LOCAL PRESS

Kerry: Vucic knows there is more work in transition between Serbia and Kosovo (Tanjug/Politika)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has talked in Washington DC with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry especially emphasized the exceptional efforts invested by the Prime Minister and others in resolving the migrant crisis. Kerry said before the meeting that the US welcomes the “transition that is underway within the 2013 agreement between Serbia and Kosovo”. “There is more work, as the Prime Minister knows, but I think that he and others are directly faced with this challenge and this is very important,” said Kerry, the State Department announced. “We plan to discuss also the development of economic and energy relations. These are the key components of all independent states in the region and we admit there is always pressure of different neighbors. Despite that, we welcome the strong wish of the Prime Minister and his country to strengthen relations with Europe, the US in a balanced and thoughtful manner,” said Kerry. Vucic said that he expected the US support on Serbia’s future path. “We wish once again to thank you for your compliments for our hard work in resolving the migrant crisis, I think we have done a lot in accordance with European values and not only European rules. We would like to see Serbia as a small but reliable US partner in the future,” concluded Vucic.

Stefanovic: EU has to say whether it will admit refugees (Tanjug)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic stated on Thursday that Serbia wants to be a part of the solution in the relations between Europe and the refugees, not collateral damage, which is why Europe has to say whether it will admit refugees or not. The more efficiently Europe adopts a comprehensive solution, the sooner the refugee crisis will be solved, Stefanovic told reporters in Nis. We want to know what Serbia is expected to do because this is not an issue that our country is supposed to solve on its own, the Minister said. Stefanovic noted that the rules that apply to Serbia should not differ from those that are valid for other countries. Serbia delivered a protest note to Hungary over the use of tear gas at the border crossing over the attempt of refugees to break through the block set up on the Hungarian side of the border, but Serbia wishes to maintain best possible relations with Hungary, Stefanovic said. He underscored that the Serbian police were deployed at the border crossing on the border with Hungary late on Wednesday in order to explain to the refugees that the manner in which they attempted to realize their rights is not positive, that they are jeopardizing both themselves and other people in that way and that Serbia will not allow this. This step produced results and the people withdrew, the Minister said.

Albanians smuggling as Syrians (Blic)

Using the present chaos at the border with Hungary, Kosovo Albanians are smuggling as refugees from the Near East. It is unknown how many of them have reached the EU countries this way. Blic managed to take pictures of Kosovo passports that the alleged refugees threw before the Hungarian-Serbian border at the Horgos border crossing. “They probably used the situation by entering Serbia proper with Kosovo passports they would get rid of before the border, and if they manage to enter the country, they simply cannot be identified. They don’t have documents, but since Kosovo is not part of the free-visa regime, they cannot be identified based on fingerprints. However, we assume that now fewer decide to do this after 15 September and the strict Hungarian measures,” Blic’s source says. Serbian Minister for Labor Aleksandar Vulin also confirmed this information for Blic. “We had in practice such examples, though not often, but there had been cases. Just as there had been examples for Pakistanis and Indians to present themselves as Syrians in order to receive refugee status. Kosovo Albanians do not have a chance for receiving asylum in the EU, so they are trying to reach Germany this way,” said Vulin.

Bujanovac municipality session blocked (Novosti)

All deputies of the Party of Democratic Action (PDD) in the Bujanovac municipal assembly went out to the podium and blocked the resumption of the session because the President of the Bujanovac municipality Jonuz Musliu didn’t put on vote this party’s proposal to include on the agenda the vote of deputies on participation of the Bujanovac municipality in the “community of Albanian municipalities”. We submitted this in line with the law, but Musliu did not put this on vote, which is contrary to law,” the PDD Serbian MP Saip Kamberi said. He added that the PDD advocated the resolution of problems of Albanians in the Presveo Valley through institutions, while this party’s deputies didn’t take part at the Saturday session when the decision on forming the community of Albanian municipalities was passed.

Davenport: Albanian initiative for forming community of Albanian municipalities is their right (RTV)

Appearing as a guest on a Radio and Television of Vojvodina (RTV) show, the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport talked about the next report of the European Commission (EC) on Serbia’s progress in the EU integration process. Davenport said that Serbia was heading forward in all areas. “It is clear the Serbian government is devoted to progress. In that sense, the agreement regarding the implementation of the Brussels agreement is a major shift. Serbia can count with the opening of the first chapters in the following months,” he said.

Speaking about the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) and announcement of the formation of the community of Albanian municipalities in southern Serbia, Davenport says this is not the same, because the ZSO is a result of lengthy negotiations within the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, while he sees the initiative for forming the community of municipalities in southern Serbia as their right. However, as he noted, there had been not contacts with EU representatives regarding this initiative. “Such initiatives are their right, but one should say that the parties of Albanian national minorities have the leading role in the Bujanovac and Presevo municipalities so they can exercise their rights this way,” he said.

