LOCAL PRESS

Billboard in Kosovo village “inciting ethnic hatred” (B92, Tanjug)

The Serbian Office for Kosovo is demanding that provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina immediately remove a billboards set up in Musutiste. Musutiste is a village near Suva Reka. As stated, the billboard in the most direct way incites nationalist hatred and discourages Serbs who have expressed their willingness to return to the village. “It is the pinnacle of cynicism that there is a billboard indicating alleged crimes of the Serb people in a village where everything that is Serb has practically been razed to the ground, including a church from the early 14th century. In Metohija, which has been ethnically cleansed of Serbs in a most brutal manner, these messages from ethnic Albanian extremists assume a surreal character,” said the Office. Year after year, a statement said, Albanians in this part of Metohija, on the eve of the feast of the Assumption, the Musutiste village feast day, create incidents to prevent displaced Serbs from gathering on that day.

“At the same time, for three years now the realization of the return of the Serbs to the village has been prevented in an organized, physical manner, although an agreement between local authorities, the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina and the European Union approved the return of the displaced persons and built ten houses for them,” said the Office.

“We expect the authorities in Kosovo to take all necessary security measures so that the marking of the Assumption on August 28 in Musutiste goes without incident, launch a public campaign in order to stop the fascist practice of public calls for lynching, and encourage citizens in that part of Serbia to reconciliation and coexistence,” said in the statement.

The Kosovo Ministry of Communities and Returns also reacted to say they were very concerned for the he process of the return after the billboard was set up that urges ethnic hatred, and is directly aimed against the reconciliation of Serbs and Albanians in Kosovo. The ministry said that despite the agreement, and the work to allow the first ten families driven out of their homes in the village to return, they have been unable to do so for years – as “somebody has for years been using all sorts of excuses to make sure the return does not happen.” The ministry called on all competent institutions in Kosovo to take all necessary actions in ensuring peace and security, and on ethnic Albanian leaders in Suva Reka to provide all the conditions for the return of the displaced and “help the rule of law.” Actions such the billboards that incite ethnic hatred and intolerance must be prevented and we must work together to build better relations, peace and mutual tolerance, a release stated.

“We want to believe that this act will not jeopardize today’s start of the return of the displaced to Musutiste, because it would be another defeat not only in the return process, but also in building mutual trust between the two nations in Kosovo, led by the Kosovo Ministry of Communities and Returns,” the statement concluded.

Dacic: Permanent pressure to recognize Kosovo (Dnevnik)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Aug. 21, that the matter of erasing the Preamble to the Constitution of Serbia had not been a topic of any of the talks in the EU. Dacic said that during the negotiations on membership and the opening and closing of chapters, Serbia would receive certain demands which it had to fulfill in order to become a member of the EU, and which were “connected with changes in certain laws, and even the Constitution”. “This does not refer to the preamble. If there are changes to the Constitution, they will be when everything that needs to be changed in the Constitution is examined, and that does not at all have to do with the question, as someone is simplistically saying, of having to annul the preamble so as to avoid the issue of Kosovo. That was not a topic in any of the discussions in the EU, at all,” Dacic stated. When announcing that he would be attending the UN Security Council session in New York next week, for the presentation of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon‘s report on Kosovo and Metohija, Dacic said that Pristina wanted to have those sessions on Kosovo cancelled, which is supported by several countries, and to “drive the U.N. mission out of Kosovo.” “Pristina believes that the U.N. mission has no business being in Kosovo. We consider that this mission must remain there, to guarantee the implementation of Resolution 1244, because there is no new resolution on Kosovo”, Dacic said. Speaking about the recent visit by American Vice-President Joseph Biden to Serbia and Kosovo, Dacic pointed out that it was very important for Serbia that, for the first time, a high-ranking American official had expressed regret because of the victims of the NATO bombardment in 1999 and that, for the first time, it had been clearly stated to the Pristina authorities that they would lose the support of the United States if the Community of Serbian Municipalities is not formed. Dacic also said that the date of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev‘s visit to Serbia had not yet been fixed exactly. He announced that a meeting of the Mixed Committee for Cooperation between Serbia and Russia would take place at the end of September or beginning of October, and that scheduling the date of Medvedev’s visit could be expected after that. Dacic announced that on Sept. 1, he would be taking part in a meeting of foreign ministers of the OSCE in Potsdam, and on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3, he would be in Bratislava to attend the meeting of the EU and its candidate countries’ foreign ministers. The following month, he will attend the summit of the non-aligned movement in Venezuela.

