LOCAL PRESS

 

Czech Republic values Serbia’s constructive approach to problems in Kosovo (Beta)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said in Prague after the talks with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are in danger of facing a humanitarian catastrophe and that the region should return to where it was before Pristina’s measures.

Brnabic told a joint press conference with Babis that she used the visit to the Czech Republic, which recognized Kosovo’s independence, to make Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Babis familiar with the challenges that Serbia and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija are facing. She pointed out that Serbia had a difficult November because of the measures imposed by Pristina on goods from central Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, stressing that Serbs in the province have been denied newspapers in their mother tongue. According to her, the announcement of the transformation of Kosovo security forces into an army is especially disturbing for both Serbia and regional peace. I asked Babis to help and influence the EU to return to the issues that lead to a stronger and more promising region, rather than to raise barriers, Brnabic said and underlined that the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are in danger of facing a humanitarian catastrophe. The Czech Prime Minister said that he and Brnabic spoke about Kosovo and tensions that are getting stronger. Kosovo does not meet its obligations and we will do all that we can to reduce the tensions to a minimum. We believe that Serbia’s approach is constructive, Babis underlined.

 

Pellegrini: Slovakia explicitly against formation of Kosovo army (Tanjug/B92)

 

Slovakia is explicitly opposed to the transformation of the Kosovo Security Forces into an armed force, Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini has said. At a press conference after his meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic in Bratislava on Tuesday, Pellegrini stressed that his country continues to strongly support the territorial integrity of Serbia, and is not changing its stance on the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo, Tanjug is reporting. Asked by journalists about the possibility of Pristina’s threats being realized, and the so-called army being formed, he replied: “The situation is very complex. Slovakia is a member of NATO and I think that the position of the alliance on this issue is also negative. Therefore, I think that the stance of the alliance will be equally strong, and that is also the stance of the international community and of the EU. Slovakia will use its instruments in the OSCE for resolving this issue.”  The Slovak Prime Minister also said Pristina must receive a clear signal that, if it makes steps against international law and if it violates peace and stability in the region, it cannot count on being a respected partner in Europe. According to him, it is necessary to call on Pristina to step back from these unilateral and above all unconstitutional moves. “No one would want Serbia to be forced to defend its own endangered population in Kosovo with its army. I am sorry that Pristina currently doesn't seem to have an interest in a peaceful solution, and that, in terms of politics, we see a tendency of tension and further escalation,” Pellegrini concluded.

 

Djuric: New measures would threaten future of both Serbs and Albanians (RTS)

 

“Anyone who considers new measures is an enemy of peace and stability in the region, an enemy of the future of both Serbs and Albanians,” the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric told the RTS evening news, adding all Albanian leaders in Kosovo supported the moves, as well as some Western circles which would like to leave Serbia with no options again.

Commenting the fact that the US was delivering armored vehicles to Kosovo, as well as the announcement on the formation of a Kosovo army, Djuric says that KFOR and NATO do not have a mandate to arm but to prevent the creation of paramilitary formations. “Article 14 of Resolution 1244, paragraph b, stipulates KFOR to disarm all Albanian paramilitary formations. This is KFOR’s task. The creation of such a formation would be a threat to peace and stability in the region. Serbia wants peace and stability, its people, government and the President are fighting for it. We want a future, normality, while everything else as politics needs to be defeated,” says Djuric. Djuric says President Vucic is against using force which would only be the last option in case the lives of the Kosovo Serbs were endangered. Djuric said he hoped that would never happen and that Serbian officials had warned the international partners about how dangerous new measures would be. He says only the President and the army Commander-in-Chief Aleksandar Vucic was authorized to decide on any countermeasure against Pristina’s moves.

