LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Immediate danger of sanctions over events in Benjska averted (TV Happy/Beta)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said yesterday that an “immediate danger” of imposing sanctions against Serbia following accusations that Belgrade had been behind a shootout between a group of armed Serbs in uniforms and the Kosovo Police near the Banjska monastery on 24 September, had been averted, but that the “battle continues”. Brnabic said in an interview with TV Happy that “the immediate danger” had been averted thanks to President Aleksandar Vucic’s efforts during last week’s informal conference of the EU leaders in Granada, but that the struggle continued in that regard. The prime minister also said that the authorities in Pristina were attacking the Serbian president’s family, referring to a comment by the Kosovo interior minister Xhelal Svecla, that an ID document belonging to one of the Serb attackers in Banjska, found at the shooting scene, identified the attacker as a close ally to Danilo Vucic, the Serbian president’s son. “The Vucic family bothers them. Not the Dveri movement, or the Oath Keepers, or the New Democratic Party of Serbia. They are attacking Aleksandar Vucic, Danilo and Andrej. That makes it clear that Aleksandar Vucic and his family trouble them, because they are fighting for an independent, safe Serbia,” Brnabic said in the televised interview.

 

Serbia shows dedication to implementation of ODIHR recommendations for improving electoral environment (Politika/Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic sent a letter yesterday to Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Matteo Mecacci, asking him to consider sending a needs assessment mission, as well as to establish a team of experts that would work with the government and all other actors on the assessment of the pre-electoral environment and on the preparations for the elections. Brnabic underlined in the letter that the cooperation to date between the Republic of Serbia and the ODIHR was characterised by a strong commitment to democratic values, transparency and the rule of law. She added that through this cooperation, Serbia showed its dedication to the implementation of ODIHR recommendations, improvement of the legislative framework and the entire electoral environment. Emphasising that the Serbian government highly values the expertise and guidelines of this international organisation, she pointed out that ODIHR played a key role in fostering an atmosphere of trust and credibility surrounding the previous elections in Serbia.

 

Full support of Iraq to preserving sovereignty, territorial integrity of Serbia (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic talked today with speaker of the parliament of the Republic of Iraq Mohammed El-Halbousi about bilateral relations and the improvement of cooperation with this country. Brnabic pointed out that our countries are bound by a long tradition of sincere friendship, as evidenced by the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, which Serbia and Iraq are marking this year. She added that Serbia is committed to improving cooperation with Iraq in the following period as well in the fields of the economy, agriculture, health and education, as well as in numerous other issues of mutual importance for our peoples. Brnabic said that Serbia, like Iraq, is clearly determined to respect the principles of international law, and at the same time thanked Iraq for its consistent and principled position and support in preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country. The speaker of the parliament of Iraq underlined that the two countries have great potential for cooperation and invited Serbia and Serbian companies to participate in joint project cooperation and do business on the Iraqi market. He highlighted Iraq's clear and principled position on the issue of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of so-called Kosovo and expressed full support for preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia.

 

Vucic met with the President of the Iraqi parliament: I thanked the Republic of Iraq (Tanjug/RTV/B92)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today with the speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq Mohammed Rikan Hadeed El-Halbousi. "I am glad that I had the opportunity to welcome Mohammed El-Halbousi, with whom I discussed the further improvement of bilateral cooperation between Serbia and Iraq, as well as the current situation in the Western Balkans and the Middle East, and the necessity of dialogue in the context of solving all open issues. I thanked the friendly Republic of Iraq for its consistent and principled position on non-recognition of the so-called unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and expressed our determination to, in the coming period, continue to develop versatile and mutually beneficial cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally," Vucic wrote on Instagram.

