Five local communities in the City of Zenica received today sets of computer equipment within the project "Strengthening the role of local communities in B&amp;H", which is a joint project of the governments of Switzerland and Sweden and implemented by the United Nations Development Program in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNDP B&amp;H).

The equipment was given to the local communities of Briznik, Donje Babino, Gorica, Janjići and Stranjani, and the total value of this equipment is 18,818.28 KM, of which the donors provided 15,600 KM, and the City of Zenica 3,218.00 KM.
- The City of Zenica has very good cooperation with UNDP. We have been cooperating for years. The city supports them and co-finances all the projects they work on. We completed six of them last year, and now they have elected five new local communities. The City of Zenica will, for 2022, co-finance projects with 110,000 KM, which will be selected by the citizens of these five local communities, as their priorities. The rest, but for now I do not know in what amount, will be co-financed by UNDP - announced the Mayor of Zenica, Fuad Kasumović.
The UNDP, he notes, will also lead citizens' assemblies to define needs and select projects for joint implementation in local communities.
&nbsp;

The total value of this equipment is 18,818.28 KM, of which the donors provided 15,600 KM, and the City of Zenica 3,218.00 KM

Picture taken today at the handout of the equipment

UNDP donates computer equipment to five Zenica local communities

Adviser to the United States Secretary of State Derek Chollet, who is visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina, met today with members of the organization "BOLD - B&amp;H Youth Leaders" to discuss their work to improve the situation in B&amp;H.

- These young leaders deal with women's rights, interethnic relations, speech culture and many other things. We are impressed with them and their projects - Chollet wrote on Twitter.
The US Embassy said that they are immensely proud of the participants of the BOLD program, estimating that B&amp;H will benefit from leaders like them who portray the best characteristics of their country: charity, resilience, perseverance and adaptability.
Chollet, who arrived in B&amp;H yesterday, is scheduled to meet with the B&amp;H presidency members in Sarajevo this afternoon to reaffirm US support for B&amp;H's sovereignty and territorial integrity and call on the country's leaders to engage in constructive dialogue.

The US Embassy said that they are immensely proud of the participants of the BOLD program

Chollet meets with B&H youth leaders

The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoI) of the entity of Republic of Srpska, in cooperation with SIPA, Tuzla Canton MoI and Sarajevo Canton MoI, in a grand-scale operation codenamed "Transporter", arrested nine persons, including an advisor to former Security Minister of B&amp;H, Bojan Cvijetić.

The RS Interior Minister Dragan Lukač said that an RS MoI inspector has also been arrested.
- This morning, one of our inspectors was arrested, who was suspended earlier. Furthermore, according to the information we have, is that he won’t be the only one. We started to clean the garbage on our doorstep as people say -&nbsp; Lukač said.
He called on other agencies to do the same, especially in the fight against drug trafficking.
- All officers of the Ministry of the Interior who have any connection in helping criminals, cooperating with them, or in any way participating in the commission of criminal offenses will be arrested. No one will be forgiven and nothing will be covered up. This way I tell them to prepare because we will find them. First, we want to clean our own doorstep, then the entire RS, because we have to fight against the most serious crimes, and that is certainly organized crime and drug abuse - said Lukač.
Searches are being conducted at 20 locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The operation is carried out by orders of the Court of B&amp;H and under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H.

Searches are being conducted at 20 locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Police arrests a MoI inspector and former Security Minister advisor Cvijetić

Adviser to the United States Secretary of State Derek Chollet, who arrived in B&amp;H yesterday, will meet with members of the B&amp;H Presidency in Sarajevo today afternoon.

Last night, Chollet held a meeting with the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Peoples of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Dragan Čović and Bakir Izetbegović, during which he pointed out the need for leadership, confidence building and functionality of the Federation of BiH, which is key to the stability of B&amp;H on the path towards the EU. 
By coming to B&amp;H, the Adviser to the US Secretary of State wants to confirm the US support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&amp;H and call on the country's leaders to engage in a constructive dialogue.
Yesterday, he also met with High Representative Christian Schmidt, expressing strong US government support for his mandate, including the need for vital economic, electoral and anti-corruption reforms.
According to the announcement of the US Embassy in B&amp;H, Chollet should stay in B&amp;H until Wednesday, November 17, and during meetings with senior government officials emphasize that functional, democratic institutions at all levels of government are key to a better future for all citizens.
He will send a strong message that any attempt to undo 26 years of peace and progress by withdrawing from the state institutions could violate the Dayton Peace Agreement, create difficulties for citizens and be a great disincentive for investors, and a source of serious concern for the international community.

