LOCAL PRESS

President Vucic announces legislative debate soon (Beta)

Aleksandar Vucic, the President of Serbia, said on Thursday he expected a European Parliament’s (EP) positive report of his country’s progress and that Belgrade was satisfied with economic reforms, but there was still a lot to do in the rule of law, the Beta news agency reported.

After meeting with David McAllister, the EP Rapporteur for Serbia, Vucic said he hoped that at the beginning of next month, the parliament would start a procedure on the legislation since it was crucial for the European Union negotiating chapters 23 and 24 on the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice, and freedom and security respectively.

McAllister said that Serbia was proceeding toward the European Union “ ladies and gentlemen, Serbia is on track,” he said, adding that 14 chapters were opened and that several more were ready. But, he said, the process was not done in a day, and that transformation took time.

Vucic added that the Chapter 35 on Kosovo was of particular significance for Serbia and that it was a kind of a condition for Belgrade’s European integration.

“I informed McAllister with the events in Kosovo… It’s good that we have peace and some stability, but for how long neither I nor anybody else knows. We will preserve peace, try to maintain stability, but it takes two to tango” Vucic said.

At the joint press conference with McAllister, Vucic said that he also told him during the meeting that “I have no idea what they want from Serbia, but Serbia will not recognize Kosovo independence, as they would like it, even if they hit me on the head with sticks”.

Vucic also reacted to the statement of Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj who said that

Kosovo army, once formed, would be able to move through northern Kosovo without getting KFOR’s permission for it first, as it was necessary so far for Kosovo Security Force. Vucic said that he saw this statement, but that this “will not happen”. Haradinaj could say whatever he wanted, but “Kosovo arm will not walk around northern Kosovo”, he said and emphasized that no valid legal document had a regulation on foundation of Army of Kosovo.

“Haradinaj is a capable man, he can do it. My question for him is where does it say so, what document actually says that you can form an army? There is none, they made it up, it says in their constitution, their mom and dad told them. However, obviously, anything is possible”, Vucic said.

He said that there was almost “2.000 days as Pristina did not found Association of Serbian Municipalities”, prescribed by Brussels Agreement in 2013. “I do not expect them to fulfill that, fulfill it ever, or someone to ask them about it, we will not even ask them anymore”,

Vucic said. Vucic said Belgrade was ready to continue the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue on normalization of relations, and that he knew that Serbia had to do something regarding Kosovo, but that he did not know what, and that it seemed to him that Europe did not know what had to be done either.

Speaking about the region, Vucic said his country was trying to have the best possible relations with everyone regardless of their messages to Serbia and added he would tell McAllister “about other countries’ frustrations and complexes” over the dinner.

“Maybe it’s better for me to say nothing. I think that they (the international community) are, as I’m, fed up with our stories,” Vucic said.

Dacic: By the end of the year, more withdrawals of recognitions, only KFOR acceptable in KiM (RTS)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told RTS that some expected that things in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would go in a direction of Serbia’s recognition of the unilateral act of Pristina and says that Serbia will not do it. He expects that by the end of the year, some more countries are going to withdraw the recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo.

Official Belgrade’s view is that KFOR is the only armed force that can be present in Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said. He told that the plans to form armed forces in Kosovo, which run counter to UN Security Council resolution 1244, will be discussed by President Aleksandar Vucic and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg next week.

Dacic said there is some confusion about what the stand of the West is on a military in Kosovo. “Nothing surprises us about the views of certain western circles but one thing is true and that is that there is no document that allows the forming of Kosovo armed forces, this is counter to resolution 1244 which says that the only armed forces that can be present there are KFOR,” Dacic said. He warned that the forming of a Kosovo military would be a security threat to the entire region.

Dacic said that Belgrade’s position in the dialogue with Pristina is “significantly better than it was five or six years ago”. “We are an active player, not someone who is decided about against our will. Serbia has become a responsible and credible partner,” he said. He noted that some expected that things in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would go in a direction of Serbia’s recognition of the unilateral act of Pristina. “The new US administration has changed the approach and opened the door so that there can be some kind of compromise. They want us to reach an agreement, and if they have already said that “why should anyone speak up and make suggestions if they already said that” the foreign minister said.

Dacic said that he does not believe Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj would be arrested for war crimes because “the western powers are keeping them in the game”.

Dacic also said that they are waiting for the reaction regarding Plenkovic’s visit to Mostar where he supported Dragan Cocic as a candidate in the upcoming elections.

“How come that he can meddle and we cannot? We have our own national and state interests, and the interest for Republika Srpska is to preserve it along with the peace and stability in the region” explains Dacic.

