LOCAL PRESS

Vucic meets Kerry in Brussels (RTS)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has met in Brussels with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who welcomed Serbia’s constructive role in strengthening regional cooperation and relations. Vucic thanked Kerry for U.S’ clear support to Serbia’s EU path, especially in the process of opening Chapters 23 and 24.

The Croatian government has requested Serbia to take a stand on the implementation of the Law on the jurisdiction of the war crimes court as otherwise it is uncertain what will be Croatia’s stand at the inter-government conference. RTS unofficially learns that Vucic made it clear to interlocutors in Brussels that the Serbian government will not be giving additional statements on the jurisdiction of the war crimes court.

Djuric: Pristina suffering from lack of political compass (Tanjug)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that Pristina, by disputing the authority and significance of the United Nations, has demonstrated that it was suffering from chronic lack of political compass and irreparable loss in the perception of international relations. Djuric told Tanjug that the “attack” of Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxhai on the United Nations was another contribution to the argumentation of all those that oppose the southern Serbian province becoming a full-fledged member of the international community as a self-declared state. “I thank him for that,” said Djuric, noticing that Hoxhai disputed the organization which the self-declared Kosovo had been aspiring to join at all costs.

On the other hand, Djuric notes, it is understandable why Hoxhai thinks that the reports of the UN Secretary-General on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija are harmful to Pristina’s state-building ambitions.

Hoxhai told Telegrafi daily that UNMIK was an extension of Russian influence in Kosovo and assessed that one should attenuate United Nations Security Council sessions on Kosovo since the reports of the UN Secretary-General were “harmful”.

Joint border patrol teams to be commanded by army general (Tanjug)

The police-military teams to patrol Serbian borders will be set up soon, Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic told a press conference in Belgrade.The teams would be under the command of Serbian Army (VS) General Zelimir Gliskovic, he added. Around 80 percent of the migrants are from Afghanistan, around 10 percent are Syrians, while the rest are from Pakistan and other countries, Stefanovic said. It is absolutely clear that none of them stand a chance of obtaining asylum in EU member states and they clearly will not be able to do so in Serbia in case they are economic migrants, Stefanovic said. The police-military teams can help reduce the number of migrants entering the country, Stefanovic said, adding that 1,500 people involved in people smuggling had been arrested over the past two years and that Serbia wanted to send a clear message that such activities would not be tolerated.

Stefanovic: Stricter border control, 1,500 people arrested over human trafficking (RTS)

Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that teams of the police and prosecution have been especially working on cases of migrant trafficking, and that Serbia is not tolerating, supporting or turning away from these cases. He stressed that the police had arrested over 1,500 people over the past two years. Stefanovic says that the migrants will be sent to collective centers, and those who request asylum will enter procedure. He says that they will treat the migrants who do not request asylum in accordance with the law, and if they do not wish this they will be returned to countries of origin.

“I haven’t seen any kind of reactions of the EU member states, there should not be any, the EU member states are behaving in the same manner, protecting borders, and this is the obligation in Chapter 24 – protection of Schengen borders and border protection,” said Stefanovic.

Belgrade, Zagreb still at odds over Serbia’s jurisdiction law (Tanjug)

Serbian and Croatian Foreign Ministers Ivica Dacic and Miro Kovac on Friday reiterated willingness for further improvement of relations between their two countries, but noted that disagreements remained over Serbia’s law on universal jurisdiction over war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. At a press conference in Subotica, northern Serbia, Kovac said Croatia found Serbian indictments against Croatian citizens unacceptable, while Dacic noted that the law had been passed 14 years ago with support from international factors. It is not being discussed today, but it will be discussed in the coming years in Serbia’s EU accession talks, Dacic said.

