LOCAL PRESS

Thaci spends 15 minutes at Gazivode Lake (Beta)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci spent some 15 minutes near the dam at the Gazivode Lake on Sept. 29, after which he left the place accompanied by Kosovo police, a Beta journalist reported from Gazivode.

Thaci told reporters it was a routine visit to the area, because, as he put it, he liked to visit beautiful places around Kosovo.

The ROSU and Kosovo police left the area around the Sports and Culture Center in Zubin Potok, as well as the Gazivode dam. The ROSU special unit, armed and wearing masks, surrounded the Center at the lake around 1 p.m., and a security guard, Nemanja Milovanovic, who was in

the building, said he did not know why they were there.

Director of the Serbian government’s Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said at a Sept. 29 press conference that the “Albanian paramilitaries,” armed with rifles and wearing masks, “attacked and took over Gazivode,” so that Kosovo President Thaci could visit the lake.

Djuric said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic had ordered the Serbian interior minister, Nebojsa Stefanovic, and the Serbian army chief-of-staff, Milan Mojsilovic, to put the police and military on high alert.

Vucic: Pristina’s moves endangered peace, multiple agreements violated (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic fiercely criticized the deployment of security forces in the north of Kosovo during Saturday’s visit to the Gazivode reservoir and dam, saying that peace was under attack.

“This is the third time in the past several months that peace has been jeopardized in an inappropriate way by the authorities in Pristina, an attempt to force a response from Serbia which could be used by part of the international community to further demonize our country. Some people tried, primarily from the international community and part of the media in Serbia and Pristina, to simplify things and present Thaci’s tour of Gazivode as just a walk and coffee, like they just strolled around with rifles and harassed some people,” Vucic told a news conference on Saturday evening.

He said that the Kosovo Albanian side violated a number of agreement including the Brussels agreement, agreement on freedom of movement, UN Security Council resolution and the military-technical agreement which ended the war in Kosovo.

Vucic said that up to 130 Kosovo special police unit troopers went to Gazivode, that they were all ethnic Albanians and that no one contacted the regional police commander for northern Kosovo who is a Serb.

“They tried, counter to the Brussels agreement, to show in every possible way that agreements are not obliging for them and that they have the support of their Western allies. The operation by between 110 and 130 members of the special forces, all armed with rifles, took control of roads, all facilities and buildings near the shores of lake Gazivode, harrased several people, detained four people and they had no cause or right to do that. They have nothing to do in the north with rifles,” Vucic said.

The Serbian president also criticized KFOR, saying that all of Serbia knew that at 12:38 pm Kosovo special forces had entered the sports center at Gazivode and that at 01:55 KFOR said it had no information about the special police forces. “We managed to count 12 snipers on the surrounding hills, some 90 heavily armed police officers and others in reserve ready to intervene,” the he said. “They had nothing to do in the north of Kosovo armed with rifles” Vucic was said. “Today we saw that we have to take care of the Serbs, that our people has no one else to rely on but themselves and their state,” he said.

The Serbian president also called the residents of the town of Zubin Potok to lift their blockade of the main road through town. Serb residents of Zubin Potok blocked the road to show their dissatisfaction with KFOR which they say failed to protect them.

“Today Serbia responded calmly and collectively, but clearly warned that it would not tolerate violence against Serbs” President Aleksandar Vucic said during an emergency public address. He said that if Albanian representatives decide at any time to start with the organized violence against the Serb people, Serbia will find a way to protect the population.

The president warned that Belgrade will not allow anyone to carry out violence against the Serbian people by violating all signed agreements. He added that the talks with the representatives of Albanians will continue, but with attempts that they have some sense and not just to fill the media time. “Implementation of the results would have to be guaranteed by someone from the international community, not like today” said the president.

Dacic on deployment of security forces in the north of Kosovo (Prva TV)

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s arrival to Northern Kosovo accompanied by the Regional Operational Support Unit (ROSU) was a provocation and a clear breach of the 2013 Brussels Agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said.

He called the EU’s reaction to this event “irritating” and said it resembled “an announcement by some high Tibetan council” who spoke of the need for all sides to remain calm.

“I don’t expect anything from the EU. I’ve told the President Aleksandar Vucic, 100 times that we shouldn’t expect the EU to be objective and not just them, but the entire international community,” Dacic told the Prva TV.

According to him, the situation has changed significantly because the entire world has realized that the Kosovo side is making trouble, but there is still a lack of negative reactions and there are no pressures on Kosovo to stick to the agreement.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci had a boat ride on Lake Gazivode, Saturday, while being accompanied by armed ROSU special police forces. The Brussels Agreement from 2013 strictly forbids ROSU’s arrival to the North of Kosovo, which is mostly populated by Serbs, without a prior approval by local officials.

Djuric: ROSU seized Gazivode so Thaci could ride in a boat (RTS)

The director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said that the intrusion of the ROSU unit is contrary to all international agreements and that they have no right to appear in the north of Kosovo. Marko Djuric told at a press conference that special units of the ROSU paramilitary group armed to the teeth attacked and occupied Lake Gazivode.

