LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Opposition wants subservient, sycophantic Serbia without national identity (TV Pink/Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said today that the opposition wanted a subservient, sycophantic Serbia, one that would apologize to everyone, and a Serbia without its own national identity. He told TV Pink that he was planning on remaining the biggest nuisance for the opposition, but would never agree to do business with them. "Some have a party approach, while others take care of the state. These from the so-called Serbia Against Violence ticket are the most violent," said Vucic. He also said the opposition was taking over the Serbian Progressive Party's ideas as its own, but that it did not know how the city functioned. "I will not be the president if these rule Serbia. I don't care about the salary, rather about changing Serbia together with the citizens. I will not kowtow to those who persecute those who think differently," said Vucic.

 

Lajcak on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue: Important decisions need to be made before European elections (Beta)

EU Special Envoy for the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajcak said yesterday that the normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo could not be attained without clearly seeing that this was linked to the concrete process of European integration and that progress needed to be made before the campaign for European elections. Recalling that elections for the European Parliament were due in June next year, Lajcak said that it was key to make all important decisions before the campaign started. "Do not wait too long and do not wait for a new Commission," Lajcak said at a panel called EU Enlargement: A New Geopolitical Urgency, which was organized in Brussels by the Friends of Europe organization. Lajcak said that progress had been made on numerous issues in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, such as the issue of license plates, elections in the north, missing persons, as well the question of taking steps to apply an agreement on the path to normalization. The momentum in the enlargement process has also had a positive effect on normalizing relations, Lajcak said, remarking that it was ironic that this momentum was created by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.

 

Serbia to preside over CEFTA in 2024 (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister of Domestic and Foreign Trade Tomislav Momirovic said in Podgorica yesterday that Serbia will preside over the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in 2024. After the "CEFTA WEEK 2023" conference, Momirovic said that Serbia will have the opportunity to continue fulfilling one of the most important goals, which is regional connection and intensification of trade cooperation for the benefit of the economy and improving the quality of life of citizens. The Minister pointed out that the importance of the CEFTA market for the Serbian economy is enormous and added that CEFTA is the second trading partner of Serbia with a share in the total exchange of the country in the amount of more than 18 percent. He stated that Serbia's presidency will be primarily focused on consolidating and strengthening the implementation of the agreement, work on intensifying the trade exchange of the CEFTA signatory countries, and it will also provide an opportunity for Serbia to place the topics of digitisation and electronic trade among the priorities of the presidency. The Serbian government and the relevant ministry are firmly of the opinion that free economic regional cooperation is extremely important, and this is shown by the fact that in the first nine months of this year, Serbia achieved close to €5 billion in trade with CEFTA, the Minister pointed out. Momirovic participated in the panel "From Montenegro to Serbia: CEFTA's 2023 Recap and 2024 Goals", which was also an opportunity for Montenegro to hand over the CEFTA presidency to Serbia, which will carry out this activity during 2024.

 

Petkovic informs Von Redecker about situation in Kosovo and Metohija and problems faced by Serbs (Tanjug/RTV)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met with the Head of the Western Balkans Division of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs Niels Von Redecker in Belgrade on Thursday. Petkovic informed the German official of the political situation in Kosovo and Metohija and problems faced by the Serbs due to political and all other forms of disenfranchisement and constant attempts to subjugate them to Pristina's will by violent and non-democratic means, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement. He noted that Albin Kurti's terror put the survival of Serbs into question, especially in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. He said this was also indicated by recent events during which ethnic Albanian municipal representatives in Kosovska Mitrovica, Leposavic, Zubin Potok and Zvecan had refused to receive a civic initiative for the dismissal of false and illegitimate mayors in the north of Kosovo and Metohija - which the EU, too, insists on. Forcing petitioners to show their IDs to Pristina's police was aimed at intimidation, which clearly shows that Kurti's regime is not even thinking about de-escalating the situation in the four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, Petkovic said. These and other frequent unilateral moves by Pristina, such as groundless and illegitimate arrests and daily violence against the Serbs, generate fresh tensions in the province, which is something Belgrade does not want by any means, he said. He noted that a soonest possible de-escalation on the ground was necessary and that a Community of Serb Municipalities must be established as urgently as possible based on agreements from 2013 and 2015 to ensure collective and individual rights to Serbs in the province. The meeting was also attended by German Ambassador to Serbia Anke Konrad.

