LOCAL PRESS

Vucic to launch  a broad dialogue on Kosovo in September (Novosti)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic should launch in the first half of September a broad national dialogue on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, Novosti writes. The dialogue will be a kind of ambitious, national “round table”, with the participation of the representatives of all the parliamentary parties, the NGO sector, the church, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, the diaspora, as well as “reputable intellectuals from all ideological spheres”. The goal of this dialogue is for Serbia to form “the most homogenous possible strategy concerning the unraveling of the complicated Kosovo knot,” Novosti writes, citing well-informed sources. Apart from the Kosovo issue there will also be discussion on other important matters such as the change of the Constitution, the judiciary, the political system (including the role and manner of electing the president of state, the change of the election system and the number of MPs), regionalization, Novosti writes.

Serbia supports OSCE in fight against terrorism (Beta)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed today, at the informal OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Mauerbach, Serbia’s strategic orientation for EU integration as well as for dialogue, peace and reconciliation, which should contribute to regional stability. At the meeting, Dacic warned that despite the urgent need for unification and joint engagement, there is still growing distrust and a lack of dialogue among the participating countries. He pointed out that methods used by terrorists are taking more and more victims, while prevention is becoming increasingly difficult. The fight against terrorism, as he pointed out, including the decisive and unconditional condemnation of terrorist acts in all forms and ways of manifestation, remains at the top of our agenda. With the fight against terrorism, extreme violence and radicalization that leads to it, we all need to work together, opposing racism and xenophobia. The suppression of terrorism and extremism cannot be used as an excuse to spread fear and hatred towards migrants and all minority groups in our societies, Dacic stressed. He points out that the phenomenon of migration, on the other hand, should be considered as a whole and must remain one of the priorities. We believe that the OSCE should apply a comprehensive approach in seeking a comprehensive response to this extremely serious challenge. Serbia, for its part, continues to provide the migrants with the necessary assistance. As for cyber security, we remain committed to the ultimate goal – a peaceful and safe cyberspace for everyone, he added. Dacic reiterated commitment to the dialogue with Pristina under the auspices of the EU and the implementation of all previously reached agreements, and in particular the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities, for which we have been waiting for a long time. We believe that an open and honest dialogue is the only way to improve the everyday life of people living in Kosovo and Metohija, he concluded.

Orizio praises Serbia’s efforts to handle migrant crisis (Beta)

Head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia Andrea Orizio praised the Serbian government’s efforts to resolve the migrant crisis, the Ministry of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy reported. At a meeting with Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Policy Zoran Djordjevic, the OSCE Head said that in handling the migrant crisis Serbia had been mindful of the human rights of migrants, but also the needs of the local communities. Orizio also said that the OSCE was ready to be an active and committed partner to Serbia, and to continue to assist where necessary. Minister Djordjevic said that Serbia would continue to treat the migrant population in a responsible way.

Cadez: Economy to be central topic of Trieste summit (Tanjug)

The central topic of the Western Balkans summit in Trieste will be the economy, and ways to best connect our business communities and strengthen companies to enable the economies of the region to be more successful in the European integration process, the President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marko Cadez told Tanjug. The summit will be attended by about 70 regional companies operating in the energy, transport and innovations sector that will also have direct business meetings – mutually and with Italian entrepreneurs, Cadez said.

Djuric re-appointed Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija (RTS/FoNet)

The Serbian government has decided to re-appoint Marko Djuric as the acting head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija for three months, the Official Gazette published. At the same session held on 6 July, the government appointed three acting deputy heads and four acting assistants in the Office for Kosovo and Metohija for a period of three months. Zoran Jovic, Zeljko Jovic and Dusan Kozarev were appointed as acting deputy heads. The acting assistant heads of the Office are Dejan Pavicevic, who is also a liaison officer in Pristina, Dusan Jovovic, Petar Petkovic and Zoran Bojovic. The government re-appointed retired general Dragan Vladisavljevic, former head of the Military-Information agency, as the acting head of the Office for Coordination Affairs in the negotiating process with Pristina. The government appointed Milija Markovic as Vladisavljevic’s acting assistant for a period of three months.

