LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: We are still looking at details of the contract between KEDS and Elektrosever, important that the people in north of Kosovo and Metohija have electricity (RTS/Tanjug)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated that he is satisfied that the Kosovo Electricity Distribution Company (KEDS) and Elektrosever have reached an agreement, which avoids the possibility that the people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija will be left without electricity. “We are still looking at the details, the signing of the contract with the population will follow. As you know, only 11 percent of the people in the north paid for electricity, I am satisfied that KEDS and Elektrosever have reached an agreement and thus avoid any possibility that the people in the north of Kosovo and Metohija will be without electricity,” said Vucic. He underlined that this is the most important thing. “It was another important issue for us, that this kind of agreement does not prejudge the issue of property, and I think that these are the things we managed to do,” said Vucic.

 

Serbia and Kosovo electric companies sign commercial contract (KoSSev/N1)

 

Companies KEDS and Eletrosever have signed a commercial contract, the EU envoy for dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajack announced. So far, Belgrade and Pristina have not made any statements in connection with the signing of this contract. The two capitals agreed on the Roadmap for the implementation of the energy agreements from 2013 and 2015 as early as June of last year, with clearly defined steps and a deadline for fulfilling obligations. The obligations, however, were not realized as it was foreseen, for which the two parties – Belgrade and Pristina, accused each other. In the period that followed, and after the meetings as part of the dialogue, Brussels, Pristina and Belgrade confirmed that this topic was discussed. Announcements regarding the progress included the possible signing of the contract between KEDS and Elektrosever. In its report, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated, at the beginning of this year, that progress had been made concerning the implementation of the Roadmap for the implementation of energy agreements, and that Elektrosever had completed the process of concluding the necessary standard technical contracts with KOSTT. The road map for the implementation of energy agreements, which was agreed upon last year, foresees the issuance of a supply license to Elektrosever, specifying that this company is obliged to sign the necessary technical agreements with the companies KOSTT and KEDS.

 

Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector put into operation (Tanjug/Beta/RTS/RTV/Politika)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia Emanuele Giaufret, launched the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnection on Sunday. At a solemn ceremony at the Trupale gas station near Nis, they pressed the button together and started the gas pipeline. Vucic said that today's commissioning of the gas interconnector represents a new beginning in the era of Serbia's energy security and especially thanked Ilham Aliyev for his commitment and strategic partnership, which Serbia will always appreciate. Serbian Minister of Energy and Mining Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic assessed that this is a very important and large international project for positioning Serbia on the gas map of Europe. She added that this project is important for the gas supply of eastern and central Serbia, for the gas supply of central and eastern Europe, but also for the further gasification of the southern part of Serbia and cities that are extremely important for the economic development of our country, such as Nis, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad, Bela Palanka. We managed in just one year to finish the works and to agree, first of all, with our friends from Azerbaijan on gas deliveries, but also to coordinate with our friends from Bulgaria to connect at the border between Serbia and Bulgaria and to be able to do this project simultaneously to finish on both sides of the border, she emphasised. She expressed her gratitude to Azerbaijan for the fact that they managed to agree on all the details of gas deliveries in a short time and that our country will have the possibility to obtain additional quantities of this energy in the future. The ceremony was attended by Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic, Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic, Serbian Labor Minister Nikola Selakovic, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, as well as Director of Srbijagas Dusan Bajatovic and representatives of gas companies from of Bulgaria and Azerbaijan.

 

GRECO: Serbia makes significant progress in fight against corruption (Tanjug/Beta)

 

The Serbian government announced on Friday that Serbia has made significant progress in the fight against corruption, successfully fulfilling 10 of the 13 recommendations of the Group of States Against Corruption (GRECO), a body of the Council of Europe. The announcement states that this is shown by the latest report of this organization, and it is about recommendations from the Fourth Round of Evaluation, while the remaining three recommendations have been partially fulfilled. The report notes that significant progress has been made in reforming the High Council of the Judiciary, with the majority of members elected by judges reducing political influence, while similar reforms have been achieved in the State Council of Prosecutors. Transparency has been improved through the publication of legal drafts and amendments, as well as through more efficient organization of public hearings. Also, the implementation of new ethical codes for deputies, judges and prosecutors significantly raises the standards of integrity and professionalism, according to the assessment of this body of the Council of Europe. The fulfilment of these recommendations is the result of engagement towards strengthening the rule of law and ensuring the independence of the judicial system, which was preceded by the adoption of constitutional amendments, a set of judicial and other laws, by-laws and procedures. The government of Serbia undertakes to continue working on the fulfilment of the remaining recommendations and the further development of the judicial system, in accordance with European standards.

