LOCAL PRESS
Vucic: We got the most with Brussels negotiations (RTS/B92)
Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has told an extraordinary press conference at the Serbian government that he decided, after consultations with President Tomislav Nikolic, to travel for the inauguration of the new Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic. “We want to improve those relations. We truly want improvement of relations in the region that will benefit our people, the Croatian people and I think that is good and important news,” said Vucic. He explained that passed such a decision wishing to show the entire world that Serbia is “a normal and decent country” and that political and regional stability is more important than personal and political vanity. Speaking about the Brussels negotiations, Vucic said that he did the best possible with the cards that are bad and divided a long time ago. He noted that the talks were difficult, but that they lost the least possible for their people and received the most possible. The Prime Minister pointed out that Serbia expects acceleration of EU integration and opening of the first chapters. “Everything else would represent disappointment for us. We played the best we could in Brussels, even though the cards regarding Kosovo were divided in the worst possible combination for us. We lost the least we had to do and received the most we could do,” he concluded.
Government adopts report on Brussels dialogue (Tanjug)
The government of the Republic of Serbia adopted on Thursday the report on the talks with officials of the interim self-government institutions in Pristina, held in Brussels under the mediation of the European Union.The government also adopted a state-wide program for the refurbishment of public sporting facilities damaged in last year’s floods and landslides. A total of RSD 226 million will be allocated for this purpose, the government’s press office said in a release.
Selakovic: Perspective for Kosovo Serbs (RTS)
Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic told the news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that representatives of the negotiating team fought for every judge and prosecution post and for every administrative employee, and that this is why the negotiations lasted so long. He points out that the objective problem is filling these posts with quality people for the benefit of protecting the interests of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. The Minister specified that the agreement didn’t only refer to the north. He noted that he had discussed in the technical group the south, but pointed that the situation was such that integration was necessary. “According to this agreement, we will have more prosecutors than in 2010, when the High and Basic Prosecution was established in Mitrovica,” explained Selakovic. He noted that we would have more judges north of the Ibar River and 11 judges south of the Ibar River. He said that the department of the Appellate Court in Mitrovica would have a Serb head, five Serb judges and two Albanians. He points out that the second instance Appellate Court will pass decisions in all those cases that had been conducted in the first instance in Serb majority regions. Selakovic said that the department for felonies will have the ratio of judges four to one, even though the ratio of the population was in favor of Albanians in the Kosovska Mitrovica District four to one. “That is something that is a real success for us. We have really fought for every number,” said Selakovic adding that now we need to fill these posts. “This is something on which we need to work, because the Serbs need to be motivated to enter those courts for the sake of protecting the interests of the Serbs,” said the Minister. He points that he didn’t want to enter the negotiations without representatives of the judicial organs from Kosovo and Metohija. “We will have meetings with the Kosovo Serbs regardless of whether they are judges, prosecutors or personnel. I am sure that we will manage together to recognize that the interest of the people is the largest request,” said Selakovic. He notes that this creates a perspective for the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. “That is not what we are dreaming about, but this is most realistic at present, and that is why you can also hear in Pristina that this is a success for our side,” said Selakovic.
Djuric: President of the Basic Court will always be a Serb (Politika)
After objections that the agreement reached in Brussels by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Isa Mustafa is kept in secret and that the details of the agreement on judiciary are unknown, Politika received answers to some of the key questions electronically from the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric. Asked how the courts are organized according to territory and jurisdiction, Djuric responded that the agreement establishes the manner of the functioning of the court and prosecution in northern Kosovo and Metohija and defines the relation of that court with the Special Department of the Appellate Court in Pristina, which includes the majority of Serb judges, specifically five are Serbs and two are Albanians.
Will there be one court for northern Mitrovica and the other for southern, or are at issue only two buildings of one court?
“The court in Kosovska Mitrovica will have four branches: in Zubin Potok, Leposavic, Vucitrn and Srbica. The court in Kosovska Mitrovica will also have two main buildings in the town: one in the north, with an overwhelming Serb majority, and one in the south, where Serbs and Albanians will sit in inverse proportion in relation to the main building in the north, with one judge more on the Serb side. The president of the court, who decides on what case is assigned to which judge, will be a Kosovo Serb permanently.”
