LOCAL PRESS

Brnabic: Serbia made some brave but unpopular political decisions regarding Kosovo (Blic/Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has stated that she is very proud that our country is among the candidates with the greatest prospect of becoming full members of the EU, with the message that it is more interested in the reforms that are being implemented. In an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, Brnabic said that the reforms are not being implemented because of the European Union, noting that if we do not implement them before accession, the EU will no longer offer us many advantages. Many skilled experts would leave the country and vice versa, and the EU will no longer praise Serbia as an investment market, she said, adding that our country wants to become a member that can contribute. She stated that Serbia had to make drastic reforms because we were almost bankrupt, and the World Bank asked us to do something.
Brnabic stated that some state-owned companies were privatized, and that thanks to reforms, for the first time in 12 years, we have a budget surplus. We reduced state debts; unemployment was halved and is at 12%, she pointed out. The Prime Minister recalled that at the end of 2014 public spending had been reduced, in the meantime, we had more than 40,000 less employees, we had to reduce salaries and pensions, and those reforms were almost completed.
When it comes to Kosovo, Brnabic said that the Serbian government has made some brave but unpopular political decisions. We signed and almost fully implemented the Brussels Agreement with Kosovo. On the contrary, Pristina has not even begun to do it yet, she stressed. We insist on this now. We want Pristina to respect the agreement, said Brnabic.

Brnabic: 2018 budget developmental, standard-oriented budget (RTS)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic stated in the Serbian parliament that the proposed budget for 2018 is developmental, well-balanced and aimed at raising the standard of living of Serbian citizens. Brnabic explained that the budget was made so that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development had the highest increase of RSD 21 billion, of which RSD 10.7 billion is allocated for salaries in education. The budget for the next year is very well balanced and corresponds to all the foreseen priorities, she said, adding that investments in education and science have never been higher. According to Brnabic, the budget is aimed at raising citizens’ standards because it envisages an increase in salaries and pensions, as well as economic growth through a strong increase in investments.

Yee: US interested in all Balkan countries becoming strong and prosperous (N1)

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Hoyt Brian Yee spoke about the current political situation in B&H and the region, and about work of the ICTY. Speaking about US interests in the Western Balkan region, Yee stated that the US interest is to help Balkan countries become strong, prosperous countries with strong market economies and positive perspectives, especially for young people. He repeatedly underlined that USA wants to help all countries in the region make progress and become EU and NATO members. He also repeatedly emphasized the importance of regional cooperation. Speaking about Serbia, Yee stated that USA would like to see Serbia continue moving towards the West. He underlined that USA is not offering only moral support, but also very concrete assistance through different programs. Asked if he fears that B&H could become a “failed state”, Yee stated: “We are concerned by the lack of progress in reform processes in B&H in the past two decades. We see that the rest of the region is moving forwards, moving towards integration, better economy, more jobs and greater prosperity”.

Defense Ministry: Serbian peacekeepers in DR Congo safe (Tanjug)

All eight Serbian Armed Forces troops serving in the MONUSCO peacekeeping mission in DR Congo are safe and performing their duties normally, the Serbian Defense Ministry said in the wake of Friday’s attack on the UN mission, in which at least 14 peacekeepers were killed and another 53 wounded. The attack took place in the east of the country, on the border between DR Congo and Uganda, far from where the Serbian peacekeepers are performing their duties.

Five countries blocked chapter 33 of Serbia’s EU talks (Tanjug/Beta)

