LOCAL PRESS
Brnabic: Government to take part in Kosovo dialogue (Tanjug)
The Serbian government will take part in the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said on Wednesday. Responding to reporters’ questions in Podgorica, Montenegro, she said her biggest impression was that the dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija had begun and that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s initiative in that regard was very successful.
Dacic: Critics of my proposal would hand over entire Kosovo (Tanjug)
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic defended his suggestion for a demarcation between Serbs and Albanians and accused his critics of being willing to “hand over entire Kosovo to the Albanians”. “I made a clear proposal to do a demarcation of what is Serb and what is Albanian because that is in the interest of the Serbs and Albanians and is the only possible lasting solution and the hysterical attacks against me over that proposal show what kind of hypocrites these people are,” Dacic told Tanjug. “Serbia will never accept the unilaterally declared independence, it wants a dialogue on a lasting solution. That is why these attempts to kill the only possible lasting solution that is in the interests of Serbs and Albanians, and that both Serbs and Albanians accept, are pathetic. If the Netherlands and Belgium can exchange territory, if India and Bangladesh can do it, and many others, why should not Serbs and Albanians be allowed, if that guarantees peace in this century. The whole world, unfortunately, has dealt with Serbs and Albanians, I suppose I too have the right, too,” he added, and stressed that only an arrangement where everyone gets a little from something they don’t want would represent compromise.
“Unless my critics think that the Serbs need to lose everything,” Dacic said, pointing out that such a thing is not called a deal. “It’s pathetic that some people think that to be modern, liberal or pro-European, one must necessarily be anti-Serb,” said he.
Simic: Serb List to make moves in agreement with Belgrade (RTS)
Serb List MP Igor Simic has told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that their representatives will be present at tomorrow’s constitutive session of the Kosovo Assembly. Asked what will be the position of the Serb List if Kadri Veseli is proposed to be parliament speaker, Simic says the Serbs cannot choose who will be the Albanian representative. “When it comes to the election of Veseli or anyone else, we as Serb representatives cannot choose who represents the Albanians inside the institutions, just as they cannot choose our representatives, and the election process shows they wanted someone else when it comes to Serbs’ interests,” claims Simic. Asked which prime minister designate is acceptable to the Serb List, he says the name of the prime minister designate is still unknown. “We don’t know who will be the prime minister designate, but what we know and what represents the Serb List position, as announced by the Serb List Head Rakic, is that we will be making our political moves in consultations with Belgrade,” said Simic.
Djuric and Rakic discuss situation in Kosovo (Tanjug)
The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric and the Serb List Head Goran Rakic discussed the political situation in Kosovo. Djuric noted that the excellent result of the Serb List at the parliamentary elections in Kosovo and Metohija and achieved political unity
have strengthened the positions of the Serbs in the province and its capacities to fight more efficiently for their rights and interests, in which they will continue to have full support of the Serbian government. Rakic says that the Serb List will always pass important decisions in cooperation with the Serbian government and President Vucic. He notes that the modalities of engaging Serb political representatives in the Pristina institutions will depend on how Albanian politicians will treat the rights and interests of the Kosovo Serbs, stating that nobody will be able to treat Serb political representatives as a decoration anymore thanks to the achieved result of the Serb List. Djuric and Rakic pointed out that it was very important for the Kosovo Serbs to take active part in the internal social and political dialogue on our southern province that has been launched at the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija stated.