The Adviser to the US Secretary of State wants to confirm the US support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H and call on the country's leaders to engage in a constructive dialogue

Chollet continues his visit to B&H, a meeting with B&H Presidency later today

Russia could step in as a mediator to help resolve the border migrant crisis between Belarus and the EU, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Speaking at a daily briefing in Moscow, Peskov recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin already held a series of phone talks regarding the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Putin's remarks about possibility of direct contacts came after phone talks with German and Belarusian leaders, Peskov said.
Asked about the statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who accused Lukashenko of unleashing migrant crisis in order to distract attention "from Russia's activities on the border with Ukraine," Peskov said Blinken "wrongly interpreted" the situation at the Belarus-Poland border.
Russia has nothing to do with the crisis as well as the Belarusian president, the spokesman stressed.
- Migrants arrive there (in Belarus) using the visa-free regime to further get asylum in Europe. But they are not granted it (asylum), they are not allowed to go there (to Europe) - Peskov said.
The spokesman regretted that "no one (in the US and EU) mentions ideals of humanism, fates of thousands of refugees who have been living on the border for almost a week under harsh weather conditions."
- Therefore, the (US) statement is fundamentally wrong, and we do not agree with it - he said.
As for the threats by Lukashenko about possible cut of gas transit from Russia to Europe through Belarus, Peskov said Moscow hopes the Belarusian president will refrain from taking "emotional decisions."
Earlier, Putin said any Belarusian move to cut gas transit "would not contribute to the development of Russian relations with Belarus as a transit country."
He also promised to talk to Lukashenko about this issue.

Moscow urges Minsk to refrain from taking 'emotional decisions' on cutting gas transit to Europe

Russia could step in as a mediator to help resolve the border migrant crisis between Belarus and the EU

Kremlin says Russia could mediate between Europe, Belarus

The EU will adopt a decision on Monday to recognize digital COVID-19 certificates issued in Serbia, said a commissioner.

"Good news" regarding the same issue is expected for Moldova, Georgia and Serbia, EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi told reporters before the meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
- This means that travel will be much easier for the citizens of these countries, but it also means that citizens of European countries will be able to travel - he ​explained.
After Albania and North Macedonia, Serbia will be the third country in the Western Balkans whose COVID-19 certificate will be recognized in the EU.
With these certificates, passengers prove that they have been fully vaccinated, hold a negative PCR test, or have had the coronavirus in the past 180 days so have enough antibodies.
So far, only 18 countries outside the EU have standardized COVID-19 certificates.
The EU foreign ministers have met in Brussels on Monday, with the Western Balkans, primarily the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, on the agenda.

Travel will be much easier for citizens of Moldova, Georgia, Serbia, says EU enlargement commissioner

With these certificates, passengers prove that they have been fully vaccinated, hold a negative PCR test, or have had the coronavirus in the past 180 days so have enough antibodies

EU to recognize Serbia's COVID certificates

Iraq announced Monday that 571 Iraqi citizens have been detected in eight camps on the border between Belarus and Poland.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf said it is not possible to know the exact number of Iraqis there since the border length of the mentioned countries is 680 kilometers (422 miles).
He said the country is planning to send its first flight on Nov. 18 to repatriate Iraqis who want to return voluntarily.
Noting that the government did not have the means to prevent its citizens from going to another country from abroad, Sahhaf said that after coordination with Turkey, Iraqis were prevented from going to Belarus and they had started coordinating with other countries.
The Iraqi government announced last August that 690 citizens who had stayed in the border area between Belarus and Lithuania were brought back.

Country to send first flight on Nov. 18 for Iraqis who want to return voluntarily, says Foreign Ministry spokesman

Country is planning to send its first flight on Nov. 18 to repatriate Iraqis who want to return voluntarily

Iraq detects 571 citizens at Belarus-Polish border

Voting in Bulgaria’s presidential and early parliamentary elections closed Sunday.

