LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic cancelled all visits abroad; government session tomorrow, meeting with SPC Synod and Russian and Chinese Ambassadors (Tanjug/RTV/RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksanadar Vucic has cancelled all visits abroad due to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, Tanjug learned at the Presidency of Serbia. Vucic apologized to his great friend, the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, for cancelling his attendance at the COP 27 meeting, which will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh from 7 November. The Serbian government will hold a session tomorrow at which Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will submit a report on the talks with the representatives of the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, who announced their withdrawal from all Pristina institutions due to the latest moves by the Prime Minister of the provisional Pristina institutions Albin Kurti, it was confirmed to Tanjug. After that, Vucic will meet with Chinese Ambassador Chen Bo, and then with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Botsan-Kharchenko. Vucic will meet with the Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church tomorrow in the Patriarchate, it was confirmed to Tanjug in the Patriarchate. Vucic will inform the Patriarch and the Synod about the latest situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Vucic shocked by Borrell statement, may cancel trips abroad (Tanjug)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday he was shocked by a statement by EU foreign policy and security chief Josep Borrell on the situation regarding vehicle re-registration in Kosovo and Metohija, and announced he would make a public address in the coming days about pressure on Serbia and Belgrade's decisions and steps to be taken regarding other important issues.  Speaking to reporters at the Pasuljanske livade military training range, Vucic said he might have to cancel some scheduled trips abroad due to the current situation in the country. Asked to comment on the fact the Council of Europe Bureau had not put the so-called Kosovo's CoE membership bid on the agenda, Vucic responded: "We are talking about tactical news that is not bad, if I may call it that way. I was much more concerned by statements by Josep Borrell and some other people, and I am shocked by their statements - I will wait until after (EU special envoy Miroslav) Lajcak's visit, and due to the situation in the country, I may have to cancel some of my visits abroad that are important and scheduled in advance," Vucic said. He announced he would make a public address on Saturday, Sunday or Monday to speak about "details from previous and other discussions." He said he wanted to inform the citizens of "all the pressure and the hypocrisy" and that he was "hiding nothing from them." "In conclusion, I want to say what our decisions are, as well as what we will do about all other important issues - energy, food and everything else," Vucic said. In a Twitter post after meeting with Pristina's PM Albin Kurti in Berlin, Borrell said that "disruptive actions, such as burning of cars, are unacceptable." "Dialogue agreements must be respected. Call on all to act with restraint," he added.

 

Brnabic: Not optimistic after today talks (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated that the agreements signed today at the Berlin Process Summit are important first and foremost for the young people in the region and underlined that with this Serbia has shown once more that it is absolutely committed to regional cooperation. Brnanic, who is attending the Berlin Process 2022 Western Balkans Summit, pointed out that these agreements in no way derogate what was agreed and is being agreed in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. She stated that for Belgrade it was important to show that it is always for regional cooperation, that it is in the interest of Serbia and citizens that the region be safer and better connected, to have peace and stability guaranteed and to be able to make progress. According to her, such agreements are nothing new for Serbia because the same thing was already done, but in larger scope, as part of the Open Balkans Initiative with Albania and North Macedonia. She also said that she is not optimistic after today’s talks at the Summit although the above-mentioned agreements were signed, because the EU allows the agreements signed between Belgrade and Pristina not to be respected, although the Union itself initialled them. Brnabic recalled that Albin Kurti violated all the agreements, those from 2011, 2016 and 2021, and that he unilaterally abolished the status neutral KS license plates. She stated that in Berlin she spoke with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and EU Special Representative for the Dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina Miroslav Lajcak about the issue of re-registration of license plates in Kosovo and Metohija. They said that they agree that there should be status neutral license plates, but that they cannot do anything about it, Brnabic reported and assessed that this is devastating. She recalled that almost 10 years have passed since the signing of the Brussels agreement, but that the Community of Serb Municipalities has not been formed yet. Kurti was saying that he would not implement the Brussels agreement, while on the other side we are being pressured to move onto other or final agreements, whatever they might call them, she said. Brnabic also commented that the Open Balkans Initiative is in no way contradictory to the Berlin Process, but that these two processes can develop together. She added that Serbia is slowly harmonising its visa policy with that of the EU, stating that there were no pressures on Serbia in Berlin regarding this matter. Serbia has good cooperation with Frontex – the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, and we reached an agreement that they be more present at our border with North Macedonia, she said. In addition, our country also has a trilateral cooperation with Hungary and Austria, Brnabic concluded.