At an inter-governmental conference in Brussels today, Serbia will open two more chapters in its the EU accession negotiations. Chapter 6 deals with company law, while chapter 30 deals with external economic relations. According to Tanjug, analysts find it particularly interesting to see how Chapter 30 will be solved, because it means that Serbia can no longer have bilateral and duty-free contracts as it does now, for example with Russia. EU member states have decided to allow Serbia to open two more chapters, which will bring the total to 12. Prior to the final decision to open new chapters, member states, as usual, considered the progress of Serbia under chapters 23 and 24, concerning the rule of law reform and the process of normalization of relations with Pristina. Tanjug said it learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels that all member states were not satisfied with the overall progress Serbia has made in completing the chapter 23 action plan dealing with judiciary reforms, anti-corruption policy, fundamental rights and EU citizens’ rights. On this basis, a political decision was made for Serbia to open two instead of three new chapters. Beta reported on Monday afternoon that the countries that explicitly blocked the opening of Chapter 33 included Germany, France, Sweden, Britain, and Croatia. Tanjug said earlier that the EU expects that in the first part of 2018, Serbia will be able to open at least three new chapters, including 33 on financial and budgetary provisions, 9 on financial services and 13 on fisheries. These three chapters are already in the Council’s working bodies. It is also expected that in 2018 Serbia will submit to Brussels negotiating positions for these additional chapters. EU officials have repeatedly announced that 2018 would be extremely important for progress in the enlargement process, the agency said. They say in Brussels that the renewed momentum and EU’s commitment to enlargement must be made us of by the region by working on internal reforms and regional cooperation. Serbia’s delegation at today’s conference is headed by Serbian Minister of EU Integration Jadranka Joksimovic. EU member countries will be represented Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, while Johannes Hahn will represent the European Commission. Joksimovic and Hahn should later in the day address a press conference.

The Stamp of Brussels and US (NIN, by T. Nikolic Djakovic)

According to the decision of the Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) in Lyon and the adoption of UNMIK’s objections for cancelling the warrant for Ramush Haradinaj, Interpol’s warrant for the Kosovo prime minister remains in force only in Serbia, even though “darkened”, but it is not valid anymore in other Interpol member countries.

For Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, the darkening of Haradinaj’s warrant is a precedent past law. It is also an unknown factor in the legal dictionary of the former police minster Bozo Prelevic. Yet Prelevic also has an additional explanatory note of the whole situation that Stefanovic doesn’t mention. “The question posed here is whether Haradinaj is being arrested at the border or in Brussels, where our officials talk with him, even when he implements the EU policy or when the Kosovo Serbs offer a majority so he could become a prime minister. This is a legally schizophrenic situation where somebody comes to a conclusion that names should be darkened,” Prelevic told NIN.

The request for cancelling the warrant arrived formally from Kosovo, from UNMIK, which in itself doesn’t have such power and it is clear to Prelevic that behind it are Kosovo mentors, Washington and Brussels. He believes that the cancellation of the warrant is not a surprise for Belgrade. He thinks that Vucic didn’t abolish Haradinaj, but recalls that Kosovo Serbs had previously arrived in Belgrade for instructions from the Serbian president and then they enabled Haradinaj a majority for forming a government.

“When you look, all of them are blackmailed people, Djukanovic in Montenegro, Haradinaj and Thaci in Kosovo, Vucic in Serbia. Democracies in these countries are additionally discouraged. Just look at the freedom of the media in Serbia. How come this doesn’t bother anyone in the West? It doesn’t as long as Vucic is finishing what he promised,” notes Prelevic.

REGIONAL PRESS

PIC SB political directors express grave concern over divisive rhetoric of B&H politicians (N1)

The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) Political Directors met in Sarajevo on Thursday and Friday to review the process of implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP), which remains the basis for a stable, secure, and prosperous B&H.

Following the Friday meeting, High Representative Valentin Inzko stated that PIC SB Political Directors expressed grave concern about the persistent divisive rhetoric by politicians in B&H, especially after the latest verdicts before the ICTY. Political Directors warned that reforms are not being implemented in B&H, that the Law on Excise Duties was not adopted and that 500 questions from the EU Questionnaire remain unanswered. They expressed hope that these answers will be delivered and that reforms will be implemented. Inzko also said that he called on B&H authorities to work on changes of the Election Law, and added that he will not use the Bonn powers, although some of the PIC SB members had such idea. Also, Inzko called on all three members of B&H Presidency to organize joint visit to execution sites of all three peoples and pay respects to victims. The PIC SB gave support to B&H politicians, in spite of what they are saying lately, but stressed many problems with education, judiciary, and implementation of decisions of B&H Constitutional Court re. City of Mostar and in ‘Ljubic case’. The PIC SB concluded that the OHR will stay in B&H as long as necessary, and determined that their presence is still necessary.

