Belgrade DMH 301013

LOCAL PRESS

Small chances for agreement in Brussels (Tanjug)

The Belgrade-Pristina technical dialogue on the local elections in Kosovo is being held in Brussels and Tanjug learns that there are small chances for agreement. The Belgrade delegation is led by the Serbian government’s Secretary General Veljko Odalovic. The delegation has shown reserves about the possibility of issues related to the local elections being resolved. The problems include Pristina’s refusal to allow free movement of Serbian officials in Kosovo during the election campaign, the presence of symbols of the so-called Republic of Kosovo on ballots and the fact that a large number of displaced Kosovo Serbs have been deprived of their rights of vote. 

Vulin: Boycott – worst choice (Novosti)

“Serbs, gather around your country, government, flag and keep and strengthen power in Kosovo and Metohija. It is important that you turn out for the elections as much as possible. If we don’t manage to form the Union of Serb Municipalities, we will not be able to transfer our constitutional authorities and to continue financing life in Kosovo and Metohija.” Serbian Minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo and Metohija Aleksandar Vulin says in an interview for Novosti that he will convey precisely this message to the Kosovo Serbs when he visits the province on 1 November with the First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic.

Pristina has been announcing that it will not allow you entrance. Do you expect this visit to pass without incidents?

“I expect the visit to pass normally, for the international community to ensure freedom of movement, because this is in the interest of all. The 3 November elections are an historical decision – either Serbs will keep power, execute again the strengthening of the role of the state in Kosovo and Metohija or they will tell Serbia it needs to leave.”

Only several days prior to the elections, this process is still followed by numerous concerns and Pristina’s attempts to obstruct the Brussels agreement…

“Pristina is trying to annul completely the Brussels agreement, it is doing everything so it is never implemented. Pristina is sincerely scared that we will form the Union of Serb Municipalities and that the Serbs will be deciding their fate. Belgrade and Pristina delegations will try to resolve today all disputable issues.”

Is there time to resolve concerns with electoral rolls and material and to create conditions for fair elections?

“When we started the election process it was clear to us that Pristina will be doing everything it can to prevent and disable us to reach our goal, this being the formation of the Union of Serb Municipalities. Pristina is obstructing the agreement, but we continue to fight against this and we insist on the neutral status.”

What kind of turnout do you expect?

“Let’s wait for the election day to give percentages and numbers. The most important thing is that everything passes peacefully, in line with the Brussels agreement and that Serbs keep power in municipalities where they are a majority. I have absolute confidence in the success of the Serbian (Srpska) Civil Initiative.”

Is there a risk of Albanians assuming power in certain Serb places in case of a boycott?

“If there is a high boycott, it is absolutely certain that the Kosovska Mitrovica mayor will not be a Serb. Mitrovica can become a municipality where the Albanians will elect a mayor, concretely Andriana Hodzic. If this happens, then we shouldn’t wonder what will be with the Union of Serb Municipalities, with life in Kosovo and Metohija, with the state that will not be able to finance life in this region.”

Do you expect the international community, which is the guarantor of the Belgrade-Pristina agreement, to ensure its implementation?

“Yes, I do. Failure of elections in Kosovo and Metohija is not Serbia’s failure, but of the OSCE that organizes elections. They should know that their responsibility is overwhelming. If the international community doesn’t invest all of its authority and if the elections do not pass the way we want then this will be EU’s big failure.”

Will Belgrade continue the financing after the elections and the formation of the Union of Serb Municipalities?

“Absolutely. All forms of financing will continue smoothly. If the Serbian Government doesn’t have influence on the Kosovo Serbs, then it will not be a valid partner for talks, but Pristina. Only Serbs can move Serbia from Kosovo and Metohija, no one else.”

Pristina has conditioned the visits of Serbian officials to Kosovo with reciprocity i.e. visits of their officials to Serbia’s south…

“The Office for Kosovo and Metohija is the first instance that decides on these visits. There can be no reciprocity between a state and territory. We do not recognize Kosovo and we are not changing this stand, but we respect the rule on regional representation, all good customs. The representatives of the interim institutions in Pristina have been visiting and there has been no problem from our side, which can’t be said when we are concerned.”

140,000 Serbs have the right to vote at Kosovo elections (Politika)

At the upcoming local Kosovo elections, 1,779,357 citizens have the right to vote, of which around 140,000 Serbs, 130,000 of which on the territory of Kosovo and Metohija. Namely, 10,000 adults received the right to vote of the total of 39,000 registered as internally displaced people, while 6,022 Serbs voted until yesterday by mail, member of the Central Election Commission Nenad Rikalo tells Politika. He says the Serbian delegation will insist in Brussels on correcting all irregularities linked to the election process. Rikalo stresses that the Belgrade side will require form Pristina, but also with the support of the EU, for the remaining of more than 29,000 internally displaced people to be able to vote by mail.

Election material neutral or boycott in the north (Politika)

Representatives of the provisional councils of four municipalities in northern Kosovo – Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan, Leposavic and Zubin Potok, assumed unilaterally the position that they will boycott the local elections if Pristina doesn’t respect the Brussels agreement, according to which the election material needs to be neutral in status, without any signs of the so-called state of Kosovo.

