LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Serbia considering arbitration over Kosovo violation of CEFTA (Beta/Tanjug/RTS)

 

Responding to a question from a Kosovo reporter, Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said that Serbia was considering launching an international arbitration because of the Pristina authorities' violation of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) by introducing taxes on imports from Serbia. “This is the only way to protect the interests of Serbia at this time and also for those who signed the agreement to pay the price in accordance with the agreement they signed,” Brnabic told reporters at the second Western Balkans Digital Summit in Belgrade.

She recalled that Brussels and certain EU member states as well as the US, but also UNMIK, had vocally stated several times that Pristina's decision was a violation of CEFTA, but also the Stabilization and Association Agreement which Pristina had signed with the EU.

 

I hope Pristina will not impose taxes on roaming deal

Brnabic said Thursday she was hoping a regional agreement on roaming charges would be another step towards a more integrated region and also expressed the hope all parties, Pristina in particular, would comply with its provisions. “I hope Pristina will not impose 100 pct taxes on this agreement - I guess that is why they signed it today,” Brnabic told a press conference at the Digital Summit. Experience shows there are agreements that have been signed but not complied with, she said.

 

Ljajic: Roaming charges agreement great benefit for citizens (Tanjug)

 

Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic said on Thursday that citizens will receive the greatest benefit from the signing of a regional agreement on roaming charges because of a planned reduction of prices of roaming services. Ljajic said that the agreement defines the maximum price for the services, which means calls will range from 0.05 to 0.19 Euros, SMS services from 0.02 to 0.05 Euros, and data transmission per megabyte 0.025 to 0.18 Euros. Speaking about an agreement on qualified trust services signed with Montenegrin officials at the WB Digital Summit on Thursday, Ljajic said that, thanks to the deal, seals will become a thing of the past and that the benefit from the agreement will be felt by both the citizens and the economy. This means that a contract with partners from Serbia can be signed in Podgorica, which was not possible until now, said Ljajic.

 

Opposition leaders try to force their way into city assembly (B92/Tanjug)

 

Chaotic scenes on Thursday morning in front of the Belgrade City Assembly. According to media reports, Alliance for Serbia (SzS) supporters gathered in front of the building, along with a large number of reporters. Footage from the scene does not show clearly who is who, nor who spoke using a megaphone. Judging by the cursing and the insults, it was one of the SzS members, considering they were calling out the city government. There was a lot of noise, boos, whistles, trumpets, shouts of fascists. City official Goran Vesic was called a thief, while journalists received a barrage of insults, including a TV Prva reporter, who was referred to as an SNS bot.

Tanjug later reported that the session of the Council for Equality was cut short because SzS leaders tried to force their way into the building. The agency also said that SzS leaders Bosko Obradovic, Nikola Jovanovic, and Marko Bastac were seen in front the Assembly. They asked for the mayor of Belgrade, Zoran Radojicic - whom they called potted plant, version 2.0 - to address them. An ambulance also arrived at the scene. Those gathered claim that an elderly woman had been taken ill when Bastac allegedly turned his megaphone into her ear, causing her to faint. According to reports, another woman also felt ill. One of the SzS leaders and head of the coalition's councilor group in the Assembly, Nikola Jovanovic, said he went inside the building and spoke with representatives of the City Administration, asking if the mayor was in his workplace because he wanted to talk to him as a counselor. Jovanovic said he received a promise that the mayor would go out and address those gathered. He also claims that he saw Deputy Mayor Goran Vesic in the building, who he said sent women out to defend it. A number of women working in the City Administration, including Secretary Natasa Stanisavljevic, Deputy President of the City Assembly Andrea Radulovic and others - who pushed the SzS leaders out of the building - were shouting, fascists, while opposition representatives shouted, Vesic, thief, demanding that the mayor comes out and addresses them.

 

Vucic: Fascism won’t pass here (B92)

 

“I urge the citizens of Serbia not to worry about the latest fascist incursion of Bosko Obradovic and his followers into the City Assembly. Fascism will not pass,” President Aleksandar Vucic said. In an unscheduled address to the media after the events in front of the Belgrade City Assembly, Vucic said that he first wanted to apologize to the women who prevented SzS members from storming the Assembly. “I apologize to the women who had to suffer insults from unknown persons, because Obradovic is not from Belgrade, he did not even stand in elections for the city parliament. What had been done in Hungary and Nazi Germany - these fascist ideas will not pass in Serbia, and therefore I call on institutions to do their job. Fascism has no future in Serbia because democracy is a form of political regime that we have been fostering and continue to foster,” Vucic said. Speaking about a previous announcement made by Obradovic, the leader of the Dveri Movement, that an opposition protest planned for Saturday, 6 April, will see participants go to the TV Pink building, Vucic said that they will not be allowed to enter the broadcaster's premises, and that violence will not be allowed to anyone. Vucic pointed out that he does not want to in any way fall for the provocations of the SzS, which have been directed at the police the whole time, in order to cause some reaction. “The police will have to react in some way and at some point,” Vucic said, adding that everyone should realize about what kind of bullies this is about. “The fact that they are kicking policemen, swinging at women, taking chainsaws with them, gallows – it’s no coincidence – it’s a habit, and the state will have to react,” the President underlined. He also guaranteed to journalists that nothing would happen to them and that no one would beat them.

 

Jeremic: Radicalization of anti-government protests is necessary (N1) 

 

The president of the People's Party Vuk Jeremic stated that the radicalization of anti-government protests was necessary after the large rally in Belgrade on 13 April. Jeremic said that the reason for that was the fact that the authorities had been refusing to hear the demands of the citizens and the opposition for a full four months now. According to Jeremic, this radicalization must by no means envisage violence, conflicts and making the people's life more difficult in any way. "The radicalization should come in various forms of civil disobedience, which should partially block the functioning of the regime," Jeremic told N1, as conveyed by the People's Party.

