LOCAL PRESS

 

OSCE support for strengthening media independence through the adoption of quality laws (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Head of the OSCE Mission in Serbia Ambassador Jan Braathu, to whom she expressed her gratitude for the long-term support of the OSCE and discussions on the adoption of a media strategy. At the meeting in the government of Serbia, Brnabic pointed out that it was important for her to meet with Braathu before the start of the public debate on media laws – the Law on Public Information and Media and the Law on Electronic Media. The working group for the draft law on public information and media and the expert working group for the law on electronic media have fully completed their work on the drafting of these important media laws. She stated that a public debate is planned to be held next month, lasting several weeks, and reiterated that before the debate began, she wanted to talk with Ambassador Braathu about the final drafts of the law. He told Braathu that the adoption of the law on public information and media and the law on electronic media is a step in the right direction and that the OSCE fully supports the strengthening of media independence through the adoption of quality laws. Brnabic noted that the drafting of these draft laws had been worked on for a long time and with dedication, as well as that they were discussed within the dialogue on media strategy, in which journalist associations, non-governmental organisations and representatives of civil society also participated. She pointed out that the upcoming public debate on these draft laws will be broad and comprehensive, and that it will not be held only in Belgrade, but also in other cities in Serbia. According to her, the draft laws will be available to the entire public in electronic format, and all interested parties will be able to familiarise themselves with them and give their comments. Braathu welcomed this approach of the government of Serbia and expressed his satisfaction that the draft media laws are getting closer to the parliament. He added that the OSCE Mission will fully monitor the continuation of the process, and said that the OSCE will help in every possible way. The meeting was also attended by Minister of Information and Telecommunications Mihailo Jovanovic.

 

Petkovic: Kosovo Premier creating alibi for new actions against Serb people (Beta/RTV/RTS/Politika)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said yesterday that messages of Kosovo Premier Albin Kurti about his fearing an escalation of the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija were nothing more than “creating an alibi for new unilateral actions by Pristina, directed against the Serb people in the province”. “We all know that Kurti is the only one causing tension, conflicts and violent actions in the north of Kosovo and Metohija via his police goons, and that is why his words cannot be interpreted in any other way than as new ominous threats to the Serbs in Kosovo’s north,” Petkovic stated. He added that this was why Kurti would be responsible for any possible future action against the Serb people in the north and against peace in this region. His message to Kurti was to “stop lying and deceiving” because the entire international community has clearly marked Pristina as the source of instability and unilateral actions on the ground.

 

Odalovic: Kurti is obsessed with northern Kosovo, it will not be able to last long (RTS)

 

The Chair of the Serbian government Commission for Missing Persons Veljko Odalovic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that Albin Kurti is now a problem for the international community and political parties of Kosovo Albanians. Europe is powerless to force Pristina to do what it signed, says Odalovic. Speaking about what Kurti is interested in, Odalovic said that Kurti is trying to steal part of our territory from us and that is his key goal. “He has a problem on the domestic scene with everyone, he has a problem with the EU and the US, as well as with the Serbs from the north. Every story of his is an attempt to turn around and not hear what he was told on 3 June - Europe ordered three points and a path to de-escalation, he turns things around,” Odalovic points out. “We are a little rightfully angry with the international mediators for sometimes equating us in a certain way in the escalation that occurred in the north of Kosovo, while Kurti is solely responsible for the escalation,” added Odalovic. He points out that there are no incidents caused by Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija and that Kurti should withdraw special units and mayors as well as call for elections. Odalovic also pointed out that a number of Serbs had to dislocate because of Kurti’s lists, as well as that Kurti is now a problem for the international community and political parties of Kosovo Albanians. “They are not too loud in condemning what he is doing in the north, but they are afraid of how the US will react, they accuse him of quarrelling with their strategic partners, who intended to build a state for them,” notes Odalovic. Odalovic points to Europe’s powerlessness to force Pristina to do what it signed. “Europe does not have the instruments to force them, small measures, sanctions have started, that is what worries the leaders of the other parties of the Kosovo Albanians,” noted Odalovic. “Kurti is obsessed with northern Kosovo, it will not be able to last long. He will have to form the ZSO,” concluded Odalovic. Speaking about the Berlin Process and the Peace Highway project, Odalovic says that the Berlin Process is designed to support all the projects that bring them together. “This is not the only project, it is very important when we have more and more problems with Pristina to send the message that one road - the road of peace will allow travelling, frequency and easy passage in both directions. The port of Durres is very important, one of the hubs through which a significant part of the cargo can be organized,” Odalovic said. He noted that it is important to overcome barriers. “On this road, it is particularly important that twice a year on Merdare, convoys are formed, sometimes ten kilometers long, with vehicles from the diaspora, Albanians who work and live in the West, during the summer period and before the holidays. Then a collapse occurs. This is the way to overcome all problems, that the modern road that, I hope, will be continued from Merdare to the entrance to Pristina, across the entire area of Kosovo and Metohija to reach Albania and down to the Adriatic,’ says Odalovic. He states that these are merger projects, as well as that the Open Balkans initiative aims to send a message that Serbia wants both in passenger and rail traffic to connect and make everyone better off. “There are certain political elites in the surrounding countries and in the area of Kosovo and Metohija who do not understand these messages and do not want to be part of such projects,” Odalovic added. He also notes that these topics were opened when Kurti, as he says, did not exist on the political scene.