Ban Ki-moon: No major progress in Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta)

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said that no major progress had been made in the implementation of the agreements reached by Belgrade and Pristina, while the two parties were exchanging recriminations for their failure to deliver. In his latest quarterly report on the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) , which will be presented at a U.N. Security Council session on Aug. 25, Ban Ki-moon said he was still concerned over a wavering political focus on crucial issues, and because long-term priorities had been neglected over party interests. “The tense political situation and opposition protests in Kosovo affected Pristina’s engagement, while parliamentary elections and the process of inaugurating a new cabinet affected Belgrade’s focus, too,” the U.N. secretary-general said in his report covering the period between Apr. 16 and July Ban Ki-moon said that Kosovo and Serbia had reconfirmed their commitment to the dialogue, but he also urged Belgrade’s and Pristina’s leaders to demonstrate fresh creativity, flexibility and a readiness for compromise, in order to make progress in the dialogue that would benefit all of the involved parties, and set Kosovo and the region on the path to stability and development. There were no high-level meetings during the period covered by the report, even though four technical meetings took place, the secretary-general concluded in the report. Pristina insists that Belgrade has blocked the implementation of agreements on energy, telecommunications and the opening of the Kosovska Mitrovica bridge, while Belgrade is arguing that Pristina is making it impossible to set up the Community of Serbian Municipalities, and is hindering Kosovo’s efforts to join international organizations, which affects the atmosphere of the dialogue, Ban Ki-moon concludes in his report. The report also notes several incidents at religious and cultural sites. Kosovo Prime Minister Isa Mustafa previously met with the U.N. secretary – general’s special representative Zahir Tanin, on Aug. 10, to discuss the last quarterly report on Kosovo. “Appreciating the U.N.’s support in the previous stages, Prime Minister Mustafa underlined the promotion of Kosovo’s statehood and international subjectivity, and Kosovo’s commitment to joining the organization” the Kosovo government quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

Djuric: Belgrade implements its obligations, Pristina doesn’t (Beta)

Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said on Aug. 21 that the implementation of the Brussels agreement would be far more effective if Pristina’s negotiators would refrain from pointing the finger at the other side every time, and started carrying out the obligations that stem from the agreement. Commenting on Ban Ki-moon‘s words that “no major progress” had been made in the Belgrade-Pristina agreements, for which the two sides were blaming each other, the Serbian government official said that unlike Pristina, Belgrade had fulfilled its obligations.

Community of Serb Municipalities “cannot be imposed” (B92, Beta)

Outgoing EU Special Representative in Kosovo Samuel Zbogar says the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) “cannot be imposed on either side.” According to a Beta agency report on Friday, he stressed that both the Serbian and the Albanian sides “fear” the formation of the ZSO. “The only way is to sit down at the table and try to find a functional solution that will keep Kosovo functional and at the same time give Serbs certain assurances that they can feel good and be integrated into society,” Zbogar has told Radio Free Europe. As he said, it is much easier to talk about it than to negotiate. The Slovenian diplomat also noted that Kosovo’s constitutional court has provided directions on how to arrive at the ZSO, and that he thought it was time to move forward.

According to Zbogar, Belgrade and Pristina are entering a new phase of dialogue in which the two sides should declare themselves on what the talks should look like in the future, what questions should be opened and what the dialogue is leading to. “I think there is the need to restructure the dialogue and for preparations for the dialogue to be done differently. What we see in Kosovo is skepticism toward this process because of the lack of transparency in the earlier stages of the dialogue,” Zbogar said, adding that work is under way with the EU to get as many people as possible involved in the dialogue. Zbogar said that “the inability of the political elite in Kosovo to reach agreement on strategic, national interests” hinders the process of European integration. “It is regrettable and it does not help Kosovo. At the same time, it interferes with a more rapid progress of Kosovo in the process of European integration,” said Zbogar. Zbogar reiterated that “dialogue and normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia are a condition for further progress of Pristina and Belgrade on the road to EU,” while “normalization of relations should be regarded as a national interest.” “We have made it clear that chapter 35 for Serbia is intended precisely to normalize relations with Kosovo. Also the Stabilization and Association Agreement with Kosovo has a provision that talks about the need for Kosovo to implement agreements and continue the dialogue with Serbia,” said Zbogar.

The EU representative also said that the Kosovo politicians are responsible for the ratification of the agreement on the demarcation with Montenegro, and expressed hope that members of the Kosovo Assembly would be “persuaded to adopt it” by September 1. “The demarcation and the Association of municipalities with Serb majority are part of the process of European integration of Kosovo, not the opposite. What I think hinders or slows down the process toward the EU is the socio-economic situation, unemployment and the economy, but also a lack of rule of law,” said Zbogar.

When asked when the Special Court for war crimes committed by the KLA (“Kosovo Liberation Army”) can be expected, Zbogar said that “Kosovo has done everything” and that he “thinks it will happen by the end of the year.”

“After that, special chambers will be formed, and what will remain to be done is for the prosecutor to raise indictments and start working. All preparations are being made now on the basis of the interim agreement signed in the Netherlands, which immediately entered into force. We are now recruiting the president, judges and other staff. Preparations are underway and this means that once we have a legal basis, the court can begin to work,” concluded Zbogar.

Earlier this week, U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci also spoke about the establishment of the ZSO, with Biden saying it was necessary, while Thaci warned it would difficult, but must happen if Pristina wanted to avoid being isolated from the U.S. and EU.

