LOCAL PRESS
Dacic: Without politicization about Kosovo in international organizations (Tanjug/RTS)
Serbia is ready to consider conditions and a possibility to become a fully-fledged member of the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF), but it is against politicization of work of this organization, when Kosovo is at stake, as well as UNESCO’s and the UN system’s, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia Ivica Dacic said on Thursday, agencies reported. “So-called Kosovo can take part in work of the regional organizations and in a number of other international activities, but in a status-neutral manner and in line with the UN SC Resolution 1244”,
Dacic said at the 32nd session of the OIF Ministerial Conference that is held in Madagascar.
He urged OIF to contribute by its principled stand to the final success of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, because it was aimed at the political and economic stability of the Western Balkans. “Although Kosovo was granted the observer status in OIF at the summit in Dakar in November 2014, I would like to stress that Serbia neither intends nor wishes for anyone to be isolated, but we are against politicization of work of the international organizations, including OIF, UNESCO and the UN system,” Dacic said.
Djuric: ZSO must be formed (Tanjug/Beta)
The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric met with Portuguese Ambassador to Serbia Augusto Peixoto to brief him on the current state of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, stressing the importance of a prompt formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) for the normalization of relations. The ZSO must be formed pursuant to the agreements reached in Brussels and any potential attempt of avoiding these obligations by Pristina would be an attack on the negotiation process and the authority of the EU as a facilitator, said Djuric. The community will only serve to protect the Serbs and will in no way violate the rights of other nations in Kosovo and Metohija, he said. Djuric expressed the expectation that Portugal will use its influence in the UN and the EU to contribute to the protection of the rights of Kosovo Serbs.
Serbian representatives to meet NATO delegation on 14 December (Novosti)
A delegation of the government and air flight control of Serbia and Montenegro is preparing for a meeting on 14 December at NATO headquarters where they will discuss control of the lower layer of the air zone above Kosovo and Metohija and the possibility of returning under Serbian control, Novosti learns. According to the Kumanovo Agreement, the sky above the southern province has been under KFOR’s control since 1999, and the NATO commander is authorized for the lower layer of the space (below 8000 meters), but in practice this is conducted by the approach control flight from the tower in Pristina. “Our requests are prepared and our stands are clear,” the Director of the Air Control of Serbia and Montenegro Radojica Rovcanin told Novosti.
Belgrade considers the issue of the control of the lower layer of the sky as a status issue. Regarding Pristina’s attempt to include this topic in the Brussels dialogue last year, Marko Djuric says that it concerns “sovereignty and territorial integrity” and that Serbia’s position in regard to this is defined by the Constitution.
Spasic announces counter lawsuit (Politika)
A Brussels court sentenced Serbian nationals Veselin Vukotic, Andrija Draskovic and Bozidar Spasic to life imprisonment for the murder of Kosovo human rights activist Enver Hadri in Brussels 26 years ago. Judges and 12 jurymen handed maximum jail terms to the three men, sentencing Vukotic and Draskovic as the perpetrators and Spasic as the mastermind of the killing. Bozidar Spasic, who was at the time a high official of the federal service of state security, tells Politika that he had learned about the court decision from journalists who asked him for a comment. “I wasn’t at the scene, but I wrote about these eliminations based on reports and facts that were coming from the Belgium police and other people who knew something about that. They are judging by what I wrote and I only described what I heard from others about this operation,” He says he will address the Justice Ministry on Monday to contact the judicial bodies in Belgium, and that he will not just sit and watch since he has not received one single call for this trial, nor was he informed that the trial was held. “I didn’t have insight into the indictment in order to say something. According to the information I have, at issue is a private lawsuit of the Hadri family. We will request them to send us evidence based on which they established these facts so we can respond appropriately. We will respond with a counter lawsuit, or we will at least try to have the quality of the trial that Europe advocates,” says Spasic.
