LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: Best for Serbia to stay under the radar (PinkTV)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in New York on Sept. 19, after U.S. president Donald Trump's speech to the U.N., that the situation in the world was very complex and that it was better for Serbia to stay "off the radar," to preserve "its future and that of its children."

"It is our job to do everything we can not to be one of the countries on the list of those today that were sent to hell by the U.S. president, to lead a smart policy and preserve our country and people," Vucic was quoted as saying by the Pink TV station.

Trump said in the U.N. that "rogue regimes" were a threat to the world and pointed to North Korea and Iran, saying that the U.S. "will completely destroy North Korea if forced to defend itself and its allies," and also condemned the government of war-torn Syria and added that some parts of the world that were affected by violence "are going to hell."

The Serbian president said that he had "heard several good and several surprising messages today" and added that Trump's 45-minute speech would be pored over by the Serbian leadership.

"We will work on analyzing the speech for days and weeks. We will analyze (Trump's 45-minute speech) for 45 days to extract lessons and estimate what is the best for our country in the coming period," Vucic said. He said he had "listened carefully" to Trump's speech and "talked about it with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov," adding that he had seen "a great division in the U.N." over the U.S. president's speech.

"I think that the world today is in a very dangerous situation. A lot of strong words could be heard today. It remains to be seen what the representatives of Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, as well as China and other countries will say," he said.

 

Vucic holds series of bilateral meetings in New York (Beta)

In New York on Sept. 19 where Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is attending a U.N. General Assembly, the president held numerous bilateral meetings with world officials. In New York, Vucic held separate meetings with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz.

Vucic also meet with Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg to discuss bilateral relations, economic cooperation and Serbia's European road, the presidential office for cooperation with the media reported. Prior to the start of the General Assembly, Vucic met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The Serbian President also met with several leaders from the region - Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic, Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Dragan Covic and Slovenian Prime Minister Miroslav Cerar. He also talked with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic with whom he exchanged views on bilateral relations, the need to improve them and discussed the overall situation in the region. Vucic also talked with Romanian President Klaus Johannis, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

 

Russia is our true friend, Serbian president says (Tanjug)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke in New York on Tuesday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. In their conversation, the officials, who are in town for the UN General Assembly, "highlighted the friendship between the two countries."

Lavrov said that Serbia is a pillar of stability in the Western Balkans and a friend of Russia - and that Serbia's territorial integrity and sovereignty will always be supported by Russia.

"Russia is a true friend of Serbia, and we will continue to work on improving cooperation at all levels, both politically and economically," Vucic said, according to a statement issued by his cabinet. Vucic also "expressed his gratitude for the support Russia provides to Serbia, both in the UN and in international fora, as well as for supporting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia." He emphasized that Serbia does not intend to become a member of NATO, or any other military organization, and that it does not plan to impose sanctions on Russia.

Lavrov especially stressed the importance of Serbia and Russia forming an industrial zone, and said that intensive bilateral relations could and should be even better, the statement said.

 

Mogherini meets with Vucic and Thaci in NYC (Tanjug)

EU foreign policy Chief Federica Mogherini met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly with Aleksandar Vucic and Hashim Thaci. They "continued their discussion on a new phase of the EU-facilitated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina on comprehensive normalization of relations, building on meetings in July and August," her office announced.

"The high representative welcomed the continued commitment by both presidents to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia and recalled that progress by both on their EU integration agendas is firmly linked to progress in the dialogue," a statement said.

Mogherini, Vucic and Thaci "also reviewed progress made in the implementation of the agreement on justice that will be fully implemented on October 17, as agreed during their last meeting."

 

SPC Bishop: Church won’t remain quiet about Kosovo (Vecernje Novosti)

The bishop of the Backa region Irinej declared that the dialogue on Kosovo must not become a “monologue of the authorities” as “this would reduce the idea of dialogue to just obedient nodding”. “Our authorities would thus degrade themselves from freely elected representatives of the people and loyal servants of the Serbian state to a simply one-party, single-minded regime”, he told the Tuesday edition of Vecernje Novosti.

He made the statement in reaction to the declaration of Deputy Prime Minister Zorana Mihajlovic who said she expects the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to refrain from making any pressure on Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, prior to the beginning of internal dialogue on Kosovo.

