LOCAL PRESS

No agreement with EULEX (Novosti)

One-hour talks between north Kosovo mayors and the EULEX delegation in Kosovska Mitrovica didn’t bring an answer. Thus, the decision of the Serbs to organize peaceful protests over the latest actions of the EU mission in this part of the province will stay in place. The meeting of the two sides was held at the headquarters of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija in northern Kosovska Mitrovica behind closed doors, but there was no progress. The reason for the meeting was the anger of the Serbs over the issuance of warrants for Slavisa Ristic and Stevan Vulovic, the former and present Zubin Potok mayors. Leposavic Mayor Dragan Jablanovic told Novosti that nothing was agreed at the meeting and that both sides remained with their stands. “We proposed for Vulovic and Ristic to give their statements in one of the EU offices in Serbia proper, which was not accepted by the EULEX representatives,” said Jablanovic. He adds that the mayors from the north will agree on their further steps and activities with the Office for Kosovo and Metohija, stressing they didn’t give up peaceful protests against EULEX activities. “EULEX representatives suggested meeting twice a month with the northern mayors, but such meetings would not have any effect. They rotate every six months or year, and all new who arrive are getting acquainted with the situation all over again, while people suffer and fear” says Jablanovic.

North Kosovo Serbs requesting security (Beta)

Kosovo Serb political representatives from northern Kosovo discussed with EULEX and EU representatives security of citizens and the rule of law. The meeting with EULEX Acting Head of Mission Joelle Vachter and Head of the EU Office in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar was held in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. The Serbs from northern Kosovo are dissatisfied with the work of the EULEX mission since they consider that it is acting contrary to the entrusted mandate and the goals of the international community. The meeting was attended by the mayors of North Mitrovica Goran Rakic, Leposavic Dragan Jablanovic, Zvecan Vucina Jankovic, as well as the heads of the municipal assemblies of Zubin Potok and North Mitrovica and the coordinator of the Management Team for establishment of the Union of Serb Municipalities. “EULEX is part of the larger EU family in Kosovo and represents a key point of the EU overall comprehensive policy here,” Vachter said. “Improvements in the rule of law will lead to improvements in the quality of life for all citizens in Kosovo and contribute positively to Kosovo’s European future,” Zbogar said.

Djuric: National interest in Kosovo and Metohija best achieved with a spade and hoe in the hands of people (Beta)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that national interest is best achieved with a spade and hoe in the hands of people. He added in Zubin Potok that the future of the people who are studying at the University in Kosovska Mitrovica is also important for preserving Serbian state interests. During a visit to an agricultural cooperative in Zubin Potok, Djuric recalled that a very important interagency meeting was held yesterday at the Serbian government with the goal of adopting a package of measures that will help the development of agriculture and economy in Kosovo and Metohija. “An interagency working group has been formed and it will be comprised of the Ministry of Economy, Serbian Chamber of Commerce, the Office for Kosovo and Metohija and our goal is to help precisely successful subjects such as the agricultural cooperative in Zubin Potok that may serve as an example and pride much broader than Kosovo and Metohija,” said Djuric. “We want to remove all administrative and bureaucratic obstacles that exist for trade, traffic of agricultural and other products between Serbia proper and the territory of Kosovo and Metohija,” said Djuric. According to him, the Serbian government will perform very ambitiously when it comes to incentives for association of agricultural production in Kosovo and Metohija.

“Dragons” roaming B&H (Novosti)

One month before the holding of the October elections, B&H is facing many political and security challenges: politicians in the election campaign are stirring up national and religious hatred, police are arresting a group of Wahhabi terrorists, the EU fears new social unrest and conflicts, and citizens are additionally disturbed with the patrols of British special units in transporters. Their patrolling with light weapons on Sarajevo streets, but also those of other towns in Federation B&H, has been disturbing citizens who claim that reinforced presence of EUFOR forces reminds them of the war period. At issue are 100 soldiers from the British unit “Dragons” who have recently joined the permanent EUFOR contingent in B&H. The British Foreign Office has explained that the new contingent of their soldiers was sent to B&H in order “to prevent the outbreak of social unrest and maintain peace and stability during the October elections”. EUFOR didn’t wish to answer whether they fear new conflicts in B&H, while the British Foreign Office notes that their special units will assist the EU Mission to “forestall, oversee and prevent civil unrests throughout the country, and they will stay here up to six months”. The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has stated that the arrival of the group of British special units in B&H before the election campaign can be partially considered pressure. He says that they suddenly, without one single decision of B&H institutions, appeared on streets – several transporters with the most elite British military unit. “This is their spreading of democracy in a way for their armed soldiers to appear, threaten and send a message: you must behave this way or you will have to deal with us,” said Dodik. He points out that nobody from B&H called those British special units for help, but that they consider that the confusion that prevails in B&H is reason enough to open free space for them to come.

