LOCAL PRESS

 

Dacic to take part in UN meetings on Kosovo (Politika)

Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has said that he will take part in a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Kosovo on August 21 and a UN conference in Mexico, where he will have important bilateral meetings touching on Kosovo, a few days later. "Mexico will host the First Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty and I have been invited by the minister of foreign affairs of Mexico to attend it. To be present at this meeting is important to us because of bilateral meetings - concerning Kosovo, of course - that will take place there," Dacic said for Belgrade-based daily Politika. Kosovo’s lobbying is particularly pronounced in that region right now and meeting with representatives from Mexico, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, who will all be there, is therefore very important for us, said Dacic. Politika points out that Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago are among the 26 out of 58 UNESCO Executive Board member-countries that have not recognized Kosovo. The Serbian foreign minister said that he would participate in a regular UN Security Council meeting on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo a few days before, on August 21.

 

Tahiri: Civil Defence Agency is moving to Kosovo institutions (RTS)

Kosovo Minister for dialogue Edita Tahiri said that the building in which the Civil Defence Agency has operated in northern Kosovo, will be transformed into structures of Kosovo institutions. Edita Tahiri also said that the members of the Civil Defence Agency will be employed by Kosovo institutions, in accordance with the Kosovo laws, reports Beta. "All those ministries with municipality level competencies, which due to the current situation could not exercise their functions, will open their offices in northern Kosovo and that way employ all the former members of the Civil Defence Agency. They will be employed and in the government agencies," said Tahiri, reports Koha Ditore. Kosovo Minister stated that this applies to the buildings that are used by the Civil Defence in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecani, Zubin Potok and Leposavic, and that during the employment procedure, of the former members of the organization, Kosovo laws and procedures will be respected. The daily says that, by now Kosovo institutions have signed 105 contracts with the former members of the formation, while 378 people are waiting for the signing of the agreement. Of all of them, 184 will be employed in nine ministries of the Kosovo government, and the rest will be divided into seven agencies, customs and tax administration.

 

Catalan MEP convinced Serbia must recognize Kosovo to join the EU (B92)

"For Serbia, recognizing Kosovo is an absolute condition for joining the EU," Josep Maria Terricabras, a member of the European Parliament from Spain, has said. "Absolutely and without a doubt Serbia will be under obligation to do that before joining the EU," Terricabras told the Albanian language daily Zeri from Pristina, the Beta news agency reported. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, Serbia's province, in 2008 unilaterally declared independence - Serbia considers it a violation of its territorial integrity and its Constitution. Out of EU's 28 member-states, five have not recognized Kosovo as independent, Spain among them. In his statement for the Pristina paper, Terricabras, who is Catalan, "added that the only reason Spain has not recognized Kosovo is Catalonia." He then said that "this is ridiculous, because the people of Catalonia will freely decide on their future whether Spain recognizes Kosovo or not." Terricabras is also "convinced that Kosovo's membership in the EU will be the best guarantee of stability and development of Kosovo and the whole region." He believes that the EP "should act a lot faster when it comes to visa liberalization for Kosovo," and stressed the fact Kosovo is "the only country for which visas have not been canceled represents unfair treatment of citizens of Kosovo by Europe."

 

Djuric to Zarif: Key interest of Serbia is stability in KiM (RTS, Tanjug)

The key interests of Serbia are stability in Kosovo ad Metohija (KiM) and normalization of the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, as well as improvement of the Serb community's position in the province, Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija (KiM) Marko Djuric said on Monday during a meeting with Farid Zarif, the head of the UN Mission in Kosovo and Metohija (UNMIK). Zarif, who is on a farewell visit at the completion of his term in office in KiM, commended the authorities in Belgrade and Pristina for focusing on improving economic situation in KiM, promoting human rights and fighting corruption. At the meeting, which addressed the current political and security situation in KiM, Djuric informed Zarif about the next round of the political dialogue in Brussels scheduled for August 25, and stressed the significance of the full implementation of the First Brussels Agreement and the establishment of a community of Serb municipalities. Djuric also presented the position of Belgrade regarding its opposition to the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo bidding for UNESCO membership, the Office for KiM said in a release. Djuric thanked Zarif for the constructive cooperation during his mandate in Kosovo.