 

Hungary-Serbia oil pipeline an important project for our country (RTV/Tanjug/N1)

 

The Serbian government adopted yesterday the Decision on amendments to the Decision on the highest prices of prescription medicines in human medicine and thus created the conditions for 71 new drugs to be placed on the Serbian market. The government adopted the Conclusion establishing the Project "Construction of the Hungary-Republic of Serbia Oil Pipeline" as a project of importance for the Republic of Serbia. The project is planned under a list of priority investments as one of strategic projects in the field of oil supply. Serbia is supplied with imported crude oil from one direction only, through the Republic of Croatia, through the Janaf oil pipeline, and the construction of the new oil pipeline to Hungary will ensure a safer supply of the domestic refinery, and thus the domestic market. Also, the project would enable the diversification of crude oil supply routes so that the Republic of Serbia, in addition to the current supply of oil through the Croatian oil pipeline Janaf, would have the possibility of being supplied through the Druzhba pipeline. Government members adopted the Decision on giving consent to the Decision on establishing cooperation between the City of Kragujevac and the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin - United States of America. At the session, it was agreed to establish cooperation between the City of Novi Sad and the City of Cleveland, Ohio - USA, which is based on establishing the basis of understanding and improving business relations, in order to promote human rights, social justice and security of the population of the two cities, as well as in the areas of the economy, tourism, education, healthcare, banking, insurance, public transport, information technology and other. At the session, the government adopted the Conclusion on the organisation of awarding prizes to elementary school pupils who achieved outstanding results in national and international competitions under the name "Best-in-Class Competitors”.

 

Interpol’s warrant for Radoicic requested by UNMIK on Kosovo’s behalf (RFE/Beta)

 

The international arrest warrant for the former vice-president of the Serb List party Milan Radoicic was issued by Interpol because of the clash in Banjska in Kosovo this past September. Nenad Rasic, a minister in the Kosovo government, said this to Radio Free Europe (RFE), adding that the warrant – since Kosovo is not a member of Interpol – was issued via UNMIK, the UN transitional administration in Kosovo, at the request of the Interior Ministry of Kosovo. Radoicic has assumed responsibility for the 24 September attack in Banjska, in which one Kosovo police officer was killed and one wounded, after which three Serb attackers, members of Radoicic’s armed group, died in the exchange of fire with the police. After taking the responsibility, Radoicic resigned from the post of vice-president of the Serb List, the biggest political party of the Serbs in Kosovo, which is supported by Belgrade. He stated via his lawyer that he had organized the attack and all logistics and that he had informed no one about it. The Kosovo authorities claim that the Serbian state was behind the attack in Banjska, which the authorities in Belgrade are denying. Radoicic was arrested by the Serbian police in Belgrade on 3 October on charges of “conspiring criminal acts, illegal production, holding, carrying and trafficking of firearms and explosive materials and grave acts against public safety.” He was released a day later, with a ban on leaving Serbia or going to Kosovo. The Kosovo police discovered a large arsenal of weapons after the attack.

 

Prelevic: Radoicic not Interpol’s main target – he did not organize north Kosovo attack alone (Beta)

 

Lawyer Bozo Prelevic said yesterdat that the authorities in Belgrade, headed by Aleksandar Vucic, did not dare arrest Milan Radoicic because they knew that he had not organized the 24 September clash in Banjska in northern Kosovo alone. Commenting on Interpol’s issuing of an arrest warrant against the former vice-president of the Serb List party and Vucic’s closest associate on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, Prelevic told Beta that Radoicic could be a tricky witness for the current authorities. In his words, it would also be a problem for Serbia if it did not act on Interpol’s warrant at a moment when “it is known who protects Radoicic in Serbia”. “Milan Radoicic is protected by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Rather clumsily and in a way damaging for the country, the government tried to defend against the events in Banjska by launching a case against Radoicic and immediately releasing him. A question arises as to who is responsible for the tragic events in Banjska, because Radoicic could not have obtained the vast quantity of weapons, military equipment, including a combat vehicle, by himself. Radoicic did not organize a rebellion in northern Kosovo on a whim,” Prelevic stated. He pointed out that Radoicic was not the main target of Interpol. “The authorities in Serbia also know that Radoicic is not the main target of Interpol, but he could point to the true target. That is why there is no investigation of Banjska in Belgrade. If the prosecution did its job, it would acknowledge the colossal damage to Serbian interests that was inflicted in Banjska. Banjska is the turning point after which there can be no more resistance in northern Kosovo,” Prelevic said.

 

Aleksic says Serbia Against Violence ticket will win in Belgrade (Insajder/Beta)

 

Miroslav Aleksic, one of the lead candidates on the Serbia Against Violence election ticket, said yesterday that he expected it to be the strongest individual ticket in Belgrade and that the "entire combined opposition" could win enough votes to create a technical cabinet at the level of the republic. "The cooperation all of opposition factors will not be necessary in Belgrade, I think we will be able to secure a majority via a narrower coalition that will function smoothly," Aleksic, the president of the People's Movement of Serbia and lead candidate on the Serbian Against Violence ticket along with Marinika Tepic, told the Insajder website. He said that the government would do everything to manipulate the elections and steal votes to secure a better position, but that the Serbia Against Violence ticket would stop any attempt at abuses. "We will have 25,000 supervisors at polling stations across Serbia and we will do everything that we can in critical spots to preserve the will of citizens," Aleksic said.