Ivantsov: Communique was full of traditional theses that do not reflect true situation in adequate way (Glas Srpske)

Russian Ambassador to B&H Petr Ivantsov told the daily, following the session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board, that partners unfortunately decided on a Communique that is full of traditional theses, which do not reflect true situation in adequate way. “That was not acceptable for us. We disagreed with partners and principled assessments of current situation in B&H, which, in our opinion, is characterized by deep internal-policy crisis, which provokes serious problems in functioning of institutions at the Federation of B&H level,” said Ivantsov, adding that assessment of the ICTY’s work and mentioning of Euro-Atlantic agenda were not acceptable either.

RS officials reject criticism from PIC SB Communique (Glas Srpske)

The Republika Srpska (RS) officials have rejected statements from the Communique, adopted at the session of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) Steering Board, saying that such statements are not a way to help B&H make progress or move forward on country’s European path. Commenting on statements that B&H is not making any progress, Prime Minister of the RS Zeljka Cvijanovic said that representatives of the international community should talk to Sarajevo about it. “They should see that all processes are blocked there, both when it comes to European path and creation of a normal, creative and healthy atmosphere in B&H”, Cvijanovic said. She added that the RS appreciates stances of Russian Ambassador to B&H Petr Ivantsov, who has not supported the Communique as it does not reflect the real situation in B&H. Deputy Speaker of the RS National Assembly (RSNA) Nenad Stevandic said that the RS is not an object but a subject of the international law, and that no communique can deprive the RS of that right. DNS leader Marko Pavic said that every session of the PIC SB represents an attempt to discipline the RS, when it comes to issues the RS is not even discussing.

Izetbegovic, Yee discuss changes to election legislation in B&H (Nezavisne novine)

Member of B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic held a meeting in Sarajevo with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of the State for European and Eurasian Affairs Brian Hoyt Yee. During the meeting, Yee expressed US’ full support to Euro-Atlantic path of B&H. Statement issued by the Presidency of B&H reads that Izetbegovic and Yee underlined the need to continue with implementation of reforms in B&H, as well as discussed changes to election legislation in the country. Izetbegovic informed Yee that he is not optimistic when it comes to changes to election legislation related to election of the B&H Presidency members, saying that it will be possible to resolve the issue after the 2018 elections in the country, as a part of the implementation of ruling in ‘Sejdic-Finci vs. B&H’ case. Daily reported that US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack and other US Embassy officials also attended the meeting.

Covic, Yee discuss complex political situation in B&H (TV1)

Chairman of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic met on Friday in Sarajevo with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia, Hoyt Brian Yee. Among other things, they discussed complex political situation in B&H. It was underlined that it is necessary to invest maximum efforts to stop negative trends, strengthen trust and achieve consensus on reforms. Yee stated that B&H has full support of the USA. The officials put particular emphasis on the importance of amending the Election Law of B&H in terms of applying the principle of equality and legitimate representation, in order to stabilize situation, improve the rule of law, functionality and prosperity of B&H. The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack, Foreign Affairs Officer of B&H Desk at the US Department of State Kathleen Larkin and Head of Political Section at the US Embassy in B&H Craig Conway.

