LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Suspension of Brussels agreement destabilizes region (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has stated that Kosovo does not want to implement the obligations from the Brussels agreement, assessing that this destabilizes the state-of-affairs in the region. The Serbian Foreign Ministry quotes Dacic as having said in Berlin, where he is taking part in the annual conference of the foreign ministers of South-East Europe, that there is no possibility of suspending the Brussels agreement reached by Belgrade and Pristina, along with EU mediation, in April 2013. Dacic said he had to confront the Kosovo and Albanian Foreign Ministers, Hashim Thaqi and Ditmir Bushati respectively, who were accusing Serbia of an aggressive campaign against Kosovo’s UNESCO membership. “I reacted because I think that Kosovo should first decide whether it wants to implement the Brussels agreement and agreements we had reached there, because the suspension doesn’t exist as a possibility,” said Dacic. “Serbia was only pointing to the illegal situation, that Kosovo wishes to become a member of various international organizations without agreement with Serbia, and thereby to enter the United Nations system even though Kosovo is not recognized by the UN,” he said.

Lavrov: Terrorism must be tackled with UN leadership (Tanjug)

Tackling the numerous global challenges – terrorism in particular – requires joint efforts based on international law, with UN leadership, says Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The challenges that we today face requires activating joint efforts based on international law and a leading role of the United Nations, Lavrov wrote in a letter read out by a Russian Foreign Ministry official at the opening of the Yalta-Potsdam-Helsinki-Belgrade conference on the search for a new world security order. Russia will strive to contribute and find a common path to solving problems and to reconciliation, Lavrov said in the letter, expressing hope that the upcoming meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Belgrade will produce significant progress.

Caution needed over terrorists (Novosti, by Aleksandar Radic, military-political analyst)

There are many reasons for Serbia to be very cautious, open eyes and be prepared when terrorism in the world is awakening and fiercely spreading. That is why statements by some domestic politicians that Serbia is completely safe from terrorism sound irresponsible. These are light and harmful statements that can only irritate somebody, because the logic of terrorists is to precisely strike where we least expect. Of course, Serbia is not a priority for terrorist organizations that see their biggest enemies in the Western civilization, so they plan the attacks there. On the other side, Russia has its autochthonous terrorist organizations that operate there. Still, this doesn’t mean we can turn our head away, feel “tucked in” and live in some kind of illusion that we are protected. The region in which we live is still in a kind of frozen conflict following the civil war that we went through. The wounds have not yet healed. The feeling of revenge with various extremist groups operating is still great and present. Many soldiers from the Balkans have fought in the Near East, and some were recruited into ISIS. A large number of migrants have passed through our region… All these are elements over which we should be worried, and raise the level of caution.

Maric on unrests caused by Albanian opposition (Novosti)

Everything that is happening in Pristina is an internal conflict inside the Albanian community, but the Serbs are afraid and dreading that this doesn’t spill over to Serb regions. We should respond to these events in a timely manner, as otherwise there can be a destabilization of the widespread state-of-affairs in Kosovo and Metohija, the Coordinator of the Management Team for the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) Ljubomir Maric tells Novosti on the occasion of the unrests in Pristina and announcements of the Albanian opposition that it will continue to fight against the ZSO.

Do you expect a concrete reaction of the international community?

“The international community has given confidence to the local institutions and now it expects responsibility of those who have been entrusted with administering. However, they will get involved if need be.”

The formation of the ZSO has been suspended until a decision by the Constitutional Court.

“What is the legal basis for submitting a request to the Constitutional Court for assessing the Brussels agreement that is above the Kosovo system and legislature? According to that agreement, signed on 25 August, the government had to adopt a decree and send it for assessment of constitutionality for the purpose of harmonizing the statute by 25 December.”

What will happen if the decision of the court is negative?

“The Constitutional Court didn’t sign or draft this agreement, but the prime ministers assumed the obligations along with EU guarantees. The agreement defines the rights, obligations and deadlines of all parties. The ZSO will be formed, do not have a dilemma.”

REGIONAL PRESS

Explosive device thrown at police station (Srna/Bosna danas)

An explosive device was thrown last night around 12.30 a.m. at the police station in Zavidovici. No one was injured but minor damage was caused. As announced by the Ministry of Interior of Zenica-Doboj Canton (MUP ZDK), an explosive device was thrown on the roof of one of the buildings of the police station in Zavidovici, in which the department for issuance of identity documents is located. The investigation is taken over by the State Prosecution, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Interior of Zenica-Doboj Canton Aldina Ahmic confirmed. A joint operational team, consisting of members of MUP ZDK, the Federation Police Administration and SIPA, is formed. The fact that the investigation is taken over by B&H Prosecution indicates that this could be a case of terrorism. “There are indications that there are elements of the crime of terrorism in this case, and the investigation is taken over by B&H Prosecution which will conduct further investigation,” reads the statement by MUP ZDK.

