LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are on verge of patience, strength (Tanjug/RTV)

 

At a regional conference in Novi Sad, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on Thursday commented on the protest of Serb in Rudare, to say that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are on the verge of patience and strength, and that they tried to appeal in the best possible way to all international partners to show understanding for their problems. "The only thing Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija want is respect for the rule of law and guarantied human rights for everyone, basic human rights. If someone is to be arrested, they should know why, the family should know why, they should know where the arrested person is, whether they are okay, rather than arresting and mistreating people just because they are Serbs," said Brnabic, reports Tanjug. She added that President Aleksandar Vucic is in constant communication with European officials. "The president is in constant consultation with our European partners, both with Miroslav Lajcak and with partners in the United States and with the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, in order to keep the situation calm and under control, as much as it can be, but it seems to me that there is not enough clear distancing from Pristina's moves and that is not in accordance with the rule of law and that such things cannot be tolerated. That would be a clear message, and at the end of the day, what the Serbs are asking for is not much, but a basic thing that should not even be asked for, but is taken for granted in the 21st century," said Brnabic.

 

Dacic: Peaceful rally at Rudare response to Pristina's threats, terror (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Thursday a peaceful protest by Kosovo Serbs at Rudare earlier in the day once again demonstrated the strength of a people that was suffering injustice and fighting for freedom and peace. In a statement to Tanjug, Dacic said the rally had been "magnificent" and that it was also a "clear response to all the threats and the terror coming from Pristina and its helpers and instigators". "The Serbs have demonstrated a firm unity with Serbia's state leadership, giving absolute support to President Aleksandar Vucic in the fight to protect the national and state interests of Serbia," Dacic added. He said the international community must realise a solution lay only in respect of international agreements including UN SC Resolution 1244, the Brussels agreement and the Washington agreement and that Pristina's PM Albin Kurti was the biggest threat to peace and stability in the region.

 

Drecun: Pristina preparing new base in north of Kosovo and Metohija (TV Pink/Tanjug)

 

The Chair of the Serbian parliamentary committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun said on Friday Pristina was preparing to open a fifth base in the north of the province, and added that it would be a military one. Speaking to TV Pink, Drecun said Pristina had used the vehicle licence plate crisis to set up special police bases and establish permanent presence in the north of the province. "Pristina will use the latest crisis to permanently deploy troops of the so-called Kosovo Security Force in the north of Kosovo," he said. He warned that Pristina's so-called defence ministry had announced that barricades put up by Serbs would be smashed and that the "Kosovo Security Force" would establish presence in all parts of Kosovo and Metohija. "Realistically, they have been present in the north of Kosovo and Metohija on two occasions. I think the KFOR commander must explain that. Did he approve that, and on what grounds? He did not have the consent of the mayors of the four municipalities in the north," Drecun said. He warned the "Kosovo Security Force" already had heavy weapons and that there was a tank training range in Kosovo and Metohija and that Pristina was planning to procure tanks and drones. He said the "Kosovo Security Force" had increased the number of its troops to nearly 4,500 and that over 2,000 had already completed military training abroad. He said that, in Albania, the Turkish army was training "Kosovo Security Force" personnel to use Bayraktar drones. "What does an illegal formation that is contrary to UN SC Resolution 1244 need offensive weapons for? That tells us that Pristina is preparing for serious military and police action," Drecun said. Western countries see, hear and know everything, but ignore protests by Kosovo Serbs, he said. "The Serbs are disenfranchised, their human rights and survival are under threat, and Pristina's unilateral actions are the cause. The Serbs want a peaceful resolution of problems created by Pristina," Drecun said, adding that statements coming from Pristina were belligerent, brutally threatening and warmongering. He noted that Germany was Pristina's biggest backer, while the US had a slightly more pragmatic stance that left space for reaching some solutions. He said Germany must say what secret acts it was implementing to make the Serbs accept something that was contrary to their interests. "Have German officials met with Albanian PM Edi Rama and Albin Kurti in Berlin recently, and what was discussed at that meeting?" Drecun asked. He said Germany maintained a policy of double standards because it supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine at the same time.

 

Odalovic: KFOR to ensure security (TV Prva)

 

Resolution 1244 is in operation, and KFOR should stop terror, ensure security and return ROSU from northern Kosovo to Pristina, said the Chair of the Commission for the Missing, Veljko Odalovic. He reminded TV Prva that according to the resolution of the UN Security Council, KFOR has 16 functions that it should return to and fulfill. Odalovic assessed that the Community of Serbian Municipalities should be formed at the same time, which is an obligation under the Brussels Agreement. He said that if KFOR refuses the return of Serbian forces, he must explain that it is its job and that it will guarantee security. Odalovic said that the way out of the current situation is to go towards an agreement, in which the international factor and international forces play a significant role.