For what period of time is this division and is rotation of the presidents of courts and prosecutors envisaged?
“It was permanently agreed for a Serb to be the president of the Basic Court, for another Serb to be the president of the Special Department of the Appellate Court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, where Serbs also have majority.”
What is the ratio of Serb and Albanian judges and prosecutors?
“I hope this ratio will be good and I am sure that Serb judges will be working according to the law. As regard the numbers in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, an overwhelming Serb majority will be among the judges and personnel – 14:10, and 54:26 when it comes to personnel, and when it comes to prosecutors, at the level of the entire judicial region where the Kosovo Albanians are demographically a majority, the ratio is nine Serbs and eight plus one Albanians. Also, the vice president of the Appellate Court in Pristina will be a Serb.”
This means the Appellate Court is in Pristina, so where will be the special department of this court?
“The Special Department of the Appellate Court will be in northern Kosovska Mitrovica.”
According to what legislation will they conduct processes?
“Since the arrival of international forces in 1999 in our southern province, the legislative framework created by the Assembly in Pristina has been operating autonomously from other parts of the country. Now there are Serbs in this Assembly and regulations that it passes will be also applied.”
The objection that the agreement now integrates the judiciary in northern Kosovo, which had been functioning separately until now, into the Kosovo system, seems correct. Why the sudden problem of Serbia not having enough judges, as the prime minister said?
“With this agreement the Serbs have the possibility, for the first time since 1999, to participate in a very respectable number in the judiciary in northern Kosovo and Metohija and effort will be needed to find enough good quality people who will assume judicial posts in the province and thus take the levers of power and influence, but also responsibility towards their people and the state of Serbia in the difficult circumstances in which our nation lives in Kosovo and Metohija.”
A film about the only Serb child in Prizren, Kosovo (Tanjug)
A full-length documentary, entitled “Milica”, speaks of the everyday life of eight-year-old Milica Djordjevic, the only Serb child in the town of Prizren, in southern Kosovo and Metohija, stressed the authors at the film’s presentation in Belgrade. They said that their goal was to show to the world a story of the life of the few Serbs that have remained in Prizren. The film is about our conscience, said the script writer and director, Dragan Elcic. He pointed to the fact that Milica is soon to finish fourth grade and wonders how she will be able to continue her education. Elcic, who is also the head of the TV Direction Department at the Belgrade Academy of Arts, stressed that Milica had went to school thanks to the Raska-Prizren Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church, who provided a teacher for her and premises. The film is a story about a child in the XXI century Europe who has been deprived of the right to freedom and of the right to play, it was emphasized at the presentation.
REGIONAL PRESS
Draft statement receives unanimous support (Srna)
The National Assembly of Republika Srpska (RS) has unanimously backed the proposed statement on the principles of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (B&H) EU accession process.
At a special session on Wednesday evening, the parliament unanimously adopted the conclusion with 67 votes, whereby the Assembly was acquainted with the wording of the statement.
The conclusion comes into effect one day after it is published in the Official Gazette of the RS.
The MPs also adopted a conclusion by which the National Assembly demands that the RS Government, elected the RS representatives in the B&H Parliamentary Assembly and Council of Ministers take strict care, during the application of the statement principles, of the constitutional powers of the entity and reject any issue that is not in line with that. The parliament sticks to its previous view regarding the case of Sejdic-Finci vs. B&H and the coordination mechanism on EU related matters and demands their consistent application. This conclusion was backed by 63 MPs, four were against, while no one abstained from voting. Parliament speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic closed the 6th special session of the National Assembly of the RS.