B&H police set up a checkpoint near Wahhabi community (Bosna danas)

Police of Brcko District has intensified controls near Gornja Maoca village, which is known to be a stronghold of radical Islamists in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Police has set up a checkpoint near Gornja Maoca village where the police officers are checking the documents and vehicles of all persons who are going in, or coming from the direction of the village where the Wahhabi community resides. The checkpoint is secured by two members of Special Forces armed with weapons. Spokesperson of the local police station Halid Emkic said that police is controlling the cars and checking identities of the people, adding that the security level in the area of Brcko District has been raised. Emkic emphasized that “police do not have any information which would indicate that security of the people might be endangered” and added that the Brcko police is in contact and is exchanging the information with other security agencies in B&H.

Dodik: Unite in anti-terrorism combat (Srna)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has said in Belgrade that the world is now at the crossroads and should unite in effort to combat terrorism as a threat. Dodik has said that this particularly refers to Europe over its vulnerability due to the number of states and peoples, which shows a permanent inability to provide quality response to the challenges, starting with the euro crisis in Greece to the migrant one. “The time has come to speak of a united Europe, from the Atlantic to the Urals, as was the vision of the French statesman Charles de Gaulle. Europe can do this if it defeats itself, its cynicism and incompetence, without jeopardizing its alliance,” said Dodik at the Scientific International Conference titled “Yalta, Potsdam, Helsinki, Belgrade: in search of security”. The RS President has recalled the statements of Angela Merkel, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy a few years ago that multiculturalism is dead, but said that things were not called by their proper names. Dodik has said that the world has not ended the chapter of the past from the 20th century, two world wars and ideological conflicts which are still the most significant feature of international relations, while the economic crisis contributes to instability. He has said this is the foundation for the growth of all kinds of unreasonable extremism and exclusiveness, and said that the world has become one place due to the development of communications and the Internet, and no country can be excluded from the happenings. “There is no an oasis of peace and happiness in the world,” said Dodik.

Dismissal of DF ministers deferred (Fena/Oslobodjenje)

The decision of Denis Zvizdic, Chair of the B&H Council of Ministers, on the dismissal of members of the Democratic Front from the ministerial council will not be on the agenda of the session of the House of Representatives scheduled for today. This was confirmed by Aleksandra Pandurevic, Chair of the Serb Democratic Party caucus in the House of Representatives at the state level, Fena reports. “The point will not be on the agenda, and when it is, we will see,” said Pandurevic. Chairman Zvizdic put to the parliament the decision to dismiss Slavko Matanovic, minister of communication and transport, and Emir Suljagic, deputy minister of defense, of the Democratic Front. SDA and HDZ B&H presidents Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic submitted a request to the Chairman on 19 November to launch the procedure to dismiss these ministers to implement the coalition agreement with the Alliance for a Better Future (SBB). Zvizdic is on an official visit to China, and cannot participate in the session of the House of Representatives scheduled for Tuesday. “All this, if it takes place according to procedure, is legitimate. So the new parliamentary majority has the right to do this. What I am alluding to is just that they are respecting procedure,” said Zeljko Komsic, DF president and delegate to the House of Representatives. Sefik Dzaferovic, Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives, told reporters he expects the reconstruction of the Council of Ministers to conclude as was agreed at the highest political level.

Covic and Mogherini: B&H makes steps forward (Bosna danas)

The Chairman of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic has met in Brussels with the EU High Representative Federica Mogherini. Covic said that all institutions in B&H, at all levels, work intensively on commitments related to the EU integration, especially those which were defined in conclusions of EU Foreign Affairs. During the meeting in Brussels at which they discussed the B&H application for EU membership, which is to be submitted soon, Covic reminded Mogherini about the progress that B&H has made lately. Covic stated that B&H has made significant progress in meeting the conditions for the next important step on the road toward the EU, which is the submission of the application. B&H Presidency Chairman expressed satisfaction with the recently published Progress Report for 2015. He emphasized that positive report was an additional incentive for B&H authorities to continue the work on remaining conditions, stated the B&H Presidency. Covic added that priorities are implementation of Reform Agenda, adoption of coordination mechanism, and adaptation of Stabilization and Association Agreement in terms of Croatia’s accession to EU. Mogherini assessed that B&H has made steps forward recently, adding that this-year Progress Report is the best indicator for that. She added that B&H authorities at all levels have shown clear commitments, and have made concrete steps to bring the country closer to credible application for the EU membership. The common conclusion was that it is necessary to continue dealing with all important issues, with regular meetings at the highest level, with the aim of additionally encouraging the progress towards the EU.