REGIONAL PRESS

Zvizdic to attend 2017 Western Balkans Summit (TV1)

B&H Council of Ministers Chair Denis Zvizdic will be at helm of B&H delegation that will attend the Western Balkans Summit in Trieste on Wednesday. The European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that Europe must understand that the Balkans is still an unstable region with relatively high risk of something happening. “And when something happens, like twenty years ago, then you create a migrant wave, then you do not have a buffer zone. Which Balkans’ route would you close down if the Balkans is the starting point? It is a negative aspect. What is positive is it is a region of economic growth and big potential. If we dedicate ourselves to this market, that can save jobs in the EU too. The European Union is directly interested in stability in its neighborhood. It could boil down to a formula; either I export stability of import instability”, said Commissioner Hahn. Vecernji list daily, reads that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel is aware that the perspective of EU membership is still far away for some potential candidates, whilst on the other hand one must make sure the region is not under influence of Russia and Turkey. According to the daily, the first tool Germany and the EU have at their disposal is money, however daily argues the biggest obstacle before this ambitious plan is the assessment that Serbia should be the leader in the process. In this context daily reads this is foremost related to formation of a singly customs union, which is something Kosovo and Montenegro find unacceptable.

RS government accepts Draft Treaty establishing SEE Transport Community under certain conditions (RTRS)

The government of Republika Srpska (RS) held a telephone session on Monday evening at which it accepted the Draft Treaty on establishing of the Transport Community of the South East Europe (SEE), under the condition if the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) would adopt the conclusion which will establish that all three competent ministries (entity and state level) would participate in defining of the stances on behalf of B&H, which would be presented within Secretariat of the Transport Community. According to the conclusions, which the RS government sent to Chairman of B&H CoM Denis Zvizdic, Minister of Transport and Communications of B&H Ismir Jusko, RS Ministers in B&H CoM, as well as the EU Delegation (EUD) to B&H, the harmonized and defined stances would be presented by three competent ministers, in line with rotation system. Commenting on the issue, Minister of Transport and Communication of the RS Nedjo Trninic underlined that the RS government deems that provisions of the Treaty should be defined more precisely and that Protocol II should be amended by provisions on market protection until final accession of B&H to EU. He reiterated that the government of the RS does not oppose this Treaty, that the RS did not obstruct B&H’s accession to the Transport Community and that it is not to blame for a blockade.

On the other hand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of B&H Igor Crnadak stated that it is impossible to fulfill the conditions of the RS Government, noting that they are unacceptable. According to him, RS government’s conclusions slow down regional cooperation and, in some way, lead to failure of the upcoming Summit of the Western Balkan countries in Trieste, due to be held on July 12. ”The government of the RS opposes this Treaty. The conditions that it set are impossible to fulfill. The government of the RS is basically attempting to prevent that five projects and EUR 50 million come to B&H just to present everything as a failure of the Council of Ministers of B&H and the parties gathered around the Alliance for Changes,” Crnadak emphasized and added that, after Monday’s conclusions of the Government of the RS, he will consider once again whether it is worth following the RS Government in such suicidal behavior.

Holding of Trieste summit questionable due to arrogance of RS (Dnevni avaz)

Dnevni avaz daily learns that holding of the EU-Western Balkans Summit is questionable due to self-will and arrogance of Republika Srpska (RS) authorities. Namely, goes on the author, efforts of the EU’s senior officials with High Representative Federica Mogherini at helm to get a green light from Banja Luka for the Transport Community gave no results. According to the daily, Mogherini tried to influence stances of the RS even during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but with no success. The author goes on to explain that stumbling block in this case is the Transport Community Treaty, which would enable transport networking of the Balkans with the EU and which the RS government rejected with its conclusions from Tuesday evening. Numanovic further noted that the EU set the formation of the Transport Community as the most important, concrete result of the Trieste summit and that Mogherini even got consent of RS President Milorad Dodik beforehand. The B&H Council of Ministers stated it cannot accept stances of the RS Government, because it would derogate its responsibilities determined by law in that way. According to the daily, the summit that will be attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron will end without final agreements if something does not change today and, stresses Numanovic, the official Banja Luka would be to blame for that. Also, goes on the author, there is a possibility of the Transport Community treaty being signed without B&H, which would make inflict immense damage to the country. According to the author, there is also realistic chance that not a single project that B&H has nominated will pass today in Trieste.

