LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Further advancement of education in Serbia discussed with Wozniak (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday received US tech entrepreneur Steve Wozniak, best known as the co-founder of Apple Inc, to discuss ways of further advancement of education in Serbia. At a joint press conference after the meeting, Vucic said Wozniak was an inventor regarded by many as a genius. He said he was proud and very happy to have been able to welcome Wozniak in Serbia. He noted Wozniak's involvement in numerous philanthropic endeavours aimed at providing training to children, especially those aged 11 to 13. "We got a lot of things going that we could do in Serbia in the period to come to become much more attractive to kids and the young generation, to those who could also find the best possible universities and schools in our country," Vucic said. "That way, we would completely stop people from leaving this country and attract an enormous number of people from the entire region and beyond, because we think Serbia is very attractive to people by some other criteria," he said. Vucic announced that, at his proposal, Wozniak and his wife would be given Serbian citizenship. "They will become Serbian citizens today or tomorrow, which is the greatest possible honour to us," he said, adding that he would be proud to present their Serbian passports to them.

 

Wozniak: I want to help promote Serbia and its interests

US tech entrepreneur and Apple Inc co-founder Steve Wozniak said on Wednesday in Belgrade he wanted to help promote Serbia and its interests for the rest of his life. "I am so lucky and grateful. I travel the world and meet a lot of people, and Janko Tipsarevic saw that my wife and I have an interest in this part of the world, even in Serbia directly..., and helped make arrangements to invite us here and even become citizens and get passports," Wozniak told reporters after meeting with Vucic at the Palace of Serbia. He said he had told friends he was a "Serb who lives in America", and added that he wanted to study history. “For companies like Apple Computers, corporate image... What does the company stand for, what is its brand worth? That is how I think of Serbia right now and Expo 2027 is going to be a big part in bringing attention to the rest of the world. And we are working on other ways to bring more attention and influence to Serbia itself," he said. He noted that the visit to Belgrade was "the most meaningful of all the trips and honours I have had with presidents and PMs." Commenting on Tuesday's discussion with Finance Minister Sinisa Mali about city planning and country planning, Wozniak said he had heard "incredible stories that you have to tell about this country". "It is really time to start moving up to the top, and I want to be a part of that. I want to help promote Serbia and Serbian interests for the rest of my life," he said.

 

Vucic receives President of Italy's Lombardy region (Tanjug/Politika)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the president of Italy's Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, on Tuesday to discuss topics that included opportunities for large new investments in Serbia. "There was a multitude of topics, not only because Serbia is Lombardy's largest external trade partner in the Western Balkans but also because of the many opportunities for large new investments that are opening up in our country," Vucic wrote on his Instagram account, noting that the discussion had been very cordial and substantial, covering all important matters of bilateral and economic cooperation. Vucic said he was especially pleased a Serbia-Italy innovation forum was being held in Belgrade with a view to expanding cooperation in the high-tech sector, in which he noted Serbia was making strong progress. He added that the meeting had also addressed experience-sharing in infrastructure, development of research centres and universities, as well as new projects of mutual interest that Italian investors might be interested in and that would create many jobs in Serbia. Vucic and Fontana took the opportunity to discuss football and which of their countries had tougher opponents in the EURO 2024 group stage.

 

Italy one of Serbia's leading business partners (Tanjug/Politika/RTV)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke yesterday with President of the Italian region of Lombardy Attilio Fontana about the intensification and expansion of cooperation in areas of common interest. Brnabic pointed out that Italy is one of Serbia's leading economic partners, as well as that the Lombardy region is an extremely important partner, with which our country has exceptional cooperation. Areas with significant potential for improving cooperation include the IT sector, the field of artificial intelligence, innovation, healthcare and agriculture, she said. There are strong and developed science and technology parks in Lombardy and it is important to hear their experiences and apply them in our science and technology parks and research institutes, she added. She stressed that the holding of the Serbia-Italy Innovation Forum on 5-6 December in Belgrade is important for expanding cooperation in the fields of high technologies, based on innovation and scientific achievements, as well as presenting opportunities for new investments by Italian companies. Fontana stated that today's meeting is a reflection of good institutional and economic relations, and noted that Italian businessmen, who do business in Serbia, are extremely satisfied with the working conditions and cooperation with Serbian institutions. He pointed out that Lombardy is interested in cooperation on projects of sustainable development and circular economy, and expressed the hope that cooperation will intensify in the future through numerous joint projects. The meeting was attended by Ambassador of Italy to Serbia Luca Gori, as well as numerous representatives of business and science.

