LOCAL PRESS   Vucic: Serbia to chair GPAI (Tanjug/RTS)   Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Thursday Serbia would be chairing the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in the next three years, as co-chair in the first and the third year and as lead chair in the second year, and noted that this was "magnificent news for Serbia". "It is difficult to emphasize enough how important this is for our country in terms of presence in global trends of development of artificial intelligence," a statement released by the presidential press office quoted Vucic as saying. Established in 2020 at the proposal of French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, GPAI is an initiative aiming to set global rules and standards for AI development and to accelerate it globally. Serbia was admitted to the 29-member initiative by consensus a little over a year ago. Its key members include the US, the UK, India, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, France, Germany, Turkey and the EU. Last year's GPAI summit was hosted by India and Serbia could host the next summit in Belgrade. "Proud of Serbia! Big things are yet to come. Congratulations to the citizens of Serbia!" Vucic concluded.   Brnabic meets with CDU's Shpan, OSCE PA's Lopatka in Bucharest (Tanjug)   Serbian PM Ana Brnabic met with several European officials on the sidelines of a European People's Party (EPP) congress in Bucharest on Thursday. After a meeting with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Brnabic briefly met with Jens Spahn, an MP of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who is also a former German federal minister of health. She also spoke with EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra. Brnabic also had a brief encounter with Reinhold Lopatka, who headed an OSCE Parliamentary Assembly election observation mission in the December elections in Serbia.   Strengthening regional cooperation for successful energy transition (Tanjug/RTV)   Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Dubravka Djedovic Handanovic spoke yesterday with the Ministers of Energy and Mining of Montenegro and Republika Srpska, Sasa Mujovic and Petar Djokic respectively, about regional integration, cooperation on energy projects and issues related to the energy transition process. Speaking at a press conference held after the trilateral meeting, Djedovic Handanovic said that we all need more electricity in the future, especially green energy, and that the only way to get there is to build new production facilities. The construction of the Trans-Balkan Corridor is particularly important, which will increase our capacities on the transmission network, connect the markets of Romania and Serbia with the markets of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Italy, and is also a condition for connection to the “Bistrica” pumped-storage hydroelectric power station network, which is a strategically important project for us, Djedovic Handanovic stated. She noted that many energy projects have elements of cross-border cooperation and require the involvement of all three parties. The main topic today was precisely how to find a way to move forward together in such projects, to the benefit of all three parties, the Minister said, noting that the power companies of Serbia and Republika Srpska have already launched a joint project for the construction of the "Buk Bijela" hydroelectric power plant, which has a significant energy capacity. Mujovic emphasised that it is particularly important to work on strengthening transmission capacities that are of significance for all three parties, assessing that we will be stronger if we are more united and act together towards the Energy Community and defend our common goals. Djokic underlined that Republika Srpska will do everything to realise the construction of the "Buk Bijela" hydroelectric power plant, noting that both the Serbian government and the Electric Power Industry of Serbia (EPS) have shown that they want this project to continue.   Strengthening traffic connections with Bosnia and Herzegovina with help of EU (Tanjug)   Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Goran Vesic said yesterday, after a meeting with Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Forto, that Serbia is already working on a project for the reconstruction of the Belgrade-Sarajevo railway, and that the two countries will talk together with partners from the EU on its financing. Vesic pointed out that this is the first joint project between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina after the Dayton agreement, which will enable the two countries to develop economic activities. He underlined that after the completion of the Belgrade-Pozega highway, the construction of the highway to Bosnia and Herzegovina will begin, towards Kotroman. Vesic pointed out that today's meeting also looked at the reconstruction of the bridges on the Drina between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, whereby tenders for the reconstruction of the bridge to the Zvornik border crossing and the bridge to the Sepak border crossing will be announced in the coming weeks. Forto said that after the first meeting with Vesic, the digitisation of transport permits was initiated, explaining that all the business community involved in transport in the entire region will be able to digitise everything needed to cross the border. He pointed out that projects, such as the Belgrade-Sarajevo railway and initiatives for the digitisation of transport permits, show how regular meetings can produce results.   