LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Meeting with Palmer positive (Tanjug)

Dacic said at Bled, Slovenia, on Tuesday that he had had a positive meeting with US special Western Balkans envoy Matthew Palmer earlier in the day, expressing the hope Palmer would have a positive role concerning the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. “A possibility is opening up to continue the dialogue, but that cannot be realistically expected to happen before a new government is formed in Pristina,” Dacic said, adding that Serbia will be constructive.

Vucic: Dacic – Prime Minister? “Firstly jump, and then say hop” (Tanjug/B92)

There is a saying in Serbia – “Firstly jump and then say hop”, not the other way around, Vucic reacted to allegations of Dacic assuming the premier role after elections. “Who will become Prime Minister… I’m afraid that someone had jumped to conclusions… There is an old Serbian proverb – ‘Firstly jump, and then say hop, not the other way around’”, Vucic told the press.

He reacted to the allegations and speculations of some of the media that Dacic will be newly appointed Prime Minister after the spring elections, he had personally mentioned earlier.

Asked whether Dacic will pose the same conditions to him and to the opposition in case of coalition negotiations, Vucic said that everyone has the right to set the conditions as he wanted, but the question is whether those conditions would be accepted or not. “We’ll see about that when time comes… It is more important to me what Serbia will do, whether Serbia can go forward, how much we can build, than to talk about personal solutions right now”, Vucic stated to media on the occasion of touring the city stadium Dubocica in Leskovac.

Belgrade seeks EU’s reaction to announced Pristina travel ban on Vucic (Beta)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has said that the EU should react to statements by Pristina officials that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic will be denied entry to Kosovo. Commenting on the statement by Jetlir Zyberaj, an advisor to outgoing Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli, saying that Kosovo will not allow Vucic to visit Kosovo prior to the early elections, Djuric said that representatives of the Pristina institutions were bragging about something they should be ashamed of – hindering the freedom of movement. He further said that Zyberaj and Pacolli, as Serbia’s citizens, should know that the freedom of movement in Serbia and elsewhere in Europe, was one of the key values, also contained in the agreements under

which “his bosses made commitments.” It is why, according to Djuric, denying entry represents a violation of all standards of civilization and applicable agreements, such as the agreement

on official visits between Serbia and Kosovo from 2011.

Serbian government forms working group, Stefanovic in charge of elections (Novosti)

The Serbian government named Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic to head a working group on cooperation with the OSCE, Novosti reported. The group is tasked with implementing OSCE recommendations aimed at improving the election process, the daily said, adding that former Central Election Commission president Dejan Djurdjevic will serve as Stefanovic’s deputy. The working group will work with all relevant Serbian bodies and international institutions involved in promoting the election process and will report to a parliament committee and the government every six months.

1 in 5 Million organizers call voters, parties to support election boycott (N1)

The organizers of the 1 in 5 Million protest on Tuesday called Serbian voters and parties to boycott the coming elections. Spokespeople for the 1 in 5 Million organization told a news conference in front of the Serbian parliament that the conditions for free and fair elections were not in place since none of the 42 recommendations made by its team of experts had been met by the authorities and called all political and non-political organizations and unions to support the idea of a boycott. “When we have a situation in which the manipulations of Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) are omnipresent along with a comprehensive madness which is being created and placed in the country, none of the conditions exist to turn out for the elections. A boycott is the only option as the first step which needs to be taken to get a decent life in this country,” the organization’s Valentina Rekovic said. Fellow spokesman Srdjan Markovic said that this is not the moment to think only about the survival of anyone’s organization. “This is a time in which we should all fight together in this crisis moment and show this system that we are not a part of it and do not support it. A boycott is something that changes this system, a boycott is the only response to this madness and this immoral state,” he said.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik: Those who ignore stance of Serbs on NATO will be ones who will sign ‘death sentence’ for B&H (EuroBlic)

Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Milorad Dodik said that those who will try to bypass Serbs and Republika Srpska (RS) and introduce B&H in NATO will be the ones who will “sign the death sentence for B&H”. “They will probably try to remove me and those who think like me so that they can cooperate with someone else, but I am absolutely convinced in strong position of the entire RS. I they could have avoided us, they would have done so by now,” Dodik told. Dodik added that, when it comes to military reasons, NATO bombarded Serbs on two occasions without a resolution of the UN, which represented a one-sided and criminal operation of NATO against Serbs, which inflicted enormous losses to the RS and Serbia. Dodik added that the political reason because of which the RS does not want to join NATO is the fact that he sees no benefits from the membership of NATO and he noted that this could only result in loss of friends, which is something the RS does not want to happen. At the same time, SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stated that talks on formation of the authorities at the level of B&H will continue after September 5 but he also announced that he will not change his stance on NATO path of B&H. Dodik also reminded that B&H cannot join NATO without consent of Serbs and added that there are procedures according to which foreign policy decisions must be adopted by the Presidency of B&H with consensus. “I do not believe in B&H, in the concept of its formation, I do not believe in its future and nobody here has any revolutionary plan to abolish it, but time will come when it will reach stumbling rock, whether it is NATO or something else, and it will fall apart on its own,” Dodik concluded. Commenting on US Special Representative Matthew Palmer’s statement, according to which the United States will advocate B&H’s integration with the EU and NATO, Dodik said that country’s membership in NATO would require his approval and vote, which is not going to happen.

Izetbegovic: ANP does not mean NATO membership; We will join NATO if all three sides come to agreement (TV1)

SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic underlined on Tuesday that certain politicians in B&H must accept the fact that sending the Annual National Program (ANP) to Brussels does not mean this country will join the NATO. He added that B&H will not join the NATO until all three sides are ready to accept that path, but emphasized that B&H must thread this path. In line with the agreement signed between leaders of SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD, this agreement should be implemented by 5 September. Izetbegovic spoke about his expectations after the deadline expires. “What will be after 5 September? It will be September 6. We will continue; our talks, our negotiations. I believe there were some ‘political bluffs’ here and I believe there is no one person in B&H that would be capable of seriously destabilizing the situation,” the SDA leader concluded. “I do not think that there is anybody in B&H who will truly attempt to destabilize the situation, since it is not only destabilization of the situation in B&H, but the whole region. There is no going back. There will be no returning of competencies; if we start going back, we can go back to 1992 or to 1995 and change our minds about the whole organization of B&H which we accepted” Izetbegovic said. He underlined that the Constitution and the laws have to be honored.

Komsic: Crisis in B&H can be solved by acting rationally and logically (Hayat)

Chairman of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic commented on the recent statements made by Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik in case the authorities are not formed. Komsic said that he has not seen such masochism for a long time. He said that the political crisis regarding the formation of B&H authorities can be solved by acting rationally and logically. Komsic said that there are four possible scenarios for the upcoming days. He said that one is for the three leaders of SDA, SNSD and HDZ B&H to implement their agreement on authority formation and to appoint the new Chairman of the Council of Ministers (CoM) and to submit the Annual National Program (ANP). Komsic said that the second option is to look for a new majority at B&H level, which will be able to form the authorities. The third option, according to Komsic, is for things to remain like they are now and this will cause a complete loss of sense of the elections that took place in 2018. The fourth option is for the B&H Parliament to be dissolved and for early elections to take place. Komsic told daily that he fully agrees with US Special Representative Matthew Palmer, who said that submission of the ANP does not mean membership in NATO, but better cooperation. “When and if B&H receives an invitation to join the NATO, one has to pass special decision in line with the Constitution and laws of B&H”, said Komsic, adding that if nothing changes in the meantime in terms of decision-making processes, it would require a consensus in the Presidency of B&H. “And even if we submit the ANP today, we are years, if not decades away from decision on membership in NATO,” said Komsic. He also said that he has no problem with convening another session of the Presidency of B&H if Dodik asks him to do so and if there is an agreement on ANP and B&H CoM Chairman-designate.

Palmer meets Minister Crnadak on sidelines of Bled Strategic Forum (BHT1)

Newly appointed US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer met with B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum. Crnadak and Palmer, among other things, discussed the US’ commitment to the Western Balkans, formation of the authorities in B&H and B&H’s path to the NATO. Palmer expressed hope that B&H leaders will come up with a compromise as soon as possible. Palmer underlined that B&H needs a political reform which will support strong and functional institutions at the B&H level, as well as at the Federation of B&H level. “I am committed to working as a partner with the authorities in B&H at all levels; at the state level, the Federation of B&H level, cantonal level, for the purpose of supporting the European future of the peoples of B&H,” Palmer said. As far as B&H’s NATO path is concerned, Palmer stressed that submission of the Annual National Program (ANP) does not mean membership in the NATO, but better cooperation. Palmer further stated that his appointment to the post of a US Special Representative for the Western Balkans emphasizes commitment of the US to the region. Palmer underlined that the greatest diplomatic achievement in the region was the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) which stopped the war in B&H. According to Palmer, the DPA was never conceived as a fixed framework, but as a framework that changes. Palmer noted that he is more prone to evolution than to revolution of the impact of the DPA. Following his meeting with Palmer, Crnadak issued a statement on Facebook, saying that the US wants the authorities at all levels in B&H to be formed as soon as possible, for strengthening of institutions and the rule of law to continue in B&H and “to be clearly understood that the ANP does not mean membership and that no one is deciding on membership in the NATO now.” Crnadak stressed that the US wants the issue of the ANP to be separated from the issue of membership in the NATO. “They care very much for this to be clearly understood in the B&H public,” Crnadak underlined. “We concluded together that it would be the best for this agreement to be implemented until 5 September and for a new convocation of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) to be formed. However, the question is whether it will happen that way,” Crnadak told reporters.

