LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: We only need compromise on the table (Al Jazeera Balkans/Tanjug)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic has stated on the eve of the resumption of the dialogue in Brussels, that at the moment there is nothing concrete on the table, except to reach a compromise solution for Kosovo and Metohija. Asked whether a compromise would be discussed in Brussels on Friday at the meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and what did she expect from this meeting, Brnabic said in an interview for Al Jazeera Balkans: “I don’t expect anything in particular, but I am surprised that we are speaking about a compromise, that is a novelty.” In comment that Western officials expect that solution would be reached quickly, unlike Belgrade, Brnabic says she is glad that they expect a quick solution. “I would like this solution to be reached tomorrow. I would like because I think that a frozen conflict is bringing nothing to Serbia, that every day of a frozen conflict is one less day for Serbia that is peaceful, that is long term stable and that has no risks. For Serbia and the entire Serb nation. I would like this but I don’t know whether this will occur,” said Brnabic. Asked what will be on the table and what does compromise mean – delineation, partition of territory, exchange of population, Brnabic says that she would not embark upon what is on the table. “I think that at this moment nothing concrete is on the table. I think that the only on the table is that we need to have a compromise, that compromise means that both sides gain something and both lose something, whatever it means further on,” she said. Asked whether this meant that the Serbs who live south of Kosovska Mitrovica would have to remain inside “an independent state of Kosovo”, if this territory is divided, Brnabic reiterated that she didn’t know, that she could not discuss this. “Everything that is compromise is considered, but it needs to be a compromise. What we have today on the ground and what is being propagated by some of the largest countries, leading EU countries, this is not compromise. Recognition of the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and consideration that Serbia only needs to accept this, this is not compromise and this will never happen. This should also be understood by the authorities in Pristina,” she said. Brnabic assessed that a huge diplomatic victory and huge political success is the fact that Washington has stated that there are no more “red lines” but she voiced regret that the people and the opposition are not ready to congratulate the authorities on this. “Once we have a concrete solution, I am certain that the President will go before citizen and the parliament with a concrete solution, with a solution that is possible and he will seek this support,” said Brnabic, voicing hope that citizens would stand behind the President so the frozen conflict would end.

 

Dacic: Hypocrites in Pristina biggest obstacle in resolving the situation (B92/TV Prva)

 

Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic spoke for Prva TV on Thursday morning, addressing Friday’s continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Dacic also spoke about the upcoming visit of President Aleksandar Vucic to Kosovo. Asked if there would be a shift from the deadlock in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, the minister stated what he thought the problem was. “Pristina is currently gripped by a political agony, and it only shows that Pristina is the biggest obstacle in resolving the situation. They are hypocrites. I do not know what can be expected from tomorrow's meeting,” Dacic said. “For our part, we always thought that only Belgrade and Pristina should solve this issue. The Albanian side always relied on the support of the Western powers. The stance of Russia and the United States is that a step forward needs to be taken and a compromise solution found,” he said.

 

Stefanovic warns Pristina: We understood threats to Vucic (Tanjug)

 

Minister in the Serbian Government Nebojsa Stefanovic publicly stated to Kadri Veseli that Belgrade understood the threats which he sent to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Stefanovic warned him not to take any action against the Serbian President. Kosovo parliamentary speaker Veselji has previously threatened to ban Vucic from traveling to Kosovo, and that if he tries to enter Kosovo without their permit would share the same fate as Marko Djuric. “We understood the threats which Kadri Veseli sent to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and, if anything happens to him in Kosovo and Metohija, we will know who is responsible. It is not surprising that Veselji and Djilas speak the same about Vucic, the same as Haradinaj and Jeremic, Simaj and Sava Janjic, but I’m worried that the international community is silent and is trying to make false equity, often calling both sides to refrain from conflict, among those, where no equality in this sense can be,” Stefanovic said. “I want to tell the Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, that Aleksandar Vucic is the one who wants peace. But the leadership of the Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija obviously needs someone who would accept the humiliation of Serbs and our country, as they had by 2012, and since they now understand that with Aleksandar Vucic this is not possible, they are ready to deal with him using the most brutal barbaric methods" said Stefanovic. “I am asking Kadri Veseli, not because we are afraid of him, but because of the overall peace and stability in the Balkans, that he does not take any actions against the Serbian President,” Stefanovic warned at the end.

