LOCAL PRESS

 

Dacic: Format  of UN Security Council sessions needs to be retained (RTV/Tanjug)

 

On the margins of the OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Palermo, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic talked today with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano about relations of the two countries and international organizations, especially the United Nations Security Council, which will be chaired by Italy next month.  Dacic pointed out that this topic is important for Serbia since underway is an unprincipled attempt to change the format of Security Council sessions on Kosovo. Dacic notes that it is very important for Serbia that all these problems that exist in Kosovo and Metohija, as long as there is Resolution 1244 and the UN Mission in Kosovo and Metohija, are discussed on a regular basis, as envisaged by this resolution, at Security Council sessions. “Some Western countries are trying to change the format of holding Security Council sessions, either to close them, meaning that the debates are held only at closed sessions within the Security Council, or not to hold them every three months. That is why it is very important for us to have the understanding of Italy, as the chair,” Dacic told Tanjug.

 

Kuburovic: Legal protection before Serb judges in Kosovo and Metohija (RTS)

 

Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic told the morning news of Radio and Television of Serbia (RTS) that one of the agreements through the Brussels agreement was integration of Serbian courts and prosecutions in Kosovo and Metohija. She says that Serbian judges and prosecutors had signed a statement and that 40 judges, 12 prosecutors and 150 employees, who have so far worked in courts and prosecutions, will continue to work next week. “The most important thing is that Serbs will have the possibility to be tried and to exercise judicial protection before Serbian judges in Serb majority areas, while an important novelty is that Serbian judges will be conducting criminal proceedings, bearing in mind that in some earlier agreements this jurisdiction was excluded from Serbian courts and EULEX generally had jurisdiction to proceed in this cases,” she said.  “The president of the Basic Court in Kosovska Mitrovica will be a Serb, and most importantly, bearing in mind the organization of courts within the province, a special department of the Appellate Court will be founded with headquarters in Kosovska Mitrovica that will be presided over by a Serb and she/he will have the status of a deputy president of the Appellate Court,” said Kuburovic.

 

EC: Appointment of judges, prosecutors marks implementation of agreement (Tanjug)

 

Tuesday's "integration of judges, prosecutors and administrative staff into the Kosovo judiciary marks the implementation of the justice agreement reached in February 2015 under the EU-facilitated Dialogue," EC Spokesperson Maja Kocijancic said in a statement. "An integrated judiciary representative of all communities in Kosovo is a critical feature to ensure that justice is delivered, on behalf of the whole population. An integrated judiciary will allow for a uniform implementation of Kosovo law in all Kosovo Basic Courts and by all Kosovo Prosecutors’ Offices," she said.

 

Office for Kosovo and Metohija: Harsh protest over legal violence against Kosovo Serbs (Novosti)

 

The Office for Kosovo and Metohija most harshly protests over the legal violence to which have been exposed Sasa Arandjelovic, Dejan Urosevic and Goran Savkovic, who were arrested at the Jarinje administrative crossing, suspected of transporting  explosive devices. They were ordered a 30-day detention, even though it is clear to everyone at first glance that at issue are planted explosive devices, i.e. a diversion aimed at preventing the arrival of internally displaced persons to the polling stations in Kosovo and Metohija, reads the statement issued by the Office for Kosovo and Metohija.

The arrest of the three Serbs on the day of the local elections in the region of Kosovo and Metohija, during the transport of internally displaced persons for voting, represents both violation of freedom of movement and violation of voting rights and rights to participation in political life, which represent universal human rights. This example of legal violence shows, among other things, why is it important for Serbian judges and prosecutors to assume posts in Kosovo and Metohija as soon as possible

The Office has addressed EULEX on this occasion, as well as on the occasion of several other arrests of Serbian citizens over the past period under suspicious and unclear circumstances, demanding that its judicial organs take over these cases. At issue are politically and ethnically motivated criminal proceedings that are conducted against Bogdan Mitrovic, Milanka Terzic, Novica Sosic and Momcilo Jancic, within the campaign of intimidating the Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Serbian Army joins another UN peacekeeping mission (Beta)

 

The Serbian Army (VS) will soon join another UN mission in the Middle East, the Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday, Beta reported, citing a statement. Lieutenant Colonel Stevan Raseta will serve as a military observer in the UNDOF mission, established by a UN Security Council resolution in 1974 in order to separate Syrian and Israeli armed forces during Arab-Israeli wars. A five-member medical team headed by Major Zoran Mladenovic will soon be joining the EU Mission military training mission in Somalia (EUTM Somalia), where they replace their colleagues.

