UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, October 30, 2019
Albanian Language Media:
- ECAP issues decision in NISMA's complaint regarding ballots from Serbia (Indeksonline)
- Astrit Dehari’s case to be investigated by Special Prosecution (media)
- Family's attorney reacts to Astrit Dehari’s case being transferred to Special Prosecution (media)
- EU HR Mogherini meets Western Balkans leaders (media)
- Bislimi: Agreement on President can only be reached between Kurti and Mustafa (Express)
- Kosovo Police with a statement on assault at Svirce village (media)
Serbian Language Media:
- UN Security Council session on Kosovo takes place tomorrow (Tanjug, B92)
- Vucic: Our strategic path is the path to the EU (B92, Tanjug)
- Western Balkans remains devoted to EU perspective, regrets for Macedonia and Albania (Tanjug, B92)
- Serwer: Pristina will be under pressure to reach an agreement with Belgrade (N1)
- Skopje: Kosovo deal on border change acceptable only as “unique case” (Beta, Al Jazeera, N1)
- EP rapporteur Bilcik says Serbia’s path to EU depends on reforms and Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta, N1, Blic)
- “KLA” graffiti in Babin Most village, Srpska Lista reacts (RTS, Radio KIM)
- Civil society: Results weak; No expectations (KIM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
- Dacic on Bytyqi brothers’ case: Congress resolution sort of pressure (RTS, KoSSev)
- Pacolli: Foreign Affairs Ministry has nothing to do with entry ban to Dusica Nikolic (KoSSev)
- Serbian MFA employees in a two-day visit to Kosovo (KIM radio)
Opinions:
- Why Serbia Won’t Stop Playing the Russia Card Any Time Soon (The Moscow Times)
- The Neue Zürcher Zeitung claims: The West loses in the Balkans (DW, B92)
International:
- EU Must Be Clearer With Balkans If It Wants To Expand (Forbes)
- Serbia Must ‘Deliver Substantive Reforms’ Before Joining EU (Balkan Insight)
- Civil society needs support to fight corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans (blogs.lse.ac.uk)
Humanitarian and Development:
- British Embassy launches project for strengthening justice system in Kosovo (media)
- CoE standards of freedom of expression promoted and supported in Kosovo (CoE)
Albanian Language Media
ECAP issues decision in NISMA's complaint regarding ballots from Serbia (Indeksonline)
Elections Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) had rejected the complaint presented by the NISMA-AKR-PD coalition requesting the Central Election Commission (CEC) to declare invalid ballots that arrived from Serbia.
The justification behind the ECAP decision is that the NISMA-AKR-PD coalition filed the complaint after the expiration of the deadline.
NISMA will appeal the ECAP decision with the Supreme Court.
Astrit Dehari’s case to be investigated by Special Prosecution (media)
Kosovo Chief Prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi has decided to transfer the case concerning the death of Vetevendosje activist Astrit Dehari in a detention facility from the Basic Prosecution in Prizren to the jurisdiction of the Special Prosecution of Kosovo.
“Following a review of statements made to the media by the family of the deceased Astrit Dehari and their legal representatives, as well as the specific and urgent nature of the case, and in the function of criminal procedure’s efficiency and the avoiding of suspicions on the possible violation of the principle of impartiality, the Special Prosecution of the Republic of Kosovo is tasked with taking over further procedural treatment of this criminal case,” the Office of Chief Prosecutor said in a press release.
“The State Prosecutor would like to assure the Dehari family and the public opinion that based on constitution and legal competencies and authorisations, I will conduct independent, professional and credible investigations for fully resolving this case,” Lumezi said.
Family's attorney reacts to Astrit Dehari’s case being transferred to Special Prosecution (media)
Tome Gashi, attorney for the family of Astrit Dehari, reacted to the announcement by the Kosovo Chief Prosecutor Aleksander Lumezi to transfer the investigations into the Vetevendosje activist's death from the Basic Prosecution in Prizren to Special Prosecution of Kosovo.