“Thaci and his armed terrorists did it so that Thaci could freely walk, get photographed and drive in a boat on Lake Gazovde. In order to do this, they had to remove all the people standing in their way, they had to apprehend all the Serbs who were there at the time,” Djuric said at a press conference. “They barged into the Ecology and Sports Centre where they apprehended people for no reason, with the aim of intimidating the Serbs living in Kosovo.”

He adds that the intrusion is contrary to all international agreements and resolutions, and that the units of the ROSU have no right to appear in the north of Kosovo.

“Serbia informed all the international institutions about the incident at Gazivode, but we haven’t received any response neither from the EU nor the NATO… Serbia also warned the official Pristina as well as the international community that it won’t tolerate any form of violence against Serbs,” Djuric said, adding that Serbia will act in accordance with the UN Resolution 1244.

“President Vucic informed and warned international representatives that this kind of behavior is not acceptable and that Serbia, in accordance with Resolution 1244, intends to protect its people” Djuric said.

Djuric also said that the intrusion of the ROSU special units at the Gazivode Lake made the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, under the auspices of the EU in Brussels, increasingly uncertain, and that is, he said, the result of Pristina’s irresponsible and unacceptable behavior.

Vucic says he will ask Putin for support in international forums (Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sept. 29 that he would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin at an upcoming meeting on Oct. 2 for support in all international forums.

He said Serbia had informed the ambassadors of Russia and the U.S. of the events in northern Kosovo on Sept. 29. “I am going to have a meeting with Putin and we will discuss every important issue, including, of course, Kosovo,” Vucic told a news conference.

Maja Kocijancic called on calm and restraint from all sides (RTS, Beta, B92)

Maja Kocijancic, the spokesperson of the EU’s High Representative Federica Mogherini, said that the EU counts on the calm and restraint of all sides regarding the current tensions concerning the visit of Kosovo President Hashim Thaci to northern Kosovo.

Asked for the EU’s stand on the Thachi and Regional Operational Support Unit (ROSU) arrival to the north of Kosovo, Kocijancic said the EU is seriously considering the situation and that they are “in close contact with all the relevant actors, including the Kosovo Force (KFOR).”

“As always, we expect all sides to react calmly and with restraint,” she said.

Director of Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric condemned her statements in an extraordinary press conference.

“I strongly condemn the statement by Maja Kocijancic, who called on both sides to exert restraint, as if the Serbs attacked themselves,” Djuric said.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that he would rather not comment on the European

Union’s reaction to the events in the north of Kosovo and Metohija, and asked what exactly it was that the Serbian side should refrain from.

“What do we need to refrain from? What have we done? I opened a factory in Nis. Was that a Serbian sin, too? What have we done to the Albanians, anywhere? What did we do to make them trample every agreement that we signed? What else should we refrain from? Or, perhaps, you should refrain from hypocrisy, if you can” Vucic said.

NATO chief coming to Belgrade in first half of October (Tanjug)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will be visiting Belgrade in the first half of October, where he will talk to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, reports Tanjug, citing diplomatic sources in Belgrade.

“The delicacy of the visit itself, i.e. the moment and circumstances under which it will take place are the reason why both sides are still not going public with the details of its format, the topic

of the meeting and the precise date when it will take place” Tanjug reported.

Tanjug reported that the President Aleksandar Vucic, is in constant contact with the NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg. According to Tanjug, the contact was established “after the deployment of the ROSU units on Gazivoda in the north of Kosovo and Metohija. The state agency points out that Vucic “voiced protest over the ruthless action of Hashim Thaci and the Pristina leadership”.

“Thaci’s move should be put on Stoltenberg’s table” (B92, Prva TV)

The president of Serbia is expected to meet with Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. During this month, he is also expected to meet with NATO’s secretary general. Jens Stoltenberg is coming to Belgrade at a very delicate moment in view of what happened in Kosovo this weekend. There are no official details of that the visit might look like, and what might be discussed, Professor at the Faculty of Political Sciences Dragan Simeunovic told Prva TV on Monday.

He says this visit was planned earlier and is not directly related to the events in Kosovo and Metohija, but adds that it is “a good opportunity to talk about the casualty of the EU factor that allows for Pristina’s ignorance and provocations.”

“What Hashim Thaci did was intended for his voters and competition, to show them that he can go to Lake Gazivode, which others can’t at this moment. This visit came when a lot of protesters gathered in front of his building, who were telling him they disagree with his policy,” Simeunovic said. He also thinks that Thaci’s gesture should be “put on Stoltenberg’s table”

Meanwhle, Tanjug is reporting, citing Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti, that the “storming” of Lake Gazivode, carried out by Kosovo special units in this area in northern, mostly Serb part of Kosovo, took place on Saturday with three KFOR, i.e., NATO drones in the sky above.

According Vecernje Novosti, one of them directly covered the North of the province, “so Belgrade is ruling out the possibility that the military mission was unaware of Thaci’s operation.”

Furthermore, citing unnamed sources, the daily said that even UN vehicles could be seen accompanying Thaci.

