LOCAL PRESS

Putin to Vucic: Moscow to support any mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo; political dialogue in line with UNSCR 1244 (Beta)

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would support any mutually acceptable solution for Kosovo that Belgrade and Pristina might agree to. “As for Kosovo, we proceed from the premise that the situation must be resolved in a political manner, based on a dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244,” Putin said after a meeting in the Kremlin with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Putin added that Moscow would support any mutually acceptable solution between Belgrade and Pristina. The Russian president also said that with Vucic he had discussed the current situation in the Balkans. “Russia is interested in the stability of the region, and the development of mutually beneficial links with all the Balkan states,” Putin said, adding that Russia was ready to continue to support Serbia in protecting the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Vucic said that Serbia has never interfered, nor does it intends to interfere in Russia’s internal affairs, and that Belgrade, regardless of its European path, will never impose sanctions on Russia, while it remains militarily neutral. “I know that this does not have great significance in Russia, because we are a small country, but my duty is to say that Serbia has neither introduced nor will it ever introduce sanctions against Russia. I am sure that we will succeed in this because we are a sovereign and independent state. A small nation and one of a few who behave fairly and honorably toward the Russian friends,” Vucic said. He specifically thanked Putin for his stance toward Serbia, noting that the Russian side acted differently before he came to power. “or that reason I want to wish President Putin good luck in the upcoming elections,” Vucic said. Vucic said his country is particularly grateful to Russia and Putin for three things. “Firstly, because Russia vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Srebrenica in July 2015, thanks to which the Serbs do not bear the mark of a genocidal nation on their forehead. Secondly, thanks to Russia’s support, Serbia has the possibility of fighting for Kosovo and Metohija, and thirdly because Serbia has received support as a military neutral country that does not want to join any alliance, including NATO, to renew its Air Force and preserve its neutrality,” Vucic said. Vucic also revealed that he invited Putin to come to Serbia, and that he expects that, apart from the economy, there will be better results in cultural and sports exchange.

Serbia, Russia sign several agreements (RTS/Tanjug)

Representatives of the governments of Serbia and Russia signed today in Moscow, after talks between two state delegations led by President Vucic and President Putin, a series of agreements on cooperation in various fields.

Serbian Minister of Mining and Energy Aleksandar Antic and Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Aleksandr Novak signed a Protocol amending the Agreement between the Government of Serbia and the Government of Russia on deliveries of natural gas from Russia to Serbia of 13 October 2012.
The annex to the contract for the delivery of natural gas from Russia to Serbia was signed by general director of “Srbijagas” Dusan Bajatovic and the first man of “Gazprom” Aleksey Miller.
Serbian Minister of Economy Goran Knezevic and Minister of Economy of the Russian Federation Maksim Oreshkin signed the Joint Declaration of the governments of Serbia and Russia on cooperation in the field of modernization of the economy.
The Memorandum of cooperation in the field of tourism between the Serbian Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation was signed by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic and Minister of Culture of Russia Vladimir Medinski.
Also, Ljajic signed the Agreement between the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications of Serbia and the Administration of the Kursk Region with the representative of the Kursk Region on the establishment of international and foreign economic relations in trade and economic cooperation.

Russia confirms it wants to join Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (B92/Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed that he had received confirmation from his Russian colleague Putin that Russia is ready to join the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. “We have reached some kind of agreement if there are attempts and intentions to expand the format of participants and mediators in the talks between the Serbs and Albanians, Belgrade and Pristina, if the Americans wish to become part of that format. We have asked whether we could say that the Russian Federation would join it from our side and he (Putin) affirmatively replied,” said Vucic at the meeting with the Chairperson of the Federation Council Valentian Matviyenko. “This is logical for us since Russia did not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo. We are only asking for an equal treatment on this issue. We could not speak about this earlier since we didn’t have a green light of the Russian state institutions. Now we have and we can speak about this,” said Vucic. “Political support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia from the Russian leadership is very important. For Serbia, the preservation of peace and stability in the Balkans has been and remains most important,” he said. Vucic said that he expects Russia’s assistance and support in the future as well, and that he is absolutely convinced that in preserving its independence Serbia can always count on Moscow’s support. Later on Wednesday, Beta said that the Kremlin did not wish to comment on Russia’s possible mediator role. “The topic of Kosovo was seriously addressed during the Russian-Serbian talks,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said when asked about the possibility of expanding the format of the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina, TASS reported.