 

Dacic says him as prime minister, Vucic as president best for Serbia (Politika/Beta)

 

Socialist Party of Serbia president Ivica Dacic said on Saturday that the best thing for Serbia would be if he were prime minister and sitting Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic president, because tough times called for a strong leadership that would administer a policy in the interest of the state and people, and that the people would decide by voting. "That is why I believe that in the coming days you will be just as determined as I am to shake the hand of every man you meet, to talk, to see for yourself that most people want good for their country, want good for themselves and their families, want a safe and stable and independent Serbia, one that will achieve progress," the Socialist Party quoted Dacic as saying in Lazarevac. He said that the Socialists had always had the best results there but that he believed they could do even better now and would prove so in elections in Belgrade. "Together with our coalition partners from United Serbia, the Greens of Serbia party, the Our Drina association, the League of Pensioners of Serbia and with the support we unreservedly give to the Serbian Progressive Party, I expect us to win by a large majority in Belgrade. We can and must do this and that is why it is important for us all to vote for Belgrade and for Serbia on 17 December," Dacic said.

 

Jeremic: People’s Party running independently of power centers, embassies (TV Prva/Beta)

 

Vuk Jeremic, who heads the People's Party: A Safe Choice - Serious People ticket, said on Saturday that his party was the only one running on its own, "completely independently of centers of political and media power and foreign embassies." Jeremic told TV Prva that voting for the People's Party was the safest choice for the unequivocal rejection of the French-German plan for the independence of Kosovo and Metohija and legal prohibition of mining lithium, the party said in a press release. "I only saw US Ambassador Christopher Hill once, more than a year ago. He didn't ask about my position on Kosovo and Metohija because I was profiled long ago in the US as someone not susceptible to pressure or manipulation, and I was vetoed by the US in the endgame of my bid to be the UN secretary general," Jeremic said. He said people in Serbia had responded well throughout the campaign "to the clarity and purity of the messages of the People's Party, which will be the biggest dark horse in the election." The president of the People's Party said citizens who voted on 17 December would be choosing how to approach the "French-German" plan, which the sitting government has not rejected, and the pro-Western opposition considers an inevitability.

 

Serbia Against Violence to have 25,000 controllers at over 8,300 polling stations (Beta)

 

Dejan Stevanovic of the Serbia Against Violence Election Headquarters election control team said this election ticket will have 25,000 controllers at over 8,300 polling stations in the 17 December elections. Stevanovic told Beta that cooperation has been established between most opposition parties and that the opposition will have at least three controllers at each polling station in Serbia. “We will also have controllers at polling station in Tutin, Raska, Kursumlija and Vranje where Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija will cast their votes. We will particularly pay attention to the voting process at these polling stations,” said Stevanovic. He added that all controllers have undergone training and that one of their main tasks will be to prevent the co-called “Bulgarian trains”. “The controllers will insist on compliance with the law during voting and prevent any election theft or falsifying of records, especially the so-called ‘Bulgarian trains’, that is, attempts to take blank ballots from polling stations in order to hand them to other voters,” he said. Stevanovic said the polling stations in Belgrade will be controlled the most. “In addition to opposition controllers, election in Belgrade will also be monitored by a large number of observers. Great efforts are being made to override the voters’ will, but we will give our best to prevent any vote theft at polling stations,” said Stevanovic. The Republic Election Commission (RIK) said the number of people eligible to vote at the 17 December parliamentary elections stands at 6.500,165, while the City Election commission said there are 1,613,190 eligible voters in Belgrade.

 

Ambassador Hill: Recognition not on the table in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue but normalization of relations (EuroNews Serbia/Beta/Politika)

 

US Ambassador to Serbia Christopher Hill said on Friday that European officials were insisting on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, not mutual recognition, which, he said, was not on the negotiating table. “First, what is on the table is not recognition, of course. Normalization is. I, too, believe that the situation needs to be normalized. People in the north of Kosovo must wake up in the morning knowing what their life will look like. There must be a possibility for people to travel wherever they want to. There must be some understanding for all of these issues,” Hill said in an interview with EuroNews Serbia. When asked about messages from Europe's leading states Germany, France and Italy, whose leaders had asked Belgrade to effectively recognize Kosovo’s independence, Hill said that “one should definitely choose their words”, and that the US interpreted this as a request for normalizing relations. “What I want to say is that both sides are familiar with what’s on the table. Serbia has effectively accepted what’s on it. There is an understanding for moving forward, which is based on these agreements. Honestly, I believe considerable progress has been made, but this matter needs to be settled once and for all – this is in the best interest of Serbia and Kosovo,” Hill said.

