LOCAL PRESS

Four agreements signed during Kosovo talks round (RTS, B92)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic announced late on Tuesday in Brussels that agreements reached there are “good for the Serb people in Kosovo.” Speaking after another round of EU-sponsored Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, he “singled out as the most important the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO)” which he said will have “broad powers.” He also stressed there were “no longer any obstacles” to Serbia opening the first chapter in EU membership negotiations, and that he would publish “all four signed agreements.” According to Vucic, the ZSO will have “its president, vice-president, assembly, council, coat-of-arms and flag.”  “It will be deciding on all four issues from the Brussels agreement – from health care, education, urban and rural planning and economic development, to us being able to finance it from Serbia. It is said unequivocally that Serbia has the right to finance it, without taxes and duties,” he told Serbia’s state television RTS. Vucic then announced he would visit Kosovo in September and the ten municipalities that will make up the future ZSO: Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok, Leposavic, Gracanica, Strpce, Novo Brdo, Ranilug, Pasjane, Partes, and Klokot. Agreements on telecommunications, energy, and movement across a bridge on the Ibar River have also been reached and signed, the Beta agency reported.  As the prime minister noted, the energy deal was signed “but without agreement on the operative-distributive system and property.” “For the first time we will have both the supplier and the vendor of electric energy, this will be a daughter company of EPS. We did not reach agreement on the operative-distributive system. They tried to cheat us over property. They wrote that they consider it to be their property. We immediately wrote that we consider it to be – in line with the Constitution – the property of the Republic of Serbia,” said Vucic.  He stated that he “expected problems” related to this agreement, and added that when it comes to telecommunications, “nothing changes”: “Serbs from Kosovo, when they call Serbs in central Serbia, still dial only 011, and vice versa, when we call Mitrovica, we dial only 028, without any calling codes.” Speaking about the Ibar River bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica, he said citizens in the northern part of the town “should not worry”: “They wanted to open Kralja Petra Street, and by decisions signed today it will be a pedestrian zone. Trucks will not enter that street and that will be a pedestrian zone that Serbia is building and there is all security for that.” Serbian Government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director Marko Djuric commented after the negotiations in Brussels today to say the outcome represented “a 5-0 victory for Serbia,” while Kosovo Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci said that “Serbia in a way recognized Kosovo as an independent state.”

Thaci has also been quoted as saying by Klan Kosova TV that reaching the agreements was difficult “because the Serb side was opposed all day.” According to him, “Serbia signed under pressure from international community.”  “The Kosovo side stood firmly behind its demands and reached agreements in line with Kosovo’s laws. It is up to us to work in order to carry out all future processes,” Thaci said, and “confirmed that the Kosovo side gave up on Peace Park”:  “As long as there are defined periods on the bridge to move the barricades and in other ways allow freedom of movement to people we are giving up on the idea of uniting Mitrovica. This is a European year for Kosovo. Serbia previously refused to sign documents that had Republic of Kosovo printed on them. This now is a recognition of independence in a way.” In a statement after the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who mediated the talks, said:  “I hosted a meeting of the high level dialogue for normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina with Prime Ministers Aleksandar Vucic and Isa Mustafa and their delegations in Brussels today to finalize implementation arrangements of four key agreements: on energy, telecoms, establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities as well as the Freedom of Movement/Mitrovica Bridge.” “The prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo marked a turning point in taking forward the dialogue agenda. They agreed on the general principles and the main elements of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities, which paves the way for its establishment. They also agreed on further implementation of the energy agreement and the Action Plan for Telecoms, which will facilitate the telecommunications system and operations in Kosovo,” the statement said, and added:  “Finally, the prime ministers also agreed the arrangement for the Mitrovica Bridge. This will define the use of the bridge in a mutually acceptable way which symbolizes the spirit of the dialogue that I am facilitating. Today’s outcome represents landmark achievements in the normalization process. Solutions such as those found today bring concrete benefits to the people and at the same time enable the two sides to advance on their European path. Prime Ministers’ dedication was instrumental and I confirm that the EU will actively support the full implementation of this outcome. We will also continue to work on further steps of the dialogue in the coming months.”