US Embassy to B&H: Politicians have an obligation to act in accordance with Constitution of B&H (Dnevni avaz)

The US Embassy to B&H sent a message to the leaders of SDA, SNSD and HDZ B&H saying that formation of authority at the state level and continuous progress in the reform implementation process, which are in accordance with the existing goals and convictions of the foreign policy are crucial for B&H and its future. “And while formation of the authority is the crucial next step, continuous progress towards the Euro-Atlantic integration is equally important for B&H and it will help the reform implementation, as they are going to be key to country’s future prosperity. These steps are not mutually exclusive, as they are complementary processes that demand compromise and building of consensus amongst political leaders and parties” reads the statement. The US Embassy to B&H also noted that in order to reach this goal, political leaders in B&H must act in accordance with the Constitution of B&H, the existing laws and other binding legal arrangements. “The US remain dedicated to peace and stability in B&H, and to prosperous future for the citizens of B&H, and they are going to remain a strong partner to completely functional authorities dedicated to work on defense reform, improvement of socio-economic reforms and strengthening of the rule of law.” The EU Delegation to B&H also stated that leaders of SDA, SNSD and HDZ B&H, Bakir Izetbegovic, Milorad Dodik and Dragan Covic must start acting responsibly and urgently return to dialogue in order to ensure the formation of the state-level authorities. “Formation of authorities in B&H is of crucial importance for the country’s progress in the EU integration process,” stated the EUD and noted that they have welcomed the SDA-SNSD-HDZ B&H agreement signed on 5 August and they expect the parties to implement it within self-imposed deadline.

Bled Strategic Forum: EU should offer clear answer if it wants further enlargement to Western Balkans (N1)

A panel discussion on the region of the Western Balkans was held as part of the Bled Strategic Forum on Tuesday, which was attended by the Western Balkans Ministers of Foreign Affairs, US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto. The discussion resulted in a conclusion that the EU should offer a clear answer to the question as to whether it wants further enlargement to the Western Balkans or not. Participants conveyed a message that it is necessary to increase the functionality of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and to form new authorities in this country. When it comes to Serbia and Kosovo, they called for solution to the problem of dialogue and tariffs introduced by Kosovo. Palmer was quoted as saying that some of the main goals are to make sure that North Macedonia starts the negotiations in October, that Serbia and Kosovo continue the dialogue and reach an agreement on full and comprehensive normalization of their relations and “that we work with the authorities of B&H at the state, entity, cantonal and municipal levels in order to implement deep reforms of functionality and to really be dedicated to the people of B&H”. B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak said that he truly believes that the EU should now have the strength to insist on faster progress of every country of the region. Speaking about B&H, Crnadak noted that it is the only country that has not prosecuted a single high-profile corruption case. “Maybe it is not important to the EU,” he added. He stressed that the EU membership is B&H’s most important foreign policy goal and that this should be a strategic commitment of the new authorities. Speaking about the situation in B&H, Crnadak said that the formation of authorities is a top issue in the country at the moment and that he hopes the agreement of political leaders from 5 August on this matter will be implemented before the deadline for that expires, which is on Thursday. North Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov warned that the Balkans tends to let young people go to Europe and that only elderly people tend to stay in the region. Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman said that Croatia and Slovenia support the EU enlargement to the countries of the Western Balkans, underlining that peace and stability is necessary in the region, and that countries in the Western Balkans also have a right to a European future. Spanish Foreign Minister and future EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles, said, among other issues, that the world is dominate by two global power, namely the US and China, and that the EU must become a third power because stable world needs power of the third world, with Europe having the capacity, knowledge and the strength. Speaking about the EU enlargement, Borrell said the enlargement is not the only important issue, instead it is more important that the current members are more united. This triggered the daily to say it is clear the EU will dedicate more time and effort on itself and internal reforms in the next five years.

