LOCAL PRESS

Dacic to attend UN Security Council session (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic will attend a session of the United Nations Security Council in New York, the Serbian Foreign Ministry has announced. The Security Council will discuss a report by the United Nations secretary-general on the work of UNMIK from 16 January to 15 April 2016. The Ministry said that in his speech Minister Dacic would discuss the United Nations secretary-general’s report, and offer a view of the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija and UNMIK’s performance.

Vucic, Liu discuss Chinese president’s visit to Serbia (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic Monday met with Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China Liu Haixing, with whom he talked about a forthcoming visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Serbia. “This visit confirms our good bilateral relations, which will only be improving in the future,” Vucic said at the beginning of the meeting. According to a release from the Serbian government’s media relations office, Vucic and Liu also discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in the fields of infrastructure, energy and telecommunications. Vucic said that he was satisfied about the way Chinese companies were implementing infrastructure projects in Serbia. He thanked China for its political support for preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Serbia, adding that Serbia, as a sincere friend, supported the One-China policy. Liu conveyed to Vucic the greetings from President Xi and Premier Li Keqiang and their congratulations on Vucic’s election victory, stressing that the Serbian prime minister was a great friend of the Chinese people and that he had done a lot to improve the Sino-Serbian strategic partnership. He stressed that the Chinese president’s visit to Serbia was of exceptional importance as it is the first visit by a Chinese president to Serbia in 32 years. President Xi Jinping will start his Europe tour with a visit to the Republic of Serbia, in order to show that how important Serbia is to China, said Liu.

Nikolic: Consent in important political issues between Serbia and China (RTS)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing agreed that the forthcoming visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Belgrade was historic, noting it would strengthen relations between the two countries even further. Speaking about excellent political relations between the two countries, Nikolic said that the consent in important political issues, and mutual support for territorial sovereignty and integrity constituted a solid foundation for improving relations in other fields. The Serbian President especially underlined gratitude for China’s principled position concerning the non-recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija. “We highly appreciate Serbia’s support to the One China Policy and understanding regarding the issue of the South China Sea. At the same time, China has a firm stand on supporting Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and commitment to dialogue, as the only way of resolving the problem of Kosovo and Metohija,” said Liu Haixing.

Liu conveyed the Chinese president’s sincere greetings to Nikolic, adding that the upcoming signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement would contribute to strengthening the economic relations and boosting Chinese investment in Serbia.

Pajovic: Presently, 326 Serbian members in peacekeeping missions (Tanjug)

The United Nations National Planners course commenced at the Peacekeeping Center of the Serbian Army, and the Head of the Center, Colonel Milivoje Pajovic, said that there are currently 326 Serbian members in 11 missions – seven United Nations missions and four EU missions. According to him, around 650 people will be engaged this year in all rotations which is a big challenge for the Centre. He says the challenge is to apply all UN standards when it comes to military operations, because this is necessary along with the elementary training that Serbian soldiers and civilians undergo during engagement in operations. Pajovic notes that the two-week course is the largest peacekeeping operations course that has been organized thus far at the Peacekeeping Operations Centre. He points out that Serbia has the honor this year that the UN has recognized it as an important country, the UN contributing country. According to him, this is why they addressed the Serbian government, and the government approved to organize, together with the UN, the first pilot national course for national planners for UN forces. “This year we have 21 attendants from 17 countries. This is a broad range of experiences of military and police forces since they come from South-East Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. This will be a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, but also to learn something new and accept the new guidelines presented last year by the UN as new in engagement in international operations,” said Pajovic. He points out that the national planner in Serbia is the Defense Ministry with all its bodies and the General Staff of the Serbian Army. He points out that the national planner is a combined body composed of the Foreign, Interior, Defense and other Ministries that need to contribute, such as the Finance Ministry that needs to determine the budget for the missions. “The United Nations recognized the need to synchronize national planning and for several determined ministries in charge of planning to participate at the same time in the planning process. This is the main essence of this course – to demonstrate that it is necessary to have a comprehensive approach to planning operations,” said Pajovic.

The course for opened by the Head of the United Nations Office in Belgrade Simona Miculescu, and the opening was attended by the Head of the UN Integrated Training Service Mark Pedersen, who thanked for the organization of the course and wished the attendants to learn much more.