 

Rome: Serbs and Italians as victims of NATO bombs (Novosti/Tanjug/B92)

 

A gathering has been held in Rome dedicated to the consequences of the use of depleted uranium ammunition. The participants in the event, which was also attended by a Serbian delegation, said that it was time to hear the truth, and that NATO should never again use depleted uranium - as it had done during the 78-day bombing of Serbia in 1999. “We are asking Europe to help those affected by the consequences of the NATO bombing, for all documentation to be considered in European capitals and to decide how help those who fell ill and who suffered damages. Because both Italians and Serbs suffered,” said Domenico Leggero of Osservatorio Militare (Military Observatory). He also said that it was time to hear the truth and acknowledge the victims, and end the silence, Novosti is reporting. The Serbian delegation was led by Darko Laketic, who chairs the Serbian parliamentary commission set up to investigate the consequences of the NATO bombing on the health of our country’s citizens. Laketic provided information about the bombing and the amount of missiles with depleted uranium that were used, as well as the evidence collected so far that show the effects of radioactive and toxic substances are more than evident. He cited as examples studies done in several villages, as well as research including those born after 1999. Laketic emphasized that the Serbian commission is collecting documentation modeled on the methodology from an Italian commission's report. Serbia is gathering medical documentation from hospitals, medical centers, while a medical-scientific study has been conducted analyzing the health status of children and the incidence of malignancies of each generation, using a group of children from five to nine years old. Speakers from Italy also recalled the terrible health balance of Italian soldiers who participated in peacekeeping missions in areas previously attacked with NATO's depleted uranium missiles - 373 dead and more than 7,500 who fell ill. They also recalled that the patients and the families of the deceased won hundreds of court cases. The scientific meeting held under the name, “Depleted Uranium Victims - One Year after the Fourth Parliamentary Commission for Investigation, the Present and the Future” was held in Rome, organized by the Italian association “Victims of Depleted Uranium” and the Military Observatory with the Italian Defense Department. Srdjan Aleksic, a lawyer from Nis who organized the first international conference on the consequences of the bombing in Serbia, as well as the representatives of the Alliance of Serbs in Italy from several cities attended the gathering.

 

Laketic meets Italian officials at Conference on Uranium in Rome (Tanjug)

 

The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Commission to Investigate the Consequences of the 1999 NATO Bombing Darko Laketic took part in the conference in Rome. Italian Minister of Health Giulia Grillo spoke at the conference, as did the Chair of IV Defense Commission Gianluca Rizzo, former chair of the IV Committee of inquiry on the effects of the use of depleted uranium Gian Piero Scanu, Minister of Defense envoy Veronica Fortezzi, experts, the media, NGO representatives and the families of Italian soldiers who had succumbed to the effects of depleted uranium. Laketic thanked the Italian partners for the cooperation and highlighted the importance of the results yielded by the probe saying that the Report on the effects of the use of depleted uranium on health that the Italian Board of Inquiry had forwarded to the Serbian Assembly has a much wider European and global importance. Laketic presented the work of the Serbian parliamentary Commission to Investigate the Consequences of the 1999 NATO Bombing which has at this stage began to reveal a correlation between the incidence of certain diseases and the effects of the NATO bombing. “It is our duty to get to the truth, to find out what is behind the rising numbers of serious diseases among the populace and if possible to remove the culprits from our environment and begin early treatment where needed,” said Laketic. In the course of the conference Laketic met with Grillo, noting that Serbia and Italy share a common cause - to uncover the truth about the effects of depleted uranium and other toxins on human health and the environment. Addressing the conference, Minister Grillo thanked Laketic for coming to take part in it. Laketic also talked with Rizzo and reaffirmed the readiness to continue the cooperation between the two national parliaments on uncovering the truth about the effects of depleted uranium and other toxins. Mr. Rizzo accepted Laketic’s invitation to come and visit Serbia, and the officials agreed that the two commissions’ efforts could provide a good basis for joint actions toward the EU. Former MP Gian Piero Scanu, who also took part in the conference, said he was pleased the results of the Italian Committee of inquiry were shared with the Serbian colleagues and hopefully contributed to the work of the Serbian parliamentary Commission. Scanu emphasized the importance of future cooperation between Italy and Serbia on investigating the effects of depleted uranium and, along with retired officer and publicist of the Military Observatory Domenico Leggiero, personally apologized to the Republic of Serbia and its citizens for Italy’s participation in the NATO bombing.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dnevni avaz interview with Milorad Dodik (Dnevni avaz)

 