Dacic: By the end of the year, between 5 and 10 countries will withdraw the recognition of KiM (Studio B)

By the end of the year, between five and ten countries will withdraw recognition of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija, announced Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. According to him, this is the outcome of the meetings that the Serbian delegation had last week during the United Nations General Assembly.

Dacic says that some countries do not know that they have recognized the independence of Kosovo and Metohija and, he said, he was in a situation where the Somali foreign minister says that “they consider Kosovo as part of Serbia and support territorial integrity”. “I tell him, hey, man, but you have recognized Kosovo” Dacic points out, adding that he is actively working to revise the list of countries that have recognized Kosovo, but that the provisional authorities in Pristina oppose it, because, “They can’t say this to their citizens”.

He also recalled during the UN meetings, he learned that Oman, Uganda and Lesotho did not recognize the independence of Kosovo and Metohija, and that Pristina had placed them in the countries that did so.

Regarding the visit of the Pristina delegation to the UN, Dacic stressed that Serbia had sent the protest to the UN, as it did every year so far, because, he said, the Pristina delegation is abusing its presence in the UN. He said that the Pristina delegation consisted of 41 people, which is the bigger delegation than those of some large countries.

Dacic: The cells of the prison in Scheveningen are waiting for the KLA members (Vecernje Novosti)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic confirmed that the international war crimes tribunal’s detention unit in Scheveningen is preparing to receive its first detainees from the Special Court which will prosecute war crimes committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Dacic told Vecernje Novosti daily that “an entire floor is being emptied” in preparation for the trial.  “I believe that this is an indication of final justice for all Serb and other victims of the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army whose former leaders are now the holders of top political offices in Kosovo” the Serbian foreign minister said.

America accepts change of borders in Balkans (Vecernje Novosti)

In an interview to the daily, former Deputy Head of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for the Balkans Steven Meyer said that the Balkans is at the crossroads and the direction in which it will move will depend mostly on leaders of each individual country in the region.

“Should they behave as true leaders and not as ‘servants’ of the West, then there will be progress, primarily because there was a significant change in the US policy on Kosovo and entire region”, Meyer added. He explained by saying that the USA turned towards Middle East and Russia, so the Balkans is no longer high on its list of priorities as it was during 1990es.

Asked to comment on the fact many people in the State Department and US intelligence community deal with the Balkans on a daily basis in spite of the fact the US policy on the Balkans changed, Meyer said that both the USA and Russia focus on this region as if a cold war is about to start. “There are Russian interests in Nis and elsewhere, USA does the same in other places. NATO is in conflict with Russians and wants Serbia to join the NATO. Luckily, President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic said “No!” and that was the right decision”, Meyer said. Meyer noted that politicians in the region got used to someone else making the decisions instead of them and do not realize that it is up to them to make decisions: “The politician who understands this the best is Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik. He was rejected by Washington, even sanctions were imposed against him, but this does not hurt him much”.

Asked to state why he has been arguing for the past 20 years that borders in the Balkans are unsustainable, Meyer said that the problem is in the State Department and diplomats who have been working in this region for decades and have established “an official line”, but he noted that this is changing now and added that he does not think that Washington would oppose if leaders in the region express desire to change the borders. “However, Germany will oppose because it is afraid of instability. Brits are fifty-fifty. The EU would accept a solution if it is reached in a peaceful manner”, Meyer said and added that, as far as the RS is concerned, it is necessary to hold referendum with three options: stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), independence or merging with Serbia. Meyer added that the Croat population in B&H is decreasing “but there are parts of B&H where referendum on merging with Croatia should be held. This would leave space for a small Bosniak state. It would not be smaller than Kosovo and I think that Muslim population in that state should get protection, just like Serbs in south of Kosovo or Albanians north of Ibar River”.

Asked if there are officials in Washington who have the same stance, Meyer replied by saying that there are some in the White House and added that most of Congress members are not interested in these issues at all, while experts have opposing stances on this matter. Meyer reminded that former US diplomat Richard Holbrooke wanted to fire him twice because he opposed his work, i.e. because he claimed that the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) does the opposite of what it is supposed to do, meaning it only strengthens ethnic differences in B&H. “Ever since 1995, I have been claiming that B&H is not a country, but a fictitious state because the true power is in hands of ethnic communities and not in hands of authorities in Sarajevo”, Meyer explained.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

RS President Dodik meets Russian President Putin (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sunday. This is the second meeting of the two officials this year, after they met in St Petersburg in May. On this occasion, Dodik gave Putin a badge with the Republika Srpska (RS) flag on it as a gift and a sign of friendly relations between the RS and Russia. The two officials stressed excellent relations in the field of economy and foreign trade.

Putin said that he perfectly knows the political situation in the RS and Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and he wished Dodik and his partners success in the upcoming general elections in B&H on October 7. He expressed hope that the elections will pass peacefully, successfully and in line with the law, as well as that they will contribute to further stabilization of B&H. Putin stressed that Russia wants to see stability in the region and improvement of an excellent cooperation with the RS, especially when it comes to projects in the field of oil and gas industry that have already started. He noted that he is also familiar with all activities on the construction of the Russian-Serbian Cultural Center in Banja Luka, as well as with the fact that the Russian language has growing popularity in the RS’ schools.

