LOCAL PRESS

Vucic congratulates Netanyahu on victory; expresses gratitude for Israel’s respect of Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Tanjug/B92)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the victory in parliamentary elections. “Receive my congratulations on the occasion of the victory in the parliamentary elections, as well as the best wishes for success in the further work for the sake of the progress of the State of Israel,’ Vucic said. The President said he wished to see continued cooperation between Serbia and Israel, so that the two countries, as sincere friends and trusted partners, would strengthen economic ties and cooperation in all other areas on the basis of good political relations. “Let me also, on this occasion, express my gratitude to the State of Israel for its principled attitude to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia,” Vucic said, referring to Israel’s refusal to recognize Kosovo as independent. “Our nations have shared the same destiny through history, and I believe that, in the years ahead of us, our friendship of many centuries that we are proud of, will become even stronger,” the Serbian President concluded.

Serbian delegation in PACE warns of Pristina’s behavior (Tanjug)

The Serbian delegation warned today at a meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) of Pristina’s behavior, noting that Belgrade is devoted to dialogue and respect of international law and human rights in Kosovo and Metohija, the Serbian parliament announced. Head of the Serbian delegation Aleksandra Tomic pointed that the numerous reports of international organizations, including the UN, and the needs of the people and regional stability, majority of the international community, including the EU and US, and the agreements between Belgrade and Pristina call for compromise, dialogue and respecting international law and human rights in Kosovo and Metohija. She said that Belgrade is open and fully committed to these objectives as it had amply proven many times. Pristina on the other hand keeps escalating the situation: jeopardizing the citizens’ survival by imposing the anti-civilizational 100% taxes, establishing the “Armed Forces” (in violation of UNSC Resolution 1244, regional arrangements and the Brussels Agreement), jeopardizing the stability in the region, not establishing a Community of Serb Municipalities, adopting the so-called Platform which effectively blocks the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and not sanctioning and even inciting attacks on people, churches, property and cemeteries. Pristina’s constant fabrication of excuses for the failure to fulfil its obligations adds yet another dimension to this escalation. She stressed that if PACE ignores Pristina’s aggressive, destructive, extreme and uncooperative behavior, it is difficult to see what it legitimizes or what is left of the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law built into the very foundations of the Council of Europe.

Schieb: Berlin meeting proves Western Balkans has high priority (N1)

The German Ambassador to Serbia Thomas Schieb told N1 morning program on Thursday that the meeting of the Western Balkans leaders in Berlin was planned at the initiative by Germany and France for quite some time, proving the region had a high priority. The meeting is scheduled for 29 April. Schieb said that, among others, the invitees included the representatives of Slovenia and Croatia, the head of the European Commission Jean Claude Juncker and the EU High Representative and the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on normalization of relations mediator Federica Mogherini. “The meeting shows the Western Balkans still enjoys a high priority for Berlin as well for Paris. We want to dedicate ourselves and to engage in the Western Balkans. Of course, one of the topics is the relations between Serbia and Kosovo,” the Ambassador said. He added Berlin favored the resumption of the dialogue which had been on hold since last November when Pristina introduced the 100 percent import tariffs on goods from Serbia and Bosnia. Schieb said Germany had repeatedly asked Kosovo’s authorities to revoke the decision and enable the resumption of talks, adding he understood Belgrade’s stand toward the issue. Serbia said the dialogue would only continue after the taxes were abolished. Commenting on the idea of border changes between Serbia and Kosovo Schieb said Germany doubted that might be a solution. “We think that it is impossible to solve all open issues at once though border changes, demarcation, division, name it. Border changes can have repercussions to the whole region and even to other areas. That’s why we are so reserved regarding that,” the Ambassador said. He said that Germany – Serbia partnership was good and that Berlin wanted Belgrade in the EU as soon as possible, but added that depended on Serbia’s reforms. The Ambassador added he did not know if car producer Volkswagen would come to Serbia as had been speculated by the media but added “it would be an excellent thing. The decision depends on the factory, and I hope it will be in Serbia’s favor.” Commenting on media freedom in Serbia, Schieb said the free media were crucial for democracy. “That’s why we believe the freedom of media must be secured,” he said, adding the protection of journalists who did their job should be guaranteed. “I think the government is aware of that problem (the safety of journalists) and that has been known for a while.” Asked about the anti-government protests across Serbia, Schieb said the critical thing for demonstrations was to remain calm and that there were no incident or unrest.

Gojkovic, Chepurin on advancing parliamentary cooperation (RTV/Tanjug)

Serbian parliament speaker Maja Gojkovic met today with Russian Ambassador to Serbia Aleksandr Chepurin to discuss advancing parliamentary cooperation and overall relations between the two countries. The officials agreed that the overall relations between Serbia and the Russian Federation are very intense and that parliamentary cooperation, based on the cooperation agreements with the State Duma and the Russian Federation Council, is exceptional and takes pride of place in the two countries’ relations. Gojkovic and Chepurin emphasized the importance of the regular session of the Russian State Duma – Serbian parliamentary Cooperation Commission and its coming fourth meeting in Belgrade in June, to be attended by a State Duma delegation headed by speaker Vyacheslav Volodin.

