LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Banning Vucic to visit Croatia is an anti-European and anti-civilizational decision (RTV/RTS/Tanjug/Politika)

 

Commenting on the fact that Croatia forbid Vucic to pay a private visit to Jasenovac, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that Croatia's decision is a first-class scandal, noting that banning Vucic from visiting Jasenovac "is the same as if you forbade the President of Israel to visit Auschwitz". Brnabic also asked the Croatian authorities if anything would have been different if the visit of the President of Serbia had been announced. Brnabic said "we believe that placing a flower on a place of execution is a normal thing, that honoring the victims is a normal thing, that it is not creating chaos". "And for those who think that this is creating chaos... Well, I do not know how it fits into European values," Brnabic pointed out. Brnabic has stated it is the biggest scandal in the modern history of Croatia-Serbia relations; numerous Serbian officials have said the Croatian authorities’ decision is anti-European, anti-civilizational and “the biggest disgrace in Europe after the WWII.”

 

Selakovic: Decision is terrifying (RTS/Politika)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selakovic said that the decision of Croatia is terrifying and it is unheard of for something like this to happen after World War II. Addressing the media, Selakovic has stated: “I cannot say it is scandalous. It is not scandalous; it is a horrifying decision of one state. It is unheard of and it is impossible that this is happening after the WWII. The Serbian government will decide and reach a decision on countermeasures which will be introduced and which will be based on the generally accepted rules of international public law,” Selakovic said.

 

Stefanovic: Decision of government in Zagreb is biggest shame in Europe after Second World War (RTS)

 

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said Sunday that the decision of the government in Zagreb to prohibit President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic from paying homage to the victims of the genocide in Jasenovac is the biggest shame in Europe after the Second World War and the most brutal post-war rehabilitation of Nazi ideas, "to which Europe must not be silent." "It was not some extremist phalanx that stood in the way of the President of Serbia laying flowers in Jasenovac, but the government of an EU member state," Stefanovic was quoted as saying.

 

Serbian Foreign Ministry sends note to Embassy of Croatia in Serbia but charge d'affaires at Embassy refuses to accept it (RTS)

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia sent a protest note to the Embassy of Croatia in Serbia regarding the decision of the Croatian authorities not to allow the private visit of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Jasenovac, but the charge d'affaires at the Embassy refused to accept it. In the note, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia reminded that in the previous year, over 700 entries of holders of diplomatic and official passports of the Republic of Croatia into the Republic of Serbia were recorded, without any prior official announcements.

 

Popovic: Prohibiting President Vucic from visiting Jasenovac violation of basic EU principles (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister of Justice Maja Popovic assessed on Sunday that the decision of the government of the Republic of Croatia to forbid Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic from visiting Jasenovac and laying flowers on the graves of brutally murdered innocent Serbs, Jews, Roma and other victims, represents a violation of the basic principles on which the EU rests.

Popovic pointed out that anti-fascism and the protection of human rights are intertwined into the foundations of European values. It is unacceptable for a member of the EU to forbid the president of a neighboring country to pay respect to the innocent victims of a fascist regime, said Popovic. According to her, due to such a decision of the government of the Republic of Croatia, the question can rightly be raised whether the official policy of that country is based on respect for modern values, such as the protection of human rights and anti-fascism, or on the aspiration to continue the traditions of the Independent State of Croatia, which in its time represented one of the most ferocious Nazi creations.

 

Dacic: Scandalous decision (RTS)

 

Addressing the media, SPS leader Ivica Dacic has stated: “I think it is a scandalous decision. Serbia has never banned entry to anyone either in political or private capacity. This would be the same as if someone banned the President of Israel to come to visit Auschwitz.”

 

Dodik: Decision to deny entrance to Vucic is incomprehensible (RTS)

 

The decision of the Croatian authorities to ban a private visit to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic to Jasenovac is incomprehensible to Serb Member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik because "good neighborly relations are not built by prohibition". Dodik added that Vucic is the first president of Serbia who expressed his desire to lay flowers in Jasenovac during his mandate and was stopped with that intention. Dodik said that Serbs and Croats had a hard past and they deserve a better future.

 

Zuroff calls Croatia to annul ban (Politika/Tanjug)

 

The Simon Wiesenthal Center on Sunday called the Croatian government to annul its decision to ban Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic from visiting Jasenovac. Director of Eastern European Affairs of the Simon Wiesenthal Center Efraim Zuroff delivered a letter to the Ambassador of Croatia to Israel in which he pointed out possible negative consequences of “such cruel, incomprehensible measure” and noted that he presumes the Croatian Government is fully aware of the fact the majority of victims in Jasenovac were Serbs. Zuroff requested the Croatian Ambassador to deliver the letter to the authorities in Zagreb and urge them to find a way to correct, as he said, “the unwise and misfortunate decision”.