Dnevni avaz daily carried an interview with Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik. Asked about the issue of the activation of the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP) and formation of the Council of Ministers of B&H, Dodik rejected allegations that a consensus has been reached, claiming it is nonsense. “You cannot see this anywhere else. Bakir Izetbegovic (SDA leader) gives a statement, harmonizes with everyone and comes, Dragan Covic (HDZ B&H leader) and I sign it, but he refuses! And what am I supposed to explain here? There is an article where they insist on that talk about the MAP, and we said that nobody is going to remove it from the agenda; it is going to be put down for later, but that should not be a condition for the authority formation. They say it is, and then nothing, goodbye. I am not interested. Push this convocation of the Council of Ministers” said Dodik and stressed that he believes SDA has a plan to keep loyal SDS and PDP Serbs in the state authority as long as possible. He went on to say that the whole process of authority formation has become disgusting, adding that when they went to Brussels and met high-ranking EU officials they begged them to give them positive opinion about the EU candidate status, but they cannot do that without formed state authority. “What are we to do now? Here, call me tomorrow, I have people to take over the posts and they should be the ones dealing with the MAP and all other issues on the agenda. You do not want to do that? Ok. I am fine here,” said Dodik. Asked if that means he is not going to change his stance about NATO and MAP activation, he said that B&H already has active cooperation with NATO, and Republika Srpska (RS) participated in many joint activities. “Such form of cooperation should be strengthened. But there is no consensus on this issue. I sense why this is important to someone. They tell me it is not important for the membership in NATO, but there it says it is a plan for the NATO membership. And in five years they will tell me; ‘Here, five years ago you passed this plan,’” said Dodik and pointed out that the RS does not want to join NATO because of Serbia’s stance. Dodik said that Serbs watched NATO destroy TV receivers on Mt. Kozara and it was hard for them to watch that; Kesmer said that Bosniaks watched the RS Army shell Sarajevo and its citizens for three and a half years, and Dodik replied: “I am not saying anything, I do not want to get into that. Let us not talk about that now. You did a lot of things, and you brought a court that prosecutes only Serbs. How can Naser Oric (wartime Srebrenica commander) can talk about (Radovan) Karadzic when it was proven that he killed a man, and nothing was proven to Karadzic.” Dodik refused to say whether he now plans to rename the student dorms in Pale named after Karadzic, as he has been found guilty of war crimes, and he only said that they should talk about serious topics, not some past events.

Asked about his goals and plans as the member of the Presidency of B&H, Dodik said that his goal is to do better than his predecessors, and the biggest issue at the moment is formation of the state authority. Commenting the decision of the Constitutional Court of B&H regarding the celebration of 9 January as the RS Day, Dodik said: “It was completely unnecessary decision. I believe that only increased mistrust for the Constitutional Court, after a series of decisions against the RS, as we see it.” He explained that if B&H wants to build its own stable legal system, it will have to define and adopt the Law on the Constitutional Court of B&H, and to eliminate foreigners from the system. “You must understand, especially the public in the Federation of B&H, that it is not easy to have two judges who previously acted as SDA vice-presidents, and have them pass decisions about the RS. As if someone from the wartime SDS were a judge in the Constitutional Court and passed decisions against Bosniaks. That decision does not serve building of trust. But we will celebrate 9 January,” said Dodik and added that they cannot accept a Macedonian judge who celebrates Ilinden (St. Elijah’s Day) to tell them they cannot celebrate RS Day, or to have a High Representative in whose country nine state holidays match Christian holidays. “However, we understand what this is about. Bosniak political elite believes all the elements related to the RS should be abolished.” Asked if he would accept a certain compromise regarding state holidays, Dodik briefly said: “There is no need to talk. Maybe there was before, but not anymore.” Commenting his claims about secession of the RS, Dodik said that they have a right to it in accordance with the UN Charter, Article 7. “I do not think that is going to pass, but I have a right to say it. I am not against the Dayton-B&H, but I am against imposed solutions. I offer an agreement. I am not against having a court and a prosecutor’s office at the level of B&H, in charge of international terrorism, organized, crime and some other big stories. But what do we have now? There is no such B&H! If such court and prosecutor’s office are my association to B&H, I want to abolish everything immediately. I believe there are Bosniaks who believe this is an absolute decadence. SDA is using it to frame Dodik, arrest Fahrudin Radoncic or process Dragan Covic. That is the purpose of the Court and the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H.”

 

Borenovic: NATO too far away to be decided upon (FTV)

 

President of PDP Branislav Borenovic, asked about the B&H membership in NATO, said that the issue of security and safety of citizens in very important. He said that the question of NATO integration is too far away in the future to create such a division which is present now. He added that the entire region needs to move towards becoming a safe area without wars. Borenovic said that the NATO path is a challenging question for B&H and it is far away, so no one needs to declare themselves whether they will be part of a military alliance or not.

 

NATO HQ Sarajevo: NATO remains committed to B&H (Oslobodjenje)

 

On occasion of NATO’s 70th anniversary, NATO HQ Sarajevo reiterated NATO's continued commitment to B&H. “The Alliance has supported reforms and helped build capabilities that benefit the people of B&H for many years. Through the work of NATO HQ Sarajevo, the Alliance will continue to cooperate with and support the B&H Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces, and other B&H institutions working on Partnership for Peace tasks, focusing on the day to day reform efforts. All these reforms are aimed at strengthening the key pillars of B&H society, making it more transparent, efficient and able to respond to the needs of its citizens,” reads NATO HQ statement.

 

SDA announces meeting with DF and signing of principles; DF denies meeting is scheduled (Nezavisne)

 

In statement to the daily, SDA Secretary General Halid Genjac confirmed that SDA and DF delegations should meet on Friday and sign the principles for future activities. He said that the meeting should take place before the noon, but did not want to comment the principles, saying that the public and media will be informed after the meeting. However, on the other side, nobody in DF could not or wanted to confirm that the meeting will take place. Member of DF Presidency, Dzenan Djonlagic told the daily that he cannot talk at the moment, but there is no official meeting. DF Vice President Samer Residat said that he is not informed about the meeting, but that the daily should talk to Secretary General Zlatko Miletic as he is in charge of the negotiations. Miletic briefly told the daily that he cannot give any information about the meeting before Monday, when the press conference will most likely be scheduled.

