LOCAL PRESS

Nikolic: Specificity of Kosovo, according to UNSCR 1244 (Novosti/Tanjug/Beta)

In an interview to the Ethiopian daily Capital, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic says that Serbia is obliged to work it out with Kosovo before joining the EU, and this, in his opinion, will be very difficult to achieve, because Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo and Metohija, but can recognize the specificity, meaning the essential autonomy in accordance with UNSCR 1244 and Serbia’s negotiations based on this resolution and the Serbian Constitution. However, representatives of Kosovo are not ready to implement what they have agreed concerning the Community of Serb Municipalities, its specificity within Kosovo, he notes. The Serbian President said that Africa has not forgotten the friendship that it shared with Yugoslavia, and has carried it over to Serbia instead, and to quote the African Union vice-president, the fact that Serbia was attending, they would be able to prevent Kosovo from appearing in any capacity, and from spreading its influence among international organizations, even though a large number of the African Union members have recognized the independence of Kosovo.

Djuric: Warning to Kosovo authorities (Beta)

Outside the main entrance to the Visoki Decani Monastery, the Kosovo police and KFOR arrested four armed Albanians, who had AK-47 rifles, guns and Islamist literature in their possession. The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that the event was a warning to the Kosovo institutions that they should tackle the roots of religious extremism. “This incident warns of the need for the institutions and political class in Pristina to deal with the social causes of religious extremism, which is jeopardizing the future of everyone living in Kosovo and Metohija instead of the non-existent threat that the Community of Serb Municipalities and the Kosovo Serbs pose,” Djuric told Beta. The prior of the Visoki Decani Monastery Sava Janjic confirmed to Beta that the monks and monastery staff were feeling safe and that the incident near the monastery was yet further proof that KFOR’s presence is vital to the security of the structure, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Another attack on Serb returnees in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Unknown assailants attacked Serb returnees in the village of Berkovo in the municipality of Klina on Saturday evening, shooting from automatic weapons. Fortunately, no one was injured in the attack, although two houses were damaged, Tanjug learnt at the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. At the moment of the attack there were people in both houses. Roof tiles were damaged on one house, and a windowpane broken on the other. The houses belong to the Pantic and Zivkovic families. Serb returnees to the village of Berkovo are often victims of intimidation and robbery, the Office noted. The Office of Kosovo and Metohija condemns the attack in the strongest terms, and urges the police to search the site, and put an end to this organized campaign aimed at intimidating Serbs in the municipality of Klina.

Drecun: State will do everything to prevent terrorism (Tanjug)

The Chairperson of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun has stated that the incident in front of the Visoki Decani Monastery has demonstrated that a strong base of radical Islam has been created on this territory. He told journalists in the Serbian parliament that so far there has not been greater risk for the Serbs and their security, but that individual operations are not excluded. “I think that this incident has confirmed such an assessment,” says Drecun. He points out that Serbia will very carefully monitor what is happening, and that it will use all mechanisms at its disposal to prevent any kind of terrorist activity by radical Islamists in Kosovo and Metohija. According to him, the Committee for Kosovo and Metohija has on several occasions analyzed the situation in regard to the endangerment of the Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija from radical Islam, extremism and terrorism. “We concluded that Serbian authorized state bodies and services are very actively monitoring the formation of this radical structure, their activities and that everything will be done in preventing this,” he said.

Stojanovic: Kosovo can become headquarters of religious extremism (RTS)

The Chairperson of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Control of Security Services Momir Stojanovic has told Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that yesterday’s arrest of extremists in front of the Visoki Decani Monastery points to things that have been known for a long time – that Kosovo can become headquarters of religious extremism in the region of Western Balkans. “There are many reasons for this. It is generally known that the Kosovo society is by nature monolithic and specific compared to other communities in the Western Balkans and that the impact of religion and religious leaders of the Islamic community in the region of Kosovo and Metohija on the population is much greater than what this impact is in the Raska region or in the region of B&H,” said Stojanovic.

