LOCAL PRESS

 

Azem Sulja earned over 100 million euros by bribing EULEX (Novosti)

By forging document, frauds and bribing people in the Pristina cadaster and court, and closing both eyes of the EULEX Mission, Azem Sulja, head of the former Kosovo secret police (ShIK) and Hashim Thaqi’s uncle, has managed to resell hectares of seized Serbian land and to introduce new Albanian “owners” into properties. Pillage of the Serbian land in Kosovo and Metohija, especially the one in the so-called Kosovo plain along the Pristina-Skopje highway, where more than 600 hectares ended up in the hands of Azem Sulja – has intensified since 2006 under the “auspices” of the international community, UNMIK and EULEX. The suspended EULEX Prosecutor Maria Bamieh has recently spoke about the torrential robbery and organized criminal group headed by Sulja, which is conducting “privatization” in its own way in the southern Serbian province. She noted, among other things, that the case of grabbing the land that is worth more than 100 million euros is a corruption example in EULEX’s leadership. It is suspected that Sulja, by bribing EULEX’s leadership, managed to stop the investigation into the plundering of most arable land, the property of the “Ratar” agricultural company from Laplje Selo near Gracanica. Nazim Blaca, former Sulja’s murderer and closest associate, who is now in prison, but also EULEX’s witness-associte, explained in detail the “scheme” of criminal operations in regard to the pillage of Serbian land. Nevertheless, EULEX leaders continue to reject to interrogate him, while Prosecutor Bamieh publicly presented her suspicion that at issue is corruption in this and several other cases. Blaca, according unofficial information gathered by Novosti, knows all the details, as well as the names of judges and employees of the Cadaster Service in Pristina who enabled Sulja to seize and then resell the land. “The selling of a large area of the “Ratare” estate is one form of diversion and it is clear that this is being done towards obstructing the future Union of Serb Municipalities, which would be in charge of the property in its region. The selling of this land represents a direct blow on the Brussels agreement, especially for the Serb community south of the Ibar River, which needs this land for economic survival,” the head of the working group for the judiciary in the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Igor Popovic said at the time, announcing an appeal to all international judicial institutions. The statement by the then director of “Ratar” Momcilo Trajkovic from 2008 that disaggregation of Serbian property cannot pass without the international institutions in Kosovo and Metohija also testifies this. In that statement he warned that UNMIK sold during that period 123, 5 hectares of land to a private person from Gnjilane. “With my intervention and that of lawyers, we stopped the proceeding for this land to be transferred in the cadaster,” Trajkovic said then. “We informed the public prosecutor in Kosovo Hilmi Zhitie on this and requested this to be terminated. We have information that another 100 hectares of land will be alienated by the same people and sold to a private person. By plundering land, which belonged to Serbs for centuries, Sulja and his criminal group have not only earned millions by reselling it to Albanians, but drastically influenced the change of ownership and ethnic structure of the population in central Kosovo.”

 

Indictment against Ivanovic and four Serbs confirmed (Novosti/Tanjug)

The international judge in Kosovska Mitrovica has rejected as ungrounded the defense complaint that asked for the rejection of the indictment of the leader of the SDP Civic Initiative Oliver Ivanovic and another four Serbs. Ivanovic has been indicted of war crimes, two persons for the aggravated murder and another two for instigating those crimes. The statement of EULEX reads that the court has found all the evidence in the case admissible. The defense has five days to submit a complaint.

 

Seselj: Vucic, Nikolic betrayed in one month what Tadic would have done in 10 years (Blic/N1/Tanjug)

