LOCAL PRESS

Dacic: Kosovo issue greater problem on EU path than Russia (RTS)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told the morning news of RTS that he doesn’t think that talks with Pristina are in the final phase. “They are just in the initial phase, the dialogue is conducted about technical issues and Pristina doesn’t want to discuss the lasting solution. Many Western countries that recognized Kosovo consider this an already resolved issue and they only need to force Serbia to recognize Kosovo. I think that it is clear to everybody and I believe that President Vucic will say that this option, for Serbia to recognize the unilateral act, doesn’t exist,” says Dacic. He says that the Greek Minister proposed a trilateral meeting Serbia-Spain-Greece. “Some are bothered by what I am doing since some states are withdrawing recognition. This dialogue needs to be conducted and this is why meetings are important, for everybody to see what Serbia’s position is,” notes Dacic. He says that the great powers respect the stat-of-affairs on the ground and the Kosovo Serbs need to endure and survive. Dacic points out that Serbia also needs to take care of its state interests and that everybody understands our position in a way. “We call on the great powers to show restraint,” said Dacic. Asked about partition of Kosovo, Dacic says this was not discussed, and doesn’t know whether Pristina would agree to that, but that he has mentioned this several times. “I think this would be much easier, but let them ask citizens who live there,” he says. Dacic notes it is hypocrisy when the international community or anyone else says there is no change of borders. “You first changed our borders and then you remembered to say there is no change of borders. Wess Mitchel also told me this recently. I asked him why he didn’t say this ten years ago. We are fighting for our country and our nation,” says Dacic. Asked whether on Serbia’s EU path Kosovo is a greater problem than relations with Russia, Dacic says it is the Kosovo issue. “Relations with Russia are a topic, but they understand our position that is completely clear. We are minding our state and national interests and in that sense our position is unchanged and we will not adhere to restrictive measures. We appeal to the great powers to restrain since the destiny of the entire world depends from their relations,” said Dacic. Commenting statements that the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) will be formed according to the Kosovo law and constitution, Dacic says it would be the same when the B&H constitutional court would annul parts of the Dayton Accords. “They are weighing how firm we are, compromise is developing when you need to receive or lose something. They think that we will do anything in order to become a member of the EU. My personal opinion is that it is a question whether the EU will survive at all by 2025,” said Dacic. Dacic says his Greek colleague Nikos Kotzias underlined that relations between the two countries are good, but should be materialized. “We should find ways for cooperation between Serbia and Greece to be concrete and more fruitful. We have been trying for years to reset our relations with France and we will mark 180 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations and 100 years since the alliance and the end of the war when our and French troops took part together,” says Dacic. He says that drifting apart has occurred with the break-up of Yugoslavia and when France recognized Kosovo as an independent country.

Stefanovic: Warrants returned to Interpol’s system (Tanjug)

Warrants of Kosovo Albanians, insisted on by Serbian courts, have been returned to Interpol’s system and they are visible, Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic has stated. Responding to journalists’ questions in the Palace of Serbia in regard to the visit of the delegation of the Serbian police and Director Vladimir Rebic to Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, Stefanovic says they had serious talks there and that they insisted on returning warrants of Kosovo Albanians issued by Serbian courts to the system. “They have been returned and they are visible, with the exception of Ramush Haradinaj and Hashim Thaci that are in the system, but will not be visible in some future period,” said the Minister.

Serbia wants all its warrants back in Interpol’s system (Tanjug/Novosti)

Serbia demands that persons who have been put on international warrants by Serbian authorities be returned to the Interpol system. Serbian Police Director Vladimir Rebic said this on Wednesday in Lyon, during a meeting with Interpol officials. “As the representative of the Ministry of the Interior, I demanded that all persons placed on international warrants by Serbian judicial authorities be unconditionally returned to the Interpol system,” Rebic said after separate meetings with Interpol President Meng Hongwei and Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock.

“We will talk to all the members of Interpol to convince them that the possible membership so-called Kosovo would not be in the interests of either Serbia or Interpol itself,” Rebic added.