 

Fabrizi: Serbia expected to align with EU policy (Tanjug)

 

The EU expects Serbia to make additional efforts to gradually align with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy until the accession date, the head of the EU Delegation to Belgrade, Sem Fabrizi, told Tanjug on Wednesday. Fabrizi was commenting on a statement by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Hoyt Brian Yee, who said two days ago Serbia could not sit on two chairs at the same time. European integration being its strategic priority, Serbia should act in keeping with its commitment to regional cooperation and stabilization, Fabrizi said. The Common Foreign and Security Policy leaves ample room for development of bilateral relations with countries that are not members of the Union as long as the common framework is respected, Fabrizi said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Dodik: Time will come for laws imposed by High Representatives to be sent to RS Assembly (RTRS)

 

The oldest institution of Republika Srpska (RS) - the RS Assembly - on Tuesday marked 26 years of its existence. The RS Assembly was formed on 24 October, 1991, after the Serbs were outvoted in the Assembly of the then Socialist Republic of B&H. This was followed by the creation of the RS and the adoption of the Constitution of the RS. RS President Milorad Dodik emphasized that important role of the RSNA is that it preserved the RS during the past war in B&H. Dodik recalled that Constitution, all laws and institutions were verified in the RS Assembly which, according to him, in that way most contributed to the construction of a society we know today. Dodik also said that he thinks that the time will soon come for all laws imposed by the High Representatives to be sent to the RS Assembly procedure. “This is an obligation of the assembly, of course. As you know, there are no permanent laws and laws are subjects to adjustment with time and needs of a state and this will happen this time as well,” Dodik said.

 

Covic meets NATO’s Stoltenberg in Brussels: NATO and B&H share deep partnership (BHT1)

 

Chairman of B&H Presidency Dragan Covic met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels, on Tuesday. Addressing media after the meeting, the officials concluded that NATO and B&H share a deep partnership. Covic emphasized that the Defense Review of B&H and a revised Action Plan will be delivered very soon, and show practical commitment of B&H related to the Membership Action Plan (MAP). He added that B&H fulfills obligations related to the so-called conditions from Tallinn, and stressed that this process goes in a slow mode but local authorities are making steps forward in this direction. Covic also stated that B&H takes part in peace keeping missions all over the globe and that the country wants to strengthen its status and show itself as a partner in this area.

Stoltenberg emphasized that B&H is a dear and appreciated partner of the entire NATO. According to Stoltenberg, the officials discussed reforms that are being implemented in B&H, within the Euro-Atlantic integration. He congratulated to B&H on reforms implemented so far, adding that this achievement represents a significant step forwards.

During his visit to Brussels, Covic also met with President of the European Council Donald Tusk and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. Covic’s meetings with Tusk and Mogherini regarded the Euro-Atlantic integration of B&H and progress achieved on this path.

 

Only HDZ B&H and SNSD support HDZ B&H’s proposal of changes to Law on Elections of B&H (TV1)

 

HDZ B&H proposal of changes to the Law on Elections of B&H might be discussed at the session of the House of Representatives (HoR) of B&H Parliament on Wednesday. Currently, only HDZ B&H and SNSD support the Law, while other political parties including the international community oppose it. SBB B&H already announced this party will not support the proposal. Damir Arnaut (SBB B&H) said that even those who proposed it “are unclear about the destiny of this proposal”. SDP and DF too announced that they will not support HDZ B&H’s proposal, because they are of the view that the proposal is discriminatory and that its goal is to divide the Federation of B&H. SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic said that solutions proposed by HDZ B&H are unacceptable because they are in collision with the Federation of B&H Constitution. The Alliance for Changes (SzP) too opposed HDZ B&H’s proposal and added that the SzP is willing to support an agreement of partners in the Federation of B&H but this proposal has many omissions. SNSD will support any proposal which stipulates that everyone must have equal rights and that nobody can be allowed to elect other people’s representatives, because this would relax the situation in the country. US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack and UK Ambassador to B&H Edward Ferguson criticized the proposal, while Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Lars-Gunnar Wigemark told representatives of HDZ B&H on Monday that the Law on Elections of B&H must bring B&H closer to standards of the European Union.

