Johann Sattler, head of the European Union Delegation to B&amp;H, briefly commented on the work of the leaders of the three largest parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, Bakir Izetbegović and Dragan Čović. He commented Dodik in the context of B&amp;H's approach on the road to the EU, while he looked at the other two through the prism of securing the elections in Mostar, and the conversation about the Election Law, reports N1.
Inciting rhetoric does not suit politicians or young people, Sattler pointed out. In the past, we have witnessed this kind of rhetoric coming from Milorad Dodik. What does he think about Dodik's role in EU integration? Is his policy detrimental for the progress of B&amp;H and its citizens?
- Do not expect me to evaluate the work of politicians, but what I can say - The Presidency helped us in April to start the process of EU integration, all three members. Dodik played an important role there. He showed that he could move things forward. During the presidency he ensured participation in the roaming agreement, so that you can communicate without large fees. It is an example of the positive role he can play - said, among other things, Sattler.
He also spoke about Čović and Izetbegović and the word they gave about the elections in Mostar. Did they keep their promises?
- They did. Every part, like I said. I like that in politics. Sometimes it happens, more often it doesn’t, but politicians know how to keep their promises. Believe me, it wasn’t easy for either of them. It took courage and compromise from both of them. I can encourage them to continue that relationship in 2021., regarding the judgments of the international court and the Election Law - said Sattler.

Don’t expect me to judge the work of politicians

Sattler: Politicians know how to keep their promises

Johann Sattler: Dodik played an important role

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed with his senior ministers on Saturday what urgent action to take after it was confirmed that a new strain of the COVID-19 virus could spread more quickly and lead to a surge in cases.The BBC reported that London and southeast England would be placed in a new higher tier of restrictions and the government would cut back on a planned relaxation of the rules over Christmas, but gave no further details.
Johnson will hold a news conference at about 1600 GMT during which he will discuss what his plans are in light of a rise in infections across London and southeast England linked to a new, more transmissible variant of the virus.
England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said that while there was no current evidence the variant of the novel coronavirus caused a higher mortality rate or impacted vaccines, urgent work was underway to confirm this.
-We have alerted the World Health Organization and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding- Whitty said in a statement.
Britain reported 28,507 new COVID-19 cases on Friday and 489 deaths, with the reproduction “R” number estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the number of cases is rapidly increasing.
Johnson said on Friday he hoped England would not need a third lockdown after Christmas and has so far resisted calls to change plans to ease restrictions for five days over the festive period, allowing three separate households to meet indoors.Much of the country, including London, is currently in the highest of a three-tier system of restrictions to curb the pandemic’s spread. The Daily Telegraph newspaper said ministers could now announce curbs on travel between southeast England, including the capital, and the rest of the country.
The BBC said these areas would now be placed in a new “Tier 4”, with a tightening of rules for Christmas.
-Failing to act decisively now, will mean further suffering- Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust and a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), said on Twitter. -We must keep asking ourselves ‘are we doing enough, are we acting quickly enough’.-
The opposition Labour Party said the tiering system had failed to curb the virus’s spread.
-It has been apparent for some days that the virus is again out of control in parts of the country- said Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s health spokesman.

Whitty: We have alerted the World Health Organization and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding

Pedestrians walk past a British government health information advertisement highlighting new restrictions amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, December 19, 2020.

