LOCAL PRESS

 

Postponement of Nikolic’s visit will not change Serbia’s good intentions (RTS/Politika)

Serbia is committed to good neighborly relations and cooperation with countries in the region and the request of the member of the B&H Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic to have Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic’s visit to Sarajevo postponed will not change Serbia’s good intentions towards all the citizens of B&H, the press service of the Serbian President announced. Nikolic will visit B&H when all the three Presidency members show unity on that issue. Serbia pays significant attention to cherishing good relations with B&H, in line with the Dayton Accords, reads the announcement. Unfortunately, instead of the appeasement of tensions in the region, a demand for the deferral of the talks ensued so some individuals can gain political points among ultranationalists, reads the announcement. The request for the postponement of the visit is reminiscent of an event in 2012, when Izetbegovic did not visit Belgrade under a similar pretext. For the three years of his term, the Serbian President has shown true intentions towards all the citizens of B&H, dedication to reconciliation and prosperity of the region, the announcement reads.

 

Djuric: Untrue that Kosovo received area code (Tanjug)

The Head of the Belgrade team in the negotiations with Pristina Marko Djuric says it is untrue that Kosovo, via Austria, received an international area code. Djuric reacted to the statement made by the Head of the Pristina delegation Edita Tahiri. Djuric stressed that Kosovo can receive an area code from the International Union for Telecommunications “only if Serbia as the UN member state requests this” by having Kosovo receive a special area code “as a geographical region within Serbia”. He says this is why he had sent a sharp protest to the mediators in the dialogue in the European External Action Service and requested them to order the Pristina delegation not to bring forward untruths about the content of the talks. Djuric warned that the Pristina side, “by presenting untruths about the content of the talks is trying to provoke the cessation of talks, i.e. their failure”. He explained that Kosovo, since it is not an internationally recognized UN member state, can only receive an area code if Serbia agrees to this and requests this from the International Union for Telecommunications. Djuric says that if the Pristina authorities “think they can do this on their own, then let them do so”, but noticed that he then didn’t see why the Pristina side had participated at all in the talks on telecommunications. The essence of the talks and a solution is for Serbia’s Telekom to receive a working license in Kosovo and for tariffs for talks to always be local “if calls go from Kosovo to the rest of Serbia, from example from Kosovska Mitrovica to Nis”.

Following 15-hour-long negotiations on telecommunications within the technical dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina no agreement was reached in regard to all issues, while high degree of consent was reached on the tariffs, Tanjug was told at the Office for Kosovo and Metohija. The talks ended at around 1a.m. and the technical dialogue on telecommunications will resume on Monday, 22 June. The most difficult talks were conducted on the area code for Kosovo and Metohija, tariffs and interconnections, the Office stated. Apart from the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric, the delegation also included the Director of the Telekom Predrag Culibrk, the Director of RATEL Milan Jankovic and ministry representatives.

 

Serbia to hand over Pristina cadastral data from Kosovo and Metohija (Tanjug)

In the following 12 months Serbia will hand over to Pristina all cadastral documentation from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija in digital form, which was agreed by the Brussels agreement, it was stated today during the opening of the reconstructed building of the Archive of the Republican Geodetic Institute where this will be conducted. Cadastral documentation from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija has been in the possession of the Serbian Republican Geodetic Institute, and once it is transferred from analog to digital form, the copies of all this documentation, in both digital and electronic form, will be handed over to Pristina, it was pointed out during the opening of the Archive in Zemun, because of which the EU had invested three million Euros. Based on the Brussels agreement, Belgrade assumed the obligation to conduct the transfer of all cadastral data from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija to Pristina, said the State Secretary in the Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Aleksandra Damnjanovic. “The scanning of complete cadastral documentation from Kosovo and Metohija will be conducted here so a data base would be formed and handed over to Pristina with the EU mediation,” said Damnjanovic. She assessed that the realization of this project was a significant step in cooperation between Belgrade and Pristina, pointing out that this is important over Serbia’s association with the EU. Belgrade and Pristina representatives reached agreement on 2 September 2011 in Brussels on the transfer of cadastral data to Pristina that offers data on ownership. With the realization of this project the EU continues with its commitment to the success of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, said the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Oskar Benedict, adding he expects this to help in the further normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations. He stressed that this project, within which all land registries and plans from Kosovo and Metohija will be scanned, will bring tangible benefits to all residents of Kosovo and Metohija, regardless of their nationality, in their daily affairs and trade. Benedict noted that the EU had invested three million Euros in the modernization of the Archive in Zemun, training of personnel, furnishing of premises, where, after the completion of the job regarding Kosovo and Metohija, further work in transferring analog to digital form and other data from Serbian territory will be conducted.