Business cannot wait, Cadez says in Kosovo (Tanjug)

Kosovo President Hasim Taci supports the dialogue between the chambers of commerce of Serbia and Kosovo to enable better use of potentials for economic cooperation in the territory, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia Marko Cadez said Friday after officials of the two institutions met with Taci in Pristina. Cadez said he and Kosovo Chamber of Commerce President Safet Grdzaliju had for two years been trying to establish more concrete cooperation between the two business communities.

“We know what our limitations are and what solutions we can and cannot offer. That is why having constant communication is important. Today we also had a meeting with Taci, who backed our dialogue and we heard some encouraging words,” Cadez said. On a daily basis, we are trying to solve problems affecting people who are engaged in commerce and want to carry out joint projects in Kosovo, Cadez said “We came to Pristina with a Leskovac-based company that wants to pursue joint projects with partners here, and it is on the right track to doing so,” Cadez said. It is important to note where there are problems and where cooperation is good, and this also applies to customs-related problems and veterinary certificates, Cadez said.

“We are looking for support and we are trying to accelerate the process of solving problems. The economy needs a solution immediately because business cannot wait. The quality of life in both Pristina and Belgrade depends on this,” Cadez said. Grdzaliju said the cooperation between the two chambers was underway as part of the Belgrade Pristina dialogue. We were surprised in a positive way by the support we received from Taci, and that is very significant, he said.

Harsh and insulting messages between Belgrade and Zagreb continue (VIP)

After just several days of political calm between Croatia and Serbia, the politicians of the two countries once again exchanged insults, mutually accusing each other for aggressive politics and leaning towards fascism. The problem started when Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic accused Croatia for renewal of fascist ideology at the central event of marking 75th anniversary of persecution of Serbs, Jews and Roma in Croatian Jasenovac concentration camp in World War II, and added that Belgrade would never again allow a new Storm i.e. a new persecution of Serbs. Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac reacted to this and he said that statements like that were continuations of “Greater Serbia” policy from 1990s. “We remember that Mr. Vucic has been visiting the part of Croatia under occupation and said in 1995 that Glina and Banija would never be Croatia, that they would remain Serbian and that people there would live in Greater Serbia. This is a continuation of such behavior, such policy, which is unacceptable for us”, Kovac said, who publicly argued with Serbian politicians in the past. Kovac added that Vucic was instigating his own people against Croatia and Croats with such statements. “In some way, this is a continuation of politics from 1990s when Croatia has been attacked, as a victim of greater Serbian aggression”, Kovac said. He added that, as opposed to the American Vice-President Joseph Biden, who recently “apologized and expressed his condolences” to the victims of NATO bombing in 1999 in Belgrade, Vucic never apologized to Croats.

Kovac claims that “Serbia will never join the EU”, Serbian officials react (Blic, B92)

Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac stated that Serbia would never join the EU because the country did not wish to give up on the right to sentence Croatian war veterans suspected of war crimes that happened outside of its territory. He also emphasized that Croatia would introduce countermeasures after Croatian citizen Zdravko Hlobik was arrested at the border line with Serbia, since Serbian authorities were searching for his namesake, charged of terrorism during the war. “This behavior, this intimidation, this provocations would not be tolerated anymore. And in this way, Serbia will never, I repeat never, join the European Union. And Croatia is ready for countermeasures”, Kovac said. Osijek-born Zdravko Hlobik (54) was arrested on Thursday by Serbian authorities at Bogojevo border crossing, after mixing him with his namesake Zdravko Hlobik from Jelisavac, who was indicted of wartime terrorism in Serbia. Serbian officials harshly respond to Kovac’s statement: Serbian Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Issues Aleksandar Vulin emphasized that Kovac was mostly bothered by the fact that Vucic’s grandfather was not Ustasha, but a victim of Ustashas and the fact that Serbian Prime Minister dared to say the truth. Vulin emphasized that “deep complexes and even deeper fear from the truth” were speaking through Kovac. Serbian Foreign Minister and deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic emphasized that Kovac’s statement was a confirmation that Croatia continued with provocations, threats and unhidden hatred towards Vucic and Serbia. “Croatia and Kovac are obviously bothered when Serbia and its Prime Minister clearly say that they will not allow another genocide and ethnic cleansing of our people, or allow rehabilitation of the fascist Ustasha Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and releasing of criminals from the last war. The supreme cynicism and rudeness of Kovac is that he is requesting an apology from Serbia. Those who slaughtered and killed Serbs in concentration camps are looking for apology from their victims”, Dacic said. “Aleksandar Vucic has been recognized by all leading counties for his policy of peace and stability, one that does not attack anyone but will not allow a repeat of genocide and ethnic cleansing of our people. It is time for the EU to end its silence and say for how long it will tolerate the rehabilitation of the fascist Ustasha NDH, and the threats against Serbia coming from Croatia. Such Croatia is today the EU’s biggest disgrace,” Dacic concluded. Another Serbian deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic emphasized that the fact that one of the candidates at the upcoming elections in Croatia (Zoran Milanovic) was bragging that his grandfather was a member of Ustasha regime in World War II, should be condemned. “Europe that we want to join is founded on antifascist battle and battle against Ustasha, which was won during the World War II. Thus, as a politician and intellectual, but also as a mother, I condemn the fact that one of the candidates in the election campaign in Croatia is bragging that his grandfather has been Ustasha”, she stated. Serbian deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said that Croatian authorities should better give up on their Ustasha past and kneel before the innocent Serbian victims and not celebrate the most horrific crimes and camps that were remembered in Europe. He said that it was completely unbelievable that any representative of Croatian Government should in any way defend, justify or relativize these monstrous crimes committed over Serbian people.