 

Kosovo Serbs submit request to dismiss Mitrovica North mayor (KoSSev/N1)

 

The Kosovo Serbs who made a failed attempt two days ago to submit a request for the dismissal of mayors of four northern majority-Serb municipalities in Kosovo managed to submit this request at the Mitrovica North municipal administration building on Thursday. The request was received by this institution’s chairperson, who has five days to decide on either accepting or rejecting it. Mitrovica North municipal council chair Nedzad Ugljanin confirmed that he received on Thursday the signatories of the request, KoSSev reported. They supplemented it, addressed me, as the chair, in writing and said they were following the administrative instructions, said Ugljanin, adding that he accepted the request, that he has a five-day deadline to decide on it and that he will inform the request initiators of his decision in a timely manner. He said the request has been forwarded to the Ministry of Local Government Administration, to the Central Election Commission and to the mayor.

 

Bajatovic receives Order of Russian Federation (NSPM)

 

The Order was awarded to Bajatovic by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry and signed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Receiving the Order, Bajatovic said that this is a great honor for him and stressed that the ties between the Russian and the Serbian people are unbreakable. “Maybe it is difficult now, but once there is talk of peace, we will have a great ally, and that is our fraternal Russia. We have strong backing from Russia, and whoever has a big bear behind their back they can even set the rules in the woods when the time comes for it,” said Bajatovic, who is also the president of the Russian geographical society in Serbia.

 

Tomislav Radovanovic named acting head of Serbia's Security Information Agency (Tanjug)

 

Former Interior Ministry official Tomislav Radovanovic has been named acting director of the Security Information Agency, sources in Serbia's security agencies have told Tanjug.

Radovanovic, who has previously served as head of the Criminal Police Directorate's Special Investigation Methods Service, joined the Security Information Agency in early 2023. He rose to public prominence after a 2021 interview with TV Prva in which he revealed that a "parallel structure" within the Interior Ministry had been wiretapping on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Radovanovic's appointment comes after Aleksandar Vulin's 3 November resignation as the Agency's chief.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik: Threats from OHR and illegal foreigner will not intimidate anyone; Schmidt will have to explain many things at the Court (RTRS)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik posted on his X platform on Thursday that the threats that were conveyed on Wednesday from the OHR, from “an illegal foreigner”, will not intimidate anyone in the RS and only prove that everything done was right. “Those, who came in front of the unconstitutional court on Wednesday and gave me support, prove that. You have an illegal man who launched this farce and on the day of this false, staged process he says that he does not want to interfere, and he is more than interfering, accompanying everything with threats,” wrote Dodik. Dodik said that Christian Schmidt is either crazy, or he is used to dealing with those who would sell everything for a post, if he expects him to talk to someone, who is illegal and thus expresses disrespect toward RS institutions and seal the RS’ destiny, just to be freed of the process. Dodik said that he is the President only because Serb people said so, adding that the policy he leads is a Serb one, but it is also the policy which respects the Constitution and the law, the policy supported by the Serb people, who elected him. He noted that nobody in the RS will work against the Constitution and the laws: “PIC can agree whatever they want, Schmidt will have to explain many things before the Court. Threats and my political isolation cannot cover the fact he does not have confirmation of appointment and that not even America can protect him before the court of public.” He underscored that through the false process against him and Acting Director of RS Official Gazette Milos Lukic, the public in the RS will see all the facts: “They initiated the trial of the RS, but in the end, they will sentence Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Srpska wants B&H in the EU, this is why we want the illegal foreigner to leave. We need rule of law not lawlessness.” He concluded that foreigners jeopardized B&H’s future, “by insulting our intelligence and by undermining law and justice before our own eyes, forcibly imposing a man who has no confirmation and who wants to command here and sanction legally elected representatives”. “I am the President of the RS only because Serb people said so. The policy I lead is the Serb policy, but also the policy that respects the Constitution and law and it is the policy Serb people support. That is why I have never and will never think about personal commodity at expanse of what people expect from me”, said Dodik.

 

Dodik informs French Special Envoy Troccaz that RS rejects any action of Schmidt as HR (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik met with Special Envoy of France for the Western Balkans Rene Troccaz in Banja Luka on Thursday. Dodik pointed out that the RS expects a realistic and principled EU’s approach towards B&H and its member states, as well as full respect for its constitutional structure. Dodik conveyed to the special envoy a clear position that RS rejects any kind of action by Christian Schmidt as a HR in B&H because he was not appointed in accordance with Annex 10 of the Dayton Peace Agreement. Dodik emphasized the determination of the institutions of the RS to preserve peace and stability, as well as consistent respect for the Dayton Agreement and the constitutional position of the two entities and three constituent peoples in B&H.

