LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Elections better sooner than later (TV Prva/Beta)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday that elections in Serbia could happen "relatively soon" and added that "it is better to hold them sooner than later". She told TV Prva that the Serbian Progressive Party, which she was a proud member of, was always for elections. Brnabic said that by trying to obstruct parliament on Tuesday the opposition had shown that the citizens' interests were not important to it. She said that the session had been devoted to revising the state budget, raising salaries and pensions and dispensing aid to various categories of citizens and that she knew of no political option anywhere in the world that was working contrary to citizens' interests. She accused the opposition of only wanting power and said that Serbia had no time to lose and that the state could not and must not stop. She said that citizens who had voted for the opposition had not been pleased with the behavior of opposition MPs, "which was an example of promoting violence".

 

Vucevic meets with Cypriot Ambassador (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic met with Cypriot Ambassador to Serbia Andreas Fotiou on Tuesday, the Defence Ministry said in a statement. Vucevic noted that Serbia-Cyprus bilateral relations were traditionally good and friendly, unburdened by outstanding issues and based on mutual respect and cooperation. He thanked Cyprus for its continued support to the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. Vucevic noted that Serbia supported finding a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus issue in line with relevant UN resolutions. Vucevic expressed gratitude for the hospitality during his official visit to Cyprus and noted the significance of cooperation between the two countries and support to its further development. Thanking Vucevic for the reception, Fotiou said he expected exchanges of visits by top-ranking officials to be continued in the period to come, the statement also said.

 

Gasic meets with UK Ambassador (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic met with the UK new Ambassador to Serbia Edward Ferguson on Tuesday and said he hoped bilateral cooperation in interior affairs would be continued during the diplomat's tenure in Belgrade. Gasic said there was space for a more intensive partnership in the fight against organised crime and in curbing irregular migration and other forms of crime, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement. Ferguson thanked Gasic for the good cooperation and welcomed a recent successful campaign aimed at getting Serbians to surrender unregistered arms.

 

Cvetkovic elected new Serbian Minister of Economy (Tanjug)

 

Serbian MPs elected Slobodan Cvetkovic as the country's new Minister of Economy on Wednesday. The roll call vote was disrupted by MPs of some opposition parties, who, similarly to Tuesday's sitting, made unbearable noise by blowing whistles and trumpets in an attempt to obstruct the parliament's work. A hundred and forty-eight MPs voted in favour and two voted against. Cvetkovic was sworn in after the vote. PM Ana Brnabic, who had put forward Cvetkovic for the post, said on Tuesday the move was no coincidence as Serbia was to host a major event such as EXPO 2027 and that, after a decade in charge at the Novi Sad Fair, Cvetkovic had vast knowledge and experience when it comes to organising large-scale events.

 

Serb List rejects Pristina’s ultimatum (RTV/Tanjug)

 

The Serb List said today that it rejects the ultimatum of the Pristina authorities to leave the premises in Kosovska Mitrovica, where several institutions of the Republic of Serbia are located, and demands that the issue be resolved in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and in the context of the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, as provided for in the agreements from in 2013 and 2015. As indicated in the announcement, the intention of the Pristina authorities is to continue at any cost with the escalation of the situation on the ground and occupy the building in Kosovska Mitrovica where the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, the Fund Directorate Service, the Kosovska Mitrovica Administrative District and the Center for Social the work of Vucitrn. “We remind you that the aforementioned institutions of the Republic of Serbia have been providing services to all citizens without distinction for years, both Serbs and Albanians, Bosniaks, Goranians, Roma, Turks and others, and that 40 families live thanks to the work of people employed in these institutions. Persecution and violent occupation of this building would threaten the exercise of human and civil rights for tens of thousands of people, both in the field of pension and disability insurance, and in the field of social protection of the most vulnerable sections of the population,” the Serb List points out. The statement also calls on the international community to exert maximum efforts in moments of fragile peace and prevent the Pristina regime from escalating the situation and causing additional tensions that may have unforeseeable consequences on the ground.

