LOCAL PRESS

Stefanovic: We want to talk with the authorities in Montenegro to lower tensions (RTS)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic has told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that the most important thing, following the meeting convened by President Vucic with people in charge of security, is to preserve peace and stability in the region. He says that one of the topics of the meeting was the situation in Montenegro. He underlines that nobody is happy over the escalation of violence and yesterday’s events in Podgorica. “We were concerned that violence occurred for ethnic reasons. We want to talk with the authorities in Montenegro towards lowering tensions,” notes Stefanovic, adding this is a priority. He says the Serbian President was concerned over the urinating on the Serbian flag and the lack of a reaction from the Montenegrin authorities. He says that Vucic will talk with Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic in the following days in order to lower the tensions. Asked whether it is true that the Security Information Agency (BIA) has requested camera recordings after the claims that a young man was attacked in Podgorica after he had raised three fingers, Stefanovic says he cannot speak about issues to be undertaken by services but that everything will be done to preserve stability. “We will always talk with partner services towards protecting the Serbs and calming all tensions,” he says, noting he cannot speak about concrete measures. Asked whether the Serbs are safe in Montenegro, Stefanovic says he wouldn’t embark upon qualifications without viewing the entire situation. He says that Serbia’s reactions are serious and that Belgrade wants lowering of tensions. “We have demonstrated complete non-interference in the internal affairs of another state, but sometimes you cannot help react, at least humanly, when you see that there is violence against somebody,” said Stefanovic. In terms of yesterday’s incident, he says they are waiting for official information since it is possible that it is ethnically motivated. In regard to Djukanovic’s statements that religious freedom of citizens are being abused, Stefanovic says he doesn’t want to enter relations between the state and church, especially in another state, but says that it is normal for the state not to organize how will somebody pray and respect faith and tradition.

Djuric: We expect concrete solutions soon (Tanjug/Politika)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric on Monday said after a meeting with US special presidential envoy Richard Grenell on reintroducing a Belgrade-Pristina rail line that he was hoping to see concrete solutions in the period to come. “We had a meeting with Ambassador Grenell on renewing rail traffic between central Serbia and Kosovo-Metohija, and I hope we will reach concrete solutions in the period to come that will facilitate the movement of people and goods and benefit the economy and the citizens,” Djuric told Tanjug. Djuric, who led the Serbian delegation at the meeting, did not elaborate on the discussions.

Grenell: Letter of intent on rail transport possible next week (Tanjug)

US special presidential envoy Richard Grenell told Tanjug late Monday a letter of intent on establishing a rail line between Serbia and the so-called Kosovo could be expected as early as next week or shortly afterwards. Grenell expressed satisfaction with a meeting on the issue and said he was grateful to the two sides for coming to Berlin for Monday’s discussions. He said good progress had been made towards signing a letter of intent on cooperation in the railway sector. He said the discussions, held at the US embassy in Berlin, had been very constructive and had left time to also discuss other major topics, but did not elaborate. He added that consultations on the rail line would be held with experts on both sides by email.

Borrell to help move Belgrade-Pristina dialogue forward (N1)

The European Union High Representative’s spokesman Peter Stano said on Monday that Josep Borrell would pay his first visit to the Western Balkans later this week to try to help move the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue forward. Stano said that Borrell would hold talks with officials in Belgrade and Pristina, adding that Serbia and Kosovo have been offered a clear European perspective. He said the future of the region is linked to the EU.  He said that the fact that Borrell’s first trip since taking over as High Representative reflects the role of the EU towards Belgrade and Pristina and the entire region. The goal of the trip is to meet with partners on both sides and help ease the dialogue, Stano said. Asked about US activities in the Western Balkans, Stano said that Washington and the EU have similar goals – helping complete the transition process and implement the values and principles which are important to both the EU and US such as rule of law, transparency, democratization.