"Slowly but surely all those involved in any way in the killing of Astrit Dehari, by inciting the killing, or covering it up, will be criminally prosecuted. The case is no longer with the Prosecution in Prizren and the investigators that intentionally changed the course of investigation will no longer have access to the case relating to Vetevendosje Movement's activist, who was murdered for political reasons," Gashi wrote on Facebook.
EU HR Mogherini meets Western Balkans leaders (media)
Federica Mogherini, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, hosted the leaders of the Western Balkans for a working dinner in Brussels on Tuesday, in what the media say is her farewell meeting before she ends her term in office on 1 December.
The parties are said to have agreed that Western Balkans integration in the EU is a key strategic objective in the shared interest of the European Union and the region.
“In this context, the High Representative and the Western Balkans leaders discussed what has jointly been done and achieved over the past five years. They also reflected on the shared challenges ahead. Western Balkans partners again confirmed their strong commitment to the EU perspective, to the reforms it entails, first and foremost for the benefit of their citizens, as well as to regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations,” a statement issued by the EU External Action Service reads.
Bislimi: Agreement on President can only be reached between Kurti and Mustafa (Express)
Besnik Bislimi, deputy leader of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), responded to the statements of the deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) Lutfi Haziri, who mentioned the post of the President of Kosovo as part of the bargaining for LDK-LVV coalition. Bislimi said such requests are not discussed among the working groups and they must be addressed by Albin Kurti and Isa Mustafa.
Immediately after being nominated member of the working group, Lutfi Haziri said that part of the bargaining is also the position of the President, who would replace Hashim Thaci. Furthermore, Haziri predicted crisis if this is not clarified.
“In order for the agreement to be functional, all positions should be clarified now. If we do not clarify the post of the President now, we are predicting crisis in 2021. In Kosovo, when political parties did not agree on consensual name, the same came from an envelope,” Haziri said on Tuesday.
Bislimi said Haziri cannot make such request or treat the matter during the discussions of the working groups, adding that such request should be addressed to Albin Kurti.
Gazeta Express has learned from its well-informed sources that the parties agreed at their initial meeting not to include the post of the President as part of the agreement.
The news portal informs that the fact that LDK would not give up the post of the President was evident ever since Mustafa nominated Vjosa Osmani as candidate for Prime Minister. Mustafa even said publicly that he considers nomination for President a special honor.
Kosovo Police with a statement on assault at Svirce village (media)
Kosovo Police informed about an injured individual on Tuesday in village Svirce, by so far unknown perpetrators. According to the police, he was injured by a firearm in the forest at the borderline between Kosovo and Serbia. The victim is in Gjilan hospital and prosecutor was informed about the case, media report.
Serbian Language Media
UN Security Council session on Kosovo takes place tomorrow (Tanjug, B92)
UN Security Council session on Kosovo will be held tomorrow in New York, Tanjug news agency reports. UN Secretary General report on Kosovo for the period from May 16 to September 15, 2019 will be discussed at the session.
Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic will represent Serbia and would elaborate on the UN Secretary General report on the work of UNMIK in this period, present Belgrade’s assessment of the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija as well as the work of UNMIK, the Serbian Foreign Affairs Ministry announced.
“I would convey stances of the President Aleksandar Vucic that we want compromise, continuation of the dialogue, but that obviously the other side still wants to impose its stance on recognizing the independence of Kosovo, which is absolutely unacceptable to Serbia. We want a compromise and we will take part in the continuation of the dialogue, if conditions are created for it, if tariffs are lifted,” Dacic stressed.
Vucic: Our strategic path is the path to the EU (B92, Tanjug)
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic attended a farewell dinner hosted by EU High Representative Federica Mogherini in Brussels last night, Serbian media report.
The outgoing EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Mogherini, invited Vucic and other Western Balkans leaders to a farewell working dinner at the EU headquarters in Brussels, and on that occasion, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic thanked Mogherini for her efforts and support of Belgrade's European integrations, presenting her with a bouquet of white orchids.
Besides Vucic, the guest at the working dinner included Milo Djukanovic, President of Montenegro, Hashim Thaci, President of Kosovo, Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of North Macedonia, and all three members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljko Komsic, Milorad Dodik and Sefik Dzaferovic. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was not in Brussels because of a previously scheduled bilateral visit to Greece.