 

People’s Party: Why hasn’t Serbia requested special UN Security Council session on position of Serbs in Kosovo (Beta)

 

People’s Party MP Sanda Raskovic Ivic on Tuesday asked President Aleksandar Vucic why Serbia had not requested an urgent session of the UN Security Council to discuss “the harassment of the Serbs in Kosovo”, although Vucic had said that Belgrade would do so several weeks ago. “If Vucic did not request an urgent session of the UN Security Council because Albania is presiding over that body, then I would like to recall that it was Serbia’s vote which earned Albania a seat in the Security Council, while Serbia did not even submit its candidacy to be a member of the Security Council,” Raskovic Ivic said at the Serbian parliament session. She also said that Vucic “should know and understand the importance of his words”, adding that statements were binding, especially when uttered by a head of state.

 

Opposition MPs tried to block parliament session by making noise, but were ignored (Beta)

 

The opposition MPs, who are the organizers of the Serbia Against Violence protests, tried to prevent the holding of a parliament session on Tuesday by shouting “thieves, thieves”, whistling, applauding, and making noise. There are 25 items on the session agenda. Parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic opened the session, but when the Prime Minister and other Ministers entered the hall, some MPs started blowing whistles and shouting “thieves, thieves”, and “out, out”. The session ended without a debate on amendments to the draft 2023 supplementary budget. Another session, to continue the debate on other bills and discuss the nomination of Slobodan Cvetkovic for the post of economy minister, was scheduled for 6 September. Prime Minister Ana Brnabic continued to speak before the parliament although she could hardly be heard. She first spoke about the supplementary budget and the nominated economy minister, ignoring the noise. In the end, she mocked the opposition attempts to stop the work of the parliament. “Have you managed to block the parliament work? You have not. We managed to discuss the supplementary budget, to increase pensions and subsidies, to ensure financial assistance to mothers,” Brnabic said despite being booed by the opposition. At the end of the session, Orlic told the opposition that their only achievement was that the debate on the amendments had been concluded and that MPs would be voting sooner than expected.

 

N1 source says early parliamentary elections in December (N1)

 

N1 has been told by a source close to the leadership of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) that President Aleksandar Vucic has decided to hold early parliamentary elections in December. The source said that he was told of the decision a day before the opposition called for elections before the end of the year. The source said that the SNS leadership held meetings with a number of local party branches to prepare for the elections. He said that the SNS leaders have ordered independent opinion polls to see the party’s standings at national and local level. “The possibility of local elections being held at the same time in some cities and municipalities has not been excluded. That will be decided in the next few days since there is time to meet the legal deadlines for early elections by the end of the year,” the N1 portal’s source said. The opposition parties that have been organizing the Serbia Against Violence protests demanded early parliamentary and Belgrade city elections by the end of the year on Tuesday. They said that they would meet the demands of the protests as soon as the SNS falls from power. Vucic said on several occasions that early parliamentary elections would be held but kept moving the possible date forward. He mentioned a possible vote for parliament by the end of the year late in August.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Court of B&H rejects request for recusal of Judge Cosic Dedovic; Dodik’s lawyer Bubic criticizes decision of Court of B&H (ATV)

 

The general session of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) held in Sarajevo on Tuesday. The decision was passed at the session to reject the request of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik's lawyer Goran Bubic for recusal of Judge Jasmina Cosic Dedovic. The request was unanimously rejected, and this means that Cosic Dedovic will be one of the judges who will make a decision on confirming the indictment against Dodik if the Court of B&H decides to confirm it. Bubic said that the deadline for making a decision on the indictment is about 15 days, but it is not necessary that this deadline must be met. Bubic also said that they did not receive yet the decision of the Court officially, but if the information regarding the decision is true, then it is clear, as Bubic said, that the process was contaminated from the very beginning and that a fair and honest trial cannot be counted on. He believes that it is almost certain that the indictment will be confirmed, given that, as Bubic said, Cosic Dedovic cannot be impartial, because Dodik, as the then member of the B&H Presidency, opposed Cosic Dedovic’s appointment to the International Criminal Court (ICC). Bubic commented that this kind of decision to reject the request for her exemption is against the Constitution and the European Convention. Bubic stated: “I believe that in this way, practically, the criminal proceedings against the President and Mr. (Acting Director of the RS Official Gazette Milos) Lukic were contaminated from the beginning, because there were real reasons for excluding Judge Dedovic.” According to unofficial information, the Court of B&H should also decide on prohibitive measure regarding Dodik’s political activity in the duration of the court proceeding. According to RTRS, the Court did not answer whether the decision was unanimous as reported by some media, which would mean that Serb judges also voted for it. “The decision on disqualification of the judge will be written as soon as possible and delivered to the applicant for recusal”, reads the answer from the Court of B&H. However, the defense of the RS President has not yet been notified of the Court's decision.