Dacic: Frozen conflict means risk of escalation in Kosovo (TV Pink)

Frozen conflict in Kosovo could lead to provoking a political crisis in the country and a standstill in the European integrations, and there is also a danger for the remaining Serbian population to be expelled, Minister of Internal Affair of Serbia Ivica Dacic said.

“There is a danger of Pristina launching a blitz krieg under the Croatian scenario with support from the international community which can allow itself not to react. Serbia’s possible intervention intervenes to defend the Serbs in Kosovo, that means a conflict with KFOR, ie NATO which means the conflict could expand and if that happens who knows who Serbia can count on and if that means we would turn to Russia to help us out of that crisis” Dacic said to TV Pink.

Dacic said that the second risk of a frozen conflict would be the fact that the West, which learned a lesson from the experience with overthrowing the regime of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000, could

start to support “certain political forces” in Serbia with explanation that the current political authorities pursued the politics that confronted the country with the international community.

The West “has already learned on Milosevic’s case the application of principle – if you cannot beat them from outside, beat them form inside”, he said.

Dacic also said it was not possible that the Kosovo issue would be solved without Russia, which is, next to China, Serbia’s main support as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

“If it is not for Russia and China, Kosovo’s membership would have perhaps passed in UN. Until Belgrade and Pristina reach an agreement, none unilateral moves will be recognized by Moscow

and Beijing”, Dacic said.

Speculations that Russia disagrees with the peace solution for Kosovo proposed by Belgrade were “nonsense”, he said. Dacic said he expected that the number of states that recognized Kosovo’s independence would be below 100 by the end of the year.

Brnabic: We’re closing Pandora box; EU in our interest (FoNet)

Ana Brnabic, Serbian Prime Minister, said on Thursday that the Pandora box was opened ten years ago with Kosovo independence declaration “contrary to any democratic principle,” the FoNet news agency reported.

Speaking at the seventh “EU-South-East Europe Summit” in Belgrade, Brnabic also said that it was in Serbia’s interest to join the European Union as soon as possible, but if that did not happen in 2025, “it wouldn’t be the end of the world.” “Even if Brussels told us we could join tomorrow,” she said, “I would say no, we are not ready. The membership demands from you to be strong enough, to carry out reforms.” She stressed that all the countries in Southeast Europe wanted to join the EU, with the only difference being that some also wanted to join NATO and others did not.

Commenting on Kosovo issue as a crucial for Serbia’s accession, Brnabic said: “We are now trying to close the Pandora box, and that is a cowardly talk that the status quo is an all right situation and that the Kosovo issue should be left for our children to deal with.

She added it was “difficult to understand the courage of the President Aleksandar Vucic to solve the Kosovo problem.”

Asked about the possibility of Belgrade’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence, she said she did not believe that would happen.

“I see myself as a liberal, but that is an extremely emotional question, and that’s a difficult topic to talk about” Brnabic said. But she added she was proud of Serbia’s tolerance and its search for a compromise in the Belgrade – Pristina dialogue, “despite the provocations” from Kosovo.

Ron Johnson: Tramp is interested in resolving the issue of Kosovo (Tanjug)

Republican Senator and Chair of the Senate Subcommittee for Europe Ron Johnson said that US President Donald Tramp is interested in resolving the issue of Kosovo.

Ron Johnson told Voice of America, commenting on the apparent shift in US policy toward Belgrade and Pristina, and responding to the question whether President Tramp is personally interested in resolving this issue, he answered affirmatively.

“Yes, this administration is interested in that, I traveled to the Balkans three times, because Assistant Secretary of State Wess Mitchell encouraged me. People in Serbia and Kosovo should be sure that this administration, the Senate and the Congress, are interested in helping to find a solution. You know, President Tramp has a slightly different approach to solving some issues, thinking beyond the established framework. But we realize how important the Balkans is and how important it is to stabilize it” said Johnson.

Johnson said that the US are not drawing any red lines and are encouraging the leaders in Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement which he believes will be neither easy nor quick. “We want to do everything we can to encourage Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and officials in Kosovo to resolve this dispute and reach an agreement which will bring stability to the Balkans,” he said and added that no one should impose anything on the governments in Belgrade and Pristina. Johnson repeated “there is no red line when it comes to resolving the Kosovo issue, it is open to “territorial corrections” and does not limit the agreement in time”.

Commenting the events following Kosovo President Hashim Thaci’s visit to the Gazivode area, Johnson said that the reality is that stability is still far away and voiced hope that incidents can be brought down to a minimum.