 

Miscevic: EU members voice skepticism about it being time to discuss Kosovo’s membership (Beta)

 

Serbian Minister of EU Integration Tanja Miscevic said on Thursday that the members of the EU “are expressing skepticism” about the time being right to talk about Kosovo’s membership and that submitting a request for this could disrupt the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Miscevic said that applications were a matter for every member state, adding that never had a territory that was not recognized as sovereign applied for membership. “This will be interesting to watch. We, on our part, are carefully monitoring the stances of EU member states on this issue which by and large have been voicing skepticism about the time being right to discuss this at all,” Miscevic told journalists at the start of a panel discussion called “From Czechia to Sweden: Toward a Strategically Uniform Europe”. Swedish Ambassador to Serbia Annika Ben David said that her country’s chairmanship of the EU would deal with this question when it appeared on the agenda. “We have been notified that Pristina has filed an application for membership and we will deal with these questions when they are placed on the EU’s agenda,” Ben David said. Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret said that the EU was working on solving the current crisis in northern Kosovo and creating conditions for the peaceful removal of Kosovo Serb barricades and their return to institutions, where, he said, they play an important role. “We need to go back to the dialogue, which is the only way to find a solution and solve the problems of citizens. All previous agreements must be quickly applied, including the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities. This is the obligation of both sides and the EU will continue working in that direction,” Giaufret said.

 

Petkovic: 10,000 Serbs in Rudare showed that they stand for peace (Tanjug/RTV)

 

More than 10,000 Serbs today demonstrated in a dignified and magnificent gathering at the Cross in Rudare to show the whole world that they stand for peace, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic announced on his Facebook account. "The Serb people once again responded to the terror they are exposed to by Pristina and Albin Kurti with the strength of togetherness and unity," he said. "Kosovo and Metohija is not Kurti's dowry, it is our homeland."

 

Serb arrested by Pristina held at Jarinje police base – lawyer (Tanjug/Politika)

 

The lawyer of Serb Dejan Pantic, a former Kosovo Police officer arrested by Pristina on 10 December, said on Thursday he had had a phone conversation with his client, who told him he was being held at a police base near the administrative line at Jarinje. Lawyer Ljubomir Pantovic said Pantic, a serious cardiac patient, was receiving medication for his condition but had still not been allowed to get into contact with his family. Pantovic said he was the first person who had succeeded in getting into contact with Pantic and that the conversation had lasted about 20 minutes. "Dejan told me he is receiving his therapy and that the police are treating him in a fair manner, and that the treatment is decent," Pantovic said, noting that Pantic had had no contact with his family for 13 days now. "A judge has still not approved contacts with the family, that request is still under consideration, but I hope it could happen soon," Pantovic said, noting that his client was being held in a confined space and was upset about being indicted for offences he claims he had not committed.

 

Serbs at the barricades on the 14th day; Resolution 1244 is functional in Kosovo (B92/STA)

 

Serbs are on the fourteenth day at the barricades on the main road routes in the north of Kosovo, firmly determined to stay there until their demands are met. Serbs are on the fourteenth day at the barricades on the main road routes in the north of Kosovo, firmly determined to stay there until their demands are met. This determination was best demonstrated yesterday by a large gathering in Rudare near Zvečan, where thousands of people gathered from all over Kosovo. In the vicinity of Banjska, members of the special police unit set up a check point for vehicles and passengers. There are several police all-terrain vehicles at the checkpoint, and its members are armed with long barrels. Slovenia plans to increase the number of soldiers in KFOR, Slovenian Defense Minister Marjan Sarec said today. Sarec visited the Slovenian soldiers and spoke with KFOR commander Major General Angelo Michele Ristuccia. "The situation in Kosovo would be very difficult without the presence of KFOR, and the Ministry has examined the possibilities of increasing Slovenia's participation in the mission, Sarec said," STA reported.

 

Kurti's MP released a new arrest list

Self-determination MP Armend Muja published a list with the names of "Serbian criminal organizations" and their leaders, demanding their arrest:

1. Civil protection, which was formed by Goran Rakic, Igor Simic, Slavko Simic, Milos Perovic, Nenad Djuric and Stevan Pavicevic.
2. Northern Brigade, formed by Andrej Vucic (brother of President Aleksandar Vucic), Milan Radoicic, Zvonko Veselinovic and Radule Stevic.
3. Extremist right-wing organizations linked to Russia, SPC and SANU, People's Patrol, (Damjan Knezevic, Danilo Vucic - son of the President of Serbia and Aleksandar Filipovic).

