LOCAL PRESS

 

Nikolic leaves for New York to attend UNGA session (Tanjug)

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic has left for New York, where he will on Sunday attend a summit on the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Nikolic will attend the 70^th session of the UN General Assembly on September 30, the presidential press office announced in a statement on Friday. Nikolic’s address before the UN General Assembly is scheduled for 3.15 pm local time that day, which is equivalent to 9.15 pm Central European Time, the statement said.
Djuric: Jablanovic does not represent Serb List any more (Politika)

The Serbian government has supported the initiative of the Kosovo Serb political representatives and Aleksandar Jablanovic will not represent the Serb (Srpska) List any more. The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that the government in Belgrade strongly supports the right of Serb representatives to decide on their own who will represent them in the provincial and local institutions in Kosovo and Metohija. “As far as we are concerned, Aleksandar Jablanovic is not the representative of the Serb List. It is important for the political corps of the Serbs in the province to remain united,” Djuric told a press conference in the Serbian government yesterday. Djuric points out that in the continuation of the Belgrade-Pristina talks it is necessary to launch without delay the talks on the status of the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church and protection of the Serbian cultural heritage. He claims that the provincial institutions have over the past months been diluting the legal framework for protecting monasteries and churches, noting that the draft law on the cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija envisages that all Serbian churches and monasteries are treated as the property of the self-declared Republic of Kosovo, which, Djuric opines, cannot contribute to true reconciliation and normalization of relations. Djuric stressed that Belgrade wants to also discuss Serbian property and regulation of its status, as well as the establishment of air traffic, including the regulation of the status of the airport in Pristina. He said that after four very important agreements were reached in Brussels on 25 August, the political part of the agreement has been rounded off and that it remains to coordinate the Statute of the Community of Serb Municipalities.

 

Selakovic: EU should say that Croatia violated SAA (TV Pink)

Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic has said he expects to clearly hear the EU position from EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn that the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) has been violated. Selakovic told TV Pink and said he expected the crisis caused by the closure the border between Croatia and Serbia to be resolved in the coming days. Selakovic said that Serbia’s only option is to address the Council for the SAA, after Croatia refused to open the border, which violates the agreement. Selakovic noted that Croatia, as an EU member, must comply with the SAA, but also with agreements on border crossing and regulation of the flow of traffic, passengers and goods that it signed. He said that what Croatia did set the region back 17, 18 years. The Serbian Minister also said Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic during his press conference on Thursday adopted an insulting tone and used hate speech.

 

Hahn: Serbia is not alone in solving refugee problem (RTS)

The EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn and Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic visited on Friday the Refugee Aid Center in Sid, northwestern Serbia. Hahn thanked the Serbian government for everything that it had done for the refugees, stressing that the country was not alone in addressing the issue. No country can be left to solve the refugee problem alone, the commissioner stressed. This problem can only be solved if we all work together in the spirit of solidarity and sharing the burden, he added. Hahn underlined that the EU would certainly provide the financial and political support to Serbia. “You are not alone, you are Europeans and we should work together. We should not be raising new borders,” stressed Hahn, noting that new borders and walls are not what the functioning of Europe is based on. He pointed out that the heads of state and governments reached an agreement on Thursday regarding a further course of action, strengthening the EU’s external borders and establishing hot spots for the registration of migrants. Hahn noted that it was his obligation as a European commissioner to provide assistance to countries like Serbia, stressing that no country should bear the burden alone and be the victim of the refugee crisis simply because it is a transit country. All sides are obligated to help the refugees and treat them humanely, said Hahn, adding that he will meet with the officials in Turkey and other countries to discuss further actions, considering that winter is coming.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Reactions of B&H officials regarding the issue of closing the border between Serbia and Croatia (Oslobodjenje)

