LOCAL PRESS   Vucic meets with Roquefeuil (Tanjug/RTS/RTV)   Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with the Head of the Department for Continental Europe of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Brice Roquefeuil on Wednesday. In a post on Instagram, Vucic wrote that Serbia-France relations had reached an exceptional level and that a strategic partnership with France was extremely significant. "It was my pleasure to welcome Mr Roquefeuil, with whom I exchanged views on the dynamics of political dialogue between Serbia and France, bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest, the Kosovo and Metohija issue as well as current geopolitical affairs," Vucic noted. "Our overall relations have reached an exceptional level, in part due to regular dialogue with President Emmanuel Macron, whom I once again thanked for his personal engagement in the process of normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina as well as on Serbia's European path," Vucic wrote. Vucic and Roquefeuil also agreed that bilateral economic cooperation had been developing intensively in recent years and catching up with the excellent political relations between the two countries.   Brnabic accuses independent media, opposition of attacking SNS activists (Beta)   Serbian outgoing Prime Minister and head of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Belgrade Board Ana Brnabic held a press conference over what she said was an attack on this party’s activists. The SNS previously issued a press release saying that Nikola Ristic, an activist of the Svice youth activist group, had “verbally and physically assaulted” SNS activists in the Belgrade neighborhood of Banovo Brdo. However, as usual, Brnabic laid the blame on the opposition and the independent media. Addressing a media conference at the SNS headquarters in Belgrade on Tuesday, Brnabic said “acts of brutal violence against two female activists, members of the Serbian Progressive Party” took place over the past three days. “They were attacked by those who keep saying, on a daily basis, that they are fighting against violence for a better, nicer, non-violent, tolerant Serbia,” said Brnabic. She said that “Nikola Ristic, a Deutsche Welle consultant”, is one of the two people who recorded, “provoked and insulted” SNS activist Jelena Milosavljevic in Banovo Brdo on Sunday. Brnabic added that SNS activist Slavica Vujacic was attacked on Monday in downtown Belgrade “from behind”, and that Vujacic believes she was attacked because she had a backpack with “Aleksandar Vucic – SNS” written on it. The outgoing Prime Minister said that the “self-proclaimed social elites assembled around ProGlas and the like, the self-proclaimed political elite Serbia Against Violence and the self-proclaimed media elite assembled around the media outlets owned by tycoon Dragan Solak” are the ones responsible for the attacks. The Svice activist group said in a post on the X social media network on Sunday evening that they “caught the SNS in the dirty acts of preparing vote theft in Belgrade,” and showed Ristic’s video of SNS activists in Banovo Brdo “making a list of where they can register phantom voters” for the repeat Belgrade elections. The video shows that there was no assault, but only an argument.   Petkovic informs French diplomat of difficult position of Kosovo Serbs (Tanjug/RTV)   The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic met on Tuesday with the Head of the Department for Continental Europe of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Brice Roquefeuil to inform him of threats to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, especially following Pristina's decision to ban the Serbian Dinar. Petkovic noted the necessity of institutional protection for the Serbs through the establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities, which Pristina has been doggedly refusing to do for 11 years, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement. Unlike Belgrade, which has met all commitments resulting from the Brussels agreement, Pristina is constantly trying to take the establishment of the community - its biggest and most important commitment - off the agenda forever, Petkovic said. He said Pristina's decision to ban the dinar and payment transactions in the currency was aimed at a final expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija, abolition of Serbian institutions in the province and putting an end to the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. For the 100,000 Serbs living in Kosovo and Metohija, payment transactions with Serbia proper and transfers of incomes are a matter of their physical survival as pensions and social and all other benefits provided by Serbia are being paid via a Serbian bank, Petkovic said. He said Pristina's intent to also shut down Serbia's Postal Savings Bank, which has been operating in the north of Kosovo and Metohija since 2018, was especially worrying. Petkovic noted that Belgrade would continue to insist on finding a permanent and sustainable solution to that and all other problems to enable the Kosovo Serbs to survive. "The recent acquittal of a member of the so-called Kosovo Security Force who last year fired shots at Serb children on Christmas Eve proves that there is no rule of law for Serbs in the province," Petkovic said, adding that Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija had been targeted by 484 ethnically motivated attacks since the advent of Pristina PM Albin Kurti. Blinded by hatred of everything that is Serbian, Pristina does not even respect the decisions of its own court and refuses to return land it has seized from the Visoki Decani Serbian Orthodox monastery, he said.   