LOCAL PRESS

Brnabic: Letter to be sent to European Commission regarding issues of Catalonia, Kosovo (Beta/RTS/Tanjug)

Following the end of two-hour consultations summoned by President Vucic, which weres also attended by parliament speaker Maja Gojkovic and Marko Djuric, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that the letter that the government and Vucic were going to draft would be brought to Brussels when they travel on a previously agreed visit on 10-11 October. “We were very surprised by the position of the Commission and everything that its spokesperson said. [We consulted] to see how to react, what else should we ask the Commission,” she said to the reporters. “The questions will include whether the international law is valid for the EU or there is another international law applicable to all other non-EU countries,” Brnabic said, hinting at the remark by Schinas that the Commission would not compare the Catalan issue with Kosovo as “Spain is a member of the European Union.” Brnabic further said that as a person strongly committed to Serbia’s EU integration, she would insist on obtaining an answer as to why the case of Kosovo was different from that of Catalonia. She also said that Serbia and its people deserved either an apology or a statement from the European Commission that international law did not apply to Serbia. “Or shall we put it another way – to speak about whether Kosovo’s independence stands. In line with everything they said, if that is their view, then let’s talk about withdrawing Kosovo independence. We absolutely agree with the European Commission, then let us agree that it is a universal right,” Brnabic said.

Brnabic said that the letter will be forwarded to all countries that did not recognize the so-called state of Kosovo, as a sign of gratitude, and to show them how important it is that they did not do it and how right they were when they defended and believed in international law. She added that the letter will also be sent to the countries that did recognize the independence of Kosovo.

Reading the explanations of the EC based on which the questions were composed, Brnabic notes that the EC states that recognition of Kosovo’s independence has been a position adopted by various United Nations declarations and resolutions and other international organizations. In that sense, she adds, our question is – what is at least one of these UN declarations or resolutions, based on which somebody thought they had the right to recognize the unilateral independence. “We are not aware of any such, so they can tell us that they were mistaken or to tell us that there is some that we are not aware of it,” she said. When it comes to the third explanation of the EC, that the case with Catalonia has specific context with specific reasons, Brnabic says that in every country there is also specific context, as well as specific reasons. She notes that, in the capacity of the Prime Minister, she will insist most on the explanation as to how the issue of referendum is regulated by the Constitution of Spain and how come voting was illegal according to this Constitution. As she noticed, when Kosovo declared independence, nor was there a referendum nor was this legal from the position of the Constitution of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia or the Constitution of Serbia. Noting that the EC stated that it believed that now is the time for unity and stability and not for divisions, Brnabic says that she assumed that “at the time when some EU member states recognized independence of Kosovo it was time for divisions and fragmentation, but that now this time has passed, so now is the time for unity and stability”.

Dacic: Hypocrites, they supported Kosovo because they wanted a weak Serbia (RTS)

The reactions of the EU and member countries to the referendum in Catalonia are unanimous – they advocate Spain’s constitutional unity, as French President Emanuel Macron said. The EC spokesperson stressed that Kosovo and Catalonia cannot be compared. “Everything that we are saying about double standards should not be interpreted as some objection of ours to preservation of Spain’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Spain is our big friend and, unlike some other EU member states, it didn’t recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo,” Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS).

He stressed that this is a unilateral act of Catalonia, just as it was a unilateral act of Kosovo. “We have been warning and we are warning today that this Pandora’s Box will not stop with Serbia, i.e. on the Kosovo case, there are many similar cases. Great Britain dissolved the Irish parliament because it passed the decision on independence, many other countries have different stands when it comes to their problems in relation to what happened in Kosovo and Metohija,” says Dacic.