NDSS: All local elections should be held on the same day and no sooner than 2 June (TV Insajder/Beta)   New Democratic Party of Serbia (NDSS) Vice President Predrag Marsenic said that it would be good if upcoming local elections in Serbia were held on the same day and that the earliest date for holding them could be 2 June, the party said. In a show on TV Insajder he said that the upcoming local elections could not be held before all of the opposition's demands, such as putting voter rolls in order and opening the media, were met. He said that there was time to fix voter rolls and establish fair conditions by the beginning of June. Marsenic added that the NDSS insisted that the later the elections the better and that "it would be good for Serbia as a whole, for all cities, all local self-government units in Serbia, for elections to be held at the same time". He said that there was a possibility that the party would boycott the election if the conditions did not improve.   Djilas: Entire genuine opposition should run in elections in one column (Nova/Beta)   Leader of the opposition Party of Freedom and Justice (SSP) Dragan Djilas said his party believes that all those who are genuinely the opposition should run in the new Belgrade elections in one column. “This should be an election ticket for the salvation of Belgrade. In order to save our city, prominent public figures assembled within and outside ProGlas should also engage, in line with their abilities, because these people are not in politics,” Djilas told Nova. He added that the Belgrade elections would then be a kind of a referendum and that people would realize that everything depends on their vote and go to the polls in large numbers. Asked if the opposition Serbia Against Violence (SPN) coalition is prepared to cooperate with the Dveri movement and the People’s Party, Djilas said all parties that have proved to be the opposition are acceptable to the SSP. “All our misunderstandings, even some harsh words, must be left in the past. We have to show that we are serious and responsible. And to show, with this conduct, that we deserve the Belgraders’ votes. They rightfully expect this from us,” said Djilas. He reiterated that the position of all opposition parliamentary parties is that they should not participate in the new Belgrade elections if electoral conditions are not improved.   ProGlas calls for agreement on election conditions (N1)   The ProGlas Initiative called parliamentary parties to reach an agreement on conditions for free and fair elections. “Concerned citizens rallied around ProGlas are calling all parliamentary party that feel that the 2023 elections were irregular to join us at the Envoy Center on 9 March to join in formulating an agreement on free and fair elections,” a press release said and added that a news conference would be held later to present the document. The agreement will be offered to other interested parties and organizations. The ProGlas initiative was formed by a number of prominent public figures prior to the 17 December elections. It called the electorate to turn out to vote but did not side with either the opposition or authorities. ProGlas members spoke out about the irregularities recorded on election day and the unequal treatment of opposition and ruling parties. “This call to fight together for (and win) free and fair elections with democratic mechanisms and procedures, with no party affiliation is a norm of civilization benefiting all society,” the press release said.   CRTA: Public pressure needed for government to carry out ODIHR recommendations (Vreme/Beta)   Director of the Center for Research, Transparency and Accountability (CRTA) Vukosava Crnjanski said yesterday that public pressure on the government was needed ahead of elections in Belgrade and local elections, so that it implemented the recommendations of the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and that the authorities would try to manipulate the public. "I think that for the authorities to truly, thoroughly implement ODIHR's recommendations, serious, continuous and consistent public pressure for improving election conditions is necessary," Crnjanski told Vreme weekly. "Unfortunately, experience teaches us that the authorities are more likely to try to manipulate the public and create an illusion that they are doing something for the purpose of improving democratic processes, than to truly roll up their sleeves and get to grips with the numerous challenges of the electoral process in Serbia as soon as possible," she said. "CRTA will definitely continue to monitor to what extent the government has applied ODIHR's recommendations and will regularly inform the public," Crnjanski said.   Andjelkovic: Opposition would be betraying voters by running in elections under Vucic’s conditions (Beta)   Political analyst Dragomir Andjelkovic said yesterday that opposition parties would be betraying their own voters if they ran under the conditions that they ran under on 17 December. Andjelkovic told Beta that the opposition had no business running under the conditions set by the Serbian Progressive Party and Aleksandar Vucic. "The opposition must not repeat the mistake that it made in December last year and put its head on the chopping board to be chopped off by Vucic. ODIHR's recommendations are fair and measured and if the minimum is not met, the opposition must not run in elections in Belgrade," he said. Unless the authorities have decided to go for all-out election fraud, he added, they need to implement ODIHR's recommendations for holding elections under equal conditions for all participants. "If ODIHR's recommendations are not implemented, the opposition has no business running in the elections. In that case, Vucic will be able to repeat the electoral fraud perpetrated in December and if the opposition runs in elections under these conditions the voters are going to feel that they were led on by the opposition, not Vucic," Andjelkovic said.   