UK discusses action after confirmation new COVID strain spreads more quickly

Donald Trump's outgoing administration is planning to close the two remaining US consulates in Russia, the State Department confirmed Saturday, as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office amid high tensions with Moscow.
The US will close its consulate in the far eastern city of Vladivostok and suspend operations at its post in Yekaterinburg, a department spokesperson told AFP.
The decision followed consultation with Ambassador John Sullivan and was part of "efforts to ensure the safe and secure operation of the U.S. diplomatic mission in the Russian Federation," the spokesperson said. 
CNN reported that a State Department letter to Congress this month said the move was a response to "ongoing staffing challenges for the US Mission in Russia in the wake of the 2017 Russian-imposed personnel cap on the US Mission."
Ten diplomats assigned to the consulates will reportedly be relocated to the US embassy in Moscow, while 33 local staff will lose their jobs.
The State Department did not confirm the numbers involved but said the "resulting realignment of personnel at U.S. Embassy Moscow will allow us to advance our foreign policy interests in Russia in the most effective and safe manner possible. 
-No action related to the Russian consulates in the United States is planned- the spokesperson added.
The closures would leave the embassy in Moscow as the United States' last diplomatic mission in Russia.
Moscow ordered the closure of the US consulate in St Petersburg in March 2018 during a diplomatic spat sparked by the poisoning of Sergei Skripal on British soil.
It was unclear whether the closures would happen before January 20, when President-elect Biden takes office.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday that Russia was "pretty clearly" behind a devastating cyberattack on several US government agencies that security experts said could allow attackers unfettered access to critical IT systems and electric power grids.
Yohannes Abraham, executive director for the Biden transition team, said the hack was of "great concern" and that the Biden administration would meet any cyberattacks with a response inflicting "substantial cost."
Russia has denied any involvement in the incident.

The US will close its consulate in  Vladivostok and suspend operations at its post in Yekaterinbur

Relations between Russia and the United States have soured as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office

US planning to close last consulates in Russia

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bisera Turković said that B&amp;H has already taken serious steps in procuring a large amount of vaccines against COVID-19 for the most endangered and priority groups of citizens that should arrive in the first quarter of 2021, reports Anadolu Agency (AA).
Turković took part in an online meeting with EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi, who was also with Ministers of Foreign and European Affairs of the Western Balkans. The meeting discussed the possibilities for the procurement and distribution of an additional number of vaccines against COVID-19, according to the needs expressed by the countries of the region.
- Our country, as well as other countries in the region, expect further assistance from their European partners in the procurement of additional doses in order to achieve the highest possible vaccination rate - said Turković.
The drama with the procurement of vaccines in B&amp;H through the COVAX mechanism has been going on for days, after the information arrived that the FB&amp;H Government did not pay the required amount on time, while the Republic of Srpska and the Brčko District did so. However, the B&amp;H Ministry of Civil Affairs, which signed the agreement with the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), said yesterday that the deadline for payment of funds had been extended to December 23rd.
The FB&amp;H Government announced yesterday that a decision was made to redistribute 11,700,000 KM from the budget position of the Federal Ministry of Finance to the Federal Ministry of Health, with the aim of enabling the payment of the remaining funds for the procurement of vaccines against COVID-19 through the COVAX mechanism.

The deadline for the payment of funds to GAVI has been extended to December 23rd, and the FB&H Government says that the money has been secured outside the budget for 2021.

Vaccines for the most endangered in B&H in the first quarter of 2021.

The 300-year-old icon, presented to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov by the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, will be returned to the donor, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
In a statement for "Avaz", foreign policy analyst Zlatko Dizdarević points out that this decision of the Russian state is smart and serious.
- Russia has admitted that it is a scandal and a fabricated story. They don't want to take part in it, and for me, no matter what I think about Russians or Americans, it is a gesture of serious politics.
Dizdarević states that, on the other hand, Dodik staged a great political embarrassment for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- What Dodik did is the bottom line. It is a classic fakin crime, Dizdarević points out.
When asked how much damage this move can cause to our country, Dizdarević believes that B&amp;H has been at the bottom for a long time.
- We have already reached such depths of shame and ruin with our leaders that I do not see that anything can bury us deeper than we are buried now. What is most unfortunate, this is just a scandal that is in the range of a number of other scandals and even worse scandals, but, this one is interesting in the media, but it is pure crime as well as a thousand other things that are pure crime. I think that we have disintegrated to such an extent that I do not see what kind of scandal we can experience and be surprised, Dizdarević thinks.
According to Dizdarević, the icon's path probably leads to Serbian volunteers who fought in Ukraine.
- Some of the guys from RS or Serbia who went and fought in Ukraine probably stole that artifact and brought it here. How dodik got it is another story. The icon was obviously stolen, and it could only have been stolen in the face of the chaos of the war, just as it was stolen from Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war.
- This is a matter for the police, this is a scandal for the investigative bodies and it is unbelievable that Dodik did not say a word about everything, and it would be at least normal if he said something, even if he lied, it is obviously something in the background that this silence only fuels further. The Russians made the only logical move that a serious state could make, Dizdarević points out.

