LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Great powers do not recognize UNSCR 1244 (Tanjug/Beta/B92)

The fact that the great powers do not recognize UN SC Resolution 1244 on Kosovo and Metohija and have no intention of honoring it only means that we have very small possibilities to do something, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said Tuesday. Vucic was responding to a reporter’s question whether Serbia could send a thousand members of its security forces, which the Resolution allows it to do in the wake of frequent attacks on Serbs in Kosovo and speculation by Pristina media about deployment of Serbian security forces along the administrative line.

“It’s not right and it’s not fair, but we are fighting in accordance with very few possibilities and within a very narrow maneuvering space, and it’s our job to fight,” Vucic said. As he explained, he has been personally warned on the occasion of the idea of returning a thousand soldiers to Kosovo that if we try, we will confront the largest military force in the world. “If you try to enter Kosovo with your army and your police, NATO will treat it as a hostile act,” the President conveyed the warning he received. He also said he compared the situation several times, to, say, the (UN) resolution on Jerusalem – where Western powers have rejected Trump’s pressure to move their embassies to that city, as the White House has done. They, he continued, said they were justified by the fact that such a move would be contrary to the resolution on Jerusalem.

“I then told them they are all behaving unlawfully when they are undermining Resolution 1244, and then they shrug their shoulders, look at their advisers and… nothing,” the President said.

This, he says, is a serious situation, and so he wants to explain to citizens that these people are not interested in law and Resolution 1244, but in force and factual situation. “Only the law of force is valid, and, accordingly, we must work hard to preserve peace and security, and build a better life and a stronger economy,” Vucic said. As for a negotiating platform presented in the Kosovo Assembly, Vucic said it makes the talks in Brussels more difficult, but it also shows Pristina’s true intentions. Regardless, he continued, the talks are the only solution. “When you read this platform, you see that they did not leave a millimeter, not one percent of room for any agreement,” Vucic said, pointing out that it was another matter entirely whether the document will be supported by a majority. Vucic believes that under outside pressure such a platform will not be adopted in the provincial Assembly, because it would be clear to everyone that everything after that becomes meaningless. “But such a text speaks about the intentions and desires of Pristina,” he pointed out. Answering a journalist’s question, he said that it was not entirely correct that the EU rule of law mission EULEX would leave Kosovo and Metohija, as the mission’s representatives would remain there, but reiterated that a terrible mistake was made when the mission arrived in the first place, instead of keeping everything under the auspices of the UN. “EULEX will be in Kosovo and Metohija, but nobody dares say it so as not to anger the Pristina authorities, because Albanian parties there clash among themselves. We had hoped that this mission would carry out its work professionally,” Vucic said, and agreed with the assessment that its activity has not been at the highest level. “What worries me is that Serbs do not enjoy protection and come under attack,” he added.  As for the claim coming from Pristina that a recent spate of attacks in Kosovo targeting Serbs was not ethnically motivated, Vucic asked, and what, then, motivated them? – when it comes to the attack on a Serb priest and his family. “They do all of that on the order,” the President stressed. Vucic reiterated that the talks in Brussels lie ahead, that he is not a great optimist, but that Serbia would do its best to reach a compromise.

Vucic: How are we to resolve the issue of Kosovo and Metohija when the other side doesn’t want? (RTS)

Speaking about Kosovo and Metohija, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told journalists on Monday during the tour of apartments for members of security services in Zemun that the problem of the issue of Kosovo and Metohija cannot be resolved if the other side doesn’t want to. “It is better that we resolve this problem, than not to resolve it. But we can’t resolve it if the other side doesn’t’ want to resolve it,” he said in response to the question whether provoking of a conflict in Kosovo and Metohija from the Kosovo side can threated economic progress. Vucic says that an easy period on this issue certainly is not ahead of us, and the Serbian government is working well and its only problem are bad relations with Pristina. “I was listening yesterday to Ramush Haradinaj’s statement and perhaps they think that it would the greatest honor for us for them to accept our recognition, that they would be satisfied with us and then you stop and see that there are different realities and worlds here. Some statements from Kosovo and Metohija today were somewhat better and encouraging and I hope there will be enough wisdom and that such tones will dominate in the future,” said Vucic. He says there will be new talks soon, but he doesn’t know when and how. He notes that instability in Kosovo and Metohija can certainly have impact on the economy in the country, even though we had economic growth of 4.5 percent in the first four months. “We are (only) left with the long-term problem in Kosovo and Metohija,” said Vucic.