NALED: Ten recommendations for future Serbian government (Beta)   President of the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) Executive Board Dejan Djokic said digitalization remains key for successful reform regarding all NALED Grey Book recommendations, including the 10 most important recommendations for the future Serbian government. We hope the new Serbian government will speed up the pace of reforms and succeed in exceeding the magic number of 12 partially or fully implemented Grey Book recommendations per year, which has been the result over the past few years, Djokic told the presentation of the organization’s new Grey Book. He said that the 10 priority recommendations for the future government include the electronic payment of all taxes and contributions and the abolishment of parafiscal levies, reducing the fiscal burden on the lowest wages, introducing unified collection of taxes and contributions for entrepreneurs and electronic storage and delivery of labor relations documents. Djokic added that NALED also proposes the introduction of electronic health records and eSickLeaves, strengthening capacities and digitalization of inspection services, establishing of a unified digital platform for spatial planning, resolving the legalization issue and introducing a deposit system for the return of beverage packaging. He said the new edition of the Grey Book contains 19 new and 81 updated recommendations for removing administrative obstacles to doing business in Serbia. The conference at the Palace of Serbia was attended by a number of Serbian Ministers, while the key speakers included European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Director Matteo Colangeli, Swedish Ambassador to Serbia Annika Ben David and Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Emanuele Giaufret.   Konrad: Problem with abolishment of Dinar must be resolved (Blic)   German Ambassador to Serbia Anke Konrad stated that Serbia has the capacity to progress faster on the way to the EU and that she wishes that the new government and parliament, together with civil society, achieve even faster progress. In an interview to Blic, she stressed that in the coming period, Serbia could be an engine for the entire region and that it would be very good if we accelerated. Speaking about the regulation of the so-called Central Bank of Kosovo to abolish the Dinar in Kosovo and Metohija and whether this situation requires greater involvement of the EU, Konrad says that the abolition of the Dinar as a currency in Kosovo and Metohija must be resolved in the interest of the citizens and work must be done to ensure that there is a transitional period. She said that this should open up opportunities to supply people with cash. She added that it is known that Germany largely supports this process, that is, that the EU is already involved. “The EU is already heavily involved - we have a special representative Mr. Lajcak who led the talks last week. He was in Pristina this week, he announced that there will be a new round of chief negotiators,” she said. As she said, the EU can encourage a solution, open opportunities for dialogue, but it cannot, instead of Belgrade and Pristina, lead the process to the end and present the final solution.   REGIONAL PRESS   Niksic, Bradara, Dodik comment on adoption of reform laws (FTV)   Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) leaders have cemented stances when it comes to the law on courts. The headquarters of the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H remained an insurmountable obstacle for the leaders, and they are still hoping that the EU will accept the progress made so far, without the adoption of this particular law. Significant moves towards the EU were made through the policies of agreements, talks and compromises, says SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic. “From what we know – I am always cautious and prefer to say hop after we jump rather than before, to wait for a decision. I am optimistic and believe it will be okay,” Niksic told reporters. The same stances come from HDZ B&H members, and they believe progress achieved so far is a great signal sent to Brussels. “I believe that it is a credible progress and that everything we have achieved in the past months is certainly a good sign for the EU to give us a final date for the opening of negotiations and that we will then continue to seriously deal with all matters,” said Federation of B&H (FB&H) President Lidija Bradara (HDZ BiH). SNSD leader Milorad Dodik is optimistic but says he will not back down from his proposal on headquarters of the Appellate Division. Dodik believes that negotiations with the EU can be opened even if the law on courts is not adopted. He added that he can bet on B&H getting this decision on 21 March. Dodik believes B&H will receive positive news from Brussels on 21 March. He says date for beginning of negotiations might not be set then, but B&H will certainly receive the negotiation status.   