LOCAL PRESS
United Nations Security Council session on Kosovo (Beta/Tanjug/RTS)
The United Nations Security Council held a session late on Wednesday at its headquarters, to consider the report by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Kosovo. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic represented Serbia, while Kosovo Ambassador to the U.S. Vlora Citaku spoke on behalf of Pristina. UNMIK chief Zahir Tanin addressed the session via video link.
In his address to the Council, Dacic condemned the attempted confiscation of Trepca by the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina, as well as the looting of private property of Kosovo Serbs and the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Serbian government said on its website. Dacic said that Serbia expects member states of the UN Security Council to use their authority to repeal the Law on Trepca adopted by the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina. He added that, otherwise, Kosovo and Metohija will become a black hole of Europe, where private property is absolutely unprotected.
He also called on countries that have not recognized the unilaterally proclaimed independence of Kosovo to resist the pressures that many of them suffer and to remain consistent in their principled respect for international law, the UN Charter and the supreme authority of the UN Security Council to preserve international peace and security, whose Resolution 1244 reaffirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia. He pointed out that Serbia wants an opportunity for dialogue and agreement rather than unilateralism. Dacic reiterated that Serbia is sincerely committed to peace, dialogue, reconciliation and regional stability, i.e., lasting solutions that will lead to the future rather than past conflicts.
Dacic to Citaku: What colonialism are you talking about (Tanjug)
Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has rejected claims of the Kosovo Ambassador to the U.S. Vlora Citaku about Belgrade’s colonial tendencies toward Pristina. At the end of the session on Kosovo, Dacic addressed Citaku: “What colonialism are you talking about? We have here countries that liberated themselves from colonialism. The first capital of Serbia was in Kosovo, Serbian churches as well, do you think that it is enough that you are here and that Western countries are supporting you so that you can speak untruths.” “I am wondering why the migrants passing through the Balkans are not going through Kosovo when it is such an ideal country, but their citizens are escaping from Kosovo to Western Europe. What state are you talking about?” said Dacic. He also referred to the bombardment of Serbia, saying that this decision was illegal and passed with the decision of the UN SC. “From the very beginning you had a plan of uniting with Albania, you are not a Kosovar, you are an Albanian, here at issue is a national minority in a foreign country that has unilaterally declared independence,” said Dacic.
“Let us resolve problems, you are hiding behind the big brother. Nobody will bring you a solution like the one you received with bombs in 1999. That time has ended, regretfully for you,” concluded Dacic.
Vucic ends visit to Kazakhstan (Beta)
In a statement at the end of the visit, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic voiced gratitude to the Kazakh leadership for respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia, stating that this shows that they respect the state of Serbia and love it. Vucic emphasized the economic aspect of the visit as particularly important, saying that the East of Europe, like the Balkans, is becoming the best place for growth in Europe. “It is not just West European countries anymore… where you can’t have growth of over two percent… You can’t expect that from Italy, France and all other West European countries. We have that chance, but by including the Chinese, Kazakhs, Russians, Turks, Iranians and all others. That is why it remains for us to open markets and investors and business communities. In that area we are doing great, good and important work for our country,” Vucic said.
Technical dialogue resumes in Brussels (RTS/Tanjug)
The Belgrade delegation discussed with EU mediators the implementation of the agreement on the Community of Serb Municipalities and the agreement on the judiciary. The implementation of the conclusions on the implementation of the Action Plan agreement on telecommunications was also on the agenda of the talks. “We welcome the agreement reached on Sunday. Both sides in Brussels are discussing the details in order to implement the agreement,” European Commission spokesperson Maja Kocijancic replied when asked whether the reports in some Serbian media, which said Pristina is now trying to force fundamental changes to the agreement, were true. Asked the same question, EU officials said they could not comment on media reports in Serbia, Tanjug said. At the same time, the agency said it was unable to get confirmation from its diplomatic sources in Brussels that essential problems have arisen in the talks between Belgrade and Pristina regarding the implementation of the telecommunications agreement.
The Office for Kosovo and Metohija has meantime confirmed that the negotiations, originally scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, will continue on Friday.
