LOCAL PRESS

 

Serbia submitted an urgent request to the UNSC (RTS)

 

The Head of the permanent mission of Serbia to the United Nations Nemanja Stevanovic submitted Serbia's request for convening an extraordinary session of UN Security Council (UNSC) due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. The request was submitted to the Guyana Mission to the political adviser in the mission of this country, which is the chair of the United Nations Security Council. The request draws attention to the current situation on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija and in connection with Kosovo and Metohija, which is in sharp contrast to the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution (1999) 1244. The current situation is of such a nature that it requires holding a special session of the Security Council, it is stated in the request. The request is in line with Article 35 of the UN Charter and Article 3 of the Provisional Rules of Procedure of the Security Council (S/96/Rev.7), the document notes. It says a culmination of long-lasting, well-planned and systemic actions by the so-called Kosovo Albanian leadership is underway in the UN-administered territory - a part of the Republic of Serbia under the UN Charter, other rules of international law and UNSCR 1244 - in order to intentionally subject Serbs to unbearable living conditions.

 

Vucic meets with Chinese Ambassador: I delivered letter to President Xi about Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met today with Chinese Ambassador Li Ming to whom he handed over a letter addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, but also regarding the development of bilateral relations. "An excellent meeting with Ambassador of the Republic of China Li Ming. I handed him the letter that I sent to President Xi regarding the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, but also regarding the rapid development of our bilateral relations," Vucic posted on Instagram. The President stressed that he thanked the Ambassador for the strong and unequivocal reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China regarding Pristina's latest irresponsible moves that are clearly directed against the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija. "Also, I presented a congratulatory message to President Xi on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, with best wishes for the progress of his country and the well-being of the brotherly Chinese people," Vucic concluded.

 

Hybrid war waged against Serbia: Scheme shown (TV Happy/B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke about the hybrid war being waged against Serbia. The President then referred to the external and internal destruction of Serbia and showed how they are doing it. Vucic showed the scheme and said: "You need supremacy in the air, in every war. That's money. You need infantry. That's the situation on the ground. You need artillery, tanks and everything else, that's the media." As he said, money comes from three sides. "One of the great powers, the other regional countries that have interests in influencing the weakening of Serbia and from the Kosovo entity as they call it and of course from different political circles and NGOs. This is where the arming of the Albanians, the disarming of the Serbs is going. Acting on political parties as in central Serbia as well as in Kosovo and Metohija. You divide that into Serbian and Albanian, and you reach the media. There you have world media, regional media, divided into Serbian and Albanian media, and you have central Serbia," he said and added: "The arming of the Albanians is already taking place, they use Turkey the most. The disarmament of the Serbs, the criminalization. You have to have henchmen who will destroy the country from the inside, you have Albanians who do that, but you have to have Serbs who will say the worst. The world media that lies for days about how we are going to attack someone, how we falsify elections." As he said, he is being attacked because he guards and protects Serbia. Vucic spoke about the writings of the United Group media and said that their views are contradictory. "You will also have the media paid for by the West on the Kosovo and Metohija in order not to criminalize the Serbs," said Vucic and added: "This is how a hybrid war is waged against a country. No matter how much you catch them in a lie, they will continue to do their own thing, with only one goal - the destruction of our country and the granting of independence to the so-called Kosovo," said Vucic. "When you separate the part of people aged 18 to 29, more than 40 percent are in favor, 39 percent are against, 54 percent think that Serbia is not doing enough and that it should have worked harder on the issue of Kosovo. Look at those paradoxes. We are pushing onward and protecting the country as much as possible. It is clear to us that Kurti is engaging in open ethnic cleansing. I do not believe that they will approve the session of the UN Security Council, we are waiting for an answer in a few days," said Vucic and added that he sent personal letters to Biden, von der Leyen, Rutte, Macron, Sanchez, Jin Ping, Meloni and others.

 

We can expect a new government by 15 or 20 March

"We can expect a new government by 15 or 20 March. I think it will be formed quickly. There will be serious consultations, but also a circus, nothing new. When we finish that, I will ask people if they have any suggestions about the prime minister," Vucic told TV Happy.

Regarding the forecasts for the new prime minister, the President of Serbia said that he will express his opinion, but that he is not interested in the articles published in the newspapers.