Commenting the words of EC spokesperson Margaritis Schinas, who said that Kosovo was a specific case and that this was a position adopted by various UN declarations and resolutions and the international community, Dacic says this is not correct. “Kosovo cannot be a separate and specific case, there are no resolutions of the United Nations Security Council. I think that the EC representative has no clue what he is talking about. He read this somewhere, now he can’t explain and this is why he is talking nonsense. There are no UN resolutions except Resolution 1244 that speaks about Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. What was done towards Serbia is violation of international law. The things we have been warning about happened and Catalonia will not be the only example of such separatist tendencies in Europe,” said Dacic. He doesn’t expect that some of the twenty-two EU member states that recognized independence of Kosovo will now change their mind. “No way, this is an unrealistic expectation. They will be wrong until the end. How can they say ‘we were wrong’ – they would then have to spit on themselves. Only Trump can say that about the former US policy, some new leadership, but this was the essence of their policy. They bombed us over Kosovo, they will not say now they were wrong. But it will come back at them. I regret that Spain is at issue, since it is our friendly country, but Pandora’s Box has opened. In Kosovo’s case it was stated ‘unilateral moves are possible and then you will depend on the affection of the great powers’. There is no international law here, this is the policy of force,” said Dacic. “We shouldn’t interfere in Spain’s internal matters. It is known why we opposed such a move by Catalonia, because it is not in accordance with international law and because they are unilateral moves as it had been in Kosovo as well,” said Dacic.

Commenting the graffiti in Vojvodina and the visit of the leader of the League of Social-Democrats of Vojvodina Nenad Canak to Barcelona, Dacic says that the policy in Brussels is not the only one that is punitive, and that there are also representatives of this policy here. “When the Republika Srpska speaks about referendum, then it is anti-European, anti-civilizational and anti-Serbian. Let them go to Banja Luka to support the referendum of the Serbs in B&H,” says Dacic.

Dacic says that Kosovo’s request for UNESCO membership has not been submitted yet, because Pristina interprets that it can submit the request right at the General Conference. “Let them try, I am not provoking anyone but I am sure that those who recognized Kosovo earlier, and the worst situation is in the EU because they are hypocrites, supported the creation of Kosovo because they wanted a weak Serbia in the Balkans. It will not work for them,” concluded Dacic.

Dacic: Serbia has shown responsibility in acceptance, treatment of migrants (Beta/RTS)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said in Geneva yesterday that Serbia as a transit country has invested a lot of effort and human and financial resources to deal with the refugee and migrant crisis. Speaking at the 68th session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissariat for Refugees (UNHCR) held in Geneva today, Dacic pointed out that the situation of refugees and migrants today is complex and requires unimpeded attention, efficiency, and most of all solidarity of all relevant actors. He recalled that since mid-2015 Serbia has been in the center of the Western Balkan migrant route and nearly all migrants who left from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other unstable areas to reach the countries of Western and Northern Europe – over 900,000 people – went through it. The Serbian government has shown responsibility in ensuring appropriate acceptance, temporary accommodation, health care, food aid and drugs, as well as all information on the asylum procedure, with full respect for the human rights of refugees and migrants, and with respect to international standards, Dacic underlined.

Experience teaches us that there is no simple, administrative solution for the refugee problem. That is why we are ready to contribute to the Global Refugee Agreement through sharing our experiences on the challenges of long-term displacement and on best practices in resolving the problem of displacement, Dacic said.

Dacic also met in Geneva with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Dacic informed the High Commissioner about the situation and problems of refugees from Croatia and B&H, and of over 200,000 internally displaced persons from Kosovo and Metohija. Dacic expressed the readiness of the Republic of Serbia to continue to promote cooperation with the UNHCR.

Government gives guarantees for Ratko Mladic (Tanjug)

The Serbian government has given guarantees for Ratko Mladic’s provisional release from detention at the ICTY for medical treatment. A letter containing the state guarantees has been sent to Mladic’s defense, which will submit it to the ICTY, the Serbian Ministry of Justice told Tanjug Monday.

Pavlopolus: Greece not changing stand on Kosovo (RTS)

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulus has spoken in an interview for Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) about the situation in the region and Europe, Kosovo and Catalonia.

We know that Greece respects Serbia’s territorial integrity but is there a comprehensive political consensus in Greece when it comes to Kosovo’s independence that this stand will not be changed?