 

Borenovic: Basis of B&H CoM will be SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD; We agreed on key issues necessary for progress of B&H, like Election Law (FTV)

 

President of PDP Branislav Borenovic, asked about the rejection of the offer made by SNSD to form authorities on the B&H level, which PDP published on Wednesday, said that it is clear the basis of the future B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) will be formed by SDA, HDZ B&H and SNSD and this was obvious after the general elections and the election of the delegates into the B&H House of People (B&H HoP). He reminded that SNSD and HDZ B&H each have four delegates in the B&H HoP and they were elected with the help of SDA. Borenovic explained that the PDP Presidency decided that they will not form a coalition with these three parties and they will follow their work outside and support everything that they deem to be good coming from the new B&H authorities. Asked if this means that they will have more freedom to participate in decisions made in the RS, Borenovic stressed that it is important for every democracy to have a clear authority, but also a clear opposition. He stated that both of these sides have to fulfill their democratic obligations. Borenovic highlighted that they agreed with the authorities on some key issues that are necessary for the progress of B&H. He said those were the B&H Election Law, a Law on Political Parties and a parliamentary body which will control the work of the public media services of the RS. Commenting further on this issue, Borenovic said that B&H has very good laws but some legal solutions need to be implemented and applied. Borenovic stated that media services which report only one side and serve political interests are so present in B&H on all sides that it has become an objective problem in the entire country. He said that it is good that all political parties that are in the parliament will have the possibility to monitor the work of the public media services in accordance with the legal solutions. Asked about possible solutions to the B&H Election Law changes, Borenovic said that it is very important to make a new Election Law or change the existing one in order to make fair elections possible. He reminded that numerous manipulations and irregularities were registered at the previous general elections. Borenovic said that PDP wants to introduce the scanning of ballots, video-surveillance on polling stations and sprays that can stop one person from voting multiple times. Borenovic said that other parties showed interest in the changes and he suggests that it would be good to make these changes in this year, when there are no elections.

 

Govedarica: SNSD’s calls for talks is insincere (BN TV)

 

Leader of SDS Vukota Govedarica stated that SDS refused to be part of authorities, considering that this is the best political position and that this is a principled and a consistent stance. Govedarica assessed that the story on Serb unity cannot be a political trick for public, because in this case, the background is not unity, but single-mindedness. According to Govedarica, SNSD’s call for talks that was published at the beginning of February, was insincere. He added: “If it was sincere, we would not have to wait for two months for the talks. If it was sincere, I guess it would be normal to at least inform us what kind of principles SNSD, SDA and HDZ harmonized”. In his opinion, the decision reached at the SDS Main Board is in the best interest of the party and it cannot be harmful for the RS and its people in any way. Commenting on the situation in SDS, he said that some credible members in this party believe that it would be better for the party to be part of authorities with SNSD and that the party will benefit a lot in this case. He underlined: “We disagree in this case. I find that we need changes, and not entering into some authorities at all costs. In these kind of political circumstances, would it be better for the people that all parties are part of authorities and mildly said, appendages of SNSD?” Govedarica also said that one should not forget that one of the basic characteristics of modern democracies is high-quality and strong opposition. Furthermore, he went on by saying that SDS is ready to talk about topics that have big political significance and search for the best solutions for the RS and its people. In the end, Govedarica underlined that the time will show whether the goal was really unity or single-mindedness.

 

Mektic and Avdic harshly react to decision of Prosecutor’s Office of B&H not to launch investigation against Kresic, Djakovic and Bandic (TV1)

 

The B&H Prosecutor’s Office decided on Wednesday that it will not conduct an investigation against B&H Deputy Minister of Security Mijo Kresic, RTRS journalist Mato Djakovic, and Croatian Consul-General in Tuzla Ivan Bandic regarding the intelligence affair in B&H pertaining to the Croatian Security-Intelligence Agency (SOA). The Prosecutor’s Office explained that all witnesses interviewed in regards to the abovementioned issue failed to present any information proving that the abovementioned three persons participated in activities they were accused of. B&H Minister of Security Dragan Mektic said that the goal of the Prosecutor’s Office is to “clean” names of some people who are relatives of Chief Prosecutor Gordana Tadic. He reminded that the Prosecutor’s Office passed the controversial decision by saying that although there are not elements for the investigation they will resume to work on this case. Mektic went on saying that the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H has been attempting to deceive the public. Mektic told the reporters that the claims, which he presented to the public, were true and that SOA tried to recruit several B&H nationals in order to present B&H as a “terrorist hotspot”. He emphasized that stopping of the investigation against these three men does not mean that the full investigation of this intelligence affair should not be conducted. “Why do they care about how I acquired this information,” asked Mektic and added: “Is my information true? Yes.”. Minister Mektic believes it is less important to establish how and when he was informed about this case, explaining that he, as a security minister, can be verbally informed about such activities. “But, they need to manipulate the public here and deceive the public about this case. That is what the Prosecutor’s Office is trying to do and I claim that the Prosecutor’s Office is motivated by strong family ties,” concluded Mektic. According to latest allegations published by certain media, HDZ B&H might demand Mektic’s resignation because of this affair and this issue will be discussed at the session of the HDZ B&H Main Board next week. Member of the Croat People Assembly (HNS) Presidency Mario Karamatic commented that this meeting is not harmless at all and it was organized by the Soros media and SDA’s para-intelligence structures. He stressed that Mektic has proven that he works in the interest of the “greater Bosniak policy”, adding that it is impossible to find a single statement given by Mektic in which he attacks the Bosniak policy. Deputy Minister of Security of B&H Mijo Kresic asked to comment on the decision of the Prosecutor’s Office of B&H to call off investigation against him, replied by saying one such decision was to be expected, arguing that he is not euphoric about it but sad because so much time was spent and because so much negativity was created in B&H.  He went on to say that people in the state institutions, who took part in this plotting, must be subjected to investigation. Namely, it must be made clear who and in what way manipulated the public and served wrong information to the public. Kresic said he will request internal investigations in the agencies in order to see how all this has happened.