 

Vucevic meets with Botsan-Kharchenko (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic met with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko on Wednesday. The parties exchanged views on current political and security developments in the region and globally, the Serbian Ministry of Defence said in a statement. Botsan-Kharchenko conveyed Russia's positions on a suspension of its participation in a deal on grains exports from Ukraine via Black Sea ports.

 

Dacic receives B&H's new Ambassador to Serbia (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic received Bosnia and Herzegovina's (B&H) newly-appointed Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandar Vranjes on Wednesday and wished him a cordial welcome, success in his work and a pleasant stay in Serbia, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. he parties noted that overall relations between the two countries were good and there was a common interest in further development of bilateral political and economic cooperation. They expressed a commitment to maintain continued political dialogue, above all, through regular exchanges of visits at high level.

 

Army’s Trade Union: Vucic yet to learn what a 21^st century army should look like (Beta)

 

The Army Trade Union of Serbia said on Wednesday that President Aleksandar Vucic’s words on the Pasuljarske LIvade training ground, that it’s normal for soldiers to die and get hurt, proved that his perception of what an army is and what it should look like in the 21^st century was completely wrong. “The hasty statement of yours makes it very clear that you have a completely wrong perception of what an army, particularly a fully professional army, should look like in the 21^st century. We don’t hold it against you, Mr President, but we do hold it against those around you, whom you trust blindly, and who are the main culprits for the total destruction of what once was the Army of Serbia. Yes, you’ve heard us – the total destruction and devaluation of what once was the army in Serbia, and what the army had identified it,” the trade union said in a release. The army unionists told President Vucic that those in the defense system whom he blindly trusted did not mean him or the army well, and that he should have sided with the army, not them. The organisation added that a priority for the top-ranking military leaders was to escape responsibility for the catastrophic situation in the army, and for jeopardising those under their command every day. It is not rain or difficult working conditions that bother the army, but “incompetence, ignorance, arrogance and insolence of the commanders,” the army trade union said in the release.

 

Djilas: SNS lose 20 percent of voter support (TV Nova S/Beta)

 

The Freedom and Justice Party’s leader Dragan Djilas said on Wednesday that the Serbian Progressive Party “lost one-fifth of its electorate over the last six months, now at under 40 percent of voter support,” and that it would be impossible for the Progressives to win in Belgrade, even together with the Socialist Party of Serbia. “That’s why there will be no elections, and a threat that there will be a new one in September…it’s not happening, because they won’t dare have one. As for the Freedom and Justice Party, we have been requesting a Belgrade vote for 16 months already. Regarding republican polls, the European Commission and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have issued relevant recommendations, and they need to be met for elections to be fair. The Progressives do not stand a chance of winning such polls,” Djilas said in an interview with the TV Nova S. Djilas has said that violence was ubiquitous in the public space, and that we live in a country in which 19 children were killed just three months ago, where 23 women have been killed since the beginning of the year, where 73 percent of young people going to school said they were the victims of violence, 40 percent of which was physical. In a comment on a decision to end the work of the inquiry committee established by the Parliament to discuss the circumstances that had led to two mass murders, Djilas said that the authorities realised that the inquiry committee would unveil the facts that would prove that the system did fail.

