LOCAL PRESS

Progress made during Kosovo round, no agreements reached (B92)

Aleksandar Vucic has said there had been no agreement regarding a future community of Serb municipalities during today’s round of Belgrade-Pristina talks. There was no final agreement on telecommunications, energy and Peace Park in Kosovska Mitrovica, either, during the negotiations in Brussels on Tuesday. “There is no perspective to reach a final agreement because we do not agree on many things,” the Serbian prime minister said this evening, adding that progress was made on the issue of the community of Serb municipalities (ZSO). “It is clear that we are on some issues closer to an agreement, and on some very, very far apart,” said Vucic.  After the end of negotiations in Brussels on the level of prime ministers, talks will continue in working groups. “Six out of 15 points from the Brussels agreement refer to the SZO and we insisted on that for a long time, and today we had the longest, serious and difficult discussions on this issue and there has been some progress,” said Vucic. He added was “significant that dialogue has been launched on the most important issues and that it has been clarified who disagrees with what,” so that “the picture of what will follow is more clear now.” “We can accept what is not contrary to the interests of our people and we have to consider the whole. We have to fight to get the best possible solutions and not to tell people we accepted something just for the opening of (EU membership) negotiating chapters,” the prime minister said.  He added that “it is important that our team will do everything to protect our national interests,” and that he “believes the first concrete results could happen during the upcoming meetings,” the next likely to be held on Monday.  Vucic also stated that the first EU talks chapters will be opened by the end of the year regardless of the failure to reach “concrete agreements on four key issues” this Tuesday, noting that “today there was no agreement, sometime there will be.”

The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is held in Brussels and mediated by the EU, and the organization’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement this evening that “progress in the negotiations has been made on all the issues that were discussed,” adding that teams of Belgrade and Pristina continue to work on these tonight, while new meetings will take place in the coming days in order to reach a final agreement. The statement also said that on the sidelines of the negotiating round today an agreement on mutual recognition of car insurance was signed, and that it was achieved with the support of the Council of Green Card Bureau. Earlier in the day, Tanjug reported that representatives of Belgrade and Pristina signed a memorandum of understanding on vehicle insurance, adding it was “so far the only result of several hours of talks taking place within the framework of the Brussels-based dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, facilitated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.” The two delegations, led by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa, were described as “broadly opposed to each other when it comes to the issue of setting up of a community of Serb municipalities (ZSO).” The Pristina delegation put forward a proposal that would make the ZSO a non-governmental organization, while Belgrade insists on its having executive powers.  Director of the Office for Coordination Affairs in the negotiation process with Pristina Dragan Vladisavljevic said that the talks on energy were “difficult and tense” as well.

He said that Pristina tried to open the issue of property and take over the ownership of Lake Gazivode, Valac power substation and the electric power distribution system in northern Kosovo. Lake Gazivode is an artificial lake owned by Serbia and located in the central part of the country, and Belgrade insists that the lake, along with the entire hydro-power system, should be under control of the future community of Serb municipalities.

Vucic: Certain progress made in negotiations on ZSO (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has said that certain progress has been made in the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations concerning the establishment of the community of Serb municipalities (ZSO) in Kosovo-Metohija (KiM). “Six out of the 15 points of the Brussels agreement relate to the ZSO, and we have been insisting on that for a long time, and today we have the longest, most serious and difficult talks on the issue, and certain progress has been made,” Vucic said. “The Albanian community was previously afraid to open the topic. Now we have managed to discuss it,” the Serbian prime minister said.

According to the agreement on the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina that was signed on April 19, 2013, the ZSO should encompass the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north and six in the south of KiM. Under the agreement, the ZSO should have executive powers in the fields of health care, education, urban planning, economic development and social policy.

However, Pristina has so far shunned talks on the formation of the ZSO, and the day before yesterday’s round in Brussels, Pristina put forward a proposal, according to which the ZSO would be reduced to some kind of a non-governmental organization, which is completely unacceptable for Belgrade.