Mihajlovic: Pristina wishes to prevent formation of ZSO (RTS)

Commenting the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa that Pristina will examine the form of the dialogue with Belgrade because it bothers them that Serbia is hindering the process of Kosovo’s membership in international institutions, Radio Belgrade Director Milivoje Mihajlovic, told the morning broadcast of Radio and Television of Serbia that this yet another trick in order to stop the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO). “There is no return of Serbs, there are no basic results that should appear when the international mission is concerned. I think there is enough reason for a serious debate on this and for the UN and EU to start seriously pressing Pristina to stabilize the state-of-affairs,” said Mihajlovic. He points out that it is obvious that, according to the Pristina politicians and the protests in Pristina, that the ZSO is placed again in the focus of Albanians and this is the main topic – to distract the public’s attention from the essence, and the essence is the Special Court for War Crimes and it will have to be formed.

Maric: Mentioning of change of form of dialogue is buying time (RTS)

Minister for Local Self-Government in the Kosovo government Ljubomir Maric has RTS news that the statement by Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa that the format of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue should be changed is only buying of time and that the Kosovo Serbs expect the implementation of the Brussels agreement without delay. “The authorities in Pristina have a problem with implementing what has been agreed in Brussels. Mentioning of change of formats, inclusion of other institutions, opposition parties, civil sector – these are only excuses and shows how much there is lack of capacity to implement what has been agree,” said Maric. He says that at issue is a new delay of the implementation of the Brussels agreement, primarily the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities, and that the Serbs are not interested in this.

Udovicic: Serbia to contest FIFA’s Kosovo decision (Tanjug)

FIFA’s decision to accept Kosovo’s membership bid is a major blow to sport, dealt by political interests, says Serbian Minister of Youth and Sport Vanja Udovicic. It also reflects inconsistency and a complete loss of fundamental sporting values and principles, he said. The consequences of the decision are unforeseeable not only as regards Serbia, but football in general, the Minister said. The national teams of all countries that do not recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence will be put into a situation of playing the national team of a non-existent country, which will raise the issue of regularity of all competitions at European and international level, the statement said. “We will not give up on the battle in which our (football) association will contest this decision, as well as the UEFA decision, with all means available. I believe that the court in Lausanne (the Court of Arbitration for Sport – CAS) will annul the UEFA and FIFA decisions and take a clear position that such precedents cannot even be considered, let alone that decisions like those can be taken in sport at international level in the future,” Udovicic concluded.

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: FIFA’s decision most drastic example of politics meddling with sports (Beta)

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija said that FIFA’s decision to accept the Football Association of Kosovo as a member was the most drastic example of politics interfering with sports. It is also a case of irresponsibly “turning a blind eye before the unforeseeable consequences” that the decision will have for football, reads a statement from the Office. “FIFA has thus taken on the role of a political body, overlooking the fact that the national teams of the countries that do not recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo will be faced with a very difficult choice if they find themselves in a position to play against the national team of a non-existent state,” the Office says. By making this decision, the Office goes on to say, “FIFA has become an accessory to legal violence, based on which Kosovo was admitted into UEFA”. The Office also said it expected the international Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne to annul the UEFA’s decision, which would then result in the recall of FIFA’s decision.

Patriarch Irinej calls on Serbs to stay in Kosovo, urges returns (Tanjug)

Serbian Patriarch Irinej called on Kosovo Serbs to remain in the province, urging its displaced population to return. Following a liturgy he served in St George’s Cathedral in Prizren on Sunday, he said that “Kosovo will remain ours if we carry it in our souls”. The Patriarch and bishops also consecrated the renovated building of the Saints Kyrillos and Methodius religious school in Prizren. We pray to God to save our Patriarchate of Pec, the Visoki Decani and the Gracanica monasteries and many other holy sites that have survived, as well as the walls and ruins of those that have been burned down or razed, in the hope that they will be rebuilt, Irenaeus said. The liturgy was attended by many Christian Orthodox worshippers, Kosovo Serb representatives, Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic and the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric and his aides. A regular meeting of the Serbian Orthodoc Church Holy Assembly of Bishops officially began at the Patriarchate of Pec on Saturday and is scheduled to continue in Belgrade on Monday.

