LOCAL PRESS

 

Djuric: We don’t have the right to leave the problem of Kosovo and Metohija to future generations (Politika)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric said that as long as Serbs and Albanians live on the same space but with opposite interests, there will be no lasting peace and stability, as long as compromise is not achieved. Speaking to Politika, he said Serbia is ready for such a compromise, but he was not optimistic about it. “The only thing that is certain is that because of our people’s future, we don’t have the right to pretend like the problem doesn’t exist, or to leave it to future generations to resolve it,” he noted.  Djuric also said that if they do reach a solution, it will be such that it will only improve the present position of Serbs living in Kosovo and that Serbia will not accept any solution which would not provide better living conditions for the Kosovo Serbs than the present ones.  “This is not just a problem of one part of our population or of our political elite but it is an issue of a far-reaching state and national importance,” he told Politika. Asked about the potential status of Serbs south of the Ibar River, in case the North of Kosovo becomes part of Serbia, Djuric said they would have more rights than they have now and in case they fail to reach an agreement the state would provide more aid for the enclaves. Djuric added that the compromise for which Srbia stands should be comprehensive and there should be nothing vague in it.

 

Drecun: US wants guarantees about B&H (Tanjug)

 

No solution for Kosovo will be implemented without US consent and any solution will apply to Kosovo only - not countries in the region, analysts say after the US embassy in Pristina said Thursday Belgrade and Pristina did not have unlimited freedom in their dialogue. “The US, as the most influential factor in Kosovo and Metohija, is warning both Belgrade and Pristina the acceptability of a possible agreement will ultimately be up to Washington,” Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Serbian parliamentary committee on Kosovo and Metohija, told Tanjug.

 

Kozarev: They are attacking every attempt of compromise over hatred (Tanjug)

 

Opposition members have grown deaf and blind from hatred towards President Aleksandar Vucic, because one cannot explain differently the fact that they are attacking him on a daily basis over the model for resolving the Kosovo problem, which doesn’t exist at this moment and it is not certain that there will be one at all, which was mentioned several times by the President, member of the main board of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Dusan Kozarev said.

He says the loudest one in the attack on Vucic and his attempts to ensure perspectives for the survival of the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija with some compromise with the Albanians are associates of Vuk Jeremic, the “hero of the statehood project of Albanians in Pristina”. “Those who are paid with money of foreign embassies, but don’t want to explain what is the nature and purpose of this sponsorship, will never, I am certain, get a new chance to plunder Serbia and

Destroy our state and national interests,” said Kozarev.

 

Dveri: Vucic to inform the parliament about negotiations (FoNet)

 

The Dveri Movement has requested Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to inform the Serbian parliament as soon as possible what he is negotiating with Pristina and on what platform. Dveri notes that Vucic discussed with US Ambassador Kyle Scott the dialogue with Pristina and the ideas for resolving the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, but that he hasn’t informed the MPs about this affair. “We consider it a humiliation of the highest representative body the fact that the President is informing a foreign embassy about this important topic but not MPs as well,” reads the statement. “Instead of finally coming to the parliament and explaining to MPs what is he negotiating with Prisitna and what do recent statements about delineation with the Albanian means, the President first informs about this Soros junior at a recent meeting and now also Kyle Scott, the US Ambassador,” Dveri said in a statement.

 

Raska-Prizren Diocese: Appeal against delineation (Beta/RTS)

 

The Raska-Prizren Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church issued an appeal for Kosovo and Metohija on 19 August, stating that it supported the May decision of the Holy Archpriestly

Assembly stating that Kosovo and Me tohija, with all of its 1,500 Serbian Orthodox holy sites, was an inalienable part of Serbia, and added that delineation would leave most Serbs at the mercy of Albanians. The appeal reads that keeping Kosovo and Metohija as an integral part of Serbia in line with the Constitution and UNSC Resolution 1244 does not mean a confrontation with the world, but upholding the position that without fundamental rights and the freedoms of one people, its identity, spirituality, and culture, there can be no stable long-term solution.