DSS conveys to Chepurin stand on Kosovo elections (Radio Belgrade)

The Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) has conveyed to the Russian Ambassador in Belgrade Aleksandr Chepurin that it strongly opposes the local elections in Kosovo and Metohija. “Turnout of the Serbs for the 3 November elections represents the rounding of the false state of Kosovo and accepting the laws and constitution of Albanian separatists, while not turning out for the elections means preservation of Kosovo within Serbia, as well as within Serbian state institutions,” Chepurin was told by members of the DSS Board for defense of Kosovo and Metohija. The Chairperson of this Board Slobodan Samardzic and members Vasilije Krestic and Petar Petkovic conferred with the Russian Ambassador, voicing assurance that the Serb nation will not go to the polls on 3 November “whereby Serbian state institutions will be killed.” They also told Chepurin that they hope the Serb nation will, instead of going to the polls,  decisively defend, as in the past, its inalienable right to belong to their state Serbia.”

 

REGIONAL PRESS

Bosniaks constitute 54% of Bosnia’s population? (Dnevni Avaz)

Between 3,7 and 3,8 million people live in B&H. Of that, around 54 percent are Bosniaks. These are the first unofficial results of nonprofit organizations, whose representatives during the census monitored the work of enumerators. The first unofficial results showed that, among other things, from 186 to 205 thousand Bosniaks are registered in the Republika Srpska (RS). Also, the unofficial results showed that B&H citizens have also chosen to declare themselves as Bosnians and Herzegovinians. According to Press Officer at the B&H Statistics Agency Mirsada Adembegovic, they hope that all three statistical institutions would finish their work before the deadline to have the preliminary results of the census.

Greece wants Macedonia to be divided into Greater Albania, Great Bulgaria (Dnevnik)

Greece wishes for Macedonia to collapse and be divided into Greater Albania and Great Bulgaria, Dnevnik has quoted former foreign minister and current MP, Antonio Milososki, as having said. Milososki’s statement came in connection with the latest proposal of Adamandios Vasilakis, Greece’s negotiator in the name dispute, and namely – the proposal for the name of Slavic-Albanian Macedonia. According to him, such statement was made by current Prime Minister of Greece, Antonis Samaras, back in 2009, when he was minister of culture. Back then Samaras said that Greece should continue blocking Macedonia until the country falls apart into Greater Albania and Great Bulgaria.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

Greece Proposes “Slavo-Albanian Macedonia” for FYROM? (Greece.GreekReporter.com, by Evangelia Kagkelidou, 29 October 2013)

FYROM’s newspaper Dnevnik writes that the proposal has been submitted to Matthew Nimetz by Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis.

The representative of Greece in New York , Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, is reported to have suggested the name “Slavo-Albanian Macedonia”  for FYROM, to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General, Matthew Nimetz.

This is today’s front page of the newspaper Dnevnik of Skopje, known for its relations with the government of Nikola Gruevski.

The article also mentions that the new name was proposed by Greece during the last meeting of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Matthew Nimetz, with the negotiators of Greece and FYROM,  Ambassadors Adamantios Vassilakis and Zoran Jolevski.

According to Dnevnik, the Greek side demanded  the name proposed to be valid and to apply towards all (erga omnes).

Up until now, there has been no confirmation of the alleged Greek proposal for the resolution of the name issue from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is very important to note that the same newspaper has tried at other times in the past, to create impressions with unconfirmed information.

Bosnian Foreign Minister: Turkey is our home as well (World Bulletin, 29 October 2013)

“I know they feel in our region at whole like at home and they are calling all of us -- to feel like at home when we are in Turkey,” Zlatko Lagumdzija, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina said.

The Prime Minister Erdogan’s words on Kosovo were taken out of context, and he and Foreign Minister Davutoglu as well as President Gul are all statesmen who showed friendship and leadership, Zlatko Lagumdzija, Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina said in an exclusive interview to AA on Monday in New York.

“I know they feel in our region at whole like at home and they are calling all of us -- to feel like at home when we are in Turkey,” Vice President of Council of Ministers and Bosnian top diplomat told AA.

Equal friendship for all

Talking in front of thousands of people in city of Prizren, in Kosovo, Mr. Erdogan said on October 23rd - that "Turkey is Kosovo and Kosovo is Turkey," saying also the two nations' shared history and culture within well known common ties.
But, that comment angered Serbian government, which said – Mr. Erdogan's words represented "a severe violation of international law and interference in Serbia's internal affairs." Serbians warned that those comments will "harm relations between Belgrade and Ankara.”

Turkey was first to recognize independent state of Kosovo when it broke away from Serbia in 2008; so far more than 100 UN member states recognized Republic of Kosovo, but Belgrade refuses to do so, and continue to block acceptance of Kosovo to the United Nations.

No favorism by Ankara

Mr. Lagumdzija told AA -- any comment from Turkish leaders should not be taken maliciously in the region in which Turks are proven friends. Asked, whether he, as a Bosnian, feels neglect or subordination because the minister Davutoglu said Turkey is a equal friend of everyone, regardless that many Bosnians would expect favoring them because of historical and deep family ties with Turkey - Lagumdzija said – that was not the case.