There is concern in Croatia following Thursday’s statement by a Serbian official that the law applied to Croatia and that some of its war veterans would be indicted, Kovac said. Twenty-one years have passed since the war and it is time the two countries had solid foundations for long-term cooperation, Kovac said. Issues from the war, including the issue of missing persons, must be solved and they will be one of the European criterions, Kovac noted. “We will advocate Serbia’s EU accession, but we will seek a fulfilment of all criteria. They are part of Chapter 23,” said Kovac, adding that he would like to see a quick signal from Serbia that the law would not apply to Croatia. Later on Friday, at a reception marking the anniversary of the Democratic Alliance of Croats in Vojvodina, Kovac said that the conditions for Serbia’s EU accession would also include guaranteed parliamentary representation for Serbia’s ethnic Croats.

Miscevic: Croatian request doesn’t have EU support (Politika)

The latest threat from Zagreb that it will withdraw the decision on opening chapters if the Belgrade authorities do not clearly state whether they support the stand of the Head of the War Crimes Prosecution Milan Petrovic that Serbia doesn’t intend to abolish the Law on regional jurisdiction for war crimes in the region of former Yugoslavia is allegedly bringing into question today’s international conference in Brussels. The Head of the Serbian negotiating team with the EU Tanja Miscevic tells Politika that the chapters will be, nevertheless, opened. “After this, things in the negotiating process should not be the same as before the opening of these two chapters. This is the sign that we are heading forward,” said Miscevic.

Djordjevic, Li discuss further defense cooperation (Tanjug)

Serbian Defense Minister Zoran Djordjevic and Chinese Ambassador Li Manchang discussed ways to further improve defense cooperation, military economic and military medical ties in particular. They agreed that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to Serbia had confirmed the strategic partnership and friendship between the two countries. Developing excellent relations with all partners in the East and the West alike and full respect for the policy of military neutrality are Serbia’s foreign policy goals, Djordjevic said at the meeting. He also thanked Li for Chinese government assistance through military and civilian donations.

Boljevic: Coup just beginning (Politika)

The Chairwoman of the Judges’ Association of Serbia Dragana Boljevic has stated that, judging by the quick reaction of the Turkish government, by the number of dismissed prosecutors and judges who are awaiting arrests, the impression is that the toppling of the government in Turkey was attempted by judges and prosecutors and not the Turkish Army. “Not even twelve hours have passed since the military coup, while 2,745 prosecutors and judges have already been dismissed. Five hundred-forty-one judges of administrative courts were dismissed out of 1,500 of them. These people would have decided on the legality of operations and activities of state institutions to be undertaken by Turkey in the following days, Boljevic writes in the author text in Politika.  She adds that 48 judges of the State Council had been dismissed, more than half who would be deciding on complaints against the decisions of administrative courts. They dismissed 140 judges of the 150 judges of the Court of Cassation. They also dismissed five judges, members of the Turkish High Judicial Council, who, with two more members elected by the president, make up the most important, second council of the Turkish High Judicial Council, and decide on progress of prosecutors and judges on their disciplinary responsibility and dismissal.

“Today, our Turkish friends, prosecutors and judges, one after another bid farewell to us, their colleagues and friends, prosecutors and judges from Europe. They left their children with relatives and sat with their spouses, waiting to be picked up. We remained in front of our monitors and computers, helpless and defeated,” writes Boljevic.

Two weeks ago, in the night when the terrorist act was conducted at the airport in Istanbul, Turkey passed the law according to which the mandate for more than 700 judges of the Supreme Court of Cassation and the State Council will stop on the day of its entry into force, while the number of judges in these courts will be reduced from 516 to 200 in the Supreme Appellate Court and from 195 to 90 in the State Council.

Lazanski: Signal to Turkish Army for coup given by those who wish to stop Turkey’s new course – cooperation with Russia (TV Pink)

Military analyst Miroslav Lazanski has told TV Pink that for the time being it is uncertain how the situation after the military coup in Turkey will develop, nor how it will end and whether there will be a conflict. He says that he doesn’t see who could have interest to stop the new course of Turkey’s foreign policy that is heading towards cooperation with Russia, towards de-escalation of tensions in the Black Sea, and the de-escalation of the war in Syria. “Those interested to stop that are probably signaling part of the Turkish Army to go to the streets,” says Lazanski, who doesn’t exclude the possibility that the initial spark could have arrived from abroad. Lazanski assesses that a significant part of the Turkish society had gone towards Islamization, but that it was uncertain whether they would confront the army.