 

About the case of Curuvija

Vucic pointed out that he was shocked that the Ministry of Justice was silent for three days.

"I called the minister. Whatever might happen, they say Vucic is to blame, they don't care what really happened. It is the greatest insolence. A man was killed and it is the state's job to find out who did it and punish them. From 2000-2012 when it was expected that they did that, they didn't do anything. There were signals coming from the service that it would be bad. Then Milan Pantic was killed in Jagodina and it was covered up because of what he wrote. We took over power and I think it's important that it can't go unpunished not only for murder, but also to respect them and answer their questions. A commission was formed. The prosecution and the police did their job. The judiciary in the first instance brought an acquittal, based on the testimony of Mrs. Prpa as a witness, who claims that they were not the ones who killed Slavko Curuvija," said Vucic and added: "The day after that, which I think is a terribly bad message, they say Vucic is guilty. They say that they did it on my order. I would like justice to be partially restored if that is even possible," said Vucic. Vucic said that the defendants cannot be judged twice for the same crime and that he is not happy about that, and that, unlike some, he will not lead a hunt against the judges. "This is another step in the destruction of order," said the President of Serbia.

 

Dacic: Serbia submits request for emergency session of UN Security Council due to situation in Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic announced yesterday in Rome that our country submitted a request to convene an extraordinary session of the UN Security Council due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. Dacic explained after the Ministerial Meeting on the Western Balkans that the request was submitted because of the general situation in Kosovo and Metohija, terror against Serbs, attempts to abolish the dinar and everything that constitutes a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 and all other international documents related to the southern Serbian province. He specified that the Head of the permanent mission of Serbia to the United Nations Nemanja Stevanovic submitted the request for holding an emergency session to the political advisor in the Mission of Guyana, which presides over the UN Security Council. According to him, in the explanation of the request for the emergency session, the entire chronology and description of the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija is stated. He said he expected all countries to accept the request due to the nature of the situation. Dacic said the request was substantiated by a full timeline of events and a description of the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija. "The Guyanese Ambassador will certainly call a meeting where this issue will be addressed. I have had discussions with my colleagues and I also spoke with the president this morning," Dacic said. He explained that he had spoken with several FMs whose countries included both recognisers and non-recognisers of the so-called Kosovo. "I spoke with Russian Minister Lavrov and informed him of the submission of the request. Of course, he pledged support. I spoke with the minister of Slovenia, the minister from Malta and also with FMs from African countries," Dacic said, adding that he would speak with an Algerian representative on Tuesday. He said no objections to holding the session were expected. "But knowing everything that has happened in the past years and that even something that is crystal clear does not need to be quite like that sometimes, let's wait for the outcome," Dacic said.

 

Summit of Friends of Western Balkans takes place in Rome; Group say their goal is to keep Western Balkans membership in EU high on agenda (RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic participated in the summit of the Friends of the Western Balkans group - include Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia, Greece and Croatia - in Rome on Monday, hosted by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. RTS reports that members of the group said that their goal is to defy voices from the EU that criticize the EU enlargement process and to keep the Western Balkans membership in the EU high on the agenda. Furthermore, Tajani said that a lot is also expected from the potential EU members, i.e. they need to accelerate reforms and prepare better, reminding that European Council President Charles Michel spoke of membership by 2030 for the Western Balkans and noting that “I believe that this date can be brought forward’’ and that will be possible only with everyone working together. Addressing the press conference, Tajan said: “Let us work on achieving the goal of the Western Balkans membership in the EU. Let us try to convince European partners, we have always been saying that bearing in mind that we are talking about Ukraine. We must remember that before Kyiv, there were other countries to apply (for EU membership) and they have the right to be priority. We are absolutely convinced that Europe cannot and must not lose the privileged relation with the Balkans. Italy is a country that is most exposed to the scenario that would lead to distancing the Balkans from Europe. There is not only the issue of migration, there is also the issue of security, influence of other non-European countries on that region which we cannot allow ourselves to endure”.