Self-praising and conflicting interpretations (Danas)

The prime ministers of Serbia and Kosovo, Aleksandar Vucic and Isa Mustafa, under pressure by the EU and the United States, after nine hours of “difficult” negotiations signed four new agreements – on telecommunications, energy, Community of Serbian Municipalities and “Peace Park” in northern Kosovska Mitrovica. Vucic says that “the Serbian delegation has done a great job.” Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci said yesterday in Brussels that “all agreements are in accordance with the Kosovo Constitution.”  The mediator in the negotiations the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini assessed that the “package” of four new agreements is “a significant achievement in the process of normalization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, which will continue in the coming months.” “These are good agreements that guarantee the security and survival of Serbs in Kosovo. The most important is the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) which will have broad powers.” According to Vucic, the ZSO will have “its president, vice-president, assembly, council, coat-of-arms and flag.”… They will be able to be financed from Serbia, “Vucic told RTS. He announced that “all agreements are to be made public”, which so far, was not the case with the Brussels documents in Belgrade. Vucic did not specify which executive authority ZSO got, while Thaci and Mustafa claim that there are no executive authorities. From the Cabinet of Federica Mogherini it was announced that “they agreed on the general principles and the main elements of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities “without specifying details.  During the yesterday’s talks in Brussels, the sources of Belgrade based daily papers Danas unofficially claimed that the imprecise solutions and “pseudo” authorities that would serve to calm the domestic public down, is all that the Belgrade can hope for, because the SZO will be made in frames of the first Brussels agreement and Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, which is incorporated in Kosovo’s legislation.

Drecun: Solid framework for relations normalization created (TV Pink)

Milovan Drecun, president of the Committee on Kosovo-Metohija, said on Wednesday that the agreement signed in Brussels is finally closing the problem of implementation of the first Brussels agreement as the principles for the establishment of the Community of Serb municipalities have been agreed. Drecun said that Tuesday’s agreement provides a solid institutional framework for normalization of relations not only between Belgrade and Pristina, but also between Serbs and Albanians, adding that it should be beneficial for everyone who lives in Kosovo-Metohija, all citizens of Serbia and the region. This institutional framework will ensure survival and economic perspective of Serbs and conditions for better life, as well as be recognized both by Pristina and the international community and directly connected with Belgrade through financing, Drecun said for TV Pink. He underlined that one of the key issues that are to be solved is property, stressing that the bill that would be an attempt at confiscating the property of expelled Serbs is tabled in the parliament in Pristina, while a law according to which the private property of the Serbian Orthodox Church would be treated as Kosovo’s state property is in the draft phase.

Mustafa: Great success in establishing Kosovo’s sovereignty (Tanjug)

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa stated that important agreements have been reached in Brussels, adding they are in keeping with Kosovo’s constitution and laws. Mustafa told journalists on Tuesday that the association of Serb municipalities will provide assistance to municipalities where Serbs are the majority, but added it will not have any executive powers. The Serb-majority municipalities will benefit from this association in terms of development and prosperity, he said.

Kosovo’s delegation sees the signing of these four agreements as a great success, pertaining to the establishment of Kosovo’s sovereignty. We have reached very important agreements. They are about the basic principles for the establishment of the association of municipalities with Serb majority, energy, call number and the bridge on Ibar, the Kosovo prime minister said.

Kurz: Agreements eliminate all obstacles (Tanjug)

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz says Belgrade-Pristina dialogue agreements reached on Tuesday “eliminate all obstacles.” There is nothing left in the way of opening of the first chapters in the EU accession talks for Serbia, he explained. In an interview for Tanjug, Kurz said that the agreements bear key importance.  These were necessary for EU accession and they bring stability to the entire region of the Western Balkans, Kurz said. He especially congratulated to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and noted that he has once more demonstrated that he is a great statesman with a strategic vision of the future. I believe that citizens of Serbia and entire region have a reason to be happy with the Brussels agreement because it brings stability which is we all want to see in the region, Kurz said. He reiterated that the agreement eliminated the final obstacle for opening of the negotiating chapters in the accession talks with Serbia. In keeping with this, Kurz said that he would exert influence aimed at achievement of chapter opening, Kurz said.