“It is clear that this is a national stand for Greece, a stand that is supported by the government, me personally, political parties and the opposition. Because this stand is a European stand. We are not doing this only to support Serbia. We are doing this because this is a rule that we should adhere to on behalf of Europe. Look what happened with, under quotation marks, the referendum in Catalonia. All those who rushed to recognize Kosovo, what have they to say now, after the events in Catalonia. We need to be serious. We need to think through before we pass decisions on the consequences of these decisions. Therefore, Greece’s stand is based on international law and European acquis, and this is why it is a stand that will not be changed, while Kosovo’s behavior is such that is creates problems both in view of international law and European acquis.”

REGIONAL PRESS

RS President again expresses aspiration for territorial unity of B&H and Serbia (N1/Hayat)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik expressed his aspiration for territorial integrity of B&H and Serbia at the opening of the ‘9. Januar’ motorway section in Laktasi on Sunday. This is the second similar statement he has given in the past month, both times in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic who again did not react to such statement. However, the statement sparked a number of reactions in B&H on Monday. The US Embassy to B&H and the Office of the High Representative (OHR) have already commented on the first statement on unity of the RS and Serbia given by Dodik in Belgrade, by saying that they are firmly committed to preservation of peace and stability in B&H and that the country’s territorial integrity is undisputable. They reiterated the same stance on Monday. “Neither the DPA nor the Constitution of B&H gives the possibility for entities to secede. Rhetoric speculations on secession are intolerable and they only serve to intimidate investors and destroy jobs. Any kind of actions aimed at dissolution of B&H would represent violation of the DPA and would thus trigger adequate reaction”, the US Embassy said in a statement.

In an interview to the ‘Sputnik’ news agency, Russian Ambassador to B&H, Petr Ivantsov said that he does not want to comment on the secession of the RS from B&H, but he stressed that Russia is committed to preservation of the DPA and it supports B&H’s independence and territorial integrity.

SDA also said that it is neither natural nor fair to merge a part of the state in which genocide was committed with the state which participated in it. SDA stressed that instead of playing with fire, Dodik and those who support him should rather take care of economic development and human rights of all citizens of the RS. “This will only remain futile dreams of Milorad Dodik. The RS is a difficult compromise from Dayton and a consequence of aggression on B&H, ethnic cleansing, mass crimes and genocide. This will never be forgotten”, SDA stated. SDA also said that that B&H is a country that existed before the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) and it will continue to exist in the same capacity in the future. “Those who love B&H will never allow for this border to be moved and the RS entity can only be part of the state of B&H, where along with Serbs – Croats, Bosniaks and Others live as well – and they all must have equal rights in the whole territory of the RS. Anything different than that would represent violation of the DPA and peace, and would also lead the RS – which was created based on the DPA – into disappearance”, SDA said in a statement.

Speakers Kristo and Colak meet US Embassy’s Conway, EUD’s Field to talk about changes to Law on Elections (Dnevni list)

Speaker of the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Borjana Kristo and Speaker of the B&H House of Peoples (HoP) Barisa Colak met on Monday with Head of Political Section at the US Embassy in B&H Craig Conway and Head of Political Section at the EU Delegation to B&H Matthew Field to talk about reform to the electoral legislation. According to the daily, it is concluded that finding a solution to this problem is currently the most important issue. Kristo noted that proposal of changes to the Law on Elections of B&H, which has been sent into the parliamentary procedure by the Croat Caucus in the B&H HoP, should be on the agenda of one of future sessions of the B&H HoR, arguing that a discussion should take place with the aim to find solutions in line with decisions of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H and principles of legitimate representation of constituent peoples in B&H. Kristo stressed that if the Law on Elections is not changed, it will be possible to call and hold the elections, but the election results could not be implemented. Colak expressed dissatisfaction with wrong interpretation of the CC’s decision by the Bosniak political representatives, stressing that the CC’s clearly stated in its decision that the Federation of B&H House of Peoples is not a house of cantons but a house of constituent peoples. According to the daily, Conway and Field agreed that finding a solution to the issue of the Law on Elections is necessary and that failure to resolve it would send a bad message in terms of the Euro-Atlantic path of the country.

