LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Only Serbs are under threat in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday Serbia would be trying to have the best possible communication with NATO in the future and that he had told Stoltenberg the Serbs were the only population under threat in Kosovo and Metohija and that almost 13 percent of them had left the north of the province in the past year due to harassment and pressure by the Pristina regime. "We discussed all important issues for over an hour and a half and, as Stoltenberg said and as I can confirm, cooperation with NATO and KFOR is important for us in the hope that we will ensure some level of security to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija," Vucic said at a press conference with Stoltenberg in Belgrade. Commenting on Stoltenberg's statement that KFOR was ensuring peace and security to all communities in Kosovo and Metohija, Vucic said there had been "no need to ensure peace and security to anyone else but the Serbs, who are the only population that has been under threat or attacked". "Only the Serbs have been attacked since 2001, especially since Albin Kurti has been in power," he noted. "I informed Stoltenberg of the fact that almost 13 percent of Serbs have left the north of Kosovo and Metohija in the past year alone due to enormous pressure, arrests, harassment and threats coming from the Pristina regime," Vucic said. "If that is not violence - and I know, we are not talking about NATO here, but about the so-called collective West - then I do not know what is," he said. The West is interested only in the Banjska case and the clashes in Zvecan before that, Vucic said. "I have to say we have a different view on what happened but that we understand well what the Western and NATO demands are. We will be trying to have the best possible communication with NATO in the future as well," Vucic said. Stoltenberg said in Belgrade establishment of a community of Serb-majority municipalities was key to normalisation of Belgrade-Pristina relations. Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Stoltenberg called on Belgrade and Pristina to continue dialogue as it was the only path to peace. He said the meeting with Vucic had also addressed tensions in the north of Kosovo and the significance of the KFOR mission, which he said had been guaranteeing security for two decades. He said it would continue to do so in an unbiased manner and within the framework of its mandate. He also said KFOR troops had been attacked and that there had been unrest in September, and added that the perpetrators must be brought to justice. He said KFOR had afterwards deployed 2,000 more troops in Kosovo and Metohija, which he noted was its biggest troop increase in the past decade. Stoltenberg noted that he supported coordination between the Serbian army and KFOR. He said he was counting on all parties to reduce tensions and refrain from escalatory moves and added that Serbian Armed Forces troop buildups would not be helpful. He said NATO and Serbia maintained excellent cooperation through the Partnership for Peace programme and in many other areas, such as energy security. He said the meeting with Vucic had also addressed further joint military exercises, as well as Ukraine.

 

Vucic: It is better to buy time than to give up on what you must not give up on (Politika/Tanjug)

 

If you are trying to achieve compromise but see that that is impossible and that you have no other way out, then you must buy time - even that is better than giving up on what you cannot and must not give up on, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Monday at a ceremony that marked the 182nd anniversary of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU).

In a speech, Vucic said he was afraid that 2024 - also an election year in many countries of the world - would be much more difficult and much worse for the entire world, including Serbia. "I am afraid that year will bring us many more conflicts and much more unrest than last year and 2023 did. By that I mean any kind of jeopardy to our people in Kosovo and Metohija as well as in Republika Srpska and in many other parts of our region," Vucic said. "Our way out is to insist on compromise solutions even though we know there will not be any." "Even though we know that others, as well as those who want to decide about the future of the world, do not want them. Some say it is bad to buy time. It is bad if you have not tried to achieve compromise before that. If you are trying to achieve compromise but see that that is impossible and that you have no other way out, then you must buy time - even that is better than giving up on what you cannot and must not give up on," Vucic said. "Regardless of the gravity of the problems we are facing and the magnitude and the strength of the pressure that will only grow in the period to come, today I can say with certainty that we must always aspire to compromise but that we must not give up on what is ours - we must not give up on international public law, our territory or our people," he said. Even if we were to do that with all the promises they keep making to us almost on a daily basis, with all the pretty stories that sound attractive but always turn out to be just a charade in the end, we "would not get anything," Vucic added. "Not even at tactical level, let alone at strategic level. That is why I am certain it is important for our country that we safeguard what belongs to our country and try to preserve peace and even hide under a stone sometimes in order to keep the future of our country out of danger, but wait for a favourable opportunity in the right sense of the word to come out before the world with the truth and justice, and get the world's respect for that," Vucic noted.

