LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic on his meetings in Paris (RTS)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic told the Serbian press that German Chancellor Angela Merkel, prior to the ceremony of marking the end of the Great War, had a meeting only with him and UN Secretary-General Guterres. “This was a very important meeting for us and we discussed all regional issues, bilateral relations. We spoke about the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, we talked about the region in the broader context – from B&H to Macedonia and Turkey. Of course, we also spoke about economic and political relations,” said Vucic. Vucic says that Germany will condemn the policy of violating the CEFTA agreement, i.e. Pristina’s decision to raise taxes for goods from Serbia proper and B&H. “I think that the German will unambiguously demonstrate their relationship towards the violation of the CEFTA agreement. I don’t wish to say that this is the result of today’s meeting (with Angela Merkel), but Germany’s consistent policy. Just as I know that they will be for independence of Kosovo, I know they will condemn the policy of violating the CEFTA agreement,” said Vucic. Asked about “delineation” and whether he discussed it with Merkel, Vucic says that he had discussed this with her a long time ago and that she had told him at the time that she opposed this, and that she would have been much harsher in reacting if he wasn’t at issue, because she appreciates everything that he has done for Serbia and the stability of the region. “When you speak of Pandora’s box – what borders are you talking about,” wondered Vucic, adding that everybody who is speaking about it forget to say that they are having in mind the borders of so-called independent Kosovo. “And do we know where the borders are when Russia, Spain, Germany, Serbia, everybody is speaking differently,” says Vucic. Spain is looking at the borders in one way, Vucic says, while Italy in another way, Russia in one way, but the US in another, China in the first way, Germany in another way, and all this needs to be resolved so we can have peace and so we are not worried whether some “crazy head will introduce taxes or an army in northern Kosovo”. Responding to the question in regard to talks he had with Merkel, Vucic reiterated that there is nothing to talk about some resolution at a moment when even the CEFTA agreement, over some in Pristina, cannot be respected, and repeated that we are miles far away from some agreement. Vucic notes that he had shortly spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the previous evening a little longer with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. “We discussed the President’s visit to Serbia in mid-January and about the fact that we are already working on this. I spoke two days ago with the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Borisov. I believe that we can sign certainly more than ten important agreements during the visit of President Putin, and to perhaps try to sign fifteen,” said Vucic. He says that he had spoken with French President Emanuel Macron on three occasions, shortly, who will arrive in Belgrade within 20 days. He said he wished President Macron a good visit to Serbia and called citizens to welcome him in the best possible way and show Serbian hospitality. “That is what was our part of the job. The things we cannot influence, and I know that everybody in Serbia has a hard time with the fact that the Kosovo flag is raised everywhere. Their relationship, don’t think it is the same, they know the difference between us and them, but this is simply something that has been going on for an entire decade. Perhaps even two. That will not change soon,” said Vucic. Vucic says that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump on two occasions, shortly. “He said that the Serbs a great nation and that I represent a great nation. I am proud because, along with Putin, he is the greatest star here. He said this in front of 25 people,” said Vucic. He added there was neither the time nor the space for a longer and more serious talk with the US President, but that he had voiced during the meeting hope and wish for Serbia and the US to achieve better relations and for Trump to visit our country. Responding to the journalists’ questions in Paris in regard to the media reports about the possibility of his meeting with Thaci along with the mediation of world leaders, he said: “I suppose there was no need for that. I met him in Brussels two, three evenings ago and it was not a brilliant evening. And it cannot be a brilliant evening when somebody introduces taxes to you – how can it be”.

 

France puts Thaci next to Putin WW1 ceremony scandal in Paris (B92/TV Prva)

