LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: W. Balkans tensions “return to dangerous level” (Tanjug)

The tensions that have returned to the Western Balkans are at the most dangerous level since the end of the wars of the 1990s. Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic has told this to Italy’s La Repubblica, noting that he had been warning German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian PM Matteo Renzi and other European officials of this for months. Vucic is sending clear warnings two days after the Bosnian Serb referendum, the Rome-based daily said. The tensions are provoked by all those who speak in favor of EU integration and then wait for any opportunity to set traps for their neighbors, Vucic said. “The Bosnian Serbs say they are pro-EU while speaking the worst about the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), who say ‘we are big, the Bosnian Serbs are stupid’,” Vucic has been quoted as saying. “Let us stop those hostilities in the name of the future – there is more hatred among us than there was 21 years ago,” he said.

Joksimovic receives Calavera (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister for European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic on Tuesday received Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, director for the Western Balkans in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement, who commended Serbia’s progress in the European integration process, noting that its efforts had been recognized. Joksimovic said formal steps in the accession negotiations would continue to be based on the results achieved, a statement said. Joksimovic and Calavera said they were optimistic the accession process would gain momentum in the coming period and that a few more negotiation chapters would be opened by the end of the year. One of the topics was also the implementation of the Brussels Agreement. Joksimovic noted Belgrade had demonstrated a constructive position in the dialogue but that it expected the same from Pristina.

Dacic meets with former members of European Parliament to discuss Serbia’s EU integration (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met on Sept. 27 with former members of the European Parliament (EP) visiting Belgrade, to discuss Serbia’s accession to the European Union and cooperation with the neighbors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported in a press release. The former EP members supported Serbia’s accession talks with the EU, emphasizing Serbia’s constructive role in preserving regional stability, said the ministry. Dacic also discussed major international affairs with the former European parliamentarians, the ministry says.

Kuburovic, Calavera discuss EU integration process (Beta)

Serbian Minister of Justice Nela Kuburovic met on Sept. 27 with Genoveva Ruiz Calavera, director at the Directorate for the Western Balkans of the General Directorate for the European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, to discuss Serbia’s accession to the European Union, judicial reform and the implementation of the Action Plan for Chapter 23. Calavera said that demanding tasks were ahead of Serbia, Chapter 23 being one of them, which is why Brussels would assist Serbia in implementing the Action Plan for the chapter, based on cooperation between EU experts and representatives of the Serbian judiciary, the Ministry of Justice said in a press release. The justice minister said that the implementation of the Action Plan had begun before the chapter was opened last July, with special emphasis on the efficiency of national judiciary. The ministry explained that early in October Serbia could expect the first official visit by the European Commission’s experts, to define precisely the reporting methods for the progress made in the implementation of the Action Plan.

Dacic, Chepurin discuss economy, visits by high -ranking Serbian, Russian officials (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met on Sept. 27 with the Russian ambassador to Belgrade, Alexander Chepurin, to discuss visits by the two states’ senior officials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release that the minister and the ambassador described bilateral relations as good, adding that “there’s an upward trend in economic cooperation, too.” Dacic and Chepurin expect Serbian-Russian trade to develop further, requiring growing investment.

Jeremic’s proposals could give UN way to bridge chasm (B92)

For the first time in UN’s history a candidate for the post of the organization’s secretary-general has released a comprehensive campaign platform. And, according to the National Interest, that candidate is Serbia’s Vuk Jeremic. The article, published on the website under the headline, “A Different Kind of UN Secretary General” and penned by Nikolas K. Gvosdev, describes the platform of the former Serbian foreign minister and former president of the UN General Assembly – “Strengthening the United Nations in the 21st Century” – as “a detailed 53-point program of action.”