It is known that the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, his brother Andrej, son Danilo, Minister of Internal Affairs Bratislav Gasic and BIA chief Aleksandar Vulin play those games, according to Kurti's deputy. He pointed out that the Northern Brigade and Civil Protection should be declared terrorist organizations, because their leaders are behind the installation of barricades. “Our citizens in the north continuously inform that the main operatives of these armed gangs behind the barricades are Milan Radojicic, Zvonko Veselinovic, Radule Stevic, Aleksandar Filipovic, Nenad Djuric, Marjan Radojevic, Milos Milovanovic, Vladimir Radivojevic-Mami, Marko Vukasinovic, Lazar Radenkovic, Milorad Jevtic, Nemanja Jevremovic, Srdjan Vulovic, Dejan Vulovic, Vladica Jovanovic, Dragan Radulovic, Ivan Aksentijevic, Milos Vlaskovic, Slobodan Vucinic, Zoran Stevanovic, Milan Kompirovic, Radovan Radic, Ivo Vucinic, Zvezdan Milojevic and Goran Zivkovic.” Muja added that those individuals have criminal past and that they will answer to the face of justice.

 

EULEX builds up presence in Kosovo’s north (Beta/Politika)

 

The EULEX mission announced on Thursday that it had increased the presence of its forces in Kosovo's north, assessing the situation in that area as unstable. "We are closely monitoring the security situation in the northern part of Kosovo through our increased presence on the ground. Our members from special police units and the European Gendarmerie from Poland perform observation patrols, including pedestrian patrols in northern Mitrovica and Zvecan," the statement reads. The roads in Kosovo's north and toward the Jarinje and Brnjak administrative checkpoints have been blocked for 13 days now, since the local Serbs set up barricades in protest over the arrest of a former Serb member of the Kosovo police Dejan Pantic.

 

Moscow is not hiding behind the Kosovo “precedent” (Politika, op-ed by Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko)

 

The interest in the subject of the so-called Kosovo precedent is still present in Serbia. There is a thesis that Russia allegedly took advantage of the “sovereignization” of Kosovo, that it is even beneficial for it. The goal, I am sure, is the only one - to bring discord into our relations with Serbia. But our approach is fair and open. We don’t need to hide behind the “precedent”.

It is enough to carefully read the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to understand that the Russian leadership puts above all the protection of Russia’s national interests, ensuring the safety of our homeland and its people, and strictly follows international law in its actions. We start from the same premise in the context of solving the Kosovo issue. Russia’s position is unchanging: a just solution should be sought in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, within the international legal framework defined in UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The “Kosovo precedent”, an infectious example of self-proclaimed “independence”, is certainly a fact. I remember that after resolving the Kosovo issue, our former Western partners, first of all the US, demanded that it be collectively determined, despite the logic of real life, that Kosovo is a “unique case” (sui generis), and in the spirit of their corrupt concept of “order, based on rules”. On the rules arbitrarily determined by the West. Then, in 2007, we categorically came out against it, warning of possible harmful consequences for European and international security. However, I would like to warn that possible superficial analogies are risky and ungrateful. Let me point out: the “Kosovo case” is fundamentally different from the situation around Donbass. For eight years, several million inhabitants of Donbas lived in constant fear due to regular artillery attacks, social-economic and humanitarian blockade by the regime in Kiev, which in 2014 won power in Ukraine through an unconstitutional armed coup. In addition, Ukrainian leaders, controlled by the West, in every way sabotaged the fulfillment of the Minsk agreements, which provided for a special status for Donbass. Now, however, they publicly admitted that they only needed the agreements with Donetsk and Lugansk to buy time, to get as many weapons as possible from the “Western partners”, to prepare for the violent “reintegration” of the region according to the scenario of the Zagreb military-police operation “Storm” in August 1995, which resulted in the expulsion of more than 250,000 Serbs from Croatia. Russophobia and neo-Nazism have been advanced by Kiev into state policy. In those tragic conditions, the realization of the fundamental rights of the population of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson Oblasts was not achievable. As a result, after the liberation of those territories during a special military operation carried out in accordance with the UN Charter, decisions were made to hold national referendums there on reunification with Russia.Belgrade, on the other hand, resolutely fighting in the second half of the nineties against the bandit formations of the terrorist “Kosovo Liberation Army” (whose crimes are currently being investigated by the Special Court in The Hague), consistently advocated for a sustainable international legal solution to the Kosovo issue and was ready to ensure the wide autonomy of the province. Regardless, in 1999, a group of NATO countries, without sanctions of the UN Security Council, under the false pretext of “killing civilians” in Racak, started an armed aggression against Yugoslavia, a sovereign and independent state that had a legitimately elected leadership (with that Yugoslavia never represented, and could not represent, a real threat to NATO!). For Washington and its satellites, the one who is right is not the one who is really right, but the one who appropriated the rights to himself, with the “favorite” neo-colonial practice. In the alliance, they did not even stop at the fact that missiles with depleted uranium were used during the barbaric bombings. In 2008, when Pristina, despite the intense negotiations that were underway, unilaterally declared, with the support of Western patrons, its “statehood”, there were no risks for the security of Kosovo Albanians. Actually, the other way around. Let us remember the brutal pogroms of the Serb population of Kosovo and Metohija in 2004, the constant actions of terrorizing the Serbs in the north of the province and in the enclaves south of the Ibar, as well as the attacks on the Orthodox heritage of Kosovo and Metohija, including the holy places under the protection of UNESCO. Discrimination against provincial Serbs, and in fact creeping ethnic cleansing, continues to this day. Among other things, Pristina did not fulfill its obligation to form the Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo with executive powers. It is clear that the Western “empire of lies” does not care about objective circumstances: in Washington’s opinion, international legal principles, from the right to self-determination to the principle of territorial integrity, are valid only when it suits its selfish conjunctural interests. In the Kosovo case, they wanted to bring Serbia to its knees. Pumping Ukraine with weapons, forcing the regime in Kiev to fight to the last Ukrainian, introducing anti-Russian sanctions, they want to exhaust, weaken and dismember Russia. It will not succeed in one or the other!