In addition to the topics announced, such as the assessment of the situation in the region, common challenges and results, it is expected that the Serbian President will insist that the resumption of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue be discussed during the dinner. The dinner hosted by Federica Mogherini is already a traditional format in which the EU foreign minister gathers leaders from the region since 2017.
This time it is also a farewell dinner, given the end of Federica Mogherini's term as EU High Representative, which expires on December 1st. At the conclusion of the dinner, Vucic addressed the press.
At the beginning of the interview, Vucic said that "it is obvious that most people are disappointed with the decisions of the European Council", but that he "said earlier that this would be the result".
"Our strategic path is the path to the European Union, and no one will question it", Vucic said.
Western Balkans remains devoted to EU perspective, regrets for Macedonia and Albania (Tanjug, B92)
Western Balkans leaders agreed at EU High Representative Federica Mogherini's farewell dinner in Brussels last night that the region remains firmly committed to Europe's future, B92 reports. On the other hand, they have also expressed deep regrets about the European Council's failure to set a date for the opening of the accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.
The leaders noted agreed that the region’s integration into the bloc was in the common interest of the Western Balkans and the EU. Statement from Mogherini's office, following the talks at a working dinner, said WB leaders exchanged opinions on the EU and Western Balkans relationship and the events developing in the region.
In this context, it has been discussed what has been jointly done and achieved in the last five years. The challenges ahead of the region were also discussed.
"The Western Balkans partners reiterated their firm commitment to the EU membership perspective, the necessary reforms on that road, which are above all for the benefit of their citizens, as well as for the regional cooperation and good neighborly relations'', the statement said.
Serwer: Pristina will be under pressure to reach an agreement with Belgrade (N1)
American Balkans expert Daniel Serwer believes that Washington and Brussels will exert pressure on Pristina to reach an agreement with Belgrade before the coming elections in Serbia next spring.
''The Europeans and Americans will be pressing Pristina hard for an agreement with Belgrade in advance of Serbia’s April 2020 election. I see no advantage to Kosovo in giving in to this pressure,'' he wrote on his blog (www.peacefare.net). He also expressed the hope that the new government in Pristina would show a renewed commitment to Kosovo statehood, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as a broader coalition for the dialogue with Belgrade.
''Pristina will need to be ready to walk away from a bad deal in order to get a good one. A bad deal is one that in any way breaches the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; a good one will allow for ample decentralization and self-governance for minority communities,'' Serwer wrote. He said that he sees the appointment of two US envoys (career diplomat Matthew Palmer and US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell) as reflecting ''more confusion than intention''.
''I won’t be surprised if the ethnic nationalist Ambassador Grenell tries to revive the land swap idea that failed so miserably the last time around,'' he warned.
According to Serwer, ''the permanence of borders - and specifically the refusal to move internal boundaries to accommodate ethnic differences when changing them to international borders - is fundamental to peace and security in the region, since it was established by the Badinter Commission in the early 1990s''.
Serwer feels that the wise course for Kosovo is to cure its internal ills within the current borders, maintain good relations with all neighbors, and enjoy close cultural ties with Albanians in other countries.
Skopje: Kosovo deal on border change acceptable only as “unique case” (Beta, Al Jazeera, N1)
North Macedonia’s President Stevo Pendarovski said on Tuesday he was against border changes, but that any agreement between Belgrade and Pristina was acceptable with the international guarantees it would be the ''unique case'', the Beta news agency reported.
In an interview with Al Jazeera Balkans, Pendarovski said that he believed that border changes in the Balkans could only bring troubles, bearing in mind a complicated, lengthy and troubling history.
However, he added that ''whatever Belgrade and Pristina agree on, with the international factors’ support, I assume, that must be valid only between the two, and not to be a principle for other regional countries ''.
When Serbia’s former province of Kosovo declared independence from Belgrade in 2008, some politicians and experts warned that could cause a domino effect in the countries with significant ethnic minorities or strong independence aspirations.
The European Union then described Kosovo as the ''unique case'', saying something like that would not happen anywhere else.
