LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic and Ashton again on Belgrade-Pristina dialogue (Danas)

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic talked yesterday with Catherine Ashton, former EU High Representative and mediator in the Belgrade-Pristina talks, at the Oslo forum in Norway, about the continuation and course of the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations, importance of the meeting between the Serbian and Kosovo premiers in Brussels on 23 June, as well as Serbia’s EU integrations, Danas has learned. The participants of the Oslo forum always talk behind closed doors, without statements and photographs. The hosts are the Foreign Ministry of the Kingdom of Norway and the Center for Humanitarian Dialogue. According to Danas, the participants of the Oslo forum tackled the relations between Serbia and Kosovo, as well as Belgrade’s EU path, which, as Danas’ sources said, shows the interest of European and world officials and decision-makers in this region, especially in the normalization of the Belgrade-Pristina relations.

Technical talks between the Belgrade and Pristina delegations continued in Brussels yesterday on the topic of the formation of the Union of Serb Municipalities (ZSO). However, according to unofficial information from Brussels, the public will be deprived of statements by participants about the results of yesterday’s talks because EU representatives had criticized the statements by the head of the Pristina delegation Edita Tahiri and the Pristina delegation over interpretations on the content of the talks on telecommunications that were held on Monday. According to unconfirmed information, both delegations were asked to refrain from making public statements.

 

Ramush Haradinaj from Decani via Hague to Ljubljana (RTS, by Rade Maroevic)

Several hours in Slovenian detention have returned Ramush Haradinaj, former commander of the KLA Dukadjin Zone, former premier and Hague indictee, to the attention of the public. From the time when he appeared on the Kosovo political scene, Haradinaj’s carrier was accompanied by controversies, trials and shootings. The unsuccessful attempt of the Hague Tribunal to convict him for war crimes had left behind several corpses, alleged witnesses in this process. Though not the most popular politician in Kosovo, he is certainly the most dangerous one. Finally, after a quarrel with Haradinaj, even Hashim Thaqi had to leave Kosovo for some time.

Ramush Haradinaj was born on 3 of July 1968 in the village of Glodjani in Western Kosovo. His biographers write that he wanted to become an astronomer, but he spent his adolescence like most of his peers in the years filled with Albanian demonstrations and clumsy counter-measures by the Belgrade authorities. He completed high school and served in 1989 the then Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). During summers he worked in Switzerland, he spent winters in Kosovo, where he was accused in 1991, then released, for alleged involvement in demonstrations. After the trial he escaped to Switzerland, where he was soon recruited in the People’s Movement of Kosovo (LPK) – an organization out of which in the subsequent course of events the entire KLA and most of the present Kosovo political parties had grown out. In his own words, he worked hard and practiced Kung-Fu. He collected knowledge on this military doctrine from Swiss soldiers, but also from never fully clarified “trainings in France”. “I was never a member of the Foreign Legion,” he said in the book entitled “Sayings about War and Freedom”, published in Kosovo in 1999. He has occasionally been visiting Kosovo from 1994 by organizing from neighboring Albania an illegal channel for supplying arms to a group of rebels called “Dukadjin”, which, apart from Ramush, included in the beginning only his two brothers – Lyuan and Skelzen. Unlike the other KLA leaders, like Thaqi, Adem Yashari, Azem Sulya and Agim Cheku, Ramush Haradinaj was a quite unknown person until the beginning of 1998 on the already creepy tumultuous Kosovo stage, but soon, over the brutality and occasional successes in the struggle against the Serbian security forces, acquired the status of a war hero. The group has grown over time and was included in a series of operations against the Serbian police. In the middle of 1998, he was appointed the commander of this unit that has in the meantime grown into the rank of a “combat zone” at the helm of which he will remain until the war in Kosovo. “In September 1998 we practically lost the war against the Serbian security forces, but the then U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke managed to broker a cease-fire and the arrival of the verification mission, which has given us enough space to prepare for the spring offensive,” said Haradinaj in one interview. During the war he also formed a special unit “Black Eagles” that is famous in Western circles for the best equipped and trained forces inside the KLA. One of the commanders of this unit Beg Rizaj was recently killed in Kumanovo. Serbian charges for this unit are associated with war crimes, especially with the liquidation of Serb civilians near the Radonjic Lake. The Serbian warrant against Haradinaj, in over 100 points, states the responsibility for the murder of several dozen of Serb civilians whose bodies were found in the Radonjic Lake near Glodjani at the end of 1998. In total, as Serbian sources claim, the divers pulled out 40 bodies from the lake, but only some 15 reached autopsy. During the clashes, Serbian security forces killed his two brothers, and Ramush was wounded at least on two occasions. After the demilitarization of the KLA, he became the deputy commander of these forces, but soon afterwards formed the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, an ambitiously conceived political movement made up of a whole series of smaller parties and prominent local politicians, including the former communist leader Mahmut Bakali. Ramush’s carrier, but also life, found themselves in front of the most serious challenge in 2005, when the Hague Tribunal charged him with war crimes. Haradinaj went to Scheveningen from the post of the Kosovo premier, where he had arrived thanks to the fact that most of the Kosovo Albanian leaders, including the late Ibrahim Rugova, thought the premier post would protect them for arrests.