Gorani people want their own municipality and to join ZSO (Tanjug)

The interim authority of the Gora municipality, Kosovo-Metohija (KiM), welcomed Wednesday the agreement on the community of Serb municipalities (ZSO) reached in Brussels, adding that the Gorani people want to become part of the future ZSO. “The agreement on the ZSO is important, and Gorani from KiM want to be a part of it,” the interim body said in a statement delivered to Tanjug. Most of Gorani children get their education under the curriculum of the Serbian Ministry of Education, a great number of socially disadvantaged are registered by the Serbian Center for Social Work and the National Employment Service, and many Gorani use the services of Serbia’s health system, reads the statement. Around 10,000 Gorani people live in the 19 villages of the Gora municipality, while before clashes in Kosovo there were twice as many of them in the area.

Nikolic: We will never recognize Kosovo’s independence (Tanjug)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said during a meeting he had with Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy rapporteur Agustin Conde on Tuesday that Serbia would never, under any pressure, recognize the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo-Metohija (KiM). President Nikolic met with Conde as part of the PACE rapporteur’s preparation of a report on the situation in Kosovo that will be followed by a relevant Council of Europe (CoE) resolution. After bidding his guest welcome, President Nikolic stressed that the CoE was a very important organization to Serbia.

“The principles, on which the Council of Europe is based, particularly in the field of human rights, are also the principles underpinning the efforts made by Serbia. We fight to see every citizen of Kosovo-Metohija able to exercise all their rights and that is why we entered negotiations with Pristina in the first place. But if it means Kosovo becoming a member-state of the EU, then these principles would be something we cannot accept,” stressed President Nikolic.

Asked by Conde what he expected from the continuation of negotiations with Pristina, Nikolic said it was setting up of a community of Serb municipalities as soon as possible. “It is provided for by the Brussels agreement and we will not give up on it,” the Serbian president said. Conde thanked Nikolic for giving him a detailed and honest account of the situation in Serbia and the region and stressed that he would remain consistent when it comes to application of the same standards and principles for all countries.

Vucic: One spark could ignite whole region (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has told the Vienna daily Presse that “a single spark can ignite the whole region of the Western Balkans.” “As the Serbian prime minister I don’t fear serious economic reforms, but I have a great fear of regional instability. A spark can ignite the whole region,” warned Vucic, adding that his greatest concern is the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). As for the summit on the Western Balkans that will be held Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday, Vucic said political support of Germany, Austria and the EU was necessary to ensure regional stability. Stability can be stimulated by infrastructure projects which will be discussed in Vienna, Vucic is convinced. “When we build a highway between Nis and Pristina, or railway between Sarajevo and Belgrade, Serbs and Bosnians must work together, and later sit together on the train. It brings people together, it is politically and psychologically important. Investors are welcome, but we do not need your money. If you help us with feasibility studies – thanks. We have enough money to finance projects. We have reduced our budget deficit below the Maastricht criteria and thus created more room,” said Vucic.  With regard to his initiative for reconciliation in the region by establishing a joint day of remembrance of the victims, Vucic said he was not disappointed that the proposal was rejected in Croatia and B&H and by Kosovo, adding he was “not expecting too much,” and that he “spoke about the victims, not the guilty ones, because there were innocent victims on all sides.” “We can talk about everything, therefore also about aggressors. But that will not make agreement easier to reach. Who was the aggressor in Operation Storm in Croatia? Who expelled 300,000 Serbs from Croatia?” asked Vucic, adding that “Serbia is the only country that is willing to talk about the role of the criminals” – which is why he was at the commemoration in Srebrenica.  The prime minister then “underlined it is not a justification of political maneuvering” while “whoever is not brave enough for economic reforms would rather point out to the events from two decades ago.”  When the interviewer noted that he “at one point in his career changed his course,” Vucic “stressed this was “not a moment, but it a process.” “It is normal to change as one gets older. If people notice that someone is honest then they recognize it,” said Vucic, noting his “alleged call to protect General Ratko Mladic was taken out of context.”  He also “expressed readiness to talk with Germany and Austria about the accommodation of refugees” but was also “demanding EU’s support to overcome the refugee crisis in the Western Balkans.”  He stressed that the country needs greater support from the EU regarding asylum seekers.