 

Joksimovic: Two chapters important, but Serbiacold have opened more (RTV/Tanjug)

 

At Monday’s Intergovernmental Conference at the Europa building in Brussels, Serbia opened two new chapters in the EU accession negotiations: Chapter 17 - Economic and Monetary Policy and Chapter 18 - Statistics. The Serbian delegation was led by Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimovic. Speaking at a press conference after the Intergovernmental Conference, Joksimovic expressed her gratitude to EU members who supported the opening of the chapters with Serbia, and added that 19 countries proposed opening three chapters instead of two.

“I want to assure our European partners that they have a serious interlocutor in Serbia, dedicated to the efforts to maintain regional peace and stability,” Joksimovic said, adding that she is not dissatisfied with the fact that only two negotiating chapters have been opened today. She says that two chapters are important, but thinks Serbia could have opened more chapters. Joksimovic said that at the Intergovernmental Conference she expressed gratitude to Austria which kept the EU Enlargement on its agenda of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in second half of 2018. “I have also informed Brussels that we are very worried about what Pristina continues to do, contrary to European values, and that it announces new measures. I have asked our friends and partners from the EU not to make concessions to us, but that values and principles of the EU become familiar to others too, especially to Pristina and Albania, which supported the non-European measures of Pristina authorities,” Joksimovic stated.

 

Fabrizi: Road to EU depends on Serbia (N1)

 

Serbia’s EU road depends more on itself than on the EU, the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi told N1 on Tuesday. “Our view is clear, the more reforms Serbia implements, the better their quality, the faster the process of opening chapters will go,” Fabrizi said a day after Serbia opened two more chapters in its pre-accession negotiations with the EU.

“The opening of chapters means that there is progress and it confirms that there is a commitment by both sides to move forward in the negotiations. Several member states felt that progress had been achieved and that more needs to be done. The view was that Serbia is ready for these two chapters,” he said. “The message is clear – two chapters can be opened, the process continues,” Fabrizi said and added that this should motivate Serbia to defend its position and make progress in rule of law and in the dialogue with Pristina. He said freedom of the media is a field in which the EU consistently said that progress is needed. “The government has realized that this is a field it has to tackle; a working group has been formed to draft the media strategy. We are carefully following what is happening, the job has not been finished,” he said. Fabrizi said there is a need to implement a number of laws. “This is an ongoing process. The more determination in implementing reforms, the faster the process,” he said. He said the Western Balkans are high on the EU list of priorities. “I think the EU devotes great attention to the Western Balkans. We are hoping that this region wants to draw closer to the EU and I think we can show progress and are satisfied. This is a process and everyone has to go in the same direction,” he added. Commenting Pristina’s decision to impose 100 percent taxes on goods from Serbia, Fabrizi said that it’s up to Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement. “I don’t think that all the pressure should come from the EU,” he said, adding that Serbia has taken a balanced position and has not introduced counter-measures.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

FAC discusses issues regarding Western Balkans (BHT1)

 

The EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) held a session in Brussels on Monday. The EU FAC discussed issues related to the Western Balkans with emphasis on changing the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM), relations between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). Following the session, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini said that attendees of the event discussed issues regarding the Western Balkans, including the situation in B&H. Mogherini emphasized the need to encourage political leaders in B&H to take over responsibility and quickly form authorities, in order to move forward with the Reform Agenda. According to Mogherini, she witnessed unexpected and positive steps that B&H managed to make since 2014 until today. Mogherini praised this success, adding that it is totally normal that certain difficulties occur after the general elections. She also stated that B&H has a specific organization, but in her opinion, she believes that - if they stand united together – B&H leaders and citizens can move forward with the Reform Agenda. Mogherini also said that the Election Law of B&H has to be amended as soon as possible. Although expected, a letter the three former High Representatives (HRs) to B&H sent to Mogherini and the ministers to warn of Croatia’s interfering with internal affairs of B&H was not discussed at the meeting. Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejcinovic-Buric told BHT1 that the FAC dedicated less time for B&H compared with the situation that was present at the last meeting. According to Pejcinovic-Buric, there was no a wider discussion on B&H and only several important topics were mentioned. In this regard, Pejcinovic-Buric mentioned the need to ensure conditions for formation of new authorities at all levels of power as soon as possible, to change B&H Election Law and to work on implementation of the Reform Agenda. During the EU FAC session Mogherini called on Kosovo government to withdraw customs tariffs introduced for goods imported from Serbia and B&H. Mogherini stated that she expects from the Kosovo Government to withdraw the decision. She also reminded that during his recent visit to Pristina, European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn said that Kosovo taxes are against rules of the free trade and the atmosphere of cooperation that is being established in regional policy. Mogherini underlined: “We believe that long lasting measures of Kosovo are against European principles”.