Pristina and Sarajevo in mutual ban on entry of vehicles (Tanjug/RTS/B92)
Deputy Kosovo Interior Minister Milan Radojevic has confirmed that a ban was in place on entry of vehicles with Bosnia-Herzegovina number plates. Radojevic told Tanjug late on Thursday that the ban was introduced based on the interpretation of the Kosovo Foreign Ministry, and taking into account the fact the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina do not allow entry to vehicles from Kosovo. Radivojevic said that the decision will probably be in force until a reciprocal agreement has been reached with the authorities of B&H. Due to the ban on entry of vehicles from B&H, a line of cars was created at the administrative crossing of Merdare, RTS has reported, citing Pristina-based electronic media. “Dozens of families have been forced to turn back from Merdare,” RTS reported, adding that they described the Kosovo government’s decision as unjust, and one the public should have been informed about in a timely manner.
REGIONAL PRESS
Solemn reception on occasion of B&H Statehood Day held at B&H Presidency (TV1)
B&H Presidency organized in Sarajevo on Thursday a solemn reception on the occasion of B&H Statehood Day, which will be marked on Friday – November 25. Hosts of the reception were B&H Presidency members Bakir Izetbegovic and Dragan Covic. B&H Presidency Chairman Mladen Ivanic and Republika Srpska (RS) representatives in B&H institutions did not attend the reception since they do not recognize 25 November as the Statehood Day of B&H and this date is not a holiday in the RS. Ivanic said earlier on Thursday that the RS will not mark this holiday until the law on holidays is adopted at the state level. In his address at the reception, Covic said that the main goal is for B&H to be the country in which all its peoples will be equal in all segments. He added that constitutional changes in B&H represent priority since they are necessary and will ensure for all peoples in B&H to be equal and constituent. Covic stressed that it is high time to adopt the law on holidays at the state level, as well as the Election Law of B&H.
B&H Presidency Chair Ivanic: Relations in region are bad, I am planning trilateral meeting (Glas Srpske)
Chairman of the B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic said that the relations in the region are bad, and relations between B&H and Croatia additionally deteriorated following the war crimes arrests of former HVO members in Orasje. He also noted that the relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo are not good, which is why he plans to organize a trilateral meeting. “Relations between Belgrade and Sarajevo are not good, I would say, dominantly relations between member of the Presidency of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic,” explained Ivanic. He added that Belgrade is still wounded by the lack of condemnation of attack on Vucic in Srebrenica last year and cancellation of visit of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic this year.
HR Inzko: “Original Dayton” rhetoric has spread to Federation of B&H (Glas Srpske/Srna)
High Representative Valentin Inzko stated on Thursday that numerous political players are referring to the “original Dayton Peace Agreement” in a manipulative manner, and that this “unfair policy has already spread to the Federation of B&H” with some individuals referring to it as “return to the original Washington Agreement”. In a text “The Original Dayton” (not specified where it was published), Inzko stated that the constant challenging of the institutions of B&H and their decisions keeps increasing tensions and keeps the country stuck in the past. He added that the common “rhetoric on legal violence of the High Representatives in B&H” can be heard quite often despite the fact that he is the final authority on interpretation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Ferguson: There will be no secession of RS or creation of third entity (Dnevni avaz)
UK Ambassador Edward Ferguson stated that division of B&H cannot happen, and that this means there will be no secession of Republika Srpska (RS) or creation of the third entity. “It is true that political leaders are spending too much time discussing further divisions of this country along ethnic borders. Basic formula inserted in the Dayton Peace Agreement is that B&H is an integral, sovereign country which consists of two entities and that this will remain so. Not with one and not with three”, he underlined.