 

700 cases of war crimes in Kosovo (RTS, Tajug)

About 700 cases of war crimes files are in the EULEX possession. The Special Court for crimes of the KLA will be dealing with them by allocating them to the local prosecutors. The court will be dealing with economic and organized crime and corruption, writes Pristina daily Kosova Sot. An unnamed source from the Kosovo prosecution said for Pristina daily Kosova Sot, that the Special Court is not only going to prosecute the war crimes, but that it will also include other criminal activities, reports Tanjug. "This court will be dealing with the economic crime, corruption and organized crime. The Special Court will help us a lot to sweep many institutions of Kosovo," said an unnamed source from Kosovo prosecution. The source said that they will be also investigating the millionaires, in order to see where they have been before, where are they now and how did they get the money."

 

"Vucic considers calling elections on all levels" (Danas)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic is "seriously considering scheduling elections on all levels," a Belgrade-based daily Danas is writing. Danas said it learned this "from sources close to the Serbian government." The newspaper added it was told that along with provincial elections in December, there is "serious possibility parliamentary elections will also be called." According to the sources, Vucic - who is the leader of the ruling SNS party - is "seriously considering" the option of holding elections on all levels. "The opposition wants them, and he has had enough of pressure and dissension within the ruling coalition." But, the unnamed sources pointed out - the prime minister "has not yet made a final decision, and will address the issue during one of his upcoming press conference." Meanwhile, the daily said that leaders of the ruling party expect and are preparing for provincial elections in Vojvodina in December - something confirmed by SNS Vice President Igor Mirovic.

 

Serbian PM receives outgoing UNMIK Chief (Tanjug)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic received outgoing UNMIK Chief Farid Zarif on Tuesday, and on that occasion thanked him for the objective and professional work during his term of office. As the Serbian government's media relations office said in a release, the Serbian Prime Minister said that the UNMIK's presence and operations are important for Serbia, as a guarantor of the status neutrality of the international presence and the crucial factor of stability in Kosovo-Metohija. “The United Nations has proved as a reliable partner for Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija, and thus for Serbia,” Vucic said, underscoring that the government will continue working to improve the position of the Serb community in the province, and the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina through the Brussels agreement, which is to resume on August 25. The UNMIK chief said he is pleased that an improvement has been achieved in the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, commending Vucic's political courage and devotion, and his commitment to pursuing the policy that contributes to regional stability, as a foundation for the progress of Serbia and the entire region. The meeting was also attended by newly-appointed Head of the UN Office in Belgrade Simona-Mirela Miculescu.

 

Dacic meets with new head of the UN Office in Belgrade (RTS, Tanjug)

Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic conferred on Monday with the newly-appointed head of the UN Office in Belgrade Simona-Mirela Miculescu. During the first meeting, the cooperation with the UN Office in Belgrade so far has been qualified as positive and the officials expressed the belief that it would continue and develop even more intensely in the time to come, reads the press release. Dacic expressed willingness on behalf of the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for dialogue and deeper cooperation with the UN Office in Belgrade. The Monday meeting featured an exchange of opinions on the topics from the UN sphere of action which bear special importance for Serbia.

 

Kozarev, Cucic meet with UNHCR chief (Tanjug)

Dusan Kozarev, Deputy Director of the Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija (KiM), and Vladimir Cucic, commissioner for refugees and migration, conferred with Chief of the UNHCR Mission in Kosovo-Metohija Narasimha Rao on Monday, reads a statement issued by the Office for KiM. "The officials discussed further development of cooperation in profiling the needs of internally displaced people and closing down of collective centers in KiM and highlighted the importance of creating an environment in which the rights of internally displaced people and returnees in KiM could be exercised,” Kozarev said after the meeting. The officials concluded that in the forthcoming days meetings will be intensified to search for an adequate model for profiling the needs of internally displaced people and the way to address them.

 

Serbia sends protest to Croatia, expects government to react (Tanjug)

The Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs late on Monday sent the strongest protest to Croatia over the decision of the town of Vukovar to change its statute. This change means there will be no bilingual signs - i.e., those printed in both Croatian and Serbian Cyrillic, the alphabet of the Serb minority in the town - posted on public buildings, streets and squares. In addition, the use of the Cyrillic script will, under the City Council’s decision, be possible only with prior request and payment of a fee, the Serbian government said on its website. The Serbian MFA said that the changes in question "directly deny the equality of use of language and script, thus violating basic human and minority rights of the Serbs." Serbia warned Croatia that it is obliged to respect its international commitments and demands urgent reaction by government authorities of the country to the decision of local authorities in Vukovar. The ministry "reminds that Vukovar’s high representatives did this in a year when the whole world celebrates 70 years of victory over fascism and became known these days to the general public by singing Ustasha songs from the time of the fascist Independent State of Croatia (NDH)." The protest note will be presented to the charge d'affaires of the Croatian embassy in Belgrade, Ivan Sabolic, the MFA said in a statement carried on the government website.