The SPC Patriarch Irinej needs to believe that Vucic feels about Kosovo and Metohija in the same way as the Church feels about the people. The bishop of Backa Irinej said Mihajlovic exerted public pressures on the head of the SPC and on all in the Church, so that they do not dare think with their own heads, and particular not dare think of Kosovo the way the SPC has thought of it throughout its history. “The SPC and patriarch won’t keep quiet of course; they never have and won’t keep silent on Kosovo. Perhaps the Church and the Patriarch are not good partners, by the standards and terminology of Zorana Mihajlovic. It sounds as though this is about some form of dance, sport, card game or business endeavor, a controversial speculation, not the Church of God!”, he said.

Mihajlovic said that she expects the SPC to be a partner during the internal dialogue on Kosovo. She also said that all past policies have led to Kosovo becoming increasingly detached from Serbia, and that Serbia needs a new policy, aimed at providing a better life for Serbs in Kosovo, the protection of cultural and religious heritage, preserving economic interests and reconciliation with the Albanian people.

 

US pushing hard to make Kosovo Interpol member (Vecernje Novosti)

Ahead of the Interpol General Assembly that will start on September 26, the US is "mustering all forces" to make Pristina a new member of the organization. Vecernje Novosti writes this, adding that the host of this year's assembly is China, and that in Beijing, Belgrade's arguments on this issue will be defended by a delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic.

"We expect a very difficult diplomatic task, but we are convinced that with the strength of our arguments we can withstand the intent of Pristina and their allies for the so-called state Kosovo to become a full member of the Interpol," Stefanovic said.

The Interpol General Assembly will be held September 26-29.

 

Extradition of Radicals makes it to EU's list of conditions (Vecernje Novosti)

EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn has urged Serbia during his visit here last week to extradite Vjerica Radeta and Petar Jojic to the Hague Tribunal (ICTY). Along with Jovan "Jovo" Ostojic - who recently passed away - the two are members of the opposition SRS party, led by Vojislav Seselj, whom the tribunal has charged with contempt of court.

According to the Vecernje Novosti daily, the list of demands put before Serbia as a condition for joining the EU contains the issue of the extradition of Radeta and Jojic, who are accused of influencing witnesses in the proceedings against Seselj before the ICTY, which ended in his acquittal on all charges.

A source is quoted by the newspaper as saying that Hahn has been told Serbia cannot extradite Radeta and Jojic because a Serbian court has ruled against it.  The article recalls that the Higher Court in Belgrade last May, after hearing Radeta, Jojic, and Ostojic, announced its final verdict stating that there was no valid legal basis for their extradition.

According to Serbia' legal provisions, only persons who are charged with war crimes can be extradited to the ICTY.  The ICTY, however, has demanded that Serbia "urgently changes its legal solutions."

 

Step closer to truth: How much has NATO bombing poisoned us? (Vecernje Novosti)

The proposal of the Initiative set up to discover the truth about the consequences of the NATO bombing of Serbia has been supported by the president. Vecernje Novosti daily writes that it learned this, and adds that according to the plan of the Initiative, a national laboratory should be set up to examine the consequences NATO's 1999 bombing of Serbia has had on humans and the environment.

The proposals and recommendations of the Initiative's Committee sent to President Aleksandar Vucic have been forwarded to the ministries of health and environment, while the recommendations emphasize the need to form a coordinating body and a national laboratory, the newspaper said.

More than 100 experts from different fields have stood behind the Initiative - chemists, biologists, physicochemist, physiologists, radiologists, physicians, as well as members of the Serbian Army who were active after the bombing in collecting materials and cleaning the ground from depleted uranium.

These experts are asking the state to provide them with funds, which is a prerequisite for Serbia to examine, on its own and without the role of other countries, how the effects of depleted uranium ammunition have impacted human health, but also the pollution of land, air, and water, especially since NATO also bombed large chemical, energy and oil facilities.