On the second day after being released from the ICTY detention, the leader of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS) and ICTY indictee Vojislav Seselj addressed the press in Belgrade. He said that he still plans to actively engage in politics. “The SRS will start today to mobilize people in all parts of Serbia and we call the membership and media to support us,” Seselj told the first press conference upon his arrival from The Hague. According to him, the situation over the past 25 years has never been worse. “There is no concept here when it comes to the economic policy. There are suggestions of some activities, but there are none. EU membership would be a disaster for Serbia, there is no place for us there,” said Seselj. The essence of the SRS is the idea “of a Greater Serbia and the Radicals have nothing to do on the political scene without this idea.” “Vucic and Nikolic had sworn in that idea for 15 years, but this speaks of the fact that they are readier for betrayal, because they were on the completely opposite side. They are in power for one-time use. Vucic and Nikolic have betrayed more in one month what Tadic would have done in ten years.” Asked about the later prime minister Zoran Djindjic, Seselj responded that he is long time past. “When Djindjic was murdered I was happy and proud of this because the Serbian people were then liberated from a mafia man and traitor. Why would I now repent,” said Seselj. “I was interrogated over the statement on the bloodshed that I had given one day before his murder, but I didn’t anticipate what would happen to Djindjic. I expected more bloodshed and it is good there was none,” said Seselj. He stressed that Nikolic and Vucic are far more interested than him in resolving the story around Djindjic. When it comes to his health condition, he said the problem with the heart has been repaired, that he has two metastases that are called Aleksandar Vucic and Tomislav Nikolic, but that it is possible to operate and remove them. Asked whether he returned to Serbia to avenge, Seselj said Vucic was letting these stories. “I am not coming to avenge. I said that when the ICTY set the conditions for my return,” he said. Seselj said he was listening to the “secretary general of the Yugoslav Left (JUL)” Aleksandar Vulin how the Americans sent him to destabilize Serbia. Commenting Vucic’s reaction to the statement by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on independence of Kosovo, Seselj said it was easy for Vucic “to shout on a poor man from some small country”. “Why didn’t he react that way when some people from large countries said the same things,” said Seselj.

…

“Tadic would not have dared to do things regarding Kosovo, even in ten years, what they had done in one month. They should have waited for the balance of the big powers to change, as they have started to change since Russia is now incomparably more powerful. But, Vucic and Nikolic think they can fool the Russians. They think, the Russians are naïve, they will make a nice welcome, a parade, but continue to make plots with the West. Traitorous operating of the Serbian authorities was the most difficult thing for me while I was in The Hague. Just as the defeat of the SRS at the elections. I thought I was going to die that night, really,” Seselj told Blic.

 

Viskovic: Non-diplomatic response of Albanian Prime Minister to extended hand from Serbia (Radio Serbia, by Suzana Mitic)

The end goal of Albanian Prime Minister’s visit to Serbia, to make a true breakthrough in the relations of the two countries, unfortunately has not been achieved due to a non-diplomatic act of Edi Rama, professor Ivo Viskovic of the Belgrade Faculty of Political Science told International Radio Serbia. The incident at the press conference, i.e. his statement about the so-called independence of Kosovo and the invitation for Serbia to accept it, according to our collocutor, has effectively annulled everything that had been done positively prior to that in order to turn the new page in the relations of the two countries. According to our collocutor, the Serbian side extended the hand in good intentions, and it was expected to be taken. Of course, nobody could foresee that all the bad blood from the past could be forgotten over night, but it could have been a symbolic new beginning, leaving the past behind and turning to the future, Viskovic says.

“However, the manner in which Rama asked us to turn to the future is absolutely unacceptable for Serbia, hence the understandable reaction from Prime Minister Vucic and other members of our delegation and wider public,” Viskovic pointed. In comment to the fact that foreign officials have not reacted to the statement of the Albanian Prime Minister, our collocutor noted that he had not expected them to, especially not so quickly or through public statements. In his opinion, it will be dealt with via diplomatic channels. “The important thing is that the foreign officials see what really happened and that they understand it, even if not said out loud. I am not one of those who expect too much, especially justice in the international relations. The interest will always prevail. Yet, I believe it is good for us that a thing like this happened, that the western leaders have finally understood Serbia is not the one making problems and refusing cooperation, but that the responsibility to be sought on the other side. We have really done everything in our power. I cannot direct any objections to the Serbian plan of the visit or to the stance of our representatives. In my opinion even the foreign officials have seen it, even if they do not express it openly,” Viskovic underlined. Serbia has reacted adequately, and the harsher response would not be of any use, but would only be detrimental, he said. According to him, it may have satisfied the hard core and extreme nationalists in our society, but from the standpoint of state interest it would not bring anything good or advantageous. “The reaction of our officials left the impression of seriousness and political maturity. It was seen in the attitude of the ambassadors of five countries that the Prime Minister talked to, even though they cannot pass any decisions or present any stance without the strict instructions from home. Still, the fact that they expressed pleasure with the reaction is good for us, because it shows they are aware that Serbia is doing its best,” Viskovic concluded.