Lazanski: Visit to Moscow was more than successful (RTS)

Commentator of the daily Politika Mirlosav Lazanski has told RTS that President Vucic’s visit to Moscow was more than successful and that relations between the two countries are excellent. He points out that the joint press conference of the two Presidents was very important because this has not been usual so far in Russian practice. “This speaks of excellent relations, of cordiality between the two Presidents, and secondly that the entire package of agreements had been well harmonized, and that the visit was more than successful,” said Lazanski. “The details of tête-à-tête talks are perhaps not revealed to the public right away before this is not harmonized with the Russian side. That economic package was very significant – expansion of oil capacities for Banatski dvor, increase of gas deliveries for Serbia as of next year, which means that the Serbian economy is moving forward,” explained Lazanski.

He opines that, even though we haven’t heard anything about military agreements, it is certain that they discussed this as Vucic had stated before going to Moscow that we need six Mi-17 helicopters. “Quantity is not an issue, but prices. That is a trade secret. The Russians have already told us several times in a discreet manner not to publish random prices in the press, because they have other candidates, countries of the former Soviet Union that also want this kind of dumping price – to receive from the Russians tanks, helicopters, airplanes at some very good prices, which the Russians gave us for some political reasons,” said Lazanski.

Asked how the EU and the US view the meeting of the two Presidents, Lazanski says that they are certainly analyzing every detail. “They are surely analyzing the press conference with great care, every move of both Presidents considering that fact that the composition of the delegation from the Serbian side was at the top level, but as well from the Russian side as there was not only President Putin, but also Russian Deputy President Dmitry Rogozin who is in charge of the military industry and arms deliveries, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Therefore, the Russian side was also represented at the top level. I am sure that many in the West will not be thrilled with that, but many in the West also travel to Moscow, talk, sign agreements, I think the story about strict sanctions against Russia is not totally realistic, because we saw two months ago that 28 directors of the largest German companies went for talks with Putin, while we are here suggested sanctions. Therefore, the EU is not united at all concerning the sanctions against the Russian Federation, as six thousand companies from Germany are working at this moment on the territory of Russia, while they are telling us something about sanctions,” concluded Lazanski.

Brnabic: Serbia still not satisfied with implementation of agreements by Pristina (RTS)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met today with a delegation of the EU-Serbia Parliamentary Committee for Stabilization and Association, led by European Parliament President Eduard Kukan. Brnabic assessed that the effects of economic measures implemented in the previous period are felt in Serbia and that the goal for the next year is to continue with reforms and maintain economic stability.  She stated that the priority of the Serbian government in the coming year will be continuation of work on infrastructure projects, public administration reform, and education reform, for which the government has significant support from the EU. The meeting also looked at the reform of the judicial system and the protection of basic rights and freedoms, including media freedom. Brnabic said regarding these issues that for Serbian society, an open dialogue and the support of civil society and the non-governmental sector are important and that she expects the continuation of talks with the Media Freedom Group.
Brnabic informed the delegation of the European Parliament that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on the normalization of relations will continue, but that Serbia is still not satisfied with the implementation of the agreements by Pristina. She also said that internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija continues successfully in Serbia through the organization of roundtables and talks of representatives from various fields.
Kukan congratulated Prime Minister Brnabic and the Serbian government on the opening of new chapters, and expressed the belief that Serbia will continue to maintain continuity in the negotiations with the EU in the future.