 

Serbia continues work on comprehensive reforms in best interest of society, citizens (Tanjug/RTS/Politika)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with Head of the Delegation of the EU to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret and the Ambassadors of the EU member states about further steps in the process of European integration, the progress achieved by Serbia and the European Commission's recommendations for the opening of Cluster 3. She pointed out that Serbia had continuously worked on the opening of Cluster 3, which is fully prepared, adding that she expects a positive signal from the EU for its opening. She assessed that the main goal in the previous period was to make progress in all areas, above all when it comes to the rule of law, recalling that the European Commission also recognised Serbia's progress in a number of key areas in its latest Report, as well as that no backsliding in reforms was recorded in any area. When it comes to the field of justice, Brnabic assessed that the reforms were successfully implemented in order to achieve greater independence, accountability and efficiency of our judicial system, in consultation with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. She informed her interlocutors that the Anti-Corruption Strategy is being drafted, which will contain all GRECO recommendations, and whose text is currently in the process of consultation with the European Commission. She informed the ambassadors of the EU member states that the Law on Public Information and Media and the Law on Electronic Media have been adopted, which will guarantee the freedom of the media and public information and ensure the safety and pluralism of the media scene in Serbia, in accordance with the highest international standards of the EU countries and documents of the United Nations and the Council of Europe. The Head of the Delegation of the EU pointed out that the Annual Report on Serbia gives an accurate and fair picture of the steps taken in the reform processes in the Republic of Serbia during the previous year. He emphasised that enlargement occupies a central place in the EU policy and added that it is an opportunity that Serbia must take advantage of and speed up the pace of reforms. Brnabic concluded that Serbia will continue working on comprehensive reforms in the best interest of society and citizens. She expressed her particular satisfaction with the fact that, when it comes to economic parameters, the Report states for the first time that Serbia is at a good level of preparedness for the membership.

 

Concern over continuation of Israeli-Palestinian armed conflict (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic yesterday received a group of Ambassadors of Arab countries to Serbia. During the talks, great regret and concern were expressed over the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian armed conflict, which claimed a huge number of human lives, including many children, and brought the residents of the Gaza Strip into a state of humanitarian disaster. It was emphasised that the norms of international humanitarian law and the principles of humanity must be respected in war, in order to prevent victims and suffering of the civilian population. Serbia condemns all forms of terrorism and at the same time advocates the renewal of the peace process, within which the realisation of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people must be guaranteed, in accordance with the applicable norms of international law and relevant UN resolutions, according to the statement of the Foreign Ministry.

 

Dacic: It is not first time ambassadors in Belgrade and Pristina disagree (Tanjug/Politika/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Monday attempts to rename Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija to heritage of the so-called Kosovo were an "old narrative" aimed at erasing all traces of Serbian presence in the province and added that, to the best of its ability, Serbia would use all available means to fight against relativisation of history. After a visit to the Serbian Orthodox monastery of Visoki Decani on Friday, Germany's ambassador in Pristina said a delegation of German diplomats had visited a "Kosovo monastery inscribed in a UNESCO list". Speaking to Tanjug, Dacic said this was not the first time ambassadors of the same country had said one thing in Belgrade and another in Pristina. "On several occasions, we have had situations where the ambassadors of some countries in Belgrade and Pristina had different views," Dacic said, noting that Serbia considered embassies in Pristina illegal because it considered the so-called Kosovo "a part of our state". "The same was the case with the relocation of a Pristina memorial plaque commemorating Serbian liberation fighters in the Balkan Wars and WWI. The French and the German embassies in Pristina initiated the relocation of the plaque, even though the embassies in Belgrade were against it and no one had asked them about that," Dacic said. He said the French and German ambassadors to Serbia had said they were surprised by the move and that they would request that it be reversed. Dacic said this demonstrated the importance of Serbia's re-election to the UNESCO Executive Board. "Over the next two years, we will be an Executive Board member state and it is very important that we prevent the heritage from being renamed. There have been such attempts, and they were aimed at showing that those are not Serbian monuments, whereby practically the entire history of Kosovo and Metohija would be relativised and it would be said that it is not Serbian, but 'Kosovo's' or Byzantine, as some are saying," Dacic said. He said Serbia strictly insisted on the matter and that UNESCO, too, defined the heritage as Serbian. He said the four Serbian cultural monuments under UNESCO protection - the Patriarachate of Pec, the Church of Our Lady of Ljevis and the Visoki Decani and Gracanica monasteries - were defined as "Serbian cultural heritage and, additionally, as endangered world cultural heritage". "Who are they endangered by? By ethnic Albanian separatists and terrorists who want to destroy those monuments," Dacic said. Using all available means, Serbia will fight against relativisation and falsification of history and, of course, also react to the statement that Visoki Decani is a "Kosovo monastery" and the relocation of the memorial plaque in Pristina, he said. "I am certain no one has the right to take away from Serbia the right to its monuments," Dacic said.