EP rapporteur Bilcik says Serbia’s path to EU depends on reforms and Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Beta, N1, Blic)
The new European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilcik MEP told Belgrade based daily Blic that the country’s path towards European Union membership would be defined by progress in internal reforms and in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue.
''The functioning of democracy, rule of law and respect for fundamental rights and liberties have always been and always will be crucial to Serbia’s progress towards EU membership,'' Bilcik said. ''At the same time, we have to see progress in practice in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,'' he added.
He said the dialogue has to get a new momentum in talks at top political level.
''The European Parliament has called for a new stage in the dialogue several times along with faster negotiations,'' Bilcik recalled.
He expressed the hope that ''the new political leadership in Pristina will be able to contribute to the process''.
''Good political will has to be expressed in both Belgrade and Pristina in order to achieve progress,'' he said, commenting Kosovo Prime Minister hopeful Albin Kurti’s statement that he would not revoke the 100 percent tariffs on Serbian goods unless official Belgrade stops its campaign to convince other countries to revoke their recognition of Kosovo.
''Let’s give Kurti a little time to get past the rhetoric of the election campaign,'' Bilcik said.
“KLA” graffiti in Babin Most village, Srpska Lista reacts (RTS, Radio KIM)
“UQK” (Kosovo Liberation Army abbreviation) graffiti appeared on the walls of a common premise used by the Babin Most village inhabitants, Serbian national broadcaster RTS reports today.
The words “Kosova” and “Kosovo” were written as well, Serbs from this ethnically mixed village told RTS. The case is reported to the Kosovo police.
Serbs make the majority of the population in Babin Most village. Along with the villages of Grace, Priluzje, Plemetina, Janina Voda and Crkvena Vodica, Babin Most makes a compact cycle of settlements where Serbs remained to live after the conflict in 1999, RTS recalled.
Meanwhile, Srpska Lista in the strongest terms condemned inscription of graffiti “UQK” on the walls of the Cultural Centre in Babin Most and urged the Serbian population “to remain calm and restrained”, KIM Radio reports.
Srpska Lista added that “inscription of an offensive graffiti on the walls of primary school and cultural centre in Babin Most is the latest example of ethnic intolerance towards anything that is Serbian in Kosovo and Metohija, something that the international community turns a blind eye on”.
Srpska Lista Deputy President Srdjan Popovic visited Babin Most village today. He noted “that everybody who thinks that by such acts would drive Serbian people away, should not hope for that”.
Director of the primary school, Zarko Petrovic which is located in the same yard as the Cultural Centre, Zarko Petrovic said KFOR has also been informed about the incident.
Civil society: Results weak; No expectations (KIM radio, Kontakt plus radio)
Participants of the debate "Positioning Civil Society Towards the New Government Convocation", held at the Civic Energy Center (CEC) in Gracanica, agreed that civil society should not be an opportunity for additional work because its role thus erodes.
Bojan Teofilovic from the Center for Peace and Tolerance states that citizens see NGOs as "a side job where they will occasionally engage in".
"This is one of the reasons why NGOs in post-socialist societies are not taken serious enough. As a result, NGOs did not achieve as much as they should have.''
''We should all change a little, to understand that the central level of government and NGOs can be really good partners in certain things, so that all can benefit, and the communities as the ultimate beneficiaries.''
Driton Tafalari from the NGO Developing Together also believes that the past performance in the civil society sector is not satisfactory.
"Kosovo has about 8,000 registered NGOs. This number is such because people see that through NGOs they can profit, which is very wrong. In order to form a civil society, one must first talk to the people to see the exact problem, and then to carry out certain activities. However, as an organization, we were able to persuade the Kosovo Government to change several laws. Later, it is not about the law, but its implementation," Tafalari stressed.
Ivan Nikolic, in front of the organization Communication for the Development of Society, emphasized that he has not seen any significant progress in the last 15 years from the very beginning.
"Civil society, in both the Albanian and Serbian communities, has not been properly understood. Many see civil society and NGOs as an opportunity for short-term profits," Nikolic said, adding that the difference between the Albanian and Serbian civilian sectors is that the Albanian sector has more serious players and greater capacity, while in Serbian community it has been reduced to a few, more active, organizations.