 

Dodik on PDP’s proposal of resolution insisting on closing of PIC in B&H: It would be better for them to merge with common sense, if any of it left in this party (ATV)

 

PDP submitted to parliamentary procedure in the RS parliament proposal of resolution on affirmation of constitutional order. According to ATV, this resolution insists on closing of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in B&H.  RS President Milorad Dodik said that he has doubts about intentions of PDP. He stressed that the RS parliament is the only place where decisions are made, adding that PDP was fleeing from it every time the most important decisions for the RS were passed. ATV reports that the abovementioned resolution demands reforms, but also amending of the Election Law of B&H and introduction of an instrument of snap elections. PDP also demands that both, local and parliamentary elections are held in 2024. Dodik stated that PDP wants to merge two elections, adding that it would be better for PDP to merge with common sense, if any of it is left in this party. He reminded that PDP’s former candidate (Referring to leader of National Front Jelena Trivic) has been commended by the OHR, while at the same time they allegedly want to stop interventionism. “One cannot understand whether it is a final stance of PDP, or they will tomorrow beg ‘The Troika’ again to accept them. They act as an ambivalent person”, concluded Dodik.

 

Russian Embassy rejects PIC SB messages, reiterates Schmidt is not High Representative (Dnevni Avaz)

 

The Russian Embassy to B&H issued a statement on the occasion of the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) Political Directors meeting, which took place on 5 and 6 December 2023 in Sarajevo. The Embassy stated, among other issues, that it wants to reiterate that Christian Schmidt is not the High Representative (HR) and that attempts by certain members of the PIC SB, who claim otherwise, do not mean Schmidt will be give the legitimacy, instead it will de-legitimize the PIC SB. That is why, added the Embassy, the adopted conclusions cannot be considered the position of the international community because contents of the document are biased. In addition, the Embassy said that message about support to sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H look hypocritical, adding that some PIC SB members consciously undermine the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Embassy went on to say, among other issues, that only decisions reached by political stakeholders in B&H, and nor written by the OHR or the US Embassy, can be tenable. The Embassy called on the sides in B&H to reject foreign tutorship and demonstrate wisdom, patience, compromise approach in order to create a truly independent and sovereign B&H. The Russian Embassy statement also reads: “That document cannot be considered the position of the international community, even more so because its content stands out for its bias and imbalance. And let us not talk about the textual violation of the Constitution of B&H”. The Embassy called on the sides in B&H to reject external mentoring, to show wisdom, a compromise approach, showing the turbulent world an example of mature and responsible problem solving for the sake of creating a truly independent and sovereign B&H.

 

Bubic says Schmidt will be summoned as witness in trial against Dodik; Nobilo noted: We will call HR to the court, if he does not come to court, he will be apprehended (ATV)

 

ATV comments that those who wrote the indictment against RS President Milorad Dodik and entered “legal nonsense which is the trial of the RS President” probably did not expect that the RS President’s legal team will read everything that was written carelessly or under threats of foreigners, adding that this is why (High Representative Christian) Schmidt will have to explain what is he doing in B&H and who sent him to B&H. Reporter noted that Schmidt will be summoned to testify in the process against the RS President. Representatives of Serbia and Croatia, signatory countries of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) will testify as witnesses as well. Goran Bubic, an attorney of RS President Dodik, said that it is logical for Schmidt to be the witness, because B&H Prosecutor’s Office mentioned him at least 10 times in the indictment against Dodik. Bubic added that the B&H Court will decide whether Schmidt will be summoned as a witness, namely whether it will accept such a proposal of the defense team or not. “Schmidt stated on Wednesday that he would advise a different defense strategy for Dodik’s defense team. I did not understand what he referred to. I advise him to read the DPA well and satirical piece ‘Jazavac pred sudom”, underlined Bubic. Also, Dodik’s team deems that this trial could “return as boomerang” to those who initiated it. Attorney Anto Nobilo, a member of a legal team of the RS President, stated that they have right to prove that Schmidt does not have certain authorizations. “He is our crown witness, he needs to explain where he got these authorizations and who appointed him”, said Nobilo. Reporter noted that in his answer to ATV’s question about his appointment, Schmidt said that the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in B&H issued a document proving he is a High Representative. Reporter commented that Schmidt obviously forgot that the PIC is not a Dayton category and does not have legal authorizations to appoint the High Representative. Nobilo noted: “We will call him to the court, if he does not come to court, he will be apprehended.”

 

Sattler meets with members of B&H HoR and B&H HoP collegiums (FTV)

 

Head of the EU Delegation to B&H and EU Special Representative in B&H Johann Sattler met with members of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) and the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) collegiums in Sarajevo on Thursday. FTV reports that Sattler said on the occasion that in the next several months, B&H should us the opportunity, adopt several reform laws and prepare for a decision on opening accession negotiations. Sattler also underscored that B&H has already submitted the Reform Plan whose implementation would enable the country to draw EUR one billion under the Growth Plan which would significantly contribute to B&H’s economic growth.