Pressure increasing on EU member states not recognizing Kosovo (Novosti)

Pressure has been increasing on five EU member states that do not recognize independence of Kosovo to change their stand. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic tells Novosti that one of Serbia’s priorities is for Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Cyprus to remain at their present positions: “These states are exposed to pressure, especially Greece and Romania. I will meet in Sofia tomorrow, at the Cooperation Process in South-East Europe, with colleagues from Athens and Bucharest, and this will be an opportunity for me to request again support for the Brussels dialogue, as the status neutral and only way for normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations. The latest political events in Pristina, which are characterized by violence, support the fact that dialogue is the only way. Serbia can count with certainty on the fact that Cyprus, Slovakia and Spain will remain at the position of not recognizing independence of Kosovo. Slovakian Ambassador to Serbia Dagmar Repčeková tells Novosti that this country’s position in regard to Kosovo remains in effect: “The developments of the situation in Kosovo, especially the latest events that are characterized by violence, have brought Kosovo in focus of many debates inside and outside the EU. We have no reserves when we debate with our partners on Slovakia’s position and we explain our stand.” Cypriot Ambassador to Serbia Constantinos Eliades also tells Novosti that their position is well-known: “Our stand is in accordance with the international legal framework of UNSCR 1244 and the relevant conclusions of the EU Council. The Cyprian position could be revised only in case of reaching a final, mutually acceptable political agreement of the two sides, which would be approved by the UN Security Council. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, during his official visit to Belgrade, firmly promised the Serbian leadership that Bucharest would not change its stand.

Stefanovic: No threats from terrorism in Serbia (RTS/Tanjug)

On the occasion of Europol’s warning that the IS is planning new attacks in Europe, Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic says that there are no direct threats from terrorism in Serbia. He announced that talks between regional police directors will be held in Skopje on Tuesday, with the intention of establishing a united system – for migrants to travel from Greece to the final destination with one check and one issuance of biometric documents instead of having their data checked individually in each county.

DS for two election lists (Novosti)

At yesterday’s session, the vast majority of the members of the Main Board of the Democratic Party (DS) advocate two lists and reaching agreement with the SDS (Tadic) and LDP (Jovanovic) on a fair play in the campaign, joint control of voting and non-entering coalitions with ruling parties. The delegates authorized the Presidency to decide on pre-election coalitions and before the final decision, the DS leadership will wait for public opinion results on whether more votes will be brought by one or two lists, which should be known within a week. The DS is more ready for the forthcoming general elections than ever, said its leader Bojan Pajtic, calling on citizens to join the party in the fight for a more free, dignified and well-ordered country. He said the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) had lost a fifth of its voters in the past eight months and that its estimated voter turnout fell by a quarter, adding that this was the reason why Vucic decided to call snap parliamentary elections. If two in three citizens go to the polls, Vucic will be history, Pajtic says. He summed up the DS program: a dynamic market economy, strong welfare state, efficient public administration and the rule of law.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik: Referendum will be held (Nezavisne)

The Republika Srpska (RS) will hold a referendum on the court and prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), but also on the Day of the RS, which the Constitutional Court of B&H declared unconstitutional, said Milorad Dodik, President of the Serbian entity in B&H. Dodik said in Samac that the referendum on the court and prosecution of B&H has gone through all the procedures and that it is now up to the RS authorities to set the date. The RS authorities expect that the citizens will vote to abolish the court and prosecution of B&H. He added that priority will be given to the referendum on the decision of the Constitutional Court pertaining the celebration of the Day of the RS, because there is a consensus on the matter. Dodik also said that RS was disputing the B&H imposed by the high representative, rather than the B&H established by the Dayton Agreement and the Constitution. “We are not angry with Aleksandar Vucic when he says he respects the territorial integrity of B&H. We are not disputing it either. We support the constitutional order of B&H, everything else is abuse by the high representatives. We cannot and will not support that kind of a B&H,” said Dodik. Dodik said that he discussed the referendum with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who attended the opening of the Serbia Primary School in Samac, whose construction was financed by the Serbian Government as assistance in the renewal of the RS following the floods in May 2014.  Vucic said that he does not interfere in internal matters of other countries, not wanting to repeat Serbia’s position on the referendum.Vucic had previously said that the authorities in Serbia are against the holding of this referendum in the RS, and asked Dodik to reconsider the decision. “We never interfere. We can present our position behind closed doors, but we will not, nor do we want to apply any pressure, just as we expect Dodik and the RS to always say that they think, and not to pressure us,” said the Serbian Prime Minister. Vucic pointed out that there is mutual respect between Serbia and RS, and that the future of the RS and Serbia will always have to be in the center of attention. The Serbian Prime Minister said that Serbia helps the RS while always respecting the integrity of B&H, but that he cannot nor does he want to conceal that he loves the RS, which he supports in line with the Dayton Accords. 4 February 1, 2016 Vucic said that the school in Samac, constructed as a replacement of the one that was completely destroyed in the flood, is the second school in the RS that the Serbian Government has invested in, and added that this is how much Serbia has been able to help so far, but that in 2016 significantly more money is intended for the RS and that there will be more schools and sports halls. “I am proud that we have built such beautiful schools here. It is good when schools are built and when instead of hatred something is sprouting that will bring a good and peaceful future,” Vucic pointed out.

