LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Plan for Kosovo and Metohija accepted by all EU members, if we don’t cooperate all EU integration will be ceased, and investments withdrawn (RTS)

 

President Vucic stated that he will invite all representatives of the parliamentary groups to talks in the next few days in order to inform them of what is happening and provide them with more information about how the negotiations on Kosovo have progressed. "In the next 5-6 days, we will start a discussion with parliamentary groups, if they want, in the parliament, but first I want to inform them about what is happening," said the President. He stated that he would inform them of what was behind it and what their intentions were, and that he had said all he could tonight. The President said that tactical moves were agreed upon at the government session, who will take what responsibility. "In any case, we will protect the citizens of Serbia - if the choice is to have sanctions on one side, and there are no worse sanctions than the withdrawal of investments, or on the other side, we will accept everything immediately, which means Kosovo in the UN, I am in favor of the path of compromise as much as it is it is possible to fight. There is no longer talk of mutual recognition, which means that we have achieved something after all, it is not said that we have to vote for, we can vote against, but that we have to accept their membership. There is no mention of our approval of Kosovo's entry into the UN, but we would de facto accept their membership, that is, help others to vote for it," Vucic said. He says that he will try to ensure that no one mistreats the Serbs in Kosovo, so that they can go every day to school, to work, and to preserve the unity and integrity of the country. It will be very difficult, he says, but it is up to us to fight. The President said that he knows what he is going to decide, but that it will be about what is important for the country the authorities of the state and its citizens should decide, not him personally. Vucic said that Serbia must talk and continue its European path. "Our plan is to work much harder and much stronger, to work on reforms of our legal and media system, to try to be the best in everything, to work and talk with Albanians and Europeans on all issues," said Vucic. He told the people to trust the state leadership and that nothing was signed. "Nothing will happen today or tomorrow, and when we are faced with the final demands, the parliament, perhaps the people, and perhaps all other institutions and the entire Serbian society will also have a say about it," said Vucic. He said that in the coming days, he will call all representatives of parliamentary groups who want to hear and inform them how everything went, what is behind everything, what are the intentions. "I always listen to the opinion of the Serbian Orthodox Church and other Serbian communities," said President Vucic and repeated that we are facing a difficult period and that we will need more effort and work so that we can overcome everything in the best possible way. It is very important, he pointed out, to show that we want peace, to show what we want to do in the future. The President said that he accepted the talks not to buy time because Albin Kurti will do everything not to form the ZSO, which chronologically follows first, but because Serbia must not remain isolated. "I realized that no one is listening to us and we will have to face it. If I could have said get out, we are not going to talk about it. I could, but there would be consequences. It would be a matter of days, or weeks, if they would cancel the visa-free regime we have with the EU. The second thing that would happen to us would be no more foreign investments, and many would withdraw from Serbia," said Vucic. Vucic says that we must work and talk with European mediators, as well as the Albanians, and try to find as many compromise solutions as possible in numerous issues. "We cannot prevent their entry into some international organizations such as the Council of Europe, nor can we prevent their entry into NATO, although I said that if they expect applause from us for something like that, they will not get it, but we cannot prevent it," says Vucic. What we can do, he says, is to discuss how to raise the level of trust between us and the Albanians and how to build a position for some future long-term peace. "First of all, the Community of Serb Municipalities must be formed," emphasizes Vucic. "ZSO is not and cannot be a non-governmental organization, it has its own 22 principles signed in Brussels in 2015. There are goals, an organizational structure, I say this because some others would like to put what ZSO should look like, and it is known how it should look," said Vucic. "I just want to say that now there is a big struggle for the ZSO, it is obvious that they will try to say that 21 of these 22 principles are not in accordance with the constitution of Kosovo and that is why they will not do it, but I saw the determination of the Americans on this issue, I believe that in the coming months it will finally be able to be completed," adds Vucic. The President said that in the second sentence at the meeting of the "big five" he was told that we must accept the plan. "In the second sentence that was communicated to me, it was said - you must accept this plan, and if you do not accept it, because we believe that it must be accepted, you will face - under one the interruption of the European integration process, under two the stopping and withdrawal of investments and under three with comprehensive measures in the economic and political sense that will cause great damage to the Republic of Serbia," said President Vucic. Then, the President says, this was repeated three times during the conversation and that he reacted strongly to it. The President said that since Albin Kurti came to power, we have had 288 incidents, 10 serious incidents this year alone, including today's wounding of Miljan Delevic. "They are looking for a conflict because they want NATO to enter into a conflict with Serbia, and for them to avoid the formation of the ZSO, and that is their entire tactic," said Vucic. The President said that we cannot change the fact that all international officials were more upset "because Rada Trajkovic sat for two hours on a bench at the administrative crossing than because Serbs were harassed, arrested, wounded". "They came with a plan that we saw for the first time 60 days ago. Without any fault of Serbia, not a single Albanian was shot, we did not attack anyone, they came and showed the plan and then at the foreign affairs forum everyone accepted it, including five countries which did not recognize the independence of Kosovo because it was presented to them that there is no recognition of the so-called independence of Kosovo in the plan. Thus, that plan became, not formally but de facto, a new negotiating framework for Serbia. There is no progress for us in Europe if we do not cooperate," the President emphasized. Vucic said that he always believed that a frozen conflict was the worst solution and that seeking a compromise was the only solution. "We need to talk to everyone and look for a solution, we need peace with the Albanians and a responsible approach," said Vucic. Vucic says that we have seen the first version in various media in the past few days, which does not differ much from the second version, the so-called. of the Franco-German plan, which, as he says, is no longer a Franco-German plan, but something much more than that. "I'm afraid that no one wanted to talk about the context, the circumstances and what Serbia is facing," said Vucic. When you look at a paper, it is more than easy to find many objections, and in this paper we can hardly find anything that we are delighted with, on the contrary, says Vucic. "Precisely due to the fact that the geopolitical circumstances have changed, there is a lot of nervousness, Europe is in a de facto war, no matter what they say, there is no tolerance for any kind of jumping out in the political sense, and on the other hand, they want it in their backyard, and the Western Balkans and Serbia are theirs yard, so that they can see everything there the way they want," says Vucic. "The question arises as to what else contributed to the situation to come out with such a harsh approach and a sense of urgency on the part of European officials supported by Washington," pointed out Vucic. He pointed out that after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, it became one of the biggest problems for Serbia. First of all, we are on everyone's radar because we did not impose sanctions on Russia, and then, he adds, because of the incidents caused by Kurti's regime.