Varhelyi commends B&H CoM for adopting Proposal of Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest (O Kanal)   European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, commended B&H for adoption of the Proposal of Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest at Wednesday’s session of the B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM). He said he spoke with B&H CoM Chairwoman Borjana Kristo and the topic of the discussion was B&H’s progress on path towards the EU. Varhelyi concluded that reforms must be continued.   Sattler welcomes adoption of Proposal of Law on Prevention of Conflict of Interest in B&H CoM (Hayat)   During his visit to Tuzla on Thursday, Head of the EU Delegation (EUD) Johann Sattler welcomed adoption of the proposal of the law on prevention of conflict of interest in the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) on Wednesday. Sattler said that the law is one of the key laws at this moment and that B&H must use this opportunity. Addressing a press conference, Sattler said that the first top topic is the issue of the EU integration and opportunities that popped out at this moment. Sattler added: “It is a pleasure to see domestic actors’ strong sense of urgent and the need to act in different areas including adoption of the necessary laws without any delays. We heard good news yesterday when the law on prevention of conflict of interest was adopted, but there are many other laws that were adopted so far.” According to Sattler, all this helps him to be moderate optimist so that he can tell B&H good news at the end of March after all. Sattler also said he is glad to see B&H leaders have taken all this seriously and are swiftly working on making the necessary changes. Sattler said all necessary laws on the EU path of B&H should be adopted, without further delay, and he believes the leaders in B&H understand that this is very important. Sattler, during his Thursday visit to Tuzla, said that this is great news and called on all B&H officials to do as much work as they can in the next two weeks and adopt as many laws as possible, emphasizing the Law on Civil Service, the Law on the Protection of Personal Data and the appointment of the coordinator for IPA funds.   Konakovic meets Varhelyi: ‘3 + 1’ conditions set before B&H by the EU must be implemented (FTV)   B&H Foreign Affairs Minister Elmedin Konakovic met with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Brussels on Thursday. What was emphasized from this meeting was that ‘3 + 1’ conditions set before B&H by the EU must be implemented, i.e. all reform laws must be adopted, and the EU will not make any concessions regarding this. Konakovic told Varhelyi about the progress B&H has already achieved and tried to lobby for some concessions. However, Varhelyi said all necessary work on B&H’s EU path must be completed. B&H leaders must still find solutions for the law on courts in B&H and the protection of electoral integrity. Konakovic said on Thursday that B&H can be sure it will receive a positive decision from Brussels, regarding opening of negotiations with the EU, if all necessary changes are made, i.e. remaining reform laws adopted. He reminds there are still ten or so days in which all this work can be completed. The EU officials expect B&H leaders to reach an agreement on the law on courts and the protection of electoral integrity in the coming days. They concluded that this would ensure stability and security, as well as open new opportunities for investment, economic development and keeping young people in B&H. Varhelyi sent a message: "I welcome the reforms that have been made. It must continue. Now is the time to express yourself!" Konakovic stated that if B&H makes last efforts and delivers law on courts and solves the issue of integrity of electoral legislation, he is 100 percent certain this country will get a green light to open EU accession negotiations. Konakovic also said that Brussels does not hide that they are content with progress achieves so far, but they demand from B&H to finalize this process in an efficient way and to end the story on the law on the Court of B&H and protection of election integrity these days.   Morris: It is reasonable to expect more American sanctions for those who undermine the peace, stability and territorial integrity of B&H (O Kanal)   While talking to members of the press in B&H, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the US Department of the Treasury Anna Morris said on Thursday that “it is reasonable to expect more American sanctions for those who undermine peace, stability and territorial integrity of B&H.” She is in an official visit to B&H and the main reason behind her visit is to talk about the progress made regarding fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism, as well as activities that undermine peace and stability in B&H, including anti-Dayton rhetoric, endemic corruption, and a wider topic that connects to financing and sanctions against Russia. “The US has imposed several sets of sanctions in B&H related to these activities. It is reasonable to expect more American sanctions for those who undermine peace, stability and territorial integrity of B&H,” Morris told reporters. She emphasized that the United States is very focused on promoting peace and stability in B&H and that the sanctions are intended to achieve several goals. “One is to send a public signal about our specific concerns about activities related to sanctioned individuals. These activities include undermining peace and stability in B&H. This makes it difficult for these actors to engage in international financial transactions, to travel to the US, and that raises the profile of the international community in connection to actors whose behaviour is seriously concerning to us,” Morris explained. When asked about the specific consequences for