REGIONAL PRESS

Complications regarding formation of authorities continue (BHT1)

BHT1 investigates the current state of affairs regarding formation of authorities given that the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities have not yet been formed and that the state-level formation of authorities has not yet been completed. When it comes to the formation of authorities on the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina level, HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is to nominate the Federation of B&H President, however the party is conditioning the nomination with amendments to the B&H Election Law that is currently in force. The position of Vice-President is also disputable. Namely, SNSD wants the post as was recently announced by the leader of SNSD, Milorad Dodik. According to analysts, this would put SNSD in a position to be able to block the work of the Federation of B&H government since the post has significant jurisdiction. SNSD’s request was turned down by SDA. The leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic said that the party will not support including of SNSD in the work of the Federation of B&H. “As long as the Vice President of B&H has significant competencies and the position of the Vice President in RS has been reduced to protocol activities, and as long as there are no SDA ministers in the RS, such proposals will not be credible,” Izetbegovic said. Republika Srpska (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic (SNSD) announced that all depends on the decision to allow SNSD the post of the Vice President of Federation of B&H. BHT1 noted that SNSD’s expectations to partake in the Federation of B&H authorities is most likely the product of a previous agreement between the coalition partners. According to SDP, these sorts of agreements will not bring forward anything good. Leader of SDP Cantonal Board Damir Masic said that SDA has handed over the state to HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic and Dodik and that handing over the Federation of B&H to Dodik would be detrimental. When it comes to the state-level, the B&H Council of Ministers is working without the full convocation being appointed for the first time in history. The issue of state-level agencies is also still left unresolved. The appointment of the Directors of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and Intelligence – Security Agency of B&H (OSA), which are very important positions is yet unresolved. According to SDS leader Mirko Sarovic, this is not just an ordinary issue of distribution of posts, rather crucial positions. “It should be known that SIPA and OSA are the last link, the missing link, to absolute control of the judicial system and the rule of law in B&H,” Sarovic warned. BHT1 concluded that competent persons in B&H are not given a chance as those who are most suitable to their parties are holding offices and noted that while such instances are taking place, legitimate representation of Serbs in Federation of B&H and Bosniaks in RS is the topic of discussion.

Izetbegovic: We will not become NATO Member State until we all agree about it; it will be difficult to reach agreement on changes to Election Law (Glas Srpske)

SDA leader and the member of the Collegium of the House of Peoples (HoP) of the parliament of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic said that cooperation and B&H’s progress towards membership in NATO have been activated, but he also confirmed that “there will be no membership in NATO until we all agree about it”. Furthermore, Izetbegovic expressed belief that Serbs will eventually change their stance about NATO and opt for what will bring stability and security, prevent new conflicts and improve the standard of living, like it was the case in other countries which have decided to join the Alliance. “Wars caused by the dissolution of Yugoslavia and NATO’s intervention have ended 25 years ago. One should move on, reconcile and pass rational and responsible decisions,” said Izetbegovic. Commenting on the process of the appointment of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H and particularly on the appointment of Mladjen Bozovic as the new Minister for Human Rights and Refugees, Izetbegovic said that SDA and SNSD had two agreements – the first one about the appointment of Senad Bratic (as the Deputy Speaker of the Republika Srpska (RS) National Assembly), which was violated when Bratic was removed from his post, and the second one, according to which SNSD was supposed to propose candidate for the Minister for Human Rights and Refuges from the ranks of others, a non-partisan individual and a person with dignity acceptable to SDA. “This second agreement has never been implemented, SNSD has never even contacted us about the issue of the appointment of the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees”, said Izetbegovic. He said that SDA does not have the intention to link the appointment of Bozovic as the Minister for Human Rights and Refugees with reinstatement of Bratic as the Deputy RSNA Speaker, but wants those two agreements to be implemented separately. Author asked Izetbegovic if SDA will insist of Osman Mehmedagic will be reappointed as Director of the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) of BiH, to which Izetbegovic replied by saying that OSA has done a great job during the previous tenure, and was praised by international partners for its activities related to fight against terrorism, organized crime and trafficking in narcotics. “OSA has very good cooperation with similar agencies in friendly and neighboring countries, so I see no reason for dilemmas when it comes to reappointment of the current Director”, concluded Izetbegovic. Furthermore, SDA leader expressed hope that there will be more respect and agreements and less turbulences and disagreements during the current authorities’ term in the office. Commenting on country’s relations with neighbors, Izetbegovic said that they insist of formation of joint commissions which would discuss open issues with neighboring countries, but Serbia and Croatia have been avoiding to do that for years. Izetbegovic concluded that B&H is not the one that is causing the problem; instead, the country is insisting on initiating the process of resolving open issues among neighboring countries. At the end of the interview, Izetbegovic said that it will be difficult to reach an agreement on changes to the Election Law of B&H, saying that it is all about the balance of two principles, ethnic and civic one. He explained that adoption of HDZ B&H’s proposals would make it impossible to implement a number of judgements rendered by the European Court of Human Rights and make pointless the very existence of civic parties. On the other hand, according to Izetbegovic, if the civic approach prevails over the ethnic one, Croats would definitely lose their current position in B&H. “We have to implement the judgements of the European Court of Human Rights, we have to implement judgements of the Constitutional Court of B&H HDZ is insisting on, and at the same time we have to preserve the balance of ethnic and civic principles. So, I do not believe that we will make some important progress in a short period of time,” concluded Izetbegovic.