Musliu heads Bujanovac (Novosti)

The local authorities in Bujanovac will be formed by the Party for Democratic Action (PDD), the Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA) that was on the joint list with them, the Movement for Democratic Progress (PDP) led by Jonuz Musliu, and the citizen group “For a Better Bujanovac”. According to this agreement, Musliu will be the president of the municipal assembly, and the Serbian parties will receive all positions they had in the previous local authorities.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik: Elections, but at all levels (Glas Srpske)

The President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik said he would call the general elections when the SDS deputies in the House of Representatives of the B&H parliament resign and when everybody assigned from the RS withdraws from the B&H institutions. Commenting on the demands put forward by the opposition during the protest, on calling the early presidential and parliamentary elections together with local, Dodik said that the elections were never disputed, but they will never get the elections only at the RS level, “while they sleep in the lee at the B&H level” and continue to topple and work on the destruction of RS. Dodik welcomed the fact that the opposition protest and the ruling coalition rally in Banja Luka ended peacefully, but stressed that even greater division was evident, because the opposition did not find the strength to promote dialogue and agreement, but announced new gatherings. He points out that it is disgusting to comment on the statement by the Minister of Security Dragan Mektic that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic is saying things that are untrue. “Mektic’s statement regarding Vucic, in which he said that he does not know who is he (Vucic) working for- is the best proof of their position towards Serbia, its officials and institutions. It is obvious that they are closer to Davutoglu and Bakir Izetbegovic than to Vucic and Serbia. I can only say that we will gather again as a respond to every new gathering by their side,” noted Dodik.

Dodik: RS wants peace and stability (Srna)

RS President Milorad Dodik stated in Banja Luka that RS wants peace and stability, which it showed during the rally “Heart for Srpska – Stop the Betrayal!” on Saturday. “RS is not a threat to anyone. We want peace, freedom and stability,” said Dodik. RS will be built according to the will and wishes of its people, said Dodik. “RS is as big as much as its happiness and stability are desired. There are many of our people around the world who love RS and they can definitely count on us,” he said. Dodik said he had never allowed anyone to disrespect RS. “I didn’t allow that to officials around the world, during meetings with foreign officials. We must tell our Muslim neighbors here that not all of them are terrorists, but we must fight terrorism together.” He emphasized that the Serbs had to fight for their country, which was definitely RS. “I’m not interested in any show-offs who say that RS is not a state. That’s not true – for us, it is a state,” said Dodik. The RS President recalled that through history, the Serbs brought freedom to everyone and that they gave many lives during such struggle. “We don’t want to relive the suffering like that experienced in Jasenovac and that’s why we want peace, freedom and stability. The Serbs are not against anyone, but they must respect us,” he said. Dodik reiterated that RS was committed to complying with the Dayton Peace Agreement and opposed any kind of imposition of will from Sarajevo. “Don’t mess with our RS because it is our freedom, which we love more than anything.” Dodik assessed that RS and Banja Luka wrote a bright page in their history on Saturday. “The two rallies in Banja Luka are peaceful, and at ours there are seven times more people than at the opposition’s. Over there, there are our brothers and friends who will soon realize in what a delusion they are,” said the President. He noted that RS was being defended from treason in Sarajevo on Saturday. “Treason is when you minimize the competencies of RS, adopt a coordination mechanism without consulting the RS institutions, when you mustn’t say that you love Serbia and when you want to be superior to RS,” said Dodik. He recalled that there were no longer 150,000 Serbs in Sarajevo and that RS did not hold anything against anyone. “SDS leader Mladen Bosic is annoyed by Serbian Patriarch Irinej when as a spiritual leader he calls for peace, stability, unity of the Serbs, while he is not annoyed when the departing Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu says in Banja Luka that Turks had been here and will be here. Shame on you, Bosic,” said Dodik. RS will not be used as small change nor be a subject of persecution, he vowed. “We say – don’t mess with our RS, we can’t give you any of it, because if we do, we will give you our heart, love and freedom. If there’s no freedom, there’s no state,” he said. “We want to be respected and will respect anyone with good intentions. RS is an unavoidable factor and the Serbs have two states – Serbia and RS.” Dodik called on the gathered citizens to chant “Serbia” and told Bosic that Serbia is not inhabited by extremists. “You can’t tell someone they are hungry and have a salary in Sarajevo that is higher than the RS President’s. That’s why there are 35,000 people here today, and only 5,000 at the opposition protest,” concluded Dodik. Dodik called on the crowd to disperse calmly, which they did. The rally in the Krajina Square in Banja Luka was attended by Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS) and Socialist Party leaders Marko Pavic and Petar Djokic, top officials of the two parties and numerous citizens. Other attendees included entity ministers, MPs, delegates in the B&H parliament, and top officials from the ruling coalition.