Russian, Serbian officials discuss situation in Macedonia (Tanjug)

Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev and State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of the Interior Aleksandar Nikolic discussed the situation in Macedonia on Wednesday.

The meeting was held ahead of the sixth international meeting of senior security officials that should start in Ulan-Ude, the capital city of the Russian Republic of Buryatia. Besides the current political situation in Macedonia, the two officials dealt with the issues of regional and international security, in the context of Serbia’s OSCE chairmanship, among other things, Tass reported. In mid-May, Macedonia faced an incursion of the terrorist organization of ethnic Albanians from the southern Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija, which is under interim UN administration. Eight Macedonian policemen and 14 terrorists were killed in the attack that was carried out by the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). In addition to that, Serbia is facing a wave of illegal migrants arriving from Macedonia. According to Serbia’s state bodies, 300-400 people cross the border between the two countries every day, and since the beginning of the year 22,182 people filed an asylum application in Serbia.

FBI considers opening regional office in Belgrade (B92, Beta)

The FBI is “considering opening a permanent regional office in Belgrade,” it was said after a meeting between Nebojsa Stefanovic and James Comey. The Serbian interior minister and the director of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) spoke in Belgrade on Tuesday about cooperation between the Serbian Interior Ministry (MUP) and the FBI. The meeting focused above all on “the fight against terrorism, technological crime and corruption,” Beta reported. Stefanovic and Comey pointed out in their statements to the press that “current cooperation between the two security institutions is excellent, but should be further developed.” The FBI and the MUP “cooperate by exchanging information, but also through training of personnel, and so an agent who specializes in cyber-crime is staying in Serbia, while Serbian inspectors go to the FBI Academy,” it was said. “Serbia wants to show it is a serious and reliable partner in the fight against terrorism. We want our people to be trained and ready to fight against terrorism on the global level,” said Stefanovic. He pointed out that “the strategic objective” of the ministry he heads is to achieve “even better cooperation with the FBI,” and added that “opening FBI’s regional office in Belgrade might help with that.” “I think it would be a good step in the realization of concrete cooperation and would contribute to the fight against organized crime and corruption,” said Stefanovic. Comey said that a decision on this matter would be “discussed in the near future.” He “pointed out that the FBI and the MUP had excellent cooperation” and mentioned as an example the arrest of “one of the most wanted fugitives whom FBI sought for the murder of a police officer.” According to Comey, the fight against crime on the internet is a priority. “Together, we aim to strengthen the fight against cyber-crime. There are people who want to hurt our children or steal our money on the internet,” said the FBI chief. Comey also “pointed out that Serbia is a strategically important country for the FBI,” and that this is the case “because it is located at the crossroads.” He added that “cooperation will intensify in the future.”

REGIONAL PRESS

Crnadak: Chairing Council of Europe BiH’s most challenging task since the war (Fena)

Igor Crnadak, Foreign minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), addressed the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the first time as the chair of the Committee of Ministers, Fena’s correspondent reports from Strasbourg. Stating that he hopes B&H will meet expectations during its six-month chairmanship of the organization, he said that this is the most challenging task the country has faced since the war. When it comes to the priorities B&H has set for its chairmanship, he noted the fight against violence against women and families. Since the majority of member states have ratified the Istanbul Declaration that concerns this issue, he noted that attention will now be focused on its implementation. In the field of culture, a priority will be European film and the role of women in film, and Crnadak announced holding a special event during the next Sarajevo Film Festival. The chief of B&H diplomacy noted among the priorities an intercultural dialogue and the promotion of human rights, especially vulnerable groups. One of the priorities is the fight against violent extremism and terrorism, including the entry into force of an additional protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism. “I cannot stress enough the importance of the entry into force of this document, and I hope that it will soon be prepared for signing in order for the member states to sign and ratify it. The declaration and action plan for the fight against violent extremism were also adopted in the Committee of Ministers,” said Crnadak. He especially emphasized that the recent terrorist attacks that have happened in Europe and elsewhere are contrary to the values on which our societies are based. Responding to a delegate’s question, Crnadak said that when it comes to the issue of the European Court of Human Rights ruling in the Sejdic-Finci case, there is not one politician in B&H who is not aware of the importance of the ruling, and the fact that someone cannot run in the elections for some position because of their ethnic affiliation alone. “Institutions are aware of the problem, but it is difficult to say a timeline or a time when the issue will be resolved. But I believe that it will be in the near future,” said Crnadak in his address to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