At Sunday’s ceremony in Paris marking 100 years since the end of World War I, the place next to Vladimir Putin was given to Hashim Thaci. Many are today commenting on the decision of the organizer, some consider it scandalous, and the media also write about only the alphabetic order being important. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said the protocol for this event certainly did not reflect the relation of forces. When asked how they commented that some regional leaders were among the world’s five most powerful at the ceremony, he noticed that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci won the best position of all in the region. “The president of Croatia that she was standing there, I could understand, because it has to do with the alphabet. There might have been some sense, although they were in the First World War on the opposite side. There was no Austria near five, but in my ... ,” said Vucic. Dean of the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade Professor Dragan Simic told TV Prva on Monday that a truly big scandal had occurred in Paris when it comes to the seating of invitees. As he added, this is in some way a revision of history, because in 1918 some other victors were sitting in the front row. “When it comes to World War I, Serbia deserves the first row, along with France, Great Britain, the countries who won the First World War. And maybe three, four countries in the first row, and then everyone else. Maybe there was no place for anybody there. Some really did not exist as a state at that time,” Simic said. He stressed, however, that efforts should be made to reconcile - but if what is not equal is being made equal at any price, then that leads to injustice. “French President Emmanuel Macron will come to Belgrade, and I doubt he will go to Pristina, and the president of Russia will come to Belgrade and will hardly ever go to Pristina. Angela Merkel will come back to Belgrade again, and I'm not sure she will go to Pristina at the same time. Look at the levels of investment and everything else,” Vucic said, after the ceremony. As Milos Vlahovic, editor-in-chief of the B92.net website said, the whole event resembled a show rather than a ceremony. “It has come to, instead of talking about the centenary of the end of World War I, we are now talking more about who appeared, who did not show up, who he was talking with whom, who is late, a reality at the global level, and everyone is hurt by something. We have our story, our topic, other countries have their own. The Poles also did not show up,” he said. As Vlahovic added, he would like to find out what actually happened with the placing of the guests, while the idea of ​​using the alphabetical order does not stand to scrutiny when one looks at the seating arrangement itself. “I think this was a message, whether a message addressed only to us, or to President Putin, I suppose they will not say,” he added.

 

French ambassador offers apology to Vucic and to Serb nation (TV Prva/RTS/Tanjug)

French Ambassador to Serbia Frederic Mondoloni has addressed an apology to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and the Serbian nation over the protocol and the seating arrangement at the ceremony of the marking of the Victory Day in Paris. “We are very close with Serbia. Serbia has lost in World War I almost one-third of the population, 62 percent of the male population and France doesn’t forget that,” Mondoloni told TV Prva. He says he doesn’t know what exactly happened in Paris since he attended yesterday a ceremony in Belgrade at the French military cemetery. “I am a bit sad, because we were supposed to celebrate this morning our joint victory, on the eve of the announced visit of the French President to Serbia. This has all a little spoiled for us in a way,” said Mondoloni. He says that at issue is clumsiness that is, as he put it, regrettable. Asked how he comments newspaper titles, such as the one that France has disgraced itself over this, Mondoloni reiterated that this was a mistake and clumsiness that is regrettable.

“I also read the newspapers, this was a mistake that is regrettable and we ask President Vucic and the Serbian nation for an apology,” said Mondoloni.

 

President Aleksandar Vucic thanked France for the message of respect for the Serb victims of the Great War, which was conveyed by Ambassador Frederic Mondoloni.

"Thanks to Ambassador Mondoloni for the wonderful words and respect he showed for the Serb victims," Vucic wrote on Twitter. "Serbia will welcome President Macron in a magnificent manner," added Vucic.

 

Dacic: Preparations for Putin’s visit underway (Tanjug)

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov spoke on Friday about the preparations for a visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Serbia in January next year. Dacic and Borisov are also co-chairmen of the Intergovernmental Committee for Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation of Serbia and the Russian Federation.

At a joint news conference in the Serbian government, Dacic said that Putin’s visit is planned for mid-January next year, and that for Serbia this visit represents a very important political event.

Serbia is getting prepared for that visit, which must be very well organized, Dacic underlined.

Borisov said that he talked with Dacic about the agreements that could be signed during President Putin's visit to Serbia, and that one of them could be related to the TurkStream gas pipeline.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

RS President Dodik expects from new parliamentary majority in RSNA to pave way to constitutional reforms (TV1)

Republika Srpska (RS) President and newly-elected Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Milorad Dodik said that he expects new parliamentary majority in the RS National Assembly (RSNA), i.e. he counts on support of 56 representatives in the RSNA and that this might ensure him the possibility for constitutional reforms, which the public in the Federation of B&H is afraid of. According to Dodik, he has the right as the B&H Presidency member to launch the mechanism of protection of the vital national interest on any issue regarding which he might be outvoted in B&H Presidency and to return it to the RS parliament. He added that this might also pave the way towards change of the Constitution of the RS as two-third majority decides on the Constitution. Dodik also stressed that there are huge procedural problems in the RS Council of Peoples (RS CoP), which was unjustifiably formed outside the framework of the Dayton Peace Accords (DPA) in the political system of the RS. He noted that he advocates redefinition and abolition of the RS CoP in order for the RSNA to have a sovereign and definite role in the decision-making process.