No high expectations in the near future
Bojan Teofilovic does not have high expectations of the future convening of the new Government of Kosovo because everything is based on the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina.
"We are all aware that the international community has a great influence on all the processes that are happening around us''.
Driton Tafalari noted that Albin Kurti was a member of civil society and that he comes to "the power from around the corner", but that the role of civil society is to register everything that politicians have promised.
"To keep an eye on them, in terms of corruption, economic development. That's our part of the job. Also, there should be serious dialogue between civil society, it would be realistic if Serbs and Albanians from NGOs started to meet more often," Driton said.
Ivan Nikolic points out that Albin Kurti won because all other politicians have already been seen, because they have disappointed people and offered nothing new.
"I don't expect anything radical or better. I do not like the rhetoric from the perspective of the Serbian community, it does not provide any positive or motivating message for the community. The role of the international community is crucial, while the role of civil society will be non-existent. We will continue to be silent observers," Nikolic concluded.
Dacic on Bytyqi brothers’ case: Congress resolution sort of pressure (RTS, KoSSev)
Resolution of the US Congress House of Representatives requesting Serbia to resolve the murder of Bytyqi brothers would not impact the relations between Serbia and the US, Foreign Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic told RTS.
Speaking for RTS broadcast “Upitnik” Dacic said that from political aspect the resolution will have no consequences on relations between Serbia and the US, but it also indicates “that they do not give up”.
“It is some sort of pressure but in our case, it is counterproductive, because then different arguments come from our side – what about organ harvesting, where are the witnesses against Haradinaj”, Dacic stressed.
He added the murder of the Bytyqi brothers beyond doubts is a very serious crime, that perpetrators should be punished, but when it comes to those who are responsible for the murder it is not a matter of a political decision.
As Dacic explained he does not see the purpose of the command that they are killed, respectively what was the motive for their murder. “It is undoubtedly a very serious crime, but I cannot understand the need that someone kills Bytyqi brothers in July, when the war in Kosovo and Metohija was over, when Serbia started to release KLA members from its prisons, when Serbia released USA soldiers captured in the war”.
He said one should differentiate if the case of Bytyqi brothers was a systematic order to kill Albanians or “if it was about a single, isolated case”, adding it is in interest of Serbia to find the perpetrators and masterminds of this murder.
“If a state hands over to the Tribunal in The Hague two of its presidents, Slobodan Milosevic and Milan Milutinovic, army generals, do you really think we would defend someone who has killed three US citizens”? Dacic asked.
Dacic recalled that FBI team visited Serbia and spoke with the witnesses that Serbian prosecution has interviewed as well. “The US gave itself the right it can conduct the investigation about the murders of its citizens across the world. In line with that they have sent the team to Serbia. The FBI has authority to start an investigation if it is not satisfied with our results.”
However, Dacic recalled in this case it was not about US tourists who came to Serbia for a holiday, but about KLA members of the so-called Atlantic brigade consisting of around 400 US citizens of the Albanian origin. He also said that Bytyqi family donated half a million US dollars to KLA before the war.
“When US citizens join Islamic State or Al-Qaida they are terrorists, but when US citizens join KLA, that was on their list of terrorist organizations, they came to our state as US citizens, fought, had uniforms of the forces we were fighting against. Whether they have committed the war crimes as KLA members it is also a question,” Dacic said, RTS reports.
Pacolli: Foreign Affairs Ministry has nothing to do with entry ban to Dusica Nikolic (KoSSev)
The outgoing Kosovo Foreign Affairs Minister Behgjet Pacolli told KoSSev portal last night that Assistant Director of the Serbian Government Office for Kosovo Dusica Nikolic did not need permission of his ministry to enter Kosovo.
“There is no need for Ms Nikolic to have permission to enter Kosovo. We as a ministry have nothing to do with that. That is all I can tell you,” Pacolli said in a brief written statement to KoSSev portal.
This way the recent statements of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija saying no agreement stipulates that assistant director or deputy director of the Office must announce or seek permission to enter Kosovo were confirmed, the portal added.