According to Dizdarević, the icon's path probably leads to Serbian volunteers who fought in Ukraine

Zlatko Dizdarević:  B&H has hit rock bottom

Dizdarević told "Avaz" about the scandal with the icon: What Dodik did is the bottom line

And while in Sarajevo you can't breathe from the fog and smog, on the mountains around the capital of B&amp;H, is a real winter idyll. Citizens fled to Trebević, Jahorina, Bjelašnica, where who prefers."Avaz" journalist is currently on Bjelašnica and as he informs us, hundreds of citizens came out to breathe fresh air.Take a look at the gallery.

"Avaz" journalist is currently on Bjelašnica and as he informs us, hundreds of citizens came out to breathe fresh air

See how it is on Bjelašnica today: Children's roar, the sun ...

Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the novel coronavirus, will be placed under new restrictions over the Christmas and New Year periods, according to a government decree published on Saturday.
Under the new measures, already announced by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte late Friday and coming into effect from Monday until January 6, the whole of country will be classified as "red" -- the highest level of restrictions. 
This means people will be allowed to leave their homes only once per day to visit friends or relatives and travel between regions will be banned. 
And starting from December 24, bars and restaurants will also be closed. 
-Our experts fear that the infection curve will increase during the Christmas period- Conte said.
The prime minister conceded that the authorities did not have the means to ensure the measures were adhered to, but he asked Italians to respect a new limit to the number of people who meet and host only two adult guests at home.
Food shops, hairdressing salons, pharmacies, tobacconists and laundries as well as bookstores will, however, remain open.
Conte specified that the confinement would be relaxed on December 28, 29, 30, as well as on January 4, when shops would be able to remain open until 9:00 pm and people would be allowed to move about freely.
Italy has 60 million inhabitants and one of the oldest populations in Europe. 
More than 68,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the country since the start of the pandemic. 
-It's right that they prohibit departures after 20 December if it means travelling in safety- Claudia Patrone, a 33-year-old lawyer, told AFP as she got off a train in Milan's Central Station, one of Italy's busiest. 
-I took the test before leaving, I stayed locked in my house, I didn't see anyone. The measure is right if everyone respects the rules and guarantees safety- she said.
Michele Lettini, a 64-year-old pensioner living in Milan, said: "The new decree is fine, but I would have been even more restrictive, I would have extended the red zone to all holidays to avoid contagions."

Food shops, hairdressing salons, pharmacies, tobacconists and laundries, bookstores will remain open

People wearing face masks walk down a street ahead of Christmas under coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Rome, Italy, December 17, 2020.

Italy under new restrictions over Christmas, New Year

In the last 24 hours, 643 cases of coronavirus infection were registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 42 people died, and 2,871 samples were tested.
In the past 24 hours in FB&amp;H, 417 people are newly infected with coronavirus, and 1,926 samples were tested.

<h2>There are no newly infected in Posavina Canton</h2>

New cases have been registered in all cantons in the Federation of B&amp;H, except Posavina Canton.
A total of 319,385 samples have been tested so far, and coronavirus has been confirmed in 68,066 cases.
As of today, 48,610 patients have been cured in the Federation of B&amp;H, and in the past 24 hours, 143 patients recovered. 17,492 cases are active.
When it comes to the Republic of Srpska, 872 samples were tested and coronavirus was confirmed in 204 cases.
In the last 24 hours, the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health has reported 28 deaths in which the presence of coronavirus has been confirmed.