“Jeremic’s proposals offer a way forward for the United Nations to bridge the chasm that the Obama and Lavrov speeches illuminated,” the author wrote – referring to this month’s UN General Assembly addresses delivered by the U.S. president and the Russian foreign minister – and added: “A greater refocus of the United Nations as a non-ideological, technocratic provider of solutions to discrete problems avoids forcing the UN having to arbitrate between fundamentally different visions of the international political order. Russia, China, the United States and the principal European powers may fundamentally disagree on the big political picture, but they all see the negative impacts of climate change, migration flows, the spread of pandemics, and so on.”

“The dirty little secret in Washington is that while politicians love to bash the United Nations as wasteful, the national-security establishment absolutely depends on the UN to deal with many regional problems that the United States is unable or unwilling to deal with. Jeremic’s proposals to make the UN more deployable in the field and to institute comprehensive fiscal controls would also find a welcome response from those in the State and Defense Departments who want a more capable UN as a ‘force multiplier’ for U.S. theater security policy. Thus, the Wall Street Journal concluded that Jeremic would be the ‘best chance for reform’ at the UN,” the Gvosdev said. The author further “sees the core of the Jeremic proposals as an ambitious effort to redefine what collective security means for the 21st century, and what the role of the United Nations ought to be as a collective security organization, not as any sort of embryonic world government.”

“Is this a vision that the members of the UN Security Council can endorse? Given the new north/west and east/south divides in the world, the next secretary-general must be able to navigate those divisions. Otherwise, the paralysis made most manifest this past week on the rostrum will further erode efforts to pursue global solutions,” the article concludes.

REGIONAL PRESS

Review of constitutionality of March 1 as B&H Independence Day to be sought (Srna)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik announced today that review of constitutionality of March 1 as “Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Independence Day” will be sought before the B&H Constitutional Court. He has said that the arguments listed in such a request will be as same as the ones that were used in contesting January 9 as the RS Day. Dodik has added that the request for initiation of legal proceedings before the B&H Constitutional Court related to March 1 will be submitted by the SNSD Parliamentary Caucus in the RS National Assembly, which he tasked so. He has noted that the request will be submitted to the Constitutional Court to review the constitutionality of all laws and legal acts adopted in the Parliament of the Federation of B&H, as the Serb Caucus in the House of Peoples of this institution has not been constituted in accordance with the Constitution. At a press conference in Banja Luka, the RS President has said that he has not yet received a hearing notice from the B&H Prosecutor’s Office over the referendum on RS Day, but that he will respond to it in any judicial institution in RS, not in Sarajevo.

RS President Dodik refuses to be interrogated in Sarajevo for safety reasons (RTRS)

Speaking at a press conference in Banja Luka on Tuesday, Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik noted that he still has not received the invitation for interrogation before the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). He expressed his readiness to make a statement before this institution regarding the referendum, but he will do that in the RS and not in Sarajevo – for safety reasons. According to Dodik, it is not a coincidence that the order for his interrogation was issued only a day after the referendum in the RS, upon the order of Chairman of the B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic whose inappropriate statements directly call on Bosniak extremist groups to assassinate him. Since Izetbegovic predicted that Dodik’s destiny will be similar to the one of Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein and Slobodan Milosevic, Dodik explained that he does not feel safe in Sarajevo. “In that way, Bakir Izetbegovic gave an order to all extreme groups of Bosniaks and Muslims to go for Milorad Dodik. That is the reason why I, as President of the Republic, do not want and will not go to the Federal Sarajevo in the premises of the Prosecutor’s Office”, Dodik stated. Dodik assessed that this whole situation represents showdown with the RS. Dodik remarked that he is willing to cooperate with the judiciary but he is unwilling, as he noted, to risk his life. According to Dodik, all he did was give his support to the institutions. “I will certainly not go to Sarajevo. If they think it is a way to arrest me, it is their choice. I am ready for cooperation, but I am not ready to risk my life after Izetbegovic’s claims that I should end up like Gaddafi or someone else”, Dodik stressed. He added that his team of lawyers will consider filing a lawsuit with regard to this matter. He also assessed that it will be interesting to hear the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) explaining how come its 92nd decision was urgently taken into consideration, while non-implementation of 91 previous decisions has been ignored.

