LOCAL PRESS 

Vucic: Verdict says it all (Tanjug/B92) 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic commented on the verdict against the former chiefs of Serbian State Security, delivered in The Hague. “That verdict says it all”. “We can always determine who is responsible during the wars, but this is neither the time nor the place. I think it is extremely important to point out to the citizens of Serbia that the rules and court practice in the Markac and Gotovina cases have changed,” Vucic said. By changing that practice, Vucic explained, that is, by removing the act in which personal influence should be seen in the war zone, that there is a personal act of order or call for an order, they were released. “Some say that The Hague judges took a lot of money to change that, but I will not comment on that. But that is how Gotovina, Markac, but also Perisic, and for the first time Stanisic and Simatovic were released. However, three years later, they reintroduced “old court practice and they are now being convicted,” Vucic said today. “I think it says all about the political action of The Hague Tribunal, but we, Serbs, must understand what their intention was and what kind of message they sent to us. We need to understand our position now, to preserve peace and stability. This is revenge over us which was carried out, but I do not understand why. I do not want to say that we were angels, on the contrary, but now I wonder if there is an end to this”, he said, adding: “We must go with our heads held high, protect our interests and strive to be part of Europe and the world.”

Brnabic receives Patrushev (Tanjug) 

At a meeting with Russian Minister of Agriculture Dmitry Patrushev on Thursday, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said there was great potential for further development of trade relations and a partnership in agriculture, above all, thanks to the good relations between Serbia and Russia, mutual support and continuity of political dialogue. Brnabic said the entry into force of Serbia’s free trade agreement with the Euroasian Economic Union, slated for July, was a good impetus as it would enable greater sales of Serbian products not only in the Russian market, but also beyond, the government press office said in a statement. Thanks to the efforts of a Serbian-Russian working group on agriculture within a joint committee on trade, economic and scientific and technical cooperation, bilateral exchange of goods has been increased and the level of cooperation maintained despite the epidemiological crisis, Brnabic said. Patrushev said bilateral cooperation in agriculture was good and added that the holding of agriculture fairs, such as a Serbia-Russia agroindustry forum in Belgrade, was an opportunity for experience-sharing and connecting Serbian and Russian companies and producers, as well as for boosting trade exchange in the agriculture sector. He said the Russian side was also interested in joint investment in agriculture products to facilitate exports to countries with which Serbia and Russia have free trade agreements. The meeting, also attended by Serbian Agriculture Minister Branislav Nedimovic and Minister for Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popovic, also addressed cooperation in digitalization and application of new technologies in agriculture.

The parties said Serbia was a market with great potential for investors seeking to invest in agriculture. Brnabic thanked Russia for its firm and consistent support for Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, as well as for its continued support in international institutions.

Drecun: Attacks on children most dangerous form of violence (RTS) 

The Chair of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun told the Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) press review that Thursday night’s attack on the thirteen-year-old boy N. P. in the village of Gojbulja near Vucitrn, it is the most dangerous form of violence. “The most dangerous form of violence is certainly the ethnically motivated attack on children. When you attack children, then it is a message to their parents that they are not welcome, that they should save their families – children by leaving where there were attacks, and that is a systematic continuous campaign of violence carried out in Kosovo and Metohija against the Serb people,” he says. He emphasizes that the position of Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija is characterized by physical, institutional, legal-property, legal and health insecurity. As he stated, over the past two years, almost 190 ethnically motivated attacks were registered on the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, on their property, on the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), on the SPC facilities, where 39 Serbs were injured. “This shows us that the attitude of the provisional institutions in Pristina towards the Serb people is not positive at all, that the behavior of those institutions opens space for provoking interethnic incidents and ethnically motivated violence and encourages extreme Albanians to attack the Serb people because they know they will remain unpunished, while discouraging Serbs to continue living there and discouraging the return of those who were expelled,” Drecun said. Therefore, he emphasizes, we are in favor of intensifying the talks in the course of the dialogue and adopting some measures that would increase the security of the Serbs. “However, we now have Albin Kurti who is making it impossible to reach any progress in the dialogue and that results in attacks on Serbs,” says Drecun. Commenting on the case of Dragica Gasic, who returned to Djakovica after 22 years and who is exposed to provocations and attacks on a daily basis, he states that the provisional institutions in Pristina do not show interest in protecting her and enabling conditions for her to survive. “You have Albanians who are completely unwilling to accept coexistence with someone of another nationality, to accept coexistence with Serbs, at least with one Serb woman who is there. They want to completely destroy any trace of Serb existence in Kosovo and Metohija by wanting to expel the only person who is a Serb woman from Djakovica,” he states. He points out that he is much more worried about what is happening in the course of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, because, as he says, Pristina and European mediators like Lajcak and others do not show readiness to make concrete progress in enabling conditions for the return of Serbs. “They only express readiness to create those conditions with some general formulations, but there are no concrete conditions that would enable a more extensive return of the Serbs,” Drecun concluded.