REGIONAL PRESS

European Commission and B&H initial Protocol on adaptation of SAA (Fena/Nezavisne)

The Head of the B&H negotiating team Hamdo Tinjak and Head of the EU Delegation to B&H and EU Special Representative in B&H Lars-Gunnar Wigemark initialed today the Protocol on the adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) after the Croatian accession to the EU. “This is a good agreement both for B&H and for our member-states,” said Wigemark after the document was initialed. He expressed satisfaction with today’s event, commenting that there was not such a fuss in any other country regarding the amendments to the SAA after Croatia’s admission to the EU.  Tinjak thanked EU negotiators for understanding for Sarajevo in the negotiations in the past six months, adding that his country was given maximum concessions. B&H Minister of Foreign Trade Mirko Sarovic described the endorsement of the modified SAA as a very important moment when barriers on B&H’s journey towards the status of candidate for the EU membership were removed. The next step is the ratification of the modified agreement in B&H’s legislature as well as in parliaments of the 28 EU member-states.

The modification of the SAA is an essential precondition for B&H’s efforts to be given the status of EU candidate after it submitted the request to that effect in mid-February.

B&H’s authorities used to refuse the modification of the SAA for two years, insisting that the customs-free imports from Croatia would affect the local agricultural sector.

RS officials warn that Izetbegovic, Zvizdic, Novalic jeopardize Reform Agenda and arrangements with international  financial institutions (RTRS)

RTRS reminds that following the SAA adaptation, B&H CoM Chairman Denis Zvizdic (SDA) and FB&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalic (SDA) were supposed to sign the Letter of Intent for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding a new loan arrangement for BiH, but BiH Presidency Chairman and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic has meanwhile set a new condition, i.e. adoption of the Coordination Mechanism on EU Issues in B&H. RTRS did not get confirmation from B&H CoM or from the FBiH Government on Sunday on whether Zvizdic and Novalic are going to sign the Letter of Intent. The reporter commented that it is hard to expect they will sign the Letter of Intent, referring to Izetbegovic’s statement that the RS needs to give up on deciding by the principle of consensus in the Coordination Mechanism. “I hope that they will modify this demand so that we can finally have the Coordination Mechanism and the arrangement with the IMF. These two things will remain linked”, Izetbegovic stated. Commenting on this issue, DNS leader Marko Pavic said on Sunday that the fact that Zvizdic and Novalic intentionally avoid to sign the Letter of Intent represents blackmailing of the RS and their blackmails should be decisively opposed. “This is the way how to leave the RS without money and to prove that it is incapable to function. The Alliance for Changes (SzP) or the RS representatives in the state-level authority must oppose these blackmailing policies”, Pavic assessed. RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic also commented on this issue, telling RTRS that she will not accept the blackmails coming from Sarajevo. The RS Government warned that Izetbegovic, Zvizdic and Novalic jeopardize the Reform Agenda for BiH and the arrangements with other international financial institutions.

Cavic: Referendum on Day of RS was supported by all parties in RS (Nezavisne)

Asked to comment the fact that a referendum on the Day of the RS is supposed to be held a week before the local elections, and whether it is going to help the ruling coalition to strengthen its position, NDP leader and candidate for Mayor of Banja Luka Dragan Cavic said: “I do not see why, because this was an initiative of all caucuses in the RS. Besides, the Commission for Implementation of the Referendum will have a representative of my party. We will all participate in that on 25 September, which is why I do not see how it could represent an advantage for anyone.” Asked to comment the objections to the date of referendum expressed by the RS opposition, Cavic said: “I still think it would have been better if we were to hold the referendum after the elections, on 9 or 10 November, because that is the date when a plebiscite of the Serb people in B&H was held 25 years ago, when they opposed independence of B&H.”

