LOCAL PRESS

Vucic: Serbia cannot give more than its interests are (Tanjug)

Serbia should strive for better relations with the US, but the US needs to understand Serbia cannot give more than its interests are, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said. “I hope and believe the US will respect the sovereignty, the independence and the freedom of the Serbian nation and the Serbian state, just like we respect the freedom, the strength and the independence of the US,” Vucic said at the opening of an exhibition titled “The Kingdom of Serbia and the United States” in the Archive of Serbia.

Vucic: I will address the nation in mid-September regarding Kosovo (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the RTS prime news on Thursday evening that the

Albanians are more motivated than Serbs in protecting things they consider to be theirs which is why he is looking for a compromise on Kosovo. Vucic said that he would address the nation in the second half of September to present his long-awaited proposal for a solution to the Kosovo problem. Vucic said that he knows what Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj intend to do but did not specify what he means, twisting his reply to another side. It seems to me that we have a good chance of not losing everything and winning something, he said commenting Haradinaj’s statement that there will be no division of Kosovo since it is already small. Vucic recalled that the hysteria over the Kosovo issue started following his meetings with US officials, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. “Especially after the meeting with Macron because they realized that support for Serbia is growing. We built our position carefully, tried to preserve the peace and stability as well as the Serbian people in Kosovo,” he said. Responding to the question what will be on 4 August when the deadline given by the EU to Pristina to draft the Statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) is expiring, Vucic says nothing will come out of this. “I said four months ago, I am not a visionary, but I know these people. I know them, nothing will come out of this,” opines Vucic. “They think they will ‘sell’ us the ZSO as a final solution. They have agencies that wish to ‘sell’ us this as a final solution, but nothing will come out of this,” he said. Asked what he had told Kosovo Serb representatives with whom he talked for four hours, Vucic said that he had told them that at present there was not a single solution for Kosovo and Metohija in sight. “I will not present anything to the public here in Belgrade before I have had talks with them, because they are the ones who received 80 percent of the votes of Kosovo Serbs, and they brought me 85 percent of the Kosovo Serbs at the presidential elections,” he recalled.

Asked about the statement of Sergey Zheleznyak, who has in the meantime been dismissed from his post, and who opposed division of Kosovo, Vucic said: “I know what I discussed with President Putin, but I will not say this in public,” he said, nor the content of talks with the leaders of other influential states.

Improvement of overall bilateral cooperation with US (Beta)

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic spoke on 26 July in Washington with Senator Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation of the US Senate, about the improvement of the overall bilateral relations between the US and Serbia.

They highlighted that historic ties of the two countries are very strong, as confirmed by yesterday’s ceremony at the US Congress where Senator Johnson spoke, marking 100 years since the Serbian flag was lifted in front of the White House. Brnabic and Johnson concluded that this is a great basis for further strengthening of cooperation, stressing that they hope for a new phase of relations between Serbia and the US. Brnabic pointed out that, after numerous meetings in Washington, she feels that this administration has a different attitude towards Serbia. She said that the preservation of stability in Kosovo and Metohija is one of the key priorities, and that it is precisely because of this that KFOR remains in the province in unchanged volume.

Dacic: US ready to hear creative solutions for Kosovo (VOA/Tanjug/RTS/RTV)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic met with White House National Security Advisor John Bolton who was prepared to hear creative solutions for Kosovo.  Dacic told the Voice of America (VOA) that the biggest change brought in by the Trump administration is the fact that they are willing to listen to Serbia’s arguments. “Two years ago, they would say in talks: that issue has been resolved. Now they say: a compromise should be found. That is a huge difference,” Dacic told the VOA. “Bolton said that US foreign policy was on autopilot in the period before Trump. Now for the first time they are prepared to hear creative solutions to possible problems including Kosovo. That is very important for us and it’s very important to have agreement on it in Washington,” Dacic said.

Patriarch Irinej: I remain with the statement on the position of Serbs in Montenegro; only and most optimal solution is for Kosovo to remain Serbian land (Prva TV/B92/Tanjug)

Serbian Patriarch Irinej has stated that he remains with the earlier statement that the Serbs in Montenegro have the treatment as in the Ustasha Independent State of Croatia (NDH). “I will very gladly deny that I had stated this, truly, it was a little bit stricter than what would be normal, but I will very gladly deny once I receive a promise that they will not threaten any longer the church that they will seize its properties in Montenegro, that they will seize churches and monasteries, and once they stop threatening that they will expel Serb priests and monks from Montenegro. Then I will withdraw and deny, until then, I remain with my statement,” the Patriarch told Prva TV in comment to the statement by Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic. Before he confirmed that he remains with his recently presented stand, he said in Nis that journalists are a bit difficult and that when he says something they add so it looks like he didn’t mean it, B92 reports. Asked about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, he says he has nothing to say here for the time being. The most optimal and only optimal solution is for Kosovo to remain Serbian land. Any other solution is not a solution that Serbia can accept, said Irinej.