SDA’s Duvnjak: I do not expect SNSD to participate in Federation of B&H authorities, especially not at post of Federation of B&H Vice President (Oslobodjenje)

Chairman of the Bosniak Caucus in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina House of Peoples (HoP), Jasmin Duvnjak (SDA) commented the work of the Federation of B&H HoP and noted that the HoP is still being formed, being that commissions and working bodies have not been appointed and the Serb Caucus has not been formed yet due to the lack of agreement between 17 Serb delegates. Duvnjak noted that Federation of B&H HoP is working in constant crisis, unprincipled conditioning with changes of Election Law and the fact that there is no stable and functional parliamentary majority in the House. Asked about the post of deputy speaker of the Federation of B&H from rank of Serb people, which is claimed by SNSD and by SDP, Duvnjak stressed that responsibility for this is most notably on the Serb delegates to try to find solution, but stressed that in his opinion both parties are equally distant from this post- SDP because they said they do not want to be part of the authority and SNSD because their politics and rhetoric would not contribute to stability in Federation of B&H. Speaking about forming of the Federation of B&H executive authority, Duvnjak stressed that SDA called on HDZ B&H to nominate a candidate for the Federation of B&H President and thus initiate the implementation of election results from 2018, adding that there is no a single reason for this blockade. He stressed that HDZ B&H’s tactics is wrong and only talks and compromise can lead to solutions.

Asked to comment SNSD claims that they won majority of Serb votes in the Federation of B&H, Duvnjak said: “I respect their political capacity, but until their political potentials in their political activities and even declaratively if you will, is used for wellbeing of all peoples, for affirmation of equality, respecting of Bosnian language, support to return process and strengthening and not dissolution of state of B&H, they will be nothing more than political partners out of necessity. It seems to me that the Federation of B&H is not in such“state of necessity, so I do not expect participation of SNSD, especially not at the post of Federation of B&H Vice President, because that is a politically strong post, with much wider competencies than given to the RS Vice President,” said Duvnjak, reminding that RS Vice President Ramiz Salkic was elected in direct elections and is not product of Milorad Dodik’s good will. He stressed that these asymmetrical solutions at the entity level need to be harmonized and added that the relation towards RS deputy speaker Senad Bratic who resigned his post, is the best proof of arrogance and destructive pattern of Banja Luka politics. In the end, being from Zenica, Duvnjak commented the local issues, restructuring of mines and other local projects.

Bosniak leaders condition Darko Culum’s appointment in SIPA with Osman Mehmedagic’s new mandate in OSA B&H (ATV)

Head of SNSD Caucus in the B&H House of Representatives (B&H HoR) Snjezana Novakovic-Bursac commented the proposal of appointment of Darko Culum to the post of a new Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) and the request of Bosniak leaders for waiting and appointing new directors of SIPA and the Intelligence – Security Agency (OSA) of B&H in the same package. She believes that all appointments can be concluded within a short period of time and with the respect of all involving parties and their interests. No one will benefit from stalling, Novakovic-Bursac concluded. ATV reminds that Bosniak parties have been pushing Osman Mehmedagic’s appointment in the OSA B&H for quite some time. He already filled the post of OSA B&H Director and SDA wants to condition Culum’s appointment with this demand, ATV stresses. SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said both Croat and Serb leaders in B&H have stated many negative remarks in regard to OSA B&H’s work in the past, which is why Dodik believes Mehmedagic’s appointment will not go smoothly. “You know that OSA B&H, under Mehmedagic’s control, wiretapped the officials from Serbia and RS,” Dodik reminds and said that no one in OSA B&H tried to stop this. B&H Minister of Security Fahrudin Radoncic (SBB B&H), who made the proposal on Culum’s appointment in SIPA, said that all Bosniak ministers within the B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM) voted in favor of removing the discussion on Culum’s appointment from the daily agenda of the previous session. ATV reminds that Mehmedagic’s college diploma was annulled last year, after which he presented another diploma of a college he allegedly finished in Travnik. Another B&H CoM session is scheduled for Thursday, 30 January, but all things point to the fact that this matter will not be discussed at that session.