 

Croats and Serbs together in fight against desecration of status of constituent people (Dnevni list/Srna)

 

Diplomatic efforts of Republic of Croatia, the aim of which is to stress the issue of inequality of Croats in B&H and their inability to elect their legitimate representatives, are getting the support from representatives of the Serb people in B&H. Namely, daily reminds that Chairman of the Presidency of B&H Milorad Dodik stated in an interview for Srna that there will have to be a dialogue in B&H about solutions imposed by the High Representatives, stressing that they desecrated the Dayton agreement and that he is glad Croatia has realized where this concept is heading. According to daily, last few weeks have shown that Croatia, as an EU member, has realized it has to raise awareness of its European colleagues about what is happening in B&H. In this context daily carries Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic who, in his response to an open letter of three former High Representatives (addressed to High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States in which the three HRs warned that Croatia is interfering in internal matters of B&H) said that “the Croatian policy will not let go of this issue in terms of foreign policy”.

 

Komsic accuses Croatia of undermining B&H and its sovereignty (N1)

 

The Croat member of the B&H Presidency Zeljko Komsic on Monday accused Croatia of undermining B&H and its sovereignty and underlined that good neighborly relations that Croatia advocates can't be built like that. "Good neighborly relations between B&H need to be based on mutual respect and trust after which all outstanding issues can be discussed. However, what Croatia has been doing to Bosnia and Herzegovina is not good. Such activity undermines mutual trust and deeply negates Bosnia and Herzegovina's sovereignty by negating its sovereign government elected at an election," Komsic said for the regional N1 television. Komsic was responding to a statement by Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Saturday in which he critically reflected on Komsic's election as the Croat member to the presidency and noted that he would not give up on advocating the rights of Croats in B&H. "In terms of foreign policy, Croatia will not cease addressing this topic. As long as I am the head of government, we will not give up on that," Plenkovic said on Saturday, underlining that Croatia would not give up protecting the interests of the Croats in B&H. He dismissed claims by three former high representatives of the international community in Sarajevo, Paddy Ashdown, Christian Schwarz-Schilling and Carl Bildt, who accused Zagreb of meddling in B&H's internal affairs. "No one knows B&H better than Croatia, and no one is a better friend and ally of B&H than Croatia" Plenkovic said, recalling Croatia's concrete assistance to its neighbor regarding its application for European Union membership candidate status. The election of Zeljko Komsic as the Croat representative in the tripartite presidency of B&H complies with the letter of the country's constitution based on the Dayton peace accords but it is not in line with the spirit of that constitution, as Komsic was elected thanks to votes of non-Croat voters, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak said in Brussels on Monday. He was elected thanks to ballots cast by non-Croat voters and as a result, the Croats in B&H do not feel that they have their representative in the presidency, Lajcak said while answering questions from the press about the post-election situation in B&H which held general elections on 7 October. Asked to comment on a letter in which three former High Representatives -- Carl Bildt, Paddy Ashdown and Schwarz-Schilling -- accuse Croatia of interfering in B&H’s internal affairs, Lajcak said that such an approach only made the current situation worse. I think that politicising this issue is to the detriment of Croats living in B&H. I think that we should work on making them feel equal in relation to others, feel that they have their political representation and do not have the problems that they now obviously have, said the Slovak minister, who was attending a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

 