B&H Council of Ministers and FB&H government are blocked (Dnevni list)

Dnevni list claims it has learned from ‘certain Ministers’ (no names included) that the Council of Ministers (CoM) of B&H and the FB&H government have been in a blockade for a while now and that relations between the coalition partners at the state and the FB&H levels have been undermined. According to the daily, the situation has escalated after Director of the Statistics Agency of B&H Velimir Jukic adopted the decision on single methodology for processing of the census data, despite the fact the coalition partner at the state level had an agreement that the publication of the census results is to be postponed until end of the year. In the end, argues the daily, the agreement was violated and the Serb representatives were outvoted. As for the situation at the FB&H level, daily reads that coalition between SDA and HDZ B&H has been based on the principle of political trade from the very start, adding that the principle is now not functioning. Namely, daily reads that during a recent session of the FB&H government, it was agreed that members of the Supervisory Board of ‘Aluminij’ company be proposed by HDZ B&H. However, the proposal was not initially passed, which resulted in a quarrel between the Croat Ministers and the FB&H Prime Minister. Eventually, HD B&H’s motion went through, but by just, owing to votes of Ministers coming from SBB B&H. According to the daily, due to this, both the CoM and the FB&H government are no longer discussing important issues.

Plenkovic elected as HDZ president (Hina)

Andrej Plenkovic was elected on Sunday as HDZ president. 98,209 of about 208,000 HDZ members voted on Sunday in their local party organisations. Plenković was the only candidate and he received 97,823 votes. Plenkovic has replaced Tomislav Karamarko, who submitted his resignation on 21 June after he did not manage to form a new parliamentary majority. After the results were announced, Plenkovic gave a statement. “I am aware of challenges ahead of us. As part of European People’s Party, we will be a people’s party based on universal humanistic principles. We are opening a new chapter. This is difficult time for HDZ, Croatia, Europe and the world. We need a new vision and approach to respond to economic, social and security challenges of modern world. HDZ will make important decisions to revitalize the party. While visiting all Croatian counties in recent days, I have listened to what party members and voters had to say. I believe that open dialogue, intraparty democracy and involvement are necessary for successful public policies. My priority will be to earn the confidence of voters. I am convinced that I can lead HDZ to again become the driving force of Croatia’s development. We have achieved many successes which we can be proud of, but there are a lot of challenges ahead of us. We want to improve independence of all institutions in Croatia. Success has to depend of every person’s efforts and capabilities. We will promote entrepreneurship and market competition.

It will not be easy to change current trends, but I believe in success. The main goal will be to revitalize the economy. We are working on electoral manifesto which will focus on these issues”, said Plenkovic.

In his election program, Plenkovic stressed that his main goal was to restore the confidence of voters with credible and consistent policies. Plenkovic sees HDZ as a nation-building party of Croatian people representing national interests and traditional values, and as part of the European center-right political spectrum.

Police remove tent set up by right-wing party near anti-fascist monument in Srb (Novi List)

The tent has caused tensions to rise between protesters, local population and antifascists. Eight members of the Indigenous Croatian Party of Rights (A-HSP) were detained on Sunday morning at the police station in Donji Srb because they refused, at the request of the police, to leave the public area near the local antifascist monument, reports Novi List. Members of a special police unit, aided by a large number of regular police, started at 7.25 am a procedure “to free the public area near the antifascist monument in Donji Srb of people and things,” said Elis Zodan, spokesman for the Zadar County Police Department.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Balkan Leaders Praise Erdogan for Defeating Coup (BIRN, 16 July 2016)

Balkan leaders have expressed support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after he defeated an attempted military coup.

Leaders from the Balkans greeted President Erdogan’s restoration of control in Turkey after the failed attempt at a coup by part of the armed forces. Forces loyal to President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday crushed the remnants of the coup attempt, which crumbled after crowds answered his call to take to the streets and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks, Reuters reported. According to Reuters, more than 90 people were killed in violence that erupted late on Friday.