Petkovic: Kurti main threat to regional stability (RTV/Tanjug)   The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic on Tuesday dismissed as "pointless and cynical" Pristina PM Albin Kurti's constant attempts to point to Belgrade as an excuse for militarisation of Kosovo and Metohija and systematic threats to the rights and the security of Serbs in the province. It is clear to everyone Kurti's regime and his ideology are the only and the main threat to regional stability, Petkovic said in a written statement. "What Kurti and ideologically like-minded people are doing to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija comes from the sheerest chauvinism and unprovoked hatred, to which Belgrade has never responded with hatred and threats, but only in a restrained and responsible manner, persevering in putting out fires Kurti has been trying to start," Petkovic said. "Not even the sponsors of Pristina separatists believe in Kurti's fairytales about an angry and aggressive Serbia because, through both political and economic results, Serbia has demonstrated that is a successful state and an axis of progress across the region," Petkovic added. Daily attacks on Serbs and their property in Kosovo and Metohija are not a reaction because ethnic Albanians and members of any other ethnic group are not treated in the same way in central Serbia, he noted. "So, Kurti does not need arms and the so-called Kosovo Security Force to defend himself from threats from Belgrade but to carry out his plan of ethnic cleansing in Serbia's southern province. We live in times when peoples in our region strive to cooperate and want prosperity and a predictable future, and the sole obstacle to building such a region is Kurti and his malignant political influence," Petkovic said.   Spanish Ambassador reiterated support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty (Tanjug/RTV)   Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic received newly-appointed Spanish Ambassador to Serbia Juan Jose Sanz Aparicio on Tuesday, thanking him for Spain's firm and principled position of non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo as well as for continued support for Serbia's EU integration. The Ambassador reiterated the support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia and its EU integration process, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. Sanz Aparicio said his priorities for the future were advancement of bilateral economic cooperation and greater Spanish cultural presence in Serbia, in which he noted the Cervantes Institute - which this year celebrates the 20th anniversary of its work in Belgrade - would continue to actively engage. Cordially welcoming the Ambassador and wishing him much success in his new and responsible post, Dacic noted that he had had good cooperation with the Spanish diplomat's predecessor, Ambassador Raul Bartolome Molina, who was this year awarded the Order of the Serbian Flag First Class for his contribution to development of Serbia-Spain bilateral relations. Dacic and Sanz Aparicio said political relations between the two countries were excellent, friendly and without outstanding issues and added that Serbia and Spain supported each other on issues of vital national interest and that there was significant space for further advancement of economic cooperation.   Dacic: Everyone should turn to formation of state institutions, let's not waste time (TV Pink)   Leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic called on everyone today to accept the hand extended by President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, in terms of the date for repeat elections in the city of Belgrade, and added that it is important to form institutions as soon as possible to be able to solve important state issues. Dacic pointed out that President Vucic once again accommodated the opposition by calling the election on the last date when it is legally possible. Dacic was on TV Pink when he said that this, too, doesn't suit the opposition and that they are now looking for a transitional government and coming out with new demands and wishes. He added that there is nothing to be gained from that, but that it is important that everyone concentrates on the Belgrade and local elections and for the electoral processes to be completed as soon as possible. He reiterated once again that he was not in favor of calling early parliamentary elections last December and that it is not good when a government does not complete its full mandate, because important state matters cannot be completed in a short period of time. Asked if he had discussed with the SNS the government departments that would be given to his party, Dacic said that they had not talked about this yet, instead they spoke about important state issues, such as the implementation of the Ohrid agreement, the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, the struggle to prevent so-called Kosovo from joining the Council of Europe. "These are the topics that we consult on and discuss every day. And that, when the time comes, we have never had any major discussions about all of that. We have agreed in principle that we will continue our cooperation after these elections as well," said Dacic. Dacic also commented on statements coming from the opposition that elections are being postponed because the SNS and SPS have not reached an agreement and said that this is not true. "We said the first day that we will go to the polls in Belgrade together. These other elections have not even been announced yet, and our basic idea is to go jointly in the municipalities and cities where elections will be held," said the SPS leader. He added that it is important to create a democratic atmosphere for the election process and added that no one can ever be 100% satisfied, but that it is necessary that when elections are over, there is no drastic questioning of those results. Dacic assessed that the fact that part of the opposition complains to international institutions only damages the reputation of Serbia, which is used by various enemies. "Because it creates a bad image of Serbia, and to be honest, the EU has no intention of sending an international commission or anything like that to deal with the elections now. I mean, it's unrealistic that anyone - if they are really telling their voters or activists that it will happen, they are lying, because there is nothing to be gained from that," Dacic said. Dacic also referred to the attacks on SNS activists and said that everything that is happening encourages an atmosphere of hatred and conflict. "It's a reflection of a low level of political responsibility, and of course what about an (electoral) list that has dignified itself by calling itself 'Serbia Against Violence', but is using violent methods. That's unheard of, that 'Serbia Against Violence' should be calling for violent methods. So that is all bad, an atmosphere of conflict must not be created. No one has the right to insult and attack anyone who is engaged in political work, in political activism," said Dacic.   