The country will hold a second round of presidential polls as voter turnout was only 33% and no candidate received more than half the votes, according to unofficial results.
An exit poll by Alpha Research showed that incumbent President Rumen Radev, backed by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), won 49.1% of the vote and advanced to the second round, which will be held on Nov. 21.
Anastas Gerdzhikov, the rector of Sofia University, who was nominated by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, will compete with Radev in round two after receiving 26.5% of the vote.
Mustafa Karadayi, head of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) party, the only candidate representing ethnic Turks and other Muslims, finished third with 9.8% of the vote.

According to the preliminary results by Alpha Research, six political parties were able to pass the 4% electoral threshold required in the early general elections for the country's 47th term parliament.

Voter turnout in parliamentary elections was 38.9%, according to the first unofficial results.
Borisov's GERB party won 24.8% of the vote, making it the largest group in parliament.
The We Continue the Change (PP) party, founded by the previous caretaker government’s ministers of economy and finance, Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev, received strong support and became the second-largest party in parliament with 24.1% of the vote.
The BSP received 13.7% of the vote.
The MRF, the majority of whose members are Turkish, maintained steady support in the polls, becoming the fourth largest party represented in parliament with 10.7% of the vote.
Led by showman Slavi Trifonov, the There Is Such A People (ITN) party -- which narrowly won the country's last early general election on July 11 -- did not garner enough support, receiving only 9.9% of the vote.
The Democratic Bulgaria (DB) party ranked sixth with 7.8%.
Racist and ultra-nationalist parties that remain below the threshold will not find representation in the new parliament.
The Central Election Commission is expected to announce the final results by Nov. 17.

Race now between top 2 candidates after no one receives more than half of votes, according to unofficial results

The country will hold a second round of presidential polls as voter turnout was only 33% and no candidate received more than half the votes, according to unofficial results

Bulgaria to hold runoff for presidential elections

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg Monday called on Russia to reduce tensions after “unusual concentration of forces” in and around Ukraine.

- What we see in and around Ukraine now is a large Russian military buildup - Stoltenberg told journalists following his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels.
- We see an unusual concentration of forces, and we also know that Russia has demonstrated both that will and capability to use military force against Ukraine - he said.
Voicing NATO’s support for Ukraine, Stoltenberg urged Russia to be “transparent” on its military activities, reduce tensions and prevent any escalation.
He reiterated that NATO does not and will not accept “illegal annexation of Crimea.”
Kuleba also confirmed that the security situation in Ukraine has been deteriorating since “Russia is demonstrating that it can quickly activate the already amassed troops and equipment.”
- Every option, including the military one is on the table for Russian leadership - he said, but added that it would be too early to decide the outcome of the buildup.
EU officials, as well as UK and US defense ministries warned last week of the dangers of the Russian military buildup mobilizing at least 90,000 troops near its border with Ukraine.
The Kremlin's actions are similar to the spring buildup that Stoltenberg described as “the largest massing of Russian troops since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014”.
Russia seized and occupied Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and remains the de facto authority in the peninsula. Moscow also that year began to support separatist forces in eastern Ukraine against the central government, a policy that it has maintained in the past seven years.

Jens Stoltenberg calls on Russia to reduce tensions after talks with Ukrainian foreign minister on recent military buildup

NATO chief warns of "unusual concentration of forces" near Ukraine

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels that one of the important topics would be the situation in the Western Balkans, especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- Activities are underway in that country aimed at undermining the country's integrity and threatening its path to the European Union - Borrell added.
However, the most important topic of today's meeting is the situation in Belarus and the way migrants are treated, and Borrell added that sanctions always have an effect because they affect people's well-being and ability to move, which is why he expects a new set of sanctions against Belarus to be imposed.
EU foreign ministers met in Brussels today to discuss, among other things, the ongoing situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has escalated with a blockade of the state institutions by the RS authorities.
MEPs Tineke Strik and Dietmar Köster, who were in BiH last week, expressed hope that EU member states would decide to impose certain financial sanctions on the BiH Presidency member and the SNSD leader Milorad Dodik.

The situation escalated with a blockade of the state institutions by the RS authorities

Borrell: In B&H, certain activities are undermining the country's integrity

Officers of the Foča Police Department, during an attempted arrest, killed a man suspected of murdering a child in the vicinity of Foča.