 

Croatian diplomat declared persona non grata in Serbia (Beta/Novosti)

 

The Serbian Foreign Ministry said in a press release yesterday that the Croatian diplomat Hrvoje Snajder had been declared persona non grata due to a flagrant violation of diplomatic norms and the Vienna Convention, which regulates diplomatic relations. The statement said that Snajder, first secretary at the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, "flagrantly stepped outside the bounds of diplomatic norms and violated the above mentioned Convention" in the course of his professional engagement in Serbia, and added that a diplomatic note had consequently been presented to Croatian Ambassador to Serbia Hidajet Biscevic. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia regrets the actions of said diplomat in the recent past, which was not conducive to improvement of bilateral relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Croatia, neighborly cooperation and overall elevation of the level of peace and stability in the region," the press release reads. The statement added that the Serbian ministry expressed the expectation that Serbia and Croatia would continue to work to build mutual trust with a view to a shared European future. The first secretary in the Croatian embassy, Hrvoje Snajder, was expelled from Serbia for espionage, Novosti announced on Monday evening, citing unofficial sources, after the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously announced the decision that the Croatian diplomat was undesirable. "It is about documented espionage and recruitment to work for the Croatian service. This means that evidence has been gathered that Schneider violated the Vienna Convention that regulates diplomatic-consular relations, and as a result he was declared persona non grata", state Novosti.

 

First in absentia war crimes trial opens in Kosovo (N1)

 

The first in absentia war crimes trial opened in Pristina on Monday, the media in Kosovo reported. The reports said that Kosovo Serb Cedomir Aksic has been indicted for war crimes committed between January and May 1999. Prosecutors said they used every means at their disposal but failed to bring Aksic to Kosovo to stand trial. The indictment says that Aksic was born in the Kosovo town of Stimlje but is currently living in Serbia. The indictment was filed by the Special Prosecution on 4 May. The trial is underway in the Special Section of the Basic Court in Pristina where the initial hearing was held. In absentia trials for war crimes are allowed under the Kosovo law on criminal proceedings.

 

Over 2,000 vehicles in Kosovo switched to Kosovo-issue license plates (Beta)

 

Over the last ten days, Serbia-issued license plates on 2,013 vehicles in Kosovo were replaced with Kosovo-issued ones -- 107 plates were replaced yesterday alone, media outlets in Pristina have reported citing police data. The largest number of the vehicles was in Northern Mitrovica (677), Leposavic (669), Zubin Potok (292), Mitrovica (93), and one each in Strpce, Lipljan, Gracanica and Klina. The deadline for license plate replacement expires on 31 November. Vehicle owners who agree to replace their existing plates with ones with the RKS designation are exempt from the fees, which media reports say has cost the Kosovo budget some four million Euros so far.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Stoltenberg meets HR Schmidt: Efforts of HR are of vital importance for unity and reconciliation (O Kanal)

 

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with High Representative Christian Schmidt in Sarajevo on Monday and emphasized his role for security of the region. “Cooperation between Dayton institutions, NATO and everyone who protects security in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is significant. We have to restore trust into rule of law. This is our joint job, as well as of domestic politicians and that is why we need support of the EU and NATO,” said Schmidt. Stoltenberg said that they want to see a peaceful B&H in the heart of a stable region.  He added that NATO has history of presence in B&H and history of cooperation with the Office of High Representative (OHR). “Efforts of the High Representative are of vital importance for unity and reconciliation. Every attempt to undermine your position pushes B&H backwards and not forwards”, underlined the Secretary General of NATO. Stoltenberg commended the extension of the EUFOR-Althea mission in B&H for an additional year, as NATO remains dedicated towards the success of the mission. Schmidt emphasized that the OHR and EUFOR Mission are still necessary in B&H. At the meeting with Schmidt, Stoltenberg stated that the institution of the OHR and the High Representative is very important and that it must be there and be respected, because this is the only way B&H can preserve its unity and sovereignty.

 

Stoltenberg meets B&H CoM Chairwoman Kristo (BNTV)

 