Division, an exchange of territory or delineation between Serbs and ethnic Albanians would leave most Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija at the mercy of those who have not yet shown readiness to respect our rights, the statement reads. “In such an unfortunate development, there is grave danger for us to be exposed to a pogrom like the one in March 2004, or forced to an exodus under pressure and quiet terror,’ the statement read further. The Diocese called on the representatives of Serbia and the international community to permit the priests, monks and people in Kosovo and Metohija to survive and live in peace, and to ensure the preservation of

holy sites, in the interest of the continuity of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Ivanic: It is clear that new Report on Srebrenica does not aim to deny anyone’s victims (Novosti)

 

Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Mladen Ivanic, said that he does not believe that Republika Srpska (RS) will suffer any consequence because of the new Report on Srebrenica, being that it was clearly said that there is no intention to deny anyone’s victims, but the intention is to include new data. Commenting the plan to establish the new international commission, which would compose a detailed report on suffering of all peoples in Srebrenica region, Ivanic underlined that all this will be happening after the elections and will not be burdened by the election campaign. Asked about RS President Milorad Dodik’s statement that he will ask a seat for the RS in the UN if Kosovo gets one, Ivanic said that RS needs to provide support to Serbia on the issue of Kosovo and not use it for election campaign. Ivanic stressed that there will be no change in B&H’s stance towards Kosovo, adding that despite the fact that most people want to see the RS independent, in cases when such statements are made in such difficult time for Serbia, they can be perceived as nothing but personal campaign.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

RS President says time has come for Serbs to come out with clear political and national program and demands, which might be their goal in this century (RTRS)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik stated that the time has come for Serbs to come out with clear political and national program and demands, which might be their goal in this century. He added that this would be a good change compared to the past century that was “disastrous for us”, noting that the first proposal is demarcation. Dodik explained that all peoples around Serbs, to whom Serbs were bringing the freedom throughout the history, have tried to build their nations and states based on anti-Serb politics only, which is why the demarcation is the best solution. “This does not mean that we will build razor wire fences on our borders, but we only want to define our interests. This means the RS, Serbia, four municipalities in Kosovo, reintegration of the Serb politics and national interests in Montenegro,” Dodik stated. He added that this is the reason why he supports the idea of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, stressing that he advocates the demarcation B&H at the same time and believes that the RS has to continue fighting for its full state capacity. Commenting on the fact that the idea on demarcation that Vucic presented as his personal stance was fiercely opposed by the opposition in Serbia, Dodik assessed that undermining the authority represents one of the weaknesses of the Serb people. Dodik also stressed that Serbs are fed up with humiliations, reminding that the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) has not been respected in the past 20 years, the RS’ rights have been reduced and the position of Serbs in neighboring countries is difficult. He asserted that compared to the earlier period, the international circumstances have changed. Dodik also said that one part of the concept of the international community is to govern this country in long-term perspective by destroying its leader and institutions. Asked to comment on the recent stance of German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said that there will be no change of borders in the Balkans, and if her statement refers to the RS or Kosovo or both the RS and Kosovo, Dodik reminded that Germany is leader when it comes to change of borders. He concluded that Serbs do not need the 'Dayton 2' international conference, concluding that “diplomacy will leave its trace but solutions have to be found here through united national consensus.”

 

Dodik says commission which should prepare report on Srebrenica and suffering of Serbs in Sarajevo must be independent (RTRS)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik welcomed on Sunday the RS government’s conclusion annulling the Report on Srebrenica from 2004. Dodik stressed that the RS wants an independent commission that will establish the whole truth about wartime events in Srebrenica, as well as the truth about the killings of Serbs in Sarajevo. He explained that the commission will be composed of experts who will deliver a new report on Srebrenica to the RS Government. He added that some of the experts have already confirmed that they will be a part of this team, while talks with other experts are still underway. In his opinion, the previous Report on Srebrenica was incomplete. “It is impossible that there are persons who got killed in 1992 and 1993, who were added to the list of victims from the period July 11-19, 1995. At the same time, none of the Serb victims – even from the period July 11-19 – was added to the list. Serbs got killed in this period too,” Dodik explained. Commenting on the fact that the State Department recently condemned the annulment of the Report on Srebrenica, Dodik said that this is the proof that the previous administration still exists in the US government.

 

Bosniak Caucus vetoes conclusions regarding Report on Srebrenica (N1)

 

Bosniak Caucus in the Council of Peoples of the RS has invoked on Monday the vital national interest protection regarding the conclusions on the 2004 Srebrenica Report, which the entity parliament adopted earlier this month. Caucus Chairman, Mujo Hadziomerovic, assessed the RS National Assembly's conclusion as an inhumane act. “A common sense cannot explain this. This is an inhumane act,” Hadziomerovic said. According to N1's reporter, Hadziomerovic said the decision to invoke the vital national interest protection was passed unanimously. Now that the Bosniak Caucus put the veto on the RS parliament’s conclusions, the Council of Peoples, as well as the joint commission of these two bodies, will declare on the issue. If no consent is reached, the case will end up before the RS Constitutional Court.