 

Brnabic: We will respond to French-German plan with non-paper (Tanjug/RTS)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic told reporters on Thursday she had had no communication with Pristina's Prime Minister Albin Kurti at the Berlin Process summit and that she had not discussed a French-German proposal for Kosovo and Metohija with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and EU special envoy Miroslav Lajcak, but that Serbia would respond to it with a non-paper. When asked to comment on reports by Pristina media that Kurti would speak with Scholz about the proposal, and if she had discussed it with Scholz, as well as whether she had had any communication with Kurti at the summit, Brnabic responded: "There was no communication with Kurti. I discussed many things with Scholz, but not the proposal. I think he did not want to deal with the proposal at that level today. But we will definitely finalise our response and present a non-paper. I briefly spoke with Lajcak, and I have nothing to say about that, it (the proposal) was not a topic, except that (it was said) a solution needs to be found and that a solution would be good for stability in the region to keep the Ukraine crisis, the war and instability from spilling over into the Balkans," Brnabic said. "I made a concrete proposal - (I said:) implement the first agreement on normalisation and everything will be much clearer and much better, and then we can move on," she noted. She said she had also spoken with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on the sidelines of the summit. Recapping her meetings with Scholz and Lajcak, Brnabic said she had discussed vehicle re-registration in Kosovo and Metohija, the fact Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija had been denied the fundamental rights - including the right to vote - and the way this was treated in a European Commission progress report.

 

EC supports German-French proposal for solving Belgrade-Pristina dispute (Beta)

 

The European Commission fully supports the German-French proposal for solving the dispute between Belgrade and Pristina, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Berlin on Thursday. "Dialogue is necessary and we call on both sides to make progress," Von der Leyen stated at the end of the summit of the Berlin Process, at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. Von der Leyen stressed that it was necessary to accelerate the process of Western Balkan countries' accession to the EU, but that it should be completely merit-based and without "a rigid time frame". The German Chancellor said that strengthening regional cooperation was key for accelerating the EU enlargement process and that bilateral disputes among the Western Balkan countries should be resolved. "Serbia and Kosovo mush reach an agreement and we and the French government and the EC are doing our best to enable it," Scholz said, adding that active talks were being conducted with both sides. The Prime Minister of Albania, which will host the next summit of the Berlin Process, said that Serbia and Kosovo had a great opportunity to solve the dispute and that he hoped the two sides would understand that it was time for them to see it "as an important contribution to the entire European security architecture".

 

Petkovic: Djuric suspended because he stood up for Serbs (Tanjug/RTS)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic stated yesterday that the Police Inspectorate of the so-called Kosovo made a decision to suspend Director of the Regional Police Directorate North Nenad Djuric only because he stood up for the Serb people living in the north of the province. Speaking at a press conference at the Palace of Serbia, Petkovic specified that the reason for Djuric’s suspension is that he stood up yesterday for his policemen who, together with mayors of four municipalities in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, decided not to issue written reprimands to drivers with KM license plates. He said that EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajcak has been informed about this and about the fact that Kurti’s intention is to trample on everything that was agreed in Brussels.

 

We will not tolerate the persecution of the Serb people (Tanjug/B92)

 

“We will consider the decision to withdraw the Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija from the Pristina institutions,” said the Vice-President of the Serb List Igor Simic, regarding the dismissal of the police director. “No one from Pristina has the right to replace him. He acted honorably. They implemented an illegal decision contrary to the Brussels Agreement. Serbs from the North of Kosovo entered the Kosovo institutions, and we entered with one goal, to institutionally protect the Serb people,” Simic said. “Pristina has now decided to make its own decisions. We provided many chances for the dialogue to succeed, we extended our hands of reconciliation, and for all that we got mistreatment, endangering the Serb people,” said Simic. As he said, Nenad Djuric was dismissed against the law, and after Pristina’s shameful decision, he said that the presidency of the Serb List is with its people, and that it will continue to fight for Serbian interests, the media reported. “If anyone thought that we would suffer and be obedient to Pristina, we will not. We entered Kosovo’s institutions according to the Brussels agreement. But obviously, Pristina’s response is trampling on all our rights,” he said. Serb List leader Goran Rakic convened the meeting bearing in mind, as he called it, the latest shameful, illegal and anti-Serb decision of Pristina, which suspended the director of the Regional Directorate North, Nenad Djuric, because he refused to issue warnings to his fellow citizens, for having legal KM license plates, and which the leadership of the Serb List and all mayors from the north welcomed and supported yesterday. “Taking into account all the pressures our people are exposed to and all the proud Serbs who do not agree to be the decor of Pristina, we need to strengthen and build Serbian institutions in these areas in cooperation with our country, Serbia,” said Rakic, as reported by Serb list. He said that the authorities in Pristina have no right to sanction Djuric in any way because he was appointed to command the police in the north of Kosovo by the four mayors of Serb-majority municipalities. “We all took posts in Kosovo institutions because that was part of the Brussels agreement. Since Pristina does not abide by what was signed, it’s clear that we have nothing to do in those institutions because it’s obvious that Pristina is violating every signed agreement with impunity,” Rakic said.