During his visit to B&H, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Chairwoman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo in Sarajevo on Monday. Following the meeting, Stoltenberg and Kristo held a press conference and Stoltenberg stated: “Allies strongly support sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H.  So, we are concerned about secessionist and divisive rhetoric, as well as malign foreign interference, including the one from Russia. This threatens to undermine stability, and hampers reforms. All political leaders must work to preserve unity. Build national institutions. And achieve reconciliation. NATO’s Headquarters here in Sarajevo helps to coordinate our support to the EU-led Operation Althea. NATO Allies and NATO remain fully committed to the success of the mission, and I welcome the unanimous extension to its mandate at the UN Security Council earlier this month. NATO also remains committed to supporting B&H’s Euro-Atlantic path.” Kristo pointed out that cooperation with NATO gives B&H the opportunity to improve security and strengthen defense capacities through participation in peacekeeping missions. “Precisely these elements ensure that we can effectively respond to all challenges, including terrorism, organized crime and other threats. Cooperation also leads to the modernization of our institutions and processes, because the establishment of standards that are in line with NATO require the implementation of reforms, not only in the military but also in the wider social context. There is a political decision by NATO that B&H can become a member of NATO and that the partnership has the potential to transform B&H, to give it the opportunity to integrate into European structures. Therefore, in order to talk about it, we must reach a political consensus and respect both the Constitution of B&H and its constitutional structure,” Kristo said. Kristo expressed content with the fact Stoltenberg’s four-day visit to the region started in B&H. “It confirms our commitment to building of peace, mutual dialogue and stability in B&H and the region”, stated Kristo. She stressed that Monday meeting was productive and very constructive, adding that they talked about issues of joint interest for cooperation between B&H and NATO and related to stability and security in B&H and the region. Stoltenberg met with B&H officials, but not with those from RS. Some ministries from RS stated that they heard about Stoltenberg's visit from the media.

 

Stoltenberg meets B&H ministers; Helez says Stoltenberg commended B&H’s success related to training of battalion combat group (Dnevni avaz)

 

Deputy Chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H and Minister of Defense of B&H Zukan Helez met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday. The meeting was also attended by B&H CoM Chair Borjana Kristo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Elmedin Konakovic as well as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Josip Brkic, who is also the Chair of Commission for Cooperation with NATO. “The NATO Secretary General especially commended our success related to training of our battalion combat group, which successfully completed the training and evaluation process in line with NATO standards (NEL 2) and, in this way, became competitive for the NATO pool of forces for NATO peace support operations, which is a great success of our Armed Forces”, Helez said. Stoltenberg and Helez also discussed the Program of Reforms and Helez pointed out that the Secretary General of NATO expressed his satisfaction with the implementation of the Program of Reforms.

 

Cvijanovic and Becirovic present opposite stances following meeting with Stoltenberg (FTV)

 

FTV reminds that after he arrived to B&H, Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg held a meeting with members of B&H Presidency. Namely, stances presented by the Presidency members Zeljka Cvijanovic and Denis Becirovic were completely opposite. Following the meeting with Stoltenberg, Cvijanovic stated that they did not discuss membership of B&H in NATO and that NATO understands disagreements within B&H in this regard. Reporter noted that she reiterated a well-known stance of RS officials that B&H will not join NATO, but they support cooperation with this military alliance. “For me, this was meeting where I witnessed there are no any pressures and where communication was appropriate”, explained Cvijanovic. On the other hand, Becirovic stated that there is no dilemma in regard to B&H’s membership in NATO, underlining that it is legal and constitutional obligation of B&H. He underlined that within their legal and constitutional competences, B&H Parliamentary Assembly, B&H Council of Ministers (CoM), B&H Presidency and all subjects of defense will conduct necessary activities concerning B&H’s accession to NATO. “Priorities of foreign policy of BiH are full memberships in the EU and NATO”, stressed Becirovic. Following the working dinner of Stoltenberg and the B&H Presidency, Becirovic posted on his official Instagram account, noting that he informed Stoltenberg that B&H has no dilemmas about full membership in NATO and he informed Stoltenberg about the constant attacks on the constitutional order of B&H, by the RS authorities. However, Cvijanovic stated that there were no discussions on NATO membership of B&H at the working dinner. Cvijanovic said that Stoltenberg confirmed that domestic politicians are responsible for running B&H, while Cvijanovic continued criticizing Federation of B&H (FB&H) politicians who constantly run to foreigners for aid in solving the issues in B&H

 

Russian Embassy: Something is not right with Stoltenberg’s logic (Nova BH)

 