 

Will Mladic’s sentence be reduced? (Novosti)

 

Following the decision of President of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) Jean-Claude Antonetti to exclude judges Theodor Meron, Carmel Agius and Liu Daqun from the Appeals Chamber in former RS Army General Ratko Mladic’s case, speculations appeared on whether Mladic can expect his life in prison to be reduced or even fully abolished. Three judges that were appointed instead of Meron, Agius and Daqun have never participated in trials related to war crimes committed in former Yugoslavia so it is expected that they will have a more unbiased approach to evidence. Apart from this, Novosti reminded that one of remaining judges is Prisca Matimba Nyambe who was one of the judges who believed that Zdravko Tolimir should be acquitted of charges for war crimes in Srebrenica, because evidence against him was circumstantial and based on speculations. Mladic’s lawyer Branko Lukic told Novosti that he does not know anything about quality of new judges nor he has any indications that they might be biased in this case. Mladic’s son Darko Mladic said that this was the first decision of The Hague Tribunal in his father’s case which is in line with international law and added that “we presented many pieces of evidence and arguments in past but they always rejected it without any reasonable explanation”. Lawyer Branislav Tapuskovic assessed that Antonetti wrote the best page of The Hague Tribunal’s history with this decision because he eliminated all who sentenced Mladic in other cases, prevented them from deciding on same matter on several occasions and enabled Mladic to stand an objective trial.

 

Senator Johnson to visit Serbia - US Embassy (Tanjug)

 

US Senator Ron Johnson will be visiting Belgrade on September 10-11, the US Embassy confirmed to Tanjug Wednesday. Johnson, a Wisconsin-based Republican and businessman, is a member of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and chairs the Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation, as well as the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Johnson is considered to be one of Trump’s main men for special missions, which is why his arrival in Belgrade awaited amid media speculation that he will bring the message that the US President will support Serbia, and perhaps even come here to finalize a possible agreement between the Serbs and the Albanians.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Informal meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of SEECP; Reactions (ATV)

 

An informal meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) took place in Banja Luka on Wednesday. On this occasion, Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) received support for implementation of priorities during its SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office 2018/2019, under the slogan ‘Better Connectivity for Better Life’.

After the meeting, B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak was quoted as saying that the main goal is to work together, build more trust and improve relations. He noted that many circumstances suggest that things are not perfect, which is why it is necessary to work on better connectivity. “In this context, most attention was paid to infrastructural connectivity, digital connectivity, connectivity among young people in the region and connectivity among all participants in the SEECP in solving our most difficult problems such as organized crime, migrations, fight against terrorism etc.” Crnadak explained. He announced that a number of events will be organized as part of B&H’s SEECP Chairmanship-in-Office, including a parliamentary conference and a business forum for participants in the SEECP, as well as a diplomatic school for young diplomats. “The Chairmanship-in-Office will end with a SEECP summit in June 2019,” Crnadak noted. Commenting Pacolli case, B&H Minister Crnadak reminded that Belgrade and Pristina signed an agreement on regional representation, i.e. on participation in regional events. “The decision enabling Kosovo to participate in the SEECP was adopted in 2014 at SEECP summit in Bucharest on the ground of this agreement. This decision was supported by people from SNSD,” explained Crnadak. Serb member of the B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic stressed that good regional cooperation is very important to B&H, adding that the informal meeting of the SEECP Ministers of Foreign Affairs certainly contributes to this goal. Ivanic voiced his expectation that the meeting will result in positive effects in terms of support to requests for a more rapid infrastructural development, in order to improve connectivity among the countries of the region. In his opinion, the situation in B&H will be more peaceful as the situation in the region gets better.  Delegations of Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro also attended the meeting, while other countries were represented by deputies and secretaries of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic attended a meeting. Dacic explained that after Brussels negotiations between Belgrade and Pristin commenced, Kosovo was enabled to participate in the SEECP process. Dacic underlined that no one from B&H addressed Serbia in relations to Pacolli’s invitation to this event.  He stressed that the decision about who will be invited to the informal meeting is a matter of the host. Dacic said that he already got used to the fact that Pacolli uses every opportunity for public appearances and to tell some of his stories. Dacic added: “He tells this (the stories) when I am not present. This is why I came to hear what he will say and whether he will say anything. However, he got scared of all this. He basically complains all the time that B&H does not give him a visa”. Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik emphasized that the invitation to Pacolli represents betrayal of Serb national interest “here in Banja Luka. And this is what Crnadak did, along with Ivanic.” Dodik reiterated that Pacolli is a persona non-grata in the RS and added that he is glad that Pacolli gave up on his visit to Banja Luka. Ivanic underlined that two acquaintances, namely Dodik and Pacolli, made a spectacle out of Pacolli’s attendance to the SEECP meeting. “I do not have a problem with this. I am content he did not come to Banja Luka,” said Ivanic.  He added that consequence of this is the fact that some other officials refused to come to Banja Luka, referring to representatives of Albania.