Bilcik, Fajon to visit Belgrade on 8 July (Tanjug) 

The heads of political groups in the European Parliament on Thursday gave their approvals for MEPs Vladimir Bilcik and Tanja Fajon to travel to Belgrade late next week for a resumption of an inter-party dialogue in Serbia, sources in Brussels have confirmed to Tanjug. The sources said Bilcik and Fajon were due to arrive in Belgrade on Thursday, 8 July, and stay until Saturday, 10 July. “Meanwhile, official invitations will be sent to dialogue participants and Serbian parliament speaker Ivica Dacic, with a schedule to be defined as well,” Tanjug was told in the EP. Due to travel restrictions introduced as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the EP mediators in the inter-party dialogue – Bilcik, Fajon, Eduard Kukan and Knut Fleckenstein – have held 15 online consultation sessions with political parties and other interested parties in the dialogue with the aim of improving election conditions ahead of the spring 2022 polls in Serbia. An in-person meeting in Belgrade should mark an official start to the second stage of the inter-party dialogue.

With which legitimacy will Schmidt come to B&H? (Politika, by Mladen Kremenovic) 

It seems as if dilemmas related to the appointment of Christian Schmidt as the new High Representative have not been solved at the latest session of the UN Security Council (UN SC) because “for Americans, this is a done deal – no consensus of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) nor approval by the UN SC is needed for the appointment. For Russians, the appointment of German Schmidt is ‘illegitimate act’ so the new protector, as Banja Luka claims, will act with truncated legitimacy, because of which the Republika Srpska (RS) authorities do not intend to cooperate with him nor they recognize him as the new High Representative”. Professor of constitutional law at the University in Istocno Sarajevo Radomir Lukic said that Schmidt will not be successful in anything but in making the situation even more difficult and he claimed that “imposing of the new High Representative” is not a perspective solution for Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Lukic assessed that “legal relativizing” offered by the USA, in terms of the manner in which the High Representative is appointed, is hypocritical and this also proves that “the PIC is self-proclaimed, non-institutionalized body which usurped sovereign authorities of the three constituent peoples and of B&H and it only creates new troubles”. Lukic assessed that “legally speaking, Schmidt has not been appointed”. Zeljko Budimir from the Faculty of Political Science in Banja Luka told Politika that everything from the resignation of Valentin Inzko to the way in which Schmidt was appointed by the PIC “was illegal and illegitimate”. Budimir argued that Schmidt was not appointed in line with international laws, which means that “he will come to B&H illegally”. “The very Office of the High Representative (OHR) has not had the necessary legitimacy for quite some time now. When members of the UN SC, such as Russia, say they are against the arrival of the High Representative and China mentions decisions of the RS parliament (which warned about the obligation to respect the Annex 10 during the appointment) and they emphasize that they are against interfering in internal matters of B&H, it becomes clear that the world in which (former High Representative) Paddy Ashdown acted has changed significantly”, Budimir said and concluded that the RS will have to endure upcoming pressures and be persistent in proving that the High Representative does not have legitimacy in order to prevent decisions he might impose. Milos Solaja from the Faculty of Political Science in Banja Luka told Politika that the High Representative will practically exist in B&H and that there is no real power at the moment to put a stop to this.

REGIONAL PRESS 

Zakharova: Attempts to appoint High Representative without consensus in UN do not correspond to interests of achieving peace and stability in B&H (RTRS) 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that attempts to appoint a High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) without consensus in the UN do not correspond to the interests of achieving peace and stability in B&H. Zakharova recalled Russia’s position that without the consent of the UN Security Council (UN SC) and all parties in B&H, a candidate for this position will not only have no legitimacy, but will also lack sufficient political support. Zakharova underlined that attempts to appoint a new High Representative in the absence of consensus in the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and bypassing the UN are incompatible with the interests of achieving sustainable peace and stability in B&H. The daily reports that Ambassadors of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council have officially appointed Schmidt who will take over his duty on 1 August. This information was confirmed by outgoing High Representative Valentin Inzko.

Spiric: High Representatives acted as big brother of Bosniak political elite, we must turn to each other and talk (Glas Srpske) 

B&H House of Peoples Deputy Speaker Nikola Spiric (SNSD) stated that the High Representatives always acted as “the big brother” of Bosniak political elite in B&H, which caused a revolt among Serbs and Croats. He underlined that B&H does not need this kind of situation. According to him, the presence of the High Representative caused “a dose of political parasitism in B&H” which is counterproductive towards B&H’s European path. “We must turn to each other. The Republika Srpska (RS) parliament said for us a reason – let us talk. Bring people who will discuss all open issues,” said Spiric.