Implementation of agreement on license plates postponed (Politika)
Politika learns that postponement of the implementation of the agreement on license plates occurred because Pristina didn’t fulfill its obligations. The Kosovo government didn’t open offices in four northern municipalities with Serb majority for pre-registration of vehicles and issuance of new driving licenses. Pristina also didn’t conduct a campaign where residents would be explained what this agreement implies and why it needs to be implemented. The authorities in the province also didn’t announce a public tender for the stickers.
Kuburovic: Sanctioning genocide denial is obligation from European documents (Beta/RTS)
Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic stated that the draft amendments to the
Criminal Code envisaged sanctioning the denial of genocide and war crimes, when such crimes are confirmed by the ruling of a court in Serbia, or the International Criminal Court in The Hague. “We are fulfilling obligations in keeping with European documents,” Nela Kuburovic told reporters in the Serbian parliament, adding that Serbia had the obligation on the basis of the decision of the EU Council, which stipulated that any denial of genocide was a crime, which is also stipulated in the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Dittmann: Connecting young people from Belgrade and Pristina crucial for normalization (Beta)
The German Ambassador to Serbia Axel Dittmann and the representatives of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights from Serbia and Kosovo concluded that dialogue and connecting young people were crucial for the normalization of relations. Speaking at the opening of the conference about relations between Belgrade and Pristina in the “Envoy” center in Belgrade, Dittmann said he welcomed the fact that young people in the region assembled and discussed important issues and developed networks. “You have worked a great deal on finding joint solutions for the challenges you face in the process of normalization between Serbia and Kosovo,” he stated. The German Ambassador stressed that young people made an important contribution to mutual understanding and dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
Policeman illegally sells Serb property in Kosovo (RTS)
Kosovo police lieutenant Bulent Zenuni has been charged with illegally selling land in the area of Vitina whose owner is Ljubisa Kovacevic. Zenuni, who has been suspended, is accused of forging documents in 2013 in order to authorize Zekir Hajdari to sell the property belonging to Kovacevic. Zenuni earned 10,000 euros from the illegal transaction. He is now charged with committing two crimes: abuse of office, and falsifying of documents.
Inmates in Kosovska Mitrovica, Podujevo end hunger strike (Novosti)
About forty inmates in Kosovska Mitrovica, mostly Serbs, and four Serbs who were transferred to a prison in the village of Grdovac near Podujevo on Saturday morning, ended the hunger strike. They began to take food on Wednesday, while the four other Serbs in the prison near Podujevo were visited by Kosovo’s deputy minister of justice Nusret Hoxha, who said that they had told to him that they had better conditions in Podujevo than in Kosovska Mitrovica, but one of them still wanted to go back to the town where his family could visit him.
REGIONAL PRESS
Dodik questioned by SIPA as witness in Banja Luka (FTV/Glas Srpske)
President of Republika Srpska (RS) and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik was questioned by the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in Banja Luka on Wednesday, upon the order of the B&H Prosecutor’s Office and with regard to charges filed against him for negating genocide in Srebrenica. According to the statement of Dodik’s Cabinet, Dodik gave a statement in form of a witness, regarding his statements about characterization of events in Srebrenica in July 1995. Chairwoman of the ‘Mothers of Srebrenica-Zepa Enclaves’ association Munira Subasic said that they sued Dodik because of denial of genocide in Srebrenica and because he stated that number of victims is lower than the official one. She noted that they expect him to be sentenced and if this does not happen in B&H, they will file appeal before European Court of Human Rights. Dodik did not want to comment this case for the daily, but daily reminded of his earlier statements regarding filing of the report, where he said that he respects every victims from Srebrenica and that he respects the fact that mass crime happened there, but he still deems this was not genocide. He said that he is sympathetic towards pain of the mothers, but added that association which filed report against him have political background and are too involved in politics.