B&H Foreign ministry apologizes to Israel for flag-trampling in Zenica (Oslobodjenje)

The ministry of foreign affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) expresses its regret and apologizes to Israel, its citizens and institutions for the desecration of the country’s flag that occurred on 12 June in Zenica, a statement from the ministry reads. The foreign ministry expressed regret for the misconduct of a portion of the fans at the recently held match between the B&H and Israeli national sides in qualifiers for Euro 2016, which B&H won 3:1.

“The misconduct and rude behavior toward representatives of a friendly country, in this case Israel, does not help our athletes, friendly teams, nor B&H, but does immense and difficult to repair damage. Groups of persons and individuals prone to such behavior do not deserve to be called fans, and not just moral, but all legal measures should be taken toward them,” the ministry’s statement reads. “The Foreign Ministry calls on relevant investigative organs to open and prosecute the perpetrators of not just this, but all other unfortunate acts at sporting events, as soon as possible.”

Members of one of the fan groups before the match near Bilino Polje stadium trampled the flag of Israel. The Israeli national anthem before the match was met with whistles of disapproval from the stands, for which the Football Federation of B&H (N/FS B&H) will be punished by UEFA after a meeting of the disciplinary committee scheduled for 16 July, AA reports.

Leaders agree national distribution of positions in state institutions (Nezavisne)

Members of the B&H Presidency, which are at the same time leaders of the three parties in the ruling coalition, Mladen Ivanic, Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic, agreed national distribution of leading position in 41 institutions and agencies of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Distribution was agreed in 36 institutions and in five agencies. According to “Vecernji list”, Serbs got the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the Service for Foreigners, Communications Regulatory Agency (RAK) of B&H and Directorate for European Integration (DEI). Croats will be appointed at the leading positions in the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA), Border Police and the Audit Office, while Bosniaks will be heads of the Central Bank, the Intelligence-Security Agency (OSA) and the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies. This is just the beginning of negotiations on all positions and functions at the state level. The Council of Ministers tasked the Civil Service Agency to initiate the procedure and open competition for the vacant positions.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Balkans Track ISIS Fighters Flowing Through Turkey, Overwhelmed By Lax Border Control (IBI Times, By Erin Banco, 23 June 2015)

Bosnians represent the largest contingent of foreigner jihadists from Europe fighting with the Islamic State group, prompting the Bosnian government to crack down on extremists

Officials from Bosnia Herzegovina said Tuesday as many as 50 women and children are currently living, some fighting, with the Islamic State group in Syria. Their recruitment into the Sunni extremist organization comes as a direct result of the rising number of ISIS supporters in the country and their susceptibility to extremism, a trend that is threatening the stability of the entire region, officials said.

“Once a destination country for foreign fighters in the 1990s, Bosnia is now the country of origin for volunteers in other people’s wars,” said Vlado Azinovic, a co-author of a report published this month by Atlantic Initiative, a Sarajevo nonprofit.

The report said 192 Bosnian adults and 25 children traveled to Iraq and Syria from 2012 to 2014. Of those, 156 had gone there to fight. Those statistics make Bosnia one of the largest groups of foreign jihadists from Europe, prompting officials in the country to crack down on extremists.