Reactions to MICT’s Verdict against Stanisic and Simatovic (Hayat) 

Commenting on the judgement to former Head of the State Security Service (DB) of the Serbian Ministry of Interior (MoI) Jovica Stanisic and former Deputy Chief of the Second Administration of the DB Franko Simatovic, SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic said: “We should carefully read the indictment. In principle it is good, because it finally determined some things, i.e. existence of the joint criminal enterprise (JCE) towards B&H by Serbia. (Former President of Serbia Slobodan) Milosevic died and could not be convicted for that, but now two Serbian DB officials have been convicted. Of course, you cannot be only little guilty for horrible and mass war crimes, so the 12-year sentence is an insult for the intelligence, an insult for the victims”. Representative at the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Dusanka Majkic (SNSD) said: “In case of Serbs, those are always Draconian penalties. No matter whose decision, no matter what decision, until war criminals on one side, who killed children, walk freely, on other side people have been convicted for things that have not been proven, it cannot be finished regardless of what decision and regardless of what court makes the decision”. HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said that he has no intention to comment on the verdict in the Simatovic and Stanisic case given that it is a first-instance verdict. “Even if it was final, I would not comment on it because I said in The Hague everything I thought and what I think about The Hague Tribunal,” Covic said. SDP B&H delegate in the B&H HoP Denis Becirovic asked Chairman of the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H Zoran Tegeltija when he will send the law on the prohibition of denial of genocide and international verdicts to the parliamentary procedure, but he did not get an answer. B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turkovic stated that respect for The Hague verdicts is key to reconciliation and stability in the region. According to Turkovic, verdicts will not bring back those killed in genocide, but they could be an opportunity for the Serbian authorities to face the truth and turn to the future.

Palmer to visit B&H and join talks on electoral reform; Comments (Nova/N1) 

US’ Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer is paying a visit to B&H this weekend, where he is expected to meet the country’s senior officials, but also the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) in charge of the electoral reform in B&H. The reporter comments that B&H politicians will try to catch the last train with the help of foreign officials and solve the burning issues, including the changes to the Election Law. According to the reporter, Palmer will be accompanied by some European officials. SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic said the electoral legislation will most likely be on agenda and that he knows no more details. HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic said his party will send a well-prepared team of experts to the meeting. SNSD’s Dusanka Majkic dismissed any possibility of imposing decisions. The issue of the Election Law is a matter that needs to be solved by Bosniaks and Croats and does not concern Serbs, she said, repeating that imposing of decisions is not acceptable. Palmer will also meet B&H Presidency members. Covic stated that final solution to the issue of electoral legislation in B&H has to be a compromise of exclusively B&H politics “no matter who comes from the outside to talk.” “This weekend should indeed be dynamic and it should be a kind of the end to the one-year deadline since we signed the agreement on Mostar related to electoral legislation, precisely accompanied by these friends from outside, from international institutions,” Covic said. The reporter comments that while HDZ B&H alleges that according to the existing composition Croats are discriminated, SDA is of the view it is the case with the parliamentary majority compared to minority, i.e. HDZ B&H. Izetbegovic said: “We are of the view it is necessary to free the will of majority in regards to the Houses of Representatives in a way that the protection of constituent peoples is reduced exclusively to the protection of vital national interest, the way it is in the RS, i.e. the RS Council of Peoples”. Representative at the B&H HoP Mladen Bosic (SDS) said: “The only condition to make progress is that local political players, i.e. political officials in B&H, understand they need to make progress in regards to changes and need to reach any agreement”. Chair of IAWG Alma Colo told the daily that Palmer’s visit presents assistance and support to B&H and the US wants to assist B&H’s EU path, through fulfilling of key priorities which concern the electoral reform. Colo noted that they met with representatives of Venice Commissions and ODIHR and they support the IAWG and mobilize legal experts to assist the reform. Deputy Chair of IAWG Barisa Colak stressed that US assistance is significant with the accent on last year’s Mostar Agreement. He stressed that besides the European Commission, the US had a key role and he expects encouragement in fulfilling of 14 key priorities from the EC’s Opinion. Colak noted that B&H officials are those who need to provide solutions and expects the US to assist the process. IAWG member, Borjana Kristo deems that arrival of EU and US officials is well-intended, arguing that with their assistance and political will in B&H, it is possible to do something that is in B&H’s interest. IAWG member, Branislav Borenovic deems these meetings to underline importance of the electoral reform.

Izetbegovic: Policies of EU and US towards B&H are coordinated; Covic and I are currently far from reaching solution for Election Law of B&H (FTV) 

SDA leader and Speaker of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Peoples (HoP) Bakir Izetbegovic, commenting on the upcoming visit of the US and European officials – including US’ Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer and Managing Director at European External Action Service (EEAS) Angelina Eichhorst – to B&H, stated that Palmer and Eichhorst will hold meetings during several days of their visit to work together on the issues of stabilization of the situation in B&H, implementation of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings, changes to the Constitution and amending of the Election Law.