 

Stano: Lajcak working on dialogue, Pristina should avoid unilateral steps (Tanjug/Beta)

 

European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said on Monday the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak was working on getting the two sides back to the negotiating table but that no date of any upcoming activity could be announced at this time. He urged the Pristina authorities to avoid unilateral steps as they were very counterproductive. "Over the last few week, we have seen at least two examples of actions which, of course, raised concerns of the European Union – one was the regulation of the Kosovo central bank and the other one was the police operation against some Serbian-run entities in the north of Kosovo," Stano said at a Brussels press briefing. "These steps are concerning because they are not contributing to de-escalation of the situation – they are usually not coordinated, they are unilateral or taken without the necessary level of prior consultation in order to pre-empt or prevent the negative impact they might have on the people on the ground," he said, adding that the EU had reacted to both matters. "So, of course it is concerning to see that the sequencing of unilateral steps might lead to something that we do not want to see, and that is deterioration of the situation on the ground because, one thing is for sure, it is not contributing to calming the situation and to making people feel that their lives are going to get better – quite to the contrary," Stano said. "That is why it is important to go back to the EU-facilitated dialogue and engage very seriously there. The work on it continues every day, the EU SR Lajcak is working with partners both in the region and in the EU, and of course, the wider international community, to allow it to both sides to start behaving constructively and come back to the negotiating table and discuss issues which are really important without making unilateral steps," he said. "I am not able to announce any upcoming date of any upcoming activity... ...But we are, of course, hoping that we will at one point be able to announce a high-level meeting, which is usually the meeting between the PM and the president from Kosovo and Serbia where we try to help them solve issues as they come," he said. "At this stage, there is nothing to announce – we really are urging, especially in this case, Kosovo authorities, to engage in the process of consultations and avoid further unilateral steps because they have a very, very counterproductive effect," Stano also said.

 

Serbian parliament holds inaugural session (N1)

 

The Serbian parliament held its inaugural session on Tuesday which was presided by Stojan Radenovic of the Aleksandar Vucic—Serbia Must Not Stop ticket as the oldest lawmaker.

The first item on the agenda of the session, which was attended by 178 MPs, was the verification of the parliament members’ terms in office, followed by the official swearing-in ceremony. The opposition MPs walked out of the parliament hall when the members of the ruling majority were taking their oaths, and the MPs of the opposition NADA and Serbia Against Violence coalitions took their oaths in the hallway. They explained after the session that they had refused to take oath with the people “who got their seats by stealing elections, who break laws on a daily basis and for whom the words of this oath mean nothing”. MP of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Martinovic congratulated the members of the parliament on their election, and the Serbian citizens on fair, free and democratic elections. Borko Stefanovic of the Serbia Against Violence coalition said “this parliament is built on electoral fraud”, which will be proved by all the international and local election observation missions’ reports “and I am certain also by the European Parliament Resolution on 8 February”. Opposition MP Marinika Tepic told the media that a cordon of at least 40 police officers separated the opposition MPs from all others and that they literally pressed against them to prevent them from moving. She said “the partisan police are above the law” and that “all those employed in the Internal Affairs Ministry who presented themselves as security put themselves in the service of the party, Gasic and Vucic”. Tepic stressed that “everything is as if we are in a state of emergency, not to say a state of war”.

She posted on X a video of the police inspecting the opposition MPs’ vehicles using metal detectors. “This is how they have also been checking our cars since this morning at the parking lot of the National Parliament! Us from the opposition, as if we were terrorists! I certainly look like someone who would bring in weapons, bombs! Horror!” Tepic wrote. At the beginning of the session opposition MPs raised banners with messages such as “You stole the elections,” “Thieves, give back your seats,” and “Kosovo is Serbia”. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) responded by unfurling a banner that read: “You crooks, you want to rob Serbia again. It’s not going to happen,” which was greeted by a loud applause from the members of the ruling majority.