Another report published by the European Parliament in 2013 showed about 3,000 people in Bosnia identified as Wahhabis, a conservative Muslim movement introduced in the country in the early ’90s. They are the ones, Bosnian officials have said, who identify with ISIS.

In the past year, Bosnia has arrested dozens of people on suspicion of having traveled to Iraq and Syria to fight with ISIS, or who are thought to be providing the Sunni militant group with weapons and cash. Bosnia last year passed a law that bans citizens from fighting in foreign countries.

Bosnia is just one of several countries in the Balkan region attempting to curb the number of foreign fighters flowing through their borders and recruiting domestically. The Balkans are becoming a transit point for foreigners who want to fight with ISIS. In the past several months, authorities in Bosnia, Kosovo and Bulgaria have arrested foreigners allegedly working for ISIS.

Islamist foreigners wanting to reach Iraq and Syria to fight with ISIS are flocking from places like Morocco to Europe and then on to the Balkans, before heading to Turkey to pass through the border to the battleground. Moroccan authorities said more than 2,000 nationals, many of whom passed through the Balkans, are now fighting in Syria and Iraq with ISIS.  Those fighters flowing from the Balkans into Syria through Turkey are also returning home, officials said, and that is what is causing concern. The international community, especially those in the U.S.-led coalition to fight ISIS — such as Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia — have repeatedly called on Turkey to do more to stop foreign fighters from flowing across its borders.  Eastern Turkey, including the cities of Antakya and Kilis, is a main transport hub not only for foreign fighters into Syria, but also for weapons, money and supplies. Turkey provides the main and easiest path into Syria and onto Iraq. ISIS has demolished the border fence between the two countries.

Foreign fighters looking to join ISIS in Syria cross into the country much like journalists, aid workers and moderate rebels have done for more than three years: through the Bab al-Salama or Bab al-Hawa border crossing in southeastern Turkey. Most fly into Istanbul before catching a flight to Hatay or Gazientep where they meet with the group or individual whom they have contacted to take them into Syria. Journalists call this local contact who helps them on the ground a “fixer.” For ISIS, the process and terminology are similar. ISIS foreign fighters, via connections with those they know in the militant group, connect with a fixer to drive them from Hatay province to the Syria border. The foreign fighters exit the same way they enter. U.S. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said last week the coalition needs to make more progress to stem the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq and Syria. “Turkey has already taken additional steps. We’ve worked closely with them, and again, we think there is more that can be done by all members of the coalition to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. Turkey does have the will to join with us in the fight against ISIL,” he said.

Macedonia and Greece agree to work on building confidence (Associated Press, 24 June 2015)

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — Macedonia and neighboring Greece say they will work harder to build mutual confidence after a decade of coolness that has frustrated Macedonia’s hopes of joining NATO and the European Union. Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said both countries have also agreed to “create a climate” to resolve a festering dispute over his country’s name. Greece claims that the name Macedonia implies claims on its own northern province of Macedonia — an assertion that Skopje rejects. Greece, which insists on calling its northern neighbor the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, belongs to both NATO and the EU, and opposes Macedonia joining either body unless the name dispute is resolved. Poposki spoke after talks in Skopje Wednesday with Nikos Kotzias — the first Greek foreign minister to visit Macedonia since 2004.

Arrests over Bosnia-France human trafficking ring (BBC)

Members of special police take position in front of an attacked police station in Bosnia

Fifteen people have been arrested on human trafficking charges as part of a joint operation between Bosnian and French police. Bosnian authorities say they detained seven people across several cities and found a group of potential teenage victims during one of the raids. The other suspects were arrested in France. They are accused of forcing young Bosnian women and children to pickpocket on their behalf in France. The victims were mistreated physically and psychologically by the alleged traffickers, according to police. Authorities say the gang is also suspected of money laundering, forging documents and drug offences. Police estimate the suspects made over €2m (£1.4m; $2.2m), which they spent on property and luxury cars.