 

Orban: Serbia can always count on Hungary (Tanjug)

 

If the European Council includes the Brussels and Ohrid agreements in Serbia’s EU accession talks, which Serbia opposes, Belgrade can always count on Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Tanjug in an interview. “It's a very complicated issue and Serbia can always count on Hungary,” Orban said when asked about next week’s EU-Western Balkans summit, when a decision on the move could be made. He added that the situation in Kosovo and Metohija was a very complicated issue and that he would not like to make any judgment on the situation. “What I have seen in the last several years that you Serbs are constantly provoked. It's a provocation. And you can react well, or you're not aware of the provocation, but whatever your reaction is, don't forget that the starting point is the provocation. And we have minorities in many countries, and we know how the majority can provoke the minority. So we understand the pattern, how it's going on, in that territory. So that's the reason why we support the Serbian minority living there. Whatever I can do, I'm ready to do for that, even though we suffered some physical casualties in the latest clashes of the local groups. But regardless of that, we are still very much supportive. That's the first thing. Secondly, I think your diplomacy is doing well to insist on international law, because international law is on your side. And this issue cannot be managed without accepting international law. You can't neglect international law. So you should insist on it. Plus, don't forget that there are five countries in the European Union that have not accepted the state status of Kosovo. So it's an open issue. So we have to negotiate on that. Whether we have a chance to make an agreement or not, I'm not a good fortune teller to answer that question. But I know that we should do everything that we can do to finally find the solution,” Orban said. Asked about Serbia-Hungary relations and the decisive factor in the reconciliation of Serbs and Hungarians after centuries of conflict, he explained that this was a complicated relationship, because for Serbs, who belonged to the “big ocean of the Slavic nations,” it was not easy to understand the Hungarians because they belonged neither to the Slavic nor to the German-speaking societies. “So, we are aliens in a certain sense. So, we consider ourselves an island, even if we are a landlocked country, but culturally, linguistically, and (in terms of) our traditions, it's a Christian, Western Christian, Catholic, but very nationally unique composition of the tradition. So it's not easy to find a relationship for a country like we are with the neighbors who are different. So, the starting point is rather complicated. And if you look back on history, you can distinguish clear periods when we cooperated well and periods when we were hostile to each other. And the lesson is very clear. When we were hostile to each other, it was not good for either of us. When we cooperated with the Serbs, it was always good for us. Plus, don’t forget that many Serbian communities arrived in Hungary because of the history and settled here in Hungary, created quite a respectful way of life and achievement, Szentendre and all those kinds of territories which are Serbian. Even in Budapest, we have a quarter, the Serbian church and so on, so you Serbs are respected here in Hungary for historical reasons,” said Orban. Asked about his views on Sofia's recent decision to impose a tax on Russian gas and whether he anticipated a collaborative response from Budapest and Belgrade, Orban said this was very clearly an anti-Hungarian decision and that he was not interested in why Bulgaria had done that or what it expected in relation to Russia. “It's not my job. I'm just the leader of the Hungarians, and what was done by the Bulgarian government is clearly an anti-Hungarian step. And they have to reverse it. We can't accept it, they have to change it. So I'm very clear-cut on that. Whatever the intention was, the consequence is bad for the Hungarians, which we cannot accept,” said Orban. Commenting on migration and the so-called Balkan migrant route, he said Hungarians were quite tough on that subject because they viewed migration as something more than a security problem. “Look at what's going on in Western countries. We do not consider it as only an economic issue. It is one, anyway. Look at the social burden of the migration flow for the Western countries. But we have a civilisational horizon to understand what it is,” Orban said, noting that Hungary was under Ottoman occupation for 150 years. “So when I'm speaking about migration, we have a historical knowledge of it. We have a very concrete one because we see the migrants who are coming,” said Orban. Hungary sees the consequences of mass migration, especially illegal migration in Western societies, and “when you put all these dimensions together, it is obvious that Hungary has to oppose it”, he said. “No, migration is a bad thing. The question is not how to manage it. The question is how to stop it, if we would like to maintain our original religious and cultural background and civilisation,” Orban said. Talking about EU enlargement and Hungary’s attitude towards membership for Ukraine, he said he would try to convince the French president not to support a start of membership talks with Ukraine because he thought “this historical move is not prepared properly”. “It's obvious that the process of getting membership in the EU is a merit-based, objective process. It's not subjective. There are clear-cut milestones you have to deliver. If you don't reach them, you can't move to the next step. And unfortunately, the report made by the (European) Commission, saying that 4 out of the 7 requests as preconditions for starting negotiations were fulfilled by Ukraine is simply not true. It's fake. And 4 is less than 7,” said Orban. He explained that he would like to see the Ukrainians get closer to Europe and that they had a European path, but that it was ridiculous to say Ukraine was in a position to start negotiations “let's say, tomorrow morning”. “So, it takes years to prepare Ukraine (and get it) in a proper shape to start to negotiate. And I haven’t even mentioned the war, uncertainty in the territory, the number of the population. And the other thing, it's never happened that somebody who is in a war, physically in a war, started to negotiate on membership with the EU. Which territory? How many people are we speaking about?” he said. Orban added that his proposal was different, and that “first, we should make a deal, a contract with the Ukrainians on a so-called strategic partnership”. “All dimensions of it, clarifying what it means in terms of security? What will be the impact, in the longer term, of getting closer to Ukraine on central European agriculture? How will it impact our financial system in the EU? Without clarifying that, and not just theoretically, but in practice, to make some test period, it's impossible to start to negotiate. Don't forget what kind of mistake we have done with Turkey. We started to negotiate with the Turks years, years, years, decades ago, and we are in the middle of nowhere. So this is not the right thing. I understand that many leaders would like to send a positive message to Ukraine, that we are with Ukraine, we support Ukraine. Okay, I understand it, and I accept it. But membership, and starting to negotiate on membership, is not a method of sending messages. It's a very complex, legal, merit-based procedure. Don't mix it up, the political intention, and the legal procedure of membership,” Orban said. Asked about Serbia’s European path, he said he was not sure the EU sincerely wanted Serbia as its member. “Is it fair that Western Balkan countries, Serbia being the leader of that, have been negotiating for years and years and years and that the opening of new chapters always gets postponed? The process is very slow, and then out of the blue, suddenly, because of political reasons, Ukraine arrives and starts to negotiate. It's not fair to those countries which considered membership to be a merit-based process. It's not fair to Serbia. So, not only Serbia, but some others. So, I'm afraid that the European leaders do not understand the strategic importance of Serbia and the Western Balkans. They are far away,” said Orban. Asked if Serbia could still count on Hungary's understanding for its stance on sanctions against Russia, Orban noted that Serbia’s behavior was more than logical because sanctions were not a good method. “Hungary is a member of the EU. I don't like that approach. I mean, a sanctions-based approach to international politics. Not just in relation to Russia, but generally speaking. We have very rare examples where sanctions led us to the desired outcome and result. So, therefore, sanctions are not a good method. Secondly, what we are doing with Russia, the EU on sanctions, it's not reasonable at all because we destroy our economy. We cause more casualties and troubles for ourselves than to the Russians. So this kind of sanctions system is not properly engineered. That's the reason why I'm criticising it. But Serbia is not part of the EU. Nobody can expect Serbia to have a European sanctions system when Serbia is not a member of the EU. So what the president and the diplomacy of Serbia are doing looks very logical from Budapest. And why they should accept something that is bad for them? …Politics is a field of rationality - not just emotions, but rationality as well. And rational behavior leads us to the conclusion that this is an exclusive decision of the Serbian state, whether to accept sanctions, to introduce sanctions, or not,” Orban said.