 

Mihajlovic cancels her official visit to Zagreb after Croatian authorities forbid Vucic to visit Jasenovac (RTS)

 

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Zorana Mihajlovic canceled her official visit to Zagreb, after the Croatian authorities failed to allow the private visit of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Jasenovac. Mihajlovic was supposed to meet with Croatian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipovic in Zagreb on Tuesday with whom she was supposed to discuss regional cooperation and gas interconnections.

 

Vucic responds to threats from Ukraine (B92)

 

While attending the reception of the first flight of the "Hainan Airlines" President Vucic used the occasion to provide the press with some answers. Vucic referred to the aggressive rhetoric of the Ukrainian MP. "I wish the Ukrainian people all the best, and the Croats should mind their own business," the President said briefly. To remind you of the unusual threat from Ukraine which was addressed to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian people. "Ukraine, together with Croatia, will take revenge on the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic for his statements about the Russian special operation," stated Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Aleksey Goncharenko on Telegram.

 

Composition of the new government

President Vucic briefly commented on the composition of the new government. "The question on the kind of government is answered simply - it will be a Serbian government that will take care of Serbia's interests, and of course, it will be a government that will work harder on EU accession. We will work rapidly on Serbia's European path; the government will not be anti-Russian and will protect our traditional friendship. That government must bear the burden of independence and that must be the heritage of every future government. We will lead our own politics, a politics in which all the decisions are made by ourselves. We expect a lot of pressure, and it is our duty to make decisions in the best interest of our people. Serbia's interest should come before personal interest," the President pointed out.

 

Endangerment of Visoki Decani monastery reaffirmed (Tanjug)

 

The Serbian Ministry of Culture and Information stated on Friday that the fake care of the interim institutions in Pristina for cultural heritage, which they are trying to usurp and appropriate as the heritage of a non-existent state, is shown the best through persistent denial of the endangerment of the Visoki Decani monastery. According to a statement by the Ministry, the endangerment of this monastery is obvious and it has been confirmed in a report of the Europa Nostra organization. In the previous period, the interim institutions in Pristina not only did nothing to reduce the level of endangerment of the monastery, but are still refusing to implement the decision, even of their own institutions, which confirms that 24 hectares of the land belong to the monastery. Also, the monastery is additionally endangered by the construction of a road through the protected zone of this religious site. Denying all these facts, Pristina continues with meaningless demands for the “return” of cultural heritage, which is nothing but the continuation of a campaign of usurping cultural heritage and abusing it for the creation of a non-existent statehood and cultural identity of the so-called “Kosovo”. Such a form of manipulation is particularly obvious when a long history of desecration, destruction, endangerment and the attempts at seizing Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija is taken into account. For decades, our cultural treasure in Kosovo and Metohija has been exposed to various forms of violence and threats, open assaults and physical destruction, as well as to daily campaigns and pressures, attempts to erase and falsify, which will obviously not change given the politics of Pristina. Over the past 22 years, more than 136 churches and monasteries and over five thousand tombstones have been destroyed and damaged, and 10,000 icons and church art and liturgy objects have been destroyed or stolen. Due to the unstable security situation in Kosovo and Metohija in 2006, Gracanica, Visoki Decani, the Patriarchate of Pec and the Church of the Virgin of Ljevis were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The Ministry of Culture and Information again expresses full commitment to the protection of Serbian cultural heritage and cultural values from usurpation, forgery and all other forms of violence.

 

Stefanovic: Antonov was carrying munitions to Bangladesh (Beta)

 

Serbian Defense Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said on Sunday that the Antonov 12 aircraft that crashed in northern Greece had been carrying 11.5 tons of munitions produced by the Serbian military contracting industry to Bangladesh, and that eight members of the crew had died in the crash. Stefanovic told a news conference that the plane belonging to the Ukrainian Meridian LTD company, took off in Nis around 8:40 p.m. on 16 July, carrying a load of munitions produced by the Serbian outfit Valir for the Ministry of Defense of Bangladesh, and was scheduled to land in Dhaka after stopovers in Amman, Riyadh and Ahmedabad. "This airplane had all of the required licenses, everything was in line with international regulations," Stefanovic said, adding that media reports that the flight was transporting armaments from Serbia to Ukraine were untrue, describing the claims as malicious and false. He stressed that Serbia would continue to export weaponry exclusively in line with international regulations, noting that last year the country had agreements to export arms to the tune of a little over a billion dollars, while some USD500 million had been realized.

