LOCAL PRESS

Vucic – Putin press conference (RTS/Poltika/Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia had not and would not introduce sanctions against Russia and would also remain on its EU path. Serbia is grateful to Russia for respecting its sovereign decision and for not having pressurized Serbia into renouncing its policy. We are also thankful to Russia for always having protected Serbia’s territorial integrity, Vucic told a joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Palace of Serbia. Serbia has shown that it is a friend of Russia even at the most difficult moments, he said. Vucic announced that Putin had accepted his request for Serbia to export a certain quota of FIAT cars, produced in Kragujevac, to the Russian market. He said they had also agreed on the export of dairy products, cheese and cheese spreads from Serbia to Russia, adding that is going to increase bilateral exchange in goods. They also agreed to jointly resolve problems in Serbian companies Petrohemija, Azotara and others. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Russia and Serbia had firm political relations, stressing that Moscow’s stand on the issue of Kosovo will not change and that Russia expects constructive dialogue with the OSCE when Serbia takes over OSCE presidency. I thank President Nikolic and Prime Minister Vucic for their invitation. The talks were held in a constructive, working atmosphere and our trade and economic relations are developing well, said Putin. He added that the Kosovo issue was to be resolved in line with UNSCR 1244 and that Russia adhered to that stand and would retain it in future as well. He laid special emphasis on agriculture as a field with great cooperation prospects, adding that if the agreements reached today have been realized, then the export of Serbian products can grow from 130 million to 500 million dollars in a very short while. That is useful for Serbian economy and it means new jobs, but it is also useful for Russia, said Putin. During Putin’a visit to Belgrade, Serbia and Russia signed seven agreements, memoranda and protocols, namely: Agreement on Military and Technical Cooperation, Agreement on Mutual Protection of Confidential Information, Agreement on Readmission, Protocol between the Serbian Customs Authorities and the Russian Federal Customs Authority on Customs of Value of the Exchanged Goods, Memorandum on Understanding in the Field of Energy Efficiency and on Saving Energy and Renewable Energy Sources, Agreement on the Reconstruction of Three Sections of Transeuropean Railway Corridor 10 and Agreement on the Delivery of 27 Diesel Engines for Traffic in Suburbs. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the South Stream could not be realized unilaterally, but that he deeply believed it was useful for European consumers. The same applies to love – it can be happy only if the two participants in the beautiful process wish to continue with those relations, he said in reply to a question by Tanjug on the project realization prospects. He stressed that the same discussions had been conducted when the North Stream was built and now that it has been built, everybody is happy, and he is certain the same will apply to the South Stream. He also remarked that politics is detrimental to economy and, to some extent, is reducing the competitiveness of European economy.

Greece sends demarche to Albania (Tanjug)

The Greek government has announced that a demarche had been delivered to the Albanian foreign minister because of attacks against members of the Greek minority. It was stated that the Greek ambassador in Tirana forwarded the protest note because of the attacks Albanians staged against Greeks in southern Albania after the stadium incident in Belgrade. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Albanian authorities are asked to condemn the incidents that occurred near the border between the two countries.  The Greek ambassador also asked Albania to undertake all necessary measures in order to find, arrest and punish those responsible, as well as to protect the ethnic Greek minority ahead of the upcoming celebration of Greek Independence Day, October 28. “The ambassador conveyed Greece’s enormous concern because of such attacks on peaceful Greek minority, which represents an obstacle to the European perspective of Albania,” the statement added. The ministry in Athens also warns that “attacks of extremists and nationalists certainly weaken the European perspective of the country” and “awaken memories of the past of the Balkans that all countries in the region need to leave behind for the benefit of the common European future.”
Simic: Russia to stay in Balkans (B92)

Political science professor Predrag Simic says that the visit of President Vladimir Putin to Belgrade had a highly symbolic character. He told B92 that the level of relations between Belgrade and Moscow is now at one of its historical highs. Simic added that from Belgrade, Russia sent a message it is ready to reset relations with the West, but only if the sanctions against it are lifted. He said that Serbian officials clearly indicated they expect support from Russia, while Putins visit to Belgrade sent a strong message that Russia remains in the Balkans. He also noted that this visit will mark the next few years of relations between Russia and the West.

REGIONAL PRESS

Ivanic continues to lead for B&H Presidency (Fena)

According to preliminary, unofficial and incomplete results of the B&H Central Election Commission, Bakir Izetbegovic, Dragan Covic and Mladen Ivanic still have most votes for members of the B&H Presidency. Candidate of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic won 228.511 votes – 32.77 percent, and candidate of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic 118.793 – 52.44 percent of votes, whereas candidate of Alliance for Changes Mladen Ivanic won 285.105 – 48.40 percent of votes.

Mladen Ivanic has 1.939 votes more than the runner-up Zeljka Cvijanovic (SNSD) who has 283.166 votes. Bosniak candidate Fahrudin Radoncic (SBB) is second in race for member of the B&H Presidency with 187.986 votes, and Croat candidate Martin Raguz (HDZ 1990) is second with 87.176 votes. Bosniak candidate for member of the B&H Presidency Emir Suljagic (DF) is third with 106.084 votes, and Bakir Hadziomerovic (SDP) fourth with 70.270 votes.

Fifth is Sefer Halilovic (BPS) with 61.456 votes and sixth Mustafa Ceric with 30.471 votes.

Croat candidate for member of B&H Presidency Zivko Budimir (SPP) is third with 14.057 and Anto Popovic (DF) is fourth with 6.512 votes. Serb candidate for member of B&H Presidency Goran Zmijanjac (Party of Fair Politics) is third with 20.839 votes. So far results from 91.57 percent of polling stations have been processed.