Miletic submits initiative to OHR for adoption of amendments to B&H Criminal Code (Hayat)

DF delegate in the House of Peoples (HoP) of B&H Zlatko Miletic sent an initiative on amending the Criminal Code of B&H to High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko. At the session on 23 January B&H HoP rejected the amendments to the Criminal Code of B&H stipulating that denial of genocide and war crimes and rewarding convicted war criminals with recognitions and medals should be treated as criminal offenses.

Dodik: It is not fine that EU refused to start EU negotiations with North Macedonia (RTRS)

Serb member of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik has started his two-day official visit to North Macedonia with a meeting with President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski in Skopje on Monday. On this occasion, Dodik and Pendarovski discussed cooperation as well as the European integration of both B&H and North Macedonia. Dodik emphasized the need to strengthen cooperation in all fields, assessing that cooperation moves in a good direction. Dodik reminded that a company from North Macedonia worked on construction of a highway in RS, which he sees as an example of good cooperation. Dodik stated: “Bilateral relations are good, there no special unsolved issues. We discussed the European perspective the most, namely the fact that the EU was unfair to North Macedonia when it discussed the beginning of negotiations. Both the President (Pendarovski) and I have expressed an expectation and wish for that to happen at the first next occasion that a certain forum of the European Commission (EC) meets.” Pendarovski commended the economic growth in the RS, assessing that this will reflect itself in terms of better living standards of its citizens. In addition, Dodik received the Saint Sava Charter for affirmation of Serb national identity, at the ceremony marking the Saint Sava Day in Skopje. Dodik handed over the RS President’s posthumous decoration to Goran Nikolic, a volunteer from Kumanovo who died fighting for the RS. Pendarovski supported the formation of the B&H Council of Ministers and said he believes that normal functioning of the state-level authorities will contribute to the overall economic progress of B&H, as well as its entities, the RS and the Federation of B&H.

Merkel to launch initiative for start of talks with Albania and North Macedonia at EU summit in March (O kanal)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated on Monday that she will launch an initiative for the start of the accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia during the EU summit in March. Membership in the EU would be just as beneficial to the bloc as it would be for Albania and North Macedonia, Merkel stressed. Talks could begin as early as in March. Merkel said on Monday she would push for a start to European Union accession talks for Albania and North Macedonia. “Above all, we want to reach an agreement at the next European Council in March to start accession negotiations with Albania, and also with North Macedonia,” she told reporters in Berlin at a meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. “Both countries have achieved a lot,” she added. “We will now work hard to achieve the wished results in March,” Merkel said. Merkel said that the Balkan nations joining the EU would be beneficial both for them and for the bloc, mentioning the geopolitical advantages of the countries joining.

Djukanovic: We won’t allow another attempt to destroy Montenegro (CDM)

We have regained our state dignity and restored our state, something that Montenegro and generations of its ancestors have dreamed of for almost a century, said President of Montenegro and leader of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Milo Djukanovic, at a session of the party’s Tivat municipal committee. He noted that Greater Serbian nationalism would never be tolerated in Montenegro, adding that that there can come to neither great Serbia nor great Albania, but only a great tragedy.  “Our intention is very clear and it is to ensure the unconditional implementation of what constitutional provisions are in the Constitution of Montenegro, which is separation of church and guaranteed freedom of religion.” On the religious freedom law, he emphasized it’s about a legal solution that has been thoroughly prepared for more than four years, along with public hearings. He also stressed the new law replaced the 1977 law, which has become obsolete. In his speech, the leader of the DPS underlined several frequent manipulations related to the law, often heard in the media. In this context, he especially highlighted the accusation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, SPC, that the Montenegrin government wanted to take away its property, which is, according to Montenegro’s President, an absolute nonsense. Djukanovic also reflected on another manipulation, that is, claims that someone wanted to valorize and privatize church facilities. He continued: “It’s ridiculous and miserable and shouldn’t be commented at all. Who would, for god’s sake, want to make a restaurant of a monastery or a hotel of a church?” In his speech, President Djukanovic reflected on the often-heard statement from the SPC representatives and the opposition parties close to it that their property would be taken away and given to the CPC (registered in 1993 in Montenegro). “We really didn’t think about that at all. This law is not about it. We said we wanted to restore the Orthodox Church in Montenegro, that we want to do it as responsible people, because we live in quite a difficult paradox for the Balkan conditions. In the Balkans, there has always been a distrust of minority nations towards the state, but in Montenegro we have had their strong respect towards the state and we do not forget that they [minority nations] have always been on the right side of history when something was important for Montenegro – the last time in the 2006 referendum for the restoration of independence.”

