LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: It was not easy, we agreed on two things (Tanjug/B92/RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has assessed that today’s talks in Brussels were very complex. He notes that they had agreed that the talks continue in order to look for a common denominator of a compromise solution, as well as to preserve peace and stability in Belgrade-Pristina relations. In a short statement to the press following the meeting, he said that today’s talks were certainly not easy and that there were two issues on which they had agreed. “One issue was to continue the talks, to try to look for a common denominator of a compromise solution, and the other issue was to preserve peace and stability in Belgrade-Pristina relations,” Vucic told journalists. He says he would have nothing else to add, and if he could say it in one sentence, this is that the Albanians and Hashim Thaci would like to get everything and ask for everything for the Albanians in Kosovo, while Belgrade is trying to find a compromise solution where neither side would be humiliated. Asked whether he would accept independence of Kosovo, Vucic said: “It is precisely this type of talks that I have on a daily basis – whether we will reach a compromise, and what kind of compromise solution this would be. The only compromise solution that we are offered by all Kosovo political sides, especially Hashim Thaci and all others, is always only recognition of the independent state of Kosovo. Things don’t work that way,” said Vucic. “You cannot be absolutely satisfied, and we also cannot be absolutely satisfied. If both sides are equally dissatisfied, this would mean that we can reach a real compromise solution,” he said. When a reporter remarked that the previous meeting in Brussels also resulted in an agreement to solve problems in a peaceful manner – but since there had been several incidents, Vucic said that this was discussed too, and that some kind of technical steps have been undertaken today to prevents it in the future. He stressed that his job was to take care of the safety of the Serbs and preserve their security. When asked what further steps he expects regarding the dialogue, Vucic said, the question is difficult, and the answer even more complicated for the simple reason that the situation is such, and because this is a problem that has existed for 150 years and more in different ways. “But do you have the right to break off the conversations and leave everything to be solved by emotions and passions, and taken over by them – I do not think you have any right to do that. That is why Serbia is determined to continue the talks and when they are scheduled, we will continue these talks in good faith and with best intent to reach a solution,” said the President, adding, “As to whether we reach a solution… whether we can offer some sort of solution to our societies, that we will see – we are not close to that.”

Vucic in Paris: Macron’s support for finding a compromise with Albanians (RTS/Tanjug/Beta)

The Serbian and French Presidents, Aleksandar Vucic and Emmanuel Macron, said at a July 17 meeting in Paris that Serbia couldn’t join the EU unless it made progress in its reforms, underlining the importance of peace and stability in the region. After an hour-long meeting at the Elysee Palace, Macron said that Serbia could join the EU in 2025 if the country made progress in the reform process, but that it was also necessary to reform the EU by that time. The French President said that Serbia shouldn’t consider 2025 as an automatic criterion for the EU accession. I have said before that other states, too, should first take care of the key matters, like reforms. If they make quicker progress in their reforms, the negotiations can be closed,” Macron explained. Vucic said that Serbia couldn’t join the EU without the Kosovo issue, legal system and the rule of law addressed, not even with Macron’s support. “Even if Macron says that Serbia is joining the EU right now, it will not do so before we solve our problems. You know I am not an optimist as to how successful we will be, but I will do my best to make it happen,” Vucic said. Macron said that the EU reform could be completed by 2025, adding that France has made reform proposals referring to the EU budget, defense and strategic issues. Macron said that the EU wasn’t operating properly because there were many differences between the 28 member states, as their views had drifted apart in the meantime. “Serbia has won Macron’s support for a compromise with the Albanians in Kosovo, making durable peace possible for all the people living in the region,” Vucic said. The Serbian President added that he had discussed the future of Serbia and the region with his French counterpart, as well as the Belgrade-Pristina talks and sincere friendship between Serbia and France, lasting for centuries, rather than decades. Macron said that his country wished to assist Serbia on its way to the EU, thanking Belgrade for its help in the security sector and fight against organized crime and illegal migration, describing Serbia as a vital partner in those areas. “Serbia has played an active role in the EU accession talks, and we want to help the country solve the most sensitive issues along the way,” Macron said.

Support of Georgia to territorial integrity, sovereignty of Serbia (Beta/RTS/Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met in Tbilisi on 17 July with Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bahtadze at the beginning of her first official visit to that country. Brnabic and Bahtadze said during the talks that the relations of the two countries are good and traditionally friendly and that in the coming period they will work on intensifying cooperation in different areas. Brnabic stressed that Serbia is interested in strengthening dialogue with Georgia at all levels, and assessed that the principle of mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity is a good basis for improving relations between the two countries. We are grateful to Georgia for not recognizing Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence, as well as for its firm position not to support the admission of so-called Kosovo into international organizations such as UNESCO, she said.