Podgorica police detains three persons suspected of stoning the Albanian Embassy (FoNet)

The Podgorica police have detained three persons suspected of stoning the Albanian Embassy in Podgorica, Radio and Television of Montenegro reported. They are suspected of throwing stones on the embassy’s windows. The police told Mina that no one was injured in the incident, but that minor damage was caused on the embassy and the neighboring “Sempre” restaurant.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Putin advices Serbia to grasp EU sanctions as chance to increase export to Russia (Xinhua, 17 October 2014)

Serbia has a unique chance to increase its export to Russia amid the sanctions imposed to Russia by the EU over the Ukrainian crisis, Russian president Vladimir Putin told Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday during his visit to Serbia.

Putin arrived in Belgrade on Thursday on the occasion of the grand military parade organized to mark the liberation of Belgrade in the Second World War, conducted 70 years ago together by Yugoslavian partisans and the Red Army.

After separate meetings with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, Putin said at a press conference that the trade between two countries increased in the past six months, and suggested there is more room to increase it even more.

“We cooperate in the areas of energy, technology and agriculture. Serbia increased its export to Russia significantly from 130 to 150 million dollars. If we realize the agreements we signed today it can reach 500 million in short time,” he said, referring to the nine agreements in areas of energy, infrastructure and railways signed by delegations of two countries during Putin’s visit.

He said that the increase in export is good for Serbia, but also Russia because countries of the EU limited the export to the country for political reasons.

“Countries like Serbia have a positive moment to take the place they belong in our market. We are ready to invest and I talked with Serbian prime minister about the investment into Serbian agriculture together with investors from western Europe that wish to do business in Serbia in order to be able to export to Russian market,” Putin said, suggesting that investments by Russian companies in Serbia could be doubled.

Aleksandar Vucic said that the Russian president agreed to allow automobiles of the Italian Fiat that are manufactured in Serbian town of Kragujevac to be exported to Russian market as well as that Serbia will be in the future able to export “incomparably bigger quantities of cheese” to Russia.

Vucic said that the government he leads will never impose sanctions on Russia.

Albanian PM sticks to Serbia visit despite football mayhem (EUbusiness, 17 October 2014)

(TIRANA) – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will make a planned landmark visit to Serbia despite violence that led to the abandoning of a Serbia-Albania football match, an official in Tirana said Friday.

“Rama confirmed that he has decided to travel to Belgrade” on October 22, in the first visit of an Albanian prime minister to Serbia in 68 years, deputy prime minister Niko Peleshi told AFP.

The visit would come barely a week after a Euro 2016 qualifying tie in the Serbian capital had to be abandoned on Tuesday night after a drone carried a pro-Albanian flag over the stadium, sparking fighting between the two sides.

After drone stunt and football row, Serbia says Albania not mature enough to join European union (Reuters, 17 October 2014)

A remote-controlled plane trailing a flag of ‘Greater Albania’ – which includes Kosovo and parts of Serbia and other Balkan states – flew over Belgrade’s football stadium, provoking a brawl between players and a pitch invasion during the Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday.

Serbia said on Thursday Albania was “not mature enough” to join the European Union, escalating a war of words provoked by a drone stunt at a soccer match that stirred resentments just as the Balkan neighbours were seeking better relations.

The remarks, by Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, prompted Tirana to summon Belgrade’s envoy and cast further doubt on a visit by Albania’s premier to Belgrade on October 22, the first of its kind in almost 70 years.

Prime Minister Edi Rama’s visit had been meant to reset relations, soured in particular over the question of Kosovo, Serbia’s former province which has an ethnic-Albanian majority and declared independence in 2008.

A remote-controlled plane trailing a flag of “Greater Albania” – which includes Kosovo and parts of Serbia and other Balkan states – flew over Belgrade’s soccer stadium, provoking a brawl between players and a pitch invasion during the Euro 2016 qualifier on Tuesday.

On Thursday, the Albanian embassy in neighbouring Montenegro was pelted with stones, breaking windows, and in the Serbian towns of Sombor and Stara Pazova bakeries owned by Albanians were attacked with a hand grenade and petrol bomb.

Stefanovic said police were examining the drone to determine its producer and where it was purchased. Such planes, known as quadcopters, can be bought online for a few hundred euros.

A group of Albanian football fans claimed responsibility for the stunt, but that has not been verified, and Serbia says it suspects high-level collusion.

“Statements by leaders of the Albanian government demonstrate that they knew such a provocation was being prepared,” Stefanovic said.

“If Albania believes that European values are the values of so-called ‘Greater Albania’, then the Serbian Republic cannot share them by any means, and hence we believe that they are not mature enough as a state to join the European family.”

Both Serbia and Albania aim to one day join the EU.

The Serbian Football Association called the drone stunt an act of terrorism. Albanian fans were banned from attending the game, though there were some in the VIP stand, including the brother of Prime Minister Edi Rama, whom Serbia’s foreign minister and media initially accused of operating the plane.

“The Serbian FA is appalled by the provocation and also fears that this was a pre-arranged scenario amounting to a terrorist act aimed primarily against our country,” it said.

The match was abandoned at 0-0 in the 41st minute, with the two sides blaming each other. Serbia summoned the Albanian ambassador on Wednesday and issued a formal protest.

Albania reciprocated on Thursday and issued a statement accusing Belgrade of “political mudslinging.”

“We invite the senior leaders of Serbia to be clear-headed and demonstrate maturity by condemning the anti-Albanian acts before, during and after the Serbia vs Albania match,” it said.

European soccer’s governing body, UEFA, has opened disciplinary proceedings against the football associations of both countries.

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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.