Socialists divided on joining Vucic’s new movement (TV Prva/Beta)   Socialist Party of Serbia official Toma Fila said today that his organization’s members are divided over whether or not to join President Aleksandar Vucic’s announced Movement for the People and the State because some of his fellow Socialists are concerned over their party’s ability to retain autonomy within such an alliance. “The opinions are divided. One prominent member – it doesn’t matter who – said that we shouldn’t join. Others have said we should [join] but with caution,” Fila told TV Prva, adding that he is of the latter opinion and believes that his party should consider whether and how much entering Vucic’s movement would benefit them. Fila also said he’s aware that such a move could impact the Socialists’ standing with their supporters. Commenting on the new Belgrade elections, Fila said that analysts have failed to address whether the vote was scheduled for 2 June rather than the earlier-announced date of 28 April to provide Vucic with more time to found his new organization. “The movement needs to be formed. [It remains] to be seen what it will look like, [whether] parties will retain their individuality, whether there will be a single ticket or we will all enter [the election] separately. Perhaps [Vucic] needed more time to articulate what the movement will look like and who it will include,” Fila concluded.   Panel debate on Djindjic: He imbued Serbian society with energy (Beta)   Serbia's slain prime minister Zoran Djindjic had imbued Serbian society with energy, optimism and thoughts of the future, instead of the ubiquitous complaining before him and his key word was reform, but there was too little time for him to build institutions, said the participants of a panel debate titled “A Shot into the Future of Serbia - Where We Are 21 Years Later”. They assessed that Djindic and Serbia’s incumbent President Aleksandar Vucic are “two different worlds”. “I am sorry that there we did not have a little more understanding that some things could not change faster, because society was completely devastated,” School of Dramatic Arts professor Milena Dragicevic Sesic said, noting that it was clear after Djindjic’s assassination 21 years ago that nothing in Serbia would be the same again. She recalled that, not long before he died, Djindic said: “If anyone thinks that they will stop the implementation of reform by eliminating me, then they are badly mistaken, because I am not the system.” She said there is still awareness of the need to first build a system in the country, but added that political elites believe that authoritarianism, rather than the political and legal system, is the guarantor of the future. Policy Center director Dragan Popovic stressed that, colloquially speaking, the policy of the Radicals was contrary to how Djindjic viewed the past, present and future and added that Vucic has destroyed the country’s institutions, but also politics as such, which is why educated people see politics as something they do not want to get involved in. The panel debate on the 21st anniversary of Djindjic’s assassination was organized by the New Optimism and Civic Initiative.   Escobar: No alternative to Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (FoNet)   US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Gabriel Escobar said the main reason for his visit to Pristina is to emphasize that there is no alternative to the EU facilitated dialogue with Serbia and to discuss ways of finding a solution to Pristina’s uncoordinated decision to ban the Dinar. Escobar, who is currently in Brussels and will visit Pristina on Wednesday, told an online media conference that the US does not oppose the legitimacy of the decision, but rather the implementation of the Central Bank of Kosovo’s (CBK) regulation on banning the Dinar. The US official said the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is at a critical stage, and called on both sides to honor and implement their agreements, and avoid unilateral provocations that could create new tensions. Escobar said he had meetings with EU and NATO representatives, including EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Regarding the implementation of the CBK and the difficulties Kosovo citizens who receive payments from Serbia are faced with, Escobar called on the Kosovo government to take into account the concerns of the international community. He explained that the reason why the international community is opposing the implementation of the CBK decision is the fact that Kosovo wants to introduce the Euro as the sole legal currency in less than three weeks, while it took France almost a year to do this, and that no alternative has been offered to the people who depend on these Dinar payments. Kosovo needs to work with the international community to find a solution for this catastrophic decision that creates chaos in the economy of Kosovo, said Escobar. He noted that the US would like to see progress on all dialogue issues, but that, by ignoring the dialogue, Kosovo is also ignoring its European partners. Escobar said the US wants for Serbia and Kosovo to be productive members of the Euro-Atlantic structures, to have peaceful and predictable relations, and that the path to this is through the EU-facilitated dialogue. The US official stressed that the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) remains a priority, and added that there would be no problems with the Dinar if this had been done.   REGIONAL PRESS   Von der Leyen: We recommend European Council to open negotiations with B&H (AJB)   The President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, confirmed in the European Parliament on Tuesday that she will recommend opening of negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). "Today we will recommend the European Council to open accession negotiations with B&H," Von der Leyen said in a speech at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. That announcement was accompanied by applause from the representatives. In the afternoon, a session of the European Commission was held, where a decision was to be made on the recommendation to open negotiations. The Council for General Affairs will decide on this recommendation next Tuesday, which will gather at the summit on March 21 and 22. Von der Leyen said that B&H has made "impressive steps" in the European integration since it received a candidate status in December 2022. "More progress has been made in just over a year than previously in ten years. First, B&H is now fully aligned