LOCAL PRESS
Nikolic: Europe will request us to recognize Kosovo (RTS)
Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said he heard a clear message from the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Johannes Hahn that Serbia will not be part of the EU until it resolves the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and doesn’t harmonize its foreign policy with the one in the EU. “That implies that, since the majority of the EU has recognized Kosovo we should also agree with that. Hahn literally told me ‘We do not want you with an unresolved problem of Kosovo and Metohija’,” said Nikolic. The President said that he then responded that there isn’t a person in Serbia who will recognize Kosovo. “That person doesn’t’ exist at this moment, never…and I think I said this provocatively…” said Nikolic. “Another issue is the introduction of sanctions against Russia. He told me: ‘You can act like this for some time because you are not an EU member, but later there is no deviation from the EU foreign policy’,” Nikolic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS). He said he had discussed Hahn’s statements with Prime Minister Vucic, but that this is not an urgent issue.
Dacic: Serbia supports fight against terrorism (FoNet)
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has stated that Serbia supports the fight against all forms of terrorism, and it is ready to join this battle since it is being directly faced with this problem on its own territory as well. “In the Raska District, southwestern Serbia, and in Kosovo and Metohija, there are radical Islam preachers, who spread religion in an extreme way and recruit young people for the so-called religious wars,” Dacic said at the Ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Brussels. Dacic said that the number of mercenaries from Serbia, mostly from the Raska District and Kosovo and Metohija, is small compared to a total number of foreign fighters in extremist armed groups, reads a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry. “There are more than 100 such people in Serbia, and this number is not insignificant bearing in mind the possible consequences of their return after being trained by foreign religious fanatics,” Dacic said. “Serbia has cosponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2178 very quickly and early in October adopted amendments that envisage punishments for the citizens of the Republic of Serbia who participate or organize participation in the armed conflicts abroad. Serbia is responsible, consistent and on time in completing all of its international obligations related to UN Security Council resolutions that impose embargoes on arms export, including the bans that refer to government officials, which covers terrorist organizations and individuals connected to them,” he stressed. Dacic said he wished to reiterate Serbia’s willingness to improve cooperation and coordination with all the countries of the Western Balkans and within the anti-ISIL coalition when it comes to battling terrorism threats.
Pristina demands compensation, Belgrade rejects conditions (Blic)
Recognition of sovereignty will not be Pristina’s condition for resuming the dialogue with Belgrade, but the new Kosovo government will demand from Serbia war reparations and part of the property of the former Yugoslavia. In the draft program of the new Kosovo government that was published by the Pristina media, the word “reciprocity” isn’t mentioned when it comes to recognition of independence, but it says that the goal is for Serbia to “acknowledge sovereignty” of Kosovo. It also notes the determination to implement all agreements with Belgrade. “We are not two states in order to negotiate and request whatever one wants. We will not allow them to condition us with anything. If normalization of relations is not Pristina’s interest, then they should state this clearly and loudly,” the Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun tells Blic, adding that the Brussels dialogue is status neutral. The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric says that politicians should deal with the resolution of problems, and not with creating new ones. “Serbia is turned towards talks and the fight for a better future,” says Djuric. The Head of the Kosovo’s diplomacy Enver Hoxhaj said that he wanted the dialogue to end with normalization of relations, which also implies Kosovo’s UN membership and mutual recognition between Serbia and Kosovo.