 

KFOR ready to intervene if stability, freedom of movement are threatened (Beta)

 

On Thursday, NATO recalled a message from KFOR commander Gen. Angelo Michele Ristuccia that "KFOR's forces are carefully monitoring the situation on the ground in Kosovo and are completely ready to intervene if stability, security or the freedom of movement are threatened". KFOR will act in accordance with its UN mandate, NATO's press service stressed in response to Beta's request for a comment on the situation in and surrounding Kosovo, after the Serbian army raised its combat readiness and destroyed a drone from Kosovo in an area where Serbia's armed forces are deployed. According to NATO, the KFOR commander pointed "to the importance of the challenges that KFOR faces" and underlined that "disinformation, unilateral moves and accusations pose a danger to the stability of Kosovo and the region". "The general emphasized that KFOR," NATO said, "is entirely focused on the daily implementation of its mandate based on UN Security Council resolutions 1244 and 1999, to guarantee protection and the freedom of movement for all communities living in Kosovo".

 

Orlic and Cypriot Ambassador: Kosovo and Metohija - Not Sui Generis case, but dangerous precedent (RTV/FoNet)

 

“The traditionally excellent bilateral relations between the two countries are grounded in a historically confirmed closeness, firm friendship and solidarity between the two peoples”, said Serbian parliament speaker Vladimir Orlic in a meeting with the Ambassador of Cyprus to Serbia H.E. Demetrios Theophylactou. The officials emphasised the mutual determination to advance the overall cooperation between Serbia and Cyprus, with the two countries’ strong partnership being affirmed by the, as they said, joint sessions of the two governments and trilateral meetings of Serbia, Cyprus and Greece. Orlic and Ambassador Theophylactou agreed that the interparliamentary cooperation is at an all-time high as evidenced by the regular exchange of visits between the two parliament speakers. Orlic thanked Cyprus for its principled non-recognition of so-called “Kosovo”, by which the Republic of Cyprus contributes to the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia. He informed Ambassador Theophylactou about the situation in Serbia’s southern province and Pristina’s unilateral moves which threaten security and peace. “The consequences of this issue go beyond Serbia’s borders and the current situation in the world proves that our warnings were not unwarranted. Today it is clear that the stories of Kosovo and Metohija being a “sui generis” case were just a sham. There is no such thing in practice, this is a dangerous precedent which is a potential threat for many in the world”, said  Orlic, adding that despite impossible conditions Serbia remains committed to the fight for peace and dialogue. Ambassador Theophylactou underlined that Cyprus stands firm by its position on Kosovo and Metohija and that established principles must be equal for everyone. “Our countries are proud, resolute, and despite challenges and pressures will continue to preserve international law,” said the Cypriot Ambassador.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

OHR comments Alkalaj’s statement regarding Schmidt’s decisions: The time for calculated political manipulation is over (AJB)

 

The Office of the High Representative (OHR) reacted after Permanent Representative of BiH to the United Nations, Sven Alkalaj, addressed the session of the UN Security Council (UN SC) and criticized High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt, claiming that his changes to the B&H Election Law and the FB&H Constitution were not in line with the state Constitution. “The time for calculated political manipulation, which we have, unfortunately, seen even during the session of the UN Security Council, is over. Now it is the time to do some concrete work which the B&H citizens expect: fulfilment of conditions for integration into the EU, stimulation of economic development, mitigating the consequences of inflation and stopping the departure of young people from the country”, reads the OHR’s statement.