He emphasized that Serbia insists on its territorial integrity, and is committed to implementing and respecting international law and regulations. He said that, during the separate meetings, Serbia’s commitment to cooperation with Interpol was highlighted. “Given the current level of cooperation and the results achieved in the exchange of operational data with other members of Interpol, it is clear that the Serbian police are a reliable and respectable partner to all police force worldwide,” Rebic said. Rebic led the delegation of the government of Serbia, composed of representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

Djuric receives friendly and brotherly support in Moscow (Tanjug/B92)

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric met in Moscow on Wednesday with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko. Djuric briefed Grushko on the situation in Kosovo and efforts to find a compromise in the dialogue with Pristina in a peaceful manner, saying afterwards that he received friendly and brotherly support for Serbia’s independent domestic and foreign policy, as well as regarding Kosovo and all other matters significant for our country. The relationship Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has with Russian President Vladimir Putin is highly valued in Moscow, he stressed. “Serbia’s respect for the positions of Russia in the international community is also appreciated here, just as we are grateful for the support on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, and it is very important that we can discuss in an open and friendly manner those issues that are of essential importance to us,” Djuric said. He conveyed to the representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry the gratitude of Serbia, its citizens, and especially Serbs in Kosovo, for Moscow’s continued and principled support to international law, and Serbia’s positions. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement after the meeting that the participants confirmed the unity of Serbia’s and Russia’s approaches to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, and the need to solve the problem in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. The Russian side, it is added, noted the intention to assist its Serbian partners in upholding the legitimate rights and interests of Serbia in relation to Kosovo. It was pointed out during the meeting that unilateral steps and violence of the Kosovo authorities against the Serbs and non-Albanian population are unacceptable, while all existing issues should be resolved within the framework of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina based on the unconditional implementation of the reached agreements, especially with regard to the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) in Kosovo.

Seselj: MICT verdict illegal (N1)

The leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) Vojislav Seselj commented for N1 the MICT’s verdict overturning the ICTY’s first-instance verdict and sentencing him to ten years of imprisonment. Among other things, Seselj said that the MICT’s verdict is illegal, adding that he will either request revision of this verdict or file a complaint to this verdict. “This is an illegal verdict obviously because according to the Anglo-Saxon law – that is being applied by the court in The Hague – the first instance acquitting verdict cannot be overturned in the second-instance procedure,” explained Seselj. He also denied claims saying that Croats were persecuted from Serbia.

REGIONAL PRESS

Izetbegovic: If we do not adopt new Law on Elections, it is bad message for Europe (Dnevni list)

SDA President Bakir Izetbegovic said that in case ‘we’ fail to adopt a new Law on Elections, it would be a bad message for Europe. According to Izetbegovic, it is not late to identify a solution until end of September, arguing that the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Dragan Covic would like that four parties with 60% of representatives in the Federation of B&H (SDA, SDP, SBB B&H, DF) do not have a say in it.

“Problem regarding Ljubic’s motion is down to having one or two delegates in the Federation of B&H House of Peoples, for example from west Herzegovina, and not from Gorazde. Namely, two out of 17 of them. That is the problem of that level. I think the state is being shaken by a lot bigger problem than the one that is being resolved right now. The problem of asymmetry between the Republika Srpska (RS) Council of Peoples and the Federation of B&H House of Peoples is a lot more important for the country. We have been insisting on resolving the problem for 15 years. If we fail to resolve it now, then we will go through the Constitutional Court”, said Izetbegovic. Izetbegovic stated on Tuesday that Covic has not been acting wisely and has not been fair towards Bosniaks. “You cannot really know why Mister Covic ‘sticks a torn in a completely healthy foot’ and spoils relations, thus reducing any chances of changing something for Croats,” said Izetbegovic.

Izetbegovic: We will produce weapon for market, but also for “God forbid situation” (Oslobodjenje)

Chairman of B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic was asked by a journalist, how much is B&H a secured country, considering that Republika Srpska (RS) is arming the RS Ministry of Interior (MoI) and that media in the RS are spreading a story about construction of gunpowder factory in B&H, which Federation of B&H Prime Minister Fadil Novalic announced and if there is a need for such public company. “We are faced with arming in the region and arming in B&H, we have the attempts, at least virtual ones, of psychological turning of one part of the RS MoI into some sort of armed forces. We are faced with stigmatization of Bosniaks and those who defended B&H. There are attempts to equalize sides and relativize the truth about what happened here, but all this, in my opinion is not very dangerous. So, I deem this is more about political positioning and attempts to put the patriotic force into a political defense. I do not think that anyone would dare to truly start a conflict in B&H. This could create a vortex that would first swallow those who would start this. I do not think this is a serious jeopardizing of B&H, which does not mean that we should not react and prepare for any possible scenario,” said Izetbegovic. Asked if Novalic made a reckless statement, when it comes to the factory, Izetbegovic said: “This was not a reckless statement. This is an encouraging statement. Why should not B&H have a completely rounded military production? We certainly will not be spending money to purchase of rocket systems and I do not understand why neighboring countries do that, but we will round up our military production and we will be making self-propelled howitzer, we have already made a rifle. We will round up ammunition production. We will produce for the market, but also for the God forbid scenario”.