The Russian Embassy in B&H posted two statements on their official Facebook account, during the visit of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The first statement regarded Stoltenberg’s statements on the dangers of Russia’s influence in B&H. “The NATO Secretary General seems to have something wrong with his logic. On the one hand, he speaks of Russia's destabilizing influence. On the other hand, he welcomes the unanimous decision in the UN Security Council on the extension of the "Althea" mission, which he considers a stabilizing factor. As is known, Russia supported this decision in principle. The question is - what is Russia's factor in B&H, which it considers a friendly country?”, read the statement. The second statement regarded Stoltenberg’s meeting with High Representative Christian Schmidt. “We believe that NATO, regardless of all the hypocritical rhetoric, is an aggressive militarist bloc, an instrument of Washington in cementing a monopolar world, implementing a neo-colonialist conquest policy contrary to the norms of international law. The meeting of the Secretary General of NATO with the German citizen Christian Schmidt does not mean the legitimization of the German, but the delegitimization of NATO. This step is a clear confirmation of contempt for the Dayton Peace Agreement and the fact that NATO is the destabilizing factor in B&H”, read the second statement. According to RTRS, Stoltenberg used his visit to Sarajevo to warn of danger of the policy led by representatives of RS by allegedly acting under the influence of Russia. The reporter noted that during his visit to Sarajevo, Stoltenberg supported the European path and development of B&H, pointing out to importance to respect sovereignty but he did not miss this chance to accuse the RS of being under the influence of Russia. Officials from the RS responded by saying that they work only in line with the Dayton Agreement which cannot be said for Stoltenberg, who met with illegitimate Christian Schmidt, the one who leads undermining of the Dayton B&H.

 

Cvijanovic meets Russian, Greek, Swedish Ambassadors to B&H, points to need to respect Dayton, constitutional competences (RTRS)

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic met Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov in Istocno Sarajevo on Monday. During the meeting, she emphasized that democratically elected representatives of peoples should decide on all processes in B&H without interventionism of foreign actors. They pointed out to the importance of principled respect for the Dayton Agreement, the constitutional position of the two entities and the three constituent peoples. Cvijanovic also pointed out to the need to respect the Dayton Agreement and constitutional competences of different levels of power in B&H during a meeting with the newly appointed Ambassador of Greece to B&H Ioanna Efthymiadou. During a meeting with the newly appointed Ambassador of Sweden to B&H Helena Lagerlof, Cvijanovic stated that internal dialogue is the only path towards overcoming of political challenges.

 

Kristo informs B&H CoM about EC President’s visit to B&H, says B&H could get EUR one billion from Growth Plan (Oslobodjenje)

 

Chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H Borjana Kristo on Monday informed ministers about the visit of President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen to B&H, on which occasion the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans for the period of time from 2024 to 2027 worth in total EUR six billion was presented. The daily noted that the Growth Plan includes up to EUR two billion of non-refundable assistance related to acceleration of social-economic accession to the EU. Kristo announced that B&H could get more than EUR one billion from this package if it accelerates reforms and process of adoption of the budget, by which it would significantly accelerate its European path and boost growth of B&H economy. B&H CoM also adopted the Decision on Appointment of the Working Group for Development of the Strategy for Fight Against Corruption for the period of time from 2024 to 2028 and accompanying action plan.

 

B&H HoR discusses in laws concerning B&H judiciary, not a single one adopted (FTV)

 

At its session held on Monday, B&H House of Representatives (HoR) discussed proposals of laws concerning B&H judiciary. Namely, they discussed Proposal Law on Supreme Court of B&H. Proponent of this law is NiP’s Denis Zvizdic. They also discussed laws on termination of Laws on B&H Court and B&H Prosecutor’s office. These laws were proposed by SNSD’s MP in B&H HoR Milorad Kojic. Proponents of all three laws demanded discussion on their proposals in urgent procedure. Reporter noted that MPs decided that proposal of law on Supreme Court of B&H will be discussed at one of upcoming sessions of B&H HoR, while there will be no new discussion on laws to terminate laws on B&H Court and BiH Prosecutor’s Office. Zvizdic stated that B&H lacks supreme judicial institution, and its formation is one of conditions for the EU accession of B&H. He underlined that process of creation of law on courts in B&H did not take in consideration establishing of supreme court of B&H or even appellate division of B&H Court. “I proposed this law as body that should harmonize legal practice”, stressed Zvizdic. Reporter noted that proposals of law created by Kojic stipulate termination of laws on B&H Court and B&H Prosecutor’s Office. In his proposals, Kojic explained that laws on abovementioned institutions are unconstitutional, because they were imposed by High Representatives, although High Representatives are not authorized for it. MP Kojic underlined that his proposal is reaction to Zvizdic’s unconstitutional law. “I proposed two constitutional laws, because there is no constitutional ground for law on B&H Court and B&H Prosecutor’s Office. Goal of these proposals of laws is returning to original constitution”, said Kojic. MPs from opposition parties in the RS stated that there are other motives behind these proposals of laws. MP Nenad Grkovic (List for Justice and Order) stated that SNSD and its partners did not oppose existence of the Court of B&H and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H for 20 years, adding that they changed opinion after legal process against Milorad Dodik was launched. SDA’s Serif Spago emphasized that they supported discussion on laws proposed by Kojic in urgent procedure, so that they can be removed from parliamentary procedure as soon as possible. Reporter noted that MPs from HDZ B&H presented their stance that neither of proposed laws should be discussed in urgent procedure. Reporter commented that this is evidence judiciary is still big challenge for state-level coalition. Zvizdic stressed that coalition at state level is product of constitutional political system and not political will. Reporter commented that attempts to make changes in B&H judiciary through adoption of laws in B&H Parliament were not successful this time, adding that task for state-level coalition remains same: to adopt law on Supreme Court of B&H or to improve law on courts in B&H so that it meets all demands concerning reform of judicial system of B&H.