 

EC’s official: Pristina and Belgrade far from de-escalation, normalization (Beta)

 

Pristina and Belgrade are very far away from the steps to reduce tensions, organizing new elections, implementing the Ohrid agreement, applying a declaration on missing persons and trade solutions, the European Commission’s official said to Beta in Brussels on Wednesday. The Commission’s spokesperson said it was what recent talks in Brussels between the EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak and the chief negotiators of Pristina and Belgrade, had revealed. “Those meetings were difficult and extensive, but didn’t produce a breakthrough” to make it possible for the dialogue between the two parties to continue, the EU spokesperson explained. Beta asked him to explain whether the dialogue had reached an impasse, following Lajcak’s words that that “the early elections in Kosovo’s norther municipalities last April were a landmine,” which, unfortunately they had stepped on, and were not focused on a crisis instead of normalization. The EC official said that “the EU expects both sides to fulfil the obligations arising from the dialogue, and that tensions are reduced without delay, in which the two parties would participate constructively, refraining from any move that might produce new tensions.” He said that the talks would continue, and that the EU envoy would schedule new meetings in the coming period, and Brussels “will announce timely any such meeting”.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Opposition in both B&H entities, Helez criticize agreement of partners in power at B&H level to approve purchase of building for B&H ITA in Banja Luka (N1/BHT1/Nova BH)

 

N1 carries that the opposition in both entities in B&H sees the agreement of partners in power at the B&H level in connection with the approval to purchase a building for the B&H Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) in Banja Luka in the sense that many reasons were given for the complicated political and constitutional crisis in B&H, and 70 million reasons for de-escalation. N1 stressed that after three unsuccessful ones, the fourth call for the purchase of the building in Banja Luka that should house the B&H ITA will be announced soon, and a certain controversial businessman with political connections already has a building ready. N1 reminded that in 2007, procedures were initiated for the purchase of the new B&H ITA building. The government of the RS recently requested that the B&H ITA move out of its premises, and the former B&H ITA director, Miro Dzakula, shortly afterwards explained what one of the rented locations looked like. "A snake was entering our business premises," Dzakula said. N1 pointed out that the matter heated up when the controversial businessman, Mile Radisic, was released from prison and continued his megalomaniacal construction venture, which caused the citizens of Banja Luka to protest more than ten years ago. In 2020, Radisic's ‘Grand Trade’ company was the only one to submit an offer to the call in a timely manner. A year and a half ago, the tender for the purchase of the building for the B&H ITA in Banja Luka was cancelled. The bidder ‘Grand Trade’ offered a building in Banja Luka for BAM 100 million. N1 noted that Radisic is often mentioned in public as Dodik’s close friend. PDP’s Igor Crnadak said that an agreement was made to buy a building from Dodik’s close friend for BAM 100 million. “You tell me what is good for the RS in that agreement,” Crnadak asked. Leader of the List for Justice and Order Nebojsa Vukanovic said that “this is not only an act of high treason and humiliation of the RS, but much bigger traitors and enemies of the Bosniak people are the Bosniak leaders who are participating in this.” “I invite all Sarajevo citizens and citizens of the FB&H to rise to their feet and go to the headquarters of SDP B&H and (Elmedin) Konakovic’s People and Justice (NiP) to ask if this is a fight for BiH, a pro-Bosnian policy, to give Dodik's close friend BAM 100 million so that he would not curse their dead and insult them in the most primitive way. They created him, they gave him power,” Vukanovic said. SDA accused the ‘Troika’ of financing Dodik's secessionism with citizens' money. Crnadak also said: “(Christian) Schmidt is now the best High Representative in the history of B&H. Everything is ideal and wonderful. SNSD and Dodik gave up on everything 15 minutes ago and showed to the people what the whole fuss was about’’. “With the alleged agreement on adoption of the ‘European laws’, ‘The Troika’ has protected Dodik from potential sanctions, and with today’s decision, they agreed to use citizens’ money to finance a parallel system and lobbyists Dodik manages for the purpose of secessionist activities he is undertaking’’, reads the statement by SDA. Crnadak warned that this represents political trade and that Dodik agreed to promise that the Law on Non-Implementation of the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) Decisions in the RS will not be implemented in exchange for ‘The Troika’ to agree to approve the decision on the ITA building. Vukanovic said that it makes no sense to allocate so much funds at the time of crisis.