 

Lazovic: Opposition forced SNS to indefinitely suspend parliament session (N1)

 

Thanks to the decisive action of all opposition MPs on Tuesday, we managed to interrupt the Serbian parliament constitutive session and the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had to suspend it for an indefinite period, Radomir Lazovic who tops the opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) ticket told N1. “This is a great success of the opposition, since we demanded that this session be held after the adoption of the European Parliament resolution on electoral fraud,” said Lazovic. The European Parliament (EP) has invited members of the opposition Serbia Against Violence coalition to attend its 8 February session in Strasbourg when MEPs are to discuss the situation in Serbia following the 17 December elections and vote on a Resolution. “Together with my fellow MPs, I will be at that session in Strasbourg and I expect that the electoral fraud that the whole world witnessed will be clearly condemned and that concrete steps will be taken so that something like this never happens again,” he stressed. The co-president of the Green—Left Front said the atmosphere in the parliament on Tuesday was very tense. “We were searched, they checked our bags and pockets, had us take off our coats, there was an entire police cordon in the parliament hall, only in plain clothes. This is what a thief caught stealing behaves like. They use force to protect their prey. Still, I believe that the power of decent citizens and the power of the truth are stronger and that we will win our struggle for a democratic and fair Serbia,” said Lazovic.

 

Displaced Kosovo Serbs block Albanian vehicles from crossing at Merdare (Beta)

 

Yesterday at noon, the Association of Serbs Displaced from Kosovo and Metohija commenced a three-hour blockade of the Merdare administrative crossing, preventing Kosovo Albanian vehicles from entering Serbia proper. The Association, whose headquarters are located in Kursumlija, central Serbia, announced the step in advance, explaining it was protesting over the “terror Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija continue to suffer at the hands of official Pristina”. The organization further stated it planned to stage roadblocks every Monday from 12 to 3 pm, until “the daily terror” against Kosovo Serbs is put to a stop. Kosovo Police have advised its citizens to use other administrative crossings while Merdare is blocked.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Trial of Dodik formally begins with reading of indictment (BHT1)

 

The trial of Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik for failure to adhere to decisions of High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt formally began on Monday with reading of the indictment before the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). At the beginning of the main hearing and while Dodik was asking who she was, judge Sena Uzunovic said that the defense’ motion for recusal of judges was rejected and added that she was assigned the case explaining that judge Mirsad Strika is retiring in May this year until when he will be on vacation due to which “judge Mirsad Strika requested the case to be reassigned to another judge to avoid delays in this criminal proceeding”. Addressing the media after the hearing, Dodik said that the trial was scheduled by judge Strike and “then a female judge appeared – I did not even remember her name – who continued in order to hastily finish everything despite all illogicality’s, i.e. it is impossible to carry out a process scheduled by one judge and led by another with us not being informed of it. I as an alleged defendant and my defense were not informed”. BHT1 reports that the main hearing was held only for Dodik after judge Strika earlier requested the case of RS Official Gazette Acting Director Milos Lukic to be separated. During the hearing, the defense requested a new written indictment because the upheld indictment also refers to Lukic. On the other hand, the prosecutors were of view that there is no need for that which was objected by the defense. Addressing the media after the hearing, Dodik’s defense lawyer Goran Bubic explained that the indictment is “a single document comprised of three parts. Both defendants are in the first part of the indictment that has 12 lines, and there were absolutely no conditions not to adjust that part to the decision to separate criminal proceedings”. The reporter notes that despite all objections presented by the defense, the indictment was read charging Dodik with failure to adhere to HR Schmidt’s decisions. Addressing the court, B&H Prosecutor Gorana Bosiljkic read the indictment which states among others that Dodik as an official of the institution of the RS and in capacity of the RS President signed a decree on promulgation of the amendments to the Law on Publication of Laws and Other Regulations by signing the Law adopted by the RS parliament at its session held 21 June 2023 “thus failing to implement and execute decisions of HR Christian Schmidt”. Dodik’s defense lawyers announced that their defense will be based on the fact that HR Schmidt “was not legally appointed and that he is not authorized to pass laws”. Addressing the media after the hearing, legal consultant to the defense Anto Nobilo said that the defense has several arguments, including the one “the principle of legality was violated, a fundamental principle of criminal law”. Following the reading of the indictment, Dodik told the court that he does not understand the indictment. After the hearing, Dodik told the press that the public is one step closer to realizing that this is a political process directed against him, which is not led either by the Court of B&H or the B&H Prosecutor’s Office, but someone else. Dodik also criticized the fact that the indictment against him and Lukic should have been separated but was not. “We feel that there is an atmosphere of lynching us, and things that are condemned in advance. We will continue to fight to prove that this is all absurd”, stated Dodik. Dodik’s defense team confirmed that they will be calling on several points from the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) which have been violated in this court case and announced that they have four inspectors from SIPA as witnesses scheduled for the next hearing. Dodik’s defense team also touched on the fact that the prosecutors submitted several newspaper articles as evidence, which they assessed as frivolous.