 

Executive authorities will work in a synchronised, unified manner (Tanjug)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic informed yesterday members of the Serbian government at a government session about the situation, challenges and difficulties Serbia is facing regarding Kosovo and Metohija.  It was agreed that the Serbian President, the Serbian government and all organs of executive power shall work in a synchronised and unified manner. President Vucic requested government members to be fully dedicated to their work and be even more hard-working and zealous in the future.

 

Dacic: ZSO prerequisite for agreement on Kosovo (TV Happy/Beta)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said yesterday that the Community of Serb Municipalities was central to the Brussels agreement, that said Community was never envisioned as an NGO and that Serbia would insist on its urgent formation as a pre-condition to further talks between Belgrade and Pristina regarding any kind of plan or proposal for Kosovo. “What we can see – regardless of whether the countries and international organizations have their differences – is that, with regards to the dialogue, the five of them have now taken a united approach and have spoken with the president,” Dacic told TV Happy. Ahead of the session of Cabinet regarding the solution for Kosovo proposed by the EU, US, Germany, France and Italy, Dacic stated that President Aleksandar Vucic had the full support of Serbia’s state leadership, government and of the entire ruling coalition. Vucic met with the representatives of the four countries and EU on 20 January, after which he announced that Serbia was “ready to accept the outline of the proposed solution to the Kosovo question and to work on its implementation”. “We’ve never spoken in terms of refusal. The president has also expressed certain concerns… It is up to us to express what we don’t agree with – but we should participate in the dialogue and discuss the plan,” Dacic explained. The minister underlined that, in situations such as these, political and internal unity are essential for the protection of vital national and state interests. “The most important thing is to continue the dialogue wisely and decisively, with the clear goal that we want to be part of the modern world, we want to join the European Union and we want economic development,” Dacic concluded.

 

Petkovic: Kosovo Serb wounded in shooting by Pristina's special police (Tanjug/Novosti/Politika)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic said on Monday Pristina's special police had fired at a vehicle carrying two Serbs, wounding one of them. Miljan D, who was driving, is seriously wounded while Dusan S, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, is unharmed, Petkovic said. The incident, which took place this morning at an illegal Bistrica Bridge checkpoint on the Kosovska Mitrovica-Leposavic trunk road in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, left their vehicle riddled with bullet holes, Petkovic said. The wounded man has an exit wound through the chest and has urgently been transported to a hospital in Kraljevo. "Kurti's ROSU special police troops opened bursts of fire at a Serb-owned vehicle and the Serbs who were in it just because they did not want to allow the ROSU police to harass them without any grounds and for no reason whatsoever. Kurti's special police have no reason to be in the north of Kosovo-Metohija, including at that checkpoint - set up unlawfully and illegally - at which they harass Serb travellers on a daily basis," Petkovic said. Since the very beginning of ROSU presence in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, Belgrade has been warning that their only goal is to cause incidents and harass Serbs, which became evident today, Petkovic said. "Evidently, Kurti stops at nothing to shed Serb blood, and that is the only purpose of the existence of his squadrons in the north of Kosovo and Metohija," Petkovic concluded.

 

Kamberi: I asked Escobar for Presevo Valley to be included in dialogue (Tanjug/RTV)

 

Albanian MP Shaip Kamberi announced yesterday that he sent an open letter to the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar in which he asked him to include the so-called Presevo Valley in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Kamberi wrote on his Facebook profile that he will also send this letter to the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Josep Borrell and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. “At a stage when the international mediators, leading the dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, are giving a new dynamic, waiting for the Presevo Valley to join the dialogue, which they call the last chance to solve the issue of the Albanians, today through this letter I addressed the US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar,” Kamberi wrote. Kamberi states that he invited Escobar and his European colleagues to visit Bujanovac, Medvedja and Presevo and meet with representatives and leaders of Albanian communities in order to get more detailed information about the general situation of Albanians living in those municipalities in the south of Serbia.

 

Borrell: Belgrade, Pristina to show commitment to EU proposal (N1)

 

The EU’s top diplomat said on Monday that Brussels expects Belgrade and Pristina to show commitment and readiness in regard to the EU proposal to resolve the Kosovo issue. “We expect serious commitment and readiness to engage constructively in order to make this proposal advance,” EU High Representative Josep Borrell told a news conference after a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. He said that he briefed the ministers on last week’s mission of EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak with US Deputy Assistant Secretary Gabriel Escobar, and the Foreign Policy Advisers of the leaders of France, Germany and Italy. “All of them travelled to Kosovo and Serbia to continue discussions on the proposal on normalization of relations,” he said. “We stressed that advancing on this proposal would bring considerable benefits for both sides. And I consider that this is the only way to break the vicious cycle of crisis on the ground and reduce the risk for further escalation,” Borrell said.