Croatian parliament to adopt declaration on joint criminal enterprise (Vecernji list/N1)

After the ‘Prlic et al’ verdict, Speaker of Croatian parliament Gordan Jandrokovic announced adopting a declaration on joint criminal enterprise, in which, according to the verdict, first Croatian President Franjo Tudjman took part. Representative of Commission for Croats outside Croatia Bozo Ljubic said that the Croat Defense Council (HVO) played crucial role in defense of B&H. MP Miro Kovac (HDZ Croatia) said that Croats and Bosniaks, under leadership of Croatia, liberated a large part of B&H. Similar declaration was adopted in 2000, in which the homeland war was declares as just and legitimate. The declaration reads that Serbia and Montenegro, with armed rebellion of local Serbs, committed aggression against Croatia. Political analyst Zarko Puhovski said that this declaration is malicious nonsense, because these rebel Serbs were not from Serbia, but from Croatia, therefore it was a civil war. Party ‘Glas’ said that they will vote against unilateral interpretation of history. Deputy Speaker of Croatian Parliament and Deputy President of HDZ Croatia Milijan Brkic assessed for Vecernji list that the ICTY’s final verdict in the case ‘Jadranko Prlic et al.’ is legally unfounded and unacceptable, especially in the part mentioning the Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE). Brkic said this represents the ICTY’s retaliation towards Prlic and five other convicted officials in this case.

Poll: Most voters disappointed with government (Dnevnik)

Six months ago, the government led by Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic underwent extensive reconstruction. MOST left the ruling coalition and was replaced by HNS which, together with a number of independent members of parliament, has been securing the parliamentary majority for the government. Nova TV has commissioned a poll to assess whether the current administration has met the expectations of citizens, reports dnevnik.hr. The results show that citizens’ expectations from this government have dramatically declined compared to the beginning of the term. More than hast of all respondents (51 percent) say the government’s results are below what they were expected at the beginning. For 39 percent of them, the results are in line with their initial expectations, while just seven percent now have higher expectations than at the beginning of the term. Looking at the Prime Minister personally, as much as 52 percent of citizens are disappointed and feel that his results are below expectations, 39 percent say that his results are in line with their expectations from the beginning of the term, while seven percent are impressed with him.

Croatian officials respond to Slovenian foreign minister’s lawsuit threat (HRT)

Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec announced that Slovenia is preparing to file a lawsuit against Croatia due to the latter’s refusal to acknowledge the arbitration decision in the border dispute between the two countries. The response from the Croatian side was not long in coming. Reporters caught up with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, who simply said that Cerar will come to Zagreb and then they will deal with the Slovenia border issue head on – at which point the press will be filled in on all of the relevant details. MP Miro Kovac, a former foreign minister in the previous government led by the HDZ’s Tomislav Karamarko and the current chairman of the parliament’s foreign policy committee, was more pointed in his comments. “said that he does not know the grounds upon which Slovenia is planning to sue Croatia, noting that the only option for them is to open up bilateral talks with Croatia to resolve the problem. “I don’t know how Mr. Erjavec plans to justify this lawsuit or explain the grounds for it. This was a bilateral agreement between two countries, Croatia and Slovenia. The Croatian side broke off the agreement because Slovenia was trying to cheat. I’d like to see how Mr. Erjavec plans to do this.” MP Vesna Pusic, currently a member of the Civic Liberal Alliance and also a former foreign minister in the Milanovic government, said that “both sides can live with this model,” adding that Savudrija Bay and the rights of local fishers remain as points of contention. She said that even earlier there were foundations for the prime ministers of the two countries to reach an arrangement in other ways. “The Slovenian side can certainly say that this is a matter of implementation of the Arbitration Tribunal’s decision, while the Croatian side can say that a bilateral agreement was concluded,” Pusic said.

Four drunken Croatian soldiers, including chaplain, kicked out of NATO mission (Jutarnji list)

A month and a half ago, Croatia’s Defense Ministry admitted that one member of the military police, who was taking part in the NATO mission in Poland, was drunk when he arrived at the Bemowo Piskie Area military base and was briefly detained by the Polish military police.

Later, the Ministry added that the military police officer had been returned to Croatia and a disciplinary procedure had been initiated against him. However, according to the latest information, the incident did not include just one, but four soldiers, including a military chaplain. The Ministry of Defense confirmed these allegations on Thursday. “We can inform you that three members of the Croatian Armed Forces and a military chaplain have been returned to the Republic of Croatia from the Republic of Poland because of the violations of military discipline. A disciplinary procedure has been initiated.”

