LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: We will shoot down every drone (RTS)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Tuesday that every drone flying over military facilities will be shot down. Commenting President Aleksandar Vucic’s order to launch MiG-29 fighters after drones were spotted over the Merdare and Raska areas bordering Kosovo, Brnabic said that this is about the safety of Serbs in Kosovo. “It’s true that drones recorded one site in the Ground Safety Zone along with two barracks. I was informed by the president and supreme commander of the Serbian military. He ordered the police to step up their presence in the air and that order is now permanent and will remain in force,” she told RTS. “If that happens again we will down every one of those aircraft just like any other country would do,” she added. Brnabic refused to disclose any information about the drones. Brnabic said on Tuesday evening that, when it comes to imposing sanctions on Russia, Serbia should be treated as a special case “due to what has been done to us”. Brnabic said Serbia was no further from and no closer to imposing the sanctions than it had been after a National Security Council session and its conclusions, which she noted “have not changed an iota since then”. “We are the only country that has remained consistent in that sense,” Brnabic said, noting that the country was under enormous pressure over sanctions on Russia and the Kosovo and Metohija issue. She said Serbia’s position was a principled one and in line with national interests, as well as with all principles of international law and the UN Charter. “Evidently, it is difficult to oppose that stance in a well-argumented way as we have been able to defend it so far and we are the only country in the European continent that is not imposing sanctions on the Russian Federation,” Brnabic said.

 

Vucevic: Drones were coming from several directions (RTS)

 

Defence Minister Milos Vucevic stated that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic issued an order to step up combat readiness immediately after drones were spotted. The drones in question entered the territory of Serbia proper from Kosovo, it was explained earlier. Vucevic says that the decision to raise combat readiness was made "keeping in mind the experience on the Ukrainian front", so that there would be no administrative delays in the chain of command. Vucevic told RTS that several drones were observed, there were different movements, but the Mig-29s were not patrolling because of drones - they were conducting police patrols. The army can respond to these challenges with helicopters, cannons, aircraft machine guns, said Vucevic. It's not just a question of drones entering the Raska district, Serbian Army has spotted certain objects in the direction of movement through the Toplica and Nisava districts, Minister Vucevic pointed out. Unmanned aerial vehicles filmed activities in the Ground Security Zone and two barracks yesterday. Drones flew over the area of ​​Merdare and the surroundings of Raska. Vucevic said that the Army observes certain objects, unmanned aerial vehicles or drones that move on the administrative separation line of central Serbia in the Land Security Zone and occasionally enter the territory of central Serbia for three days. Vucevic says that it is about attempts to observe the positions of the Armed Forces units and certain military barracks. It's not just a question of entering the Raska district, the Armed Forces had spotted certain objects and in the direction of movement of the Toplicki and Nisava districts, says Minister Vucevic. It indicates that the President of the Republic, as Commander-in-Chief, has issued an executive order to eliminate every such object. "We will protect the sky that is under the control of our Armed Forces - the sky that is covered by our systems, in accordance with Resolution 1244 and the Kumanovo Agreement - it will be safe for all citizens of Serbia," the Minister added. The army has the capacity and ability to respond to every task, Vucevic underlined. "To clear up the confusion, our fighters, Mig-29s, did not patrol because of drones, we have other procedures for dealing with such situations - they carried out regular police patrols, control of our sky, the Army can also use aircraft machine guns, helicopters, cannons, and other means to respond to these challenges", adds the Minister of Defence. "I can't say whose drones they are, they come from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija", says Vucevic. "All this is rejected in the context of monitoring and trying to monitor the activities of the Serbian Armed Forces on the territory under our control, the Armed Forces acts in accordance with the guidelines of the Supreme Commander," the Minister notes. "There were large exercises in progress, which were called Maneuvers 22, I expect that tomorrow the President of the Republic will visit part of the units at Pasuljanske livade firing range and make sure how the exercises are going," says Vucevic. He says that there were many incorrect headlines from Pristina, that the Serbian Army is concentrating on administrative lines. "By making a bogus out of it, someone is trying to get some information through that spying," Vucevic pointed out. The army carries out its activities as planned and keeps its weapons and tools, said Vucevic. According to him, the Army is a key attribute of the state, it is an armed force, it is not a society of stamp lovers, it is an armed force that defends the state. President of the Republic issued an order on the increased level of combat readiness, and the Army must be willing to carry out every order, Vucevic points out. If a drone is spotted, it will be eliminated or placed under our control, the Minister of Defence stated. Due to the non-negotiable behavior of the administration in Pristina, due to abandoning the concept of dialogue, insisting that the issue of license plates is a matter for their administration, security situation can seriously deteriorate, and Serbia must react, he added. The message is that there will be no new Storm, no new Flash operation. These are not video games, better a thousand days at the negotiating table than one hour in the trenches, that does not mean we are afraid, he says. We call on Pristina and the Quint countries to redirect Pristina to the negotiating table, to end the policy of one-sided decisions, notes Vucevic. "Mig-29s patrol our skies, we have the right to control our skies. We don't raise Mig-29s for the sake of drones," concluded Vucevic.