 

Mektic: I do not see anything disputable that Pacolli is on list of attendees of SEECP (TV1)

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Security Dragan Mektic told TV1 on Tuesday that he does not see anything disputable that Minister of Foreign Affairs of the self-declared Kosovo Behgjet Pacolli was on the list of attendees of an informal meeting of Foreign Ministers gathered within the South- East European Cooperation Process (SEECP). While Serbian representatives claim that no one addressed them about Pacolli’s presence at the meeting in Banja Luka, Mektic told TV1 that Pacolli had consent of Belgrade. The reporter noted that Mektic may even say that the fact that Pacolli did not show up at the meeting in Banja Luka after reaction of RS President Milorad Dodik, is shameful.

 

Thaci: There is not going to be RS in Kosovo; RS is entity in B&H and cannot exist outside it (Dnevni avaz)

 

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci held a meeting with representatives of several nongovernmental organizations of Kosovo and reporters in Pristina on Wednesday, and he discussed the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia. “Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja must belong to Kosovo. There is not going to be retailoring of borders, there is not going to be division of Kosovo and there is not going to be Republika Srpska (RS) in Kosovo,” he said and underlined that the Association of Serb Municipalities is not going to have any executive authority. Thaci expressed expectations that the agreement will be reached by spring of 2019, and added that Kosovo citizens will be able to express their opinion about the agreement at a referendum. Commenting comparison between Kosovo and the RS entity, Thaci said: “Such parallels are completely unsustainable. The RS is an integral part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). That entity cannot exist outside B&H. We are a sovereign country, our borders exist. In B&H, the entities are divided by administrative lines. If anyone in the world thought that our independence might pave the way to secession of the RS, we would not have been allowed independence,” concluded Thaci.

 

Serbian FM Dacic and Serbian Parliament Speaker Gojkovic meet with RS officials (RTRS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and Speaker of Serbian Parliament Maja Gojkovic respectively met with senior Republika Srpska (RS) officials in Banja Luka on Wednesday.

Following the meeting with Gojkovic, RS President Milorad Dodik said that cooperation between Serbia and the RS has several aspects, including investments of Serbia in different projects important for the RS. Also, it was announced after this meeting that a joint commission to analyze consequences of NATO bombing in Serbia and the RS will be formed. Gojkovic underlined that she informed Dodik about the report concerning consequences of NATO bombing and prepared by a body formed by Italian Parliament, as well as about other information concerning this issue collected by Serbia. Gojkovic also met with Speaker of the RS National Assembly Nedeljko Cubrilovic. Two officials concluded that cooperation of two current compositions of parliaments of the RS and Serbia has been at the highest level. Gojkovic stated that two parliaments will form a joint commission that will monitor implementation of agreements reached by the RS and Serbia. She added that this commission will be formed in September or at beginning of October. Border demarcation between Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Serbia was one of the topics discussed at the meeting between Serbian Minister Dacic and the RS leadership. Following the meeting Dodik said that although border with Serbia is rather formal, the fact this issue has not been solved yet is impermissible. The RS President underlined that authorities of this entity support the proposal related to resolving the border issue prepared by authorities of Serbia. “We deem that the situation in which B&H Presidency failed to resolve this issue is unjustified,” said Dodik, adding that representatives of the RS will insist on resolving of this issue in the upcoming period. Dacic stated that there are no any big disputable issues related to the border between B&H and Serbia, stressing that resolving of this problem depends on political will exclusively. Dacic went on to say that Serbia respects the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and has no intention to jeopardize stability of B&H and the RS. He emphasized that Serbia has special and close relations with the RS, underlining that it is a normal thing Serbia takes care about “our people” living in the RS.