ITA SB postpones voting on excise duties by Wednesday (ATV)

A session of the Steering Board of B&H Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) was held in Banja Luka on Monday. Members of the B&H ITA Steering Board discussed proposed amendments to the Law on Excise Duties in B&H, but failed to reach an agreement on them. B&H Minister of Finance and Treasury Vjekoslav Bevanda stressed that there were interventions from the Federation of B&H to the offered text, noting that entity authorities have two days to harmonize their stances. Bevanda did not want to reveal what kind of interventions came from the Federation of B&H. ATV recalled that at the previous session of the B&H ITA Steering Board, entity ministers failed to see eye to eye when it came to the excise duties, because the Federation of B&H asked for more money from excise duties on fuel and there are speculations that this was the stumbling stone this time around as well. Ahead of Monday’s session of the B&H ITA Steering Board, there were speculations that there will be a different proposal to increase excise tax on fuel, but Bevanda denied that story, noting that there are sticking to the previous proposal of amendments to the Law on Excise Duties in B&H which stipulates an increase in excise tax on fuel by BAM 0.15. Meanwhile, Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) Denis Zvizdic is trying to secure majority for the adoption of these amendments in the B&H parliament. However, according to ATV, although Zvizdic is acting as everything is fine, the new Law on Excise Duties will most likely not get the necessary support in the B&H parliament.

Croatia protests to Serbia over monument to JNA major (Hina)

Croatia’s Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Monday forwarded a strongly-worded protest note to Serbia’s Ambassador Mira Nikolic in connection with the unveiling of a monument to Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) Major Milan Tepic who in 1991 blew up an ammunition depot near the Croatian town of Bjelovar, killing 11 Croatian troops.

Serbian Minister’s “Civil War” statement causes protests (Vecernji list)

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin commented on Sunday in Sibenik on relations with Croatia. He said that his government did not want to interfere with internal Croatian issues, but that they also could not allow Croatian internal affairs to have an impact on Serbia. He added that he expected from Milorad Pupovac, the Serb national minority member of Croatian Parliament, to defend the rights of Serbs in Croatia, and also used the opportunity to respond to the criticism about the recent unveiling of a monument to Milan Tepic, a Serbian officer who tried to blow up a Croatian town during the 1990s war in Croatia. “In every civil war, there are as many truths as there are sides. It is not possible for me to convince you that the Serbian truth is the real truth, or that Croatian truth is the real truth. We will never be able to agree about that. For example, the Operation Storm will for us always be the most tragic day, while for many in Croatia it will be a great and beautiful day. What we should be saying and doing is to see what we can do for people to live a better life,” said Vulin, who was in Sibenik to attend the inauguration of the newly-elected Dalmatian bishop of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

Croatian Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic reacted to Vulin’s statement. “At first, I did not want to comment on the so-called ‘civil war’ claims. But, as the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense, and also as a general of the victorious Croatian Army, I want to say to everyone: There are not two truths, but only one. Croatia did not take part in any ‘civil war,’ but in a just Homeland War against a brutal Greater Serbian aggression. The Croatian soldier fought within the borders of Croatia for peace and freedom, and in that imposed war we have defended ourselves and defeated the enemy. Today, we are focused on the future, on strengthening the Croatian Army’s abilities and on the development of the homeland security system, in order not ever to find ourselves in the situation like we were in the early 1990s,” said Krsticevic.

MOST leader Bozo Petrov asked on Monday why Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic was silent about the Greater Serbian views about the civil war in Croatia. “On Sunday, we again had the opportunity to witness Greater Serbian verbal attacks in a statement made by Serbian Defense Minister Vulin. On behalf of MOST, I strongly condemn the statements which are trying to distort the historical and legal facts about the war in the 1990s, which was the result of the Greater Serbian politics of the then Serbia,” wrote Petrov. “Bearing in mind that these statements were given by a minister in the Serbian government, it should be concluded that this is the official policy of the Republic of Serbia, that the Croatia’s government must condemn it in the sharpest possible terms,” Petrov continued.