Serbia could open new EU negotiations chapters on 18 June (Tanjug)

The next intergovernmental EU-Serbia conference, when new chapters in Serbia’s the accession negotiations should be opened, should be held on 18 June. Romania, who holds the EU presidency, envisaged that day as the possible date for an intergovernmental conference, and it is currently assessed that it would be realistic to expect the opening of two new chapters at most.

There are currently five negotiating Chapters (2, 4, 9, 21 and 11) in the EU working bodies, which are not yet supported by all EU members. It is expected that chapter 14, that deals with transport, will enter procedure. When deciding on how many chapters will be opened, EU members will again focus the most on a report on the state of the rule of law in Serbia, respectively Chapters 23 and 24. Otherwise, the May elections for the European Parliament will postpone in the short term the European Commission’s report on the progress of the countries in the EU integration. Unlike in the previous year, when the reports and strategy for enlargement were published in April, their presentation is now expected after EP elections, i.e., not before 29 May. At this point, it is not clear whether the EU member states will have enough time to by mid-June make decisions on new steps in the process of accession of the Western Balkan countries after the publication of the EC report.

Djilas to form his own party on 19 April (FoNet/TV Nasa)

Dragan Djilas, one of the leaders of the opposition Alliance for Serbia (SzS) group said he planned to form a party on 19 April, adding the new political organization name would be “The Party of Freedom and Justice,” FoNet reported. Djilas, ex-leader of the opposition Democratic Party (DS) and former mayor of Belgrade, who left the DS and stayed out of politics for a while, still did not have a party but was a founder of the SzS and its prominent member. Together with other opposition leaders, he takes part in the #1 in 5 million civil protests in Belgrade which started last December but told the TV Nasa that the politicians did not take away the demonstrations from the organizers. However, he added, they had to be at the helm. “If something bad happens, if someone is responsible, then we are,” adding he only called people to the 13 April rally in Belgrade expected to gather protesters from some 100 places across Serbia who had been demonstrating for months, but that organizers decided on that.

EU, OSCE attend anti-corruption forum (Beta)

The Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi called Serbia to invest more effort to seize assets gained through corruption. Fabrizi told an anti-corruption forum in Nis that Serbia has the institutional frameworks to combat corruption but has to work on seizure of assets, reform laws on criminal proceedings, suppressing corruption and origin of assets and continue work on Chapter 23 of the pre-accession negotiations. According to Fabrizi, corruption is a serious problem whose cost is equal to one percent of the EU GDP.  OSCE mission chief Andrea Orizio told the forum that his organization helped the anti-corruption struggle in Serbia through its engagement in building the capacities of courts and training judiciary staff.  Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic said the number of sentences handed down by courts in corruption cases had increased over the past year. She said preparations to implement new laws included liaison officers in 13 state bodies. “A law on preventing corruption is being drafted and will be submitted to parliament soon and the law on origin of assets will help upgrade the fight against corruption,” she said. Internal Affairs Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that “there are no protected persons in Serbia”. “The state has recognized the need to wage a systemic fight against corruption which means that every state institution has to be involved,” he said.

REGIONAL PRESS

Covic and Izetbegovic continue talks without concrete results; Meeting of SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD to take place next week (FTV)

Leader of HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Dragan Covic met leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic in Mostar on Wednesday. The officials discussed various topics; relations between the two parties, formation of authorities at all levels of power, issues related to the Federation of B&H government such as the Reform Agenda, the so-called ‘third entity’ and a TV channel in the Croatian language. According to the officials, the misunderstandings are the reason why Bosniak officials did not show up at the opening of the International Economy Fair in Mostar on Tuesday. The officials also announced a meeting of SDA, SNSD and HDZ B&H next week.

Addressing media following the meeting, Izetbegovic said: “We are going step by step. Activation of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) will still remain an imprecisely defined issue. I hope that we will find a solution for this as well and that we will finally be in a situation to form the Council of Ministers (CoM of B&H)”. Officials did not discuss distribution of Ministries in the CoM as they wait for a meeting with leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik next week, bearing in mind that Covic and Izetbegovic have pretty much the same requests about the posts that they want. Covic and Izetbegovic did not discuss about DF, while Covic said that for HDZ B&H, things are very clear and the party is negotiating with SDA and SNSD and their partners. Covic explained that for him, there is no fourth partner and added that it is up to SDA to decide which ministerial post will be assumed within a package that SDA will get. Izetbegovic said: “The problem is not in DF and HDZ B&H. The problem is that almost entire Croat corps in B&H observes this the way HDZ does, i.e. they have one frustration that we cannot ignore”. Izetbegovic also said that one-fourth of the population – that does not belong to any of the national blocs – cannot be ignored, but he is still convinced that an efficient solution will be found after all. Covic reiterated that for HDZ B&H, the key of everything lies in legitimate election of the peoples. Covic added that it is not easy to reach a solution but it is possible if there is good will for this. Covic categorically said that there will be no a third entity and only irresponsible policy of Bosniaks can make Croats Do this.

