LOCAL PRESS

 

Djuric: Pristina grossly violates Brussels agreement (RTS/Beta)

Pristina has decided to cancel the pre-scheduled negotiations on the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), whereby it grossly violates the Brussels agreement, the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric told an extraordinary press conference in Belgrade. He says that talks with Pristina on the ZSO have been scheduled for next Tuesday in Brussels, but that Pristina, without an announcement, justifying itself with internal-political reasons, cancelled the arrival. Djuric says that Pristina thus flagrantly violates point 14 of the Brussels agreement that states that Pristina is obligated not to block Serbia in its EU integration. Pristina’s unilateral cancellation in the political sense is an attempt to create a hostage crisis in which we should be held hostage, said Djuric, noting that it is clear that Pristina doesn’t have the political will to implement the agreed. Asked about Brussels’ reaction to the cancellation of the arrival of Pristina representatives for the Tuesday talks, Djuric says they expressed dissatisfaction in unofficial talks over Pristina’s stand. He says that it is important for the EU to make an effort so Serbia doesn’t suffer consequences over Pristina’s irresponsible behavior. He assesses that Pristina’s message is a bad message for normalization of relations and that he expects international mediators, who are the guarantors of the Brussels agreement, to exert pressure on Pristina and not to allow Serbia to be held hostage to irresponsible and harmful behavior by Pristina. Djuric says that EU Commissioner Hahn said yesterday what other EU officials were also saying  - that the work on the formation of the ZSO is one of the key elements that should be fulfilled. Djuric says that the Belgrade delegation will travel to Brussels on Tuesday and that it should be clear to everyone that Serbia is committed to fully respect the Brussels agreement. “It is important for the entire European and world public to see where the main obstacle to the implementation of the agreement is,” said Djuric. Asked how he sees the possibility of an agreement on Gazivode, Djuric says that it is not even crossing their mind to make compromises on this important hydro system and that Pristina is trying, with various tricks, to depict this issue in their favor. Djuric says that the largest part of Gazivode is on the territory of Serbia proper, that the word Gazivode is not mentioned in any agreement. “Serbia has no obligation in connection to the Gazivode Lake, and we will implement our obligations. No one can blame Serbia for any progress in the normalization because it is clear that Pristina doesn’t want to discuss some issues,” said Djuric.

 

Drecun: ZSO needs to be formed according to new Kosovo laws (RTS/Tanjug)

The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun has stated that the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) should be formed according to the Kosovo laws, but not current ones, which is why they need to be changed. Drecun told reporters in the Serbian parliament that many laws or their parts in Kosovo and Metohija should be changed for the ZSO to be established. According to Drecun, Pristina is persistently refusing to change the legislative framework and that is the main problem. “The statute of the ZSO must be recognized in the amended Kosovo legislature. Without changes to the laws, there can be no ZSO. The goal of the ZSO is to create an institutional framework that will verify the specific position of the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija and create conditions for their sustainable development and perspective,” said Drecun.

 

Serbian Foreign Ministry: Serbia against Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO (Danas, by Jelena Tasic)