“I’m not the type who whines and cries. If we get the support that’s good, and if not we will continue our work. The situation is not easy for us, but we treat refugees well. We have established a reception center in Presevo, we will build one near Belgrade and one in Subotica,” Vucic said. He pointed out that Serbia was “very disappointed that Hungary established a wall on our border,” saying it was reminiscent of “the past dark times.”  According to Vucic, the wall has led to refugees – on their way to Western Europe – to now “remain two to three days longer in Serbia.”

“But they still find enough holes in the Hungarian border. They will find other routes through the Croatian or Romania. Refugees are firmly resolved to go to Austria, Germany, or Scandinavia. They do not want to stay with us. Only ten to 20 of 80,000 refugees have sought asylum in Serbia,” said Vucic. According to him, a small number of refugees decide to remain in Serbia “because it is still a poor country, and asylum seekers cannot earn as much and receive social benefits as in Germany or Austria.” These, he said, are the main reasons – “although refugees are very satisfied with the treatment in Serbia.”  Commenting on a Human Rights Watch report that claimed refugees were mistreated by police officers and blackmailed, he said there was “one such case” and that two police officers had been arrested, something that is, according to him, “unique in Europe.” When it comes to Macedonia, he said that he “could not recognize any logic” behind the recent decision of Skopje to close its border with Greece for two days.  Asked “what he expected from Macedonia,” Vucic said he did not expect much, and that “we need better mutual coordination.”  Macedonia, the prime minister indicated, “lets refugees through to Serbia and does not care for them.”  At the same time he said that Skopje was “rightly complaining about being left in the lurch.”  Vucic said he supports the five-point plan to solve the migrant crisis presented by Austrian FM Sebastian Kurz.

“We must approach the causes of the refugee crisis in and around Syria and Iraq. To just wait for something to happen is not enough. We must act, a comprehensive solution of the EU and all European countries is needed,” Vucic said.  Asked if he could “imagine Serbia accommodating asylum seekers – while their request is being considered in Austria or Germany” – Vucic said this has been “discussed with refugees, but they do not want it.” “We are not an EU member, but we are willing to take a part of the burden with Austria, Germany and others. However, it must be determined what are our responsibilities are. You will not hear this from many prime ministers in Europe, not even in the EU,” said he, while expressing his willingness to, with the German chancellor and the Austrian foreign minister, “talk about everything that can help, including also that Serbia accepts the European key of distribution refugees.” Vucic lastly pointed out that his party, the SNS, was today “the only major supporter of the EU in Serbia.”

Commissioner: Migrants should be offered to settle in Serbia (B92)

Although refugees arriving here from the Middle East “above all” want to go to Western Europe – “in the next phase, they should be offered to stay in Serbia.” This is what Serbia’s Equality Commissioner Brankica Jankovic suggested during an interview with B92 TV on Tuesday afternoon. Jankovic was earlier this week in Presevo, that has a reception center for migrants arriving to Serbia via Greece and Macedonia. “The stance of citizens is unchanged, it is tolerant and they understand the suffering of those people. They are trying to help as much as they can. The position of the state is considerably better, everyone is very well organized, from the Commissariat for Refugees, via the Red Cross, to the army and the police. Everyone is doing their job and each link is working well,” said she.  Refugees, on the other hand, “have no objections, but are scared for their future and in general about everything that is happening to them.” According to Jankovic, “that causes certain problems, misunderstandings and ambiguity” when it comes to the procedure of issuing of documents, while there is also “the language barrier – despite the stories that most refugees are highly educated, a majority does not speak English.” According to her the number of interpreters is “not sufficient.” “The health care system is organized pretty well, but the state must be ready for the coming days. The most urgent thing is to build the reception center in Belgrade, and although European officials are saying a unique EU system is needed we should not wait for the EU. Better quality migrations management is needed in Serbia,” Jankovic stressed.  She then pointed out that there was “another possibility” to solve the refugee problem, and explained: “It should be considered, an option should be offered that these people stay in the parts of Serbia that are empty. A selection should he done there, detailed security assessments, although nobody wants to stay in Serbia in this phase – perhaps this will change in some new phase.”