Prosecutor’s Office of B&H terminates investigation against Dodik, Cvijanovic in referendum case (ATV)

According to media reports in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H has reached an important decision in the case of referendum on Republika Srpska (RS) Day. According to the reports, the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H terminated the investigation against RS President Milorad Dodik and RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic in this case, while Chairman of the RS Commission for Referendum Sinisa Karan and other members of this commission could end up on the indictment after all. However, the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H neither confirmed nor denied this information. Responding to the question of ATV reporters, representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H stated: “Once the prosecutorial decision has been reached, the public will be informed in a timely manner”. The reporter reminded that dozens of officials from the RS have been interrogated at the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H during the investigation into this case, including Chairman of the B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic, B&H Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Mirko Sarovic, as well as everyone who directly participated in organization of the referendum. According to the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, they are under the investigation for “undermining the constitutional order”, given the fact that the referendum was organized despite the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H.

Dodik and Covic meeting: We discussed cooperation at all levels (Klix.ba)

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and member of B&H Presidency and HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic held a meeting today in Mostar, accompanied by high-ranked delegation from both parties. Addressing the media after the meeting, Covic said that they discussed cooperation at all levels, including the places where one of parties does not have their representatives, as well as efforts to build common interests in order to stabilize relations in B&H. “We also discussed functioning of the CoM, parliaments and lower authority levels and what should be done, but we also touched upon earlier issues such is Constitutional Court of B&H and other institutions. We want all institutions to work in line with B&H Constitution. We discussed also economy, because general managers of electricity supplying companies are there and we created conditions for agreement on cooperation to strengthen this connection,” said Covic. Dodik said that this is an example of good cooperation, which they implement through activities. “We are not giving up from our strategic goal and that is for BIH to act within framework of the Dayton, to resolve the issue of Election Law, issue of channel in Croatian language and on our side to resolve the issue in the CoM and to include our stances at the state level. Election law that HDZ B&H proposed, has our support, because that is the possibility to improve position of Serbs in Federation of B&H Parliament. The law is necessary because of outvoting and we cannot have system in which one people elects president to the other people,” said Dodik. He added that they also discussed issue of Croat returnees to the RS.

Slovenian FM: If I were PM, I would not receive Plenkovic (Hina/STA)

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is getting ready for a working visit to Ljubljana, scheduled for Wednesday, where he is expected to hold talks with his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar, who invited him for a visit but whose coalition is not yet harmonized regarding the issues that need to be addressed at the meeting. Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec does not expect anything special from Wednesday’s visit to Slovenia by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and does not understand why he was coming in the first place if he did not want to talk about the border arbitration ruling. Prime Minister Miro Cerar will receive Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic at noon in Ljubljana, in what will be first meeting following the border arbitration ruling. Cerar announced he will discuss the implementation of the ruling with Plenkovic, while the Croatian official wants to discuss open issues between the two countries.

Becic’s policy of “youth and courage” short-lived (CDM)

The image of a young, wise, brave leader, who wants to win and not to divide Montenegro, obviously paid off to the president of Democrats Aleksa Becic. According to the latest results in the elections and public opinion polls, he and his party became the dominant opposition political force. Democrats are in power in Budva, Herceg Novi and Kotor. According to the CEDEM survey, it is the second strongest party after the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), with 20% support of the electorate. Becic is the second most popular politician for the second year in a row! This is an impressive success for Becic, who used to be just a “spokesman” of Socialist People’s Party (SNP) less than four years ago. At first glance, the survey results do not seem to be surprising at all – Becic is young and energetic, he presents himself as an intellectual supported by Western diplomats, but also as an ordinary guy who play football and has everyday duties. However, the question is how it comes that the Democrats are so well positioned and that Becic has not revealed his positions about key identity and foreign policy issues – his mother tongue, church, whether he supports NATO membership and his stance on recognition of Kosovo. The secret of Democrats’ success might lie in the fact that the party refuses to side with anyone, as it is the case with its political antipodes DPS and DF. On the contrary, Democrats are taking advantage of their conflict to present their call on overcoming divisions. It is clear that Becic, as the least compromised and “worn out” opposition figure cannot count on the DPS’s electorate. Therefore, he can expect support for his party from disappointed opposition voters and there are plenty of reasons for that. Demos is in a deep crisis. After several splits, SNP is not even the shadow of the once strongest opposition party. Many voters are disappointed, or rather shocked, by the extreme politics of DF. Their disillusioned voters will likely end up supporting the Democrats. However, the question is whether Becic will be able to keep such support if he continues to be undecided on issues Montenegro is divided about, such as language, church, NATO, Kosovo… We do not need to go far in the past to see how indecisiveness can lead to falling between two stools. The Movement for Changes had great voter support until the views of its leader Nebojsa Medojevic on Montenegrin independence and NATO became ambiguous.