Fico to Guterres: Balkans is once again starting to burn (Beta/Tanjug/TASR)

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says it is important to offer a European perspective to some countries in the Balkans. Fico spoke after his meeting the UN secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, Tanjug reported on Tuesday, citing Slovakia’s TASR. The prime minister assessed that the Balkans is once again starting to burn, and said he believes a European perspective is necessary because otherwise the nervousness in the region will start to grow. Fico also said he and Guterres discussed a Slovak project aimed at limiting the influx of migrants, which has been created in cooperation with some other countries. “We need to continue projects outside the EU and move the issue of migration to these third countries. Slovakia is ready to support responsible projects within the UN,” Fico said. He also said that it was very important that the United Nations are strong, because the EU is not strong enough to engage more on some issues.

“The EU is essentially not present in Ukraine. And we have no influence on the situation in Syria,” Fico said, stressing the importance of strong international organizations in conflicts of the kind, such as the UN.

REGIONAL PRESS

Izetbegovic: Serbs force themselves out of Sarajevo (EuroBlic)

B&H Presidency member and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic claimed that there was no aggression or ethnic cleansing of Serbs in B&H. “There was no aggression against Serbs in B&H, they were not exposed to genocide. Furthermore, their neighbors Bosniaks and Croats were forcibly and by crimes removed from parts of B&H territory of B&H in order to create ethnically cleansed Serb territory. Even Serbs from Sarajevo were victims of violent ethnic cleansing by their own army”, the daily quoted Izetbegovic as saying. Director of the Republika Srpska (RS) Center for Investigation of War, War Crimes and Search for Missing Persons Milorad Kojic reminded that, as in line with confirmed information, 7,178 Serbs were killed in Sarajevo region during the war. “Bosniak military and paramilitary forces killed 3,704 Serb civilians in Sarajevo in 1992 alone”, Kojic said and reminded that there were also numerous concentration camps for Serbs in Sarajevo. Member of the Assembly of the RS Veterans’ Association in Pale Mihajlo Paradina said that Izetbegovic’s statement by which he tried to shift the blame for mass crimes committed by the Army of the Republic of B&H and Bosniak criminals onto the RS Army is cynical. “Morbid mocking of Serb victims and denial of crimes is something one could have expected from Izetbegovic. It is impossible to build reconciliation with people like him”, Paradina concluded.

Zvizdic returns from Brussels (FTV)

Chairman of B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Denis Zvizdic addressed a press conference on Tuesday organized on the occasion of his visit to Brussels and meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini on Monday.  Among other things, Zvizdic announced adoption of state strategies necessary to get EUR millions worth funds from the EU. He also reminded that a meeting of the Collegium for the EU integration of B&H will be held on Wednesday. Reporter reminded that the Collegium is the highest decision making body in the Coordination Mechanism. This body consists of Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers of the Federation of B&H and Republika Srpska (RS), as well as of a Mayor of Brcko District and a Chairman of B&H CoM. Zvizdic stated that it will be established during this meeting which questions from the European Commission’s Questionnaire were answered so far and which answers were not harmonized. According to Zvizdic, some three percent of answers have not been harmonized yet and he expressed hope this will happen on Wednesday. He stressed that if it had been only up to B&H CoM, all answers would have been prepared and delivered to the EC by March 2017. “However, we have more than 1,350 persons participating in work of 36 working groups. Every one of them has right to veto any of 3,242 questions”, explained Zvizdic. However, he expressed hope that some from the RS will stop to politicize this issue, because the goal of questions from the Questionnaire is to get information about facts and not to change the Constitution.

Zvizdic meets IMF’s Ilahi (Oslobodjenje)

Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Denis Zvizdic met with Head of the IMF Mission to B&H Nadeem Ilahi on Tuesday in Sarajevo. Ilahi commended B&H authorities for the progress it achieved, especially for the adoption of the set of laws on excise duties. Zvizdic and Ilahi expressed hope the state institutions will soon adopt the Law on Deposit Insurance of B&H, which will allow harmonization of the banking sector with the modern international standards.