Covic: B&H has its future and nobody will, not even SDA, stop it (Dnevni list)

Member of Presidency of B&H Dragan Covic did not want to comment in statement of Chairman of the Presidency of B&H Bakir Izetbegovic, who said that Covic’s attitude towards Bosniaks during his term in office has not been correct. According to Covic, the communication between two of them is the way it is, stressing that everyone got the same invitations for events in Mostar and that invitations are done by the Mostar Fair of Economy and not Dragan Covic. Covic went on to say that, in essence, there is work on achieving nothing in terms of adoption of changes to the Law on Elections, convinced that B&H should be preserved as a country that will be represented by legitimate representatives of peoples. “B&H has its future and nobody will, not even SDA, stop it”, added Covic. Covic stressed on Wednesday that Izetbegovic has been obstructing any progress related to plan to change the Election Law of B&H so that elections can be held normally. “He is now aware that his calculations will not achieve result. I feel that amount of pressure against me will be increased. However, we are certain that it is necessary to preserve B&H as country that will be represented by legitimate representatives of constituent peoples. It has its European future and future in general and no political option, including SDA, will stop it,” explained Covic.

New round of talks on elections in Mostar will take place today (TV1)

A new round of talks aimed to find a solution for holding of elections in Mostar, is scheduled to take place in this city on today. TV1 reminded that the latest meeting of parties held a week ago brought some kind of a change, after all parties accepted and defined six constituencies. According to TV1, despite of optimistic announcement in reaching of the aforementioned agreement, some of the most difficult issues are yet to be solved in practice, such as rights of voters in the city areas and election of a Deputy Mayor of Mostar. Commenting on this issue, Mayor of Mostar Ljubo Beslic stated that he is quite optimistic, but warned that in order to achieve the final agreement, many compromises are yet to be made. Beslic added that unlike HDZ B&H – that requests implementation of a decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H and holding of the elections – other parties do not seem to want this kind of a solution. According to Beslic, other parties want to change the Statute of the Mostar City, elect a Deputy Mayor and many other things that lead to constitutional changes in the Federation of B&H, which are in his opinion, unreal requests at this moment. President of SDP B&H Main Board in Mostar Edin Zagorcic announced that the parties will discuss status and election of a Deputy Mayor of Mostar and competences of city areas, at a meeting scheduled for Thursday. Zagorcic: “We expect certain disagreements”. Zagorcic argued that within the entire process, SDA and HDZ B&H actually argue about control of certain building plots in the City of Mostar. According to the reporter, HDZ B&H finds introduction of the position of a Deputy Mayor disputable but the party is willing to compromise, under the condition that similar solutions are applicable in others parts of B&H. President of HDZ B&H Main Board in Mostar Damir Dzeba stated that there are more than enough exceptions in Mostar and protection mechanisms, which is why he sees no reason for introduction of this one (in case of a Deputy Mayor). Dzeba underlined that control over the construction plots should remain under competences of the Mostar City Council. According to TV1, citizens in Mostar are skeptic after hearing optimistic talks on this issue for the past eight years. President of SDA Main Board in Mostar Salem Maric said that seven parties support the idea of introduction of the position of a Deputy Mayor, except for HDZ B&H and HDZ 1990. Maric added: “In my opinion, we will solve this issue as well”.

Russia has always supported RS’ positions (Srna)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik said at a meeting with a delegation of Russian Duma members that Russia has always provided support to RS positions and had understanding for them, as well as that it supported the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

At a meeting in Banja Luka, Dodik said that Russia proved to be a very important factor in preserving the respect for international law, says a press release from the office of the RS President.Dodik informed the Russian Duma delegation of the current political and economic situation in RS and stressed that RS is dedicated to peace and stability. Dodik assessed the cooperation between RS and the Russian Federation as extremely successful in all fields, particularly in the economy and culture, and expressed the desire for these relations to be further expanded and improved. The meeting was also attended by the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to B&H, Petr Ivantsov.