 

Cvijanovic: It makes no sense to have trial for non-execution of Schmidt’s decision because –Schmidt is not legitimate HR in B&H (O Kanal)

 

O Kanal carries reactions of those who came to the Court of B&H as support to the RS President Milorad Dodik during his trial. The Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic stated: “The request for recusal of the previous judge was rejected. In the meantime, the same judge himself is asking to be dismissed. I have the right to suspect that he was under pressure to do something, which as a lawyer he could not do, he did not want to agree to such a thing. And then he decided to remember that he is retiring in a few months. By the way, even three months ago when all this travesty started, he also knew when he was going to retire”. Cvijanovic argued that there are a lot of illogicalities in this process. “It is an understatement to say that I was shocked by what I saw and left the courtroom together with my other colleagues. Is it realistic that in one judicial institution there is so much voluntarism, that there can be so much unprofessionalism? This is terrible. I suspect that pressure was put on the previous judge, so he decided to leave on his own, and I suspect that the judge who took over this case was ordered to do what the previous one did not want to do”, noted Cvijanovic. Cvijanovic also stated that it makes no sense to have a trial for non-execution of Christian Schmidt’s decision, because – according to her claims – Schmidt is not a legitimate High Representative in B&H.

 

Viskovic on Dodik’s trial: I believe that B&H was buried today (O Kanal)

 

O Kanal carried some of the reactions of those who came to the Court of B&H as support to the RS President Milorad Dodik during his trial. The RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said: “I am not a lawyer, but as a citizen of this country, I believe that B&H was buried today and that it no longer has any future. If we have become the slaves of an embassy in B&H, of some officials who here shape the fate of all the citizens of B&H, do not be fooled, the turn of the Bosniaks will come, and the turn of the Croats will also come”. Viskovic pointed out that he left the courtroom because of the way the new judge Sena Uzunovic began to lead this process. Viskovic noted that Uzunovic is personnel of SDA. “She read what they wrote to her at the US Embassy. According to any criteria, she would not be able to take part in such a case, which from the beginning has the attributes of a political process and persecution”, added Viskovic. Viskovic said ‘we’ left the trial because the new judge ordered the prosecutor, when reading the indictment, to skip parts that mentioned Milos Lukic, and only to read parts that mention Dodik, which is unheard of.  “Today, we have a new judge, newly appointed, a product of a foreign embassy”.

 

HNS Main Council says they support southern gas interconnection and point to lack of implementation of Mostar Agreement (BHT1/O Kanal)

 

The Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) Main Council convened at its regular session in Mostar on Monday. BHT1 reports that in its press release issued after the session, the HNS stated that it supports strategic partnership between B&H and the US and “emphasizes its uncompromising commitment to the Euro-Atlantic path of our country, including membership in NATO and the EU”. The HNS also reminded of its unwavering support to the Southern Gas Interconnection and “absolutely rejects malicious interpretations”, reminding of unlawful activities, corruption and crime of individual energy companies from Sarajevo and violation of negotiated agreements and encouraging judicial authorities to address those issues. O Kanal carries that the session was especially in focus after the harsh words that the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien expressed last week regarding the policy and actions of the HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic. For this reason, the HNS stated that they support the strategic partnership of B&H and the US. The HNS called on domestic political leaders and strategic partners from the international community to implement the Mostar Agreement in its entirety in order to enable the Croat people to elect their legitimate representatives. They also said that HNS will continue to strive to find compromise solutions and comprehensive changes to the election legislation.

 

NS Presidency calls for fulfilling conditions for opening of accession negotiations with EU before discussing electoral reform (Dnevni avaz)

 

The NS Presidency convened on Monday evening to discuss current political developments, and unanimously adopted a set of conclusions calling for adoption of laws necessary for fulfilling conditions for opening of accession negotiations with EU before discussing electoral reform. “In order to consider any of the proposals or requests of the parties that make up the state coalition, first of all, we must adopt the Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest, which fully meets EU criteria, as a matter of urgency. We cannot afford to waste time, the focus must be on the adoption of European laws”, NS Presidency stated. In these crucial moments for B&H, as they point out, they want to do everything in order to open negotiations with the EU in March, and offer a European perspective to all citizens of B&H. “We remind our colleagues that the vast majority of their voters insist on the EU path of B&H. It is time to pave that path”, NS Presidency stated.