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H Presidency appoints Kristo as CoM Chairwoman-designate, Komsic votes against due to disagreeing with policy of newly-formed parliamentary majority at B&H level (N1)

 

At the session held in Sarajevo on Thursday, the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency passed a decision on appointment of Borjana Kristo (HDZ B&H) as the Chairwoman-designate of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) and the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) is scheduled to vote on her appointment at the session on December 28. The Serb and Bosniak members of the B&H Presidency voted for the appointment, while the Croat member was against. Chairwoman and Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic stated that Kristo can continue with the procedure of appointment of the CoM and to address the B&H HoR. Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Denis Becirovic pointed out that Kristo’s appointment was carried out "in accordance with the Constitution of B&H, the Law on the Council of Ministers and the Rules of Procedure of the Presidency of B&H". Becirovic added: "Today there were two options, first of which was for Zoran Tegeltija, the Chairman who led the worst CoM in this century, to remain the Chairman in the technical mandate”. Cabinet of the Croat member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic clarified for N1 that Komsic voted against Kristo’s appointment to the post of the CoM Chairwoman-designate, because he disagrees with the policy of the newly-formed majority at the B&H level. Cvijanovic stressed that after the appointment, she expects Kristo to start intensive activities on the formation of the B&H CoM. "We have a clearly manifested majority in the House of Representatives (HoR), therefore it should not pose any problem. As far as the work program is concerned, and Mrs. Kristo will of course talk more about it, but I am certain that it will be based on what we signed as points of reference in our future joint work and this includes both SNSD and HDZ B&H, but also parties that belong to 'The Eight'," Cvijanovic underlined. Becirovic pointed out that the appointment of the B&H CoM Chair-designate is a matter of political culture, and in accordance with the Constitution and laws of B&H. “The issue of appointing the Chairperson of the B&H CoM cannot in any way influence my views on NATO, and that is why I will be very precise. I will never make any move that slows down the path of the state of B&H to the NATO alliance. On the other hand, I will support every move and every measure that will accelerate the path of the state of B&H to NATO.”

 

Kristo: B&H CoM should be initiator of the process on Euro-Atlantic path of B&H (AJB)

 

On the eve of Thursday's extraordinary session of the B&H Presidency, HDZ B&H's Borjana Kristo said that it is necessary to form the authorities at all levels as soon as possible, as well as that the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) should be the initiator of the process on the Euro-Atlantic path of B&H. "Unlike those political options in B&H that only declaratively stand for membership in the EU and NATO, and in reality block the progress of B&H, the new Council of Ministers will have numerous tasks before it, which are contained in the document 'Guidelines, principles and goals in the executive and legislative authorities at the level of B&H for the period 2022-2026'," Kristo was quoted as saying.