the sanctioned officials, but also about whether they have bank accounts in the US and whether they have been blocked, Morris said that she could not talk about the bank accounts that those on the blacklist have or do not have. Morris said it is important to convey this message to the banking sector in B&H so that they understand the possible consequences of the sanctions. Morris was quoted as saying: “If the sanctioned person does not have assets or an account in the US, it would be risky for international and local banks to allow these parties to have accounts with them. It is important to convey to the financial sector that sanctions related to B&H do not apply only to sanctioned persons or subjects but carries a risk for anyone who supports them. This is called the regulation on material support, and if a financial institution carries out transactions for a sanctioned person or subject in B&H, it means that that financial institution or bank exposes itself to the risk of sanctions”.   Kristo attends EPP Congress, meets EU officials (Oslobodjenje)   Upon the invitation of EPP President Manfred Weber, Chair of the B&H Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo participated in EPP Congress held in Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday. Kristo met a huge number of EU officials with who she talked about B&H and its reform path. Among others, Kristo also met EC President Ursula Von der Leyen, President of European Parliament Roberta Metsola, Weber and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. In each of the talks, the EU officials expressed strong support to reform and EU path of B&H. Kristo congratulated Von der Leyen for election for a candidate for the EC President. Kristo also thanked for the support provided to B&H so far and expressed hope that the joint work will result in positive decisions for B&H, during this month.   Plenkovic calls for opening of negotiations with B&H at EPP Congress in Bucharest (Vecernji list)   The European People’s Party (EPP) confirmed during their Congress in Bucharest on Thursday that Ursula Von der Leyen will be their candidate for the EC President. According to the daily, the EPP expects it will win most seats in the elections for the European Parliament (EP) in June, which would make sure they get the office of the EC President again. Article further reads that Croatian Prime Minister (PM) Andrej Plenkovic thanked and strongly support incumbent EC President Von der Leyen, at the same time telling her he counts on the EC to prepare a positive report about B&H next week, which would result in the European Council approving opening of the accession negotiations. In addition, PM Plenkovic said that Romania and Bulgaria can count on Croatia’s support in joining the Schengen zone, reiterating that Ukraine can count on Croatia’s “financial, humanitarian and military assistance” until the victory against Russia.   Plenkovic comments on when the parliamentary elections will be held in Croatia (HRT)   The Croatian Prime Minister and leader of the HDZ, which is a member of the European People’s Party (EPP) was in Bucharest Romania on Thursday, where he was attending a congress of the EPP at which delegates agreed to nominate the incumbent President of the European Commission as their candidate for the post at the June elections for European Parliament. Speaking to reporters after his address to EPP delegates in Bucharest, Prime Minister and HDZ leader Andrej Plenkovic, said that government still has a few laws to adopt before setting a date for Croatia's parliamentary elections this year. He added however, that the HDZ is ready to go to the polls: "Government still has two important laws to vote on next week. They are the Law on Salaries for Judges and State Prosecutors and the Law on Health Care, which deals with young doctors. There are also a few other laws, and as far as we are concerned, as soon as this is resolved we are ready for the democratic test. We're going into the elections aware of all of our achievements and with a clear vision for the future, and that s first and foremost Croatia's demographic revitalization, continuing the process of transitioning to renewable sources of energy, meaning de-carbonization, stronger engagement in digital transformation, because that is where the jobs of the future lie, and massive investment into education." According to unconfirmed reports the 10th convocation of parliament will be dissolved either next week or the week after that, after which the date for the elections will be set. Whatever the case, all political parties are already well into their election campaigns. The leader of the center-right opposition party MOST, Bozo Petrov: "We've been in campaign mode with the same intensity since July 5th of 2020. No one opposition political party has had as many legislative proposals and amendments as MOST. And if you put all of their legislative proposals and amendments together, it's likely that they still wouldn't equal ours." The head of the liberal HSLS Party, which is currently a member of the coalition government, Dario Hrebak, commented on the future of the coalition: "We haven't agreed to anything with the HDZ yet. We have only agreed that there is good will on both sides to run together in the elections. You heard the prime minister, he wants to continue the cooperation with all of the coalition partners of the past four years, with whom we have achieved good results - especially in the economy. We also feel that the best option for Croatia is for the new parliamentary majority is comprised of Christian Democrats, liberals and