Asked whether the policies of the EU and the US differ when it comes to B&H, Izetbegovic replied that these two policies are in fact coordinated. “At meetings, ambassadors (US Ambassador to B&H Eric) Nelson and (Head of the EU Delegation to B&H and EU Special Representative Johann) Sattler finish each other’s sentences. That shows how much their policies have in common” the SDA leader underscored. Stating his expectations from Palmer’s visit, Izetbegovic said that Palmer made it clear that he does not have the magic wand to solve all issues in B&H and that people expect too much in this regard. Izetbegovic specified that the EU and the US expect from leaders of B&H to solve the issues, but they want to help them achieve that. “Neither the US nor the EU want to engage in the way they previously wanted with the (former European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan) Fuele’s model, or the April Package” he added. When it comes to the Election Law, Izetbegovic noted that the EU and the US expect B&H politicians, specifically him and HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic, to come up with a model, while they would stand there as observers. However, Izetbegovic assessed that he and Covic are far from reaching a solution for the Election Law. Reflecting on disputable issues in talks on the Election Law at the moment, the SDA leader stressed that Covic recently said that he is ready to accept the idea of removing the asymmetry between the Federation of B&H (FB&H) HoP and the Republika Srpska (RS) Council of Peoples (CoP) where the HoP would be turned into the authority in charge of initiating protection of the Vital National Interest (VNI), while he now appears to have given up on it. The SDA leader reminded that HDZ B&H’s stance is that Bosniaks elect a Croat member of the Presidency, that he disagrees with, while SDA’s stance is that HDZ B&H uses its domination to block formation of the FB&H Government. Izetbegovic considers that, regardless of this, Covic showed readiness to cooperate, but that he should be aware of the fact that all of his demands cannot be met unless he gives something, on the same scale, in return. He assessed that the two policies that, as he noted, caused blockades in B&H – policies of HDZ B&H and SNSD – have started maturing. Given that Covic recently met with SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic to discuss the Election Law, Izetbegovic confirmed that Covic told him that he did not enter any thorough discussion with Niksic on that occasion. Izetbegovic further provided information about what he and Eichhorst discussed at their recent meeting in Brussels, noting that their meeting was long and they primarily discussed the candidate status of B&H. Izetbegovic emphasized the need to show that the EU should offer its hand to B&H and that B&H deserves the candidate status. In his opinion, the EU should not set the bar too high for B&H. Asked if there is willingness to provide B&H with the candidate status, Izetbegovic answered that EU officials seem to be willing to give B&H and the rest of the region a hand, which means it wants to help it move forward on the integration path. Asked to provide his comment on the statement of Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman, who warned that making changes to the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) would be catastrophic for the peace and security in the whole Europe, Izetbegovic said that he does not know which changes Grlic Radman implied by this. “I think he fears that B&H could evolve into a civic state,” Izetbegovic assessed. Commenting on the appointment of German politician Christian Schmidt as the new High Representative (HR) in B&H, Izetbegovic stated that Schmidt is a very determined man, who is well-informed about the situation in B&H. When it comes to the use of Bonn powers, Izetbegovic expressed confidence that Schmidt would use them if that is necessary. According to the SDA leader, outgoing HR Valentin Inzko could have used the Bonn powers, too, but he lacked “verbal support”, while Schmidt is now backed by Germany. “Schmidt is simply a man of action, who wants to do something concrete. I think he wants to help. There is some new determination to confront the poor trends and to help stabilize B&H, with the support of Germany and with the determination of the US, the State Department, and the Peace Implementation Council (PIC),” the SDA leader pointed out.

IAWG still without work results (EuroBlic) 

After a session of the Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) for amendments to the Election Law of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) was interrupted on Wednesday due to the lack of quorum, Chair of the IAWG Alma Colo said that members of the IAWG will be unable to present any work results at their upcoming meeting with US Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer in Sarajevo on Monday. Member of the IAWG and Chair of SNSD Caucus in the House of Representatives (HoR) of B&H Snjezana Novakovic-Bursac told the daily that methodology of work started causing problems since the very beginning because “many representatives had their own personal suggestions, there were several non-governmental organizations, many proposals were presented and lots of time was spent on search for an adequate methodology of work”. Novakovic-Bursac reminded that everything that will be adopted by the IAWG will still have to pass the parliamentary procedure because a political agreement will be crucial in the end. Novakovic-Bursac also assessed that some members of the IAWG deliberately insist on less important matters instead of trying to find solutions for crucial problems because of which the IAWG was formed in the first place. “By constantly insisting on some less important matters, they are actually diverting attention away from the essence. Without existence of an internal dialogue and agreement, all other things will not be good enough,” Novakovic-Bursac said.

Palmer at Prespa Forum: Leaders of Western Balkans should complete difficult reforms that lie ahead of them (FTV) 