EU: We will monitor how money from excise duties is being spent (Nezavisne)

Immediately after the adoption of changes to the set of laws on excise duties, the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has started speculating that money from excise duties might be used for something other than for construction of roads and motorways. However, according to daily, the EU Delegation (EUD) to B&H and competent institutions in the country insist that controls of spending of money would be rigorous. The EUD confirmed on Tuesday that European institutions will monitor the spending of money, as well as implementation of measures aimed at preventing misuses. According to the representatives of the EUD, Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn has said that the EU and international financial institutions will carefully monitor the implementation of the Law on Excise Duties. Head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Office in B&H Ian Brown said that the EU insisted on an amendment to the Law on Excise Duties, which would prevent the money from excise duties from being used for anything else than what was originally intended for.

Survival of Croats in B&H is national interest (HRT)

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic stated that the survival of Croats and constituent and equal people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is a national interest of Croatia. “Community of Croats in Croatia and those outside their homeland has been crucial for the success of establishment of independent Croatia and its defense in the Homeland War,” said Grabar-Kitarovic following the meeting with the members of the second convocation of the Council of the Croatian Government for Croatian diaspora, and she pointed out that late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman started building that policy in 1960s. Croatian President stated that there are many urgent issues to deal with when it comes to Croats living outside Croatia.

Cerar visits Plenkovic, no agreement on arbitration implementation (Jutarnji list)

Croatian and Slovenian Prime Ministers Andrej Plenkovic and Miro Cerar held talks in Zagreb on Tuesday with the goal of resolving the border disputes ahead of December 29, the deadline envisioned as the implementation of the decision. The Croatian Prime Minister was asked what will take place on December 29, when Slovenia expects the arbitration decision to be put into force. “It’s a day like any other. Croatia doesn’t feel bound by it and you all know what the reasons were and why Croatia left the arbitration process,” said Plenkovic. “It is important to use dialogue to come closer to a final solution for our border disputes, acceptable to both sides. Only dialogue can resolve this situation. We are rebuilding two bridges at the Dragonja and Metlika border crossings, in order to send a message as prime ministers. Our message is – the border, whatever it looks like, must be accepted by both sides and confirmed in national parliaments,” added Plenkovic.

His Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar said: “We spoke about the arbitration decision as December 29 is the last day to implement it. We’re ready and will continue with implementation where we don’t need Croatia. Other implementations require consultations with Croatia. We didn’t manage to bring our standpoints closer together, but it’s important to respect the decision and this is a key issue for both nations. I believe that only the implementation of the arbitration decision can bring about better cooperation and have it as an example of good practice for the entire region. The fact is, the decision cannot be partially implemented and contains a land and sea portion. As far as I understood my colleague Andrej, there is a possibility that Croatia views this differently, but we only trust the arbitration decision.” At this moment, Croatia cannot implement a decision which we do not find binding. The most important message from the meeting is that we’re conducting dialogue in European spirit and it leaves no doubts” said Plenkovic. “Our standpoint is clear. Non-implementation of the decision means violation of international and European law and we will resort to a lawsuit if Croatia does not honor the decision,” said the Slovenian Prime Minister.

DF’s excuse: We had to be impudent towards Tannock (CDM)

At a press conference after a turbulent Parliament time with European parliamentarians, Democratic Front tried to justify its attitude since one of the alliance leaders, Nebojsa Medojevic, had insulted rapporteur Charles Tannock claiming that he was telling falsehoods.

At the conference in Parliament, Medojevic and other DF leaders, Andrija Mandic and Milan Knezevic, said they had to be impudent in order to preserve their dignity. “In our opinion, the ruling party was acting submissively and without dignity. We had to tell people who do not tell the truth not to use falsehoods. We do not agree with this kind of behavior. If they want such a way of behavior, they have the DPS representatives, but they won’t be allowed to do those things to us. We will not let them take liberties with us,” they said. DF officials think they have avoided a big trap. “We are going ahead with the new energy. The honest truth that the DF stands for pushes us to bring political opponents to fair elections,” they concluded.