Scott: Our relationship with Serbia can be like 100 years ago (N1)

The US Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott told N1 on Thursday that relations between his country and Serbia could go back where they were a century ago. On the occasion of the centennial of Serbia’s flag flying on top of the White House, Scott said that the US-Serbia relationship was based on shared values and that they could again be the same as they were during the First World War. “The whole world admired Serbia then, and especially people in the US,” the Ambassador said. “We were allies in the Second World War as well,” Scott said, adding that America helped Yugoslavia in 1948 when it was under the Soviet embargo for opposing the authority of the then Moscow’s communist leader Joseph Stalin. Scott also referred to the period during the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, when the two countries’ relations were at the lowest level. He said that that period was the most difficult not only for the US-Serbia relations but for the whole region and that now was the time to rebuild the friendship that existed once, adding that there was no reason for that not to happen.

REGIONAL PRESS

B&H before the doors of unseen crisis (Glas Srpske)

President of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Central Commission Irena Hadziabdic, noted that it is B&H CEC’s task to secure fair and democratic elections, but there is a possibility for B&H to face a crisis of unseen proportions if authorities do not find the way for the open issues.

Considering the fact that B&H Parliament has not implemented the ruling of B&H Constitutional Court in case of ‘Bozo Ljubic’ and that Federation of B&H parliament is trying to solve this issue through constituencies, Hadziabdic said that failure to implement this decision could result in problems with authority formation. “In lack of legal solutions for implementation of indirect election, the problem could escalate when we confirm the results of direct elections and commence forming of authorities at the beginning of November. I trust that we will have some kind of a solution by then, possibly a provisional one, but if there is none, I trust that B&H will find itself in an unseen crisis,” said Hadziabdic.

B&H HoR discusses amendments to Law on Flag of B&H (TV1)

B&H House of Representatives (HoR) held a session in Sarajevo on Thursday. On this occasion, the HoR discussed proposal of amendments to the Law on the Flag of B&H. This proposal was discussed at the initiative of SDP B&H’s representative in B&H HoR Sasa Magazinovic, who requested defining the right way to set the B&H flag. During the discussion on this item, representatives from Republika Srpska (RS) demanded that the law defines the matter of symbols in the assembly hall in the B&H Parliament. They particularly asked displaying of the entity flags alongside the B&H flag. SNSD’s representative in B&H HoR Dusanka Majkic stated that displaying of flags of both the RS and the Federation of B&H in the B&H institutions should become a standard. HDZ B&H’s representative in B&H HoR Nikola Lovrinovic wondered why some symbol would be discussed if it was imposed.

Wigemark: Amend Law on Criminal Procedure as soon as possible (Dnevni avaz)

Head of the EU Delegation to B&H and EU Special Representative Lars-Gunnar Wigemark called on the delegates in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of B&H to adopt the amendments to the Law on Criminal Procedure in accordance with the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H from 2017. “We are deeply concerned with the lack of adoption of the relevant amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law of B&H, which need to be brought in line with the 2017 B&H Constitutional Court decision, as well as international and European standards. Amendments already tabled in the Parliament of B&H, and adopted in the House of Representatives, do meet the required standards. But other proposed amendments, tabled so far, would weaken the rule of law and undermine the ability of the judiciary to fight serious crime, in particular organized crime and corruption. Specifically, exempting certain criminal offences such as fraud in office or embezzlement in office and terrorism sends a negative signal towards both B&H citizens and the EU,” reads the statement.

US Senator Wicker: B&H can be better with better leaders (Dnevni avaz)

US Senator Roger Wicker, who recently paid a visit to B&H, gave a statement and said: “Sarajevo, as one of beautiful European cities, represents maybe the biggest lost potential I have ever seen, and I have traveled the world.” Wicker said that B&H is a jewel of potential that is never going to be achieved. “Unless the citizens of that small country decide they want better leaders. Individuals who managed to get elected as leaders are of no used to them,” said the Senator.