 

Ambassadors of France and Germany in Serbia: We do not blackmail Serbia (TV Prva/B92)

 

The guests of the show on TV Prva are German Ambassador Anke Konrad and French Ambassador Pierre Cauchard. In the show, they discuss the Franco-German proposal, what it says and what kind of "punishment" awaits Serbia if it rejects the proposal. Can the reconciliation and partnership that Germany and France achieved 60 years ago with the Elysée Agreement be a model for Serbs' relations with Albanians and Croats? This is being discussed today with German Ambassador Anke Konrad and French Ambassador Pierre Cauchard on TV Prva. After the end of the Second World War, it took almost 20 years for Germany and France to sign the Elysee Agreement on 22 January 1963. More than 20 years have passed since the Balkan wars of the 1990s, but the Kosovo issue is still unresolved, Serbia and Croatia have been trying to thaw their relations again these days, inter-ethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not moved too far since the days of Dayton. Is it possible to reconcile Serbs and Albanians or Serbs and Croats by implementing your recipe? "If you look at the Elysee Agreement, we have to say that it is a great success that was built and made at the will of the German Chancellor and the President of Denmark. They had the wisdom and courage to sign an agreement that is unique because every conflict has its background. We think that it can be inspiration for Serbia because we think it can be a good step for reconciliation," Konrad said. The media published a draft of the German-French proposal, which President Vucic said last night was actually the previous version of that plan, which does not differ much from the last version. Can you tell us what those differences are? "President Vucic said that that document is confidential, we cannot talk about the details, but that document has one goal. And that is to overcome the conflict that has been going on for years. We want to give a new dynamic to the dialogue, the normalization of Belgrade and Pristina's relations is the goal, and we want to speed it up," says French Ambassador Pierre Cauchard. As for threats to Serbia, he said: "I am not a participant in the negotiations, but I can say that we do not have a punitive approach towards Serbia. We are not talking about sanctions and blackmail. We only present advantages and benefits if both sides agree, otherwise there will be consequences, but these are not sanctions, but an opportunity for the overall progress and development of the region," Cauchard claims.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

SNSD City Board in Istocno Sarajevo opposes Nesic’s nomination for B&H Minister of Security (N1)

 

SNSD City Board in Istocno Sarajevo held a press conference on Monday confirming they oppose Nenad Nesic’s nomination for the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Security. Addressing the press conference, SNSD representative in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Miroslav Vujicic reminded of Nesic’s poor results during his mandate as the Director of the Republika Srpska (RS) Roads ‘Putevi RS’ and as DNS leader. “If by any chance he is elected the Minister of Security, he would probably destroy that Ministry, and that is the only reason for me to decide to vote for Nenad Nesic in the (B&H) Council of Ministers (CoM)”, said Vujicic. The reporter notes Vujicic’s statement means that in case Nesic is destructive for the B&H Ministry of Security, SNSD representative will vote for his appointment. However, whether he will or not vote for Nesic, that will be clearer after the meeting of representatives of SNSD City Board in Istocno Sarajevo and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik scheduled for Tuesday in Banja Luka. The reporter goes on to say that one of the biggest critics of Nesic, Mayor of Istocno Sarajevo Ljubisa Cosic, said he will always follow Dodik’s policy, but he needs to convey the message of the people that some nominations are not good. Addressing the press conference, Cosic said if the people does not agree with the nomination, “then you have the obligation as someone who is accountable to the people, someone who was supported by the people, to deliver that (message)”. N1 reports, according to unofficial information, Dodik personally made a decision to nominate Nesic although DNS has no representatives in the B&H Parliament and although DNS was not in the coalition that supported candidates for two individual offices in the most recent elections. When asked by journalists if Nesic is an expert for the B&H CoM new convocation, Dodik said on 18 December he does not decide who is or who is not the expert and added “what is an expert for me and what is an expert for you, those are different terms”.

 

HNS Presidency and HNS Main Board welcome process of appointment of new B&H CoM (Dnevni list)

 

Dnevni list reports that the Presidency of HNS (Croat People’s Assembly) held a session on Monday, and that the session was attended by members of the HNS Main Board. The HNS Presidency discussed current political processes pertaining to implementation of the election results and formation of executive and legislative authorities at all levels. The HNS Presidency and the HNS Main Board welcomed the process of appointment of new B&H Council of Ministers (CoM), which should be completed soon, assessing that the speed of formation of authority shows seriousness and readiness to implement all reform processes and to stabilize the political situation in the country. The HNS Presidency and Main Board welcomed the European Commission’s decision to recommend awarding the status of EU candidate to B&H. The session also discussed about holding of the 11th regular session of the HNS Assembly, which should take place in Mostar on February 4.

 

Speaker Zvizdic with Dutch Ambassador Waltmans, Belgium’s Sturtewagen: Formation of new B&H CoM will stop policies of divisions, blackmails and blockades (Dnevni list)

 

Speaker of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Denis Zvizdic held separate meetings with Dutch Ambassador to B&H Jan Waltmans and Head of the Diplomatic Bureau of Belgium in B&H Benjamin Sturtewagen. Zvizdic informed Waltmans and Sturtewagen about the current political situation in B&H and the process of authority formation following the October general election. Zvizdic said he expects new Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H will be formed on Wednesday, which will, in his opinion, stop the policies of division, blackmails and blockades and that work will start on realization of most important priorities, namely the European and NATO integration, rule of law and making sure young people and families stay in B&H. Speaker Zvizdic conveyed to his guests the satisfaction with the fact B&H has been awarded the status of EU candidate, thanking Waltmans and Sturtewagen on the support of their respective countries, adding that the candidate status will open a new chapter in the economic relations among their countries.