Although the experts currently have no solid evidence to suggest that the bombing of these facilities has caused the increase in the number of cancer patients, sterility, and autoimmune diseases, they believe that all this is connected to the 1999 bombing.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Dodik: The RS will give up on the referendum on state judiciary (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik announced on Tuesday that the RS will give up on the referendum on state judiciary. He stressed that if the decision of the RS National Assembly (NA) adopted in 2015 is published in the RS Official Gazette, majority in the RSNA will suspend it. Dodik underlined that this will be done due to relations in the region, as well as talks with the EU. He said that citizens of the RS will have to take stance on state judiciary one day, but added that publishing of the decision would bring more harm than good. Dodik reminded that those who insist on publishing of the decision did not even endorse it in the RSNA, and added that their only goal is destabilization of the RS. He noted that Catalonia, which is much stronger than the RS, spends a lot of time fighting for the right to referendum, which shows how tough that struggle is in the RS. Commenting on allegations by the opposition that they will oppose decisions of the RSNA, Dodik said that they can file a motion with the RS Constitutional Court, but the laws will not be abolished. Dodik said that this decision is not a sign of weakness, but a result of assessment that there is no political consensus on this issue at this moment. Dodik announced that the RSNA will keep on working and that all issues agreed by Collegium of the RSNA will be put on the agenda of the next session.

 

Leaders of the opposition: Decision to give up on referendum is obvious example of Dodik's fraudulent policy (BNTV)

Leaders of the opposition reacted to the announcement by Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik that he will suspend the decision on the referendum on work of the Court and the Prosecutor's Office of B&H, by saying that future of the RS with Dodik at its head is completely uncertain. SDS leader Vukota Govedarica stressed that decision to give up on the referendum is an obvious example of Dodik's fraudulent policy. "He is capable of deceiving an entire people for his own personal interests. For his personal interests, he is ready to sell and destroy the RS. That is Milorad Dodik... He is a man who is ready to engage in various manipulations to preserve his tycoon state which he created," Govedarica underlined. Govedarica stressed that Dodik has to be removed from the political scene in the RS because, according to Govedarica, the future of the RS in his hands is completely uncertain.

NDP leader Dragan Cavic reiterated that SNSD and the ruling coalition, in agreement with foreigners, have been keeping the referendum in a drawer for two years, noting that someone will have to answer for that. "We will establish criminal responsibility of all those who hid that decision in an illegal and unconstitutional way," Cavic stressed. Cavic claims that one reason is behind the hiding of the decision on the referendum. "They were threatened with sanctions, that they will be prohibited from entering the EU and that the RS will be faced with serious isolation and sanctions from the EU," Cavic stressed.

 

Pendes: B&H will meet all conditions for activation NATO MAP (FTV)

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Defense Marina Pendes held a presentation on B&H’s progress in the past three months when it comes to meeting of conditions for activation of the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP), for the ambassadors of the NATO member countries in B&H in Sarajevo on Tuesday. She stressed that three prospective military locations will be registered as the property of B&H by the end of November. Pendes explained that this means this year will be completed with 31 registered locations - out of a total of 57 military locations stipulated by the Defense Review – which is more than a half of measures met within the Tallinn condition for activation of the NATO MAP for B&H. The ambassadors gave their suggestions but some of them expressed certain doubts related to B&H’s meeting of conditions for the MAP activation. They expressed support to the work of B&H Ministry of Defense and B&H authorities when it comes to continuation of B&H’s NATO path, but they voiced different stances on B&H’s activities on this path. Ambassador of Slovakia to B&H Jan Psenica said at the press conference after the presentation that the ambassadors presented different expectations, stressing that it is important to face reality and to take all possible measures to achieve goals. Pendes expressed her belief that B&H will succeed to meet all the conditions for the MAP activation regardless of certain doubts regarding B&H’s capability to fully implement its plans on the NATO path. She noted that there is consensus on this issue in B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) and B&H Ministry of Defense, reminding also of full support of B&H Presidency to the MAP activation. Pendes did not mention the exact date of the MAP activation, adding that there is always a risk of being late in B&H due to justified reasons.

Pendes met with United Kingdom Ministry of Defense (MOD) Director for International Security Policy Nick Gurr, UK Ambassador Edward Ferguson and UK Military Attache in B&H colonel Jonathan Williamson on Tuesday.

The UK delegation was informed about current activities of the B&H MoD and the Armed Forces (AF) of B&H, as well as about results and achievements pertaining to adoption of ‘Defense Review’ document, plan of implementation of the document, plan of modernization of the AF, process of registration of prospective military locations, issue of taking care of surplus weapons, ammunition and mine-explosive devices and participation of B&H military in peace support missions.