with our foreign and security policy, which is crucial in these times of geopolitical turmoil. Second, the state adopted important laws such as the Law on the Prevention of Conflicts of Interest, which were stalled for seven years, and the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Financing of Terrorism Law," said von der Leyen. She also stated that B&H has improved the management of migrant flows and that it is now possible to start negotiations with Frontex after the Presidency approved the negotiating mandate. As a fourth element, the BiH Ministry of Justice has decided to include the judgments of the International Criminal Court for the former Yugoslavia in the domestic criminal records. She also pointed out the new administrative committee for building peace, which recently became operational. "Of course, more progress is needed to join our EU, but the country shows that it can meet the criteria for membership and the aspirations of its citizens to be part of our family. The message from B&H is clear, therefore our message must also be clear - the future of B&H is in the EU," said the President of the Commission. Von der Leyen said that the EU has changed its approach towards the Western Balkans in recent years. "We realized that it is not enough to wait for the Western Balkans to approach us, that it is not enough to say that the door is open. We also have to take responsibility and support their path towards our EU in every possible way," said the President of the Commission. European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi stated that B&H’s commitment to the European path translated into tangible results, and the opening of negotiations is a just confirmation of the unprecedented realization of a critical mass of reforms. “B&H has been working hard to seize the historic opportunity. Candidate status brought a much-needed dynamic which needs to continue. The country’s commitment to the EU path has translated into tangible results and the opening of negotiations is a fair acknowledgement of the delivery of an unprecedented critical mass of reforms. Our message is clear. The EU’s door to B&H is fully open and this should incentivize further key reforms in line with EU rules and standards on B&H’s EU path,” said Varhelyi. High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell also positively evaluated the recommendation for the opening of accession negotiations with B&H. Borrell stated that it is necessary to continue the positive dynamics on the reform path of B&H. High Representative Christian Schmidt commented the statement of the EC President Ursula Von der Leyen: “Thankful for President Von der Leyen’s announcement that recommends opening accession talks with BiH. This can be the start of crucial process for the future and prosperity of B&H in the EU family. I shall provide full support and cooperation in line with the Dayton mandate.” Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg, who sent the message that with a positive report of the EC on progress of B&H, “we have reached an important milestone in integration into the EU”. He added: “B&H has shown courage and resoluteness, and it has launched many crucial EU reforms during last months in order to pave the way for the membership in the EU. We must use this impetus: I expect that leaders of the countries and governments perform duty at the European Council next week, follow the EC recommendation and give the green light for beginning of the accession negotiations with B&H. At the moment when the war has returned to the European continent and when geo-political uncertainty grows, all EU leaders must be aware that the EU integration of the Western Balkans it also the issue of our security and stability. We must export our model of life to avoid benign influences of third sides in our immediate neighborhood. B&H can rely on Austria in the future as a strong and loud partner! Together with group ‘Friends of Western Balkans’ we shall continue to encourage and support B&H in its reforms on the EU path.” MP in Bundestag and Rapporteur for Western Balkans of FDP parliamentarian group, Thomas Hacker said that decision of the European Commission on B&H is a right move and geopolitically necessity: “Yet, in new international reality, the EU must not abandon the merit-based accession process.” He added that providing of greater support to democratic and pro- European forces in the country, remains a task, adding that Milorad Dodik’s desperate meetings with autocratic rulers, show that he will no longer play the role in European future of his country. Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon at platform X, who welcomed the statement of the EC President Ursula Von der Leyen stated during today’s session of the European Parliament (EP) that the EC recommends to the European Council to open accession negotiations with B&H. Fajon stressed that she is delighted with this recommendation as someone who advocated the EU integration of B&H for many years.  She also said: “B&H has deserved this. It is up to EU leaders to give a green light at the meeting of the European Council. Slovenia will continue with its strong support.” Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic stated that this is historic day for B&H. He deems that Croatia is highly deserving for this decision of the EC. Plenkovic emphasized that in regard to foreign policy and strategic national interests of Croatia, the decision on opening of accession negotiations with B&H that will be passed next week is one of most important foreign policy achievements in this mandate. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic also welcomed the recommendation of the EC and he criticized Plenkovic, the Croatian Government and the European bureaucracy because Croats in B&H welcomed the negotiations with the EU without the right to elect their representative in the highest state institution on their own. Milanovic criticized Plenkovic, saying that he acts as if he was not aware his Brussels partners will attack rights of Croats in B&H, because only civic B&H is sufficiently good to become the EU member. “B&H must enter the EU as country where Croats will have status of constituent and equal people that will elect its representatives in authorities, including B&H Presidency”, said Milanovic.   