LOCAL PRESS
Nikolic supports Brussels agreements (Danas)
The Serbian government is conducting the state foreign and internal policy, which Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic supports, it is stated in the short reply to Danas by Vuk Fatic, the coordinator for media cooperation in the President’s cabinet, to the question what is Nikolic’s stand on the agreements with Pristina, reached in Brussels at the end of August. Commenting the fact that the President voiced his stand on the footage showing Ivica Dacic meeting with Rodoljub Radulovic, yet the public has been waiting for two weeks to hear his stand on the Brussels agreements, Fatic notes that “the President always replies to all questions when they are posed” and if somebody had posed the one concerning the Brussels agreement, he/she would have received a reply. Serbia expects the international community to appreciate its sincere determination for EU integration and just solution of the Kosovo issue, because they undoubtedly give a positive impetus to the region’s EU perspective, ensuring lasting peace, stability and prosperity, said President Nikolic. Let us recall that Danas’ journalists had written to Nikolic’s cabinet several times over the past two weeks, trying to receive Nikolic’s opinion on the agreements signed by Aleksandar Vucic and Isa Mustafa in Brussels. The cabinet once replied that “silence is also a stand and “when the President thinks it is time for an opinion he will present it”. The Serbian side presented the reached agreements to the domestic public as great success since the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) will have executive jurisdictions, the Serbian Electric Power Company (EPS) will form its companies in Kosovo and Telekom will be able to operate smoothly. On the other side, official Pristina pointed to the Kosovo public that the ZSO will not have any jurisdictions, while EPS and Telekom companies are not mentioned in their short reports on what was agreed. President Nikolic announced at the beginning of the year a new Kosovo platform, which was officially submitted to Prime Minister Vucic several months ago. The public was never officially acquainted with the content of this document nor are any of the state officials mentioning this platform. There had been stories that the document must be harmonized with the Prime Minister and that it will be discussed at Serbian government sessions, but nothing concrete has occurred in this regard to this day. Vucic once said that he had read the platform, that he had talked with the President and that these talks would continue.
Albanians making their community of municipalities (Novosti)
The Albanian deputies in Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja, southern Serbia, are preparing to declare their community of municipalities as a response to the formation of the ZSO in Kosovo and Metohija. The President of the Presevo municipality Ragmi Mustafa didn’t wish to present details of the initiative, but briefly confirmed: “It is correct that we scheduled for Saturday a session of Albanian deputies from three municipalities and we will give you more information after the meeting.” The Albanian leaders are not satisfied with the effect of the state in regard to their requests formulated in seven points of the agreement reached two years ago, claiming they have the support of Pristina and the international circles for establishing the community. However, there is no full agreement among the Albanian parties. Official of the Party for Democratic Action (PDD) and MP Saip Kamberi tells Novosti that his party’s representatives will not attend the meeting on Saturday. “The PDD wants this issue to be discussed in local assemblies, but the ruling parties are aware that they would not have a majority there since they are in coalitions with Serbian parties. A community established at a meeting of Albanian deputies would be an imaginary body.” He claims that laws provide the possibility for the community to be established in local assemblies and that it would not have a separatist sign, but that its goal would be more efficient resolution of problems of citizens. The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun has a quite opposite opinion, according to whom the community would not resolve the problems of the Albanians but would introduce instability in the south. “Such a community is unnecessary; their rights are defined by the Constitution. It is also unacceptable to compare the ZSO with the position of the Albanians in the south. I don’t know why are they hostages of Pristina and Thaqi, because this is not the path for improving their lives.”
Ivanovic back in court straight from hospital (RTS)
After a break that lasted over a month, the trial of Ivanovic and four other Serbs resumed in a Kosovska Mitrovica court on Thursday. The SDP leader Oliver Ivanovic is in very poor condition following a hunger strike, but will attend his continuing trial, lawyer Ljubomir Petrovic told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS). He said that he visited Ivanovic in hospital on Wednesday. “He is very weak, but he expressed the wish to attend the trial. The doctors said that he can attend the trial, but that he must stay in hospital,” he said. The final witness on the list of the prosecution office will be heard on 21 September, when the alleged danger of witness tampering, which was one of the reasons for extending Ivanovic’s detention, will formally cease to exist, Petrovic said. Demanding to be released pending a verdict, Ivanovic began a prison hunger strike on 7 August, ending it 15 days later.
REGIONAL PRESS
SDA: We are inviting OHR to repeal the decision on referendum in RS (klix.ba)
The SDA strongly condemns yesterday’s Decision of the Constitutional court of Republika Srpska (RS), which practically confirms the decision on the referendum on the B&H Court and the Prosecutor’s Office, as said in the statement of this party. “We couldn’t expect anything else from the court acting under the unconstitutional rules of procedure, and the international community silently observes it for many years, the SDA invites the international community, the OHR especially, to finally react and stop the process of a major violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement that leads B&H and the entire region into the destabilization,” as said in the statement. The SDA requests the OHR to immediately use its mandate and without delay repeal the decision on the referendum. “It is not enough to, s it was done three days ago in terms of language, conclude the violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, and do not take any measures. Milorad Dodik and his clique must be stopped immediately. Any further delays will represent the encouragement for the destructive forces led by Dodik. Because of that, this decision must be repealed immediately, and its actors must be punished“, as said in the statement.