 

Schodder: 83,000 refugees registered, 500 asked for asylum (N1)

Serbia has so far registered 83,000 migrants and 500 of them applied for asylum in the country, Representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Serbia Hans Schodder said Tuesday. Appearing on N1, a regional television channel, Schodder said that around 130,000 refugees had arrived in Greece at the beginning of August, and almost all of them reached Serbia through Macedonia. These people come from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, and the majority of them are just transiting through Serbia, he added. Schodder said he was satisfied with the way the Serbian authorities treated migrants and added that the Serbian government was already making plans for the upcoming winter. It is difficult to predict what will happen in the coming months, as it also depends on Greece and countries of the Western Europe. There should be a legal way for these people to be able to go Western European countries, to be able to cross the border legally and to obtain certain legal protection, Schodder said. He said that Serbian citizens had been very tolerant towards refugees so far and he hoped that it would remain so. On the whole, we are very pleased, said the UNHCR representative in Serbia.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Holding a referendum is of key importance (RTRS)

Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik has stated that entering an agreement and dialogue with the opposition, the social partners and non-governmental organizations on all issues in the coming months is important to Republika Srpska (RS), but the holding a referendum is of key importance.

"We can discuss all issues, some of which are realistic, some are not, but first and foremost holding a referendum called by the RS Parliament is essential. I am convinced that the RS Constitutional Court will rule that there is no danger, but the procedures are procedures, although some are misusing them," Dodik told RTRS. He believes that the opposition does not have to respond to the referendum since it has showed it is not able to promote basic political stances. Dodik has added that the High Representative abused the legislation and imposed the laws. "The time has come to respond to these laws in a democratic way - by a referendum," Dodik said. He reiterated that the referendum will be held unless amendments enabling the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Court and Prosecutor's Office to be constituted constitutionally are incorporated in the B&H laws within the required time frame. "This further means that the will of the RS’s citizens not to accept the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office implies bringing regulations by the RS institutions. The main regulation in this respect is that the decisions and activities of the B&H Court and the Prosecutor's Office will not be applied in RS. We will pass that law in the RS National Assembly," said Dodik. According to him, the responsible parties will respect the will of the people after the referendum.

 

Dodik: The RS needs new labor law (RTRS, Srna)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has stated that the RS needs a new labor law in terms of its integration with broader environment and the labor market."We want to continue talks exclusively on the social partners’ positions and provided procedures. The new labor law should be passed, but it must be a part of an agreement if possible, otherwise we have to adhere to the standards," said Dodik. He has stated that this integrates the labor market in accordance with the standards promoted by Europe, which have been applied for years and proved to be an incentive for the opening of the labor market and market competition. Dodik has told RTRS and SRNA that this is something that we have to do ourselves, without any requirements, impositions and patronage, pointing out that the entire attempt that led towards that. "There is a significant degree of politicization from different positions. Inability to agree with the social partners, walking out of the social partners’ meetings and the imposition of somebody else’s positions, which is wrapped in a workers' rights theory, do not make a constructive story," said Dodik. The RS President has said that the entire labor law story has been politicized, first of all, by Trade Union representatives going to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to support the revolt against labor law.

