LOCAL PRESS

 

Dacic: Serbia doesn’t expect privileges in EU negotiations (RTS/Tanjug)

Addressing a panel dubbed “EU Integration of the Western Balkans: Similarities and differences”, Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic stated that Serbia believes it would be useful to open the most difficult chapters in the early stages of Serbia’s EU accession talks and added that no privileges are expected in the process. Drawing on the experiences of other countries, we know just how difficult it is to face the leftovers in the talks on important areas when the talks enter the final stages, Dacic told the 9^th Croatia Forum 2014 in Dubrovnik. He said that the EU has a completely new approach which envisages opening of the chapters that cover rule of law and functioning of the legal state at the start of the accession talks, and in Serbia’s case, the beginning of the talks also covers Chapter 35 on the normalization of the Belgrade-Pristina relations. According to Dacic, the European perspective was the key factor that made it possible for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue to be successful. This example points to the international importance of the EU as a body capable of solving crises and essentially contributing to stability and security, he said. He underscored it is important that the entire process of EU integration in the region is being conducted in a positive direction, the latest example of this being the candidate status recently granted to Albania, a fact welcomed by Serbia. Reflecting on the benefits of EU membership, Dacic underlined that the advantages for the participants in the EU integration process are beyond measure, having in mind the establishment of democracy, encouragement of economic growth and creation of a good security environment. He said that the recent catastrophic floods proved just how much solidarity and connections with the EU are important in ensuring support to reconstruction and assistance. In the continuation of the enlargement process, we expect everyone to make progress according to their performance and implemented reforms, Dacic said and added that no privileges are expected in the process. Nevertheless, insisting on artificial equalization of the pace of aspiring countries would be counterproductive, he said.

 

The Germans were very harsh (Danas)

The CDU MP Andreas Schockenhoff and foreign policy advisor Hans-Joachim Falenski conveyed during yesterday’s meeting with the politicians from the Serbian government and parliament in Belgrade that the first chapters in the EU accession negotiations would not open until the Brussels agreement is fully implemented and all those responsible for the burning of the German Embassy in February 2008 are found and sanctioned, Danas learns from diplomatic circles in Berlin and participants of some of the meetings in Belgrade. Danas’ interlocutors point out that Schockenhoff, the head of the Bundestag’s delegation, openly made it clear to their interlocutors that “there would be no buying of time” and that the Brussels agreement would have to be implemented, pointing out that Belgrade committed last year to do so by December 2013. “The German MPs were very harsh and demonstrated that Berlin, doesn’t give up from its demands. Thus, their messages were not a surprise,” Danas’ sources explain. The Democratic Party (DS) MP Aleksandra Jerkov, who met with Schockenhoff and Falenski, confirms for Danas that they insisted most on the fulfillment of two conditions. “Bundestag representatives said there were no new demands for Serbia’s progress on the EU path, but that the seven earlier presented conditions must be fulfilled. In that context, they especially insisted on full implementation of the Brussels agreement, stressing that they were dissatisfied because the Serbian government committed to do this by December last year. At the same time, they pointed out that it was necessary to find and punish those responsible for the burning of the German Embassy,” said Jerkov.

 

Djuric, Tahiri discussing Kosovska Mitrvoica tensions in Brussels (Tanjug)

The EU High Representative Catherine Ashton asked her team in Brussels to convene a meeting on Friday, to be attended by the Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric and Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Edita Tahiri, with an aim to resolve the tensions in Kosovska Mitrovica, Ashton’s spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said. The High Representative is following closely the developments in Kosovo and in particular around the Mitrovica north bridge, stated Kocijancic. After removing the roadblock on the main Ibar bridge that divides Kosovska Mitrovica, northern Kosovo Serbs placed flower pots on the northern part of the bridge and set up a peace park instead, while Pristina demands the road to be open to traffic. Ashton will not attend the meeting as she is engaged in negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program in Vienna, Tanjug learnt in Brussels.

 

 

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Day of Mourning in Federation B&H (Fena)

According to the Office of the government of the Federation of Public Relations, the memory on the genocide and the victims of genocide, as well as taking care of their families, it is a great and permanent obligation of the government of the Federation. In the FB&H, 11 July is a Day of mourning. The Day of Mourning will be marked by the mandatory display of the B&H flag at half-mast on the federal institutions. According to the Office of Public Relations of the Government of FB&H, the media on the territory of the Federation, as well as the organizers of cultural and sports events are obliged to adapt their program content to the Day of mourning.