 

Kristo sends Varhelyi working version of document titled Plan of Reforms for B&H (Dnevni list)

 

Chairwoman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Borjana Kristo sent European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi the initial, working version of a document titled 'Plan of Reforms for B&H'. The document has been prepared by an ad hoc body of the B&H CoM and it contains four priorities: green and digital transition, development of private sector and business environment, development and keeping human capital and the rule of law. Based on the four priorities, an indicative list of projects and priorities has been made, which will be developed further in dialogue with the European Commission (EC) by next March when the final Reform Agenda should be harmonized, and which should list all the reforms and conditions necessary for approval of funds and investment projects. Kristo stressed in the letter that the new Growth Plan for the Western Balkans creates new possibilities for investments into the B&H economy, for integration into the EU market and access to EU membership benefits, which have so far been unavailable to candidate countries. Kristo added by saying B&H will face many challenges pertaining to preparing the final Plan of Reforms, assessing it is necessary to maintain the EC’s understanding and support.

 

Eichhorst held secret meeting with Dodik during her most recent visit to B&H (O Kanal)

 

O Kanal carries that Oslobodjenje has learned that during her most recent visit to B&H last week, Managing Director of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Angelina Eichhorst held a secret meeting with RS President Milorad Dodik. According to Oslobodjenje’s sources, the meeting was planned in Brussels and was labelled ‘secret’. The reporter notes that after this week’s expedition of B&H officials to Brussels, this issue seems more than logical primarily because, according to Brussels’s circles, Dodik himself promised another chance to the EU, accepting “the role of his own cooperativeness’’ in the upcoming period, primarily in relation to the Law on Courts in B&H and “reducing intensity of persecution of foreign judges from the B&H Constitutional Court”. The reporter goes on to say that Eichhorst is often compared to former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, who also paid a sudden visit to B&H and travelled to Banja Luka to “appease Dodik’s referendum on judiciary”, but in the end she exchanged it for elimination of foreign prosecutors and judges from B&H, which raises a simple question whether after Eichhorst, it is now the B&H Constitutional Court’s turn.

 

Spajic: Varhelyi promises to help prevent Montenegro from being on grey list (CdM)

 

Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said that at the meeting with the Commissioner for Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi he made a request to do everything in his power so that the European Commission (EC) would help prevent Montenegro from being on the gray list. “He said that he would do everything in his power to have the EC help us”, PM Spajic said at the press conference after the cabinet meeting. When asked what the previous governments failed to do, PM Spajic said that the problem was legal solutions, and that he had scheduled the entire system. He announced that the government would propose amendments to the Criminal Code and the Law on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism in order to prevent Montenegro from being on the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the permanent monitoring body of the Council of Europe – MONEYVAL. He pointed out that it was a topic that, unfortunately, had not been discussed in public at all. PM Spajic warned that if Montenegro were to be on MONEYVAL’s grey list, it would also go to the EU’s grey list, which would slow down the closing of many chapters. Commenting on the fact that Chief Special Prosecutor Vladimir Novovic received the State Department’s award for the fight against corruption, PM Spajic announced that the government was fully behind the special state prosecutor in every sense. Responding to the question whether he had information that parliament speaker Andrija Mandic signed a document with the presidents of Serbia and the entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina – Serb Republic on the creation of an alliance of Serbian countries, PM Spajic emphasized that he had not received such information.

 

Knezevic with the Palestinian Ambassador: DNP condemns the killing of civilians, especially the suffering of thousands of children and women in Gaza (CdM)

 

The President of the Democratic People's Party, Milan Knezevic, met in the parliament of Montenegro with the Ambassador of Palestine, Rabi Al Hantouli. The meeting was also attended by the vice-president of the Democratic People's Party, Maja Vukicevic. "During the conversation with Rabi Al Hantouli, Knezevic and Vukicevic announced that the Democratic People's Party strongly condemns the killing of civilians, especially the suffering of thousands of children and women in Gaza," the DNP announced. Knezevic and Vukicevic emphasize that they also condemn the attack carried out by Hamas on 7 October, in which the victims were also civilians. "The fact is that in the last few months we are witnessing the intense destruction of Palestine, which has resulted in a large number of civilian victims, to which the world is apparently turning a blind eye," it was stated during the meeting. The Democratic People's Party will, they say, fight for respect for international law within its capabilities. " Knezevic and Vukicevic informed Al Hantouli about the readiness of the Democratic People's Party to support the resolution that would be passed in the Montenegrin Parliament, which would clearly call for a cease-fire in the Gaza area," the statement concluded.

 

Bozovic and Kaludjerovic: We appeal to Palestine and Israel to reach a solution that will enable lasting peace (CdM)

 

At the meeting with the Palestinian Ambassador Rabii Al Hantouli, MPs Bogdan Bozovic and Sladjana Kaludjerovic attended the meeting on behalf of the Socialist People's Party.

