LOCAL PRESS

Serbian government: Formation of so-called Kosovo Army is a gross violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 (Beta/Tanjug)

The Serbian government condemned in the harshest terms at Friday’s session the decision of Pristina that leads to a transformation of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) into a so-called Kosovo Army. This decision of Pristina causes great concern and represents a gross violation of international law, first and foremost of UN Security Council Resolution 1244. This decision is also contradictory with the so-called Constitution which the interim institutions of self-government in Pristina wrote and adopted on their own, which is an absurdity and proof that not only does Pristina not respect international agreements, but its own norms as well. The Serbian government will continue to point out to all international actors to a total disregard of international law by Pristina, which has been obvious ever since the signing of the Brussels Agreement in 2013, as Pristina has done absolutely nothing to implement it. The violation of international law was demonstrated by a series of armed raids in the north of Kosovo and Metohija and the harassment of Serbs in the province, and then it escalated in early November when Pristina decided to introduce a tariff of 10 percent and subsequently of 100 percent on products from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, thus violating directly and unequivocally the CEFTA Agreement and Agreement on Stabilization and Association. The act of transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into a so-called Kosovo Army is just the latest drastic indicator of the extent to which unilateral moves of Pristina are in opposition to the basic values ​​of democratic societies. This is also the biggest threat to regional peace by Pristina so far.

The Serbian government, together with the President of the Republic of Serbia, continuously follows the situation in our southern province and it will make all subsequent decisions in consultation and together with the President of the Republic of Serbia. Serbia remains firmly committed to peace and stability in the whole region and all our activities will be directed at their preservation.

Serbia requests urgent session of UN Security Council (RTS/Tanjug/Politika/Novosti)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that Serbia, following an unlawful decision to form the Kosovo army, requested the scheduling of an urgent session of the UN Security Council.

In an extraordinary address to the citizens, the Serbian President announced that Belgrade would not participate in the dialogue until Pristina withdraws all its decisions on taxes, and told Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija that Serbia would not give up. As we concluded that all that Kosovo authorities did is contrary to international law, the spirit of dialogue and their internal illegal regulations, that they jeopardized peace and security throughout the region, Serbia requested that an urgent session of the UN Security Council be held. I am ready to participate as a president personally in its work, Vucic said. He announced that Serbia would closely monitor everything that is happening in Kosovo and Metohija and will wait for Pristina to abolish taxes.

We are not interested in whether the fee will be 10, 25, or 1,700 percent. We are no longer interested in what new measures will be made. They do not understand that they crossed the threshold. They will have to pull everything, return everything to the previous state, that no taxes will be. Vucic told the Serbian people in Kosovo that he knows how difficult these days are for them. They are not any easier for us. I am calm because we have done everything to preserve peace, the President said. He said that Serbia will attend all regional meetings, will always discuss the future preservation of peace, but will not accept new starting positions in which it will not be equal. It is the only policy that Serbia can take. Serbia will pursue a policy of peace and respect for all, he stressed, and expressed gratitude to all who acted rationally and sensibly, especially friends in Moscow and Beijing. The President said that he received a message from the Russian state leadership, to whom he is very grateful for, adding that he also talked with the Chinese ambassador. He expressed his gratitude to the Cypriot President for being remarkable and very honest at the EU session, as well as countries that did not recognize Kosovo, but also on the reaction of the Hungarian state and the NATO Secretary General, who reacted in a correct manner and who understood well what kind of the dangers such a decision can bring.

Vulin: Important to hear Serbia’s voice in the UN Security Council (RTS)

Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin has told the RTS morning news that he believes it is important that Serbia’s voice will be heard at today’s UN Security Council and that, regardless of the stand of the great powers, nobody will be able to deny the arguments to be presented by President Vucic. The announcement of the formation of a Kosovo army is in violation with the mandate that KFOR has, but this will not influence Serbia’s cooperation. “We expect KFOR to disarm this military formation. What would be the reaction if some paramilitary formation appears in northern Kosovo, how many minutes would it be necessary for them to react then? We have regular consultations with KFOR, the Chief of General Staff has met with the new KFOR commander on 14 December in Nis, we will have mixed patrols and we will do everything we can to preserve peace and stability despite the fact that our trust has been often played out,” said Vulin. Pristina’s response to Brussels’ offer to the introduced taxes is expected today. “Our supreme interest is peace, stability and economic progress of the region. The EU strategy towards Pristina has so far been a strategy of a carrot. It is time for Brussels to offer a stick instead of a carrot, and this means that if they say that if Pristina doesn’t abolish taxes then there will be no Stabilization and Association Agreement, if the Community of Serb Municipalities is not formed then there will be no a visa-free regime. Until this happens, one cannot expect progress,” he said.