Slovenian officials at odds over policy towards Croatia (T portal)

Different statements and positions related to relations with Croatia given by Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar and his Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec are not a tactical move, but a genuine reflection of their differences which are only getting larger, claims Slovenian daily Vecer in a commentary on the latest disagreements between the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister who advocates for a much more radical position towards Croatia due to the border arbitration dispute, reports tportal.hr on October 2, 2017. According to the media, it is a latent conflict which has now become public, after Cerar criticized Erjavec, complaining that he used his statements about the government’s session, when he said they were preparing a lawsuit against Croatia, to make himself and his party more popular ahead of the elections next year. Several days later, Cerar stated that Erjavec’s statements were hurtful for Slovenia and actually benefited Croatia, adding that the Minister should use less harsh words. However, Erjavec did not calm down but immediately replied that the Prime Minister was wrong and that Croatia needed to be pressured, as long as the Croatian government did not agree to the implementation of the arbitration decision on the maritime border in the Bay of Piran. The unity in public positions about the arbitration decision, which is one of Cerar’s goals, lasted for just a few days because the opposition privately expressed their disappointment with the arbitrator’s decision which did not grant Slovenia a territorial contact with the open sea by a corridor in which Slovenia would have sovereignty. They are also dissatisfied with most decisions pertaining to the land border with Croatia as well. On the other hand, the latent conflict between Cerar and Erjavac began immediately after the surprising statement by the Minister that the first meeting between the Slovenian Prime Minister and his Croatian counterpart in Ljubljana was unnecessary, just like the possible second meeting in Zagreb which was expected last month, and which Cerar later abandoned. Disagreements over some of the legislative proposals which are currently in the parliamentary procedure will be solved probably on Wednesday, at a second such meeting in just ten days. It is believed that the Slovenian parties will discuss the differences in their positions on how to solve the arbitration dispute with Croatia, as well as about Erjavec’s statements, which Cerar considers hurtful for Slovenian interests since they send wrong signals to Zagreb, as well as Brussels. Both Slovenian Prime Minister Cerar and his Croatian counterpart Plenkovic met recently separately with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and presented to her the reasons for their positions towards the implementation of the arbitration decision.

Croatian soldiers to arrive in Poland as part of NATO mission (N1)

Croatia and Poland will soon sign an agreement to improve defense co-operation, and in about two weeks a group of Croatian soldiers will travel to Poland to take part in a NATO mission, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Damir Krsticevic said on Monday after meeting with Polish Defense Minister Antonio Macierewicz. “We have prepared an agreement for the promotion of defense cooperation, and today we will make all the arrangements for the agreement to be signed shortly. We want to cooperate with Poland in the areas of ​​special forces and military police, and there is also an essential military-technical and military-scientific cooperation,” Krsticevic said in a statement after the meeting. He stressed that the cooperation was vital due to security challenges facing Europe, which are very complex and require more intensive collaboration between the EU and NATO members, exchange of experiences and information exchange to make it easier to fight against all security threats and risks.

Krsticevic also announced that 78 Croatian soldiers would leave for Poland in about two weeks as part of the NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence. They will be part of the United States-led combat group. “The soldiers are ready, and they will leave in about fifteen days.” He added that Poland asked for the troops from Croatia as a friend and partner. “I believe that, if Croatia were to need something similar tomorrow, Poland would do likewise and it would send its soldiers here to Croatia. We are glad to participate, that our troops will go there,” said Krsticevic.

Minister Macierewicz thanked Croatia for the expressed solidarity, noting that the Croatian Army was highly respected in Poland as an example of military expertise and love for its country. The ministers confirmed excellent bilateral relations between the two nations, based on a strong partnership and a high level of mutual understanding. They exchanged views on the current security and political situation in Europe and the world and confirmed their commitment to NATO’s open door policy, as well as the readiness to continue supporting the aspirants for NATO membership. After meeting with Krsticevic, the Polish Defense Minister also met with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Another group of Croatian soldiers is expected to travel to Lithuania as part of the same NATO mission, which is aimed at signaling to Russia that NATO is ready to defend its eastern members.