“I don’t think any one of us should be fighting to be on first place. Turkey is such a great country that is not interested in having any one on the first place comparing to each other. Because, Turkey is a country that is definitely trying to have a positive impact in the region,” Mr. Lagumdzija said in an interview to Anadolu Agency.

Bosnian Foreign Minister said -- all countries in the region “should be at least satisfied by the fact that such a great country – politically, economically, culturally, socially, such a great nation -- is offering us to feel like at home, and asking them (Turks) to feel like at home when they are with us.”

“More friends we have we feel in Bosnia like at home, and more friends that are calling us to feel in their own country like at home – better for us and better for the better global world,” Mr. Lagumdzija told AA.

Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija is a professor at University of Sarajevo at Faculty of Economics and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is currently serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a member of the Madrid Club, (Club de Madrid) – the organization with a network of world-class experts who work together to assist countries and offer assistance on a range of democratic reform issues.

Bosnian status quo

On Monday, Mr. Lagumdzija held a lecture on Columbia University dedicated to “Post Dayton Bosnia”. At the lecture he expressed regrets that this agreement has long helped to maintain status quo in Bosnia.

In Dayton, Ohio, after almost four years fighting, in November 1995, war came to the end in Bosnia and Herzegovina – after peace accord brokered by United States was signed by late Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic.

Talking to the academic audience at the prestigious Columbia University, Lagumdzija said, while Dayton was “hundred percent good for bringing peace to Bosnia,” – it is an agreement that allows ethnic exclusivity, even segregation and less “inclusive and shared society.”

“Bosnia should be shared not segregated society,” he said.

Asked whether Dayton could be changed at all, bearing in mind that U.S. holds it as one of its greatest diplomatic achievements, and thus - is in fact hesitant to accept any fundamental changes, Dr. Lagumdzija told AA, that he disagreed with this assessment.

Yet, he recognized Dayton Peace Agreement became an interference itself:

“Unfortunately – we have been stocked in certain aspects and country does not move in more functionality and more efficiency of the state institutions,” Mr. Lagumdzija said. He added Bosnia was still “moving in right direction,” although repeatedly agreeing, “Dayton is one of obstacles for Bosnia to move faster forward.”

“Dayton at the same time has a preconditions to move from Dayton to Brussels phase,” Lagumdzija stressed.

Third millennium modern Bosnia

“What is most important for us is that by transforming our country – we get off from this policy of segregation, policy of exclusion, these policies of intolerance, these policies of getting back to past and divisions – and go to the policies of cooperation and shared societies instead of segregated society, in which all we – Bosnians and Herzegovinians will be part of civil society of Bosnia and Herzegovina but never forgetting who we are in sense of our religions and our ethnic feelings. If we can put it in that way: the ethnic structure of modern Third Millennium Bosnia and Herzegovina in which we all are what we are – Muslims, Catholics, Orthodox and Jews – but at the same time Bosnians and Herzegovinians citizens of modern Europe,” Lagumdzija said.

Asked to comment on European Parliament Rapporteur for Bosnia and Herzegovina Doris Pack who accused explicitly him, to be working against a solution to the Sejdic-Finci issue for changing of the Dayton constitution which supposed to be agreed on meeting in Brussels on October 1st, Bosnian Foreign Minister told AA – he was rejoiced to have “just her polling and charging him with this”.

He also mentioned, they ideologically disagree, saying - “Pack is on the right” and he is “on the left side of political spectrum”:

“I would be unprivileged if she said I was nice and then talking of her lines of thoughts. Yes she is right. I am the main, probably I was the only obstacle on October 1st in Brussels, and when SDA (Party of the Democratic Action) brought their solution on this issue, in which they actually said Federation is to be divided in two very precise areas, I was against,” Lagumdzija complained shoving, as he said, a “new map of the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” offered in Brussels on October 1st.

Against ethnical segregation

“Doris Pack is advocating that Republica Srpska is giving one member of the Presidency (collective head of state), that part of Federation is giving another one, and (again) part of Federation is giving the third one. This is obvious ethnically marked territory. One color for Serbs, one color for Croats, one color for Bosniaks,” Lagumdzija explained showing the colors of the map.

“If Doris Pack figured out that I stopped this – she is right. I can imagine that she is sad and sorry that I did not accept,” minister Lagumdzija said.

According to the Dayton Agreement, the joined state of Bosnia and Herzegovina was set on the basis of the two entities. Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still dominantly multiethnic part of BiH -- while another one, “Republika Srpska” (RS) was confirmed by Dayton Agreement in 1995, although that territory was ethnically cleansed by the Army of Bosnian Serbs, which included the genocide against Bosniak Muslims in Srebrenica in the summer of 1995; the majority of Bosnian Serbs are now living in the entity of RS.

“We don’t like to live in isolated, segregated slots in Bosnia and Herzegovina. People of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not deserve to live in ethnically segregated hills or valleys,” Bosnian Foreign Minister Lagumdzija concluded in a interview to AA.

He added, he will “fight to the end against division of Bosnia in three ethnic territories.”