Dodik stated that the RS finds the cooperation with the Russian Federation, as a great power, very important, adding that no one should see anything wrong in that. He noted that cooperation in the field of industry and economy is priority. “We want to reconstruct two thermal-power plants with Russian companies and we already make deals on these projects,” Dodik told Putin. He stressed that Russia’s principled stance regarding the political situation in B&H has been always helpful for the RS, as behavior of others was not principled.

Prior to the meeting, Dodik watched the Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix Race jointly with Putin and other high-ranking officials. The meeting between Dodik and Putin sparked great attention in the Russian media, which reported on very good friendly relations and the improved economic cooperation between the RS and Russia, and reminded of recent meetings between them and the recent visit of Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov to B&H.

RS President Dodik comments on his meeting with Russian President (RTRS)

Commenting on his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Sunday, Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik told RTRS that this was very important meeting for him and that they discussed the economic cooperation and certain projects. He reminded that Putin is very well informed about details regarding the Oil Refinery in Brod and certain demands by Croatia in terms of environmental standards, adding that the RS authorities deem that everything is in line with the strictest environmental standards of the EU. Dodik said that they also touched upon the project of development of the RS’ gas market that is very important for the RS economy, stressing that the interest that Putin shows for the RS is also very important.

Dodik added that other topics discussed at the meeting with Putin were related to the project of construction of the Russian-Serbian Cultural Center in Banja Luka and certain humanitarian projects, as well as to the upcoming general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) for which Putin said he hopes they will pass in line with the law.

“Our partnership is at an enviable level and is not directed against anyone. The only thing we want is to cooperate in the field of economy with partners and friends. As for the political aspect, I think that stories about the alleged malign Russian influence here and in the Balkans are rigid. They were invented by certain headquarters from the West that are trying to settle accounts with Russia globally. I reject all these stories. We have a normal, friendly cooperation”, Dodik concluded.

Dodik noted that interfering of the West through undermining of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) and depriving the RS of its rights is rigid, stressing that he is proud of his cooperation with Putin and Russia regardless of these fake assessments since this is one of the crucially important issues for the RS.

Dodik emphasized the importance of the Russia’s interest when it comes to the RS as it represents a great global power and guarantor of the DPA, explaining that the “RS cannot realize similar cooperation with other powers since they think that we are not worth it” and since Russia and Putin believe that the RS is worth of such cooperation it would be disastrous for the Serb people to lose the interest of the Russian Federation in terms of its support. He noted that the RS must never forget that Russia vetoed the resolution proposed by the UK at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on declaring the Serb people as a genocidal nation, stressing that this claim is untrue and it only represents a perfidious UK’s attempt to show that it takes the side of Muslims in B&H. “The fact is that Russia as a permanent member of the UNSC always presents the report delivered by the RS and thus limits the chance for the High Representative (HR) to present lies at the UNSC, since he has done that continuously and persistently against the RS. The HR has never missed a chance to defame the RS for certain benign things, presenting lies on paramilitary formations, equipping of the RS and other things that are part of a fabrications against the RS itself. Russia has understanding for that and it has never used the constructions or stories imposed by others in the public discourse, which is disputable for them”, Dodik stated.

He concluded that mutual trust, friendship and high-level valuable support are the main reasons for good relations between the RS and Russia.

RS President Dodik condemns statements of HR Inzko regarding interfering in elections in B&H (ATV)

High Representative Valentin Inzko said in his interview to the EuroBlic daily that the international community has not intervened enough in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), assessing that the Office of the High Representative (OHR) should have been more engaged in the election process in B&H.

“I will be a little bit ironic and say that the international community has not intervened enough in B&H. We should have insisted more on scanning of ballots and other technical improvements, in order to ensure more free and fair elections”, Inzko stated.

Commenting on Inzko’s statement, Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said on Saturday that all high representatives in B&H have violated the international law in B&H and therefore he will continue to advocate the abolition of the OHR. He condemned Inzko’s comments regarding the elections, noting that they represent direct interfering in the election process.

“I think that they make conflicts here as they undermined the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA). The high representatives are the biggest criminals” Dodik emphasized. He reminded that B&H can exist only in line with the Constitution, concluding that high representatives have distanced B&H from possible existence through undermining of the DPA.

Head of the SNSD Caucus in the B&H House of Representatives (HoR) Stasa Kosarac also commented on the HR’s statements, noting that Inzko is the least competent to comment on the situation in B&H. He reminded that he has frequently taken side of Bosniaks only on many issues, which is completely intolerable for Croats and Serbs.

“He quite often uses misinformation aimed at causing tensions and statements that are not in line with realistic political situation in B&H, and he also quite often attacks the RS institutions and the RS itself without arguments. It is completely clear that he is totally non-credible for us and that the OHR itself should terminate its work” Kosarac assessed.

