challenges is coming, including those in terms of economy, energy, etc.” ATV also reported that the consultations were attended by RS Vice-Presidents Camil Durakovic from the rank of Bosniak people and Davor Pranjic from the rank of Croat people. Dodik assessed that the conversation with Durakovic and Pranjic passed in a relaxed and constructive atmosphere and he expressed hope that such atmosphere will continue. Dodik also criticized the RS opposition for failing to attend the consultations, accusing them of thus disrespecting the RS institutions. Durakovic assessed that Dodik showed the willingness for good cooperation with the RS Vice-Presidents. Pranjic stressed the need to bear in mind that there are three constituent peoples and that there is a need for good cooperation.

 

RS opposition refuses to attend consultations with Dodik (BNTV)

 

Representatives of political parties gathered around the RS opposition refused to attend consultations with RS President Milorad Dodik (SNSD) in Banja Luka on Tuesday, stressing that he is not the RS president elected by the will of citizens. SDS’ Milan Milicevic that representatives of this party refused to attend the consultations on the formation of new RS government because Dodik’s invitation was seen as frivolous. He stressed that his invitation only serves as an alibi for a scenario that was prepared and agreed in advance. PDP stressed that there cannot be any negotiations with a man who was not elected by the will of people but by usurpation of the elections and through the election theft. PDP’s Branislav Borenovic assessed that Dodik is nothing but a dictator and a man who humiliated all institutions of the RS and usurped the mandate of the RS President based on the election corruption in an unscrupulous manner. ‘For Justice and Order’ movement leader Nebojsa Vukanovic said that he did not attend the consultations with Dodik due to the same reasons presented by PDP, stressing that he does not recognize the election results of Dodik in the race for the RS President. He stated that he will never recognize Dodik as the RS President because “he is a usurper.”

 

SDA Collegium says Salkic will not take any steps to enable SNSD gaining fourth delegate in B&H HoP (Hayat)

 

The SDA Collegium reiterated on Wednesday its stance that SDA’s Ramiz Salkic who is the member of the ‘Movement for the State’ Caucus in the RS parliament will not take any step to make possible for SNSD to elect the fourth delegate to the Serb Caucus in the House of Peoples (HoP) of B&H. Representatives of the SDA Collegium called on representatives of other political parties in the RS parliament, particularly SDP B&H that has two representatives in the ‘Movement for the State’ Caucus in the RS parliament, to act in the same manner and avoid “all backstage combinations” that would make possible for SNSD to elect its fourth delegate to the B&H HoP. The SDA Collegium stressed that the ‘Movement for the State’ was not formed to be a platform for serving of anyone’s personal interests, but to fight for interests of the state of B&H. The SDA Collegium also asked the Office of the High Representative (OHR) to eliminate discriminatory solutions due to which, after the implementation of the election results, Bosniaks and Croats may end up in a situation where they lose the mechanisms for the protection of vital national interests (VNI) in the RS.

 

Dodik hosts reception on occasion of his inauguration to position of RS President (ATV)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik hosted a reception at the RS Administrative Center in Banja Luka on Tuesday on the occasion of taking office as the RS President. The reception was attended by representatives of political, social and cultural life of the RS, representatives of political parties from the FB&H including FB&H President and HDZ B&H Vice-President Marinko Cavara, and a high-ranking delegation of the Serbian government led by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic. Addressing attendees at the reception, Dodik said that he is grateful to everyone for the attendance and emphasized the fact that he has been appointed the RS Prime Minister three times as well as elected the RS President three times and the Serb member of the BiH Presidency for one mandate. “All that obliges me to work for the benefit of peoples of the RS”, Dodik noted, adding that he will work on preserving peace and stability and remains open for cooperation for the sake of better future. According to Dodik, the times that lie ahead will be challenging but he is used to it, given that “here it is never boring” and “there are always processes that seek new engagement”. Brnabic stated that there is a need to work on joint projects of the RS and Serbia, and “to additionally strengthen the unity”. Brnabic said it is necessary to additionally work in interest of Serb people in the whole Balkans and to build “a more stable and prosperous Balkans for future generations”. Patriarch Porfirije said that it is not easy to be RS President in these turbulent times and that Dodik needs to continue to build peace and unity. He said that it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure the place they are in is filled with peace and do everything to ensure peace. Porfirije wished Dodik to be the president of all people in the RS. Brnabic said that Serbia and the RS will continue to cooperate and build joint projects together. She wished success to Dodik, Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic and RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic. Brnabic stressed that the officials will always have support in Serbia and its leadership.