For a moment it seemed that efforts of the investigator Carla Del Ponte are not futile, but after a series of murders of people who were associated with the investigation, he was acquitted. He was welcomed in Kosovo as a hero. The Hague indictment was certainly not the only problem that troubled Haradinaj. Western diplomats, excluding the American, opine that the “skeletons in the closet”, those from the Radonjic Lake or the cliffs of Metohija, could mark the end of his political carrier. The list of controversies is long. Not far from Decani in 2000, he led the group of some 30 members of the Kosovo Protection Corps in the attack on the rivalry clan Musaj, close to Rugova.  On that occasion, Haradinaj was wounded by shrapnel from a shell apparently fired from a rocket launcher, but after the “intervention” of Americans, he was first transferred in a helicopter to the Bondsteel Base near Urosevac, and then to Germany. International officials in Pristina have for years been threatening with the opening of this investigation. After a serious quarrel between Haradinaj and Hashim Thaqi during that 2000, the latter was forced to go to Germany for some time. It took Western diplomats two full months to appease Ramush, so Thaqi was able to return to Kosovo. Essentially, Haradinaj has for years had the reputation of a “key American man in Kosovo”, so it is no wonder that a series of incidents in which Haradinaj was included after KFOR’s arrival in 1999, including the pugilism with a Russian patrol also in 2000, didn’t endanger one bit his privileged position in Washington D.C. He “deserved” this position by gathering information before and during the NATO bombardment, while in the complex demilitarization process of the KLA he was the only regional commander of that formation who was really able to fulfill all promises, mainly because of the strange charisma based on admiration of subordinates, and in numerous cases with direct intimidation.

Among the Kosovo Albanians, without dilemma, Haradinaj has the status of one of the greatest heroes of the KLA. He was also associated with initiating the war in Macedonia in 2001, when his main military advisor, former JNA officer Gzim Osterni “suddenly found himself in Macedonia and played the same role as during the clashes of the Serbian security forces and Albanian rebels in Kosovo. His brother Daut Haradinaj was tasked with coordinating transport of weapons and personnel, as Macedonians state, mainly members of the Kosovo Protection Corps, from Kosovo to the territory of Macedonia. Except in Macedonia, Haradinaj was also actively involved in the unrests that were shaking southern Serbia for nearly two years, so on behalf of the Albanian leaders, along with the unavoidable Hashim Thaqi, at the urging of the American, signed in 2000 the Gnjilane agreement, whereby the Albanians committed to a unilateral cessation of hostilities and the dismantling of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja. In the latest political episode, he almost became a premier, but the Democratic Union of Kosovo led by Isa Mustafa left the coalition at the last moment and sided with Thaqi’s Democratic Party of Kosovo. Since then, he is most often mentioned as a serious opponent of the formation of a court for war crimes committed by the KLA.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