Asked if he shares the opinion by High Representative Valentin Inzko, who said in his report before the UN Security Council that situation in B&H deteriorated, Ferguson replied that B&H is sending different messages over the past months. On positive side, he continued, we have witnessed submission and credibility of application for the EU membership, adoption of the coordination mechanism after discussions that lasted for years, etc. On the other side, Ferguson continued, we are also witnessing a series of negative developments where the most emphasized one was “unconstitutional referendum in the RS, by which the RS authorities demonstrated lack of respect for rule of law”. We also witnessed decoration of convicted war criminals at the RS Assembly, marking of the 25th anniversary of “establishing of para-state ‘Herceg-Bosna’”, and naming a school in Sarajevo after a supporter of the Nazi regime, emphasized Ferguson. He also underlined that, on contrary to former Yugoslavia, B&H is not a confederation and entities are not sovereign. “They only legally exist as part of B&H and have no right to secede,” he stressed, adding that the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) has a clear and unanimous stance on this.
Annual conference on security situation in B&H ends (BN TV)
Addressing the Annual Review Conference ‘Current Situation in Defense and Security Sector of B&H’ held in Sarajevo on Thursday, B&H Minister of Security Dragan Mektic stated that the major security challenge in B&H is corruption. He said corruption destroyed economy and prevents the EU path of B&H and added that security agencies have to be quicker and more efficient in fight against corruption. He stressed that the biggest problem is the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H and that since the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H and the Court of B&H were formed, there were no convictions on corruption or confiscation of illegally acquired property.
State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) acknowledged that sometimes they have issues in cooperation with the Prosecutor’s Office. According to B&H Ministry of Security, progress has been achieved in the fight against terrorism. Mektic said the results as still not as expected, but added that everything that is related to terrorism is being processed. He noted that in the first half of this year, no departure from B&H to foreign warzones was registered. Asked to comment on media allegations about training centers for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Sarajevo and Zenica areas, Mektic said he has no such information. He stressed that if such information was true, these centers would be raided instantly. As a positive progress in work of security agencies in B&H, Mektic mentioned improvement of coordination, which was also noted by members of the Joint Commission for Defense and Security of B&H Parliament.
B&H Presidency adopts ‘Defense Review’ document (TV1)
B&H Presidency adopted the ‘Defense Review’ document based on which the number of members of B&H Armed Forces (AF) will be reduced to 9,200. Addressing the press conference after the session, B&H Presidency Chairman Mladen Ivanic said that this document also stipulates the reduction in the number of locations of prospective military property from 63 to 57 and somewhat different structure of some of the AF’s units, as well as improved logistics of the infantry brigades and the engineering sector. B&H Presidency also adopted the plan of modernization of B&H AF. Ivanic also said that the number of reserve soldiers and officers of B&H AF will be reduced from 5,000 to 4,600. Talking about activation of NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) for B&H, the Chairman of B&H Presidency said that due to problems with registering prospective military locations MAP for B&H will not be activated over the next five or six years.
RS government: Decision of B&H Defense Ministry on sale of secondary raw materials is illegal (RTRS)
Republika Srpska (RS) government assessed on Thursday a decision of B&H Ministry of Defense adopted on 31 October to sell secondary raw materials, as unacceptable. The Government warned that B&H Ministry of Defense is not competent to adopt the decision, which was done on basis of internal rulebook of the Ministry and therefore, it is illegal. According to the RS Government, the Ministry underestimated the value of the raw materials which will cause damage to entity budgets. The RS Government announced that the RS Ministry of Trade and Tourism will launch the procedure for review of legality of the aforementioned decision and therefore, its abolition. At the end, the RS government assessed the decision as an attempt to circumvent the agreement on disposal with movable military assets, dating from 2008. The Acting Director of the RS Directorate for trade in arms and military equipment Dragan Kapetina stressed that instead of abolition, representatives of the RS at the state-level signed the decision and published a public call in this case. Deputy B&H Minister of Defense Boris Jerinic said that he does not find the decision disputable. He added that representatives of all three constituent peoples took part in decision-making process in this case and that the abovementioned reactions are directed against SDS staff.
Brajovic speaker of parliament, Gvozdenovic and Nimanbegu deputy speakers (CDM)
The president of the Social Democrats (SD) Ivan Brajovic is the new speaker of the Montenegrin parliament. Deputy Speakers are Branimir Gvozdenovic (DPS) and Genci Nimanbegu (Forca). One deputy speaker position belongs to the opposition, but no one will be appointed to it because the opposition decided to boycott the parliament’s inaugural session. The session continues on Friday when MPs will discuss the budget revision. Brajovic was supported by 42 MPs of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), the Social Democrats (SD), the Bosniak Party (BS), the Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI) and Forca. As earlier announced, 39 opposition MPs did not appear at the session.