EP report on Montenegro reflects no political or party views (CDM)

The promotion of Montenegro as the next EU member state is important for other candidate countries, as it shows that advocating European values ​​and achievements is being done in the right way, said Parliament Speaker Ivan Brajovic during a meeting with the EP rapporteur for Montenegro, Charles Tannnock. “Regardless of the Brexit, which he opposed as an MP from the UK, Tannock said that the country wants to be present in the Western Balkans and strengthens partnership with Montenegro both within NATO and in the bilateral sphere,” Brajovic’s office stated. Expressing regret over the unpleasant situation MP Tannock was exposed to during yesterday’s SAPC session, Brajovic pointed out that he appreciated the rapporteur’s efforts so far to present an objective and balanced picture of Montenegro in his reports. “Tannock underscored that the European Parliament’s Report on Montenegro does not reflect political or party views, and it is adopted at the EP plenum after passing through the strict procedure,” Brajovic’s office said. During the meeting the officials discussed freedom of expression and media, Montenegro’s success in NATO membership, and the visible progress our country has made in all fields.

Zaev, Dimitrov meet with BiEPAG experts (MIA)

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov on Tuesday attended a working lunch with foreign experts who are part of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG), Hedvig Morvai, Executive Director of the European Fund for the Balkans, and Florian Bieber, Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz. The meeting, which also brought together local experts, former ambassadors and university professors, focused on the Euro-Atlantic processes of Macedonia and the Balkans, the government said in a press release. “The participants jointly concluded that the Republic of Macedonia has made a tremendous headway in implementing democratic processes and accelerating Euro-Atlantic integration processes. It was concluded that it is of utmost importance that reforms in Macedonia should be further pursued and that Macedonia should have clear perspectives and make progress with respect to EU and NATO membership in 2018,” stated the press release. The experts noted that it was indispensable for the strengthening of stability, progress and integration of the Western Balkan countries into the EU and NATO.

Zaev: Citizens, not governments, play main role in decision-making (MIA)

The government is allowed a narrow margin of error, considering the fact that the citizens’ expectations are running high as they clearly voiced their wish for new policies, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Tuesday at a conference on Macedonia’s road forward, organized by the Progress Institute for Social Democracy, the Kalevi Sorsa Foundation and the Platform for Multiculturalism. Only by genuine rule of law, decisive fight against corruption, transparent institutions and decision-making the state institutions can restore their credibility before citizens, who are aware that they elect the leaders and take part in tailoring the policies in the society, Zaev said. “The public trust, relations with the citizens, civic sector and business community are vital for delivering effective policies, which however doesn’t relieve the governments from their responsibility,” Zaev said.

Dimitrov: National consensus and holding of referendum on name issue (MIA)

It is necessary to build a national consensus over name issue and many of those elements of the national consensus are not clear right now, Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov said Tuesday.

“We are working intensively on building a consensus, which should include citizens, political factors, institutions, all. The process is open and lasts. It is important that this process to be completed, because in such a way Macedonia’s position will be stronger,” Dimitrov said.

“The name issue is of such nature that cannot be solved without the citizens” said Dimitrov.

Commenting the statement by Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi that Parliament has the legitimacy to decide in the direction of resolving and avoid holding of a referendum on the name, Dimitrov said the referendum is an election promise of all major parties. “The name issue is of such nature that if it cannot be resolved sustainably, if the citizens are not asked, if there is no consensus, if there are inter-party battles, our position will weaken,” Dimitrov said. The statement of ANEL leader Panos Kammenos, who said his party will not consent to a name that includes the term “Macedonia,” Dimitrov assessed it as a statement of other century. “I think that such statements do not lead to a solution, it is a fact that our concern should be what we can do from our side. Our responsibility is to achieve a national consensus. Who and what kind of position has in the government coalition in Greece is their responsibility. This is 2017, we are in Europe and such an attitude is not appropriate and distance us from resolving the problem, Dimitrov said.