Mojsilovic: Serbian Army ready to respond to challenges and threats (RTS)

The Serbian Army is prepared to respond to all challenges and threats, said Chief of Staff Milan Mojsilovic, stressing that citizens should not be concerned. “We will be closely following the situation in Kosovo and Metohija,” Mojsilovic told RTS. “The Army of Serbia is ready to respond to all challenges and threats but I hope that KFOR will ensure the protection to all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija, within its mandate and capacities,” he said. Lietenant Colonel General Mojsilovic said President Aleksandar Vucic’s visit to the army units in the Ground Safety Zone was a chance to get instructions and directives for further work.

REGIONAL PRESS

Dodik says RS will leave AF B&H, since Kosovo was allowed to create its own army (TV1)

Chairman of the Bopsnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik announced on Saturday that Republika Srpska (RS) will leave the Armed Forces of B&H (AF B&H). Reason behind this, he explained, was the fact that self-proclaimed Kosovo got a chance to form its own army and “a part of international powers stands behind that decision”. Dodik expects all RS representatives on state level to respect this entity’s stance in the matter of activation of NATO’s Membership Action Plan (MAP), which says RS does not support it and is military neutral. Political analysts, however, claim that MAP activation is “a done deal” and Dodik will not be able to affect that. Dodik emphasized that after Kosovo adopted the decision on forming of its army, the relations in the Western Balkans changed and the RS must react accordingly to the created situation. “If things go forward in this direction and if someone makes a decision on that reform program, without considering RS’ stance in the matter, we will perceive that as a green light and start definitively working on all joint matters in B&H, primarily placing a question mark on the AF B&H” said Dodik.

Komsic: Collapse of AF B&H, announced by Dodik, would mean endangering of peace in B&H (Dnevni list)

Member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic who stated that with his statement that the RS will consider possibility of leaving the Armed Forces (AF) of B&H, member of the Presidency of B&H and commander-in-chief of B&H AF Milorad Dodik is unfortunately undermining unity of the AF and the system of subordination, which can be very detrimental to the AF and their role in the country. According to Komsic, such Dodik’s statements have negative effect on achieved level in the AF, which was being built for many years. In addition, Komsic noted that ultimately, collapse of the AF B&H, as announced by Dodik, would mean destabilization and endangering on peace in the country.

Croatian parliament’s Declaration on Position of Croats in B&H sparks reactions (N1)

The Declaration on Position of Croats in B&H, which Croatian parliament adopted on Friday, sparked reactions in B&H. SDA issued a statement condemning the adoption of this Declaration, and assessing that Croatia is undermining B&H’s sovereignty by dealing with amending of the constitution and laws of its neighboring country. SDA called on Croatia to primarily respect its obligations when it comes to prosecution of war crimes. “Instead of attacking sovereignty of B&H and its institutions, in which it will never succeed and it will always be detrimental, it is of biggest importance to work on reconciliation and establishing trust based on truth about the past – for the sake of future of the new generations,” the statement reads.  Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency Sefik Dzaferovic stated that “this move of Croatia represents harsh interference in internal matters of B&H”, but also violation of international sovereignty and territorial integrity of B&H. Dzaferovic further said that if such moves from Croatia continue, instead of solving open issues between B&H and Croatia, such as the issue of state border or issue of property, one can expect relations of the two countries to be undermined which, according to him, will not be in the interest neither of B&H nor of Croatia. Minister of Security of B&H Dragan Mektic, commenting on the adoption of the declaration on the position of Croats in B&H by the Croatian parliament, underlined that the declaration is blatant example of meddling with internal issues of B&H and he cannot believe how Croatia ended up in a position to act in such manner towards any country. He deems that the adoption of the declaration is agreed and coordinated by Croatian HDZ and HDZ B&H. He said that the Croatian parliament would never adopt such declaration if politics in B&H were functioning differently. He dismissed allegations cited in the declaration, namely that B&H is a threat to security in the region due to spreading of radicalism and violent extremism. He revealed that B&H was commended in the latest security report published by the US State Department for serious efforts in the battle against violent extremism and terrorism but this was ignored by the Croatian authorities and the declaration falsely presents B&H as country that embraces radicalism and extremism. He stated that the declaration highlights presence of migrants in B&H as a potential threat but these migrants are no longer perceived as a threat when they leave B&H and enter Croatia. Our Party (NS) stated that the declaration treats Croats in B&H as Diaspora, which undermines the very essence of the rights and duties of Croats in B&H.