The Republic of Serbia doesn’t recognize the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo and Metohija and doesn’t support Kosovo’s accession to the United Nations and the organizations in the UN system, including UNESCO. The Serbian Foreign Ministry is undertaking and will continue to undertake diplomatic activities towards protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country and preventing Kosovo’s membership in international organizations whose members are states,” Danas was told in the Serbian Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the current diplomatic action of Kosovo Foreign Minister Hashim Thaqi for Kosovo’s membership in UNESCO. The Serbian Foreign Ministry points out that “the official request of the so-called ‘Kosovo’ for UNESCO membership has not been submitted”. Asked by Danas whether Belgrade has assumed the obligation to support Pristina’s membership in international organizations with the signing of the first Brussels agreement and whether this will be included in the legally-binding document on normalization of relations, the signing of which Germany conditions Serbia’s further EU integration, the Serbian Foreign Ministry responds that “the First agreement in no way prejudges the future status of Kosovo and Metohija nor creates conditions for Kosovo’s future membership in the UN and other international organizations whose members are sovereign states”. The UNESCO Constitution allows the possibility for states that are not UN members to be granted membership. This requires the decision of the General Conference at the recommendation of the UNESCO Executive Council. The Serbian Foreign Ministry explains that the recommendation is passed based on the simple majority of members of the Executive Council, and that, based on it, the decision on admitting a new member requires a two-third majority of present members of the General Conference that voted. Danas’ interlocutors point to the part of the UNESCO Constitution that envisages “only a state or organization that is entrusted the responsibility for conducting international relations can submit the request for admission for associate membership on behalf of a territory or group of territories that do not conduct foreign policy on their own”. Even though after the self-declaration of Kosovo’s independence UNMIK’s jurisdictions had been decimated, Kosovo and Metohija is formally under the UN protectorate, whose special representative submits quarterly reports to the Security Council. Danas was unofficially told in diplomatic circles close to UNESCO that Pristina, with the help of “friends from the West” has already started the “battle” for membership and that the main “offensive” is expected in the fall prior to the 38^th General Conference scheduled between 3 and 18 November. Even though the officials of the Kosovo Foreign Ministry say “they are still working on finding a format and procedure for UNESCO membership”, Danas’ sources do not exclude the possibility that they will use the “model” of the recommendations of the Executive Council and decisions of the General Conference that has 195 members and meets every two years. Diplomats point out that Pristina, after Palestine’s membership in UNESCO in 2011 despite Israel’s opposition, has tried unsuccessfully to contact the UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova. The same sources claim that, allegedly, after the signing of the Brussels agreement, part of the EU has increased pressure on Bokova for Kosovo to join UNESCO’s activities. The rules of this organization enable Pristina to join its work by entering the UNESCO list for which state institutions and national commissions are not necessary, while it could also receive the status of a “permanent observer” with a simple majority of votes of the Executive Council. In parallel to Thaqi’s activities for Kosovo’s UNESCO membership, the draft law on cultural heritage entered parliamentary procedure on Wednesday.

 

Miscevic: Chapters to be opened by end of year (TVPink/Tanjug)

The Head of Serbia’s EU accession team Tanja Miscevic said that the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy Johannes Hahn had emphasized during his visit to Belgrade on Thursday that Serbia would have EU accession chapters opened by the end of the year. She said Serbia was absolutely ready for the opening of all the chapters. Another important message is the fact that chapter opening signifies deeper reforms and the third message is the commendation of the reform process so far, Miscevic told the morning broadcast of TV Pink. He mentioned Chapters 23 and 24, the establishment of the rule of law, and further dialogue with Pristina as the key issues facing Serbia along its EU path. Opinion polls suggest that at the moment citizens are more in favor of reforms than Serbia's EU membership, she noted. This speaks volumes about the maturity of citizens, their awareness that the process is under way not just because of the membership, but because it will bring about major changes in Serbia, she said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik: Interior Ministry operation “Ruben” is not directed against the Bosniaks (Srna)

The Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has told Srna that the Interior Ministry operation codenamed Ruben is in no way directed against the Bosniaks, rather their protection and the protection of all citizens of the RS.  “The operation aims to collect information on possible security threats. Everything is done in line with the law as no operation would ever be carried out if it wasn’t for the cooperation between the police and prosecutor’s office,” said Dodik. When asked by Srna to comment on the claims by some Bosniak politicians that the operation aims to intimidate the Bosniak returnees in RS, Dodik categorically dismissed any possibility of treating the operation that way. “Such statements by the politicians from the Federation of B&H and their fervor cannot contribute to what we need today and that is an organized support to fighting any form of terrorism. All Bosniaks can live peacefully in RS. The Bosniaks are not the people that could collectively be labeled as ‘terrorists’ like some of their representatives used to try to qualify the Serbs as ‘criminals’,” said the RS President. Dodik pointed out that such statements corroborated some earlier opinions that the Bosniak political elite did not want the struggle against radical Islam, and asked: “How come that those Bosniak politicians have suddenly lost the faith in judiciary?” “I think that some Bosniak politicians contribute to an unnecessary polarization and it is exactly their statements and their desire to model the Bosniaks in the RS that cause the biggest damage to the Bosniak people in these parts,” said Dodik. He qualified it as unacceptable to dub a legitimate police operation as allegedly ethnically motivated. “We won’t pay attention to such things or any such objections and we will do everything in line with the law and what the legal role of the police really is,” said Dodik. Everyone must realize that RS will not be a passive object of potential attacks by any individuals or organized groups, he said, adding that RS was prepared to demonstrate its ability to defend the social structure and the RS as a whole. “I support this police operation just like I have always supported the fight against all forms of crime, even when many Serbs were the subject of police operations. In all those operations, there are always people for whom it turns out that information about them was incorrect, but there certainly are people who are organized and who pose a threat to stability,” Dodik told Srna. It is evident that the state level institutions in charge of fighting terrorism have absolutely failed, he said. “People should know that there will be more such operations and that RS will not be a passive object of different extremist adventures of any individual. None of those with such intentions will be at peace in RS, be it a Serb, a Bosniak or any other national,” said the RS President.

 

31 persons suspected of terrorism arrested (Srna)

Thirty-one persons have been arrested in the RS in a police operation dubbed Ruben on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks on RS institutions and their representatives, said the spokeswoman for the RS Special Prosecutor’s Office, Dragica Tojagic.  “Certain quantity of arms, uniforms, propaganda material and other items which might be linked to the commission of a crime, have been seized in the operation,” Tojagic said at a press conference in Banja Luka.

She said that on orders of the RS Special Prosecutor’s Office, premises in 32 locations, used by persons suspected of procuring arms, mines and military equipment with the aim of carrying out terrorist attacks on RS institutions and their representatives, have been searched. The head of the investigations department of the RS Special Prosecutor’s Office, Darko Ilic, said that for the time being, it is certain that the prosecutor will ask for detention for 11 of the 31 arrested persons since there is evidence that they intended to conduct terrorist attacks. He said that the others should be released this evening after the questioning

 

Resistance to government spreading in Macedonia (Tanjug Skopje correspondent)

The second day of civil protests against the Macedonian government in Skopje was more massive and better organized than the previous days. Because of strong police forces it did not take place in front of the Macedonian government, but outside the parliament. Citizens started protests on Tuesday night after most influential opposition party Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia revealed that Martin Neskovski was beaten to death by a policeman on duty, and accused the ruling party and the prime minister of covering up the case. Some media report that the police was much better prepared for protesters last night, and that demonstrators acted wisely and decided that instead of protesting in front of the government do so in front of the parliament.

This is said to have avoided the government's intentions to use police brutality to suppress the protest and blame the protesters for the violence.  There were also protests in Bitola and Prilep on Wednesday evening. The organizers learned their lesson from the first day and did not allow provocateurs, obviously planted by the government, to provoke a brutal police action.

So the provocateurs were left to try to provoke rioting with sporadic actions in which they failed.

The opposition said it will not give up and will spread the protests throughout Macedonia. Protests are scheduled for today in Skopje and Strumica, and tomorrow in Kavadarci and Kumanovo.

 

Serbian media describe Tomasic as “Croatian Seselj in skirt” (Hina)

The President of the Croatian Conservative Party and MEP Ruza Tomasic has once again proved that she is a Croatian Seselj in a skirt, the Belgrade media wrote on Thursday, while top Serbian officials expect Croatia to distance itself from Tomasic’s “shameful” statements “in which she advocates the ethnic cleansing of Serbs”, adding that they would respond to such positions with silence. Vojislav Seselj is a Serbian war crimes inductee known for his warmongering rhetoric.