Bugajski: Joint arrangement for Podgorica and Belgrade impossible (Pobjeda)

In order to demonstrate its readiness to join EU before it is predicted, Montenegro must close all chapters and convince its supporters in EU to propagate the earlier date of accession, said Janusz Bugajski for Pobjeda daily. Janusz Bugajski is a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington DC. Commenting on the new EU strategy that predicts Serbia and Montenegro joining EU by 2025, Bugajski said that Serbia will face disputes over Kosovo and its partnership with Russia. “Every country should join EU based on its own merits. Montenegro must demonstrate that, unlike Serbia, it does not have partners with alternatives to EU and NATO,” Bugajski said. Putin sees Serbia as the main gateway to Balkans, and one of his main instruments is inciting nationalism. “All countries with Serbian population are Moscow’s target, especially Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo. Kremlin wants to stop these countries on their path to EU and consolidate Serbia as a Russian partner,” Bugajski said. He does not expected Moscow to abandon Montenegro after it has joined NATO. “Bulgarian and Hungarian cases demonstrate that Russia does not give up. It will continue to test and destabilize countries such as Montenegro, and exert influence through business, political corruption or propaganda. Podgorica must be vigilant and cooperate with NATO,” Bugajski said.

Suto Orizari mayor Elvis Bajram injured in fight (MIA)

Incumbent Suto Orizari mayor and candidate for a second term, Elvis Bajram has been injured in a fight in the municipality on Monday afternoon. Two groups of citizens clashed in Suto Orizari, with Bajram suffering a wound on his forehead that required stitches. He has been treated in the “September 8” general hospital and is in stable condition. Police investigation in the case is ongoing. Both SDSM and VMRO-DPMNE have condemned the incident.

Dimitrov: The question of identity will play no part in the upcoming negotiations (Meta)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia, Nikola Dimitrov, denied the information that during negotiations with Greece, they are discussing the matter of identity.

“Negotiations have not yet started, we are currently drawing the contours at what level, in what format and when they begin. It is not useful to speculate about something that Minister Kotzias was briefed or not. Kotzias should be asked directly about this issue, I believe, that we need to extract identity issues from this negotiation process, because otherwise the problem will never be solved, said Dimitrov, adding that it is not historically appropriate to challenge the identity of a neighbor who is not a member of the EU or NATO. The minister stressed that this issue is often avoided in public, but that politics implies taking responsibility, as well as taking responsibility for problem-solving and missed opportunities. Regarding the information on the revision of history, especially the part referring to refugees from Aegean Macedonia, Dimitrov said that if we want to develop relations between the two countries, historians should be asked how the Greeks look at us and vice versa. Dimitrov said that he will focus on energy, economic and regional co-operation for the upcoming regional meeting in Thessaloniki, which will be attended by the foreign ministers, both from Albania and Bulgaria. When asked whether it was possible for the countries of the region to engage in the name dispute with Greece, he stressed that at this stage, however, talks will take place on a bilateral level, adding that this issue is especially important not only for both countries, but also for the region and Europe itself.

President receives Head of CoE Office in Tirana (ATA)

The President of the Republic Ilir Meta on Monday received the Head of Council of Europe Office in Tirana, Claus Neukirch, or an exchange on Council of Europe cooperation assistance to Albania. During the meeting, the head of state Meta praised the Council of Europe for the contribution and central role it has played in promoting democracy and human rights, the right to ownership and the media freedom in Albania. Focusing specifically on judicial reform, President Meta praised the legal and professional assistance provided by the Venice Commission. Meta also put emphasis on the importance of cooperation between Albanian institutions and the Council of Europe Office in Tirana to prevent domestic violence and the violence against women, and implement joint projects aimed at addressing this serious social problem.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Joining the EU is a marathon, says Serbian PM (EurActiv, by Daniela Vincenti, 3 October 2017)

EXCLUSIVE / Serbia and Montenegro are seen as the two Western Balkan frontrunners to join the EU but Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić told EURACTIV.com in a wide-ranging interview that joining the soon-to-be 27-country bloc is a matter of endurance and not a competition.