Covic informs Orban that post of Croat member of B&H Presidency was once again taken away from Croats (ATV)

 

HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic held a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest on Monday. Covic informed Orban that “the post of the Croat member of the B&H Presidency was taken away from Croats” in the general elections in October. He explained that despite the “plebiscitary support” that Croats in B&H gave to the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS) and HDZ B&H, this post was once again taken away from Croats due to the “unconstitutional and undemocratic,” Election Law of B&H, reads a statement issued by HDZ B&H. Covic and Orban pointed out the importance of the EU enlargement, as it would be too dangerous to have the eastern part of Europe disintegrated. Orban expressed his unreserved support to European path of B&H, which he sees as multi-ethnic and sovereign state formed by three people.

 

B&H CEC passes decision to call and hold early elections for mayors and heads of nine cities, municipalities in B&H (ATV)

 

The B&H Central Election Commission (CEC) passed on Monday the decision to call and hold early elections for mayors and heads of nine cities and municipalities in B&H, which will be held on February 17, 2019. Mayors of Doboj and Trebinje and Heads of Grahovo, Petrovac, Buzim, Domaljevac/Samac, Drvar, Kakanj and Ribnik will be elected on this occasion. The election-related activities should start as early as on Tuesday, December 11. CEC Chairman Branko Petric explained that the forms for collecting signatures for candidacies are already available for potential candidates. Namely, officials who were at helm of these local authorities either won mandates in legislative authorities in B&H in the general elections, which were held in October, or left their positions in local authorities to take over new duties in their career.

 

Chapter 27 opened in Brussels: Great success for Montenegro (TMN)

 

Montenegro officially opened negotiations in Chapter 27 - Environment and Climate Change at the Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. At the conference, it was stressed that the opening of this chapter is another success for Montenegro and recognition for the intensive work on harmonizing domestic legislation with EU regulations and building the necessary administrative capacity. In his address to the representatives of the member states and the European Commission, Head of the Montenegrin delegation, Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic, said that Montenegro has opened 32 chapters to date, of which three are closed. Darmanovic added that the effort the country is putting in the alignment with the Acquis communautaire testifies to its continued and strong commitment to the European integration process. He believes that by opening the last negotiating chapter in the months ahead, Montenegro will once again confirm its leadership position, but also give a new impetus to the integration process, not only in the country but also in the countries of the region. The goal is to confirm the credibility of the European perspective of the Western Balkans. Darmanovic noted that the opening of Chapter 27 is very important, as the Constitution of 2007 defined Montenegro as an ecological state, dedicated to environmental protection and development based on sustainability principles. He highlighted that the process of European integration is the only framework that guarantees stability in the region and thus in Europe. “That is why we are sure that the presence of the EU in the region and the continuity of the enlargement policy are of fundamental importance for stability, further economic development and the competitiveness of the European continent at a global level," Darmanovic concluded. Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavle Radulovic stressed that the State is committed to protecting the environment. He said that the Government of Montenegro established the Environmental Protection Fund (Eco Fund) in late November in order to create the legal framework for future investments in the field of environment and climate change. European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn also spoke at the opening of negotiations in Chapter 27, saying that Montenegro is making a significant step forward on its “European path”. He also welcomed the progress in the rule of law and said that the focus, in the coming period, should be placed on the activities under negotiating chapters 23 and 24. Commissioner Hahn reiterated that the European Commission will continue to support the integration of Montenegro into the EU in terms.