 

US commends Serbia, Albania governments (RTS)
The United States commends Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama on the first official visit by an Albanian prime minister to Belgrade in nearly 70 years, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of State. “We welcome the mutual commitment these leaders have shown in opening a new chapter of friendship and cooperation between their two countries,” Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said in the press statement on Wednesday.
REGIONAL PRESS

 

Ivantsov: Russia is not against B&H’s EU membership, but against NATO membership (Nezavisne novine)

The Russian Ambassador to B&H Pyotr Ivantsov has stated that Russia abstained from voting in the UN Security Council on extending the EUFOR Mission in B&H because the text of the resolution was abused in order to promote B&H’s EU and NATO membership as a unique process. Ivantsov explained that Russia doesn’t oppose B&H’s EU membership, but opposes B&H’s NATO membership, because there is no consensus on this by the three constituent nations. The Russian diplomat said this was the reason for abstaining, and not because Russia is against the EUFOR Mission or EU membership. Ivantsov told Nezavisne novine that Russia understands the importance of the Altea mission in the implementation of the Dayton Accords and the creation of a security atmosphere in B&H, but opines that the UN Security Council should not be used for promoting Euro-Atlantic integrations. He also said that Russia’s amendment – to throw out the part that speaks of Euro-Atlantic integrations – was rejected, because of which his country abstained from voting.

 

Seselj: Political situation in RS very complicated (Srna)

The SRS leader Vojislav Seselj has assessed that the political situation in the Republika Srpska (RS) is very complicated and that the Americans, English and Germans are “pulling the threads”. He said that for the Serbs in the RS the most optimal coalition would be the SNSD and SDS coalition since this would guarantee the RS’ stability for a longer period. Asked if he would meet with the RS President and the SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, Seselj said he would not avoid this meeting, but that there was no reason to insist on it. He noted he was ready to meet with any politician from the RS, except with those “who had stolen the deputy mandate from the Radicals.”

 

Nimetz: No progress and no new name proposal in name talks (Republika)

UN mediator in the name talks Matthew Nimetz said no progress was made during talks held on Tuesday and Wednesday in New York. Nimetz stated that at the meeting with the negotiations Vasko Naumovski for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Adamantios Vassilakis for Greece, he hadn’t put forward a new proposal to solve the name dispute, and instead the two sides had discussed some of his older ideas presented in the past. “We talked about the state of the negotiations, the basic issues, the name issue and various approaches to its resolution. Both sides reiterated their sincere desire to resolve this issue and to develop good relations and peace and security in the region. We know this is a very difficult issue. There were no breakthroughs today, but we’ve resolved to continue the talks in the coming months. We’ve talked some of the ideas from the past, to what extent they might work and to what extent they need more refinement, so I think that both sides have a better idea where the difficulties are on both sides, and where they stand,” Nimetz told reporters after the talks in New York. In addition to saying that some of the ideas from the past had been discussed, Ambassador Nimetz stated that he had made a few comments on his own about where “some more flexibility is needed.” He urged both negotiators to convey the positions of the other side to their governments expressing hopes that FYROM and Greece had a better understanding of where the difficulties were on both sides. “This is a really difficult issue. Every year the UN Secretary General asks me whether I want to continue doing this for another year. I said yes so far, but I usually consult with the two parties and ask them if they want me to continue and if it is useful. It’s been a helpful process to try to find a solution, whether that’s possible or not. Whether I get tired and retire one day, I think that’s likely one of these days,” Nimitz said at the press conference after his joint meeting with Naumovski and Vassilakis.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

‘Historic’ Albanian visit to Serbia leaves bitter aftertaste (EurActiv, 13 November 2014)

The first visit by an Albanian prime minister to Belgrade in 68 years was designed to mark a new phase in Serbian-Albanian relations, and send an important signal to the European Union on the readiness of the two countries to cooperate. But, in fact, it opened old wounds. EurActiv Serbia reports.