 

SDP B&H, NiP and PDA welcome decision on Kristo’s appointment (N1)

 

At the session held in Sarajevo on Thursday, the B&H Presidency passed a decision on appointment of Borjana Kristo (HDZ B&H) as the Chairwoman-designate of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM). SDP B&H, People and Justice (NiP) and PDA welcomed the decision on Kristo’s appointment as the beginning of the formation authorities. NiP stated that the work of the new authorities will not be measured by the number of blocked process, but by the number of implemented processes. NiP also emphasized that there is no alternative to dialogue and negotiations in B&H. “Aware that there is no perfect political agreement, but also aware of the significance of the present moment for B&H and of the compromises which make even limited steps towards improvement of general atmosphere, and which are not detrimental to the interests of the state and citizens, we welcome the steps made by the coalition partners towards lowering tensions, stopping hate speech, and demonstrating clear dedication to the European path, fight against crime and corruption and improvement of the socio-economic situation in B&H”, stated NiP. NiP leader Elmedin Konakovic said that he is not surprised by the decision of B&H Presidency member Zeljko Komsic not to support appointment of Kristo. “I have announced long time ago how will DF behave in this process, they remain firmly tied to A coalition with SDA, only they know why. On several occasions they failed to respond to invitations of their colleagues from left-wing parties, they remain tied to the coalition in which it seems they comfortably function for a long time,” said Konakovic. He underlined that Komsic would have no problem to support Kristo if she was appointed through SDA- HDZ B&H coalition. “Story about NATO is important to all of us, spins that we are listening produced no results,” said Konakovic.

 

B&H CEC confirms its first decision, declares disputable ballot for B&H House of Peoples valid (N1)

 

Despite the decision of the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H to accept SNSD's appeal, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of B&H passed on Thursday the same decision with the majority of votes regarding the election of delegates to the B&H House of Peoples (HoP). Namely, the CEC again adopted a decision on recognizing the disputable ballot used in the election in the RS parliament of delegates for the B&H HoP. The disputable ballot was previously rejected by the RS parliament, because it was ticked in a wrong way. The name of the PDP’s Nenad Vukovic was crossed out, rather than ticking the square that was next to his name. This means that, based on the CEC's decision, the vote for PDP’s Vukovic has been declared valid and Vukovic and SNSD’s Snjezana Novakovic Bursac thus have the same number of votes i.e. 12 votes for being elected in the B&H HoP. Given that these two candidates won the same number of votes, the drawing of lots will be used as a method to determine the fifth delegate in the B&H HoP. Although the CEC passed a new, yet same decision, there is still the possibility of an appeal, which could bring the process back to the beginning.  In a heated discussion, part of the CEC members voted against this making the same decision on drawing of lots. CEC member Irena Hadziabdic noted that it seems to her that the CEC is thus only returning the same decision to the Court of B&H for another decision-making. CEC member Vlado Rogic warned that it is unprecedented for the CEC to go against what the Court of B&H indicated. "Therefore, we will have a third decision so that the CEC understands what the Court wanted to say in the first decision. For that reason, I will not support this kind of decision”, Rogic added. On the other hand, CEC Chairman Suad Arnautovic claims that the court decision has been respected by the very fact that this was on the agenda and that everything was decided again. Arnautovic also notes that it is the competence of the CEC to assess whether a ballot is valid or not. "We respect the Court and we will implement every decision of the Court, the Court ordered us to decide again, returned the case to us, and we therefore absolutely respect the Court's decision as it is in the rule of law”, he said.

 

Cvijanovic: B&H CEC is under pressure and was given political task to undermine SNSD (RTRS)

 

At its session held on Thursday, the B&H CEC confirmed its first decision, declaring PDP’s disputable ballot for the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) valid. The RS-level ruling coalition announced that they will file another appeal against the CEC’s decision. Chairwoman and Serb member of the B&H Presidency and SNSD Vice-President Zeljka Cvijanovic stated that it seems that the CEC acts under pressure and “based on political tasks they are given”. Cvijanovic warned that the CEC’s only aim is to prevent SNSD from obtaining four delegates in the B&H HoP. Cvijanovic also said that some in the BiH CEC are trying to improvise. Spokesperson for SNSD Radovan Kovacevic said that prisoners should be released from prisons in B&H, because legal order in B&H does not exist. RS MP Srdjan Mazalica emphasized that after this decision of the B&H CEC, every institution can act in line with its own will. He went on to saying that members of the CEC nominated to these positions by SDA, DF, SDS and PDP are aware that process of formation of authorities at B&H level will take place without these parties and they decided to obstruct the process of formation of new authorities in this way. The reporter reminded that several days ago, leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik announced that one month after formation of the new B&H Council of Ministers, members of the B&H CEC will be removed and criminal reports against them will be filed. Nenad Stevandic said: “This is yet another supporting argument that the CEC needs to urgently resign or they should be removed from posts. They fail to fit any legal norms.” Advisor to the RS President Milorad Dodik, Milan Tegeltija. told RTRS that the Court of B&H will most likely abolish the CEC’s decision again. “I have no doubt that this will happen”, he concluded. Tegeltija also said that with this decision, the CEC effectively annulled and humiliated the Court of B&H and carried out an administrative coup d'état. "The CEC members who voted for this decision, four of them, in this way also committed the criminal offense of non-execution of a court decision from the Criminal Code of B&H," Tegeltija was quoted as saying.

