Partition

The Kosovo-Serbia dialogue remains one of the main issues of concern in the Western Balkans, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday heard.

State Department Counsellor Derek Chollet warned: "We are not seeing great effort on the implementation of this agreement by either party."

Bosnian Council of Ministers, the country's state-level executive government, voted on Thursday in favour of a construction of a new gas pipeline from Serbia.

The so-called Eastern Interconnection will bring natural gas to cities and towns in the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska entity.

A Russian-style 'Immortal Regiment' parade to commemorate the Day of Victory over Fascism in World War II was held on Tuesday in Banja Luka, the main city of Bosnia's Serb-dominated Republika Srpska, attended by Bosnian Serb president Milorad Dodik and Moscow's ambassador to the country, who used the event to justify Russia's war against Ukraine.

The Bosniak member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Denis Becirovic, has condemned the assembly of Republika Srpska, one of two entities in Bosnia, after it called on a state Constitutional Court judge, Zlatko Knezevic, to resign from his position.

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Friday the objective of the Quint states was a soonest possible recognition of the so-called Kosovo by Serbia.

"Dodik introduced me to RS's attempts to preserve its rights and obligations from the Dayton Agreement. It is the essence of the functioning of BiH and we will always support what is agreed upon by all three constituent nations," said Serbian President Aleksandar Vui.

The formation of a government in the Bosniak and Croat-dominated Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the bigger of Bosnia's two entities, remains on hold since the October 2022 election, as the governing coalition that promised its quick formation falls apart. 

"Difficult times are ahead of us. The only thing they are interested in are sanctions, independent Kosovo. A decisive year is ahead of us, probably one of the most difficult," said Vui.
"Many challenges await us, it's not a noose around Vui's neck but our country. They can't blackmail me, it's an attack and a noose for our country," said Vui.

The Hague Tribunal's archives reveal fascinating details about the confidential meeting between Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and his Croatian counterpart Franjo Tudjman at Karadjordjevo in 1991, when they discussed forming their own expanded states at Bosnia's expense.

Aleksandar Vui addressed the media from Brussels.