 

New York: Dragan Covic at Trump’s reception (Dnevne novine)

Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Dragan Covic took part in a high level meeting in New York dedicated to reform of the United Nations (UN), which was chaired by US President Donald Trump. According to the daily, Covic supported reaffirmation of the UN’s role and authority in global issues. Article further reads that Covic held several bilateral meetings with other heads of states, took part in a reception for heads of states and governments organized by the UN Secretary General   on occasion of 72nd session of the UN General Assembly (GA). He also attended a reception organized by the EU, which was hosted by President of European Council Donald Tusk, EC Vice President Frans Timmermans and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. Covic also attended reception organized by President Trump on occasion of 72nd session of the UN GA. Article also announces that Covic will address the UN GA on Wednesday morning after which he will attend a dinner for leaders from the Western Balkans, which will be organized by Mogherini.

Mogherini met with US Vice-president Mike Pence on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday and agreed that the US and the EU are going to closely cooperate on resolving problems in the Western Balkans. Daily noted that this is a second time the two officials discussed the Western Balkans region; last week they held a telephone meeting, in which they underlined the importance of joint activities of Washington and Brussels in the Balkans.

Covic is expected to addressed the UN General Assembly on Wednesday morning and inform the attendees of the event about the situation in B&H.

Covic stated: “I believe that we can send a well-balanced message on behalf of B&H on the situation in the world and our contribution as a small country, in different peace (keeping) missions to nowadays security threats. I will emphasize our European path and the need for internal stability. I will also very briefly point to the current tensions that we are facing with in B&H and say that everything is up to us, including changing of legislation that should stabilize our relations in this year, in order to welcome the upcoming elections in an entirely different situation, dealing with reforms“.

 

Yee paid semi-secret visit to B&H to meet opposition leaders and some ruling parties’ reps (EuroBlic)

United States still considers Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) to be a part of the zone under the US’ influence. At the three-day meeting of all US ambassadors in the region of Balkans in Sarajevo, daily’s well-informed sources from diplomatic circles claim that ambassadors have sent a clear message that the United States still has the key influence on political events in B&H. Furthermore, sources claim that US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Hoyt Brian Yee paid a semi-secret visit to Sarajevo, and attended all meetings organized over the last three days in the building of the US Embassy.

“High-ranking US diplomat talked with numerous opposition leaders from Republika Srpska (RS) and the Federation of B&H, but also with certain ruling parties’ officials, about the situation in B&H and the support the United States is providing to democratic processes in the country”, sources told daily. Yee’s visit attracted almost no media attention whatsoever; at the same time, the US Embassy to B&H issued only a brief statement, saying that it was a regular annual meeting of regional chiefs of US missions (US ambassadors to Albania, B&H, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia) and that they talked about common issues, including Euro-Atlantic integration, advancing regional cooperation, economic growth and investment, strengthening the rule of law, and regional security.

In a short statement to daily, geopolitical analyst Zeljko Cvijanovic said that semi-secret conference of US ambassadors, as well as the recent discussion about B&H in the UK House of Lords, show that most powerful western countries are planning to make - as he said - certain major moves in this part of the world. “There is no doubt that this type and level of American and British interest for the issue of the Balkans and B&H speaks about their intention to get our region involved in the chain of biggest political events since Dayton. After NATO’s ‘conquering’ of Montenegro and Macedonia, it is necessary to create conditions for Macedonia’s swift accession to NATO under the new name, for elimination of the RS as political factor in B&H and Serbia as the same thing in the central Balkans”, Cvijanovic said.

 

Yee: US is fully dedicated to DPA; Malicious interference of Russia is unacceptable (Oslobodjenje)

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Eurasian Affairs Brian Hoyt Yee commenting Russian influence in the region, said that the US respect the right of all countries to be involved, but they must respect the international laws, rights and interests of the countries in the region. “What is not acceptable are the countries that are trying to undermine legitimate democratic authorities and institutions, and prevent the countries of the region from achieving security alliances or agreements their sovereign governments want,” said Yee and noted that in the past Russia attempted to prevent the regional countries in getting closer to the EU and NATO, which is unacceptable for the US. He went on to say that the regional countries must resist those malicious attacks, such as the one Russia committed against Montenegro last year. Yee rejected claims that NATO’s expansion represents a threat to Russia.