RS Organizing Committee for marking of January 9 convenes its first session (FTV/RTRS)
The RS Organizing Committee for marking of the Day of the RS held its first session in Banja Luka on Wednesday, which was presided over by President of the RS and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik. On that occasion, the Committee passed a program of celebration of January 9, according to which the Day of the RS will be marked in all cities and municipalities throughout the entity, as well as in the Brcko District. According to the program, the RS President will organize traditional receptions, wreaths will be laid onto the memorial monuments for fallen soldiers of the RS Army, soldiers of the People’s Liberation War, babies who died at a hospital in Banja Luka and former President of the RS Milan Jelic. Both the institutions and citizens of the RS will be awarded.
Joint Commission of RS Assembly and RS CoP fails to reach agreement on RSNA’s decisions vetoed by Bosniak Caucus (RTRS)
At the session which took place in Banja Luka on Wednesday, the Joint Commission of the RS Assembly and the RS Council of Peoples (CoP) failed to reach an agreement about the RS Assembly’s decision on results of the referendum on the RS Day, for which the Bosniak Caucus in the RS CoP invoked the vital national interest. The Joint Commission of the RS Assembly and the RS CoP also failed to reach an agreement about the RS Assembly’s decision to end the mandate of members of the RS Commission for Referendum, as well as to adopt the Law on the RS Day, which was vetoed as well. Head of the Bosniak Caucus in the RS CoP Mujo Hadziomerovic reiterated that results of the referendum on the RS Day are unacceptable. Since the Joint Commission of the RS Assembly and the RS CoP failed to reach an agreement about the aforementioned decisions, they are expected to be discussed by the RS Constitutional Court. However, the Joint Commission reached a deal about the amendment of Bosniaks to law on local government, related to proportional representation of constituent peoples and Others, in local communities.
Izetbegovic: Impossible to talk about amendments to Election Law of B&H without functional coalition (N1)
Chairman of the B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic said that it is impossible to talk about amendments to the Election Law of B&H without a functional coalition. He made the statement as a reaction to the announcement by Croat member of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic, who recently said that the ‘Sejdic – Finci’ ruling could be implemented by the end of January, as they have reached an agreement on election of members of the B&H Presidency – as far as the Federation of B&H is concerned. Izetbegovic argued that “nothing has been agreed and nothing will be agreed any time soon,” until the issue of the work of the parliaments is finally raised, among other issues. He confirmed that Covic was actually talking about the so-called “Fule’s model”, i.e. a model proposed by former EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy Stefan Fule. According to his model, the first two candidates who get a majority of votes in the Federation of B&H would be elected the members of the B&H Presidency, provided that they win most of the votes in the areas where one of the peoples is the majority. Commenting on possible amendments to the Election Law of B&H, SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic told N1 that he is not familiar with any kind of talks between Izetbegovic and Covic.
Rotation in B&H Presidency: Ivanic is the Chairman of B&H Presidency (Klix.ba)
Chairman of the Presidency of B&H from today, on a rotational basis, is the member of the Presidency of B&H from RS Mladen Ivanic in the next eight months. Ivanic stated on Wednesday that Membership Action Plan (MAP) with NATO is maximum that B&H can have at this moment, when it comes to Euro-Atlantic integration.
Three Serbs charged with war crimes against civilians in Croatia (Hina)
The County Prosecutor’s Office in the northern Croatian coastal city of Rijeka has indicted three citizens of Serbia, former members of a Serb Territorial Defense force in Licki Osik, for war crimes against civilians and prisoners of war committed between August and October 1991 in the Licki Osik area, about 120 kilometres southeast of Rijeka.
At the time relevant to the indictment, the three defendants served as commander, deputy commander and junior commander in the police department of the Territorial Defense in Licki Osik, which was then located in the territory of the self-proclaimed Serb Autonomous District of Krajina. According to unofficial information, the accused are Milan Miric, age 68, of Licki Osik; Cedomir Budisavljevic, age 52, of Licki Osik; and Radomir Narandzic, age 50, of Siroka Kula.
The indictment says that the accused failed to apply the provisions of the laws of war and humanitarian law governing the security of civilians and prisoners of war in time of armed conflict, and allowed their subordinates to detain Croatian civilians and hold them as hostages in the Licki Osik community centre, which had been converted into a prison, use them as forced labor and repeatedly abuse them physically and mentally.