Amfilohije is the only negotiating address (Pobjeda)

The government will not place itself between the Montenegrin and Serbian Orthodox churches nor regulate their mutual relations once the issue of church property in Montenegro, which is treated by the Law on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Legal Status of Religious Communities, has been resolved, said the Minister for Human and Minority Rights Mehmed Zenka. He said in an interview for Pobjeda that anyone who is dissatisfied should look for justice at the court. Commenting on the role of Metropolitan Amfilohije during the protests due to the Law that the pro-Serbian political bloc Democratic Front tried to organize using the church for its purposes, something the SPC (Serbian Orthodox Church) leader in Montenegro disassociated himself from and said that the protests would be organized exclusively by the church and that they would not allow any politicization or abuse, with the call to citizens who come to protest prayers and processions not to provoke unrest, Zenkawas convinced the fact that Amfilohije was “still a child of Montenegro” prevailed with the Metropolitan of the Montenegro and the Littoral. He reminded that when he came to the helm of the Ministry his first request was to “withdraw the draft law from the Venice Commission for a further work on it.” “We re-established our contacts with religious communities, starting discussions with the SPC a little later than with the others. We went through every article of the law in detail and only at the meetings with the SPC it turned out that there would be no positive outcome with them. We continued because we needed this for the overall social and cultural emancipation of Montenegro but also because the previous law become obsolete,” said Zenka.

Rama press conference with Merkel: Donors’ Conference would be of great help to our country (Radio Tirana)

Prime Minister Edi Rama held a joint press conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, praising Germany’s assistance in Albania’s reconstruction process in the aftermath of 26 November earthquake. Rama said the Donors’ Conference, expected to be held in Brussels on 17 February, would be of great help to our country, because based on the damage report, the amount for the reconstruction is “beyond the bounds of our possibilities” Rama said. “I have come here to discuss the Donors’ Conference and the great need of Albania to find the support of all friends and partners in the reconstruction process, which was based on the damage report made in cooperation with the EU, the United Nations and The World Bank consisting of an amount that is beyond the bounds of our possibilities to afford it alone. I want to thank you for your interest and for the first aid from Germany, an assistance that has been relieving in those tragic moments,” said Rama. In his speech, the head of government also pointed to the process of Albania’s integration into the European Union, where he said that there is hope for positive signals from the new European Commission, for the policy itself, which is also pursued in the geopolitical dimension, but for the technical one. Both interlocutors also focused on the European perspective.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Hungary border patrol fires warning shots to stop crossings (AFP, 28 January 2020)

Hungarian border guards on Tuesday fired warning shots to deter dozens of people from crossing from the Serbian side following a reported spike in attempts to get into the EU’s passport-free zone. Police presented camera footage dated 05:30 am local time showing people, many wearing backpacks, jumping over a wall and running past an iron gate at the Roszke border-crossing point. “A group of some 60-70 illegal migrants tried to enter Hungarian territory from Serbia in an organised and aggressive way,” Karoly Papp, a senior police official, told reporters in Budapest. “One of the three armed security guards on duty fired three warning shots into the air, after which most of the group ran back into Serbia, while police reinforcements arrived,” he added. Four men who ran some 60 to 70 metres into Hungary were later caught and arrested, he said, adding that police had “hermetically sealed off” the area around Roszke. A police spokesman for the area Gergely Varkonyi told AFP that “some” of the group were still at large, without giving further details. Gyorgy Bakondi, an adviser to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, cited police statistics which he said showed a sharp rise in irregular attempts to cross Hungary’s southern borders. There had been 3,400 attempts made so far this month, compared to just several hundred a month last year, he said. Earlier this month, Hungarian police said it had sent reinforcements to the border and launched a boat patrol on the river Tisza, which forms part of its frontier with Serbia. In 2015, at the peak of the migration surge in Europe, would-be migrants and asylum seekers clashed with Hungarian riot police at Roszke, a day after the border was sealed with a razorwire-topped fence. The hardline anti-immigration Orban says he is defending a border of the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone. But he has drawn fire from Brussels and rights groups for his tough border security policy.