Vucic: All Serbs know that Kosovo is lost (Globus)

Much of what is happening in Kosovo today reminds me of what happened at the end of the 1980s – no matter how much the circumstances are significantly different (and almost unparalleled). I will start from my meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic at the beginning of February this year. After the interview for Globus we had the so-called working breakfast, in Villa Bokeljki on Dedinje. At one point I asked Vucic how he thinks to solve the problem of Kosovo. He thought a little bit – a few seconds were marked by tense silence – and then he said that he would not give up of north Kosovo. The defense of northern Kosovo – would, in some way, be the backbone of his policy for Kosovo. In his painstaking marathon negotiations with Albanian political representatives in Kosovo (but also with Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, whom he also included in the negotiations), as, of course, with high representatives of the European Union, led by the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security, the Italian Federica Mogherini. From that conversation that we had, to this day about half a year has passed. And, I see, Vucic is to a considerable extent adhering to this idea of ​​his previously announced concept – that he will try to “defend” the north of Kosovo. That is, the north of Kosovo is his last line of defense, as it is called in the Kosovo-international political jargon, for over a year now, “a comprehensive agreement to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo.” Simply put, yes, we will recognize Kosovo (but without the act of explicit international recognition), but in return we will “trade” the north of Kosovo. We will not give them (Albanians in Kosovo) everything, we will still be able to retain something for ourselves. And immediately we go into the center of this story – that is, what many today speak or write about, but without much tangible information or data, that is Vucic’s concept of the so-called “exchange of territory”, the concept of “border correction”. Or even more sharply and more simply, the concept of “compromise” (this is the word Vucic most used in the last few weeks / months). Immediately to note, that there is no confusion – one thing is (an old, former) concept of the so-called. “division of Kosovo”. This is something completely different and new, Vucic’s (perhaps not just his) concept of “exchange of territory” (that is, “border correction” or “compromise”). Apart from Vucic (and the question is how much he himself strongly believes in this) and his close associates in the SNS and the political-state top of Serbia, (almost) no one in Serbia or outside of it is inclined to believe that in practice this quite courageous, idea of ​​exchange of territory, can truly be realized. Just as I write these lines – on Monday, July 23, at around 15.30, – I received a mobile phone call from Aleksandar Vucic, the presidential office: “All Serbs know that they have lost Kosovo, but I will do everything in my power to return what can be reclaimed, so that it does not turn out to be a complete defeat or loss,” Vucic told. He added “everyone is attacking me, neither words nor means are being spared, but no one genuinely wants to solve the problem of Kosovo.” “If I see something good for Serbia, I will push that forward, regardless of the consequences. You see that I have achieved palpable results, especially on the economic plane. Serbia’s public debt is dropping, tangible results are being achieved using difficult measures. But those who think or act like that, that cancer can be cured with aspirin, are either ill-wishers for Serbia or fools,” said Vucic, whose statement was part of an article analyzing developments between Belgrade and Pristina.

Croatia to pay 4.2 million euro for NATO membership this year (Hina)

Croatia will pay slightly over 4.2 million euro for NATO membership this year, the government said on Thursday in its response to a query by MP Ivan Vilibor Sincic who was interested in the amount of Croatia’s obligations toward NATO and where these funds are noted in the budget.

The government said that the amount is determined on a par with the economic strength of an individual country which is usually determined as a share of Gross Domestic Product or Gross National Income and is calculated each year. “The funds for NATO have been secured in the 2018 state budget in items for international membership fees for the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs” the government said.

Zaev: Without implementation of Prespa Agreement Macedonia cannot join EU, NATO (MIA)

Without the name dispute settlement and implementation of the Prespa Agreement, Macedonia cannot expect to become a full-fledged EU and NATO members, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev told on Thursday. He classified as untruthful the allegations that ‘now the country has no name.’

“We have an agreement that recognizes the Macedonian language and identity and nobody may deny that anymore. This is a valuable, historic achievement. If citizens support the agreement at the upcoming referendum, we shall proceed with activities for amending the constitution and the country’s name will be the Republic of North Macedonia,” Zaev said.

Spasovski: Small group of criminals stands behind anti-EU, NATO propaganda in Macedonia (MIA)

For a long period Macedonia has been a subject of intensive, subversive propaganda related to the country’s EU, NATO integration processes, Minister of Interior Oliver Spasovski told the session on Thursday. A small group of criminals stands behind the propaganda, whose activities are not driven by ideology, but by personal interests, Spasovski said. For personal gains, the group is a mouthpiece of a certain structure, aiming to convince the public that there is a critical mass in Macedonia that can prevent the country’s accession to the EU and NATO, Spasovski said. The intention is for the members of this group or their close ones to be saved from various criminal charges brought against them, he added. The Ministry of Interior, in cooperation with other relevant institutions, has been monitoring the developments in terms of possible security risks to the country, Spasovski said, notifying that investigations into those subversive activities must not be conducted via media. In mid-July Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that Greek businessmen allied with Russia were spending money on encouraging violence in Macedonia ahead of the referendum on the country’s name in order to prevent Macedonia from joining NATO.  He said that police had learned of the payments after detaining several participants in violent protests this June in front of the Parliament building.