 

Vucic thanks outgoing Slovak Ambassador for respect for Serbia's sovereignty (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday received a farewell visit from Slovak Ambassador to Serbia Fedor Rosocha, thanking him for his committed work and consistent and principled position of respect for Serbia's sovereignty. "I thanked Ambassador Rosocha for his committed work during his tenure in Serbia and, especially, for his friendship and his favour for Serbia, which he has demonstrated on every occasion," Vucic wrote on his Instagram account.

 

Brnabic: Keeping Kosovo and Metohija a part of Serbia tops SNS plan (TV K1/Tanjug)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Wednesday keeping Kosovo-Metohija a part of Serbia was the top priority of a ten-point plan of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS).

"The ten-point plan is our promise - what we also want to do by 2027, starting from the first point, which is keeping Kosovo and Metohija a part of the Republic of Serbia," Brnabic said in an appearance on TV K1. She noted that an independent foreign policy and military neutrality were also among the main priorities. "Maintaining our military neutrality and further strengthening of our security capabilities and our army, as well as all our security agencies," Brnabic added.

 

Petkovic: Kurti not interested in de-escalation in north of Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTS/RTV/Politika)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Tuesday that, by refusing to receive a civic initiative for a dismissal of illegitimate mayors, the Albin Kurti-led authorities in Pristina had clearly demonstrated they were not interested in de-escalation and normalisation in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. "Pristina's refusal to accept the citizens' request for a recall of the false mayors clearly shows that Kurti has been playing tricks all the time in order to deceive the EU as well as stop the process of a dismissal of illegal ethnic Albanian local authorities in the north," Petkovic said. In a statement, Petkovic noted that de-escalation and normalisation of the situation in the four municipalities was one of the main demands of Belgrade as well as the EU but that Kurti intended to continue the terror against the Serbs. "Therein lies the reason why ethnic Albanian municipal representatives in Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Zvecan today refused to receive an argumented civic initiative for a dismissal of the false and illegitimate mayors, submitted by citizens who strictly followed administrative instructions prepared by Pristina itself," Petkovic said. He added that, for a long period of time, Pristina's police had searched and interrogated the petitioners in Zvecan earlier in the day to intimidate them and get them to give up on their demands.

 

Dacic: We remain loyal to the policy we're pursuing with SNS (Alo)

 

"The election campaign, in which the entire leadership of SPS talks to citizens throughout Serbia every day, showed that we have support for what we are doing, that citizens are satisfied because unemployment has been reduced, infrastructure has been improved and other things important for them. That is what matters to us, and all the stories about SPS not being trusted and pursuing different policies prove to be nonsense each time," stressed the president of the Socialist Party of Serbia Ivica Dacic and added that the goal of SPS has not changed, it is cooperation with President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and SNS and the continuation of the policy that leads to victory of Serbia. Dacic said that he is loyal to the policy that he jointly conducts with President Vucic, and that this will remain so after the elections as well. Speaking about the party's election slogan, he recalled that SPS gave its electoral list the same name in the previous, last year's elections - "Ivica Dacic - Prime Minister of Serbia" - which is a message to the people that there are no hidden policies. "In Europe, the largest parties traditionally go to elections with the name of the future prime minister, and that is democratic and fair. And ask those from the opposition, who call themselves the 'pro-European' coalition, why their lists are headed by people from the second and third tier. Why don't they look up to Europe in this? Why is their first tier hiding behind someone else, why their slogans aren't, 'Djilas - Prime Minister' or 'Bosko Obradovic - Prime Minister' So, if the will of the people is such, I will be prime minister, and until then it's important that they know where they stand with me and with my party, we say things openly," Dacic told Alo. Dacic added that the most important facts are the good things that have been done in Serbia and Belgrade, especially those projects that have been on pause for 40-50 years, such as Prokop and the bypass. "We still have a lot of work to do, we won the right to organize EXPO 2027, and it will be a huge stepping stone for the development of Belgrade. So I am sure that Belgraders see this great progress and will decide to continue on this path, with those who have shown that they know how to run a large European metropolis. If we win the elections, and I am convinced of the victory of the SNS and the SPS, in five years Serbia will still be a stable country, even more developed and richer. I have no doubt about that. Our policy and our coalition certainly lead to that," said Dacic and added that this is the only guarantee of Serbia's stability and constant development. The president of the SPS reiterated that the continuation of the policy advocated by the coalition guarantees that Serbia will preserve Kosovo and Metohija, the Serb people in the province and that we will never recognize Kosovo.