 

Odalovic: Kurti is a ticking time bomb and those who created him must restrain him (RTS)

 

The President of the Commission for Missing Persons Veljko Odalovic believes that the position of the Prime Minister of the provisional institutions in Pristina Albin Kurti is getting weaker since he ignored Washington’s request to postpone the decision on re-registration on RKS plates. Odalovic wonders how it is possible for KFOR to allow someone else’s drones to be found above our barracks. Odalovic believes that the incident with drones is the intention of Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina to continue with provocations. “Kurti does not want to talk, he behaves adventurously and it is too dangerous for such a man to be in the position of prime minister,” Odalovic told RTS, recalling that with all his decisions he tried to create an atmosphere on the verge of an incident. Since Albin Kurti ignored Washington’s requests to postpone the decision on re-registration, Odalovic believes that his position will be weaker and weaker. He warns that if, after a fine of 150 Euros, the vehicle is confiscated, it will be a flashpoint for Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, and that he does not believe that anyone will agree to it. Odalovic believes that the international community can do a lot in the next three weeks, when drivers will be warned to re-register their vehicles with RKS plates. “I am very interested in the reaction of the US. It is a dangerous adventure by Kurti. Previously, only a wink from Washington would have been enough for Kurti to stop,” says Odalovic. He says that he expects a more serious reaction from influential countries, since such a decision is contrary to the Brussels agreement. “Kurti is a ticking time bomb and those who created him must restrain him,” adds Odalovic. The countries of the Quint have an obligation to warn Kurti about his illegal decisions, adds Odalovic.

 

Continuous strengthening of friendly relations of Serbia and China (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met today with Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Serbia Chen Bo, with whom he discussed the improvement of bilateral relations and current geopolitical issues. The Chinese Ambassador delivered a letter of congratulations from Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Wang Yi to Dacic on the occasion of his recent coming into office and expressed the hope that the successful cooperation will continue at all levels. Dacic highlighted the continuous strengthening of friendly relations between the two countries and stated that he hopes that the political dialogue at the highest level and the strategic partnership between Serbia and the People’s Republic of China will continue. He used the opportunity to express his congratulations on the recently successfully held 20th Congress of the Communist Party of China and the re-election of President Xi Jinping to the post of party secretary, and his hope for the imminent realisation of President Xi Jinping's visit to Serbia. Dacic also reiterated his gratitude for the support of the People's Republic of China in resolving the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, especially within the United Nations and other international organisations, as well as the expectation that this support of vital importance for Serbia will be continued in the same spirit. The interlocutors agreed that one of the main priorities is the comprehensive development of economic cooperation between the two countries, through the improvement of trade exchange, the influx of new Chinese investments and the growth of our exports to the People's Republic of China, according to a statement of the Foreign Ministry.

 

US support for European integration of Serbia (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met yesterday with the US Ambassador Christopher Hill to discuss the improvement of bilateral relations, energy diversification, Serbia's European integration as well as current geopolitical issues. Dacic pointed out that Serbia is committed to political dialogue and investing additional efforts in order to raise bilateral relations with the US to a higher level and to improve cooperation in all areas. He pointed to Serbia's commitment to the development of regional cooperation and added that the preservation of peace and stability in the region remains one of the key priorities for our country. Hill reiterated US support for the EU in the planned integration of Serbia and other Western Balkan countries, and said that the US will always support efforts to deepen regional economic cooperation in a way that promotes integration with the EU. Dacic, speaking about the importance of Serbia's strong economic momentum, particularly emphasized that the presence of American companies that are successfully operating in our country indicates good economic relations between Serbia and the US. When it comes to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the interlocutors agreed that all efforts should be focused on the continuation of the dialogue, since the conversation is the only right way to solve the open issues, as well as to reach a sustainable agreement.