Sutanovac: Let Vucic first present his platform on Kosovo (Politika)
“We insist that the President first presents his platform, i.e. to state whether it is still a negation of what was done until 2012, or has he made a turn in the direction of fulfilling some promises that he, we hear, has given to Western officials,” said the leader of the Democratic Party (DS) Dragan Sutanovac. “Over the past five years the authorities made maximum effort to suspend all democratic processes and to abolish public debates. An invitation for talks on Kosovo and Metohija is an invitation for creating an alibi, since the President said in one broadcast that both he and the opposition would be responsible for the result of the negotiations. Vucic won, howsoever, 56 percent of the votes, and he is bragging that he won 80 percent of the votes in Kosovo and Metohija, so the question is what kind of responsibility can be borne by those, who are presently not respected even in institutions where their vote should be respected…Unfortunately, we don’t know now what has been signed in the written and non-written Brussels agreement. The responsibility is primarily with the authorities, it needs to precisely tell citizens what it plans to do. We will present proposals, but we don’t see the point in this if they are not going to be taken into consideration…”
Government dismisses dean of displaced Pristina University (Tanjug/RTS/Politika/Novosti)
The Serbian government on Tuesday dismissed Srecko Milacic from the post of Dean of the Pristina University temporarily based in Kosovska Mitrovica. Milacic was dismissed at the suggestion of the Education Ministry following a number of complaints about his activities. A petition for his dismissal signed by professors, students, MPs and representatives of Serb communities in Kosovo was sent to the Education Ministry. It said he had not reported his assets to the Anti-Corruption Agency and that he shut down several university departments which stimulates the forming of private universities. The petition said that he taught at several private schools which are rivals to the Pristina University School of Economy where he teaches which is against the law. Education Minister Mladen Sarcevic said that Milacic’s dismissal does not violate the autonomy of the university because, according to Resolution 1244, the government, as its founder, has the right to take measures in cases like this. “The state is before the autonomy of the university and when there is a high degree of bad situations the state needs to react. This is the third case that such resolutions are passed, the previous dean arrived to that post in the same manner,” Sarcevic told Tanjug.
Dismissed dean Milacic told Tanjug that it would have been fair is they had consulted his, i.e. to present his opinion on every item for which he is accused, as well as to have an inspection to establish whether there had been omissions in the work. “Is it possible for the mayor of the municipality of Vracar or Grocka to dismiss the dean of the Belgrade University?” wonders Milacic, noting that the curriculum of the University is prepared by the Senate and Council of the University, and that he had never interfered in the work of the student organizations. He says the reason for his dismissal is that the Office for Kosovo and Metohija had wrongly informed the Minister about his activities.
Ljajic: Croatia violates SAA (Tanjug/Beta)
Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic said that Croatia, by introducing non-customs barriers for Serbian products, is drastically violating the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA). Ljajic told Tanjug following the introduction of these barriers by Croatia when importing agricultural products from Serbia and other non-EU countries that our country will address the European Commission and ask for reconsideration of this decision.
He quoted Article 36, paragraph 1, which states that “from the date of entry into force of this Agreement, no new customs duties on imports or exports or charges having equivalent effect shall be introduced”.At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister also stated that, regarding Serbia’s reaction to this decision of Croatia, some of the measures related to enhanced phytosanitary supervision are already being implemented. Ljajic confirmed that the countries of the region, primarily Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, that are also affected by this Croatian measure, will be contacted in order to jointly appear before the European Commission to protect their economic interests. The decision of Croatia is also a drastic violation of the rules and principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which say that there should be no discrimination between domestic and imported products in terms of taxes, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out. He said that Serbia does not want any trade conflict with Croatia because it is not in the interests of any country.
Chepurin: Someone is trying to cause damage to Serbia over RSHC (Novosti/B92)
The Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Chepurin believes the reason for not solving the issue of the RSHC is the desire of some forces to cause additional damage to Serbia. “By undermining this center, these forces are trying to show that there are other bosses of this country, rather than the Serbs. However, only Belgrade should make a sovereign decision here in any case,” Chepurin said in an interview for Vecernje Novosti. Chepurin said that he sees no reason why the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center (RSHC) cannot get official status after five years, and in line with the 2012 Russian-Serbian agreement. “We consider external pressure or influence here to be inadmissible. The solution to the issue is ripe and overripe. After all, the signing of an agreement is not somebody’s wish, but an obligation, based on the intergovernmental agreement,” said the diplomat. Asked if Moscow was preparing to shut down the Center in case the agreement is not signed, Chepurin said that Serbia is interested in the Center’s work. “It was opened at your request. I believe that Serbia will find a way to solve this problem,” he replied. Speaking about the significance of the agreement, Chepurin said it was necessary in order to ensure the functioning of the Center, which has been unable to develop normally in recent years. Its weakening is neither in the interest of Serbia, nor of regional countries, he remarked. Chepurin said that the requested status for the Center’s staff, under the 2012 agreement, means they would have the same status as administrative and technical staff in an embassy. “This entails certain privileges, but they are not big. It’s not about granting diplomatic status to the Russian staff of the RSHC, and this was never discussed,” said Chepurin.