SDA and SNSD delegations continue talks in Sarajevo, NATO and third ministerial post for SNSD main obstacles (FTV)

Delegations of SDA and SNSD held a meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday. The two delegations failed to reach an agreement on formation of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM), distribution of seats and the NATO integration. According to the reporter, the delegations failed to bring their stances closer and the issue of the Membership Action Plan (MAP) and the National Annual Program (ANP) still remains one of the problems. Representatives of SDA reiterated that the Constitution of B&H and the Law on Defense of B&H must be respected, while the reporter noted that representatives of SNSD announced new models. Asked whether this means possible negotiations with other parties without SDA, Head of SNSD Caucus in B&H HoR Stasa Kosarac stated: “There are different kinds of models, let us not talk about this today (Wednesday). There is a possibility to discuss these topics in the upcoming days”. Deputy President of SDA Adil Osmanovic stated that they asked SNSD to present a modality about the ANP and to really observe this as a technical issue. Osmanovic added: “We received the answer that at this moment, they find this unacceptable”. The parties also failed to reach an agreement on distribution of seats in the future convocation of the CoM. SNSD requested three ministerial posts for each of the parties, i.e. ethnicities. Kosarac emphasized: “We do not have the identical stances on this issue”. Representatives of SDA said that DF can propose their candidates from ranks of all ethnicities, including from the rank of the ‘Others’. Speaking about this issue, Osmanovic stated: “We will not condition them (DF) on whom they should propose in the CoM. This can be someone from the ranks of the ‘Others’, someone from the Bosniak ranks, but this is our issue”. Representatives of SNSD, HDZ B&H and SDA are supposed to hold another meeting next week. The reporter noted that until then, blockade of state institutions continues, as SNSD MPs announced that they will not come to Thursday’s urgent session of B&H defining who will be the ruling authorities at the state level. Kosarac stressed that there should be no more ultimatums, reminding that new conditions used to be set once in a week. “Otherwise, SNSD will also request other models,” he added. Osmanovic voiced his expectation that SNSD, HDZ B&H and SDA will hold a meeting next week, which he hopes will result in adequate solutions.

Dodik: For formation of B&H CoM, it is necessary to change procedures imposed by HRs and respect Constitution and election will of citizens (TV1)

SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated on Wednesday that SDA is violating the constitutional law by obstructing the process of formation of new authorities at the B&H level of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). “We do not need an agreement with them because, as representatives of Republika Srpska (RS), we are entitled to assume the seats intended for representatives of the Serb people and the RS, in accordance with the Constitution. They are not supposed to give us anything and we are not asking for anything” Dodik was quoted as saying. He assessed that it is uncertain when the B&H Council of Ministers will be formed, arguing that SDA is trying to show that this issue is being discussed, although they are not even close to any kind of agreement. Dodik stressed that Serbs are asking what belongs to them, adding that besides that, they are not asking for any other concessions. Dodik stressed that for the formation of the B&H CoM, it is necessary to change the procedures imposed by High Representatives in B&H and respect the Constitution and the election will of the citizens. Dodik said that he will see who will convene the next meeting and that he will probably very soon decide not to be part of the fake show on alleged formation of the authorities, adding that he will not be labeled as inefficient because of something that Izetbegovic and his party are making up.  Dodik said that he doubts in honest intentions of SDA to implement results of General Elections 2018. “SDA has been making up different methods to show that there are talks about this issue. However, we are not close to an agreement” explained Dodik.

B&H HoR to hold urgent session on migrant crisis, failure to appoint B&H delegation to PACE; SNSD to boycott the session because of failure to appoint B&H CoM and form B&H CoM (EuroBlic)

Chair of SNSD Caucus in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Representatives (HoR) Stasa Kosarac told media that SNSD representatives will not attend the urgent session of B&H HoR, which will take place on Friday (April 11). The agenda of the session will include two items – the Information of B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) on control and handling of inflow of a mass number of migrants to B&H and reasons for failure to appoint members of B&H delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) and possible consequences. Kosarac explained that the main reason for the boycott of the session is the blockade of the appointment of B&H CoM Chair and formation of B&H CoM. “All of this is a political farce in which we will not participate until the structure of authorities at the level of B&H is defined and until SDA stops blocking the appointment of B&H CoM Chair and formation of B&H CoM” Kosarac stated. Kosarac also argued that the appointment of delegations, commissions and other parliamentary bodies is pointless and, in some cases, opposite to rules which define which chairs or members of commissions should represent ruling or opposition parties. He also resented the fact that some outgoing ministers are simultaneously MPs, i.e. they hold posts in both executive and legislative authorities at the same time, which “is unknown in democratic societies”. Kosarac warned that this situation might result in having outgoing B&H CoM Chair Denis Zvizdic perform duties of the Speaker of B&H HoR at the same time, thanks to the system of rotation. The daily reminded that Speaker of B&H HoR Borjana Kristo convened the urgent session of B&H HoR upon request of SDP, Our Party and SBB B&H.