In mid-October 1991, as yet unidentified members of the Serb Territorial Defense and police, took 17 civilians and prisoners of war to pits called Golubinjaca 1 and Golubinjaca 2, near Siroka Kula, shot them dead and threw their bodies into the pits. The bodies were exhumed and identified after the 1991-1995 war, the County Prosecutor’s Office said on its website.
Minorities to determine the offer (RTCG)
Representatives of the Key, Ura, SNP, Democrats and SDP, Miodrag Lekic, Zarko Rakcevic, Danijela Pavicevic, Aleksa Becic and Ranko Krivokapic, said that they expect from national parties to determine the offer to form a minority government, which would prepare conditions for free and fair elections. At the regular meeting they announced that the establishing of the minority government, to which DF announced support without taking part in it, was the only fair outcome of the irregular and not free elections held on 16 October. They reiterated that, in addition to the opposition entities, the biggest victim of the practice of DPS and its satellites to buy the votes and rigging the election result are national parties whose number of MPs in the Montenegrin parliament is reduced to a historic low, because of such practices.
“We repeat our readiness for talks with the national parties, which would define all the details and possible modalities for the formation of the minority government. Starting from the overall responsibility of all parties, including national ones, we point out that the basic principle of democracy are talks of all who want to contribute to resolving the deep political crisis,” it was announced at the meeting.
SEC Macedonia: Election campaign officially begins on 21 November (MIA)
The State Electoral Committee (SEC) informed the public and the political parties that the election campaign officially begins on 21 November. According to the SEC, until then, parties are banned from airing political campaign ads in both broadcast media or in print media. This ban also applies to ads purchased by the central Government, municipal units or other public institutions. Failure to respect the law will initiate charges on the part of the SEC for violation of the Electoral Code.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Kosovo, Bosnia, Most Worried by Corruption, Report Shows (BIRN, by Sven Milekic, 16 November 2016)
New research by the watchdog organisation Transparency International shows that perceptions of corruption as a major problem in society vary widely in the Balkans.
People in Balkan countries see corruption as one of the key problems in society, often view politicians as corrupt as well, and in many cases do not believe their governments are tackling the issue, a new survey by the watchdog organisation Transparency International shows.
Among countries surveyed in the Balkans, 65 per cent of people questioned in Kosovo listed corruption as one of three big problems governments should address, just behind Moldova and Spain, where the same was felt by 67 and 66 per cent of respondents respectively.
In Bosnia, 55 per cent of questioned people saw corruption as one of the key problems governments should address. In Croatia, the figure was 51 per cent and in Romania, 49 per cent. Only 24 per cent of people questioned in Greece saw corruption as one of the key problems.
The report, entitled “People and Corruption: Europe and Central Asia”, conducted on the basis of the poll, which involved 60,000 citizens in 42 countries responding to 14 questions, aims to show peoples’ perceptions of corruption in everyday life, their contact with it and their thoughts on how governments should deal with the issue.
According to the report, 82 per cent of those questioned in Bosnia think their government handles the fight against corruption “very badly” or “fairly badly”, while 69 per cent of people in Kosovo think the same of their government, followed by Greece with 59 per cent and Croatia with 57 per cent.
Balkan countries in which people believe their governments are tackling corruption “fairly well” and “very well” are Albania, where 40 per cent held this view, Serbia, with 28 per cent, and Romania, with 27 per cent.
Balkan citizens also see corruption in political institutions. Once again Bosnia topped the list, with 54 per cent of those questioned saying they think “all” or “most” people in the prime minister’s and president’s office are corrupt.
Bosnia was followed by Kosovo, where 40 per cent believe the same and Albania, where the figure was 36 per cent. In Serbia, 17 per cent of those questioned believe “none” of the officials in the above mentioned offices are corrupt.
Governments as whole also were seen as corrupt by 56 per cent of people in Bosnia, by 47 per cent of respondents in Romania, by 46 per cent in Kosovo and by 45 per cent in Albania. On the other hand, only 20 per cent of people in Montenegro see their government officials as corrupt.
Other institutions are seen as partly corrupt, while a considerable number of people note corruption in the business sector as well.