B&H Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak considers unacceptable in 2015 a prohibition on the movement of people and goods across borders. Commenting on Croatia’s closure of the border crossing at Bajakovo, Crnadak said that such behavior by Croatia is anti-European and anti-civilization. “I don’t understand where Croatia is going. What they are doing is highly anti-European and anti-civilization. I understand that they are in the process of a campaign in Croatia, but that some such wild ideas could come to mind I can’t understand. What about some patient that crossed to Italy for treatment and returned from the border? What is Croatia’s next move – putting the army on the border and declaring mobilization,” wonders Crnadak. In a statement to reporters in Bijeljina, he expressed the hope that in the coming days "at least some sense” would appear and they would come out of this vortex.” Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska (RS), also in a statement to reporters in Banja Luka condemned Croatia’s move in closing the border with Serbia, saying it is unacceptable and incorrect, but also is an opportunity for B&H to be a potential space for migrant crossings. He considered that closing the border between Serbia and Croatia and holding up passengers and goods will harm relations between the two countries, and the closure of the border damages RS’s economy as well, which is already suffering from certain problems. He added that he expects the problem will quickly be rectified.

 

The EU should resolve the problem of migrants (Srna)

The RS President Milorad Dodik said that migrants can pass through B&H /RS only under condition that it is the EU’s position that they will leave the territory of B&H as soon as possible. Dodik said that any concentration of migrants would significantly destabilize not only the economic and social situation, but also the political situation. He sent a message to certain B&H representatives inviting migrants to come to B&H to think about this invitation, and stressed that while resolving the problem of migrants, RS does not intend to do anything that would be to its detriment. “We did not cause it, we did not contribute to it, we are not an obstacle to anything and we do not intend to allocate any funds for this purpose. Our funds are not as rich as some funds in the western Europe to be able to support hundreds or dozens of thousands of people,” Dodik told reporters in Banja Luka. He said that RS does not have space, housing capacities or money, and it is not ready to offer any other logistics. Dodik said that by closing its borders, the EU is trying to resolve the problem of migrants before they enter the EU. “The EU should resolve the problem of migrants promptly, but it is obvious that there is no agreement in the EU,” Dodik said. He condemned Croatia for closing its border with Serbia, saying that this move is inadmissible and unfair, but also that this opens prospects for B&H to become a potential space for the passage of migrants. “We see that Serbia’s good intention to be fair towards refugees, who are in huge numbers present in almost the whole territory of Serbia, shows that this is not profitable. Serbia is suffering huge damage,” Dodik said. Dodik said that the EU has not reacted fairly towards Serbia which has not contributed in any way to the migrant crisis, and which obviously bears a huge burden of the crisis. “Those who obviously caused the migrant crisis by giving their political support to interventions which spread to the north of Africa and later to the Near East, are now closing their borders in an attempt to prevent migrants, who are fleeing the war,(from entering their countries),” Dodik said. He said that the closed border between Serbia and Croatia, and the retention of passengers and goods, will damage the relations between the two countries. Dodik said that the closed border is also damaging for the economy of RS, which has already experienced certain problems. “Our businessmen are wasting time waiting for this issue to be resolved,” Dodik said and stressed that he expects this problem to be resolved soon.

 

RS referendum to be held on November 15^th (Nezavisne)