On 2 July, the federal government enacted a decision on proclamation of 11 July 2014, the Day of Remembrance for the Srebrenica Genocide, as the day of mourning in the FB&H.

 

Sorensen: High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council important interlocutor in structural dialogue (Nezavisne novine)

The Head of the EU Delegation to B&H and EU Special Representative in B&H, Ambassador Peter Sorensen, wrote to Milorad Novkovic to congratulate him on concluding his mandate as the President of the B&H High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. In the letter, Ambassador Sorensen underlined the importance of the integrity of a state-wide High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council. “You rightly recognized the need for furthering the reforms to help increase the professionalism and efficiency of an accountable and independent judicial system in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a prerequisite for future integration in the European Union”, Ambassador Sorensen wrote in the letter, thanking Mr Novkovic for defending independence of the judiciary in B&H and supporting the EU-B&H Structural Dialogue on Justice.

Recognizing Novkovic’s commitment to pursuing the entrenchment of the rule of law in B&H, Sorensen said that he is looking forward to working with his successor Milan Tegeltija in the interests of the High Judicial Prosecutorial Council and of the B&H judiciary. Bearing in mind Tegeltija’s efforts over the past years as the President of the Banja Luka Basic Court and as the President of the B&H Association of Judges, Ambassador Sorensen noted that he expects that the High Judicial Prosecutorial Council will remain, under Tegeltija’s leadership, one of main interlocutors in the process of Structural Dialogue on Justice between the EU and B&H.

 

Proposals for SNSD candidates accepted (Srna)

Leaders of Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS), and Socialist Party (SP), Milorad Dodik, Marko Pavic and Petar Djokic respectively agreed on Thursday that the coalition’s joint candidate for the Republika Srpska (RS) President should be Milorad Dodik and for a Serb member of the B&H Presidency Zeljka Cvijanovic. After the coalition meeting in Banja Luka, Dodik told reporters that their cooperation is good and that it is logical that proposals are formed within parties, but that the joint proposal is the proof of the coalition’s political maturity. The candidates will be reported to the Central Election Commission in the next two days, he said. Pavic has said it was agreed that after the election the DNS be the first to choose one of the two most significant functions in the RS. Djokic has said that this agreement demonstrates political experience and that the coalition continues to act as one towards the preservation of the RS’ stability and development.
 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Serbia PM: Any reforms in Balkans 'worse than hell' (CNBC, by Jenny Cosgrave, Louisa Bojesen, 11 July 2014)
Trying to push through reforms to boost competitiveness in the Balkans is "worse than hell", the prime minister of Serbia said, adding the necessary measures have been delayed for what seems like "centuries".

As Serbia sets its sights on EU membership, new privatization, bankruptcy and construction permit laws are set to be pushed through in order to revive the country's stagnant economy, Aleksandar Vucic told CNBC, adding that the lack of competitiveness is the country's "biggest problem".

"It is not an easy situation. We have been delaying all reforms we dare to say centuries, but actually it is decades, and now we have to do almost everything to create better business environment," Vucic said.

"Whenever you try to do any kind of reform in the Balkans, it doesn't matter whether that is Croatia, Bosnia or Serbia it's going to be worse than hell – very difficult of course, but I am absolutely dedicated to that, absolutely determined and I have no doubt we will be very successful," he said.

Serbia kept interest rates on hold this month, keeping its main interest rate at 8.5 percent after cutting interest rates the previous two months in a row, as record flooding hit the country's already weakened economy.

Serbia is at risk of falling into its third recession in five years after torrential rainfall caused severe flooding in the country devastated homes, businesses and land in the country.

Vucic has promised to make the country a more attractive place for foreign investors, and is set to include cutting the subsidies to nearly 160 state-owned enterprises in order to save Serbia from bankruptcy.

"Yes we are on the EU path, but we need to do a lot more to make it more attractive place for foreign investors, from Western society and we are capable of doing that," he said.

Vucic said he was not going to wait for Europe to help resolve Serbia's problems, but intends on making fiscal adjustments that will be "very tough for the people".

Speaking on the country's close ties with Russia, the prime minister said Serbia is on a "very clear EU path".