Izetbegovic denies Dodik’s claims that SDA enlists Bosniaks fit for military service (N1)

Chairman of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik stated on Tuesday that SDA held meetings in Mostar in the last three months to carry out enlisting of Bosniaks fit for military service. Dodik also reiterated that Republika Srpska (RS) will form reserve police forces. Leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic denied abovementioned claims on enlisting of Bosniaks. He stressed that while the RS is working to form paramilitary units, they accuse SDA of mobilizing people. “It is a nonsense, but unfortunately part of people can take these statements seriously,” explained Izetbegovic. Dodik also said that he has obtained information about illegal and uncontrolled production of weapons and ammunition in military industry factories in the Federation of B&H. “This is the story about Bakir Izetbegovic and his claim to produce something for God forbid situation,” emphasized the Chairman of B&H Presidency. Reporter reminded of statement of Federation of B&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalic from 2018 when he said that strengthening of military industry in the Federation of B&H is necessary to increase export, but also to strengthen security of B&H in the period when Serbia and Croatia are engaged in armament of their forces. Some military analysts assessed this statement as reckless. However, Izetbegovic assessed it as encouraging, adding that strengthening of military industry is necessary for ‘God forbid’ situations. Dodik called Izetbegovic’s statements on formation of paramilitary forces in the RS nonsense. He stressed that everything that is being done in the RS is being done in accordance with the law which, according to him, is not the case in the Federation of B&H. Dodik stressed that Izetbegovic should not fear the reserve police force in the RS which is obviously bothering him, noting that none of its members will enter the Federation of B&H as policemen. Dodik recalled that allies of the Bosniaks destroyed the military industry in the RS, but that military industry in the Federation of B&H is certainly alive and well. Dodik presented Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the information he has on Tuesday. HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic also reacted to this story. Covic said that when it comes to the information that SDA is arming Bosniaks, he knows as much as he has heard from the media. Covic stressed that in any case, such claims should not be taken lightly. Novalic commented on Tuesday on the accusations and was quoted as saying that any kind of weapon is for “God forbid situations”, but the defense industry is a matter of economy. “In my opinion, the defense industry is a fast-growing branch of economy, just like tourism. The defense industry is growing extremely fast, profits are growing as well, this is a market in which our brand is recognized,” Novalic explained.

Serb ministers in B&H CoM support Program of Work for 2019 that includes continuation of activities related to NATO path (RTRS)

According to RTRS, besides supporting adoption of the Program of Work of B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) for 2019 that should be respected by a new convocation of B&H CoM, Serb ministers voted in favor of NATO path of B&H, activation and implementation of NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP). The abovementioned document was discussed at a session of B&H CoM held in March and it was attended by all three ministers from the rank of Serbs: Mirko Sarovic (SDS), Dragan Mektic (SDS) and Igor Crnadak (PDP). According to minutes from this session, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Sarovic was only Serb minister who reacted and requested the item concerning the NATO path of B&H to be removed from the Program. Although Sarovic’s request was accepted, the Program containing the abovementioned item was adopted some 10 days later. Reporter wondered whether Serb representatives in B&H CoM forgot about Republika Srpska (RS) parliament resolution on military neutrality of the RS and about fact that NATO bombed the RS. Namely, at least one Serb minister had to vote for this document in order to enable B&H CoM to adopt it. Chairman of B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik stated that if such document is implemented, the RS would lose some of its friends and the concept of dissolution of the RS would be resumed, adding that this is why it is unacceptable for the RS. Member of SNSD Presidency and representative in B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Stasa Kosarac said that this type of activities made in Sarajevo have always been aimed against the RS, its institutions and stances. Kosarac said that the main problem is the fact some politicians from the RS participate in these activities. He went on saying that the Program is not mandatory because the current convocation of B&H CoM lacks legality. Commenting on the fact that the Program of Work of B&H CoM for 2019 contains the intention to activate and implement the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) regardless of the RS’ stance on military neutrality, outgoing Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Igor Crnadak said that just because something was included in the Program of Work of B&H CoM does not mean that this subject is mandatory in terms of stance on the matter. Crnadak told the daily that his stance is in line with his past statements that the new convocation of B&H CoM will have to decide on the MAP. “Therefore, they will adopt a decision to either put the MAP ad acta or to adopt the first Annual National Plan and activate the MAP,” Crnadak added.

Albania will have Croatia’s support in its EU integration path (Hina)

The Albanian delegation, which is participating in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly session, taking place from 8 to 12 April in Strasbourg, has had a meeting with Croatian deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric. During this meeting, the Croatian senior official has praised the reforms that Albania has launched and said that her country will the support Albania’s EU integration process. In this meeting, both sides praised the excellent relations that the two countries share and their cooperation as part of multi-lateral organizations. The members of the Albanian delegation, chaired by MP Ervin Bushati, briefed the Croatian Foreign minister about the achievements that Albania has made in the five key areas needed for the process of integration and they requested Croatia’s support for the launch of negotiations in June 2019. Croatian Foreign Minister Pejcinovic Buric congratulated the Albanian delegation on the progress that the country has made, while she also praised the reform taking place in the judicial system. “The judicial reform, the new legislation and the amendments in the Constitution of Albania may be considered as some of the most effective and radical ones in Europe. Croatia will support the opening of accession talks for Albania and North Macedonia in order for these two countries to join the European family as soon as possible,” the Croatian top diplomat said.