 

Vucic continues consultations with electoral lists (RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will continue his talks today with the representatives of the electoral lists, which will have deputies in the future convocation of the parliament, as part of the consultation on the candidate for the new Prime Minister. The leaders of the coalition, the leader of Nova DSS Milos Jovanovic and Vojislav Mihailovic, who leads part of the POKS, arrived at the building of the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic shortly before 1 pm. The Nada coalition won 15 mandates in the 3 April parliamentary elections. After the representatives of Nada, Vucic will talk with the representatives of the list of the Socialist Party of Serbia, and then with the representatives of the list “United for the Victory of Serbia”, from whom, as they announced earlier, only representatives of the Party of Freedom and Justice are expected to arrive, while The People’s Party and the Democratic Party said they would not respond to the invitation. Vucic will finish consultations with the representatives of the Serbian Progressive Party list.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik informs Vucic, Patriarch Porfirije of situation in B&H (RTRS)

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije and members of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Belgrade on Saturday. The Office for Media Relations of the President of the Republic of Serbia has issued a press release informing that, on the occasion, Dodik informed Vucic and Porfirije about the situation in B&H with the special focus on the RS and troubles the Serb people west to the Drina River is facing. RTRS reports that Porfirije and member of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church stressed the importance of national unity and preserving vital national interests of the Serb people as a whole. The press release also stated that members of the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church asked Vucic and Dodik to persevere in pursuing independent and autonomous foreign policy, and Vucic informed his interlocutors about the progress within dialog on Kosovo and Metohija under the auspices of the EU, the situation in Serb communities in the “Serbian southern province”, and economic and social situation in Serbia and the country’s international position.

 

B&H CC: RS law stipulating that amendments to Criminal Code of B&H banning denial of genocide and war crimes will not be applied in RS territory is unconstitutional (O Kanal)

 

The Constitutional Court of B&H assessed on Friday that the law passed at the special session of the RS parliament at the end of July 2021, which stipulates that the amendments to the Criminal Code of B&H banning the denial of genocide and war crimes that were imposed by former High Representative Valentin Inzko will not be applied in the RS territory, is unconstitutional. The decision was passed upon the motion for assessment of constitutionality of the disputable law filed by seven delegates in the RS Council of Peoples. B&H CC also ruled that the amendments to the Criminal Code of BH banning the genocide denial must be applied in the RS as well. B&H CC Vice President Mirsad Ceman stated that Inzko’s law is considered to be the decision of B&H that needs to be respected by entities and their administrative units, adding that B&H CC’s decision will come in effect as soon as it is published in the Official Gazette of B&H, which will annul the RS parliament’s law on non-applying Inzko’s decision. B&H CC President Mato Tadic reminded that there are 11 cases in which B&H CC’s rulings were not implemented, noting that the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H is responsible for non-implementation of B&H CC’s rulings. He stressed that B&H CC representatives held talks with the Prosecutor’s Office on this problem but that they were told that it is hard to prove cases of non-implementation of B&H CC’s rulings because in such cases parliaments are those who violate the law - not individuals.

 

Dodik: B&H CC’s decisions mean nothing for the RS (Al Jazeera Balkans)

 

B&H Presidency member Milorad Dodik commented the decision on his Twitter profile. “The Constitutional Court of B&H makes political decisions, and in those decisions, it refers to practice, not to the Constitution of B&H. It thereby contradicts itself. The Constitutional Court of B&H established this practice by violating the Constitution, and now it is referring to it. Such decisions mean nothing for the RS”, Dodik wrote.

 

Cvijanovic: B&H CC wants to change constitutional system through political decisions (Nova BH)

 

Commenting on the decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H to declare as unconstitutional the RS Law on Non-Application of the Decision of the High Representative in the RS, which refers to genocide denial and glorification of war criminals, RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said on Friday that B&H CC wants to change the constitutional system through political decisions. "Essentially, they should have declared as unconstitutional the intervention of then High Representative Valentin Inzko, because he was not authorized by any international treaty to make any amendments to the law, nor to impose laws”, Cvijanovic was quoted as saying. Cvijanovic added "we are used to such interventions". "They are taking place in a series, with the intention of creating a new constitutional system, and not to ensure respect for the Constitution. I believe that this is a political showdown... The RS is moving forward, we have our laws and we pass everything in accordance with our competencies, we are acting in line with our constitutional competencies", Cvijanovic said.

 

Other RS officials strongly criticize B&H CC decision to declare as unconstitutional RS Law on Non-Application of High Representative in RS (RTRS)

 

Reacting to the decision of the CC of B&H to declare as unconstitutional the RS Law on Non-Application of the Decision of the High Representative in the RS, which refers to genocide denial and glorification of war criminals, deputy speaker of the RS parliament Milan Petkovic (United Srpska) announced that the RS parliament will react by either modifying the previously adopted law or by adopting an entirely new law. RS SNSD’s representative Srdjan Mazalica said: “Decisions of the CC should not be applied anywhere on the territory of BiH. Their decisions are against the RS’ interests and they are also unconstitutional”. SP RS leader Peter Djokic noted that the CC’s decision is reprehensible and “it is high time to realize that such activity leads to deterioration of the relations within B&H”. Djokic presented an opinion that it is hard to sustain B&H as a state. United Srpska leader Nenad Stevandic said that “the RS will outlive any of these decisions”, adding that “the RS is the future”. Constitutional law professor Sinisa Karan assessed that the CC should not accept the HR’s decisions as a substitute for decisions of B&H institutions. Constitutional law professor Milan Blagojevic said that the High Representative does not have the right to impose his own will as a law to a country in which only the parliament can define criminal acts by laws. Chair of the RS SNSD Caucus Igor Zunic said that it is clear that B&H CC “took over the role of the OHR” and added that “nobody in the RS should have any dilemma anymore about the role of this court”. DNS leader Nenad Nesic pointed out that the RS should ignore all decisions of B&H CC and work as if those do not exist and he added that this “quasi-court acts as if it is a creator of the Constitution and not the interpreter of the Constitution of B&H”.