Djukanovic: Neither Moscow nor Washington blackmailed me (Pobjeda)

Many years ago, Yugoslav citizens could have witnessed extraordinarily civilized and smooth dialogue between Montenegrin authorities and opposition. Montenegrin parliament used to be compared with others from the region, such as British House of Lords. What happened in the meanwhile? Who introduced inappropriate language, insults and violence? “Creation of an atmosphere in which no man feels safe has been continuously encouraged by the opposition and media favorable to it. These actions represent their efforts to repeat attempted election-day coup, plotted by Russian military intelligence officers”, DPS leader Milo Djukanovic stated for Pobjeda. Djukanovic says this, however, had no impact on local election results. Despite the existence of ethnic minority parties in Montenegro, many members of those minorities, such as Bosniaks and Albanians, prefer to vote for the DPS.  Djukanovic reflects on local elections results in Petnjica and Tuzi, stating that DPS won a landslide in these municipalities, which has indicated slower but continuous progress of pro-Montenegrin oriented voters. Asked whether any Western force suggested him not to run for country’s presidency in 2018, Djukanovic answered DPS had been discussing about its candidate in the forthcoming presidential elections, but the decision hasn’t been made yet. He says we may be sure that his decision won’t depend on anyone’s suggestion, no matter whether it comes from East or West. “No one ever talked to me like that. Ever!”, Djukanovic points out.

Vujanovic: Djukanovic to run for the country’s presidency in 2018 (CDM)

Filip Vujanovic, the President of Montenegro, reiterated that he sees the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Milo Djukanovic as his successor as Montenegrin president. Vujanovic added Djukanovic is the only person capable of defending the country’s values. “I have been always considering and telling him to run for the country’s presidency, expecting a landslide victory”, Vujanovic said, after Danilovgrad Municipal Assembly session. He also positively assessed the return of the Democratic Front (DF) into parliament. “I have been insisting on their return and active participation in the institutions of the system, and I have considered the boycott as a wrong method in democratic societies. DF’s decision to participate in work of the institutions is rational,” said Vujanovic. Asked whether he believes he could have done more while performing his Presidential duties, Vujanovic answered he’s not the one to evaluate his own achievements. “Other people should evaluate my work and say about what I have done so far and whether I could have done more. I believe Montenegro could have done much more to overcome divisions, by using joint efforts,” noted Vujanovic.

Local election beating triggered opposition to end their boycott (Pobjeda)

Vice-president of the parliament of Montenegro, Branimir Gvozdenovic, estimates the opposition’s return into the parliament as quite significant as it should contribute to better and more efficient parliament’s work. In his interview with Pobjeda, Gvozdenovic highlights he believes that the latest local elections beating triggered the opposition to end the boycott.

When asked about his position regarding the DPS’s presidential candidate, Gvozdenovic said DPS has a good deal of quality staff, but there’s no doubt that Milo Djukanovic is the best one. In his opinion, Djukanovic’s considerable efforts to approach to the West without wrecking the traditional relations with the East, place him in the highest rank of politicians. Therefore, any decision the DPS’s leader Milo Djukanovic makes about his political future, should be accepted, says Gvozdenovic.

Krajisnik’s presence at the anniversary of Podgorica Assembly described as scandalous (Pobjeda)

Momcilo Krajisnik’s presence at the “ceremony” for celebrating anniversary of Podgorica Assembly, organized by the Serbian National Council, is likely to inflame tensions in Montenegro and requires prosecution of organizers. These are the statements of members of Coalition for RECOM, Matica Crnogorska and Liberal Party (LP) in relation to the recent ceremony marking the 99th anniversary of Podgorica assembly. In 1918, the Podgorica assembly or the so-called “Great National Assembly” decided to unite Montenegro with the Kingdom of Serbia. The Serbian National Council was marking the 99th anniversary of that event, hosting the former speaker of the Republika Srpska parliament, Momcilo Krajisnik, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes committed in B&H.