Positive Montenegro paid the price of trying to play a constructive opposition, when it supported DPS’s decisions which it found to be good at the expense of party’s popularity. Miodrag Lekic, who almost won the presidential election, used to be the leader of the strongest opposition group. However, the fact that he avoided speaking on issues of church, language, NATO cost him dearly. So far, Becic is safe, because the desperate situation in the opposition allows him to play “victory rather than division” and “youth, wisdom and courage” cards, while not speaking about unpleasant identity and foreign policy issues. But one thing is certain – since we cannot expect setting up a heavenly church that would reconcile the Serbian and Montenegrin orthodox churches or creating a meta-language containing characteristics of the Serbian, Montenegrin, Bosnian and Croatian any time soon, Becic and the Democrats will have to announce their positions, no matter how unpleasant it was for them.

“A mystery”: If Serbia finds where Marovic is, he will be arrested (CDM)

Although a former official of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Svetozar Marovic has been treated for some time in Belgrade, it seems that the Serbian authorities do not know where he is, although it is an open secret that Marovic is being treated at the St. Sava Hospital. Serbian authorities are not familiar with the details of Podgorica Interpol’s warrant issued because of Marovic’s failure to come to Montenegro and serve three years and nine months prison sentence. Thus, suspicions that former DPS high-ranking official will not serve his prison sentence in Montenegro any time soon are confirmed. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said he was not familiar with the status of the warrant. “I need to check the status of this warrant. In case it exists, the precondition is to find out where Mr Marovic is. I’ll check with court what further proceedings are. There is no dispute that the ministry will work in accordance with the law,” Stefanovic said on Monday. Earlier, Montenegrin Minister of Justice Zoran Pazin said that his ministry couldn’t send the extradition request to Serbia for Svetozar and his son Milos Marovic. He said it could only be done once Serbian authorities inform Montenegro of their arrest.

As Pazin explained, the ministry would promptly send extradition request to relevant Serbian authorities once Marovic was arrested. It is not known why Serbian authorities have not arrested Marovic yet. The former senior official of the ruling party made two plea bargains with the Special State Prosecutor’s Office (SDT). He admitted being the leader of the so-called Budva criminal group whose frauds in the projects Jaz, TQ Plaza, Copyright, Krapina, VTE, Boulevard and Prijevor cost the state budget tens of millions of euros. Based on the Podgorica High Court’s decision on accepting the bargains, Marovic is fined to €100,000 and sentenced to three years and nine months in prison. In addition, he is supposed to return about €1m to the state budget.

FM Dimitrov says he regrets Dacic’s statement (MIA)

Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov voiced Tuesday regret over Ivica Dacic’s statement given in Athens saying ‘Serbia has made a mistake 20 years ago recognizing Macedonia with its constitutional name’. “I express regret over the statement of Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Both Macedonia and Serbia had been part of a federal state and we share so many things. I am confident that the two friendly nations prefer the countries to maintain relations based on mutual respect, understanding and European spirit,” reads a statement by FM Dimitrov. It won’t benefit neither Macedonia, nor Serbia and also the entire region, according to him.

“Let us not forget, in the region we raise and we fall together,” states Dimitrov’s comment on Dacic’s statement.

Trilateral meeting Tsipras – Vucic – Borisov in Thessaloniki, Macedonia will be one of the topics (Meta)

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will meet Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Thursday in Thessaloniki, reports the Greek news agency ANA-MPA. Tsipras and Vucic will participate in the Greek-Serbian high-Level Cooperation Council, after which they will give a joint statement. After the meeting with the Serbian President, Tsipras will meet with his Bulgarian counterpart in the afternoon, after which a joint meeting of the leaders of Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia will be announced. The Greek media still does not know what shall be discussed at the meeting, however, a joint press conference has also been announced. Antonio Milososki, an MP from VMRO-DPMNE stated, that a meeting will be held in Thessaloniki with the prime ministers of Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia, which will focus on relations with Macedonia. He says that the Macedonian government was not invited to this regional meeting.