“Croatian politician Ruza Tomasic could be criminally prosecuted for hate speech against Serbs and the Croatian government must react as well,” the Belgrade-based Blic daily quoted

Tomasic: “They (Serbia’s officials) should pray to God that we don't start cleaning our yard, they will have many Serbs from Croatia who will have to go to Serbia. They see this country as an ATM and a self-service and they give nothing back.” That statement was triggered by a statement from Serbian Labor Minister Aleksandar Vulin who said Croatia should not lecture Serbia, rather it should look into its own yard and prosecute war crimes. Tomasic”s statement was condemned in the strongest terms by the Istrian Democratic Party (IDS), the Croatian People’s Party (HNS) and B&H Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak, an official of a local Serb party, who said that Tomasic’s statement about the Serbs in Croatia was a “fascist statement”. Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Blic he expected Croatia’s state leadership to distance themselves from such positions and messages, adding that “Tomasic is known for her anti-Serb statements”. “It’s disgraceful that a member of the European Parliament, an EU institution, advocates the ethnic cleansing of Serbs,” Dacic said. Asked if the Serbian government would react to Tomasic’s statement, Dacic said the government in Belgrade would respond with silence, because Serbia wants to preserve peace, stability and good relations with its neighbors and that “silence to their insults is the expression and reflection of our strength and not our weaknesses”. Tomasic issued a statement on Wednesday, rejecting requests from the public to apologize for her recent statement, saying she was “fed up” with requests to apologize for her words “that are true” as well as with some Croatian Serbs who were “born in Croatia and do not care about Croatia at all”.

 

Djukanovic: We are not for NATO in order to be against Russia (RTCG)

Priority number one of Montenegrin state policy is getting the invitation for NATO membership, Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said in Berlin, adding that the government did not choose NATO in order to be against Russia, or against anyone, but because we share the values of the Alliance. “This is our guiding principle,” the Prime Minister said. In his speech at the German Society for Foreign Policy on the subject of “European perspectives of the Western Balkans - experience of Montenegro’, the Prime Minister said he expected the invitation to join NATO by the end of the year. “We think our optimism is realistic, and that, in the framework of the intensified and focused dialogue, which was committed to Montenegro through the conclusion of the Summit in Wales, with the possibility that the decision to make decision to send the invitations on the ministerial level, we would fulfill the remaining commitments. And that the invitations would ensue in December. As of next week already, we expect positive tones and messages of encouragement from the NATO Ministerial Meeting in Antalya,” said Djukanovic. Membership of Montenegro is not only important for us, for our security and for more secure European future, but also, as Djukanovic said, for the Balkans and the whole Mediterranean. “Also, it is important for stability in Europe and in the Euro-Atlantic community. It will be a powerful message of encouragement for all aspirant countries,” said Djukanovic. He says the government knows that the decision on NATO membership is always a political one. “We respect the changed global context, and the new situation in Europe caused by the Ukrainian crisis. It is quite logical to consider the role of Russia, in this context, its presence in the Balkans, relations with individual countries. We have a long tradition of good relations with Russia. However, it does not limit us to choose our path to the future ourselves, and to make decisions in accordance with our national and state interests,” said Djukanovic. The daily newspaper Dan reported in the article “Government hid the research because the support of NATO is low” that the results of opinion polls on the support of NATO membership ordered by the Communication team of NATO at the end of March and beginning of April, have never been published because they have shown that the support to accession to the military alliance is extremely low. The National Coordinator for NATO, Vesko Garcevic, denied in a statement to Portal Analytics, that the government hid the public opinion survey on the support of NATO, pointing out that he spoke to the media about the research conducted in late March and early April on several occasions. “So many times we have emphasized the level of public support. I spoke about this in NATO Info Centre, where journalists were present and they have not communicate that information, because they thought that there were information that were more important in that time,” said Garcevic. He pointed out that, when he presented all the data in the NATO Information Center, the Dan’s journalist was also present. "They probably all thought that it was already a known fact and there is no need to write about it. Now it seems we have something to hide” said the National Coordinator for NATO. Garcevic said that this year, support has not decreased though the research was at a time of NATO bombing anniversary. He also said that the allegations that the Government supported the NATO Day with 20 000 Euros. “NATO day was organized by the Atlantic Council, and we are just giving logistical support to the event and participated in its implementation, but we did not financially support it,” said Garcevic.