Prosecutor’s office, Sarajevo politicians speculating (Srna)

The RS President said on Saturday that politicians in Sarajevo and the B&H Prosecutor’s Office continually conduct some investigations into him and speculate against him, asserting that he does not find them interesting. “All of my work in the past has been very transparent and as far as I’m concerned – I’m here,” said Milorad Dodik commenting on a possible investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office into his affairs. Dodik told reporters that he was not informed about it and he did not even try to learn anything with respect to that because they he did not find them interesting. “Two years ago, the same Prosecutor’s Office gave up on an investigation regarding the government building, motorways and all those lies for which they could have had and said they didn’t have any evidence,” recalled Dodik.

Jonathan Moore: Radoncic told me he will be arrested (FACE TV)

The Head of the OSCE Mission in B&H Ambassador Jonathan Moore was a guest last night in the TV programCentralni dnevnik, hosted by Senad Hadzifejzovic on FACE TV, where he spoke of the arrest of the president of the Alliance for Better Future (SBB) Fahrudin Radoncic and other current happenings in B&H. Moore highlighted that Radoncic told him that he will be arrested before it happened, but that he thought it will not happen. “Radoncic did not ask for anything from me (related to the Kelmendi case). He told me, and he told others as well, that he expects he will be arrested on January 11. I did not expect that to happen,” Moore said. Moore said that it is still early to draw any conclusions regarding this arrest and that one should wait to see the results of the investigation by the Court and the Prosecution. “It is very important that judicial institutions in B&H works in accordance with the law and facts. All of this happened several days ago and we have to see whether there will be an indictment and what will Radoncic be charged with. It is too early to make any conclusions, they have to do their work. I have never interfered with the investigations and operations of the prosecution,” Moore said. Hadzifejzovic also touched upon the topic of the arming of Serbia and Croatia and asked Moore what they need the arms for and whether B&H should be worried or not. “B&H is not a target for either Croatia or Serbia and I believe that smart people, true statesmen, in both Belgrade and Zagreb will make practical relations. Both countries are obliged to publish the data on the amount of arms every year. If the numbers are below limits, the arming poses no problem,” Moore said.

Dragan Barbaric: The SDA-SBB coalition stable (Dnevni Avaz)

The Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) B&H and the party president Fahrudin Radoncic remain firmly of the opinion that the coalition with the SDA is an unambiguous choice, but after the arrest Radoncic, the SBB expected from the Party of Democratic Action to begin work on reducing nepotistic influence in society and politics. Dragan Barbaric, SBB President’s lawyer, said there will be no crisis in the country due to Radoncic’s arrest. All those who thought that Radoncic’s arrest would allow them to provoke crisis in B&H were wrong. “That won’t be one nor will one ensue. But it seems that this was some persons’ objective. Radoncic is a serious man and politician – Barbaric said in an interview with Dnevni Avaz in which he commented on various speculations and predictions by some politicians and analysts, that the political schemes and Radoncic’s arrest will not only bring into question the SDA-SBB coalition but that these events will provoke a full crisis in the country. He underlined that the SDA-SBB coalition was stable. Furthermore, he said that the prosecutor Bozo Mihajlovic does not have any evidence against Radoncic and that “politics and politics only” is actually behind this case. Barbaric said that it was very easy to prove who is behind all this, and it would be proven eventually. “Now, let everyone do their part of the job. We will present some facts but all in good time. I’ll have a lot to talk about when and if we get to the court. But, I do not want to do it right now,” said Barbaric. He reiterated that Radoncic meticulously denied the allegations he had been charged with. “He said that this process was politically motivated and that someone initiated it for political purposes only” said Barbaric. SDA remains committed to preserving the coalition with the SBB, Amir Zukic, General Secretary of the SDA party told media yesterday. He explained that the President of the SDA Bakir Izetbegovic recently presented his stance regarding the coalition with the SBB and it remained unchanged. On the occasion of media reports that the “Green Berets” have announced their gathering in front of the Court and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, the SBB announces that Fahrudin Radoncic is not a member of the “Green Berets”. The SBB Presidency urges citizens not to take part in the non-institutional activities, making it possible for the competent judicial institutions to make decisions in a ​professional and dignified manner.

Covic: I am worried (Dnevni avaz)

Dragan Covic, the Chairman of the B&H Presidency, in his interview for Dnevni avaz says it is extremely important for B&H to keep its political stability and to preserve the ruling coalition in order to continue the country’s reform path. “Honestly, I am worried. I have to say that. Although so far we have been telling that nothing will jeopardize our joint actions, as there truly is no alternative. However, it is one thing when you talk about it in an office and another when you have the president of one of the parties kept in detention. First of all, on this occasion I wish that Mr. Radoncic, as a man and as a friend withstands it all. That he is able to cope with all that, because that requires enormous amount of inner energy. I am sure that Mr. Radoncic has it and I wish, before all, that he withstands it as a human. On the other hand, I would personally be extremely happy if this coalition and our cooperation carried on. Whether this will happen, depends on the decisions made by SBB.

Naser Oric appointed as advisor to the Minister in Federation of B&H (Vecernji list/ Nezavisne)

Naser Oric, who is on trial for war crimes committed against Serbs, “has been named as adviser to the minister of veteran affairs of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) entity, according to Croatian daily Vecernji List.The newspaper quoted its sources as saying that “the story about the appointment of Oric in this ministry has been going on for a while, and now obviously the conditions have been met to bring the procedure to a close”. The article added that appointments of persons with “suspicious war past” as advisers in the Federal Ministry for Issues of Defenders and Invalids of the Homeland War “seem to have become common”. The daily mentions that former minister Zukan Helez was advised by Besim Hodzic, who was the commander of a prisoner camp setup in a Bugojno high school during the war in Bosnia in the first half of the 1990s, where “a large number of Croats were imprisoned and tortured – some of them calling him (Hodzic) out publicly for his misdeeds and demanding his resignation”.  Meanwhile, new minister Salik Bukvarevic will be advised by “a person on trial” – i.e., Oric, a wartime Muslim commander who has been charged for killing prisoners in Bratunac and Srebrenica in 1992.Earlier, the B&H Court said it was under pressure because of the case.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Serbia Cuts 2015 Deficit by Almost Half Despite December Surge (Bloomberg, by Gordana Filipovic, 1 February 2016)

Serbia’s government cut its fiscal deficit by almost half in 2015 to bring it in below plan, even as a spending surge caused the shortfall to spike in the last month of the year.

