Ambassador Djukic with positive forecasts for the Balkan countries - Sekulovski from ZNM urges not to hinder the work of journalists in the upcoming elections.
The former Ambassador of Serbia to Belarus and a diplomat with vast experience in diplomatic missions in Moscow, Prishtina and Sofia, Dr. Srecko Djukic is a guest in this Labyrinth. We analyzed the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Belgrade and Paris, but we also analyzed the current war hotspots in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as relations in the Balkans.
Diplomat Djukic expects an escalation on the front in Ukraine which will be an indicator of the direction the war will go and says that Russia receives more help from its allies than Ukraine receives from its friends in the West.
Regarding the dialogue between Belgrade and Prishtina, the diplomat believes that the future Special Envoy of the EU for this dialogue, who will most likely be the former President of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, will in practice achieve what the previous Envoy Miroslav Lajčak did, which is the completion of the formal framework with the Brussels Agreement and the Ohrid Annex.
As for EU expansion, Djukic says that the Union has finally realized that the membership of the Balkan states, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, is their security strategic goal and expects this to be achieved in the next mandate.
A guest in this edition of Labyrinth is the director of ZNM, Dragan Sekulovski, with whom we discussed the safety of journalists, online attacks on them, and the rights of journalists to report from polling stations. Sekulovski reminded that these are the first elections in the country where journalists have the capacity of officials.
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Шпанците со поддршка за признавање на Палестина, но се исплашени од внатрешнитеосцилации на крајната десница
Does Spain fear a far right blockade to their progressive aspirations?
Spain is one of the countries that recognized Palestine. In its capital, European far right had the biggest summit ahead of the upcoming European elections. These are the subjects that we discussed with the journalist Roger Persiva from Madrid, who explained the situation in Spain into detail as well as the position of the Spanish government.
The second guest in Labyrinth is the political scientist and researcher Sonya Stojadinovic. We discussed the active wars, as well as Stojadinovic’s researches regarding Chinese investments and loans on the Balkans and in Europe.
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Macedonia got a new President - Eastern European countries are fighting for democracy
Analysis of Macedonian diplomacy, Callings from Georgia and Ukraine on the situation with the protests and the war.
The first guest in this edition of Labyrinth is the former Ambassador of Macedonia to Sweden and Romania, Tihomir Ilievski. We talked about the oath taken by the new President and the reactions it caused among our neighbors. Despite the reactions and difficulties in bilateral relations, the diplomat is still optimistic about the European integration of Macedonia, as well as about the normalization of relations in the entire Balkans.
In Georgia, massive civil protests are taking place over the law on "foreign agents" which moves the country away from the European path, but also seriously threatens the livelihood and freedom of Georgian citizens. From Tbilisi, we were joined by Ekaterine Basilaia - director of the Center for Media and Social Research of Georgia, who explained in more detail what this law is and why so many people took to the streets. We discussed the use of excessive force by the police in arresting peaceful protesters and the legal fight to protect those detained.
In Labyrinth, we also included the volunteer in the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces, Volodymyr Sapekhin. Volodymyr has been going to the fronts and back for more than two years. We talked about the current situation on the fronts, about the progress of Russian forces in the Kharkiv region, but also about his personal feelings about the two realities he lives in.
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Trump Takes Office – Optimism for Lasting Peace grows in Gaza
Reports from the US and Gaza
Donald Trump officially takes office as President of the US. The inauguration ended with the sensational signing of numerous decisions that have international implications. One of them is the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. From the US, we include reporter Jallysa Dugrot with an analysis of Trump's inauguration day.
In Gaza, meanwhile, the ceasefire is being celebrated and hopes for a lasting peace are growing. Humanitarian aid has begun to arrive in the strip, and the first hostages have already been exchanged. The second exchange is expected to take place this weekend. Journalist Rakan Abed El Rahman joins us from central Gaza, with whom we discuss the situation there after the long-sought ceasefire.