The referendum announced by the RS National Assembly on judicial institutions and imposed decisions of the High Representatives will be held on November 15. The decision of the Constitutional Court on the referendum was published yesterday in the Official Gazette of RS, No. 78, page 11, and the earlier decision of the National Assembly envisaged that the referendum is to be held on the first Sunday after the expiry of 50 days from the date after its publication in the Official Gazette of the RS.  To remind, the decision of the Assembly was blocked in the Council of Peoples after the Bosniak Caucus filed the protection of vital national interest. Now, after publishing of the announcement, the formal deadline of 50 days begins. As stated in the Official Gazette, the referendum question would be “Do you support the unconstitutional and unauthorized imposition of laws by the High Representative of the international community in B&H, especially the laws on the Court and Prosecution of B&H and enforcement of their decisions in the territory of RS?” It was further stated that the RS government is obliged to provide funds and technical support required to hold a referendum. This decision of the Constitutional Court was issued by the Trial Chamber composed of: Amor Bukic as the President of the Constitutional Court for the protection of vital national interest, Gerard Selman, President of the RS Constitutional Court, and the judge Milenko Arapovic, Zlatko Kulenovic, Irena Mojovic, Marko Rajcevic and Snezana Savic. The decision was made on September 9.  As expected, the government and the opposition in the RS have different views on the referendum. While the SNSD claims that the decision will be implemented, and that the referendum is to be held, because it is the right of the RS citizens to express their opinion on any issue, in a democratic way, the opposition claims that the issue of referendum serves to divert the attention from economic issues and to politicize the judiciary. Stasa Kosarac, a senior official from the SNSD and the Chairman of the party caucus in the Parliament of B&H, stressed that the decision on the referendum passed because, as he said, it is quite clear that the Court of B&H is in the function of the Bosniak politics. “At the same time it is important to continue the structural dialog, which is to be implemented by the RS Ministry of Justice in the framework that was set by the RS National Assembly. The referendum is the highest expression of the democratic will of the people and if the talks do not go in the right direction and if our four conditions are not fulfilled, the referendum will be the only possible solution, "said Kosarac and accused the opposition in RS for berating the RS interests and for loyalty to Sarajevo politics. On the other hand, Vukota Govedarica, chief of the Club of the SDS in the RS National Assembly, said that he is still not convinced that the referendum will take place, stressing that, even if the referendum is held, it would not bring any concrete result. The mandate of the Commission will lasts until the pushing of the results. The main task of the Commission for the implementation of the referendum in the RS on the Court and Prosecutor’s Office of B&H, is a lawful conduct of this process, stated the member of the Commission Mile Dmicic, explaining that the Commission shall supervise the printed materials and publish the first unofficial results of the referendum no later than 48 hours after the closing of the polling stations. “The Commission shall establish and publish the results of the referendum and submit a report to the National Assembly,” said Dmicic.

 

RS enjoys unreserved support from Russian Federation (Srna)

The RS Deputy Prime Minister Srebrenka Golic told Srna that the Speaker of the Upper House of the Russian Parliament, Valentina Matviyenko, told her at a meeting in St. Petersburg that the RS will continue to enjoy the unreserved support from the Russian Federation both in implementing its policies and in the economy. “A visit by a business delegation from the St. Petersburg County, whose governor was Matviyenko, is a proof of this,” Golic has said. According to her, Matviyenko stressed that the Russian Federation, as a guarantor of the Dayton Agreement, will continue to insist on its consistent implementation. “I told her that the RS government insists on the full respect for the letter of the Dayton Agreement,” said Golic, who is taking part in the 1st Eurasian Forum of Women in St. Petersburg. Matviyenko, who is the President of the Forum’s Organizational Committee, expressed her gratitude to Golic for taking part in the Forum. “My participation in the Forum is seen as the support of the people and the government of RS to the policy of the Russian Federation,” Golic has said. She said that they exchanged opinions on the problem of migrants in the region, and concluded that meetings such as the Forum in St. Petersburg, where delegates from eight countries from five continents are taking part, can contribute to reconciliation and stability of the whole world. “Our participation in the Forum is the best proof that we are against sanctions on the Russian Federation,” Golic said. She said that she also met with the Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and a delegation of that country who expressed their gratitude to RS and President Dodik for the declaration on recognition of genocide against Armenians from 1915 to 1917. Golic said that she will meet with Byelorussian Deputy Prime Minister Natalia Kochanova to discuss economic subjects and cooperation between RS and Byelorussia. “The Byelorussian Deputy Prime Minister has initiated the meeting and said that the people of Byelorussia support the people of RS,” Golic has said.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

EU has "serious issues" with Croatia's restrictions at Serbian border (dpa, by Helen Maguire and Alvise Armellini, 25 September 2015)