Commenting the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) is in constant crisis, Yee said: “First of all, we remain fully dedicated to the Dayton Peace Agreement, sovereign and integral B&H with two entities and three peoples. We also believe it is important for the people to express their opinions, we promote freedom of speech of the citizens, but also politicians and political parties. We believe in peaceful expression of one’s views,” adding it is important to hold debate on important political issues, regardless of where it is held – in Republika Srpska or in the Federation of B&H. He went on to say that the US are willing to assist B&H, and it expects the 2018 elections will be held in such manner not to endanger anyone, which means B&H needs to adopt amendments to the Law on Elections. In conclusion, Yee stated that if the agreement on the Law on Elections is not reached, B&H will suffer severe consequences and it will be unable to move forward.

 

Dodik and Serbian Minister Vulin discussed revival of companies of RS military industry (RTRS)

Republika Srpska (RS) President and SNSD leader Milorad Dodik, commenting on the visit of Serbian Defense Minister Aleksandar Vulin to Banja Luka on Tuesday and the meeting with him, said that talks with Serbian authorities on revival of companies of the RS military industry have been ongoing for quite some time and the visit of Vulin and his associates was also focused on these talks.

“We discussed the way of integration of the Serbian military industry with our companies from this field, such as the RS Air Force Institute ‘Orao’ in Bijeljina, the Banja Luka-based ‘Kosmos’, etc. We all know that Serbian military industry achieves great results when it comes to export and that it has realized the export of weapons and military equipment - that were produced in Serbia - in the amount of over EUR 1.2 billion in the past years. Our production capacities are compatible with Serbia’s needs and products that Serbia can offer on the international market. This is a simple commercial story and a plan to ensure the production and jobs, as well as to make profit out of it on the market”, Dodik explained. He added that it was concluded at the meeting that there are good preconditions for improvement of market offers and resolving of certain problems when it comes to internal needs, through engagement of companies of the RS military industry.

Dodik reminded that the RS military industry was devastated by a number of measures that were imposed by the international community and former High Representative Paddy Ashdown, “who destroyed all the preconditions for survival of the RS military industry.” He noted that the public should also know about the fact that six public factories for production of weapons and ammunition remained active in the Federation of B&H and they are still operating perfectly, while the RS does not have any of these factories or any successful company in this industrial filed. Dodik emphasized that Vulin and all other ministers at the Serbian Government are always welcome in the RS, concluding that Serbia has a fair attitude towards the RS.

 

Croatia

 

Slovenian President against bilateral talks with Croatia on border dispute (N1)

Slovenia will continue to insist on the implementation of the border arbitration decision. Slovenian President Borut Pahor said that he was against the possibility of bilateral talks with Croatia on the border dispute resolution, adding that Ljubljana should continue to insist on the implementation of the arbitration decision which Croatia rejects, reports N1 on September 19, 2017.

“I am confident in the implementation of the arbitration decision, and it seems to me that the resolution of this issue by a new bilateral agreement is unacceptable.”

“A mere decision to accept talks with Croatia on the implementation of the arbitration tribunal decision by a new bilateral agreement would mean that the legal value of the verdict would be significantly weakened,” he added.

As the Slovenian Prime Minister at the time, Pahor signed the arbitration agreement in 2009 with then Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, at a time when Ljubljana conditioned the continuation of Croatian accession negotiations with the EU with the agreement. In a few days, Pahor will launch his re-election campaign for presidential elections, in which relations between Slovenia and Croatia will certainly have an important role. The Slovenian President said that he was reserved towards Croatian attempts to re-open the border issue by launching bilateral talks. “This issue has already been bilaterally resolved with the international agreement which we concluded under the auspices of the European Union”, he said, referring to the 2009 agreement. Croatia left the arbitration proceedings two years ago when secretly recorded talks showed that Slovenia was unlawfully trying to influence the arbitrators.

Pahor believes that the acceptance of the arbitration decision would increase the possibility of cooperation between the two countries in the Balkans and eliminate instabilities. “But, the decision of the Croatian authorities not to respect the arbitration agreement has undermined the confidence. Even if a possible bilateral border agreement were to be confirmed by both governments and the two parliaments, the question is whether such an agreement would be respected,” said Pahor.