Macedonia opens Chapter 23 of EU acquis this September (MIA)

The calendar has been already determined for the European Commission’s screening process that should prepare the country for the EU accession talks, Vice Premier for European Affair Bujar Osmani told reporters on Thursday. In the meantime, the government has been working on preparing the state institutions for this significant process, said Osmani, who is also the head of Macedonia’s negotiating team. The screening processes will be accompanied by two more, namely the implementation of the Prespa Agreement (Skopje-Athens name deal) and the reform plan 18, Osmani said. Hence there is a need of the state institutions to coordinate their activities for Macedonia to succeed to wrap up all process by June 2019, when the country should finally start the EU accession talks, he added.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Beware Chinese Trojan horses in the Balkans, EU warns (politico.eu, by Ryan Heath and Andrew Gray, 27 July 2018)

Commissioner Johannes Hahn also pushes back against Emmanuel Macron’s enlargement skepticism.

The EU has sounded the alarm about China’s role in the Western Balkans, warning that Beijing could turn countries in the region into Trojan horses that would one day be European Union members. European Commissioner Johannes Hahn told POLITICO’s EU Confidential podcast that China’s “combination of capitalism and a political dictatorship” could appeal to some leaders in the region on the Continent’s southeastern flank. Although much Western concern about the Balkans in recent years has focused on the role of Russia, Hahn said there is more reason to be uneasy about China, which has made a series of significant investments in infrastructure projects there. Asked about the prospect of Beijing creating Trojan horses by using its financial clout to get political sway over countries that aspire to join the EU, Hahn cited the example of a highway in Montenegro being built and financed by China. “This is exactly the case with this famous highway in Montenegro. And also this is a kind of pattern, or let’s say business model, by the Chinese to offer attractive or more or less attractive loans and if you cannot serve them, it’s turned into capital,” said Hahn, the commissioner responsible for relations with the EU’s neighbors and talks with prospective new members. “I think we should be aware about the strategic concept by China and react in an adequate manner. I think this will be one of the great challenges of Europe,” said Hahn, an Austrian conservative and former minister. Montenegro — which was in the headlines last week after U.S. President Donald Trump suggested its people could draw NATO into World War III — and its larger neighbor Serbia started EU membership talks back in 2014. The EU has suggested they could become EU members by 2025 — although Hahn said that timeline is “rather ambitious.” Serbia and Montenegro are among six countries, most of which emerged as Yugoslavia collapsed into war in the 1990s, that all aspire to join the EU in the coming years. But European Union countries are divided over how to handle those aspirations. French President Emmanuel Macron has emerged as the leading skeptical voice on opening the EU up to new members from the Western Balkans. He has insisted the EU should focus on reforming itself before it even contemplates expanding.

French officials also fear any signal that the bloc plans to take in relatively poor countries with deeply entrenched problems such as organized crime and corruption would be a gift to Euroskeptic parties in next year’s European Parliament election. In June, Paris succeeded in postponing a decision on Albania and Macedonia starting membership talks until after the May election.

Pushing back against Paris

In the interview, Hahn pushed back against Macron’s view. He said citizens of Western Balkan countries “have the right to become [EU] members” and the EU faces a choice between exporting stability to the region or having instability imported into the bloc. Hahn said he agrees with Macron that the EU has to reform itself — but said this could take place at the same time as Western Balkan countries conduct membership talks. “My point is maybe a little different from President Macron,” he said. “Maybe we can convince him that both have to be done in parallel.”

Hahn said he is “very confident” that negotiations for Albania and Macedonia could start next year, noting the process of vetting the countries’ readiness for negotiations has already begun.

“This is a very comprehensive work and I hope we can conclude it in a year to 14 months,” he said. “The aim is really to get a green light by all member states middle of next year.” The EU’s current plans leave two Western Balkan countries, Kosovo, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, without even a tentative timeline for membership talks. Hahn said Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fragmented political structure — the result of the U.S.-brokered Dayton accords that ended the war there in 1995 — would have to change. “They are living in the so-called Dayton logic. And this is not in accordance with Brussels logic,” he said. But Hahn said the country has made some progress, forming a commission with representatives from different ethnic groups to respond to a detailed EU questionnaire on its readiness for membership. One of Kosovo’s big barriers to EU membership is that it needs to resolve its disputes with Serbia, the country from which it declared independence in 2008. Hahn noted Kosovo’s government also relies heavily on customs tariffs for revenue and this would have to change before it could join the EU’s single market. He cast the project of enlarging the EU to include all of the Western Balkans as a historic mission. “Everything started in ’89 with the fall of the Iron Curtain,” he said. “The huge enlargement in 2004 was … a first great consequence. And I would say all this is only concluded once the six countries are members of the Union.”