Court of B&H sentences fmr. HVO member Pavkovic to one year of imprisonment for war crimes (Dnevni list)

The B&H Court accepted a deal reached by the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H and former member of Croat Defense Council (HVO) Goran Pavkovic, and sentenced him to one year of imprisonment. Pavkovic admitted he took part in torture of civilians at premises on fire brigade in Prozor/Rama in November of 1993, when he beat up civilian prisoners and touched them with electric rod. Presiding judge Halil Lagumdzija said the agreement was reached consciously and willingly, and the victims welcomes the agreement.

Government’s thin majority in parliament becomes even thinner (Hina)

Member of Parliament Hrvoje Zekanovic of the HRAST party told a news conference on Wednesday that his party was leaving the ruling coalition and all positions in government structures over the planned ratification of the Istanbul Convention, which also meant that it would withhold its support for Economy Minister Martina Dalic in a coming parliamentary vote on her impeachment. Hrvoje Slezak, a state secretary at the Science and Education Ministry, and Ladislav Ilcic, an advisor at the Culture Ministry, both members of HRAST, will leave their positions to confirm their credibility, said Zekanovic. According to unofficial sources, even though he is not a member of HRAST but enjoys its support, Matko Gluncic, a state secretary at the Science and Education Ministry who until a few days ago was being mentioned as the prime minister’s candidate for the head of the Expert Task Force for the implementation of the curricular reform but was eventually not appointed due to opposition from the HNS party, a junior partner in the HDZ-led coalition government, could step down as well. Zekanovic said that “there are red lines that cannot be crossed” in politics and life, and that for HRAST a red line was the fact that, with the ratification of the Istanbul Convention, the HDZ, a Christian Democratic party, was making a turn to liberalism and left-of-centre politics. The HDZ and the SDP have the same position on the Istanbul Convention, which is contrary to the Church’s, said Zekanovic, adding that the Church’s position on the matter was important to him as a Christian Democrat. He criticised the HDZ for lack of credibility, claiming that the ratification of the Istanbul Convention was not envisaged by the party’s election platform, which, he said, HDZ official Ivana Maletic, one of the authors of the platform, had confirmed to him. Asked if as a credible politician he would return the parliamentary seat he won in the elections to the HDZ, on whose slate he entered the parliament, Zekanovic said the real question was whether HDZ MPs would return their seats. He said that HRAST officials were giving up on benefits but did not answer when asked what he was giving up on if he planned to keep his parliamentary seat.

With Zekanovic’s departure, the parliamentary majority now has 77 members, only one more than the required minimum. The parliament has 151 seats.

Prime Minister: Part of HDZ wants to destabilize me (Hina)

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Wednesday one could conclude that a part of his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party wanted to destabilize him by using the dissatisfaction with the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. Responding to questions from the press after Question Time in parliament, he said there would be no sanctions in the HDZ for those who might vote against the ratification. “The HDZ is a democratic party. However, some members evidently have stronger views. Some are under pressure, some have ethical doubts.” Asked if Davor Ivo Stier, who said he would vote against the ratification, could remain the HDZ’s political secretary, Plenkovic said, “We’ll see.” As for the possibility that HDZ MPs could vote on the ratification of the Convention according to their conscience, he said this was not in question and that there were no contentious details. “As a responsible government, in consultation with the best legal experts, we have addressed all that was problematic to any colleague in the parliamentary majority, whom I listened to and talked to.” Plenkovic said he was not worried that MP Hrvoje Zekanovic of the HRAST party walked out of the ruling coalition over the Istanbul Convention or about the increasingly tight parliamentary majority. “There were 78 of us, now there are 77,” he said, adding that Zekanovic became an MP on an HDZ slate. “I’m sure he and his party generally made a certain contribution, but over the past eight weeks, instead of talking and trying to exchange views with the HDZ, they went too far. None of this surprised me. That’s the political choice of a small party which uses one to two topics it deals with to be a little more visible.”