Serbian media reported yesterday, referring to the Office for Kosovo and Metohija that Dusica Nikolic was banned to enter Kosovo at Jarinje crossing point, while six days ago, another Djuric’s deputy Dusan Kozarev faced the same situation.
Serbian MFA employees in a two-day visit to Kosovo (KIM radio)
The Office for Kosovo and Metohija, in cooperation with the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is organizing a two-day visit to Kosovo for officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 29 and 30, the statement reads.
The statement said that during their stay in Kosovo, the Ministry representatives would visit "Velika Hoca, Prizren, Prizren Theology Faculty, the Monasteries of the Patriarchate of Pec, Visoki Decani, Banjska, Zociste, St. Archangels, Gracanica, St. George's Cathedral Church and the church Our Lady of Ljevis".
The statement added that MFA officers would address the media on October 30 at 4:30 pm after visiting the Gracanica Monastery, KIM radio quoted the statement.
Opinions
Why Serbia Won’t Stop Playing the Russia Card Any Time Soon (The Moscow Times)
As long as Serbia lacks a solution to the Kosovo dispute that it can sell both to its international partners and to people at home, it will continue to keep the Russia card up its sleeve.
Slavic Shield 2019, the joint exercises carried out by the Serbian and Russian military during October 24–29, saw Russia use its sophisticated S-400 air defense system and Pantsir missile battery in military exercises abroad for the first time. Just a few days earlier, on October 19, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited Belgrade. These two events speak to the fact that Belgrade is up to its old tricks of trying to play the Russia card for leverage with the West.
From Belgrade’s perspective, this latest diplomatic and military exchange is a sign that Serbia is as usual being defined by the Western media through the prism of a traditional alliance. Serbia will not, however, enter into a full-fledged alliance with Russia, due to the geographical distance between the two countries and a lack of economic incentives.
While Serbia’s relationship with Russia is wrongly described through the lens of Slavic and Orthodox ties, the modern Serbia-Russia relationship is part of a foreign policy strategy based on hedging its bets and pitting Western and non-Western powers against each other.
This type of foreign policy behavior is the direct consequence of two systemic realities that have been underlining features of Serbian foreign policy since 2008. The first is the unresolved Kosovo dispute, and the second is the power vacuum in the Balkans generated by the global financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent inability of the EU to finalize its Balkan enlargement.
During his visit to Serbia, Medvedev repeated Russia’s long-standing position on Serbia’s territorial integrity regarding the Kosovo issue (like Serbia, Russia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence), confirming that Kosovo is at the heart of ties between Russia and Serbia. Kosovo is again becoming a hot issue, as the United States is growing impatient for a final deal to resolve the dispute between the Serbs and Kosovo Albanians: the Trump administration recently appointed the U.S. ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell, as envoy to the negotiations. Grenell has already shown himself to be a tough interlocutor for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
The Serbian leadership feels pressured by the West to resolve the Kosovo issue, and Belgrade believes that having Russia in its corner is leverage with the West to make the dispute’s resolution less painful for Serbia. As Milovan Drecun, a member of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and chair of the Serbian Assembly’s Committee on Kosovo and Metohija (the Serbian name for the territory), said in January: “We need Russia to strengthen us with the Americans, because when Russia puts its weight behind us, the Americans know that no solution can pass without its consent.” As such, both the military exercises and Medvedev’s visit should be interpreted as an attempt by Belgrade to gain maneuvering space with the West by showing it has Russia on its side in the long-running Kosovo dispute. For Moscow, it is simply another opportunity — and a low-risk, low-cost one — to poke and irritate the West.
The power vacuum in the Balkans has existed since 2008, and has allowed Russia and other non-Western players to take up a more assertive role in Serbia and the Balkans. The visit by Medvedev was a routine bilateral visit, but it coincided with frustration in the region with the EU over the French decision just the day before to veto the start of EU accession talks for North Macedonia and Albania. As Vučić told the Financial Times, the EU’s decision to deny Albania and North Macedonia the start of accession talks vindicates his policy of partnership with Russia and China. As such, Serbia will continue to use Russia and other non-Western powers as a way of hedging its bets and as compensation for being left out of the EU.