 

Stevandic’s criticizes decision to reject request for recusal of Judge Cosic Dedovic in case against Dodik (ATV)

 

The presenter reminded that the Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik opposed the appointment of Judge Jasmina Cosic Dedovic to the International Criminal Court (ICC), because, as he claimed at the time, she was a part of the defense of the Commander of the Srebrenica units of the RB&H Army, Naser Oric, who was once accused of war crimes during the trial at The Hague Tribunal. In addition to that, Cosic Dedovic did her internship at the Office of the High Representative (OHR). All this casts doubt on her impartiality, commented the presenter. The rejection of the request for Cosic Dedovic’s exemption was commented by the speaker of the RS parliament, Nenad Stevandic, who said: “Disputing the will of the people and trying to have an unnamed foreigner make laws that will be acted upon by the courts, which will punish those who are democratically elected and who work according to the decisions of the RS parliament, is the beginning of a big crisis in B&H, created from the outside. I am absolutely sure that it was not created by our partners from the Federation of B&H (FB&H). No crisis in B&H has ever emerged because of the decisions of the FB&H parliament or because of the decisions of the RS parliament. All the crises emerged because of the decisions of the OHR, or the one who represents the OHR, especially this one who does not represent, and the Constitutional Court, where three foreigners sit”. Stevandic also said that the goal of this indictment is to incriminate Dodik, charge him and prevent him from signing RS parliament decisions, which is his function as the RS President. Stevandic added that this would means that the competence, dignity and authority of all RS institutions, including the RS parliament and the RS President, are completely meaningless.

 

Kovacevic: Decision to reject request for recusal of Judge Cosic Dedovic is direct confirmation that this is political persecution of Dodik and Lukic (ATV)

 

SNSD spokesperson Radovan Kovacevic was quoted as saying: “The decision of the Court of B&H to reject the request of the RS President Milorad Dodik's lawyer (Goran Bubic) for recusal of Judge Jasmina Cosic Dedovic is a direct confirmation that it is a political persecution of the RS President and the Acting Director of the (RS) Official Gazette (Milos Lukic)”. He believes that the goal of that decision is to humiliate the Serb people and the RS. Kovacevic emphasized that it is obvious that they are looking for people obedient to the foreign agency that is leading the process against Dodik. Kovacevic stated: “To make such a decision for someone for who we know that she worked in the Office of the High Representative, that she participated in the defense, at The Hague Tribunal, of child killer and war criminal Naser Oric, and that as a judge she passed a shameful acquittal against another evildoer and war criminal, child killer Sakib Halilovic, for the murder of the 12-year-old Serb boy Slobodan Stojanovic. Therefore, if we also take into account that this is a person for who Milorad Dodik wrote a letter directly to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, that she cannot in any case be a judge in that court, so in that way we can say that he influenced her existence and her income, then it is completely clear that she is someone who should not have been even thought about in any process against Milorad Dodik”.

 

Sattler and Mijatovic discuss progress on EU path (BHRT)

 

Deputy FB&H Prime Minister Vojin Mijatovic has talked with Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Johann Sattler in Sarajevo on Tuesday. They agreed that this is the right time for accelerating the EU path of B&H although they are aware of problems that years long internal, political tensions and conflicts create on this path. Mijatovic thanked for support of the EU and US diplomats in B&H to the new FB&H government. He especially stressed importance of the official announcement of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell that ten countries including the Western Balkan countries, might become EU members by 2030. Mijatovic stressed that this is a new European impetus and a chance, which should be used. Sattler stressed as an important step the adoption of a set of energy sector laws in the FB&H Parliament. He expressed expectation that the FB&H government will continue to work on energy transition, and he called for adoption of laws on energy and energy market at the B&H level. Mijatovic presented to Sattler an idea that the FB&H government and parliament start fast implementation of tasks from the European agenda for B&H, strictly respecting the state and entity competencies.  They also expressed expectation that B&H will get laws on emergency call (112), on conflict of interest, courts and on electronic signature, which is a prerequisite for digital transformation of the administration at all authority kevels. Mijatovic confirmed readiness and resoluteness of the FB&H government in the fight against corruption, and announced securing of all necessary material and other prerequisites for the efficient work of special departments for fight against corruption, that is, implementation of already adopted anti-corruption laws. Mijatovic informed Sattler that a set of fiscal laws has been finalized, which should be adopted in the FB&H government soon, after which it will be sent to the parliamentary procedure and public debate. Mijatovic stated: “It is our plan that new laws on contributions, minimal salary, on-line fiscalization come in force on 1 January 2024, and economy will be disburdened in this way, while the space for considerable increase of salaries will be created.”