Protests in Banja Luka (Dnevni avaz)

To recall, organizers of protest “Release Srpska” and gathering “With heart for Ruska, Stop the betrayal” urged people to express their opinion on the gathering in a quiet, dignified manner and without incidents. Almost all the leaders of the parliamentary political parties in the RS promised that their members and sympathizers on the streets will respect the law and will not make any problems or riots. Judging by the statements of top officials, meetings, in the park “Mladen Stojanovic” and the Krajina Square should pass without any incidents. As of morning, strong police forces were on the streets in the center of Banja Luka, including the “special forces” and support units. Iron fence were set around the site where the opposition held a protest, as well as protective fencing to prevent access to the facilities of the institutions of the RS, the building of the government, the National Assembly of the RS and the Palace of the President of the RS. More than 2,000 members of the Ministry of Internal Affairs secured the city. All buses with protesters on entrances to Banja Luka were controlled. Each bus was examined in details and under police escort attended the meeting, all busses return in the same manner when they were leaving the city. Numerous police patrols around Banja Luka monitored the situation, while all the restaurants and catering facilities were closed due to the high precaution measures. The arrival of 100 buses of the opposition and about 150 buses of the ruling coalition was announced earlier. Exactly at 11.30 am in front of the Palace of the President of the RS, came out Milorad Dodik, the President of RS, accompanied by senior officials of the SNSD, Zeljka Cvijanovic, Nebojsa Radmanovic, Nikola Spiric, and headed to the Krajina Square. At the meeting of the ruling coalition and the protest of opposition in Banja Luka more than 35,000 citizens arrived, according to some estimation. This information is not final since people are still coming on the meeting as well as the protest. Mladen Ivanic, the member of the Presidency of B&H, said before the protest that the main objective of the meeting is preservation of democratic rights. He said that the gathering will take place in peace and dignity, and that there will not be any riots. At the meeting of ruling coalition in Banja Luka, among the RS officials, was also son of the Hague defendant Ratko Mladic, Darko Mladic. On the main square of Banja Luka, led by President Milorad Dodik, other RS officials also gathered, as well as a large number of their supporters, who came from all over the RS by buses. RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic has said that many problems that the opposition mentioned on Saturday could have been resolved if the opposition had unblocked the resources that were supposed to go to RS. Supporters of opposition were joined by senior officials Mirko Sarovic, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Igor Crnadak, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Branislav Borenovic, the President of PDP. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that the meetings in Banja Luka will be an exam “if Serbs can show a democratic face” and he urged the participants to express political passion and opinions peacefully and with dignity.

Protest of the opposition in Banja Luka (Fena)

Representatives of the Alliance for Change – leaders of SDS Mladen Bosic, PDP Branislav Borenovic, NDP Dragan Cavic and other representatives of the opposition gathered at Saturday in Banja Luka in Mladen Stojanovic Park where more than 10,000 people gathered from all parts of the RS to hold citizens’ protest. B&H Presidency member Mladen Ivanic said at Saturday’s protest of the opposition in Banja Luka that the protest is a great victory over the regime and that the courage prevailed over fear. “We did organize a protest to demolish RS, but to warn the arrogant government that we will topple them” said president of NDP Dragan Cavic addressing the citizens gathered in Banja Luka. Dragan Cavic, a member of the presidency of the Alliance for Change, said on Sunday he had submitted a request to the RS Interior Ministry to conduct a criminal investigation into himself and other opposition leaders over certain media reports that their protest was funded by the Soros foundation. The opposition leaders announce they will bring down the government at the elections. Meanwhile the US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack said that the protests and rally held Saturday in Banja Luka are the people’s view of the situation in society and that the United States did not have any role in initiating or maintaining of these gatherings.

30,000 demonstrators gather in Banja Luka for rival political rallies (Hina)

An estimated 30,000 people gathered in the Republika Srpska (RS) capital of Banja Luka at noon on Saturday for separate demonstrations called by the government and the opposition in the Serb entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). At least 10,000 opposition supporters led by the Serb Democratic Party (SDP) gathered in the city’s Mladen Stojanovic Park, expressing their dissatisfaction. RS Interior Minister Dragan Lukac said that more than 300 buses full of demonstrators had arrived in Banja Luka by 11am. He said that about 150 people, who wanted to join either rally, had been stopped on the border with Serbia. Lukac said that the police had banned planned marches by the two groups through the city center to avoid possible violent confrontations. “The police, with the present force, will not be able to control them,” he said, adding that over 2,000 police had been deployed in the city. In Belgrade, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said it was important that the two rallies passed peacefully and that stability was preserved. Some media in the region said that the demonstrations were financed by the Open Society Foundation owned by Hungarian-American business magnate George Soros, who allegedly provided 500,000 euros for this purpose.