<h2>In RS, 20,755 people have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic</h2>

So far, 35,008 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 1,546 people have died.
In Republic of Srpska, a total of 20,755 people have recovered from the coronavirus so far, and a total of 153,568 people have been tested.
In the Brčko District, 22 new cases of infection were registered, and in the last 24 hours, eight people recovered.

In the past 24 hours in FB&H, 417 people are newly infected with coronavirus, and 1,926 samples were tested

In B&H, 643 new cases of coronavirus infection, while 42 people died

Parts of Sydney were heading into a fresh lockdown on Saturday as officials in Australia's most populous city said they hoped the restrictions would be enough to control a growing outbreak in time for Christmas.
As a cluster of cases on the city's northern beaches grew to 38, residents were ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until midnight on Wednesday, other than for essential reasons.
-We're hoping that will give us sufficient time to get on top of the virus so that we can then ease up for Christmas and the New Year- said Gladys Berejiklian, the state premier of New South Wales of which Sydney is the capital.
From 5pm on Saturday, hundreds of thousands of people in several suburbs will be forced indoors with beaches, pubs and hotels closed. 
Although the restrictions -- which will be enforced by police -- only apply to the northern beaches, Berejiklian pleaded with Sydney's more than five million residents to stay home as much as possible over the coming days.
-Can I please ask everybody to abandon non-essential activity- she told local media on Saturday. -We don't want the virus to spread outside of the northern beaches.-
The leader also flagged a possible return of some restrictions for the entire city, if the cluster continued to grow.
Australia's success in containing the virus has allowed a continued rollback of restrictions ahead of Christmas, with domestic travel having returned largely to normal before the latest outbreak.
The loosening of curbs has sparked fears that the new outbreak could have already spread around the country.
One case linked to the cluster has been detected in the neighbouring state of Queensland, prompting officials to announce restrictions on travellers from Sydney and forcing many into isolation.
Masks are still not mandatory in the city but residents in the northern beaches have been urged to wear them at all times while inside.
Australia has recorded over 28,000 Covid-19 cases and 908 deaths linked to the virus in a population of about 25 million.

Residents were ordered to stay at home from late Saturday until midnight on Wednesday

People line up for coronavirus testing in Sydney

Parts of Sydney locked down as Australia battles growing cluster

The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been authorised for use in Switzerland following a two-month rolling review, the Swissmedic regulatory authority said Saturday.
-After a meticulous review of the available information, Swissmedic concluded that the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech is safe and that its benefit outweighs the risks- the body said in a statement.
It is the first vaccine against the new coronavirus that has been authorised for use in the wealthy Alpine nation.
-The safety of patients is an essential prerequisite, especially where the authorisation of vaccines is concerned- said Swissmedic director Raimund Bruhin.
-Thanks to the rolling procedure and our flexibly organised teams, we nevertheless managed to reach a decision quickly -- while also fully satisfying the three most important requirements of safety, efficacy and quality.-
Switzerland, population 8.6 million, has secured around 15.8 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, in deals with three manufacturers.
It has signed contracts for around three million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, around 7.5 million doses of Moderna's vaccine, and around 5.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.
With all three manufacturers' vaccines, two doses are required per person.
With Covid-19 cases and deaths still rising fast, the Swiss government announced Friday that restaurants and bars would be closed again across the country.
-The epidemiological situation is a cause of great concern- the government said in a statement.
-The number of infections is very high and is continuing to rise. Hospitals and healthcare workers have been under extreme pressure for weeks and the festive period increases the risk of an even more rapid rise in cases- it explained.
Switzerland is continuing to witness more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths each day.
In total, Switzerland has recorded more than 400,000 cases and nearly 6,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Switzerland has secured around 15.8 million Covid-19 vaccine doses, in deals with three manufacturers

Switzerland is continuing to witness more than 4,000 new cases and 100 deaths each day