Macedonian President criticizes EU’s approach (Time.mk)

“Macedonia is a textbook example of how (the EU) should not treat candidate countries,” Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has been quoted as saying. He asked the EU Council, whose president Donald Tusk was visiting Skopje over the weekend, to consider (EU) enlargement not only as a technical issue. Ivanov, reports the time.mk website, told Tusk that his visit came late because citizens are tired of the blockade of EU integrations and the indecision of the EU Council. According to Macedonian media, Ivanov also shifted the blame for the continued political crisis in Macedonia to the EU, and said he believed the only way to overcome this crisis is for the country to start EU membership negotiations. During his meeting with Tusk, the Macedonian President also criticized the EU for its attitude towards refugees as his country is suffering the consequences of setting of quotas, Greece’s failure to register refugees, and of unilateral decisions. He noted that Macedonia did not receive funds for solving the crisis, although those were promised on several occasions. Tusk, writes the website, promised assistance, pointing out what kind of assistance this was, and asked Macedonia to resolve the crisis with refugees. “We are ready to provide much more once we receive the assessment of your needs from you. I will speak with member-states about what more can be done in this regard to ensure that our support to your country and the region remains at the same level as the challenges it is facing,” said Tusk, and added that our main goal is to reduce the wave of refugees, not merely to facilitate their transit.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

VP Renews Iran Rigid Stance on Fighting Terrorism (FNA, 24 November 2015)

TEHRAN – Iranian First Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri in a meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic in Tehran on Tuesday renewed Iran’s firm determination to fight terrorism and extremism. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has had clear and specific policy in dealing with the terrorist groups and it has always fought against these groups as it is the safest country in the region,” Jahangiri said. The Iranian first vice-president pointed to the threats posed by the radical and extremist groups in the region and the world, and said, “The terrorist acts are doomed whenever they happen and terrorism should not be divided into good and bad as no double-standards should be adopted in confronting terrorism.” Jahangiri said that the ISIL terrorist group that has been supported by some regional countries and the West to confront the central governments in Iraq and Syria has now increased its terrorist acts, and added, “Therefore, fighting extremism needs international consensus and cutting the financial resources and other supports to these groups.” The Iranian first vice-president pointed to Iran’s superior status in the Middle East and Serbia in the heart of the Europe, and reiterated the need for using all capacities to expand ties in all political, economic and cultural fields. The Serbian parliament speaker, for her part, underlined that Serbia and Iran have favorable diplomatic relations, and called for boosting parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. “Some countries are responsible for the terrorist acts in the Middle East; today that our region is facing crisis, they shrug off responsibility with regard to the refugees,” Gojkovic said. Earlier today, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei underscored that Islamic countries should increase their mutual understanding to arrive at a common solution for more effective campaign against terrorism. “The issue of ISIL and terrorists who have been spread across the region under the name of Islam is not a normal issue but these terrorists have been created and are supported (by certain states),” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a meeting with Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal in Tehran. He voiced regret over certain Islamic countries’ support for the ISIL terrorists and the US and enemies of Islam’s advocacy for terrorism, and said, “The caring Islamic states which understand each other more can work out a practical way to confront the terrorists through talks and cooperation.”

UN slams new restrictions for refugees, migrants (Reuters, 24 November 2015)

About 1,000 refugees and migrants are stuck at the main crossing point into Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) from Greece as authorities deny entry to some nationalities in contravention of international law, the United Nations said on Tuesday. “A new humanitarian situation is developing in Europe that needs urgent attention,” Adrian Edwards of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) told a news briefing. “The new restrictions chiefly involve people being profiled on the basis of their claimed nationalities,” he said. At the borders between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and between FYROM and Serbia, nationals of Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are being allowed to cross. Nationals of other countries are being stopped, leading to protests by about 200 people, mainly Iranians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, with some on hunger strike, Edwards said. “All people have the right to seek asylum, irrespective of their nationality and to have their individual cases heard. Proper information needs to be provided to people affected by decisions at border points, and proper counselling needs to be available,” he said. UNHCR had no information that the new restrictions were directly linked to the Paris attacks 10 days ago that killed 130 people and were claimed by Islamic State militants, he said. “The environment has significantly worsened for people seeking asylum and that is a concern,” he said. About 858,805 refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe so far this year by sea, primarily to Greece and Italy, while 3,548 have died or gone missing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Only 148 refugees have been relocated to other European Union countries — Finland, Luxembourg and Sweden, Edwards said.