 

Misdemeanor charge against Metropolitan Amfilohije (RTCG/B92)

Inspection of Cultural Heritage has filed a request for initiating misdemeanor charge proceedings against the Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral Amfilohije Radovic. A request for proceedings against the Metropolitan was submitted to the Magistrate Court in Danilovgrad because the project works on the Ostrog monastery have been continued without the conservation project. A request for the initiation of proceedings against Metropolitan Amfilohije Radovic, as a responsible person was filed too, confirmed the Inspection Directorate. As stated by the Administration for Inspection Affairs, the inspection has monitored Metropolitan’s actions in accordance with the measures imposed by the decision, and has performed control inspectional supervision in the following days. Inspector for the Protection of Cultural Property adopted on 23 March a decision prohibiting Metropolitan’s reconstruction and renovation of the Monastery Ostrog without conservation project. Metropolitan appealed to this decision and submitted a proposal to postpone enforcement of the decision by which, according to the Law on Inspection Supervision, the inspector was required to make a decision. Administration for Inspection Affairs forwarded the appeal of the Metropolitan, with the entire case file, to the Ministry of Culture as the second instance body for further proceedings. Inspector for the Protection of Cultural Property has partially adopted the proposal of the Metropolitan of Montenegro and Littoral Amfilohije Radovic, who, as previously announced by the Administration, has stated justified reasons for the delay in execution in the part by which the prohibition of reconstruction and adaptation at the cultural property Ostrog refers to works on securing of slopes, rock massif and landslides, construction of retaining walls and strengthening the foundations of the monastery. According to the inspectors, by enforcement of decision in this part there would be a potential hazard to the safety of people and property of greater value. He also said that delaying the decision is not contrary to public interest.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Serbia's EU path depends on dialogue with Kosovo: EU commissioner (Xinhua, 7 May 2015)

BELGRADE -- Progress in the dialogue between Serbia and its southern province Kosovo could speed up the process of Serbia's European integration, a European Union (EU) official said here on Thursday. Johannes Hahn, European commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement, made the remarks after meeting with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. "It is of absolute importance that the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina is continued and to have concrete results. If that becomes the case, I think it is not impossible that we could start opening chapters this year," Hahn told journalists at a joint press conference with Vucic. Vucic said that Serbia would like to open the initial chapters in June or September but the date completely depends on Brussels and EU member countries. "We will try to obtain the trust of institutions in Brussels and EU member countries by working responsibly," he said, praising achievements of the Serbian government in the field of economic and other reforms. "We did not get a single remark on the economic reforms, while one important issue around Kosovo remains to be solved, and Serbia is not to be held responsible and blamed for that, and that issue is the establishment of the Community of Serb municipalities," Vucic said. He explained that this means that six out of 15 points of the EU-mediated Brussels agreement between Serbia and Kosovo signed in 2013 are not fulfilled. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, Serbia categorically refuses to recognize its independence. At the end of the conference, Vucic officially handed to Hahn the action plans for Chapter 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, freedom and security) that Serbia prepared. Hahn, who is visiting the region about the future of EU integration, said earlier Thursday that the EU member countries will start the discussion about opening the initial chapters with Serbia, after Serbia finishes its action plans and sends them to the European Commission. At the conference he said that EU members insisted that Chapters 23 and 24 should be opened at the beginning of the negotiations because "there is a clear connection between the rule of law and attractiveness of one country for investments".

