LOCAL PRESS
Orban in Nis: Hungary refuses dictate from Brussels (Tanjug/Beta/RTS)
Hungary refuses to submit to the “dictate from Brussels” when it comes to measures for solving the migrant crisis, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday during a visit to Serbia. Orban said in Nis, where he together with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic chaired a meeting of the two governments, when asked by the journalists, that Budapest will do everything so the migrants can return to their countries of origin, and not to enter uncontrollably in Hungary. Orban also said that he sympathizes with migrants who are victims of “their bad governments, human traffickers and bad policies of the EU,” but Hungary cannot not allow the situation in which the migrants believe that they can enter the country without control and stay illegally. Because, in that case, they will not leave the country and consider Hungary its final destination, Orban said.
Antic: Hungary’s support in case of gas crisis (Novosti)
Serbia can expect full support of Hungary in the gas supply, if there is any gas crisis, Serbian Minister of Energy Aleksandar Antic said after a meeting with Hungarian Minister for National Development Miklos Sesztak with whom he talked about the energy security of the two countries in Nis. “Just prior to the meeting we signed an annex to the contract on gas transport through Hungary, which is far more favorable than the previous one and which provides Srbijagas good price of gas transport through Hungary,” he also said. Serbia “was promised” that in case of any gas crisis it could expect complete flexibility of Hungary in terms of gas transport,
Antic said.
Serbia, Hungary arrange border area railway agreement (Beta)
Serbian Minister of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic and Hungarians Minister for National Development Miklos Sesztak agreed that the two states should sign an agreement governing railway traffic in the border area, which should allow for the border stopping time for freight trains to be reduced from the existing five to six hours to some three hours, and shorten border controls for passenger trains. At a meeting in Nis with her Hungarian counterpart, Minister Mihajlovic underlined the importance of a new agreement on navigation on the Tisa River. “The agreement with Hungary regulating Tisa river navigation is very important to us, as it opens the river to all vessels after 60 years,” the Minister said.
Djuric: Pristina to pass decree on establishment of ZSO (Politika/Tanjug/Beta)
Serbia expects that the authorities in Pristina in shortest period possible pass a decree on the establishment of the Community of the Serb Municipalities (ZSO), the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said on Monday. Djuric said during a meeting with the envoy for South Eastern Europe in the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs Christian
Hellbach that Pristina’s willingness to finally unblock the process of setting up the community will be a test of willingness and ability on the other side to implement the agreed in good faith, the office said in a release.
Djuric: No more excuses for delays on ZSO (Tanjug)
There are no more excuses for delays on the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said at a meeting with Anna-Karin Enestrom, Director-General for Political Affairs at the Swedish Foreign Ministry, with whom he discussed the state of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. They said the agreement on telecommunications represented significant progress in normalization of relations and that dialogue and implementation of all signed agreements should be continued in an equally constructive manner. “The agreement on telecommunications has left Pristina without excuses for blocking and delaying any further the establishment of the ZSO,” Djuric noted, adding that the next step in the implementation of the Brussels Agreement should be a decree on establishing the ZSO.
Scott expects no changes in U.S. Kosovo policy (Beta/B92)
U.S Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott has stated that he doesn’t expect changes in his country’s policy towards the region after Donald Trump’s victory. “I expect the same policy focused on stability, regional reconciliation and encouraging the region’s countries to continue with modernization and reforms towards EU membership,” Scott told a gathering in Belgrade dedicated to the recent U.S. presidential elections and to cooperation between Serbia and the United States, organized by the American Chamber of Commerce. Scott added that, for Serbia, this means a focus on stability, progress and economic growth, and improving relations with its neighbors, stressing at the same time that he does not expect a change in the U.S. policy towards Kosovo’s independence. “I’m not saying it is impossible, but there is no indication from the Trump headquarters,” he said.