 

Djokic: New commission on Srebrenica has one goal only – to establish truth and nothing else (RTRS)

 

SP Republika Srpska (RS) leader Petar Djokic stressed that the new commission on Srebrenica has one goal only – to establish the truth and nothing else. “To consider a wider context and to make sure that one does not only talk about the Bosniak victims – and there are many of them and I pay tribute to each Bosniak victim, but there is also a huge number of the Serb victims and I pay tribute to each Serb victim,” Djokic explained. He added that the Serb victims have been completely neglected and prevented from talking about their sufferings through this report – by deliberate efforts of the international community.

 

Russia is not going to deliver weapons to B&H (Oslobodjenje)

 

Petr Ivantsov, Russian Ambassador to B&H, reacted to an article published in Oslobodjenje on Friday under the title ‘Half of B&H is already Balkan Transnistria’ and he wrote that the article “uses ‘the facts’ provided by the US State Department that have nothing to do with reality”, which leads one to question competence of the author and his professionalism. The article reads, noted the Ambassador, that Russia supports separatist tendencies of the RS, giving the support to the referendum on the RS Day as an example, and he explained that he did not notice increase in separatist tendencies following the said referendum. The author of the article also said that the negative role of Russia is manifested through Russian contact with HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic, and the Ambassador explained that it is his obligation to maintain contact with leaders of all three peoples in the country. Ivantsov denied claims that Russia is training special forces in the RS, adding that there are UK and US military advisors in Banja Luka, but not Russian ones. “I will say responsibly that Russia does not have plans to deliver any armament or military equipment to B&H.” Also, the Ambassador pointed out that any sovereign country is going to decide whether to join NATO or any other international organization, and Russia is not pressuring B&H in this matter. Ivantsov concluded that articles such as this one do not contribute to improvement of political climate in B&H and they do not reflect the true role of Russia in B&H. Editor-in-Chief of Oslobodjenje Vildana Selimbegovic wrote a short comment to Ivantsov’s letter, and she said that the facts used in the said article do not come from the US State Department, but from the reality of situation in B&H.

 

"There are no protected individuals in the fight against crime and corruption " (RTCG)

 

Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed that borders on Balkans will not be changed, the government stated. During the meeting, Markovic said that “no one is protected in the fight against crime and corruption”. At a press conference, the prime minister said that German support is crucial for the European future of the region. Merkel announced that there is room for more German businesses in Montenegro. On the occasion of Markovic’s visit, an official reception was organized, with the highest state honors, in front of the federal government's headquarters. Followed talks with Merkel, and later a meeting of delegations and media conferences. "The first official visit of Prime Minister Markovic to Germany will be an opportunity for exchange of views with Chancellor Merkel, among others on the topics: bilateral relations and especially economic exchange between Montenegro and Germany, economic cooperation of the countries of the Western Balkans, especially within the framework of the Berlin Process as well as European integration of Montenegro," the Government reported. Minister of Economy Dragica Sekulic is also in the Montenegrin delegation. Markovic and Merkel held talks on July 12 last year in Trieste, at the Summit of the Western Balkans, and on May 17 this year in Sofia, at the European Union and the Western Balkans summit.

 

Sekerinska: Defence Ministry to allocate approx. MKD 60 million for referendum campaign (MIA)

 

Ministry of Defense is to allocate approximately MKD 60 million for the campaign of the upcoming referendum on Macedonia-Greece name deal, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska said. “Ministry of Defense is among those institutions that should be most interested in our strategic priority and this ministry will allocate approximately MKD 60 million, which were planned for similar activities, but we consider that it should be better to be utilized by the parliament and not to us individually,” Sekerinska told reporters. She told that at the next government’s session, which as she said, will be held on Wednesday (Aug. 22) morning, the amount that will be allocated for the campaign of upcoming referendum will be officially determined. “What is obvious is that the government does not want to be the major player, because the parliament adopted the decision of the referendum and by thus we will show that the government does not have a political or party agenda, but really this issue is focused on the key interest the Republic of Macedonia - not to be an isolated state, to be a state with prospects, to become a NATO member and to start accession negotiations with the EU,” Sekerinska said.