 

Hungary's continued support for Serbia's membership in EU (RTV/Tanjug/Politika)

 

Serbian Minister for European Integration Tanja Miscevic spoke yesterday with Minister for European Affairs of Hungary Janos Boka about the continuation of cooperation between the two friendly countries in the process of Serbia's accession to the EU, especially in the context of the Hungarian Presidency of the Union in second half of 2024. Miscevic expressed her gratitude to Boka for Hungary's continuous and long-term support to Serbia on the way to membership in the European Union, pointing out that good relations can be seen in highly developed economic and political bilateral cooperation. The Minister spoke about the current, undertaken and implemented reforms in the area of the rule of law, as well as in the area of media freedom after the adopted laws on public information and media, and on electronic media, primarily on the adoption of by-laws and their implementation. Speaking about this year's Report of the European Commission for Serbia, she said that our country will implement the recommendations from the report and added that in the coming period work will be done on the evaluation of transitional measures in Chapters 23 and 24. Boka said that Hungary is an advocate of the expansion of the EU and an ally of the countries of the Western Balkans, while the support of that country is unquestionable to Serbia on that path.

 

Hill: Serbian people will decide on Rio Tinto (RTS)

 

US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill told RTS that the most important thing for American companies is that, sooner or later, Serbia will be part of the EU, and that the Serbian people will be the ones to decide on the Rio Tinto company operations in Serbia. Hill said he knows that many Serbians worry whether Serbia will ever join the EU, but that American companies believe this will happen. When you look at the map, and that is important to everyone, you see that Serbia is on a very good spot. If you build a factory here, you are very close to the EU, and you will soon be in EU, said the Ambassador. He said the Open Balkans idea and the Berlin Process are similar initiatives, because they broaden the market for companies and factories. Such integration projects that facilitate and speed up regionalization are a good idea, said Hill, adding that Serbia has special responsibility because it is bigger than some other Balkan countries and should help some of them overcome the historical legacy and the lack of trust. Once this happens, and I am certain it will, I believe this initiative will be useful not only for Serbia but also for its neighbors, said Hill. Asked if he supports the Rio Tinto project in Serbia, the US Ambassador said he does not want to get involved in that dispute “right in the middle of a lawsuit” brought against Serbia by this company for stopping the Jadar project. I will only say that the Serbian people will decide on how they want to organize their economy, and whether they want an economy based on mining, because there are many mines in Serbia, and some of them are Chinese, like in Bor, where copper ore is extracted, said Hill.

 

KFOR Commander: We stand ready to respond to any threat (KoSSev/Beta)

 

A new Italian KFOR battalion arrived in Kosovo on Tuesday evening, confirmed this mission. This is a reserve battalion from NATO’s Operation Reserve Force, arriving in Kosovo as reinforcement. “KFOR continues to fulfill its UN mandate to ensure a safe and secure environment for all communities in Kosovo,” said this NATO mission on Facebook and Twitter, this time without directly mentioning Resolution 1244, which KFOR usually noticeably emphasizes. There are currently some 5000 KFOR troops in Kosovo. Their number increased by 1,000 this year following the latest crisis in the north of Kosovo. KFOR Commander Ozkan Ulutas said Tuesday that NATO troops have taken all the necessary measures to respond to any threat and violence. In an interview with Kosovo’s RTK he said that problems in Kosovo-Serbia relations should be resolved diplomatically, and that priority should be given to dialogue. The KFOR Commander said that tensions in the region have risen since the 24 September violent incident and the unacceptable attack on KFOR troops in May. He said that, as a result, NATO has deployed additional reserve forces, and KFOR has significantly increased its presence in the north of Kosovo, including the areas along the administrative border. Our goal is to prevent escalation, however, in the event of escalation, we are ready and equipped to take all the necessary measures to fulfill our mandate, said Commander Ulutas.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Second EU-B&H High-Level Political Forum held in Brussels: No accession negotiations for B&H before March of 2024 (BHT1)