 

Joksimovic: Opening of chapters additional impetus on EU path (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister without Portfolio for EU Integrations Jadranka Joksimovic said on Monday that opening the first chapters in the EU accession talks by the end of the year would be an additional impetus for accelerating reforms in Serbia. Joksimovic and Serbia’s chief EU negotiator Tanja Miscevic spoke with Ernst Reichel, the German Foreign Office’s envoy for Southeastern Europe, about the continuation of the negotiation process with the EU, the Serbian government said in a statement. Serbia has made significant progress in the EU integration process, the officials said in the discussion. Reichel noted the significance of continuing the implementation of the Brussels agreement so that Chapter 35 can become one of the first chapters opened. In the implementation of the Brussels agreement, it is important that both sides demonstrate a readiness for compromise, Joksimovic said and underscored that the Union of Serb Municipalities is vital for the Serb community in Kosovo and Metohija. The two sides also pointed to the significance of regional stability and improved cooperation, where, as they said, Serbia has made a significant contribution, the statement said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Ivanov and Dacic agree on enhancement of Macedonia-­Serbia relations (Republika)

Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov and Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic agreed Monday the two countries share friendly relations, intensive high-level political dialogue and cooperation in numerous fields of mutual interest, which needs to enhance in the future. Ivanov said Macedonia required a committed, responsible and leadership approach to dialogue by all political parties, towards bringing back political stability. “Regarding challenges related to regional stability and security, President Ivanov and Minister Dacic agreed on the necessity for enhanced engagement by the international community, especially the EU, finding ways to unblock the European integration process, as well as reaffirmation of the Balkans’ European perspective towards the region’s stability, security and prosperity”, reads the President’s Office press release. Dacic stressed that Macedonia’s challenges can be solved only through political will and opening of the European perspective, adding everyone should work towards bringing back peace, security and stability in the region. Interlocutors exchanged opinions on the role and engagement of OSCE, with Serbia currently holding its Chairmanship, as well as the need for more comprehensive approach in facing challenges resulting from radicalism and extremism, the foreign fighters’ phenomenon, as well as launching of de­radicalization projects.

 

FB&H Government unconstitutional (Nezavisne)

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H) remains at an impasse because of lack of majority in the FB&H Parliament, and since today the government of the FB&H is unconstitutional, because, after a dismissal of Reuf Bajrovic, now former Minister of Energy, Industry and Mining, the Government does not have enough Bosniaks. Marinko Cavara, the President of the FB&H, explained Reuf Bajrovic’s dismissal by stating that Bajrovic as a minister in the FB&H government did not respect the institutions and the Constitution of the Federation. As for Alexander Remetic, Minister of Commerce and Deputy of FB&H Milan Mandilovic, Minister of Labor and Social Policy, and Snjezana Soldat, Minister of Tourism (the DF), Cavara said that for the acceptance of their resignations he heeds more consultations, and that they have, according to him, done a good job. He invited the Democratic Front to finally decide whether they want to stay in the government or they want to leave it, and if they decide not to stay, then they should leave all the positions in the FB&H government. “If a certain number of officials remains in the executive branch, especially in positions in which they may block the further election of ministers, then it means that the DF remains in power,” said Cavara. He points out that the DF remains in power also, if it continues to occupy the position of the Vice President of FB&H. Asked to comment on the statement made by Milan Dunovic, FB&H Vice President that he is afraid that the HDZ wants to bring the SNSD into the government, Cavara said that he does not know where he got that information. Sasa Mitrovic, the Vice Chairman of the FB&H House of Representatives from among the Serbs, who comes from the DF, told Nezavisne that this party, at a session of the FB&H House of Representatives scheduled for Tuesday, is going to act as opposition. “This FB&H government is unconstitutional, because it doesn’t have enough Bosniaks in its composition. The remaining three ministers from the DF will not return to the government and I’m going to resign from my position as a Co-Chairman when the new majority gets formed,” said Mitrovic. Asked to say whether Dunovic, who is also from the DF, is going to resign from his position, Mitrovic said that Dunovic is not going to resign, and that is a final decision. According to the FB&H Constitution, the dismissal of the President and Vice President of FB&H must be supported by two-thirds of both Houses of the FB&H Parliament, and then confirmed by the FB&H Constitutional Court, and that is something that is unlikely to happen. The DF’s departure from the SDA – HDZ B&H coalition is likely going to result in a blockade of the Parliament. The majority of the MPs think that the SDA and HDZ will not have the necessary support when it comes to voting, there won’t be enough votes to support the FB&H government proposals. Edin Music, the Chairman of the FB&H House of Representatives, said that he can’t see the rational reasons for DF’s departure from the SDA and HDZ B&H coalition and that they have made a hasty move, and failed to recognize how serious this moment is for the Federation and the whole country. Nasir Beganovic, the head of the SBB Club in the FB&H’s House of Representatives has confirmed that his party remains in the opposition.