The Foča Police Department was informed yesterday at around 5.15 PM that an unknown person fired from a firearm in which a ten-year-old boy was killed. He was traveling as a passenger in a motor vehicle in the village of Zavait, Foča municipality.
According to the media, the suspect refused to surrender until the last moment, after which he was located in the facility of the Maglić Forest Farm, surrounded and called to surrender, he tried to activate a hand grenade.

According to the media, the suspect refused to surrender until the last moment

The Foča Police Department was informed yesterday at around 5.15 PM that an unknown person fired from a firearm in which a ten-year-old boy was killed

Police kills a suspect in the murder of a boy in Zavait village

Counselor of the United States Secretary of State Derek Chollet is scheduled to arrive in Bosnia and Herzegovina today to reaffirm US support for B&amp;H's sovereignty and territorial integrity and call on the country's leaders to engage in constructive dialogue.

According to the announcement of the US Embassy in B&amp;H, Chollet should stay in B&amp;H until Wednesday, November 17.
While in Sarajevo, Counselor Chollet will meet with senior government officials to underscore that functional, democratic institutions at all levels of government are essential to a better future for all citizens, in both the Federation of B&amp;H and the Republic of Srpska (RS), as well as in Brčko District.
He will deliver a firm message that any attempts to undo 26 years of peace and progress, through withdrawal from state-level institutions, could violate the Dayton Peace Agreement, create hardship for citizens, and be a major disincentive for investors and source of serious concern for the international community.
The Counselor will also meet with High Representative Christian Schmidt, expressing the US government’s strong support for his mandate, including the need for vital economic, electoral, and anti-corruption reforms. In addition, he will meet with members of the media and civil society.
It will send a strong message that any attempt to undo 26 years of peace and progress by withdrawing from state institutions could violate the Dayton Peace Agreement, create difficulties for citizens and be a great disincentive for investors, and is a source of serious concern for the international community.
The adviser will also meet with the international community's High Representative in B&amp;H, Christian Schmidt, to express the US government's strong support for his mandate, including the need for vital economic, electoral and anti-corruption reforms, announced the US Embassy in Sarajevo. 
&nbsp;

According to the announcement of the US Embassy in B&H, he should stay until Wednesday

Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet is visiting B&H

European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels today to discuss, among other things, the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has escalated with a blockade of the state institutions by Republic of Srpska authorities.

MEPs Tineke Strik and Dietmar Köster were in B&amp;H last week, expressing hope that EU member states would decide to impose certain financial sanctions on the B&amp;H Presidency member and the SNSD leader Milorad Dodik.
The EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi said ahead of the meeting that one of the important topics would be the issue of the Western Balkans and countries where it is necessary to ensure the harmonization of legislation with the EU acquis.
- This is an important debate, but also the fact that we must continue the enlargement process and we hope that after the elections in Bulgaria and North Macedonia we will see progress in that sense - he added.
&nbsp;

Oliver Varhelyi said ahead of the meeting that one of the important topics would be the issue of the Western Balkans and countries where it is necessary to ensure the harmonization of legislation with the EU acquis

European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels today to discuss

Foreign ministers of EU member states discuss the situation in Western Balkans

Germany on Friday sharply criticized Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik over his recent moves seeking to dissolve Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The German Foreign Ministry's deputy spokeswoman, Andrea Sasse, said recent statements by Dodik were "totally irresponsible and unacceptable," adding that they endangered the stability of the entire region.
Dodik, who is the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, drew widespread criticism for threatening the secession of Republika Srpska from the rest of the country.
Sasse said recent developments would be discussed by EU foreign ministers during their meeting on Monday in Brussels.
- The federal government of Germany is committed to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina - she said.
Dodik had claimed last month that several EU member states supported the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Berlin reaffirms commitment to sovereignty, territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Germany on Friday sharply criticized Bosnian Serb politician Milorad Dodik

Germany slams Serb leader's plans for Bosnia's dissolution

The UN Human Rights Office on Friday expressed concern after police in Belgrade this week stepped in to protect a mural of convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic painted on a building in the city center of the Serbian capital.

