LOCAL PRESS

“15 countries lobbying for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership” (B92)

A Kosovo government official has said that “15 most influential countries of Europe and the world are lobbying for Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO.”  Petrit Selimi, who serves as deputy to Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci, told the Pristina-based Albanian language newspaper Zeri that UNESCO membership would bring Kosovo “great political and cultural benefits.”

“The first phase of joining is October this year, when UNESCO’s executive board will meet, where a majority should vote for Kosovo so that later in November, there is a vote on membership at the general assembly,” he added.  According to him it is Kosovo’s disadvantage that the U.S. will not vote in that conference. He concluded that Kosovo has been lobbying for eight months with various delegations, and that “195 have already been contacted.”  The government in Belgrade opposes Pristina’s bid to join the organization as an attempt to take over medieval Serb cultural heritage in the province where ethnic Albanians in 2008 unilaterally declared independence.

Dacic: Kosovo in UNESCO would be hypocrisy at its worst (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ivica Dacic said Friday that Serbia will continue to fight against Kosovo’s joining the UNESCO, stressing that this would be hypocrisy at its worst. Dacic said that the final decision on this matter will be made by the organization in November. The next session of the UNESCO Executive Board will be held in October, and based on its proposal, the General Conference of UNESCO, scheduled to meet in November, will make the decision on Kosovo’s membership in this international organization, he specified addressing reporters at the Foreign Ministry. Dacic stressed that this is a matter of utmost importance for the country, which must be addressed by the government, the entire society of Serbia, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, and other institutions. Kosovo has sent its application directly to the UNESCO, after the United Nations refused to forward it, said Dacic, adding that it is now up to Director-General of UNESCO Irina Bokova to decide on a further course of action. “If the UNESCO requests an opinion from the UN, it can only be that Kosovo does not meet either formal or essential conditions for the membership, meaning that Kosovo is not a state but rather a UN protectorate,” said Dacic. He added that the four Orthodox monasteries under UN protection Visoki Decani, Gracanica, the Patriarchate of Pec and the Church of the Holy Virgin of Ljevisa, which are part of the Serbian cultural heritage, are in danger because of the actions of “those who now want to be members of the UNESCO”.

“This would be hypocrisy at its worst,” said Dacic.

“Recognition of Kosovo condition for Greece” (Blic, Danas)

Although Ivica Dacic recently announced that Greek PM Alexis Tsipras will visit Serbia in the fall, two Belgrade-based newspapers say this will not happen. Thus the daily Blic writes that the package of conditions that Greece must fulfill to receive financial assistance from the West includes recognizing Kosovo. Greece is one of five EU countries that do not recognize the unilateral declaration of independence made by ethnic Albanians in 2008. Dacic, Serbia’s foreign minister and Tsipras met last week in Egypt for the opening of a new section of the Suez Canal, when Dacic said Tsipras told him he would “come to Belgrade in the fall.”  But Blic thinks “the increasingly frequent articles in Greek media” and “announcements by politicians there that Kosovo is a lost battle for Serbia” all have their background – and that Greece’s vulnerable financial situation means “it will have to dance to the tune of western financiers.” “It would take a miracle for Greece not to recognize Kosovo in the next few months, a year at the most. A serious undertaking will have to be done by the Serbian diplomacy for Athens to give up on recognizing Kosovo, or at least to prolong it,” the paper quoted an unnamed source.  They said that conditions that Athens will have to fulfill to get the sorely needed money are not merely economic, but also political. Political analyst Dusan Janjic told the daily that “Kosovo’s recognition will arrive as early as in the fall,” and added:

“Tsipras will play pragmatically. He will recognize Kosovo in order to delay the issue of Macedonia’s name. Due to the bad situation he won’t be able to conduct his own policy. He will have to make concessions, and in this case it will be recognizing Kosovo.” The same analyst added that such a move “would be useful for establishing ties between Greece and Albania and Albanians in the region.” Another Belgrade-based daily, Danas, writes on Friday that its “well informed sources in Athens” said Tsipras “thinks he should not travel to Belgrade.”

The reason, said the sources, is “the dominant position within his Syriza party” that Serbian PM Aleksandar Vucic’s policy is “adolescent-like.” However, continued the article, the sources “did not wish to specify what Athens was unhappy with when it comes to Vucic’s moves.”

Earlier this summer, Greece’s foreign minister said that his country would support Kosovo’s membership in international bodies and security organizations. The Greek ambassador in Belgrade then stated that Greece does not recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence and that this position would not change.