national minorities." Meanwhile, after forming a coalition of ten center-left and left wing parties, there is turmoil in the SDP, whose Split and Varazdin branches have voiced their dissatisfaction with some of their election partners. The Varazdin branch is opposed to running with the Reformists, with whom they did not run at the latest extraordinary elections. The head of the SDP's Varazdin chapter Barbara Antolic Vupora: "The elections showed that they simply do not have the strength to be a factor that would influence political will and the future." For its part, the Split chapter of the SDP has taken issue with the partnership due to the inclusion of the Centar Party of Split Mayor Ivica Puljak. The head of the Split branch, Davor Matijevic: "What comes as a surprise to us is the mayor's position. A person who up until yesterday was saying that the SDP, together with the HDZ, ruined the country, that we encouraged corruption, political barter and nepotism, is all at once OK with the SDP. So much so that he was ready to wait in line all day to be received for talks about forming a coalition." However, SDP Party President Pedja Grbin called on all party members to rise above local and personal politics: "It's important for everyone to understand that it's not about Peđa or anyone else in the SDP. I don't want to lose a single member. But the decision to join a political party or to leave it, is a decision everyone makes for themselves, and everyone decides what their priorities are."   Protest in Cetinje: Mandic works for another country against his own; "This is not your country, Aleksandar of Serbia. But this is our country, Montenegrin greengrocers" (CdM)   On the eve of the first spring session of the parliament of Montenegro, a protest was held in Cetinje as a sign of revolt due to the arrival of parliament speaker Andrija Mandic. Strong police forces were present in Cetinje, which was condemned by the mayor of Cetinje, Nikola Djuraskovic. Those gathered said: "This is not your country, Aleksandar of Serbia. But this is our country, the Montenegrin greengrowers". "Where is our mayor, let him come here among us", said the gathered citizens. According to a CdM journalist, traffic around the Assembly was blocked, and police forces were deployed throughout the city. The scandalous siege of Cetinje and the Capital building due to the announced peaceful protest of citizens of Montenegro Cetinje always knew how to judge who should be welcomed. That's how it was in the nineties, and that's how it is today, said the mayor of Cetinje, Nikola Djuraskovic. "The siege and barricades will not prevent me or my fellow citizens from peacefully demonstrating our relationship with the current president of the Montenegrin parliament," Djuraskovic said on the X social network. "It is a shame and disgrace that he sits at the head of the Parliament of Montenegro. Mandic, fascist. Mandic works for another country against his own. The bullies are Uras, Adzic, Abazovic", chanted the crowd. That representatives of the opposition, intellectuals and activists have previously called for the protest.   Verbal conflict between Zivkovic and Nikolic with Mandic, security also responded (CdM)   A verbal conflict between DPS MPs Andrija Nikolic and Danijelo Zivkovic on the one hand and the speaker of the parliament of Montenegro Andrija Mandic on the other hand broke out at the Assembly session in Cetinje, after Mandic threatened the DPS MPs to throw them out of the hall. To those threats, Andrija Nikolic replied to Mandic: "If that's enough for you, come with you and your colleagues, and bring security to kick us out of the hall", after which Mandic insulted Zivkovic and called Nikolic a scoundrel. At that moment, both Nikolic and Zivkovic started going towards Mandic with the intention of arguing and dealing with him, and a bigger incident was prevented by security.   Becic: The NATO alliance is richer for a country that is ready to respond to all challenges (CdM)   The Vice President of the government of Montenegro Aleksa Becic sent his most sincere congratulations to Sweden, which today formally became the 32nd member of the NATO alliance. "Our alliance is stronger and richer for another member state, an allied state and a state that is undoubtedly ready to respond to all challenges when it comes to the security and stability of the member state. Although Sweden waited two years, its membership is a sign that it is always the right time for the right decisions and that we are always on time when we think about security and stability," wrote Becic in a post on the X network.   The cooperation of the Ministry of Defense with the NATO Agency for Support and Procurement will encourage the strengthening of further modernization of the Army (CdM)   A delegation of the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), headed by the general manager, Stacy Cummings, visited the Ministry of Defense of Montenegro, where they discussed key areas of cooperation in the field of defense and security with representatives of the Ministry. Addressing the guests, State Secretary Marko Markovic expressed his belief that the partnership and cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of Montenegro with NSPA will encourage the strengthening of further modernization and improvement of the efficiency and interoperability of the Army of Montenegro. "Through cooperation in logistics support, strategic transport and codification, we are building the foundations of a safer future." "Cooperation with NSPA represents a strategic component of that process, opening up new opportunities for