 

Israeli Embassy sends protest note to B&H (BHT1)

 

The Embassy of Israel with Headquarters in Tirana sent a protest note to B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday. The protest note refers to a decision of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly and the Municipal Court in Sarajevo, to change the name of one of its schools, into the ‘Mustafa Busuladzic School’. According to the Embassy, B&H’s writer Mustafa Busuladzic was a controversial person, who advocated Antisemitism stances. The protest note reads that majority of Bosnian Jews were killed by fascistic and Nazi forces, adding that Busuladzic was supporting these forces. Protest note was forwarded to B&H CoM and governments of the Federation of B&H and SC.

 

Turkish Ambassador Koc: Turkey does not have hidden plans for B&H (Nezavisne)

 

Turkish Ambassador to B&H Haldun Koc stated that the messages sent by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during their recent meeting in Serbia, show that both countries are dedicated to peace, cooperation and stability in the whole region. Commenting the construction of the Sarajevo-Belgrade speedway, he said that B&H and Serbia need to reach a technical agreement, underlining that Turkey wants to start with implementation of the project as soon as possible. The Ambassador announced an Agroforum between B&H and Turkey on Thursday in Sarajevo, at which over 80 Turkish companies confirmed their participation. He pointed out that Turkey does not have hidden plans for B&H and the region, underlining they only want to see B&H as peaceful and prosperous country.

“There are EU countries, Russia, the US, Canada and Japan in the Peace Implementation Council with us. We all have a single goal – for B&H to be a prosperous and stable country with permanent peace, to have its citizens live in peace and prosperity – economic and any other. Different ethnicity of its citizens can only contribute to that prosperity,” said Koc and noted that Turkey supports B&H as an independent country and peoples who share history, culture and the way of life with Turkey”.

 

Croatia wants EU to fight Russia’s disinformation campaign (Jutarnji list)

 

Croatia is among eight EU member states which have sent a letter to EU High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Federica Mogherini, requesting that the European External Action Service (EEAS) should significantly expand its efforts to counter Russian propaganda, reports Jutarnji list. In addition to Croatia, the letter was signed by the foreign affairs ministries of the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The Croatian Foreign Ministry confirmed on Tuesday that Croatia had co-signed a letter to Mogherini.

 

Opposition protest march (CDM)

 

Do not sit at the table with DPS, Democratic Front (DF) leaders advised the civic opposition at the protest held on Tuesday night in Podgorica. By organizing the protest march, DF marked two years since the protests that were organized in front of the parliament building on 24 October 2015. About 1,000 people gathered at the protest march. DF said it required the same things as two years ago – a transitional government and fair and free elections.

 

Van der Maelen sees the opposition’s decision as the wrong move (MINA)

 

The opposition’s decision not to participate in parliamentary life has always proved to be a wrong move, said the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belgian House of Representatives Dirk van der Maelen at a meeting with Montenegrin counterpart Andrija Nikolic in Brussels. As parliament stated Van der Maelen pointed out that it was not wise for MPs to be outside the parliament. According to him, parliament is arena in which political ideas are confronted, and the place of dialogue between the government and the opposition.

Nikolic said that the parliament boycott by the Montenegrin opposition had nothing to do with the objections to the regularity of the elections, but that it was another attempt to prepare the ground to get in power in Montenegro by non-institutional methods.