 

Tahirovic says that is only decision that CC could make (Nova BH)

 

Reacting to the decision of the CC of B&H to declare as unconstitutional the RS Law on Non-Application of the Decision of the High Representative in the RS, which refers to genocide denial and glorification of war criminals, President of the Association of Witnesses and Victims of Genocide Murat Tahirovic told Nova BH that that is the only decision that the Constitutional Court could make because the RS persistently pretends to be a state. "Therefore, this is a game from the RS which unfortunately costs us all. As far as the application of the law itself is concerned, it will be applied on the territory of B&H as predicted. Now it is up to the institutions of this country, primarily the Prosecutor's Office of B&H, to finally start analyzing all the reports it received and start issuing those famous indictments," Tahirovic underlined.

 

Dodik arrives in Israel for official visit (RTRS)

 

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik arrived in Israel on Sunday for an official visit. Dodik confirmed that he will participate in important meetings and visits for the next three days. On Monday morning, Dodik will visit the World Holocaust Remembrance Center Yad Vashem and honor the victims of Holocaust victims. Dodik will visit the Children’s Museum as well and meet Israeli Minister of Finances Avigdor Liebermann. On Tuesday, Dodik is set to meet the Patriarch of Jerusalem Teophilos III. He will meet with President of the World Zionist Organization (WZO) Yaakov Hagoel and Dodik will receive an official award from the WZO.

 

Kavalec invites B&H citizens to vote and make decisions about future (Fena)

 

In a farewell interview for Fena news agency, outgoing Head of OSCE Mission to B&H Kathleen Kavalec stated that the OSCE Mission managed to achieve a lot in the past three years thanks to the 300-member team of dedicated and professional staff. Kavalec underlined that her top priority was making sure that the election is held on time and adequately financed, and that B&H Central Election Commission (B&H CEC) is able to do its job. Kavalec emphasized the importance of regular free and fair elections which allow citizens to make decisions about their future and hold politicians accountable. She expressed satisfaction over the fact that the 2022 General Election will be held in October as planned. She reminded that there is a new improved system of registration of voters abroad which will prevent election fraud and identity theft. She also reminded of the new electronic system for registration of political parties and polling station committee members. Kavalec emphasized that there are ongoing activities aiming and improving the cooperation between election officials and prosecutors in order to reduce election fraud and restore the trust of citizens. She noted that there is a high level of mistrust, which is why it is important to work on improvement of election integrity. She expressed disappointment over the fact that there was no consensus on electoral reform. However, she noted, a lot of work has been done in the process of negotiations, and many problematic areas have been identified, which is why it is still possible to continue with the talks on electoral reform. Talking about the achievements of the OSCE Mission in the past three years, Kavalec highlighted the adoption of the Brcko District Law on Conflict of Interest, progress in armament control and reform of school curriculums in several cantons. She noted that the PISA study results have shown that the quality of education in B&H is still at a lower level than in other parts of Europe, which is a reason for concern. According to Kavalec, one of the reasons is the fragmented system with education competences divided between the state, entities and cantons, which makes the situation additionally difficult. Therefore, the OSCE Mission focused on curriculum reform, and several cantons accepted this approach. She also noted that the ‘two schools under one roof’ system does not contribute to educational inclusion, and she expressed regrets over the fact that this obstacle was not removed during her tenure. “The problem also lies in the fact that the education system is very much politicized and focuses more on politics than on quality of education, and this is something that has to change”, she noted. Kavalec stated that the OSCE Mission will continue to provide support to the electoral reform process and fight against corruption will remain high on the list of priorities. She explained that the OSCE Mission will continue working on promotion of higher quality and inclusiveness of education, improvement of legislation which will provide an adequate response to the conflict of interest, changes to the Law on High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, as well as monitoring of war crimes and corruption cases. Kavalec also reminded of the problem of misinformation and fake news, highlighting the importance of education on media literacy. In the end of the interview, Kavalec called on citizens to vote. She noted that in the three years of her tenure in B&H, she heard a lot of complaints about corruption, lack of economic progress and frustration. She concluded that this can only be improved if citizens vote for leaders who can bring positive change.