No protest on Saturday, a call from Brussels soon (RTCG)

Citizens’ movement “Resist 97000” announced that there will be no protest in Podgorica on Saturday, and that they received assurances from the Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro Aivo Orav that they will soon be invited to visit Brussels. As they said from the movement after a meeting with the head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro, there will be no mass protest in Podgorica this Saturday, but actions of civil disobedience will be organized on an almost daily base. “We have given solid evidence that this government cannot be replaced through elections organized by this government,” said one of the leaders of the movement “Resist 97000” Dzemal Perovic. According to Perovic, the Head of the EU Delegation to Montenegro was in particular interested in the situation surrounding the unification of the opposition and its cooperation with the movement. “We are promised that the report from this meeting will be delivered to many addresses in Brussels, to twenty something persons and to the highest level. I am coming out of the meeting with the conviction that we will soon receive an invitation to visit Brussels,” Perovic said. Perovic has announced that actions of the movement “Resist” will be organized almost every day, not only in Podgorica, but also in other cities.

NATO is donating 3D radar to Montenegro (Pobjeda)

NATO will donate to Montenegro a 3D radar system which is going to be installed on Bjelasica. Ministry of Defense applies earlier for the abandonment of the radar which is worth around €20 million. “We can confirm the grant of the radar to Montenegrin authorities. This important step is another of our efforts that goes into ensuring defense and protection of the air space of the country, together with the police air forces provided by the ally planes from Greece and Italy,” official from the Alliance said to Pobjeda. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Montenegro, Dragutin Dakic, has recently presented the information about the radar. “The next step in modernization is the provision of radar. Since it’s a pretty big investment, we got it in the form of a donation from NATO. Our duty is to finance it through equipment and arrangement of positioning at an annual level. That way, we’ll cover all the critical spots in order to round up the whole picture of Montenegro. However, considering its configuration and the fact that Montenegro has got many dark angles, we opted for the radar that will most likely be installed on Bjelasica. This way, our air space will be integrated into the NATO system,” said Dakic at the meeting of the Safety Committee held recently. According to the unofficial information, Montenegro will defray expenses of transport and installation. It could cost around 4 million Euros, considerably less than if it had to cover all the expenses of the radar system by itself.

Commenting on the donation, military analyst, Aleksandar Radic, said that it was very important, especially in financial terms. “It is necessary to sign a technical agreement which would define the model of the borrowing and if that will be a national borrowing of if NATO agency will make procurement within its possibilities,” pointed out Radic. Long-term defense plan envisaged the procurement of 3D radar which will enable full operational capacity for generating image of the situation in the air space of Montenegro.

Hahn: I have been reassured by Mickoski that they will not boycott the elections (MIA)

Once our partners fulfill the clear criteria we have set, the EU also needs to live up to its commitment and take the accession process of North Macedonia to the next stage. Credit where credit is due! That is a matter of EU credibility, said EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn in an interview with MIA.

The opposition says that there are no chances that North Macedonia will get a date for a start of the negotiations. According to them, the situation is unenviable, the judiciary is not independent, the administration is politicized, the government is corrupt, the media are not free, etc… To what extent does the Commission share the opposition’s views on the situation in the country?

Hahn: I am not commenting individual statements. Our reports are objective assessments based on facts. As mentioned already, North Macedonia has made significant and visible progress in many areas. The Prespa Agreement is a historic breakthrough. If the reform dynamic is kept up, which I expect, the country report will speak a clear language.

There has been some criticism in the country regarding the level of preparedness of the future negotiating teams and working groups, do you have an advice to the country as a country that is preparing to start negotiations in this regard?

Hahn: I think that every candidate country is well-advised to set up the negotiation teams in time and equip them with the best experts. The quality of these teams will be decisive for the good progress of negotiations.

Are there still countries reluctant to start negotiations with North Macedonia in June, and what is the Commission doing to overcome this?

Hahn: The EU is facing challenging times with the EU elections and Brexit, to mention just two of them. That binds political attention, which is normal. It is therefore important to communicate the EU’s own genuine interest in the continued stepwise enlargement, based on individual merits. The integration of the Western Balkans is an investment in peace, stability and prosperity in our immediate neighbourhood: the European perspective is the main geopolitical driver and incentive for reforms and a guarantee for the gradual alignment of the region with European standards and values. Not living up to this commitment of supporting the Western Balkans’ European perspective, which EU leaders have repeatedly confirmed, to become real, means leaving the region to other players with a different political agenda and different values. This cannot be in the EU’s interest. I am constantly communicating on all these aspects in my meetings with representatives of Member States and European Parliament as just recently in AFET. But it is clear that the communication about the benefits of the integration of the Western Balkans must have a broader angle and be intensified by governments and civil society in the Member States and Western Balkan countries as well.

There is talk of a possible boycott from the opposition at the presidential elections in the second round, how damaging could this be to North Macedonia’s EU path?

Hahn: As mentioned many times, democracy means constructive cross-party cooperation and the ability to compromise. Boycotts are not a sign of democratic maturity. The European perspective of North Macedonia should be regarded as national, strategic goal of all political forces and requires the active and constructive engagement of all political parties as well as of civil society. In this respect I have been reassured by the opposition leader that they will play an active and constructive role in the presidential election and I have no reasons for having any doubts about that.

Czech Republic supports North Macedonia’s NATO and EU membership (Meta)

North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev held a meeting Wednesday in Skopje with a delegation led by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Government Jan Hamacek, focusing on longstanding bilateral relations and support to North Macedonia and its policies.