 

Dodik: RS opposition launched persecution of me and some FB&H parties like SDA agreed to join in (Nova BH/AJB/Glas Srpske)

 

The decision of the Council of Ministers of B&H (CoM) to allocate total of EUR 35 million for procurement of a new central building for the Indirect Taxation Authority of B&H (ITA) in Banja Luka sparked numerous reactions. Reacting to the criticisms of the opposition, RS President Milorad Dodik noted that the RS opposition launched a persecution of him, and that some FB&H parties like SDA agreed to join in. Dodik stated: “About 10 years ago, it was agreed with SDA and (SDA leader Bakir) Izetbegovic that for the needs of the ITA, regional centers would be built in Mostar and Sarajevo, and that the ITA headquarters and regional center would be built in Banja Luka. BAM 56 million was approved for this job. They spent part of that money, BAM 20 million, for the construction of a border crossing and never returned to the item to finish it in Banja Luka.” Dodik noted that SDA decided to join an unjustified persecution orchestrated by the opposition in the RS when abovementioned funds were not returned. Dodik harshly criticised SDA and its leader Izetbegovic, accusing the party of introducing the mafia into the intelligence sector, which they needed, according to Dodik, to deal with RS. “It was important for us to remove that pressure on Srpska during the formation of the government at the B&H level, and it was only possible if you remove SDA. And that's what we did,” Dodik tweeted. He called Izetbegovic a “fraud and a liar on daily basis”, and that SDA is now lying again about the purchase of the premises for the B&H ITA in Banja Luka.

 

Executive Board of RS Academy of Sciences and Arts points out that illegal decisions of Schmidt and B&H CC are main generators of political crisis in B&H (RTRS)

 

The Executive Board of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS supported at Wednesday’s extended session the legal and other activities of the RS institutions, i.e. the RS parliament, the RS President, the government of the RS and the Serb member of the B&H Presidency, to get out of the unnecessarily created crisis in BiH. Representatives of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS pointed out that illegal decisions of Christian Schmidt and the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H are the main generators of the political crisis in B&H, noting that the solution is abolition of the OHR and adoption of a law on the B&H CC. Representatives of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS emphasized that if a law on the B&H CC is not passed, B&H will no longer exist. Academicians from the RS warned that there is no survival without the equality of the three peoples which the B&H CC, as they said, is seriously undermining. Representatives of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS stressed that with its last “unconstitutional” decision which enabled the outvoting of Serb judges, the B&H CC struck at the foundations of the Dayton creation. Academician Vitomir Popovic said that it is very wrong and dangerous to enable the B&H CC to make the rules whose constitutionality and legality no one can assess, and that these issues are not regulated by law. Members of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS welcomed the adoption of the decision to suspend the B&H CC’s decisions on the territory of the RS in the RS parliament, as an adequate response to the arbitrariness of this judicial body. Representatives of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS pointed out that the B&H CC is the catalyst of the crisis initiated by Schmidt in an attempt to turn the property of the RS into the property of B&H. Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of the RS Dragoljub Mirjanic said that every decision of the High Representative and any other institution, in this case the Constitutional Court of B&H, which does not respect the rights of one of the peoples, their legally elected representatives and institutions, represents an attack on the Dayton Peace Agreement and a violation of all norms of international and domestic law.