The senator said he sees no problem with Vucic’s desire to maintain good relations with Russia but warned that unlike the West, Russia is not offering economic prosperity to Serbia. “I have no problem with the fact that Vucic wants to maintain good relations with Russia and continue the dialogue with Vladimir Putin but I think it’s clear which direction the Serbian economy and society will take – towards the West” he said.

Commenting on the situation in Macedonia, in which the West supported the results of a referendum in which a sufficient number of voters did not vote, Senator Johnson said that now the key is in the two prime ministers – Zoran Zaev and Aleksis Cipras, and that the United States will continue to support the implementation of an unpopular agreement.

US would do the same, as he says, in case that Vucic and Thaci reach an agreement which is unpopular in both countries.

Vucic: I will not go to Eastern Sarajevo (Danas, Beta)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that, following the request of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, he will not travel to Eastern Sarajevo on Friday, October 5th, in order not to be accused of interfering in the election process in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H).

Vucic said that he would not go to East Sarajevo after Dodik’s petition, but above all that he would not give the chance to someone to accuse Serbia of interfering in elections in B&H.

“I will not give them an opportunity to accuse Serbia. I accepted Dodik’s request. I will not go to East Sarajevo” Vucic told reporters.

Vucic asked Serbs in B&H to spend “Sunday in a democratic atmosphere” and added that Serbia wants good relations with B&H.

The President of Serbia has announced that he will speak more about the accusations at the expense of Serbia regarding the elections in B&H when the election process is concluded.

Vucic on Friday expressed regret that he won’t be attending the opening of a hospital in Eastern Sarajevo. In his letter to Dodik, Vucic said that he understands why he was asked not to attend the ceremony. “That shows your responsibility and the care for the interests of the Serb people,” he wrote adding that the attacks against Serbia during the election campaign are nothing new.

Vucic recalled that Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic visited B&H earlier this week with no reaction from the European Union or “accusations that Croatia was directly interfering in B&H’s internal affairs”.  Vucic ended his letter to Dodik, wishing Republika Srpska and B&H “peaceful, democratic and successful elections”.

Vucic: Serbian government to be reshuffled (Beta)

The Serbian government will be reshuffled but that depends on the overall situation in the region, President Aleksandar Vucic told reporters on Friday.

There is no doubt that the government will be reshuffled in the coming period but that will depend on the situation in the region, he said, commenting a statement by Parliament Speaker Maja Gojkovic who said that some ministers were in office too long.

The president said he is constantly in communication with Prime Minister Ana Brnabic which he said is “mutual and normal”. “As leader of the biggest party I will be asked and when Ana Brnabic asks as prime minister I will offer cooperation and a reply” Vucic said.

He said that “Brnabic remains prime minister until some new October 5” which, he added, is “someone’s dream and desire”.

Asked about the effects of the October 5, 2000 changes, the president said they were both good and bad. “Things aren’t black and white about October 5 but are in shades between black and white. There were good things, we were no longer isolated but opened up as a country and there were bad things because the worst robbers took everything that was worth anything in Serbia and abandoned Serbian national and state interests, drawing the country into the worst debtor crisis between 2008 and 2012,” he said, adding that things are “10 times better now”.

Vucic said the opposition can test their strength at the many local elections which will be held by the end of the year.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dodik asks Vucic to postpone visit to Istocno Sarajevo (RTRS)

President of Republika Srpska (RS) Milorad Dodik sent a letter to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic asking him to postpone his visit to Istocno Sarajevo until after the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Dodik stressed the importance of unity between the RS and Serbia.

˝Serbs in the RS and Serbians in Serbia are one people and we cannot allow us to be divided. Unity between the RS and Serbia is natural and we cannot give up on it,˝ Dodik stated in his letter. He explained his request to Vucic saying that he has an “honest wish and intent to protect the Serbian President from everyone who does not want a better future for the Serb people”. He stated that there were attacks on Vucic from Bosniaks and Serb representatives “real or fake”. They all accused Vucic of trying to interfere with the election process and affecting the will of Serb people in B&H. He thanked Vucic for everything they have built together. Dodik also asked Vucic to meet in Belgrade on Monday “to discuss plans for the continued cooperation of the two countries”. Dodik concluded the letter by stating that Vucic should not resent the Serb people “because a few representatives of the opposition speak badly about Serbia”. He announced that the hospital, whose opening ceremony Vucic was supposed to attend, will be named ‘Serbia’.