 

Parliaments of Serbia, Iraq sign MoU (Politika/Tanjug)

 

Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic and his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed El-Halbousi, who is on an official visit to Serbia, signed a MoU between the two parliaments. During a meeting, the parties agreed that the MoU would raise interparliamentary cooperation to a new level and, at the same time, strengthen the foundations of further development and advancement of overall relations. Orlic noted that El-Halbousi's visit was taking place in a year when Serbia and Iraq marked the 65th anniversary of their bilateral relations and that it was a historic one, being the first by an Iraqi parliament speaker in 24 years. In a substantial and open discussion, the parties expressed their commitment to the principles of international law. El-Halbousi noted that Iraq remained committed to its support to the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Serbia, and Orlic thanked him for the position. Orlic informed Al-Halbousi in detail of the extremely grave situation in Kosovo and Metohija and Albin Kurti's open terror against the Serbs, as well as of Kurti's attempts to lead to open escalation on a daily basis and to permanently destroy peace and dialogue. "Serbia remains committed to preservation of peace, stability and dialogue as the only right way to achieve a sustainable solution and, at the same time, to its own development, progress and cooperation with friends and partners from around the world, among which Iraq has its important place," Orlic said. "That is our firm commitment and one of the basic principles of the state policy led in Serbia by President Aleksandar Vucic," an official statement quoted Orlic as saying.

 

Dacic: Issue of forced displacement requires global solution, joint action (Politika/Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in Geneva yesterday that Serbia will continue to provide a constructive contribution to a comprehensive approach to finding lasting solutions, prevention and providing assistance and protection to persons in displacement, through the joint action of the UN and interested countries. Dacic said 210,284 people - mostly Serbs, but also other non-Albanians like Roma, Ashkali and Gorani - had been forced to leave their homes in Kosovo and Metohija due to ethnic hatred. Speaking at the 74th session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Programme, Dacic said that Serbia unfortunately has direct experience with the sufferings of forcibly displaced persons. He added that our country is especially grateful to the UNHCR for its help in implementing the Regional Housing Programme, which provided permanent housing solutions for refugees and people who were displaced due to the conflict on the territory of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. The implementation of this Programme ended in June of this year. Thanks to the Regional Housing Programme, the housing needs of 7,495 of the most vulnerable refugee families in the Republic of Serbia have been resolved, emphasised Dacic. He pointed out that, according to UNHCR data on Voluntary Non-Majority Returns, 12,707 internally displaced persons returned to Kosovo and Metohija and that due to numerous obstacles, including threats and violence, the sustainable return is even lower and is estimated at under 2 percent. He emphasised that, in the spirit of solidarity and humanity, Serbia is committed to providing care for people who have left their homes, faced with security threats, and who are moving in the direction of European countries on the so-called "Balkan route". Currently, close to 2,300 people are housed in reception centres and centres for asylum seekers, who are provided with all their needs, said Dacic and added that since the outbreak of the refugee crisis in Ukraine, Serbia has been actively involved in providing adequate protection and assistance to refugee Ukrainian citizens.

 

Petkovic: Serbia did not take part in recent tragic events in Banjska (Politika/Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and Negotiator of Belgrade in the dialogue with Pristina Petar Petkovic held a working meeting in Brussels yesterday for ambassadors, representatives of EU member states, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, where he informed them in detail about the current political and security situation in Kosovo and Metohija, with special reference to the course of the dialogue and the latest tragic events in Banjska. During a presentation and open discussion that lasted for two and a half hours, Petkovic told the diplomats present that Belgrade is doing everything to preserve peace and stability and that Serbia in no way wanted or took part in the recent tragic events in Banjska. He underlined that an objective and unbiased investigation into these events is necessary, given that Pristina is trying to label Serbia as the culprit with numerous pieces of disinformation and untruths. During the presentation, Belgrade denied Pristina’s lies with numerous documents, photos and videos and presented evidence that clearly shows that Pristina is the root of all problems. The delegation of Serbia reminded the interlocutors using valid arguments of numerous incidents and attacks by Pristina that are exclusively targeted against the Serbs, underlining that the only culprit for the unbearable situation that resulted in the events of 24 September is Albin Kurti who, with his policy of terror and institutional violence against the Serb people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, led to the tragic events. Petkovic reiterated the request that KFOR take over the role of protection of Serbs in the north of Kosovo and Metohija in its entirety and replace the so-called “Kosovo police”, which the Serbian people perceive exclusively as an occupying force. The only way forward is through the immediate de-escalation and withdrawal of the “Kosovo police” from the north of Kosovo and Metohija, as well as through the continuation of the dialogue and concrete steps on the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, Petkovic stated.