 

Day of RS Police marked; Comments of RS’ and Serbian officials (BHT1)

 

Members of the Special Antiterrorist Unit of the RS Ministry of Interior (RS MoI) carried out a tactical demonstration exercise at the MoI Training Centre outside of Banja Luka on Thursday marking the RS Police Day. This day was marked in several cities across the RS. The tactical demonstration exercise was attended by officials from the RS and Serbia, who laid flowers and lit candles ahead of the exercise in the memorial room honoring the police killed in the defense and homeland war. RS President Zeljka Cvijanovic, RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic, Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik, RS parliament speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic, RS Minister of Interior Dragan Lukac and RS Police Director Darko Culum attended the central ceremony in Banja Luka. Serbian Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic, Serbian Minister of Defense Aleksandar Vulin, Serbian Consul General Vladimir Nikolic, the delegations of the Russian Federation, RS War Veterans Organization (BORS) members, Prison Camp Detainees Association and the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the RS attended the ceremony as well. The event started with presentation of a report by RS MoI members to Cvijanovic. Cvijanovic stressed that the RS MoI, as a pillar of security and the guardian of our polity, but also Serb identity, has an inevitable role in preserving freedom and development of the RS. "It is therefore important to continue investing in facilities, equipment, weapons, increasing police officers’ salaries and creating better material and technical conditions for their work. Many young people join the Ministry of Interior and the police nowadays, who are a guarantee of its continuity, but also of the RS’ survival," said Cvijanovic. She emphasized that it is therefore important for the officials to strengthen all RS institutions, including the police, to continue building the RS and make it more stable on a political, economic, social and financial level. Dodik assessed that the RS is proud of its police, which he thinks is proof of stability and security of the RS. “It was difficult for the police to preserve the RS in the time of war and they have sustained a number of attacks in the time of peace, through reforms that were aimed at abolishing the police,” Dodik was quoted as saying. He added that he is proud to be one of the people who prevented such reforms. According to Dodik, it is also important to recover the trust in police officers as there would be chaos without them, which needs to be prevented. In this context, he expressed full support to all police officers in the RS. Viskovic said that the RS government will find a way to support the RS MoI in terms of the equipment and other necessary things. “Our MoI is the first line of defense of the RS,” he added. Lukac assessed that the police are making progress year after year, with support of the RS Government and other institutions. Guests from Serbia assessed that the police reflect the relations between Serbia and the RS, which have never been better. Serbian Minister of Interior Commenting the draft law amending and supplementing the law on police officers and internal affairs which stipulates the formation of a reserve police unit, Minister Lukac reiterated that this unit is needed for additional safety of the RS. “MPs will voice their opinion on this solution. I have nothing against establishing the reserve police unit in the Federation of B&H, I even think it is necessary,” Lukac said. He said that the reserve police unit should have around 1,000 people and that they will be recruited successively, but that for the time being, no one was drafted. Serbian Minister of Interior Stefanovic said that everything that comes from the RS is especially important to him. “I think of it as recognition of my coworkers and additional encouragement, motivation and obligation to put even more effort and work even harder,” Stefanovic said. Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin stressed that the RS can be at peace for as long as Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is at the helm of the country that is strong and stable in economic, military and diplomatic terms. “Serbia will be there to help, to preserve, to advance and to strengthen (the RS),” Vulin said.

 

US Embassy to request additional information on formation of police reserve in RS (Oslobodjenje)

 

RS officially marked the RS Police Day on Thursday, following the announcements of formation of the reserve unit, which caused harsh reactions in the country. Commenting the issue, the US Embassy to B&H told the daily: “We are aware of the fact that the RS Government has supported the amendments to the Law on Police and Internal Affairs that could be used for formation of the reserve unit of the police forces in the RS. We will request additional information about the use of this reserve unit, especially considering that some of the competences are outside the jurisdiction of the RS Ministry of Interior. The US support the development of professional police agencies at all levels of B&H, which respect their specific jurisdiction, successfully coordinate activities with other security agencies and act in accordance with the law, without political influence,” stated the US Embassy’s PR Office.

 

Support for law on missing persons, requests for Serbia to provide information (HRT)

 

Croatian parliament debated the proposed law on missing persons from the Homeland War. Calls were made to block Serbia’s EU accession until it provides information on missing persons. The law should regulate the search process. Members of Parliament warned that the key is in Serbia and demanded that further negotiations for accession to the European Union be blocked until it provides Croatia with all answers regarding missing persons. Croatia is still searching for 1.903 missing persons. “A part of the political problem is that Belgrade has not provided information on the location of mass graves. Belgrade has this information and does not want to give it because it would fully confirm the greater Serbian aggression,” said Croatian Democratic Union MP Davor Stier. “Stop Serbia's accession to the European Union until the moment it delivers every missing person from the list and until it pays wartime reparations,” requested MOST party MP Miro Bulj. “It has been very clearly stated what conditions Serbia must fulfill to close chapters 23 and 24, and I emphasize that one of those questions is precisely full cooperation and contribution to finding missing persons,” noted Veteran's Minister Tomo Medved.

 

NATO protects the security of Montenegrin territory (RTCG)

 

Defense Minister Predrag Boskovic assessed that NATO is not a military alliance, but an alliance that promotes 70 years of rule of law, protection of human rights and democracy.