 

EU urges expedited integration, calls on Belgrade and Pristina to implement agreements (Tanjug)

 

In a new draft declaration on preparations for a 13 December EU-Western Balkans summit, the EU calls for expediting the Western Balkans' accession to the bloc and urges Belgrade and Pristina to make swift progress on normalisation of relations and implement reached agreements without further delay or preconditions, including an agreement on the path to normalisation of relations and its implementation annex. The draft, tabled by the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU to the Committee of Permanent Representatives and seen by Tanjug, calls for full alignment with the EU foreign and security policy and notes that the EU would soon examine the proposals from a Growth Plan for boosting economic integration of the Western Balkans. It says the EU continues to fully support the efforts of EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell and the special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues Miroslav Lajcak. The EU says it expects "constructive engagement" by Belgrade and Pristina "in good faith and in the spirit of compromise" with a view to swift progress on normalisation of relations and notes that this is crucial for security and stability of the entire region and for ensuring the two parties can make progress on their EU paths.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Honorary Consulate of Serbia opened in Pale, Dodik and Cvijanovic fail to attend ceremony although they were announced (N1)

 

Honorary Consulate of Serbia was opened on Friday in Pale. This representation office of Serbia was opened by Foreign Minister of Serbia Ivica Dacic. Although their presence at this ceremony was announced earlier, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik and member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic did not attend it. Reporter wondered whether reason for this might be pre-election political dispute between SPS, party led by Dacic and SNS led by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. During his address, Dacic said that Serbia respects the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), supports B&H as one state with two entities, as well as all decisions passed in line with competences and agreement between three constituent peoples. He underlined that B&H and especially the RS is home to significant number of Serbs. “Their better future is reason why Serbia is firmly committed for all-embracing cooperation with B&H, as well as with its entities”, said Dacic. Serbian Foreign Minister thanked to B&H Presidency for recognizing need and in short period gave consent to open Honorary Consulate of Serbia in Pale. Reporter commented that while addressing participants of abovementioned ceremony, B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Stasa Kosarac talked about relations between the RS and Serbia. He underlined that leadership of the RS is committed to close cooperation with Serbia. Minister Kosarac went on to saying that B&H and Serbia are important foreign trade partners. He thanked to Dacic for principled policy as well as for protection of interests and constitutional position of the RS in period when illegitimate High Representative and ambassadors of some countries attack legitimately elected representatives of Serb people in B&H. Honorary Consul of Serbia Dejan Ljevnaic called on for nourishing of good relations between B&H and Serbia. He commended Dacic as good leader. Serbia should open its General Consulate in Bijeljina in 2024. Dacic stated on this occasion that Serbia remains committed to strengthening cooperation with B&H and it plans to open another diplomatic-consular representation office in Bijeljina.