 

DF to turn parliament into a courtroom? (Dnevne novine)

 

In addition to representatives of the ruling coalition, 16 MPs for the Democratic Front will take part in the question time in the parliament of Montenegro scheduled for 26 October. Each of DF deputies will ask two questions to the Justice Minister Zoran Pazin, the Interior Minister Mevludin Nuhodzic and Defence Minister Predrag Boskovic, whereas DF leader Andrija Mandic will have a question for PM Dusko Markovic. Almost all DF questions refer to the attempt of terrorist acts, which confirms Dnevne novine’s earlier announcement that DF wants to move the trial from the courtroom to the Parliament where its MPs will try to deny the accusations of the Special State Prosecutor’s Office, since they are not permitted to deliver political speeches in the courtroom. Mandic will ask PM about risk assessments, as he said, to the overall security in the country due to the “state terror” against Democratic Front and its possible consequences. “I urge you, as the major authorizing officer in the state government, to immediately release our innocent members from custody and stop all fabricated police trials against DF politicians and their family members,” Mandic said in the question submitted to parliament.

 

VMRO-DPMNE: The Administrative Court has succumbed to pressures by SDS and SPO (Meta)

 

The Administrative Court has succumbed to the systematic pressure by SDS and the Special Public Prosecution and it didn’t allow a re-vote at any voting station, reacts VMRO-PDMNE upon the decisions of the Administrative Court regarding the complaints that were lodged by this political party concerning the rejected complaints by SEC for the first round of local elections.

“VMRO-DPMNE has lodged 24 complaints to the Administrative Court regarding election irregularities at 45 voting stations and the Court didn’t allow a repeated voting at one voting station. These actions by the Administrative Court are due to the orchestrated pressure on part of the duo – SDS and SPO” said VMRO-DPMNE’s MP, Dragan Danev. He said that the State Election Commission (SEC) and the Administrative Court were under tremendous pressure including the whole administration.

 

Council’s reports on Tahiri case made public (ATA)

 

Two reports drafted respectively by the Socialist Party and opposition MPs on the on the Council for Regulations, Mandates and Immunities, on a request from the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes seeking authorization to arrest and search the house of the former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri have been already made public. The parliament is set to convene a plenary session on Wednesday to decide whether former Interior Minister Saimir Tahiri will be arrested or not on a request from the Prosecution Office for Serious Crimes. The report drafted by the Socialist parliamentary majority underscores that “in its five-page material, but also during the Council’s sessions, the prosecution body has failed to argue MP Tahiri’s involvement in illicit activities and failed to provide any indication or proof to convince us that there exist reasonable and founded suspicions in order to authorize continuation of the procedures for the extreme action of the arrest of MP Tahiri.” In their report, the two opposition parties, the Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration, recommend that parliament approves the prosecution’s request and authorize the arrest of MP Saimir Tahiri.

 

Tahiri: Catania prosecutor’s office has not initiated criminal procedures against me (ATA)

 

Socialist MP Saimir Tahiri displayed to reporters at a press conference on Tuesday a document issued by the Italy’s Catania prosecutor’s office, stating that no criminal investigation was launched against him by the Catania prosecutor’s office. Former Interior Minister Tahiri asked how was it possible that the Serious Crimes Prosecution Office that requires his arrest had failed to obtain a document he had obtained within 48 hours. Tahiri invited any Socialist MP to back the prosecution’s request if they thought he should be arrested. “I don’t hide behind immunity or power. I’m ready to undergo investigation. I’m asking for favor or support of anyone. If there are MPs who think that I should be arrested, including Socialist MPs, I invite them to do so,” Tahiri stated.

 

Vuniqi and Xhafa discuss on agenda of joint meeting of governments of Albania and Kosovo (ATA)

 

The preparation of agenda of the joint meeting of the governments of Albania and Kosovo was at the focus of the discussions held in Pristina between the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Kosovo Rejhan Vuniqi and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania Etjen Xhafa.

A press release of Kosovo Ministry for Foreign Affairs reads that during the meeting was discussed on the smooth progress of the process and preparation of the agenda of meeting of the two governments, of Albania and Kosovo, which is set to be held in Korca on 27 November. After that, the two governments will meet in Vlora about launching events on Scanderbeg year. The delegation from Albania was set to meet even with Deputy Prime Minister of Kosovo Fatmir Limaj who is appointed by the Kosovar government coordinator for organization of the joint meeting of the governments of Albania and Kosovo.