EULEX charges Slavisa Ristic with 15 crimes (Politika)
The EULEX Prosecution is charging former head of the Zubin Potok municipality Slavisa Risitic, who voluntarily reported to EULEX, with 15 counts of the indictment. EULEX spokesperson in Pristina Dragana Nikolic-Solomon tells Politika that the international public prosecutor Pascal Persons is charging Ristic in two cases, first of which refers to the murder of Enver Zumberi, member of the Kosovo special police unit Rosu, on 26 July 2011, and which contains seven counts of the indictment, i.e. seven crimes. The second case refers to the events of 30 May 2012 and 4 April 2014, each with four counts of the indictment. When it comes to the first case, Pascal suspects Ristic, among other things, of murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of arms… In the other case, the former head of Ibarski Kolasin is allegedly charged with the attack on EULEX vehicles, obstruction of officials in their work, participation in the group that committed a criminal act… “The EULEX Prosecution suspects Slavisa Ristic of 15 counts that contain separate indictments. At two separate sessions, EULEX judges determined the measure of mandatory reporting twice a week in the police stations in Zubin Potok and Kosovska Mitrovica. He is prohibited from approaching and talking to witnesses, and for the sake of precaution, they confiscated his passport,” Nikolic-Solomon told Politika, stressing that Ristic appeared on Monday before the international judges Roksana Komsa from Romania and Vidar Stensland from Norway. The EULEX spokesperson wasn’t able to tell Politika when the trial will commence to the former head of the municipality in the far north of Kosovo and Metohija, who headed it for many years, enjoyed great trust of the inhabitants of Ibarski Kolasin and who was a tough advocate of the idea that the Brussels agreement should be boycotted. Ristic’s attorney Ljubomir Pantovic also couldn’t specify when the trial could commence, but confirmed that his client is charged with 15 crimes that “do not have foundation”. “The indictments are absurd and unfounded, which is also confirmed by the measures imposed by international judges in the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica,” Pantovic tells Politika. Unofficially, Ristic hasn’t been in northern Kosovo and Metohija over the past several months until Monday, when he reported to the EULEX police, i.e. prosecution in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica.
Boosting military cooperation important for region’s security (Tanjug)
The chiefs of staff of the armed forces of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, generals Ljubisa Dikovic and Anto Jelec respectively, voiced readiness for further improvement of the cooperation between the two countries’ armed forces and said that it is in the interest of regional stability. Speaking to reporters, Dikovic said that he will discuss with Jelec, who is on a two-day visit to Belgrade, the strengthening of military cooperation in mutual interest, but said that the cooperation has in the past also been good and developed. Dikovic said that the Serbian Armed Forces are interested in training for their troops at the B&H Mine Action Centre, and that they can offer to the Bosnian side the capacities of the CBRN Center in Krusevac, the Military Academy, the Military Medical Academy, as well as Base South, for training for international peacekeeping missions. The Chief of Joint Staff of the B&H Armed Forces Jelec noted that good cooperation has been maintained with the Serbian Armed Forces in the areas of training, joint exercises and experience-sharing. Assistance to civilians in natural disasters such as the floods that hit the region last May has demonstrated how armed forces can act in those situations, too, he said. We have no unsolved issues, but we do have possibilities to boost the cooperation, said Jelec, who is on his first official visit to Belgrade.
REGIONAL PRESS
FB&H House of Representatives: Edin Music President, Vice-president Cavara and Mitrovic (Oslobodjenje)
With 58 votes for and 32 abstained, the Chairman of the House of Representatives of the FB&H Parliament Edin Music, from the SDA, was elected. Vice Presidents were also elected and they are Marinko Cavara from the HDZ and Sasa Mitrovic from the Democratic Front. The national anthem marked the beginning of constitutive session of the House of Representatives. Chairman of the Central Election Commission Stjepan Mikic awarded the delegates with certificates for the won mandates and wished them good luck in the next four years of work. As Mikic said, the Central Election Commission received two mandates that were rejected. The mandate of the federal MP was refused from Ibrahim Hadzibajric (SBB), who is the current mayor of the municipality of Stari Grad, and from Salko Selman, newly elected President of the Board of the Development Bank of the Federation. Hadzibajric’s mandate replacement is assigned to Jasna Durakovic- Hadziomerovic, and the procedure to award a replacement mandate which was won by Selman has not yet been completed at the CEC.