Vladisavljevic: There are still interested in the internal dialogue (RTS/Tanjug)

The interest of certain structures in society for participation in the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija, which was initiated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, still exists and they will get a chance to give their contribution, said the Head of the Office for Coordinating Affairs in the negotiating process with Pristina Dragan Vladisavljevic. He says that so far, a total of 33 events have been organized within the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija, along with participation of several dozens of thousands of people, of which the working group organized or co-organized 21 events, including Monday’s round table where representatives of Associations of Families of Kidnapped and Killed in Kosovo and Metohija took part. “Apart from this, there are also very active social networks, Facebook and twitter, somebody had counted that only via these networks more than 10,000 people have given their opinions,” Vladisavljevic told Tanjug.

He says that certainly all these opinions will be taken into consideration since the initial idea of the Serbian President was precisely to ensure the greatest possible scope of our society through one system of concentrated circles on all levels, so everybody can say what they think about the Kosovo issue. “In the end they are also mentioning the issue of the broadest statement regarding the referendum. Whether this will be, we will see,” says Vladisavljevic. The deadline for drafting the final report that will be submitted to President Vucic, as well as measures for a solution, has not been set, said Vladisavljevic, adding that the report will be finalized when the state leadership estimates that everything that has been done up until now is sufficient so some conclusion can be finally passed on this. There had been hints, he adds, that the internal dialogue will last until the end of March, and then until the end of April, but it still lasts because there are interested parties, such as the technical faculties and certain institutes. On the occasion of the objections of representatives of Association of families of Kidnapped and Killed in Kosovo and Metohija, who expected President Vucic or the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric to attend Monday’s round table, he says that the opinions heard at the round table will be included in the final report because this is the purpose of the internal dialogue.

Djuric: We will acquaint Russia’s leadership with attacks on Serbs (Politika)

The international forum “Development of Parliamentarism” that opened in Moscow on Monday, and where more than 80 delegations are taking part, we are trying to use to talk with as many possible people about the position of our people in Kosovo and Metohija and about security that has been fundamentally endangered, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric tells Politika in Moscow.

You will inform officials in Moscow about the latest events. What kind of reaction do you expect from them?

“We have constant dialogue with Moscow, an open line regarding the issue of Kosovo and Metohija. We are receiving from them persistent, friendly and, diplomatically viewed, strong and significant support regarding the protection of our interests, and also in international organizations.”

It seems we are witnessing a systematic campaign of intimidation of the Serbs over the past days and weeks, as if the intensity of pressures has increased…

“Our past teaches us that massive, frequent attacks on the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija had never existed without having for something like that political support, or background, or at least silent consent of the leaders of the Albanian political establishment. The same is at present, because lack of reactions of the Albanian leadership to the massive attacks on the Serbs actually represents silent consent and additional pressure, probably motivated with the fact that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are refusing to accept long term imposing of alienation of this part of our territory.”

We see that even the international community is not reacting. At least we haven’t heard that anyone has condemned such attacks. Usually when something happens, they say that both sides need to calm tensions. This time we haven’t heard even that, as if they are not noticing?

“Silence of part of the international community, especially the part that also has the responsibility and security presence in Kosovo and Metohija, is certainly not additionally encouraging the Serbs and is not contributing to the feeling of their safety. On the contrary, silence, especially of the Pristina authorities, who first have responsibility, thus command over the Kosovo police, and their refusal to offer that protection actually represents support to those who are implementing this violence.”

REGIONAL PRESS

Venice Commission members discuss issue of Election Law with political leaders in B&H; No concrete agreement reached (TV1)

Members of the Venice Commission held a meeting with political leaders in B&H at the EU Delegation (EUD) building in Sarajevo on Monday. (Note: The meeting was attended by representatives of the FB&H-based parties.) The meeting was dedicated to the issue of amending the Election Law of B&H, but it did not yield a concrete agreement on this matter. The Venice Commission has specified that the manner of regulating election of delegates in the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP) could be solved at the FB&H level. However, political leaders did not show readiness to come to a compromise. According to TV1, HDZ B&H is the party that obstructs these talks the most. Representatives of other parties have somewhat closer stances that could be harmonized for the sake of adoption of amendments to the Election Law or they are at least ready for a temporary soltion that would remain in force until a compromise is reached.