Opposition is preparing for protests? (Dan)
Opposition parties are ready to talk about protests as a possible form of further extra-parliamentary activities. According to the information obtained by Dan newspaper, that was the key message from last night’s meeting of the opposition leaders, which was held in the Parliament building in Podgorica. As Dan was unofficially told, no final decision on organizing protests is made, but all the opposition entities expressed willingness to consider that option in the coming period. In addition, they agreed that all 39 opposition MPs would boycott the continuation of the inaugural Parliament’s session. Opposition parties had earlier made a unanimous decision not to recognize the results of the parliamentary elections held on 16 October. The opposition is of the opinion that there is no fair and democratic election process in the ambiance of the alleged coup which was created on the Election Day and all other abuses carried out by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS). Opposition parties have drawn up a detailed report on electoral frauds which will be presented to all relevant international entities as an argument and documented reason for the decision not to recognize the election results.
Macedonia: Parties resume election campaigning (Telegraf.mk)
Parties and coalitions participating in the early parliamentary elections scheduled for December 11, will resume Thursday the election campaigning with pre-election rallies and meetings in several towns throughout Macedonia. VMRO-DPMNE-led coalition ‘For Better Macedonia’ is to hold rallies in Aerodrom and Karpos municipalities, while SDSM is to hold preelection rally in Gostivar. Coalition for changes and justice is to meet citizens of Prilep and to present election programme and will also hold press conference in Kocani and Berovo. DPA holds rally in Vrutok, while Alliance for the Albanians is to hold rally in Cento. Election campaign began on Nov. 21 and will last 20 day, ending on December 9 at midnight.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS
Russian diplomat: Kosovo demonstrates its functional non-viability as state (TASS, 24 November 2016)
MOSCOW. Kosovo is demonstrating functional non-viability as a state, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday.
The United Nations Security Council on November 16 noted the “unstable situation in the region,” she said. “Rights of non-Albanian population continue to be violated. More cases of violation against the Serbs are being reported. The lack of real law and order, the permanent political crisis along with a mass exodus of population vividly demonstrate the artificial character and functional non-viability of Kosovo’s statehood.” “Bearing in mind what is going on there, the extremely low refugee return rates seem not to be surprising,” she noted. “We are worried over the growing plans of the Albanian authorities to usurp Serbian property in Kosovo. Such practices have expanded in the recent time to economic assets owned by Serbian state structures and companies. Such illegal steps cannot promote interethnic reconciliation.” “Several years ago, the entire Western world, the European Union and the United States were at the wheel of this process seeking to tear Kosovo from Serbia. It was done under the slogan ‘Kosovo is a land of possibilities,’” Zakharova noted. “Now those who were tearing Kosovo from Serbia say Kosovo had a legitimate referendum. There was no referendum in Kosovo.” “I remember those debates at the United Nations Security Council. They were sparing no effort to pass those decisions, despite all norms of the law, despite the demands of Serbia’s official and legitimate government, which were simply ignored. They thought they would do the rest using propaganda and the information tools to form the image of the ‘land of possibilitie.’ They have failed.”
According to the spokeswoman, dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina “is proceeding with great difficulty.” “The major topic – creating Serbian municipalities in Kosovo – has been stalled,” she noted. “We think that the Kosovo authorities must not dodge their liabilities. We expect the European Union to be diligent in playing its mediatory role in the dialogue under the United Nations General Assembly resolution of September 9, 2010.”