 

Jovanovic in Strasbourg: Kurti’s regime conducting ethnic cleansing campaign in Kosovo (Beta)

 

People's Party whip Stefan Jovanovic said at Monday’s session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg that the "extremist regime of Albin Kurti was quietly conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign against Serbs" in Kosovo and Metohija, intentionally ignoring calls by the international community to deescalate. "The exodus of 11 percent of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija over the last two years alone clearly shows Pristina's intentions, which include ethnic cleansing, ceaseless terrorizing and displaying intense ethnic hatred," Jovanovic's party quoted him as saying. Jovanovic said the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija was exposed to unrelenting threats from the interim authorities in Pristina, which used conventional and unconventional methods of ethnic violence, continually pressuring Serbs to leave Kosovo and Metohija. "The so-called Kosovo police resorted to violence against Serbs 62 times over the last year. Pristina has committed 22 acts that led to escalation in northern Kosovo and Metohija and over 30 unauthorized raids by 'special police forces' over the last two years. Furthermore, 56 ethnically motivated attacks have been committed against Serbs," Jovanovic said. He called on PACE to reject attempts by the interim government in Pristina to make self-proclaimed Kosovo a part of CoE.

 

Serbia supports basic principles of UNESCO (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Jelena Begovic addressed yesterday the plenary debate of the 217th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which was chaired for the last time by the Ambassador of the Permanent Delegation of Serbia to that organization, Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili. Begovic stressed that Serbia recognises the importance of the programme activities of this organization, as well as the Mid-Term Strategy for the period 2022-2029. According to her, the mission and values underlying UNESCO's work, promoting multilateralism, dialogue and consensus, must remain at the centre of joint efforts. The Minister also pointed out that Serbia is among the few countries that have introduced gender-responsive budgeting into their legal framework and that innovative thinking and investment in young people and women are at the centre of our national priorities. Our National Youth Strategy (2015-2025) aims to improve youth participation in various spheres, including employment and support for young migrants, she said. Begovic recalled that in 2021 the Law on Gender Equality was adopted, harmonised with EU standards, together with the Strategy for Gender Equality for the period 2021-2030, stressing that Serbia's goal is to overcome the gender gap in the areas of the economy, science and education by 2030. The Minister also pointed to Serbia's unwavering commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through science, innovation and technology, adding that this is confirmed by the adopted strategies for smart specialisation and for artificial intelligence, as well as the ambitious project to build the BIO4 campus, which will start operating in 2024. According to her, Serbia actively supports freedom of expression, access to information, safety of journalists, media and information literacy, as well as the Global Media Defence Fund, managed by UNESCO.

 

Support of Serbia to European integration of Ukraine (RTV/Tanjug/Beta)

 

Serbian Minister for EU Integration Tanja Miscevic met yesterday with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebyinis, who is on an official visit to our country.

Miscevic informed her interlocutor about the process of European integration and the reforms that Serbia has been implementing for many years, as well as about the biggest challenges that it faces on that path. Given that Ukraine received the status of a candidate for EU membership last year, the Minister expressed her willingness to share our knowledge and experience with Ukrainian colleagues in order to help them and support them in the process of European integration. Perebyinis assessed that this proposal is extremely useful and emphasised that he would be pleased if the representatives of the Ministry of European Integration visited Kyiv, in order to continue discussions on this topic.

 

Jovanovic: Unified ticket impossible (Nova/Beta)

 

In the upcoming elections, it would be best for the opposition – including right-wing parties like the Dveri Movement and the Oath Keepers – to run on a single ticket, but that is simply not possible at this time, Ecological Uprising Leader Aleksandar ‘Cuta’ Jovanovic said on Monday. Speaking for Nova about the opposition bloc behind the Serbia Against Violence rallies, Jovanovic said that several polls are under way to determine whether it is best for the parties to enter the elections on one or more tickets. “I’m in favor of everyone [in the opposition] uniting, but that’s impossible. Who could possibly unite Bosko Obradovic, Oath Keeper Milica, Radomir Lazovic and Marinika Tepic? As for the signatories of the Pact for Victory, I am in favor of a single ticket, but it’s not just up to me,” Jovanovic explained, referencing the agreement recently signed by the Serbia Against Violence opposition. Asked whether he expects the snap elections to take place in December, the politician said he would not be surprised if they did not. “The fact that 70 municipal heads and mayors have already resigned just shows what kind of human resources we’re dealing with. They’re slaves button-operated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. But [their resignations] only go to show that those municipalities and cities can function without their presidents and mayors,” Jovanovic concluded.

