Escobar: Russia will try to interfere in the presidential election campaign

The US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Eskobar said that he thinks that Russia will try to insert unhealthy narratives to cause internal tensions and conflicts in Montenegro in the pre-election period, but he points out that he has confidence in Montenegrin institutions to seek transparency during the election campaign, which would those attempts stopped. He also pointed out that he believes that people in Montenegro are wise enough to recognize these attempts. He believes that Russia will use traditional disinformation channels.
Eskobar said that he believes that the institutions of Montenegro will have the ability to seek publicity and transparency in the election campaign.
After all, the USA sees Montenegro as an important NATO ally, and we hope that the next government will be dedicated to EU accession and the obligations arising from NATO membership - said Eskobar.
Asked about the proceedings against former FBI agent Charles McGonigal and the ongoing investigation into his suspicious connections in the Western Balkans, he said that the State Department is not part of that investigation and that questions about it should be directed to the FBI.
Eskobar said that the USA supports the European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the countries of the region, and that the Western Balkans remains very important for the United States. He emphasized that the US supports the negotiations in Brussels between Serbia and Kosovo, but that it is a dialogue organized by the EU.
We support it, but we are still not the organizers - said Eskobar at an online briefing with journalists.
He stressed that the USA expects everything agreed between Serbia and Kosovo to be fulfilled.
I personally believe that it is best for the Serbian community to insist on the full realization of what was agreed upon. When we talk about the Union of Serbian Municipalities (USO), we mean that the USO does not affect the constitutional order and legal structure of Kosovo. We don't think there's anything terrible about it. The parties can also expect consideration of the issue of the Serbian Orthodox Church in a European manner that concerns the rights of minorities - said Eskobar.
He indicated that the US thinks that the talks on implementation should start as soon as possible.
Conversations are the best way forward. I hope that this contract will be defined and that we have all the prerequisites for it to succeed. It will be to the benefit of Serbia and Kosovo, but also to the entire international community, because we are getting stability - Eskobar pointed out.
He said that the USA believes that Bulgaria and North Macedonia should have good and productive relations.
We fully support North Macedonia on its European path - said Eskobar.
M. J.