 

Mladen Ivanic: No reason to postpone Nikolic’s visit (Srna)

The Chairman of the B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic said on Monday in Banja Luka that there is no reason to postpone visit of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic to B&H. Ivanic said that Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency, Bakir Izetbegovic, received a request to postpone Nikolic’s visit due to the arrest of former commander of Muslim forces in Srebrenica, Naser Oric, but this institution has not yet decided concerning this issue. “All open issues may be resolved through dialogue, and I informed Nikolic about everything. This brings B&H back to the past and can create a very bad ambient, because no man can be the foundation for the deterioration of relations between the two countries,” Ivanic told journalists in Banja Luka. He pointed out that the judiciary is independent in Switzerland and it will make a law –based decision in the case of Oric. Speaking about the announced British resolution on Srebrenica, Ivanic has stated it is unacceptable. “Those who propose such documents bring B&H dramatically back to the past. The B&H does not need politically based documents, but respect for all the victims,” said Ivanic. He has warned that the direction of B&H will be decided in the next few weeks – whether it will be towards the European integration or return to the past. “Reaching an agreement on the reform changes, the visits of the European Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and positive relations with Serbia are essential,” says Ivanic, adding that the RS has demonstrated its breadth in a range of things.

 

Dodik: I will seek from Lavrov Russia’s veto on the resolution (Srna)

The RS President Milorad Dodik announced the meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on June 18 in St. Petersburg, where he will ask him for Russia’s veto on the adoption of the Srebrenica resolution in the Security Council. “It is obvious that there will be no common position in B&H regarding this document, which aims to politicize the tragedy and impose quasi truth about the suffering in Srebrenica. If aim is the reconciliation, why doesn’t it mention the 3,500 Serb victims, which were killed by Naser Oric and his men, also in the Srebrenica area,” asks Dodik. For the President of RS, the controversial point of the resolution is “condemning the genocide denial”, which, according to him, aims to force all present and future Serb politicians to apologize all over again.

 

Dedjanski: I believe in Russia’s veto (Srna)

Political analyst Stevica Dedjanski told Srna that he is convinced that a British resolution on Srebrenica will not pass the UN Security Council and that Russia will veto it. “I believe in Russia’s veto. Everything else would be a forging of history with far-reaching consequences for the Serbian people. We must fight it,” Dedjanski said, who is the president of the Belgrade Centre for Development of International Cooperation. He said that Serbia must not allow it and that Serbian Government representatives know that it might have far-reaching consequences for Serbia, the RS and the Serb people as a whole. “I am convinced that if there is no other way, we will officially ask Russia to veto it, despite consequences we will have to face on the other side, but these are far greater consequences,” Dedjanski said. He says that he is sincerely convinced that the governments in Serbia and RS nonetheless take care of the interests of the Serb people as a whole. He said that all resolutions on Srebrenica, which appeared these days, are synchronized and serve to increase pressure on RS but also on Serbia so that it would distance itself from indirect and direct support to RS. Dedjanski said that this is an attempt to tendentiously distort historical facts and accuse the Serb people of something that is not true, genocide. “No one denies that there were crimes, and we heard this a million times from all our officials, RS President Milorad Dodik and Serbia’s representatives, but this obviously does not satisfy some of these western countries,” Dedjanski said. Asked if the West again focused on the Balkans, Dedjanski said that this is not about returning the focus on the Balkans, but about an attempt to remove it from the Balkans. New problems are being created, starting from Ukraine, and things remained unfinished here in the Balkans from the point of view of British and American interests – for Kosovo to get independence and for RS to lose its own independence. “By this pressure they want to get out of here in order to be able to deal with other problems. If they manage to push it through they would get a sort of justification for the bombing of RS and Serbia and the creation of a non-existent country of Kosovo, that is, for usurpation,” Dedjanski said. Dedjanski said that it is very important for the Serb people to have a single position on these issues. “We could see in RS a sort of opposition’s flirting with foreign powers in order to get to power. This all must be forgotten and they must jointly take care of the interests of RS and the Serb people,” he said. He also said that the government and the opposition in Serbia also must find a common interest when it comes to the defense of interests of the Serb people. “If there are no internal elements who would try to make use of this in order to overthrow the government and if this does not turn into an internal fight for votes, I think we have a chance to defend ourselves. We have lived under pressure for the past 25 years,” Dedjanski said. Media reported that Great Britain is preparing a resolution on Srebrenica which it will submit to the UN Security Council, and that RS and its President Milorad Dodik are the main “targets” of an offensive on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica events. The UN Security Council is expected to discuss a resolution on Srebrenica on July 7.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo Veterans Vow to Stop New War Court (BIRN, by Petrit Collaku, 16 June 2015)