 

Sattler comments on Alkalaj’s speech: Extension of EUFOR’s mandate is crucial and everything else will be quickly forgotten (FTV)

 

The Head of the EU Delegation in B&H Johan Sattler commented on the speech of B&H Representative to the UN Sven Alkalaj at the UN Security Council. Sattler was quoted as saying: “As for the session of the UN Security Council, I wish we had a more balanced speech by the representative of B&H. However, what is most important is that we have an extension of the mandate of the EUFOR forces in B&H for another year. That is crucial, and everything else will be quickly forgotten.”

 

US Embassy: It is disappointing that Alkalaj gave priority to narrow political interests instead of state interests of his country (O Kanal)

 

B&H representative to the UN Sven Alkalaj's speech during the UN Security Council session caused an earthquake in B&H's international relations with the West, noted the presenter. The US Embassy to B&H stated that Alkalaj's decision to use his time during Wednesday’s debate of the UN Security Council to propagate falsehoods about High Representative Christian Schmidt and the international community is not in favor of B&H. They say that it is disappointing that Alkalaj gave priority to narrow political interests instead of the state interests of his country and that this is something that has unfortunately been a norm in B&H for too long. The US Embassy said that B&H is facing many serious challenges and it is time for B&H leaders to start working.

 

UK Embassy: HR has our support in use of his powers when necessary (Oslobodjenje)

 

Commenting a session of the UN Security Council, UK Embassy to B&H underlined that the EUFOR continues to have crucial role in securing of the safe environment all over B&H. “High Representative and his Office have key role in B&H and they have support of the UK, including the support for using of his executive powers when necessary. We call on all actors in B&H to leave aside narrow interests and instead focus on improving of quality of life for all citizens and achieving of progress on Euro-Atlantic path,” reads UK Embassy’s statement.

 

UN SC extends mandate of ALTHEA mission in B&H; Borrell, HR Schmidt welcome this decision (RTRS)

 

The UN SC unanimously extended on Wednesday evening the mandate of ALTHEA mission in B&H for another year. Participants of the session of the UN SC said that the ALTHEA mission is important for ensuring peace and stability not only in B&H but also in the region. After the session of the UN SC, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stated on Twitter that the EU will continue to provide a safe and secure environment in B&H for all its citizens and to support B&H. High Representative Christian Schmidt welcomed on Thursday the extension of the ALTHEA mission reaffirming the position outlined in his report to the UN SC that EUFOR-ALTHEA remains a vital factor in ensuring security and stability in B&H.

 

Tegeltija: Three agreements represent success of German diplomacy, i.e. of Chancellor Scholz (BNTV)

 

At the Berlin Process Summit, held in Berlin on Thursday, the Western Balkans leaders signed three agreements on mobility that allow travel across the region with ID cards, and recognize university qualifications and professional qualifications of medical doctors, dentists and architects. BNTV reports that, in addition to Brnabic and the EU representatives, North Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and Chairperson of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Zoran Tegeltija participated in the Summit. Addressing the media, Tegeltija said that the signing of the three agreements represent “a success of German diplomacy, i.e. success of the German Chancellor, because we have been negotiating on these three agreements for over two years and we could not reach consensus. Today, we have signed these three processes and they will be referred to the adoption and ratification procedure. I hope they will enter in force in the next several months”. On behalf of B&H, the abovementioned agreements on mobility were signed by Tegeltija who said that these agreements lead to greater economic activity, which entails a better standard of living for all citizens. "Through the Berlin Process, an open and constructive dialogue is encouraged on all current issues for the citizens of the Western Balkan countries. We express the full support and commitment of the Council of Ministers to continue working on the Common Regional Market (CRM). This is not an alternative for the EU, but an opportunity for faster accession to the EU. There is no alternative to the continuation of strengthening the economic and political ties of the countries of the region, through which new perspectives of cooperation and new benefits for citizens are opened," Tegeltija was quoted as saying.

 

Troika claims to have majority in all assemblies, Houses of Peoples (Nova BH)

 

Nova BH reports that SDP B&H, People and Justice (NiP), Our Party (NS), NES, B&H Initiative – Kasumovic Fuad, PDA, For New Generations, and SB&H agreed on Wednesday evening on text of an agreement on formation of parliamentary majorities at all levels in B&H. Leaders of these political parties have signed the agreement. DF has also been invited to join them. The aforementioned parties intend to talk with HDZ B&H on forming the authorities together. According to announcements, talks on formation of authorities will start next week.