 

Vukanovic: Agreement that Dodik reached with partners at B&H level during the recent meeting in Sarajevo is nothing but capitulation and national humiliation (BNTV)

 

While addressing press conference on Wednesday, leader of the ‘List for Justice and Order’ Nebojsa Vukanovic said that once again, RS President Milorad Dodik humiliated the RS parliament and violated decisions concerning the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H adopted recently at special session of the RS parliament. Vukanovic added that it is especially humiliating that immediately after “capitulation in Sarajevo” Dodik went to meet with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic to inform him and to get new instructions. Vukanovic underlined that “off course” it was impossible to implement the RS law on non-applying of B&H CC decisions on territory of the RS. “Only 15 days after this law was adopted, Dodik said that in August they will probably schedule a new special session of the RS parliament at which his pawn Knezevic will recover (Note: Referring to judge of B&H Court Zlatko Knezevic) and at which a new judge at the B&H CC will probably be appointed”, explained Vukanovic. He added that according to some information, new judge at the B&H CC should be Ognjen Tadic, who is also Dodik’s pawn. Vukanovic went on to saying that in this way, politicization of the B&H CC will be resumed by appointing politicians instead of honorable jurists as judges in the B&H CC. “This is an act of high treason and an act of national humiliation”, stressed Vukanovic. He added that Dodik resumes to turn the RS institutions in private property. Vukanovic also stated that the agreement Dodik reached with partners at B&H level during the recent meeting in Sarajevo is nothing but capitulation and national humiliation.

 

Zakharova: Christian Schmidt was neither before nor now High Representative in B&H (RTRS)

 

Spokeswoman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova stated that Christian Schmidt was neither before nor now a High Representative in B&H. “The question of the legal status of the German citizen should be raised with the migration service of B&H, the country on whose territory, as the media write, he occasionally appears,” Zakharova was quoted as saying when answering a journalist's question about the status of Schmidt, in Russia’s opinion, in B&H. Zakharova reminded that the UN Security Council did not make any decision about Schmidt, from which it follows that what “German citizen Christian Schmidt” is doing in B&H has nothing to do with the Dayton Agreement. “As a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a member of the Council's management committee for the implementation of the 1995 Peace Agreement in B&H, we know that Christian Schmidt was not, nor is he now, a High Representative in B&H,” Zakharova was quoted as saying.

 

TI B&H: B&H fully implemented only one out of 14 priorities defined by EC, deterioration in regards to democracy and human rights registered (BNTV)

 

An analysis conducted by the Transparency International (TI) B&H reads that authorities in B&H have been presenting what could be described as an illusion of progress and reform swing, while real progress is not in their focus, but rather interests of political parties, personal interests of their leaders and authoritarian tendencies in form of laws that limit civic freedoms. “Only one of 14 priorities from the European Commission’s (EC) Opinion to B&H’s EU membership application has been implemented fully – one referring to establishing of a parliamentary board for stabilization and association, while only five priorities have been partially implemented”, reads that analysis. It also emphasizes that situation in B&H has deteriorated in regards to many issues concerning democracy, human rights and functioning of institutions.

 

New convocation of Montenegrin parliament constituted (CdM)

 

A new convocation of the Montenegrin parliament was constituted. The mandates of 81 deputies were verified, but the speaker of the parliament of Montenegro was not elected. Chairman Milan Lekic adjourned until the election of the speaker. The session was chaired by the oldest member of parliament Milan Lekic from the coalition For the Future of Montenegro, assisted by the youngest member of parliament Mirko Djukic from the Europe Now Movement. Lekic announced that no candidate proposal for the speaker had been submitted to the parliament’s service. “Since we don’t have any proposals, I’m taking a break, and you will be informed about the further continuation of the work,” said Lekic. With the submission of the report of the State Election Commission, the mandate of the deputies of the 28th convocation of the parliament of Montenegro began, Lekic announced.