 

Miscevic meets with Giaufret (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian European Integration Minister Tanja Miscevic met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Belgrade Emanuele Giaufret on Tuesday to discuss Serbia's future activities in the EU accession process. Miscevic briefed Giaufret on the Serbian government's plans to accelerate reforms in the European integration process, an official statement said. She said reforms in line with EU standards strengthened the economy, made the energy sector more stable and the public administration more efficient and were particularly contributing to rule of law. "EU membership is a strategic objective of our country. In terms of internal reforms, we will continue to carry out all activities aimed at implementing the recommendations from the European Commission report on Serbia, benchmarks in opened chapters and benchmarks for opening clusters," Miscevic said. She thanked Giaufret for the EU's urgent 165 million Euros assistance to Serbia in the energy sector, presented by EC President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Serbia last week. Giaufret said the energy package was a tangible sign the EU stood with Serbia when it comes to tackling the challenge of the energy crisis. He urged for making good use of the EC's report on Serbia as a guideline for reforms. "The overall pace of Serbia's accession talks will continue to depend primarily on rule of law reforms and normalisation of relations with Pristina," Giaufret noted. He added that further work and political commitment were needed to continue and deepen reforms and eliminate deficiencies, in particular in crucial areas such as the judiciary, media freedoms, the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as freedom of gathering and war crimes prosecution before local courts.

 

Orlic with Ukrainian Ambassador: By defending its own territorial integrity, Serbia also defends others (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic met yesterday with the Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Tolkach and extended gratitude on the principled stance on Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. As he stressed, Serbia consistently urges for respecting international law and abiding fully by the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all UN member states. “We are grateful to your country for respecting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Unfortunately, there are some who advocate the principles of international law in words alone, but openly violate them in the case of Kosovo and Metohija,” he said. He informed Ambassador Tolkach about the difficult situation in the southern Serbian province, the pressures and terror our people face. “Pristina is once again trying to threaten peace with unilateral and dangerous moves, and official Belgrade, led by President Aleksandar Vucic, is again trying to preserve that peace for everyone. In addition, Pristina is now in an open campaign for membership in the Council of Europe, and based on who supports it, it is clear who is ready to again openly violate the principles of international law,” said Orlic. Ambassador Tolkach confirmed that Ukraine's position on Kosovo and Metohija would not change and thanked Serbia for its support in difficult times and care for the refugees. “Our two countries have the difficult task of defending the principles of international law. We are aware that the situation in the Kosovo and Metohija is not easy and we will continue to strongly support your country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. These principles must apply equally to everyone, and as Serbian officials point out, when we defend our integrity, we protect it for others as well,” said Tolkach.

 

Orlic and Botsan-Kharchenko: We appreciate Russia’s principled stance on Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko to discuss a number of topics concerning bilateral cooperation. Orlic informed Ambassador Botsan-Kharchenko about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, stressing that, despite Pristina’s irresponsible policies and unilateral moves, Serbia strives to preserve peace and stability in this part of Europe and remains committed to the full implementation of the agreements reached so far and respect for international law. He thanked Russia for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and the principled stance on Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Cochard: We are not guided by logic of blackmail in relations with Belgrade (Tanjug/RTV)

 