 

SDS leader Sarovic and entire SDS Presidency resign over poor election results (N1)

 

Only one day after the verification of the final results of the B&H general elections, SDS leader Mirko Sarovic and members of the SDS Presidency announced their resignations from positions in the party due to poor election results. "As the leader of the party, I have the greatest responsibility, that goes without saying, but members of the Presidency had an identical position. My final decision is to submit resignation to the party bodies, the Main Board and of course to the Assembly," Sarovic told the media after Thursday's session of the SDS Presidency. Sarovic stated that the results are not good at all four levels. N1 reminded that Sarovic lost the elections for the Serb member of the B&H Presidency to SNSD's Zeljka Cvijanovic by a margin of 100,000 votes, while PDP's Jelena Trivic lost the elections for the RS President to SNSD's Milorad Dodik. In the coming four years, SDS will have 13 MPs in the RS parliament, three less than in the previous mandate. SDS will also have one less MP in the B&H parliament in the next four years compared to the previous mandate. Until the session of the SDS Main Board, which will be held in ten days, SDS will be in a technical mandate, followed by intra-party elections.

 

Abazovic: We can’t hold parliamentary elections without Constitutional Court, let’s unblock it on 20 November (CdM)

 

“We can’t organize the parliamentary elections until we unblock the Constitutional Court”, says the PM in technical mandate Dritan Abazovic. He has called on the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), as well as other parties, to do so at the parliament session on 20 November.

Abazovic, answering the questions of journalists in Berlin and commenting on the DPS message that, if the Law on the President is abandoned, they will be ready for an agreement on the Constitutional Court, points out that the situation here is clear – the only institution that can, for any act, say whether it is constitutional or unconstitutional is the Constitutional Court. “My message to DPS and other colleagues is – let’s unblock the Constitutional Court on 20 November. After that, those who want to check the law will have the opportunity, and those who want to go to the elections will have the opportunity, if the Parliament of Montenegro decides to do so”, Abazovic adds. He says that he does not avoid dialogue to get out of the political crisis. “As far as I’m concerned, I don’t have any restrictions – either with the president of the state, the heads of caucuses or the parliament speaker. That is the only way to get out of this situation,” Abazovic points out. We remind you that by amending the controversial law, the parliamentary majority wants to force the President of the State Milo Djukanovic to propose a representative for the composition of the new government or he will be left out from that procedure. The members of the opposition claim that the Constitution has been violated, and that the parliament has entered the zone of criminal responsibility. The law was adopted under an urgent procedure, which means that Milo Djukanovic is obliged to sign it within three days or return it to the parliament for a new decision.

 

Djukanovic: No one has the right to remain silent (Gradski Portal)

 

The President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic responded to the request of the editors and management of the Gradska (City) TV, which, in addition to Djukanovic, was sent to PM Dritan Abazovic who was voted no-confidence, to parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic, as well as to the diplomatic representatives of Western countries based in Podgorica. In the request, they asked the addressed institutions to do everything in order to stop the harassment and lynching which the journalists of not only that TV, but also all independent media outlets in Montenegro, are exposed to. Here is President Djukanovic’s letter in its entirety: “Over the last two years, the overall social environment in Montenegro has been burdened by the actions of individuals and groups who, in every way, try to challenge the citizenry of Montenegro, acting contrary to the civilizational values ​​of the modern world, which we have devotedly affirmed for decades. In moments when we are witnessing a strong global response of umbrella sports institutions, their zero tolerance towards any form of disrespect for diversity, bigotry and violence, which is supported by the socially responsible attitude of the media, we must ask the question – What is happening in Montenegro? What has happened to the society that, even in the most difficult moments of the dissolution of the SFRY, preserved its most valuable assets of living together? How have the continuous chauvinistic outbursts and attacks on media representatives that we are witnessing these days been encouraged? Are the institutions that should be a barrier to such occurrences, by their actions or inactions, the generators of these events? What can we expect when the events we witness at the highest addresses of the executive power are relativized, or what is worse, they are essentially encouraged by the inappropriate attitude and behavior of their highest officials? Therefore, today, more than ever, a strong social response is necessary, there should be a dcisive NO to these phenomena at the institutional, professional, civil level. No one has the right to remain silent, state institutions must act promptly to cut down all forms of this kind of activity, sending a clear message to those who think that their uncivilized behavior will be tolerated and go unpunished.”