Kristo says B&H authorities hope for green light from European Council for start of accession negotiations (N1)   B&H CoM Chairwoman Borjana Kristo stated that the B&H authorities hope for a green light from the European Council for the start of accession negotiations, and until then it is B&H’s obligation to continue working on reform laws. Kristo pointed out that the European Commission's recommendation to the European Council to approve the start of accession negotiations with B&H supports everything the B&H CoM achieved in the new convocation, and that could be enough for the European Council’s decision to open negotiations. Kristo reminded that the B&H CoM submitted 14 law proposals into parliamentary procedure, ten of which were adopted. “Based on this, in the proposal of the report sent to the European Commission, it was written that sufficient progress has been made in terms of harmonizing the criteria for membership,” Kristo underlined. Kristo added that the B&H authorities have an obligation to continue working on the Law on the Court, the Border Control Law, the Personal Data Protection Law, the new Law on the HJPC, as well as the Election Law of B&H.   Dodik: Opening of negotiations for EU membership is result of enormous contribution of RS, opening of negotiations is transitional phase (ATV)   “I welcome the announcement by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, that there is every possibility that the start of EU-B&H negotiations will be approved, but without a date it does not mean much,” said the RS President Milorad Dodik. "It should be said that the opening of negotiations is the result of the enormous and crucial contribution of RS in that process. For us, the European path is important because it represents the fulfillment of a great national goal - the life of Serbs in an economic and political space without borders," said Dodik. As Dodik says, he especially thanks the partners from Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia, as interlocutors who fully understand the fact that B&H is a "small EU". "That it can function and move forward only when no interest is excluded but included in the equation. Then we have a positive result. Any interference of foreigners in domestic flows is not a summing up of our differences in positive processes, but an equation that pushes us away from a common goal, that membership in the EU is," added Dodik. Dodik said that the European path to B&H is fine if it solves the issues of basic relations in B&H, but that this is clearly not the case. "If the fake High Representative (Christian Schmidt) and foreign judges are still sitting there, and they are supported by the EU, then there are other intentions at stake. This cannot be called the European way. So, there is no optimism," said Dodik. He said on the occasion of the decision of the European Commission to recommend to the European Council to start negotiations for membership with B&H, that it is obvious that there is no date. "There will be no screening or anything other than the recommendation that negotiations begin. As far as I understand, the European Commission will not even make a plan for the opening of negotiations, which indicates that it is only a transitional phase in which new things will be sought again," Dodik said. He repeated that, on the European path, the RS is fundamentally committed to solving the issue of the OHR, the fake high representative and foreign judges in the Constitutional Court of B&H. "That must be resolved, otherwise the negotiations will not proceed. It was said a long time ago that B&H's European path is incompatible with foreigners being inside. I mean the fake high representative and foreigners in the court. So, it is all a game," Dodik said.   Nesic stresses huge contribution of B&H Security Ministry and team which led to historical decision and progress on EU path (RTRS)   B&H Security Minister Nenad Nesic welcomed the statement of EC President Ursula Von der Leyen that B&H will get a green light for opening of accession negotiations. Nesic stressed huge contribution of the B&H Security Ministry and a team, which led to this historical result and progress on the EU path, which the EC President judged at the biggest in the last ten years. Nesic further noted that among achieved results, which the EC judged as crucial for adoption of a positive decision, the biggest number of results is from the area of competence of the B&H Security Ministry. Nesic concluded that this confirms once again that the B&H Security Ministry is an engine of the EU path of B&H, and it will continue to be until the ultimate goal and full membership in the EU. Nesic also said: “This goal has been achieved thanks to cooperation and efforts of all other institutions and authority levels. This illustrates that we can achieved everything if there is good will, a clear joint goal, mutual respect and respecting of constitutional and legal competencies. I believe that benefit of this accomplishment will be visible very soon since the fact that we are firmly on the path of the EU integration, with established European standards and rule of law, will be a signal to foreign investors as well, who will recognize this country with a perspective for investments.”   Viskovic says he sees nothing spectacular in announcement on recommendation to launch accession negotiations with B&H (RTRS)   RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic said that the EU and Brussels need B&H more than B&H needs them and he added: “Although they have not mentioned the date of negotiations, somewhere in speculations they said that we will get the date after elections for the European Parliament. This means that not even them are sure. The question is whether those who made the decision today will be in those functions after June.” Viskovic also said: “I cannot see anything spectacular in this. B&H, in comparison to Ukraine and Moldova and even some neighboring countries from the Western Balkans, should have been granted this status much sooner”. Speaking about the EU integration process and possible soon opening of accession negotiations with the EU, Viskovic said that opening of the negotiations would be important for everybody. He noted that this would eliminate false impression of EU skepticism. Viskovic underlined that in every meeting with EU officials, he told them that Western Balkans and B&H are the heart of Europe. Viskovic said that getting a date for opening of the accession negotiations would practically demonstrate that the EU did not give up on the region. “However, if the EU sends message again that it does not care about us, then we will seek other solutions, including BRICS solution”, said Viskovic. Asked if he believes that BRICS membership is an alternative to EU membership, Viskovic replied: “Why not? They cannot expect us to sit and wait, we will keep moving and seeking solutions that suit is at the given moment. I did not say that BRICS is our first choice. But if Europe does not want us, we must seek an alternative”.   