 

Stojanovic nominated as candidate for position of FB&H Vice-President from among Serb people (O Kanal/FTV)

 

SDP B&H’s Igor Stojanovic has been nominated as a candidate for the position of the Federation of B&H (FB&H) Vice-President from the Serb people. Stojanovic is currently serving as an MP in the Sarajevo Canton (SC) Assembly and delegate in the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP). This proposal will now be submitted to the B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) which should verify Stojanovic’s candidacy. The B&H CEC previously verified the candidacies of HDZ B&H’s Lidija Bradara and SDA’s Refik Lendo who have been nominated as candidates for the position of President and Vice-President of the FB&H. O Kanal comments that after the confirmation of Stojanovic’s candidacy and the confirmation of all three names by the FB&H House of Representatives (HoR), further formation of the FB&H government is expected. O Kanal stressed that it is uncertain why the parties of ‘The Eight’ and HDZ B&H waited until now to propose the candidate for the position of the Vice-President of the FB&H from the rank of Serb people.

 

B&H Prosecutor’s Office confirms there is open case implicating Lendo in war crimes (Glas Srpske)

 

B&H Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that there is an open case against former RB&H commander Refik Lendo who is SDA’s candidate for the post of the FB&H Vice President. B&H Prosecutor’s Office explained that the case was formed based on the report filed by the RS Ministry of Interior 20 years ago. This report implicates Lendo in war crimes committed against Serbs in the area of Ozren and Vozuca in 1995. The case is in the initial report stage and refers to several persons. When the prosecutor in charge decides on how to proceed, the public will be informed, stated B&H Prosecutor’s Office. The daily reminds that despite this, Lendo has passed the vetting procedure.

 

EU foreign ministers discuss Ukraine and situation in countries of Western Balkans in Brussels (FTV)

 

The foreign ministers of the EU member countries held a meeting in Brussels on Monday where they discussed a number of important topics, including Ukraine and the situation in the countries of the Western Balkans. Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia and Austria, Tanja Fajon and Alexander Schallenberg, submitted a report on the situation in the region of the Western Balkans, stressing that it is important to help Montenegro not deviate from the European path. Speaking about B&H, Fajon pointed out that B&H has full support of Slovenia on the European path. “Slovenia actively helps B&H, not only in connection with the candidate status, but also with all necessary reforms that lie ahead of that country,” Fajon said. Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman emphasized that until recently, B&H was facing a deep political crisis. “But our wise approach led to stabilization. We enabled that a multi-national and multi-religious country gets candidate status. We gave our contribution and now it is all up to the political leaders in B&H,” Grlic Radman underlined. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell informed the EU foreign ministers about the dialogue of Belgrade and Pristina.  “Advancing on the proposal offered to Belgrade and Pristina would bring considerable benefits for both sides. And I consider that this is the only way to break the vicious cycle of crisis on the ground and reduce the risk for further escalation. We expect serious commitment and readiness to engage constructively in order to make this proposal advance,” Borrell underlined. The EU foreign ministers approved a new military aid package of 500 million euros for Ukraine. The EU ministers also agreed on a new package of sanctions against Iran. Grlic Radman also said: “We can welcome the future authority at the state level that is pro-European unlike the incumbent, technical (authority) that has made no progress in terms of reforms over the past period. We also expect the second integration phase, but first the 14 criteria and eight steps contained in political agreement from 12 June 2022, need to be fulfilled that in a way obligate political leaders”.

 

Schmidt and Varhleyi discuss how B&H can deliver on next steps of European Commission’s recommendation and 14 key priorities (FTV)

 

High Representative Christian Schmidt met with European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Brussels on Monday. Commissioner Varhelyi wrote on Twitter that he and Schmidt discussed how B&H can deliver on next steps of the European Commission’s recommendation and 14 key priorities. Schmidt and Varhelyi also discussed the formation of the authorities in B&H. According to announcements, the High Representative should meet with the members of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) Tuesday with whom he should discuss the imposition of changes to the Election Law of B&H and the Constitution of the Federation of B&H.

 

Cvijanovic in official visit to Hungary; Novak: B&H and Western Balkans’ place is in EU, and Hungary wants to play crucial role in that (RTRS)

 

Chairwoman of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic met with Hungarian President Katalin Novak in Budapest on Monday within her official visit to Hungary. RTRS reminds that Hungary was one of several EU countries that supported the candidate status for B&H without any conditions which B&H appreciates, and Cvijanovic conveyed that message during the first day of her official visit. After the meeting, Cvijanovic said that Hungary is also among the countries that understand the situation in B&H and the Western Balkans, due to which B&H appreciates the country’s position that the solution is dialogue, not pressures and sanction, which other EU countries should also understand, because B&H’s strategic commitment is to the European integration. Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Cvijanovic said: “Your friendly approach is deeply appreciated. We are grateful on political understanding you show for the whole of our region. Today in the EU, we do not recognize many who understand all processes happening in the Western Balkans, that is why what you are doing is commendable’’. Cvijanovic also said she is of view it counterproductive and difficult to understand “that you grant the candidate status and then call for sanctions against leaders, officials in the country to which you granted the candidate status”. Novak said Hungary wants B&H’s European perspective to be stronger for political, economic and security reasons, noting that the accession process should not be stopped and expressing hope that not too long time will pass from granting the candidate status until B&H’s full-fledged membership in the EU. Addressing the press conference after the meeting, Novak said: “Whether the Western Balkans will be in or outside the EU in the following decades, that will also greatly influence the development of the EU. We are of view that the Western Balkans’ place is in the EU, and Hungary wants to play a crucial role in that.” Cvijanovic and Novak also discussed economic relations between the two countries, concluding that B&H-Hungary foreign trade is good and should be additionally improved in the upcoming period. “We especially appreciate the fact that you also showed you want to move forward in economic sense. You have shown that in different ways, including by increasing number of investors from Hungary, your interest in investing, as well as a direct support through incentives for our agricultural producers”, said Cvijanovic. “Hungary also provides economic support to companies operating in B&H and I think that is really good,” said Novak. Cvijanovic will also meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Bishop of Budima Lucian.