Croatia to respond to Slovenia’s complaint on border dispute (Hina)

Croatia will send by April 17 its response to Slovenia’s letter to the European Commission in which it proposed that a suit be filed against Croatia for non-compliance with the arbitration ruling on the border dispute, after which it will orally present its stance to the European Commission on May 2, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MVEP) told Hina on Wednesday. “In its written and verbal submissions, Croatia will respond to Slovenia’s allegations and present its stance that it is not violating European Union law (by not accepting and implementing the arbitration decision that resulted from the arbitration proceeding that Slovenia had compromised),” the MVEP said in response to Hina’s enquiry. The European Commission called on Croatia to submit a written opinion by April 17 on Slovenia’s letter asking the Commission for its opinion on whether Croatia was in breach of European and international law and announcing a suit at the European Court of Justice against Croatia unless the decision was implemented. The EC has proposed May 2 for the oral hearing on Slovenia’s motion.

“Slovenia has launched the procedure before the European Commission… The procedure lasts three months and both sides need to exchange written submissions and hold an oral hearing at the European Commission,” the MVEP said. At the end of the procedure, the EC can give its opinion of the alleged breach of EU law (rationale of its opinion), but it doesn’t have to. Regardless of whether the EC will or won’t do so, Slovenia can sue Croatia after those three months, the ministry explained. Croatia’s foreign minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric stated earlier that the border issue with Slovenia was not subject to EU law and that Slovenia had no grounds for instigating legal proceedings against Croatia. “We once again invite Slovenia to dialogue because we think the issue can be solved through dialogue,” she said.

Final verdict in Seselj case sparks fierce reactions in Croatia (HRT)

The final verdict in the case of SRS leader Vojislav Seselj, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison before the Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunal (MICT) on Wednesday, has sparked fierce reactions in Croatia and Serbia. According to MPs in the Croatian Parliament, it is important for the sake of history that the acquitting verdict in this case was annulled and that Seselj was punished for his acts after all. HDZ MP in the Croatian Parliament Miro Kovac said that the verdict is very important for Croats in Serbia and Vojvodina, who are now clearly identified as victims of the war. MOST MP in the Croatian Parliament Nikola Grmoja said that it was not questionable if he should be convicted or not, it was only a matter of the prison sentence that he thinks is insufficient. SDP MP in the Croatian Parliament Bojan Glavasevic argued that justice has not been served in this case, adding that the convicting sentence is the only satisfaction. Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejcinovic Buric welcomed the MICT’s decision to revise the acquittal in case of Seselj. Pejcinovic Buric added that 10 years of prison are not enough to serve justice to the victims. She underlined that Seselj has been one of the main advocators of the idea of the Greater Serbia that implies elimination of all non-Serbian civilians from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia.

Putin eager to cherish mutually beneficial relations with Montenegro (RTCG)

Russian president Vladimir Putin expressed his eagerness to develop relations with Montenegro which would be beneficial for both countries. “The present situation in Russian-Montenegrin relations obviously doesn’t correspond to many-centuries long tradition of fraternal friendship and spiritual togetherness of our nations,” said Putin at the ceremony where 17  new ambassadors in Kremlin presented letters of credit to the President. Putin hopes that common sense will win, although geopolitical tensions in this chaotic world cause great anxiety.

“This situation in the international relations inevitably provokes anxiety. The world is becoming more and more chaotic,” said Putin.

Djukanovic and Vucic rule from the shadow (CDM)

Milo Djukanovic in Montenegro and Aleksandar Vucic in Serbia! – They captured their countries respectively and turned them into mechanisms used for strengthening their own parties, reads the report “Nations in transit” provided by the American organization Freedom House. The majority of the countries in the region, including Montenegro, have been categorized as partially free, whereas Croatia and also Serbia are considered to be free countries. Meanwhile, “nationalistic incitement” the one that caused conflict in the former Yugoslavia has become politicians’ favorite word again while the democracy is vanishing. Business magnates or heads of the security services intervene too much into the politics. However, the power of some individuals and their informal dominance are exaggerated – they seem to be more powerful than their function allows them to. Seems like Montenegro and Serbia are the most curious examples. In Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic has played the role of either the President or Prime Minister of that country for a lifetime! – from 1991 to 2016 with only two tiny “breaks”. And even when he’s not carrying out these functions, it’s believed that he actually rules from the shadow and directs his close partner and the present Prime Minister, Dusko Markovic. Almost the same goes for Serbia. In its parliamentary system, Prime Minister has greater executive power, but after becoming President, Aleksandar Vucic kept on managing his daily agenda, from the comfort of his presidential office, completely ignoring the provisions of the Constitution.