Jankovic also “stressed the role” of media and civil servants:  “After the appeals we made some ten days ago, media reacted and has been reporting in line with the code of journalism. Officials in particular should not cause upset with their statements, they should know how significant their words are.” Commenting on announcements that right-wing organizations plan to hold protest gatherings against refugees, Jankovic said that “authorities should react in line with the law” and “assess if values that would be promoted” are in line with the law and the Constitution.

REGIONAL PRESS

Radoncic: SBB in not entering the government (Nezavisne)

I have accepted the invitation of Mr. Dragan Covic to familiarize me with positions of the ruling coalition, but I didn’t promise him the entry of SBB in to power with HDZ and SDA, that is not a realistic option! This was stated yesterday by Fahrudin Radoncic for Nezavisne daily papers. Radoncic reminds that the SDA didn’t succeed to form a vertical ruling coalition in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) although one year has passed since the elections. “That is pitiful. If the SDA can achieve that with other political projects – we congratulate them, but in this moment we are not ready to talk about SBB’s entry in to power at any level. We didn’t understand the message of Mr. Izetbegovic as a direct call in to power, but more as an offer where we would apply for that option”, said Radoncic and pointed out that he stands by his statement that with Izetbegovic he can talk about many things that are important for B&H, but not on a topic of entering the government. He points out, that at this moment SBB is the only opposition party in Federation, “because the SDA is in the power, and SDP has its own directors in public companies”. “The DF, although it represents itself as the opposition, is deeply in the power, because it has the state minister, vice minister and the vice president of Federation of B&H, and it participates in many cantonal governments and ministries. It is the same with A-SDA and with other smaller political parties. Having that on mind, the SBB as a real and powerful oppositional party is not going to push itself in to that mud of power, where everyone is participating, without any results and success, economic prosperity and a fight against the radicalism” concluded Radoncic. This attitude shines the new light on the process and the attempt of recomposition of power at the federation and the state level and ultimately on the attempt to form the new majority in the Federation of B&H. Namely, the SDA and HDZ now remain again with a strained majority in the Federation (if at all), while, on the other hand, things at the state level, where the SDA, HDZ, DF and the Alliance for Change participate, are now completely clear and certain. However, the SDA yesterday reiterated that they are open to join the coalition with the SBB and the HDZ 1990.

“Minimum majority exists, but it is not enough, and that’s why we are open to enter the coalition with the SBB and HDZ 1990. We have nothing against the cooperation with the SNSD when it comes to the reform agenda,” says Edin Ramic, SDA vice-president, referring to the cooperation at the Federation level. When it comes to the Council of Ministers, he recalls, that at this level, there is an agreement between the SDA, HDZ, DF and the Alliance for Change.

“SDA has no intention to form a coalition with the SNSD or change the Alliance for Change, stated Ramic. Judging by the attitude of the DF, especially after Radoncic’s “no”, the Federation continues to be in a “status quo”, threatened by a long-term instability if the SDA fails to secure the majority. Reuf Bajrovic, a senior official from the DF and a former energy minister, reiterated yesterday that Milan Dunovic, the vice president of the FB&H and the DF member is not going to support the SNSD’s entry in to the FB&H government under any circumstances.

B&H and Montenegro sing border agreement (Bosna danas)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak and Montenegrin Minister of Internal Affairs Rasko Konjevic have signed border agreement. The agreement was signed today in Vienna. B&H Foreign Ministry stated that this is the first border agreement signed by two countries of the ex-Yugoslavia. The ceremony at the Austrian Presidency building was attended by Chairman of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic, Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, Austrian President Heinz Fischer, and ministers of foreign affairs of Austria and Montenegro Sebastian Kurz and Igor Luksic.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Serbia, Kosovo Overcome Past Disputes In ‘Landmark’ Accord (RFE/RL)