Nikolic comments on announced Serb Republic referendum (Tanjug)

The referendum in the Serb Republic (RS) is in its own hands and the hands of its citizens, and Serbia will not interfere, say President Tomislav Nikolic. His comments on Monday appear to concern a planned referendum on whether to challenge the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s decision that said the marking of Republika Srpska (RS) Day on January 9 was unconstitutional. Nikolic said the RS “should take into account also the wider context ” – that is, “the mood of the states deciding on our fate.” “Everything is in the hands of the RS. One should always take into account what those who are powerful think, but one should never lose one’s autonomy,” Nikolic said, adding that any interference would constituted “a violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the RS.” The Serbian president said his country would respect any decision made by citizens in a direct vote, “and will always try to get broad international support for that decision.” Commenting on the announced referendum, Nikolic said that holding referendums is a democratic right of every nation. “A referendum’s result is sometimes disliked by a wider community, and sometimes it turns out that those who organized it were wrong. There are referendums that brought good to citizens, while I believe that the (Brexit) referendum in Great Britain brought nothing good to either Britain or Europe,” said Nikolic.

Vucic said “I will not interfere with internal matters of B&H” (Tanjug)

Prime Minister of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic responded to speculations that he might request from Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik to cancel the referendum on the RS Day. Vucic said “I will not interfere with internal matters of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). As for the referendum and situation in the RS, in B&H and the region, I am Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia and we will discuss everything with the RS representatives in a friendly manner”, said Vucic for Tanjug news agency. “I will tell my opinion to my friends from the RS but this is our matter”, Vucic said and added that nobody will manage to “bring any bad blood” in relations between Serbia and RS. “Serbia and the RS managed something which nobody in past managed to do, and that is to act jointly and that nobody can hear any of Serbia’s officials say a single bad word about the RS and I am very happy that the situation is the same the other way around”, Vucic concluded.

Dodik: Vucic is not exerting pressure on me (Vecernje novosti)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has never exerted any pressure on him with regard to the referendum on the RS Day nor relations between Belgrade and Banja Luka are such that Serbia exerts pressures on RS leaders. “We always had only exchange of opinions on importance of a subject. After all, we do need to discuss every important matter with Prime Minister Vucic”, Dodik added. He said that his latest meeting with Vucic on Friday evening “was a pleasant conversation of partners” and he added that the subject of the referendum on the RS Day “was mentioned, but that is all”. Asked to comment on speculations that US Vice President Joseph Biden asked Vucic to exert pressure on the RS with regard to the referendum during his latest visit to Belgrade, Dodik replied by saying that relations of the state top of Serbia with Biden are very good “so I do not think there is room for any kind of pressures or conditioning of this type. I believe Vucic and Biden exchanged their opinions. Serbia respects wholeness and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), it is a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) but it also has strong relations with the RS. I believe this is exactly what was told to the US Vice President as well”. Commenting on open calls of Bosniak politicians to Vucic to make sure the referendum is revoked, Dodik said that they (Bosniak politicians) are “wax figures who got used to get what they want through pressures”. Dodik noted that Sarajevo expects again that the West will discipline the RS and Serbs and that “Biden will exert pressure on Vucic”. Commenting on calls to the international community to conduct concrete activities in order to prevent the voting, Dodik said that “to us, B&H is compulsion and not a love or desire. We entered B&H because that is what was agreed by the DPA which is being constantly violated by the international factor”. Dodik stated that there is no reason to trust in good intentions of the international community and noted that “our stance towards B&H is nothing else but fulfillment of the international obligations from the Dayton”. Dodik emphasized that the referendum will be held and noted that “(SDA leader) Bakir Izetbegovic cannot request abolition of the Day of Republic while we stand silent and do nothing”. Finally, Dodik commented on the statement of Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Miro Kovac, who said that Vucic continues the policy of Great Serbia from 1990es. Dodik reminded that Vucic is a serious politician who has a great support of the people and redefined Serbia in the international scene and concluded: “For Kovac and those similar to him, every success of Serbia is a nightmare”.