 

Dveri, Oath Keepers negotiation unification with similar organizations (Beta)

 

The leaders of the Dveri movement and the Oath Keepers party said that talks were underway with political groups of similar political orientation to facilitate their development and unification, leading to a victory in the next elections. The Dveri leader Bosko Obradovic said during a conference within the “Great National Assembly” that the unification was an alternative not only to the current authorities, but also to the idea of a return to the former regime. “We are negotiating the further development of national assembly not only with the People’s Party, but also with all parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties, patriotic associations and public figures. It’s a winning political idea,” Obradovic said during the conference. The president of the Oath Keepers Milica Djurdjevic Stamenkovski said that the unification talks were underway, but that they were yet to reach the stage allowing for a debate on an election format. “All the promoters of national assembly have highlighted repeatedly the arguments supporting the assembly of all statehood consolidation forces. If our peers in the NADA coalition have different arguments, we will certainly listen to them, but statehood consolidation forces should by all means run together,” she said.

 

Djukic: No sanctions against Serbia, the West needs Vucic because of Kosovo (Beta)

 

A former Serbian diplomat Srecko Djukic said yesterday that the EU would not impose sanctions against Serbia, because, as he put it, the West needed President Aleksandar Vucic because of Kosovo. Djukic said to a Beta journalist that the EU and the United States expected Vucic to meet all the obligations provided by the Ohrid agreement he had accepted, to recognize all Kosovo documents in the coming months, accept the opening of Serbian and Kosovo diplomatic offices in Belgrade and Pristina, and to suspend efforts to block Kosovo’s moves to join international organizations, including the United Nations. “Everyone knows what happened in Banjska, but at this point, it is more important for the West to see that the Serbian president has revisited the agenda set by the Ohrid agreement, than to have a detailed investigation into the recent tragic events in the north of Kosovo, and hold to account everyone who had been involved in, and organized the attack,” Djukic explained. According to the diplomat, it is a priority for the West to identify a way out of the crisis created in the wake of the Banjska attack. “It is possible that some measures might be imposed against Serbia, but they will not be very tough. The West wants to bring the Kosovo issue to an end with Vucic. The EU might decide to stop Serbia’s accession to the Union, but the process has been halted for two or three years already, as not a single cluster has been opened. If the EU decides to suspend funding to Serbia, that would be a problem,” Djukic explained.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Court of B&H rejects complaints of Dodik’s attorney on confirmed indictment filed against him (Dnevni avaz/FTV)

 

The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) rejected all complaints of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik’s attorney on the confirmed indictment filed against him. The Prosecutor’s Office of B&H has accused Dodik and Acting Director of the Official Gazette of the RS Milos Lukic of non-compliance with the decisions of the High Representative Christian Schmidt. Dodik’s attorney said that there is no criminal offense in this case because “Christian Schmidt is illegal”. FTV noted that rejecting all the complaints by the Court of B&H means that a court process against Dodik is supposed to start.

 

Cvijanovic: Dodik is target of political persecution; Judiciary is in function of political calculation (Srna/RTRS)

 

The Court of B&H rejected all objections of Milorad Dodik’s lawyer to the confirmed indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of B&H. Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic stated that Dodik is a target of political persecution because, as any real democrat in the world would do, he disputes the possibility that some unelected foreigner imposes the will of his sponsors by denying the democratically elected state bodies. When asked by Srna to comment on Sarajevo media writing that the Court of B&H rejected all objections of Dodik’s lawyer, Cvijanovic replied that she stands by what she said earlier that it is a political persecution, where foreigners, using the domestic judicial system, are trying to settle scores with RS. “If what the Sarajevo media write is true, how is it possible that for the umpteenth time, information from the judicial system is first delivered to them, and only then officially published. This testifies of the tabloid character of the B&H judiciary, which has long since been put into the function of political calculation, rather than strengthening and affirming the rule of law”, Cvijanovic emphasized.