REGIONAL PRESS
Dodik: DPA unpacked by decisions imposed by HR (RTRS)
On the occasion of the 21st anniversary of initialing of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) on Monday, President of Republika Srpska (RS) and leader of SNSD Milorad Dodik addressed a press conference in Banja Luka and underlined that the DPA has been unpacked by violence imposed by the international community, as well as by decisions of the High Representatives. He added that, in order to protect the DPA, it is necessary to create unity of political forces in the RS. The President of the RS therefore called on the political factors in this entity to overcome animosity and hatred and to block any decisions at the state level until a new law on the B&H Constitutional Court (CC) is passed. The law, Dodik believes, should remove from the judicial system the three foreign judges, who uncritically support all decisions that are in the interest of Bosniaks. Furthermore, Dodik added that it is necessary to ensure that all future decisions are not made outside of B&H’s competences and without previous agreement between the entities, stressing that the political factors in the RS should define policies which would put all injustices committed against the RS on B&H’s agenda.
Negotiations on the government in final phase: Only details left to agree (Dnevne novine)
The definitive agreement on forming a new government between the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and its prime minister-designate Dusko Markovic and their partners, i.e. minority parties and the Social Democrats (SD), is to be concluded in the first half of the week, Dnevne novine reports. After that, the parliament’s session will be scheduled. “Everything is virtually agreed. Only details on future coalition agreements have left to be agreed, so that government formation can be expected in the next few days,” DN source form DPS said. According to the information obtained by DN, prime minister-designate met with representatives of the Albanians Resolute coalition and SD during the weekend. At the end of last week, BS president Rafet Husovic said that the presidency of the party adopted a political platform on the principles of joint moves of minority peoples’ political representatives. He added that the Euro-Atlantic integration, the development of the north and better minorities’ representation in the institutions of the vital interest shall be the key principles BS would follow when deciding on forming the government. Husovic also pointed out that the partnerships should not be something built just a month after the election, thus sending a clear message who would be BS’s partners. According to DN, BS executive committee meeting, at which should the agreement with DPS should be verified, is to be held in the first half of this week.
Stoltenberg: Accelerate Montenegro-NATO accession protocol ratification (CDM)
NATO member states the parliaments of which have not ratified the Montenegro-NATO accession protocol yet need to accelerate the process in order for Montenegro to become an alliance member by 2017, said the NATO Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, asking deputies straightforwardly to work on this issue in their parliaments more efficiently. He made the announcement at the autumn NATO Parliamentary Assembly which is being held in Turkey.
So far, 13 countries have ratified the Montenegro-NATO accession protocol: Iceland, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Albania, Poland, Turkey, Romania, Latvia, the United Kingdom, Lithuania and Estonia. There are 15 member states which have not done that yet: Belgium, Norway, Canada, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Luxembourg, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Greece, Croatia, Spain, Germany and the United States.
Parties ready as electoral campaign officially started on Monday (Telegraf.mk)
After two postponements, the electoral campaign for December 11 elections has finally started on Monday. Elections, part of the Przino agreement, are supposed to end the 2-year political crisis in Macedonia. These elections are organized by the technical government, headed by Prime Minister Emil Dimitriev, which includes SDSM ministers and additional deputy ministers. Both the Government and the opposition hope to win at upcoming elections and establish a new governing format. In order to attract Albanian voters, SDSM leader Zoran Zaev said that steps should be taken for going beyond the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Furthermore, SDSM leader blamed Macedonia for bad relations with neighboring countries. On the other hand, VMRO-DPMNE’s campaign will focus on what has been accomplished so far and on projects in store for the next 4 years.
Political analyst Aleksandar Pandov deems that two different concepts will be put to work during the electoral campaign period. “On one side, Zoran Zaev will speak of changing Macedonia’s constitutional name, federalization and loss of identity, while the VMRO-DPMNE coalition will offer a project filled program. The electoral campaign period ends on midnight – December 9.
EU and US Ambassadors expect fair, credible elections in Macedonia (MIA)
The European Union expects for the upcoming elections, which are rather significant for Macedonia, to be fair and credible, Ambassador Samuel Zbogar told reporters on Monday. The upcoming elections, he said, are an opportunity for the country to stabilize the internal and the relations with the European Union. We expect for solid elections and for the new government resulting from the process to be able to engage seriously in implementing the vital reforms,’ Zbogar said. In the meantime, US Ambassador Jess Baily, called political leaders to conduct campaign free of intimidation and violence, not raise political, interethnic tensions.