Bosnia: Explosive Device Thrown at Police Station (AP, 24 November 2015)

Authorities say an explosive device was thrown at the police station in the northern Bosnian town of Zavidovici but caused minimal damage and no casualties. Bosnia’s state prosecution office — which is in charge of investigating possible terrorism — has taken over the investigation from the local police, said spokesman Boris Grubesic on Tuesday. The device was thrown shortly after midnight. Local media reported that schools are closed in the town. Bosnia is still recovering from an attack last week in Sarajevo when a man killed two soldiers and injured three civilians in a shooting spree before blowing himself up.

Bosnia Defense Minister: Balkan Crime Groups ‘Smuggle Weapons to France’ (OCCRP, 24 November 2015)

Organized crime gangs in the Western Balkans are cooperating with criminal French counterparts to smuggle weapons, according to Bosnia’s defense minister

Dragan Mektic made the comment Thursday at a conference held in response to recent terrorist attacks in Paris, just after he returned from a meeting with France’s interior minister and chief prosecutor. “For a number of years, there has been a continuous relationship between the Western Balkans and the French Republic in regards to illegal weapons smuggling,” he said. While he did not suggest that the weapons used in the Paris attacks were smuggled through the Balkans, Mektic said that investigations showed that groups import explosives to France from several Western Balkan countries that have been through armed conflicts in the recent past. Mektic named Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia. He announced that a regional team of experts will soon be set up to tackle such organized crime channels, in cooperation with regional prosecutors. Mektic pointed out that there are some local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in which rule of law is weak, leading some to the paths of violent radicalism and terrorism. He called for police to more forcefully impose law in those communities. He mentioned the case of the north-eastern village of Gornja Maoca, where a group of radical Islamists have set up their own patrols and do not send their children to school. He also spoke about Wednesday’s terrorist attack in the Sarajevo suburb of Rajlovac in which a young man shot and killed two soldiers from the Bosnian army. Mektic says Enes Omeragic walked into a betting shop with an automatic gun, past onlookers, and shot the two soldiers to death. Omeragic then reportedly left the shop and spotted another soldier boarding a bus. He fired shots towards the vehicle but did not seriously injure anybody. Then, Omeragic is said to have returned to his nearby home where he killed himself by detonating a hand grenade as police surrounded the house. Mektic said Omeragic was not on any official databases of radicalized individuals. Authorities had, however, been aware of Omeragic’s father-in-law, Muhamed Meco, who was previously arrested and investigated in relation to terrorist activities, but released due to lack of evidence. Omeragic was allegedly radicalized in the past two years, cutting off contact with his father and brother, who opposed his views and instead fostering an increasingly strong relationship with his controversial father-in-law. Mektic said that Bosnia’s security institutions, such as its intelligence agency, needed more funding if they were to properly tackle such cases and avoid their future recurrence. He gave an example of how the government had been unable to track down who and from where a controversial blog was being run. The blog, Vijesti Ummeta, supports terrorist acts committed by the Islamic State, and is being run from Georgia, in the United States. Mektic said he only found out who was behind the website when two unnamed hackers contacted him to let him know. Vijesti Ummeta celebrated Wednesday’s fatal shootings. “This is only the beginning, o Bosnia, o Europe, this is only the beginning of spilling your dirty blood which will run down your dirty streets,” the post reads.

Geopolitical importance of Bosnia-Herzegovina in global relations (BALANS, by Kemal Obad, 23 November 2015)

The strong partnership between Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina, sharing a common history, religion and culture, will be key in reshaping the global system thanks to their (geo)political positions In the heart of Europe, Bosnia-Herzegovina has been considered a crossroads for different cultures and religions throughout its history.