Inzko: Go vote, staying home is the worst option; priority free and fair elections; results should be implemented in the shortest period; Dodik once admitted that genocide was committed (Dnevni list)

High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko asked to send a message to citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) ahead of the elections on Sunday, noted he would foremost like to call on citizens to go to the polling stations and vote, arguing that staying home is the worst option. Asked to comment on the pre-election campaign and why ethnic issues still dominate, the HR replied by saying that political elites are using nationalism and ethnic issues to divert attention from real issues that citizens find extremely important such as employment, salaries, roads, hospitals and system without corruption and organized crime. “I sometime wonder who the citizens should be protected from: other ethnic groups or their own politicians ” said HR Inzko

Asked to comment on numerous reports about alleged election irregularities and frauds, the HR noted the international community (IC) is very much aware of the information, that the IC is sharing the information among each other, believing that there should be consequences for such behavior. According to the HR, everything starts with integrity of each voter, who should not allow that political parties or individuals buy him/her, instead these case should be reported. “Citizens have no reason to be afraid because there is nothing to be afraid of. The elections are opportunity for citizens to make politicians jobless. Not the other way around”, the HR added.

Asked if there is fear of political crisis after the elections and how the election results will be implemented, since there is information that the IC will impose a solution, HR Inzko said: “Currently, the priority is to have free and fair elections and that the citizens use their democratic right. Election results should be implemented in the shortest possible period. No political party has the right to block implementation of election results just because it is not happy with the results”.

Asked to comment on Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik’s accusations against him, according to which Inzko is meddling with the elections, Inzko said” “When it comes to the RS, the current President wants to hide the fact he used to be the international community’s constructive partner. He once admitted that genocide was committed. Now he claims that the events in Srebrenica were made up by the Americans. That is terrible” said HR Inzko.

US Ambassador Cormack calls on citizens of B&H to vote (TV1)

US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Maureen Cormack addressed citizens of B&H in a video message issued on Thursday and called on the citizens to vote in the elections on Sunday. She said: “You are the ones who elect and no one else. I deeply respect citizens of B&H and it is not me, who should tell you who is the best to run your country”. Ambassador Cormack also stated: “My goal is to call on each of you for take active participation in building the future of your country. Your vote is crucial for security, stability and economic prosperity that you and citizens of this country deserve. Voting on Sunday is just the first step on this road. I urge you to make this step for yourselves, your children and future generations of this country”.

Commissioner Hahn: Fair elections and implementation of results are key precondition for continuation of EU integration process (Dnevni avaz)

EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that the European Commission expects local authorities to ensure unobstructed election process and immediate formation of the authority at all levels after the elections. “It is up to political leaders to take responsibility and show willingness to compromise in order to resolve the issue of direct elections in the House of Peoples of the Federation of B&H. The efforts of the EU ambassadors and the US Ambassador to B&H have ensured a framework that will make finding a solution easier. Holding of the elections and implementation of the election results, including proper functioning of the institutions, are basic democratic precondition for any country aspiring to become an EU member,” stated Hahn and called on the citizens to cast their vote on October 7. “We are strongly focused on you. The country has submitted a request for EU membership in February of 2016, which was a turning point in our approach, because now we are starting with evaluation of B&H under all criteria for the EU membership,” said Hahn and noted he is looking forward to receiving answers to the additional questions sent by the European Commission, as the future opinion of the EU institutions are going to represent a roadmap for B&H in the process of EU integration.

EUD’s Sinno calls on citizens to vote and raise their voice (Oslobodjenje)

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Khaldoun Sinno published a video message (not specified when), calling on the citizens of B&H to vote at the Sunday elections, because that is the best way for their voice to be heard. “You want changes? Vote! Talk to the people, talk to the parties. Let your voice be heard. The worst possible choice is not to vote, because that way you are losing your voice. Finally, the elections must be free and fair,” stated Sinno and underlined that there are going to be many international and even more local observers of the elections trying to prevent any fraud.

Croatia

Plenkovic glad to be in Mostar to support Covic; Elections are very important for survival of Croat people in B&H (N1, HRT)

Leader of HDZ Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Croat member of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic met on Thursday in Mostar with Prime Minister of Croatia and leader of HDZ in this country Andrej Plenkovic. Following this meeting, delegation of HDZ from Croatia attended the pre-election rally of HDZ B&H and parties gathered around the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) held in Mostar on Thursday evening.