The Ambassador of France to Serbia Pierre Cochard stated in an interview with Tanjug that the EU is not guided by the logic of blackmail in its relations with Belgrade, that this is not its approach, and emphasized that the document that he and the Quint ambassadors handed over to President Aleksandar Vucic refers to the issue of re-registration of vehicles with Serbian tables in Kosovo and Metohija and calls for dialogue. “In that document, we call for the postponement of the implementation of the decision on the re-registration of Serbian vehicles, a decision whose legitimacy we do not dispute, and we call for the avoidance of anything that can increase tensions,” Cochard said, answering the question of whether the document that the Quint handed over to Vucic was coherent with Franco-German proposal on the solution of the Kosovo issue. “These are two documents related to different topics. In the proposal of the French President and the German Chancellor, the will was expressed for renewed momentum in the dialogue and important topics in the dialogue that would enable normalization, which is much more important than license plates,” Cochard points out. When asked if the French-German proposal mentions a deadline for reaching an agreement, Cochard replied that there is no date. “We, of course, hope that things will progress quickly, that the dialogue will progress quickly because it is in the interest of everyone, including the Serb population in Kosovo, but there is no deadline,” the French Ambassador pointed out, and regarding media reports that the deadline is 24 February. Who could have imagined that we set that date as the tragic date of the anniversary of the beginning of Russian aggression in Ukraine, Cochard asked. When asked whether the “offer” in the French-German proposal on, as reported by the media, the accelerated accession of Serbia to the EU in exchange for the acceptance of Kosovo’s admission to the UN, is acceptable to Belgrade and whether the “compensation” for the tacit recognition of Kosovo’s independence is adequate, Cochard says that Brussels “is not guided by the logic of blackmail in its relations with Belgrade”. “That is not our approach, we stand for the rapid accession of Serbia to the EU, which President Macron has said many times, but this also implies that reforms should be accelerated in terms of the functioning of the rule of law and freedom of the media, and we are counting on the Serbian authorities to do that. So, this is not about some kind of compensation or ‘reimbursement’, it is about a goal shared by the EU countries, and hopefully, Serbia as well,” pointed out Cochard. “It is also true that the progress in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is one element of Serbia’s accession to the EU, it is also part of the criteria that have been taken into account and we hope, because of this, that the dialogue will be accelerated,” the Ambassador said. When asked whether France supports the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) and whether there will be one, the Ambassador says that the decision on the formation is already contained in the Brussels agreements, and that it is now up to Belgrade and Pristina to “sit down at the table, discuss the contours and the prerogatives of the ZSO” and the modalities of the community starting from what has already been agreed in Brussels. He adds that one of the goals of the French-German proposal is to support the mediation of Miroslav Lajcak, and that the goal is precisely to discuss the content of the ZSO. “France unequivocally and without any hesitation stands for the formation of the ZSO. It is an important element of the Brussels agreement, the community is something that offers the Serb population guarantees of self-government, it is one of the prerogatives when it comes to, for example, education, so it is an important step towards normalization,” Cochard said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H CEC expected to publish election results on Wednesday; B&H Court rejects SNSD’s demand to annul order of B&H CEC on recounting of ballots (Nova BH/N1)

 

B&H has not yet received the final election results held on 2 October. The Central Election Commission (CEC) of B&H has not yet announced the final results of the elections, although many interpret that the legal deadline of one month expires on Tuesday. Everyone expected that B&H CEC would publish the final election results on Tuesday. However, the B&H CEC’s session was not held, noted the reporter. The B&H CEC stated that they will announce the final results when the conditions are met. The presenter reminded that the preliminary results for the RS President and the RS Vice Presidents were announced on Thursday. The RS opposition had the most objections to the election process. During the weekend, the RS opposition filed an appeal regarding the election results for the position of the RS President. The RS opposition requested repeating of elections for the RS President in 14 days. The B&H CEC is now waiting for the decisions of the Court of BiH on appeals against the announced results, so that the B&H CEC can then announce the final election results. It is expected that the Court will give a decision on these appeals on Wednesday and that B&H CEC will perhaps hold a session on Wednesday, added the reporter. The reporter reminded that Tuesday was the 30th day since the elections were held, which is a legal deadline for confirmation of election results. Commenting on possible outcome of the many appeals regarding the elections, the reporter said that many political parties submitted reports to the Prosecutor’s Office and the B&H CEC admitted that there were many irregularities. The Prosecutor’s Office will collect evidence and will file indictments if they have enough evidence. However, this will certainly not happen in some foreseeable period of time, commented the reporter. It was confirmed from the Court of B&H that they received on Monday a complaint of the RS opposition parties concerning elections for the RS President and Vice Presidents. The Court of B&H will pass its decision on demand to annul and repeat elections for the RS President within a three-day deadline. Reporter noted that the Court of B&H rejected on Tuesday a demand of SNSD to assess legality of the B&H CEC’s decision to order control counting of ballots concerning elections for the RS President and Vice Presidents. The Court established that the abovementioned order was in line with a task of B&H CEC to establish and publish results of elections.

 

RS opposition expresses dissatisfaction with election results, announces protest and speaks of election irregularities (RTRS/BNTV)

 