According to him, Russia does not want to set any deadlines and proceeds from believing that this issue will be resolved positively. Asked whether President Aleksandar Vucic and the government can maintain their policy of balancing between the East and the West in the long term, Chepurin replied that Serbia should sit on one – on the Serbian chair. “Why would not your country be able to cooperate with both? We never say – do not cooperate with Germany or with anyone. And Serbia has no reason to break off with Russia, completely the opposite,” said Chepurin.
Chepurin also said that the Russian MiGs would arrive in Serbia sooner than is thought and that most procedures have been implemented. When it comes to the S-300 missile system, Chepurin said this is a very expensive tool, adding that it should be considered what exactly Serbia needs.
REGIONAL PRESS
Zvizdic meets Brnabic, Markovic in Podgorica (Srna/Fena)
The Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers Denis Zvizdic stated today in Podgorica, during the meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic that good political relations between B&H and Serbia are of extreme importance for stability and progress of the region. Zvizdic said that it is important to constantly work on resolving of open issues through political dialogue and focus the cooperation on joint projects directed towards infrastructural connections and economic development. He stressed that Serbia and B&H share joint European aspirations, which presents good grounds for developing of future, joint projects. Zvizdic invited Brnabic to visit B&H.
Zvizdic also met Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and they agreed that there are no open issues between two countries and that relations between B&H and Montenegro can serve as an example of good cooperation in the region. The officials underlined that there is room for improving of economic and cultural cooperation and there is necessity of creation of joint cross-border projects that would encourage economic growth. Zvizdic stressed that B&H already fulfilled good share of conditions for MAP activation and that this would present a huge step forward for B&H. He congratulated Markovic and citizens of Montenegro on NATO accession.
Serbia, B&H, Montenegro and Macedonia to file joint complaint with Brussels due to Croatia’s new import taxes (Al Jazeera)
Serbia, B&H, Montenegro and Macedonia have announced that they will file a joint complaint with Brussels due to a measure imposed by Croatia mid-July. Croatia increased import taxes on its borders for phytosanitary control of fruit and vegetables from third countries, including countries of the region, by 22 times – from EUR 12 to EUR 270.
B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic assessed at the press conference on Tuesday that this measure introduced by Croatia is not fair and it is against principles of free trade and mutual trade agreements. “We do not take any reciprocal measures but we hold consultations. Maybe this issue will be discussed at some ministerial meeting, but anyhow I think that we should clearly and publicly say our stance”, Sarovic stated.
OHR: Official documents of RS must recognize term ‘Bosnian language’ (TV1/N1)
“In regard with that, the Peace Agreement recognizes three official languages in B&H. Next, the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board accepted the Constitutional Court of B&H’s decision on June 6, 2016, according to which constituent peoples and the Others are entitled to constitutional right to name their language and that the RS Constitution is not to dispute that right”, the Office of the High Representative stated for N1, adding that the PIC SB also urged all levels of authority to recognize this right equally for each constituent people and the Others.
Minister Borovac: Denial of right to use language undermines DPA (Hayat)
B&H Minister of Human Rights and Refugees Semiha Borovac reacted on Tuesday to the latest statements of RS leaders and stressed that denial of the right to use a language undermines the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and represents an attack against returnees. Borovac said that the returnees are determined to remain on their property and added that denial of their rights even encourage them more to stay. Therefore, she said, returnees deserve support of all scopes of the society, governmental and non-governmental sector and the international community.