 

MFEA reacted to the expulsion of the Croatian diplomat from Serbia: "It is a step towards the deterioration of relations" (Hina)

 

On Monday, Croatia expressed its regret over the expulsion of its diplomat from Serbia, pointing out that this is a step towards the deterioration of relations and the destabilization of regional conditions. On Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia (MFA) declared Hrvoje Snajder, the first secretary of the Croatian Embassy in Serbia, an undesirable person because he "grossly went beyond the framework of diplomatic norms", announced the Serbian MFA, without giving further details. "We completely reject the grounds for expelling an accredited Croatian diplomat. The aforementioned decision of the Republic of Serbia represents a step towards the deterioration of mutual relations, as well as further destabilization of sensitive regional political and security conditions at a time when stability in South-Eastern Europe is of exceptional importance for the whole of Europe", says the statement of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MFEA). It is emphasized that this step represents "additional pressure on the employees of the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, which is particularly manifested during the pre-election period in the Republic of Serbia". "In this regard, we express our regret that the anticipated escalation of relations by the Republic of Serbia at this time was realized with a drastic decision to expel diplomats," it added. The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs added that it reserves the right to respond to this move "at the time and in the manner it chooses."

 

Mandic: Judicial earthquake has occurred; Knezevic: I want to ask one of prosecutors if a case has been opened against Lazovic and Milovic (CdM)

 

The leader of the Democratic People’s Party (DNS), Milan Knezevic, announced on Monday’s press conference that he would ask the prosecutors if they had read the correspondence between Ljubo Milovic and Petar Lazovic from the SKY correspondence, where it was said that “everything is over in Kotor”. The reason for Monday’s press conference, as Knezevic said, was the SKY correspondence between Lazovic and Milovic, as well as the trial in the coup d’état case. Parliament Speaker and New Serbian Democracy (NSD) Andrija Mandic announced that the publication of the new SKY correspondence caused a judicial earthquake. “I ask one of the prosecutors, who said that he read everything from the SKY correspondence, whether a case has been opened against Milovic, Lazovic and a certain D. I believe that it would be good to find out if there is any additional information from the SKY, Viber or WhatsApp correspondence between Vesna Medenica and Suzana Mugosa, who passed the first-instance verdict”, said Knezevic at the press conference. He added that they believed that the Prosecutor’s Office and other competent authorities would come forward because it was another proof that the coup had been staged. “It is important that if Europol or the Prosecutor’s Office possess correspondence between Suzana Mugosa and Medenica, the Prosecutor’s Office comes forward and says whether there are elements of abuse of office in that correspondence and whether Medenica was involved in the shameful verdict passed in 2019. This is why both the pitiful Judicial and the pitiful Prosecutor’s Council should speak out”, said Knezevic. He stated that at the very beginning of the repeated trial, he and Mandic had requested that the indictment against them be dismissed. He noted he suspected that Petar Lazovic, Ljubo Milovic and Radoje Zvicer were involved in that case.

 

Becic with Popa: In this game, we are playing for ourselves and our security within the EU (CdM)

 

The Vice-President of the government of Montenegro Aleksa Becic met on Monday with the Ambassador of the EU to Montenegro Oana Cristina Popa, to whom he pointed out that the foreign policy path of Montenegro is "100% adherence to the pro-Western, pro-European and Euro-Atlantic course, emphasizing that commitment as a value with which there is no compromise, since as such it is at the basis of the political agreement of the ruling majority". Ambassador Popa emphasized the importance of the competences that Vice President Becic has for the accession process, adding that the EU expects Montenegro to remain fully aligned with the EU's foreign and security policy. "It is a positive circumstance that at this historical moment there is an understanding of all member states that expansion is necessary," said the ambassador. In those circumstances, the Vice President recognized our responsibility to take advantage of this historic opportunity. "In this game, we are playing for ourselves and our security within the EU." We also play for our neighbors, because as a member of the EU we can help them along the way, but we also play for the EU, since the admission of our country to the European family would send a strong message to other candidate countries not to be discouraged during the process, Becic said. As the most important topic that is currently in the focus of the Montenegrin public, the vice president pointed out the election of the seventh judge of the Constitutional Court, which is expected this week. In addition, he emphasized the necessity of reforms, the election of the remaining members of the Judicial Council and the VDT as soon as possible, but also the need to check the assets and lifestyle of police officers, in order to avoid that Montenegro again encounters criminal structures in the police ranks. During the meeting, the Vice President and the Ambassador agreed that the census is a demographic and statistical process, which must be free from political pressure, and in which no one will be punished or rewarded for the way they declare themselves. "I believe that Montenegro, with its commitment and concrete results, can be a success story in the Western Balkans and truly be a regional leader in the process of European integration," the ambassador concluded.