Dodik: Moscow’s withdrawal from the South Stream plans – dramatic news (RTRS)
The President of the Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik thinks that news of Russia’s withdrawal from construction of the South Stream is dramatic. “Russia has stated it cannot build the South Stream if Europe does not want it. Several years ago the North Stream was built, and it uses resources from the same source, and it brings gas to Germany and developed European countries. There has never been a shortage of even one cubic meter of gas during the whole time of the Ukrainian crisis. So why are we not allowed to build the South Stream under the same conditions? Why should we be the ones pondering the possibility of energetic shortage in the future?” stated Dodik. Dodik was a guest at the RTRS where he stated that Russia respects in principle the Dayton Agreement and that it never, not with one word, showed any aspirations regarding B&H, in a territorial or political sense. While commenting a recent statement of Party of Democratic Action’s Vice President, Bakir Izetbegovic, that “Russia’s politics are not welcome in B&H”, Dodik stated that Russia’s politics and the state it represents, with all its positive content it brings, is welcome here, same as EU politics, or Turkey and some other countries. “Whenever I talked to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, he talked in the context of the territorial integrity of B&H. And here they are trying to construct something more of it and put it in the context of fascism. When it comes to Turkey, for instance, we have seen a type of behavior that we have never seen Russia exhibit”, noted Dodik. He noted that Russia has conducted itself based on principles when participating in international bodies and referring to the Dayton Agreement. “We cannot solve the conflict between Russia and Europe in relation to Ukraine, nor can we contribute to its increase. But in this instance it is precisely that Ukrainian conflict which is being imposed on us as a means of “ironing out” certain issues, and now all of a sudden we should start being fearful of Russia”, Dodik said. He noted that unlike Russia’s principle based politics, the Prime Minister of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, spoke of a “new Ottoman Empire” and many other things, as well as stating that to him “Ankara and Istanbul are the same as Sarajevo”. Dodik was asked what he foresees for the next year economically, to which he replied that he believes that public finances will stabilize.
“We are counting on certain financial support, not from the IMF. I believe the IMF is conducting destructive policies here”, Dodik noted. He reminded that the IMF canceled a financial installment which was supposed to help end the financial year in some way. “The IMF will not approve for us the 150 million Convertible Marks requested and therefore local governments will be forced to issue bonds. And then the opposition will rise up and say: “There they go again getting us into more debt”. The IMF canceled this financial support due to supposed failure to fulfill requirements they prescribed for us”, said Dodik.
Zeljka Cvijanovic began consultations to form the Government of RS (Oslobodjenje)
The RS prime minister-designate Zeljka Cvijanovic began consultations regarding the election of new executive authorities in B&H (RS entity) by having discussions with representatives of the Confederation of Trade Unions, the Union of Associations of Employers, Veterans’ organizations, and the Republic organization of families of captured and killed soldiers and missing civilians. Cvijanovic would, as it was announced on December the 4th, hold talks with leaders of political parties that are part of the governing coalition in B&H’s entity of RS, and those parties are SNSD, DNS, and the Socialist Party (SP). That way, as Cvijanovic said, next week the conditions to hold a session of the National Assembly in which the new government will be elected in RS, will be made. With 42 members of the SNSD, DNS and SP, and two independent MPs, Elijah Stevancevic and Vojin Mitrovic, the new government will be supported by two MPs from the NS Party too. While the distribution of positions, meaning 16 ministerial positions, will be officially announced at the parliamentary session, it is already known that the quota of the RS Constitution for representatives of Bosniaks and Croats as constituent people has one envisaged ministerial position that will go to the HDZ B&H. When it comes to the participation of representatives from the Coalition of Homeland, Cvijanovic said that she is open for discussion with the parties united around the Coalition of Homeland, “but it is a requirement that all that is provided to Bosniaks students in the RS equally is provided for children in the Federation of B&H, regardless of their nationality”. As a reminder, the Coalition Homeland, during the talks with the president of RS Milorad Dodik, expressed their willingness to participate in the government of that entity, providing that they get a firm guarantee that all the problems of returnees, Bosniaks and Croats in the RS will be solved and that all forms of discrimination are to be eliminated, especially in the domain of education of Bosniak students.