 

Montenegro

 

Russians under scrutiny for laundering more than $1m for PzP (Pobjeda)

About fifteen Russian citizens are suspected of exchanging more than $1m on several occasions in the first half of October 2016 for the needs of the Movement for Changes (PzP), ie the Democratic Front (DF) political coalition in the election campaign, several Pobjeda’s sources close to investigation confirmed. According to the newspaper, these allegations resulted from a large-scale investigation conducted by the Special State Prosecutor’s Office for nearly a year. Within the investigation, complaints were filed against eleven people, suspected of having participated in numerous financial embezzlements of money laundering for the benefits of PzP.

In addition to PzP Leader Nebojsa Medojevic and businessman Momir Nikolic, the list of suspects contains the names of PzP director Dejan Vujisic, technical secretary of the party and Medojevic’s brother in law, Zeljko Scepanovic, and local foreign currency dealer Gordan Konatar. The investigation also included five street foreign currency dealers – Milos Mrva Gvozdenovic, Dejan and Violeta Buskovic, Zeljko Pejovic and Radovan Scekic.

After several months of investigation, dozens of witnesses have been questioned and numerous pieces of evidence have been collected, pointing to the involvement of Russian citizens in illegal jobs ahead of parliamentary elections in October last year. Investigators have learned that the Russians laundered money for party purposes in Podgorica, but also in two cities on the Montenegrin coast. According to these data, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office has busted the scheme of embezzlements and how roles and tasks were delegated among all the “associates”.

As a reminder, transactions of Scepanovic and Konatar came into lime light last year in October, when they were caught with money of suspicious origin. Then, police seized €30,000 from Scepanovic and €18,000 from Konatar. It was later found that Scepanovic exchanged $100,000 in euros on at least three occasions.

Investigators have found that on several occasions Nikolic received from abroad almost €1m on his bank account. Those suspicious money transfers were mostly from the former Soviet republics, now EU members. According to the information obtained by the investigators, in a single transaction, Nikolic received €175,000 from Lithuania. They suspect those were transfers of money through Russian companies based in Lithuania.

Medojevic and Nikolic allegedly created a plan to put money gained through illegal conversion of foreign currency in the payment system, as well as the money obtained for the illegal financing of certain political parties for general elections.

“Nebojsa Medojevic was tasked with recruiting members of the criminal organization that will be engaged in unauthorized exchange the US dollars to euro and putting the money in legal flows for the needs of political entities; organizing delivery of money obtained from illegal activities to other members of the organization and citizens who will pay this money to bank accounts of political entities as donations; directing the statements of members of the criminal organization in case the plan is busted; and coming up with new forms of illegal transfers of money obtained by criminal activities into legal flows,” the Special Prosecutor’s Office’s document says.

Medojevic’s parliamentary immunity has been lifted due to these charges. However, he has not been detained based on the binding instruction the supreme state prosecutor Ivica Stankovic sent to the Special State Prosecutor’s Office.

 

Money laundering related to PzP: Pavlovic, Radunovic and Draskovic arrested (CDM)

Movement for Changes (PzP) official Iva Pavlovic, DF official Slaven Radunovic’s son Luka and Petar Draskovic from the Democratic People’s Party (DNP) have been arrested upon the order of the special state prosecutor Lidija Vukcevic. They are suspected of Money laundering. According to unofficial information obtained by CDM, this is an extension of the investigation into money laundering, the Special State Prosecutor’s Office is conducting against the PzP leader Nebojsa Medojevic and several other officials of that party. The prosecutor is currently questioning Iva Pavlovic.

 

fYROM

PM Zaev resumes US visit (MIA)

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev resumes the visit to the US where he is scheduled to deliver an address on Sep. 22 at the general debate of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly, held in New York. Zaev is set to meet with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and to hold other bilateral meetings. Zaev is to meet with European Council President Donald Tusk, EU High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn. Zaev’s working visit to the United Nations and the United States will last until Saturday, while the government delegation includes Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and Minister without portfolio in charge of the Diaspora Edmond Ademi.