Drecun: We need a predictable associate on the other side (RTS)

The Chairperson of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun has told the morning news of Radio Television of Serbia (RTS) that the missing space for reaching a compromise on a solution for the Kosovo issue is being created. “Pristina insists on the position that closes the door to normalization, and this is recognition of independence, so there is no space here for a compromise,” says Drecun. He says that President Vucic had stated that Serbia at least has a crystalized framework for the final solution, and he presented this to French President Macron. “France realized that this situation is unsustainable. It is good for us if France and Germany wish to accept the situation that we will not accept this, that we will not recognize Kosovo. Macron is becoming the bearer of the reform within the EU, together Merkel, and of this new axis that is being created and based on a new vision of cooperation in the field of defense and security. Many things will be decided on the line Washington-Paris-Berlin and Serbia should represent its interests there,” notes Drecun. When it comes to the resumption of the dialogue in Brussels, Drecun points out that different formats of the meeting are discussed, which points to the fact that Brussels realizes that everybody in Pristina needs to assume responsibility for what Kosovo President Hashim Thaci agrees in Brussels. “We need to have a predictable associate on the other side, and this can’t be done if Thaci agrees to one thing and then others don’t respect this. Everybody needs to assume responsibility for what is agreed upon. Thaci obviously doesn’t have sufficient capacity to fulfill the agreed things,” says Drecun.

He noted that the deadline given by the EU to Pristina to draft the Statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities is expiring soon.

Milivojevic: Serbian negotiators are not conveying to citizens the real content of talks with Pristina (Beta)

Analyst Cvijetin Milivojevic assessed today that Belgrade and Pristina representatives had discussed in Brussels the separate agreement, but that the Serbian negotiating team doesn’t wish to share the content of these talks with the citizens of Serbia. Commenting the meeting held in Brussels by the Presidents of Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci, with the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, Milijovevic has told Beta that the things they discussed is not what Serbian citizens think they discussed. He says that it can be noticed that following these meetings, the Serbian negotiators speak general mantras, proverbs, such as “we agreed to preserve peace and stability” and “we agreed to talk again”. “I am afraid that at issue is not how to organize the status of Kosovo within Serbia, with whatever high degree of autonomy, but at issue is something else,” says Milivojevic, adding that at this moment, when it comes to the Brussels dialogue, he gets informed by what the Albanian media in Kosovo report, because the negotiating team from Serbia doesn’t want to share the content of these talks with the Serbian public. He points out that there is a noticeable difference in which state officials traveled to Brussels for talks, since the negotiating delegation from Pristina arrived in full capacity, unlike the Serbian negotiating team. “The President of Kosovo, the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, the Foreign Minister appeared in Brussels, but I don’t see the Prime Minister on the Serbian side, yet, according to the Serbian Constitution, politics are not conducted by the Serbian President, but by the Serbian government. I also don’t see the Serbian parliament speaker, the Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Still, I see the head of one of the dozen offices, and this one is accidentally called the Office for Kosovo and Metohija,” says Milivojevic. He says that one may conclude from this that the real truth about what was discussed today in Brussels was voiced yesterday by the official of the ruling party in the Russian Federation United Russia Sergey Zheleznyak, who stated that Russia will not support a separate agreement, which is obviously being discussed in Brussels between Belgrade and Pristina. “I suppose that they discussed the separate agreement based on what the Kosovo negotiators and the United Russia official had stated, which is one sort of message to the public in Serbia on what will be discussed today in Brussels,” assessed Milivojevic. Speaking about further expectations, Milivojevic says that even the closest associates of President Aleksandar Vucic do not know what is the solution for Kosovo, including Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and Foreign Minister, as well as the vice presidents of the Serbian Progressive Party. “Only Aleksandar Vucic knows what is the solution for Kosovo and this compromise that is being mentioned, which speaks of the lack of respect for the Constitution of Serbia by the highest state officials,” concluded Milivojevic.

Vukadinovic: Moscow does not recognize any all-encompassing agreement with Pristina that derogates Resolution 1244 (RTS/RTV/NSPM)

The public in Serbia should know that it is Russia’s official standpoint not to recognize the signing of an all-encompassing agreement on normalizing relations with Pristina, said the opposition MP Djordje Vukadinovic on Tuesday. “In official talks with our delegation a message was sent, unlike from that which is broadly announced, that the base of the negotiations can only be the Resolution 1244, and that all all-encompassing agreements and changing of borders are out of the question,” said Vukadinovic during a debate in parliament. He said this while posing a question to the Foreign Ministry and the general secretariat of the Serbian President of whether they were acquainted with this standpoint of Moscow’s. Vukadinovic also said that the local public did not know what the “red lines” of the Serbian authorities were concerning the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina which is being led in Brussels.