Plenkovic said that he is glad to be in Mostar to support leader of HDZ B&H Dragan Covic in the race for the post of a Croat member of B&H Presidency and candidates of the HNS at all levels of power. He underlined: “The elections are very important for survival of the Croat people in B&H, for the people’s legitimate representation in B&H institutions and I would say for great continuity of cooperation that we have established in the past two years, which can be seen in all segments: high-level intensity of political dialogue and the fact that we are the first government after 2010, that organized a joint session of the Croatian Government and the Council of Ministers of B&H in Sarajevo. We want relations with integrated B&H in an organized way, with a message of cooperation and friendship towards all the three constituent peoples and all others who live in B&H. Of course, the most important thing is that we want the highest possible number of Croats in B&H to vote in the elections, to take part in the elections and thus, give their contribution to a principle that we advocate and that is legitimate representation”. Asked whether the elections lead B&H towards the European integration, Plenkovic said “certainly” and reminded that Covic filed a request for the EU membership in February 2016. He also said that several Croatian MEPs strongly supported to see the request accepted in institutions of the EU. He stressed that Croats and their political representatives in B&H are very determined and continuously advocate the EU path which in his opinion, also imply answering the follow-up questions to the EC’s Questionnaire and then, gaining the status of the candidate and opening accession negotiations. Plenkovic sent a clear message to everyone in B&H by saying that Croatia will be the strongest supporter of the EU path in all institutions of the EU. Commenting on sharp messages that could be heard during the election campaign in B&H directed towards Croatia, Plenkovic stated that B&H does not have and cannot have a bigger friend than Croatia is at this moment.

Police found attacker on Serb minority MP Pupovac (Hina)

Zagreb Police have completed an investigation against a 36-year-old man and brought him to court on suspicion that on September 28 he committed a misdemeanor offence by throwing food remains at an MP for the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Milorad Pupovac, at Zagreb’s farmers’ market.

The Serb National Council (SNV) said in a press release last week that Members of Parliament for the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) Milorad Pupovac and Boris Milosevic were attacked last Friday afternoon at the Zagreb Dolac farmers’ market when food remains were thrown at them, which they consider was hate-incited. SNV believes that the goal of the attack was to openly show hate, publicly humiliate and physically endanger Pupovac and Milosevic.

The state leadership, political parties and associations have condemned the incident in the strongest terms.

fYROM

Efforts made to secure 2/3 majority (MIA)

The Parliament as well as all political parties should act according to the will of the citizens demonstrated in Sunday’s referendum. The process is currently under way in Parliament and the intention is to secure a 2/3 majority, says spokesman Mile Bosnjakovski on Wednesday.

Answering questions at a news conference about reports that PM Zoran Zaev and VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski will not meet and that early elections will be called, the government spokesman said that the main objective of the government is to talk with the MPs and to secure the required majority to pass the constitutional changes stemming from the Prespa Agreement.

“We expect the opposition MPs to act according to the will of the citizens. It is the primary objective of the government and we are sending this message here today. There’s no dilemma that the process is in Parliament as we speak and that a 2/3 majority should be secured to implement the agreement with Greece and the constitutional changes” Bosnjakovski told reporters.

Support from the opposition for amending the Constitution or calling early elections are the two options announced by PM Zoran Zaev after the referendum’s outcome was revealed in a bid to maintain the commitment to further implementation of the Prespa Agreement. Both the government and Western leaders, as well as analysts in the country and abroad, believe it is now crucial a two-third majority to be mustered in Parliament, i.e. VMRO-DPMNE MPs to respect the will of more than 600,000 citizens who voted and supported the deal. According to them, considering the fact that almost 80% of the population in Macedonia backs Macedonia on its path to EU and NATO membership, VMRO-DPMNE MPs are expected to demonstrate responsibility for the future of the country. If after all the opposition party decides to block processes, PM Zaev has said, there is no other option but to call early parliamentary elections.

PM Zaev: Opposition demands ‘absolutely unacceptable’ (MIA)

VMRO-DPMNE’s demands for a technical government with a 100-day term according to the model stemming from the Przino Agreement, for a new public prosecutor and an inquiry commission in Parliament to probe referendum irregularities are absolutely unacceptable, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Thursday in Ohrid.

“There is no reason, no need to discuss such things. The institutions themselves have commented on their own. To demand a commission to look into whether the referendum was legal even though the State Election Commission (SEC) is helmed by a VMRO-DPMNE member, and also the Administrative Court, whose members have not been replaced, implies itself what is in fact the purpose of these demands” Zaev told reporters. He said that in the coming days talks would take place with lawmakers in Parliament in ‘a pleasant, normal and responsible climate.’

“I believe there will be some kind of result by the end of this week or in the beginning of the next one. Sometime around October 10 is the deadline to tell the public what the next steps will be. I hope we will be able to announce that the needed 2/3 majority has been secured,” Zaev said.

According to him, it would be good for the country because Macedonia won’t waste several months. However, the PM noted, it is still likely that the whole situation will have to be solved in early parliamentary polls.

“Polls is not something that I desire, I would like to finish my term mostly because I want the economy to be stable, reforms to be implemented, including all ongoing processes,” stated Zaev.