 

B&H Ministry of Security: Checks on status of Schmidt and his security detail are still ongoing (Glas Srpske)

 

B&H Security Ministry told the daily that relevant institutions are still checking all information on status of (High Representative) Christian Schmidt and his security detail in B&H. The Ministry stated that as soon as all relevant information is collected, the public will be informed. The daily reminds that Security Minister Nenad Nesic announced in September that he has requested information on Schmidt from all relevant police agencies and other institutions which are to be provided within ten days. Nesic argued at that occasion that since there is no valid UN Security Council resolution appointing Schmidt as High Representative, the legitimacy of his stay in B&H is questionable. He also asked relevant institutions to explain on which grounds are members of Schmidt’s security detail carrying weapons in B&H.

 

Islamic Community supports Becirovic and Komsic’s initiative regarding state property (Dnevni avaz/MINA)

 

The Islamic Community (IZ) in B&H supports initiative of members of the B&H Presidency of B&H Denis Becirovic and Zeljko Komsic that the issue of state property is finally resolved by adoption of the state level law. Namely, Director of the IZ’s Administration for Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Muhamed Jusic told MINA the IZ interested in resolving this issue that burdens relations in the society and country in a way that state property is used to the benefit of all citizens of B&H. Jusic said it is unacceptable that out of all former Yugoslav republics, only B&H is yet to resolve the issue of restitution of property of religious communities and other owners who lost their property. Meanwhile, Radovan Kovacevic, a delegate of the Serb Caucus in the B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP), said that the Islamic Community in B&H should, with due respect, finally stop interfering in politics. According to him, the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution of B&H have explicitly determined what belongs to B&H, and property is definitely not that.

 

Komsic: Since beginning of his mandate HR Schmidt has been doing everything to strengthen Zagreb’s position in B&H; Schmidt only complicates things in B&H with his behaviour and decisions (Klix.ba/BHRT)

 

Member of the B&H Presidency and DF leader Zeljko Komsic was the guest of a morning show of BHRT on Monday, on which occasion he commented the most recent development of events at the global and domestic political scene. Speaking about the war in Israel, Komsic said that “one cannot take a look at the situation without saying that the struggle of the Palestinian people for their state has been underway for decades without any results. I am afraid this is just the beginning of a greater conflict in which civilians will be collateral damage, on both sides”. Komsic wondered what inspired Hamas to launch attacks and added: “Those are desperate people, and they see this type of attack and terrorizing of civilians as a way out. Unfortunately, innocent people will pay the highest price”. As for differences in stances of B&H officials regarding this conflict, Komsic said that the main reason for this lies in the fact that foreign policy is mixing up with internal policy. Speaking about the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in ‘Kovacevic’ case and complaint filed by B&H agents before the ECHR, Komsic reminded that the agents’ mandates have expired. Komsic said that he does not think the complaint stands any chance of success and argued: “Once you read the ruling, then you realize that there are no grounds for a complaint. It seems as if the agents relied on dissenting opinion of one of the judges”. Speaking about the Proposal Law on State Property, which he and Bosniak member of B&H Presidency Denis Becirovic recently delivered to the parliamentary procedure, Komsic said that he does not think it will pass the parliamentary procedure because MPs from the RS will not support it. “However, this law is important so that everyone knows that we have some kind of a platform, some kind of a stance on the state property. There is nothing disputable in this law, unless RS finds the term state property disputable”, Komsic said and added that the Proposal Law is not opposite to the Dayton Peace Agreement. As for the recent events in Kosovo, Komsic said that the situation is much more different in comparison to 1990s: “There is no such power like JNA (Yugoslav People’s Army). For the sake of the truth, both Serbia and Croatia are arming themselves, the question of Serbia remains open, but I think everyone in Serbia is aware of the fact that any kind of a war would be devastating. I think (Serbian President Aleksandar) Vucic knows this too”. Komsic told BHRT that High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt has been doing everything since start of his mandate to strengthen Zagreb’s position in B&H, and that Schmidt only complicates things in BiH with his behaviour and decisions. “I do not contest his legality and legitimacy, but he does nonsense things, complicates issues in B&H, makes them more difficult than before his arrival”, said Komsic.