 

Abazovic neither confirms nor denies that Sukovic’s murder was planned, nor whether he himself was also a target (CdM)

 

Outgoing PM Dritan Abazovic has neither confirmed nor denied that certain criminal structures were allegedly preparing the murder of the head of the Special Police Department, Predrag Sukovic, and two other people from the security sector. “There is no need to cause panic, let the state authorities do their job. As far as Sukovic is concerned, he has the full support of the Prime Minister and the Government to continue exposing criminal groups and destroying the octopus that has dominated Montenegro for the past 30 years. His latest activities, which caused the arrest of the former police director, are sure to be met with resistance by people who do not want to face justice”, Abazovic said after the cabinet meeting in Kolasin. When asked if he was on the list for liquidation as well, Abazovic did not want to answer. According to him, what is being done in Montenegro are historical things. “After a long time, we have an attack on people who were dealing in cigarettes, narcotics, and behind whom was politics”, Abazovic stressed. After the arrest of the former head of Police Directorate Veselin Veljovic, Abazovic welcomed the action of the Prosecutor’s Office, even though he announced immediately before that that there were no people in the Prosecutor’s Office brave enough to face crime.

 

What ZBCG seeks from PES (CdM)

 

The For the Future of Montenegro (ZBCG) coalition is asking Europe Now Movement (PES) for the positions of parliament speaker, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, CdM learns from a source close to the ZBCG coalition. In addition, ZBCG is also seeking another ministry that would be assigned to them by the leader of PES and potential PM-designate Milojko Spajic. CdM previously announced that Spajic offered the ministries of education, agriculture, transport and diaspora to ZBCG. The media reported earlier that the main candidate for parliament speaker was the leader of Democrats and former parliament speaker Aleksa Becic.

 

Marichikj: Trying to convince opposition this is the right step (Kanal 5/MIA)

 

We are implementing what our parliament adopted last year, prior to the opening of the negotiations. On 16 July 2022, our parliament adopted the conclusions that included this task related to the constitutional revision and the incorporation of several communities in the Constitution Preamble. For a year now we have been trying, in different ways, to talk to the opposition and convince it that this is the right step, says Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj. "Unfortunately, they have showed resistance and formed an anti-European bloc, an anti-EU bloc comprised of VMRO-DPMNE and Levica, which has escalated its rhetoric, and we witnessed this at yesterday's session. Those two parties had almost identical positions, convincing everyone this should never happen, because our EU path would stop, that now is not the time, that we should wait and seek better solutions and proposals. These are options leading us into a dead-end and long-standing blockade," Deputy PM Marichikj told Kanal 5. He says that the positions we hear now were not overlooked during the negotiations. "Everything that we hear today - delayed enforcement of the constitutional amendments or reciprocity in all aspects - nothing has been overlooked during the negotiations. We tried to talk about all of this but the current proposal represented a compromise that resulted from our demands to pass the constitutional amendments at the end of the process and have a certain reciprocity from Bulgaria regarding the Strasbourg judgments. We came to a point of reaching a compromise with Bulgaria, mediated by France, Germany, EU and all our partners. The essence of that compromise has been explained on many occasions," says Marichikj. He recalls that putting the Macedonian language in the Negotiating Framework was one of the aspects that was insisted on, with Bulgaria demonstrating that North Macedonia can sign agreements with the EU in Macedonian language. "Our battle is not to convince Bulgaria but the EU to not accept the Bulgarian position. Based on the things we got, we undertook the task of making the constitutional changes during the screening in return, and then resume the negotiations together with Albania," says Marichikj.