Namely, Boskovic congratulated 70 years of the NATO alliance. He pointed out that the allies were gathered around key values and principles, to which they are infinitely committed and which are a solid guarantee foundation of stability and longevity. "NATO is more credible today than ever, it is preserving the security of our territory, but it designs stability beyond its borders. Our credibility is based on adaptability, efficient confrontation with modern security challenges and a strong unity of allies," Boskovic said. He expressed the belief that the Alliance is able to respond to all future tasks if we remain united in diversity and committed to the principle of ‘all for one - one for all’.

 

Kolbanovski: Montenegro’s NATO membership is just a temporary occupation (Pobjeda/ eadaily.com)

 

Viktor Kolbanovski, director of the Moscow-based Balkan Centre for International Cooperation and member of Putin’s ‘Unique Russia’, in an article published on eadaily.com, compared Montenegro’s NATO membership with the Ottoman Occupation. “NATO’s presence should be considered as a temporary foreign occupation that the local collaborators wanted to bring in order to stay in power. But this unfavorable circumstance should not prevent the Montenegrin forces from further development of cooperation with Russia,” Kolbanovski’s analysis suggested. After Sergei Zeleznjak’s resignation, Kolbanovski became first collaborator of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin for the Balkans. According to him, the two countries (Russia & Montenegro) still cherish ‘fraternal relations’ and it’s important to ensure full cooperation.

“However, Moscow needs to figure out new approaches and cooperation mechanisms in order not to repeat mistakes from the past. Montenegro should become an important aspiration of Russia’s Balkan strategy,” Kolbanovski said.

 

Polish parliament ratifies North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

The Polish parliament ratified North Macedonia’s NATO Accession Protocol on Thursday. 388 lawmakers voted in favor, one against and two abstentions. The accession of North Macedonia to NATO will contribute to stabilization of the Balkans and will help in continuation of the reforms in this part of Europe. The entry of North Macedonia into NATO is also a confirmation that Alliance’s door remains open, which Poland strongly backs, reads the law on ratification of the accession protocol. Poland is the tenth country that ratifies the accession protocol. Greece was the first country that ratified the protocol, followed by Slovenia, Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Lithuania and Denmark. The permanent representatives to NATO of the member states signed a protocol on the accession of North Macedonia to NATO on 6 February 2019. After the ratification of the accession protocol by the parliaments of all 29 NATO member states, North Macedonia will officially join NATO.

 

Hahn’s statement sparks reactions in Skopje (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

The latest statement made by EU Enlargement Commissioner, Johannes Hahn that North Macedonia will be given a date in June and that this date will only act as a starting point for the preparative phase of EU negotiations, has triggered many reactions in Skopje. Deputy PM for European Affairs, Bujar Osmani said that Hahn’s statement has been misunderstood. “Hahn is one of the biggest supporters of the launch of accession talks this year and what he did was merely confirm the fact that we will receive a date in June,” Osmani said. Minister of Defense, Radmila Sekerinska also declared that the European Commission is in favor of the launch of accession talks between EU and North Macedonia. “This statement has been misrepresented. The European Commission clarified this today, saying that its position is the same as last year: we should start negotiations this year. The date will not be postponed and the country is not being ignored. This is a joint agenda that we have here,” Sekerinska said. Hahn on Tuesday told MEPs that the European Commission will recommend the opening of accession talks for North Macedonia and Albania on 29 May, assuring sceptics that this process is a gradual one and that the talks will not start immediately. “At the end of May, the Commission will present the progress report on the countries of the region (Western Balkans), plus Turkey. Based on what we’ve seen, I expect a positive recommendation for the opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania,” declared Hahn, adding that “the EU must focus on the long-term perspective of the candidate countries”.

 

Opposition, no signs to make steps back (ADN/DW)

 

Democratic Party (DP) leader Lulzim Basha has spoken from Berlin on Thursday where he is for a visit to meet with German Parliamentarians to discuss the current political situation in Albania. Asked in an interview from German DW if the opposition will decide to re-enter in the Parliament, Basha declared that there is no turning back. He assessed that the country's opposition will not stop finding as the ultimate goal the establishing of a functioning democratic system in the service of Albanian citizens. "Leaving the parliament took place after exhausting every opportunity to institutionally resolve this deep crisis of legitimacy. I remind you that German partners in the Bundestag and the German government recognize these problems. Things have not changed but have deteriorated. I have great faith that this transformation that has already started will have support from all honest Albanians. In German institutions we have found support for this transformational state," said Basha. He added that an important step is for all socialist politicians to be sent to jail after being caught in wiretaps by cooperating with organized crime in order to buy votes.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

'Kosara Hell': Parents of Deceased Hero Recall Albanian Border Situation of 1999 (Sputnik, by Senka Milos, 5 April 2019)

 

During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, on the border of the Serbian region of Kosovo with Albania, protracted bloody battles took place over boundaries at the Kosara frontier post. Thanks to the incredible courage and resilience of very young border defenders, these battles will forever remain in history, as will the names of 108 young men who did not come back from Kosovo. Among them was Tibor Cerna from Debeljaca. The bloody clashes between the Yugoslav and Albanian border guards, who were supported by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, began even before the bombing. The Yugoslav border guards had been trying to prevent the flow of illegal arms from Albania to Kosovo. The most brutal and prolonged battles on the border with Albania were fought at the Kosara frontier post. Armed clashes continued here from 9 April 1999 until the very end of the NATO operation, on 10 June. The soldiers, who survived under the Kosara post despite the unequal balance of forces, managed to block the path of the Albanian terrorists to their land; they call those events "Kosara Hell".