 

Dodik, Cvijanovic were only B&H politicians that attended congress of Erdogan’s party in Ankara (N1)

 

All politicians from B&H were invited to the Congress of the AK Party (AKP) in Ankara. However, only RS President Milorad Dodik and B&H Presidency member Zeljka Cvijanovic attended the event. It is peculiar that only these two politicians went to the event organized by a party of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. N1 investigated why no other politicians were able to attend it. Dodik said that he gladly responded to Erdogan’s invitation. He explained that Turkey does not interfere in relations in B&H, but that he knows whose side Erdogan would be on if there was an escalation. “You know that earlier when there was Minister (former Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet) Davutoglu, who interfered in internal affairs here, we had a clear position on Turkey, we did not give it reasons for cooperation. And then when Erdogan came and said that B&H can survive with the cooperation of the three peoples, that the three peoples cooperate, he gained some sympathy, I heard the same thing yesterday”, Dodik told members of the press. What was quite noticeable is that SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic did not attend AK Party Congress in Ankara. The explanation was that he had previously scheduled obligations. Those SDA members that did travel to Ankara say there are no issues between SDA and AK Party. “The relationship between SDA and AKP has been sisterly for many years. I see no reason why all the journalists ask me why not Mister Bakir Izetbegovic, why you. Only I, i.e. SDA, attended the congress. None of the parties from the Federation of B&H (FB&H), nor the leaders, attended the congress, although as far as I know, they received an invitation”, said SDA member Jasmina Biscevic Tokic in a telephone statement. All members of the B&H Presidency were invited, but only Zeljka Cvijanovic travelled to Turkey. Denis Becirovic's cabinet briefly told N1 that “the invitation arrived at the cabinet very late”. Chairman of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic explained everything in more detail. “We were all invited, the entire Presidency was invited. I was in Granada, I could not go. As far as I know, he also invited Izetbegovic. I heard from Izetbegovic, it was strange to me why he did not go. He told me he had something earlier planned for that day”, Komsic said. Asked if Izetbegovic’s excuse is valid, Komsic said: “I do not care, that is their business”. Analysts believe that the official Belgrade influenced the improvement of the relationship between Milorad Dodik and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The relationship with Bakir Izetbegovic was always close, but it is still strange that he did not go to Ankara, concludes political analyst Ivana Maric.

 

Covic meets Croatian Minister Medved, talk about cooperation, need that B&H opens accession negotiations by end of year (Vecernji list)

 

HDZ B&H President Dragan Covic and his associates met with Deputy President of HDZ of Croatia and Croatian Minister for Veterans Issues Tomo Medved and his associates in Zagreb on Monday. They discussed the current situation in B&H and Croatia, relations, projects and cooperation. Covic stressed that HDZ B&H held a meeting last week, which gathered officials from the state, entity and cantonal levels, arguing that the aim of HDZ B&H and its partners is to convincingly win in the local elections. The meeting also discussed the European path of B&H and the need that B&H opens the accession negotiations with the EU by end of this year. Covic thanked the Croatian Government, HDZ of Croatia and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, stressing that their support is precious for Croats in B&H and the European B&H.

 

Meeting of PES parliamentary club ended, Spajic: We’re going to form govt; Abazovic still waiting for Spajic’s call (CdM)

 

Meeting of the Europe Now parliamentary club on the formation of the 44th government has ended last night. It was held at the PES premises, started at around 5 pm and ended before 6 pm. Ahead of the meeting, PM-designate Milojko Spajic told reporters that they were going to form the government. The PM-designate didn’t prove more information. Meanwhile, Caretaker PM Dritan Abazovic has said that his party has not yet received any official invitation from Spajic for a new round of government negotiations. “We have not received any official invitation, nor do we insist on it. We have never shied away from dialogue with anyone, but that does not mean that we will come to an agreement… Our position is clear. The cake can be defrosted and delivered at any time”, says Abazovic, answering questions from journalists. When asked if there is something that URA will not give up in the negotiations, Abazovic says that he would not prejudge before the invitation.