 

Zaev meets SEC members ahead of name referendum (MIA)

 

The referendum is an obligation of national importance. All institutions are charged with cooperating with the State Election Commission (SEC). The government is also at a disposal, in a principled manner, in accordance with its legal authorizations, to make sure the legal needs of the SEC are met. And the government will make it happen, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Friday at a meeting with State Election Commission members. Everyone has the responsibility to perform their duties professionally, Zaev stated, according to a press release. "I believe that each one of us is aware of the professional and human responsibility for this important process. We are all obliged to do our job professionally," the PM stressed. The SEC members, including its president Oliver Derkovski, said the commission worked in a professional and economical manner pledging it would continue to function in similar way. The importance of a professional and transparent functioning of the State Election Commission prior to and on the day of the name referendum was underscored in order all citizens and political stakeholders to have confidence in the process, the government said in the press release.

 

Ahmeti: All in favor of Macedonia's EU and NATO integration will support referendum (MIA)

 

All in favor of Macedonia's integration into NATO and the EU will support the referendum on Sept. 30, including the opposition, as the country's Euro-Atlantic integration is also part of their political program, Democratic Union for Integration (DUI) leader Ali Ahmeti told Wouter Plomp, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Macedonia. According to DUI's press release, Ahmeti and Plomp held a meeting Friday to discuss topics related to current developments in the country and the region, including the referendum, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption. DUI has called on all state institutions, the press release reads, to investigate all claims of corruption in the country, encouraging at the same time all other political parties to do the same. Ahmeti ended the meeting by concluding that 'the only way forward for the whole region is to work together and follow European standards to fully integrate into NATO and the EU'. The interlocutors also discussed the media campaign for the referendum, the necessity of observing legal provisions related to the campaign and the funds the Parliament needed to conduct the campaign.

 

Sekerinska: In just a year, Macedonia becomes trusted partner of NATO, neighbors and allies (MIA)

 

The Republic of Macedonia from problematic isolated country has become trusted partner of NATO, trusted partner of our neighbors and trusted partner of the allies in just one year, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska said Friday addressing central ceremony to mark ARM Day-August 18. One year ago when I assumed post, I stood in front of you under other circumstances - neglected army, stopped reforms, halved budget, disregarded army and its troops. Today, we can finally define defense reforms and ensure deserved membership into NATO. She said that one year is not enough to implement all reforms, but there has been progress in defense sphere, whereas one of the first measures was increase in salaries by 10 percent for employees in defense and increase in defense budget by 15 percent aimed at achieving NATO standards.

“We have restored the focus of key defense reforms and NATO membership by implementing the Strategic Defense Review and the Defense Strategy. By this we have shown that the Republic of Macedonia knows what it wants and where it wants to go, thus achieving one of the strategic goals, an invitation for NATO membership and the start of EU accession talks. This represents our strong consensual determination and ambition which lasts more than 20 years, however concrete and visible results are needed,” Sekerinska said. She announced that course for non-commissioned officers will be organised as of September, which was not realized since 2009. Moreover, open competition for defence attaché in Paris is announced. The benefits of NATO membership will also be felt in the economy, she said. “In several weeks the citizens will have the historic chance to vote for a better state, strengthen identity and language that will not be denied, thus strengthening the future of the next generations,” Sekerinska said, adding that they follow with great attention the false news which are spreading intentionally and deliberately to discredit these processes and citizens to disregard the strategic priority of the state. Country’s President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Gjorge Ivanov addressing the event said that ARM in the past years fulfilled great tasks, even in conditions that became more complex and more risky year after year. “The army is a neutral guardian of country’s territorial integrity and independence. It protects the borders, sovereignty, security and unitality of the Republic of Macedonia. The army has helped its citizens in dealing with natural disasters, and has been continuously participating in peacekeeping missions worldwide,” Ivanov said. According to Ivanov, Macedonia’s contribution is not symbolic, but essential. Although Macedonia has not yet joined NATO, the Army of the Republic of Macedonia is de facto an integral part of NATO, because the country does not leave the Euro-Atlantic path. “During my term in 2015, the Army faced the biggest challenge i.e. the migrant crisis. In conditions of deep political divisions, protests and counter-protests, when many institutions were paralyzed and many processes blocked, there was a danger that the territory of Macedonia would be flooded by a migrant wave, Ivanov said, adding that the Army successfully faced all challenges and completely justified trust and confidence of all citizens,” Ivanov said.  He emphasized that there should be more investments in defense, in modern technologies due to new hybrid threats, and the most important is the investment in improving the living standard of the Army, noting that military leaders should not succumb to party and political pressures.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Kosovo, Serbia Mull Territorial Swap to End Dispute (Voice of America, by Keida Kostreci, 17 August 2018)

 

WASHINGTON — A decade-long dispute between Kosovo and Serbia is compelling both countries to consider a territorial swap along ethnic lines — a move that has long been opposed by both Brussels and Washington. But the leaders of both Balkan countries say redrawing the borders could help them resolve their differences and advance in their quest for European integration. Experts have mixed opinions over whether such a deal is workable or even desirable.