Croatia

Milorad Pupovac Attacked in Zagreb (Slobodna Dalmacija)

The Serbian National Council released a statement stating that on 28th of September, 2018 at Dolac in the very heart of Zagreb, Milorad Pupovac was attacked. From their statement, it seems that nobody physically hit Pupovac, but food items were thrown at him from the Amfora bistro.

The statement of the Serbian National Council, and it reads as follows:

”On the 28th of September, 2018, between 14:00 and 14:10, representatives of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party in the Croatian Parliament, prof. dr. Milorad Pupovac President of the Human Rights Committee and the Rights of National Minorities in the Croatian Parliament and Boris Milosevic (SDSS Parliamentary Club President) passed the Amfora bistro at Zagreb’s Dolac market from the direction of the fish market heading towards Ban Josip Jelacic Square, following the end of the parliamentary session.

At one point, prof. dr. Milorad Pupovac felt a blow to the right side of his body, from the neck, down to the wrist of his right hand, and when he turned to look at what it was, he saw that he’d been struck by the larger and smaller remains of food, some of which had remained on his clothes, and some had run down from his neck, shoulders, and his hands, and fallen on the ground. According to the strength and precision of the blow, prof. dr. Milorad Pupovac presumes that the food was thrown at him from one of the nearby tables for the guests of the Amfora restaurant.

This is not the first, neither verbal nor physical encroachment on the SDSS president and Serbian National Council president, prof. dr. Milorad Pupovac, but this was the first such incident to include one of his closest associates, Boris Milosevic. Given that this attack occurred in the presence of numerous people, as well as in a location through which Pupovac and Milosevic pass almost every day, this situation contains not only a lack of regard, but also the character of a potentially dangerous physical attack on Pupovac and Milosevic.

Judging from the way in which [this act] was performed, the assault on the target showcased an open manifestation of hatred, public humiliation, and the physical endangerment of prof. dr. Milorad Pupovac, a parliamentary representative and the president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party, as well as his colleague, Boris Milosevic, the president of the club of representatives of SDSS in the Croatian Parliament.

Given the political and media campaign that has been ongoing for a long time, and especially over the past few weeks against Pupovac and the Independent Democratic Party of Serbia, this attack shouldn’t come as a surprise, because this campaign is such that it encourages people not only to feel hatred, but also to incite violence against him and to the institutions he leads, and thus to the people he represents.”

Prime Minister: Everything must be done to prevent tensions in society (Hina)

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has condemned Friday’s attack on MPs Milorad Pupovac and Boris Milosevic of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), saying that absolutely everything should be done to prevent hate speech, stigmatization and any tensions in society.

“I condemned the attack already yesterday, in a government press release. I spoke with Mr. Pupovac as soon as I heard the news. He explained the circumstances, how it happened. I expect the police to investigate this incident, identify the perpetrator and punish him accordingly,” Plenković told the press on Saturday after a meeting of the association of war veterans from the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party.

Asked whether he was surprised by the attack, given that Pupovac had been demonized by some veterans’ associations in recent days, Plenkovic said that he had made it clear that “absolutely everything should be done to prevent any tensions in society, to prevent hate speech and stigmatization.”

“I strongly oppose this as prime minister and president of the HDZ. Those who do such things should think carefully about their responsibility and the implications. In 2018, we are building Croatia as an inclusive and tolerant society in which the majority should protect the minorities. That’s the key, including the representatives of the Serb minority in Croatia,” Plenkovic said.

He said that the HDZ’s policy on this matter was quite clear, adding that “the high-level of protection of the rights of the ethnic minorities must be deeply rooted in our political culture and action.”

Parties and officials condemn attack on Serb minority MPs (Hina)

The opposition Croatian Peasant Party (HSS), Istrian Democratic Party (IDS) and Civil Liberal Alliance (GLAS) on Friday strongly condemned an assault on Serb minority MPs, calling it a primitive act that should be punished.

The HSS said in a press release “this primitive act is a product of awakened ghosts of the past which, unfortunately, are increasingly strong in present-day Croatia.” The party called on the authorities to find the perpetrator as soon as possible and properly punish them so that such incidents did not escalate as then, it said, it would be too late.

The IDS and GLAS told those in power that “a healthy society and Croatia’s reputation are worth far more than a few votes” and to put an end to hate and primitivism. They said “such an open show of hate and intolerance is a logical consequence of the normalization of a radical, violent and primitive rhetoric in the Croatian public sphere.”

“Today’s incident is the embodiment of the government’s disregard of and total disinterest in tackling the intolerance and fascism in Croatia,” the two parties said.

For several years, Croatia has been regressing in terms of civil and human values, but “today’s humiliating attack on representatives of the largest minority in Croatia is yet another huge blow to an open and progressive Croatia,” they said. “Unfortunately, everyone normalising hate by keeping silent is a direct participant in this ugly incident.”

The Croatian People’s Party (HNS), a junior partner in the coalition government led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), on Friday condemned an attack on Serb minority members of parliament Pupovac and Milosevic.

“In 2018, there must be no room for any violence or physical attacks in a democratic country. We all have the responsibility to build an open and tolerant society, and we must all, notably public figures, condemn in the strongest terms incidents like this one, if we want to move forward as a society,” the party said in a statement.