 

Venice Commission: Government shouldn’t have over 15 ministries (RTCG)

 

The Venice Commission (VK) supported the solution from the new Law on the government of Montenegro that the number of ministries should be limited to 15 and that seven of them cannot be merged with other departments. They also agree that the outgoing government can’t propose laws. The commission published its opinion on the government law on its website earlier today. They agree that seven basic ministries should be set up and that they cannot be merged with other ministries, primarily justice, defense, internal affairs, finance, foreign affairs, health and public administration. The draft law was prepared by the outgoing government whose tenure ceased after a vote of no confidence in August 2022. The general election was held on 11 June 2023, the VK noticed. The VK basically welcomes the initiative for the development of the government law. According to them, by defining the manner of forming government, its tenure, way of work, decision-making and the relations with other state bodies, its legal security and transparency may boost. They reiterate that when it comes to the composition and structure of the government, flexibility has been the rule, while imposing limitations an exception.

 

Xhaferi says would schedule meeting on dates for the presidential and parliamentary elections only if party leaders agreed on it (MIA)

 

Parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi told MIA on Monday he would schedule a meeting focused on dates for the presidential and parliamentary elections only if party leaders agreed to this, adding that such discussions should finish by the end of the year, since anything after would concern only procedures regarding regular elections. "First and foremost, it is not whether the parliament speaker would schedule a leaders' meeting. I think it would be more appropriate to ask the party leaders if they would respond to a possible invitation. In this regard, there is no problem on my part," says Xhaferi. He adds that deadlines for the regular election slots are clearly prescribed in the Constitution and the legislation, "but there is still room for agreement until the end of the year".

 

Marichikj: EU membership through joint efforts by 2030, national development goals implemented as well (MIA)

 

Based on the screening report on Cluster 1: Fundamentals, institutions should work on creating roadmaps for the rule of law, public administration reforms and the functioning of democratic institutions, with the first two being a formal prerequisite for opening the cluster. Working groups have been created on an institutional level, they have the first drafts and are in intense discussions with Brussels. They will also include recommendations and instructions that will come with the peer review mission of the Judicial Council, and finally all this will have to find a place into the new National Development Strategy, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj told a public debate on governance in the function of citizens within the framework of the Committee on European Affairs on Monday. "The rule of law is a key assumption for the development and functioning of the economy, therefore we are obliged to pay more attention, take serious precautions, so that in the medium and long term we can establish a system according to these guidelines, where we will not need additional mechanisms for observation of our judiciary system, elections and dismissal of judges, the quality of justice and verdicts, and efficiency in proceedings, which are part of EU's observations," Marichikj said. It is important, he added, that this process remains open for everyone, and they all take active participation, such as MPs from all political parties, prosecutors, judges and everyone else at the higher level, as well as academics and CSOs. "This task is for everyone, that is why it is called the National Development Strategy. The government encourages discussions to be more open and inclusive, and all these strategic measures will make sense if we focus on key issues and be implemented into practice," noted Marichikj, adding that we do not need a document that is just a list of wishes too difficult to implement. The roadmap is being determined now and it covers topics from Chapter 23-24, that will remain open until the end of the negotiations, and whatever obligations are implemented will be long-term. "The roadmaps plan will last until 2030, seven years, by which time we want negotiations to be concluded, and so far we have a positive response from the European Commission, and therefore it is important how we shape it," the Deputy PM said. During this process, he stressed that they asked the Netherlands to send their own expert to participate in the working group that is drafting the rule of law roadmap, and that they also have a peer review mission for the work of the Judicial Council. "We expect to receive a report of their work by the end of these two processes. We plan to incorporate everything they recommend and instruct into the roadmap to ensure the rule of law, which is a type of strategic document for the next seven years," Marichikj emphasized. According to him, "we should not run from our problems, but together to overcome them". "Regarding the implementation, we need everyone's participation. You have a partner in the government, and it will remain so. I am sure that though joint effort we can reach our goal and EU membership by 2030, and also implement national development goals, which will be incorporated into the National Development Strategy," Marichikj explained. The Committee on European Affairs session is within the framework of the National Development Strategy and aims to include the political parties in the process of creating a strategy and open a discussion with academics, CSOs, business sector and experts, to include different points of view in the final document, but also ensure continuity in the implementation of the strategy.