Davenport says he sees a problem in the fact that Serbia opposes Kosovo’s request for UNESCO membership in regard to the implementation of the Brussels agreement and strengthening of good-neighborly relations, noting that this issue is resolved in UNESCO.

REGIONAL PRESS

B&H will not be threatened by influx of refugees (Fena)

Dragan Mektic, B&H Minister of Security, said that several buses that are transporting Syrian refugees left Serbia for Croatia, and that B&H will not be seriously threatened by a massive influx of refugees. He added that in a few days he will meet with Ranko Ostojic, Minister of Internal Affairs of Croatia, with regard to resolving this problem. “If refugees come to B&H, their desire will be to go to Croatia, and we will need to agree on their welcome,” he stressed, reports Fena. He recalled that the Council of Ministers of the EU, which held a session on 14 September, did not resolve the problem of the influx of refugees, but that they scheduled a new session for 22 September. “The refugee problem must be resolved at the EU level, and B&H is ready to do everything in accordance with its policy,” he explained. If refugees come to B&H, Mektic said that their accommodation depends primarily on the route they would take. “We are preparing and establishing capacities to accommodate refugees, which we will adapt in accordance with the real situation,” concluded Mektic.

Cvijanovic: Everyone in B&H must be included in resolving migrant crisis (Oslobodjenje)

Zeljka Cvijanovic, Republika Srpska (RS) Prime Minister, said that she fears that B&H is not sufficiently prepared for a possible larger influx of refugees from the Middle East, which requires all levels of government and authorities to be included in solving the problem. She added that precise information, such as estimates and whether the country will be affected by the refugee situation, has not been forthcoming from the B&H organs. “We had, unfortunately, certain interpretations in several instances,” she added, recalling various statements on the migrant crisis and its possible impact on B&H. If the problem occurs in B&H, an adequate response must follow from authorities at all levels, from local communities to cantons, entities, and the state, and the RS, if necessary, will secure adequate housing and healthcare. She recalled that the EU has no single answer for the migrant crisis, and countries have differing approaches to refugees.

The Opposition: Dodik will soon withdraw the referendum decision as well (Novo vrijeme)

Delegates of the PDP and NDP in the National Assembly of RS (NARS) stated yesterday that the pressure of the public yielded and that the first fail of the policy of the RS President Milorad Dodik, who withdrew the Law on Compensations for delegates of the first convolution of the Assembly of RS, was recorded. “This is the first win of the parliamentary democracy over the dictatorship of Milorad Dodik“, said the delegate of NDP, Zdravko Krsmanovic. He also stated that “the arrogance of Dodik was visible” when he proposed the law, which as he stated, led to the discrimination and violation of the Constitution in RS. Delegate of PDP, Miroslav Brckalo, claims that this is the first win of people over Dodik and that the pressure of the public yielded.

“We hope that this will not be the last win“, added Brckalo commenting that the fact tha Dodik withdrew the law which caused the opposition of the veterans’ category. He said that “Dodik, who is allegedly fighting for the social justice, is stealing from poor and giving to those who have solid earnings“. Also, members of SPS are convinced that this is “the beginning of the defeat of the policy of Milorad Dodik“. Delegate of this party, Adam Sukalo, is convinced that Dodik will soon withdraw a decision on the referendum in RS, as he withdrew this law. President of RS, Milorad Dodik, withdrew yesterday a Draft law on rights of chosen representatives of RS from 1991 to 1996 from the Assembly procedure, whose proponent he was. “I am withdrawing a Draft law from this session of the Parliament. If there is no consensus through a debate that should be formed later between all relevant factors in RS in terms of the constitution of one commonly accepted law, I will propose this same law again, because I consider that it is necessary to regulate exactly this in this time“, emphasized Dodik. He noted that the political negotiations on this issue are the last thing that RS needs.

Dodik: Referendum will not be abandoned (Srna)

The RS President Milorad Dodik said during the talks with the Serbian Ambassador to B&H Stanimir Vukicevic that the current reality is such that the referendum on the B&H judiciary will not be abandoned. Dodik has stated the reasons the National Assembly was guided by when it voted in favor of the referendum, pointing out that he had been willing to achieve through dialogue the four conditions that RS wants fulfilled. Dodik and Ambassador Vukicevic said the relations between the RS and Serbia in all areas of social life, as well as on the political stage, are on a very high level, the president’s cabinet reported. The RS President expressed contentment with the RS and Serbia’s agreement, among other things, to jointly mark important dates from the history of the Serb people. The meeting, which was also attended by Serbian Consul General in Banja Luka, Vladimir Nikolic, was an opportunity to exchange views on the current political situation in RS and B&H.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Kosovo, Serbia Begin Diplomatic Battle over UNESCO (Balkan Insight, by Gezim Krasniqi, 17 September 2015)

Pristina and Belgrade are set for another diplomatic battle over Kosovo’s bid to join United Nations cultural body UNESCO which could further damage relations between Serbia and its former province.