Rama: We do not plan on claiming parts of Greece, Serbia and FYROM (IBNA, by Edison Kurani, 23 November 2016)
Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama assures the neighboring countries that Albania doesn’t have any claims for border changes and that its only aim is to become an EU member. Mr. Rama was interviewed in his office in Tirana by the Greek TV channel “Skai”. Mr. Rama said that “we have no claims and nobody else can have claims such as border changes or a strategy to change the borders with the aim of taking parts of Greece or Serbia or to take parts of Macedonia and to make this a natural Albania”.
Asked how he views the current relations between Albania and Greece, PM Rama said that they are very important. He said that there are pending issues for which he suggested dialogue “through mutual generosity and understanding and with the clear conviction that the interests of Albanians and Greeks cannot stop us to build a brilliant future together”.
Rama also commented his declaration on an Albanian who had saved the Acropolis: “The fact that Albanians have given their contribution for Greece and for the Greek society and the fact that at that time, many people spoke the Albanian language, doesn’t make Athens an Albanian city”. Meanwhile, he elaborated on his idea: “This is not an insult, but a pleasant historical fact that an Albanian happened to be in the right place, at the right time and he was the right person to make this kind of negotiation to prevent the Acropolis from being bombarded. It could well be a Greek, a Chinese, but it happened to be an Albanian”. Rama accused the political class for causing nationalism: “We must always think how many important things we can do for each other in a country sunk in the dark waters of nationalism, hate, conflict and media manipulation, which is a result of the politicians that only care about the next elections and not the next generations”. Rama also commented what is known as Greater Albania or Natural Albania. He said that these are not notions which have been generated by Albania. “These are notions generated by others, who are scared or who have created this notion due to different agendas”. He said that for the country, it is very important to be part of the European family. Rama assured that “there are no plans for a Greater Albania”.
The Prime Minister also defended the Albanian books with maps of the time where Albania didn’t appear divided by the London Conference of 1913. “I don’t think that it’s irredentism to say tell our children where Albanians have lived and I don’t think it’s irredentist to tell people that there was once a place called Chameri, which was inhabited by Albanians”.
Here, Rama expressed his concern that according to him, Albanians of Chameri are not allowed to visit “their lands”.”Can you imagine? People cannot go where they used to have their homes and where their families used to live”. He said that they “were forced to leave their homes” and he expressed his surprise about the fact that they were not allowed “to visit them again”.
At this point, Mr. Rama was more direct: “But there is a problem. These people were banned from their homes. Their homes are in Greece and they have the right to return whenever they want and claim their properties if they want to. What’s the problem here?”
The Albanian PM admitted that during the Second World War, some of these people had committed war crimes, but he said that they must not be generalized.
“Where in the world have we seen an entire community to be labeled as collaborationist?”
Rama also spoke of the war of law and said that this law is still being kept in force by Greece. “There’s a royal decree which is still in force. Why don’t we abolish it?” The PM suggested that “this law is used as an obstacle for the Chams to follow a legal path in seeking their rights”. He said that the Greeks are paranoid about the Chams: “I understand it, but I don’t want to accept this insane paranoia when the word Cham or Chameri is mentioned. This used to be a place where our people have lived”. Meanwhile he added that the Chams are not seeking “for this area to become an autonomous area in Greece”.
Another topic which has been handled in this interview was the topic of the division of maritime borders between the two countries. He said that this issue can only be solved by a third party. Meanwhile, he denied the Turkish influence in the abrogation of the agreement.
The Prime Minister also commented the fact that Greece is exploring the Ionian Sea and that information has been requested from the Greek side. “This is a contested area which is supposed to have an important source of oil and gas. Why can’t we see it as a big opportunity to solve it together?” Another much debated argument was related to the thousands Greek soldiers who have been buried in Albania since the Second World War and for whom a special graveyard has not yet been built, although this has been requested for years by the Greek government.
Rama says that this issue is an integral part of several pending issues and that they could be solved as part of a package. On the other hand, Rama said that it is insane that certain Greek circles consider the south of Albania as Vorio-Epirus of Greece. “There are people in Greece who talk about insane things such as Vorio-Epirus. But I don’t take them seriously. They are crazy to think that Greece must extend as far as central Albania”.