HDZ B&H Vice President Borjana Kristo said that HDZ B&H advocates proportional representation in B&H Presidency and the HoP but that some other leaders see the HoP’s competences differently. Kristo underlined that the talks are scheduled to continue on Tuesday morning. “Everyone has put effort to help. Everyone sees implementation of the B&H Constitutional Court (CC)’s ruling (on the election rules) differently,” Kristo noted. She reiterated that HDZ B&H also insists on legitimate representation of peoples both in B&H Presidency and the HoP. SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic assessed that no significant progress in amending the Election Law has been made despite the efforts to find some kind of solution. Radoncic expressed hope that Tuesday’s talks will be more successful. SDP B&H leader Nermin Niksic said that SDP B&H is willing to discuss using of the proposal on constituencies and number of mandates, which SDP B&H and DF prepared for the FB&H parliament, as a temporary solution. DF leader Zeljko Komsic noted: “The Venice Commission sticks to the standards. They are not like us.” Komsic considers that the situation with the Election Law will not change during Tuesday’s talks. In addition, no political leaders from the RS attended the meeting with the Venice Commission members. SNSD therefore issued a statement expressing harsh criticism of the fact that RS’ political leaders were not participants of the meeting dedicated to such important talks on the Election Law. SNSD reminded that the Serb Caucus in the FB&H HoP remains incomplete and it is predominantly formed by FB&H-based parties that – according to SNSD – “do not care about Serb people’s interests”.

Leaders of parties in SzP sign agreement on principles of joint participation in this year’s general elections (BNTV)

The coalition agreement on principles of joint participation in upcoming elections, of the parties that form the ‘Alliance for Changes’ (Savez za promjene – SzP) was signed in Banja Luka on Monday. This agreement was signed by leaders of SDS, PDP, NDP, ‘Srpska Radikalna Stranka’ (SRS), ‘Napredna Srpska’ (NS), ‘Srpska Napredna Stranka’ (SNS), ‘Sloboda’ party, ‘Pravda i Red’ list and ‘Seljacka Stranka’. They will all support the candidacies of SDS leader Vukota Govedarica for the post of the RS President and PDP member Mladen Ivanic for the post of the Serb member of the B&H Presidency. Govedarica and Ivanic said, during a press conference after the signing, that the RS needs changes, normal living conditions, further development and a better perspective for young people. “The winning team must fight against absolutism, poverty, misery, unemployment and we must fight to keep our young people here and fight against corruption. We announce one big victory and when all is considered, the Serbs are a winning nation and that winning nation must make the RS a winning state. I, alongside all these people, am certain that we can achieve that with our people,” said Govedarica. Ivanic pointed out that he has not lost any political battle so far, he is able to travel across the world, which gives him the opportunity to fight for and defend the interests of the RS and its people. “I am ready to do that in the next four years. With Mister Govedarica, I am certain that we will make a strong and unified team, that will guarantee that the RS will enter a more stable and normal phase of its development, in which the people will be given the chance for a normal life,” said Ivanic.

All the leaders that signed this agreement said that they believe in their election victory in October, which will bring the promise of a better future to the RS people. “NDP will be an important part of the SzP and we will jointly bring significant changes to the society. We do not wish just to change the government, but to change the relations as well, and to change the situation in which our society finds itself currently,” said NDP leader Dragan Cavic.

PDP leader Branislav Borenovic said that he is certain the SzP will win and then begin the process of the RS’ renewal. The leaders all agree that the RS people must live in a society that respects the past, in which the present is bearable and the future is promising. The slogan of the SzP for the upcoming elections is ‘The Day of the RS’ Victory’. Borenovic underlined that he is convinced in election victory. “We want the RS to be a victorious place in this part of Europe, and we call on good and honorable men to join us,” concluded Borenovic.

Appellate Division of Court of B&H revokes acquittal to Oric (RTRS)

RTRS carries that media reported on Monday that the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H granted the appeal filed by prosecutor Miroslav Janjic in the case against wartime commander of so-called B&H Army in Srebrenica Naser Oric and thus abolished the acquittal of Oric. The Court of B&H has not officially confirmed nor denied this information, only stating that a second-instance verdict in Oric case has been rendered. The Court of B&H also stated that the public will be informed about the second-instance verdict in the case ‘Naser Oric et al.’ after all parties in the proceedings receive the verdict in written. According to the media, the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H established that during the first-instance trial of Naser Oric for war crimes committed against Serb civilians from Bratunac and Srebrenica, substantial violations of the provisions of the criminal procedure were made. The acquittal of Oric was annulled and Serb victims and their families can now again hope that justice will be served. President of the Municipal Organization of Families of Captured, Killed Soldiers and Missing Civilians of Srebrenica Branislav Vasiljevic said that victims’ families expect justice to be finally served after a retrial. “Families of Serb victims from Srebrenica and Bratunac expect the only possible decision and that is life imprisonment for war criminal Naser Oric,” Vasiljevic underlined.