“Happy for the brotherly Turkish people and our valuable friend, President Erdogan for going out – with full success – from a very difficult night,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama wrote on twitter. The Democratic Party, the main opposition party, on Saturday expressed concern over the last developments. The party “expresses its support for the elected democratic authorities in Turkey, for democracy and the rule of law. Saving the constitutional order and restoring peace and public security is in the interest of Turkish citizens and the country’s friends and partners,” the party said.

The Bulgarian authorities also condemned the coup attempt in Turkey and said that they were monitoring developments. Following an extraordinary meeting with the security agencies and the ministers of exterior and defence early on Saturday, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov expressed hope that the situation would be regulated in a legal and democratic way. “We have always been for respect of the constitution and the laws in any country. There are ways to remove [a government] from power – through elections,” Borissov said, adding that “peace cannot be achieved through war”.

President Rossen Plevneliev said in a statement that the Republic of Turkey was a good neighbour and a strategic partner of Bulgaria. “For us, the stability and peace in Turkey are of primary importance, as well as respect for human rights,” the President said. Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry advised all Bulgarian citizens to cancel their trips to Turkey. Those already there are advised not to leave their hotels or apartments. The three border checkpoints between Bulgaria and Turkey were closed from the Turkish side all night, but by midday on Saturday they had reopened.

Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry also called on Kosovo citizens in Turkey to stay in their homes or hotels. It established two phone numbers in case of emergencies, as many Kosovo families spend their holidays on the Turkey coast.

Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa also expressed support for Erdogan. “These are challenging moments for Turkey… I hope the situation will stabilise soon without innocent victims,” Mustafa wrote on Facebook.

The Macedonian Embassy in Turkey has advised its citizens, many of whom are on holiday there, to remain in safe locations, not to leave the hotels and resorts where they are staying and to avoid mass gatherings. Turkey is one of the most popular summer holiday destinations for Macedonians.

Reactions to the coup attempt came also from Bosnia, where Erdogan is popular among the country’s Bosniak [Muslim] population. The Bosniak member of the Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, expressed support to the Turkish President immediately after the news of the coup came. “We are surprised and all this is very unpleasant. This is a menace to interrupt the path of the democratic development of Turkey, something that unfortunately we have often seen in the past. I hope and I am confident that this will not have success this time,” Izetbegovic said. “My message to my brother Erdogan is that he has strong support here, amongst us in Bosnia. My message to the Turkish people is that they defend their freedom, democracy, their right to choice … and that they will stay by their President … that in the next hours or days they will defend freedom in Turkey,” Izetbegovic said.

Several Turkish citizens gathered on the main square of Sarajevo old town to express their support for Erdogan on Friday night. Another meeting of support for Turkey has been called for Saturday in Sarajevo, regional TV N1 reported.

Croatia’s foreign ministry urged Croatian citizens currently in Turkey to stay in their hotels and homes until the situation stabilises.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic also called on Serbian citizens not to travel to Turkey. He said that Serbia “could not guarantee the security of its citizens” in Turkey. Vucic told reporters on Saturday that Serbia would send a plane Istanbul to get its citizens back home.

Romania fully supports Turkey’s democratically elected government, leaders said. President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday said Turkey remained a strategic partner for Romania and also a trusted partner inside NATO. “Turkey’s stability, based on respect for the institutions of the country and the rule of law, is also a key factor for regional and European stability,” Iohannis said. Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said Romania, together with the other EU member states, sought a swift return to Turkey’s constitutional order. Bucharest is following closely developments, as many Romanians tourists are now in Turkey.

The Turkish Embassy in Montenegro said the military coup was an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government, but it was “thwarted by the Turkish people who were joined in unity and solidarity.” The Foreign Ministry called on Montenegrin citizens in Turkey to stay in their homes avoid public places and mass gatherings.