 

Presidency of B&H needs to be epicenter of political activities (Nezavisne)

Nezavisne novine daily carries interview with SNSD leader and newly-elected Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Milorad Dodik. At the beginning of the interview, author noted that Dodik is supposed to meet with HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic and other HDZ B&H officials on Monday. Dodik briefly replied by saying that they will analyze the cooperation in the past and discuss activities in the future; he added, however, that SNSD and their coalition partners are an “unavoidable factor”, not just in Repubika Srpska (RS) but at the level of B&H as well, meaning that they should meet with all political partners from the Federation of B&H. “We believe that HDZ is the best representative of the Croat constituent people in political sense. We will see what their intentions are”, said Dodik, adding that some sort of unity between the two parties should go without saying - as SNSD and HDZ B&H are legitimate representatives of Serb and Croat people respectively. “As for the Bosniak component, things are what they are. I still do not know which direction it will take. We have said that we will wait to see the outcome and whoever secures legitimate majority in the Federation of B&H, I believe that they should be accepted at the level of B&H as well”, said Dodik.

Commenting on Monday’s negotiations on formation of authorities in the RS, Dodik said that an agreement on the essence of the coalition has been made already, adding that this time policies will be in focus, instead of distribution of seats. “Policies have to be implementable, we need to have people committed to those policies, and people working within the framework of the program that was adopted”, said Dodik. He added that there is no reason not to talk about everything with representatives of Bosniaks in the RS, but underlined that some basic things related to position of the RS cannot be challenged by anyone. “We are not asking for anything other than Dayton positions of the RS. That is the position which includes reassessment of previous policies in B&H”, Dodik said. SNSD leader did not want to speculate on formation of the Council of Ministers of B&H, reiterating once again that they will talk with those who have the majority in the Federation of B&H. “It will be necessary to make some changes and create some policies that will give dynamics to the entire project of B&H. That is what we will talk about, and I have some proposals, of course”, said Dodik. “We do not expect that it will possible for us to implement only our policy, there should be a policy that might be of the interest for all at the level of B&H, for as much as B&H has the capacity to decide about those policies. We will see”, he explained.

Dodik noted that he advocates creation of a stable political society, in which local politicians will take full responsibility for political processes, and which would completely reject any kind of foreign interference, because - according to Dodik - foreigners have conducted the wrong policy for the past 20 years in B&H. “If there is no agreement to have foreigners removed from the institutional political life in a way to make sure that only locals are in charge of making decisions, then I do not know what is that we might be able to reach an agreement about in B&H”, Dodik concluded.

He briefly said that it is too early to talk about distribution of posts in the Council of Ministers of B&H among members of the SNSD-led coalition in the RS.

Commenting on cooperation with other two members of the Presidency of B&H, Dodik said that he expects the Presidency of B&H to be an epicenter of all political activities in the country, and all other bodies to work for the Presidency, the way it was prescribed by the Constitution of B&H.

Author asked Dodik to say if he knows which country will members of the Presidency of B&H visit first, after inauguration on November 20; Dodik replied by saying that he has not discussed this issue, adding that he wants every visit to have some result. “I am ready to go wherever is necessary to achieve result”, said Dodik.

Newly-elected Serb member of the Presidency of B&H said that as far as he is concerned, diplomatic structure has failed to yield results. “Serbs have to primarily consider themselves as representatives of Serb people and the RS, and then of B&H as well”, said Dodik, adding that he will propose recalling of all ambassadors and creation of new structure. “B&H needs to get to its essence - that it is a union of two entities and three peoples, and that they have completely sovereign control. If High Representative continues to work as over the past four years, this will be nothing more than a wasted term in the office, and I do not want to be a part of the wasted term in the office”, concluded Dodik.

At the end of the interview, Dodik said that elections have made a clear difference between the winners and losers, adding that the RS needs all of those who believe in values that are being built in the RS. “Those who will make scenes, performances, they should be left on the sidelines of society and political life, and I think that is what is going to happen”, concluded Dodik.