 

Sattler and Murphy’s letter to FB&H leadership sparks reactions (BHT1)

 

BHT1 reports that Head of the EU Delegation (EUD) to B&H Johann Sattler and US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy have sent a letter to FB&H Prime Minister Nermin Niksic requesting that liberalization include the parts of the public sector that are most important for each country. In the letter, among other things, the new FB&H government is asked to make changes in state-owned companies in order to make their work more efficient and transparent. The letter further states that enabling public-private partnerships and granting concessions is one of the ways to reduce corruption. Privatization of state-owned companies is mentioned as one of the options in the letter sent to the FB&H government. Dean of the Faculty of Economics of the University in Mostar Igor Zivko pointed out that there are different models of privatization that have advantages and disadvantages, but when making a decision on privatization, it is necessary to be guided by economic principles and limit the influence of politics. “There are two possible solutions. One is to privatize, that is, to specify the owner to manage such companies, and the other is to keep them and then create a mechanism by which the functioning of such state-owned companies will be kept under supervision so that it will benefit the social community,” Zivko emphasized. In the letter addressed to Niksic, Ambassadors Murphy and Sattler pointed out that it is necessary to speed up the energy transition by investing in renewable sources of energy which would ultimately mean the acceleration of the liberalization of the energy market. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Josip Brkic stated that B&H has committed to reduce production, that is, to abolish the production of electricity from fossil fuels, that is, from coal, and to turn more to renewable energy sources. “The deadline that is ahead of us, and the whole of Europe, if I am not mistaken, by 2050 should be based in this energy context on electricity that does not come from fossil fuels,” Brkic said. The abovementioned letter provoked a number of reactions. RS President Milorad Dodik wrote on his Twitter profile Monday that Murphy’s letter to Niksic, in which he dictates the agenda of the government in which Niksic is still the prime minister, is a caricature of the sad B&H reality. “You give him an agreement, and in a month or two he is giving you lessons, setting the government's agenda, criticizing everything and everyone, behaving, to say the least, like at home. Even if it is from Murphy – it is too much. Or we should abolish all institutions in B&H and leave only the American embassy. I think that in that case, Murphy would start arguing publicly with his staff,” Dodik wrote on Twitter. BHT1 reminded that at the end of June, Ambassadors Murphy and Sattler held a big political meeting with the members of the FBiH Government and parliamentarians. It was announced then that the international community expects this Government to take advantage of the opportunity and implement the necessary reforms, i.e. pass all the necessary laws in order to bring B&H closer to EU membership.

 

Many see intention of Western ambassadors to dictate use of state property (ATV)

 