Even though it is not a United Nations member, Kosovo announced earlier this year that it plans to join the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

As expected, Serbia’s reaction was immediate and fierce. Its leaders vowed to oppose Pristina’s bid, arguing that Kosovo is not a state and has not proved capable of protecting Serbian Orthodox religious monuments and heritage. Kosovo’s initial plan to apply through the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) in July failed due to Serbia’s reaction, when Belgrade sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon saying that Pristina’s request was illegitimate under international law. Although it prevented UNMIK from submitting Kosovo’s application, the UN authorised UNESCO to lead the process independently. This was very significant because it meant that UNESCO’s doors were not completely shut to Kosovo. Therefore, Kosovo decided to apply through a ‘back door’, using Albania (whose ambassador to UNESCO happens to be the deputy head of its Executive Council) to submit its application. The request has been signed by a total of 44 UNESCO members, thus enabling Kosovo to be on the agenda of the Executive Council in October. Although the process is long and unpredictable, being on the agenda of the Council is a major step forward for Kosovo that increases its chances of success. Beyond the short-term battle regarding Kosovo’s membership of UNESCO, this process is important as it represents the latest round in Kosovo’s attempts to gain diplomatic affirmation and Serbia’s efforts to prevent it. This means that the stakes are high for both sides. Kosovo is well placed to get a vote in its favour in October at the Executive Council because the majority of its 58 members have recognised its independence. The real challenge, however, is to get two-thirds of the votes at the UNESCO General Assembly in November. Currently only 111 of 195 UNESCO members recognise Kosovo’s independence. If all the members were to vote – which is highly unlikely – Kosovo would need the votes of an additional 19 non-recognising members. In reality, in the past Kosovo has managed to gain the votes of many non-recognising countries in the case of its successful applications for membership of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Venice Commission, and most recently the International Olympic Committee. Some of the UNESCO members who have not yet recognised Kosovo’s independence, such as Greece and Slovakia, have been consistent in voting in favour of Kosovo in the past. Therefore, Kosovo stands a good chance of getting a two-thirds majority in November.One can expect an intense campaign by Serbia to prevent such an outcome. Indeed, Serbia has made it clear that it will block Kosovo’s membership of international institutions by any means it can. However, in this particular case, Serbia is disadvantaged in two crucial aspects. Firstly, Serbia has so far been successful in blocking Kosovo only in cases in which there is a veto mechanism or in which membership requires a unanimous vote. Therefore, Belgrade’s options at UNESCO are rather limited. Secondly, Kosovo seems to have a slight advantage mainly because it has taken the initiative after a well-thought-out analysis of the current configuration of UNESCO’s decision-making bodies. The process has been led by its young and energetic deputy minister of foreign affairs, Petrit Selimi, who has managed to build a positive media and diplomatic campaign focusing on potential benefits in education, science, culture, information as well as cultural heritage, rather than sensitive political issues. Ultimately, this diplomatic battle is about much more than UNESCO. It is a serious test for Kosovo’s diplomacy in its attempt to gain further legitimacy in international relations through membership of key international organisations. A successful outcome might facilitate membership of other specialist UN agencies in the future. However, the most important aspect regards concrete benefits that stem from Kosovo’s membership of UNESCO. UNESCO was created on the idea that peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity. It aims to build cooperation and networks across nations by mobilising for education, building intercultural understanding through the protection of heritage and support for cultural diversity, pursuing scientific cooperation and protecting freedom of expression. Therefore, the benefits and obligations that stem from a UNESCO membership are numerous and by no means limited to the issue of cultural heritage. Kosovo’s application seems to have been motivated far more by its need to be part of important international networks in education, culture and information than the issue of ownership of cultural and religious heritage in Kosovo. For instance, the UNESCO Institute of Statistics provides one of the largest databases in the world on education, science, culture, information, demographics and so on. The lack of such data for Kosovo (there is no data for Kosovo even in the database for Serbia) has very often prevented Kosovo’s institutions and organisations from applying for grants and funds for education, science, culture and information. Were Kosovo to become a UNESCO member, Albanian, Serb, Turkish, and Roma students, researchers and artists would profit from those funds and grants, especially now that Serbia is gradually withdrawing its institutional framework from Kosovo as part of the Brussels dialogue. Undoubtedly, the Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo (some of the Orthodox monuments are already listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites) is very important both for Serbia and Kosovo and carries specific symbolic weight for Kosovo’s Serbian community. Indeed, there is a lot of distrust towards Kosovo institutions due to the recent history of violence and attacks on cultural and religious sites. However, Serbia’s strategy of focusing only on the issue of religious heritage in Kosovo and claiming that Kosovo’s membership of UNESCO will endanger it, is misleading and potentially counterproductive. To begin with, according to Kosovo law, all the major Orthodox monuments in Kosovo are protected by law and are the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church and will continue to be so even if Kosovo joins UNESCO. Following Kosovo’s eventual membership, the country designation for those heritage sites would simply change from ‘Serbia’ (which listed them as ‘Medieval Monuments in Kosovo’) to ‘Kosovo’, but not their description. I believe that membership of UNESCO will put Kosovo’s institutions under bigger scrutiny regarding the preservation of the existing listed sites and pave the way for more monuments to be listed as World Cultural Heritage. Notwithstanding the outcome of the membership bid, it is unfortunate that Kosovo’s relationship with an organisation such as UNESCO, which promotes inter-cultural understanding and solidarity, risks setting Pristina and Belgrade further apart. Likewise, the diplomatic weight of such an outcome for both Kosovo and Serbia seems to have overshadowed the enormous benefits of a potential successful UNESCO membership bid in the fields of education, science and the protection of cultural heritage for everyone in Kosovo.