 

Becirovic discusses European path and reforms with Scholz in Berlin (BHT1)

 

Within his working visit to Germany, member of B&H Presidency Denis Becirovic met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. During this meeting, Becirovic stated that relations between B&H and Germany are good and friendly, adding that since 1990s Germany proved to be strong partner and friend of state of B&H. He expressed special gratitude for support German Government has been providing to B&H through developmental assistance in implementation of reforms and through building of capacities related to process of the EU integration. In a statement for the public in B&H, Becirovic said that he has been encouraged by messages of German officials and especially by announcement of concrete assistance and even tighter cooperation with B&H. “I resume with intensive activities to strengthen relations of B&H with strategic allies. Major and democratic B&H is much stronger than separatist minority. Our foreign policy allies are much stronger than those who support separatists. That is why we will resume to strengthen friendship between B&H and Germany and to build alliance with our key partners”, stated Becirovic. Becirovic emphasized that it is very important that the highest officials of Germany send clear messages that they unequivocally support B&H, as well as that there will be neither a quick nor a slow disintegration of the state of B&H. Becirovic expressed special gratitude for the bilateral support provided by the German Government to B&H through development assistance in the implementation of reforms. Becirovic also informed Scholz about the importance of opening negotiations on the membership of B&H in the EU as soon as possible. The B&H Presidency member said that, in this way, space will be opened for essential reforms in B&H, which will have positive effects on the B&H economy and society as a whole. The German Chancellor emphasized that Germany is one of the main advocates of the European path of B&H. Scholz underlined that Germany is one of the biggest advocates of B&H’s European path, and that it remains B&H’s strong partner in implementation of reforms – which will ensure improvement of the rule of law, democracy and the economic development of B&H. He emphasized that Germany’s interest is for permanent stability in the region to be established, with ensuring the European perspective for all Western Balkans countries.

 

International conference ‘RS: Respect for sovereignty and Dayton Agreement’ held in Banja Luka (ATV)

 

The international conference ‘RS: Respect for sovereignty and the Dayton Agreement’ was held in Banja Luka on Saturday. Former US diplomat James Jatras told the conference that the strength of the RS lies in the strength of its people “who are self-aware, focused on freedom and the future and the protection of their rights in these areas.” Jatras also said that the long period of Western domination, led by the American empire, is slowly coming to an end. Jatras told the Serbs to persevere so that the cross is returned to the RS flag. Jatras explained that at the time of the Dayton Agreement, as well as when the solution for Kosovo was found, it was clear that the US wanted to create a Muslim state in B&H. Jatras noted that Serbs in the RS must resist and wait for the end of the global American empire, in whose function are the actions of (High Representative) Christian Schmidt and his legitimacy. Jatras pointed out that it is visible that one is trying to change the Dayton Agreement by force to the detriment of the RS and in favor of the creation of a centralized B&H that goes in favor of Bosniaks. Jatras emphasized that the task of the RS is to show resistance until new opportunities arise. “Of course, this implies adhering to the letter of the Dayton Agreement, but also relying on the courage and determination of the people of the RS,” Jatras said. Participants of the conference in Banja Luka stressed that the world moves in the direction of multipolarism, greater justice and respect for national and people's rights. Participants of the conference stated that the RS will preserve its position and that the only salvation for the RS is independence. Participants of the conference also said that the Dayton Peace Agreement must be respected and that is actually what the RS is doing. Addressing the conference in Banja Luka, RS President Milorad Dodik called for compliance with the letter of the Dayton Agreement, adding that “if this is not possible, we do not want to live in this country.” Dodik pointed out that the RS does not accept unitary and centralized B&H and does not want to fulfil western wishes. “I believe that the RS best shows, of all the examples, how this rigid policy that does not respect either the Agreement or rights is applied right here. For us Serbs, the key word in our life is freedom, and it is not only philosophical, but it also most often appears as an existential matter,” Dodik said. Dodik also said that part of the West believes that the Dayton Agreement is a transitional agreement. “But the question arises here - transitional agreement to what. What is the goal? Is it what they are delivering to us here as a story about an independent B&H, unitary B&H, in which we should renounce our autonomous rights acquired by international agreement, accept to even change our identity as people and accept a new identity which is being imposed here through the language that they all of a sudden call Bosnian, so they suddenly call us all Bosnians and we persistently resist and say that our identity is primarily Serb and our language is Serbian and we cannot accept to change our identity,” Dodik said. Member of the Bavarian Parliament Ulrich Singer said at the conference in Banja Luka that Christian Schmidt’s party which is a ruling party in Germany is not making good decisions and that nothing good should be expected of him either in B&H or in the RS. Singer pointed out that it is his desire for the RS to have autonomy because that is the value of all libertarian peoples. Member of the European Parliament Matteo Gazzini said that the sovereignty of the RS should not be disputed within the framework of the Dayton Agreement and that autonomy does not represent a problem, but a way to progress. Leader of the Slovenian National Party, Zmago Jelincic said that there are many people in Slovenia who support the RS and its possible independence. “So, work on it and do not give up. The only salvation for the RS is independence, and I am convinced that it will come because the EU is falling apart,” Jelincic was quoted as saying. French politician Yvan Benedetti told the conference in Banja Luka that “they are trying to take away all rights from the Serb people in B&H, but the Serbs should preserve the values of the RS.” “It is mandatory to respect Serb rights within B&H. Among other things, it is respect for the Constitution and everything that is currently threatened. What is happening now is a violation of your rights, because every people have the right to self-determination,” Benedetti emphasized. RS Minister for Scientific and Technological Development, Higher Education and Information Society Zeljko Budimir said that the RS, despite great pressure, will not give up defending its position.