Michael Murphy, the US Ambassador to B&H, sent a letter to the FB&H Prime Minister Nermin Niksic, and to the FB&H ministers, practically writing what they should do and how they should do it when it comes to financial stability, corruption, granting concessions, renewable energy sources and company reforms. The presenter commented that, as he said, the incredible, shocking and even rude interference of the ambassador in the internal affairs of B&H only shows what kind of country it is. In a fairly extensive letter, Murphy described himself as if, at the very least, he is the messiah who can ensure prosperity for B&H, commented the reporter. Murphy generously gives advice, and no one has asked him anything, added the reporter. Murphy lists the priorities in the work of the FB&H government, which gave Niksic and all the ministers a good slap in the face, commented the reporter. What is particularly interesting is that Murphy states that it is necessary to speed up the energy transition of the FB&H by encouraging investment in renewable energy sources, and he also calls for the reform of public companies. However, what stands out is that priority should be given to legal solutions that would enable public-private partnerships and concessions. Maybe at first, a story like this seems harmless to someone, but it is not, commented the reporter. Many see in this the intention of the ambassadors, not only the American but also some other Western ones, to dictate the use of state property. The reporter asked what could be the goal of that. The goal could be, for example, for companies from those countries to enter into a water concession. The reporter suggested to imagine the situation if it were a German company that would get electricity in the country for relatively little money and sell it on for much more. Such a scenario can be guessed from Murphy's letter, added the reporter, because it reads: “Enable public-private partnership and concessions and encourage private investments”. Ambassador of B&H in North Macedonia Dragan Jacimovic commented on the rules of diplomatic behavior and on the interference of foreign ambassadors in internal affairs of sovereign countries. Jacimovic stated: “The interference of representatives of foreign embassies, ambassadors, and representatives of the international community in the internal affairs of a sovereign country such as B&H is first of all undiplomatic, and therefore inadmissible. Imagine that I, as the ambassador to North Macedonia, interfered in the internal affairs of a sovereign state? I would be declared a persona non grata within 60 minutes. There are diplomatic rules everywhere in the world, but it seems they are least respected, that is, they are not respected in the countries of the Western Balkans, especially in B&H. It is time to say it is enough. We have our legally and legitimately elected representatives and they should think about the direction B&H is going, not some ambassadors, even if it is the American ambassador.”

 

Izetbegovic: Stronger influence of Islamic countries necessary in B&H to make balance (Dnevni avaz/Al Arabiya)

 

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic gave an interview for Al Arabiya and he called for stronger engagement of Islamic countries in B&H in order to overpower the West led by the USA, accusing this country of working in interest of Croats and Serbs. He said: “The West helps that issues are resolved by an agreement, compromise to our damage. For this reason, stronger influence of Islamic countries is necessary to make a balance. Islamic countries should stand with us more resolutely, to show more care.” He added that the current political situation is similar to the wartime one, when the West imposed embargo on weapons, due to which Bosniaks could not defend themselves. For the latest developments Izetbegovic accused the US Administration, which in his opinion patronizes the Serb side due to the war in Ukraine. He stressed: “The USA is on the first place, which wants to stabilize relations in the Balkans by favoring strong ones at the expense of smaller peoples. First of all, by making concessions to Serbia to distance it from Russia and Vladimir Putin.” He also said that the IC led by the USA and High Representatives Christian Schmidt interfered which resulted in formation of authority without his party, SDA. Izetbegovic explained: “They actually decided to remove from the authority the strongest Bosnian, Muslim party, to bring to power an alternative from the Bosniak corps, which will make concessions to the Serb and Croat sides, which have become aggressive.” Izetbegovic called on Islamic countries to protect Muslims in B&H from persecution and humiliation. Izetbegovic also spoke about the expulsion of SDA "which he inherited from his father". The SDA leader underlined that foreigners are very present in the country and that they take care of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, mentioning the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and the OHR, but he also accused "the Western countries of having united in order to remove SDA from authority." He pointed out that B&H would "difficultly function" without the international community, but he again accused them of interfering in the election process.

 

Dodik criticizes Izetbegovic’s interview for Al Arabiya and accuses SDA of being Islamic radical organization (RTRS)

 

SNSD leader Milorad Dodik reacted on Tuesday to the interview that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic gave to Arab television Al Arabiya. Dodik stated that SDA leader Izetbegovic once again tried to falsify history and deny the ethnic identity of Serbs and Croats in an insolent way, claiming that in the Middle Ages in the territory of B&H "no one declared himself a Serb or a Croat, but all were Bosnians or Bosniaks of different religions.” Dodik wrote on his social media: “This policy of the SDA has been clear to the Serb people for a long time, and Bakir's views further motivate us to gather more decisively and strongly around the RS and its institutions, because that is the only way we can preserve our identity and way of life as free people. Calling on the Muslim television Al Arabiya on Islamic countries to strengthen their presence in B&H, Bakir once again showed that he inherited not only the SDA from his father Alija (Izetbegovic), but also the political doctrine from the Islamic Declaration, according to which B&H should become a predominantly Muslim state based on Sharia law.” The SNSD leader adds that such attitudes clearly show that the SDA is an Islamic radical organization. He concluded: “Such positions clearly show that the SDA is an Islamic radical organization that is determined against the Dayton Peace Agreement, which guarantees the equality of the constituent nations. Their declarative support for B&H's European path is essentially a fraud and is buying time so that at some point the Muslims will become dominant in terms of numbers and politics”.