Zaev addresses parliament’s debate on no-confidence motion against government (MIA)

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev welcomed Wednesday the decision of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE MPs to retake their seats, which is in the interest of the citizens of Macedonia, but also of the government. Addressing the parliament session on no-confidence motion against the government, he said the debate on the matter should be constructive and contribute to improve the cabinet’s work – a benefit for the citizens when ‘the opposition is being active at the parliament.’ This government, Zaev said, has failed to realize some of the planned projects as it didn’t anticipated to what extent the country was actually captured, financially ruined and blatantly robbed. The opposition VMRO-DPMNE’s no-confidence motion, signed by 41 MPs, argues that the country’s 11-month-old Social Democrat government has failed to control corruption or halt economic stagnation.

US Ambassador Baily: Opposition’s comeback in parliament – vital for democracy (MIA)

It’s very important that VMRO-DPMNE is coming back in the parliament as a leading opposition party, US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily said late Wednesday.

‘Having a strong opposition, active in Parliament, discussing laws is a critical part of the democracy, and very much a part of being the European democracy,’ Baily said.

Referring to the reform process in Macedonia, Baily notified that some reforms were going faster than others, which he considered as normal. ‘Some of these reforms are quite complex and it’s not just a matter of passing a law when you talk about the reform process, what you trying to do is change how the institutions function and in the end how people function,’ the US Ambassador said. With regards to Athens-Skopje name dispute, Baily underlined the need of settling the matter, as stipulated in the Declaration of the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest.

‘I think right now there is a very important opportunity as you have governments in Macedonia and Greece that are committed to finding a solution that will be in the interest of the regional stability. It will improve the bilateral relations, open up areas of cooperation in business and commerce. So it is in the interest of both countries and certainly if we see it more broadly in the interest of Europe and the transatlantic security. So I think it is an important opportunity in the moment to be seized. It’s not going to get easier as time goes on,’ Baily said.

Zaev meets US Peace Corps Director Olsen (MIA)

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev held talks Wednesday with US Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen, who voiced satisfaction with the opportunity to visit Macedonia and meet over 100 volunteers serving in the country, the government said in a press release. She thanked Macedonia for welcoming over 7,200 US volunteers for the last 22 years. Zaev commended the contribution of the US Peace Corps to developing the local communities and building sincere friendship between US and Macedonian citizens. ‘The Peace Corps is one of the best for building ever-lasting bridges between the US and Macedonia,’ Zaev said.

UN envoy Nimetz sends letter to ministers ahead of Ohrid name talks (MIA)

UN name envoy Matthew Nimetz has reportedly sent a letter to the foreign ministers of Macedonia and Greece, Nikola Dimitrov and Nikos Kotzias respectively, in which he elaborates the current state of play in the name negotiations. Namely, the letter outlines the items over which there is agreement and those over which there are differences as they had been formulated during the Vienna talks. The letter was sent to the ministers ahead of their latest meetings in Ohrid on Wednesday evening and on Thursday. The news about the letter has been reported by several media outlets in Greece, including Kathimerini daily, Athens 98.4 FM radio and the web portal News247 citing their own sources. The Greek Foreign Ministry has neither confirmed nor denied the news that Nimetz had sent a letter to both Dimitrov and Kotzias, MIA Athens correspondent reports on Wednesday. “According to some sources, the latest letter by Nimetz has been reflecting the crystallized positions of the US diplomat involving the issue as they had been formulated after his latest hours-long meeting with the foreign ministers of Greece and fYROM in Vienna (30-31 March). The same sources mentioned that Nimetz drafted the items that should serve as parameters for a name solution,” reported the newspaper Kathimerini.

Athens 98.4 FM said that the mediator had pre-planned the procedure. “The two ministers are expected to answer the questionnaire that was sent to them ahead of their scheduled joint talks,” it reported. Citing its own sources, News247 wrote that it is third such letter drafted by the mediator for the two ministers and that it represents ‘an intervention of sorts and his contribution to the key meeting in Ohrid.’

Macedonian army delegation visits Croatia (MIA)

Macedonia’s Army (ARM) delegation, led by the Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant General Metodija Velickovski, met Wednesday in Zagreb with his Croatian counterpart, General Mirko Sundov. The visit is aimed at reviewing the possibilities for advancing the military co-operation between the two armies, as well as within the US-Adriatic Charter (A-5), ARM said in a press release. At the meeting, General Velickovski emphasized the importance of completing the NATO accession process of A5 member countries for the region’s security. Dealing with new forms of security challenges, such as extreme radicalism and cyber-attacks is only possible by building joint defense capacities, Velickovski said.