Zaev pointed out that North Macedonia’s government remains committed to the Euro-Atlantic reform processes, developing the concept of “one society for all”, the Macedonian model of good neighborly relations, as well as the contribution to regional cooperation in Western Balkans countries, said the Government in a press release. In July 2019, the Czech Republic is to take charge of the presidency of the Visegrad Group of EU member states of the Central European region. This, according to the press release, would lead to further support for opening the EU accession chapter of North Macedonia. In addition, the Czech parliament has confirmed it would hold a ratification vote on the NATO Accession Protocol in the coming months. Zaev highlighted the strong commitment of the two countries to maintain and develop friendly political dialogue especially over issues concerning the EU, such as the migrant crisis, as well as to enhance economic cooperation. Czech Deputy PM Hamacek said the cooperation between the security forces of the two countries was vital, adding that the Czech Republic remained fully open to this cooperation in the future. Hamacek noted that North Macedonia’s contribution to areas of interest to the EU, as well as its reform progress are a confirmation that the EU should give the green light for opening the accession negotiations.

Government does not expect Ivanov to pardon April 27 convicts (Nezavisen vesnik)

The government believes that the President Gjorge Ivanov cannot pardon convicts in the case related to 27 April parliament storming, because he would violate the Constitution and the laws, government Spokesperson Mile Boshnjakovski said at Wednesday’s press conference, adding that the government does not expect Ivanov would dare to do that. “There are two reasons why pardoning procedure cannot be conducted by the President, the procedure is conducted solely by Ministry of Justice. Considering that there are no legal grounds for pardoning by the President, the procedure is conducted by Justice Ministry, since there is no legal basis for pardoning without pre-trial procedure in the Justice Ministry,” Boshnjakovski said. Boshnjakovski also reminded that Article 11 of the Law on Pardoning, which allowed the President to pardon, was deleted. “With the abolishing decision of the Constitutional Court in 2016, that Article has not been reintroduced in the law, so that there is no such instrument in country’s legal system,” Boshnjakovski said. The second reason is the fact that during the period of presidential elections, no pardons can be given, Boshnjakovski added. “For now, Ministry of Justice has also not received any requests for pardoning the convicted persons in the case related to April 27 parliament storming. Everything that will be done outside these frames would definitely be a violation of both the laws and the Constitution. We do not expect that the President would dare to do that,” said Boshnjakovski.

President considers airport heist as serious breach of national security (ADN)

Albanian President Ilir Meta has commented on Wednesday the heist that happened at the Rinas National Airport, where 10 million Euros were reported to be stolen and one of the perpetrators remained dead. According to the Head of State, the Airport heist is a serious breach of national security. “Taking into consideration and given the shocking event witnessed, the robbery that took place Mother Teresa’s Airport, I feel the responsibility and accountability in the capacity of the as President of the Republic to directly communicate with you and the public as well. The repetition of such an event taking place inside a particular security facility is unacceptable and it demonstrates and indicates a significant lack of the security institutions’ functioning and accountability. As a NATO member country, Albania and we have the obligation to guarantee the highest standards of security, especially those of a port and airport strategic infrastructure. In the capacity of the Chairman of the National Security Council on 16 May, 2018, as you might know, I have organized and held the meeting of this Council focusing on the subject of: National security situation and the annual security directives of the Republic of Albania regarding the year 2018; integrated border control and its management, the fight against organized crime, against terrorism and illegal immigration; civil emergencies, security of port and airport infrastructure infrastructures and cyber defense. Point 3 of the agenda of that meeting was: Reporting on the Security of Strategic, Port and Airport infrastructures of the Republic of Albania. Based on the preliminary reports presented and put forth by the respective and responsible institutions, in particular I raised and brought up the concern regarding:

1. Lack of clear responsibilities about security at Mother Teresa’s Airport;
2. Shortcomings regarding the access and coordination for proper intervention of the State Police in cases of danger and threats.

These concerns were supported and evidenced by representatives of some important institutions that were present and took place in that meeting. At the conclusion of this point of the agenda the necessity of and urgent treatment and serious dealing of all issues and the final solutions was discussed and presented. At the end of the Council’s meeting, the respective duties assigned to each institution were officially handed and made known to all members of the National Security Council on June 8th, 2018, according to each and every one of their respective responsibilities.