Basha: Provisional Chief Prosecutor election null (ADN)

The provisional chief prosecutor election by the majority is null and a clear constitutional violation. The opposition’s leader Lulzim Basha underlined this fact during a communication with journalists on Tuesday in Democratic Party (DP) headquarters. “The citizens witnessed a constitutional coup in parliament. The majority’s way of doing is pushing the country toward a dangerous spiral of informality. The provisional chief prosecutor election aims the definitive closure of crime-related files. The opposition’s protests were a clear indicator of the citizens’ reaction against Prime Minister Edi Rama deception with the judicial reform and vetting process. Yesterday’s voting process in parliament proved that Premier Rama is determined to pursue his anti-reforms path,” declared Basha. In response to the journalists questions if opposition would address to the Constitutional Court in relation to the provisional chief prosecutor’s election Basha said that political confrontation is the only solution for this crisis.

“Constitutional Court can’t play the role of peacemaker. The only solution to a crisis generated by the election of provisional chief prosecutor through a clear violation of the constitution is the political one,” stated Basha, while adding that every option, including the mandates burning remain on the table.

Opposition’s protest, Basha: Fair reaction against Constitution’s violation (ADN)

Opposition’s protest in and out of the parliament was a more than fair reaction against a constitutional violation. Through a public message on Tuesday he stated that this was a clear indicator of the fact that Albania’s men and women are ready to stand up and defend the constitution. “In and out of the parliament, the Albanian citizens protested as in any European country when the constitution is violated and the justice is infringed. The whole country witnessed the immediate reaction of men and women that stood up ready to fight and make sacrifices in order to prevent the constitution’s violation from a crime-related autocrat. This is the only possible reaction on view of the current situation,” declared opposition’s leader Lulzim Basha.

EU condemns violence in opposition’s protest (ADN)

The European Union Delegation in Albania condemns the violence in the protests.

“The EU condemns the violence in yesterday’s protests and the conduct by the Members of the Parliament at the plenary session. Democratic processes, be it parliamentary hearings or protests, should be allowed to take place peacefully. Albanian citizens demand their elected representatives to show leadership and responsibility, and to work in partnership in pursuing important reforms that are also crucial for Albania’s aspiration to join the EU,” stated the EU presence in Albania in a press release on Tuesday.

Opposition’s protest, 10 MPs to be prosecuted for public disorder (ADN)

Some 10 MPs will be prosecuted on grounds of public disorders and objection to the police officers during the opposition’s protest one day ago in front of the parliament.  Tirana’s Prosecution reported on Tuesday that criminal proceedings have been filed against 10 MPs belonging to the Democratic Party (DP) and Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) in quality of organizers and instigators of illicit gatherings and public disorders.

The complete list of MPs to be prosecuted on grounds of public disorder is presented below.

Flamur Noka – DP

Grida Duma – DP

Edi Paloka – DP

Enno Bozdo – DP

Gent Strazimiri – DP

Klevis Balliu – DP

Monika Kryemadhi – SMI

Endrit Brahimllari – SMI

Kejdi Mehmetaj – SMI

Meantime 6 protesters were arrested one day ago by the police as the alleged responsible of the various acts of violence registered during the opposition’s protest in front of the parliament.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Russia’s Gazprom increases contracted gas volume to Serbia to 2 Bcm/year (Platts, by Stuart Elliott, 19 December 2017)