Addressing the press at the opening of tunnel ‘Karaula’ on Tuesday, Izetbegovic assessed that Dodik’s announcement of submitting B&H CC with a request for assessment of constitutionality of marking March 1 as the Independence Day of B&H means that Dodik actually recognizes the CC. “I welcome that fact”, Izetbegovic added. Izetbegovic said that comparing Dodik’s situation to al-Gaddafi’s “is perhaps not the best comparison” and added that it happens to politicians to sometimes say “a word that is too strong”.

Reactions of other RS’ officials to Dodik’s invitation for interrogation (RTRS)

The fact that the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) invited Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik for interrogation has sparked numerous reactions. RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic assessed that the invitation is another attack on the RS. She argued that judicial institutions of B&H must be under strong pressures coming from foreigners and politicians from Sarajevo. “It is horrible that they insist on implementation of the decision of the B&H Constitutional Court only in this case, turning a blind eye to 91 previous decisions that the Federation of B&H and the cantons have failed to implement”, Cvijanovic stated. DNS leader Marko Pavic reminded that local elections in Mostar have not been held for almost a decade, concluding that one should be looking for consequences of non-implementation of decisions of the B&H Constitutional Court on the other side. SP RS leader Petar Djokic assessed that the move of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H sets a dangerous precedent in recent history. He deems that the countries avoiding dialogue and using force usually end up in dissolution. According to Djokic, neither Dodik nor anyone else who might be invited for interrogation has any kind of reason to be afraid.

Chief prosecutor of B&H suspended (Nezavisne novine)

The Disciplinary Commission of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (VSTV) has suspended Chief Prosecutor of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Goran Salihovic. The Banja Luka daily Nezavisne Novine reported this on Wednesday. The news has been confirmed with a statement posted on the VSTV website, which said Salihovic was suspended from his duties until the end of the disciplinary procedure against him. Salihovic on Monday said the VSTV wanted to dismiss him because of an investigation he initiated against Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik, in connection with the RS Day referendum held on Sunday. Speaking for Al Jazeera Balkans, the now suspended prosecutor said he was sure of the correctness of the decision, and was “not afraid of any proceedings.” “The reason for the complaint was my opening of the investigation against Milorad Dodik, and that he for the first time in history received a summons to report to the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H,” Salihovic said on Monday. The prosecutor denied the allegations that he put the brakes on some investigations against senior officials, “especially those from the RS.” The VSTV announced earlier that the Disciplinary Commission found there was sufficient evidence that Salihovic committed disciplinary offenses, including “failure to ask for his recusal in cases where conflict of interest was present; engaging in inappropriate contacts with judges or parties in a case; allowing persons not legally authorized to act as prosecutors; interfering in the work of judges or prosecutors with the goal of obstructing or disparaging their activities; deliberately providing false, deceitful, or incomplete information regarding job applications, disciplinary matters, issues related to promotions in service, or any other issues that are within the jurisdiction of the VSTV.”

Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs against artificial politicizing of referendum on RS Day (RTRS)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia stated that Moscow opposes to artificial politicizing of the referendum on Republika Srpska Day and it is convinced that this step has been in no way aimed against territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The Ministry added that Russia views the referendum in the context of realization of wide competencies of the two entities, as defined by the Dayton Peace Accords, including the competencies related to defining of holidays.

Preda: Russia’s support to referendum was dangerous step (Euro Blic)

Rapporteur for B&H of the European Parliament Christian Dan Preda warned that the support of Russia to the referendum in the RS was a dangerous step because in this way the official Moscow is trying to drag B&H in its conflict with Europe.