 

27th anniversary of execution of six Bosniaks in Godinjske Bare marked Sunday (FTV)

 

The 27th anniversary of execution of six Bosniak men from Srebrenica in Godinjske Bare, Trnovo, was marked on Sunday. FTV reminds that in July 1995, notorious Serbian paramilitary unit Scorpions took the six men to the Godinjske Bare site in Trnovo municipality and executed them there. The youngest victim, Azmir Alispahic, was 16 years old and the oldest victim, Sidik Salkic, was 36 years old at the time. The truth about what happened to the six men was revealed in 2005, when the video footage depicting their execution and recorded by the Scorpions unit members was presented during the trial to Slobodan Milosevic. FTV carries statements of the victims’ families about the video footage of the crime, their lives in its aftermath and dealing with pain of loss. The reporter notes that 27 years later, there is no memorial at the execution site. FTV reports that members of the Scorpions paramilitary unit were convicted for the said crime in 2007. Scorpions unit Commander Slobodan Medic and Branislav Medic were sentenced to 20 years in prison each; Pera Petrasevic, who pleaded guilty for the crime, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, and Aleksandar Medic was sentenced to five years in prison; Aleksandar Vukov was acquitted of charges, because, according to the Trial Chamber, there had been no evidence that he had committed the pre-meditated crime.

 

Monument Flower of Srebrenica in Italy (Oslobodjenje)

 

Member of the Presidency of B&H Zeljko Komsic attended unveiling of Flower of Srebrenica monument in Italy upon an invitation of the Lilly Italy Association. On this occasion, Komsic said that this monument will be sending a strong message to the entire world and be a silent reminder of innocence, pain and sufferings, but also a symbol of hope that no man will ever again be a victim of criminals. “On behalf of citizens of B&H who want peace, I want to thank you for this expression of respect for genocide victims. This is a strong message that evil committed against one group of people because of their names and origins is an evil against the entire mankind, but also a message that we can stand against crimes and genocidal intentions only if we stand united”, Komsic said. The ceremony was also attended by FB&H Vice President Milan Dunovic. Following the ceremony, Komsic met with activists and members of the Lily Italy and other organizations of B&H citizens which operate in the Northern Italy.

 

Croatia slams Vucic's plan for impromptu visit as being against protocol, malicious (Hina/Jutarnji list)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's intention to come on an announced, private visit to Jasenovac is against the protocols, because a head of state is a protected person, and visits by presidents require official preparations, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Sunday. The Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry sent a protest note to Belgrade on Friday over this case, the minister told the press outside the ministry's building today. The protocol has been violated, said Grlic Radman elaborating that visits by presidents and office-holders must be announced to the host country and require planning for weeks and months. Making an appointment for a visit by foreign officials implies that the time frame, the character, and program of the visit should be a subject matter of official communication and the outcome of the agreement by both sides, the minister said reading excerpts from Croatia's protest note.

Following Croatia's demarche, Serbia's authorities tried to hand their protest note to the chargé d'affaires in Croatia's embassy in Belgrade, however, she refused to receive it, the Croatian minister said. He said that Croatia had invested a lot of effort in the improvement of the dialogue with Belgrade, however, there has been no sincere response from the other side. Croatia's refusal to allow Vucic to pay a private and impromptu visit in such a way to Jasenovac caused an uproar among Serbian officials, who are close aides to Vucic. Grlic Radman believes that the issue of Vucic's possible visit to Jasenovac, a WW2 concentration camp, had been made topical in Belgrade for the sake of the ongoing talks on forming the new Serbian government. He also sees this as Belgrade's attempt to blur unresolved issues stemming from the Homeland War and Croatia's insistence on answers from Serbia about what happened with 1,834 unaccounted-for people who went missing in that war. The Jutarnji list daily reported that Vucic had contacted Croatian Serb leader Milorad Pupovac to tell him that he would arrive in Jasenovac from Bosnia and Herzegovina where he planned to visit the Serb entity. According to the Zagreb-based daily newspaper, Pupovac conveyed that information to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, and the government found Vucic's plan to dodge the appropriate protocols outrageous. Grlic Radman today declined to confirm or refuse the claims about Vucic's attempt to implicate the SDSS party leader Pupovac in this affair. The Jutarnji list daily also comments that Vucic's intention to come on such an impromptu visit to Jasenovac and Pakrac, without official notification to Croatia's authorities and circumventing the embassy is perceived as his attempt to play a role of a victim, who is allegedly denied access to Croatia, ahead of the anniversary of the 1995 Operation Storm and to provoke Croatia's authorities. Croatia criticizes Serbia's authorities for avoiding the official channels for providing information about plans for Vucic's arrival. "We see it as ill-intentioned and not as a sincere visit or sincere act of paying respect to victims," Grlic Radman said.

 

Ex-president says Vucic is lying for propaganda purpose

Following this entanglement about Vucic's plans for paying a visit to Jasenovac and his claim that not any of the previous Serbian presidents had ever been to Jasenovac, former president Boris Tadic told local media outlets that this was a morbid lie made by Vucic. Tadic recalled that in 2010 he had visited Jasenovac and Jadovno, two sites of the suffering of ethnic Serbs in World War Two in Croatia, and accused Vucic of exploiting war victims for his propaganda purposes and for satisfying his personal ambitions. Tadic said that the difference between Vucic and him was the fact that he had not made use of his visits to such sites for one-upmanship or for inciting hatred and fake patriotism.