 

SDS boards in Bijeljina, Doboj, Zvornik, Teslic and Sarajevo-Romanija expect leadership to resign and support cooperation with SNSD (ATV)

The media has learned from unofficial sources that members of SDS City Board in Bijeljina will request from SDS leader Vukota Govedarica, SDS Secretary General Igor Ostojic and the entire SDS Presidency to resign because of the poor election results. According to the media, this stance will be made official at the session of SDS City Board in Bijeljina on Monday. SDS City Boards in Doboj and Zvornik also expect Govedarica and the entire leadership of the party to resign because of the poor election results. Members of SDS City Board in Zvornik suggested that a commission in charge of organizing intra-party elections should be established at the next session of SDS Main Board, with Head of Teslic Municipality and SDS Vice President Milan Milicevic being appointed as a chairman of the commission. They also called on members of SDS from Zvornik to support cooperation with SNSD at the session of SDS Main Board. Chairman of SDS City Board in Zvornik Dragomir Vasic stated: “I call on the leader, the Secretary General and the entire Presidency of SDS to resign due to the poor election results and poor situation within the party. At the next session, members of the Main Board from Zvornik will vote in favor of the talks on formation of authorities at all levels with SNSD and all other Serb political parties.” According to information, SDS in the Sarajevo-Romanija region is also expected to support cooperation with SNSD. In an interview for ATV, SNSD leader Milorad Dodik said that he is ready to talk to everyone who wants to cooperate. “It is well-known that our coalition, which won the elections in such a triumphal way, has enough capacities to form new authorities. Nevertheless, it is because of this goal that goes beyond the party interests that we want to gather the others as well,” Dodik explained. SDS Main Board is expected to hold a session next weekend.

 

SDS leader Govedarica: Someone is attempting coup within SDS (BN TV)

SDS leader Vukota Govedarica warned of an attempted coup within the party, which he thinks is aimed at defeating SDS that would then be led by those who are ready to forgive all decades-long misdeeds of the regime in Republika Srpska (RS). “This group of people, who registered poor election results in their municipal boards, is now attacking their own party under the leadership of Obren Petrovic, who thinks that all of his actions should be tolerated thanks to his election results. Before requesting my resignation, this group of people who registered poor election results should first tell the public how many votes they won and why they were absolutely defeated by SNSD in their areas. Unfortunately, (SNSD leader) Milorad Dodik is using them to create a sophisticated one-party system in order to control all parties in the RS” Govedarica was quoted as saying.

 

HR Inzko sends letter to B&H CoM asking them to ignore laws and parliamentary procedure and implement grant funds for Ganic’s private university (RTRS)

High Representative (HR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Valentin Inzko often uses his reports for the UN Security Council (UN SC) to criticize Republika Srpska (RS) and its officials. Last in the line of his scandalous moves was a letter sent to the B&H Council of Ministers (B&H CoM), in which he asked the Council to ignore the laws and the parliamentary procedure and implement the grant funds worth USD 10 million that Saudi Arabia gave the private university owned by Ejup Ganic. In nine years of his presence in B&H, HR Inzko made a large collection of ‘diplomatic scandals’. The last one refers to Inzko’s request towards the B&H CoM on giving the Saudi Arabia’s gift to Ganic, even though that is not in accordance with the laws and regulations. According to RTRS, the problem was created when the request came to the B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP). According to the law, any international agreement on grant funds must be approved primarily by the B&H Presidency and then in the B&H CoM. After that it must be adopted in the B&H House of Representatives (B&H HoR) and then in B&H HoP. This agreement was approved in all those institutions, except in the B&H HoP. Serb and Croat delegates in the B&H HoP, that form the majority, did not wish to approve this agreement, which is why HR Inzko sent a letter to the B&H CoM. He addressed the letter to B&H CoM Chairman, Denis Zvizdic, B&H Minister of Foreign Affairs, Igor Crnadak, B&H Minister of Finance and Treasury, Vjekoslav Bevanda and B&H Minister of Civil Affairs, Adil Osmanovic. Inzko asked them to approve this agreement even without the permission of delegates in the B&H HoP. According to RTRS, Inzko called upon Vienna Convention from 1969, mainly its Article 12, which, according to him, shows that provisions of this Convention could be applied in this particular case. RTRS reminded that Ganic, who is supposed to receive these grant funds for his private university, was previously arrested and accused of war crimes in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo during 1992-1995 war in B&H. None of the four officials to whom the letter was sent by HR Inzko did not wish to comment this matter yet, nor adopt any decision based on this request.

 

Montenegro

 

Did Becic and Abazovic deceive Hahn? (CDM)

Irresponsible and bad-mannered behavior, foolishness. This is how some interlocutors for CdM comment on the fact that Democrats and URA fail to participate in the work of Parliament but are rather planning to open a dialogue soon so that they can create “fair environment in which every forthcoming cycle of elections will take place”.

Leaders of Democrats and URA, Aleksa Becic and Dritan Abazovic, alarmed the public a couple of months ago when they announced the story about the reform of electoral legislation. They went that far as to visit Brussels and inform the Commissionaire for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn, about their plans. They were given support by Hahn. But once they had to do something about it, something concrete, they disappeared.