President of the RS Veterans’ Organization (BORS) Milomir Savcic said that if there is a retrial in Oric’s case, he expects the truth to finally be established and perpetrators of crimes to be sanctioned. “Let us say that we hope that we are finally on the right path to establish the truth about each individual event and after that there should be a path of reconciliation of peoples in this area. Without one and the other, there can be no coexistence and perspective,” Savcic underlined. Commenting on the decision of the Appellate Division of the Court of B&H, Head of the RS Center for Research of War, War Crimes and Tracing Missing Persons Milorad Kojic stated that he hopes that the verdict in the new process will be based on facts – not on certain policies, stressing that it would be realistic to reach the convincing verdict in the ‘Oric’ case since 2,428 Serbs were killed in the area of Srednje Podrinje, where Oric had command responsibility.

Dzaferovic: Any attempt to tie Kosovo with RS in B&H is aggression (FTV)

FTV reported that a document known as the ‘US Package’ – which was allegedly offered to Serbian authorities for recognition of Kosovo in exchange for the Serbian membership in the EU – has sparked strong reactions in the last couple of days. The Serbian parliament’s Committee for Kosovo and Metohija immediately reacted and stated that the issue of Kosovo should be linked with the status of the RS. According to FTV, Serbian officials categorically rejected the offer which predicts Kosovo’s membership in the UN, wider competences of the Community of Municipalities. The reporter noted that basically, Serbia has to choose; either the EU membership or recognition of Kosovo. The reporter noted that instead of Vucic, RS President Milorad Dodik commented on this issue by saying that this is a proof that Vucic works in the interest of Serbia and Serbs in general and added that Belgrade will not accept compromises contrary to these interests. According to FTV, the ‘US Package’ is practically official in Kosovo and Kosovo officials expect that Serbia will accept the document. SDA issued a press release on Monday which characterized the aforementioned statements as nonsense and dangerous deadlock that can additionally complicate relations in the region. SDA called on Serbia and Kosovo to solve this issue via dialogue without involving of B&H. Head of SDA Caucus in B&H House of Representatives Sefik Dzaferovic strongly rejected any attempts to tie B&H and its entity of the RS with Kosovo. Dzaferovic stated that there is no resemblance between Kosovo and B&H, except for maybe chauvinistic policy of late Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic that committed genocide in B&H and expelled non-Serbs from Kosovo. Dzaferovic underlined: “Any act of Serbian officials, aimed to connect Kosovo and the RS, will be considered as continuation of the aggression towards B&H”.

Republic of Krusevo Macedonia and Modern Republic of Macedonia – some of the new creative solutions? (Republika)

Artan Grubi revealed Monday evening on TV Kanal 5 that apart from the names proposed by UN envoy Matthew Nimetz, all new creative solutions were in play, and he gave a few examples. Nimetz proposed Northern, Vardar, Upper, New and the Republic of Macedonia (Skopje). You know that the names proposed by Nimitz are being negotiated, but there are also talks for all possible new creative solutions such as: “Republic of Krusevo Macedonia”, “Modern Republic of Macedonia”, “European Republic of Macedonia,” Grubi said.

Mickoski: The only measure for us is the voice of the people (Republika/TV Sitel)

VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, days after the first rally since he is at the helm of the party, said Monday evening on TV Sitel that he was not surprised by SDSM’s comments that they have not heard anything new at the rally and that he, as a new leader, in fact, continues the policy of the old leadership led by Nikola Gruevski, taking the country backwards. The only measure for us as politicians is the voice of the people, of those tens of thousands of citizens who gathered from all over Macedonia outside the government building, loudly saying their opinion to Zoran Zaev.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Greek FM: ‘New’, ‘North’, or ‘Upper Macedonia’ are the 3 Possible FYROM Names (Greek Reporter, by Philip Chrysopoulos, 5 June 2018)

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has said he expects the FYROM naming issue to be resolved soon with a new moniker being chosen from ‘New Macedonia’, ‘Upper Macedonia’, or ‘North Macedonia’. Speaking on ERT television late on Monday night, Kotzias said that within a few days the two sides will overcome their disagreements and reach a solution to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’s nomenclature. “There comes a time when you have to say the big ‘yes’ or the big ‘no’. Now that we are reaching the end, the FYROM government has realized the great difficulties and wanted to think again. My feeling is that within a few days we will overcome the problems,” the foreign minister said. “A negotiation is not a 100-meter or a 100-kilometer race. It has ups and downs, but the foreign minister must have patience and soberness,” he added. Kotzias pointed out that among the five names proposed by UN special mediator Matthew Nimetz, the Greek side had rejected Macedonia-Skopje and FYROM has rejected Vardar Macedonia. The names that remain on the table are ‘New Makedonia’, ‘North Macedonia’ and ‘Upper Macedonia’.