 

US Embassy responds to Izetbegovic’s statement; USA supports strong OHR (Dnevni avaz)

 

The US Embassy to B&H answered, as Avaz describes them, “insidious and hypocritical statements of head of dynasty Bakir Izetbegovic”, who recently stated that the High Representative Christian Schmidt is under the influence of the US Embassy and that the US Embassy is dealing only with incriminating of SDA. “USA support strong Office of the High Representative, whose independent operating is securing the implementation of civilian aspects of Dayton Peace Agreement. The Office has necessary and key role in securing of functioning of B&H institutions and their mechanisms of authority distribution,” reads the statement of US Embassy given to Avaz.ba portal. Speaking about the fight against corruption, the Embassy noted that the US on several occasions noted that efficiency of state and entity authorities in the fight against corruption in the last four years was weak, which is a fact that is collaborated with all relevant indexes for assessment of corruption level in B&H. They added that the USA sanctions individuals or companies only when the facts indicate that the individual is corrupt or undermines sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H. “When the US sanction the individual or the legal entity, whether because of corruption, undermining of democratic institutions or engaging in the anti-Dayton activities, they do that because the fact showed that the individual or legal entity was included into obvious and serious activities. Sanctions are serious and they are not imposed lightly nor they are easily lifted and they are not a replacement for domestic procedures. US strongly support the work of independent police, prosecutors and judges who ask for responsibility in line with B&H laws, including for the elected officials,” Embassy stated.

 

Izetbegovic: If Schmidt is going to intervene, he should impose permanent rules that will apply to all parties and not only SDA (Oslobodjenje)

 

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stated that there is a front against SDA. He added that High Representative Christian Schmidt should get involved and make a decision. “He should do it, even at the expense of SDA. But that should not be a one-off decision, designed for SDA, which will not hit anyone else in the future cycles. For example, HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina. Long-term rules of the game should be known. Any majority. Let the majority in the House of Representatives decide whatever they want, against SDA, if they have the majority. Or in the House of Peoples. Just make it a permanent rule”, said Izetbegovic.

 

DF’s Zilic on possibilities how FB&H government could be blocked (Dnevni list)

 

Chair of the DF Main Board Hajrudin Zilic has stated that there are two possibilities on how to block and continue the caretaker FB&H government’s work. “The first possibility is that ‘The Eight’, which has the majority in the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples, supports a candidate for the President or Vice President of the FB&H nominated by the Bosniak Caucus, and by doing so ‘The Eight’ would say it is not blocking. However, then the ball would be in the Bosniak Caucus, in other words SDA, whether the elected President or Vice President would block appointment of the FB&H Government. Therefore, those are only two possibilities of blockade. What are possibilities to remove the blockade? An intervention by the High Representative. Had it not been for his intervention, he would not have ended up in this problem. But now we are in a vacuum that was really unpredictable because High Representative (HR) Christian Schimidt was not completely aware of the pluralism in the area with Bosniak majority”, said Zilic.

 

Schmidt: Designation of 9 January as RS Day is unconstitutional (FTV)

 

High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt reacted on Thursday to the announced celebrations of 9 January as RS Day. He reminded the public that the B&H Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional. HR Schmidt said: ““Decisions of the B&H Constitutional Court are final and binding and must be respected on the entire territory of B&H. Therefore, celebrating 9 January as the RS Day shows a clear disregard for the Constitution of B&H, the rule of law and open contempt for decisions and the authority of the B&H CC. The prosperity of B&H should be built on cooperation, mutual understanding, and reconciliation, which in turn requires the acknowledgement of legal facts. Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic are convicted war criminals and authors of genocide. Therefore, they have to be named as criminals and not heroes. I ask all public officials in B&H to respect this and move towards a shared future. The Dayton Peace Agreement has laid the basis for peaceful development, and it must be respected.” Schmidt emphasized that any holiday needs to be celebrated in accordance with the existing legal framework and should respect, without discrimination, all segments of society, including all constituent peoples and all other B&H citizens in an inclusive manner. The HR noted that the Dayton peace framework requires mutual respect and understanding.