Ivanov: Migrant crisis is just beginning, over 20 million migrants heading EU borders (MIA)
The migrant crisis is just beginning, because there are over 20 to 30 million potential migrants heading to the external borders of Europe, said President Gjorge Ivanov on Monday. As the number of refugees increases, the will and the readiness of the European Union to accept and integrate refugees will decrease. At the same time the migrant crisis contributes to additional tightening of relations between the states. The price for not cooperating is too expensive because the weaker the cooperation between states the stronger the cooperation between criminals, Ivanov said. If Brussels continues with the usage of bureaucratic measures, then risk for the survival of the Schengen area will increase, Ivanov said. Ivanov also underlined that the European Union in order to be successful must be de-bureaucratized and together with the international organizations to leave the bureaucratic maze and to adapt to reality of the 21st century.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Serbia, Montenegro pledge support to Albania’s negotiation process with EU (Xinhua, 22 November 2016)
TIRANA — Serbia and Montenegro have expressed willingness and readiness to assist Albania in its process of negotiations with the European Union (EU), the Albanian ministry of integration said in a press release Monday.
Albanian minister of European integration Klajda Gjosha met Monday with two chief negotiators for EU accession of Serbia and Montenegro, Tanja Miscevic and Aleksandar Andrija Pejovic respectively, the ministry’s press release said. During the meeting, the interlocutors focused on the importance of the Western Balkans countries joining the EU. The chief negotiators offered to support Albania at the technical level by sharing their expertise in the process of negotiations, the Albanian ministry’s press office announced. Gjosha said Albania was hoping to open the accession negotiations with the EU soon, following the issuing of a positive recommendation given recently by the European Commission. According to Gjosha, Albania welcomed any assistance and support from countries that had gone through the process. The Albanian ministry of European integration is currently working on the document on opening of accession negotiations with the EU. As such, Gjosha asked both chief negotiators to share their best approaches, the ministry’s press release added.
Bosnian banks say under pressure after EU risk designation (Reuters, by Daria Sito-Sucic, 21 November 2016)
SARAJEVO – Banks in Bosnia have seen their accounts blocked or closed by foreign counterparts since the Balkan state became the only European country to be put on an EU list of countries that pose a high risk to the financial system, bankers said on Monday.
Bosnia joined Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Yemen on the list after its authorities failed to bring forward measures tackling money laundering and terrorist financing risks. The list was published in the EU Official Journal in September. “(This)… has put in jeopardy the operation of banks and clients, regardless of whether they are firms or individuals,” Bosnia’s Bank Association (UBBiH) warned in a statement. UBBiH said that some foreign banks have been rejecting on a daily basis transactions initiated by Bosnian banks, cancelling business operations or closing Bosnian banks’ accounts. “This process has begun, it will escalate unless we stop it,” UBBiH Secretary General Mijo Misic told Reuters on Monday.
The EU’s list is based on the findings of its Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which had identified Bosnia as a high-risk country. In talks with FATF last year, Bosnia pledged to make an action plan to address strategic flaws in its legislation regulating anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing, and to implement it by mid-2017. But the implementation has been dragging and the bankers now hope that Bosnian governmental bodies will take measures to offset dangers for the economy. “This will affect banks, clients and investors. The biggest price will be paid by citizens and firms,” Misic said. He added that diaspora remittances, which account for 11 percent of Bosnia’s GDP, may also be affected, while payments for exports would be delayed and the price of transactions raised. The European Union delegation in Bosnia said foreign banks will conduct extra checks on bank transactions to prevent and disrupt suspicious transactions, but that the measures do not entail any type of sanctions, termination of business relationship or restrictions of trade relations. “The EU will continue to engage across all relevant policy areas with the concerned jurisdictions … the ultimate goal being their compliance and removal from the list,” an EU delegation’s spokeswoman said in a statement to Reuters. The statement said that Bosnia has made some progress in the implementation of anti-money laundering measures.
(Reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Toby Chopra)