Serbia and Kosovo have taken steps toward overcoming decades of animosity, signing an agreement that moves toward normalizing relations and joining the European Union. After EU-mediated talks in Brussels, prime ministers Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia and Isa Mustafa of Kosovo reached a deal in four critical areas, including energy, telecommunications, and the judiciary. “Today’s outcome represents landmark achievements in the normalization process,” EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini said. “Solutions such as those found today bring concrete benefits to the people and at the same time enable the two sides to advance on their European path.” The agreement comes two days before a summit in Vienna between EU leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Balkan heads of state. The summit is expected to focus on the migrant crisis, as well as prospects for joining the EU. Under the agreement, Serbs in northern Kosovo will enjoy greater rights and be able to manage some issues such as the local economy and education, as well as having access to funding from Belgrade. Kosovo will have its own telephone country code, in a move seen as a major concession by Serbia on the sovereignty of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008. Belgrade had previously refused to join the United States and most of the EU in recognizing Kosovo as an independent state. The agreement also sets up a judicial structure in northern Kosovo acceptable to both the minority ethnic Serbs and majority Kosovars, who are ethnic Albanians, the EU said. It also covers use of the disputed Mitrovica Bridge. The accord carries out a 2013 agreement brokered by the EU, which was aimed at regulating and normalizing relations between Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia’s hopes of opening its first chapter in EU accession talks hinge on complying with the 2013 accord. The two neighbors have come a long way since fighting a war in 1998-99. The war ended after Serbian armed forces withdrew from Kosovo following an 11-week NATO bombing campaign. The U.S. State Department praised both governments for their progress “moving their countries closer to normalization of relations, and along their respective EU paths.”

Serbia Sees Its Path to EU Open After Pact With Kosovo (Bloomberg)

Serbia resolved most of its disputes with Kosovo in European Union-mediated talks and signed four agreements with the breakaway province that the EU bloc’s Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini described as “landmark.” The documents allow Serb-populated municipalities in Kosovo to run some of their affairs, such as education, health care and economic development, with Serbia’s financial backing, Premier Aleksandar Vucic told state broadcaster RTS in Brussels after the talks. A Serb telecommunication provider and state-run power company Elektroprivreda Srbije may form units to operate in Kosovo, which will get an international country code as Europe’s newest nation. “There are no more obstacles for starting accession talks” with the EU, Vucic said. “Our European path is open.” Serbia seeks to follow fellow former Yugoslav republics Slovenia and Croatia into the world’s biggest trading bloc and hopes to gain entry by the end of the decade. Improving ties with the former province is an EU condition for Serbia, which refuses to recognize Kosovo’s 2008 secession. “In a way, this is recognition of Kosovo independence” by Serbia, broadcaster B92 reported, citing Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci. “Serbia signed the documents under pressure from the international community.” “Today’s outcome represents landmark achievements in the normalization process” between former foes “and at the same time enable the two sides to advance on their European path,” Mogherini said in a statement on EU’s website. “The EU will actively support the full implementation of this outcome.” Negotiators failed to agree on power distribution in Kosovo, amid conflicting claims about grid ownership, Vucic said. The document on energy was signed with “disclaimers” by both sides, leaving the issue yet to be resolved, he said.

After 7 years of independence, Kosovo will get telephone code (EurActiv.com/Reuters)

Serbia and its former province of Kosovo took steps toward overcoming decades of enmity on Tuesday (25 August), signing energy and telecoms agreements, bringing Belgrade closer to joining the European Union. After European Union-mediated talks in Brussels, Serbs in northern Kosovo will enjoy greater rights and be able to manage some issues such as the local economy and education, as well as having access to funding from Belgrade. “Today’s outcome represents landmark achievements in the normalisation process,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement, referring to the two sides that fought a war in the 1990s and which both aspire to EU membership. Kosovo will, for example, have its own telephone country code, essentially a recognition by Serbia of the sovereignty of majority-Albanian Kosovo, which has declared independence. Until now, due to Serbia’s obstructions, Kosovo was using the telephone codes of Monaco and Slovenia for mobile phones. Serbia’s hopes of opening the first chapter in EU accession talks hinge on implementation of an EU-brokered deal in 2013 to regulate relations with Kosovo. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after NATO intervened with air strikes to drive out Serbian forces from Kosovo and halt the killing and expulsion of ethnic Albanian civilians during a two-year counter-insurgency war. The US State Department praised both governments for their progress and “moving their countries closer to normalization of relations and along their respective EU paths”.