"Going there does not matter, but legalizing the possibility to send dozens of buses of people from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H), under different political framework, to import a revolution in here in case of similar developments does matter" Dodik said and added that such hypocrisy and solidarity allegedly demonstrated in this regard are unacceptable. He has stated that some are even politically engaged to initiate Hot Autumn in RS and that the Trade Union, wanted or not, got involved in this theory. Dodik has said that organizing the labor law related meetings between trade unions and political parties is just a part of the politicization of this issue, noting that the SNSD, which leader he is, finds high level attendance in the meeting unnecessary. "Our representatives were in that meeting and we clearly presented our positions. We are not hypocritical as some who swear on the reforms, but when they come here they support their feeling that a social uprising is possible" Dodik said."We have never conducted a hypocritical policy and always supported the social partners. Mladen Ivanic’s statement says a lot about hypocrisy of the opposition in RS. He says that the labor law was not mentioned in a statement on the European path, which he signed, although the B&H Presidency should have not worked on that statement which reads that all provisions of the Agreement on growth and employment should be respected," the RS President stated. Dodik stressed that after statement is signed, he personally called Ivanic to tell him that the statement was unacceptable for both RS and the Trade Union over the requirement asking to respect the Agreement on growth and employment, but Ivanic answered he could do nothing and that we should call the European Commission. He has stressed that people in the FB&H live for unstable RS. The problem is that someone from RS, who is in power at the state level, wants unstable RS, too. Commenting on the fact that the SDS supported the B&H reform agenda, but said at the same time that the new labor law could not be passed without consulting the Trade Union, Dodik said that this shows that this is about pro-Bosniak political parties from RS, which work together with Bakir Izetbegovic on reform implementation. Dodik has stressed that the opposition disapproves the economy related stories, but never gives proposals. "Let the SDS propose labor law! We will adopt it; we will not even read it. The only solution offered by the opposition is a breakdown of RS. Once you name them traitors, they get angry. That's why Bakir Izetbegovic triumphantly talks about them as the best ones," Dodik said. He has said that Izetbegovic has recently stated that not having the SNSD and Milorad Dodik in joint institutions but having Serb representatives who jointly work on the promotion of the B&H policy is his greatest achievement."This is clear to us, as well as this political game. I will just tell the Trade Unions’ leadership to get engaged in a dialogue and agreement. They must be aware that we need to pass some form of the reconstruction of labor law and that we are not the ones who want to harm the workers. We are the ones with social responsibility," said Dodik and added that a specific competition in the labor market must be created. "This means that those working hard have a chance, while those just minding their rights, but not working hard can be replaced by the employer that is entitled to do so over brutal competition in the market. This is not a violation of workers' rights, but the struggle for jobs and workers' rights. Motivation of those who work hard will be stimulated, but the employer decides how much, not the collective agreements, which guarantee the same to every employee regardless of hard or not hard work,” the president of RS explained. Dodik said that the Trade Union could be excluded from this process if it continues with such policy and keeps making political out of the union story, at least as far as it concerns the leadership of the Confederation of the RS Trade Unions. Dodik said he will offer solutions according to which the collective agreements must be innovated every three years including current years of service payment mechanism and paid breaks during working hours. He noted that the parliamentary majority in the RS National Assembly has the power to adopt a new labor law, but it has not yet because it wants to talk with the social partners first. Dodik has reminded that seeking consensus on a new labor law is a few years long process and that the Draft Labor Law was sent to the social partners in 2013, ever since the acceptable solution for everyone has been looked for. He added that earlier this year he, as the RS President, called trade unions, government and employers to talk on this issue, but that it is difficult to reach a consensus when some parties leave the meeting and refuse to talk about it. Dodik has stated that the current government's policy is determined and that certain legal solutions must be revised and that it is up to the Trade Union to be a part of it. If not, they will be let do their job, and institutions will do their own.

 

Railway Sarajevo – Belgrade project to be presented at the Balkan conference (Bosna danas)

Member of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Presidency Mladen Ivanic has met in Belgrade with Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic to discuss the upcoming conference on Western Balkans in Vienna, and projects which should be presented there. “That conference is important for the stabilization of the situation in the region. There is a huge interest for several joint projects, and probably the most important of them is railway Sarajevo – Belgrade, via Tuzla and Zvornik. We will work on that project together,” Ivanic told reporters. Ivanic also said that he hopes other leaders in the region will accept Vucic’s initiative to declare joint day of remembrance of all victims in the former Yugoslavia. To remind, leaders of the regional countries rejected or ignored this initiative. Western Balkans conference should take place on August 27 in Vienna.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Serbia Fears EU to pressure Greece to recognize Kosovo (EurActiv)