Prime Ministers Novalic and Cvijanovic agreed Action Plan of reform agenda (Novo Vrijeme)
Prime Minister of the Federation of B&H (FB&H) Fadil Novalic and the RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic agreed yesterday at the meeting in the headquarters of the FB&H government the Action Plan of the reform agenda for 2015/2016. Such progress in the implementation of the reform agenda was greeted by the Head of the Delegation of the EU and the Special Representative of the EU in B&H, Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark saying that it is impressive to see the determination in this regard which is very important for the European integration. “The emphasis is on the harmonization of the law, actions and measures in order to, as much as possible, come to the same market which we are“, said Novalic. Cvijanovic emphasized that the mutual initiative for the amendment of the Law on taxes of B&H was defined at the meeting, to take it back from 40 to 10 BAM. “Also, we agreed amendments of the Law on excise duties related to the excise on the petroleum products which will be used for the roads construction“, said Cvijanovic adding that it should be done for excise on beer and cigarettes, which will be uses for health care. She emphasized that she expects the Law on deadlines for the fulfillment of financial obligations to be agreed until the end of the year. The meeting was attended by the FB&H Deputy Prime Minister and the FB&H Finance Ministry Jelka Milicevic, the RS Finance Minister Zoran Tegeltija and Wigemark.
Dodik: Bosniak veto was unnecessary (Srna)
The RS President Milorad Dodik said that the Bosniak veto to the decision on a referendum was unnecessary since it does not jeopardize the national interest of any of the peoples, but to the contrary, enables the expression of people’s will on some issues. “We are seeking quick solutions. We did not say that we would not hold a referendum, but did confirm that we were ready to try to find a solution in the structured dialogue to issues to which answers should have been given in a referendum,” Dodik said. He said that the problems evident in the judiciary have been discussed four years ago with the former EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. Dodik said that an attempt to impose any strengthening of the B&H institutions through the structured dialogue represents a violation of the B&H Constitution and will not succeed. He says that a chance should be given to the structured dialogue in the next two to three days and that it should give clear elements of an agreement on what should be done. The structured dialogue on judicial reform in B&H should resume in Brussels today.
President Grabar-Kitarovic in B&H from September 10th to 12th (Hina/klix.ba)
The President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic will be staying in B&H from today until Saturday. The Croatian President is the winner of the award of Isa-Bey Ishakovic for 2015, which will be presented to her today in Sarajevo. The award is being presented by the non-governmental organization “Klepsidra”, with the headquarters in the BH capital. The association which was founded in 2005 with the aim of promoting multicultural and multiethnic heritage of B&H last year presented this award to the Slovenian President Borut Pahor, and in 2008 the winner was Stipe Mesic, the President of Croatia at that time. Among the former winners are also the President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the President of Austria Heinz Fischer. The award “Isa-Bey Ishakovic” was named after the Ottoman governor of Bosnia from the 15th century, who is considered one of the founders of Sarajevo as an urban center in that period. The same day, Grabar-Kitarovic will meet with the Chairman and the members of the Presidency of B&H and with the Archbishop of Vrhbosna Cardinal Vinko Puljic in Sarajevo.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Hungary Ready to Deploy Up to 4,000 Soldiers on Serbian Border (Sputnik, 9 September 2015)
Hungary is ready to send up to 4,000 of soldiers to protect its border with Serbia, through which most of the refugees are arriving in the country, Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko said Wednesday.
BUDAPEST — The Hungarian border, which serves as an external border for the European Union, is currently only protected by the police. “We will send 3,000-4,000 soldiers to the border, including reservists,” recently-appointed Simicsko said in a parliamentary address.
The statement comes in the light of a new Hungarian law on border protection, which comes into force on September 15. The law imposes prison terms for illegally crossing the country’s borders.
Currently, refugees are allowed to freely cross Hungary’s border with Serbia near the Hungarian village of Roszke. Hungary is used as a gateway to wealthier EU countries by thousands of migrants. As a result, the country is experiencing an unprecedented influx of undocumented immigrants. Budapest estimates that over 156,000 migrants have illegally entered the country since the beginning of 2015.
Serbia’s Central Bank Cuts Rates to Spur Inflation, Economy (Bloomberg, by Gordana Filipovic, 10 September 2015)
Serbia cut borrowing costs for a second month, taking advantage of a stable currency as it seeks to rev up inflation and boost economic growth. The National Bank of Serbia lowered its one-week repurchase rate to 5 percent from 5.5 percent after an unexpected half-point reduction in August, according to a statement Thursday on its website. That was in line with the predictions of four of 23 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Five analysts predicted a decrease to 5.25 percent and fourteen forecast no change. Policy makers said they also cut mandatory reserve ratios, without providing more details. The biggest former Yugoslav republic, which relies on the neighboring European Union for trade and investment and the U.S. for debt financing, is forging ahead with monetary easing after the European Central Bank presented a revamped quantitative easing plan and a week before the Federal Reserve considers raising rates for the first time in almost a decade. Serbia’s sixth reduction this year is seeking to aid the economy exiting its third recession since 2009. Consumer-price growth has stayed below the central bank’s target range of 2.5 percent to 5.5 percent for 17 months. “With the decision to lower not only the benchmark interest rate but also the reserve requirement rate, and considering weak inflationary pressures, monetary policy is contributing to further economic recovery,” the bank said in the statement. Inflation may reach the target band toward the end of 2015 or the start of next year and will hover near the lower end of the range before then, it said. The dinar traded little changed at 120.3101 against the euro as of 12:24 p.m. in Belgrade, data compiled by Bloomberg showed. “Inflation has been low, the dinar stable, growth is accelerating and after the ECB’s decision last week it would be difficult to justify a decision to hold the rate,” Branko Srdanovic, a partner at Belgrade-based Associates Treasury Solutions, said before the announcement. “A revised GDP growth forecast to 0.5 percent certainly leaves room for cuts.”