People were also questioned about whether they or their family members had paid bribes to use public services. In Albania, 34 per cent of those questioned admitted having bribed public servants, followed by 29 per cent of people in Romania and 27 per cent of people in Bosnia.
Furthermore, 59 per cent of people in Croatia think it is not socially acceptable to report corruption, followed by 57 per cent of people in Bulgaria and 55 per cent of people in Bosnia.
Democracy and Economy Top Macedonians’ Priorities (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 17 November 2016)
Macedonians said democratic freedom and prosperity are the big issues that will determine how they vote in the December elections – but they remain divided over which one is most important.
Macedonians quizzed in the streets of the capital say democratization of the country and improving the economy are equally pressing issues that they expect political parties to discuss before casting their ballots at the December 11 early general elections.“I cannot choose between the two because they are linked very closely. But we should start with democratization. That will open more opportunities for economic progress in future,” 45-year-old Damir Sokolovski from Skopje told BIRN.“I am interested in economic prosperity. We need better life, new jobs and higher wages … I will vote for those who I believe will be better at [providing] these things,” Marijana Novakovic, a student from Skopje, said.“Democracy is a more pressing matter at the moment. Without it, we cannot even hope for economic prosperity. Naturally, I will vote with that persuasion in mind,” said Mirce Savovski, aged 41, from Skopje, who added he was unemployed. “You see what is going on in the country.
There is hardly any institution that works properly and we are getting poorer and poorer. It’s a catastrophe. The fight against crime and corruption should be our priority because we cannot continue like this,” said 72-year-old Agron from the village of Kondovo, near Skopje, whom we met in the capital. Less than a week before the official start of the campaign for the December election, Biljana Bejkova, from NVO Infocentar, an NGO, says people are becoming more conscious of the importance of democracy. “They are becoming more and more aware that it is not enough to live well, although we don’t live well either, and that it is also important to live freely.
The feeling of freedom, of living without fear, without pressures and without various intimidation, is very important,” Bejkova said.
A survey of Macedonian public opinion conducted in April by the International Republican Institute, IRI, points to a similar conclusion. Asked by IRI to choose between a democratic system of government and a prosperous economy, 47 per cent of the respondents said democracy was more important, while 45 per cent opted for prosperity. By comparison, in October 2015, 52 per cent of respondents to an IRI opinion poll opted for a prosperous economy while 41 per cent opted for democracy. Macedonia’s main ruling VMRO DPMNE party, which has been in power since 2006, insists that its economic policies have been sound and have attracted foreign investments and created new jobs. They say the current political crisis has been imposed on the country by the Social Democratic opposition – and is to blame for hampering economic prosperity. It also denies that it has played any role in curbing democracy.
The Social Democrats, SDSM, accuse the government of authoritarian tendencies, of curbing democracy and of taking the economy hostage to their lucrative interests. Judging by its latest public statements, the centre-left party will place an equal emphasis on democratization and the economy in the elections. In its latest progress report on Macedonia published last week, the European Commission noted a democratic shortfall. “Democracy and rule of law have been constantly challenged, in particular due to state capture affecting the functioning of democratic institutions and key areas of society,” it said.
It added that Macedonia “suffers from a divisive political culture and a lack of capacity for compromise”. The December elections follow the eruption of prolonged political crisis that centres on SDSM claims that the ruling party was behind the illegal wiretapping of about 20,000 people, which it denies.
The Balkans And The Latest Twists In Transatlantic Decline (TransConflict, by David B. Kanin*, 16 November 2016)
Given Brexit and Trump, the relationship between Putin and Merkel increasingly will provide the fulcrum of Balkan – and European – security.
The shock of the recent American election does not seem to be fading much yet, either in the States or worldwide. The President-elect’s relatively benign behavior since winning his big prize has yet to obscure the unique mix of personal slurs and communal insults directed by him and at him over the last year and more. The same pundits who were dead wrong about the election outcome continue to slam the victor and his imagery of border walls, massive deportations of immigrants, and shrinkage of international trade. Pay no attention to them; the plain fact is that no one knows what the next US Administration actually will do, at home or abroad. It is quite possible those inside the nascent Trump management group have little more than a general notion themselves.