Niksic expresses satisfaction following announcement on upcoming recommendation to launch accession negotiations with B&H (Dnevni avaz)   President of the European Commission (EC) Ursula Von der Leyen stated on Tuesday that the EC will recommend to the EU Council to launch accession negotiations with B&H. Prime Minister of FB&H and leader of SDP B&H Nermin Niksic stated that for him, as one of the leaders of ‘The Troika’ and FB&H Prime Minister, there is no greater satisfaction than those words of the EC President. “Therefore, we are not talking about ourselves, we are not bragging, but it was said from the highest European position that we have done more in a year of the new authorities at the state level than our predecessors did in ten years. So much for ‘betrayals’ and ‘sales’. The policy of talks, compromise and avoiding of populist demagogy and of daily display of false patriotism obviously produced a huge result. We are on the brinks of, what is now very likely, launching of accession negotiations with the EU, which has been our goal for decades,” Niksic stated. Niksic also said that he is especially glad because this will bring benefits to all citizens of B&H and because this will mean an easier and faster access to European funds as well as that, by creating a European political climate in B&H and European business environment, room will be created for large foreign and domestic investments, new jobs and stay of youth in this country. “Of course, there is still lots of work ahead of us, we are far from saying everything has been done. Therefore we will, just like until now, continue to strongly defend interests of the state of B&H in line with the Constitution, we will work with dedication on its European path and finally on joining the EU, because our goal is to have better lives in this country, so that citizens can have higher salaries, so that youth can see perspective and stay in B&H, and so that pensioners can afford living on their pensions. We opened the main door to the EU and there is no going back,” Niksic concluded.   Murphy criticizes behavior of Dodik and Covic (Hayat/Oslobodjenje)   Denying the claims of Milorad Dodik that said opening negotiations with the EU means nothing if exact date for beginning of talks is not revealed, US Ambassador to B&H Michael Murphy said that opening negotiations is very important as that sends a signal to citizens that B&H is turned towards Brussels, and not towards Moscow. Murphy also called Dodik’s statements on the EU path not being possible with the presence of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in B&H false. Besides criticizing Dodik, Murphy also criticized behavior of (HDZ B&H leader) Dragan Covic due to his moves that hamper implementation of the Southern Interconnection project. Murphy said Covic wants a company, controlled by him, to control the Southern Interconnection, while Murphy emphasized that the Southern Interconnection should be controlled by public company ‘BH-Gas’. Ambassador Murphy told Oslobodjenje podcast, among other issues, it is High Representative (HR) Christian Schmidt who is currently making sure B&H is making progress on the EU path. According to Murphy, without the HR it is question if the October 2022 would have taken place at all: “Imagine where we would be right now if the elections did not take place”. As for the “Southern Interconnection” project, Ambassador Murphy said, among other issues, Covic is the one who should decide if he should work in interest of people he claims to be representing or work in interest of Russia. “It is the choice he is facing”, added the US Ambassador.   Dodik: USA has once again confirmed its determination to tear up European path of B&H, they wish for new focal point (ATV)   “The report published by the Office of the Director of the US National Intelligence Service, in the part that refers to the Western Balkans, shows that America wishes for a new focal point where one of the most unsuccessful presidents in the history of America could once again gain some points before the elections,” said the RS President Milorad Dodik. He announced that this Chancellery managed to write so many lies in one sentence and "spilt all their poison in order to create space for further interventions and blocking of both RS and the Federation of B&H (FB&H)." "America has once again confirmed its firm determination to destroy the European path of B&H in order to keep the lying (High Representative) Christian Schmidt and dominate this space. Nevertheless, it is worrisome that the Americans speak with such certainty about possible conflicts in B&H. One cannot help but wonder what could happen if they fulfill their threats and if they are talking about sanctions or some new military interventions", said Dodik. Dodik goes on to say that the whole world should be afraid of what else this man can destroy, who managed to completely divide even the great and powerful America and make it unstable. In the report, they also say that they have information that the Bosniak forces will try to arm themselves, and that's all because the RS respects the Constitution and wants to preserve Dayton, said Dodik. "They also talk about the risk of new conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija and thus show again in just two sentences the hypocritical policy they have been pursuing all these years, not only towards the Balkans, but towards the whole world. If they accuse RS of preparing secession, then what about the self-proclaimed Kosovo, which America supports. A part of the territory was taken from Serbia and that can pass, only as long as it is taken from the Serbs, everything is fine, but RS is a problem", says Dodik.   