Domestic politics in Serbia are playing right into Russia’s hands. As an emotional response to the Western policies of the 1990s and Kosovo’s independence, the popularity of Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, is high among parts of the Serbian public. For Serbian politicians, maintaining a balancing act between Russia and the West is a way of trying to win the votes of both pro-Western and pro-Russia voters. Indeed, Russia is frequently used as a tool by Serbian politicians to win votes, and Medvedev’s visit was an excellent opportunity for the Serbian government to appeal to the pro-Russian sentiments of some Serbian voters, as Medvedev attended a military parade marking the seventy-fifth anniversary of Belgrade’s liberation from occupation by Nazi Germany.
An earlier visit by Putin in January 2019, when Vučić was facing frequent protests in support of media freedom and the rule of law, was even more effective in terms of PR. Vučić needed a large gathering of his own to counter the protests, and Putin’s visit was the perfect opportunity: according to Serbian media, 120,000 people turned out to see him at the Orthodox Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade. Vučić had tried through his SNS party machinery to attract an even bigger crowd to send the message to the opposition that he could match them and gather the masses on an even larger scale. Now the joint military exercises using the formidable S-400s are a powerful way of appealing to the pro-Russian sentiment of a large part of the SNS constituency.
Despite all of this, the Russian presence in Serbia and in the Balkans is limited, as it is based on three specific factors. The first is the unresolved Kosovo dispute, which provides leverage Russia does not want to give up for anything short of some great power bargaining with the United States. The second is energy. Even though Serbia will score some small commercial points from its interactions with Russia — several commercial agreements were signed during Medvedev’s visit, including deals under which Russia will help modernize parts of the Serbian railway network — Russian economic influence in Serbia remains limited. The EU is still the country’s primary economic partner. The one economic domain Russia will continue to dominate is energy supply, which was illustrated during Medvedev’s visit, in which the TurkStream gas pipeline was a key topic of discussion. The final factor is Russia’s popularity, as described above, among parts of the local population.
Nevertheless, despite the limitations of Russian power, Serbia will not give up on its partnership with Russia, as it believes it gives the country greater leverage for maneuvering in regional and international affairs. As long as Serbia lacks a solution to the Kosovo dispute that it can sell both to its international partners and to people at home, and as long as Serbia is denied a clear path to EU integration, it will continue to keep the Russia card up its sleeve.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung claims: The West loses in the Balkans (DW, B92)
"EU no longer offers a credible prospect of enlargement to the Balkans. This reduces the influence of the West and strengthens the influence of other countries"
''Just one week after the EU again cold-shouldered North Macedonia and Albania, the Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic travelled to Moscow to sign a free trade agreement with Russia's Eurasian Economic Union.''
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung mentions this fact at the start of an analysis on weakening influence of the EU on the Balkans, which, on the other hand, helps players such as Russia, China and Turkey to exert more influence in the region.
Author of this article, Volker Pabst, states that "there is no doubt that the EU and the West in the Balkans have lost considerable confidence and room to maneuver,'' thus enabling Russia, China and Turkey to expand their presence in the region, Deutsche Welle reports.
Swiss daily reminds that Russia is especially popular in the Slavic-Orthodox regions and presents itself there as "a watchdog of conservative values and counter-model to the decadent West". Turkey is particularly attached to the Muslims but has significant soft power throughout the region. Turkish Airlines covers the region better than any other airline, while Turkish TV soap operas are extremely popular, despite all the historical animosities. China is, in turn, mainly present as an investor.
''The growing influence of these states poses real risks for the Balkans. Moscow is fighting in the region to diminish Western influence, especially that of NATO. Russia is very well prepared to exploit the historical fault lines and latent instabilities in the region. (…) Ankara exports to a certain extent its understanding of the rule of law and increasingly demands support in the persecution of opponents of the government. (…) Chinese-funded major projects, often associated with corruption, have the potential to undermine rule-of-law standards.''
Still, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung believes that Moscow or Ankara will unlikely become new centers of gravity for the Balkan states. The Russian share of regional foreign trade is 6 percent, while that of the EU amounts to 73.5. Moreover, the exceptionally strong migration of the population continues to be directed to the west, cherishing western lifestyles. Even in traditionally Russia-friendly Serbia, 45 percent of the population is in favour of EU membership and only 17 percent in the Russian-dominated Eurasian Economic Union.