The KLA fighters tried using a surprise attack to provoke the Yugoslav People's Army into retaliatory actions, luring them into open spaces, where NATO aircraft would have been able to bomb them. On 24 June 1998, Tibor Cerna, a young Hungarian from the town of Debeljaca in Serbia's Vojvodina, left his family and the folk group in which he played the keyboard, and voluntarily joined the army. He was sent to Kosovo: first to Pec, and then even further south to the very border with Albania, to Djakovica. Despite the fact that military training for recruits was supposed to take six months, he was sent to the front only two months after being sworn in.

"During the oath, they already had "Škorpions" (Czech submachine guns produced in the 80s in Yugoslavia under license — ed. note Sputnik) and by the day of the swearing-in, they were 100% prepared to fight. With the help of some connections, we could have saved him from being sent to the front. But he was stubborn. And so, he came home from Kosovo in a coffin", Tibor's father, Jozef Cerna, recalled. Very young men of 18-22 years old fought to the last for Kosara against a ten-fold superior opponent. They held their ground under tank and mortar attacks and under the bombs of NATO aircraft. Their task was to defend their line at any cost. "They crawled in this snow, dug tunnels and holes. They had nothing with which to warm themselves up. Sometimes they did not eat for three days and there was nothing to drink. Sometimes they sat without ammunition. For the army they were ‘collateral damage', they were written off long ago", Tibor's father recalled. On that ill-fated day not far from the trench in which infantry squad commander Tibor Cerna and his colleagues took refuge, a grenade hit the group of volunteers. To help them, Cerna went out of the shelter and immediately took a bullet in his chest. He was shot by a sniper. "He wanted to come out of there to drag the volunteers to him because they were asking for help. There was an order not to leave the cover. But Tibor went anyway. He said to his comrades: ‘You don't have to go with me. I will do it myself'. And came out. They say he tried to bandage his wound himself, even took a bandage out of the package, then he fell to his knees and collapsed", the hero's mother, Kata Cerna said. Already seriously wounded, Tibor was able to hold out until the second shot, which hit him in the neck. Thanks to his sacrifice, they were able to locate the enemy sniper and eliminate him. "I have information that it was not an Albanian who killed him, that it was a mercenary. If this is true or not I do not know. But they say that foreign mercenaries fought here, that such a mercenary from some of the western countries shot him down", Kata continued. The official data on the losses of the terrorist KLA testify to the participation of foreign legionnaires in the battles for Kosara. Among the dead were two NATO soldiers. "I myself am half German. I wrote to my relatives after the death of Tibor that because of them this nation suffers again, and along with it, my son suffered. And it does not matter that I am not a Serbian. I was born here, my father was born here, and my grandmother was born here", Tibor's mother continued. A few days after Tibor's death, the Yugoslav Army launched a counter-offensive against the KLA terrorists in order to regain their positions at the Kosara frontier post. But NATO aircraft bombarded them with cluster bombs. More than 40 combatants were injured, 8 of them died. The body of Tibor Cerna was given to the family without the presence of military officers; he was buried without military honours. However, the state did not forget about Tibor and his comrades. All of them were awarded for their courage, and a monument to the hero of Kosara Tibor Cerna was erected in his native Debeljaca.

 

Montenegrin president to EU: don’t hand us over to Russia (AP, 5 April 2019)

 

PODGORICA, Montenegro — The pro-Western president of Montenegro, who has defied Russia to steer his small country into NATO, has warned that the integration of the Western Balkans into the European Union is crucial for the bloc to protect itself from growing Russian and Chinese political and economic influence in the region. Milo Djukanovic told The Associated Press in an interview that Britain’s chaotic divorce from the EU and other crises in the bloc have apparently diminished the union’s enthusiasm to accept new members, but that Europe must not hand over the strategic region to other global players. Djukanovic says: “The question is not whether Russia, China or a third country have their interests in the Balkans. The question is why Europe is handing over that region to anyone else.”

 

The UK Might Have To Withdraw Troops From A Military Operation In Bosnia In The Event Of A No-Deal Brexit (BuzzFeed, by Alberto Nardelli, 4 April 2019)

 

Command of the operation has already been transferred to a French lieutenant general.

The UK may have to pull out of an EU-led military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the event of a no-deal Brexit, BuzzFeed News can reveal. Plans to work around a possible withdrawal of British forces from the operation, which is called Althea after the Greek goddess of healing, were discussed by ambassadors of the EU’s remaining 27 member states on Wednesday, according to a diplomatic note of the meeting. Operation Althea was launched in 2004 as a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina nine years after the war in former Yugoslavia ended. It originally had approximately 7,000 troops. In recent years, troop levels were reduced to about 600, and the operation is now mainly focused on training the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The mission has a budget of €10.2 million. Last June, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that the UK was sending 40 more troops to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship negotiated by Theresa May with the EU, the UK would maintain a contribution to the operation.

But if there is a no-deal Brexit, a separate agreement would be required for UK troops to continue to participate, a Ministry of Defence (MOD) spokesperson told BuzzFeed News.