 

FM: Refusal to train Ukrainian soldiers is Croatia’s only foreign policy ‘stain’ (Hina)

 

Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman said on Thursday that the "only stain" on Croatia's foreign policy is that 54 MPs, whom he called cowards and fifth-columnists, were opposed to the military aid mission to Ukraine. Boasting to reporters after a cabinet meeting about Croatia’s successes this year, such as entering the Schengen and euro areas, Grlic-Radman harshly condemned the MPs who were opposed to the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia. “The thing that we record as a stain… on Croatia’s foreign policy are the 54 MPs who did not support the military aid mission to Ukraine. This is a big political embarrassment, a big shame,” the minister told reporters. “With that act, they contributed to great damage, political damage and a worse reputation of Croatia in the world,” he asserted. The main stumbling block between the majority and the opposition was the training of Ukrainian soldiers on Croatian territory. When asked about the fact that a part of the opposition offered support for the training of Ukrainian soldiers, but not on Croatian soil, he responded: “What kind of support is that?” “Don’t forget that Croatian soldiers were also trained by others. This is a benign situation that, unfortunately, MPs did not understand,” said Grlic-Radman when asked whether the ruling majority made a mistake when it did not seek a compromise with the opposition, especially when it comes to the training of the Ukrainian army on Croatian territory because numerous EU member states will not train Ukrainian soldiers on their soil either. When asked how many EU member states accepted military aid to Ukraine without training combat forces on their territory, the minister did not give a precise answer. He said no country disputed that issue except for “these 54 MPs.” “Tell me whether these 54 MPs are such experts that they can distinguish between combat and non-combat or something that would endanger Croatian security.”  He accused them of not being able to rise above party politics or of wanting to defame the government. Grlic-Radman described their actions as a political subversion and said they were political cowards who would carry a permanent stigma, reiterating that this was the fifth-column syndrome in Croatian society.

 

Djukanovic: Montenegro needs EU help now, you heard yesterday’s messages that this was the last alarm (CdM)

 

Montenegro now needs EU help to try to get out of the deep crisis it is in, the President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic has stated. He has told journalists that the EU ministers were in Montenegro yesterday regarding the crisis it is in. “You heard the messages yesterday that this was the last alarm. The messages are clear and are not an exaggeration or interference in the internal affairs of Montenegro. Let’s hope that everyone will understand this and raise the level of social and political responsibility”, Djukanovic has stated. Speaking about signing the Law on the President, he says that by signing it he fulfils his constitutional obligation, “even though I have no obligation to respect an unconstitutional law.” Answering whether it is possible to elect judges of the Constitutional Court by the end of January, he said that it was possible. When referring to the party that he heads, Djukanovic has stated that “the internal party elections in DPS will be completed by the end of January 2023, according to the deadline. In our structures, the dilemma is open whether it is good for the party to deal with internal party elections ahead of the presidential and probably parliamentary elections”, he has said. Commenting on the fact that the CEDEM survey published yesterday showed that if the presidential elections were held now, he would have 24.4% of sure votes, Djukanovic has said that this is not the subject of his attention. Answering questions about the Pandora Papers he has stressed that “there are no privileged ones. Everyone is equal before the law”, Djukanovic has repeated.

 

Lekic: No reason why someone shouldn’t cooperate with new government (RTCG)

 

The leader of Demos, Miodrag Lekic, believes that there is no reason why international partners would not establish cooperation with the government based on the current Law on the President. The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Austria and Slovenia, Alexander Schallenberg and Tanja Fajon, called in Podgorica for the urgent election of judges of the Constitutional Court, saying that the EU would seriously consider whether to cooperate with the government that would be formed on the basis of the current, as they say, questionable Law on the President. Lekic said that he expected that there would be no disturbances, because the procedure is based on democratic rules and on the will of the parliamentary majority. Lekic, who is proposed by the parliamentary majority as the Prime Minister of the 44th government, said that he will start consultations with the parties when he is appointed as the prime minister-designate.

 

Garcevic: Current situation confirms that feeling for so-called national interest is pushed into background (RSE/CdM)

 

No one from the ruling majority commented on the messages from Brussels that the EU could stop the negotiations with Montenegro if a new government is formed based on the disputed amendments to the Law on the President. That message was conveyed on 21 December, on behalf of the EU, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon, who said that the process could be stopped as early as January or February: The EU also called for the urgent election of judges of the Constitutional Court. “I think the EU reacted late. Visits like this should have happened much earlier”, Vesko Garcevic, a professor at the University of Boston, said, stating that the Western Balkans has not been on Brussels’ priority list for a long time. He believes that the involvement of Brussels in the region during the last months should be seen in the context of the aggression against Ukraine: “It stems more from concern for the spread of Russian influence than from the desire to speed up EU integration”, Garcevic points out. Garcevic believes that the current situation is a confirmation that everything is personal in Montenegro and that the feeling for the common good and the so-called national interest is completely pushed into the background. “Under the guise of respecting Montenegrin independence, by disobeying EU recommendations, the ruling majority questions our foreign policy orientation. If it is still our strategic commitment to be part of the European structure, then consultations with EU representatives cannot be seen as interference in state affairs”, he says.