 

Xhaferi: Constitutional amendments to be voted on January 15 (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

The debate on the constitutional amendments arising from the Prespa Agreement will begin on December 17, the plenary session will be scheduled by January 9 at the earliest and the vote will take place on January 15, said Parliament Speaker Talat Xhaferi. “The last couple of debates hosted by the government are taking place in Stip and Tetovo. The government is then obliged to file a report to the Parliament regarding the public debates, as well as the draft-amendments to be discussed in the final stage of the constitutional revision. According to the Rules of Procedure, the committee debate will begin on December 17, during which MPs can put forward amendments to the already endorsed constitutional amendments. According to my estimates, the plenary session will be scheduled n January 9 at the earliest, whereas the final vote of the constitutional amendments should take place on January 15, speaker Xhaferi told reporters at the joint press conference with Albanian counterpart Gramoz Ruci. He added that Greece would then have to ratify the Prespa Agreement and Macedonia’s NATO accession protocol in its parliament, thus encircling the entire process. As for the Macedonian minority in Albania, speaker Ruci said the law on national minorities meets international standards related to the treatment of minorities. “Prespa does not meet the criteria for municipality as per the new law on territorial organization. However, the government has decided to enable this, so they can operate as a municipality, elect a mayor and council, which demonstrates Albania’s commitment to the Macedonian minority,” said Ruci.

 

Zaev: there will be no general amnesty law (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

There is no plan for drafting a law on general amnesty with regard to 27 April 2017 Parliament incidents, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Monday. Discussions are underway only for a possibility amnesty to be granted only to those who were not involved in masterminding, organizing the attack on Parliament and in the acts of violence, Zaev told journalists at a public debate on constitutional amendments in Stip. Zaev also pointed out that Greece was not drafting any annex to the Prespa Agreement with regards to his recent statement about the Macedonian language. “I have been in touch with Greek PM Alexis Tsipras on regular basis. We must however pay attention to our rhetoric. It is a fact that the Macedonian language – part of the group of the South Slavic languages – is notified in the agreement. It is also a fact that our country is going to become the Republic of North Macedonia. We should be careful as Greece recognizes our right of self-determination and usage of the Macedonian language,” Zaev said.

 

Hahn: I hope Gruevski's extradition will happen, but it's unlikely (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Johannes Hahn has declared ahead of the start of the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers that he does not believe that Nikola Gruevski will be extradited from Hungary to Macedonia. Asked if he supports the amendments adopted by the European Parliament where Hungary is asked to return Gruevski to Skopje, Hahn said that: “I hope this will happen, but I’m quite doubtful, because the two countries do not have an agreement for extradition. However, I understand the position of the European Parliament”. Hahn declared that last week he has talked to ministers Nikola Dimitrov and Radmila Sekerinska about the “way forward” the Prespa Agreement and the reforms that Macedonia needs to carry out in order to obtain a positive opinion by the European Commission.

 

Students refuse PM calls for dialogue (ADN)

 

Students refused once again on Monday, Prime Minister's calls for dialogue over their eight requests for education.  In a public reaction after PM, Edi Rama offers huge changes, they declared that will not accept dialogue if all their eight requests will not be fulfilled.

Protest is still going on in front of the Ministry of Education, while they promise the biggest massive protest ever on Tuesday, exactly 28 years after the biggest revolution of Students on December 11, 1990.

 

New protests hit Albania, Rama reacts (ADN)

 

Prime Minister Edi Rama has reacted on Monday afternoon after new protests started in Kavaje, Lezhe and Shkoder regarding the high price of fuel. According to him the one who are protesting are employees in the Municipalities. "It is interesting. Lezha Municipality employees protest as farmers, those of Shkodra Municipality as drivers and those of Municipality of Kavaja as a Frenchman. Students should not dialogue, but they must be held hostage at all costs to be used as the center of gravity of the Lulzim Basha and Monika Kryemadhi's revolution. Not politics?" said Rama. Earlier this day, the Premier offered dialogue for negotiation with the students but they did not accept unless the demanded requests by them, are fulfilled.