Of course, there is no point telling that to Vojislav Seselj, whose effort to pull his Donald Trump T-shirt over his belly created a rather striking image in its own right. Seselj seems to think the American election will somehow enable him and his greater Serbia. Seselj’s celebration was an exaggerated reflection of the distinction between measured post-8 November optimism in Serbia and resigned worry expressed by the US’s erstwhile clients in the Balkans, the Bosniaks and the Albanian universe. By now, it should be clear to anyone paying attention that the Americans rarely think about the Balkans anymore, and that the few diplomats and analysts assigned to watch the region in Washington and European capitals remain at square one when it comes to forcing politicians and patronage bosses to knuckle under to more than twenty years of Western threats and demands.
This will remain the case; Western weakness will be outlined in high relief in the post-election context (to include the results of balloting in France, the Netherlands, and Germany in 2017). The fissure likely will widen between traditional liberal international values held up by fading elite (and elitist) voices in Europe and nativist populism afflicting the various factions in the US Republican party and European counterparts. NATO, already largely a talking shop of declining relevance, would not restore its pride of place even if all its members actually lived up to the ritual pledge to increase defense spending by 2% of GDP and proved willing to maintain their token deployments to the Baltic states. Talk of some sort of EU defense and humanitarian intervention capability makes little sense when so few EU members would be willing to fight anyone. High representatives and other diplomats will continue to talk at Balkan audiences about the path to Europe, but so what?
As the dust in Europe settles (and the Russian military/diplomatic success in Syria reaches a climax –in Idlib? – and settles in), Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkel will get down to the business of negotiating their post-sanctions relationship, assuming Merkel can manage her own electoral problems. The rest of Europe (and Turkey) will play close attention. This diplomacy will proceed even if Moscow engineers the capture by separatists of Mariupol and other parts of eastern Ukraine in the next phase of Moscow’s effort to restore its influence throughout “Little Russia.” Germany remains the key to Putin’s effort to lash a Russian-dominated European security zone to a Russian economy that on its own seems likely to permanently under-perform.
Merkel knows her dance partner well. Nevertheless, Britain’s lurch away from Europe and flourishing American atavism leave her little choice but to attempt to draw Moscow into a connection that perhaps will put a limit on Russian efforts to restore its security domination over the former Soviet/Warsaw pact security space. She might even hope to lay the groundwork for eventual revival of something like the clumsy efforts made by US and European officials and academics during the 1990s to promote liberal rule-of-law values inside Russia itself.
This will leave central and Eastern Europe in the lurch. In their own way, Czechia, Hungary, and Bulgaria already are preparing to accommodate themselves to some sort of a neo-Soviet situation. Romania, having failed to convince Bulgaria and Turkey to at least make a show of a NATO military presence in the Black Sea, may well take the same road (via a firmer arrangement with the Russians regarding Moldova). Poland and the Baltic States, as they watch NATO fail to construct a meaningful Article 5-related military capability, could try to draw the US and UK into a focused security pact, but otherwise will have to fend for themselves the best they can.
For the Balkans, the acceleration of transatlantic dysfunction will shake the stability of the latest of the security caps the various systems sharing the title “the West” have imposed on the region since 1878. The pattern since then has been that each time the international umbrella over the Balkans collapses, the locals fight to secure advantages they seek to maintain once a new combination of international actors intervenes to reorder things.
This time, the Russians will not need stunts like their seizure of the Pristina airport in 1999 to place themselves at the center of international decision-making. At the same time, Putin will lack the advantages Stalin and the Red Army had in 1945, and will have to decide bow deeply he wants to become enmeshed in the various disputes protagonists will bring to him for resolution. Moscow may find it was a lot simpler when all it had to do was meddle in the region while the US and Europeans were confident enough in their creation myths to attempt to impose their coercive utopia. Still, Russia has come a long way in a short time, (albeit not to the extent China has). Whatever the new US President does at home, so far it is not clear he intends to contest that development.
*David B. Kanin is an adjunct professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University and a former senior intelligence analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of TransConflict.