The Swiss daily points to the fact that Moscow, Ankara and Beijing do not pull in the same direction in the Balkans, as they have diverse interests there. ''But even without serious competition from the East, the West is losing in the Balkans - and with it, those parts of the local population who want to modernize and democratize their states. In the future, it will be even more difficult to promote values such as rule of law, democracy and a liberal market economy, thereby contributing poorly to the long-term stabilization of Europe's region most burdened with conflicts''.
International
EU Must Be Clearer With Balkans If It Wants To Expand (Forbes)
Brussels is bringing the six Western Balkan states closer for a working dinner on Tuesday (October 29) after a major setback in relations following the European Union’s decision to shut down membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania.
Though no information has been revealed on the topics leaders of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Bosnia will discuss with the EU’s outgoing foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, high on their minds will be the Balkans’ future with the bloc.
Serbia Must ‘Deliver Substantive Reforms’ Before Joining EU (Balkan Insight)
The European Parliament’s new Rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimir Bilcik, says progress on the core issues of the rule of law and respect for fundamental freedoms – addressed in chapters 23 and 24 of the accession negotiations – remain key to Serbia’s EU integration.
“At the same time, we need to see practical progress in the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue,” he told BIRN in an interview, referring to the stalled EU-led talks between Serbia and its former province of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008.
Civil society needs support to fight corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans (blogs.lse.ac.uk)
Civil society organisations and investigative journalists in the Western Balkans are critical to raising awareness about fighting corruption and organised crime, as well as supporting state authorities to develop effective strategies. But as Andi Hoxhaj explains, they lack capacity and resources to address these complex issues, while activists are often harassed and intimidated by the authorities and other powerful individuals.
Humanitarian and Development
British Embassy launches project for strengthening justice system in Kosovo (media)
British Embassy in Kosovo has launched a project aimed at strengthening the justice system in Kosovo.
Ambassador Nicholas Abbott said that the project proves his country's commitment for an independent justice system in Kosovo and stressed that part of the project is strengthening the process of recruitment, promotion and appointment of senior officials in the judicial sector.
"To achieve an independent justice system, three elements should be taken into account: recruitment, appointment of senior staff and performance assessment. All three processes need to be based on meritocracy and transparency. This would enable efficiency in solving cases and handing out fair judgements. Judges need to have the opportunity to show they are patriots of modern times," Abbott said.
At the same time, head of the Kosovo Judicial Council Skender Cocaj said the project will ensure accountability and transparency within the judicial system.
CoE standards of freedom of expression promoted and supported in Kosovo (CoE)
The promotion of the freedom of expression and freedom of the media in line with the Council of Europe standards, with a specific focus on the Judiciary, will be extended in Kosovo during the next 3 years, in the framework of the Action “Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in KOSOVO (JUFREX), part of the EU and Council of Europe joint Programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II.
The first Steering Committee meeting of the Action “Freedom of Expression and Freedom of the Media in Kosovo* (JUFREX) took place in Pristina, bringing together representatives of the Academy of Justice, Bar Association, Independent Media Commission, Association of Journalists, Faculty of Law, and Academy for Public Safety, European Union Office representatives as well as the Council of Europe team implementing the Action.
During the meeting beneficiaries and partner organisations discussed the key interventions, timelines and expected results of the Action which has an important focus in supporting the justice institutions in dealing with freedom of expression issues in line with Council of Europe standards and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. Participants emphasised the importance of co-operating on these matters and measure the impact of the Action related to the capacity development of beneficiary institutions.
During the meeting beneficiaries and partner institutions reiterated the positive impact of JUFREX in their field of work and expressed their willingness to continue working together in the next three years supporting the legal professionals (judges, prosecutors, police officers, lawyers) media regulatory and media actors.
This Action is part of the “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey II”, a co-operation initiative co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe, which aims at assisting Beneficiaries in the Western Balkans region and Turkey to comply with the Council of Europe standards and European Union acquis in the framework of the enlargement process, where relevant.