The 2021 Prespa Forum Dialogue International Conference ‘Western Balkans: The Missing Puzzle for Completing Europe’ started at Ohrid on Thursday. This two-day forum, which Chairman of the B&H Council of Minister (CoM) Zoran Tegeltija will attend on Friday, is taking place ahead of the upcoming visit of the US and European officials – including US’ Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer and Managing Director at European External Action Service (EEAS) Angelina Eichhorst – to B&H. At the forum, international officials including Palmer presented new criticism towards leaders of the Western Balkans, without specifying anything regarding B&H. Palmer noted that the leaders of the region should work more on the integration and should complete the difficult reforms that lie ahead of them. Addressing the forum via video link, German Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth noted that the Western Balkans is part of Europe and that the EU is incomplete without it. North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski noted that North Macedonia is a member of the NATO, but the neighboring Bulgaria continues to block it on the EU path. Participants of the Prespa Forum Dialogue, including representatives of the countries of the region and representatives of the EU and the US, stressed that building trust between the states and leaders of the Western Balkan countries is key to the process of accession to the EU. Participants of the Prespa Forum Dialogue in Ohrid also emphasized the importance of cooperation in the field of economy, stressing that the EU does not have an alternative, that all countries of the Western Balkans are committed to the EU accession process and that the Western Balkans is key to completing the process of integration into the EU. However, RTRS stressed that reality is somewhat different, given that only two countries of the former Yugoslavia have successfully completed the process of the EU accession. However, representatives of Brussels underlined that giving up is not an option and that they will continue to help the region financially and through projects. EU Special Representative for the Balkans Miroslav Lajcak stressed that the pandemics destroyed many plans. “That is why you should make your voice heard and reaffirm your commitment to the EU” Lajcak underlined. Palmer also believes in the prospects of the Western Balkan countries. “We believe in the European future of the region and a free Europe. And it is precisely the support that must be clear to the countries that want to join”, Palmer underlined. Participants of the Forum stressed as the biggest problem the distrust of the countries of the Western Balkans and its leaders. Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia Gordan Grlic Radman pointed out that cooperation results from trust, which, according to him, is lacking in the region. Grlic Radman cited hidden agendas and the problem of constituent status in B&H as examples. “Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) guarantees the equality of the three constituent peoples and their legitimate representation. Only on this basis is it possible to obtain support for negotiations” Grlic Radman stressed. Grlic Radman also stated that calling in question the DPA would have catastrophic consequences for the peace and security of entire Europe. Grlic Radman underlined that this means that attempts to change the DPA would entail such catastrophic consequences.

UK and German FMs sign joint declaration which treats global relations and situation in Western Balkans (Oslobodjenje) 

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas have signed a joint declaration, which among other things, treats global relations and the situation in the Western Balkans. The Declaration reads that the UK and Germany want to cooperate closely to secure responsible leadership in foreign political issues, which refer to the support to multilateralism, European values and international system based on clear rules. It was also stated: “With the joint Declaration, we confirm our dedication to strategic unity of Europe and our joint unconditional dedication to the Euro-Atlantic security. Furthermore, we improve our years long close bilateral cooperation and counseling on the issue of foreign and security policy by establishing of the strategic dialogue.” A special part of the Declaration is also dedicated to the relations within NATO, which is according to them a foundation stone for security. It was also stressed that both countries will remain to be dedicated to providing support to all countries of this part of Europe. The Declaration reads: “We confirm our joint dedication to security, stability, prosperity and full sovereignty of all six countries of the Western Balkans in accordance with their European and Euro-Atlantic paths. We stress importance of improving the rule of law and we oblige ourselves to close cooperation in providing of the support to the Western Balkan countries in promotion of the regional cooperation, prevention of corruption and organized crime, especially illegal finances, and resolving of problems inherited in the past, especially the issue of missing persons, including within the context of the Berlin process.”

Western Balkans economy ministers meet on eve of Berlin Process Summit (Dnevni avaz) 

On the eve of Berlin Process Summit, ministers of economy of countries of Western Balkans, met to discuss the possibilities of providing of economic assistance to countries of the Western Balkans. The daily reminded that Berlin Process is the initiative launched in 2014 by side of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and it aims to strengthen regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and assisting countries in the region with the integration process in the European Union. Daily comments that it is now clear that Western Balkans will not become part of the EU for a long time, but the EU is determined not to abandon the Western Balkans region. At the end of last year, the EU presented economic and investment plan for recovery of the Western Balkans, which is worth EUR 28 billion. European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi stated that joint regional market of the Western Balkans has a huge potential and authorities need to work on to establish it. “On the eve of Berlin Process Summit, which will take place on 5 July, today (Thursday) ministers of economy discussed economic and investment plan for recovery of the Western Balkans, worth EUR 28 billion. We are cooperating with the authorities on implementation of this agenda, as well as necessary reforms,” said Varhelyi. The daily reads that the main goal of the Economic and Investment Plan is to instigate long-term economic recovery of the region and regional economic integration, stronger development, getting closer to the EU average and carrying out of systematic reforms and adjusting to EU standards. Article noted that the EU is becoming aware that integration of Western Balkans will most notably demand for this region to get closer to EU values and standards in economic, legal and political sense. The economic program for the Western Balkans intends to support green and digital transition, implementation of reforms necessary for making progress on the EU path and getting closer of the region to EU single market. All this, daily noted, should result in sustainable economic growth and opening of new jobs, adding that the EU supports creating of single market between countries of the Western Balkans.