US steps up fight against terrorism in this part of Europe (Novosti’s Banja Luka correspondent)
US investigators, representatives of the National Security Agency (NSA), and FBI have arrived in B&H to control the operation of, first of all, their services in B&H in charge of combatting terrorism in this region, Novosti has learned from intelligence-security sources. The US is dissatisfied how their representatives are operating in this region, because jihadists and Wahhabis are definitely becoming stronger in this region. A highly ranked prosecutor from the US is expected to arrive in the following days, and he will be carrying in his bag instructions and guidelines for the further fight against terrorism in B&H. Novosti’s sources claim that it is precisely at the proposal of the NSA that a new strategy of the fight against terrorism in the world was adopted a month ago. That document lists 13 states of Europe, Africa, the Near East plus Kosovo, where the fight against terrorism must be stepped up. In Europe, B&H is marked as a country with the biggest terrorist stronghold. US security officers claim that B&H is the fourth country in the world by mobilizing jihadists for fighting on the fronts throughout the world, compared to the number of its inhabitants. After the US security officers mop up the operation of their people on the ground in B&H, the plan is for them to move on to Kosovo, where they already opened the Office for Combatting Terrorism, for the same reason – to examine what has been done on the ground thus far. Once they record the situation on the ground, the US will submit all collected data, with guidelines for future operation, first of all to the B&H institutions. One of the addresses of the US security officers will be also official Belgrade where they will request information on the situation in Sandzak, because, through analysis, the conclusion is that Sandzak has a serious stronghold for radical Islamists who are increasingly appearing in Syria, but also on other fronts throughout the world.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Prosecutors want Serb ‘war criminal’ detained (Al Jazeeera, 2 December 2014)
Judges are being urged to bring back Vojislav Seselj, released on health grounds, after he makes political appearances
Prosecutors at a United Nations war crimes court have urged judges to order the return of a hardline Serb nationalist defendant freed last month on grounds of ill-health, only to throw himself back into Serbian politics.
Vojislav Seselj, 60, who suffers from cancer, was released on “humanitarian” grounds after almost 12 years in detention but still short of a verdict in his war crimes trial.
He has since rallied supporters and taken to television and radio to defend the hostile nationalism he propagated during the bloody break-up of federal Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
He has clearly demonstrated that his health condition is no barrier to making unacceptable public statements that are inflammatory and insulting to victim communities.
Seselj’s performance has further embarrassed the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague – which had already drawn fire for keeping Seselj in lengthy detention without an end to his trial – and triggered a spat between former foes Serbia and Croatia.
Seselj stands accused of inciting followers to commit murder, ethnic cleansing and other war crimes in Croatia and Bosnia.
In a published motion for his release to be revoked, prosecutors noted that Seselj had said he would never return voluntarily to the court and they said he had threatened people cooperating with the prosecution.
“He has clearly demonstrated that his health condition is no barrier to making unacceptable public statements that are inflammatory and insulting to victim communities,” Reuters quoted the prosecutors’ motion to the court as saying.
The motion called for the release to be revoked and for an urgent court hearing to consider Seselj’s health condition and under what conditions he might be allowed out again.
Serbian doctors say Seselj has cancer of the colon which has spread to his liver.
If it orders his return, and Seselj refuses, the Serbian government would be obliged to arrest and extradite him.
The government is led by Aleksandar Vucic, a former close aide to Seselj but who renounced the ultra-nationalism of his old mentor in 2008 and swung behind Serbia’s bid to join the European Union.
Seselj’s Radical Party, in a statement, said he would not heed any call to return to The Hague..