The Serbian press has speculated that one of the conditions that Greece must fulfill to receive financial assistance from the West includes recognizing Kosovo, a former Serbian province which Belgrade refuses to recognize as an independent state. The Serbian daily Blic says that there were obvious signs that Greece’s vulnerable financial situation means that “Kosovo is a lost battle for Serbia.” Most EU countries, except Greece, Spain, Romania, Cyprus and Slovakia, have recognized the independence of Kosovo, who seceded from Serbia in 2008 (see background). “It would take a miracle for Greece not to recognize Kosovo in the next few months, a year at the most. A serious undertaking will have to be done by the Serbian diplomacy for Athens to give up on recognizing Kosovo, or at least to prolong it,” the paper quoted an unnamed source. The newspaper said that conditions that Athens will have to fulfill to get the sorely needed money are not just economic, but also political. Political analyst Dusan Janjic is quoted as saying that Kosovo’s recognition by Athens “will arrive as early as in the fall”. He added:”Tsipras will play pragmatically. He will recognize Kosovo in order to delay the issue of Macedonia’s name. Due to the bad situation, he won’t be able to conduct his own policy. He will have to make concessions, and in this case it will be recognizing Kosovo.” The European External Action Service would like Greece to recognize Kosovo and to solve the so-called ‘name dispute” with Macedonia, which prevents this country from advancing toward EU accession. Serbia takes the same position as the EU on Macedonia, but not on the Kosovo issue. Macedonia declared independence from the dissolving Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1991. Seen from Athens, the official name used by Skopje – the Republic of Macedonia – is an open challenge to the Greek region of Macedonia. In retaliation, Greece vowed to veto Macedonia’s participation in international organisations, including the EU, until the issue is resolved. Although Macedonia is recognized as the country’s constitutional name by most EU countries, the name dispute with Greece has led to an impasse for the country’s membership of both the EU and Nato. The UK, Poland, Romania and 13 other EU countries call the country Macedonia, while France, Germany, Spain and 9 other EU members call it the “former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” or FYROM. Asked to comment on the press speculation, Serbian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic said that there were no signs that Greece would change its position regarding Kosovo, and that high-level visits between Belgrade and Athens would take place soon. “As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I should pay an official visit to Greece in October. Tsipras should have visited us earlier but due to the problems in his country, he announced that he would come later,” Dacic said.

 

UK Labour Frontrunner Queried on Kosovo Motion (BIRN,By Marcus Tanner)

Likely leader of opposition party in Britain faces questions from critics over ‘fraudulent genocide’ remarks

The man widely tipped to become next leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour Party is facing queries about his views on Kosovo among other foreign policy issues.

Leftwing firebrand Jeremy Corbyn has already faced criticism over his use of the word “friends” to describe Hamas and Hezbollah, and over his ardent support of the Palestinian cause in general and equal enthusiasm for the regime in Venezuela. More recently, critical bloggers and journalists have taken him to task for having once apparently dismissed Serbian war crimes in Kosovo as a fabrication. Back in 2004, Corbyn, MP for a constituency in Islington in north London, signed a parliamentary motion that praised an article by leftist journalist John Pilger “reminding readers of the devastating human cost of the so-termed ‘humanitarian’ invasion of Kosovo, led by NATO and the United States in the Spring of 1999, without any sanction of the United Nations Security Council [and] congratulates John Pilger on his expose of the fraudulent justifications for intervening in a ‘genocide’ that never really existed in Kosovo”. Corbyn has moved into the lead to take over the Labour Party, riding a wave of disillusion among party activists with so-called establishment candidates and a feeling of bitterness about two successive general election defeats.

The 66-year-old has energized the party base with calls for an abandonment of austerity politics, a return to traditional Socialist orthodoxy on the economy and - in foreign - policy, a break with Labour’s almost unconditional support for the US. Unlike centrist Labourites - who strongly backed NATO intervention in Kosovo to stop ethnic cleansing by Slobodan Milosevic’s regime in Belgrade - the left of the party mostly opposed Western military action, some subscribing to the view that Milosevic was the victim of a US imperialistic plot.