 

Milatovic with Steinmeier: We are interested in attracting German capital in the so-called greenfield investments (CdM)

 

The President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, began his official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany at the invitation of the President of that country, Frank-Walter Steinmeier. President Milatovic will be welcomed today with the highest state honors in Belvi Castle, where a tete-a-tete meeting between President Milatovic and Steinmeier is planned, followed by a bilateral meeting of the delegations of the two countries. The topics of discussion will be the strengthening of bilateral political and economic cooperation between the countries as well as the support of Germany, as an important partner and ally, in the acceleration of the European path of Montenegro. Ahead of the meeting with Steinmeier, President Milatovic met with representatives of the Eastern Board of German Economy on the topic of strengthening the economic cooperation between the two countries. "We are interested in attracting German capital in the so-called greenfield investments, intensifying economic cooperation and organizing business forums, as well as strengthening trade exchanges in the coming period", President Milatovic said. He said that Montenegro is very interested in opening a representative office German chamber of commerce in our country. The meeting was attended by representatives of Hamburg port consulting, as well as companies from the ICT, pharmaceutical and energy sectors. The focus of the discussion was on transport infrastructure - Port of Bar, telecommunications and energy. Representatives of the German economy, including those companies that already operate in Montenegro such as Telekom and Stada, announced that there is a significant interest of those companies in investing in Montenegro. They announced the arrival of a business delegation from Germany to our country at the beginning of next year and said that they want to build an institutional partnership and help the European integration of our country. They thanked President Milatovic for his pragmatic approach and the opportunity to hear from the first man of the country about the prospects of Montenegro. President Milatovic pointed out that the new Montenegrin government was recently formed, which will work on removing all obstacles with the aim of attracting new investments. The Eastern Board of the German Economy awards scholarships to final year students and newly graduated students from the countries of the Western Balkans every year. Montenegro currently has over 35 alumni of this program who did an internship in one of the German companies. Representatives of the association expressed the expectation that the number of beneficiaries of scholarships from Montenegro will increase. As part of his visit to Germany, President Milatovic will also be a guest of the German Society for Foreign Policy tomorrow. With his stay in Berlin, he continues to start a series of visits to the capitals of the EU states with the aim of accelerating the European integration of our country.

 

Kovachevski: Elections in May, clear coalition agreement with DUI, AA has capacity to be part of European coalition (MIA)

 

I believe there is enough room to hold the elections in May, in their regular slot, whereas the final positions of political parties will be communicated once there is broad consensus in the parliament, said Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on Monday. PM Kovachevski told reporters that SDSM and DUI have a clear coalition agreement, whereas the Alliance of Albanians (AA) has the capacity to discuss on an economically prosperous state and a society governed by social justice and democracy, free media and rule of law, which represent the foundations of a broad coalition front. According to him, talks on finalization of the Electoral Code and incorporation of all OSCE/ODIHR recommendations are ongoing, and the solution would soon enter government and subsequently parliament procedure. "We will hear a good deal of information of interest for the citizens and media in the period leading up to the elections. Some will be true but most of them will be false. We have a clear coalition agreement with DUI that was made public in 2020. Of course, modalities of this agreement are being discussed, but the goal of a European coalition is the key aspect unifying the parties at the next elections. All details and appointments will be shared with the public as they are passed by the parties' official bodies," said Kovachevski. He said the vision of a modern society and a modern state is of crucial importance when making coalitions. "It is not about convincing someone but sharing the values of a modern society and state, economic prosperity, social justice, democracy, media freedom, and rule of law at a much higher level than present. These are the fundamentals when building coalitions. I believe AA has the capacity to tackle these topics when discussing future coalitions. Nevertheless, the official party bodies take decisions in this regard," underlined Kovachevski.