Pence speaks on the phone with Zaev, Tsipras (MIA)

United States Vice President Mike Pence spoke on the phone with Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev on Monday, as well as with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The Macedonian Government said Pence congratulated Zaev on assuming the role of Prime Minister on behalf of President Trump. “The Vice President underscored continued US Support for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and encouraged Zaev to prioritize reforms that will advance Macedonia on its chosen path. The Vice President noted that he looks forward to meeting Zaev and leaders from across the Western Balkans region at the Adriatic Charter Summit that will take place on 2 August in Podgorica, Montenegro,” the read-out from the White House informs.

Macedonia is a member of the Adriatic Charter – the US led group of Balkan countries that strive for NATO membership – but has failed to join the Alliance due to the Greek veto. Macedonia will be a co-host of the meeting of the Charter with Montenegro, which joined NATO this year. Shortly after the 15 minutes long conversation with Zaev, Pence also spoke with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. “The Vice President congratulated the Prime Minister on Greece’s progress toward recovering from the economic crisis and thanked him for Greece’s role as a pillar of stability in the region, its NATO contributions and its military cooperation with the United States,” the readout from Pence’s conversation with Tsipras informs. It does not say whether Pence raised the Macedonian name issue in the conversation, but expresses regret that another long standing regional issue, the Cyprus reunification talks, failed last week.

MEP Vajgl: New Macedonia’s government aware of need for serious approach to reforms (MIA)

The EP Rapporteur for Macedonia at the European Parliament, Ivo Vajgl, has been monitoring the developments in the country on daily basis, saying that ‘it is too early to talk about some tangible results of the new government’. But, he says, the pace of activities and announced programs point out that the government has seriously taken into consideration the suggestion for addressing the reforms. “The political crisis has stalled many activities… It is very good that a European Commission team, led by (Reinhard) Priebe is present in the country, being able to offer guidance on the spot thus contributing for the reform calendar to be expedited,” Vajgl says.

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn also considers that the climate in Macedonia is positive, that the country is ready for improvement in terms of reforms and that some past developments must be clarified thoroughly – meaning extension of the mandate of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, Vajgl says. “Now it is important to preserve the climate of cooperation, mutual respect among politicians and to not rush some processes that could be viewed as revenge. Priority should be given to law to deal with such matters. The EU, Council of Europe rules on such matters should be also respected. It also refers to media scene – I believe it is important for the media to not be a tool for government’s propaganda, but a responsible factor of the societal policies,” Vajgl says. He hopes for the upcoming Western Balkans Summit in Trieste to bring something more to Macedonia than a repetition of the statement we support Macedonia on its European and Euro-Atlantic road. “I believe that Europe, along with US, must find some solution for Macedonia’s NATO membership. The idea Macedonia to be admitted into NATO as soon as possible without waiting for a settlement of the name row with Greece appeals to me. It would be a strong message of support for Macedonia to start negotiations and open appropriate chapters for full-fledged (EU) membership,” Vajgl says.

Government dismisses steering and supervisory boards in public sector (MIA)

The government decided Tuesday to dismiss members of all steering and supervisory boards of public enterprises, public health institutions, public institutions for social affairs, agencies and other legal entities. The dismissals aim to prevent further damaging the Budget as a result of the irresponsible conduct by a portion of the board members, who are said to sign harmful managerial contracts, along with the appointment of people in managerial positions who received astronomic amounts in fees, the government said in a press release. A decision has also been taken to recall members of commissions and members of supervisory boards and boards of directors in state-owned joint-stock companies, as well as filing of proposals for dismissal of steering boards to the parliament. In addition, Mile Bosnjakovski has been appointed new government spokesperson.

2017 Western Balkans Summit – stepping up regional cooperation to advance on the European Union path (ATA)

The Trieste Summit will be an opportunity to discuss concrete avenues to strengthen regional cooperation and thus further advance the EU integration process of the Western Balkans, the press office close to EU Delegation in Tirana announces in a press release.