Members of the RS opposition held a press conference on Tuesday, announcing their protest in front of the Radio Television of the RS (RTRS) building in Banja Luka on Wednesday. The protest is set to begin at 6 p.m. The opposition said that RTRS should be a television for all people and not just to serve the wishes of the ruling regime. They also spoke of election frauds and thefts, and revealed that opposition candidate for the RS President, Jelena Trivic, was damaged by almost 70,000 votes. This is just one of the reasons why the opposition plans to hold a protest. They also oppose “media darkness” that SNSD-led government wants to establish in the RS by changing several laws, including the RS Criminal Code. Explaining reasons for their protest, the opposition members said this is not a protest against journalists but against the regime that entrapped RTRS. Trivic said “there are 1,000 reasons for protest, and things culminated after the election theft”. “A systemically organized pillage of elections, for which we properly submitted numerous criminal reports, and an appeal to the CEC of B&H regarding the shameful decision they made, and the shameful session they held”, Trivic told reporters. She spoke about the demands the opposition plans to present during Wednesday’s protest. One of the demands is the review the appeal submitted to the B&H CEC. Another demand was stated during past protests, and it connects to the work of the judiciary, and processing of all those people that took part in election thefts. Trivic emphasized that none of these cases were processed and finished, even though the opposition submitted many evidence that proves the claims. She said the opposition will not stop, it will continue to demand the truth and justice, and they expect the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH to do its job. Trivic said the election will of people in the RS cannot be stolen and for everyone to just say “that is the end, let us move on”. We will not just sit idly by, or even take part in this by accepting the results, Trivic says, adding that the opposition will persists with its demands. PDP leader Branislav Borenovic said that control recount of votes proved that Jelena Trivic was damaged by 68,177 votes, as these votes were either corrected, ballots destroyed or just simply vanished without a trace. “How is it possible that, through the control counting, the difference between the controlled and the total debited material was determined to be 9,326 ballots. How is it possible that 9,380 invalid ballots with two or more candidates were found out of invalid ballots by means of a control count?”, Borenovic asked. He asked if it is true that out of 62 bags with unused ballots that were not delivered or were delivered incorrectly, and 27 bags were never delivered, that there are 7,695 unused ballots in them, those ballots are not there, they have disappeared, and 4,608 have been included due to the lack of sources from the CEC's Central Voter Register. “Is it true that there are 9,443 such votes along with the PDL form signed by someone”, stated Borenovic and added: “It was determined that 40,453 are disputed, with the other invalid ballots being 68,177 votes”. The opposition points out that elections were repeated in some countries of the world when less number of irregularities were determined. The law is on our side, and elections must be repeated, they say. Borenovic says 68,177 votes is not a small number and they could have seriously changed the outcome of elections if they were not destroyed, contaminated, lost or misused.

 

Cvijanovic: Reports of RS government sent to UN Security Council represent balance to false information about B&H that has been presented by High Representatives for years (RTRS)

 

RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic said that reports of the RS government to the UN Security Council (UN SC) represent balance to false information about B&H presented by High Representatives for years. Cvijanovic stressed that the RS will resume to prepare similar reports until the position of a High Representative is abolished. Cvijanovic underlined that the High Representatives who have been addressing the UN SC have been presenting false information about the situation in B&H, adding that the High Representatives are frequently favoring one side and criticizing others. “We believe this is a method to present our stance on some developments here. The RS government has been submitting these reports twice a year for years and we will resume to do it until the position of the High Representative is abolished. I am not talking about Christian Schmidt, who is not recognized as a legitimate High Representative by the RS. I am talking in general, because this is an outdated category. It is defined by the DPA but a mandate of the High Representative has been exceeded significantly by actions of some previous High Representatives that did not have any legal ground”, concluded Cvijanovic.

 

Grlic Radman warns Stoltenberg that NATO unity might be jeopardized if Croatia deprived of participation in peace mission in B&H; Komsic sends letter to Stoltenberg (N1/O Kanal)

 

N1 reminded that some media published a letter of Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman to Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg. In this letter Grlic Radman warns that unity of NATO might be jeopardized if Croatia is deprived of a possibility that members of its armed forces participate in a peace mission in B&H. Croat member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic sent a letter to Stoltenberg on Tuesday due to Croatia’s request for its military presence in B&H either through NATO or EUFOR mission. In his letter to Stoltenberg, Komsic noted that the letter of the Croatian Government contains a certain number of key untruths. According to Komsic, Croatia as signatory of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) falls under one of the participating sides in the war and it is thus inappropriate to include its forces in NATO mission. The letter reads: “I believe that it would be very inappropriate for the NATO to include in its mission in B&H or through the EUFOR mission Operation Althea the forces of Croatia, i.e. the country whose military and political leadership was ruled by the international criminal court in The Hague as part of a joint criminal enterprise (JCE) that aimed to create ethnically cleansed parts of B&H under the military and political administration of the neighboring Croatia. Such political ambitions of Croatia towards B&H, a sovereign and independent state, exist even today, and they strive to strengthen them by military forces.” “Such political ambitions of Republic of Croatia toward B&H, a sovereign and independent country, exist even today, and there is an attempt to strengthen them with armed forces. I firmly believe that you understand the reasons for my address and that NATO alliance will make the only right decision,” reads Komsic’s letter.