“For Serbia, joining the EU is like a marathon,” Brnabić told EURACTIV. “When you run a marathon you are not competing against anyone else but yourself. In that sense, I don’t think any country should be bothered by who is the front or second runner.” Serbia’s first female prime minister highlighted the progress made by Serbia over the last three years to regain macroeconomic stability and fiscal discipline. The country has adopted a comprehensive public financial management reform programme as well as important laws relating to regulatory reform, public salaries and administrative procedures. It has developed strategies on e-government, harmonised its jurisprudence and continues to promote a merit-based recruitment system. Progress has also been visible in economic terms. By reducing its budget deficit and restructuring state-owned enterprises, Serbia has managed to reduce its domestic and external imbalances. According to the World Bank, Serbia’s economy is expected to grow by 3% this year.

Aims to complete negotiations by 2022

Asked whether she agreed with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said in his State of the Union speech that Montenegro and Serbia could join by 2025, she said we should not talk about when we will join. “For me, the journey is as important as the destination itself. That would be my message for the whole region. This is a marathon, be focused on implementing reforms in the most efficient way because it matters for your country,” she added.

Pressed for an answer on the timeline, she conceded that Serbia’s goal is to close all chapters between 2020 and 2022. “2020 might be a bit ambitious, but 2022 is more reachable,” she explained. There are still basic conditions to be met – the rule of law, the fight against crime and corruption, good neighbourly relations, basic human rights, freedom of expression – to pave the way towards the EU integration process. But Brnabić remains confident while acknowledging that “we certainly have a long way to go”. She stressed environmental protection as a complex issue to solve but added that her government has established a new environmental ministry to deal with it. “We are working hard to implement all the important reforms.”

Stability in the Western Balkans

Asked whether Serbia’s reluctance to recognise Kosovo could hamper its EU accession, Brnabić said the issue was not standing, as some EU member states had not recognised the former Serbian province either. “I don’t know why it would be different for Serbia. Spain says that ‘even if Serbia recognises Kosovo, we never will’. I don’t think that will be a precondition for joining the EU,” she said. Spain has been adamant about Kosovo for fear that a recognition could only encourage its own separatist region of Catalonia. Kosovo, a former Serbian province whose 1.8 million-strong population are mainly ethnic Albanians, is one of the poorest countries in Europe. It declared independence from Serbia in 2008. More than 110 countries have recognised Kosovo’s independence, including the United States and all but five European Union members, but Serbia has refused to do so. The EU has encouraged the Western Balkan countries earlier this year to create a common market, which it estimated could create over 80,000 jobs in an area of high unemployment and alleviate tensions. Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations are among the basic conditions for any country to progress towards EU membership. So far relations among the six Western Balkan states remain tense, requiring a delicate balancing act from the EU. “Regardless of who opens more chapters, we work together,” Brnabić told EURACTIV.

Squeezed between the EU and Russia

Asked how will Serbia reconcile its loyalty to and good relations with Russia, its traditional ally, with its EU aspirations, the Serbian PM said the question of either or has never been posed with Serbia. She insisted on the non-issue. “Serbia has obviously had traditionally close ties with Russia and Russia is also very important to Serbia economically. We have an FTA with Russia and for the time being, we want to have Russia as our traditional partner and as an economic partner. I don’t see this being in contradiction with our strategic EU integration,” she added.

Brnabić, 41, took the premiership in June, less than a year after she entered politics by becoming the public administration minister last August in the cabinet of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić, who later won the presidential election and became the head of state.