At the meeting, they emphasized the condemnation of the terrorist act of Hamas in which many innocent civilians lost their lives. They are also against the violation of international law and the laws of war, as well as against the indiscriminate bombing of targets in the Gaza Strip, as a result of which a large number of civilians were killed, 70 percent of whom were children and women. "We felt the policy of double standards in international politics on our own example in '99. It must not be allowed that the law of the stronger prevails in international law. We stand for a policy of peace, coexistence of different national and religious groups. We appeal to both sides to reach a solution that will enable lasting peace, in the interest of both Israelis and Palestinians," they stated.

 

BS MPs with Palestinian Ambassador: Support efforts to end mass killing of civilians in Gaza (CdM)

 

Bosniak MPs Amer Smailovic and Damir Gutic met in the parliament of Montenegro with the Ambassador of Palestine, Rabi Al Hantouli, where they discussed the launched parliamentary initiative on the condemnation of war crimes against the Palestinian people. During the conversation, Ambassador Al Hantouli informed the BS deputies about the very difficult situation in the Gaza Strip, which is facing a humanitarian disaster and attacks by Israel in which innocent civilians are killed every day. "The Bosniak party condemns the killing of civilians, women and children, which happens every day, despite the appeals of the international community that the aggression must stop. We support Palestinian diplomatic efforts for a more active role of the international community in order to end the mass killing of civilians. The Bosniak party is ready to work together with the other clubs of deputies on the harmonization of the initiative, which will clearly condemn the violation of international and humanitarian law and the killing of innocent civilians in the form of a resolution or declaration and call for the establishment of permanent peace and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to the inhabitants of Palestine", it is emphasized.

 

Jaksic-Stojanovic with Herasymenko: Positive influence on the inclusion of Ukrainian children in the educational system in Montenegro (CdM)

 

Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, prof. Ph.D. Andjela Jaksic-Stojanovic received the H.E. Mr Oleh Herasymenko, Ambassador of Ukraine to Montenegro. During the cordial and friendly conversation, the ambassador expressed his gratitude for the selfless support that Montenegro continuously provides to the Ukrainian people. During the open conversation, Minister Jaksic-Stojanovic announced that Montenegro will continue to be a reliable partner of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. Both sides agreed that the previous activities had a very positive impact on the inclusion of Ukrainian children in the educational system in Montenegro, and they also agreed on activities that will be implemented in the future.

 

Mandic-Kurtulmus: Montenegro is like a shining star in the Balkans (CdM)

 

The President of the parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandic met in Ankara, during his official visit to the Republic of Turkey, with Numan Kurtulmus, the President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. First of all, Mandic thanked the President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, as well as the friendship group of Turkey and Montenegro for their hospitality. "He pointed out that Montenegro got a parliamentary majority relatively recently, but that one of the priorities is to form a friendship group with the Republic of Turkey as soon as possible, through which MPs could share experiences and create new friendships," the Assembly announced. Mandic emphasized that the entire Balkans is carefully listening to the messages coming from Ankara and that the fact that Turkey is strongly advocating for peace and stability in the region and that it is working intensively on the economic development of the Balkans means a lot to Montenegro. "Mandic pointed out that Montenegro is ready for new investments from the Republic of Turkey and that he is particularly pleased with the fact that Turkey wants to strengthen economic cooperation. "Mandic concluded that Montenegro is strongly advocating for peace in the regions north and south of Turkey, that is, in Ukraine and Gaza," the announcement states. The President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey expressed that it was a great honor and pleasure for him to host the President and the delegation of the Parliament of Montenegro. Kurtulmus pointed out that our two countries have a common history and culture, as well as that he believes that they will have excellent relations with the new government in Montenegro. "He emphasized that our country is an important ally for Turkey and that he will work hard to strengthen our bilateral relations. The President of the Turkish Parliament particularly emphasized that Montenegro is like a shining star in the Balkans and recalled the great help that our country provided to Turkey after the devastating earthquake on February 6 of this year," the announcement states. Kurtulmus concluded that Montenegro should establish a friendship group with Turkey, in order for our relations to further develop and for our MPs to cooperate as much as possible. Mandic concluded that the responsibility for the future of Montenegro rests with the new parliamentary majority, as well as that it will do everything to make our country as successful as possible and added that this includes building the best relations with Turkey and all countries like it, which do not set conditions and questions, they sincerely want to help Montenegro.