Dodik: Parliament showed unity (Srna)
The RS President Milorad Dodik said on Wednesday evening that the National Assembly had demonstrated unity by accepting the statement on the principles of B&H’s EU accession process and relevant conclusions. “I am completely content with this because we have shown unity on this important topic. By the conclusions we have set certain conditions and limitations for the implementation of the statement,” Dodik stated in a closing speech at a special session of the parliament late on Wednesday. How difficult this task is will be felt in the coming period, he said. “I have a feeling that someplace some operational plans have already been prepared and that they will be put out for discussion and decision-making very soon. I’d prefer if we could draft action plans and all important things on our own, because that guarantees that we will take part in designing the roadmap for the implementation of this statement from the very beginning,” stressed Dodik. The statement and its application do not imply development because it demands saving more and sacrificing more. “That’s part of the EU’s overall savings policy. Being fully aware of this statement is very important because that’s the only way we can create a better operational plan,” he said, adding that he would intervene at any level if any kind of protection was needed. “It is possible that this statement will be politicized further, but I plead that it does not happen in the RS. It is clear that the entity authorities are facing an enormous amount of work in terms of the statement and I appeal to the RS Government to speed up the course it has already adopted in the Economic Policy in order to anticipate many operational plans. Anything that is not in the interest of the RS will be rejected. Dodik announced that he would sign the adopted statement on Thursday. “I’m not the biggest optimist about the statement’s implementation. I am certain that every issue of importance for RS should be reviewed by its parliament. Positions related to this statement are visible in the B&H parliament, because some parties from RS don’t want to take part in the parliamentary activities as long as there is one member in the institution, but I ask that this not be a problem when it comes to the parties from RS,” stated Dodik.
Ambassador Cormack opens workshop on fight against terrorism (Oslobodjenje)
Maureen Cormack, the U.S. Ambassador to B&H, officially welcomed participants in a seminar on the fight against terrorism organized by the U.S. Department of Justice in Sarajevo, with the aim of encouraging cooperation between investigators and prosecutors. Terrorism experts from the U.S. and their colleagues from SIPA and the B&H Prosecutor are participating in the two-day seminar. They will discuss methods to improve investigations and prosecution of terrorism cases. The seminar is also an opportunity, as part of scenarios, to examine methodologies in investigating cases of foreign fighters and better identification of potential threats, the U.S. embassy said in a statement. A similar seminar will be held in Teslic next week. In her opening address, Ambassador Cormack stressed that B&H must commit itself to the fight against violent extremism and prosecuting cases of terrorism and foreign terrorist fighters. “In order for us to fight terrorism, we must find an alternative for young people, jobs, educational opportunities, which will turn them away from radicalism and violence,” she said. She also emphasized that the present prosecutors and police investigators have the greatest responsibility. “Citizens of this country are counting on you to uphold justice and protect them from terrorist threats, and have the courage to confront them and prosecute those responsible for these acts,” said the ambassador. She referred to her role in establishing the global coalition in the fight against ISIL, when she worked with General John Allen, President Barack Obama’s special envoy, stressing that B&H is part of this coalition, and that the “fight against violent extremism in B&H demands greater engagement by political leadership, institutions, and civil society. This country is a source of foreign fighters that support ISIL, and this is a problem that affects the lives of all its citizens,” the U.S. Embassy statement reads.
After several denials, Zaev admitted that he collaborated with Verushevski (Kurir.mk/24 News)
Opposition leader Zoran Zaev sinks deeper into the lies that he is presenting every day. SDSM leader last night seems to have surpassed himself in the show 24 Analysis, which was aired on 24 News. Zaev last night touch bottom with manipulative and misleading statements and finally confessed that he had collaborated with the former director of the Security and Intelligence (DBK), Zoran Verushevski. The same Zaev who several times in recent period was persuading the public that he is not familiar with Verushevski and denied any contact with him last night admitted that not only he knew, but he has cooperated with Verushevski. Zaev last night said that a Prime Minister of foreign country, who is also the chairman of political party and an ambassador from that country helped to secure work visa for former intelligence agent Zoran Verushevski who is accused in the affair Putsch and his family. “It is work visa to go abroad, to be able to go more than three months, as he has not received wage for months. It is sad, his guilt is that he loved his country as a quarter of Macedonians together. So, it is for people who want to help him to go abroad and work. That is the letter content. Issuing working visa for Verushevski with family to leave and to preserve freedom,” said Zaev. After several denials and enthralling to the public, Zaev finally admitted that he collaborated with Verushevski. The head of the opposition increasingly tangled in his own lies, reason why he has lost credibility at the general public. After first, he lied that he did not know Verushevski, the question is who is lying now Zaev that it was about working visas and who really he expects to believe in this? Zaev gave no explanation for the part of the letter in which states “I included people at very high positions in the party of Prime Minister (of the country) that is exactly at the positions related to social issues that I and you work out.” Are Zaev and Verushevski elaborate working visas and have to include dozen people for former scout get working visa, especially when the Prime Minister of that foreign country stand for him? Zaev with lies obviously touched bottom, after several denials and beliefs of the public that does not know Verushevski and last night he once again been caught in lie and he himself denied that recognition that not only knew, but also collaborated with Verushevski. Without to blink with an eye, Zaev continues with lies, in which even not his biggest supporters believes.