Gezim Krasniqi is the Alexander Nash Fellow in Albanian Studies at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London.

European Union rebukes Hungary as refugee crisis tensions escalates (The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 September 2015)

Budapest: The European Union’s migration chief rebuked Hungary on Thursday for its tough handling of a flood of refugees as asylum seekers thwarted by a new Hungarian border fence poured into Croatia, spreading the strain.

Croatian police said more than 5000 migrants had arrived from Serbia since Hungary sealed its southern European Union border with Serbia on Tuesday. Hungarian security forces fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse rock-throwing refugees on Wednesday.”Maybe the border to Croatia is open, maybe it is closed, but we are going to try,” said a Syrian man at the Serbian border town of Sid who gave his name as Abed, one of the many who had given up hope of crossing from Serbia into Hungary. Several thousand migrants gathered at the Tovarnik railway station on EU-member Croatia’s side of the border with Serbia, sitting or lying by the tracks trying to shade themselves from the sun. The head of Germany’s Office for Migration and Refugees resigned for personal reasons after being criticised for being slow in processing applications from a record number of asylum seekers. German police said the number of refugees arriving in Germany more than doubled on Wednesday to 7266. Deep differences over how to cope with the influx of people mostly fleeing war and poverty in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have sparked a crisis in the 28-nation EU.

EU commissioner for migration Dimitris Avromopoulos told a joint news conference with Hungary’s foreign and interior ministers that most of those arriving in Europe were Syrians “in need of our help”. “There is no wall you would not climb, no sea you would not cross if you are fleeing violence and terror,” he declared, saying barriers of the kind Hungary has erected were temporary solutions that only diverted refugees and migrants, increasing tensions.Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto hit back at criticism from UN and European officials and human rights groups, saying that siding with rioting migrants, who pelted Hungarian police with rocks in clashes that injured 20 police, was encouraging violence. Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban, who has blamed Germany for stoking the wave of migrants entering his country after Chancellor Angela Merkel rolled out the welcome mat for Syrian refugees, said Muslims would end up outnumbering Christians in Europe if the policy continued. “I am speaking about God. I am speaking about culture and the everyday principles of life, such as sexual habits, freedom of expression, equality between men and women and all those kind of values which I call Christianity. If we let the Muslims into the continent to compete with us, they will outnumber us. It’s mathematics. And we don’t like it,” Mr Orban said in an interview published in several European newspapers. Neighbouring Slovakia has also invoked religious differences as a reason for rejecting mandatory quotas to share out refugees among EU nations, as the European Commission has proposed. The EU executive says the right to asylum is indivisible and cannot be linked to religious or ethnic considerations. The future of border-free travel in the EU’s Schengen zone of 26 continental European states has been cast in doubt by the uncoordinated national actions to revive frontier checks. Croatia, the most recent country to join the EU but not yet the Schengen area, said it would not halt the influx. That puts tiny Slovenia next in line to receive the thousands of migrants, trying to reach Austria then Germany and other more prosperous countries of northern and western Europe. Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said his country would stick to the Schengen rules, which require it to register and fingerprint migrants and asylum seekers on arrival. Many refugees have refused to be registered and destroyed their identity papers in their quest to reach Germany. Hundreds more migrants left Serbia’s northern border with Hungary by bus bound for Croatia, emptying makeshift camps created after Hungary sealed the frontier, a Reuters reporter in the Serbian village of Horgos said. Bulgaria said it was sending more soldiers to strengthen controls along its border with Turkey and avoid a refugee influx. About 600 migrants tried to cross the border in the past 25 hours but returned voluntarily after seeing it was well guarded, a Bulgarian Interior Ministry official said. Bulgaria is a member of the EU but not of the Schengen area.

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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.