The nongovernmental organization Documenta – Centre for Dealing with the Past and the Antifascist League of Croatia, too, condemned the attack on the two MPs, calling on the public to “demonstrate solidarity and stand up against growing intolerance and all forms of fascism.”

Documenta said that the attack on the SDSS MPs was reminiscent of the years when hate and violence towards those who were different ended in killing.

The Antifascist League said the attack was proof of what the hate-mongering campaign that had been waged against the Serb minority members of parliament for some time could lead to. “The fascistisation of the Croatian society is a dangerous phenomenon because fascism is not concentration camps, they come at the end; fascism starts with exposing a minority to rage and hate-mongering, which is something that has become an everyday occurrence in the Croatian society, the primary targets being our fellow citizens of Serb ethnic background and all those who do not use radical right-wing discourse,” the Antifascist League said in a statement.

Serbian President talks with Serb minority MP Attacked in Zagreb (Hina)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that he would not want to “add fuel to the flames of poor relations between Serbs and Croats” and that efforts should be made to improve these relations in the future.

Vucic made the statement during a visit to the southern Serbian city of Nis where he was asked by the press to comment on an incident that had occurred in central Zagreb earlier on Friday when two lawmakers representing the Serb minority in the Croatian parliament had food thrown at them while passing through an open-air fruit and vegetables market.

Vucic said that “emotions always run high” when it came to Serb-Croat relations and that his message was conciliatory because no one would benefit from a conflict. “I would like Croatia to understand that we have a common future and that we can differ on issues from the past. … I am absolutely certain that the Serbs and the Croats … must build their future together,” the Serbian president said as quoted by local media.

The Belgrade tabloid Blic said on Friday evening that Vucic and Pupovac had spoken on the phone about the incident. They also discussed the status of the ethnic Serbs in Croatia and concluded that “regardless of the differences of views of the past between Serbia and Croatia, it is necessary to work on improving relations in the future”.

fYROM

SEC: 99.33% vote “For” in the referendum, voter turnout 36,27% (Meta)

According to the 88.50% of the processed data, by the SEC, released at 23 o’clock, 569,871 voters cast their vote in the referendum. (36.27% of voters registered on the Voters List). 91.33% voted “For” (which is 520,461 voters) while 5.76% voted “Against” (which is 32,801 voters).

This is unofficial data from the State Election Commission, however, officials are expected to announce official results tomorrow after all records arrive and the deadlines for appeals met, reported SEC President, Oliver Derkovski. Asked about the success of the referendum, Mr. Derkovski quoted the law on the matter.

“The decision for a referendum shall be considered adopted, if majority of the voters that voted, voted for that, if more than half of the total number of voters registered in the General Voters’ List voted. However, this law does not apply when there are certain issues with the Constitution. What does it mean, in accordance with this article, it is necessary to fulfill the two cumulative conditions to make a decision in the referendum. In this case, after 85 percent of the results we have, the trend we have on the percentage of exit, it is clear that one of the conditions will not be met, that is, a decision has not been made in the referendum. That’s the legal decision and it cannot be otherwise. We cannot get into political comments” Derkovski said.

Zaev: Early elections if VMRO-DPMNE does not respect the peoples’ decision (MIA)

The referendum is the most comprehensive tool of democracy. The outcome of the referendum is final and the will of the people must be respected by everyone. In a democracy, decisions are made by voting. I congratulate all citizens, we have had success for a European Macedonia.

This was stated by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev after polling stations closed. The public were asked whether they, “Are for EU and NATO membership by accepting the Agreement with Greece”. “The success is collective to our country and to all citizens, regardless of the organized boycott by VMRO-DPMNE, apart from the exceptions. I expect that the vast majority who did vote, chose the right path. Now the voice of the citizens, the will of all those who voted in this consultative referendum has to be turned into a political decision in Parliament. If, like we expected, have a huge, huge majority “for” from those who voted, with a vote from MPs in Parliament, we can finally accelerate the process for the EU, NATO and for a better life for our children. I expect MPs from VMRO-DPMNE to respect the decision of the people, otherwise there will be nothing else left to do, we will have to apply another democratic tool, which is early parliamentary elections right away,” Zaev said.

At the end of his short speech, Zaev stressed that he will continue to lead the country forward and that Macedonia will be a member of NATO and the EU.

Zaev: I will not resign, MPs to follow the majority vote (Meta)

European Macedonia won more votes than any winner of any election in the history of independent Macedonia. Even if there was a census and if there were 1,100,000 voters, this result of 600,000 citizens would have made a clear commitment to European Macedonia, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said at the press conference after the referendum ended.

“Now that we have a majority vote for European Macedonia, it is time for the Parliament’s MPs to follow the majority vote in order to speed up NATO and EU processes and provide a better future. The voice of the citizens is a clear call for all political parties to work for this purpose. I call on all responsible leaders, each MP, to unite and take our country where it belongs to the EU and NATO – said Zaev.