What is Ahmeti’s crime in the conversation published by Zaev? (Kurir.mk)
Obviously, with every public statement Zaev is more buried, and his lies come to light before the eyes of the general public. On this way, he lost poor moral credibility. Besides lying, Zaev’s statements are filled with heavy contradictions. In the last night’s interview on 24 News, Zaev said he will publish materials, that he unauthorized possess and that in his view there was alleged crime. After this statement of Zaev public remains amazed, knowing the fact that Zaev has published unauthorized material in which DUI leader Ali Ahmeti talk to certain person Fatmir for possibilities for medical treatment of a specific person Irfan, discussing the state of the Irfan and medical assessments for his recovery and the opportunities for further medical treatment.
What crime Zaev seen in this chat is unknown? And how can it be crime i.e. a phone call for treatment of a person? Zaev apparently is captured alive in his lies and becomes more confusing and contradictory. The question whether – Zaev is imagining that he is personally absolute court, and to evaluate if there is crime and who did it? Opposition leader should answer what crime Ali Ahmeti did at the time when he tried to find solution to treat a person and what is the purpose for publishing the telephone conversation?!
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Serbia, Hungary demand help from EU to stem migrant ‘exodus’ from Kosovo (Euronews, 12 February 2015)
Serbia and Hungary are demanding the European Union does more to stop what they described as an “exodus of migrants” from Kosovo.
More than 30,000 have been discovered in Hungary since September, compared with just 6,000 for the whole of 2013.
Serbia’s relaxed travel rules for Kosovans have allowed them to travel into Serbia up to the border with Hungary to the north, and then smuggle themselves across into the European Union.
One man explained: “We are leaving because we cannot find a job here. What should we do? There are no jobs, no future. There is nothing here. Where are those politicians who don’t care about the people? They should see people are fleeing.”
Almost all apply for asylum. Many reportedly use the time it takes to process their applications to give authorities the slip and push westwards through the EU’s borderless Schengen area into Germany and Switzerland.
Authorities are at a loss, though, to explain the sudden jump in numbers since September.
Serbia Border Crisis: Hungary Flooded With Migrants, Latest European Nation To Battle Migration Problem (IBTimes.com, by Dennis Lynch, 11 February 2015)
Hungary has wrestled with a growing migration problem. Kosovars are detained and processed by Hungarian Police at a Budapest railway station. Reuters/Bernadett Szabo
Serbia and Hungary are the latest European countries to struggle with a massive migration problem, as thousands of migrants have streamed from Serbia to Hungary, mostly from Kosovo, to seek a better life in the European Union. Around 23,000 migrants, mostly native Albanians, have arrived from Kosovo to Hungary since the start of 2015, according to Hungarian authorities. More than 100,000 have left Kosovo since last summer.
Afghans, Iraqis, Syrians and Somalians were among the other nationals received at the Hungarian border recently. Most migrants applied for asylum, but the crisis has led some Hungarian politicians to call for authorization to immediately deport any migrants who cross the border illegally from Serbia.
Antal Rogan, the parliamentary leader of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz-KDNP group, said last week that “Hungary’s gates must be shut down to economic migrants.” His sentiment was echoed by the mayor of Asotthalom, a Hungarian border town and a common crossing point for migrants coming into Hungary from Serbia.
Many migrants say they were fleeing a lack of economic opportunity in Kosovo. “All these people, all from Kosovo because the economy is poor,” said migrant Malsor Sadiku, who was crossing near Asotthalom, according to Reuters. “No jobs, no money; we decide to go out from Kosovo and look for a job and better life.”