 

Dodik: Vucic presented evidence to Ivanic proving that Serbian and RS officials were wiretapped (ATV)

 

RS President Milorad Dodik met Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic in Banja Luka on Wednesday. The two officials commented on alleged B&H Security-Intelligence Agency (OSA)’s wiretapping of officials of the RS and Serbia. Dodik said that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic personally showed evidence on the wiretapping to Serb member of B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic. According to Dodik, Vucic also showed Ivanic operative orders issued in Sarajevo and informed him that “his people are doing this”. Dodik characterized the OSA as a hostile organization directed against Serbs, adding that Serb politicians in B&H institutions give legitimacy to the OSA, including Ivanic. Dacic stated that security and intelligence agencies of B&H are directed against Serbia, adding that the wiretapping case is not an isolated case. Dacic said that he does not see the need for such activities of B&H security services bearing in mind that as he said, leadership of the RS and Serbia openly talk about everything they do. B&H Minister of Security Dragan Mektic blamed B&H Parliament, as an institution competent for the OSA and lack of parliamentary surveillance over the OSA. Mektic said that he talked with Director of OSA Osman Mehmedagic about this issue and added that he strongly rejected claims on the wiretapping. Dodik assessed that there is nothing new in the fact that B&H officials deny the wiretapping. Dodik underlined that the RS opposes such activities and in his opinion, Serbs should not be in this kind of an organization. Dodik stated that the RS can form its own agency and reminded that some authorities in the RS were forced to give up on the agency at the level of the RS, at the expense of formation at the level of B&H. Dodik concluded by saying that he possesses documents that prove the wiretapping and announced that he will show it to the public very soon.

 

Sarajevo: Mass protest of veterans turns into clash with police (BHT1)

 

A large group of demobilized veterans from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) gathered in front of the FB&H Parliament building in Sarajevo on Wednesday morning, to protest and express their dissatisfaction with the fact that sessions of both Houses of the FB&H Parliament were not scheduled. The MPs were supposed to discuss the proposal of the Law on Rights of Veterans and Members of Their Families, but there is still no word on when the sessions might be held. After the gathering in front of the FB&H Parliament building, the veterans took a protest walk through the city. The veterans clashed with the police officers that secured the walk. During the clash, four policemen were injured and two veterans were arrested. The veterans stated that there was no need for such incidents, that their issues could have been resolved by the lawmakers in just a couple of hours, but they were unwilling to fulfill the demands of the veterans. During the protest walk, the streets in the city’s center were closed for traffic. The veterans concluded their walk by returning to the building of the FB&H Parliament, where they will stay on Wednesday night and as long as the sessions of both Houses of the FB&H Parliament are not scheduled. TV1 journalist Ernad Metaj was attacked by a police officer. TV1 stressed that Metaj was not injured in the incident, but that this is not the first attack on a news crew which was only doing its job. Representatives of the Journalists Association of B&H strongly condemned the attack on journalist. Representatives of the Journalists Association of B&H asked the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Interior (MoI) to immediately investigate the case and sanction those responsible for the attack.

 

MICT grants Mladic’s motion for disqualification of three judges from Appeals Chamber (BNTV)

 

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) has granted the motion filed by defense lawyers of Ratko Mladic, requesting disqualification of three judges from the Appeals Chamber that will be considering the appeal to the first-instance verdict against Mladic. According to the decision rendered by Judge Jean-Claude Antonetti, Presiding Judge Theodor Meron, Judge Carmel Agius and Judge Liu Daqun were disqualified from the Appeals Chamber due to the impression of being biased. Mladic’s lawyer Miodrag Stojanovic assessed that such decision is “spectacular” because similar motions have been denied. “Judge Antonetti made a step forward and said that the three judges can no longer work on this case, since there is reasonable doubt that they might be biased as they have worked on cases directly related to the case of General Mladic, primarily with regard to Srebrenica,” Stojanovic explained. According to the first-instance verdict, Mladic was sentenced to life imprisonment for genocide and crimes against humanity in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Croatia rejects Serbia-Kosovo exchange of territory (Hina)