 

The second EU- Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) High-Level Political Forum was held in Brussels on Tuesday. B&H representatives at the meeting in Brussels pointed out that they are committed to the European path. The EU officials said that the start of opening of accession negotiations with B&H could happen in spring. BHT1 stressed that the talks of the large B&H delegation, which included representatives of all authority levels in B&H and representatives of the B&H political parties, with the representatives of the EU ended with relatively optimistic assessments about the fact that a level of understanding was reached about many of the things that were discussed, including the fact that last year’s decision to grant a candidate status to B&H led to certain positive processes in B&H, certain progress in reforms and contributed to stability. It was stated at the talks in Brussels that there is also an understanding of what should be done in order to turn the conditional recommendation of the European Commission on the opening of membership negotiations with B&H into a concrete decision on the start of negotiations. In order to achieve this, various reform priorities were mentioned for which there are no political difficulties or controversies, and which could be agreed in the coming period, such as the Law on Money Laundering, the Law on Conflict of Interest and regulation of the cooperation with Frontex. BHT1 recalled that the EU-B&H High-Level Political Forum came at a time when there are intense debates between the EU member states about the enlargement policy and about the decision for B&H as the only country in the region for which there is an important question on the table - whether to open membership negotiations. According to BHT1, that debate will show next week how will the disagreements be resolved between the EU countries that advocate a stronger and more positive message to B&H and the opening of negotiations practically immediately and those EU countries, such as the Netherlands, that demand strict fulfillment of the required criteria in order to proceed further.

 

RFE has insight in latest draft conclusions on B&H that Ministers of EU Member States should adopt on 12 December (Oslobodjenje)

 

Oslobodjenje.ba reported that Radio Free Europe (RSE) had an insight in the latest draft of conclusions on B&H that Ministers for European issues of EU Member States should adopt at the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council on 12 December. Draft of the conclusions calls on all political actors in the country to refrain and give up on the provocative rhetoric and acting “including bringing in question sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country, to put an end to glorifying of convicted war criminals and to actively promote reconciliation”. It was also stated that the EU will not support secessionist initiatives, while unambiguous commitment to the European perspective of B&H as an integrated, unified and sovereign country was reiterated. It was added that the Ministers will send the following message: “The European Council is seriously concerned about the laws and initiatives in Republika Srpska (RS) which are contrary to the European path of B&H, including the secessionist rhetoric and bringing in question the issue of the constitutional organization of the country. The Council regrets the adoption of laws in the RS about non-application of the decisions of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H in this entity.” The Council also stressed that sovereignty, territorial integrity, constitutional organization including the B&H CC’s decisions and international character of B&H must be respected. The Ministers warned that every action against these principles will lead to serious consequences. The draft of the conclusions also welcomes reform efforts that B&H exerted after it was granted a status of the EU candidate. The Ministers will also state: “Further efforts are necessary so that B&H meets 14 crucial priorities stated in the EC’s Opinion on the application for B&H’s membership in the EU as the Council approved in 2019 and with steps stated in the EC’s recommendation for the status of the candidate.” RSE also carries that the Ministers will admit that some important steps and obligations were made towards meeting of crucial priorities despite of negative developments in the RS. However, the Council will note that there is a limited progress in implementation of reforms in general. The message will be sent that the EU is willing to continue to help B&H in its reforms and their sustainable implementation, including the ones directed at its path towards the EU. Draft of the conclusions also underlines the need for strengthening the rule of law, including adoption of a new Law on HJPC and adoption of Law on Courts. B&H is invited to take resolute steps to resolve the problems of corruption and organized crime towards establishment of the register of investigations and sentences, including those at a high level. The Council regrets because of re-introduction of criminal sanctions for defamation and regrets because of the RSNA’s recent adoption in first reading of a draft law that labels civil society groups as “foreign agents”. If the law were to be adopted, it would undeniably be one more step backward.  The Council expresses regrets because of regression in the freedom of expression and media, and in that sense, the country is called to make sure the journalists are secure. The Council welcomes positive steps aimed at improving migration management, especially adoption of the Law on Foreigners. B&H is invited to fully align its visa policy with the EU and to sign agreement with FRONTEX. In its conclusions, the Council encourages B&H to continue to be actively involved in the regional cooperation and good neighborly relations, and to quickly ratify all regional mobility agreements within the Berlin Process. The Council commends ‘considerable improvement’ of B&H in terms of aligning with the EU common foreign and security policy by which the country signalizes its clear dedication to the EU path. B&H is encouraged this positive trend and to make sure there is full implementation of the restrictive measures, including the ones dealing with Russia and Belarus.