 

Vasili: The end of Rama inevitable (ADN)

 

The head of the Parliamentary Group of Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI), Petrit Vasili, declared on Monday that the end of Prime Minister Edi Rama in inevitable. According to him, the hopes of Rama to cover the theft of 'Big Ring' project, have died. "Rama's fatal end to stealing from the 'Big Ring' project is inevitable. The theft and the EUR 40 million giant scandal has totally closed the Rama's mouth. Thieves and the theft mechanism is very clear. Any of Prime Minister's hope that he can close this matter, has died. The public has at its disposal all the clear, irrefutable and decaying facts," said Vasili.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Ninth meeting of the Accession Conference with Serbia at Ministerial level, Brussels, 10 December 2018 (EEAS, press release, 10 December 2018)

 

The ninth meeting of the Accession Conference with Serbia at Ministerial level was held today in Brussels to open negotiations on Chapter 17 - Economic and monetary policy and Chapter 18 – Statistics.

The European Union delegation was led by Ms Karin KNEISSL, the Austrian Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The European Commission was represented by Mr Johannes HAHN, Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. The Serbian delegation was led by Ms Jadranka JOKSIMOVIĆ, Minister of European integration.

With today's Conference, 16 negotiation chapters have now been opened for negotiations out of a total of 35, of which 2 chapters have already been provisionally closed. Further Accession Conferences will be planned, as appropriate, in order to take the process forward in the first half of 2019. The accession negotiations were launched in January 2014.

Chapters opened

Regarding the opening of negotiations on Chapter 17 - Economic and monetary policy and Chapter 18 – Statistics, the Union has closely examined Serbia's present state of preparations. On the understanding that Serbia has to continue to make progress in the alignment with and implementation of the acquis in these chapters, the EU noted that there are benchmarks that need to be met for provisional closure of these chapters.

In addition, the EU underlined that it would devote particular attention to monitoring all specific issues mentioned in its common positions. Monitoring of progress in the alignment with and implementation of the acquis will continue throughout the negotiations. The Conference will have to return to these chapters at an appropriate moment.

As regards the benchmarks, the opened chapters may only be provisionally closed once it is agreed by the EU that the following benchmarks are met:

Chapter 17 - Economic and monetary policy

Serbia has aligned its legal framework with the acquis in order to ensure full central bank independence, the prohibition of monetary financing of the public sector, the prohibition of privileged access by public authorities to financial institutions, and the full integration of its central bank into the European System of Central Banks.

Serbia has aligned its legal framework to comply with requirements for national budgetary frameworks as laid down in Council Directive 2011/85/EU.

Serbia has fulfilled the criterion of being a functioning market economy.

Chapter 18 - Statistics

Serbia submits key national accounts data in accordance with European System of National and Regional Accounts (ESA) 2010 and other relevant requirements together with the required detailed description of the methodology used. Eurostat has verified the data and the descriptions presented, and confirmed appropriate alignment with the EU rules.

Serbia presents to the Commission a road map for the transmission of the remaining tables from the ESA 2010 Transmission Programme and the not yet implemented methodological issues.

 

Germany urges Kosovo to drop tariffs on Serbia (Reuters, 11 December 2018)

 

PARIS - German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday urged Kosovo to rescind, or at least suspend implementation of 100 percent tariffs that Pristina has slapped on Serbian goods.

Maas, speaking in Paris at a meeting on curbing the spread of small arms from the Balkans, said he also regretted the withdrawal of minority Serbs from government in the northern Kosovo region surrounding Mitrovica. “A further escalation must be urgently prevented,” Maas said in a prepared text of his remarks. “The successes of the dialogue on normalisation must be preserved.” Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have risen in recent months after Belgrade blocked Pristina’s membership in Interpol. Kosovo last week said it would maintain the 100 percent tariffs it imposed on Serbian goods in November until Belgrade recognises Pristina, defying calls by the European Union and United States for the tariffs to be abolished.

The decision effectively halted trade between the two states, in a move that Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said would lead to the destabilisation of the region. Maas said improved relations would accelerate efforts of Serbia, Kosovo and other Balkan countries to join the European Union. “Instead of thinking about changing borders, Belgrade and Pristina should focus their efforts on a viable agreement that covers all open questions and makes possible a comprehensive normalisation,” he said.