 

Croatia believes that proposals for territory exchange are not good in the context of stability in Southeast Europe, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric said on Wednesday in a comment on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's proposal for a territory exchange between Serbia and Kosovo. Vucic has been speaking recently about the idea of exchanging the north of Kosovo, which has a majority Serb population, for the part of southern Serbia with a majority Albanian population so that the two countries could get closer to resolving their dispute. Kosovo President Hashim Thaci agreed initially with the idea, but in recent days he has partly withdrawn his support for the proposal. Meanwhile, the United States has said that it will accept a solution on which both sides agree, while Germany and Austria have expressed concern over such proposals. "Croatia's position is that raising the issue of borders and territorial exchanges is not a good principle in terms of contribution to the stability in this part of Europe and beyond," Pejcinovic Buric said after an informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), held in Banja Luka, in the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska (RS). "Raising the issue of borders may solve one problem but it may cause many more and we are therefore very cautious about any possible solutions that would have that as their basis but would not take into account regional stability and security," said Pejcinovic Buric, adding that a territory exchange between Serbia and Kosovo could lead to such issues being raised in other parts of Europe as well.

 

Stoltenberg arrives in Skopje for meetings with Macedonia’s leadership (MIA)

 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has arrived Wednesday in Skopje for meetings with top Macedonian officials ahead of 30 September referendum. During a two-day visit, Stoltenberg is set to meet President Gjorge Ivanov, Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska and other state officials. Stoltenberg will also visit Stajkovci village – where, in 2016, soldiers and equipment from NATO’s mission KFOR helped to clear roads and move debris following devastating floods. This week German and Austrian Chancellors, Angela Merkel and Sebastian Kurz respectively, will also visit Macedonia.

 

Sekerinska: Visits by Stoltenberg, Merkel, Kurz show strong support for Macedonia (MIA)

 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg's second visit in the space of eight months is proof that our country can become a member of the Alliance, said Defense Minister Radmila Sekerinska while visiting the Army's Airforce Brigade on Wednesday. "The world is on our side," Sekerinska said. "It's a first to have a NATO Secretary-General visit our country twice in a year, and Macedonia is not even a member yet. "In just two days, the Chancellors of Austria and Germany will visit, as well, which shows their strong support of our two strategic goals – achieving membership to both EU and NATO. According to Sekerinska, the world supports those who know what they want, and Macedonia has shown that actions speak louder than words. "We're here today because four helicopters have just been refurbished, two of them military transport helicopters, and two combat helicopters, which strengthen our Army's readiness. This goes to show that we haven't been just sitting around waiting for a NATO invitation, but we've been working for it," Minister Sekerinska said. After inspecting the refurbished Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters, Sekerinska reminded the press of the recent call for military pilots and urged anyone interested in this career to apply.

 

Luxembourg's FM Jean Asselborn to visit Macedonia on Thursday (MIA)

 

Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, will pay an official visit to Macedonia on Thursday. During the visit, Minister Asselborn will meet with Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov to discuss bilateral cooperation and foreign policy priorities, as well as current local developments and preparations for the upcoming referendum.  The FMs are expected to sign an intergovernmental agreement for the exchange and protection of classified information. FM Asselborn will also have meetings with Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Vice-premier for European Affairs Bujar Osmani.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

European Parliament’s ALDE against Serbia-Kosovo border correction (European Western Balkans, 6 September 2018)

 

BRUSSELS – Guy Verhofstadt, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, said today that relations in the Western Balkans will not improve through changes of borders and land swaps. He was referring to recent proposals by Presidents Vučić and Thaçi, who will meet tomorrow in Brussels for the new round of negotiations.

“The only way for guaranteeing a long-term stability and progress is to work on a real reconciliation between the communities, overcome ethnic divisions and credible and gradual progress in the European integrations”, he stated, adding that recent support for Kosovo visa liberalization is a good example for that kind of practice. Ivo Vajgl, ALDE’s MEP from Slovenia, reminded that such ideas lead to wars in South-eastern Europe two decades ago.

“When it comes to the inter-ethnic relations, the key issue is the adequate protection of national minorities”, he said.