He noted that a better agreement with Greece will not and cannot exist, and that there will be no alternative to the EU and NATO membership. He urged everyone to put national interests first and foremost, and said “let’s not play with our future and the future of Macedonia.

Zaev reiterated the view regarding the early parliamentary elections.

“The choices should not be the preferred option but the necessary option if it comes to that. Several days remain to make an effort and see if there will be a two-thirds majority in the Assembly. If not, immediately steps will be taken to announce elections to meet the deadlines. The elections could be held by the end of November” Zaev added.

Asked whether he would resign as he promised if the referendum fails, Zaev said he not only has no intention to resign but that he intends to make Macedonia a member of NATO and the EU.

He thanked those who voted “for” and “against” because, as he said, they they took responsibility, and thanked some of the members of VMRO-DPMNE who took responsibility for their homeland and went out to vote.

Ahmeti: The referendum was consultative and there are more important issues than snap elections (Meta)

“Today’s day is important for all citizens, for the institutions and the democracy. Today we demonstrated democracy, the process of NATO accession” said DUI’s party leader Ali Ahmeti after the referendum ended.

“This process means reforms, the closure of the issue with Greece, economic progress. Today we are stating that the Parliament should make the decision regarding this process. At the elections in 2016, we said that we are for NATO and EU, and all of the political parties have stated that because there is no other alternative. The referendum was consultative, and Macedonia has more important issues than snap parliamentary elections” said Ahmeti.

Mickoski: The referendum was unsuccessful, the people said “No” to the Agreement with Greece (Meta)

“Today, Macedonia has spoken, and said that the agreement with Greece will not pass” VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski said at a press conference after polling stations closed for the referendum.

“We have had a deeply unsuccessful referendum. The politics of Zoran Zaev and the government are a debacle, and today Macedonia has truly won. The number of citizens who did not support this shameful agreement, that is, the number of citizens who abstained from voting or voted against the agreement, is drastically larger than those citizens who voted for the agreement. It is a fact that the agreement with Greece did not get a green light, it got a red light from the people” said Mickoski.

He added that the government “will answer for the stuffed boxes in Saraj, Struga, and elsewhere where they tried to falsify the will of the people.”

“The people, except for the Agreement, said no to the Government’s manipulations with true values ​​of the European Union and NATO, and the attempt by the government to abuse this common goal, incorrectly and unnecessarily inserting it into the ballot question for the referendum. The failure of this referendum is the direct fault of Zoran Zaev and his government and nobody else. Firstly, because they entered into a harmful and bad deal, secondly, they lied to the international community by presenting a false affair that this Agreement would pass, and guided by the desire to save their careers and cover up criminal affairs, and thirdly because it was through brutal manipulation and violation of the laws and the Constitution that they tried to pass this agreement by the citizens” added Mickoski.

Greece, EU, NATO and Washington hail Macedonia’s referendum result (MIA)

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras expressed his support for his Macedonian counterpart in a telephone call in which he hailed the “determination and courage” of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to “complete the implementation of this agreement”, a government source told AFP.

The EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn called the “yes” vote “very significant” and urged political leaders to “respect this decision and take it forward with utmost responsibility”.

“I congratulate those citizens who voted in today’s consultative referendum and made use of their democratic freedoms/ With their significant “yes” vote, there is a broad support to the Prespa Agreement and to the country’s Euro-Atlantic path. I now expect all political leaders to respect this decision and take it forward with utmost responsibility and unity across party lines, in the interest of the country” wrote Hahn

NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter it was a “historic opportunity”, adding: “NATO’s door is open.”

“I welcome the yes vote in Macedonian referendum. I urge all political leaders & parties to engage constructively & responsibly to seize this historic opportunity. NATO’s door is open, but all national procedures have to be completed.

Washington also welcomed the outcome, with the State Department urging lawmakers “to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity to secure a brighter future for the country as a full participant in Western institutions”.

“The United States welcomes the results of the Republic of Macedonia’s September 30 referendum, in which citizens expressed their support for NATO and European Union (EU) membership by accepting the Prespa Agreement between Macedonia and Greece. The United States strongly supports the Agreement’s full implementation, which will allow Macedonia to take its rightful place in NATO and the EU, contributing to regional stability, security, and prosperity. As Macedonia’s parliament now begins deliberation on constitutional changes, we urge leaders to rise above partisan politics and seize this historic opportunity to secure a brighter future for the country as a full participant in Western institutions” reads the statement.

Bulgarian Foreign Ministry: It’s time for Macedonia’s political elite to show maturity (MIA)

We believe that democracy is rooted in the society of the Republic of Macedonia. The referendum is the highest democratic act – with the expressed will of those who participated in it and taking into account those who did not vote. In the referendum, citizens of Macedonia had a free choice and more than 90 per cent of those who voted in this consultative referendum explicitly expressed the desire for the country to be part of the European and Euro-Atlantic community. Their voice should not be ignored, reads Monday’s statement of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in regard to Sunday’s referendum in Macedonia.

It called on Macedonia’s political elite to show maturity and find a way to solve the difficult problems, noting that at stake was the future of the state and its citizens. The vast majority of the citizens of the neighboring country were in favor of membership of the EU and NATO. Losing time would not benefit either the country or the region, the statement said.