the modernization and equipping of the Army of Montenegro, as well as improving the cooperation of other state institutions with NATO," said Markovic. Cummings pointed out that their engagement today in Podgorica enables a better understanding of the goals and requirements of Montenegro, both at the national level and within NATO. She added that they are able to provide an interactive overview of the Agency's procurement process and discuss areas of cooperation in procurement, maintenance and operational support in all domains. "We look forward to expanding the partnership between Montenegro and the NSPA agency in order to increase interoperability and improve integration, both at the regional level and at the level of the Alliance," Cummings concluded. During the working meetings, there was talk about the integration of Montenegro into the Operational Logistics Support Partnership (OLSP), about the resolution of surplus military equipment, the development of military and civilian infrastructure, as well as the possibilities of strengthening support for Montenegro as a host country to the forces. allies. The meeting of NSPA representatives with State Secretary Markovic was attended by the Chief of General Staff of the Army of Montenegro, Brigadier General Zoran Lazarevic, the Secretary of the Ministry, Jadranka Vojinovic, acting Director General of the Directorate for Logistics, Lieutenant Colonel Radovan Kostic, as well as representatives of the NATO Agency, Orhan Muratli, Director of the Operations Support Department, and Nicolas Newhouse, an advisor at the Agency. "The two-day working visit of representatives of NSPA to Montenegro is a continuation of the fruitful cooperation with NSPA, which began with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding back in 2013, with the aim of further strengthening defense capacities and contributing to collective security", the statement concludes.   Opening rehabilitation centers for wounded Ukrainian soldiers generally acceptable idea, Pendarovski's office says (MIA)   Opening rehabilitation centers in the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia, for wounded Ukrainian soldiers is a generally acceptable idea but the details need to be worked out between the governments of participating countries, President Stevo Pendarovski's office said in response to a question by MIA whether the National Security Council discussed the idea after it was proposed by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine – Southeast Europe Summit in Tirana on 28 February. President Zelensky said the region, including North Macedonia, could help in the rehabilitation of children and soldiers from Ukraine's war zones during his meetings with President Pendarovski and with Montenegro President Jakov Milatovic. Asked by MIA whether North Macedonia had received an official request and what implications this would have for national security, the presidential office said the proposal was initially given by Croatia's prime minister and the President of Montenegro, considering that those two countries had already had experience in rehabilitating soldiers in 1990s. "The idea, in principle, is acceptable to us, although it would require a specific elaboration of the details, which will be the responsibility of the governments of the countries that will agree to participate in this program," the presidential office said. After his meeting with Pendarovski, Zelensky posted on X that he had expressed gratitude for all of the political support and clear stance on Ukraine's future in NATO and that he informed North Macedonia's President of the current battlefield situation and Ukraine's defense needs. I met with North Macedonia's President Pendarovski and expressed gratitude for all of the political support and clear stance on Ukraine's future in NATO. I informed President Pendarovski of the current battlefield situation and Ukraine's defense needs. "I emphasized the importance of North Macedonia's participation in implementing the Peace Formula and preparing for the first Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.  "We paid special attention to the possibility of establishing a rehabilitation hub for wounded Ukrainian soldiers and Ukrainian children with the help of Balkan states," he wrote. Pendarovski's office said after the Tirana meeting that the two presidents had talked about the latest developments in Ukraine and the possibilities for deepening cooperation toward supporting the Ukrainian people and restoring the territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders. President Pendarovski, the press release said, had reaffirmed the position that North Macedonia strongly condemns the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine from the start as it was a violation of the UN Charter and the principles of the OSCE. "The President also welcomed the European Council's decision to open negotiations for Ukraine's EU membership and highlighted that North Macedonia, as a NATO member state, remained committed to the open-door policy and supported Ukraine's application for membership in the Alliance," the release said. In 2023, by a government decision, Croatia received wounded Ukrainians and provided health care to them in its health facilities.   