Brussels - The European Union has "serious issues" with Croatia's decision to restrict incoming traffic from Serbia in a row over migration flows, a spokeswoman said Friday, indicating that the move could be in breach of the bloc's relations with Belgrade. Thousands of migrants and refugees - many from war-torn Syria - have arrived in Serbia and Croatia in an effort to reach Western European countries. Disagreements over how to handle the people have stoked tensions in the uneasy relationship between Belgrade and Zagreb. On Thursday, Croatia banned all Serbian-registered vehicles from entering its soil, after Belgrade imposed similar restrictions on trucks from Croatia. EU foreign policy spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Friday that the move "raises some serious issues about the compatibility" with EU agreements on closer ties with Serbia, adding that the European Commission will seek "clarifications" from Zagreb. An EU member state since 2013, Croatia is bound by agreements the bloc has struck with Serbia in the process of the latter's membership bid, including on trade and customs. The refugee challenge must be "tackled collectively" Kocijancic said, adding that it must not have a "disproportionate discriminatory effect on trade and traffic." She said the bloc's top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, had spoken by telephone with Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic early Friday. Shortly after the EU warning, Milanovic said he was considering a lifting the border blockade. "Milanovic: I am intensely discussing to lift today or tomorrow the border measures that Croatia had to impose," the Croatian government tweeted from its official profile. Croatia had called on Serbia to control the flow of people arriving on its soil and channel some of them north to Hungary, instead of sending all of them west, to Croatia. Budapest has been blocking off routes to its territory by erecting razor-wire fences. The dispute has fanned nationalist rhetoric between Belgrade and Zagreb. The two countries fought a four-year war after former Yugoslavia fell apart in 1991. As Europe experiences its largest influx of migrants and refugees since World War II, efforts to manage the crisis are testing governments and exposing divisions between countries. The increase in migrant arrivals has been heavily affected by the dire situation war-torn Syria, whose citizens account for the largest group of EU-bound migrants from any one country. German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday expressed willingness to include Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in talks about a resolution of the country's conflict, but the suggestion was met with skepticism by German foreign policy leaders. The US, Great Britain and France have so far rejected talks with Assad. The European Union will be faced with large migration inflows even if the international community managed the "miracle" of ending the conflict in Syria, the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said Friday. "Let's not delude ourselves," Mogherini told La Repubblica newspaper. "Even if by miracle we were to resolve tomorrow the Syrian problem, Libya would remain an open and uncontrolled corridor to Europe, at least until we manage to rebuild a state there. And beyond Libya there is the whole of Africa," she added. Mogherini also said the bloc should be prepared to reform its asylum rules by majority voting, just as it decided earlier this week to redistribute of 120,000 asylum seekers overruling opposition from Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.

 

PM: Croatia Planning to Remove Serbia Border Restrictions (FNA, 25 September 2015)

TEHRAN - Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said Friday Zagreb was planning "today or tomorrow" to remove border restrictions with Serbia over the migrant crisis. "I'm holding intensive talks with my colleagues to remove today or tomorrow the measures that we had to introduce on the border with Serbia," Milanovic said, Ahramonline reported. In the first five months of 2015, over 42,000 people arrived by sea to Greece, most of them refugees, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). However, the UNHCR also says more than 300,000 people have risked their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea so far this year, with around 2,500 refugees and asylum seekers have died or gone missing trying to reach Europe.

 

Hungary seeks Austrian support for fencing off Croatian border (Reuters, 25 September 2015)

VIENNA/BUDAPEST Just two weeks after Austria's chancellor said his treatment of migrants was reminiscent of the Holocaust, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprise visit to Vienna on Friday, seeking support for further barricading his country's southern border.

In an interview with German news magazine Der Spiegel this month, Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann likened the way refugees were treated under Orban's government to the Nazis' deportation of Jews and others to concentration camps. But Orban, whose visit was announced the previous evening, said he wanted other countries' support, either to create a clearer system for shuttling migrants across Hungary and Austria and into Germany, or for building fences to keep most of them out. "We are ready to forget everything," Orban told a news conference at his country's embassy in Vienna after a closed-door meeting with Faymann. "Let’s pretend nothing has happened." In the absence of much clear agreement, the visit appeared at least to have eased tensions between Orban and his Austrian counterpart. "It was not loud at all," Faymann told ORF radio, describing their encounter. Although the two countries agreed to improve cooperation between their authorities on the thousands of migrants crossing their shared border each day, Orban said Faymann had opposed the idea of a "humanitarian corridor" and did not offer support for the idea of building more fences. Orban's right-wing government has pledged to protect Hungarian borders and the European Union's external frontiers in response to the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants who have marched up the Balkans, most of whom want to reach Germany.