Turkovic meets UN’s DiCarlo, discussing progress B&H made in integration processes (Oslobodjenje) 

B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Bisera Turkovic met in New York with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo. The officials concluded that B&H made a significant progress towards establishing of stable peace, but it is necessary to continue the reform process through strengthening of institutions and integration factors. Turkovic and DiCarlo especially discussed the issue of young people, concluding that it is necessary to give a chance to young people in B&H and region. They concluded that it is necessary to maintain the issue of Western Balkans high on the agenda in order to encourage Euro-Atlantic integration processes.

Viskovic and Macdonald say cooperation of RS institutions and UN is very good (Nezavisne) 

RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic met with UN Resident Coordinator in B&H Ingrid Macdonald on Thursday, on which occasion he said that the RS institutions will give their contribution to fulfillment of goals defined by the Framework Plan on Cooperation from 2021 to 2025. The collocutors assessed past cooperation of the RS institutions and UN as very good and they expressed mutual commitment to continue and advance the cooperation. The cooperation in the next five years will focus on implementation of projects in field of sustainable development, healthcare sector, education, energy efficiency and so-called green economy. Viskovic and Macdonald also discussed the current coronavirus situation, healthcare measures and other issues.

Croatian President: Serbia to choose between EU and Moscow (Hina)   

Croatian officials dismissed as inappropriate the vision of the EU that has been put forward by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, which includes, among other things, Serbia’s admission into the EU. Croatian President Zoran Milanovic has commented on the subject by saying that Serbia should fulfill the conditions for admission into the EU, as well as make a choice between the EU and Moscow. “Serbia should fulfill the conditions, they should decide whether they are for the EU or in Moscow. I have nothing against Moscow, but a choice has to be made – Brussels or Moscow. The present authorities in Serbia are finding that hard to comprehend and they will have to decide clearly,” Milanovic said regarding the announcement by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Croatian media about Hungary’s vision of the EU, in which the admission of Serbia was proposed. According to his media service, Milanovic said that it was “truly bizarre for a prime minister of a small country to announce such a manifesto.” Croatia insists on the enlargement that is based on the consistent fulfilling of membership criteria, implementing the necessary reforms and accomplishing measurable results. It was added that this applied “to any aspiring member country, including Serbia.”

Covic meets Plenkovic in Split, informs him about activities re changes to Law on Elections (Vecernji list) 

HDZ B&H President Dragan Covic went to Split (Croatia) to attend a basketball game between Croatia and Brazil. Covic took it to Twitter to share a photo with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic from the ‘Spaladium’ sports hall in Split, as well as from a meeting with members of the Croatian Government. “I informed the Croatian Prime Minister and the Ministers about activities regarding changes to the Law on Elections of B&H” Covic wrote on Twitter.

Opposition warns aggressor collaborators might gain civilian war victim rights (Hina) 

Part of the opposition expressed fear on Wednesday that a law on civilian Homeland War victims would give rights also to collaborators of the aggressor, which the ruling majority called politicization, saying the law applied only to innocent victims. A parliamentary debate on a final bill on civilian Homeland War victims saw the biggest polemic about the lack of a register of aggressors and the possibility that collaborators of enemy units be granted civilian war victim rights. Miro Bulj (Bridge) warned about the lack of a register, while Stipo Mlinaric (Homeland Movement) said he suspected the law was being adopted because of the coalition between the ruling HDZ and the SDSS (Independent Democratic Serb Party). Mlinaric said it was symptomatic that the law was being adopted after local elections and that SDSS MPs were not participating in the debate. War Veterans Minister Tomo Medved said those were distorted arguments aimed at diverting attention from the merit of the law. “This law applies solely to civilian war victims” he said, denying that Croatia did not have records of persons who committed military aggression against Croatia. He said possible abuse of the law would be prevented with Croatian institutions’ resources and data and that the Homeland War Memorial and Documentation Centre would play an important part in that. Marijan Pavlicek (Sovereignists) said it was “symptomatic that the Serb National Council gave its consent to such a law” and that he feared Croatian institutions did not have a list of all the persons who took part in the aggression and in paramilitary units. The Sovereignists demand the records of civilian war victims be public, with their MP Zeljko Sacic saying there were 26,000 potential beneficiaries, not 2,500 as claimed by Medved. Josip Djakic of the ruling HDZ said the bill represented “a repayment of the debt to civilian war victims” and that it envisaged security mechanisms and a procedure to obtain rights. Ursa Raukar Gabulin and Sandra Bencic of the Green-Left Bloc welcomed the bill but warned about possible discrimination on ethnic grounds. Bencic said the civilian victims of crimes committed by the Croatian side should also be given rights. Vesna Nadj (Social Democratic Party) said the law would cost the state budget HRK 108 million in the next three years and that the HDZ was passing it due to pressure from its coalition partner SDSS. She said the bill was a copy of an SDP bill which was withdrawn due to demand from war veterans. “You accused us then of wanting to equate victims and aggressors. “We are glad the government accepted the direction the (former) SDP-led government showed them in regulating civilian victims’ rights,” she said, adding that the SDP would support the bill. Medved dismissed “any insinuation that the bill is in line with the SDP’s idea.”