Lavrov congratulates Dodik on his birthday, with message that Serb people continue to carry flag of freedom with dignity thanks to consistent efforts of RS President (RTRS)   Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov Tuesday congratulated RS President Milorad Dodik on his birthday, with the message that the Serb people continue to carry the flag of freedom with dignity thanks to the consistent efforts of the RS President. “We know, we highly appreciate and respect you as a wise and very experienced politician who dedicated his life to serving the Serb people,” Lavrov was quoted as saying. Lavrov added that thanks to Dodik’s consistent efforts, the RS became a bastion of brave resistance to the neo-colonial policies of the West. Lavrov further stated that the comprehensive ties between the Russian Federation and the RS are getting stronger every day. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic also congratulated Dodik on his birthday.   Escobar: We did not see commitment to EU integration through Mandic's actions, we are worried about the announcement of ZBCG's entry into the government (Pobjeda)   The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said that he was concerned by the fact that former DF leaders could be part of the Government. However, he points out that these are decisions made by the government of Montenegro. When asked by Pobjeda if his views on the entry of the ZBCG coalition into the government have changed, Escobar indirectly confirmed that they have not. "The decision about coalitions and who will enter the government is not the decision of the USA. But we publicly said that we are concerned and that these parties are not a partner of the United States", said Escobar at a press briefing on the eve of his visit to Montenegro. He said that Montenegro is firmly on the EU path and that it is a reliable NATO ally. "Representatives of these parties said that they will reconsider membership in NATO, that they intend to withdraw the recognition of Kosovo, which would cause additional tensions in the region. So, they haven't changed. And through many things that Andrija Mandic does, we have not seen commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration. So, we are worried about the possibility that those who do not share the same values as the rest of the coalition, can enter the government", said Escobar.   At Spajic’s proposal: Aleksandar Radovic, acting director of Police Directorate (CdM)   At the proposal of PM Milojko Spajic, the government of Montenegro appointed Aleksandar Radovic as acting director of the Police Directorate, at its session that lasted more than 12 hours. Previously, the government did not accept the proposal of Minister of Internal Affairs Danilo Saranovic that Lazar Scepanovic be appointed acting director of the Police Directorate. PM Spajic offered Saranovic to propose a new candidate. The government session was interrupted several times so that Saranovic could complete the documentation. The Democrats, whose ranks include Saranovic, insisted that acting director of the Police Directorate be Scepanovic, but that proposal was not acceptable to PM Spajic and most of the ministers. As the deadline for the appointment of acting director expired at midnight and the agreement was not reached the government will have to extend the term of the already dismissed Zoran Brdjanin. Even though the government adopted the conclusion that Saranovic should submit CVs of all candidates for acting post of director of the Police Directorate by 8:40 p.m., marked with the level of secrecy “internally”, this did not happen. Saranovic did not submit a certificate of the candidate’s work experience to the Government. At today’s session, the Government is supposed to appoint the acting director after Zoran Brdjanin was recently dismissed from that position for the third time. The article includes Radovic’s CV, featuring the information that he was a member of the working group for Chapter 24 – Justice, Freedom and Security. Radovic attended several courses in the field of informatics, UN courses, ICPO Interpol courses, training in the application of special investigative methods, monitoring trends in artificial intelligence, and training in conducting financial investigations. Radovic was a member of the Montenegrin delegation at the meeting of the MONEYVAL Committee of Experts of the Council of Europe, where Montenegro’s condition was assessed and when Montenegro escaped the grey list.   Milatovic: Sending Montenegrin soldiers to Ukraine is not an option (RTCG)   Sending Montenegrin soldiers to Ukraine is not an option at the moment, nor is it the subject of any discussions, said the country's President, Jakov Milatovic, at a press conference in Bucharest, where he is on an official visit at the invitation of his Romanian colleague, Klaus Iohannis. "Sending Montenegrin soldiers to Ukraine is not currently an option, nor is it the subject of any talks, but in the same way that Romania supports Ukraine and Montenegro as a NATO ally since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, it strongly supports both bilaterally and through multilateral means Ukraine in their fight", said Milatovic. And the Romanian President said that sending NATO soldiers to Ukraine cannot happen, because Ukraine is not a member of the Alliance. "If there is a bilateral agreement between a country and Ukraine on any topic, then it primarily refers to their bilateral agreement. Romania will not send soldiers to Ukraine. We support Ukraine in many ways, and we will continue as we have done so far", Iohannis concluded.   Milatovic: It was confirmed at the most important addresses in Romania that we have serious potential for intensive economic cooperation (CdM)   After being welcomed with the highest state honors in the Cotroceni Presidential Palace in Bucharest, where a meeting was held with the President of the Republic of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, the President of Montenegro, Jakov Milatovic, met with the President of the Senate of Romania, Nicolae Ciuca, and the President of the House of Representatives, Alfred Simonis, in the Parliamentary Palace. During separate meetings with representatives of the Romanian parliament, it was noted that the relations between the two countries are characterized by traditional friendship and excellent bilateral cooperation. Also, the need for further cultural connection between the two countries was expressed in order to better understand and strengthen interstate cooperation. As part of his visit to Romania, Milatovic also had a meeting with the Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu. "On that occasion, he pointed out the most important foreign policy priorities of our country, emphasizing Montenegro's commitment to achieving the most important goal - full membership of our country in the EU," the announcement states. He added that Montenegro has fully harmonized its policy with the common foreign and security policy of the EU. Both sides expressed interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation, with emphasis on the importance of establishing air connections between the two countries, which would be a significant step in the field of strengthening cooperation in the field of economy and tourism. During his stay in Bucharest, President Milatovic laid a wreath with military honors at the monument to the unknown hero in Carol Park and held a lecture at the National University for Political Studies and Public Administration.   