 

Konakovic: Izetbegovic’s anti-American and anti-European agenda is very dangerous (Dnevni avaz)

 

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic gave an interview for global Arab-language TV channel Al Arabiya and called for stronger engagement of Islamic countries in B&H. He also accused the West of serving the interests of Serbs and Croats in B&H. Reacting to Izetbegovic’s statements, B&H Foreign Affairs Minister Elmedin Konakovic stated that Izetbegovic’s “anti-American and anti-European agenda” is very dangerous. He underlined that B&H has already paved its road to NATO and EU, and Izetbegovic is now walking back on that orientation. Konakovic said that he often communicates with statesman from the Arab world who understand and support B&H’s European path. In his opinion, Izetbegovic is making such statements because he lost all power and because he puts the interests of his party first. Konakovic emphasized that such actions are harmful for B&H. He argued that B&H is a true bridge between the East and the West, and underlined that all B&H’s friends in the East understand this. He also noted that Izetbegovic’s radicalism suits the radicalism of the other side, i.e. of RS President Milorad Dodik. “We are a European people. We are very aware of our tradition, culture and religion, but our religion teaches us that all issues related to the state should be more important to us than party-related issues. Everything Izetbegovic does is favorable for every kind of radicalism in B&H. I am really no longer surprised by this coming from him”, said Konakovic.

 

Pendes: ECHR’s judgment in ‘Kovacevic’ case is frivolous (Dnevni list)

 

Commenting on the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) judgment in the ‘Kovacevic’ case and speaking whether the judgment endangers the legitimate representation, which her party advocates, delegate in the B&H House of Peoples Marina Pendes (HDZ B&H) said that the legitimate representation, “when we are talking about the Presidency of B&H and the Houses of Peoples, has been clearly defined, they are representatives of peoples”. Commenting claim of the appellant Slaven Kovacevic, who said the judgment is his victory against Christian Schmidt, that the OHR has been disgraced and that the concept of legitimate representation has been taken down, Pendes expressed doubts that Kovacevic is a legal expert. Pendes further noted that HDZ B&H will certainly take a stand and work in line with its program. Asked to comment on a part of the judgment, which reads that the ECHR has determined that the current political system in B&H gives priority to ethnic representation, which strengthens ethnic divisions in the country, Pendes said the explanation is widely positioned and, in her opinion, frivolous. Asked if it is tendentious to say that the (ECHR) judges did not know how to write the judgment, Pendes said that having in mind who B&H sent as representative (to the ECHR), it is certain the person in question lobbied for the judgment. “But, never mind, we shall replace the one who works in interest of one political option only”, added Pendes.

 

Dodik: Without Hungary there would be no sound voice in EU (Glas Srpske/Mandiner)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik said that Hungary respects the right of the peoples in the Balkans to make decisions in their own countries, and without it in the region, there would be no sound voice in the entire EU. Dodik told the Hungarian web portal Mandiner that he believes that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a great leader in Hungary and a representative of common sense in today's world, which the American administration is trying to shape according to its own rules. "Hungary protects its own sovereignty within the EU, NATO and other international organizations and tries to preserve its values, traditions and identity. This is very important because we are not only talking about the identity of the country, but also of the people. If we take away a people’s values, traditions and identity, it is as if we have canceled its entire history", emphasized Dodik. Dodik pointed out that, under Orban, Hungary pursues a policy of equal cooperation, not domination.

 

Montenegro flag first time in Kosovo government (CdM)

 

Since Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, for the first time in 15 years, in one cabinet of the government of Kosovo, the national flag of Montenegro was placed in addition to the Kosovo flag. “The Montenegrin flag is located in the cabinet of the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Lazar Radulovic”, according to the announcement of the Perper Association of Montenegrins. Radulovic points out that this is the result of the enormous work of the Montenegrin community in the Republic of Kosovo with the great support of the state institutions of Montenegro.