On 27 September 2006, Momcilo Krajisnik was convicted before the Hague Tribunal for the most severe crimes known to humankind. Krajisnik was found guilty of deportation and forced displacement of the Bosniak and Croatian population in several municipalities of B&H. He was released back in the community in 2013 and now is taking an active role in politics. The Democratic Front leaders, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, attended the ceremony, as well as Serbia ambassador to Montenegro Zoran Bingulac and chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Serbs in the Region Ivan Kostic.

VMRO-DPMNE’s Central Committee to summon Congress to elect a new president (Meta)

VMRO-DPMNE’s Central Committee will hold a session at which the decision for holding an extraordinary party congress on the 23rd of December in Valandovo is supposed to be confirmed. At this Congress, the announced resignation of the party leader Nikola Gruevski should be accepted and a new leader will be elected. The general public speculates about potential candidacies of Hristijan Mickoski, Ilija Dimovski, Filip Petrovski, Nikola Poposki, Antonio Miloshoski, Nikola Todorov and Vlatko Gjorchev. The presidential candidate will have to nominated by 30 delegates at the Congress. He will be elected if he is voted by half of the 560 delegates that remain the same as the regular congress that was organized in 2015 in Kumanovo.

SEC head Cicakovski steps down from post after public outcry (MIA)

Aleksandar Cicakovski, President of the State Election Commission (SEC), has tendered resignation terminating his function as head of the electoral body. The resignation is an act of personal responsibility, Cicakovski tells MIA. He steps down after it was revealed that members of the SEC had awarded themselves considerable sums as compensation for their activities in the most recent election cycles and following an online public petition demanding that they should all resign. The term of the current structure of the SEC expires in 2020. Cicakovski was appointed president of the Election Commission as an expert in 2015 after the signing of the Przino Agreement. There is no information yet on whether other SEC members have filed resignations, although some of them have confirmed that their resignations have been already prepared.

Yee dismisses rumors that he will be the next US Ambassador to Macedonia (Meta)

One of the main interests of the United States in the Western Balkans is to help the countries of the region to integrate with the rest of Europe and build a prosperous, democratic and stable future, said US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Hoyt Brian Yee. At the same time, he dismissed articles of certain media outlets that he would be the new US ambassador to Macedonia, adding he was “satisfied with the work he is currently doing”.

Tsipras: If Skopje makes a concession then 2018 can be a positive year (Meta)

The Macedonian government should stop with the irredentism and the rhetoric about being the only descendants of ancient Macedonians, to make substantial steps forwards and to find a mutually acceptable solution, said the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras during his stay in Belgrade. He said if the necessary steps are done, the following year can bring a positive development for the name dispute. In Belgrade, after the second meeting of representatives of four countries – Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, only two days before the meeting with Nimetz with both countries’ negotiators, Tsipras stated that if the necessary steps are done and a solution for the name dispute is accepted, he will be the first who will strive that Greece guarantees Macedonia’s perspective and security, whom he addressed as “the neighboring country.” “It is possible that 2018 will be the year when we might have a positive outcome for a longstanding problem, if the new government in Skopje decides to make important steps forward, if it stops with, to my opinion, the unnecessary rhetoric’s that they are the only descendants of ancient Macedonians and of Alexander the Great. If it stops with the irredentist rhetoric and at the same time it accepts a solution for the name that is mutually accepted by the neighbors. From this perspective, certainly, I shall be the first in Greece to guarantee the newly developed perspective and security of this neighboring country -said the Greek Prime Minister.

The subjects discussed at the meeting in Belgrade were the Bulgarian presidency with EU and the enlivening the Thessaloniki agenda from 2003 and concrete projects such as the energetic and railroad connection of the Balkan countries.