US Senate puts forward resolution supporting North Macedonia's EU accession (MIA)   The Unites States affirms its support for North Macedonia’s EU accession in the latest resolution introduced in the Senate, sponsored by Senators Peter Welch (Dem.), Jeanne Shaheen (Dem.), Thom Tillis (Rep.), and Pete Ricketts (Rep.). In the resolution, the Senate calls on the President, the Secretary of State, and European allies to advocate for the opening of the first EU negotiation cluster with North Macedonia without further bilateral conditions. "The President and the Secretary of State to continue to work closely with the government of North Macedonia and support EU enlargement for the Western Balkans, including North Macedonia on its EU path," reads the resolution. The government of North Macedonia is also encouraged to undertake the reforms necessary to advance its EU membership. The Senate "encourages the government of North Macedonia to continue its important work toward membership in the EU, as well as efforts to further peace, stability, and prosperity in Eastern Europe". It adds that North Macedonia was the first Western Balkan country to sign a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU and became an official EU candidate country in 2005, in 2008, the United States signed a Declaration of Strategic Partnership and Cooperation with North Macedonia; in June 2022, North Macedonia became the first Western Balkan country to start a strategic dialogue with the United States, marking a significant bilateral milestone and step toward implementation of the Declaration of Strategic Partnership. "North Macedonia remains an important EU and United States security partner and NATO ally, providing Ukraine with humanitarian aid and considerable military equipment, voting in favor of United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions against Russian aggression, and adopting all EU Russian sanctions," reads the resolution. Last October, Senator Welch joined Senator Shaheen on a congressional delegation to North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they conveyed continued U.S. support for the Balkans. “The Republic of North Macedonia’s accession to the EU would reinforce regional stability in the Western Balkans, promote European cohesion, and further reject Russian malign influence in the region and beyond. North Macedonia’s further advancement in the accession process marks an important milestone for a country that has already taken significant steps in that journey. North Macedonia continues to demonstrate a commitment to democratic reforms, the rule of law, and the transatlantic partnership. I’m confident that North Macedonia’s EU membership will bring increased opportunities for exchanges of business and commerce as well as additional coordination between the Vermont National Guard and the Army of North Macedonia,” said Senator Welch.   Escobar: US expects government formed after elections to be committed to NATO, EU integration (MIA)   North Macedonia is a solid partner to the United States, both bilaterally and multilaterally within NATO and the OSCE, and Washington expects that even the new government, after the elections, will be committed to the country's membership in the Alliance and EU integration, according to US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar at a Brussels briefing, MIA's Brussels correspondent reports. Speaking to the press ahead of his visit to Prishtina, Vienna and Podgorica, Escobar said the previous government had been committed to the state's NATO membership and accession to the EU, adding that the US administration expected that the new government that will be formed after the elections would be also committed to NATO, to joining the EU and to the fight against corruption. He said he hoped to visit North Macedonia after the elections, because during this visit to the region, he said, he would focus on current issues related to recent developments in Kosovo and in Montenegro. Asked if the US Senate's proposed resolution to advocate for the opening of the first negotiating cluster of the EU with North Macedonia without additional bilateral conditions was a change in the position of the USA regarding the country's constitutional amendments, Escobar said both North Macedonia and Bulgaria were important NATO member states and allies of Washington, so the US administration wanted a peaceful resolution of all issues. He highlighted that the USA encouraged North Macedonia and Bulgaria to continue their dialogue based on facts and was committed to the country's remaining on the European path. Washington had received assurances from Bulgaria that they wanted North Macedonia to join the EU, Escobar noted. According to him, it was the region's open issues that made the Western Balkans susceptible to malicious interference from the outside, including Russia, so to minimize that danger, efforts should be made, he said, to overcome any unresolved issues.   Peleshi: High level of cooperation between the Albanian and American Special Forces (Radio Tirana)   Albanian Minister of Defense, Niko Peleshi, appraised the continuous support that the US has given to the Albanian Armed Forces. Peleshi shared on social networks moments from the "JCET24" training exercise, which according to him, "showed a high level of cooperation and efficiency between our Special Forces and the American ones". According to the minister, "this experience served to significantly improve our operational capabilities, encouraging a mutual commitment towards increasing our overall capacity". "Thanks to our strategic ally, the United States, for the continuous support to our Armed Forces," said Peleshi.