 

Walker: Montenegro needs reforms instead of focusing on party politics (MINA)

 

Montenegro needs a period of continuous reforms and progress on the road to the EU without focusing on party politics, divisions in the country and sensitive matters, the US ex-ambassador to NATO Kurt Walker told VoA. He also added he was sorry to see that the country returned to those things again. According to him, Podgorica “still has time to go back to the right path”, that is, the EU, noting that it (EU) was really open over the recent period. “It’s important to use it because you never know when that window would close again and when their positions would change.” “The fact that the EU is now signaling that they’re ready is something Montenegro doesn’t want to miss.” He accused Serbia officials of “intentionally promoting a kind of Serbian nationalism in the region”.

 

SDSM MPs adopt French proposal (Republika)

 

With 68 votes, the Macedonian approved the French proposal. All MPs present in the parliament hall, at the moment when the report on the French proposal was put to the vote, and after the list of discussants was exhausted, voted FOR. Previously, MPs from the VMRO-DPMNE coalition left the hall, as well as MPs from Levica. Previously, MP Dafina Stojanoska’s request for an hour break after the end of the debate on the French proposal for the negotiating framework was not accepted. The debate in the parliament continued today in a tense atmosphere with exchange of accusations of betrayal of national interests and Bulgarianization of the state. The outcome of the vote was followed by applause from the MPs from SDSM and from the parties of the Albanians. They brought out Macedonian and European flags in the hall. With that, the parliament of Macedonia accepted the draft conclusions submitted by MPs Jovan Mitreski from SDSM and Arber Ademi from DUI.

 

VMRO-DPMNE MPs notarized statements that they will not accept changes to the Constitution (Republika)

 

A total of 44 MPs from VMRO-DPMNE and the Coalition, as a guarantee to the people, have notarized statements that they will not accept a change to the Constitution in good conscience, informed the leader of the VMRO-DPMNE political party Hristijan Mickoski at Saturday’s press conference. There is not a single millimeter of deviation from this, there is no step back because everything we have is behind us, our dignity, honor, and our Macedonia, said Mickoski. He emphasized that the daily protests were not his struggle or that of VMRO-DPMNE, but of the people. With a special sense of pride, I want to thank the people who took to the streets en masse and in huge numbers and were a fortress of defiance for days. Despite all the attacks and pressures, they came out and did not back down, added the leader of VMRO-DPMNE. Regarding today’s developments in the parliament, Mickoski described them as a shame for the state. This is the completion of the second part of Zaev’s betrayal. Betrayal will be the uneasy conscience that every MP and member of the government who supported this proposal must live with. Everything will pass and in a few years they will again have to look the people in the eyes on the street. Their focus is on just fight for position. They did not forget to steal, tenders, annexes, but the people and the VMRO-DPMNE Coalition is here to remind them of the betrayal and the attack on the state, he pointed out. Mickoski said that there must be elections, and VMRO-DPMNE guarantees that the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution will not happen, and the opposition MPs who are together in this battle are the guarantee for that. The future government led by VMRO-DPMNE, according to Mickoski, will have a difficult task to correct what the current government did wrong and, as he says, “to return what was stolen, and for them to be held accountable for what they did.”

 

Kovacevski congratulates MPs on voting in favor of European future of the country (Republika)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski after parliament on Saturday passed the draft conclusions for the negotiating framework with the EU congratulated the MPs who voted in favor. “There is no greater patriotism than supporting the country’s prosperity and decisions that are of the highest interest to the state and citizens. Finally, the Macedonian language will echo everywhere in Europe. This is how the state is loved, with wise and statesmanlike decisions!”, wrote Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski. At Saturday’s press conference, Kovacevski when asked if, in the future, any country, regardless of whether it is Bulgaria, disputes its language and identity, whether we will withdraw from the negotiations, he said there will not be such a situation and that it is clear that Macedonia is starting the negotiations in Macedonian language. Such a situation will not exist because the negotiating framework clearly states that the Republic of Macedonia will start the negotiations in the Macedonian language. On the 19th in Brussels, I will read the opening statement in Macedonian language, Kovacevski said. Earlier he confirmed that the first intergovernmental conference will be held on 19 July in Brussels.

 

US welcomes parliament’s decision: Now is the time to build momentum and work on the next steps (Republika)

 

The United States welcomes the decision by the parliament of Macedonia to take the next steps on Macedonia’s EU accession path, said the US Department of State. We recognize the difficult compromises foreseen in this compromise, which recognizes and respects the cultural identity of Macedonia and the Macedonian language. This decision comes at a critical moment for Macedonia, the Western Balkans and Europe. The European Union, which includes the entire Western Balkans, including Albania and Macedonia, will be stronger and more prosperous. Now is the time to build momentum and work on the next steps, reads the statement.