 

Kristo and Varhelyi meet in Brussels; Varhelyi: The EU will be ready to open accession negotiations once all criteria are met, which will be possible in case that B&H remains committed to remaining reforms (ATV)

 

Representatives of all levels of government were in Brussels, and the delegation of the B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM) was led by the Chair of the B&H CoM Borjana Kristo, ATV reported. After the meeting with the Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver Varhelyi Kristo said that she was happy with what she heard, namely that B&H has a lot of support in Brussels and that the EU administration is ready to give B&H a boost, but Varhelyi also said that although he sees some definite progress, it is not enough at this moment. Reporter recalled that at the beginning of November it was said that some conditions must be met in order to open the accession negotiations for B&H. Kristo said that she is convinced that through an honest dialogue, mutual respect, and respect for the jurisdiction of B&H, necessary reforms and progress for everyone in B&H will be made in the coming period. Varhelyi pointed out that a very important political strategy was established on the EU path by adopting certain laws, that he sees major changes in the approach and work of all institutions, and that he appreciates effort. We see major progress when it comes to reforms. Authorities were formed at all levels. The Budget was quickly adopted. And all parties recognize the European integration as a strategic priority of the country”, Commissioner Varhelyi said. Kristo also said that much can be done by the end of 2023 as well. “We are convinced that B&H can do more. We are convinced that it can do better. And that is something that this government, headed by Chairwoman Kristo, is actually doing and implementing. Kristo said that at this meeting, the B&H officials said they will be dedicated to making major steps when it comes to implementation of reforms, and they also agreed that EU’s decision to grant the candidate status to B&H has contributed to stabilization of the situation in B&H and improvement of political relations. Varhelyi also stated that it was clearly assessed in the EC’s report on B&H that B&H needs to work additionally on key reforms. He said that the EU will be ready to open the accession negotiations once all the criteria are met, which will be possible in case that B&H remains committed to remaining reforms. He added that the EC will inform the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) on progress in March 2024. Kristo assessed that significant progress was made in the field of reforms and stressed that all political representatives in B&H are committed to making more serious progress in the field of reforms.

 

Dodik: We from the RS say EU path is not disputable but the Constitution of B&H must be respected (Slobodna Bosnia)

 

More than 40 political officials from B&H have gone to Brussels to attend the Second Political Forum under chairmanship of European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Oliver Varhelyi. RS President Milorad Dodik said the meeting was constructive, but the RS has a clear position on how it sees B&H as part of the EU. He also said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss plans that are important for the EU and B&H. According to the RS President, ‘we from the RS’ said the (EU) path is not disputable “but the Constitution of B&H must be respected and that decisions that get adopted are a part of an internal agreement, and not that foreigners do it”. Dodik further said that the people from the European Commission (EC) expressed the will to allocate (EUR) six billion to the Balkans countries. He further stated: “We have serious halts in the dynamics. We adopted five or six laws and when it came to the Constitutional Court, that is where it halted. We can talk, namely that the Appellate Division is seated in Banja Luka and together with that the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering, it could be done. Varhelyi had positive approach, appealing that this is completed as soon as possible”, said the RS President. Asked whether B&H will get the green light for start of the accession negotiations next week, Dodik said: “The Netherlands cannot give the consent until it is resolved in their Parliament and some other issues, and the consensus is needed. I am not an optimist, but it does not mean one should not be working on it”. Dodik said after the meeting that Brussels is always conditioning B&H on the EU path, and that he is not optimistic about that, but that RS is ready for cooperation and is doing everything that is expected from it in order for B&H to be a reliable partner for Brussels. He emphasized that there is currently a serious deadlock in B&H, and that there was a dynamic that was stopped when the B&H Constitutional Court (B&H CC) issue was resolved. He also pointed out that the discussion on the B&H CC will be an unavoidable topic, and that he is seeking approval for the appellate council of the B&H CC to be in Banja Luka, and that when such agreement could be reached, B&H would avoid being on some negative lists and that it was a positive incentive. Following the meeting, Dodik said that “the EU demands harmonization via reforms”, i.e. “reaching of autonomous decisions by domestic authorities and not foreigners”. Dodik underlined that the RS supports the EU path of B&H but under the condition to preserve competences of the RS. Dodik stated that the RS supports the EU path but there are many unsolved issued on this road, while the constitutional structure should be respected, and foreign judges must leave the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H. He assessed the meeting with Varhelyi as good adding that they heard encouraging messages. Addressing media, Dodik said that the RS demands to be visible or else, the RS will not be part of the package of consent for the EU path. Dodik stated: “If it (the RS) has to be eliminated at the end of this road then of course we will not take part in that.”