Pence: Montenegro’s courage amid Russia’s pressure inspires the world (CDM)
Montenegro plays a leading role in defending the stability and security of the Western Balkan region. The country’s courage amid Russian pressure inspires the world, said US Vice President Mike Pence at a formal dinner in Gorica Villa in Podgorica. “Thank you for the warm welcome that my wife and I have experienced upon our arrival in Montenegro. It is a great honor for me to be in your wonderful country and to celebrate the excellent relations between the people of Montenegro and the people of the United States. I am particularly honored to be the first US vice president visiting Montenegro,” Pence told President Filip Vujanovic, Parliament Speaker Ivan Brajovic and Prime Minister Dusko Markovic. At the dinner hosted by Markovic, Pence conveyed the greetings of US President Donald Trump. “This is a tangible sign of our commitment to Montenegro as the newest member of NATO. It was my privilege to meet with you the Prime Minister during your visit to the White House, exactly on the day when Montenegro joined NATO. The President and I congratulated you then and we congratulate you once again now. Congratulations on NATO membership show that we appreciate a strong alliance and friendship that is considerably older than your relatively short time in the most powerful and successful defense organization in the world. America is honored to celebrate our relations with strong and free citizens of Montenegro. I assure you that I am here as a proof of the fact that America has no small partners but only has strong partners. And I believe that my presence here today is just the first step,” added Pence. At the end of his toast, he pointed out Montenegro’s role in the Western Balkans region. “I thank you for hosting the tomorrow’s Adriatic Charter Summit and your county’s leading role in defending the stability and security of the Western Balkans. Your courage, particularly amid Russian pressure, inspires the world and I congratulate you on that. Cheers to our alliance and our friendship, let it be deeper and deeper; to even closer relations between the peoples of Montenegro and America in independence and freedom. Cheers to the future,” he said.
According to the President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, it is a great honor and privilege to welcome the Vice President of the United States and his delegation. “I highly appreciate the traditional friendship between Montenegro and the United States. I am proud to say that Montenegro is a member of NATO and that our ally is stronger than ever. President Donald Trump said that we share common values and we will never give up on them. By strengthening these values, we will make our partnership even stronger,” Vujanovic said toasting to the prosperity of America, to the friendship between the two countries, as well as to Vice President and his family. May God bless the friendship between Montenegro and the United States,” Vujanovic said.
Gruevski tells Borisov that VMRO-DPMNE will not support the Agreement (MIA)
During a Tuesday meeting, VMRO-DPMNE Nikola Gruevski told Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov that, in line with the position of the Central Committee, the party would not support the Agreement for Good Neighborly Relations and Friendship, signed by Zoran Zaev’s ‘puppet government for which the party presented constructive, vital remarks and suggestions for the documents’ improvement’.
EU: Agreement with Bulgaria is strengthening Macedonia’s EU perspectives (Meta)
The European Union welcomes the signature of the bilateral “Treaty on friendship, good neighborliness and cooperation” between Bulgaria and the fYROM, states the joint statement of the EU’s High Representative, Federica Mogherini and Commissioner, Johannes Hahn. Mogherini and Hahn stress that the agreement should be an example for the countries in the region about solving bilateral disputes. “This agreement demonstrates the determination of both sides to overcome bilateral issues and is an inspiration for the whole region. It is a positive step forward in good neighborly relations and boosts the EU perspective of the fYROM in the interest of its citizens,” they said in a joint statement.
Government agreed to call upon additional coordination for the Law for languages (Meta)
Despite the problems with forest fires and the dumping ground in Struga, had a discussion about the Law for languages, redundant workers, the as well as several laws concerning social issues, said the government’s press service. There was a debate about passing a draft-Law for the use of languages and it was agreed upon a further coordination to be made i.e. the jurisdictions of the both institutions in the making to be determined completely: the agency for applying the languages and the inspectorate for the use of languages. The draft-law for the use of languages after the determination of jurisdictions will be put on the agenda on one of the forthcoming government sessions, explains the government’s press service.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Serbian Leader’s Dialogue Offer ‘Likely to Fail’ (BIRN, by Filip Rudic, 2 August 2017)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s proposal for an ‘internal dialogue’ on Kosovo is the latest in a series of similar initiatives – all of which ended with him making the decisions, experts claim.