 

Bilcik: MNE doesn’t have legitimate govt., elections needed asap, situation very serious (CdM)

 

Deputy and Chairman of the European Parliament Vladimir Bilcik says that Europe is watching what is happening in Montenegro. He points out that the situation is serious, and states that elections are needed as soon as possible. “When we say that we express fear, it means that the situation is very serious. There is a fear that the foundations of democratic institutions in Montenegro have been called into question, that they have been shaken. We see an institutional crisis, a legal crisis, a constitutional crisis, an economic crisis”, said Bilcik, answering questions from journalists in parliament. The answers to these questions, he adds, must be found in Montenegro. Montenegro, he points out, does not have a legitimate government. “That government has lost its legitimacy. There is no trust in the government, it is a government with technical mandate, not a political one. Montenegro has to make political decisions and for that we need a political government. There are only two ways to have it – either through a majority in parliament or through new elections. Honestly, looking at the number of attempts we have seen in parliament, I am convinced, and I am not the only one, that this must be the path to new elections, as soon as possible, based on decisions that will lead to the functioning of the Constitutional Court, and then to an agreement on how the snap elections will be held within the limits of the law and the Constitution and on the basis of dialogue and compromise. A compromise that is crucial”, says Bilcik. “That’s why I appeal to everyone to work, to cooperate. I don’t want to point fingers, nor is that my role, I’m a guest here. I just want to say that this is much more important than a particular political party. We need Montenegro in Europe, to be with us, to be one of the right candidates, because these are difficult times for all of us in Europe and all forces are coming together”, said Bilcik. Parliament speaker Danijela Djurovic says that if there is any doubt about the legality of anything, the only relevant institution to decide on that is the Constitutional Court. “I call on all the representatives of the parliamentary parties to very soon vote in parliament a relevant number of judges for the Constitutional Court and for it to become functional”, says Djurovic. She recalls that the Law itself was sent to President Milo Djukanovic for promulgation. “We will see its fate in the coming period”, says Djurovic, adding that the electoral process can have full legitimacy only when the existing problems are solved. The latest escalation of the political crisis caused by the adoption of the Law on the President comes at a time when Montenegro has a dysfunctional Constitutional Court, a government that was voted no-confidence on 20 August and is in a technical mandate. The Constitution stipulates that such a government should function until a new one is elected, however, the term in which, after the fall of the government, the President assigns a mandate for the composition of the new government is not specified.

 

Picula worried about events in MNE: Constitution is the foundation of the rule of law (CdM)

 

The rapporteur of the European Parliament for Montenegro Tonino Picula says he is seriously concerned about the latest events in Montenegro. “I am seriously concerned about the latest events in Montenegro and the ongoing political crisis that negatively affects the country’s EU agenda. The Constitution is the foundation of the rule of law, and all legislative decisions must align with it”, he has tweeted. Picula’s reaction is another in a series of reactions from both the domestic and international public, after the adoption of the Law on the President, which actually changes the prerogatives of the president.

 

Kovachevski in Berlin: Common regional market to attract more foreign investments, promoting development (All media)

 

The Berlin Process Summit is historic as it is happening amid a prolonged crisis and it is expected to lead to stronger regional cooperation, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said at a session on common regional markets at the Berlin Process Summit for the Western Balkans in Berlin. According to an official press release, session participants expressed strong support for the European Union membership of the Western Balkan countries, stressing that the EU would not be complete and successful until the citizens of the Western Balkans received EU passports. “At the same time, attendees pointed out in their presentations that the Berlin Process was not a substitute for EU membership, but a process contributing to the faster integration of the regional countries,” the release says. Kovachevski said a significant portion of the obligations arising from the common regional market framework adopted at the Sofia summit in 2020 had being fulfilled so far. He said this had been made possible by the strong support of the German government, being the host of the Berlin Process Summit; the European Commission; and the frequent communication between experts and administrations of the Western Balkan countries. “Our mutual political will and commitment to regional cooperation is the result of mutually recognized interests. This further encourages us to work on developing a common regional market and attracting more foreign investors to the region,” he said. PM Kovachevski said the countries of the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia, had serious work ahead of them, including improving the capacities, efficiency and competitiveness of their economies, which would led to accelerated regional economic growth and development. Pointing out that North Macedonia had already started its negotiations with the EU that safeguarded the nation’s identity positions, he said the ongoing screening process was expected to accelerate the country’s reform agenda. He also stressed that the EU would not be complete without the countries of Western Balkans, adding that any initiative bringing the region closer to the EU should be strongly supported. Led by PM Kovachevski, the government delegation participating in the summit includes Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Affairs Bojan Marichikj and Minister of Foreign Affairs Bujar Osmani. The summit, held in Berlin for the first time in eight years, aims to intensify regional cooperation and connections between the countries of the Western Balkans. Leaders from the Western Balkans, together with EU member states’ government representatives as well as United Kingdom representatives and European Commission officials, are discussing regional markets, the energy transformation of the Western Balkans, and the Berlin Process perspectives and strategic issues.