Asked if he would talk with VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski, Zaev said there was nothing to talk about with him.

“In the past, we accepted the opposition’s demands, involving the financing of political parties, the SEC to be helmed by a VMRO-DPMNE member, and in return, they didn’t even bother to discuss how to support the processes that matter for Macedonia,” stressed the PM.

He said he would have a meeting with several MPs in a bid to meet the objective of Macedonia ‘finally seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for integration into the EU and NATO.’

Osmani: We will seize opportunities to implement Agreement with Greece in parliament (MIA)

We have a responsibility to seize the opportunities to implement the Agreement with Greece in the parliament. We had significantly important referendum in the country, in which over 600.000 citizens demonstrated clear political will for implementation of Prespa Agreement and move country’s integration processes forward, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bujar Osmani said Thursday in Tirana at the meeting with Karin Kneissl, Austria’s minister for Europe, integration and foreign affairs.

Osmani who is chief negotiator and head of the state delegation for EU negotiations, at the meeting with Kneissl thanked for Austria’s commitment to the region, especially in the part of the Austrian EU Presidency that raised the process of enlargement and integration of the region as one of the three top priorities of the European Union. He underlined that Macedonia will remain committed to the European agenda, and will deepen the reform momentum, but will resolutely continue with the implementation of the European rules, standards and values, which will contribute to building a stronger and more stable Europe.

Osmani referred to the challenges that the country faced with the referendum and expressed satisfaction with the high support of the citizens to the Prespa Agreement and EU and NATO membership.

President Ivanov meets Czech counterpart Zeman; referendum not successful any other interpretation cannot alter the exact numbers (MIA)

Low turnout in the referendum may be a result of boycott, indifference or poorly defined question and it’s up to Macedonia to come to a conclusion on the matter, Czech President Milos Zeman said Thursday in Prague at a joint press conference with his Macedonian counterpart Gjorge Ivanov.

It’s a fact, Ivanov said, that the referendum in Macedonia was not successful.

“Any other interpretation cannot alter the exact numbers. Therefore, I’ve called to accountability. I’ve been telling all of those who visited Macedonia recently that this will be the outcome, because the EU, NATO membership cannot be an alibi for a harmful agreement. One cannot accept an agreement that stipulates a call for referendum without a national consensus. One cannot accept a provision for amending the constitution without providing a support of the two-third majority in parliament. Hence some should be held accountable and it is well-known who bears the responsibility. The sooner we locate the responsibility the sooner we will be able to resume the (name) talks, which is rather sensitive, complex process and has been holding Macedonia hostage for 27 years due to the irrational demands from its southern neighbor,’ Ivanov said. According to Ivanov, Macedonia is a victim of NATO, EU double standards, while the Agreement with Greece offers no guarantees that official Athens will respect it. Greece, he said, failed to respect the 1995 Interim Accord and the ruling of The Hague-based International Court of Justice, the President’s Office said in a press release.

Zeman on his part called on both sides Macedonia and Greece to resume the name negotiations.

‘It may take a lot of time, but we hope you will succeed to settle the dispute,’ Zeman said, adding that he doesn’t wish to interfere in the internal affairs of Macedonia

Ivanov and Zeman discussed the possibilities for advancing the bilateral cooperation in the sphere of security, with Macedonian President extending gratitude for the Czech support during the migrant/refugee crisis. The Presidents also reviewed the possibilities for boosting the economic cooperation between the two countries.

Zakharova: Western countries are aiming to drag Macedonia into NATO at any cost (MIA)

Western countries are aiming to drag Macedonia into NATO even after a referendum on changing the country’s name was held there, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday.

“The continuation of heavy-handed outside interference in Macedonia’s internal affairs is evident,” Zakharova stressed. “The goal is obvious – to drag Macedonia into the alliance at any cost.”

The diplomat recalled that on September 30, Macedonia held a referendum on changing its name, which has been declared invalid.

“Despite the fact that leading politicians in the EU and NATO member-states openly urged Macedonian citizens to vote in favor [of changing its name], which, we believe is a totally unacceptable practice, all this ended in failure,” Zakharova pointed out. “However, they welcomed its results without batting an eyelid. In particular, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg promised to grant Skopje membership in the alliance as early as the beginning of 2019, leaving no doubt that the parliaments of Macedonia and Greece would pass the required decisions”.

Russia’s position remains principled and unchanged – two countries to find a long-term solution to the problem, without interference and pressures from outside, because it showed that this does not help.

“If we refer to non-interference in internal affairs, then we must not agitate ‘for’ and ‘against’ if we speak about referendums. If we talk about non-interference in the internal affairs and respect of the law, including international laws, then a head of an alliance of states must not speak about a decision that should be passed by the parliament of a country” Zakharova stated.