London — Russia’s Gazprom has agreed with Serbia’s Srbijagas to increase the contacted volume of gas supply as of next year to 2 Bcm/year from the current 1.5 Bcm/year, Gazprom said Tuesday. Serbia — which is almost entirely dependent on Russian gas imports — has been importing above its contracted volume in 2016 and 2017, with the additional volumes supplied under supplementary agreements. Last year, Serbia received 1.75 Bcm/year of Russian gas — above its 1.5 Bcm/year contracted volume — and this year it already exceeded that level in mid-November. Russia supplies gas to Serbia under a deal signed in 2013 that is valid until the end of 2021. The increased volumes are part of an addendum to the existing medium-term deal signed in Moscow in the presence of President Vladimir Putin. The Balkan region suffers from relatively poor gasification but with the startup of new supplies to southeastern Europe via pipelines from Azerbaijan and potential new LNG terminals in the region, it is hoped it can become a bigger gas user both in the industrial and power generation sectors.

The EU last week pledged Eur102 million in funds to help support the construction of an offshore LNG terminal on the Croatian island of Krk, which it said would “bring diversification in the region mostly dominated by one single source of supply.” “It will thus improve energy security and price competitiveness in the region,” it said. The project — which in a first phase will consist of a small, 2 Bcm/year floating LNG import facility — is one of the main pillars in the EU’s plans to improve diversification of gas supply in the poorly connected southeastern European region.

Visa Liberalisation Report: Questions and Answers (European Commission – Press release, 20 December 2017)

What is the Commission presenting today?

The Commission is today reporting on the functioning of the visa-free regime with the Western Balkan countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia) as well as the Eastern Partnership countries (Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine).

Today’s report is the first full assessment carried out under the new suspension mechanism for the eight countries benefitting from visa-free travel under the visa liberalisation scheme.

What is the general assessment?

All eight countries have demonstrated full commitment to meeting the necessary requirements and have undertaken important efforts to implement a number of far-reaching reforms set out under their visa liberalisation processes.

The Commission considers that all countries assessed continue to fulfil the visa liberalisation benchmarks.

However, immediate action is required in a number of specific areas to maintain their continuous and sustainable implementation.

For some countries, more work is needed to fight organised crime and corruption and keep irregular migration in check.

It is now imperative that those reforms are sustained and that the countries do not backtrack on their achievements.

Why are only certain specific areas assessed?

While the Commission is monitoring the continuous fulfilment of all visa liberalisation benchmarks, we are not today reporting on benchmarks considered to be stable.

Today’s report focuses on specific areas where more work is needed, notably irregular migration, organised crime, and the fight against corruption.

In parallel, the Commission will report in detail on the broader situation in the area of home affairs and justice in the framework of the enlargement reports for the Western Balkans countries and in the context of the implementation of the Association Agreements with Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine.

Why does the report only assess 8 countries out of all those which have visa-free regimes with the EU?

Whilst 60 countries around the world benefit from visa-free travel to the EU, in some cases, decisions on visa free access to the Schengen Area may follow from bilateral negotiations, called ‘visa liberalisation dialogues’. They are based on the progress made by the countries concerned in implementing major reforms in areas such as the strengthening of the rule of law, combating of organised crime, corruption and illegal migration and improving of administrative capacity in border control and security of documents.

The report only focuses on those countries which have successfully completed a visa liberalisation dialogue: Albania, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine.

This follows from the Commission’s obligation to monitor the continuous fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by non-EU countries having successfully concluded a visa liberalisation dialogue and to report on those matters to the European Parliament and the Council.

It also follows from the Commission’s statement of November 2010 on the establishment of a follow-up mechanism to the visa liberalisation processes for the Western Balkan countries, which was reaffirmed in February 2017.

Why are only some countries specifically mentioned in the conclusion?

The report’s conclusions highlight the fact that Albania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine each need to take immediate action in order to ensure continued progress in specific areas. For Albania, the challenges of irregular migration need to be further tackled. Moldova needs to take immediate action to ensure the sustainability of the anti-corruption benchmark and anti-money laundering benchmark. And in view of the recent developments as regards the fight against corruption, Ukrainian authorities need to step up action to ensure previously achieved progress in this area is maintained and consolidated.