 

Kovachevski: Energy diversification and transition an investment into the future (MIA)

 

The whole region should closely cooperate to meet the ambitious goals for energy transition and to overcome the challenges caused by the economic and energy crisis. The focus should be on jointly seeking alternatives for stable and continuous electricity supply, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said addressing a session on energy stability and transformation at the Berlin Process Summit taking place in Berlin. Energy security of the Western Balkans is as important as the energy security of the EU, participants in the session concluded, including the Western Balkan leaders. They said they are joining forces to overcome the consequences from the energy crisis noting the EU will be together with the Western Balkan countries in settling all energy crisis-related issues, the government said in a press release. This crisis, Kovachevski said, very quickly pointed out to us the importance for domestic energy production and the need for a backup plan in the future to help us overcome similar situations easily while protecting the environment. He pinpointed his energy transformation concept of implementation of renewable sources, efficient resources as well as competitive and climate neutral practices and standards as being a key part of the vision for the Western Balkans. North Macedonia’s green agenda is a key driving force for the country in the context of the energy crisis. In the past several months alone, the largest photovoltaic power plant in North Macedonia 9 was put into operation to produce electricity from domestic resources so as to meet the needs of many households. On one hand, the simplified procedures for installing photovoltaics enable more comprehensive application, while the serious approach to energy investments with a focus on renewable energy sources on the other hand allow the energy transformation across the region, including North Macedonia, to gain traction. North Macedonia is the first country in the Western Balkans that has adopted a strategy for energy development based on the foundations of the EU’s Green Deal, noted Kovachevski. “The country has also been one of the first to have launched a project on replacing an old coal-fired power plans in Kichevo’s Oslomej with a photovoltaic plant as a concrete step towards North Macedonia’s energy transition demonstrating a strong initiative to decarbonize our energy sector,” said the PM also mentioning another key project for energy transition – the Chebren hydropower plant on Crna Reka river, estimated at over EUR 800 million. Implementation of the defined plans, he added, requires major support through available grants and affordable loans for the new projects and effective plans for just transition with the best practices available. “Energy transformation into transition of clean energy sources and the creation of a system establishing climate resilient economies is our investment into the future,” concluded PM Kovachevski.

 

Berlin process/Rama: Today the region is more united! EU: 1 billion euros to the Balkans for the energy crisis (Radio Tirana)

 

Prime Minister Edin Rama has assessed the agreements reached between the Western Balkans at the Berlin Process summit as a historical moment that unites the region even more.

"In the end, it is always the old story that has been at the heart of the EU, which is cooperation that brings peace to all. Everyone from the region was delighted to be in Berlin today, 8 years after the Berlin process started in this building. Angela Merkel was right, if today we have a united region at a very complicated moment in history for Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community, the public secret is the Berlin process. When we met for the first time we had not met each other, while already that's what we all want to do. I want to thank Scholz for his commitment to excellent hospitality for the wonderful German reception and recently for entrusting Albania and me to host the next summit of the Berlin process in our wonderful country. I hope that what was discussed today and carefully noted in the Chancellor's notes will see progress at the next summit in Tirana, starting from the energy crisis where we feel that we are not left aside, that we are not alone. Just a few days ago, Ursula brought with her in the Balkans, a significant financial support to start it, it is not the last. We are seeing progress in the interconnection part, this is not related to the interconnection of our infrastructure and roads in our country, but it is related to the interconnection of the region with Europe and vice versa. We hope to see progress on the digital side. Today we are also dealing with cyber security and we want to see things go the right way. How to integrate as quickly as possible for our universities and how we can have a greater presence from Germany and other developed countries in the private sector. What we signed today is very important. These agreements were 3, of which we had been waiting for 2-3 years. They were blocked. The chancellor worked hard to get them signed. It is very important that everyone is involved in this framework of 3 agreements. It seems a bit alienating for the people of Kosovo that they cannot move freely in the region when it comes to the EU and I hope it will be resolved as soon as possible," said Rama.