From the very start of Edi Rama's visit, it became clear that even with the good will expressed, and encouragement from the EU, it would not be easy for Belgrade and Tirana to put aside their differences regarding the status of Kosovo, and focus on the areas in which they can cooperate.

Rama’s visit was marked by a polemic on the independence of Kosovo and tensions brought on by it. But the two prime ministers nevertheless voiced readiness to develop cooperation, and Rama invited his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vučić to visit Tirana.

In Belgrade on 10 November, Rama said that Kosovo is an independent state and that this is a reality that cannot be changed, and should be accepted. His Serbian colleague described the statement as a provocation, and the Serbian government called it a diplomatic incident.

“We can speak of different approaches, but I don’t think anything should prevent us from speaking the truth,” Rama told a joint news conference, and said that an independent Kosovo had a positive impact on peace in the Balkans.

Vučić said he and the Albanian prime minister obviously had different opinions on the status of Kosovo, but that “the reality is that Kosovo is a part of Serbia,” adding that he was “pleased to be able to repeat that in front of Rama.”

“I am sorry that Rama took this opportunity to talk about a topic we had not agreed on, but it is my obligation not to let anyone humiliate Serbia,” Vučić told the press conference after the meeting with his Albanian counterpart.

Rama’s statement stirred the public in Serbia and in the Serb-populated north of Kosovo. The Serbian president’s press service said that this was the reason why President Tomislav Nikolić refused to meet with Rama.

Matters were additionally complicated by the fact that in the live broadcast of the two prime ministers’ press conference on Serbian state TV RTS, there was no translation of the Albanian prime minister’s statement, made in Albanian. RTS explained that this happened due to technical problems, and announced that it would air the statement with a Serbian translation at a later time.

Cooperation important, after all

Nonetheless, Vučić and Rama showed readiness to continue with the talks and further improve relations between the two countries, and Rama invited Vučić to visit Tirana. Vučić said that, even though he was unhappy about the Albanian prime minister’s statement, Serbia would do everything to advance interstate relations.

The Albanian prime minister pointed out that Serbia and Albania should overcome the past and turn to the future, and that Europe can unite the two countries. He welcomed Belgrade’s dialogue with Pristina, adding that its success was the result of efforts by the two countries’ leaders. He added that Vučić had “greatly contributed” to the endeavor.

Vučić said he wanted Serbian investors to visit Albania and to increase trade, whereas Rama said that economic cooperation between Serbia and Albania and the entire region was very important.

The Serbian prime minister further said that he and Rama had agreed to make an agreement that would allow the citizens of Serbia and Albania to travel to each others’ countries with just their ID cards.

During the Albanian prime minister’s visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed on youth cooperation, as well as an agreement on mutual assistance in preventing, investigating and suppressing customs misdemeanors. The signing of an agreement on acknowledging diplomas was announced.

Belgrade dissatisfied, EU calls for cooperation

The EU underscored that the Albanian prime minister’s visit to Belgrade should lead to a turnabout in relations between Serbia and Albania and that the leaders of the two countries should demonstrate new resolve to renew ties. Brussels recalled that regional cooperation was very important as part of the Western Balkans’ European integration.

Edi Rama’s visit is an important step forward in the two countries’ relationship, officials in Brussels said. “We praise both leaders for their political courage in holding a visit that is by nature both challenging and delicate,” reads a news release issued by the spokeswoman of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.

“We see this visit as a new phase in relations between the two countries and we hope that both leaders will continue to build upon that visit, so as to ensure further positive steps forward,” adds the press release.

Belgrade officials say the visit did not fulfill its purpose, because it “failed to bring a move forward” in the enhancement of relations between the two countries, and that Rama abused his hosts’ hospitality, while in Pristina the visit was hailed as a concrete step toward improving Serbian-Albanian relations.

Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci congratulated Rama for his position on the necessity of “recognizing the reality of an independent Kosovo,” for the support he gave the dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade and the solidarity he expressed for Albanian compatriots in southern Serbia.

Minorities – bridge or source of tension?

On 11 November, Rama visited municipalities in southern Serbia inhabited by Albanians, and several thousand citizens welcomed him in Presevo. The visit passed with heavy security measures.

Rama said the Albanians in southern Serbia had fewer rights than the Serbs in Kosovo, but supported the dialogue between the Albanians in the region and the Serbian authorities on solving local problems, primarily in the areas of infrastructure and education.

“Albania will back the idea of solving the problems in the Presevo Valley being essential on the path of Serbia’s association with the EU and will not allow the assimilation of Albanians in that region,” said Rama.

Commenting on the statement that the Albanians in the south of Serbia had fewer rights than the Serbs in Kosovo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić said that such messages were “nonsense” and that Rama was not competent to speak about that subject, without mentioning the position of the Serbs in Albania who, as he put it, have been “Albanized.”

 

Serbian war crimes suspect goes home to rousing welcome (AP, by Dusan Stojanovic, 12 November 2014)

BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian far-right leader Vojislav Seselj, accused of recruiting notorious paramilitary forces during the bloody Balkan wars, arrived home to a boisterous welcome Wednesday after U.N. war crimes judges approved his provisional release due to ill health. Hundreds of cheering supporters, carrying banners reading “Seselj the Serb Hero” and chanting “Victory! Victory!” greeted him as he landed at Belgrade airport. In neighboring Bosnia and Croatia, however, his release triggered outrage.“The judges are mocking the victims,” said Bakira Hasecic, head of a Bosnian association of women raped during the wars in the 1990s. “It’s a shame for the whole world to release Seselj without a verdict,” said Ruzica Barbaric, a rape victim from the eastern Croatian town of Vukovar, which was overrun by Serb troops, including Seselj’s paramilitaries, in 1991. “I personally felt on my skin what his people, these criminals, have done here … and all of them were Seselj’s pupils.” Judges at the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands, released Seselj so he could get medical treatment in Serbia on condition that he does not interfere with victims or witnesses and that he returns to the tribunal if summoned. Serbian doctors who visited the 60-year-old say he is suffering from colon cancer that has spread to his liver. “I won the battle against the Hague tribunal, and that was my goal,” Seselj told the crowd before the headquarters of his ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party. “The tribunal is a wounded globalist beast that is still destroying lives of distinguished Serbs.” The firebrand right-wing said his priority will be to oust Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic from power. The men were his close party allies but formed their own party while he was imprisoned and won the latest Serbian election. “(They are) outcasts who sold their honor and character, renounced the Serb nationalism and became Western servants,” Seselj declared. Seselj, who once said he would like to gouge out the eyes of rival Croats with a rusty spoon, has been in custody in The Hague since surrendering in 2003.He was charged with war crimes including planning the capture of towns in Croatia and Bosnia as part of a criminal plot involving other Serb leaders, including former strongman Slobodan Milosevic, to drive out non-Serbs using massive destruction and terror. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Judges have delayed passing the verdict several times because of different legal obstacles during the often chaotic, marathon trial of the outspoken advocate of the Serb war campaigns. One of the three judges was removed from the case, another was chosen and he is reading evidence to see if they can reach a verdict. U.N. prosecutors have demanded a 28-year prison sentence for Seselj. They said Seselj’s hate speeches at rallies “planted the seeds of ethnic hatred and helped them grow into ethnic violence against non-Serbs.”

 

Bosnia Charges Serb Commander with Rogatica Crimes (BIRN, by Denis Dzidic, 13 November 2014)

Rajko Kusic, former commander of the Bosnian Serb Army’s Rogatica Brigade, was charged with involvement in more than 150 killings as well as forced relocations and unlawful detentions.

The Bosnian prosecution on Wednesday charged Kusic with committing the crimes as a part of widespread and systematic attack on Bosniak civilians in the Rogatica area from May 1992 to July 1995.