Swiss authorise Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

Moscow said on Saturday it would return to Bosnia a centuries-old Ukrainian icon after Ukraine complained about it being presented as a gift to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. 
A representative of the Russian foreign ministry told AFP that the gilded Christian Orthodox icon -- believed to be 300 years old -- "will be returned" to Bosnia so that its provenance can be established with the help of Interpol.
According to reports, Bosnia's Serb president Milorad Dodik presented it to Russia's top diplomat Lavrov during a recent visit.
But the move riled Kiev, and the Ukrainian embassy in Bosnia sent a note demanding an "urgent explanation regarding the possession of their cultural heritage," the government in Bosnia said.
The artwork originates from Lugansk, a region in eastern Ukraine held by Russia-backed separatists.
Ukraine has been fighting Russian-speaking separatists in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions since 2014 following Moscow's annexation of the Crimean peninsula.

The artwork originates from Lugansk

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, meets the chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina's tripartite presidency, Milorad Dodik, right, in Sarajevo

Russia to return icon to Bosnia after Ukraine complaint

This Sunday, 20 December, the citizens of <a href="https://avaz.ba/tag/18/mostar">Mostar</a> will have the opportunity to vote in the first local elections there since 2008. We, the undersigned*, encourage all Mostarians to participate in the democratic process, especially the younger generations that may not have had the opportunity until now.&nbsp; 
We commend the BiH Central Election Commission in organizing the Mostar <a href="https://avaz.ba/tag/103975/elections">elections</a> just after the 2020 Local Elections, in cooperation with the Mostar City Election Commission, under difficult circumstances. The elections must proceed in a peaceful environment in line with the applicable legal framework and international standards. All involved, including non-partisan observers, must be fully enabled to professionally perform their duties in accordance with existing rules and procedures.

Mindful of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we strongly encourage respect for relevant protective measures during the polling and counting processes, and encourage the authorities to provide all necessary personal protective equipment and ensure adherence to safety measures in polling stations to ensure a secure environment.

Lastly, we call on all parties and independent candidates ultimately elected to the Mostar City Council to implement the election results as soon as possible following their certification and proceed with the election of the mayor. Mostarians who have waited so long to exercise their rights deserve no less than a City Council fully committed to serving their interests.

* European Union Delegation/Office of the European Union Special Representative, the Embassy of the United Kingdom, the Embassy of the United States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Mission to BiH, and the Office of the High Representative

we call on all parties and independent candidates ultimately elected to the Mostar City Council to implement the election results as soon as possible following their certification and proceed with the election of the mayor

This Sunday, 20 December, the citizens of Mostar will have the opportunity to vote

Delegation of EU, embassies, OSCE and OHR call on the people of Mostar to vote

China's top diplomat on Friday offered cooperation on key priorities of President-elect Joe Biden, warning that Beijing's many US critics were creating an atmosphere of "McCarthyism" and ignoring common interests.
Taking aim at the hawkish approach of President Donald Trump, Foreign Minister Wang Yi voiced hope for a return of talks and "mutual trust" between the world's two largest economic powers after Biden takes over on January 20.
-It is important that US policy toward China return to objectivity and sensibility as early as possible- Wang said in a virtual address to the New York-based Asia Society.
Wang said that China saw "space for cooperation" with Biden on three of the four issues he has identified as immediate priorities -- Covid-19, economic recovery and climate change. Biden's fourth stated priority is racial equity.
On the pandemic, Wang said China was ready to assist the United States, including through continued production of face masks, and said Beijing and Washington could cooperate in manufacturing vaccines and assisting third countries.
-We hope that we will expand cooperation and manage differences through dialogue- Wang said.
The Trump administration has declared that decades of US engagement have failed with China, speaking of a global challenge from Beijing through its alleged rampant theft of intellectual property, espionage and its blitz of infrastructure projects around the world.
In recent months, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has terminated Chinese-funded exchange programs for Americans and tightened visa rules for Chinese students as well as members of the Communist Party and their families, likely affecting hundreds of millions of people.
-We see McCarthyism resurging and jeopardizing normal international exchanges- Wang said, referring to the witch hunt for communists purported to be in the US government led by Republican senator Joe McCarthy following World War II.
Wang accused unnamed senior US officials of "irresponsible presumption of guilt and emotional lashing-out."
-They ignore the vast common interests and room for cooperation between the two countries and insist that China is a main threat- Wang said.
-This is like misaligning the buttons on clothing. They get things wrong at the very beginning.-
Biden, who invested significant time in diplomacy with China as vice president, has broadly agreed that Beijing poses a global challenge.
But he is expected to take a less bellicose tone than Trump, with his nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, speaking of potential cooperation on climate change and the pandemic.