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic last week cancelled a planned trip to Serbia this month, saying Belgrade had failed to distance itself from Seselj’s remarks since his return. Vucic said Seselj had nothing to do with the Serbian state.
Andrey Kovatchev: Bosnia and Herzegovina Needs New State Structure (euinside.eu, by Adelina Marini 2 December 2014)
In order to have enlargement there should be desire from both sides. On the one side are the countries that want accession and on the other is the public opinion in the EU member states, especially the old ones. Currently, there is no such desire in Germany, France, which does not mean suspending the negotiations process. Europe cannot allow a white spot in the Balkans which is always a source of uncertainty, of no rule of law, of behind-the-scenes dependencies. These countries have to be part of Europe, but in the same time work is needed on consolidation within the Union, said in an interview with euinside Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev (EPP) during the November plenary session of the European Parliament. Andrey Kovatchev is a member of the European Parliament’s bureau, of the foreign affairs committee and of the human rights committee. In his capacity as a member of the foreign affairs committee, he often speaks on Macedonia’s progress for European membership.
Not every name of Macedonia can be acceptable to Bulgaria
I asked him if he thought that Macedonia, too, needed something similar to the British-German initiative for a change of approach for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Unlike his colleague from ALDE Ivo Vajgl, Mr Kovatchev is of the opinion that the key to resolving Macedonia’s problems is neither in Brussels, Athens, nor in Sofia but in Skopje. Good neighbourly relations are very important to unclog the process of integration of Macedonia to the EU, but they have two sides. Skopje conducts a dual policy, the MEP said. Abroad they say “Everything is okay, we’re ready and have no problems with Bulgaria or Greece”, but domestically are used issues like imposing national identity through provocation aimed at the neighbouring countries.
“We understand that this is a newly established state, which desires to create an identity of its own. In the beginning, there is a period of deviations and manipulation of history, but this cannot be tolerated for a long time”, Andrey Kovatchev underscored. He hinted of another line of conflict between Macedonia and Bulgaria. According to him, although it is not a part of the negotiations between Skopje and Athens on the name of Macedonia, Bulgaria cannot accept every name. He was cautious in terms of a possible reaction, but hinted that not every name can be 100% accepted in Bulgaria. When the name is agreed and we see that it is not acceptable to Bulgaria then the country should state this clearly. “We will simply say that, so that they know that they should not open a new front with something unacceptable”.
Dayton has been exhausted
Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, Andrey Kovatchev is not among those who welcome wholeheartedly the German-British initiative. The Dayton way of existence is exhausted. A new beginning is needed for this country so that it can function more effectively, but at this stage there is no big desire for such a new beginning among the politicians in the country, said the MEP. According to him, the European perspective is the driving force which gives energy to the rule of law, democracy, justice, tolerance toward the different religious or ethnic communities and only in this way Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, continue on the path of reforms and peaceful integration to the EU, Mr Kovatchev added.
Serbia is looking at Russia with eyes wide open for an alternative
What risks does Russia hide for the European perspective of the Balkans was a question that made the MEP think in silence a tangibly long time. Russia had to be a strategic partner and to certain period of time it was. Vladimir Putin’s policy now, however, is a policy of confrontation which does not lead to anything good neither for EU nor for Russia. But, still, the damages are greater for the Russian citizens because the Russian economy is under strong pressure and the country’s image has been deteriorating with every signal of new aggression by Russia. Besides, the propaganda war Russia is leading against the EU “with all possible tools” also does not contribute to a good climate between the EU and Russia. There are so many problems we can work together on with Russia and the EU wants that – the fight against terrorism, climate change, global trade, economic cooperation, Mr Kovatchev said.