REGIONAL PRESS

Jallow signs memorandum of understanding with B&H prosecutions (Srna)

International Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals Prosecutor Hassan Jallow signed memorandums of understanding with prosecutor’s offices in B&H on Tuesday, thus making the cooperation on the prosecution of war crimes between the ICTY Residual Mechanism and B&H judicial institutions official.

Minister arrested in FB&H (FTV)

The B&H State Investigation and Protection Agency launched this morning an operation for arresting brothers Ivankovic-Lijanovic in Siroki Brijeg in Hercegovina. The Federal Minister of Agriculture, Waters and Forestry Jerko Ivankovic Lijanovic, and an arrest warrant was issued for the arrest of his brothers Joza, Slava and Mladen, Federal TV reports. The B&H Prosecution reports that an operation code-named “Meat” is being conducted in several towns in B&H “to combat crime and multi-million tax evasion”. “Among other things, at issue are tax and customs evasions in the amounts of several millions KM, committed by founding and later on fictitious closing of companies, with big amounts of debts for taxes. The mentioned companies dealt with import, production and processing of meat and meat products,” the B&H Prosecution announced. The arrests are conducted at 14 locations in B&H towns, and around 10 suspects will be arrested, and raids in three companies will be conducted.

Secret NATO recommendations to Montenegrin authorities (In4S)

At any cost, the authorities in Montenegro must prevent the holding of a referendum where citizens would state whether they support Montenegro’s NATO membership, writes the top secret document entitled “Communication Guidelines for Launching and Conducting Public Dialogue on Montenegro’s Path to NATO” drafted by this Alliance for the Montenegrin authorities, selected NGOs and parties. NATO’s public diplomacy department notes in the recommendations to the ruling Montenegrin structure for conducting the campaign on Atlantic integration that they should influence public opinion in a manner so that a referendum on membership is not mandatory and that Montenegro should not feel guilty for the bombardment of Yugoslavia in 1999. The key argument of the campaign is that they should preclude a referendum on membership as this is not a constitutional obligation, and credible public opinion survey, as it is stressed in the document, can be a basis for passing the decision in parliament. Especially interesting is that a special chapter of the document contains a guideline on how the public in Montenegro should be persuaded that the Serbian government considers the Alliance to be a stability factor. The Podgorica portal In4s reports that the document is divided by sector areas where it is stated that a large number of citizens of Montenegro expressed opposition to NATO integration in a “soft” way and that this should be one of the target groups in the campaign. NATO experts, as this portal writes, “in the scandalous document that is labeled restricted will dictate homework to the Montenegrin prime minister, president of the state, parliament speaker, Montenegrin government, political parties and NATO Coordination team on what they need to do in order to have more success in promoting NATO”. The first person for implementing these ideas is Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, followed by President Filip Vujanovic. Even though the NATO document shows aspirations to secure a majority support of Montenegrin citizens for membership, the authors of the secret document admit that this is futile, so they suggest to official Podgorica not to accept by any means to check people’s will on joining the North-Atlantic Alliance. As it is written in the document, “the main starting premise of the document is that Montenegrin citizens will not vote at the referendum on the question of joining the alliance”. “Consequently, NATO, ‘in a democratic manner’ ordered the Montenegrin authorities to tell citizens that ‘there is no constitutional obligation to hold a referendum’, that ‘the Montenegrin Constitution gives the possibility of passing the decision on NATO membership in parliament’, as well as that ‘referendum would require additional energy, time and money’”, writes In4S. According to NATO instructions, Montenegrin citizens should be “persuaded that membership in the Atlantic Alliance is long-term guarantee of sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, security for the citizens and state, as well as a prerequisite for stable economic progress that also opens the EU door”. Among other things, the Montenegrin authorities are recommended to maximally engage in order to raise the level of public support for Montenegro’s accession to NATO up to a minimum of 50 percent. For reaching this support, NATO recommends seven steps: raising the level of awareness of Montenegrin citizens on NATO, lowering the level of emotions to the extent that it enables rational measuring of arguments for and against, reducing the number of citizens who are undecided in view of Montenegro’s membership, influencing with various methods the opponents of NATO membership, additionally increasing, in daily contacts, motivation of those citizens who support membership in the North-Atlantic Alliance. The sixth step envisages an intensified media campaign, and the seventh additional creation of public opinion.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Chinese, Serbian PMs meet (Xinhua, 10 September 2014)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic met on Wednesday on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Summer Davos forum in Tianjin.

Li spoke highly of the China-Serbia strategic partnership, which was the first to be established between China and Central and Eastern European countries.

China is ready to consolidate political mutual trust with Serbia, expand cooperation and increase cultural and personnel exchanges, he said.

Li also vowed to work with Serbia to ensure successful completion of the Belgrade-Budapest railway the two countries are jointly constructing along with Hungary. The three hope it will help revitalize the region’s economy.