Pro-Russian Serbia Will Have New Allies in Rome (BIRN, by Marcus Tanner, 4 June 2018)

With the pro-Russian League in the new Italian government, pro-Russian governments in the Balkans, like Serbia’s, will be under less pressure to downplay ties to Vladimir Putin.

As Serbia inches forward towards EU membership, its pro-Russian outlook has become more of headache for the country’s ambitious President, Aleksandar Vucic. On the one hand, Vucic shares the pro-Russian sentiment felt by most Serbs entirely. On the other, Serbia’s reputation as Russia’s biggest fan in Europe has become something of an embarrassment – given Vucic’s determination to ease Serbia into the European fold – and given Europe’s tough line on the Kremlin, post-Crimea. That explains why, in his recent Financial Times interview on May 15, he was at pains to insist that Serbia would not behave like Russia’s “Trojan Horse” in the EU – and that he had apparently told President Vladimir Putin to his face that EU membership remains Serbia’s top priority. After the election and change of power in Italy, however, it is questionable whether Serbia will have to downplay its Russian connections so much. The presence in the new Italian government of the far-right, pro-Russian League is the important factor here. League leader Matteo Salvini, Italy’s new Interior Minister, has made no secret of his pro-Russian sympathies. On the campaign trail, he described continued EU sanctions on Moscow as an act of “insanity’, calling Russia a “friendly neighbour” – and, echoed Hungary’s Viktor Orban word for word by claiming that the real problem in Europe was not Russia but illegal immigration and militant Muslims. The League, of course, is not the only party in Italy’s new government, or even the senior partner; that role goes to Five Star. Still, a new government in Rome containing the League will clearly be friendlier to Moscow and less biddable to Brussels than its centre-left predecessor – which can only be good news for those countries in Eastern Europe and the Balkans that cherish ties with Moscow and chafe against the sanctions regime. Meanwhile, as Europe’s eyes are concentrated anxiously on Italy, another less important election, but also close to home as far as the Balkans is concerned, may confirm the tilt in Europe towards the Kremlin.

Little Slovenia goes to the polls on Sunday in an election that is tipped to see right-winger Janez Jansa returned to power. Jansa’s Slovene Democratic Party is well ahead of centrist and leftist rivals in the latest polls, though with some 40 per cent of voters still undecided, there is everything to play for. If Jansa does become Slovenia next leader, however, another brick in Europe’s anti-Russian wall will have loosened, given Jansa’s close ties to Hungary’s Orban, whose hostility to EU sanctions on Russia is a given. Orban himself joined Jansa on the campaign stump in Celje, where he delivered a familiar tirade on the civilisational danger to Europe from mass migration. Politico website said Jansa had clearly modeled his campaign on Orban’s tried and trusted methods: “Jansa has run a campaign … promising a future free of migrants, with a dose of rhetoric suggesting powerful nefarious forces are ranged against him — much as Orban often does.” Traditionally, Jansa was seen as America’s man in Slovenia and as a staunch Atlanticist. However, like his ally, Orban, he is also “soft” on the Russian issue and, as prime minister, led a drive to promote Russian investment in his country. Unlike the Serbian government, Jansa has not openly taken Russia’s side in its dispute with Ukraine, which he visited in 2015, and when he opined that EU sanctions should not be lifted until the Crimea issue was “resolved”. However, that statement, and the use of the mild word “resolved” was indicative – containing no mention of Ukraine’s territorial integrity – or of Russia’s need to pull out of Crimea. With the process of forming a new government in Slovenia likely to take some time, it is too early to speculate on the country’s future policy agenda. However, with the League sharing power in Italy – and if Jansa does take power in Slovenia – a shift will have taken place.

Brussels will be weaker, Hungary will have another ally in the EU besides Poland, and Russia – if not allies – will have less unsympathetic counterparts in high places in two more European capitals. Like all shifts in Europe, it will have an impact on the Balkans, where Russian, European, American, Turkish, Chinese and other influences all meet and compete. The last time President Vucic gave an interview to the UK media, he felt the need to apologise for his friendship with Putin’s Russia. Next time, he may not feel it is necessary.

Marcus Tanner is an editor of Balkan Insight and the author of “Albania’s Mountain Queen, Edith Durham and the Balkans” [Tauris].

The opinions expressed in the Comment section are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of BIRN.