Zakharova also said she was surprised by the findings of the OSCE referendum observation mission in Macedonia, Sputnik reports.

“The great propaganda campaign of the West is presented in a positive way. It’s not just normal, it’s also a plus. What would happen if Moscow urged the Macedonians to vote? It would have been understood immediately as interfering in the internal affairs. These are not just double standards, but abuse of social rules and norms,” Zakharova added.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Preoccupied US turns blind eye to Bosnia elections (BIRN)

As Washington is engulfed by struggles within and between the White House and State Department, experts question whether the US still cares about Bosnia, its upcoming elections, or their possible consequences.

This Sunday, Bosnia and Herzegovina holds its eighth general election since the end of the 1992-5 war. All institutions are up for re-election and the uncertainty is worse than ever.

“It is just a question of time,” Kurt Bassuener, from the Democratization Policy Council says, of a crisis in post-election Bosnia. “We have a rules-free environment. That must end badly, because there is no countervailing force to arrest the trajectory on which Bosnia remains,” Bassuener told BIRN.

He added that the likely consequences of another escalation of the crisis in Bosnia “are far more dire than they were 15 years ago, as a result of the degraded international and domestic contexts”.

The US, which was the “top dog” in Bosnia and the Balkans for a decade after the wars in the 1990s, is now focused wholly on its own internal power struggles – and the administration of President Donald Trump and remains aloof on this, and many other, issues.

Bassuener and other experts are unsure whether the US is still paying attention to, or has any plans or leverage left in, Bosnia. If America is aware of a possible major crisis in Bosnia, there is no “sense of urgency or responsibility”, he adds.

US policy continuing on ‘autopilot’:

“I used to say the policy was on ‘bureaucratic autopilot’ for the EU and the US – and in the American case, for the first year of the Trump presidency, that was a (relative) positive,” he says.

“But now, with an openness [by the US] to partition or land swaps in Kosovo, that policy from Washington seems to be travelling in a direction that many of us feared,” the analyst adds.

Obrad Kesic, head of the representation office of Bosnia’s Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska, in Washington, says America’s reaction to last Sunday’s Macedonian referendum will offer clues as to how it will engage in Bosnia if a crisis emerges.

“The referendum [in Macedonia] failed and US administration just doesn’t have an answer to that, no clear standpoint. If they don’t get involved in Macedonia, where the crisis is much larger at this point, they will certainly not get involved in Bosnia,” Kesic predicts.

The US was certainly paying attention to last weekend’s Formula 1 Russian Grand Prix in Sochi, Russia, however, where the Russian and Republika Srpska presidents, Vladimir Putin and Milorad Dodik, met days before the elections in Bosnia.

Bassuener, however, fears the sharp US reaction to that meeting is missing the point. “I worry that the reaction is to focus on the geopolitical competition [with Russia] than on the fundamental democratic values element,” he says.

“The point isn’t to get into a bidding war for the loyalties of neo-authoritarians … that only helps entrenched elites become further validated and empowered,” he adds.

Phillipe Leroux-Martin, from the US Congress-founded Institute of Peace, says the Sochi meeting was a mistake, from Bosnia’s own economic and security perspective.

According to him, most of Bosnia’s business is conducted with EU countries, while most countries in the region are NATO members or aspiring members.

“Russia provides no security or stability assurances through any potential military partnerships with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik’s meeting agenda seems to be on a collision course with the long-term interests of electors in Bosnia,” Leroux-Martin asserts.

Sasha Toperich, from the Transaltantic Leadership Network and a former advisor to the Bosniak member of Bosnia’s presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, agrees.

Full NATO membership is the only way to protect every citizen of Bosnia, he says. “The rest is nothing but manipulation of the masses for the benefit of the elites – including Dodik’s meetings with Putin, who has not invested much in the RS economy.”

Kesic says that while contacts between Russia and the Bosnian Serbs do not worry President Trump, but do worry others in the administration.

“I don’t think Trump cares about Dodik’s contacts with Putin, but I’m sure the old US establishment will point to those contacts as a failure of Trump’s politics in the Balkans and as [a sign of] stronger Russian influence in the region,” Kesic says. Kesic warns that major troubles await Bosnia, and insists Dodik cannot be blamed for them.

“The crisis is inevitable in [Bosnia’s other entity] the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which will then cause a crisis in the forming of the [state] presidency,” Kesic says.

“Republika Srpska will be hostage to that situation, and everything indicates that we will witness the most serious crisis since the war,” he adds.