 

Time is running out for implementation of Laktasi agreement, analysts hold Bosniak politicians responsible for its non-implementation (Nezavisne)

 

The daily reminds that the state-level ruling coalition has some 20 days to implement the agreement reached at the last coalition meeting in Laktasi, where leaders of the political parties agreed to pass changes to B&H Election Law by the end of February. However, notes the daily, there is no progress whatsoever. The proposal for changes to B&H Election Law drafted by HDZ B&H have not been sent to B&H House of Representatives yet. The agreement from Laktasi was immediately criticized not only by SDA, but also by the US Embassy. The Troika parties attempted to host a meeting to discus changes to B&H Constitution needed for a wider electoral reform, but without any success. The previous proposal for technical changes to B&H Election Law proposed by SDA has been rejected by B&H House of Peoples. The situation seems to be completely blocked, and the only possible outcome seems to be the decision of Christian Schmidt, who is not recognized by RS as the High Representative to impose technical changes to B&H Election Law. Journalist Uros Vukic commented that the Laktasi agreement was not undermined by the foreigners, as many claim, but by dishonesty of Bosniak politicians who insist on centralization of B&H and the ‘one person-one vote’ system. In the end, Schmidt will probably impose changes to the Election Law, said Vukic. Analyst Velizar Antic also believes that Bosniak politicians are responsible for the failure of the Laktasi agreement, because they succumbed to the pressure of the opposition parties and the international community and abandoned the agreement. He warned that if Schmidt imposes the changes to the Election Law, the RS will not accept his decision and the country will be pushed into a new crisis.

 

Milatovic with German Minister Ana Learmann: Germany's unequivocal support for Montenegro's European integration path (CdM)

 

The President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic received the German Minister of State for Europe and Climate Ana Learmann. In an open and substantive conversation, the excellent and allied relations between Montenegro and the SR of Germany were noted, Milatovic's office announced. Milatovic emphasized that the process of European integration represents the first pillar of Montenegrin foreign policy and recalled the significant results achieved by Montenegro in this regard. In the announcement, it is emphasized that he expressed his gratitude to Germany for its support in the context of accelerating the integration process of our country, as well as for the long-standing support for reform processes in Montenegro in the field of strengthening the rule of law and further democratization of society. The German Minister expressed her satisfaction with the results and progress that Montenegro achieved in the previous period and emphasized that Germany will continue to be a strong supporter of Montenegro's European perspective in the period ahead. The interlocutors pointed out that, in addition to excellent political relations and developed bilateral cooperation, the allied cooperation of the two countries within NATO is extremely important, as well as their common commitment to democratic values and unquestionable support for Ukraine, which is facing Russian military aggression. "Also, Milatovic pointed out the significant role of the Berlin process in strengthening regional cooperation and connecting the countries of the Western Balkans on the way to EU integration, to which Montenegro is particularly committed. He expressed satisfaction with last year's official visit to Berlin at the invitation of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, which, as he stated, will give an additional impetus to the strengthening of interstate relations, and he expressed the expectation that Germany will even more strongly support Montenegro's European path," the statement reads. It is added that Milatovic expressed interest in attracting German capital and intensifying investment activity in our country and emphasized the need to improve cooperation in the fields of economy and tourism. He reminded the minister that Montenegro has submitted a candidacy for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the period 2026-2027. and requested the support of the German side.