“The UK fully supports Operation Althea and its objectives and will continue to do so after we leave the EU,” the spokesperson said. They added, however, that “in the event of a no-deal Brexit an additional agreement with the EU would be required for UK troops to continue in the Operation. We are open to reaching such an agreement.” Regardless of whether the UK leaves the EU with or without a deal, the first effects of Brexit on Britain’s role in the mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina are already being felt. Command of the operation was transferred on March 29, the day the UK was originally meant to leave the EU, to French Lt. Gen. Olivier Rittimann, an EU official told BuzzFeed News. “The transfer of command of the Operation was confirmed by a Decision of the Political and Security Committee of 7 February 2019. General Sir James Everard transferred the command of the Operation to Lieutenant General Olivier Rittimann as of 29 March at 12:00,” said the official. The same official explained that non-EU member states are not in a position to provide commanders for the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations under the Union’s treaty. Britain’s continued participation in the EU’s defence and other security-related projects is one of dozens of areas that would be disrupted if the UK cannot agree a deal. A letter to ministers from the head of the Civil Service, Sir Mark Sedwill, which was leaked to the Daily Mail earlier this week, warned that a no-deal Brexit would disrupt national security and make Britain less safe. Any sign that the UK could relax its presence in Bosnia and elsewhere in the Western Balkans after Brexit would cause concern in the region as well as with allies. Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the republics that made up the former Yugoslavia before it broke up. In a war that began in 1992, more than 100,000 people were killed. The conflict ended in 1995 with the signing of the Dayton Accords. Part of Operation Althea’s key objectives is to provide deterrence and continued compliance with that peace agreement. The UK played a key role in the Western Balkans in the 1990s, and has continued to remain active since, championing reforms and EU enlargement in the region.

In the wake of the 2016 referendum, officials have worried that the UK’s interest and influence in the region would be diminished, and the Western Balkans would be losing one of its longtime champions in Brussels. UK officials and diplomats insist that Britain’s historic policy positions and priorities towards the Western Balkans, including supporting the region’s efforts to reform and join the EU, have remained unchanged. As part of the UK’s efforts to signal that Britain is committed to the region in the long term despite Brexit, it hosted a Western Balkans summit, and has increased development aid and funds for the region. Following discussions with the Foreign Office, the BBC relaunched a news service in Serbia in April last year. EU leaders agreed last month to delay Brexit until May 22 — on the condition that MPs approve the withdrawal agreement, the legally binding terms of Britain’s departure from the EU. If they don’t approve it, the UK has until April 12 to put forward another plan or face crashing out without a deal. The UK’s other commitments in the Western Balkans, including its support to NATO’s mission in Kosovo, will not be affected by Brexit, the MOD spokesperson said.

Alberto Nardelli is Europe editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.

 

Three years of support to reforms in Albania: judiciary, fighting economic crime and anti-discrimination crucial areas (CoE press release, 4 April 2019)

 

Citizens of Albania have received tangible benefits and the programme has had a positive impact on the approximation to the European standards in the fields of justice, anti-discrimination and fightagainst corruption in the country – this was a conclusion of the third Beneficiary Steering Committee of the joint European Union/Council of Europe Programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey” held in Tirana today. Beneficiary institutions of the programme in Albania gathered to summarise what has been achieved over the past three years.

Sokol Dedja, Deputy Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs underlined the political importance of the areas supported by this program. “The rule of law, the fight against economic crime, corruption, and the protection of huma nrights are at the heart of the European integration process. They have direct impact on improving the daily lives of our citizens. Therefore, i tis important to strengthen the proactive role of our institutions that benefit from the Horizontal Facility”, he concluded. “With the adoption of the European Commission Strategy for the Western Balkans in February 2018, and the Sofia Summit Declaration of May 2018 reinforcing the EU commitment to the Western Balkans region, the areas supported by the Horizontal Facility have been confirmed as essential to enable the region to become part of a stable, strong and united Europe,” said Mario Mariani, Head of Co-operation in the Delegation of theEuropean Union to Albania. Verena Taylor, Director of the Office of the Directorate General of Programmes of the Council of Europe said that “the European Union and the Council of Europe share the same values. They work to translate human rights, rule of law and good governance into concrete actions to improve the citizens’ everyday lives.“ She recognised the partnership and co-operation among the EU, Council of Europe and Albanian authorities as one of the crucial dimensions of the programme and expressed expectation that in the second phase of the Horizontal Facility programme the role of the civil society, as another important partner,will be strengthened. Actions under the Horizontal Facility in Albania have achieved many notable results. Important work has been done to improve conditions and the provision of health care in prisons, especially to the prisoners with mental health problems. Judicial reform process has advanced, ensuring better quality and the efficiency of justice for citizens of Albania and the programme helped improve the current case management system, so that a significant number of old cases have been closed at the Lezha District Court and the Court of Appeal. Also, progress has been made in strengthening legislation on political party financing – new provisions were applied for the 2017 parliamentary elections and thanks to these campaign costs were reduced. Fighting corruption and organised crime isalsoa key priority for the EU integration agenda – this programme contributed to it by increasing transparency and accountability of institutions and public officials. There are numerous achievements in other areas, as well. Creating a safe learning environment through fighting bullying and extremism in the education system was in the focus of one of the seven Horizontal Facility actions in Albania and 21 November has been designated as the National Day against Bullying in School in the country. The programme supported authorities in implementing the recommendations issued by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) regarding LGBTI issues in Albania. Representatives of the beneficiary institutions directly involved in the implementation of this joint programme of the European Union and Council of Europe, as well as civil society organisations, took part in the event. The three-year Horizontal Facility programme runs from May 2016 to May 2019; it aims to assist authorities in the South-East Europe in achieving greater compliance with European standards in the following key areas: ensuring justice, fighting economic crime, as well as combating discrimination and protecting rights of vulnerable groups. In Albania, 4.75 million euros have been allocated for seven actions, covering all the key areas of the Horizontal Facility.

Results of the Horizontal Facility Programme in Albania