Kosovo, a semi-recognized state of only 1.8 million, has a GDP per capita just under $5,000, one of the lowest in Europe. After devastating ethnic wars following the breakup of former Yugoslavia, Kosovo declared itself independent from Serbia in 2008 but has yet to develop a viable economy. A third of Kosovar locals are unemployed.
At least 5,000 children were taken out of schools in Kosovo in recent months, never to return. The mass migrations out of Kosovo have hurt those who have stayed as well, including employers who are running low on labor.
Croatian volunteers fighting alongside Ukrainian army; Serb counterparts helping pro-Russian rebels (AFP, 12 February 2015)
ZAGREB – Croatian nationals, believed to be mostly veterans of the country’s 1990s war, joined Ukraine’s army to fight against pro-Russian rebels, Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said Wednesday without giving any numbers.
“As far as I know there are (Croatian fighters) who joined the Ukrainian army,” Pusic told reporters and added that the country’s intelligence services were “following the issue.”
“For the time being (volunteers) they did not join paramilitary units,” she added.
Pusic was commenting on recent local media reports that around 20 volunteers, mostly veterans of Croatia’s 1990s independence war, left the country in late January for the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol where they were to join the Azov battalion. Around a dozen Croatians were already there, the Vecernji List daily reported.
“An open Russian aggression against Ukraine, similar to the one that we have experienced in 1991, is being passed over in silence,” one of Croatian fighters bound for Ukraine, identified only as Denis S., was quoted as saying by the local Internet portal.
“These people (volunteers) recognized that and that’s why we are going there to help,” the fighter added.
Hundreds of volunteers, including ones from Ukraine, came to fight alongside Croatian forces during the country’s 1991-1995 war. During the conflict Zagreb forces fought against Belgrade-backed rebel Serbs who opposed Croatia’s proclamation of independence from the former Yugoslavia.
Meanwhile in neighboring Serbia, a traditional Russian ally, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic recently confirmed local media reports that several dozen Serbian volunteers left to fight alongside pro-Russian forces in Ukraine. This puts former foes Belgrade and Zagreb again on the opposite sides almost two decades since the 1991-1995 war here ended.
The conflict between pro-Moscow separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine has killed at least 5,350 people since April last year.
The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine were to meet later on Wednesday in the Belarussian capital Minsk in the hope of agreeing a peace deal to end the fighting.
Bosnia’s new PM takes office, pledges EU-backed reforms (Reuters, 11 February 2015)
SARAJEVO – Bosnia’s parliament approved Denis Zvizdic as prime minister on Wednesday after he promised to unblock the Balkan country’s stalled bid to join the European Union and push through reforms sought by the bloc.
The approval came some four months after Bosnia’s elections despite EU pleas for swift action. Bickering over jobs has slowed the formation of new governments at different layers of Bosnia’s complex system, a legacy of a peace accord that ended its 1992-95 war and split power along ethnic lines.
“The period ahead of us is one that should bring about change, reforms and economic development and I will do my best to make a shift from daily politicking to real economic and social issues,” Zvizdic, a Muslim Bosniak, told lawmakers.
Twenty-eight lawmakers in the 42-seat assembly backed Zvizdic for the post, five voted against and two abstained.
Deputies of two Bosnian Serb parties walked out of the chamber before the vote after their request to discuss charges against the parliamentary speaker was denied.
Deputies from Bosnian Serb President Milorad Dodik’s SNSD party, which is not part of the ruling coalition in parliament, have said they will oppose any national legislation they see as undermining the interests of the Serb Republic.
Zvizdic, a former architecture professor, pledged to respect the authority of Bosnia’s two constituent autonomous units, the Bosniak-Croat Federation and the Serb Republic, and said he would try to ease political relations within the country.
Bosnia’s unwieldy system of ethnic power-sharing has slowed reforms, stifled development and left the country trailing its ex-Yugoslav peers on the road to EU membership.
Zvizdic, 50, was nominated by the largest Muslim Bosniak party, SDA, as part of the ethnic power-sharing deal. He has previously served as the Sarajevo cantonal prime minister and as the parliamentary speaker of the Federation.
Critics say his track record is poor and have voiced doubts about his ability to lead Bosnia decisively along a reform path.
(Reporting by Maja Zuvela: Editing by Zoran Radosavljevic and Gareth Jones)
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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.