 

Emergency telephone session of B&H CoM on Tuesday; Bosniak ministers do not support the text of the agreement with Frontex (O Kanal)

 

The B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM) was holding an emergency telephone session, throughout the day on Tuesday discussing the harmonization of the text of the agreement with Frontex. The O Kanal presenter notes that the reason why the session is lasting the entire day is because Bosniak ministers in B&H CoM believe that the current text of the agreement with Frontex places entity jurisdiction above the state one. The relevant ministers delivered a notice to Security Minister of B&H Nenad Nesic with suggestions on changes to the agreement with Frontex and an explanation that the agreement with the proposed changes will receive adequate support in the B&H CoM. According to Nesic, Bosniaks demanded to postpone the session because of additional harmonization. RTRS reminded that B&H is the only country in the region that still has not signed an agreement with the FRONTEX.

 

Cvijanovic meets Special Envoy of France for Western Balkans Troccaz; She points out that internal dialogue is prerequisite for further progress in process of EU integration (BHT1)

 

B&H Presidency member Zeljka Cvijanovic met with Special Envoy of France for the Western Balkans Rene Troccaz in Sarajevo on Tuesday. As it was stated after the meeting, Cvijanovic expressed her position on High Representative Christian Schmidt and described his actions as harmful. Cvijanovic emphasized that it is unacceptable that in a country that is a candidate for EU membership, laws are imposed by a foreigner, instead of being passed by domestic institutions. Cvijanovic pointed out that the internal dialogue is a prerequisite for further progress in the process of the EU integration, but also the only way to overcome all open issues in B&H.

 

PIC SB begins two-day session in Sarajevo (O Kanal)

 

The Political Directors of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board began their two-day session in Sarajevo, on Tuesday, to review the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in B&H and the current political situation in B&H. The High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt will hold a press conference once the two-day session is completed, to share details on what was discussed at the PIC SB session. The last session of PIC SB was held on 7 July of this year.

 

Washington: Borenovic meets former US VP Pence at International Democratic Union Forum, he stresses importance of preservation of Dayton structure of B&H (BNTV)

 

PDP leader Branislav Borenovic met with former US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the International Democratic Union Forum, in Washington on Tuesday. Borenovic confirmed that he stressed at the meeting the importance of preservation of the Dayton structure of B&H, as the only possible framework that ensures wide space for progress. He stated that clear competences of RS and the Federation of B&H (FB&H) and the status of Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks as the constituent peoples and their equality are basis for internal agreement in B&H that everyone must respect. “This is policy I will always advocate for at any world address”, Borenovic said.

 

Bubic: Dodik will show up at main hearing before Court of B&H on Wednesday (RTRS)

 

Goran Bubic, a lawyer of RS President and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik, confirmed for RTRS on Tuesday that Dodik will show up before the Court of B&H on Wednesday. The main hearing in the trial against Dodik and Acting Director of the RS Official Gazette Milos Lukic was scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The Court of B&H still has not decided about a request of defense that the Basic Court in Banja Luka takes over the case. The Court of B&H confirmed for RTRS that they received this request, but the institution is yet to reach a decision about this issue. Bubic is surprised that the Court has not yet responded to the defense's request that the court proceedings against Dodik are transferred to the court in Banja Luka.