 

Abazovic expects a “grand finale” of arrests in Montenegro, he claims there is nothing spectacular in report on Joanikije’s enthronement (CdM)

 

Caretaker PM Dritan Abazovic stated that there was nothing spectacular in the Report on the results of the security sector actions during the enthronement of Metropolitan Joanikije on 5 September 2021 in Cetinje. However, he did not answer why the document was never declassified. He pointed out that the event, with a huge security risk, took place in such a way that there were no victims, and that after that there was a reduction in tensions that now someone wants to collapse, and that they want to return to power through organized crime. He welcomed this morning’s arrest by order of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, when 6 people were arrested on suspicion of having committed the criminal offense of creating a criminal organization and the extended criminal offense of human trafficking, in relation to a larger number of injured Turkish citizens. Abazovic expects the continuation of similar actions. “Absolutely, I expect us to enter the grand finale”, said Abazovic. When asked if the United States of America responded to the invitation to help in the investigation of the murder of the editor-in-chief Dan Dusko Jovanovic, PM Abazovic answered in the affirmative. “In this way, we have internationalized the problem, accepted that our authorities made big mistakes in the previous period”, said Abazovic. He believes that his predecessors deliberately did not want to find Dusko Jovanovic’s murderers. “I claim that the solution to the case of Dusko Jovanovic would open a window for many criminal acts that happened after that murder”, stressed Abazovic.

 

Kallas: After NATO, we would also like to welcome North Macedonia in EU (MIA)

 

Following her bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Tuesday, the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, voiced firm support for North Macedonia’s Euro-integration process. “It is my great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Kovachevski in Estonia for his first ever visit here. North Macedonia and Estonia are good friends and like-minded partners in NATO, and we also would like to welcome North Macedonia in the European Union. We are great supporters of North Macedonia and hope that you can make the last steps needed to start the process for joining the European Union,” said the Estonian Prime Minister. Kallas also voiced gratitude over the support that North Macedonia has given to Ukraine, so that, she said, they can win this war.

 

Kovachevski: N. Macedonia and Estonia are NATO allies, European path a common goal and commitment (MIA)

 

In a statement after his bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, within the frameworks of the Tallinn Digital Summit 2023, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski highlighted the importance of the digital transformation on the country’s path to the EU, as well as other topics discussed during his visit to Estonia. According to a government press release, Kovachevski said at the Summit they spoke about the country’s development in the field of telecommunication networks and digitization. “North Macedonia is one of the countries in the Balkans and in Southeast Europe which possesses one of the most developed telecommunication networks, which is completely digitized, and a country which has the largest 5G coverage at the moment. This is an excellent foundation for the development of digital tools, as well as for the development of numerous government services which will be digitized and which we are working on through the plan being implemented by the government of North Macedonia,” said Kovachevski. The Prime Minister also held a meeting with the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, during which, according to the PM, they highlighted the “excellent cooperation since North Macedonia’s independence.” “Additionally, she highlighted the fact that our experts, engineers in the field of telecommunications, and IT technologies are highly valued by the International Telecommunication Union, and we also spoke about increasing and deepening our cooperation in terms of solutions that could speed up the digitization of our public services,” added Kovachevski. Kovachevski assessed his meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as friendly and said Estonia is one of the country’s biggest friends, especially in terms of support for EU enlargement. “We spoke about bilateral, but also about multilateral issues because we are both NATO members. We spoke about the support that both of us provide to Ukraine in their fight for democracy and territorial integrity, following Russia’s unjustified invasion. We also spoke about our cooperation in terms of North Macedonia’s digitization, considering the fact that Estonia is one of the most developed countries when it comes to digitization. This refers to a large number of projects being led in our country, as well as those that will follow, especially the introduction of an electronic ID for the citizens of North Macedonia, a project which has already been launched through an action plan at the Interior Ministry and other appropriate institutions in the country,” said Kovachevski. Kovachevski noted that North Macedonia is in the accession phase for the Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence located in Estonia. “Fairly soon we will see North Macedonia, i.e., the experts from our country that will be present when it comes to the promotion of the cybersecurity of our institutions. I would like to thank the hosts for the warm welcome and for the great support we have from Estonia, their Government, in terms of North Macedonia’s EU accession, as well as in terms of adopting decisions that we need to adopt for this process,” said Kovachevski.