Llalla: Lu requested the arrest of Ilir Meta (ADN)

Former chief prosecutor Adriatik Llalla last year publicly stated that the US Ambassador to Tirana, Donald Lu requested from him the arrest of a high official, but he did not unveil the name.  Meanwhile in an official letter addressed to the American Congress he mentioned that this official was Ilir Meta at that time, parliament speaker now the President of the Albanian Republic. “In May 2015 Ambassador Lu asked for an appointment with General Prosecutor. At this meeting, Ambassador Lu requested General Prosecutor’s intervention to influence prosecutors not to oppose his justice reform project. Likewise in a non-diplomatic manner and against any norm provided by Vienna Convention, Ambassador Lu to General Prosecutor that he should arrest the President of the Assembly and also the Chairman of the Socialist Movement for Integration Ilir Meta. In the assessment of Lu, the Parliament Speaker Meta was corrupt and was hindering the justice reform. His possible arrest would help Albania to integrate as quick as possible in the European Union,” says the letter of Llalla to the American Congress made public by the local media this Wednesday.

Lu strongly reacts against Llalla: He is corrupt and risks jail (ADN)

American Ambassador to Tirana, Donald Lu strongly reacted on Wednesday against the confession of former Chief Prosecutor, Adritatik Llalla that he required the arrest of Ilir Meta.

“Former chief prosecutor, Adriatik Llalla is a corrupt and discredited public official who is under active investigation for money laundering and unexplained mass wealth. It is not surprising that he continues to speak against judicial reform because he is now threatened to go to jail for his corruption. He claimed that within four months of my arrival in Tirana, I told him to arrest former Speaker of Parliament Ilir Meta. This is an absurd lie by Mr. Lalla, without any basis in facts. His lies are an insult to President Meta and the Albanian people,” said Lu.

Vasili unveils opposition strategy in parliament (ADN)

The Head of the Parliamentary Group of Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI), Petrit Vasili, unveiled on Wednesday opposition strategy against the Prime Minister, Edi Rama. According to him, Rama will find it difficult to speak in Parliament this Thursday because SMI Parliamentary Group will seek responsibility for the Police Chiefs who have demanded the arrest of protesters.

“The group decided unanimously to participate in the next parliamentary session to front face to face the Prime Minister, who will find it difficult from now on to address the people whom he intended to humiliate with the most vulgar words. We will be very active to face the government, the Prime Minister and all the negativity that they are producing against the citizens,” declared Vasili. Meanwhile, the two leaders of the opposition, Lulzim Basha and Monika Kryemadhi discussed the next steps of the civil disobedience, n action that they announced week ago, after the protests for the Nation’s Road toll.  The closed door meeting was held in DP Headquarters this Wednesday ahead of the meeting of democrat Parliamentary Group. ADN also learned that they discussed even the opposition stance at Thursday’s parliamentary session.

Freedom House Report, presidency reacts (ADN)

Albanian Presidency reacted on Wednesday over the last report of the Freedom House which mentioned even the election of the President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, saying that achievements in the war against administrative corruption was offset by the election of Ilir Meta as president of Albania. Responding to the media inquiries and interest about the Freedom House’s recent report, the Spokesperson of the President of the Republic, H.E. Ilir Meta, Mr. Tedi Blushi stated:

“I would like to express regrets about the misuse of the Freedom House’s report serving the unilateral political agendas in our country. The election of President Meta took place and was carried out by an entirely constitutional and democratic process and earned a majority of over 3/5 (three fifths) of the ballots cast in the Albanian Assembly and at a key moment for the country’s stability and for the resolution of the pre-election political crisis. In a unilateral and forced manner, this particular report not only distorts these truths, but in a speculatively and deliberate way aims to create and establish artificial and misleading focuses. If “Freedom House” is truly interested in shedding light upon the corruption in Albania, it must impartially investigate who has influenced and has commissioned these kinds of facts’ and truths’ distortions in this particular report and we must be convinced that exactly there it will discover the concrete symbols of national and international corruption. We are ready and open to cooperate with the Freedom House in order to precisely serve and meet this scope”.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Don’t wait for the Western Balkans to blow up again. The U.S. and the E.U. must act (The Washington Post, by Wesley K. Clark, 11 April 2018)

Retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark, a former NATO supreme allied commander wrote: It has been more than two decades since I worked with Richard Holbrooke and our team to negotiate an end to the war in Bosnia. NATO deployed and then acted to halt Serb ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Today, three Western Balkan states (Croatia, Albania and Slovenia) have become members of NATO. Croatia and Slovenia have joined the European Union. Kosovo is now an independent nation. Most Americans and Europeans have mentally filed away that brutal conflict as a problem solved. Sadly, this is far from true. Lingering political conflicts over the ethno-religious character of these nations consistently threaten to metastasize into national and regional crises, making the region a prime target for meddling by foreign powers. A combustible mix of poor governance, economic stagnation and weak democratic institutions has left a small yet significant minority vulnerable to recruitment by violent jihadists. All of this leaves the region ripe for exploitation by terrorist organizations and meddling by outsiders, including Russia, China and Turkey. To make matters worse, the region is suffering from neglect by democracies that were instrumental in bringing the Yugoslav wars to an end. Believing that the Balkans’ democratic future lay in E.U. membership, the United States largely handed over responsibility for the region’s political, institutional and economic development to Brussels. Yet political inertia within the E.U. has kept Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia waiting in the wings. And while the United States and Europe sleep, other powers are taking notice. The Kremlin is steadily increasing its influence. The Russians are working to foment anti-E.U. and anti-NATO sentiment. They are supporting extremist groups (one of which is under investigation in Bosnia for suspected paramilitary activities) and dispensing targeted military aid. The Kremlin has also fanned the flames of ethnic division through disinformation campaigns that pit Orthodox Christian populations against Muslims, intentionally stoking the tensions that fueled the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. Meanwhile, Turkey and the Gulf states are also investing heavily in the Western Balkans. Turkey is the third-largest investor in Bosnia, and the leader of Bosnia’s main Muslim political party travels to Istanbul regularly for photo ops with the increasingly authoritarian Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Saudi Arabia and its neighbors in the Gulf have focused their contributions on supporting religious organizations, building new mosques and offering religious instruction to local imams. The strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam that is often the basis of such training bears little relation to the moderate tradition that has been practiced in the Balkans for centuries, and has been tied to rising fundamentalism in the region. An estimated 1,000 foreign fighters (primarily from Kosovo and Bosnia) have fought with the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Although the number of foreign fighters from the Balkans is trending downward, the environments in which these individuals became radicalized, and the vulnerabilities to recruitment among disaffected segments of the population, continue to be a concern. The problem of reintegrating returned foreign fighters poses an even more vexing challenge. Finally, China is also seeking to augment its influence in the region. Under its “One Belt, One Road” initiative, Beijing is poised to provide the massive capital investment needed to undertake badly needed infrastructure projects in the Balkans. But as we’ve seen in Africa, such investment almost always comes with strings attached. Clearly, the United States and Europe must remain committed to the Western Balkans — with a particular emphasis on strengthening democratic institutions so that governments can address the needs of their citizens. A Western Balkans free-trade zone recently proposed by the region’s leaders could be a step in the right direction. But such an initiative should not be viewed as a substitute for the potential guarantees to be provided by NATO and the E.U. A serious road map for E.U. accession would provide countries in the region with the incentives to make necessary political and economic reforms, increase their cooperation and address rising inter-ethnic tensions.

Of course, such efforts would need to secure popular support in order to go forward — a challenge in a region where the population remains sharply divided in attitudes toward institutions like NATO. Yet according to one recent poll, although Bosnians of Serb, Croat and Muslim backgrounds are divided on many issues, they are united in their opposition to the Islamic State and their desire to tackle economic problems. NATO membership would be easier to sell to the region’s ethnic Serbs (who tend to be pro-Russian and anti-NATO) if membership were pitched as helping to foster greater regional stability. We can ensure that the billions in taxpayer dollars invested in this region were not wasted by supporting the work of democracy development implementers such as the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. We’ve seen the continued importance of this kind of work with initiatives such as the newly established Task Force on Counter-Extremism, which is helping lawmakers in Bosnia adapt to the ever-shifting challenge of violent extremism. We have many tools at our disposal to avert the creeping destabilization in the Western Balkans. Let us ensure that we do not squander the tremendous investment we have made in this troubled region, and renew our commitment to helping these fledgling democracies to achieve their full potential.