 

Kosovo prime minister warns Brussels of risk to Balkans stability (The Financial Times, by

Valerie Hopkins, 11 December 2018)

 

Haradinaj says EU membership will underpin peace and frustrate Russian ambitions

Kosovo’s prime minister has warned Brussels that it must take the country’s EU aspirations more seriously to avoid further instability in the Balkans. He accused Serbia of acting in Russia’s interest to destabilise the region. In an interview with the Financial Times, Ramush Haradinaj blamed Serbia, from which Kosovo declared independence in 2008, for a diplomatic offensive to undermine his country’s contested statehood. “We believe Europe has given us a chance, a road map to become an EU member and we are thankful for that,” Mr Haradinaj said. But he added that EU leaders had not responded adequately to Pristina’s complaints about Belgrade. He said that while the EU had invested funds and personnel to normalise Kosovo and the region, “all of Serbia’s actions are against EU interests to stabilise the western Balkans, and in the interests of Russia to keep the chaotic situation in our region”. His comments come at a time of heightened tension between Kosovo and Serbia. Kosovo’s parliament is set to vote on December 14 to create a regular army and uncertainty continues over a potential deal to engineer a partition of the country that would see it cede parts of its territory to Serbia. Last month, Kosovo applied a 100 per cent tariff to goods from Serbia in retaliation for Belgrade’s refusal to endorse its membership of Interpol. Mr Haradinaj said the tariff would be removed only if Kosovo won full recognition of its independence from Serbia. “We haven’t done this because of arrogance — we had no other choice,” he said. “We resisted taking this measure for a long time now but there was no other way out. The tax will be removed with full normalisation, and full normalisation means recognition,” he added. More than 110 countries now recognise Kosovo, but Serbia, Russia, China and five EU members are among those that do not. In negotiations with its former province, Belgrade has insisted that any potential agreement would not include recognition of statehood. Mr Haradinaj said Serbia had been allowed to wage a hostile campaign against Kosovo and was undermining its neighbour’s chances of joining the EU while continuing its own accession process. Federica Mogherini, EU foreign policy chief, has called for Pristina to revoke the tariff “immediately”, saying it is in contravention of the Central European Free Trade Agreement, to which all EU aspirants in the western Balkans are party. Johannes Hahn, the EU enlargement commissioner, travelled to Belgrade and Pristina this month to try to mediate a compromise on the tariff issue, but none was forthcoming. “We have complained [to the European Commission] all these years about Serbia not respecting the Cefta, not respecting the Brussels agreements, not respecting other promises given at the table, but they were not so focused on us,” Mr Haradinaj said, referring to agreements reached between Pristina and Belgrade since 2011 on issues left unresolved after the 1998-99 Kosovo war. Nato bombed Serbia for 11 weeks to expel Serbian forces after a huge ethnic cleansing operation on the majority Albanian population. The tariff on Serbian goods has boosted the premier’s popularity and given Mr Haradinaj a more favourable standing in a dispute with the country’s president Hashim Thaci over a potential deal with Belgrade, which could involve Kosovo ceding some of its territory to Serbia in exchange for some degree of recognition and UN membership. Mr Haradinaj said the idea of border changes or territory swaps was a “danger for our region”. The plan has been endorsed by Mr Thaci, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic and a number of European leaders. “It makes no sense that we engage in this deal in exchange for Serbia to recognise what is a fact — that Kosovo exists. We are recognised by half of the UN members,” Mr Haradinaj said. Many observers doubt a deal is within reach given the increase in tensions. Serbian prime minister Ana Brnabic said on Wednesday that if Kosovo did form an army, a military response was “currently one of the options on the table”. An overwhelming majority of Kosovars back the idea of joining the EU. But frustration about the fact that Kosovars cannot travel to Schengen countries without a visa has also engendered deep resentment. Kosovars had hoped the EU would approve visa-free travel before Romania assumes the EU presidency in January. During his visit to Pristina, Mr Hahn said that it was “realistic” that visa liberalisation could begin in 2020.