Cedomir Jovanovic: Referendum violates B&H Constitution (Vecernje novosti)

Leader of Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Serbia Cedomir Jovanovic stated on Sunday that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic have to stop the announced referendum on Republika Srpska (RS) Day, because RS President Milorad Dodik violates constitutional order and calls into question peace between Bosniaks and Serbs. Jovanovic stated that Serbia must raise its voice against the referendum on the RS Day and assessed that this will cause damage to the official Belgrade. Jovanovic said that Serbia must make an influence in order to postpone the referendum and stop nationalism coming from Sarajevo and Belgrade with regard to the referendum. “A new agreement is needed in order to bring relations back in frame of the Dayton Peace Accords. The first step would be postponement of the referendum and then holding of talks”, Jovanovic noted and concluded by saying that “leaders of Serbs on the other side of Drina river must not hold Serbia hostage”.

Belgrade demands urgent investigation (Blic)

Commenting on the arson in Orthodox Church in Sarajevo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic stated on Sunday that Serbia demands urgent investigation. He expressed hope that the investigation will not be as in the case of attack and “assassination attempt” on Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic in Srebrenica. “Those are the things that are country must react to”, Ducic underlined.

Dacic: Karadzic verdict important – no basis for lawsuit against Serbia (Alo)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic announced on Aug. 21 that, following the international tribunal’s verdict in the case of Radovan Karadzic, he spoke about the importance of the legal and political consequences of the Hague tribunal’s verdict for Serbia, and that all other topics were a matter of inter-party contention. “In that sense, it is a great thing for Serbia that in the verdict of Radovan Karadzic and the other verdicts of the Hague tribunal, nowhere has it been established that Serbia was part of a joint criminal enterprise, and there are no grounds for Serbia to be accused of war crimes or ethnic cleansing, or for incitement to them,” Dacic told a press conference. Dacic said this was important because Serbia faced the charges of Croatia and because it “might have problems with Bosnia and Herzegovina again”, because the Muslim politicians were preparing to renew the charges, and because of the announcement by Kosovo president Hashim Thaci that “they too were announcing some charges”. All other topics, such as erecting a monument to former President Slobodan Milosevic, were, Dacic added, part of inter-party contention. The Serbian foreign minister announced that Croatia has taken a series of steps that have “absolutely endangered regional stability” and that Serbia is reacting to concrete statements and actions. “Do not lie to your people, because you are provoking instability”, Dacic warned Croatia at a press conference. He said that Serbia was not provoking instability and desired cooperation. Dacic said that the law which provided for universal jurisdiction in the prosecution and trial of war crimes had been thoroughly examined by the European Commission, which had rejected all of Croatia’s arguments and demands. Universal jurisdiction is an additional means to punish crimes that would otherwise go unpunished, Dacic added and inquired “what are the crimes that Croatia has processed?” Dacic stated that, at this moment, Croatia has anti- European laws and practices, it continues to threaten Serbia that it will not enter the EU, and that Croatian politicians “are uttering stupidities about Greater Serbia.”

President of Serbia today with a chief of UNMIK Tanin (Kurir)

President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic will meet today with the Special Representative of a Secretary-general of the United Nations and the Chief of UNMIK Zahir Tanin. The meeting will take place at the building of the General Secretariat of the President of the Republic of Serbia, announced the President’s press office.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik: Referendum on will stop all humiliations imposed through decisions imposed by HRs (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated on Saturday that the referendum on the RS Day will stop all humiliations imposed on the RS through decisions imposed by high representatives from Sarajevo. Dodik stressed that decisions of the Constitutional Court (CC) of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) reached by three foreign judges and two Bosniaks undermine the constitutional status of the RS and the Serb people in B&H. “The referendum represents the found response to their arrogance towards the international agreement and the RS. They are facing a panic fear of all this now”, Dodik emphasized. He also said that Serbs will understand that they have adequate solutions to all decisions passed by someone else on their behalf, adding that the panic was created unnecessarily due to the “Bosniaks’ habit to achieve everything through maneuvers that they promote, as well as due to weakness of representatives of the international community and their vassal attitude towards Bosniaks who get engaged in such a game.” “The international community and Bosniaks are trying to find a reason to ban the referendum, but they are failing in that since the referendum does not violate B&H Constitution or its laws in any way. The RS citizens will say their opinion on the RS day on September 25 and this will not be changed”, Dodik emphasized. He added that the RS has no intention to give up on the referendum, reminding that the decision on this issue was reached by the RS National Assembly with consensus of all political factors in the RS, which means that the RS has no way to cancel the referendum or to change the referendum date or question. “The High Representative (HR) can no longer influence the decisions reached by the RS institutions, and this time both the institutions and the opposition parties backed the decision on the referendum”, Dodik said. He assessed that there are two ways to solve problems in B&H. “One way is to return to basic principles of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA), which both the international community and Muslims reject. The other way is to have a breakup, although this option will last longer”, Dodik said. The RS President asserted that future referendums should also give answers to key questions concerning the RS, concluding that secession of the RS from B&H is currently out of question given that it is a story imposed by Sarajevo, but it cannot be excluded that secession will take place one day.