 

Djukanovic: Work of State Prosecutor’s Office mustn’t be carried out under anyone’s influence (CdM)

 

The President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic has sent a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Day of State Prosecutors of Montenegro, to the acting Supreme State Prosecutor Maja Jovanovic, holders of the prosecutor’s offices and employees of the prosecutor’s offices with best wishes for further successful work. According to him, Montenegro, which strives to build a modern state according to European standards, as a candidate country for EU membership, is obliged to continue its efforts to achieve the equality of all citizens before the law, thus strengthening their trust in the efficient and impartial institutions of the system that act uniformly and objectively, in which the role and dedicated work of the Montenegrin prosecutor’s organization is of particular importance.

 

Parliament adopted amendments to the Law on Election of President of Montenegro; Erakovic: It’s an attack on MNE, citizens won’t stay silent (CdM)

 

Half past midnight, Montenegrin MPs adopted the proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Law on Election of the President of Montenegro after an hours-long heated debate over the topic. A total of 42 MPs voted, of whom 41 MPs voted in favour of it and one against. During the debate, MPs of the DPS, SDP, LP and SD claimed that this move represented violation of the Constitution of Montenegro, telling the parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic to watch out as she was stepping on the zone of criminal responsibility. The DPS MP Jevto Erakovic assessed that it was an attack on Montenegro, adding that citizens wouldn’t stay silent. Amendments to the afore-mentioned law strive to force Milo Djukanovic to propose prime minister-designate or exclude him totally from that procedure. According to the Constitution, president of the country is the only one who can propose prime minister-designate, whereas the parliamentary majority now wants to transfer those authorizations to parliament. During the session, dozens gathered in front of the parliament’s building, blaming the Democratic Front for coup attempt.

 

Trampling the Constitution to adopt amendments: Here’s what President Law says (CdM)

 

Following the hours-long and heated debate in the parliament of Montenegro, the Montenegrin MPs adopted the proposal for the Law on Amendments to the Law on Election of the President of Montenegro. Opposition MPs claim that the Constitution was violated and that parliament entered the zone of criminal liability. The law was adopted urgently, which means Milo Djukanovic has to sign it with three dates or return to parliament to make decision on it again. The amendments envisage a series of unconstitutional provisions, which MPs of the Democratic Front, the Civic Movement URA and the Social People’s Party (SNP), want to use in order to force President Djukanovic to propose prime minister-designate or they should exclude him from that procedure. The law, among other things, stipulates that the president shall propose prime minister-designate no later than 30 days from the day of holding a no-confidence motion. In addition, he shall do the same if the government falls, if prime minister resigns or if his/her term of office terminates for some reason, in line with law.

 

Besa attempts to initiate Albanian political parties to a meeting (Sitel/Alsat M)

 

The Besa movement invites the Albanian parties to a meeting on the constitutional amendments. The party asks the Constitution to delete the wording ‘the language spoken by 20% of the citizens’ and to write ‘Albanian language’ instead. The leader of Besa Bilal Kasami invites the leaders of DUI Ali Ahmeti, Alliance for Albanians - Arben Taravari, Alternativa - Afrim Gashi and DPA, Menduh Thaci, to a meeting next week. Besa will ask them to build a common position for changing the wording of the Constitution, through which the Albanian language would enter the Constitution. DUI will reconsider whetrer they will attend the meeting. In a statement Bujar Osmani, speaking as a spokesperson from DUI, says that the topic with the 20 percent should not be on the ethnic agenda, but a process achieved as a result of social and political maturity. So far, the only response was from the Alliance for the Albanians, from where they say that they are ready to discuss as soon as possible the construction of a common position on the wording of the Constitution in the area of the use of languages, and they announced that they will condition this in the parliament during the changes that would be inserted by the Bulgarians into the Constitution.

 

Osmani calls for breaking the circle with Bulgaria in regard to opening of cultural clubs (Kanal 5/Sitel/Telma)

 

Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani urged for breaking the circle with Bulgaria by opening cultural clubs and called for returning to a normal track through constant communication and the opening of the cultural club in Blagoevgrad promoted by the Ministry of Culture. Responding to reporter’s question regarding the decision of a Bulgarian court to abolish the civil association that opened the Macedonian cultural club in Blagoevgrad, Osmani said that opening clubs because of a reaction to the other will not achieve the goals we want to achieve, which is to promote good neighborly relations. “The opening of Bulgarian clubs was not aimed at promoting the Bulgarian community. I qualify this same reaction in Blagoevgrad, unprepared, financed by dubious sources, in the same way. And that’s how results happen, which will later create problems for those people who are part of those clubs and probably cause a chain reaction, there and here. My task is to bring the relations in a normal trajectory, to say stop to political profiteering and to the instrumentalization of the rights of the communities and to the good neighborly relations. I am convinced of my policy and I know that only it is in the interest of the citizens,” Osmani said at Tuesday’s joint press conference with the Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi. He underscored that with the abolition of the Macedonian association, the citizens, that is, the Macedonians in Bulgaria, will be mostly affected. “Now let those who went to encourage them and hunt for political points come out, to explain to the people why their association was abolished. That’s why I said from the beginning that it was the wrong way. A dubious association from Canada funding the organization of a Macedonian club at this time as a response to the club in Ohrid is not the way to help the citizens,” Osmani said. Osmani also underlined that if we had not made a decision to start negotiations with the EU, that is, if we had not reached an agreement with Bulgaria, we would now be waiting for the results of the establishment of the Bulgarian institutions and we would be waiting when there would be some predictability there so that we could find solution. “We currently do not have an open dialogue on the problems with Bulgaria, but only in the area of implementation of the obligations. We are implementing our part of the obligations, and the Republic of Bulgaria is implementing its part. The last was the agreement with Frontex, which was an obligation of the Republic of Bulgaria undertaken with the protocol signed on 12 July,” Osmani noted. Osmani stressed that he is continuing the communication with the official government of Bulgaria, announcing that next week he plans to go on a working visit to Sofia, where, in addition to government officials, he will also meet with representatives of political parties.

 

New ambassadors to Turkey and EU present diplomatic platforms before parliamentary committee (MIA)

 

The new Ambassador of North Macedonia to Turkey Jovan Manasijevski and the new Ambassador to the EU Zulfi Ismaili presented their diplomatic platforms before the Foreign Affairs Committee in parliament on Tuesday. Ambassador Manasijevski said the relations with Turkey are traditionally friendly, and that besides the United States, Turkey is the only country which North Macedonia has a Strategic Partnership Agreement with. In defining the bilateral relations, according to him, the growing economic and defence power should be taken into account, as well as Turkey’s ambitions to be among the top 10 countries in the world in the 21st century. “Turkey has 253 diplomatic-consular missions and in this aspect, they are the fifth largest diplomatic network in the world, which speaks of the feasibility of the ambitions of that system. However, we should behave accordingly and use the opportunities of our long-term friendship and strategic partnership in the service of our national interests,” said Manasijevski. Touching upon his action priorities, he pointed to the effort to maintain a constant and sustainable growth of the trade exchange. In 2021 the country’s trade exchange with Turkey reached USD 776 million, in 2022 it is projected to reach around USD 900 million, but the potentials are, according to the Ambassador, much higher, and the obstacle to its more dynamic development is the anachronistic Free Trade Agreement from 2000, which should be revised and upgraded. “We have to do this because all our neighbors – Serbia, Albania, Kosovo, already have new, more modern and more liberalized free trade agreements. If we do not do anything about this, we will simply fall behind and the potential for growth and cooperation will move to the neighboring countries,” underlined Manasijevski. Ambassador Manasijevski also stressed the importance of attracting Turkish investments to the region which are constantly growing, especially in the context of the current energy crisis and the possibility to use Turkey’s role as a key energy node to supply our country with energy. He stated that in his post he will also focus on encouraging cooperation in defence, education, health, on the role of the Turkish community in North Macedonia, but also our diaspora in Turkey, estimated at 150.000-450.000 thousand people, as a bridge of friendship. In the discussion the MPs pointed to the issue of the Ministry of Interior’s more restrictive approach in granting residency permits to Turkish students and the challenge of Ankara’s demands regarding their post-coup clean-up. Ismaili said that with the beginning of the accession negotiations the country has entered a new stage of relations with the EU, the explanatory screening is underway, in November the bilateral screening will begin and the entire process is expected to be completed around this time next year. The government adopted the new revised structure for negotiations and it is expected that in the coming period the positions will be filled with specific names, and he, as the head of the Mission to Brussels, will be, ex officio, a member of the state delegation for negotiations. “The Mission to the EU will gain even more weight as a focal point of communication with all EU institutions but also as a kind of a hub through which the majority of the documents delivered to the EU will be communicated. The Mission is additionally expected to be properly equipped in the upcoming period with representatives of nine other ministries,” said Ambassador Ismaili. In the negotiations process, he said, the Mission’s key priorities will be the successful completion of the bilateral screening and making sure that all parties appropriately respect the negotiation framework so that there are no bilateral interpretations of its provisions, a timely implementation of the planned projects from the EU economic and investment plan, identifying new avenues for 6 cooperation with the EU and its institutions, now as a negotiating country, as well as the inclusion of our ministers at the EU ministerial meetings. In the context of parliamentary cooperation, Ismaili stressed that the European Parliament’s positive inclination towards enlargement should be used. Asked by the President of the Committee, Antonio Miloshoski, whether the Berlin Process and Open Balkans contradict each other or if they can exist in parallel, Ambassador Ismaili said it is too early to give a clear prognosis, but it is good to give Open Balkans a chance, as a regional initiative, and to see the results.