Serbian soldiers among best trained in peace missions (Beta/RTS)

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin met in Beirut with Deputy Head of the UNIFIL Mission to Lebanon Imran Riza and the Western Sector Commander, Brigadier General Paolo Fabri, who praised the training of Serb soldiers participating in peacekeeping missions. After the meeting, Vulin said that the common position of Riza and Fabri is that the Serbian soldiers are very good, which is why the international community counts on Serbia and wants to work with the Serbian army. Vulin, who is on a two-day visit to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, visited on Tuesday the UNIFIL command in Nakuri, as well as the Command of the West Department, and will meet with members of the Serbian national contingent. He specified that a total of 177 Serbian soldiers were deployed in the East and West sectors. As he said, at the moment, there are 322 representatives in 10 different peace missions, six of which are under the command of the United Nations, and four are under the command of the European Union.

REGIONAL PRESS

Covic and Djukanovic meet in Podgorica; express satisfaction with excellent relations between B&H and Montenegro (BHT1/TV1)

Croat member of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic met with President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic in Podgorica on Tuesday. Covic and Djukanovic exchanged opinions about the situation in B&H and Montenegro, expressing satisfaction with excellent relations between B&H and Montenegro. They also expressed readiness to continue to contribute to make cooperation in all areas of common interest more dynamic. Covic and Djukanovic in particular discussed the developments in the region, its European perspective and its relations with the EU. In that context, Covic and Djukanovic expressed initiative for a more proactive defining of a common policy of countries in the region towards the EU with the aim of achieving European goals faster. Covic and Djukanovic also discussed the issue of creation of preconditions for efficient promotion and implementation of sustainable development goals of the UN Agenda 2030, which B&H accepted as an international obligation in 2015. Covic announced he plans to meet with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday in Belgrade, and with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic soon, explaining that all these meetings are a part of his initiative to improve relationships between the four countries. Covic also said he is being portrayed as someone who wants to divide B&H together with SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, underlining that those who claim he hates B&H are the ones who are unable to understand what he is doing. “Homeland B&H comes before everyone, our Euro-Atlantic road is the only commitment of B&H, and of course, ensuring complete equality of the three constituent peoples,” said Covic and pointed out that all those who think otherwise do not wish good for their country.

Viskovic: RS’ position clearly stated in resolution (Srna)

SNSD caucus whip in the Republika Srpska (RS) Assembly Radovan Viskovic told Srna that the position of the RS and its parliament on B&H’s path to NATO is clearly stated in the Resolution on Military Neutrality, and that nothing has changed when it comes to it. Responding to the claims by the B&H Council of Ministers Chairman Denis Zvizdic, that B&H will activate the NATO Membership Action Plan /MAP/ by the end of the year, Viskovic has stressed that these are Zvizdic’s ambitions, but that the RS must be also asked for certain things in B&H. “I expect Serb representatives in the Council of Ministers to understand that they are obliged by law and the constitution to respect the National Assembly’s Resolution. I cannot even imagine that our representatives, first of all those from the Alliance for Change, do not react to such statements and that they can allow Zvizdic to act beyond the RS Assembly and RS’ position,” Viskovic has said. He has recalled that the RS Assembly passed the Resolution on Military Neutrality following Serbia’s position, and if Serbia eventually changes its position on this issue, then the RS may think about it. Viskovic has added that this is Zvizdic’s political statement, and that his claims are essentially nothing.

Protests due to migrant crisis in Bihac to take place in Sarajevo on 26 July (TV1/BHT1)

Collegium of the Bosanski Petrovac Municipal Council held a session on Tuesday and rejected the plan of Una-Sana Canton (USC) Prime Minister Husein Rosic to open the migrant accommodation center in Medeno Polje in the area of Bosanski Petrovac Municipality. As stressed at the session, the migrant crisis is a problem that has to be addressed by state-level bodies. Bihac Mayor Suhret Fazlic stated on Tuesday that the Bihac City Council decided that protests due to the migrant crisis in Bihac will be staged in Sarajevo on 26 July. According to Fazlic, Bihac citizens and local authorities will call for B&H Ministry of Security to do its job in line with the law on asylum.

Party leaders to meet over referendum preparations (MIA)

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has scheduled a meeting of leaders of political parties represented at the parliament for Wednesday at 18:00h, the government said Tuesday in a press release.