Izetbegovic: Criminal reports against all those who take part in organizing and implementing of referendum (Hayat)

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic stressed that criminal reports will be filed against all those who organize the referendum and work on its implementation. Izetbegovic stressed that Dodik’s policy can be described as “Japanese mask with two faces.” He emphasized that Dodik’s aim is to use political means to achieve what could not be achieved by war. He said that weak reactions to referendum are dangerous, adding that it is time to be decisive. “If we do not want conflicts and problem, all of us will have to be braver”, explained Chairman of B&H Presidency. He also reminded that in case B&H Central Election Commission decides to deliver list of voters to the Republika Srpska Commission for Implementation of Referendum, criminal report against this institution will be filed.

Ivanic: All events in recent months were caused by Izetbegovic’s appeal with (TV1)

Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Mladen Ivanic commenting on the referendum on the Republika Srpska (RS) Day, said that he told Chairman of the Presidency of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic not to be concerned regarding January 9 and the Day of the RS because all events in recent months in B&H were caused by Izetbegovic’s appeal with the Constitutional Court of B&H (B&H CC) and his request to assess constitutionality of the RS Law on Holidays. Ivanic claims that it was well known that Bosniak judges and foreign judges in the B&H CC will vote in favor of the abolition of the Day of the RS and it was well known that such decision will cause disputes “in which seemingly defeated side waits for the second halftime to turn this defeat around”. He deems that no one forces Bosniak political leaders to celebrate the Day of the RS but Bosniak political leaders should not dispute the right of the RS citizens to mark the Day of the RS on January 9. “There can be no winners in this. January 9 will remain a date which will be marked in one way or another. Everything that has been going on is purposeless and pointless. This is why I think we should disregard such issues and it is better for us turn to the future and things that are waiting for us instead of the past,” Ivanic stated.

Supervisor Berton rejects request to allow holding of referendum in Brcko District (FTV, RTRS)

Brcko District Supervisor Bruce G. Berton responded to the letter in which Mayor of Brcko Anto Domic requested the Supervisor’s consent to the holding of the RS referendum on the territory of Brcko District for the citizens of Brcko who hold Republika Srpska (RS) citizenship. “The High Representative has made it clear that the decision on the referendum concerning the RS Day is unconstitutional and that it challenges a decision of the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Constitutional Court. I have therefore decided not to give my consent to the holding of the RS referendum on the territory of Brcko District”, said Supervisor Berton in his reply to Mayor Domic. The RS Commission for Implementation of Referendum stated that citizens of Brcko who hold the RS citizenship will still be able to vote. Chairman of the Commission for Implementation of the Referendum on the RS Day Sinisa Karan said that if the referendum cannot be held in the territory of the Brcko District, then it can be held outside of it. Karan also announced that polling stations will be set up outside of the Brcko District for citizens of Brcko who hold the citizenship of the RS.

PIC to hold session and discuss RSNA’s decision on RS Day referendum (TV1)

The High Representative Valentin Inzko confirmed on Saturday that the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) will hold a session on Tuesday, August 23, and discuss the National Assembly of the RS (RSNA)’s decision on referendum on the Day of the RS. Reporter reminded that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) previously stated that this referendum is contrary to the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) and the Constitution of B&H, as well as that it pushes the RS into isolation. Also, Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom expressed opposing to the announced referendum on the Day of the RS, due to be held on September 25, assessing it as anti-Dayton and unconstitutional act. However, the Russian Embassy to B&H supported the said referendum. Inzko also announced that, ahead of PIC’s session on Tuesday, he will discuss the matter with a number of PIC members on Monday, August 22.

Bajrovic: I do not believe OHR will intervene (Dnevni list)

President of the Civic Alliance Reuf Bajrovic stated that he does not believe the OHR will intervene regarding the referendum in Republika Srpska (RS), because relations on the international scene have changed. He further noted that ten years ago the OHR functioned in the relations where the USA and the UK have deciding influence. “It is not the case today. Today it is the mixture of Russian-Turkish influence and some of German influence. Besides, I think it would be irresponsible to throw the ball on (side of) the OHR. This is not the OHR’s but our state”, stressed Bajrovic. He deems that Sarajevo’s response to the referendum is weak, and that RS President Milorad Dodik used the opportunity after he noticed the weakness in political Sarajevo.

Serbian church set on fire in Sarajevo (RTRS, Glas Srpske)

Vandals set part of the Church of the Holy Transfiguration in Sarajevo on fire on Sunday morning. The fire broke out in a room within the Church that serves as storage for equipment and garden tools and it was most likely caused by an open flame. Priest Cedomir Djelmo said that the fire broke out at 8 am while they were preparing for mass. Firefighters quickly put the fire under control and members of the Sarajevo Canton (SC) Ministry of Interior (MoI) carried out the crime scene investigation in the presence of a court expert for fire protection.

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik commented the attack on the Church in Sarajevo and said that it is shameful to have such attacks on the church, especially in the days when it is celebrating is Patron Saint. “It is shameful that two decades after the war you have an Orthodox temple as a legitimate military target to deal with Serbs who have never left Sarajevo,” said Dodik and underlined that the Alliance for Changes has contributed to the current situation, because their servitude to the Bosniaks in Sarajevo has shown people how to act there.