 

US Ambassador Murphy’s statement sparks reactions (Oslobodjenje/RTRS)

 

In an exclusive interview for Srpskainfo, US Ambassador Michael Murphy said that the decision of RS Milorad Dodik to award a medal to Russian President Vladimir Putin is very bad and contradictory to aspirations of people in B&H, but also aspirations and ambitions toward EU institutions. Ambassador said that awarding of the medal to Putin is a great shame, stressing that the Russian President “initiated an aggressive war and invasion against Ukraine”. Asked to comment the fact that Dodik said that he is ready to award the same medals to presidents of all states, guarantors of Dayton Agreement, including the US President, Murphy said that the best way to give honour is to change the course, to stop attacking Dayton structures, to stop undermine sovereignty, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic character of B&H and to start playing a more constructive role in building and future of B&H, which benefits all its people. “This includes efficient, effective authorities at all levels, state and entity. In this way they can honour President Joe Biden,” said Ambassador, adding that one of the problems in B&H is huge inflammatory rhetoric, attacks on the state, attempts to undermine B&H and its institutions, territorial integrity, which mostly comes from the side of RS President Dodik and his allies. “This is dangerous. My country is firmly dedicated to sovereignty, territorial integrity and multi-ethnic character of B&H. Also, we support Dayton framework, prosperous democratic B&H, which is composed of two entities, Brcko District, three constituent peoples and other citizens. We will not be standing on the side and watch someone destroy or attempts to destroy B&H,” said Murphy. He added that the country needs administration, it needs government, because B&H is facing many economic and political challenges and it needs efficient and responsible government to focus on solving of these issues if B&H wants to make further progress toward Euro-Atlantic future. “We are encouraged by the fact that parties talk about program and policies. USA will support people who want to bring positive change,” said Murphy. Russian Ambassador to B&H Igor Kalabukhov called on Murphy to abandon threats and allow citizens of B&H to decide on their own, noting that Russia, like the US, supports independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H. “They talk about sovereignty and independence of B&H but push it into NATO. They talk about primacy of free trade but fight with all their might against delivery of Russia’s gas to B&H as ‘unacceptable energy dependence’. They talk about freedom of speech but spend USD millions on ‘countering Russia’s malignant influence’ by basically bribing journalists to write Russophobic materials. Does not this smell of corruption? They talk about democracy, but they impose sanctions on undesirable politicians. Even at the local level, they are trying to influence the formation of authority bodies”, Kalabukhov was quoted as saying.

 

Plenkovic, Escobar call on political parties in B&H to organize government in line with election results as soon as possible (HRT1)

 

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar in Zagreb on Monday. Among other topics, they discussed the situation in B&H and called on political parties to organize authorities in line with results of the general elections in October 2022 as soon as possible. Plenkovic published on his Twitter profile that they also discussed the continuation of the cooperation between Croatia and the US in ensuring stability in the Southeast Europe, as well as the importance of providing further assistance to Ukraine. Escobar told the media that the election will of the (B&H) Croats should be implemented and that Escobar refused to comment on election of Zeljko Komsic for Croat member of the Presidency of B&H. Namely, Escobar said: “We support all constituent peoples in B&H to freely and openly express their political preferences. I do not want to comment on the election of concrete individual, but we generally believe that the will of the Croat people in B&H must be heard and implemented.” Escobar and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and other Western Balkan regional issues Miroslav Lajcak, as well as advisors to several European leaders, met with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina and Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic in Belgrade last week. Escobar stated that the US did not give Serbia an ultimatum to recognize Kosovo, but he supports France’s and Germany’s plan. “It was not an ultimatum, but a chance”, added Escobar. Escobar argued that the reason because of which people and companies are leaving B&H is not the multi-ethnic character of the country and added: “People are not leaving because they do not want to live with Croats, Bosniaks or Serbs. People are leaving because they cannot find a job without corrupted connections. Corruption is killing the country. Regardless of who will form the authorities in B&H, they will have to urgently deal with the issue of corruption”. Escobar also noted that some political parties are a part of the problem and he added that some parties that have been in the authorities for the past 30 years “have turned into corruption parties”. Escobar concluded by saying that USA can try to solve it through its engagement and by imposing sanctions.

 

Plenkovic: We will continue to fight for full equality of Croats (Vecernji list)

 

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic asked, among other issues, to comment on the journalist’s remark that the equality of B&H Croats is the Croatian government’s foreign policy priority, to which PM Plenkovic replied by saying the position of the Croat people in B&H and unity of Croat(ian)s in Croatia and outside Croatia is the priority in all policies of the Croatian Government. The PM noted, among other issues, that apart from political support to legitimate requests of Croats who are a constituent people in B&H, the Croatian government has continued to increase funding for projects of B&H Croats for the seventh year in a row. Asked to comment on the general election in B&H and the daily’s remark that the Croat people has been tricked again, imposition of amendments to the Election Law of B&H and FB&H Constitution of B&H by High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt and how he comments the election results and the HR’s decision, Plenkovic congratulated (HDZ B&H President) Dragan Covic, (HDZ B&H Deputy President and B&H CoM Chair) Borjana Kristo and representatives of HDZ B&H and HNS on convincing election result and trust gained from the Croat people. PM Plenkovic stated that HR Schmidt, with his intervention, contributed to the political stability in B&H and helped the Croats. “We supported him and encouraged him in that all the time ”, added the PM. He further said that ‘we’ expect the process of authority formation to end soon, as well as continuation of talks on constitutional and electoral reform. “It should prevent the unjust practice of outvoting of Croats in the election for member of the Presidency, which repeated again. Changes are needed for achieving full equality and legitimate representation of all constituent peoples”, said PM Plenkovic, adding that “we are constantly committed to supporting B&H in accelerating the European path”.