 

Turkish Stream via Serbia Is Impossible - President Nikolic (Novinite, 8 May 2015)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has ruled out an option of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline crossing Serbian territory. In an interview for the Interfax news agency he describes the implementation of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project in Serbia as impossible, adding that the country will not receive gas from this source. He expressed Serbia’s opposition to the sanctions against Russia, yet noted that when the country became and EU Member State, it would have to observe the EU’s common foreign policy. Nikolic, as cited by local news agencies, told Interfax that achieving a solution to the Kosovo issue was a basic requirement for accession to the EU, while relations with Russia and the sanctions imposed on the country could only be a problem once Serbia was an EU Member State.

 

Croat Party Boycotts Bosnia Federation Govt (BIRN, by Elvira M. Jukic, 8 May 2015)

Ministers from the main Bosnian Croat party boycotted the session of the Federation government Thursday, raising concerns about the stability of the ruling coalition in the entity. Ministers from the main Bosnian Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, skipped the session of the Federation entity government on Thursday in a continuing dispute with coalition partners over the appointment of managers in public firms. The president of the Federation entity, Marinko Cavara, who is also Vice-President of the HDZ, said that all the coalition partners, including the HDZ, the [mainly Bosniak] Party of Democratic Action, SDA, and the [non-ethnic] Democratic Front, DF, have to reach decisions mutually. “Ministers from the HDZ could not accept to agree on one thing - and then do something else,” Cavara said. Disagreements over the appointment of managers in public companies, such as the state telecom firm and other large state-owned industries, have troubled relations among coalition partners from the beginning. The DF wants ministers to appoint the managers of companies in their own sectors while the HDZ insists on the entire government voting on all those issues. “The DF has to understand that, if they are a part of a coalition, they should behave in that way,” Cavara said. However, he added, the three-party coalition was not in danger and problems could be solved by compromise. The President of the HDZ, Dragan Covic, said in an interview with the Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz on Thursday that the SDA and HDZ were at one on this issue. “How can we be in coalition if we don’t have a common stand over key questions?” Covic said. The dispute over this issue also reflects deep personal animosities among some officials from these two parties. Conflicting ideologies, agendas as well as personal animosities blocked the formation of a Federation entity government for months. A government was finally elected at the end of March but, many senior government officials admit it remains quite dysfunctional as the three main parties in government continue waging their little wars. A further escalation of animosities could topple the Federation government, which would then force a change in the ruling coalitions at state level and at other administrative levels.

 

Bosnia, Kosovo tighten noose on radical Islamists (AFP, 8 May 2015)

Sarajevo - Bosnian police have arrested 11 people on suspicion of plotting "terrorist acts", a week after a deadly Islamist attack on a police station, officials said Thursday. The arrests were part of an operation to root out radical Islamists in the semi-autonomous Serb-run Republika Srpska (RS). Those detained were suspected of having stockpiled weapons and explosives "aimed at committing terrorist acts against the institutions of the Republika Srpska and their representatives", prosecutors said in a statement. Muslim politicians denounced the arrests as an attempt to "intimidate" the Muslim community. The operation followed an attack last week by an Islamist radical in the eastern town of Zvornik. Shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest), a gunman opened fire on a police station, killing one officer and wounding two others before himself being shot dead by police. "All those who have the ambition to realise their extremist and radical plans, regardless of their ethnic origin, should know that the police will do its best to stop them," Republika Srpska's Interior Minister Dragan Lukac told reporters. Bosnia's devastating 1992-1995 war among Muslims, Croats and Serbs drew hundreds of fighters from across the Arab world in support of Muslim forces. The foreign combattants' strict brand of Islam has been adopted by some Bosnian Muslims, dozens of whom are now fighting alongside Islamic State and other jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, according to the intelligence services. Neighbouring Kosovo is also battling an outflow of would-be jihadists. Prosecutors there on Thursday indicted 32 people on terrorism charges over their links to insurgent groups in the Middle East. "For some of the accused there is a suspicion that they have joined the terrorist group in Syria called ISIS (Islamic State). Others have invited citizens to join the terrorist group ISIS, while others have recruited and sent people to the Syrian war," the public prosecutor's office said. The suspects, whose identity was not revealed, have been in detention since August 2014.