UN envoy Nimetz to meet name issue representatives in Brussels (MIA)

United Nations envoy in the Macedonia-Greece name issue Matthew Nimetz is set to meet December 11-12 in Brussels with countries’ representatives, Vasko Naumovski and Ademantios Vassilakis respectively. “The meeting is part of the United Nations’ efforts to assist the sides in finding a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue”, Nimetz’s Office said in a press release.

Macedonia’s representative Naumovski will be accompanied by a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as will Greek official Vassilakis. The fresh round of talks takes place amid improved relations between the two countries and optimism in Skopje and Athens, but also Brussels and Washington, to put an end to the long-standing row. The last round of UN-mediated talks with the countries’ representatives was held in New York in November 2014.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Serbia eyes buying more Russian military helicopters — president (TASS, 8 December 2017)

BELGRADE, Serbia plans to buy at least six Russian military transport helicopters and air defense systems, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday in an interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman ahead of his visit to Moscow. “We have received six Russian MiG-29 warplanes, which are now undergoing modernization. We expect they will be in full operational readiness within months. We have other applications: we want to buy weapons, we want to buy at least six military transport helicopters and air defense systems,” he said. “Serbia is an independent country, a military neutral country, so we must be strong militarily to be able to defend our land. I hope to discuss this and many other topics with Vladimir Putin,” President Vucic said.

No plans to join NATO 

Serbia has embarked on the European path, but it has no intention of joining NATO

“Serbia is on the European path, but the difference between Serbia and other countries in the region is that Serbia does not want to join NATO. Ten days ago, I was in Brussels, at NATO’s headquarters, and told the 29 leaders of the NATO member-countries that Serbia has no intention of joining NATO. Serbia will maintain its military neutrality. That has been Serbia’s policy, and it will continue to be so,” Vucic said. On December 4, NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said that no talks are underway on Serbia’s possible accession to NATO. The alliance’s Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller earlier noted during a meeting with Vucic that NATO recognizes Serbia’s stance on military neutrality.

Russian-Serbian ties

Relations of Serbia and Russia are developing exceptionally due to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the president said. “Development of Serbian-Russian relations is always credited more to President Putin than to us. People here respect and love Russia, but we are a small country and only thanks to President Putin’s leadership, attention is paid to Serbia,” Vucic said. “If we recall Vladimir Putin’s predecessors, Serbia hardly existed for them,” he said. “Not only for the Russian people is Putin important, during his mandate he has been taking care of and showing attention to the Serbian people as well, and we are grateful him for everything.” For the Serbs, a meeting with the leader of fraternal Russia is always a milestone, Vucic said. “For us in Serbia, a meeting with president of the Russian Federation is always a particular event, a milestone,” the Serbian president said. “I hope to discuss global issues at our meeting and to thank once again the Russian Federation for its support to the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia. Those are not idle words but true gratitude.”

Anti-Russian sanctions

Belgrade did not impose sanctions on Moscow and will not do that in the future, the president said. “I have many times told this not only to the Russian media outlets but all the others as well: Serbia will not impose sanctions on Russia, no pressure can make us change our position,” he said. “I would like to address the Russian people and say one thing that politicians already know but it is important that ordinary people know it too: it is not always easy for Serbia but remember that Serbia is the only country among those seeking EU membership that has never voted against Russia at any international meetings and has never imposed any sanctions,” Vucic stressed.

The Serbian leader also said that Belgrade was facing serious pressure because of its good relations with Moscow. “Sometimes when you take part in some meetings in the West, ties between Russia and Serbia are discussed for one hour and forty-five minutes out of two hours,” he noted. Nevertheless, in Vucic’s words, relations with Russia are Serbia’s priority for the future. “Serbia has made a decision which is not an easy one, but it is not just a question of our traditional relations, as some claim it to be. It is a matter of our future relationship, as we see Russia as one of our key partners in the future and not only in the past with its great figures such as Dostoyevsky, Yesenin and Pushkin, whom any American would mention to you, but we see Russia as our partner in the political, economic and any other field,” Vucic said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will make a visit to Moscow on December 18-20. He is expected to hold a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to discuss a wide range of bilateral and global issues.