 

Macedonia’s membership in Open Balkans initiative supported by 76 percent of citizens, country’s EU accession by 68.1 percent (Fokus)

 

North Macedonia's membership in the Open Balkans Initiative is supported by 76 percent of Macedonian citizens, according to a poll published by the Skopje-based Fokus weekly’s portal. The survey showed that the citizens of North Macedonia maintained strong support for the country’s EU accession, supported by 68.1 percent of respondents, whereas 9.25 percent were against it and 22.4 were neutral. Responding to the question "Would you support the constitutional changes (for the introduction of Bulgarians into the Constitution) necessary to unblock the negotiations with the EU", 50 percent of the respondents declared themselves neutral, 35 percent supported them, while 19 were against. North Macedonia's NATO membership is supported by 72.1 percent of citizens, according to the public opinion poll conducted for the purposes of Focus by the Stratum agency at the beginning of October, using a telephone survey involving 1,200 respondents.

 

Ambassador Hoxha to the UN Security council: People who openly ignore the Law on Human Rights have no place in the HRC (Radio Tirana)

 

Albania's Ambassador to the United Nations Ferit Hoxha spoke at the United Nations Security Council, regarding the elections for the Human Rights Council (HRC), is held this day in the General Assembly of the UN. Ambassador Hoxha emphasized that, "those who think that human rights have a meaning; those who celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as one of the most important developments in the history of humanity; all those who care about the credibility of the Human Rights Council and its work; they should all think twice before casting their vote tomorrow." He also underlined that, "people who openly disregard Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law have no place in the Human Rights Council". Ambassador Hoxha added that "the decisions always have consequences, and it is never too late to make the right decisions". His call for responsibility and reasonable action, a day before the UN vote, expresses the importance of the election process for the Human Rights Council.

 

The annual session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Kodheli: The Alliance should continue the policy of open doors (Radio Tirana)

 

The situation in Ukraine, collective defense, but also the latest events in Israel were at the center of discussions at the Annual Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, which took place on 6-9 October 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark. At the event, the Albanian delegation was represented by the Permanent Delegation to the Assembly, including President Mimi Kodheli, as well as members Xhemal Qefalia, Bardhyl Kollcaku, and Bujar Leskaj. During the session, parliamentarians called for renewed support for Ukraine and strongly condemned the attack on the state of Israel. The Ukrainian delegation has called on NATO governments to increase their military and political support for Ukraine. This includes requests for air defense systems, artillery, ammunition, and armoured vehicles. The delegation also urged NATO allies to impose sanctions on Russia and support Ukraine's aspiration for Euro-Atlantic integration. NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Genoa delivered a succinct message during the plenary session, emphasizing the need for an increase in defense spending and inviting MPs to persuade their respective national governments to make greater investments. The head of the Assembly delegation, Mimi Kodheli, urged those in attendance not to abandon the Alliance's open-door policy. She emphasized that the situation in the Western Balkans is tense due to interventions by third parties. The unsettling situation, particularly in Kosovo, persists. In this regard, Kodheli requested the NATO Assembly's attention, emphasizing that more can be done. She welcomed KFOR's decision to augment its presence in northern Kosovo and highlighted the significance of national parliaments in each country's decision-making process.

 

Manja, meeting with the Croatian counterpart: Close cooperation for the chapters of Justice in the negotiations (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister of Justice Ulsi Manja during a visit to Zagreb held a meeting with the Minister of Justice of Croatia Ivan Malenica. The meeting focused on the acceleration of Albania's integration into the EU, through the conclusion of the chapters of negotiations with the EU, specifically the Justice and Security Chapters 23 and 24. Minister Ulsi Manja has shared some details from the meeting with his counterpart Malenica through social networks. "With my Croatian counterpart Ivan Malenica, a good friend and an excellent advocate of Albania in the negotiations with the EU. "Since February 2022, when together with Ivan we signed the memorandum of cooperation between our two ministries of justice, Croatian experts are working closely with us for chapters 23 and 24, to speed up Albania's path towards the European Union," writes Manja. "We also talked about other projects, including the transformation of the Probation Service in Albania, through the Croatian model. Two ministries, one team!", concluded Manja.