 

US Ambassador Murphy: Maybe Dodik does not recognize US’ sanctions, but sanctions recognize him (Forbes B&H/N1)

 

N1 carries interview US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy gave for Forbes B&H. Reporter reminded that sanctions of the US State Department are most rigorous sanctions against persons, companies and politicians who have been undermining peace and stability in B&H and are involved in corruption. Asked about who decides about which persons or companies will be sanctioned, Ambassador Murphy said decisions to impose sanctions are passed in Washington, either through applying of executive order for the Western Balkans or these are sanctions concerning combat against corruption. He explained that this process is rigorous, and it implies clean standard of proving and includes different state agencies of the US, which gather to discuss and analyse facts and evidence and then pass decision whether an individual, subject or company will be sanctioned for participation in undermining of security, sovereignty, territorial integrity of B&H or for involvement in corruption and anti-democratic activities. US Ambassador to B&H emphasized that it is very rigorous process. Asked whether he participates in creation of list of persons or companies that will be sanctioned, Ambassador Murphy stated that there is series of sources from which they gather evidence and information about individual whose behaviour is concerning. “There are open sources, reporting and information we get from external actors. The Embassy has its role, same as it has in defining of every policy for B&H, while final decision is passed by the US Department of Treasury”, explained Ambassador Murphy. Reporter reminded that some politicians in B&H, including RS President Milorad Dodik, have been underrating sanctions imposed by the US. Asked about how rigorous these sanctions are, Ambassador Murphy stressed that maybe Dodik does not recognize the US sanctions, but the US sanctions recognize him. He explained that individuals which are subject of the US sanctions publicly say sanctions do not bother them, while privately they invest time and money to get removed from the US blacklist. “These sanctions affect these individuals. They can affect their financial situation, access to commercial loans, credit cards. They also affect travelling. These individuals cannot travel to the US and is more difficult for them to travel elsewhere. Effect of sanctions on lives on these individuals and on people around them is clear”, emphasized US Ambassador to B&H. He went on to saying that the US has been using these sanctions against individuals which act against the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) and democracy, and which are involved in corruption as well as against their subordinates. “We will resume to act in this way, and I hope people will realize that this type of behaviour is not productive. I said in an interview few weeks ago that if people are concerned, they will be sanctioned, they should not act in such way that will cause imposing of sanctions”, stated US Ambassador to B&H. Asked whether any individual or organization attempted to get removed from the US blacklist through internal or external communication or by using other means, Ambassador Murphy said that sanctioned individuals did not address him in this regard. “I know that some of them attempted to hire attorney in Washington to help them get removed from the blacklist. They were unsuccessful. It is hard to achieve it, if one is responsible for anti-Dayton, anti-democratic or corruptive behaviour, it has consequences”, said Ambassador Murphy. He underlined that the US has been very clear about its policy in B&H, adding that the US supports sovereignty, territorial integrity and multiethnic nature of B&H, adding that the US wants to see B&H integrated in Euro-Atlantic institutions. He emphasized that they clearly informed political leaders in B&H they will defend these interests the US shares with B&H citizens. Asked whether sanctioned individuals should participate in public life and how those supporting them in undermining of the DPA, peace and stability can be motivated to turn away from them and turn towards the West or the Europe, US Ambassador to B&H stressed that it is disappointing to see sanctioned persons performing public functions or functions in governments. “The US government does not pass decisions on appointments to leading positions in parliaments or political parties. Would it be better if these individuals were not appointed to these positions? Absolutely. Also, voters pass their decision on who they will vote for. We cannot decide how they will vote. We can take facts and evidence we have and held people accountable for anti-Dayton, antidemocratic and corruptive acting and lift vail of impunity that exist for some of them”, stressed Ambassador Murphy. He went on to saying that them but also citizens in B&H would like to see public institutions doing their job, to act on behalf of citizens of this country. “We would like to see institutions of this country holding accountable elected politicians and appointed officials if they are engaged in corruption, destabilization and anti-democratic acting. At the end of the day, it is their task. When institutions start doing it, it will be sign of healthy democracy and sign that rule of law is functional”, emphasized US Ambassador to B&H. “These individuals, whoever they may be, often say in public that sanctions do not bother them, but in private they are spending time and money to try to get off the blacklist. Consequences are also visible on other sides, it is becoming more and more difficult for the authorities to get new sources for financing the budget, they have not this time gone to the international market to collect money to repay debts as they did in the past period by taking loans on the Vienna and the London Stock Exchange”, Murphy was quoted as saying.