 

Integration Commission, chief negotiator Dhuka: EC report on Albania reflects progress compared to the Balkans (Radio Tirana)

 

The EC report for Albania has shown an improvement and progress in many chapters and criteria compared to other countries in the region. Chief negotiator Dhuka singled out the justice reform, but still more cooperation is needed for integration reforms. Regarding the EC report, it is the most essential international document. It is an evaluation document by a team of experts. The report states that the country has made progress from 32 to 33 chapters of the negotiations as well as in 3 criteria. If we compare it with North Macedonia, it can be seen that Albania performs better in most chapters and has made progress compared to the Balkan countries. Especially in the implementation and consolidation of the Reform in Justice. The report states the irreplaceable role of the parliament. The approval by consensus in the parliament of the postponement of the vetting deadlines is good news. More cooperation for integration reforms, said Dhuka. Among other things, Dhuka emphasized the screening process which helped in the preparatory phase of the negotiations. "On 15 September, the screening process officially started, or the preparatory phase of the negotiations, which goes through two tracks, explanatory meetings, where the European Commission, through various directorates, explains to Albania the directives and what the Commission has approved in the period 20-22." The second track is the bilateral meetings, where Albania is the one that presents an overview of the state of the country vis-à-vis the obligations stemming from the EU act. In September, meetings were held for chapter 5 of public procurement. On 16 September, chapter 18, statistics. On the day, reform in the public administration. On 20 September, the economic criteria. On 22-23, chapter 24, justice, freedom, security, political criteria further, Chapter 23, judiciary and fundamental rights, said Dhuka.

 

Xhacka working visit to Ankara at the invitation of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Cavusoglu: Economic cooperation will increase (Radio Tirana)

 

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhacka had a meeting with her Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu during an official visit to Ankara at the invitation of the Turkish side. Through the joint press statement, it is announced that Xhacka has appreciated the close cooperation between the two countries and the role of Turkey in the Balkan region, stressing that "regional cooperation remains the key to successfully dealing with security threats". "Today we specifically discussed cooperation in the fields of economy and trade. We note with pleasure that in our country there is a continuous, positive and growing trend of Turkish investments. We have currently reached the level of 800 million dollars in trade volume, which is quite a significant figure, but which we know does not really reflect the potential that exists between our countries. However, we look to the future with optimism, encouraged by the new investment projects that have already been developed in the infrastructure and energy sectors", said the Albanian chief diplomat in the joint press statement. For his part, Minister Cavusoglu welcomed the start of Albania-EU negotiations and praised our country's efforts in regional cooperation. According to him, Turkey will continue its support to Albania for the development of its security and defence capacities. "We are pleased that Albania has started membership negotiations with the EU. Your country is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council at a difficult time. We appreciate Albania's efforts in regional cooperation and have supported and will always continue to be close to brotherly Albania", said Minister Cavusoglu.

 

US-Albania strategic dialogue, Ambassador Yuri Kim: Ready to do more for democracy and defence (Radio Tirana)

 

Albania and the US have strengthened cooperation in terms of regional and global security, defence, integration, justice reform, trade and investment. This was announced by the US Ambassador Yuri Kim, after the strategic dialogue between the two countries. In a post on Twitter, Ambassador Kim writes that the US and Albania are ready to do more for democracy, defence and business. "Excited to return to Tirana following the inaugural US-Albania Strategic Dialogue last week, which enabled senior officials from our two countries to strengthen cooperation across the range of issues: regional and global security (especially as Allies of NATO and members of the UN Security Council), defence cooperation... (including cyber security), integration, justice reform and the fight against corruption, energy and climate change, trade and investment. Meetings with the Department of State, the Department of Defence, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, USAID, the Official US Export Credit Agency, the Agency for the Promotion of Economic Prosperity and Guaranteeing the Financial Security of the United States, the White House. The US and Albania are ready and able to do more together than ever before for democracy, defence and business. Let's start the work and let's keep moving forward", writes the Ambassador.