Drecun: Situation in Kosovo will directly or indirectly reflect on RS future (Glas Srpske)

The Chairperson of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun stated that announcement of Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik that the RS will re-examine their participation in B&H Armed Forces, because of establishing of Kosovo Army represents strong support to Serbia and Serb people in Kosovo. Drecun stressed that those who support secession of Kosovo continue to “destabilize us further and endanger us”. He noted that he is glad that the RS authorities are monitoring the situation in Kosovo and “that they examine them through the right prism”. “I trust that this situation will directly or indirectly reflect on the future of the RS as well,” said Drecun. He says that now the Kosovo security forces will be able to position themselves on the administrative border with Serbia any time and using different excuses. He stressed that Kosovo authorities will now be able to use the army for “occupation of Gazivode or Trepca”. “New moves of Pristina could jeopardize security in the entire region and everything could have been prevented if establishing of this military formation was prevented, because according to the UN Security Council Resolution 1244, only KFOR can act as military power in Kosovo,” said Drecun. He argues that it is possible for Pristina authorities to decide to undertake some adventuristic operation, which could jeopardize security of Serb people, but Drecun expressed hope that “those who stand behind such moves of Pristina, most notably the US”, will not allow crossing of this border. He concluded that they are asking for preventing of situations where Serbia would have to react. Asked if it is an accident that official Brussels recently gave a green light for B&H’s accession to NATO, Drecun said: “The US is trying to eliminate any form of Russia’s influence in the Balkans and to draw all Balkan countries into NATO. The story about Kosovo is part of this global mosaic. The goal is to draw B&H into this military alliance. Interest of the US and NATO is not to have someone contradict them. Naturally, every authority which opposes these integrations will be thorn in their side. I therefore believe that one should expect pressures from Washington and Brussels over authorities in the RS,” concluded Drecun.

Croatian parliament adopts declaration on position of Croats in B&H (HRT1)

The Croatian parliament on Friday adopted the Declaration on the Position of Croats in B&H which, among other things, calls for amendments to the Constitution and the Election Law of B&H with the goal of ensuring equality of the Croat people in B&H. The Declaration was passed in the Croatian parliament with 81 votes in favor, four abstentions and eleven votes against. The text of the 20-page long Declaration, which contains six points, reads that B&H, on the basis of Annex 4 of the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), was founded as a state of three constituent peoples which is defined by a special preamble of the Constitution of B&H. According to the Declaration, Croat member of the B&H Presidency was elected for the third time with the votes of the Bosniak people which continues to be a possibility even in the case all Croats in B&H vote for another candidate which is contrary to the spirit of the DPA. Adoption of the Declaration was preceded by a two-day long heated discussion in the Croatian Parliament. SDP of Croatia criticized the proposed Declaration, deeming it harmful and claiming that with the content of the Declaration, Croatia is interfering with internal matters of B&H. SDP leader Davor Bernardic told the Croatian parliament that what is most worrying is the fact that concern of the Republic of Croatia for Croats “who live in our neighboring and friendly country” comes down to concern exclusively for the interests of a single party – HDZ B&H. “Croats in B&H and HDZ are not the same” Bernardic underlined. MOST representatives were also against the proposed Declaration on the Position of Croats in B&H and they did not vote on it. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that the Declaration on the Position of Croats in B&H is aimed at strengthening the position of the Croat people as the least numerous constituent people in B&H which, according to Plenkovic, needs to be respected and equal to the two other constituent peoples in B&H.

Slovenia: No renegotiations on border dispute with Croatia (Hina)

New negotiations on the border dispute with Croatia would not be productive, so Slovenia insists on the implementation of the arbitration ruling, Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told reporters during a visit to Washington on Friday. “Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was grateful that I clearly explained our position. A return to negotiations with Croatia would not be productive,” Cerar said after meeting with Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton at the State Department. Refusal to implement the arbitration ruling means “ignoring international law”, which is bad for the whole Western Balkans region, Cerar said. His former government had sued Croatia to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, arguing that Croatia’s refusal to implement the arbitration ruling was in violation of EU law. “We hear ministers and prime ministers in the region say they are surprised that they are required to honour the rule of law while Croatia doesn’t do that in the case of the arbitration ruling,” Cerar said, adding that Pompeo had promised to consider the matter thoroughly.

Krivokapic and Becic won’t go with DF (Pobjeda)

Socialist Democratic Party and Democratic Montenegro rejected, for different reasons, the invitation of DF to for a conversation about the joint action and efforts to “dismiss the Government through out-institutional fight and create conditions for organizing fair and democratic elections”. The invitation was sent out by Andrija Mandic, one of the leaders of DF, at the protest of this political party held on Wednesday. Member of the presidency of SDP, Ivan Vujovic, said that the opposition should come back to the reform of electoral and other legislation, and that should be in the opposition focus. He added that everything that had been happening in the last ten days “additionally damaged the trust that public has in the institutions, judicial system in the first place”. He thinks however, that we must come out of the extraordinary political situation and the work must definitely be focused on legislative reforms. Democratic Montenegro replied much sharply: they said that the invitation of DF was dishonest and they needed an excuse to come back to the parliament. Socialist People’s Party will give their reply at the session of the Main Board of the party.