 

Scholz welcomes parliament’s decision: We will be by your side all the way (Republika)

 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomed Saturday the vote in the Macedonian parliament passing conclusions for the French proposal. I welcome the vote of the Macedonian parliament, which paves the way for the first accession conferences of the European Union with Macedonia and Albania. We want you as EU members and we will be by your side all the way!, said Chancellor Scholz.

 

Macedonia and Bulgaria sign bilateral protocol (Republika)

 

The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia and Bulgaria, Bujar Osmani and Teodora Gencovska respectively, signed Sunday the bilateral protocol after a meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission. The protocol should be published after its signing, it was announced. In addition to Minister Osmani, the Macedonian delegation includes the Vice Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Maricic, the Minister of Culture Bisera Kostadinovska Stojcevska, the Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi, as well as the Minister of Transport and Communications Blagoj Bocvarski. The signing of the protocol and the holding of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission follow after the French proposal was approved by the government after the adoption of the conclusions in the Macedonian parliament.

 

Genchovska: Bulgaria’s Macedonian language position remains unchanged, the Bulgarian position is guaranteed in the entire negotiating framework (Republika)

 

In the bilateral relations, Bulgaria does not recognize the official language of Macedonia, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska said at a news conference held Sunday in Sofia after the signing of the bilateral protocol between Bulgaria and Macedonia. Bulgaria position on the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia remains. We fully respect the decision of the National Assembly, according to which Bulgaria does not recognize this language. In the context of the remaining 26 member states, however, they have their own positions and we cannot in any way oblige them to accept our position. But Bulgaria’s position is guaranteed in the entire negotiating framework, said Genchovska, answering a question about whether Bulgaria makes concessions on the language, given that all EU legislation will be translated into the Macedonian language. It is important, she added, that no document can be understood as recognition of the Macedonian language by Bulgaria, and this will be clear with the unilateral declaration that the country will submit to Brussels.

 

Osmani: Conference to be held and screening to begin on Tuesday (Republika)

 

On Tuesday, not only will the negotiations begin and there will be a conference, the screening will also begin on the same day in the afternoon, Foreign Affairs Minister Bujar Osmani said at the press conference after returning from Sofia, where he and his Bulgarian colleague Teodora Genchovska signed the bilateral protocol. On Tuesday, EU experts will enter our institutions, starting Tuesday the days until membership start to be counted, said Osmani. He added that after the Bulgarian veto 3 years ago, we could not get everything, but, as he pointed out, we got 3 important positions. We got clear language, that historical issues should not be a condition in the negotiations and that they should start immediately, and Bulgaria got to hold a second conference after constitutional changes are made, Osmani pointed out. According to him, it will be much easier to solve the misunderstandings with Sofia while we are part of the process in the EU, than to stay outside and wait for some better times. Reciprocity is the principle included in the protocol, signed Sunday in Sofia by Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani and his Bulgarian counterpart Teodora Genchovska. Legally speaking, the document is in fact a written record of a meeting outlining the results achieved from the dialogue and inter-sectoral cooperation between 2019 and 2022. Since the intergovernmental commission hadn’t been convened since 2019 after the Bulgarian veto, the document signed today contains a three-year period. This document should be in fact signed once a year.

 

Mickoski: DUI leadership is sticking a knife in Macedonians’ backs, Albania will continue with negotiations, and Macedonia will wait for better times (TV Sitel)

 

This generation of DUI leadership is doing permanent damage to the relations between Albanians and Macedonians in Macedonia, because this will have a long memory. They betrayed the interests of the Macedonians, their neighbors and made a pact with the Bulgarians for the assimilation of the Macedonians. DUI’s leadership does lasting damage. Bujar Osmani is not aware now, but life is an oscillation and he does not know which generation of Albanians in Macedonia will have the support of their Macedonian neighbors, said the president of VMRO-DPMNE Hristijan Mickoski in an interview with TV Sitel. Mickoski added that the lasting damage of DUI will remain in the collective memory of the Macedonian people. About 75% of Macedonians are against the French proposal. Bujar Osmani achieved his goal, and that is one, we will not start negotiations, Albania will start negotiations. First, the goal was to have coupling of Macedonia and Albania, you remember back in 2000 when we signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement, even Croatia had not signed it, so together with Croatia we became candidates. Then we dropped out of that group and entered the group with Montenegro and Serbia. And we dropped out of that group and entered with Albania and now we finally drop out with Albania as well. Albania will move on, and we will probably wait for some better times, perhaps Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina or some other country that has not yet completed its independence or statehood, explained Mickoski. He pointed out that the leadership of DUI stuck a knife in the back of the Macedonians, and they do it for tenders and personal interests, the only one that will continue negotiations is Albania, and unfortunately our country will be blackmailed with assimilation. We keep on fighting, there is no stopping. In the period that is ahead of us, practically these two weeks I plan to present a proposal before the EC of the party to consider the possibility of a referendum by collecting 150,000 signatures, announced Mickoski in an interview with TV Sitel. Mickoski added that the citizens should go to a referendum and declare whether or not they support the capitulation of the government. I believe that the citizens should give their opinion, that is, they should go to a referendum and say whether they are FOR or NOT FOR these changes that the Government signed after this diplomatic knockout and capitulation. But let the party present a position first, then the public will have more details, Mickoski said.