Among those tasks, was duly noted and emphasized the urgent need to found a joint working group under the direction of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy which was requested to deal with and provide the solution of all security issues regarding Mother Teresa’s Airport, as evidenced and witnessed also during the robberies that took place on the tarmac and airplanes’ runway. Under these circumstances, in the capacity of the President of the Republic, I consider the repeated event of the robbery which took place inside the perimeter of Mother Teresa’s Airport to be a serious violation of our national security, public order and damaging the image of our country. I call upon and urge the law enforcement agencies to continue the necessary operations aimed at fully identifying and capturing the robbery’s perpetrators, as well as to find and recuperate the money that was stolen. All the responsible authorities and law enforcement institutions should carry out thorough and in-depth investigations needed to discover and shed light as quick as possible upon this serious and repeated event. To outline and fully record and point out the responsibilities falling upon every institution that has not performed duly their tasks according to law to prevent this repeated event which could have caused more serious and dangerous and tragic consequences for the lives of our citizens and foreigners. The Prosecutor Office should investigate not only the robbery but also the failure to take the necessary measures enabling to meet the legal obligations and recommendations issued by the National Security Council, and to take on the responsibility of any institution and any individual who has not performed the respective task. From this very moment on the Office of the President of the Republic will make available to the Prosecutor Office all the documentations available regarding the meeting and discussions of the National Security Council dated on May 16th, 2018 and also the conclusions it reached”. Prime Minister Edi Rama also reacted.  According to the Premier, the Chinese company that bought the airport from the previous one has failed in guaranteeing security, so he stressed that the airport will be under the control of the Albanian state. “The Chinese company who bought the airport from the previous one failed to guarantee security. The Albanian state will not accept any justification from the company and will take control of the external perimeter and the internal security. Respect for Police who was accused” said Rama.

Minister of Defense, Olta Xhacka, stated that the Armed Forces will secure the safety of the National Airport Mother Teresa in Rinas. According to her, security mechanisms, which are under the responsibility of China’s concessional airport company, have failed completely.

“The event that took place at Rinas Airport was certainly a serious event. The security mechanisms, which are under the responsibility of the Chinese concessional airport company, have failed completely. The Concessionaire has not implemented the mandatory safety standards established by the domestic legislation and the World Aviation Organization. This is an irresponsible and very serious violation of the Albanian legislation, for which I hope and believe that the criminal responsibilities will be held. For this reason, I have ordered that the Military Police and the Special Battalion of our Armed Forces be placed on the perimeter of the airport Mother Teresa,” said Xhacka. She added that this is a practice that is being implemented in almost every European capital, where units of the Armed Forces are placed in support of their police colleagues in order to guarantee the security of objects of special importance and above all, in order to guarantee the security of citizens.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Montenegro fears China-backed highway will put it on road to ruin (Financial Times, by Valerie Hopkins in Podgorica and James Kynge in Hong Kong, 10 April 2019)

Project that has raised country’s debt levels shows pitfalls of using Beijing loans

Just north of Montenegro’s sleepy capital of Podgorica, workers are boring two road tunnels into the mountains that give the country its name. The work is arduous — and contentious. The highway, ultimately intended to link the Adriatic port of Bar to Serbia’s capital Belgrade, has been a symbol of Montenegro’s desire to build a state even before it declared independence in 2006. But its problematic construction has come to exemplify China’s divisive investment on the fringes of the EU and the pitfalls of funding large infrastructure projects with loans from Beijing.

The Montenegrin government’s borrowing from China to finance the road’s cost, estimated at €1.3bn, has sent the country’s debt soaring from 63 per cent of gross domestic product in 2012 to almost 80 per cent. If Montenegro were to default, the terms of its contract for the loans even give China the right to access Montenegrin land as collateral. “This Chinese investment could be really dangerous for Montenegro and nobody is thinking that much about that in our country,” said Milka Tadic Mijovic, director of the Podgorica-based Center for Investigative Reporting, which produced a documentary about the highway. Chinese investment in the Balkans will be celebrated this week when Li Keqiang, China’s premier, attends a summit in Croatia with 16 eastern European leaders. Mr Li, said before his trip that his country sought to “further develop its co-operation” on the continent. But some diplomats in Brussels and influential EU member states have long worried that China is attempting to use the so-called “16+1” format as a Trojan horse to divide the EU and weaken the vulnerable Balkan countries. Beijing denies any such intent. The “16+1” gathering comes days after an EU summit with China in Brussels, as Europe struggles to develop a coherent strategy to counter China’s ambitions on the continent.