Kusic is now believed to be in Serbia and an international arrest warrant has been ordered, the prosecution said. But because he has Serbian citizenship, his extradition to Bosnia is unlikely as the neighbour states do not have an extradition agreement.

“Kusic is accused of commanding and participating in attacks on the civilian population in which victims were murdered, forcibly relocated, unlawfully detained at detention facilities where they were beaten, mistreated, taken to work or to unknown places after which they have since been listed as missing,” the prosecution said.

During the attacks, the prosecution alleged, a large number of imprisoned women and girls were raped and sexually abused.

“The defendant is charged with coordinating the activities of the military and police forces in the Rogatica municipality, from where almost the entire non-Serb population of the municipality - several thousand Bosniaks - were forcibly resettled outside the territory of Republika Srpska,” the prosecution said.

Kusic is also charged with the murders of more than 100 people from the Rogatica area, as well as murders of 50 people at the Paklenik pit near the town of Sokolac.

According to the indictment, Kusic was the Territorial Defence commander in Rogatica and later commander of the Rogatica Brigade, and at the same time was a member of the Serb crisis staff of the Rogatica municipality.

The indictment has been forwarded to the state court for confirmation.

 

China urges Bosnia to implement peace accord (Xinhua, 12 November 2014)  

UNITED NATIONS -- China on Tuesday called on all ethnic communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue to implement the Dayton Peace Agreement so as to register greater achievements in development.

Wang Min, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, made the appeal at a meeting of the Security Council on the question of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Noting that the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina remains stable and its economic development has achieved progress recently, Wang said China welcomes this development and respects the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the country.

"We believe that the people of Bosnia have the right to determine its own possible development and diplomatic policy," he added.

Wang also called on the international community to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in achieving sustainable economic and social development and lasting peace in face of complex challenges.

"The international community, when addressing the question of Bosnia and Herzegovina, should adopt a balancing and cautious approach and give dual attention to the opinions and concerns of all parties," he said.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to renew a multinational stabilization force of the European Union (EU) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another year to oversee the peace accord, underlining its commitment to the political settlement of conflicts in the former Yugoslavia.

The Security Council recognized that "the full implementation of the Peace Agreement is not yet complete," said the resolution.

The Dayton Peace Agreement was reached on Nov. 21, 1995, in Dayton, Ohio, the United States, and signed in Paris on Dec. 14 the same year. It ended a war that lasted three and a half years and left about 100,000 people dead.

 

Bosnia could have new government by year's end (www.aa.com.tr/en, by Almir Terzic, Talha Ozturk, 13 November 2014)

Deal could be reached and allow a new government to cut debt and stabilize budget, says Serb chairman in tripartite presidency council

Bosnia and Herzegovina could form a new government by the end of the year, according to Mladen Ivanic, one of the three members of the country's tripartite presidency council.

Ivanic, the leader of the Party of Democratic Progress, said on Thursday that the new government's goals would be to reduce public debt and create a more stable budget.

Mladen Ivanic, who won the Serb chair in the presidency in elections on October 12, told the Anadolu Agency that if a coalition agreement between the Democratic Action Party (SDA), the Democratic Front (DF), Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS), the National Democratic Movement (NDP), could be agreed, they would be ready to form a government before the new year.

Blaming the previous government's "inactivity" for stalled relations with the European Union, Ivanic said the government would progress with its EU membership bid.

He said: "We need to create a positive environment. If we form the government quickly, if we unlock the coordination mechanism, we can receive support from our friends or we can find partners."

- 'Logical stance'

Ivanic also attacked criticisms that  Serbia had interfered with the government-forming process in Bosnia and Herzegovina, saying Serbia would never get itself involved in the forming of a government inBosnia and Herzegovina.

" Serbia never directly interfered in the elections on 12 October and never gave serious political support.Serbia showed a very unbiased stance in this regard and this is the logical stance," he added.

According to Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitution, the tripartite Presidency consists of one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb elected from the Republika Srpska.

The member with the most votes becomes the chairman, but the chairmanship rotates every eight months, to ensure equality.

The presidency term lasts four years.