“That is why I don’t see any reason in the 21st century to return to the methods of the 20th century of seizure of territories, violation of international law, using various means of infiltration on foreign soil, of a propaganda war. This is something we thought had stayed in the past but obviously this is not true, which is why we need the EU to be united, to avoid division”, he said and added that it is very important the enlargement to continue because “Serbia looks with eyes wide open at Russia. There are so many signals that show that Russia would like to show Serbia that there is an alternative to the European integration. Is this good for the EU? I believe it is not good to have at our western border a country which will not be integrated in the EU but probably somewhere else”.
Andrey Kovatchev denied that in Bulgaria there is a division on the issue of Russia. “You probably have a different statistical information. I don’t know anyone who have emigrated in Moscow or Saint Petersburg”, the MEP underscored. According to him, the member states have to give the high representative for foreign and security policy a chance to state a single position that will not be changed 1-2 days later by one of the capitals. Federica Mogherini raised doubts in the beginning whether she was capable to handle the calls of the post and the challenges, but she managed to disperse these doubts during her hearing. The problem is, however, that she is expected her voice to be stronger than that of the German foreign minister or the minister of foreign affairs of UK. This has to change, the MEP concluded.
Macedonia Opposition MPs Face Ousting from Parliament (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 2 December 2014)
Opposition MPs who have boycotted the legislature for over six months in protest at alleged poll fraud could have their mandates revoked if lawmakers back a parliamentary committee decision
Macedonia’s political crisis stepped up a gear on Tuesday as the parliamentary Committee on Mandate and Immunity Issues, which is composed of the ruling parties’ members, unanimously voted to revoke the mandates of the absent 31 opposition MPs.
The opposition MPs deserved to have their mandates revoked because they were absent from 40 parliament sessions, said the commission’s head, Aleksandar Nikolovski, an MP from the main ruling centre right VMRO DPMNE party.
“They did not participate in the sessions and did not report their absence to the parliamentary speaker. Thus we should conclude that they have been unjustifiably absent,” Nikolovski said.
In order to take effect, the commission’s decisions will be put to a plenary session of parliament where more than two-thirds of MPs will have to vote in favour of revocation. The plenary session has not yet been scheduled.
“But we have enough time until the plenary session to decide how we will vote. Until then, we urge the opposition once more to return to parliament,” Artan Grubi from the junior ruling Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, told BIRN.
The ruling majority of the VMRO DPMNE and DUI is within reach of controlling the 82 out of 123 legislators in parliament needed to pass the decision.
This makes the votes of the seven MPs from Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, the only opposition parliamentary group not boycotting the parliament work, equally important as those of DUI.
The parliament launched the procedure for revoking the mandates in early November, exactly six months since the opposition MPs refused to take up their seats because they said that the ruling parties had won the April general and presidential elections through fraud.
Under the parliamentary rulebook, MPs forfeit their mandates if they are absent from duty for over six months.
The opposition parties, led by the Social Democratic Party, SDSM, submitted written resignations to parliament in May. But the parliamentary speaker did not verify the resignations and kept calling on the opposition to return.
The SDSM said it would not return to parliament.
“There are different opinions among us over whether our boycott is productive. However we remain determined to stay outside parliament and thus delegitimise those who came to power by committing a fraud,” a high-ranking source from the SDSM told BIRN under condition of anonymity.
The Prime Minister and leader of VMRO DPMNE party, Nikola Gruevski, meanwhile rejected opposition demands to hand over power to a caretaker government pending new elections.
The OSCE/ODIHR monitoring mission to Skopje said that the March-April election process, while well administered, had failed to meet important OSCE commitments, including on the separation of state and party, on ensuring a level playing field, on the neutrality of the media, on the accuracy of the voters list and on the possibility of gaining redress through an effective complaints procedure.
If the parliament revokes the opposition MPs’ mandates, legal experts said the vacant seats may first be offered to the next opposition MP candidates that were on the party lists in the last election. If none of the candidates accepts the seats, parliament may call another early election.
Although the boycott has not directly affected the work of parliament, the dispute is damaging Macedonia’s already stalled prospects of European and Atlantic integration.
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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.