FM: No indications Greece might recognize Kosovo (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said on Friday there had been no indications so far that Greece might recognize Kosovo. “For now there are no indications or announcements of a change of their position,” Dacic said, according to the Beta agency, and added his country wanted to have “as good as possible” relations with Greece. Dacic added Serbia and Greece are “brotherly and friendly states and peoples” and that there were “no tensions in our relations – which may seem to be the case when one reads the newspapers.” The Serbian minister noted that he recently spoke with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Egypt, during the Suez Canal ceremony, and that Tsipras announced he would visit Belgrade in the fall.  Dacic also said he should travel to Athens in October.

Marko Djuric conferred with Oliver Ivanovic’s defence team in Kosovska Mitrovica (Tanjug)

Marko Djuric, director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo-Metohija, conferred with Oliver Ivanovic‘s defence team in Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday, despite a ban on entering Kosovo-Metohija, stressing that Serbia’s top officials together with EU officials will put the Ivanovic case in the limelight in the forthcoming period. “We will continue to support the defence team of Oliver Ivanovic,” Djuric told reporters after a meeting, adding that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic is talking with representatives of the international community about Ivanovic on a daily basis. Djuric informed the members of Ivanovic’s defence team that he learned unofficially from representatives of international institutions that they are dissatisfied with the manner in which Ivanovic is treated and the fact that his custody was extended for no reason. Ivanovic has been on a hunger strike in the Kosovska Mitrovica prison for the last eight days urging to be released pending verdict. The leader of the Citizens Initiative Freedom, Democracy, Justice (SDP) was arrested on January 27, 2014 and this is the second time he has gone on a hunger strike. The interim institutions in Pristina have not granted Djuric a permit to enter Kosovo because he has not acted in line with the procedures according to which a request to enter Kosovo should be sent 48 hours in advance.

EULEX: Clinical treatment for Ivanovic in keeping with court ruling (Tanjug)

EULEX Spokesperson Dragana Nikolic Solomon could not confirm on Friday whether clinical treatment would be granted to Oliver Ivanovic whose condition aggravated after eight days of hunger strike in the Kosovska Mitrovica prison. Clinical treatment will be ensured in keeping with the court decision after a detailed medical examination of the defendant and in close cooperation with the Kosovo institutions, Solomon told Tanjug. At the same time, she refuted the allegations that the leader of the Citizens’ Initiative ‘Freedom, Democracy, Justice’ (GI SDP) is a political prisoner. EULEX judges make no distinctions based on ethnic or political grounds when it comes to implementation of rule of law, she said and added that the decisions are adopted by independent judges who are not exposed to any pressure. Director of the Kosovska Mitrovica Healthcare Centre Milan Ivanovic stated on Friday that Ivanovic’s condition has aggravated and that he needs clinical treatment.

Message to EULEX: Do not play with Ivanovic’s life (Tanjug)

The citizens who gathered in Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday once again asked that Oliver Ivanovic, who has been on a hunger strike for eight days now, be released pending a verdict. The protesters in front of the EULEX headquarters pointed out that the mission’s representatives would be found responsible if the health of the leader of the Citizens’ Initiative SDP is affected, and reiterated that he is a political prisoner. Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic said that “the Ivanovic case is becoming everyone’s case.” “By doing him injustice, they only make us more united and stronger,” Stojanovic said. Ksenija Bozovic, the deputy president of the Citizens’ Initiative SDP, said on the occasion that EULEX has not reacted at all and has been playing with Ivanovic’s life.”If his health drastically worsens, the responsibility will be theirs,” Bozovic said. The protest, which was overflown by a KFOR helicopter, finished without any incidents.

Government forms core team for negotiations with EU (Tanjug)

The Serbian government formed on Thursday a core team for negotiations with the EU. It will comprise 24 representatives of the public administration, academic community and non-governmental sector, said Jadranka Joksimovic, Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of the EU integration process. “Serbia as a candidate country is sending a message to the EU that we have done everything in our power and fulfilled our obligations as a candidate country, and completed the negotiating structure. We will stand ready for the opening of the first chapters, I hope by the year’s end,” Joksimovic told Tanjug. The core negotiating team will partake in creating a negotiating position, and report to the government on the negotiation process with the EU and inter-governmental conferences on individual chapters, she said. The core negotiating team comprises the state secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs, the head of Serbia’s mission in Brussels, the director of the EU Integration Office and a representative of the minister in charge of the EU integration process, in this case a representative of the minister without portfolio. Another 19 team members will be representatives of public administration, ministries, the academic community, the National Convention and non-governmental sector, said Joksimovic.