 

New Ethnic Assaults Keep Bosnia on Edge (BIRN, Srecko Latal)

After Bosnian Croats attack Bosniaks in the south and Bosnian Serbs assaulted Bosnian Croats in the north of Bosnia, ethnic tensions appear on the rise across the country

Six people were arrested over the weekend in the mainly Bosnian Croat town of Tomislavgrad in the south of Bosnia after Bosniak believers were attacked going to morning prayer. The attack took place on Saturday, when most Croats - who are usually Catholics - celebrated the religious holiday of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. In the early morning hours, as Bosniak believers went to the first morning prayer, ten hooligans entered the mainly Bosniak village of Omerovici, placed a gas bottle in front of the mosque, opened the valve and verbally and physically attacked a group of Bosniaks believers. No one was injured in the attack as the gas bottle was apparently not set on fire while Bosniaks hid in nearby houses and barns. Several vehicles and at least one private house was damaged, however, media reported. Following the incident, police arrested six people and are searching for another two persons, all of whom are from another nearby town of Posusje.

All six arrested persons admitted wrongdoing and are charged with the instigation of national, racial and ethnic hatred, police said on Sunday, and added that they had increased their activities in the area. Mayor of Tomislavgrad Ivan Vukadin said on Sunday that the attack was carried out by drunken hooligans who were passing through the area on their way home. He added that the town government and all political parties in it were "appalled and surprised" by the incident. Several other Bosniak and Croat political parties also condemned the incident. "This behaviour and actions are deepening inter-ethnic anxieties and increasing tensions," the Croatian Democratic Union 1990, HDZ1990, said. The party stressed that such actions in Croat-dominated areas could lead to attacks on Croats in areas dominated by other two main ethnic groups, Bosniaks and Bosnian Serbs.

"This and other similar attacks on Bosniak returnees in different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina do not contribute to coexistence and threaten ... peace and stability," the Bosniak Party for Bosnia and Herzegovina, SZB&H, said. The regional centre of the Bosnian Islamic Community in the town of Mostar said several other ethnic incidents had occurred in the same region in recent weeks. "We express our great concern for the security of Bosniaks in these parts," the statement said. Another incident took place on Sunday morning near the town of Teslic in the north of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity, Republika Srpska. There, three men first verbally assaulted a group of some 30 Bosnian Croats gathered in a cafe, and then one of them threatened the group with an axe and slightly injured one of them with its handle. Local police located and arrested all three men, who were found to be intoxicated. This case will be forwarded to the office of the regional prosecutor in Doboj, media reported.   The two ethnic attacks in one weekend were the latest in a series of ethnic incidents in different parts of Bosnia. Media underlined that in almost all cases these incidents were aimed against people who had been expelled during the war and had returned to their pre-war homes in the areas that were dominated by another ethnic group. "Returnees are in fear," the Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz said on Sunday. Most such incidents were recently recorded in the town of Prijedor in north-west of Republika Srpska, where a large portion of Bosniaks have returned to an area dominated by Serbs and where additional Bosniak visitors come back in their thousands during the summer. Incidents, threats and provocations have been registered in other parts of the country. As a result, returnees in different parts of Bosnia feel vulnerable and seek better protection from local authorities. This is the case in Doboj, another town in northern Republika Srpska, where Bosniaks returned in considerable numbers after the war, and are now seeing protection from the local authorities. After several recent provocations and threats, representatives of several Bosniak communities met town authorities on Saturday to complain about the number of Bosniak officers in local police forces, which according to them have been reduced recently. At the beginning of the process of the return of refugees few years after the war, the international community forced local authorities to hire policemen from minority ethnic groups in the areas where they have returned.

 

Montenegro regrets being included in Russia's tit-for-tat sanctions list (TASS)

Montenegro’s government has expressed regret over the decision to expand a list of countries falling under counter-sanctions imposed by Moscow on a number of European and North American countries. "The government of Montenegro regrets the decision by the government of the Russian Federation on including Montenegro in the list of countries falling under a ban on imports of agricultural products, raw materials and foodstuffs," a report placed on the governmental website said. "At this moment, the Montenegrin government does not have the list of products the Thursday’s decision covers but it remains committed to the upkeep of political dialogues with Russia and to the buildup of serious relations in all the areas presenting mutual interest," the report said. "Also, it actively supports an earliest possible elimination of the causes that triggered the imposition of restrictive measures by the EU." Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev told a government meeting on Thursday that he had signed an instruction to expand a list of countries falling under Russian sanctions."Russia banned imports of some agricultural products from the European Union, Australia, Canada, Norway and the United States in August last year. Now, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and the County of Liechtenstein have joined the list. Ukraine has been included in the list on special terms," the Russian prime minister said. He explained that those five new countries had previously supported the EU decision to extend sanctions against Russia.

 

 

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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.