Croatian Foreign Ministry dismisses Deutsche Welle’s Serbian-language as untrue (Hina)

The article by the Serbian language service of the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle about Croatia’s blockade of Serbian negotiations with the European Union is a complete untruth and propaganda aimed at misinforming the public. This was released by the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs which informed Hina news agency about the dismissal of the notions stated in the article on Friday. The European Commission could slightly modify its criteria for Serbia due to Croatia’s blockade of opening negotiating chapters, and diplomatic sources claim that the greatest problem is in Zagreb and that everyone is waiting for Croatia to give the green light, Deutsche Welle said on Friday. It claimed that Germany was very displeased about Croatia obstructing Serbia’s negotiations with the EU and that Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac had been called to the Bundestag to explain Croatia’s position. “That is pure propaganda and speculation for the purpose of misinforming the public,” a source in the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs told Hina.

DF MP were insulting Prime Minister, session interrupted (RTCG/CDM)

A parliamentary session scheduled for discussion on the election of the new government, was interrupted after the Democratic Front MPs were shouting in derogatory manner to Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. Djukanovic began to explain the proposal for changes in the composition of the government, after which the entire caucus of the Democratic Front MPs stood up and began chanting “Milo, thief”. After several attempts, parliament speaker Ranko Krivokapic could not calm down the DF MPs. After the insult, Djukanovic said: “Bravo jerks”. Meanwhile Djukanovic accepted the proposal of the SDP, DEMOS and Ura that the candidate for minister of agriculture is Milenko Popovic and for a vice premier Miodrag Vujovic. The session of the Parliament scheduled to continue today, Monday 16^th, will be attended by representatives of DPS, but the Prime Minister and representatives of the Government will not attend, it was confirmed by the Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic. He also said that the new Government of electoral trust is not only an ad hoc project, with a deadline in October, but that it has a potential to become a model of permanent resolution of internal divide in the politics. Chief of Representatives’ Club of DPS Milutin Simovic expects the Parliament to carry on with the session in accordance with the agreement reached during the Collegium on Friday, adding that any sort of deviation would demonstrate that someone wants to slow down the work of the Parliament and disable the implementation of political Agreement on free and fair elections.

Only VMRO-DPMNE’s MP candidate list verified by State Election Commission (Telegraf.mk)

The State Election Commission (SEC) decided unanimously Sunday for the candidate list submitted by ruling VMRO­-DPMNE and its coalition partners to bear the number 1 on the ballot for the 5 June early parliamentary elections. The VMRO-­DPMNE candidate list is the only one verified by the SEC, Commission’s chairman Aleksandar Cicakovski said. SEC should review whether a submission of only one candidate list is in line with the Constitution, Commission member from DUI party Subhi Jakupi. Violeta Duma and Igor Milev, Commission’s members form SDSM, also raised concerns to that effect. There is only one list at the moment, which means that citizens have no choice, Milev said. Silvana Boneva, SEC member from VMRO-DPMNE, pointed out that the list did not include one but 21 parties. In line with the Constitution, each party, citizen is entitled to decide individually whether to take part in the elections process, she said. Earlier, SEC decided to reject the candidate lists of the People’s Movement of Macedonia (NDM) due to irregularities. The MP candidate list of the Social-­Democratic Party of Macedonia (SDPM) was not verified on the party’s request.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Albania and Albanians in the Balkans: Great expectations and disappointments (Journal of Turkish Weekly, by Hamdi Fırat Büyük, 13 May 2016)

Turkish Weekly conducted an in-depth interview with Dr. Albert Rakipi on Albanians’ current position in the Balkans with a particular focus on Albania.

What are Albania’s foreign policy priorities at the regional and international levels, and how do you evaluate Albania’s current EU integration process?