Belgrade to host OSCE Ministerial Council in December (Tanjug)

OSCE’s Ministerial Council, which should be attended by 1,500 participants, will be held at the Belgrade Arena on December 3-4. “The number of foreign ministers to partake is still unknown but it will undoubtedly be great”, said OSCE’s Chairperson in Office Ivica Dacic while presenting previous and future activities related to the Council of Ministers to the Organizational Committee. Dacic told the press conference at the Foreign Ministry that the event is being organized with greatest possible austerity measures, noting that last year’s conference in Switzerland cost CHF 24 million while Serbia’s budget during OSCE chairmanship is only EUR 3 million.

“This event has great political importance to Serbia”, said Dacic who is also Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. Minister of Interior Nebojsa Stefanovic, Minister of Defence Bratislav Gasic and Acting Secretary General at the Foreign Ministry Veljko Odalovic also attended the meeting.

UN Refugee Agency increases support for Serbia (Tanjug)

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) will increase the volume of support for the Serbian authorities due to the unprecedented surge in the number of refugees, the agency said in a release on Thursday. As many as 2,000 people cross the border with Macedonia every day and around half of them are registered at the reception center in Presevo, southern Serbia, the UNHCR release states. We are aware that in the current situation the reception capacities in the southern Serbia are severely overstretched due to the rising number of vulnerable refugees, and we will continue to help as much as we can, Head of the UNHCR Office in Serbia Hans Friedrich Schodder said in a meeting with Serbian Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy Aleksandar Vulin on Thursday. Schodder pointed out that not only has the number of migrants increased, but their needs have become more urgent, as they now include far more children, pregnant women, injured and exhausted people. The UNHCR welcomes and strongly supports the plan of the Serbian government to ensure enough food, water and basic services for refugees, immediately after they enter the country and before they reach the reception center. Serbia’s humane approach to the problem of refugees from North Africa and the Middle East should serve as an example to other European countries, stressed Schodder.

REGIONAL PRESS

Jerlagic: SB&H remaining in coalition, we will get the energy portfolio (Patria)

At the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency building a meeting was held between SDA and SB&H party Presidents Bakir Izetbegovic and Amer Jerlagic, after which Jerlagic confirmed that the SB&H is remaining in the coalition signed on 31 July with the SDA, BPS and A-SDA, Patria reports. After the one hour meeting, Jerlagic said that he agreed with Izetbegovic that the party should get the ministry of energy, mining and industry in the Federation of B&H government, and they will discuss possible staff in the coming days. “Reconstruction of the government can start on 1 September,” said Jerlagic, adding that they also discussed the fact that other parties, like HDZ 1990, being drawn into the coalition would make the parliamentary majority more stable. Jerlagic turned to the DF’s staff and FB&H Vice President Milan Dunovic, who has not resigned from the function even though the DF has left the coalition with the SDA and HDZ. “It would be moral to withdraw the vice president as well, because they cannot be simultaneously in the opposition and government,” said Jerlagic. The meeting was organized because the SB&H in recent days had announced its exit from the coalition with the SDA, which still has not come to life. Jerlagic said that the SDA had not fulfilled the requirements his party posed, concerning the law on forestry in FB&H and the appointment of board members of Elektroprivreda B&H happened without the SB&H’s agreement.

Vujanovic: Vucic’s initiative noble, well-intentioned (RTCG)

Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic supported on Thursday Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic‘s initiative for reconciliation, and expressed his belief that establishing a joint remembrance day for all victims of the wars in the former Yugoslavia would serve to preserve the stability of the region. Montenegro supports all initiatives aimed at ensuring stable relations and progress in the region, the Radio and Television of Montenegro‘s web portal cites Vujanovic as saying. I am certain of the good and noble intentions behind Vucic’s initiative, and that its aim is to contribute to the stability and wellbeing of the region, the Montenegrin president told reporters.  Vucic’s initiative to establish a joint day of remembrance for all victims of conflicts in the region was dismissed earlier by Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hasim Taci, and the Bosniak member of the tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic.  The initiative was supported by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Hungary plans to extend anti-migrant campaign to Serbia (AP)

The Hungarian government has announced it will “extend its anti-migration campaign to countries like Greece, Macedonia and Serbia,” AP has reported. These are “transit points used by the more than 120,000 migrants who have entered Hungary this year,” the government in Budapest said on Thursday. Cabinet minister Janos Lazar said that the authorities “want to convince migrants that it is not worth entering Hungary” because it is building a fence on the border with Serbia, and has imposed tougher immigration rules since August 1. The agency noted that “most of the migrants who enter Hungary are on their way to richer EU destinations, such as Germany or Sweden.”

The AP report also said that “a billboard campaign in Hungary with slogans like, ‘If you come to Hungary you must respect our culture,’ and a questionnaire sent to voters linking migration and terrorism have been criticized by rights groups as xenophobic.”