Wang: It is important that US policy toward China return to objectivity and sensibility as early as possible

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, seen on a November 2020 visit to Seoul, has appealed for cooperation with US President-elect Joe Biden

China offers to work with Biden, warns of new 'McCarthyism'

Croatia on Friday banned citizens from travelling between regions during end-of-year holidays but eased restrictions for Christmas masses as it battles one of the EU's highest coronavirus infection rates.
From Wednesday until January 8 only travel within regions will be allowed, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic told reporters.
Also, in a bid to curb the spread of the respiratory disease, indoor gatherings will capped at two households with a maximum of 10 people, he said.
-The aim... is that the numbers (of infections) do not explode after Christmas and New Year- the minister added.
At the same time the authorities in the staunchly Catholic country decided to wave a limit on public gatherings to allow the faithful to attend masses on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
-People have a spiritual need to go to churches... so it was decided to enable the believers to do it on these two days- said the head of the national public health institute Krunoslav Capak.
Churches will have to provide seven square metres (75 square feet) per person, he stressed.
The move sparked some angry comments on social networks with users saying that similar measures could have been applied to bars and restaurants, which have been closed since late November.
-Church is not the only place where they (believers) can pray- a man commented.
After Lithuania, Croatia has the second highest infection rate in the European Union with 1,158 cases per 100,000 inhabitants cumulatively over 14 days, according to AFP data.
The country of 4.2 million people has registered nearly 200,000 Covid-19 infections and more than 3,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

From Wednesday until January 8 only travel within regions will be allowed

Bozinovic: The aim is that the numbers (of infections) do not explode after Christmas and New Year

Croatia curbs travel, spares Christmas masses

A growing number of world leaders and politicians -- most recently French President Emmanuel Macron and Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic -- have been infected by Covid-19, not least Donald Trump.
Here is a roundup.

Matovic said Friday he had tested positive for Covid-19, a week after he attended an EU summit in Brussels.
Macron on Thursday also announced he was positive for coronavirus after having attended the same summit. 
The French leader is working in isolation for the next week in an official residence outside Paris, officials said. He said he was "doing well" though he admitted his activity had slowed down because of the symptoms.
Before him, US President Trump said he had come down with it on October 2, as had his wife Melania. After a stay in a military hospital, he went back on the campaign trial, saying he was now "immune" and therefore in no pressing need of a vaccine.
On July 7, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro -- who had dismissed the virus as a "little flu" -- said he had tested positive.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 56, spent a week in hospital in April -- including three days in intensive care -- after falling ill. After two weeks' convalescence, he went back to work.

In early September the former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi tested positive after returning from a holiday at his luxury villa in Sardinia.
Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was diagnosed with coronavirus in late April, returning to his duties three weeks later.
Britain's Prince Charles, the heir to the throne, and Prince Albert II of Monaco, both tested positive in March with mild symptoms.

Few top-rank politicians died of the virus until this month, with former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing dying on December 2 aged 94.
Then on Sunday, Ambrose Dlamini, 52, the prime minister of the southern African kingdom of Eswatini -- previously called Swaziland -- became the first sitting leader to die.
He was followed on Wednesday by ex-Swiss president Flavio Cotti, 81, and Burundi's former head of state Pierre Buyoya on Friday.
The 71-year-old had resigning only weeks ago as the African Union's special envoy to strife-torn Mali and the Sahel.