 

EU integration critical for North Macedonia to address reforms: US Ambassador (MIA)

 

EU integration is critical for North Macedonia to address reforms, said United States Ambassador Angela Aggeler on Thursday. Ambassador Aggeler was quizzed by reporters during a visit to a military exercise at Krivolak army field about the December EU summit and the uncertainty over the accession negotiations due to the impasse regarding the constitutional amendments. "I think we've been very clear. The United States is not a member of the EU, and it is our hope that this country finds its way, as quickly as possible, into the Union, because EU integration is critical for this country to address reforms and many of the challenges it faces. I cannot predict what will be decided in Brussels, but I hope that changes are made and that political leaders make the decisions they need to move this country forward," said Aggeler.

 

Osmani: Constitutional amendments only way to EU (Kanal 5/MIA)

 

Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani says politicians should not give up on the constitutional amendments, which are a requirement for continuation of the EU accession negotiations and opening of the chapters, until the last day of the current parliament. "I hope they will be adopted. Politicians should not give up on the process. Even if we fail, this will have a positive collateral effect, because it is more important for me to win over the public than the opposition. The public was subject to fierce propaganda, and in fragile circumstances, people were vulnerable. When you put salt on the wound, the field of angry citizens is set. We had to slowly explain to the people, to tell them the constitutional changes have no alternative," FM Osmani told Kanal 5. According to him, the opposition does not have a strategy regarding the country's Euro-integration but builds its positions "while riding the wave of the public opinion", adding that the guarantees they demand - no more Bulgarian vetoes - are incorporated in the Negotiating Framework. "We did not work on convincing Bulgaria but on building a wall between Bulgaria and Brussels, so that Bulgarian demands do not reach Brussels. The Negotiating Framework is now the filter for all Bulgarian demands. The protocol is not in the chapters. The guarantees over the Macedonian language are part of the Negotiating Framework, where it is included as a European language, without any footnotes. The way in which chapters are opened is a guarantee as well, since the bilateral issues are not included, except for the action plan on minorities and the constitutional amendments. The Bundestag resolution is a guarantee, the statement of the Bulgarian government that it will not have further demands is a guarantee. Therefore, one can think of million other reasons to guarantee, but the path is the same, there is no alternative to it," stresses Osmani. The FM is certain that even if the authorities change, the country will have to find a way to adopt the constitutional amendments in the coming six months, since European reforms cannot be implemented unless accession chapters open, and parties come to an agreement. "European reforms cannot be implemented unilaterally. We must have a national agreement on the European agenda, similar to what the Croats did," says Osmani.

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Department of State: NATO Ottawa Agreement enters into force for North Macedonia (MIA)

 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has communicated that North Macedonia deposited an instrument of ratification of the Agreement on the Status of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, National Representatives and International Staff, also known as the Ottawa Agreement. "The Agreement, in accordance with Article 26, paragraph 2 thereof, entered into force for the Republic of North Macedonia on 4 December 2023," reads the depositary notification. The 1951 Ottawa Agreement concerns the privileges and immunities of national representatives to NATO and NATO’s international staff. It also defines the status of NATO as a legal person.

 

Rama: Kosovo would have had better results, had it accepted my proposal for the Association (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama said that had Kosovo accepted his proposal for the Association, it would have had better results. Invited to a television studio, Rama said that we should never be linear because it is not strategic and, in our interests, but we should be very flexible in trying to get the cause where we want. "This only happens by managing to resolve the issue with Serbia through dialogue, to impose mutual recognition of Kosovo on the table," he said. Rama stressed that now that the proposal he made for the association has become public, they realized that it would have been better not to have categorically excluded it, but to have taken it under consideration, because it would have come out to a better result than this. "The proposed draft of the association was made public and was clearly seen to be a positive draft for Kosovo. I think the other two or three things would be better if I was a drafter. But the proposed draft is also very good. I hope they support it, approve and leave the ball in Serbia's court. They shouldn't hold the ball in their court, like they did," Rama said.

 

Friends of Europe on WB: To integrate the countries of the region as much as possible even before they become EU members (Radio Tirana)

 

