Albania
Prime Minister Rama denied claims over the next President of Albania candidate, the European Training Foundation predicted worker shortage by 2030, and Government offered 83.2 million euros ($88.3 million) of government papers. Former Prime Minister Berisha accused Rama of setting up a president’s elections favoring Vali Bizhga. INSTAT data showed that net emigration was minus 43 thousand people in 2021. 90% of the government bills will mature by May 4, 2023.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
US Secretary of State Blinken inferred that there would be a new international force with a mandate if Russia blocked the renewal of the present UN-backed peacekeeping mission, ten Bosniak political and military leaders were charged with war crimes over the Dobrovoljacka street attack in 1992, and Bosniak war commander Sakib Mahmuljin received an eight-year jail sentence. The UN-backed peacekeeping mission’s renewal is due in November. Eight people were killed, and 24 others were injured as Yugoslav People’s Army personnel were leaving Sarajevo in an UN-escorted convoy. The court found that Mahmuljin failed to prevent the murders and inhumane treatment of Serb prisoners of war captured by the El Mujahideen Unit.
Croatia
The Government supports Finland’s and Sweden’s potential NATO membership, starts seizing assets of Russian individuals facing European Union sanctions, and approves three new cabinet ministers. Foreign Minister Grlic Radman said that the country agreed to an open-door policy toward all countries meeting NATO standards. The authorities seized a villa and forest owned by the wife and sister of Alisher Usmanov on the peninsula of Peljesac and the island of Losinj. Davor Filipovic is the new economy minister, Marin Piletic is the new labor minister, and Anja Simpraga is the new deputy prime minister in charge of social activities and human rights.
Kosovo
US Assistant Secretary of State Karen Donfried visited Prishtina, the license plate dialogue was scheduled for May 13, and the Kosovo border police car was ambushed again. Donfried stated that the US Government supports “an agreement that normalizes relations centered on mutual recognition.” The EU envoy, Lajcak, confirmed that the meeting would take place in Brussels. The political party of Kosovo Serbs, Lista Srpska, condemned the attack in the Serb-majority town of Zubin Potok.
Montenegro
The Parliament approved a new government led by Prime Minister Abazovic, incumbent Prime Minister Krivokapic refused to step down, and the New Serb Democracy’s leader Mandic against the new minority government. Abazovic won support from 45 lawmakers with three votes against in the 81-member parliament, as pro-Serbian groups had not attended the session. Krivokapic stated: “I do not want to give legitimacy to the obvious violation of democratic and legal postulates by simulating regularity.” Mandic said that the new Government does not show the electoral will.
North Macedonia
EU Enlargement Commissioner Varhelyi wants Bulgaria to lift the veto by June, the next Open Balkans Summit will take place in the first half of June in Ohrid, and schools reopen after a three-week strike ends. Varhelyi remained “extremely disappointed” by the Bulgarian ongoing EU enlargement obstruction. Prime Minister Kovacevski stated that “important agreements and memoranda for cooperation in culture, tourism, and economy will be signed.” The teaching union leader Jakim Nedelkov said the strike had been suspended as the union members were still discussing a government offer covering two-thirds of the demand.
Serbia
President Vucic stated that he had not made any promise to impose sanctions on Russia, Energy Minister Mihajlovic said that transit deliveries of Russian gas to Serbia via the Bulgarian pipeline remain operational, and former ambassador in Belarus Srecko Djukic criticized Russian President Putin’s statement that the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk have the same right to declare independence as Kosovo. Vucic added that he only promised to work on an economic project of the Western partners’ concern. Gazprom previously halted gas deliveries to Poland and Bulgaria until payments were received in rubles. Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, Alexander Bocan Harchenko, stated that “Russia is consistent, does not recognize Kosovo.”