 

Mandic: The first steps of the new parliamentary majority seem encouraging (CdM)

 

The first steps of the new parliamentary majority seem encouraging, said the President of the parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandic during the meeting with Yahel Vilan, the Ambassador of Israel in Serbia and on a non-resident basis in Montenegro. As it was announced, Mandic informed the interlocutor about the current political situation in the country. He expressed the expectation that a period without political tensions will follow for our country, to which, as he said, the dialogue between the parliamentary majority and the opposition should significantly contribute. Emphasizing that the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine worry the whole world, Mandic expressed his interest in the current political situation in Israel, with the belief that "the best solutions for the good of all citizens" will soon be reached. It is stated that Vilan informed Mandic in detail about the situation in Israel, stressing that respect for international public law is of the greatest importance for Israel. The ambassador emphasized that his country "is not in conflict with the Palestinian people, but with the terrorist organization Hamas. He congratulated Mandic on his election to the post of President of the parliament of Montenegro, and expressed satisfaction with today's meeting, noting that Israel considers Montenegro an important partner, as evidenced by the large number of Israeli tourists in Montenegro. On this occasion, as it was pointed out, Mandic was sent an invitation for an official visit to Israel by the president of the Israeli Knesset.

 

Milatovic met with EU ambassadors: Montenegro made greatest progress in accession negotiations (CdM)

 

President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, had a meeting with ambassadors of the EU member states following termination of the Spanish presidency over the Council of the EU. The meeting was presided over by Oana Cristina Popa, Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, and Raul Bartolome Molina, Spain’s Ambassador to Montenegro. President Milatovic presented the progress our country had made over the past period. “Montenegro’s got a pro-European government, and by reaching consensus of political entities, appointments in the justice system have started, which is an important step forward in the area of rule of law,” he said. The President underlined that it was necessary to complete the appointments in the justice system as soon as possible and keep carrying out important reforms in chapters 23 and 24. Milatovic also added that it’d be a positive signal to organize an inter-governmental conference and if the EU would adopt IBAR in the first half of next year. He recalled that Montenegro had made the biggest progress in negotiation talks over the EU, noting that all negotiation chapters might be closed by 2026 if the country continued to implement reforms and fulfil benchmarks in the accession process.

 

Kovachevski in Brussels to open final screening session (MIA)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski on a working visit to Brussels on Wednesday will open the last session of the screening dedicated to Cluster 6, which covers Chapter 30: External Relations and Chapter 31: Foreign, Security and Defence Policy. According to an official press release, after these chapters are closed, the EU screening process for North Macedonia will be officially complete. Prime Minister Kovachevski will also hold a working meeting in the European Parliament with lawmakers and members of the EP's Socialists and Democrats group. The topic to be discussed, the release says, is the EU Enlargement and the importance of European integration for North Macedonia and the region.

 

Deputy PM Marichikj in visit to Brussels, bilateral screening set to end (MIA)

 

Deputy Prime Minister for European affairs and chief negotiator with the EU, Bojan Marichikj, is travelling to Brussels where he will attend the final bilateral screening meetings on chapters 30 and 31, which will officially mark the end of North Macedonia’s screening process, said the Secretariat for European Affairs in a press release Tuesday. In Brussels, Marichikj will participate in a conference on the topic of enlargement of the EU, organized by the European Parliament’s Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D). As part of his visit, the Deputy Prime Minister will hold working meetings with the European Commissioner for Promoting European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, and with the Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) Gert Jan Koopman. On the sidelines of his visit to Brussels, on 8 December, the Deputy Prime Minister will hold the 5th meeting of the WBIF Strategic Board with the Director-General of DG NEAR, Gert Jan Koopman, and with the Director General of Norway’s Department for Europe and International Trade, Frode Overland Andersen. “The topic of the meetings will be the status of the EU’s enlargement policy with a special emphasis on the Growth Plan for the economies of the Western Balkan countries, as well as the status of reforms and other current issues in the country,” said the Secretariat for European Affairs.