"That is what I said to Putin two days ago, we do respect our friends from Russia, we have a very good co-operation and collaboration, but our main orientation, our goal is to be a part of EU. That is quite normal and very rational and dare to say very reasonable," he added.

 

German MPs Nudge Serbia Over Kosovo (BIRN, by Marija Ristic, 10 July 2014)

A German parliamentary delegation has told Serbia it must implement the EU-led deal with Kosovo in full if it is to realise its EU accession hopes.

German parliamentarians, on a two-day visit to Serbia, have told the Belgrade government they want to more action on Kosovo before Serbia can further its aspirations to join the EU

The chief request of the delegation led by Andreas Schneckenhof, from the ruling Christian Democratic Union, CDU, “is implementation of Brussels agreement reached with Kosovo. Germany is glad that Serbia reached the deal, but is still waiting for this to be implemented” a senior EU official told BIRN, referring to the EU-brokered deal designed to normalise relations between Serbia and its ex-province.

Serbia also wants Belgrade to encourage Kosovo Serbs to resolve their problems with Kosovo's own institutions and dissolve all remaining so-called parallel insitutions, the same source said.

“Both the EU and Germany want also to see domestic reforms to continue – namely progress in the area of rule of law, economic governance," the source added.

"More laws need to be brought in line with the EU negotiations agenda, but also, and more importantly, all this need to be implemented,” the source continued, underlining that Enlargement Commisioner Stefan Fuele, who was yesterday on a brief unofficial visit to Serbia, made the same point.

Schneckenhof, seen as a conservative hardliner in the German CDU, also said the Serbian government should finally prosecute those who set fire to the German embassy in Belgrade during protests against Kosovo's declaration of independence in 2008.

The protests were organised by far-right groups but were backed the Democratic Party of Serbia and the Serbian Radical Party, in which Serbia's current President, Tomislav Nikolic, and the Prime Minister, Aleksandar Vucic, were then senior figures.

The visit comes ten days after Vucic visited Berlin and a day after Vucic visited Moscow. Serbia, which is currently trying to closen ties with both the EU and Russia, is struggling to reconcile their often conflicting agendas.

The EU wants Serbia to act in line with the EU foreign policy, especially over Ukraine, while Moscow also seeks Serbian backing over Ukraine.

While EU officials, including Stefan Fuele and the president of the EU Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, asked Serbia to join EU sanctions imposed on Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis, Serbia has remained firm that this is not possible.

Another area of policy difference is over Russia's South Stream gap pipeline, which Serbia has agreed will pass through Serbia, despite EU opposition to the project.

Demands for Serbia to comply with EU foreign policy were repeated on Thursday by the EU ambassador to Serbia, Michael Davenport, who described this as the obligation of every aspiring EU member.

 

Enhanced cooperation within the Stabilisation and Association Process (European Commission - MEMO/14/481, 10 July 2014)

Purpose, principles and composition/participation

This informal initiative is a forum of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo^*, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. It aims at supporting them on their individual paths towards the EU as well as providing a political framework for coordination in accession-related areas which include a regional dimension. The European Commissioner for Enlargement and the Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) take part as observers. Representatives of other regional initiatives and organisations can be invited to attend meetings, depending on the issues discussed.

This is complementary to other existing regional initiatives and activities and does not duplicate them; it focuses on acquis- and other accession-related themes. The initiative fully acknowledges the key roles of the South East Europe Cooperation Process (SEECP) as the political umbrella for regional cooperation in South-East Europe, as well as of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC).

The activities take full account of the fact that the EU accession process is based inter alia on the principles of conditionality and own merits, which are in no way affected by them.

Added value

The added value of the initiative stems from the similarity of challenges and goals in the context of the EU accession process under the SAP. Exchange of experiences and peer reviews as well as coordination on relevant issues could contribute to boost the individual courses towards the EU, and help overcome problems which cannot be effectively addressed without closer regional cooperation. More specifically, added value could result from:

· Political steer in order to inject momentum or initiate specific multilateral activities in areas related to the acquis and the accession process that have a regional dimension,

· Exchange of information and experience on best practices in accession-related reforms, including peer review on the attainment of SEE 2020 goals,

· Exchange of views and experience of the accession process, including accession negotiations,

· Developing closer ties in the context of SAP conditionality on regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations.