 

Rama speaks for France 24 on the migration agreement with Italy (Radio Tirana)

 

On Wednesday, November 8, the European Commission released a report recommending accelerating the enlargement of the Twenty-Seven. This is of particular interest to our guest, Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania, a country officially a candidate for entry into the EU since 2014, and which has started accession negotiations in 2022. At the head of the government for ten years, he recently signed a migration agreement with the President of the Italian Council, Giorgia Meloni, which has caused a lot of discussion. On 7 November, Edi Rama signed a migration agreement with the very right-wing Giorgia Meloni, president of the Italian Council, which plans to send migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean by the Italian navy to reception centers in Albania. In Brussels, there are concerns about respect for international law and human rights, even though Albania is not a member of the EU, and the centers will be under Italian jurisdiction. According to the Albanian Prime Minister, "If the same agreement had been made with an EU country, no one would talk about it. The fact that it is done with a country that is not in the EU not only makes people talk, but also triggers conspiracy theories and doubts which, in my opinion, are really not serious. [...]. If we want to question the method, we must question it in all European countries, because these centers are not a new thing. This is a center which is in line with the standards of all EU countries [...]. Perhaps reception centers of this nature are not the real solution. But it is not up to Albania to give lessons to Europe. We are providing a little help to a country which is not only a neighbor, but with which we have been very deeply linked for a very long time," he says. As for the Albanians' fears of seeing the tourist sector affected by the presence of this reception center, Edi Rama wants to be reassuring: "It is a reception center of a capacity of 3,000 people. That means that there will be 3,000 people per rotation in Albania, and not one more. This is not what will shake up the Albanian tourism industry!” For some NGOs, this is an illegal protocol that could have devastating consequences for asylum seekers, who would be subject to prolonged detention and other violations of their rights and allow trafficking to flourish. "I find all this really difficult to understand [...]. We are a responsible European country, like those in the EU. We want to make a modest contribution [...] and that becomes a reason to start again with the old litany of mafiosi and human rights traffickers!”, protests Edi Rama.

 

Accession slowed down by Greece

The Albanian Prime Minister welcomes the latest report from the European Commission on the enlargement of the EU, which according to him is "generally very positive. It marks quite objectively all the progress that we have made and, of course, it also marks everything that we must continue to do, because we are not yet at the end of the road." As for the decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, a country at war, he considers it "a very strong geopolitical decision. Proof of the fact that the EU has been trying for some time to become more geopolitical and less technocratic." But Edi Rama also expresses a certain concern: "The new conflict in the Middle East has not really helped. There is also a sort of general fatigue in European and American public opinions with regard to this war you need to keep the course.” As for Albania's accession process, it is being slowed down by Greece, which is blocking the opening of the country's first five accession chapters, due to a legal affair with the mayor of the Albanian seaside resort of Albania. Himara, from the Greek minority. Edi Rama is optimistic: "I don't believe that this blockage will continue, because it really wouldn't be very serious. It's clearly a question of justice. And we have made progress on the judicial aspect. "We have a strategic relationship with Athens, and I don't think this subject will upset it."

 

European growth plan for the Balkans

The World Bank predicts a growth rate of 3.6% for Albania in 2023, and the European Commission proposes a 6 billion Euro growth plan for the Balkans, with means higher than the funds usually released under the framework of the pre-accession of candidate countries. Edi Rama says he is "satisfied with the fact that the Albanian economy is considered by international financial institutions as a particularly resilient economy. At the time of the energy price crisis, our inflation was the lowest in the region," he notes. But Albania is counting on the EU growth plan, which “will be very important, not only for Albania, but for the whole region.” Europeans are increasingly convinced of the geopolitical interest of integrating the Balkan countries, but certain important problems persist between some of them, such as Kosova and Serbia. According to Edi Rama, this is "one more reason to integrate them into the EU. Geopolitically, it would be suicidal for the Union to exclude the region, to exclude certain countries. This is the only way to achieve final peace in the Balkans." He recognizes that there are sometimes problems between certain countries, but "the general framework of the region is much better than ten years ago, and it is because there is this attraction of the EU in all the countries”.

 

President Begaj receives the Ambassador of Qatar: We reaffirmed the close cooperation (Radio Tirana)

 

President of the Republic of Albania, Bajram Begaj received the new Ambassador of Qatar in Tirana, Jabor Ali Hussein Al Hawashela Al Dossari, on the occasion of the presentation of Credential Letters. President Begaj welcomed Al Dossari, accepting the Letter of Credentials as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Qatar in Albania. The Head Albanian State guaranteed his support for the continuation of the good tradition of several years of cooperation between Albania and Qatar. "Today I received the credentials from the Ambassador of the State of Qatar, Jabor Ali Hussein Al Hawshela Al Dossari. We reaffirmed our close cooperation, first of all in the economic field," wrote Albanian President.