 

All political forces to work together for EU future of North Macedonia, Pisonero (MIA)

 

All political forces, including the opposition, need to work together for the EU future of North Macedonia, the European Commission told MIA after Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Issues adopted Tuesday the need to amend the Constitution, thereby beginning the process of constitutional amendments. “North Macedonia has committed to amend its Constitution. This is a sovereign decision. Initial steps have been taken in this regard. The country provides a good example of a multi-ethnic society. Therefore, amending the Constitution will further advance fundamental rights. All political forces, including the opposition, need to work together for the EU future of North Macedonia,” the European Commission’s spokesperson Ana Pisonero told MIA. Regarding North Macedonia’s screening process with the EU, the Commission added that it is firmly on track and proceeding smoothly, while the screening reports for the Fundamentals Cluster have already been sent to the EU Council. “As regards non-compliance of national legislation with EU norms and standards, the main objective of the screening exercise is to assess where gaps exist in domestic legislation including implementation and enforcement,” said Pisonero. She noted that the holding of the first Intergovernmental Conference with North Macedonia in 2022 was a major breakthrough and marked the beginning of a new phase in the accession process. “The Commission immediately launched the screening of the EU acquis, which is the first step in the negotiating process,” added Pisonero.

 

Krifca at the UN summit: Albania, an important regional and European exporter (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, during her speech at the closing of the United Nations Food Systems summit, stated that Albania succeeded in becoming an important regional and European exporter. Present at the closing session on the theme "Towards the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, the Future Summit and 2025", led by FAO and the Commissioner for Agriculture of the European Union, Janusz Wojciechowski and the Deputy Foreign Minister of Italy, Edmondo Cirielli, Krifca did a compilation of the work done by Albania to strengthen agriculture also in the context of tourism. In her speech, Krifca said that the main word of everyone's work should be cooperation. "These three days clearly showed, through all the words and positions of the governments and institutions in the sessions and outside of them, that the challenges are common. Food systems and the people who create them are all interconnected. Market fluctuations caused by war conflicts affect large and small countries and no one emerges as a winner. We have diagnosed the problems. We already know what concrete actions and decisions need to be taken. And these decisions, by the decision makers of the food world, can be taken right here", Krifca said. As for Albania, Krifca said that "the small country of Albania, with a large agricultural sector in terms of employment and impact on GDP, during these thirty relatively fragile years of democracy, emerged from the most absurd totalitarian system , has faced weaknesses in food systems, working continuously! Showing a great desire to build and rebuild. Taking advantage of our rich soils, rich water resources, rich biodiversity, wonderful Mediterranean climate with more than 300 sunny days a year, the will, perseverance and effort of our farmers to work tirelessly and invest in keeping traditions alive, ensuring the future generations of our land". "Driven by a clear development policy, strongly supported by our partners, the European Union and FAO, a clear model has been created based on farm knowledge, based on innovation, based on farm diversification, based on market access that develops short food value chains and focuses on high quality agricultural products. This has made Albania become an important regional and European exporter of fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, medicinal plants and fisheries", Krifca underlined. "We focus on diversifying our economy and encourage the development of many sectors related to food systems, tourism, manufacturing services and technology that serves as a magnet to attract the younger generation to the sector itself. A diversified economy is less sensitive to external shocks and can generate sustainable growth,"  the Minister of Agriculture said. "The future of rural areas and their sustainable development must go through education, knowledge transfer and skills development. Economic production and sustainability as well as increasing the availability of food in our societies is closely related to the application of new knowledge and the increased presence of professionals in rural areas. More agricultural products with less land, water or other agricultural inputs are expected of us,"Krifca added. The objective of the summit is to provide models towards building more efficient, more inclusive, stronger and more sustainable food systems.

 

US investments tripled over the last 3 years (Radio Tirana)

 

During the last three years, Albania has noticed a tripling of US investments in the country.The president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania Enio Jaco declares that in 2019  there were about 80 million dollars, while in 2022 the US investments in Albania reached 220 million USD. "It is important for us to analyze the type of investments that are coming. We are seeing mostly investments that are contributing. This pleases us because it shows that there is a real interest in Albania," he said. Data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) show that during the first six months of this year, imports from the US increased by 49%, while noticing a decrease of exports at the rate of 57%. In value terms, imports reached 8.8 billion ALL from 5.9 billion ALL during 6 months of 2022, while exports fell to 2.2 billion ALL from 5.2 billion ALL of the timeframe of 2022.