Albania’s foreign policy is in a transition phase. After the fall of communism Albania’s process of transformation relied heavily on its foreign policy. The country employed a strategic vision in order to extract it from its extreme isolation and to assist in the rebuilding of the state and economy. Adopting an unwavering commitment to western orientation, Albania succeeded to become a NATO member and to take important steps forward in the process of European integration. These are important and major achievements. Currently, however, there seems to be a lack of new ideas. There seems to be an approach that relies more on improvisation, ad hoc solutions and lots of propaganda while there is much less clarity, fewer priorities, and most importantly, no real hierarchy of these priorities. That is why I argue that Albania’s foreign policy finds itself in a transitory phase. At the regional level, the new administration declared that its priority was zero problems with neighbors. This was a simple borrowing from the thesis of Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. It was out of place in Albania. At the international level there seems to be a real lack of realism and modesty. From time to time, Albania, a microstate, tries to act like a giant player in foreign affairs. Maybe this is a result of the country’s communist legacy and its tradition of asymmetric relations (primarily with major superpowers), during which time it behaved as though it was the center of the world. Now we have a dozen states, including some major superpowers, which Albania claims to have as its strategic partners. European integration is essential for the democratic future of our country. The process of EU integration has been the driving force behind the rebuilding of the state and the modernization of the society. The fact that for the moment we are not reaching major milestones in this process does not mean that substantial progress is not being made in the rebuilding and functioning of the state, the economy and the democracy of the country. It is not the accession of Albania that transforms Albania. The opposite of this is true. The progress in state functionality, economy and democracy is what makes Albania approach the EU. European integration is not an issue of foreign policy.

Hashim Thaci was elected President of the Republic of Kosovo as political crisis deepened in the country. How do you evaluate the current circumstances in Kosovo?

Hashim Thaci is a dominant political figure in Kosovo. He is extremely popular and was elected with a large majority if not the largest majority of any elected official in the country. Just as is the case with any politician elsewhere in the world, a large part of society does not support him, or even shuns him. This is very normal for a political party leader and even for a prime minister. However, it is expected that a Head of State, a President, will be a personality that ensures unity. And therein I believe lies the biggest challenge of Thaci as a President. His transformation from a leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), with all its different shades and interpretations, to a moderate politician who has invested so much in the state-building process in Kosovo as well as in the process of pursuing recognition of Kosovo in the international arena is truly impressive. Being elected in the midst of severe and deep political conflict between the majority and the opposition, the new head of state in Kosovo faces first and foremost the issue of trying to find a way to dissipate pressing political crises. However, doing such would be just the first step. The real challenge for Mr. Thaci will be to function as a president for all citizens and to depart from the unfortunate political model of our eternal strongmen leaders who neither share nor give up power. Kosovo, just like many other countries in the Balkans, is a weak state. Unfortunately it sometimes even demonstrates the symptoms of a failed state. Disagreements and deep divisions are eating away at the political stability and the potential that the country needs to develop. The parallel institutions which Serbia does not seem to be ready to give up have exerted a significant toll on the process of state building and state functionality in Kosovo. However, to focus solely on this dynamic would be to simply point fingers and identify “the enemy” as the one to blame. The essential problem today is that political parties, while agreeing to build a democratic regime, fail to play by the rules of the democratic game. State building is not easy in a country where the state tradition is lacking and the democratic and liberal experience is limited to sporadic spurts.

There is an ongoing political crisis in Macedonia, where we see increasing ethnic tension between the government and ethnic Albanians. How do you evaluate the current circumstances in Macedonia?

Macedonia is unfortunately the victim of the tyranny of status quo. For more than a decade now the country is in a limbo in regards to its EU integration, and many regressive steps and processes have happened as a result of the lack of change. The political system in Macedonia is becoming more and more autocratic and illiberal and there is also a concerning recurrence of populist rhetoric and policy. The fact that Macedonia has a brittle interethnic equilibrium makes the reality there even more concerning. All the risk factors in Macedonia are serious threats to the security and stability of the Balkans. When it comes to solutions to political crisis, unfortunately in this region, there is a culture of dependency on the international community, on the foreigners. Such sometimes reaches absurd levels from which conspiracy theories are even formed. There is a need for local ownership of the situation, the responsibilities and the solution.

How do you perceive Albania’s relations with ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia, and what is Albania’s role when it comes to Albanians in the Balkans?