MP of the DPS, Danijel Zivkovic, says that parallel forums are just so-called parallel stages where they try to justify their absence from the parliamentary life.

“Apart from irresponsibility, this is also an example of lack of education and culture. How else what you describe the fact that there are members of the Parliament who haven’t come to their work for two years but still earn their salaries? However, they were still left a free place in the working group dealing with the electoral legislation. That way, DPS showed its democratic capacity, and those who didn’t show up in the Parliament demonstrated their political amateurism”, said Zivkovic.

Democratic Front wonders where so much love comes from and why a vacant place is kept for Becic and Abazovic.

“Looks like this summer a great agreement was reached regarding electoral legislation. Agreement between URA and Democrats and Dusko Markovic. When they figured out that we didn’t buy that story, Democrats and URA started attacking DF. But we didn’t swallow that either. We knew very well that they were trying to hide the deal they had with Markovic”, said Jovan Vucurovic, member of DF.

As he said, they realized the importance of this moment and they want to ensure the regularity of the election process and prevent blackmailing, buying identity cards and other malfeasance.

 

Civic Movement URA sees the whole situation differently.

“We realized the importance of this moment long time ago. I’ll remind you that in June, we presented the comprehensive Reform plan, together with our colleagues from Democrats and we were supported by all official EU addresses. DPS and functionaries of the opposition laughed at this document and made fun at the idea which meant resolution of problems Montenegro is faced with. Therefore, the temporary parliamentary committee will deal with anything you want except from the crucial subject. Instead, that will be a committee dealing with manipulations, identity questions, division on blocks etc” said Bojan Jevric, head of Media team.

He added that they didn’t hope that such Committee could act responsibly and create an environment for fair and free elections.

 

fYROM

 

Dimitrov: Being part of NATO does not mean bad relations with Russia (Nezavisen vesnik)

Being part of NATO does not mean bad relations with Russia, The West needs to improve its relations with Russia, but this is only possible if the situation in Ukraine changes, said Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov in an interview with the German newspaper Welt.

"In the long run, we must weaken tensions between the West and Russia and strengthen co-operation with it. Of course, the conditions for this are the establishment of peace in Ukraine and the preservation of its territorial integrity" said the Macedonian Foreign Minister. He believes that the relations between Skopje and Moscow will not worsen if Macedonia joins NATO.

"Being part of the North Atlantic Alliance does not mean bad relations with Russia" Dimitrov explained.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Vucic, Thaci Exchange Angry Statements After Brussels Meeting (BIRN)

The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, called on Thursday night for Belgrade and Pristina to tone down their aggressive rhetoric, after Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and his Kosovo counterpart Hashim Thaci exchanged angry statements following a meeting as part of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.

The meeting came a day after Kosovo's government decided to impose a 10 per cent customs tariff on all Serbian and Bosnian products, saying the move was in retaliation for Belgrade’s efforts to thwart recognition of its former province.

In Brussels, a visibly angry Vucic said that talks with Pristina will continue when it cancels its “illegal decisions”.

“When somebody threatens to send troops to the north, it introduces tariffs of 10 per cent and ten years after signing, they violate the CEFTA agreement, how can one expect us to agree on anything?" Vucic told Serbian public broadcaster RTS upon leaving the meeting.

He said he does not want to talk about the conditions for continuing the dialogue, but stressed that "none of our people will appear in Brussels until Pristina withdraws all illegal acts."

Kosovo's Thaci told journalists that the meeting was tense, with many confrontations.

“It remains to be seen in the future how things will move, but it is not an easy challenge to face this Serbian apparatus,” he said. “The Serbian discourse was aggressive and arrogant, and our discourse was with arguments to achieve a balanced agreement that would mean mutual recognition and joining UN and replacement of Resolution 1244,” he added.

Mogherini's office replied with a press release saying that the EU expects Serbia and Kosovo to swiftly deliver on their commitment to the Dialogue given the direct link between comprehensive normalisation of relations between them and the concrete prospects for their EU aspirations.

Kosovo and Serbia should “refrain from words, actions and measures that are contrary to the spirit of normalization,” the press release of the EU External Action Service read after the meeting.

This was Vucic and Thaci's first meeting since July 18, after Vucic unexpectedly cancelled a meeting with his Kosovo counterpart in Brussels.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia has vowed never to recognize it. However, both countries are under pressure to solve the decade-long dispute, if they are to assure themselves a future as part of the EU.