The 2017 Western Balkans Summit will take place on 12 July in Trieste, Italy. The Summit will serve as an important occasion to work together on strengthening concrete opportunities while fostering regional cooperation with the aim of developing inclusive societies, good governance and vibrant economies, hence also further advancing the European Union integration perspective of the region.

Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, Johannes Hahn Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, and Violeta Bulc, Commissioner for Transport, will participate together with Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers, Ministers of Economy and Ministers of Transport of the Western Balkans and their counterparts from 6 EU Member States (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, and Slovenia).

Discussions will focus on three key areas of regional cooperation: 1) Connectivity, 2) Regional economic integration/private sector development and 3) People-to-people contacts.

In the area of connectivity, the focus will be on implementation of the Connectivity Agenda, which aims at creating conditions for economic growth and good neighbourly relations, in particular through the preparation and financing of concrete regional infrastructure investment projects in the transport and energy sectors. During the Summit, the European Commission will announce substantial new funding as part of its annual ‘connectivity package’. Moreover, the Western Balkans partners are expected to sign the Transport Community Treaty, which will help integrate the transport networks in the region and with the EU and guide related reform measures in the transport sector.

On regional economic integration, the Western Balkan partners are expected to agree on an action plan to develop a Regional Economic Area aimed at boosting the attractiveness of the region to encourage investment and generate jobs, especially through smart growth, start-ups and scale-ups. For the first time within the Berlin process, a digital dimension is part of the action plan: this will contribute to integrating the region into the pan-European digital market. The Chamber Investment Forum of the Western Balkans, which gathers chambers of commerce of the region, will inaugurate its Permanent Secretariat in Trieste at the margin of the Summit: the involvement of the business community will contribute to translating the Regional Economic Area into concrete opportunities for companies in the region. On private sector development, the Commission will step up its substantial existing support to SMEs through a new contribution to the Western Balkans Enterprise Development and Innovation Facility, as well as pushing for more dynamic inward investment.

Regarding people-to-people contacts, the European Commission together with the Italian Government is organizing an EU-Western Balkans Youth forum in the margins of the Summit to take stock of the results achieved since last year and explore further areas of cooperation. The conclusions of the youth forum will be presented at the Summit. The forum and the Summit will also serve to promote participation in the Erasmus exchange program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and has been successfully extended to the Western Balkans. Based on the outcomes of the youth forum, the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO) will further develop its work program to foster cooperation among young people of the region. During the Summit, political leaders are further expected to reconfirm their commitment to an exchange scheme for young civil servants from the region, which was launched at last year’s Western Balkans Summit in Paris and has shown very positive results. Italy is hosting the fourth annual Summit in the framework of the “Berlin Process”, an initiative for regional cooperation in the Western Balkans, which follows the Summits in Berlin (2014), Vienna (2015) and Paris (2016).

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Mogherini: Berlin Process is not a substitute for the EU enlargement (European Western Balkans, by Nikola Ristic, 12 July 2017)

Ahead of the Western Balkan Summit, which starts in Trieste today, European Western Balkans spoke to High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini. We spoke on the Berlin Process, EU’s plans for the Balkans, regional relations, and on the state of democracy in the Western Balkans.

European Western Balkans: The Berlin Process will have its fourth high-level meeting this year in Trieste. How is the EU contributing to the process?

Federica Mogherini: The aim of the Berlin Process is to bring the Western Balkans inside the European Union. And this is the very same goal that we have pursued since our first day in office, through diplomacy, through investments, through cooperation on all issues from security to migration. The Trieste Summit is not a stand-alone, but a crucial part of our broader engagement with the region. This engagement has recently led to starting a new phase in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, to the Bosnian application for membership of the EU, to important reforms in all the Western Balkans Six. The European Union is the strongest partner of the Balkan people as they work for peace, growth and democracy in their countries.

EWB: Some political analysts are saying that the Berlin Process is just a substitute for the EU enlargement. Is that true or is it a complementary process with the EU accession?

FM: The Berlin Process is meant to accompany the Balkans’ path towards the European Union. It is not a substitute, not a competitor, but on the contrary a facilitator of our common work. The European Union will never be complete without the Western Balkans. The region is at the heart of Europe. The peoples of the Western Balkans share and contribute to European culture, history and economy. This region is part of Europe, and it will also be part of the European Union – no doubt about that.