However, Bosnia-Herzegovina is also often described as a significant geopolitical space for world powers. When attempts to set up the peace by European states became unsuccessful, the United States, led by then President Bill Clinton, decided to intervene to end the conflict. The Clinton administration also wanted to strengthen U.S. presence after the signing of the Dayton Accords, the peace agreement signed in Ohio in 1995 that formed the current constitution of Bosnia-Herzegovina. During this period, the question of Russia’s future position in world affairs also became crucial since the country was considered a political and legal successor to the Soviet Union. In the process of geopolitical revival during the last decade, Russia had a small, but significant interest in Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, this interest was especially focused on the entity of Republika Srpska, where a majority of the population is of Serbian ethnicity and Orthodox. The reason is simple, as Russians share deep connections with Serbs in the Balkans and cooperation is very important for future relations. Russia is also aware of the U.S. influence and presence in Bosnia. American organizations such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Center for Civic Education are very active and have implemented many projects to support democracy and civil rights. The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo also has a significant place in the political space of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The embassy has issued many statements in the past regarding the specific political, economic and educational issues in the country and it has strong cooperation with nongovernmental organizations. The U.S. fully supports Bosnia-Herzegovina in the process of euro-Atlantic integration. As is known, Russia is skeptical about NATO enlargement in the Balkans. In the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Russia has said that NATO expansion is the country’s internal issue, but at the same time expressed the view that forcing enlargement does not contribute to the strengthening of security, which could produce political conflict between NATO member states and those that are not. Last year a discussion about Bosnia-Herzegovina’s future showed the importance of this country in the current European and global political circumstances. British Foreign Minister Phillip Hammond and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested a new form for the country’s integration process to European Union. They presented a list of economic and social reforms that are needed and are crucial in order for Bosnia-Herzegovina to speed up its transformation into a country that is suitable for the European Union system. The initiative was supported by the U.S. State Department as well as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini as one the most significant reform proposals for economic improvement in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Indeed, in the last few months many new reform laws have been adopted, despite the critical position of opposition parties.However, at U.N. Security Council meetings last year Russia abstained in the voting for extending the one-year mandate of the EU Force (EUFOR), whose mission is to maintain stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina. For Russians, it was unacceptable that Bosnia-Herzegovina is being pushed in the direction of the EU. This was surprising for European and American diplomats, and many of them, such as Philippe Bertoux, said that Russia is trying to import the bad atmosphere in Ukraine to an unrelated issue. In February 2015 relations between Russia and Bosnia-Herzegovina were also at stake when the 5 million euro arms deal with Ukraine was blocked by the country’s former minister of trade. Due to Russian pressure, the contract eventually was not implemented. In July of this year Russia vetoed a U.N. resolution that would have condemned the 1995 Srebrenica Massacre during the Bosnian War as a “crime of genocide.” It was seen as Russian support for the Serbian position on the Srebrenica Massacre. U.S. politicians condemned Russia’s subjective approach to the very sensitive topic.

TURKEY AS A GEOPOLITICAL MEDIATOR

But between U.S. and Russian influence in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey is another geopolitical actor that has strong connections with and impacts on many educational and cultural organizations. Turkey’s investment in the Balkans is especially focused in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as the two countries share historical, cultural and trade ties. Therefore, is it essential to know and understand why Turkey is a very important mediator between different geopolitical interests of global actors such as the U.S. and Russia. Turkey, as a NATO member, has good relations with the U.S. government, but has strong ties with Russia as well. Its cooperation with EU has upgraded in last few months, especially because of the refugee crisis. Turkey’s diplomatic correspondence between its allies to the west and east would be helpful for the political position of Bosnia-Herzegovina in international organizations, since Turkey is seen as a close partner. It will also be a challenge in the future, because of the complicated governmental system in Bosnia-Herzegovina and its inability to clearly position itself within international relations. Today Bosnia-Herzegovina is in the triad between geopolitical influence, interests and activities of four global geopolitical actors – the U.S., EU, Russia and Turkey. These actors see Bosnia as strategic state in maintaining the security and stability in region. Balance of power and influence in Bosnia could represent geopolitical impact of world powers on the entire region. Because of its intercultural and political circumstances Bosnia is geopolitically relevant today. Thus, Bosnia-Herzegovina has the opportunity, balancing between its internal interests and its place on the international level, to improve and enhance its social, economic and political reputation and status. Certainly, a strategic assistance and support of Turkey will be necessary in this process.

*Master’s degree in European integration and geopolitics studies and a member of the International Association of Political Science, International Political Science Association (IPSA) and associate researcher at the Balkan Center for Analysis and Studies (BALANS) based in Sarajevo.

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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.