“The Republic of Bulgaria will continue its support for our brothers and sisters from the Republic of Macedonia and the integration of the country into the EU and NATO,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

U.S. and EU, but not Germany, support land swap in Balkans (The Wall Street Journal)

Washington and Brussels favor Serbia and Kosovo redrawing their border along ethnic lines, an approach Berlin says would open Pandora’s box

U.S. and European Union leaders are converging toward supporting a plan under which two Balkan countries would redraw their fraught common border along ethnic lines, isolating Germany, the continent’s most influential power, in its rejection of that approach, a confidential document shows.

A recent memo by the EU’s foreign service about how to solve a decade-old standoff between Serbia and Kosovo, reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, shows the EU’s executive body has essentially adopted Washington’s argument and rejected Germany’s.

While the agreement indicates that Europe and the U.S. continue to work closely together on foreign-policy initiatives affecting the region, the rift with Germany also shows Washington’s willingness to ignore objections by the continent’s leading power in its own backyard.

In the document, the EU expresses support for a joint Serbian-Kosovo plan, backed by President Donald Trump’s administration, to redraw borders in southeastern Europe as a way to secure full statehood for the small and landlocked nation of Kosovo. Failure to do so, the memo says, could see the country of 2 million slide into criminality, conflict and Islamic extremism.

Serbia, from which Kosovo seceded in 2008 after a bruising ethnic conflict that left 13,000 people dead, has never recognized its former province as an independent state. Neither country can join the EU—a goal of both—until the two nations have reached a settlement. Five EU states, as well as Russia, also haven’t recognized Kosovo.

In recent weeks, the two countries have discussed a plan to swap land along their shared border to better reflect the settlement patterns of Serbs and ethnic Albanians. While President Hashim Thaci of Kosovo and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic both favor a land swap, though people close to the talks say they disagree on some areas, such as the ethnically divided river town of Mitrovica. Mr. Vucic also faces some opposition at home. “Serbs just love to lose everything,” Mr. Vucic said this week. “They like to cry over something left far away rather than keep something in their hands.”

For their part, German leaders oppose the swap for fear it could rekindle ethnic-based separatism in such nearby countries as Bosnia and Macedonia and tip the region back into conflict.

The area’s borders were “inviolable,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said last month, a stance echoed by her spokesman on Wednesday.

“Our position has been consistent and in line with the concerns of the leaders of all neighboring countries, who have all expressed a worry that redrawing borders could open a Pandora’s box in a still volatile region,” he said. Luxembourg and Britain have also expressed reservations about the plan.

The U.S. has ignored German objections, as has the EU’s own high representative for foreign affairs, with the memo saying redrawing borders would help quell rather than fan regional instability.

“For the first time in their history, Serbia and Kosovo will freely agree/resolve their differences through dialogue,” it says. If those talks fail, it added, Kosovo “will become a frozen conflict and this will mean in turn that it will inevitably implode.”

The predominantly Muslim country could become “the most fertile ground for criminality and radicalization,” according to the memo, which was drafted last week to address a request from Wess Mitchell, the deputy U.S. secretary of state in charge of European affairs, to compare EU and U.S. positions on the matter.

The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade didn’t respond to requests for comment. Last month Mr. Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, said he had no qualms about a land swap.

Ms. Merkel’s public opposition to redrawing borders has caused frustration in Brussels.

“Who does the German government think they are, immediately opposing mere negotiations by two sovereign nations?” said a senior EU official familiar with the discussions. “This matter can only be resolved by Kosovo and Serbia, and not by outside involvement.”

Built mostly atop the remnants of the defunct Ottoman and Habsburg empires, the modern Balkan region is a complex mosaic of linguistic, cultural, ethnic and religious identities that don’t always neatly align with today’s national borders.

Kosovo and Serbia were both part of former Yugoslavia, which imploded into a vicious civil war in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Iron Curtain.

While Berlin now insists borders in Europe are sacrosanct, Germany played a key role in accelerating the disintegration of Yugoslavia when it recognized the independence of breakaway members Croatia and Slovenia in 1991, before most other world powers.

About 140,000 died in the wars that followed, as ethnic armies fought for control of towns in Bosnia and elsewhere. That fighting turned the U.S. into the leading military and political power in the region, as then-President Bill Clinton dispatched airstrikes and pushed Serbian troops out of Kosovo.

In the years that followed, Washington’s focus shifted elsewhere. Croatia and Slovenia, both former parts of Yugoslavia, have entered the EU, and other remnant states have begun the process of joining, bolstering Germany’s influence in the Balkans.

Now the U.S. is reinserting itself into the region, analysts and officials said. Last year, it brought Montenegro into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and is pushing hard to have the nearby state of Macedonia join the military alliance as well.

Washington’s active support for a Serbia-Kosovo land swap “is just another strong evidence of the U.S. commitment to stabilize the region,” said Bekim Collaku, chief of staff to President Thaci of Kosovo. “I’m sure in the end it will be possible to prevail” over German reluctance.