Osmani: Bulgaria’s MFA summoned Ambassador because of 1999 agreement signed by VMRO-DPMNE (Kanal 5 TV/MIA)   Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Thursday that the Ambassador of North Macedonia to Bulgaria, Agneza Rusi, was summoned by Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry due to an agreement signed by VMRO-DPMNE’s Government in 1999. “In 1999, VMRO-DPMNE’s Government signed a statement with the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Ivan Kostov, containing an article which states that North Macedonia won’t meddle in Bulgaria’s internal affairs in relation to minority rights. I am not defending Bulgaria’s position, I am telling you what they told the Ambassador on this issue. They are referring to the statement from 1999,” Osmani told Kanal 5 TV in an interview. Asked by MIA to comment on the press release of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which notes among other "recent public comments by politicians in the neighboring country and their false statements related to the Republic of Bulgaria", President Stevo Pendarovski said constructiveness is needed in bilateral relations between North Macedonia and Bulgaria and that the existence of the Macedonian minority in the neighboring country is a fact also confirmed by Strasbourg. Regarding the coming presidential elections, Osmani who is running as DUI’s candidate, said he expects to enter the second round and stressed that DUI won’t call for a boycott of the elections if he fails to do so. “I am working to enter the second round, maybe SDSM will endorse me in the second round. I will undoubtedly have more votes than Taravari, I am the only one in the country who has contacts on all continents. I think my presidential candidacy is a specific candidacy that make it possible for the citizens to finally vote for a candidate at the presidential elections, instead of for a political party or an ethnic community. DUI never cause crises in this country, on the contrary, it solves crises. DUI will never be the reason for any crisis in this country. To us, it is important that the European path continues. This is what the citizens expect,” said Osmani, noting that one of the pillars in his program is that the country’s president be elected in the parliament. Asked if DUI will insist on the constitutional amendments as a requirement for a potential coalition, Osmani stressed that the party won’t be a part of a government without a clear agreement over the continuation of EU negotiations. “DUI won’t accept to be a part of a government without a clear agreement over the continuation of negotiations with the EU, not because this is interesting for the election campaign, but because we are convinced that the country can’t progress without a clear European perspective. We won’t have rule of law if we don’t open chapters 23 and 24 [of the negotiations], and anyone who promises to create a European country without European negotiations is either unfamiliar with the process or manipulates the citizens,” said Osmani.   Gjorgiev: Macedonian-Bulgarian history commission holds regular meetings, no progress so far (MIA)   The Macedonian-Bulgarian history commission meets regularly and there is no progress for the time being, said commission co-chair Dragi Gjorgiev on Thursday. Gjorgiev said the commission held a meeting in February and the next is scheduled in April. Asked by reporters on the expectations for progress after so many meetings, Gjorgiev said the commission would work as long as there is room for discussion. "Discussions are necessary, dialogue must continue, but timeline for results is uncertain," said Gjorgiev. He added that the commission is discussing seventh-grade Macedonian textbooks and sixth-grade Bulgarian textbooks. "There are no recommendations adopted for the seventh-grade textbooks and discussions have been ongoing for a while. Discussions on the sixth-grade Bulgarian textbooks have been completed. The focus is on the Middle Ages. There are no recommendations forwarded to the countries' governments," said Gjorgiev. The Joint Multidisciplinary Commission of experts on historical and educational issues was established in accordance with the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation between the Republic of North Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria.   Rama condemns Russia for the missile attack in Odesa: Imprudent and dangerous (Radio Tirana)   Albanian Prime Minister, Edi Rama has condemned Russia's missile attack on Odesa, Ukraine, endangering the lives of Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. Rama says that the missile attack in Odesa is a dangerous provocation. "We strongly condemn Russia's missile attack in Odessa, which endangered the life of Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis, a dedicated friend of the NATO Alliance, and President Zelenksy, whom I had the pleasure of hosting last week in Tirana. These missile attacks are imprudent and dangerous provocations," says the reaction of Albanian Prime Minister.   Basha to present the Resolution for the Reconstruction of Ukraine to the UN (Radio Tirana)   The head of the Albanian Democratic Party in opposition, Lulzim Basha travels to the US to participate in a special session for Ukraine at the UN. Basha says that there, he will present the Resolution Support for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, which a few days ago received the final approval in the Committee for Legal Affairs of the Council of Europe. "I am happy that I was given the opportunity for Albania to make an important contribution to the creation of the mechanism through which Russia today and any potential aggressor in the future will be held financially responsible for the crimes and damages caused," Basha emphasized. "I hope that this contribution, also on behalf of Albania, sets the standards for today and the future, serving peace and security in the world," Basha underlined.