 

No requests in EU to stop accession negotiations with Montenegro (RSE/CdM)

 

“We are not aware of the fact that there is a request to suspend the accession negotiations with Montenegro”, the Swedish Presidency of the European Union (EU) has told Radio Free Europe. The written response emphasizes the hope that open internal political issues will be resolved in the near future and that the path to reform can continue. “The EU and Sweden are closely monitoring the development in Montenegro and are ready to continue supporting the country”, the written response states. Namely, the Slovenian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tanja Fajon, first spoke about the possibility of interrupting the accession negotiations between Brussels and Podgorica due to the institutional crisis in Montenegro. She said at the press conference held on 15 January in Podgorica that there is a big threat to stop the accession negotiations of Montenegro with the EU, if the sixth attempt to unblock the Constitutional Court fails. Along with Serbia, Montenegro is considered a leader in the region in the accession process with the EU. Since 2012, when it started accession negotiations, it has managed to open 33 chapters and close only three. Since 2020, there has been no further progress in the process of close negotiations due to insufficient results in the reform process. “Unfortunately, the reforms and decision-making processes have been at a standstill for the past few years”, the response from the Swedish Presidency states.

 

Radman: We need EU-oriented Montenegro (Pobjeda)

 

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman says that Brussels needs a clear, EU-oriented Montenegro, ready to overcome the crisis it has fallen into. “I will inform the ministers about the visit to Montenegro and call on the authorities to take seriously the messages of the EU about the functionality of the Constitutional Court and the controversial Law on the President”, Radman has said before the start of today’s session of the Council for General Affairs. He has added that the EU needs Montenegro. “We need Montenegro, a stable Montenegro, clearly oriented towards European values, and that is why we hope that it will overcome the current crisis and continue its European path”, he has stressed.

 

Ten reasons why Dritan Abazovic should be the president of Montenegro (CdM)

 

Ten reasons why Dritan Abazovic should be the president of Montenegro: First, Because it’d be priceless to have an Albanian as president for consolidation and further development of civic Montenegro. The Montenegrin society would thus show that it’s matured enough so that a symbolically most important function in the political system can be performed by a member of the minority nation. Second. Because Abazovic, due to his consistent policy enjoys enormous popularity among members of all minority nations residing in Montenegro, starting from the most numerous one, Montenegrins. Third. Because for a country burdened by the bad image of endemic (and any other) corruption, it’d be extremely important for its president to be an unwavering anti-corruption fighter, which Abazovic undoubtedly is. Due to that commitment, in order to get to know his opponents better, he was even ready to risk his own freedom – as for example when he allegedly lit cigars with Rado Milosevic thus participating in an act that was allegedly an integral part of a criminal operation, allegedly led by Milosevic. Fourth. Because by winning in the presidential election, the EU accession process of Montenegro would get a strong and decisive momentum. Just like his appointment as prime minister affected it, however, in a completely different as-far-as-we-may-get-from-the-EU direction. Fifth. Because if he wins, Montenegro will get a green president which would strongly improve numerous progressive policies he and his party promote. Now you add the remaining five reasons. Even I myself am not as sarcastic. Let’s get to the point. The five reasons I mentioned are a variation of the reasons why citizens were invited to vote for URA before the last parliamentary elections. Those reasons, back then, were convincing enough for a part of the voters, some of them involuntarily, and some – even with the best of intentions – to hand Montenegro over to Aleksandar Vucic, halt the EU integration and hand over this country to the Serbian World, today, two years and a half later, can only be treated as a joke. What does it tell us about the state in which Montenegro was when it fell for such obviously stupid story? And more importantly – the fact that all the above-mentioned reasons have been modified as lies clearly tells about the state of play in Montenegro nowadays, and we more or less all know what’s this is all about? However, it’s disputable whether there’s strength or even a genuine will to change the situation. Which is understandable. Namely: when you jump from the third floor of a building using the Bible as a parachute, you jump because they convinced you that everything will be OK, while you are lying on the asphalt with broken legs, you know what it is all about: you shouldn’t have done it. But it’s hard to move.

 

Kovachevski meets coalition partners to discuss AfA’s entry into the government coalition (Alsat-M)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski met leaders of SDSM’s coalition partners on Monday evening. In his statement to the press earlier on Monday, PM Kovachevski said that he held discussions with a part of the coalition partners and will continue today, “regarding the issues that are important to the work of the government, and of interest to the citizens.” “I have also spoken to Alternativa, i.e., their leader, because we have regular meetings. However, we haven’t discussed details about a new party joining the Government because such details have not been discussed with a potential new partner either. This has been confirmed by the leader of the Alliance for Albanians as well, that we are parties in favor of resuming the country’s EU path, but we haven’t discussed specific program or personnel details,” said Kovachevski. He said that if there are such discussions, then, it would be normal to consult with the current coalition partners, as was the case during Alternativa’s entry into the Government. The central presidency of the Alliance for Albanians will set up a commission during the week in order to negotiate a possible entry into the ruling coalition, after the Central Assembly authorized the leadership to make the final decision. On Saturday evening, after the session of the Central Assembly of the Alliance, leader Arben Taravari, said they had a fruitful discussion on the issue and that some of the members were in favour and some against the party’s possible entry into the Government, and it is up to the central presidency to make the final decision. Before the session, Taravari said they would accept the invitation to join the government only if there was serious fight against corruption and chances to secure 80 MPs for the constitutional amendments. Meanwhile, Democratic Union leader Pavle Trajanov said the party would support government reshuffle if Amendment 6 of the Constitution, on fair representation of all ethnic communities, is observed.