 

Peach meets with B&H Presidency; Cvijanovic fails to attend the meeting (N1)

 

UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans Stuart Peach arrived in B&H for an official three-day visit. On Tuesday, Peach met with members of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic and Denis Becirovic. Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic did not attend this meeting. The officials did not give any statements to media after the meeting. Following meeting with B&H Presidency members, Peach met with Sarajevo Mayor Benjamina Karic and attended discussion at Facility of Political Science.

 

Djukanovic: We wish to attract foreign investors from the environment we ourselves want to belong to (CdM)

 

Montenegro’s a country that still has a lot of unfinished business, both in the field of infrastructure, energy, tourism, the IT sector, food production, all of which are very interesting activities for all European renowned companies, and Montenegro has a positive experience from that stage of development when direct foreign investments represented a very important part of our economy and we want to continue with that positive experience, so it’s logical that we wish for foreign investors from the environment to which we ourselves want to belong, said the President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic after the meeting with King Philippe of Belgium. According to him, they had a very open, substantive and friendly conversation. “It was an opportunity to recall the historical relations between Montenegro and Belgium, to recall the time when Montenegro already had its honorary consul in the Kingdom of Belgium in 1906, when the Kingdom of Belgium opened its Consulate in Cetinje back in 1910.” As he added, the meeting represented an opportunity to discuss the possibilities for fulfilling inter-state relations. “We also discussed the possibilities for arranging economic cooperation. I highlighted our positive experience so far with Belgian companies and entrepreneurs working in Montenegro, and we also discussed priorities of the future development of Montenegro and the possibilities for further expansion of economic cooperation between Belgian and Montenegrin companies. It’s very important that recently, a few weeks ago, one of the delegations of Montenegrin businessmen was also here in Brussels, that they presented Montenegro and its investment potentials, and I think that this is a very good way to create greater trust and for further improvement of economic cooperation,” the President emphasized.

 

Kovachevski-Cattler: Timely information exchange and cooperation among NATO members important for security of country and region (MIA)

 

Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and its impact on global energy and food security were in the focus of Tuesday’s meeting of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski with David Cattler, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. PM Kovachevski highlighted the firm support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine in its internationally recognized borders, saying North Macedonia would continue to support the country, both politically and practically, in defending and realizing its sovereign rights, a position that NATO’s Cattler welcomed, the Government said in a press release. Kovachevski and Cattler discussed the security, political, economic and energy developments in North Macedonia in the context of the war in Ukraine, noting that cooperation among NATO member-states is of exceptional importance for the security of the Alliance, the region and North Macedonia. Interlocutors also tackled the management of hybrid threats, which is one of NATO’s top priorities, saying the Alliance must efficiently fight these threats. The PM and the NATO Assistant Secretary General reaffirmed the cooperation within the Alliance in obtaining timely information and the collaboration with Macedonian security services, reads the press release.

 

Linde extends gratitude for North Macedonia’s support to Sweden’s NATO membership bid (MIA)

 

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Ann Linde extended gratitude on Tuesday for North Macedonia’s support to Sweden’s NATO membership bid. “The support from all 28 countries, including North Macedonia, is particularly important. Without hesitation, you took a position against Russia and fully aligned with the Union’s decisions and foreign security policy,” Linde said in response to reporters’ questions after the opening of the second Socio-Ecological Forum, organized by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), Olof Palme International Center and the Progress Institute for Social Democracy. Welcoming the recent start of the country’s negotiations for EU membership, Linde said it was not good for the EU that it hadn’t started the negotiations earlier, but it’s still good that it finally happened. “Sweden will take over the EU Presidency January 2023. Both the government and the opposition are strongly committed to supporting North Macedonia for its full-fledged EU membership,” Linde said, pointing out that a lot of work is ahead of the country on this path, but it’s worth doing it.

 

Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja: EuroJust, project to increase the striking power of the law against organized crime (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja hosted the Vice President of EuroJust Bostjan Skrlec in a working meeting in Tirana, with whom he discussed strengthening the investigative capacities of prosecutors. "We shared a common position on the important role that EuroJust has in facilitating the investigation of international organized crime and strengthening the investigative capacities of prosecutors in the member countries, part of the EuroJust network," said the Minister. Bostjan Skrlec and experts of this Agency presented during this meeting, the newest project of EuroJust with the countries of the Western Balkans. "Cooperation and direct contacts between the prosecutors of the Western Balkans, the creation of a network for the rapid exchange of information, the exchange of good investigative experiences, as the essence of this project will make it possible for the respective investigative authorities to be a step ahead the organized crime that knows no borders", said Manja. The Minister congratulated EuroJust for this project with a concrete operational investigative impact that will increase the striking power of the law against organized crime and their criminal assets.