How often does the Commission report on the fulfilment of the benchmarks?

Under the new suspension mechanism, the Commission needs to report on the continuous fulfilment of the visa liberalisation benchmarks at least once a year for a period of at least seven years after the date of entry into force of visa liberalisation for third countries. The Commission will report again to the European Parliament and the Council on the continuous fulfilment of visa liberalisation requirements by third countries in 2018.

What is a visa liberalisation requirement (benchmark)?

The EU conducts visa liberalisation dialogues with some non-EU countries to work towards the long-term goal of visa-free travel, provided that conditions for well-managed and secure mobility are in place.

Visa liberalisation dialogues were successfully conducted between the EU and five Western Balkan countries, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, as well as three Eastern Partnership countries, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. They resulted in the granting of visa free travel to citizens of these countries; for Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in December 2009, for Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end 2010, for Moldova in April 2014, for Georgia in March 2017 and for Ukraine in June 2017.

These dialogues were built upon ‘Visa Liberalisation Roadmaps’ for the Western Balkan countries’ and ‘Visa Liberalisation Action Plans’ (VLAP) for the Eastern Partnership countries. These Roadmaps and Action Plans included four blocks of requirements, called “benchmarks” which the countries had to fulfil. They related to document security, including biometrics; border management, migration and asylum; public order and security; and external relations and fundamental rights. The benchmarks concerned both the policy and institutional framework (legislation and planning) and the effective and sustainable implementation of this framework.

During the visa liberalisation dialogues, the Commission closely monitored the implementation of the Roadmaps and Action Plans through regular progress reports. These progress reports were transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council and are publicly accessible.

What is the revised visa suspension mechanism?

The visa suspension mechanism was first introduced as part of the EU visa policy in 2013 to provide for the possibility to temporarily suspend the visa exemption for the nationals of a third country for a short period of time in case of a substantial increase in irregular migration.

In May 2016, the Commission proposed to revise the existing rules in order to further strengthen this mechanism. The new measures allow the European Union to react more quickly and in a more flexible manner if faced by strong migratory pressure or an increase in risk to the internal security of Member States that may arise from visa-free travel. Under the revised mechanism, the Commission can now trigger the mechanism, whereas previously only Member States could do so. In addition, the revised mechanism also introduced an obligation for the Commission to:

• monitorthe continuous fulfilment of the visa liberalisation requirements which were used to assess the appropriateness of granting visa free travel to a third country as a result of a successful conclusion of a visa liberalisation dialogue; and
• reportabout this continuous fulfilment regularly to the European Parliament and to the Council, at least once a year, for a period of seven years after the date of entry into force of visa liberalisation for that third country, and thereafter when the Commission considers it to be necessary, or upon request by the European Parliament or the Council.

The revised suspension mechanism was adopted in February 2017 and entered into force on 28 March 2017. Today, the Commission is publishing its first report under the new monitoring and reporting obligation.

When can the suspension mechanism be triggered?

The suspension mechanism can be triggered in the following circumstances:

• a substantial increase (more than 50%) of irregular migration, including people found to be staying irregularly, and persons refused entry at the border;
• a substantial increase (more than 50%) of asylum applications with low recognition rate (around 3-4%);
• a decrease of cooperation on readmission, notably in case of an increasing refusal rate for readmission applications;
• an increased risk to the security of Member States, in particular serious criminal offences.

The Commission can also trigger the mechanism in case certain requirements are no longer met as regards the fulfilment of the visa liberalisation benchmarks by third countries that have gone through a visa liberalisation dialogue.

What are the next steps?

The report sets out actions to be taken by the partner countries to ensure the sustainability of reforms. The Commission will closely follow up with the authorities on progress made towards meeting these recommendations.

The Commission will report again to the European Parliament and the Council on further developments before the end of 2018.