 

Kovachevski calls for public discussion on constitutional amendments, decisions not to be conditioned by petty party interests (Alsat-M)

 

Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said Monday regarding the constitutional amendments that the Government plans to start a process of consultation which will specifically focus on the content of the amendments that should be subject to a vote in the Parliament. The goal, he noted, is to open a public discussion in which everyone will be able to express their opinion on the amendments to be proposed and adopted. According to Kovachevski, the country will continue its European path, which will also include other difficult decisions that the Parliament will need to make through political consensus. No political party and no politician should condition the European future and the decisions that will need to be made on petty party interests that can only be of personal benefit, said the Prime Minister. “The government plans to start a process of consultation regarding the content of the amendments that should be subject to a vote in the Parliament. The process will start through a public discussion with the academic community, the business community, non-governmental organizations and other institutions, and this should happen as soon as possible. We have time, because the screening will last until November, but we want to open a public discussion in which everyone can have their say regarding the amendments to be proposed and adopted,” Kovachevski said after Monday’s visit to the Metro company. It is certain that North Macedonia will continue its European path, Kovachevski stressed, adding that this was the first of many decisions ahead on the path to full-fledged EU membership. “There will be many difficult decisions that the Parliament will need to make through political consensus. The alignment of the legislation, the implementation of the laws, the institutions, the reforms of the public administration, the reforms of many other areas in society will also mean many decisions that will have to be made,” said the PM. He reiterated the importance of political consensus. EU membership is necessary for us, he added, and that is why many decisions are being made and many more will be made until this goal is completely achieved. “The adviser to the government and our chief negotiator who took that road with Croatia, points to political consensus as the first thing to focus on in terms of these issues, as they are no longer the subject of daily political debate, but the country’s European future depends on them. Take a look at the countries that joined the EU, which were members of the Warsaw Pact or were part of Yugoslavia in the past. Take a look at their economic development before joining the EU and take a look at them today,” said the Prime Minister mentioning among other reduced unemployment and foreign investments and noting that many generations have been lost due to false patriotism.

 

Security Council proposes ban on entry of MEP and other Bulgarian politicians (Telma)

 

Latest developments in relations with Bulgaria were in the focus of Monday’s session of the Security Council of the Republic of North Macedonia, President Stevo Pendarovski said after the meeting. The Security Council has come up with a proposal to the Government to ban the entry of one MEP and several other people in the country. According to President Pendarovski, it is suspected that some of those people are connected to the Russian intelligence service. He said that an organized group is expected to arrive in the country on February 4 to mark the anniversary of Goce Delchev’s birth. The group will aim to disrupt security in order to destabilize the country and relations with Bulgaria. The President noted that all necessary security measures will be taken from the border to Goce Delchev’s grave. “According to the available analyses and knowledge of the competent authorities, these are activities organized by structures in neighboring Bulgaria, which have been activated particularly after the adoption of the European negotiating framework in July last year. These structures have already been mobilized both logistically and financially to support organized arrival of several people in Skopje on February 4, when we celebrate Goce Delchev’s birth anniversary. According to all estimates, it will be a high security risk event and the competent authorities must not be just silent observers of what will be happening,” said Pendarovski. At the session, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani reported on the visit to Ukraine held as part of North Macedonia’s OSCE Chairmanship. Defense Minister Slavica Petrovska and Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Vasko Gjurchinovski, reported on the situation in Kosovo, where army members are part of the KFOR mission. Apart for the Council members, the session was also attended by Intelligence Agency director Erold Musliu, National Security Agency director Zarko Miloshevski, and Army Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General Vasko Gjurchinovski, the President’s office said in a press release.

 

European agenda is our strategic goal, we won’t allow anything to jeopardize it, PM Kovachevski tells Security Council session (Telma)

 

The European agenda is our strategic goal, we will not allow anything to jeopardize it, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski told Monday’s session of the Security Council of the Republic of North Macedonia. The session focused on the current security situation in the country, the region and in the wider Euro-Atlantic area, including the situation in Ukraine, and in that context, participants in the meeting also discussed about North Macedonia’s Chairmanship of the OSCE, where 57 member countries are members, including the Russian Federation, the Government said in a press release. Particular focus was placed on good neighborly relations, to which the Republic of North Macedonia is sincerely committed, in the spirit of European values. At the session of the Security Council, PM Kovachevski agreed with President Stevo Pendarovski that the European agenda, which is a strategic goal of the country, as well as the bilateral relations with Bulgaria, must not be allowed to become victim of nationalist and populist policies, on neither side. In addition, Kovachevski pointed to the country’s European perspectives as a matter of importance for North Macedonia’s stability and economic development, as well as the stability and security of the entire region, and pointed to the need for responsible behaviour by all political leaders and entities, in achieving this state, strategic goal, which is the expectation of the majority of citizens in the country.

 

National Security Council meets, Begaj: Cyber-attacks and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine caused problems (Radio Tirana)

 

The President of the Republic Bajram Begaj has convened the National Security Council on Monday to analyse the state of national security and priorities for 2023. In his speech, the President said that the year we left behind was difficult and challenging for national security". "The cyber-attack caused problems in digital infrastructures. In the regional aspect, we had efforts from countries with unfriendly interests against country’s Euro-Atlantic approach," said Begaj. Begaj emphasized that Albania remains by Kosova's side for preserving its inviolability and territorial integrity. "Russia's illegal aggression against Ukraine has caused the biggest security crisis in the Euro-Atlantic area. The effects of this aggression were accompanied by significant increase in prices in the food and energy sectors, causing the lives of citizens to be more expensive and difficult," said Begaj. In this regard, the President requested comprehensive institutional commitment to ensure the coordination and efficient use of national resources in the function of security, freedom and well-being. As the meeting of the National Security Council has ended, the President of the country, Bajram Begaj has requested that the process of revision and drafting of strategic documents, the National Security Strategy, strategic documents in the field of defense and security, civil emergencies, and and sectoral strategies be tackled with priority. "These documents should not be just formal documents, they should be well-budgeted and ensure coordinated and harmonized use of instruments of national power in guaranteeing security, promote sustainable economic development, increase the well-being of citizens, and ensure the protection of values and national interests of the Republic of Albania", the president emphasized. Begaj assessed as very important this Council meeting and the commitment of all institutions to guarantee national security in their area of responsibility. He also considered coordination, efforts and ensuring institutional inclusion, efficient use of national resources and the search for the contribution of every citizen in the function of national security as important. Government ministers participated in the meeting, while the opposition was represented by the deputy chairman of the Assembly Security Commission Ferdinand Xhaferraj.