- The mural in Belgrade is not an isolated incident - Liz Throssell, spokeswoman for UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at a UN press conference in Geneva.
- Posters, graffiti, other materials and statements praising war criminals are found in other parts of Serbia, as well as in various towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and elsewhere in the region. -Symbols glorifying convicted war criminals should have no place in the public space, said Throssell.
Such symbols are concerning given the recent rise in hate speech and denial of genocide and other atrocity crimes in the Western Balkans – "developments that highlight the failure to address the past."
The UN rights office official said the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina is "particularly worrying," where such trends are deepening divisions.
- We call on the authorities in the region to abide by their international human rights obligations to ensure the rights to truth, justice, and reparation, as well as to adopt measures to prevent recurrence and to promote further reconciliation efforts - said Throssell.
The rights office called on the authorities to condemn and refrain from all forms of hate speech and incitement to violence and to ensure the perpetrators of such acts are held accountable.
Mladić was once Europe's most wanted man after his role in the 1992-1995 Bosnian War.
He was the commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, established in Bosnia-Herzegovina at the beginning of the country's civil war amid the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Mladić and the forces under his command were linked to the genocide committed in Bosnia, particularly in Srebrenica, Europe's worst atrocity since the World War II, after Serb forces overran an enclave that was supposed to be under the protection of UN peacekeepers.
After the end of the war with the 1995 Dayton Accords, Mladić became a fugitive for more than a decade.

Symbols are concerning given rise in hate speech, denial of genocide in Western Balkans, says UN rights office

Symbols glorifying convicted war criminals should have no place in the public space

UN voices concern over Serbian police protecting symbols praising war criminals

Russia on Friday announced that it sent a unit of its airborne forces to hold a joint military drill with Belarus.

- On November 12, as part of a surprise combat readiness check of Airborne Forces, a unit of Russian paratroopers will perform a practical landing on an unfamiliar site in the Grodno region of the Republic of Belarus and take part in a joint tactical exercise with units of the Belarusian armed forces - said the Defense Ministry.
The training will engage an IL-76 military transport aircraft, which will drop the paratroopers in Belarus and then return to its area of permanent deployment, it added.
After the drill, the Russian paratroopers will also return to their point of permanent deployment in Russia.
The exercise came amid heightened tensions between Belarus and Poland over a migration crisis that has escalated this week.
On Monday, Polish authorities deployed about 15,000 troops along the border to stop migrants seeking to enter the EU from Belarus.
The heavy deployment sparked concern in Moscow, with the Kremlin saying it was closely monitoring "the alarming situation" and urging all parties to behave responsibly.

Russia announces sudden combat readiness check with Belarus amid migration crisis on Belarusian-Polish border

Russian and Belarusian troops take part in the Zapad-2021 military exercise in Brest region in Belarus

UNDP donates computer equipment to five Zenica local communities

Chollet meets with B&H youth leaders

Police arrests a MoI inspector and former Security Minister advisor Cvijetić

Chollet continues his visit to B&H, a meeting with B&H Presidency later today

Kremlin says Russia could mediate between Europe, Belarus

EU to recognize Serbia's COVID certificates

Iraq detects 571 citizens at Belarus-Polish border

Bulgaria to hold runoff for presidential elections

NATO chief warns of "unusual concentration of forces" near Ukraine

Borrell: In B&H, certain activities are undermining the country's integrity

Police kills a suspect in the murder of a boy in Zavait village

Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet is visiting B&H

Foreign ministers of EU member states discuss the situation in Western Balkans

Germany slams Serb leader's plans for Bosnia's dissolution

UN voices concern over Serbian police protecting symbols praising war criminals

Russia sends paratroopers for military training in Belarus

News

UNDP donates computer equipment to five Zenica local communities

Chollet meets with B&H youth leaders

Police arrests a MoI inspector and former Security Minister advisor Cvijetić

Chollet continues his visit to B&H, a meeting with B&H Presidency later today

Kremlin says Russia could mediate between Europe, Belarus

EU to recognize Serbia's COVID certificates

Iraq detects 571 citizens at Belarus-Polish border

Bulgaria to hold runoff for presidential elections

NATO chief warns of "unusual concentration of forces" near Ukraine

Borrell: In B&H, certain activities are undermining the country's integrity

Police kills a suspect in the murder of a boy in Zavait village

Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet is visiting B&H

Foreign ministers of EU member states discuss the situation in Western Balkans

Germany slams Serb leader's plans for Bosnia's dissolution

UN voices concern over Serbian police protecting symbols praising war criminals

Russia sends paratroopers for military training in Belarus

Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet is visiting B&H

Counselor of the US Department of State Derek Chollet is visiting B&H