Though the funds have fallen sharply in recent years, Beijing has lavished loans on the Balkans, with almost 70 per cent of its €15.4bn investments since 2012 going to the five non-EU members of the grouping. “We have a player which is certainly combining all its approaches and forces much more than any of our western states,” one high-level western official based in Montenegro said. In the case of Montenegro, the economics of the highway project are stark — as are the financial consequences for the country. The highway is being built by the Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation, or CRBC, and is 85 per cent financed by a dollar-denominated loan from China’s Eximbank. The first, 41km phase of the project, with 20 bridges and 16 tunnels through rough mountainous terrain, has cost €20m per km. The IMF said in its recent country report, that if the highway had not been built, Montenegro’s debt-to-GDP ratio would have declined to 59 per cent of GDP in 2019, instead of rising to 78 per cent. “The highway project and the way it is being financed has brought Montenegro for the first time into a deficit situation that is higher than EU standards, limiting the future space for financial maneuvering of the government,” said the western official. Even the next 80km of the highway remains in doubt, since the government cannot further indebt itself and Serbia has delayed building the corresponding section across the border. According to a 2018 study by the Center for Global Development, a US think-tank., the project puts Montenegro in the unhappy company of Djibouti, Mongolia and Tajikistan and four other countries that “could suffer from debt distress due to future [Belt and Road Initiative] related financing”. Montenegro tried and failed twice to secure European funding for the project. Two feasibility studies conducted by international consulting companies, reviewed by the Financial Times, found that the highway would not have enough traffic to justify the costs. The studies, by French company Louis Berger in 2006 for the Montenegrin government and US consultancy URS in 2012 for the European Investment Bank, have never been made public. When the Montenegrin parliament voted in December 2014 to approve the Chinese loan, the studies were not made available to them. The contract, agreed without an open tender process, freed CRBC and all subcontractors from paying VAT or customs duties. It also stated that if Montenegro could not repay its debt within the specified timeframe Eximbank would have the right to some of its territory. Any arbitration would be conducted according to China’s laws. “It is unbelievable that we agreed to all these provisions,” says Dejan Milovac, deputy director of MANS, a Podgorica-based watchdog critical of the lack of transparency and the environmental damage of the highway construction. Filip Vukotic, a member of parliament from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists said at a recent public discussion that mistakes — such as forgetting to include the highway’s on-ramp in the contract — were inevitable, as Montenegro needed to act quickly to access the Chinese loan. “If we waited [for things such as environmental assessment] surely we wouldn’t have even begun to build the highway by now and we would probably have lost the chance to access these inexpensive funds from China,” Mr Vukotic said. He said that the highway was in Montenegro’s strategic interest and alleged that western-funded NGOs were being encouraged to find fault with it as part of a turf war with China. Jonathan Hillman, senior fellow at CSIS, a Washington-based think-tank, said the fall-off in China’s deal flow in the 16+1 grouping last year relative to the two previous years appears to show a measure of fatigue with financing infrastructure. “China is no longer flush with foreign exchange reserves and faces rising costs and shrinking revenues domestically,” Mr Hillman said. Data compiled by CSIS also showed the dominance of the Balkan countries in attracting Chinese financing for infrastructure projects. By comparison, the EU members of the 16+1 have received relatively little.  Mr Vukotic said Montenegro, which declared independence from Serbia in 2006, has limited options because of its size. “Great nations plan their destiny 30, even 100 years in advance. We are a small nation, so we can plan five years ahead, and even that is a big question . . . China, Europe, America: this is one equation with three unknowns. And you expect us to solve it?”

Additional reporting by Michael Peel in Brussels

Albanian PM: A ‘lukewarm’ EU is hurting the Balkans (AFP, 10 April 2019)

The Balkan countries are hurting from the stalled integration process with the European Union, where member states are growing weary of enlargement, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama told AFP in an interview. “I believe (the Western Balkans) are not as well off today as we were two years ago,” the premier said from his office in Tirana, adding he had “no doubt” it was linked to growing uncertainty about the EU’s commitment to the region as a whole. ll countries in the Western Balkans, a poor corner of southeast Europe surrounded by EU member states, aspire to join the bloc. Montenegro and Serbia are furthest along in accession negotiations, hoping to join by 2025, while Albania and North Macedonia expect to see their bids opened this June. Further behind are Bosnia and Kosovo. But as European Parliament elections approach, the region is feeling increasingly unwelcome as public opinion and politicians inside the bloc, particularly in France, sour on the prospect of bringing in new members. Rama said he could understand the “lukewarmness” around enlargement in light of rising populism, Euro-scepticism and other turmoil. But the “lack of clarity” has consequences for the fragile Balkans, he added, recalling a warning that European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered last year. If “the impression arises that we’re not serious about offering the prospect of EU membership to the western Balkans, then we might see later — and probably even sooner — what we saw in the Balkans in the 1990s,” Juncker said, referring to a decade of brutal conflict as the former Yugoslavia fell apart. While Rama did not use the dramatic “EU or war” phrasing, he said a “deepening” of European engagement was needed to tackle tensions between Balkan neighbours.

For example, he places some blame with Brussels for a recent nosedive in already bitter relations between Serbia and Kosovo, a former province that is mainly ethnic Albanian. The spark of their latest dispute — Kosovo’s imposition of a 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods — was a “political cry” after Brussels failed to lift visa requirements for Kosovars inside the Union, Rama argued. While the European Parliament has recommended scrapping the visa requirements since Pristina met all the conditions, EU member states have not followed suit and opening their doors. “We would not have these 100 percent tariffs if there had been visa liberalisation,” Rama said. What the Balkans needs, he said, is “a relationship with a Europe where we are not hostage to the internal dynamics of the member states.”

– ‘We love Europe’ –

As for his own country of around 2.8 million, it “deserves” the promised opening of accession negotiations in June “without a doubt”. Last June, the EU delayed starting negotiations by another year for Albania and neighbouring North Macedonia which now expects a reward for agreeing a difficult diplomatic deal that involved changing its name to settle a dispute with Greece. Rama also warned that if the EU now decides only to kick off North Macedonia’s bid while leaving Albania behind, it would show a “monumental blindness from a strategic point of view”. In Albania, the main refrain from Brussels is the need to tackle widespread corruption and organised crime. Rama feels the focus on crime has been “inflated” and is used to justify a delay in starting negotiations. “Crime, crime, crime. Of course we have a crime problem but no more than other countries that are even members of the Union,” he countered. But the longing for a future inside the bloc has not abated in his country, he claims. “We are still in love with Europe. That’s the problem. That’s why we don’t like delays, lukewarmness.”