All the ingredients for the crisis are there, Bassuener agrees, “as well as several potential triggers.

“These include electoral fraud, polling-day violence, intra-ethnic political violence after the polls … and then there is the potential of a post-election collapse of the BiH presidency, should Dodik and [Bosnian Croat leader Dragan] Covic win, and decide not to convene it,” Bassuener says.

However, the evident cooperation between Dodik and Covic, Leroux-Martin, says will seal their isolation on the international scene.

“Few people in Western capitals will be willing to energetically invest in relationships with ultra-nationalist voices,” he says. “Few people will be willing to engage with voices advocating for dismantling Bosnia and Herzegovina, by creating a third entity or by promoting secessionist aspirations,” he adds.

Toperich, meanwhile, wants to believe that “the political elite in the country understands well that things must change” and that “the ‘same old’ will not be possible any longer, including wide spread corruption”.

Timing of US sanctions prompts questions:

Kesic says proof of how a “deep state” in the US is working against Trump’s foreign policy comes in the shape of the US State Department’s recent sanctions on the Bosnian Serb politician Nikola Spiric – a member of Dodik’s Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD.

Many local experts have pondered the timing of this announcement, which has, however, improved Spiric’s and the SNSD’s ratings among hard-line Bosnian Serb voters.

In its press release, the State Department accused Spiric of involvement in “significant corruption or gross violations of human rights”. A State Department spokesperson told BIRN that “it is important for the Bosnian government and the Bosnian people to know just how seriously we view public corruption and Spiric’s involvement in corrupt acts”.

Toperich insists that the United States does not impose sanctions on any individual or entity lightly, or without due process.

“I believe the timing of announcing the sanctions on Spiric had little to do with the elections, and more to do with the time over which this long and due process was finalized,” he says.

Kesic, on the other hand, is certain that the announcement was timed to “interfere” with Sunday’s elections.

“That timing indicates that someone in the administration wants to interfere with the elections, and with the independence of the [Bosnian] judiciary system,” Kesic says.

Although he was surprised by the sanctions on Spiric, Bassuener says such sanctions should go much wider than just him.

“If the stated reasons are the actual reasons, it ought to be a far wider net,” he says.

“No major party which has had access to public resources would be safe, if that’s the case.”

Bosnian Serbs see US lobbying bear fruit:

Kesic’s claim that a US “deep state” is working against Trump in the Balkans corresponds with what Corey Lewandowski, a former Trump campaign manager, said on his visit to Republika Srpska this week.

“He talked exactly about the resistance Trump is facing in his own administration,” Kesic notes.

Lewandowski’s visit, Kesic admits, was fruit of the contacts that Dodik’s SNSD has made in the US.

It did not go through official Republika Srpska office that he represents and so was not paid for by RS taxpayers, he stresses.

“We were among the first to figure that Trump will win the elections. Dodik has nurtured good contacts with US conservatives. Thanks to that, we have better informal contacts with people close to Trump,” Kesic says.

However, Bassuener says RS taxpayers should ask who is paying for these expensive lobbyists, “as it costs them millions per year”.

“Since Dodik came to power, my meatball estimate of total RS taxpayer expenditure on representation in the US, based on publicly available figures, is roughly $29 million,” Basseuener notes.

Kesic claims that the Bosnian Croat side is also involved in the same activity. “There’s almost a synergy between our efforts and Croatian efforts in Washington,” he says.

He says this should result in a more favourable position for both the Bosnian Serbs and Croats in the White House – although he reiterates that the Balkans is not high on Trump’s agenda.

“Even Europe is not on Trump’s agenda, let alone the Balkans. He has much bigger issues now – Russia, tariffs, Syria,” he says.

“However, there are people in the administration that oppose Trump’s foreign policy and Bosnia and Republika Srpska are the perfect example on how strong those ‘deep state’ forces are,” Kesic adds.

According to Basseuener, it is too early to tell what US long-term policy toward Bosnia in the Trump era will be – and whether RS money is going to tip it to the one side.

But he does not doubt a potential “meeting of minds” between Dodik and Trump owing to their “deeply similar political style”.

“For over a decade, the US has effectively supported an EU policy which is demonstrably failing,” he says.

“Now, a Bosnian/Balkan sort of political dynamic of ‘inat’ [spite] politics is at play in America, too. Long-standing policy against partition in Kosovo is now in question, which has only amplified the negative dynamic in Bosnia.

“So the danger of policy by Trump tweets looms above us now, too. I don’t call Trump ‘our first Balkan president’ for nothing. We’ve seen this type before. Too bad [people from the Balkans] didn’t copyright the brand – you’d be getting royalties throughout the West now,” Bassuener concludes.