 

Hunn: Strong support to EU integration of B&H (Dnevni avaz)

 

Daily carried interview with Ambassador of Switzerland in B&H, Daniel Hunn who spent three and half years in BiH and as he says, he witnesses both good and bad changes in B&H. Asked to comment recent European Commission’s Report on B&H and whether he sees B&H joining EU family soon, Hunn said that Western Balkans, B&H, just as Switzerland, are part of European continent and belong to European family He stressed that EU integration are one of more important goals, but this demands political will for necessary reforms and joint vision, so the country would move forward. Ambassador noted that Swiss support B&H in this process and list couple of examples of projects of bilateral cooperation, such is their cooperation with municipalities and young entrepreneurs. Asked what makes Switzerland more desirable than other countries, Ambassador noted that there are many similarities between B&H and Switzerland: they are both countries, where different ethnic groups live together, they are both decentralized states and they both have cantons. As best feature of Switzerland, Ambassador mentioned its diversity and deeply rooted respect toward minorities, as well as conviction that co-existence of different ethnic groups presents advantage of the society. He noted that this includes art of compromises. Asked if Swiss model can be used as example for B&H, Ambassador noted that each country has its own circumstances and underlined that what a country needs to survive as a nation is as joint vision and political will to implement it. He argues that different ethnic groups in Switzerland, believe in joint political project and they are constantly working to keep this project alive. Asked about current political situation in B&H, Ambassador stressed that granting of status of EU candidate, gives B&H a chance to make huge step forward on the EU path, stressing that it is necessary to tackle necessary reforms and make progress in this regard. “If politicians are ready to take this obligation, this will certainly have positive impact on development of the country. As part of its long partnership, Switzerland is ready to support B&H and its citizens in this effort,” said Hunn. “Allow me another comment on security-political cooperation: Switzerland in active in B&H also as part of EUFOR ‘Althea’ Mission, with the second largest contingent of tis Army. The biggest one is stationed in Kosovo. Swiss military staff manages LOT Houses in Mostar and Trebinje. Besides this, Swiss officers are working in the HQ of EUFOR Commander in the Butmir Base. At political level, since the beginning of 2023, Switzerland is member of UN Security Council and in this context, it is specially dedicated to security and stability in Western Balkans. For example, my colleagues in New York had a key role in recent extension of EUFOR mandate by side of UN Security Council,” said Hunn.

 

Sporadic cases of refusing to answer the census: To date, 311.000 citizens have taken part (CdM)

 

A total of 311.228 citizens, 100.594 households and 441 flats have taken part in the census so far, says the Director of the Statistical Office of Montenegro (MONSTAT) Miroslav Pejovic. He underlines that citizens are mostly willing to take part in it, there are only few cases of refusing to answer it but can’t be considered as final. “We can say that the census dynamics is satisfactory in almost all municipalities and is in line with the MONSTAT’s plan.” On those refusing to complete their census forms, Pejovic says: “Based on the census methodology, the Census Commission is going to contact them and try to find a solution so that both sides are satisfied”. As for reported technical irregularities, they’re being solved in real time. Pejovic thanked citizens for taking part in the census, as well as the enumerators, instructors and employees of MONSTAT. He also thanked the media for reporting on the census accurately. The Montenegro census is expected to last from 3 to 18 December this year.