Kosovo Liberation Army veterans will protest against the creation of a new EU-backed court that will try ex-fighters suspected of war crimes allegedly committed during and after the 1998-99 conflict. Veterans’ groups on Tuesday called for people to join them on a march through the streets of Pristina on Wednesday against the creation of the special court, which they say is an insult to the Kosovo Liberation Army’s wartime heroism. Xhavit Jashari, head of the Association of Families of KLA Martyrs, said that the ex-fighters would hold another demonstration when the draft law which would enable the establishment of the new court is sent to parliament. “We will protest on the day that the [parliamentary] session takes place as well and make attempts to convince the members of parliament not to approve such a court,” Jashari told in a press conference in Pristina. The planned march through the city to the headquarters of the EU rule-of-law mission in Kosovo, EULEX, has already received support from students’ organisations at Pristina, Prizren and Peje/Pec universities. It remains unclear when the parliament will vote on the draft law, the last legal step before the special court can be established. Besnik Berisha from the Kosovo prime minister’s office told BIRN that the draft law is still with the ministry of justice and it would be sent to parliament soon. Berisha said that the government until recently was still negotiating with the international community, which had asked for some changes in the draft. He added that the international community did not accept the Kosovo government’s demand for changes, such as the inclusion of so-called ‘political murders’ committed after June 12, 1999, when the war in Kosovo ended. It also rejected the government’s request for the court’s archives to be considered as public documents in Kosovo. “All legal ways [to achieve] those changes have been exhausted. The negotiations just ended and soon the draft law will be submitted to MPs,” Berisha said. The EU’s special representative in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, said on Monday that the court should be established as soon as possible. “We are receiving questions about why the special court’s setting up is being delayed every day. All we can answer is it that it is a difficult and demanding process. However, it is an international obligation,” said Zbogar. The draft law says that the new court’s jurisdiction will cover offences committed between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2000. Its judges will be interviewed by an international panel and appointed by the head of the EU’s rule-of-law mission in Kosovo. The draft law says that chambers will be based in Kosovo as well as in a host country, while the prosecution will be in a host country. It has been widely rumoured that the Netherlands will be the host country. A European Union Special Investigative Task Force report said last year that unnamed former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters could face prosecution at the new court for conducting “a campaign of persecution” against Serbs, Roma and Kosovo Albanians believed to be collaborators with the Serbian regime. The alleged crimes include killings, abductions, illegal detentions and sexual violence.

 

Serb president cancels Bosnia trip amid row over commander's arrest (Reuters, by Aleksandar Vasovic, 15 June 2015)

BELGRADE - Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic cancelled his first official visit to Bosnia on Monday after a Muslim Bosniak member of the country’s inter-ethnic presidency opposed it over the arrest of a wartime Bosniak commander. Swiss police last week arrested Naser Oric on a Serbian arrest warrant over his role in the alleged killings of Serbs around Srebrenica during Bosnia's 1992-95 war. Oric is currently being detained, pending extradition, which he will contest. The visit of Nikolic, once a firebrand of the Greater Serbia ideology that fuelled the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, was aimed at easing ties between the two former rivals still struggling with the bloody legacy of the war which killed 100,000 people. But Bosnian presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic said the visit, scheduled for Tuesday, should be postponed because Serbia had requested Oric's extradition, despite judicial cooperation agreements under which the case should be transferred to Bosnia. Bosnia's Muslims see the arrest of Oric as an attempt by Serbia to overshadow the commemoration next month of the 20th anniversary of the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of about 8,000 Muslims by the Bosnian Serb forces. The country's tripartite presidency, consisting of a Serb, a Croat and a Bosniak, could not reach consensus on the issue, prompting Nikolic to cancel the visit. "President Nikolic will always go on an official visit to Bosnia when all three members of the presidency demonstrate unity and readiness," the statement from Nikolic's office said. "Unfortunately ... a request for the postponement of the visit followed, so that individuals could make political points among ultranationalists," the statement added. Oric was indicted by The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for crimes against Serbs and was acquitted in 2008. The ruling angered the Bosnian Serbs and Serbia, who see the tribunal as biased against them. Mladen Ivanic, the Bosnian Serb chairman of the presidency, said the cancellation of Nikolic's visit might worsen relations between the two neighbours. "I think this is not good and takes us several steps backwards," Ivanic said. The war in Bosnia killed an estimated 100,000 people between 1992 and 1995. It ended with a Dayton peace accord that left the country divided between a Bosnian Serb entity and the Bosniak-Croat Federation. (Additional reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo; Editing by Toby Chopra)

 

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Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ. The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.