 

Aliu: Estonia’s support for North Macedonia’s EU path – important sign of solidarity and cooperation (MIA)

 

Estonia’s support for North Macedonia on its path to the EU is an important sign of solidarity and cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans and the other European states, said Minister of Information Society and Administration, Azir Aliu, who is on official visit to Estonia, as part of the Tallinn Digital Summit. According to a press release from the Ministry of Information Society and Administration, Aliu, alongside Prime Minister Kovachevski, met with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas. Minister Aliu stated that Estonia continues to support North Macedonia when it comes to its EU membership. “With Prime Minister Kallas we spoke about the very good relations, the promotion of cooperation in various fields, with a special emphasis on digital governance and the positions of the two governments in relation to the development and security of the European continent. Estonia’s support for North Macedonia on its path to the European Union is an important sign of solidarity and cooperation between the countries of the Western Balkans and the other European states. This support is very important for our country’s Euro-integration process,” said Aliu.

 

Osmani: Very soon there will be broader public support for constitutional changes, elections to be regular (MIA)

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani said Tuesday that he believes the citizens’ support for the constitutional amendments is growing, and that there is no real concern among them.

“The citizens were held hostage to the most inhumane campaign against them. With lies that they would lose their identity, that they would be ‘Bulgarized’. It was very important to launch a complete debate over what the constitutional amendments are. I think that as the debate is coming to an end, the people are more relaxed over the process. You can see there are no reactions. There were no protests during the session of parliament. If there was real concern, then the people would’ve come out and protested, as they did yesterday. Which means that the entire opposition [to the amendments] have a political background for the next parliamentary elections. Frustrations and dissatisfaction exist, but I think as the debate moves alone and as the processes are being explained, the citizens are more relaxed, and I think that very soon we will reach a point when there will be a broader support [for the amendments],” said Osmani in Tetovo, where the first OSCE Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Conference was held on Tuesday. In answer to media questions, Osmani stressed that the next parliamentary elections will be regular, adding that this is a closed issue. “Until the very last day of this parliamentary composition we will continue with the efforts for the constitutional amendments. I think the goal of the opposition is to keep this topic open, to not close it due to the elections, because they want to use it as a main topic in the election campaign – the emotions over the dispute with Bulgaria. Because without this topic, you would have to come out with an election manifesto, with an economic, social, education program,” said Osmani. Asked if the Bulgarian Foreign Minister’s statement that they would block the U.S. Senate’s draft resolution designating a Macedonian American heritage month is a “good-neighborly act”, Osmani assessed that the Macedonian diplomacy is focusing on its work. “Our diplomacy is doing its work. We are active in all fields in order to promote Macedonian culture and the bilateral relations with all countries in the world. The resolution in the German Bundestag was a product of one such proactive diplomatic activity. As I said, we’ve been working with several other countries, in order to have a kind of ‘chain reaction’ of countries when it comes to strengthening all those cultural relations as well,” stressed Osmani.

 

Xhaferi: Session on constitutional changes to resume conditions permitting (MIA)

 

The option of 20 MPs asking to schedule a new session does not obligate the parliament speaker to schedule the session, said speaker Talat Xhaferi regarding VMRO-DPMNE's request for resumption of the session on the constitutional changes. "Regarding the request to schedule a session that has been interrupted, I think your ground is not appropriate. You can ask that a new session is scheduled but it does not result in an obligation to schedule such a session. Twenty MPs can ask for the scheduling of a session. The speaker can schedule a session but it does not mean he must do it," said Xhaferi. He added that the session resumption is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the parliament speaker. "Article 81, Paragraph 5 clearly states that the continuation of a session is in the exclusive jurisdiction of the parliament speaker, as is the case with many other sessions, which cannot continue due to inactivity of certain committees," said Xhaferi. The speaker noted that the session on the constitutional changes would continue, conditions permitting. Xhaferi adjourned the session on 18 August after exhausting the list of speakers, saying its resumption would be scheduled at a later date.

 

Rama announces government reshuffle (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama, during the assembly of the Socialist Party, announced some changes in the government. Thus, the new Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs is appointed Ilgi Hasani, replacing Olta Xhacka in this position. Meanwhile, Ogerta Manastriliu leaves the Ministry of Health, taking the leadership of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Meanwhile, Albana Kociu is appointed to the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Evin Mete has been appointed to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, replacing Delina Ibrahimaj, who takes over as Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate. This position was previously entrusted to Edona Bilali. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is entrusted to Anila Denaj, while Frida Krifca leaves the position. Rama has also announced the creation of the Minister for Local Government by appointing Arbian Mazniku.