Refugee Crisis to Overshadow Balkan Summit (BIRN)

The refugee crisis is expected to dominate the Vienna summit of Western Balkan leaders on Thursday that will be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose country expects to take in a record 800,000 migrants this year

The refugee crisis threatens to effectively hijack a high-level conference on the economic prospects and European perspectives of the Western Balkan states that opens in Vienna on Thursday.

The summit includes senior politicians from the EU and the Balkans under the patronage of the German and Austrian chancellors, Angela Merkel and Werner Faymann. Regional leaders, including prime ministers, foreign ministers and economy ministers, hope the EU help fund a number of major infrastructure projects. They also seek Brussels’ approval that they are on the right path in terms of the EU integration process. This year’s summit is part of the Berlin Process, a five-year process started last August and marked by yearly summits in order to underline the commitment to EU-enlargement towards the Western Balkans region.  The focus of the initiative is on Balkans countries that are not yet EU members: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. It was announced that the main topics of the summit in Vienna will be “infrastructure and connectivity”, regional cooperation and youth. But the refugee crisis now threatens to dominate summit in Vienna as the “Western Balkan route” has become one of the main ways into the European Union for hundreds of thousands of migrants entering the bloc in Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II.

Some 102,000 migrants entered the EU via Macedonia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro or Kosovo between January and July this year, versus just 8,000 for the same period in 2014, according to EU border agency, Frontex. Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz on Monday said during a visit to Macedonia that the Western Balkans needs urgent help in coping with the crisis caused by the swelling number of refugees entering Macedonia and Serbia.

“The countries in the Western Balkans have been left alone. They need our help,” Kutz said after visiting a refugee camp near Gevgelija, a major entry point for refugees and migrants near Macedonia’s southern border with Greece. Ahead of the summit, meanwhile, Bosnian Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak and the Montenegrin Interior Minister Rasko Konjevic on Wednesday will sign the border agreement between the two countries – the first border deal between the ex-Yugoslav republics. Montenegro will also sign a border agreement with Kosovo on Wednesday.

The Vienna meeting will be an opportunity for the presentation of infrastructure projects in the region for which the EU has already pledged nearly one billion euros. In a side-meeting, the Serbian, Kosovo and Albanian PMs, Aleksandar Vucic, Isa Mustafa and Edi Rama, will talk to the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development about the construction of a highway from Nis in southern Serbia to the Kosovo capital Pristina down to the Albanian coastal town of Durres. For Serbian Prime Minister Vucic, the most important goal for all participants of the conference is the wider political and economic stability of the region.

“We want to record growth again. This is what matters for us, rather than some nationalist games that some would like to play,” Vucic told the German daily Handelsblatt. Likewise, Bosnia is looking to the summit in Vienna to improve its infrastructure and road network. The President of Bosnia’s Council of Ministers, Denis Zvizdic, seeks support for the construction of cross-border bridges in Gradiska and Svilaj, the Adriatic-Ionian highway and gas pipelines through Bosnia. The Bosnian government on Tuesday said that it expects the conference to support the construction of 400 KV of electricity transmission lines between Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro. The day before the Western Balkans Summit, the Civil Society Forum will stage a debate including politicians and 200 civil society representatives on the socio-economic and political challenges facing the region.

On Wednesday evening, top politicians from the Balkans will also play a football match against their Austrian and German counterparts and the EU officials. They will be divided into two teams: “EU” and “Future-EU”. Albania’s Prime Minister Rama will team up with Kosovo’s Hashim Thaci, Serbia’s Vucic, Macedonia’s Nikola Gruevski and Bosnian and Montenegrin ministers, Igor Crnadak and Igor Luksic. The match will be judged by EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, while the EU team will, among others, be comprised of Slovenian Premier Miro Cerar, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz, Secretary General of the Austrian Ministry of European and International Affairs Michael Linhart and other officials.