 

Pendarovski: It is not excluded that current officials are also on the "black list" of the USA (Libertas)

 

It is not excluded that the names of current officials can be found on the "black list" of the USA, said President Stevo Pendarovski. The head of state, in a guest appearance on Channel 5, said that the recent visit of the three-member American team to the country was precisely for the purpose of gathering information for updating the "black list", which he expects to be published in due course. Commenting on the remarks of the American ambassador, Angela Aggeler, about the election of Islam Abazi as the public prosecutor for prosecuting organized crime and corruption, Pendarovski emphasized that the criticisms are a reaction to the generally bad situation in the judiciary. For him, the choice of Abazi is not disputed. He says that he was elected in a democratic way with the immediate declaration of the prosecutors. Confirmation of that, according to him, is the fact that Abazi's opponents, who lost, did not complain about the procedure and illegitimacy. Regarding the situation in the judicial system, the head of state said that it will improve only when "politicians and businessmen give up the judiciary". Regarding the idea of a general election of judges, Pendarovski said that there was no "pass" for that from Brussels back in 2017, taking into account the bad effects of the vetting in Albania.

 

Rama receives his Greek counterpart, Kyrakios Mitsotakis, in Dervican of Dropulli (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama received his Greek counterpart, Kyrakios Mitsotakis, in Dervican of Dropulli. Many residents of the area came out to meet the Prime Minister of Greece, as they welcomed him with cheers and speaking in Greek. Meanwhile, Rama reminded the residents that he had promised them to bring the Greek PM Mitsotakis to this area. "I promised you that I would bring here the son of his father, here you are. It is really touching for me, not being part of the minority, to be here today after almost 30 years since the first and last prime minister of Greece stopped to greet the brothers and sisters in the minority, the late father of the current prime minister, who has been waiting for this invitation. We were supposed to come the day after the 6th when we had the EU summit in Tirana, but the weather was extremely bad and so we were forced to postpone it. I don't think there is a better day to come here than on Christmas Eve. I want to thank all the residents of Dervican and the Mayor who has ensured together with you, that I know how you made this sun be so beautiful, probably with prayer and persistence. Thank you for this fantastic hospitality, it's all for the Prime Minister. I am taking advantage to enjoy this beautiful view too", said Rama. From Himara, the PM Mitsotakis, has asked Albania to respect the rights of the Greek minority. In his speech to the citizens, he expressed that he supports Albania's integration into the European Union. Mitsotakis considered the Himariots as a bridge of friendship between Albania and Greece, while emphasizing that his country has left behind the crisis and is now a powerful state. "It is a special moment for me, I remember the time when my father visited this area. Some of you have been here even then. I am the first Greek Prime Minister to visit Himara. Greece is and will remain a supporter of the Greek minority. You who have chosen to live in Himare form a bridge of friendship between Albania and Greece. I support the integration of Albania in the EU. It is Albania's obligation to respect the rights of the Greek minority. Greece has left behind the crisis and is now a powerful country", the Greek Prime Minister said, among other things.

 

The Maritime Border Agreement in The Hague/Rama: We will respect the Constitution and the law (Radio Tirana)

 

The signing of the agreement for the protection of the Vjosa River between the two counterparts is a major project in respect of the environment and a source of economy. This is what the head of the government Edi Rama declared from Dervicani when he was asked by journalists before the signing of the agreement. "We will do it, it is a big project. We started with the transformation of Vjosa into a National Park. We have asked Greece to join us because the Vjosa estuary is on the other side of the border to make a spectacular example from the point of view of respect for the environment and the transformation of a valuable environmental asset into a source of economy without harming the environment". When asked about the sea agreement in The Hague, Rama answered: "It is a process that is dictated by a constitutional and legal procedure that we respect word for word." When asked if he discussed with President Begaj about the full power and the deadline, Rama said: "This will happen when the request is filed. This is an issue under negotiation". "Regarding the issue of the properties of the Greek minority and the census, Rama highlighted that there are no issues of minority properties, but issues of overall properties and there is no difference. "We share the good and the bad. We will also do the census, which is a process that must be done periodically. There are no problems," said Rama.