A growing number of world leaders and politicians have been infected by Covid-19

U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, shown at the White House in Washington, D.C., last year, are now among the world leaders who have tested positive for the coronavirus

World leaders who got the virus

The European Union has called on the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take measures to alleviate the economic shock due to the coronavirus crisis, „Dnevni Avaz“ has learned. Namely, in the document that our paper received from Brussels, the Union pointed out six key economic recommendations on the basis of the annual economic dialogue with the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey.

The Union appeals to B&amp;H authorities to respond urgently and to keep accurate statistics on the consequences and to transmit them to the Union institutions.
- Take the necessary fiscal measures to mitigate the economic shock of the crisis caused by COVID infection, especially by protecting the most vulnerable groups. To accelerate economic recovery, increase public investment that stimulates growth as a share of GDP, based on a comprehensive investment strategy. Improve the precision of social transfers by increasing the share of benefits checked in total social spending - the recommendations state.
Also, during this year's dialogue, it was stated that the plans submitted earlier had to adapt to the global crisis.
- Carefully monitor the challenges to financial stability arising from the coronavirus pandemic and take appropriate action if necessary. Protect the integrity of the currency board and the independence of the Central Bank - it was pointed out.
However, Brussels also gives precise instructions that a plan to help companies must be implemented during the corona crisis, especially since a recovery in B&amp;H cannot be expected before 2022, according to CBBH estimates.

- Establish an effective, coordinated and transparent mechanism to support companies affected by the crisis, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and self-employment. Expand social protection coverage and provide incentives to firms. Simplify operations with the aim of a quick recovery after the COVID-19 crisis and take measures to preserve employment - it is stated, among other things.

<h2>Centralized procurement of medicines and equipment</h2>

It is also recommended to ensure adequate and sustainable funding to strengthen the health sector with the aim of improving access to quality public health care for all citizens.
It would be good to determine the scope and apply centralized procurement of medicines and medical equipment, especially for expensive costs and large quantities of drugs, it was said in the EU recommendations addressed to the B&amp;H authorities.

"Avaz" reveals: EU document alarms B&H authorities due to the pandemic

Facsimile of EU document: Precise statistics must be kept and submitted to the Union

Johann Sattler: Dodik played an important role

UK discusses action after confirmation new COVID strain spreads more quickly

US planning to close last consulates in Russia

Vaccines for the most endangered in B&H in the first quarter of 2021.

Dizdarević told "Avaz" about the scandal with the icon: What Dodik did is the bottom line

See how it is on Bjelašnica today: Children's roar, the sun ...

Italy under new restrictions over Christmas, New Year

In B&H, 643 new cases of coronavirus infection, while 42 people died

Parts of Sydney locked down as Australia battles growing cluster

Swiss authorise Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

Russia to return icon to Bosnia after Ukraine complaint

Delegation of EU, embassies, OSCE and OHR call on the people of Mostar to vote

China offers to work with Biden, warns of new 'McCarthyism'

Croatia curbs travel, spares Christmas masses

World leaders who got the virus

The economy is in shock, take action!

News

Johann Sattler: Dodik played an important role

UK discusses action after confirmation new COVID strain spreads more quickly

US planning to close last consulates in Russia

Vaccines for the most endangered in B&H in the first quarter of 2021.

Dizdarević told "Avaz" about the scandal with the icon: What Dodik did is the bottom line

See how it is on Bjelašnica today: Children's roar, the sun ...

Italy under new restrictions over Christmas, New Year

In B&H, 643 new cases of coronavirus infection, while 42 people died

Parts of Sydney locked down as Australia battles growing cluster

Swiss authorise Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine

Russia to return icon to Bosnia after Ukraine complaint

Delegation of EU, embassies, OSCE and OHR call on the people of Mostar to vote

China offers to work with Biden, warns of new 'McCarthyism'

Croatia curbs travel, spares Christmas masses

World leaders who got the virus

The economy is in shock, take action!