Izetbegovic: I have nothing to explain to Nikolic (N1)

In a statement to Vecernje novosti daily, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic called on Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic to explain his assessment that RS President Milorad Dodik will end up as Libya’s former leader Muammar Gaddafi. “When he was honest – when he said that there will be no war in B&H or when he predicted that Milorad Dodik will be tortured, humiliated and murdered after a military intervention? Who will do that, in his opinion? Dodik is using the democratic principle to implement his ideas and what method would Izetbegovic use to implement his idea about the murder of a president?” Commenting on criticism by Nikolic, Izetbegovic stated on Tuesday that he cannot understand why he is concerned about Dodik. “He is a Serbian and this is B&H and Dodik knows very well how to defend himself”, Izetbegovic said, adding that his comparison between Dodik and Gaddafi might not be the best comparison after all. Izetbegovic said there is nothing to explain. “We, leaders of countries, should not be asking questions to each other. I once slipped and said a difficult word, it happened thousands of time for Nikolic”, said Izetbegovic.

OHR, US Embassy without comment on Izetbegovic’s statement (Dnevni avaz)

The OHR refused to comment the statement by Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Chairman Bakir Izetbegovic who said that Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik will experience the same as Saddam Hussain, Muammar Gaddafi and Slobodan Milosevic. The OHR briefly noted it does not want to become part of election campaign by commenting this. The US Embassy to B&H statement similarly replied to the same inquiry, noting only that local elections will be held in end of the week and it encouraged leaders in all country to leave aside the rhetoric of divisions.

Mektic says Dodik is last person to face sanctions due to failure to respect B&H CC’s decisions (Hayat, RTRS)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Security Dragan Mektic said on Tuesday that Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik is the last person to face sanctions due to failure to respect B&H CC’s decisions, noting that B&H Presidency chairman Bakir Izetbegovic and B&H Presidency member Dragan Covic should be prosecuted first due to the fact that they failed to implement the decision of B&H CC related to the electoral system in Mostar. The representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H have caused confusion over the question if Dodik was invited for interrogation because of the referendum in the RS or because of non-implementation of the B&H Constitutional Court’s (CC) decision on January 9 as the RS Day. While Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H Goran Salihovic claims that it was because of the referendum, his spokesperson referred to the latter reason. At the same time, Registrar at the B&H CC Zvonko Mijan confirmed to RTRS that the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H still has not been officially informed about whether or not the decision on January 9 as the RS Day has been implemented. “This matter will be considered at the plenary session on Friday”, he noted. According to RTRS, it is obvious that Salihovic invited Dodik being in a hurry to work in favor of Bosniak politicians and to avoid being suspended in the upcoming days.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Nikolic: Izetbegovic has an idea on Dodik’s assassination (BIRN)

Bakir Izetbegovic, the chairman of the Bosnian presidency, “owes an explanation” to the public over his statement in which he likened the president of the Republic of Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik to Muammar Gaddafi, Serbian president Tomislav Nikolic said in the interview to “Vecernje novosti” daily. Izetbegovic made the comparison on the eve of the referendum in RS, held on Sunday. “I think everything will depend heavily on the reaction of the international community. We have seen how Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, and Milosevic violate laws and how all of that ended”, Izetbegovic said according to Croatian “Vecernji list”. The citizens of RS, a Bosnian entity, have voted in favor January 9 to be celebrated as the Day of the Republic of Srpska. However, Bosnian Constitutional Court proclaimed referendum unconstitutional and West condemned voting. Russia has hailed the fact that the referendum was held in peaceful manner. Dodik has met Russian president Vladimir Putin in Kremlin shortly before the voting. According to president Nikolic, Izetbegovic should explain if he “foresees that Milorad Dodik would be tortured, humiliated and killed after the military intervention”. Nikolic clearly alluded to Gaddafi’s 2011 killing.

“Who will do that, in his opinion”, Nikolic went on alluding to Izetbegovic’s “prophecy”. “The citizens of Libya have been turned against Gaddafi. What should happen in order the citizens of RS to do the same to their president who has been legitimately elected? Dodik has used the democratic principle for realizing his ideas, but which tool would Izetbegovic use to materialize his idea on assassination of an president?”, Nikolic underlined in the interview.