 

A lot of time wasted: Montenegro has a chance for fastest accession to the EU (RTCG)

 

Montenegro has a realistic chance to make the fastest progress of all the WB countries on the road to the EU, noted the Brussels correspondents from Serbia and Croatia, Dusan Gajic and Augustin Palokaj. They stress that a lot of time has been wasted for making progress on the EU road, adding that political stability is now expected from a new government, which would accelerate reforms. Montenegro could make the fastest progress of all the WB countries if it demonstrates real willingness and fulfil what’s expected from it, the two agreed. Augustin Palokaj, a correspondent of the Croatian Jutarnji List, considers that Montenegro’s the only country that has a real chance to make great progress in the EU accession process. “Montenegro has no issues with the EU members states, has good relations with the neighbours, doesn’t have any political obstacle,” assesses Palokaj. Dusan Gajic, the RTS correspondent from Brussels, adds that Montenegro is the clearest, most obvious candidate for faster progress in negotiations, not only because it made the biggest progress in the formal sense, but because it doesn’t have additional issues that might halt that process. “There are no open issues, like in the case of Serbia and Kosovo, it has no bilateral disputes like North Macedonia with Bulgaria or Albania with Greece, or the internal issues like Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Gajic says.

 

DUI leadership decides to name Talat Xhaferi caretaker PM as of 28 January (MIA)

 

The Democratic Union for Integration's leadership has decided to name current parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi caretaker prime minister of the Republic of North Macedonia as of 28 January until the spring elections. According to DUI spokesman and current Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani in a Facebook post, DUI's central presidency meeting at the party's Mala Rechica headquarters discussed their participation in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections. Current Minister of Finance Fatmir Besimi will lead the party's 2024 election campaign headquarters, Osmani wrote. "The party president [Ali Ahmeti] was authorized to continue talks with political parties and decide on possible coalitions for the presidential and parliamentary elections," he added. We think that Talat Xhaferi is an appropriate, good solution, SDSM Member of Parliament Daniela Markoska said in response to a reporter's question if her party would endorse DUI-nominated current Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi as caretaker prime minister ahead of the spring elections. Speaking at a press conference Saturday, Markoska also said the SDSM leadership was set to convene Sunday and name fellow party member Jovan Mitreski as caretaker parliament speaker. Asked what if VMRO-DPMNE refused to be part of the caretaker government led by Xhaferi, she said "this will not work for DPMNE, if they are looking for an alibi for their upcoming defeat in the elections." "We have seen DPMNE's destructive policies, obstructions, their attempts to bring the country to a stalemate, to block parliament, for years," Markoska said. "Their attempts to create a crisis are not new. They didn't work before, they won't work this time either," she added. DUI spokesman and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Saturday that the political party's next goal was to have a DUI member be elected President of North Macedonia. "Talat Xhaferi will be the first Albanian prime minister," Osmani said addressing a party event in Chair. He said naming an ethnic Albanian prime minister for the first time was "part of breaking up the ethnic monopoly" and would pave the way for electing an ethnic Albanian PM for the second time when this "will no longer be an issue." "And the last post where there is an ethnic monopoly is the head of the state, but that is DUI's next mission," Osmani said. "This is Ali Ahmeti's vision and mission," he said, adding that the DUI leader was "creating the mosaic of his vision term after term, chapter by chapter". VMRO-DPMNE has not yet decided if it will be part of the caretaker government led by Talat Xhaferi from 28 January ahead of the elections, party spokesman Naum Stoilkovski told a press conference Saturday. Stoilkovski also said SDSM had jeopardized the state by not accepting VMRO-DPMNE's proposal to revoke the 2015 Przino Agreement for a caretaker government ensuring elections be held in a fair and democratic way. Commenting on DUI's spokesman Bujar Osmani's statement earlier on Saturday that their next project was to have a DUI member be elected head of state, Stoilkovski said that DUI's next project was to go "into deep opposition".

 

Rama: Scholz renewed the Berlin Process, Albania remains committed to cooperation (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, through a post on social networks was greeting the SDP congress that is taking place in Berlin. Rama appreciates the role of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the revitalization of the Berlin Process. "On the occasion of the SPD Congress in Berlin, I sincerely thank Chancellor Olaf Scholz for his leadership. The renewed Berlin Process is just one of the many successes of our friends and allies in Berlin. Albania will remain deeply engaged in this process as the main platform for high-level cooperation in the Western Balkans", writes Rama.

 

Albanian chief-diplomat meets his UAE counterpart, discussions on the cooperation between the two parties (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Igli Hasani met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during the 14th "Sir Bani Yas" Forum. Minister Hasani has given details about the meeting held with his counterpart Nahya. "Honoured to meet His Highness, Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during the 14th Sir Bani Yas Forum in the United Arab Emirates. We discussed the excellent bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the very good engagement as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the humanitarian situation in Gaza," Hasani writes. "I expressed my gratitude to His Highness for the hospitality and engaging discussions at the SBY Forum. The Forum, an initiative of His Highness, is a well-established platform that addresses issues vital to the Middle East and the entire world. In its 14th year, the role of this forum is more important than ever," concludes Hasani.