 

Gorcevic and Learmann: Govt aims to obtain closing benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24 (CdM)

 

Montenegro is determined to take advantage of the favourable circumstances within the EU and with the cooperation of all three branches of government and the civil sector, speed up the implementation of reforms and ensure visible progress on the path to the EU, said Minister of European Affairs Maida Gorcevic at a meeting with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany for Europe and climate by Ana Learmann. Gorcevic thanked Germany for its exceptional support for Montenegro’s reform efforts in the EU accession process. She pointed out that the focus of the Government’s work was on reforms in the area of the rule of law and obtaining the closing benchmarks in Chapters 23 and 24, which, as she said, would start the process of temporarily closing a number of negotiation chapters having a good internal readiness for membership. “The reforms we achieved in the judiciary are a good start for the extensive work ahead of us. Now it is important that all of us together – all three branches of government, with a strengthened negotiation structure and the civil sector, show measurable results and make key steps forward on the European path. The climate within the EU is favourable, we have the support of the member states, and we want to take advantage of the opportunity”, Gorcevic said. Minister Larmann welcomed the results in the field of justice, pointing out that Montenegro had the full support of Germany on its path to the EU. She expressed the expectation that all three branches of government would join efforts and show tangible results in key areas.

 

Macron hosted Spajic: Four pillars of cooperation between Montenegro and France were announced (CdM)

 

The Prime Minister of Montenegro Milojko Spajic met in the Elysée Palace with the President of France Emmanuel Macron as part of a working visit to Paris. "During the meeting, excellent bilateral relations were highlighted, and Prime Minister Spajic thanked for the support that France provides to Montenegro on the EU path. He emphasized Montenegro's determination to be ready for membership even before 2030, and that the current pace of reforms is a guarantee of the 44th government's commitment to that goal," Spajic's Cabinet announced. Macron pointed out that France gives full support to Montenegro in integration and expressed readiness for support, especially at the expert level. "A phenomenal meeting with President Macron, who conveyed to us the great support of France on our EU journey. We also talked about strengthening bilateral relations, primarily on the economic level. We talked primarily about a strategic umbrella document, which would be the basis for the partnership of the two countries, and President Macron accepted such an initiative," Spajic said after the meeting and added: "The document would be placed on four pillars, namely: defense, health, infrastructure and ecology." First, we will work on defense, and already in March, the ministers of health will meet about projects in that area. We will also cooperate in infrastructure projects, which is very important for the development of highways and railway infrastructure in the next six years, all of this will rapidly strengthen the cooperation between the two countries!" Spajic invited President Macron to come to Montenegro to celebrate 20 years of restoration of independence and offered to organize the Summit of the European Political Community in Montenegro on that occasion, which the French President accepted. "During the meeting, the Prime Minister of Montenegro welcomed the special sensibility of President Macron for the current security and humanitarian challenges around the planet," the statement added. It was established that Montenegro and France have convergent views in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the war in Ukraine. "It was emphasized that Montenegro could be an extremely important factor of stability in the Western Balkans due to the good relations it has with its neighbors," the announcement states. There were talks about the importance of the fight against climate change and environmental protection. Prime Minister Milojko Spajic was welcomed with the highest state honors, and the event was accompanied by numerous French journalistic teams.

 

Xhaferi: In case of opposing positions AA ministers should institutionally state if they feel they belong in government or not (MIA)

 

Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi said he is monitoring the situation in the Alliance of Albanians, a party that has three ministers in the government, and he said he would act in line with his authorizations. In an interview for MIA, Xhaferi said he wouldn’t be led by Facebook posts, but the members of the government from the party will have to officially state whether they feel they belong in the government or not. “In principle, you know I’ve said a long time ago that I am not a Facebook politician, therefore I am not a Prime Minister who is led by Facebook statements or partisan activities. I am a Prime Minister of this government and when they have opposing positions, the members of the government should institutionally state whether they feel they belong in this composition or not. I can’t be led by what is happening on TV or party conferences,” Xhaferi told MIA. Xhaferi said he has established personal communication with the ministers and deputy ministers as well, and they can contact him at any time, but he stressed that he would be led by institutional procedures and decide the outcome on the basis of that. “I am a Prime Minister of the government and I presented a proposed composition of the government and a programme in front of parliament, and my authorizations are to monitor the work of the government, to conclude whether all members of the government are working within the framework and in the direction of the fulfilment of our programme commitments for which this composition has received the support of parliament. Of course, I don’t dispute the right of participants to reexamine their positions in terms of their participation in the government. Every member of the government is free to come out with a statement over their status in the government. It is up to me to monitor the situation and in the meantime, act within the frameworks of my authorizations appropriately to the behavior and statements, and my authorization in such situations is to ultimately come out in front of parliament with other proposals, after the appropriate consultations regarding the situation. I am monitoring the situation, but I won’t comment on it,” said Xhaferi. The interview with caretaker Prime Minister Xhaferi, in which he talks about the elections, issues with the passports, the law on restrictive measures, the extradition of Ljupcho Palevski, the day of his election as caretaker Prime Minister and the public reactions will be published in full on Tuesday.