Zaev on Kosovo’s military: We don’t need new tension (Meta)

After three laws were passed in the Kosovo parliament that envisages the transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into Kosovo’s Army, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said that at this moment the region does not need any new tension. “I know that NATO’s position is the same as ours: Now is not the time! We do not need any new tensions. Once again, let’s not forget that the Balkans does not intend to be another “gunpowder barrel” Zaev said. He appealed to his colleagues – prime ministers, but also to the presidents of the Western Balkan countries – to watch their steps. “We will promote economic cooperation, to achieve lasting peace, growth, development and EU membership,” Zaev said after the national decentralization conference.

Otherwise, the government of Kosovo congratulated its citizens on the formation of the military in Kosovo, and at the same time pointed out to NATO that from that day, the organization acquired a faithful and dedicated ally.

SDSM stands by Zaev’s comment that it is not yet time for Kosovo to have its army (Republika)

SDSM stands by Prime Minister Zaev’s statement that this is not the right time for Kosovo to form its own army. Zaev’s statement caused unease among ethnic Albanians in Macedonia, and the Alliance of Albanians called on him to immediately withdraw it, calling it a move which causes a rift with the United States, but Zaev and his party have stood by the statement.

BESA also said that Zaev must withdraw the comment and said that it reminds Albanians of the “nationalism of the past times”. His comment shows the true face of “multiethnic” Macedonia, and it makes Albanians feel insulted. It was the Albanians in this country who gave Zaev the mandate to rule and he is now spouting nonsense and nationalist – communist barbarisms. This shows that Zaev’s position is dictated by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbia, who are categorically against the creation of a Kosovan army, BESA said in a press release.

Sela: Zaev’s criticism of Kosovo’s army is a move that favors Serbia and Russia (Republika)

Ziadin Sela, leader of the Alliance of Albanians, called on Prime Minister Zoran Zaev to urgently take back his criticism of Kosovo, which yesterday declared the creation of its own army. Zaev took the side of NATO and some European Union countries which criticized Kosovo, while the United States supported the decision, and said that now is not the time to form an army of Kosovo. „This is a nationalist statement aimed against Albanians in Kosovo but also against the United States. Zaev’s comments put a question mark over his relationship with the United States, and is part of a scenario which benefits Serbia and Russia“ Sela wrote on his social media accounts. Sela also called on Zaev to stop meddling in Kosovo’s internal affairs and rather work to accomplish reforms in Macedonia.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

Russia calls on UN Mission in Kosovo to disband armed units (TASS, 14 December 2018)

The relevant measures must be “urgent and exhaustive”, Moscow said

MOSCOW, Russia’s foreign ministry on Friday called on the United Nations Mission in Kosovo to take measures to demilitarize the area and disband any armed unites in Kosovo. “We are convinced that international presence in Kosovo, first of all the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Force, are obliged, in conformity with their mandates and acting on the basis of provision 9b and article 15 of United Nations Resolution 1244, to take urgent and exhaustive measures for the demilitarization and disbanding of any armed units of Kosovo Albanians,” the Russian ministry said. “We are surprised at the rhetoric of a number of US and EU politicians and NATO generals who are seeking to persuade themselves and others that Pristina’s decision (to create an ‘army’ – TASS) allegedly changes nothing in the essence on Kosovo’s security forces,” the ministry said. “But in fact, it implies a two-fold increase of these forces, creation of reserves and, what is most important, it is about changing the functions of these forces, which have been performing the functions of civil defense until recently. The United States and a number of NATO nations are already helping to train Kosovo servicemen and increasing weapons supplies to Kosovars.”

“The Western capitals and Brussels are ignoring Belgrade’s constructive and responsible policy aimed the search for a compromise and easing tensions,” the ministry noted. “Thus, the Serbian leaders refrained from tit-for-tat measures to respond to Pristina’s November decision on a 100-percent increase of taxes on imports from Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina obviously seeking to create catastrophic conditions for Kosovo’s Serbs, to continue ethnic purges in respect of non-Albanian population.”

“Kosovo’s ‘premier,’ Ramush Haradinaj, who, at Washington’s behest, has embarked on a course towards aggravation of the crisis and who is indulging in throwing threats of recurrence of violence and war in the Balkans, personifies the inadequacy of the concept of Kosovo’s ‘statehood,’ which is being enthusiastically enforced by Western propaganda,” the ministry stressed. “It is evident that Kosovo is becoming an epicenter of instability, a source for conflict potential in the region. The European Union has failed its mediatory role in dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.”

Kosovo’s parliament on Friday passed three laws, namely on the establishment of the defense ministry, on turning security forces into an army and on service in Kosovo’s security forces. All those present voted in favor while lawmakers from the Serbian List party walked away from the premises and did not take part in the voting.

The army is expected to have 5,000 soldiers and 3,000 more reservists. It is planned to spend 98 million euro a year to finance the armed forces.