Ten years after Kosovo declared independence, there has been little to no progress between the two countries in settling their disputes. Kosovo considers itself a sovereign nation, though Serbia refuses to recognize it as such. Both countries want to join the European Union, but Brussels will not allow it until disagreements over Kosovo's sovereignty are settled. Now, Kosovo's President Hashi Thaci and Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic have suggested a deal to trade territory or change borders that could spark a breakthrough. Some experts caution, however, such a move could create myriad problems. "It would create instability, it would be dangerous. It could spark violence in Kosovo as well as in Serbia," said David L. Phillips, director of the Program on Peace-building and Rights at Columbia University's Institute for the Study of Human Rights.

The proposed exchange would involve Serbia getting part of northern Kosovo, an area with a mostly Serb population, and Kosovo getting Serbia's Presevo Valley, inhabited by a majority of ethnic Albanians. It also would mean the change would be along ethnic lines — anathema in Western thinking. "The principle of pluralism and democracy is something that is a cornerstone of U.S. policy. It's also a cornerstone of Europe's approach to countries that aspire to membership," Phillips said. But David Kanin, adjunct professor of international relations at Johns Hopkins University and a former CIA senior analyst, notes that Europe has a history of changing borders and population movements."That has not stopped. Every change in Yugoslavia since the old Yugoslavia collapsed has been about changing borders, moving people around, some supported by the West, some opposed," he said.

 

Diplomatic gap?

In the past, both Brussels and Washington have shot down the idea of redrawing borders along ethnic lines, but this time it appears they are not in agreement. The European Union has not openly commented on this issue. The office of the EU's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, has not responded to VOA questions about this issue. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has rejected any changes to the borders, saying, "The territorial integrity of the states of the Western Balkans has been established and is inviolable." The U.S. position has been more ambiguous. In a statement to VOA's Albanian Service, the State Department said the solution should come from the parties themselves. It also said the parties should show flexibility, but stopped short of rejecting the idea of a border change. "If Kosovo and Serbia were able to agree on a settlement that would allow for permanent peace that would allow for mutual recognition, I think that would help settle politics in Serbia in some ways. It would give Kosovo a way forward," said Kurt Volker, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, a former U.S. ambassador to NATO. Phillips, a former State Department senior adviser, suggested a lack of clarity does not signal a new policy. "The U.S. government does not have a coherent policy toward Kosovo. It doesn't pay any attention to the Western Balkans. I don't think we should read too much into these vague and ambiguous statements. Right now U.S. policy remains as it always has been. It recognizes Kosovo within its current frontiers. That hasn't changed."

 

Benefits, ramifications

Even if the idea is officially included in the EU-mediated Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, many questions remain, including whether Serbia should recognize Kosovo first and what that would portend. "The discussion right now around partition, as noisy as it is, is dealing with the secondary issue of who gets what territory," said Kanin. "The question of Kosovo's sovereignty is the central issue and that will remain open as long as it is not recognized by Serbia and by the five outstanding EU members. And I see no sign that this is going to change." EU members Spain, Slovakia, Cyprus, Romania and Greece still have not recognized Kosovo's independence.

"Here it is a disservice to everybody in the Balkans, first of all the Kosovars, that their state is not recognized by Serbia, that they are not recognized by all members of the European Union and therefore they're blocked in some of their relationships with the EU," said Volker.

Experts and former diplomats warned that rethinking borders in the Balkans would pose a risk to stability in the region. "If the EU isn't prepared to mediate a deal that allows Serbia to recognize Kosovo within its current frontiers, then Albanians will start thinking of unification of Albanian territories and creating an Albanian state that encompasses lands where all Albanians live," Phillips predicted. That concern is amplified, given the sizable Albanian minority in Macedonia, a country dealing with its own agreement about a name change with Greece. And Serbs in Bosnia already have said if Kosovo gets a U.N. seat, they will request the same. The latest debate suggests there are no clear-cut prescriptions for a region attempting to shed the vexing legacy of the 1990s conflicts.