Bled Strategic Forum: Croatia and Slovenia advocate further EU enlargement (Hina)

Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman on Tuesday said in Bled, Slovenia that Croatia and Slovenia advocate the EU’s further enlargement to the Western Balkans and underscored that he hopes for a positive response from the European Commission on Croatia’s accession to the Schengen Area. Grlic Radman was attending the Beld Strategic Forum and said that Croatia and Slovenia support EU enlargement to countries in the Western Balkans. “We want peace and stability in that part of Europe and those countries have the right to a European future,” Grlic Radman said. Answering a question about the possibility of Slovenia blocking Croatia from joining the Schengen Area, Grlic Radman said that he hoped for a positive response from the European Commission and that he would work so that Ljubljana does not block Zagreb. “We are in the European family and we will certainly all show solidarity,” Grlic Radman said and added that he would endeavor to obtain the “green light from Slovenia.”

Bled Strategic Forum – Palmer: North Macedonia is in NATO and EU (Nezavisen vesnik)

US strongly support North Macedonia in realizing its strategic goals – full-fledged NATO membership and start of negotiations with the European Union. This was stated by Matthew Palmer, US Special Envoy for the Balkans, at a meeting with Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska at the Strategic Forum being held in Bled, Slovenia.

“The rule of law must work, and the time for games and party attempts to avoid responsibility is over. The country of North Macedonia is in NATO and in the EU” underlined Palmer. At the meeting, as the MFA said, the focus of the talks was on the dynamics of North Macedonia’s NATO membership process and the full importance of the country’s integration into the Alliance, as well as the start of negotiations with the EU on developments in the country.

Opinions were also exchanged on the domestic political situation in the country. Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov stressed that “NATO promotes stability and in the time of independence, it is reasonable to accelerate the integration process to strengthen the region and accept our European promise.” Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska thanked for the US’s consistent support for our country’s EU and NATO membership and stressed that the government would not allow anything to stand in the way of NATO and EU integration.

“This generation of politicians taken the step for their country, secured a NATO membership and deserves the start of negotiations with the EU next month. This is the way we go, where there is no room for calculating responsibility,” Sekerinska said. Senior North Macedonian government officials congratulated Mathew Palmer on his new assignment as US Special Envoy for the Western Balkans.

Mogherini: Think of the Balkans (Nezavisen vesnik)

“We have a clear interest in bringing the entire Balkans inside the European Union and we all know that this is a long process, a complicated one, always interesting and lively, that will take time. It will take a lot of problem solving, a lot of political commitment on all sides, and education. It took 25 years to solve the name issue between Greece and North Macedonia. Now it is done thanks to courage, leadership, perseverance and thanks to the European Union constant support and encouragement. In these years, this has been achieved. The same is true for all the Balkans. We will need courage, leadership and perseverance, and keeping a very strong daily presence there – every single day. But if we continue to engage, we will finally read the immense opportunities that the unification of our continent could create. Reconciliation first and foremost, because as I said several times, this is probably the only place where enlargement goes back to the original value of the European Union build-up, which is making peace where there was war. This was the original idea of the European Union and for the Balkans, that is it. How can countries that were literally killing each other 20 years ago can come together under the same roof? The answer is under the same roof, being together is the only perspective that can make them really live in reconciliation and peace. For many of us – and for some of us it is even more important than reconciliation in some cases – economic development, trade and social development, security.  This would not just benefit the Balkans, but all of us. We, the European Union, need it also because these are countries that are not outside of our geographical boundaries. They are all neighboring EU Member States so it is not even an issue of enlargement, it is an issue of real reunification of our continent. This time I think to be wise, consistent and take forward the next step of the unification of our European family. Let me say on a personal note, I am really convinced that if we do not do it, I am sure we would regret it in a few years’ time,” stated Federica Mogherini.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Djukanovic was the only one who remembered Russia and Serbia (Kommersant, 4 September 2019)

Of all the leaders of the countries and high officials who attended the Warsaw event marking the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic was the only one who mentioned that Serbia and Russia should have attended the ceremony, writes Kommersant daily.  President Djukanovic reminded of the major role that the Soviet Union played in the liberation of Europe and the victory over fascism, and regretted that the representatives of Russia had not been invited to attend the event, reported Kommersant radio.

Djukanovic tackled on another very important topic “extremely delicate for some post-Soviet states”, and that is – the growing influence of the nationalist forces that are trying to “change the history”. “Djukanovic’s statement was a moment of truth,” it was assessed in a comment and added that the Montenegrin leader in this way conveyed a message to Moscow that “he has been ready to turn a new page and return to the traditional relations between the two countries.”

Of the representatives of the Western Balkans delegations, the Warsaw ceremony was attended by President of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic, Albania’s President Ilir Meta and their Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.