Mickoski indicated that this is the next initiative that he plans to propose to the EC of VMRO-DPMNE. Let’s start an initiative to collect 150,000 signatures and hold a referendum, emphasized the president of VMRO-DPMNE. He urged the citizens to unite against the bad policies of the government. The fact that Osmani signed it today does not mean that everything is over.

 

The pro-Macedonian vote/ Rama: Finally..., the negotiations for Albania's membership in the European Union have no longer any obstacles! (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted immediately after the unanimous vote in the parliament of North Macedonia for the French proposal that unblocks the stalemate with Bulgaria by removing the veto set by it, and at the same time paves the way for negotiations between Albania and North Macedonia with the EU. "The negotiations for Albania's membership in the European Union  have no longer any obstacles! The Parliament of North Macedonia has just given the green light to the latest French proposal. The absurd hostage-taking of Albania has ended.

It took 3 grueling years from the decision-making of the European Council to pave the way for negotiations, for the series of artificial obstacles created in front of Albania to be completely wiped out. Here we are again! As we succeeded with the earthquake and the pandemic, when almost no one believed that we would succeed, we will succeed with the new crisis brought about by the war, as well as with the negotiations that will make Albania a member of the European Union . We got here without reducing the pace of reforms, work and change, despite the unfulfilled promises of the EU. We will succeed by increasing the pace, further improving the work and deepening the change even more. We have come here without being defeated by the disappointments or the minor injuries of these years. We will succeed by continuing to learn and not hesitate to correct ourselves. We came here with our heads held high, managing to raise Albania in the eyes of the greatest, where it has never been, valued and respected as an equal partner in every international relationship. But let's not forget, this is not the end of our road, but only the beginning of a new part of the road for the Albania we love. The Albanian delegation will leave on Monday in Brussels to start this new part of the road, starting the membership negotiations. We will succeed in this new part of efforts as well, by connecting more closely with the Albanians and aiming the top where we will stick to what makes Albania. Thank you to all the Albanians who, with their vote, have entrusted us, the socialists and progressives, with this historic mission for Albania, and also, thank you, to those who, by not giving us the vote, have made us more militant and stubborn for the mission of our common homeland. Thank you to our friends and partners, everyone, for the support, criticism, but also for the rejections of the last years, which have fed us strength, tempered our patience and sharpened our wisdom," writes Rama.

 

MP Jorida Tabaku meets Escobar: Support for DP! Essential that Albania continues the EU integration process (Radio Tirana)

 

PD MP Jorida Tabaku had a meeting with Gabriel Escobar in Washington DC. In her reaction on Twitter, Tabaku says that they discussed about the Democratic Party. Tabaku says that Esobar, the special envoy of the United States of America for the Western Balkans, expressed support for DP while emphasizing the importance of Albania's integration into the EU if it focuses on fighting corruption and organized crime. "It is essential that Albania continues the process of integration into the EU, focusing on the fight against corruption; organized crime and the establishment of the rule of law", wrote Tabaku.

 

Spiropali meets Zelensky's special envoy: The Ukrainian people are fighting for both the Balkans and the future of Europe (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister of State for Relations with the parliament Elisa Spiropali has held a meeting with the special envoy of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Spiropali writes on Facebook that the focus of the discussions with Rustem Umerov was the situation in Ukraine and the resistance of this people, which, according to the Albanian minister, is fighting both for the Balkans and for the future of Europe.

 

Blinken: A European Union that includes all of the Western Balkans, including Albania and North Macedonia, will be stronger and more prosperous (Radio Tirana)

 

The US State Department reacted after the Assembly of North Macedonia approved the French proposal. In response, US State Department mentions that it recognizes the difficult compromises that have been made in this process to move the country forward on the path of integration, but adds that the cultural identity of Macedonia and the Macedonian language are recognized and respected. "The United States welcomes the decision by the parliament of North Macedonia to take the next steps on North Macedonia’s EU accession path. We recognize the difficult tradeoffs considered in this compromise, which acknowledges and respects North Macedonia’s cultural identity and the Macedonian language. This decision comes at a critical moment for North Macedonia, the Western Balkans, and Europe. A European Union that includes all of the Western Balkans, including Albania and North Macedonia, will be stronger and more prosperous. Now is the time to build momentum and work on next steps," reads Blinken's post that Ambassador Yuri Kim shared on social networks.