On Tuesday, PM Zaev attended the formal opening of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly. Government delegation held talks on Tuesday in New York with representatives and chairpersons of United Macedonian Diaspora UMD) and the Forum for Democratic Macedonia (FDM), Meto Koloski and Makedonka Trajkovska respectively. Zaev also delivered a speech at a reception organized by FDM, seeking the diaspora's support of the government efforts for Macedonia's economic prosperity, the PM's Office said in a press release. The government, Zaev said, has been taking a series of measures to support domestic companies, attract foreign investments and facilitate investments of the diaspora in Macedonia.

OMD and FMD voiced support for the diaspora to take active part in Macedonia's economic development and its Euro-Atlantic integration processes. Zaev had a brief meeting Monday with US President Donald Trump at an event hosted by him to boost support for signing a declaration on UN reforms. At the meeting Zaev voiced support for Trump's imitative and wished for its successful launch. Government delegation also met with the representatives of Macedonia 2025 group.

 

IRI: Rise of both SDSM’s and Zaev’s ratings and fall of Gruevski’s and VMRO-DPMNE’s ratings (Meta)

An enormous uptick of optimism was noticed among citizens that Macedonia is heading in a good direction and that the economy can develop in less than less than six months, shows the latest poll of the International Republic Institute (IRI) that was conducted in Macedonia. The polls show a significant increase of the trust in Zoran Zaev and SDSM, including a fall in the trust into VMRO-DPMNE and Nikola Gruevski, both on a central and a local level.

According to the results that were presented today, the new poll that was carried out in the period between 4th and the 27th of August, with 1.150 participants, 17% i.e. more than 13% have replied that the state is moving in the right direction. There is growth in optimism that the economy will head in a good direction i.e. this is what 33% of the citizens believe.

 

There is an enormous increase among the citizens that see the inner political situation as stable and peaceful, from 5% in March to 44% in the previous month. The percentage of those that are describing the current situation as “intense and uncertain has dropped by 18% i.e. from 62% in March this year to 44% in August.

During the same period, a significant increase was noticed about the conviction that in Macedonia there is a rule of law, from 12% to 18%. If the parliamentary elections were to be held now, SDSM would lead with 20% ahead of VMRO-DPMNE’s 17%, 7% for DUI, 5% for the Alliance of the Albanians, and BESA with 4%. The support for an EU membership is still strong with 77% -an improvement of 5% from March 2017.

Regarding the political leaders, Zoran Zaev enjoys the biggest support with 25%, which is only 3% less of Katica Janeva who enjoys the greatest support. Gruevski has a support of 15% and the biggest fall of the trust compared to March this year – a fall of 30%.

Regarding the ratings of the political parties, VMRO-DPMNE’s ratings have fallen by 27% and now it has a support of only 14% of the participants. SDSM has a strong support of 22%.

 

Albania

 

Basha: Electoral reform, necessary for the country, May 18 agreement is “dead” (ATA)

The DP head Lulzim Basha declared on Tuesday that the May 18 deal is “dead” and the core of this issue is electoral reform, necessary for the country. At a media briefing on Tuesday afternoon, the DP head Basha said that electoral reform is a matter of urgency and as of this year we will start consultations with political parties, the citizens, intellectuals and the groups of interest. Basha added that within this week his party will start discussions with allies of DP as well as explore the opportunities for coordinated actions with any other party in opposition with the govt. in place.

Asked by the media over the deal with the govt., Basha said that there is no agreement for a simple reason, the agreement was breached.

The essence of agreement was free vote. On June 25 they did nothing but bought and violated the vote of Albanians. I have asserted the stand of DP in the very first session of parliament. The point is that agreement is “dead” because Rama violated its core. The reform aimed at doing away with vote buying and selling, doing away with delinquents in the electoral process is necessary. E-voting is a priority that results in vote of Albanian emigrants as well.

Asked about the fractions in DP, Basha said that we are open to anyone wishing to contribute to DP.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Managing the last days of Milorad Dodik (Balkan Insight, by Jasmin Mujanovic)

The regime in the Bosnian Serb entity is fast imploding – but whether anyone in the West has the will to mediate this process remains unclear.

Readers who have followed my columns for Balkan Insight over the past year will have noted three broad and interrelated themes: the crisis of parliamentary democracy in the Western Balkans; the turn towards overt authoritarianism and illiberalism among ruling elites in the region; and the need for mass civil society mobilization to reverse these trends.

Macedonia’s recent change of government should feature prominently in our collective political imaginations because it demonstrates just what kinds of breakthroughs are possible, even against the most reactionary and volatile regimes, through popular agitation.