The full-year general government deficit was 148.6 billion dinars ($1.3 billion), or 3.7 percent of gross domestic product, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. That was below a plan of 4.1 percent agreed with the International Monetary Fund and compared with a deficit that was about 7 percent in 2014. Pursuing cost-cutting measures endorsed by the IMF agreement, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic’s government cut pensions and public wages this year. While that kept the deficit at about a quarter of its full-year target in November, spending jumped in December to account for about half of the 2015 shortfall. Vucic has now called for early elections in spring, and the end-2015 spending increase may point to potential political pressure for the government to loosen its targets before the vote, researchers at Raiffeisenbank said in a note. “Even without the election scenario, fiscal risks are high,” the researchers said on Monday. “The early parliamentary elections in spring will, to some extent, again postpone the execution of reforms.” Among other costs in December, the government paid pension arrears for veterans, farmers and police, cash transfers to pension and health funds, and debt servicing for state-owned gas company JP Srbijagas’s liabilities to OAO Gazprom Neft unit Naftna Industrija Srbije AD, according to the Finance Ministry. Vucic has said he wants spring elections, two years before his term ends, to consolidate support before embarking on more IMF-endorsed cost-cutting measures that have drawn criticism from some workers and state employees. He has pledged to shut down or sell hundreds of unprofitable state companies and trim the size of the state administration to help prepare the country of 7.2 million for European Union entry by 2020. Serbia’s dinar was little changed at 1:03 p.m., trading 0.1 percent stronger at 122.81 against the euro in Belgrade.

Montenegro Leaders Plot Ways Out of Crisis (BIRN, by Dusica Tomovic, 1 February 2016)

Party leaders are to meet on Monday to plot the way ahead after the outcome of last week’s no-confidence vote failed to resolve the political crisis in the country.

In the first attempt to resolve the crisis in Montenegro following the failure of a no-confidence vote in the government, leaders of political parties will meet on Monday to discuss the formation of an interim government and organization of new elections. Last Wednesday, the government survived a no-confidence motion with the help of three MPs from the opposition – but the outcome has only opened up a new chasm between the main ruling party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, DPS, led by Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, and its former junior partner, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, led by the speaker of parliament, Ranko Krivokapic. Following a marathon three-day parliamentary debate, a plot to unseat Djukanovic foundered when the smallest opposition party, Positive Montenegro, which has been getting closer to the DPS, voted in favour of the PM and provided his government with enough votes to survive. In exchange for their support, Djukanovic offered five seats in the cabinet to opposition representatives – the interior, labour, agriculture and finance ministries, as well as the post of deputy prime minister. All are considered the most vulnerable to abuses during election campaigns. However, most of the opposition parties have already rejected the offer to enter Djukanovic’s cabinet, repeating their demand for the formation the transitional-technical government composed of all parliamentary parties which will prepare the elections planned in 2016. A small opposition party, the Democrats, announced that they are considering more radical actions, leaving parliament and staging street protests, although they said they will attend the meeting on Monday. Krivokapic, accting as head of the negotiating working group for elections, urged the opposition parties to again consider Djukanovic’s offer and to try to agree on models for cleaning up the electoral roll and preventing misuse of state resources during the elections. “This is an unstable government without real confidence. But it is a good thing to go towards dialogue. Everything will be on the table now. We are moving into something that will hopefully contribute to parliamentarism and fair elections,” Krivokapic said after the break-up of his party’s 18-year alliance with Djukanovic’s DPS. He is also attempting to bring back to the table the main opposition alliance, the Democratic Front, which has been boycotting parliament for months and whose MPs did not attend the parliamentary vote on Wednesday. The right-wing alliance, composed mostly of pro-Serbian parties, has been staging protests in the capital, Podgorica, since last September, calling on Djukanovic to resign. “This is a new situation, new space has been opened, and I invite them to come so we can talk. They are respected parliamentarians and the strongest opposition alliance,” Krivokapic said. However, the Front on Friday rejected the invitation to attend the crisis talks, saying an interim government made up of all political factors is only acceptable solution. The alliance called on Krivokapic’s party to join a fresh round of anti-goverment demonstrations planned in the capital, Podgorica. “There is no way we would attend this meeting on Monday… this invitation is completely unacceptable and non-binding for us”, one of the Front’s leaders, Milan Knezevic, said on Friday. While reshuffle options remain open, Positive Montenegro is the only opposition party satisfied with the outcome of the no-confidence vote, although one of its four MPs resigned on Thursday after the party voted to support the government. It said that accepting the offer to enter the government would place the keys of the electoral process, such as voter lists and financial flows, in the hands of the opposition. The current government was elected in December 2012 and and election is planned for autumn 2016 but the exact date has not yet been agreed.