EWB: German Foreign Minister announced “Berlin Plus” programme for the Western Balkans. What are your expectations of this programme?

FM: Any Member State’s initiative that supports the region’s path towards the European Union is welcome. I always say that the European Union doesn’t need to speak with only one voice: our diversity, and the variety of tools we can mobilise, makes us a much stronger player. What truly matters is that all “voices” sing the same song, and all initiatives pursue the same goal. Berlin Plus is part of our common action towards the Balkans: its focus on competitiveness, integration and innovation is perfectly in line with the work we are doing and with what we will discuss in Trieste.

EWB: It can be heard from different European stakeholders that the Western Balkans is one of the EU’s priorities. How high on the EU agenda is the region?

FM: No single day passes without us working on the Balkans or talking to regional leaders. Last Monday we hosted the Stabilisation and Association Council with Bosnia. Aleksandar Vučić and Hashim Thaçi were in Brussels the week before. This year I have travelled to all regional capitals, and met with Balkan leaders countless times. Last March, the European Council reaffirmed its unequivocal support for region’s path towards the European Union. We will continue to be the region’s strongest partner – because we believe in the Balkans’ EU perspective, and because we need our cooperation to address our citizens’ needs, from security to economic growth.

EWB: There is a study of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group which argues that the EU approach towards the Western Balkans is “stabilitocracy”, which means that the EU values stability over democracy in the region. How do you comment on these claims?

FM: There is no stability without democracy, and strong democracy. The promotion of good governance and the respect of rule of law are at core of our everyday engagement with our partners in the Balkans. Our work for effective judiciaries is a contribution to the quality of democracy as well as to regional stability. Our mediation to address political crisis is about making democracy work as well as about regional stability. We understand that European integration is a matter for the whole of society, not only its leadership. This is why, across the region, we work directly with citizens, institutions, civil society, the business community, and not only with governments. Everyone has a role in this process.

EWB: The Western Balkan countries are at different levels of the accession process. Do you expect the countries of the region to join the European Union together or separately under the regatta principle?

FM: The pace of reforms depends on each capital and each leadership. The accession criteria are the same for everyone, there are no shortcuts. Our door is always open: it is up to each of the Western Balkans Six to cross the line, and come in. At the same time, there is a clear link between regional cooperation in the Western Balkans and their path towards the European Union. Regional cooperation makes each of the Western Balkans Six stronger: it is in their citizens’ interest, and it can only get the region closer to our Union.

EWB: Hashim Thaçi has said that he expected that the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue will end soon and that there will be a historic agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. How do you see the future of the dialogue?

FM: I am an optimist by nature: a good dose of optimism and determination can only benefit the dialogue. Last week, when I met with Presidents Vučić and Thaçi in Brussels, we all agreed to start a new phase in the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština, towards a full normalisation of relations. And we all agreed on the importance to implement without delay the agreements reached in the dialogue. This was a very intense year for relations between Belgrade and Pristina: just months ago the situation was tense, but today we face a new and unprecedented opportunity for reconciliation. When there is political will to move forward, there is also room for optimism.

EWB: Serbian media have said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has asked you for an exact date of Serbian accession to the EU. What is your reply?

FM: Serbia has achieved great results in recent years, after opening of 10 negotiating chapters and closing two provisionally: the reforms are paying off, first and foremost for the citizens of Serbia. ​President Vučić knows – as well as all regional leaders – that it is largely up to Serbia to set the date for accession to the European Union. Membership will come with reforms and with a normalisation of ties with Kosovo. We both want Serbia to join the European Union. The Serbian leadership is ambitious, and so are we.

EWB: Brussels is often praising the reforms in the region. However, a number of indexes show that the democratic standards in the countries of the Western Balkans have a downward trend. Why there is an impression that Brussels is turning a blind eye on those issues?

FM: The whole region has achieved progress that was unthinkable just a few years ago. I will never shy away from saying that the work is not yet complete – it needs to continue, and the reforms need to deliver much more. But I will always celebrate every step in the right direction, every reform that makes the political leadership more accountable, that fights corruption, that makes the judiciary more efficient and transparent. It is the citizens, especially the youth, who need to see real, practical benefits. This is the responsibility of the leaders in the region and should be above any other agenda.