SDS stated that it will request relevant cantonal bodies in Sarajevo to investigate the arson and detect the perpetrators. SDS condemned the vandal act, and called on political figures to lower tensions ahead of local elections.

SDA harshly condemned triggering of fire in the Church in Sarajevo, stressing that this and similar attacks on religious buildings are acts by vandals who are trying to bring in disturbance among believers, and to cause hatred and ethnic tensions. “We request from competent bodies to conduct urgent investigation, which will result in discovering and processing of perpetrator”.

Details of harmonized text of coordination mechanism (Dnevni avaz)

Dnevni avaz carries details of text of the recently harmonized and adopted coordination mechanism, which will be discussed on Monday by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). This text stipulates establishing of joint state bodies – Collegium for European Integration, Ministerial Conference, Commission for European Integration, and Working Group for European Integration. Consensus is the only way of decision making in these bodies. All institutions from all levels of authority in B&H are obliged to ensure participation at sessions of all bodies, in order to secure efficiency of the coordination mechanism. Disputable issue of quorum was solved in a way that quorum consists of authorized representatives of the Council of Ministers of B&H, Republika Srpska (RS) Government, the Federation of B&H Government, all ten cantons and Brcko District Government. If some of them are not able to attend session, it is necessary to find an authorized person who will attend the session. It was also agreed in the coordination mechanism that the Directorate for European Integration of B&H will be acting as expert and technical as well as operative body, which will establish communication with the European Commission and the EU Delegation to B&H.

Plenkovic: Serbian contentious law has hybrid jurisdiction (Hina)

Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) leader Andrej Plenkovic has said that the law which Serbia implements to prosecute and arrest Croatian war veterans is not about universal jurisdiction but that it represents “a hybrid regional jurisdiction unknown in comparative international law”.

“The future HDZ-led government with me at its helm will take a firm and principled stance. Two years ago, I, as a member of the European Parliament, launched an initiative to make Serbia change the controversial law and be transparent in the communication of indictments that, unbelievably, stemmed from the era of the military prosecutorial authorities of the former Yugoslav People’s Party (JNA). This is unacceptable for Croatia, a European Union member,” Plenkovic said in Rijeka. According to Plenkovic, Croatia will stick to its position as a member of the EU and NATO. “If it wants to continue on this journey (towards the EU), Serbia must show respect to Croatia and avoid provocations and cease raising tensions in the mutual relations,” he said. The HDZ government will not allow Serbia to have a law enabling its law enforcement authorities to prosecute Croatian citizens for alleged crimes committed on Croatia’s territory, Plenkovic said in the explanation of the controversial Serbian law under which Serbia has made several arrests of Croatian war veterans at border crossings.

The HDZ chief called on Serbia to lower tensions and reminded Belgrade that being an EU and NATO member, Croatia “has stronger and better international position”.

Croatian FM: Vucic pursued Great Serbia policy (Hina)

Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac said on Saturday that Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic‘s statement of Friday in which he accused Croatia of restoring Ustasha ideology and his message that Belgrade would never again allow a new Operation Storm, constituted the continuation of the 1990s Great Serbia policy in which Vucic had personally taken part.

“We remember that Mr. Vucic then visited Croatia, its occupied parts, and that in 1995 he said that Glina and Banija would never be Croatian, that they had always been and would remain Serb areas and that the local population would live in a Great Serbia. This is the continuation of such behaviour, of such a policy, and we consider it unacceptable,” Kovac said at Bile near Mostar, where he attended a commemoration on the occasion of the international Remembrance Day for victims of totalitarian ideologies.

“Croatia’s policy is a peace-making policy. It is one of the values cited in the Croatian Constitution, but we will not tolerate insults,” Kovac said, adding that Vucic continued to incite hate against Croatia and the Croat people in his own people. Kovac added that unlike U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who during a recent visit to Belgrade apologized and expressed sympathy to the families of people killed during a 1999 NATO bombing campaign against Serbia, Vucic had never apologized to the Croat people, “we call on him to rid himself of Great Serbia notions, to help himself and his people and to start living European values. To finally start living the peacemaking he keeps talking about but is having problem practicing,” said Kovac.

Mesic: Monument to Miro Barisic sent a bad signal to Montenegro (Pobjeda)

Monument to Miro Barisic opens up doubts and dilemmas on Croatia and its politics. There is a hope that after the elections in September, the matter will be resolved, and normal relations with Montenegro will be reinstated. When he was the President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic paid special attention to this relationship, it was said in an interview to Pobjeda. He said that hate, prejudices and lack of tolerance lead nowhere.

POBJEDA: Croatia made a monument for Miro Barisic, which Montenegro did not look kindly upon. Can this situation influence the relationship of two countries?