Becic officially invites all parliamentary parties to dialogue on 7 July (Dan) 

Parliament speaker Aleksa Becic has sent an invitation to all leaders of parliamentary political parties to start a dialogue in Parliament on 7 July, with the aim of resolving open issues, which are important for accelerating Montenegro’s European path. “The invitation has been sent to the leaders of all parliamentary political parties, both from the ruling majority and the opposition,” Becic’s cabinet has stated. Some parties from the ruling majority, however, will not participate in that meeting. As the MP of the Movement for Changes, Nikola Bajcetic, told Dan, that party will not participate in the meeting. “I believe that it is necessary to first resolve the relations in the ruling majority, unless Becic is looking for a new majority, because he and Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapic have the support of only 14 deputies,” Bajcetic said. The Democratic People’s Party (DNP) will not participate in the talks either. “We have previously stated that it is necessary to resolve the parliamentary crisis, as well as the crisis in the government, which culminated in the vote on the resolution on Srebrenica and the removal of Minister Vladimir Leposavic. Until the resolution of that crisis, we will not participate in any new talks, not even in these ones, which were scheduled by Aleksa Becic,” the DNP pointed out in a statement for Dan. The DNP and PzP are part of the Democratic Front coalition. Earlier, the New Serbian Democracy (NSD), also a constituent of the DF, announced that they were not interested in the meeting scheduled by Becic. SDP leader Rasko Konjevic has responded to the invitation, in which he has confirmed that he accepts the offered dialogue between the parliamentary parties, the SDP has stated. Konjevic states that it is a known fact that the SDP is a political entity that sees dialogue and constructive exchange of views as the best way to resolve all open issues, and that it is a European and democratic approach to politics that will always have SDP’s support.

Zaev – Tsipras: Prespa Agreement obligates EU to lift hurdles in EU integration process of Western Balkans (Republika) 

Three years after the signing of the Prespa Agreement, on 17 June 2018, the benefits can be felt on daily basis from the settlement of the 30-year dispute, which established strategic friendship between Macedonia and Greece, concurred Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The messages sent from the Prespa Forum Dialogue confirm the achievement of the Prespa Agreement, which today and tomorrow in Ohrid and Prespa is acknowledged by hundreds of high-ranking guests from the region, Europe and the world to affirm the values arising from the spirit of the Agreement, concluded the interlocutors. Zaev and Tsipras stressed that the essence of the Prespa Agreement, with its strength and significance, obligates EU to lift hurdles in EU integration process of Macedonia and the Western Balkans. It was concluded at the meeting that the implementation of the provisions of the agreement is going well and that the agreement that provided a win-win solution for both countries enables open and permanent communication between Skopje and Athens, regardless of who sits in the government in Macedonia and Greece and in the interest of prosperity and the citizens of both countries.

Zaev: We are Europe now more than ever (Republika) 

The Balkans is the new hope of Europe, the Balkans is Europe. Based on our experiences from the road to Prespa and the Agreement with Greece, today we have the right to say this – we are Europe now more than ever, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said in a keynote address at Thursday’s opening of the first international conference as part of the Prespa Forum Dialogue. Zaev addressed high-level representatives of Europe, the United States and the region, who are participating in this Conference, whose main goal is to give impetus to the process of integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union, but also to strengthen relations with the United States. In the presence of US Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker, former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and other prominent domestic and foreign participants, Zaev addressed the efforts which Macedonia and Greece invested to resolve the almost three-decade-old name dispute, which resulted in a solution for which, as he said, there was no example in political history and international relations. An innovative solution was needed, which will go beyond the framework. And we came to a solution. When everyone claimed that it was impossible. We have put an end to a dispute. We have put an end to the long-standing differences that have erected a wall that has hampered friendly relations between the neighbors, Zaev said. As Zaev pointed out, the Prespa Agreement offered the world a new Balkan, a European one, which shows both intentions and capacities to be a free, connected, equally valuable and equally important part of the advanced world. He stressed that today we are reaping the fruits of the resolved dispute. Our ID card at the UN has been completed, relations with Greece are extremely good, bilateral cooperation has seriously improved, there is growth in economic investments, business cooperation, and we already have decisions for joint investments in gas pipeline projects like the one in Alexandroupoli, Zaev said. Achieving such an agreement required faith that problems could be solved and a clear vision. But it also required endurance and perseverance. The agreement was aimed at overcoming the past filled with mistrust and really building a common future, said the Prime Minister. Zaev also highlighted that the Prespa Agreement marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter, both for the two countries and for the wider region.

Ahmeti – Tsipras: Three years after the Prespa Agreement, we are increasingly seeing the benefits (Republika) 

Three years after the signing of the Prespa Agreement, we are increasingly seeing the benefits of resolving the three-decade dispute with Greece – is the conclusion of the meeting between DUI leader Ali Ahmeti and former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on the sidelines of the Prespa Dialogue Forum held in Ohrid. At the meeting, Ahmeti and Tsipras stressed that the Prespa Dialogue Forum conveys very important messages on a global level and this can be concluded with the presence of top European and US officials.