The EU's special envoy for the dialogue between Kosova and Serbia, Miroslav Lajcak, said on Thursday in Brussels that there is progress in the implementation of some agreements reached in the dialogue between the two parties. He said this during the debate on the enlargement developed by the "Friends of Europe" organization. Lajcak emphasized that the European future of the Western Balkans region cannot even be dreamed of without the normalization of relations between Kosova and Serbia. "The normalization of relations between Kosova and Serbia is a matter of strategic importance. Without this normalization we cannot even dream of the European future. We have recently made progress in this direction. We will soon close the energy file, there is progress in the issue of license plates, in the issue of missing persons, in the issue of local elections in the north and in the implementation of the agreement regarding the normalization of relations," stated Lajcak, adding that he is in constant contact with the parties to continue with the implementation. He called not to lose time to implement the obligations from the dialogue and not to lose the opportunity for advancement in the journey towards the EU. Lajcak emphasized that next year will be a year with a busy political calendar, because there will be elections in the European Union and in the US. According to Lajcak, now is a new moment in the enlargement process, which is much more favourable than before. This new moment, he said, was created by the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and his aggression against Ukraine. "However, the EU emissary said that "geopolitics has opened the door for integration in the EU, but it will not pass through this door by itself, because for such a thing the conditions must be met". "For the first time, I see the EU more ready for the Balkans than the Balkans for the EU," said Lajcak, repeating that the countries of the region should resolve all open issues between them, so that one day not to be able to block each other on the road to the EU. A debate dedicated to the enlargement process organized by "Friends of Europe" is taking place in Brussels. In this debate, the European Union told the countries of the Western Balkans that there is no more time to wait for them to normalize the relations between them, but this must be done quickly, as a condition to use the means from the plan for economic growth approved on November 8 from the European Commission. The plan for economic growth for the countries of the Western Balkans foresees a large package of financial assistance of 6 billion Euros for the period from 2024 to 2027. According to the plan, from this amount, up to 2 billion Euros would go as non-refundable assistance, while 4 billion in the form of favourable loans or capital investments. A part of these financial means could go through direct payments to the budgets of the countries of the region to be used for these purposes. The US Ambassador in Belgrade, Christopher Hill, the General Director for Enlargement at the European Commission, Jan Coopman, and many other participants also participate in the debate. Coopman said that the goal of the EU is to integrate the countries of the region as much as possible even before they become EU members, including integration into the internal market of the EU. Ministers from several countries of the region also participated in the meeting. They supported the idea of ​​gradual integration before formal integration into the EU, but not to see it as an alternative to membership. "To realize this, the region must overcome the open problems. We cannot accept countries that have poisoned reports," Coopman said, citing open border issues. These conditions, according to diplomats in the EU, are primarily related to Kosova and Serbia, which are included in the dialogue process facilitated by the EU. "We will condition the growth plan with the normalization of relations. There should be progress in this [aspect]. We don't have time to wait anymore", stated Coopman. He said that the value of the funds from this plan is great and if the states do not use them, the citizens will lose. The Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic, Martin Dvorak, recalled that there will be no opportunity for any candidate country to avoid fulfilling the criteria in the process of advancing towards the EU. What is the plan for economic growth in the Western Balkans? The new plan for economic growth in the countries of the Western Balkans, approved by the European Commission on November 8 of this year, is based on four pillars. The first pillar is "strengthening economic integration in the EU single market". This will depend on the adaptation of the countries of the region to the rules of the single market and, in parallel, the opening of their market in the relevant sectors for the neighboring countries. The second pillar of this plan is "strengthening economic integration within the Western Balkans through the common regional market". This, according to the experience of the EU, will affect a potential economic growth of 10 percent. The third pillar of this plan is "acceleration of fundamental reforms". This also means the rule of law, which also helps attract foreign direct investment and strengthens regional stability. The fourth pillar of the European Commission's new plan for economic growth in the Western Balkans is "increasing financial assistance to support reforms". This includes the proposal for 6 billion Euros in aid. Since the countries of the region in their trade relations with the European Union also benefit from the relevant Stabilization-Association Agreements, the EC proposes to go beyond this, making changes to these agreements to enable equal conditions in the market and between the countries in the enlargement process and the EU member countries. All these goals are in line with the ideas that are being implemented through the Berlin Process, and the creation of the regional common market.

 

EU-Western Balkans Conference, Hasani from Brussels: We are ready for the EU, we expect concrete results (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani, in his speech at the EU-Western Balkans Conference organized by the Friends of Europe, in Brussels, gave the message that Albania is ready to enter the EU. Hasani said that the time has come for the Western Balkans to become part of the EU. "The message coming from Tirana is clear. We are ready for the EU. The Western Balkans today is a different reality compared to 30 years ago. Thanks to EU and the US, The Western Balkans are knocking on the doors of the EU to become members. Albania is well prepared, ready for the challenges ahead. As for the EU's engagement in the region, Hasani said that we expect concrete results. "EC is the most powerful institution that continues to think strategically," he said. "Albanian youth represents 100% of our future. It is time for the Western Balkans to become part of the EU," said Minister Hasani.

 

Gonzato: We strongly support Albania's journey towards EU membership (Radio Tirana)

 

Silvio Gonzato, the Ambassador of the EU in Tirana, expressed his support for Albania's path towards EU membership. Gonzato convened a meeting with representatives from various European countries in Tirana, expressing his anticipation to collaborate closely with them. EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato shared on social media: “Great first meeting with my EU colleagues in Tirana. Together as Team Europe we strongly support Albania's path towards EU accession. Very much looking forward to working together with them,” EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato. Also, the Ambassador convened a meeting with the EU Delegation team in Tirana. “My first meeting with my highly dedicated team in Tirana. Their expertise and professionalism have been key in supporting Albania in its EU journey. I’m proud of working with them for Albania’s prosperous future,” EU Ambassador Silvio Gonzato.