The independence of Kosovo and the eventual change of the political map in the Balkans generated a completely new reality. As a result, the relations between Albanians are first and foremost interstate ones. Many thought that after Kosovo attained independence, relations between Albania and Kosovo would rapidly develop and yield many benefits, however, we see today that that has not been the case. Although there are no problems between the two states, these two societies have been not only separated but strongly isolated from one another for a long time, hence they are now quite different.  From time to time cross-border trade wars start over food products such as potatoes, milk and meat… and even other items. There is plenty of façade work being done in the relations between Albania and Kosovo, especially on the side of the former: joint cabinet meetings, the hoisting of large and numerous flags, the imposition large symbolic eagles that dominate the décor and propaganda drums. In the meantime the two governments have actually failed to build up the necessary mechanisms and instruments that could strengthen and expand their economic relations and trade. It is a well-known fact that the trade volume between Kosovo and other former Yugoslav republics, including first and foremost Serbia, is much larger than that with Albania. In the economic field the thesis of Tim Judah of theEconomist that there is a restoration of the Yugosphere seems to be accurate. Although not everyone agrees on that, it is quite clear that building a market on an ethno basis is not possible if the market and the economy in Albania do not function well. There is at least one political party in Kosovo, a party inside the Parliament, which actively supports the creation a common state with Albania. However, “Greater Albania” should actually be conceived of as greater economic Albania, just as Behgjet Pacolli argues. Kosovo and Albania are weak and dysfunctional states not because they have been or still are separate. In the same vein, they will not start being functional just because they are joined together. And it should be noted that this is not only about economics. There is also less cultural communication and interaction between the societies in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia, even now that they are open and free countries. I am aware that that sounds like a paradox. On the question of whether there is a role for Albania to play with regard to the Albanians all over the Balkans, I believe that Albania has played a constructive role in Albanian issues in the region. It has done so by supporting wholeheartedly the policies of the west. That, I believe, is the most important context in which to analyze the role of Albania. However, from another point of view, Albanians around Albania have seen Albania as their mother country. Nonetheless, Albania’s role in this regard has gradually diminished for three reasons: 1) the growth and partial maturing of political elites in Kosovo; 2) these elites’ gradual pushback towards any kind of paternilizing move from Tirana; and last but not least 3) the eventual and recurring crises that have affected Albania, bringing it sometimes to the brink of a failed state. The latter has particularly eroded the legitimacy and reputation of Albania while also limiting its real opportunities to play a leadership role and serve as a model for Albanians in the region.

Albanians constitute the largest Muslim population in the Western Balkans and they have suffered significantly from Islamist radicalism and ISIS recruitment. Could you please share your opinion on religious radicalism in the Balkans, particularly as it relates to Albanian Muslims and foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria?

Islamic radicalism and the issue of foreign fighters are phenomena present at the global scale which have also manifested themselves in the Balkans. At least 100 Albanian citizens have been recruited and have joined ISIS’s army. From Kosovo and Macedonia there are much more, likely double that figure. Last year, state agencies reported that no one from Albania travelled to Syria. This issue is very serious and unacceptable for Albania. Albanian societies in Albania, Macedonia and Kosovo differ from one another when it comes to their approach to religion. In the entire modern history of Albania there is no instance of mobilization on a religious basis. Religion in Albania has never played the role of an organizing ideology for society, and this rings even truer when it comes to the organization of the state. However, despite our existing religious harmony, the risk is real: in the past Muslims didn’t even pray publicly in Raqqa and now it has become the capital of the Islamic State. The Albanian societies in Kosovo and Macedonia shows themselves to be more religious and the influence of radical Islamic groups is more pronounced there. The number of foreign fighters from these areas is also therefore larger. Without a doubt, Islamic radicalization can become a threat to national security; in the case of Albania it would endanger the religious coexistence in the country which would be fatal. Generally states in the Balkans are weak and their capacities to secure even basic public goods for their citizens are very limited. This situation has eroded the public trust in institutions and the legitimacy of political regimes throughout the entire region. This situation creates the spaces needed for the influence of radical and extremist groups to step in. These groups promise citizens not only public goods but also a state, a flag and a future.

*Albert Rakipi is the Executive Director at the Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS). Mr. Rakipi holds a PhD in International Relations from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. Before assuming his position at AIIS, he previously served as a career diplomat and then as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania. **The interviewer thanks Mrs. Alba Çela for her strong support in conducting this interview. ***This Interview was first published in the May issue of Analist in Turkish 

ISIS in the Balkans (The Cipher Brief, by Kaitlin Lavinder, 13 May 2016)

The 1990s Yugoslav wars disintegrated a nation and created a fractured Balkans that continues to deal with ethnic strife and political instability. The wars also opened the door for the development of Islamic extremist ideologies.