Greece welcomes Balkan countries to Europe, but not their problems: Greek president

(Xinhua, 3 October 2017)

BELGRADE — Greece will support Serbia as well as all other Balkan countries who wish to become part of the European Union (EU), but these countries must respect international right, as well as European principles and heritage, said Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during his visit to Serbia on Monday. Speaking at a press conference after meeting his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, he said that Greece is ready to provide Serbia with all necessary help in order for the Balkan country to become a member of the EU, and that the country achieved good results in that direction. He continued that Greece also looks positively on the accession of other countries such as Turkey, Albania and Macedonia, but insisted that these countries must “adhere to international right and show respect towards European culture and civilization” in order to be ready to become “the south-eastern branch of the EU”. “We Greeks will not accept the Balkans to become a problematic space within the EU, with all the individual characteristics. This is absolutely unacceptable. Each nation is obliged to respect democratic legitimacy, international right, European heritage and the principles of the EU — and cannot become a member whilst bringing in its own problems to be solved within the EU,” Pavlopoulos said.

When it comes to Serbia’s dispute with Kosovo, Serbia’s southern province that unilaterally declared independence in 2008, he said that the relations between the two sides require full adherence to the “text and the spirit” of the resolution of the Security Council of the United Nations Resolution 1244 adopted in 1999 that put Kosovo under interim UN administration, and authorized a peacekeeping force in the province led by the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Greece is one of the five EU member countries along with Romania, Spain, Slovakia and Cyprus, who joined Serbia in rejecting to recognize the independence of Kosovo. Vucic thanked Pavlopoulos for Greece’s support to Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and said that there is a high level of accordance between the views of the two countries on the major regional issues. He also thanked for the support and assistance during the process of the European integration so far.

Russia delivers two of six promised MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia – ministry (TASS, 3 October 2017)

BELGRADE, Russia’s first two of six fighter jets MiG-29 have been delivered by a cargo aircraft to a military airport near the Serbian capital of Belgrade, the Serbian Defense Ministry announced in its statement on Tuesday. The Russian fighter jets were delivered by an Antonov An-124 military transport aircraft to Serbia’s Batajnica Air Base, located some 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away from Belgrade. “Two MiG-29 aircraft were handed over to the Serbian Air Force,” the statement said. “Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin, Chief-of-Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces Ljubisa Dikovic and Air Force Commander Ranko Zivak were present at the Batajnica air field as the An-124 plane landed.” Defense Minister Vulin told journalists at the airport that on July 4 Russia stated its intentions to begin delivering warplanes to Serbia starting on October 2. “As you all can see, it did happen on October 2,” Minister Vulin said. “Four remaining fighter jets will arrive before Friday and we can now proudly state that our Air Force received new combat aircraft for the first time since 1987.” “It is extremely important that we are managing to make our armed forces stronger, more organized and modern,” the Serbian defense minister added. Serbia is receiving six Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name: Fulcrum) fighter jets from Russia on an earlier agreed gratuitous delivery between two countries.

According to reports earlier in the year, the delivered to Serbia aircraft were to undergo maintenance works either in Russia or to be taken care of by a team of Russian specialists in Serbia. The upgrading of the combat aircraft was reported to be carried out for Serbia in three stages at the price of 180-230 million euros ($211-270 million). During the MAKS 2017 airshow in July outside the Russian capital of Moscow, Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation Dmitry Shugayev said that Russia was planning to complete the delivery of MiG-29 fighters to Serbia by the end of 2017. Belarus was also reported earlier to deliver eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Serbia in 2018 free of charge, but on the condition that Belgrade had to pay for their overhaul and maintenance. Belgrade also signed earlier in the year a contract to purchase nine H145M combat aircraft, manufactured by Airbus Helicopters.

Russian-Serbian Joint Aviation Drills Kick Off in Central Russia – MoD (Sputnik, 2 October 2017)

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Joint Russian-Serbian BARS (Brotherhood of Aviators of Russia and Serbia) tactical flight drills have kicked off in the Russian central city of Lipetsk, Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Monday. The drills are carried out in accordance with the international military cooperation plan and will conclude at the end of next week, according to the ministry. The joint crews of fighter and army aviation participate in the drills using Russian Air Force’s MiG-29 and Mi-8 helicopters. In total, some 20 aircraft would take part in the exercises conducted both during night and day. Moscow and Belgrade actively cooperate in the military sphere. The first joint Russian-Serbian flight drills were held at the Ashuluk range of Russia’s Astrakhan Region in October, 2015.