The significance of the political moment in Macedonia imposes the need of broadening the institutional frame of such leaders’ gatherings to the 1+1 format. Hence the leaders and plus one member of political parties represented at the parliament are invited to attend the meeting on Wednesday, which is to take place in the MPs Club in Skopje. Zaev has invited leaders of VMRO-DPMNE, DUI, two BESA wings, DOM, DPA, Alliance of Albanians, LDP, NSDP and SPM to attend the meeting. The SDSM leader has scheduled the meeting after opposition VMRO-DPMNE blocked the process of appointing members of the State Election Commission (SEC), which is set to organize the referendum over the name agreement with Greece. On Tuesday, the parliament endorsed the need to adopt changes in the Electoral Code by urgent procedure, which stipulate the election of SEC members by a simple majority of 61 votes instead of a two-third majority.

EU launches screening process with Albania (ADN)

The EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn announced on Tuesday the official launch of the EU screening process with Albania as the first step toward the accession negotiation process.  Hahn explained the screening would allow Albania and Macedonia to become familiar with EU legal norms and the EU to gauge their preparedness to comply with them, especially the chapters on rule of law. “The EU screening process is a thorough and detailed exercise, which will allow Albania’s administration to familiarize with the EU legislation,” said Commissioner Hahn, adding that the Commission will accompany Albania throughout the process. According to him, it is crucial that the efforts continue and even intensify on the priorities of the reform agenda. The focus will be in the key areas such as the continuation of the vetting process along with the institutional restructuring of the judiciary and further tangible results in the fight against corruption. “Reform process is not done for Brussels, but to the benefit of Albanian citizens,” he said. Moreover, the EU Enlargement Commissioner guaranteed that there is no new condition for opening negotiations for Albania as any EU candidate country has gone through this process. He called on the country’s institutions to not lose a single day. He also stated that the “Parliament should amend the law on the status of judges and prosecutors so that the school of magistrates increases the number of recruited and trained students since the beginning of this year,” considering this a joint responsibility of the government and the opposition to swiftly implement justice reform. Otherwise, Hahn added that a situation where there are no competent judges, would be a disaster as a result of the successful vetting process. In his word, PM Edi Rama said the decision of the European Council marks a very important moment that ultimately consolidates Albania’s European perspective and irrevocably defines the path of EU membership. The Prime Minister Edi Rama, during the joint press conference that he held with the Commissioner Johannes Hahn, said that Albania has made enormous changes and progress regarding the five priorities for the opening of accession negotiations. According to him, the strongest weapon that the government has and will use for the negotiations is the passion for the country. “Regarding our strongest weapon, if you want or not, is the passion we have for Albania even though at certain moments we do not show it properly. Our passion for the country is uncontrollable. What is important and often omitted is the country’s progress in this process months after month. In another way, Albania compared to the previous year, is more advanced in relation to the 5 priorities. If 5 years ago we were in a political battle, if there will be Vetting or not, will this step be thrown or not thrown, today a year later we are seeing the daily and brutal cleansing of the justice palace,” said Rama. He added that France and Netherlands would never have approached as they approached at the last moment, if the results were not what they prove and talk about. The head of government stressed that work in the next 12 months will not be easy, but pledged to use the time effectively, to guarantee a high level of coordination, and to progressively strengthen all the accession negotiating units for EU membership. “We have analyzed the recommendation of the Commission and the Council’s conclusions, and we are clear about the tasks. Just as we are aware that we got an unconditional recommendation, nothing prevents us from doing a quality work in these 12 months,” said the premier. Rama expressed his conviction that in June 2019 negotiations will be opened. Last month, the Council of the EU decided to set out the path for opening accession negotiations with Albania in June 2019. EU governments delayed by at least a year the decision to allow membership talks with Macedonia and Albania after France and the Netherlands demanded more reforms to tackle organized crime and corruption.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Trump: Defending NATO ally Montenegro could mean ‘World War III’ (politico.eu, by Esther King, 18 July 2018)

US president again casts doubt on wisdom of alliance’s collective defense pact.

U.S. President Donald Trump took another swipe at NATO Tuesday night, suggesting that sending troops to defend a small NATO ally from attack could end in disaster. Asked in an interview with Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson why the U.S. should send troops to defend a small country such as Montenegro if it were attacked, Trump replied: “I understand what you’re saying, I’ve asked the same question. Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you’re in World War III. But that’s the way it was set up.” Trump’s comments came after a European visit in which he threatened to pull out of NATO if allies didn’t increase their defense spending, and a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. Montenegro, which has a population of around 620,000, joined NATO in June 2017. The military alliance’s Article 5 obligates its members to come to the aid of another member country if it is under attack.

Trump and Montenegro have a bit of a history: The U.S. president shoved Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković aside at a NATO summit in 2017.