The Chinese premier said that cooperation between China and Central and Eastern Europe serves the common interests of both sides.

China is willing to work with Serbia to hold a successful meeting of leaders of China and Central and Eastern European countries this year and promote mutually beneficial cooperation, according to Li.

Vucic said Serbia is China’s sincere friend. It will work with China on the railway and leaders’ meeting this year so that cooperation between China and European countries can yield more fruit.

The 2014 New Leaders Meeting of the World Economic Forum, also known as the Summer Davos forum, will open in Tianjin on Wednesday afternoon. Li will address the opening ceremony.

Kosovo loses hope of getting Adriatic Sea Port (Balkan Insight, by Nektar Zogjani, 10 September 2014)

The government in Tirana said that an Albanian port on the Adriatic Sea which had been promised to Kosovo could now be leased to a Chinese state-owned company.

The Albanian transport ministry told BIRN on Tuesday that negotiations over awarding a concession for the use of the Shengjin port to China have been going on for the past few months.

“They [Albanian government officials] are currently talking with a Chinese state-owned company about awarding a concession on the port of Shengjin, but there is no deal yet,” said transport ministry spokeperson Genc Caushi.

The port is also expected to be discussed at a conference in China this week, which Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will attend.

Shengjin is located near the town of Lezha, in northern Albania, and was seen as a good opportunity for Kosovo to gain access to the Adriatic Sea.

In 2009, a year after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, the former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that the Shengjin port would belong to Kosovo, but nothing was done about this afterwards.

Kosovo economy expert Ibrahim Rexhepi said he believed that Albania was looking for a more serious partner to invest in the port.

He said the promise to give the port to Kosovo was made for “media effect”.

“After that, the two governments did not make a single move to implement the idea,” Rexhepi told BIRN.

Rexhepi said Kosovo lacks the financial capacity to invest in Shengjin because “the port needs a completely new infrastructure and the widening of areas where the goods will arrive from other countries”.

He also noted that economic cooperation between Kosovo and Albania was at low level in general.

“We lack cooperation in joint capital, public or private investments,” he said.

Serbia will seek to solve the Karabakh conflict during its OSCE presidency (APA, 10 September 2014)

During its OSCE presidency, Serbia will seek to solve military conflicts, Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said at the press conference in Baku on Sept.10.

The Serbian Minister stressed that he intends to contribute to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. “I will visit this region again. As OSCE chairman, I will seek to waste no effort in resolving military conflicts,” he added.

“We have seen with concern the news of the deteriorating situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region,” Dacic said in an interview with APA. “It is necessary to refrain from applying force and use the energy to contribute to the negotiation process. Serbia supports every dialogue that leads to a peaceful resolution of this issue,” he added.

“Respecting the “Madrid principles” of the OSCE Minsk Group and their position, we welcome all efforts aimed at sustainable solutions. The current role of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, USA and France, is a step in the right direction,” the Serbian Minister said.

Bosnian Serb Soldiers’ Crimes ‘Were Isolated Incidents’ (BIRN, by Denis Dzidic, 10 September 2014)

The former Bosnian Serb prime minister testified at Ratko Mladic’s trial in The Hague that he heard that individual soldiers committed crimes during wartime, but not the army itself.

Defence witness Vladimir Lukic, who was prime minister of Republika Srpska from January 1993 to August 1994, told Mladic’s war cimes trial at the Hague Tribunal on Tuesday said that he used to inform Bosnian Serb Army officers that some of their soldiers committed thefts and other crimes in 1993.

“Generally I did not think the whole army was doing it, but individuals. However, I had no authority over those individuals, and that is the reason that the army was informed, in order to find who was responsible,” Lukic said, adding that many among those who committed crimes were not ‘true soldiers’.

The Hague prosecutors presented a report that Lukic sent to the Security Service Centre in Sarajevo about rapes in the Novo Sarajevo area, which said that Serbs were also sexually abused by soldiers. The witness replied that the government of Republika Srpska did not think that only crimes against Serbs should be prosecuted.

“You are taking this document out of context. Those who did that, they did discriminate between Croat, Serb or Muslim women. They did it dishonourably, and none of us [politicians in Republika Srpska] could even think that Muslim woman should be raped, nor a Serb woman,” said Lukic.
He said that the Republika Srpska government advocated the prosecution of all crimes and added that in the Sarajevo area “many more Serb women were raped than Muslim or Croat women”.

In response to a question from the prosecutor, Lukic said that he believed that Bosnia was “historically Serbian territory”, but that “everyone should [be able to] live” in the country.

Mladic, the former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, is charged with the persecution of Bosniaks and Croats, genocide in Srebrenica and seven other municipalities, terrorising the population of Sarajevo and taking UN peacekeepers hostage.

The trial continues.

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Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ. The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.