Themes

Meetings focus on topics from the accession process agenda, in principle one for each meeting. Topics are drawn from the enlargement policy priority areas, as set out in EU documents, notably in the annual Commission Enlargement Strategy papers.

At this stage, pertinent topics could be drawn from the following areas: (i) rule of law (with emphasis on combating organised crime), (ii) economic governance and SEE 2020, (iii) connectivity.

Examples of such topics:

· Combatting organised crime and dismantling networks, dealing with human trafficking and trafficking of illicit goods (incl. drugs, weapons, counterfeited goods and euros). In this area, high-level political support is needed to ensure concrete follow-up and progress based on the preparatory work done for instance in the prosecutors' and police cooperation networks. This could be ensured through the ‘Enhanced cooperation within the Stabilisation and Association Process’.

· Increasing regional capacity to deal with mixed migration flows, while at the same time ensuring the smooth functioning of visa-free regime with Schengen area. High-level political commitment is also crucial in these areas, where governments are often called to take tough decisions.

· Close cooperation on common economic challenges to help boost competitiveness, promote growth and create jobs on their common path to the EU including in Agriculture. The SEE 2020 Strategy for Jobs and Prosperity in a European Perspective and the EUs new approach to economic governance, competitiveness and growth launched at the EBRD High-level meeting in London in February 2014 could be key reference points.

· Regional trade - SEE 2020 targets and other CEFTA-related benchmarks and peer review.

· Transport and energy infrastructures: strategic issues, sequence and priorities for specific segments covered by the overall regional priorities identified for instance through SEETO to ensure more coherence and better connectivity within the region and with the EU.

Functioning

· The initiative will have no permanent structures reflecting its informal nature. It meets in two formats: foreign ministers and economy/finance ministers, each in principle once a year on a rotational basis. Ministers can be accompanied by other national representatives competent for specific agenda items. Meetings are chaired by the hosting Minister.

· All decisions and recommendations are adopted by consensus. The working language is English.

· The European Commission reports on the initiative's activities to the EU Member States; so does the RCC Secretariat to the SEECP.

· The RCC Secretariat ensures the technical/secretarial support for the initiative. Meetings will be prepared by the RCC and relevant regional organisations and initiatives on respective topics (CEFTA, Energy Community, SEETO, MARRI, ReSPA, WBIF etc.). These will also ensure follow up. Existing regional coordination mechanisms by national line ministries will not be affected and will be fully involved in the relevant activities. Implementation of decisions taken will remain with existing initiatives and bodies, under the monitoring and/or coordination of the RCC.

^* :

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with the UNSC Resolution 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence
This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence

 

Bosnia marks Srebrenica massacre anniversary (AFP, 11 July 2014)

Srebrenica (Bosnia-Hercegovina) - Several thousand people gathered Friday in Srebrenica for the 19th anniversary of the massacre of some 8,000 Muslim males by ethnic Serbs forces, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II.

A total of 175 newly-identified massacre victims will be laid to rest after a commemoration ceremony held in Potocari, just outside the ill-fated Bosnian town.

"Here it is the end," whispers Ramiza Hasanovic, a woman in her 60s, standing near the freshly dug grave in which the recently-found remains of her husband will be buried.

Two other graves were dug just next to it, one for her brother and another for her nephew.

Two years ago in the same cemetery, Hasanovic buried her two teenage sons, Nihad and Mumin, aged 16 and 18 who were also killed during the massacre.

"Here is my house, in the middle of those graves. This is my pilgrimage site, this is all I have. I come here when I can, I talk to them, I pray for them," whispered the woman with dark hair covered with a violet scarf.

The remains of 175 victims, identified since last year's anniversary, will be buried after a religious ceremony in the Potocari memorial centre later on Friday.

The youngest victim to be laid to rest during the service was 14-years-old when he was killed. Among the others who will be buried are thirteen teenaged boys, aged between 15 and 17.

Around 8,000 men and boys died in the Srebrenica massacre which followed the town's seizure by Bosnia Serb forces on July 11, 1995. It was labelled a genocide by two international courts.

So far, the remains of 6,066 people have had their remains exhumed from mass graves in the Srebrenica region for reburial in the Potocari cemetery.

The massacre took place just a few months before the end of Bosnia's 1992-1995 war, which claimed some 100,000 lives in total.

 

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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.