The former Yugoslav region has a history of moderate Islam. But during the communist era, many official Islamic governance bodies were shut down or scaled back. With the collapse of communism and subsequent opening of religious practice in the early 90s, institutions were largely incapable of providing adequate oversight of religious affairs. “They [religious institutions] have drawn fierce criticism for being slow to react to extremism and apparently failing to tackle radicalization and recruitment by violent jihadi groups,” explains Anita Rice, Senior Editor at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN). In addition to an institutional failure following the end of communism, the 1990s wars imported a form of radical Islam that the region had never seen before. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, the Saudis introduced the ultra-conservative Salafi movement. Tanja Dramac Jiries, an expert in foreign fighter recruitment and radicalization in the Balkans, explains, “The Salafi movement […] was ‘imported’ by Saudi-sponsored mujahedeen fighters mobilized to fight alongside the drastically under-armed and under-funded Muslim Bosniaks against both Serbs and Croats.” Extremist communities have remained since, says Jiries. A mix of continued ethnic and political instability and newly formed radical Islamist communities in the Balkans has created fertile ground for Islamic State infiltration. At least 877 nationals from the Balkans have travelled to Syria and Iraq since 2012, according to BIRN, with a large portion coming from Bosnia and Kosovo. Foreign policy and security analyst Adrian Shtuni puts that number at around 1,000. Shtuni, who is an expert on violent extremism in the Balkans and originally from Albania, says what is more troubling than the number of Balkans nationals heading to the Middle East is the number of those returning home. More than 40 percent have returned home so far, he says. This poses a national security threat to the Balkans, the greater European continent, and the United States. Returnee fighters and other radicalized nationals wreak havoc in the region and act as ISIS recruiters. In April of last year, an alleged radical Islamist attacked a police station in the eastern Bosnian town Zvornik, killing one police officer and wounding two others. In November, a gunman killed two Bosnian soldiers and wounded another near the military barracks around Rajlovac. People who knew the attacker said he had recently started practicing Salafism. These isolated incidents, while not threatening on a grand-scale, should be a warning sign: radicalized Balkans citizens are engaging in violent acts and could bring that violence to western Europe. Albania’s former Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu told The Cipher Brief, “Most of them [returnee fighters] have passports which give them access to the EU because of visa liberalization and the Schengen agreement, extending the geography of the threat.” In addition, the Balkans connects the Middle East – and ISIS fighters in Syria and Iraq – to mainland Europe. The region is “a bridge for ISIS funding, supplies, and recruitment, and for other radical terrorist groups” says Mediu. An increased number of ISIS sympathizers in the Balkans means that bridge could be easier for terrorists to cross. Although an ISIS attack on the U.S. is unlikely – at least for now – the spread of jihadism westward puts the U.S. at increased risk, especially during a time when America’s historic counterweight – the European Union – is splintering. The growth of Islamic extremism in the Balkans and further destabilization of the region means those states that are not already incorporated into the EU will likely have a harder time justifying why the EU should accept them as members. A weakened EU and unstable, non-EU Balkans would be welcomed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and other regional players who seek to diminish American power and influence in the world. And any U.S. business interests in both the Balkans and western Europe would also be negatively affected by an increasingly weak and volatile region. But as Mediu says, “When it comes to the Balkans, Europe and the U.S. are distracted by other issues – the attacks in France and other western states, the ongoing global economic instability, the war in Syria, and the flood of refugees and migrants into Europe. This has reduced support and understanding for the gravity of the terrorist threat in the Balkans.” The U.S. and the EU would benefit from a closer look at the legacy of the Yugoslav wars – ethnic tensions, political instability, and radical Islam – and the threat a force like ISIS poses to an inherently vulnerable region.

Bosnia police arrest five, seize arms intended for Islamists in Sweden (Reuters, 13 May 2016)

SARAJEVO Police in Bosnia have arrested five people suspected of trafficking arms to Islamists in Sweden and seized large amounts of weapons and military equipment, officials said on Friday, after a sixth person was held earlier in Sweden. The arrests were made on Thursday during raids on seven locations in northwestern Bosnia by a police counter-terrorism unit in Bosnia’s autonomous Serb Republic, said Mirna Miljanovic, head spokeswoman at the region’s interior ministry. Miljanovic said the action was in cooperation with Swedish police as part of an international operation codenamed “Wolf RS”. All five arrested on Thursday were Bosnian Serbs, and the person detained last week in Sweden was of Bosnian origin, she said. Two others were on the run. Miljanovic declined to give more details of those arrested, but a police source told Reuters the weapons were attended for the Swedish branch of Egypt’s Islamist Muslim Brotherhood. Swedish police and security officials declined to comment. The Balkan region has been notorious as a route for smuggling arms into Western Europe.

(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; additional reporting by Anna Ringstrom; Editing by Giles Elgood)