Mesic: It can and it will, I can only hope not in the long-term. I have already said this, but we cannot close our eyes to the acts of this man before he came to die defending Croatia. What he did was terrorism. Making a monument for such a man, with two ministers present, sends a bad message, and not only to Montenegro but to EU as well. The monument rises doubts about the true nature of Croatian politics. I hope that after the elections in September, this matter gets resolved and better relations with Montenegro ensue.

POBJEDA: What is your opinion on relations between countries in the region? Parliament of Kosovo did not ratify the Agreement on demarcation with Montenegro. Could there be problems there?

Mesic: There are open matters between all the countries in the region. The key is in how you approach these matters – aggressively or productively. There need to be negotiations that make the result a compromise where neither side feels like a loser. In general, I am not pleased with the situation in the region. I am actually worried – relations between Croatia and Serbia demonstrate their imprisonment in the past. Unfortunately, this has been going on for years. Lighting the fire of hate again, intolerance, that leads nowhere. We must be realistic about the past and look into the present and future. We have wasted too much time. Let us try and make up for what was lost by having stable relations in the region. I am not a nostalgic person, but I know what is interest. The interest of each country in the region is to cooperate and have good relations with neighbors. No one can convince me otherwise.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Nikolic: Serbia, Russia have exceptional political relations (Tsargrad TV)

Serbia and Russia today have exceptional political relations, established cooperation and joint action on very significant issues, says Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. Russia and Serbia have an agreement to jointly participate in all developments concerning their fates, and that is valuable to Serbia, Nikolic said in an interview with Russia’s Tsargrad TV. Russia is a “huge market, free of duties on practically all goods, with the exception of a few commodities; it is a major source of raw materials and fuels for Serbia,” Nikolic said. He said he did not believe Serbian-Russian relations had ever been better. “We have managed to secure Russian support in several situations that I would say were very critical to Serbia’s future – it was a resolution on Srebrenica, which was supposed to declare Republika Srpska a genocidal creation, and the UNESCO General Conference vote on Kosovo’s admission to UNESCO,” the president said. Serbia will never join the anti-Russian embargo, and I do not see that as a common foreign policy as the EU does not even have one, he said. “The example of Kosovo-Metohija is the clearest and the most drastic one. If all member states should recognize Kosovo under a common foreign policy, how come five EU member states have not recognized it and there are no sanctions for them?” he said.

Borrowed Peace-Broker could persuade Belgrade to Recognize Kosovo’s Independence (Sputnik)

Both Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs are reportedly concerned about Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama‘s planned visit to the upcoming economy and security summit in Belgrade.

Some of Albania’s leaders are reportedly alarmed over Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s decision to speak on behalf of Kosovo. Meanwhile, some Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs have reacted angrily to Rama’s intention to attend the forthcoming Belgrade summit on the economy and security, scheduled for October.

The Albanian delegation of industrialists headed by Rama is due to take part in the summit, which is slated to be held in Belgrade between October 12 and October 14.

High on the agenda will be bolstering economic cooperation between Tirana and Belgrade as well as discussing Albanian-Serbian relations in the region. The gathering is expected to be attended by a delegation from Kosovo, due to be headed by the Deputy Minister of the Local Self-Government of Kosovo, Bajram Gecaj.

In an interview with Sputnik, Pristina-based political analyst Berat Buzhala said that it is unclear how “the people of Kosovo will react to such a move by Edi Rama,” and that he is very much concerned about the fact that Edi Rama moves to speak in Belgrade on behalf of Kosovo.”

He added that he wants the Kosovo authorities to continue negotiations with Belgrade, and that the venue of the talks should not be moved to Tirana.

“I think that Tirana must not represent Kosovo anywhere in the world. Issues under discussion are not the problems of relations between Albania and Serbia. These are the problem of Kosovo and Serbia. And I would very much like their early resolution, but without Edi Rama,” Buzhala said.

He described Kosovo as a full-fledged state, saying that only Kosovo’s own leaders are authorized to negotiate with Belgrade and resolve internal problems. In the meantime, Kosovar Serbs see Rama’s participation in the upcoming economic summit in Belgrade as a sign that Serbia is signaling its readiness to recognize Kosovo as an independent state. Momcilo Trajkovic, chairman of the Serbian Resistance Movement from Kosovo and Metohija, told Sputnik that he is not surprised about the latest events on the matter.

“The Kosovo authorities are gradually begin to open checkpoints in Central Serbia, and they are looking for a way to justify it. All this may slowly but surely lead to the recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Belgrade,” he said. Prime Minister of Serbia and Albania Aleksandar Vucic and his Albanian counterpart agreed during last month’s Conference of the Western Balkans with EU countries leaders to hold the congress, which will be attended by Serbian and Kosovar politicians and businessmen.According to them, the gathering should see the sides clinching a deal strengthening bilateral cooperation and improving relations between Serbia and Albania.

During the visit of the Albanian Prime Minister to Serbia, the sides are also expected to negotiate direct flights of the air carrier Air Serbia in the direction of Belgrade-Pristina. Rama, for his part, recently touted the Serbian-Albanian ties as “good”, but added that the main problem between Belgrade and Tirana is related to their divisions on Kosovo’s status.