 

Xhaferi meets EU member states' ambassadors: Support for commitment to holding democratic elections (MIA)

 

Caretaker Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi received Monday EU member states' ambassadors who expressed support for the country's commitment to holding fair and democratic presidential and parliamentary elections, according to an official press release. At the caretaker PM Xhaferi's first meeting with the ambassadors, they exchanged opinions on the continuation of the government's reform agenda, the next steps related to the elections, the process of constitutional change and the government's economic policies. Xhaferi spoke about official plans to ensure the continuity of the government's policies and about organizational activities ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections, the release says. He stressed that the caretaker government was determined to meet its legal obligation to conduct fair and democratic elections in line with the highest European standards and practices. In addition to the government and state institutions, according to Xhaferi, all political entities in the country needed "to show maturity and responsibility as behoves a NATO member state, which has opened its negotiations with the EU, and which is the driving force of the region's Euro-Atlantic orientation," he is quoted as saying in the release. He pledged to personally advocate for an atmosphere of constructiveness, the release adds. "It is important that in the May 8 elections and after, within the set legal deadlines, the country elect its new president and form its new government, with full legitimacy, so there are no delays on the course we have set," Xhaferi told the ambassadors. He also said the caretaker government was focused on the country's European integration and had an unequivocal pro-European orientation, maintaining its Euro-Atlantic policies both at home and abroad. He said he would give his full support to Parliament, when the required conditions were met, to vote on the proposed constitutional amendments since they were, he recalled, the only condition to be met in order to open the second intergovernmental conference with the EU and formally start the negotiation process. The ambassadors voiced their strong support for the caretaker government's commitment to holding fair and democratic elections and to maintaining domestic and foreign policies and cooperation according to the state's European agenda, the release says.

 

Rama: Kosova should coordinate with allies, but has the right to implement the Constitution (Radio Tirana)

 

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has underscored that Kosovo has its undeniable right to implement the Constitution and implement its laws throughout the territory of the Republic. After the criticism that the US and the EU made to Kosovo not to hurry with the decision to remove the Serbian Dinar, Rama said that these decisions should be taken in coordination with the allies, but after the tensions in Banjska, there is need for a balance to avoid certain repetitions. "While we all agree that the government of Kosovo should engage, coordinate and work more closely with its key allies, let's also not forget Kosovo's undeniable right to implement own constitution. After Banjska, it is essential to maintain focus and a sense of balance," writes Rama on the X platform.

 

"Friends of Western Balkans" meeting in Rome/ Hasani: Let's enhance cooperation to expedite the integration of the region (Radio Tirana)

 

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Igli Hasani, at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" group and the Foreign Ministries of the Western Balkans, emphasized the need for a new approach to the region with a particular focus on the economy. According to the Albanian chief diplomat, economic convergence is the tool that enables the region to promote economic integration before moving towards eventual political integration as the final step in the process. The focus of the meeting was the deepening of cooperation to expedite the European integration process of the Western Balkans, as well as the role and contribution of the private sector in advancing this cause. Minister Igli Hasani is in Italy, invited by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy Antonio Tajani. The Friends of the Western Balkans group, established in 2023, brings together Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Greece, and Slovenia. The group was created to increase the European Union's attention to the Western Balkans region and expedite the integration process. "The Western Balkans region is a priority for Italy. We share deep historical ties and want to further resume cooperation in all sectors, starting with the economic one," said Tajani. "Our approach to the region's challenges is open, comprehensive, and based on dialogue." The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the importance of Balkan stability and the need to encourage joint actions to address, more effectively, the fight against irregular migration, the fight against human trafficking, and the criminal organizations managing it. Tajani also highlighted that upcoming engagements, particularly the EU-Western Balkans Summit to be held in Brussels in December, present an opportunity to discuss giving new impetus to the European enlargement process with a specific time horizon. "The government attaches great importance to the European integration of the Western Balkans. We are committed to accelerating this process through gradual integration measures," said the Deputy Prime Minister.