Mogherini: Prespa Agreement an inspiration to settle other open disputes in the region (Republika) 

The Prespa Agreement is an inspiration to settle other outstanding disputes in the region, said Federica Mogherini, who while serving as EU’s high representative for foreign policy was actively engaged before the treaty was signed. Mogherini is convinced that the Prespa Agreement remains a real solution and example not only for her, but also for all her EU colleagues and the Euro-Atlantic community. The agreement showed that no problem is unsolvable, every issue, dispute has a solution, it requires leadership, courage, determination and respect, which is needed in these times to look forward and invest more for the way you can provide a sustainable path for your people. Agreements are always difficult, but possible, and Prespa is a great example from the region that the Balkans can deliver results and with the support of the EU and the international community, impossible things can happen, Mogherini said. She stressed that the place of the Western Balkans is in the EU and that it is not a process of enlargement, but above all a process of unification of Europe.

Reeker: US is with Macedonia as an ally and a friend (Republika) 

The international community recognizes the significant progress Macedonia has made. Much remains to be done and the opening of negotiations with the European Union is the beginning of the process that requires further commitment, US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker said at the opening of the Road to Prespa conference as part of the first international conference of the Prespa Forum Dialogue. He underlined that the US is with Macedonia as an ally and a friend. The United States, President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, we are convinced that Macedonia can and will take the necessary steps such as continuing reforms, strengthening the rule of law, fighting corruption, increasing transparency to guarantee a more prosperous future for its citizens, as well as strengthening the stability of the region. The United States remains committed and is part of this region and will continue to be with you, as President Biden himself said as an ally and friend, Reeker said. He assessed that the Prespa Agreement required great diplomatic courage of the leaders of Macedonia and Greece and set the standards for the rest of the region as a peaceful solution to major conflicts through dialogue.

“We are disappointed” / Palmer criticizes EU for not opening negotiations for Albania and Macedonia: You are hindering our goals in the region (Radio Tirana) 

During his opening statement at the ‘Prespa Forum Dialogue’ the Special Envoy of the US for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer stated that the leaders of the Balkans region should be more concrete in the realization of their economic and political objectives. He touched on the initiatives of the EU in support of the region, while expressing his regret that Albania and North Macedonia couldn’t start negotiations with the EU under the Portuguese Presidency. “They should take all necessary measures, they should exert pressure, in order to realize and resolve political matters on a local level and internationally, in order to further strengthen their democracies,” stated Palmer. Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew A. Palmer said also that the United States was disappointed with the European Union’s decision not to launch the first intergovernmental conference with Albania and North Macedonia. From the Prespa Forum for Dialogue, the US diplomat said the EU should also keep its promise of visa liberalization for Kosovo. “To realize the full potential of this region, leaders must make more than promises, take action and resolve political issues at home and abroad, strengthen multiethnic democracies and justice systems, and move toward the future.” It is vital that the EU supports the region and endorses visa liberalization for Kosovo. “We are disappointed with the decision not to start negotiations, because these delays have hindered the progress of our goals in the region, not only the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, but more than that,” Palmer said in his speech.

Switzerland supports cooperation among Western Balkans countries (Tirana Times) 

Through an agreement signed, the Western Balkans Fund receives Swiss funding to boost cooperation and increase exchanges in the region. Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maitre signed an agreement with the Director of the Western Balkan Fund,Gjergji Murra for supporting its activities for the next 5 years with an amount of approximately 900,000 Eurso. “To achieve peace, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans, the first condition is that the whole region and its citizens cooperate, build bridges and exchange. The Western Balkans Fund adds value to regional cohesion and contributes to the EU integration” said Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maitre. “We will cherish and treasure this partnership as very valuable. And I can assure you, that the Secretariat of the Western Balkans Fund, representing the 6 Ministries of Foreign Affairs from the Western Balkans, has all the will and motivation to be a serious and reliable partner in this process as we commit to our people-to-people approach in the region for the benefit of all,” said Murra. The Ambassador of North Macedonia Dancho Markovski – representing the chair of the Conference of Foreign Ministers which governs the Western Balkans Fund – said: “We are thankful for this support, which indicated how steadily the partnership has grown in the Western Balkans Fund, to the point of transforming it into a long-term cooperation. On behalf of all 6 contracting parties, we assure our full commitment for the benefit of all people in the Western Balkans”. Through this new agreement the Western Balkans Fund (WBF) will be enabled to strengthen its capacities, expand its projects, and increase people to people exchanges and ties in the Western Balkan region. In addition to enhancing the Fund’s organizational structure and management, the Swiss support will go towards a more effective funding of common projects and initiatives in the region. The support will also enable WBF to proceed with the strategic plan for the upcoming 5 years to strengthen relations among stakeholders. The Western Balkans Fund is a joint organization between Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, established to support cooperation and exchanges in the region. It provides grants to projects and initiatives from civil society, cultural organizations, academic and local institutions, with the view to boost cooperation and reconciliation in the region.