President Aleksandar Vucic’s recent proposal for an ‘internal dialogue’ about the status of Serbia’s former province of Kosovo is the latest of several initiatives to open up public discussion and reach consensus on major social and political issues, although none of them has ended in success so far, political analysts insist. Vucic wrote in an article for the daily newspaper Blic last week that the Serbian nation must “stop burying its head in the sand” on the issue of Kosovo and start “an internal dialogue” about it. “We must try to be realistic, not lose or give away what we have, but not expect to receive what we lost long ago,” Vucic said in the article on July 24. He did not offer any concrete proposals of his own. Economist Milan Kovacevic expressed scepticism’s about Vucic’s words, suggesting that all the Serbian president want to achieve is to “strengthen his own authority”. “I don’t think he intends to have a dialogue now, either. After all, if he’s inviting a dialogue, it would be reasonable for him to state his own opinion,” Kovacevic told BIRN.
Boban Stojanovic from the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade questioned what such a process could achieve as Vucic already has a fixed position on Kosovo’s future. “I don’t think this dialogue, if it even happens, will have any sort of conclusion,” Stojanovic told BIRN. Stojanovic believes that Vucic is not ready to recognise Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, and so the ‘internal dialogue’ can have no impact on reality.
Lack of consensus
Vucic has launched ‘dialogues’ on several other important issues in the past, only to do nothing more about them or to make the decisions himself. In March 2014, before that year’s parliamentary elections, Vucic promised to reach a nationwide consensus on the issue of painful economic reforms. “Our job is to unite Serbia. We don’t want great power, but for the people in Serbia to reach a consensus to make a decent and normal country,” Vucic said at the time.
Several months after the elections, in which his Progressive Party won the majority, new Prime Minister Vucic said that the reforms would take place even without a consensus. A few more months on, the government introduced austerity measures, reducing all pensions and salaries in Serbia’s public sector that were higher than 25,000 dinars (around 210 euros) a month. The Serbian authorities have also boasted that they have instigated dialogue on social issues, after Vucic met representatives from the European Trade Union Confederation and two Serbian unions in April this year. However, a recent deal between striking workers from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Serbia and their employer, mediated by the government, has been criticised for undermining employment rights. “We have the opposite of social dialogue. Look at what is happening with all the strikes, and what the state is doing,” said Kovacevic. He cited the example of Gosa, a company whose workers are currently on strike demanding salaries that their employer owes them. The strike at Gosa recently prompted the president of the Sloga union, Zeljko Veselinovic, to declare the social dialogue in Serbia “meaningless”. “If social dialogue existed, [Vucic] would not have to put out fires by offering [each worker] 60,000 dinars [500 euros],” Veslinovic told regional television station N1, referring to the payouts promised by Vucic. The lack of public consensus has also been used by Vucic in the past as a reason for inaction on vital issues. In 2016, Vucic said that the government “doesn’t have the strength” to fight hooliganism in sport – a deeply-rooted problem in Serbia – because there is “no social consensus” to take action. He never explained who was supposedly against suppressing hooliganism. Also waiting to be addressed is the issue of making changes to the Serbian constitution, which Vucic also says requires consensus. The country’s media have speculated for several years that the EU is demanding that Serbia removes or alters the preamble to the country’s constitution, which declares that Kosovo is a part of Serbia. Stojanovic said that Vucic’s proposed ‘internal dialogue’ might possibly refer to these changes, but he does not believe that the president will dare to seriously address this politically-explosive topic. “In the next year or two, the only serious discussion to be had could be related to the preamble, but I don’t think that he will have the courage to address the issue,” Stojanovic said.