 

Sweden will provide support to Albania in the negotiation process (Radio Tirana)

 

During the meeting, the were discussed the priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the EU, and their influence and effects on Albania. Ambassador Hastad informed Nikolla on the main priorities and objectives of the Swedish Presidency of the EU. "Security, Competition, Green Europe, Democracy and the rule of law. These priorities take into account Sweden's well-known positions on the above issues as well as the current challenges of the EU, Europe and the world for security and peace," she said. Ambassador Hastad congratulated Speaker Nikolla on the progress of the screening process so far and informed that Sweden will help Albania in the negotiation process, focusing on technical assistance and specific support for the electoral reform, environmental and nature issues and other aspects of economic development. Meanwhile, Nikola pointed out that she has followed closely the progress of the Swedish Presidency so far, as well as the objectives of its parliamentary dimension, which are very ambitious and promising. "Albania will continue to be in line with the positions of the EU on the sharp issues of security and peace, supporting the just war of Ukraine and facing other challenges of implementing these priorities," said Nikolla. "I am pleased that the integration of Albania and the Western Balkans is a priority of the Swedish Presidency. The Assembly is working to improve the legislation on the role of the Assembly in the integration process, increasing the responsibilities and role of the National Council of European Integration and the Commission of European Integration in supporting and succeeding the negotiation process. The Assembly is strengthening the institutional capacities as well as the cooperation with the parliaments of the EU member countries in order to benefit from the best practices in the process of membership negotiations," said Nikolla.

 

Kramaric: The political situation in the region is more than worrisome (ADN)

 

“I have the impression that many citizens of Croatia are not sufficiently aware of what Croatia has been able to achieve in these 30 or so years,” said Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric in an exclusive interview with Albanian Daily News. The Ambassador made a resume of Croatia’s achievements from the war against Serbia, independence to the membership in the EU and NATO, and entry into the Schengen and the Euro zone.  As a commander in the war against Serbia, Zagreb’s top envoy to Tirana brought back memories of the 15 January 1992 when 12 countries of the European Union recognized Croatia. According to him, Croatia is a great example of how it is never possible to defeat someone who defends his home, his territory, his freedom. The Ambassador revealed that Croatia is ready to offer all technical assistance and share its rich negotiating experience with Albania in the further EU accession process. “And I must say that intensive work is already being done on this.” According to Mr. Kramaric, the political situation in the Western Balkans is more than worrisome and first of all he means the permanently bad situation in the north of Kosovo. “But what pleasantly surprised us were the positive processes within the Serbian community in Kosovo - some new politicians appeared who believe that the 'Serbian issue' in Kosovo should be resolved in Pristina and not in Belgrade,” said the Ambassador in the following interview:

A turbulent year is over for the Western Balkans with many conflicts and economic problems on top of which is that between Kosovo and Serbia. Mr. Ambassador, what are your expectations for the region in 2023? 

-The political situation in the region is more than worrisome, first of all we mean the permanently bad situation in the north of Kosovo (and lately we have also witnessed inter-ethnic incidents south of the Ibar river, which for me is an unpleasant surprise, bad news; but what pleasantly surprised us were the positive processes within the Serbian community in Kosovo. Some new politicians have appeared who believe that the 'Serbian issue' in Kosovo should be resolved in Pristina and not in Belgrade. Clearly, they no longer want to be hostages of Belgrade. There is nothing better in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), where the Republika Srpska (RS) entity, regardless of the decisions of the Constitutional Court, it continues to celebrate January 9 as Entity Day. This could still be tolerated somehow, if after that there was no pseudo-historical-political speech by M. Dodik, the president of the RS. Everything was said in that speech: Bosnia is not a country, Bosnia has no future, it is time for the international community to understand and accept this fact. Therefore, the RS is not an entity, but rather a state whose existence will be guaranteed by Russia, Putin. And, of course, so that there is no confusion. In the end, V. Putin gets a decoration! Be careful, this is happening at a time when the EU is seriously thinking that the accession process for this, and some other, countries. speed it up as much as possible. In Montenegro, all our sympathies are on the side of those politicians who promote European values, but the existing political constellation does not guarantee that these forces will succeed in their intentions. Technical government is not the solution for this political moment. From all that has been said, it is evident that the influence of Russian politics in the region is enormous, and that this area represents new potential hotbeds of conflict. We must not ignore the fact that only with the intervention of America in the north of Kosovo, before the New Year, were the barricades removed, that the Serbian army was ready to intervene militarily. Likewise, I think that all these turbulent processes show that the 'Open Balkans' project has no future. The Berlin process is the only real solution for the countries of the Western Balkans! Therefore, I am not an optimist because the (geo)political situation in the region is extremely complex. What I think would be useful is the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the full implementation of the Brussels Agreement (I think that the Union of Serbian Municipalities if its activities are defined intelligently and unambiguously within the Kosovo legislation, what will it mean if it is legally ensured that community cannot represent the nucleus of a future Republic of Serbia, then it can be accepted as such). Politicians must understand that signed agreements must be implemented. We are pleased with the increased involvement of the American administration in the region in open cooperation with the EU, which can only give positive results!