On the other hand, and as explained previously, there is Bosnia and Herzegovina and, in particular, the government of Milorad Dodik in the Republika Srpska, RS.

 

With the fall of Nikola Gruevski in Skopje there is no more dangerous figure to the overall stability of the Western Balkans than Dodik. And though his days are numbered, his desperation, like Gruevski’s, should concern both local and European policymakers.

The recent physical altercations in the RS assembly, between opposition and government MPs, are as alarming as they are illustrative of how tense the situation in the entity has become.

Long gone are the heady days of the late 2000s when fly-over experts observed how efficiently and sensibly Banja Luka dealt with its affairs, in comparison to the incompetent squabbling in Sarajevo, and how perhaps this meant that the RS had a future as a sovereign polity after all.

Since then, Dodik’s funds to sponsor such partisan “research” have dried up – not that they ever made much headway – and, as in neighboring Serbia, the West is discovering that “efficiency” in illiberal regimes is always on borrowed time. The RS government is hemorrhaging money, Dodik’s popularity is in free fall, and the opposition smells blood. And so he is more and more desperate to cling to power.

 

As a result, the years-long “patriotic” détente that existed between his Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, SNSD, and the Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, which provided a united front against the state government in Sarajevo has collapsed.

Now, as was always going to be necessary with such an entrenched regime, all options are on the table. And, indeed, even government spokespeople admit that Macedonian and Ukrainian style popular revolts will be necessary to oust them.

 

For the political establishment in Sarajevo, at least the slice of it that is committed to a democratic, functional Bosnian state, now is the time to stay silent. No good can come of openly advocating the interests of the RS opposition, even if everyone knows that Dodik’s fall is a precondition for any serious momentum towards Euro-Atlantic integration in the country.

But any public pronouncements will only further fuel Dodik’s delusions about a sinister cabal of American, German, and local plotters (with an obligatory appearance by George Soros) seeking his ouster. That said, it remains frustratingly unclear what Brussels and Washington will make of this situation and that is cause for concern.

 

The EU has an abysmal record of confronting Balkan strongmen. The “strategy” has always been one of accommodation, whether during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s or Gruevski’s refusal to abdicate peacefully. Instead it has been the oft-maligned Yankees who have sorted out troubles in Europe’s own backyard.

The problem is that with Donald Trump’s administration in the US, in particular its full frontal assault on the State Department, there is little use in hoping for American salvation. Granted, there is still some interest in the Balkans at the Congressional level but it’s a far cry from the kind of leadership that even Barack Obama’s administration – a historically disinterested U.S. government as far the region is concerned – showed.

So, if push comes to shove, as is literally occurring in the RS assembly, who will mediate? The Office of the High Representative is an almost entirely ceremonial body at this point, so that is a non-starter. British leadership is also unlikely after Brexit, even if the UK has traditionally been a strong partner to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Instead, the task of providing credible mediation and, when necessary, induction in the coming crisis will almost certainly fall to Berlin.

Germany, however, although far more strident in its approach to the region than Brussels, remains an “economic giant and a political dwarf.” In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, this has begun to change. But the change is still glacial in pace and unlikely to significantly affect Berlin’s response to any crisis in Bosnia.

It is, therefore, unclear whether Berlin even has a figure like Hoyt Yee, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary who should be credited with resolving the Macedonia crisis, to dispatch to Sarajevo or Banja Luka.

After all, the last few major efforts by Berlin in Bosnia, like the German-British Initiative, either petered out completely or devolved into the usual endless morass of conferences and summits, wherein regional leaders habitually agree to agree at some later date.

What is certain, however, is that the scenes that have begun to play out it in the halls of the RS assembly are, like the dueling rallies which preceded them last year, the new normal in Banja Luka. It may yet be a slow burn to Dodik’s final implosion. But his last days are here, the process of regime entropy is in full swing, whether anyone in Europe or the U.S. cares enough to preside over it.

If, as seems increasingly possible, the international community does not have any intention of managing this process, they, and Dodik, may well find that there are stark contrasts between the Ukrainian and Macedonia paths towards regime change. The former is a polity still in ruins while the latter is on an accelerated path towards genuine reform. Accordingly, even if decisions are not made, the course of events will make them for us.