A new coalition in the FB&H possible? (klix.ba)

After the Democratic Front (DF), after weeks of games, finally left the coalition at the level of the Federation of B&H (FB&H), the SDA and HDZ B&H will have to search a new coalition partner. It seems that the most real option is the coalition of these two parties with smaller parties that have several representatives in the Parliament of the FB&H, and they are Stranka za B&H, BPS Sefer Halilovic and A-SDA. Amer Jerlagic, SB&H president, confirmed that the initial contacts were made and that they are expecting the first meeting this week on the possible entrance of this party to the government. Leaders of A-SDA and BPS also confirmed that they are interested in talks and that they accept to talk about a possible coalition. Mathematically, SDA, HDZ B&H, SB&H, BPS and A-SDA could form a parliamentary majority.

In the House of Representatives, SDA has 29 deputies, HDZ B&H 13, SB&H 3, BPS 4 and A-SDA 2 deputies. Five parties that would make a new government have 51 deputies in the House of Representatives if the Parliament of FB&H, AND 50 deputies are needed for a simple majority. In any case, Federation of B&H again enters a period of negotiating of platforms and principles, allocation of ministerial and other position and the establishment of the new government.

 

Cavara: FB&H has parliamentary majority (Oslobodjenje)

Marinko Cavara, President of the FB&H, told reporters during a session of the FB&H House of Representatives that there is a parliamentary majority, because members of parties that wanted to leave the government would need to submit resignations from all of the duties they perform. “As long as the vice president of the FB&H is from the DF, we can’t speak of a new parliamentary majority. The DF is in the executive branch and bears responsibility for decision-making in the FB&H government,” he explained. Namely, Cavara yesterday made a decision on accepting the resignation of Reuf Bajrovic, minister of energy, mining and industry from the DF, while regarding the resignations of the other three ministers, he says, there must be additional consultations in the coming days. This refers to Aleksandar Remetic, deputy PM and minister of trade, Snjezana Soldat, minister of tourism, and Milan Mandilovic, minister of labor and social policy. “These ministers that submitted resignations, and I didn’t accept them, must according to the law perform the duties they assumed. They can disobey the law, but there are sanctions for that,” he explained. He believes that it is necessary to stabilize relations and work on the agenda that is necessary for socio-economic reforms, because this is the only chance.

 

Covic: FB&H government at current capacity for another month or two (Oslobodjenje)

Dragan Covic, leader of the HDZ B&H, said after meeting with Amer Jerlagic, leader of the Stranka za B&H (SB&H), that he believes that the FB&H government will continue to work for the next month or two at its current capacity. Covic expects the Federationl government in this period will resolve operational problems and be on the way to seeking the possibility of stronger parliamentary support. He expressed confidence that relations will change, and said that the SBB is a quality resolution in terms of capacity, FB&H media report. Covic confirmed that he spoke with Jerlagic with the consent of the SDA leader Bakir Izetbegovic. He announced that in the near future a meeting will be held with participants from the SDA, HDZ B&H, and SB&H.

 

Report of urgent reforms for Macedonia as Besimi meets with Hahn in Brussels (MIA)

At a meeting in the European Commission on Wednesday, Deputy PM Fatmir Besimi was presented with a report of reforms that should be implemented urgently in Macedonia prior to the EC progress report, set to be released this October. After the meeting, Besimi told MIA that EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn had handed him the EC conclusions regarding the latest developments in Macedonia that are also based on an analysis made by Reinhard Priebe, who has served as director at the EU Enlargement Directorate. During a meeting with Commissioner Hahn, Besimi was told to urge the political leaders in Macedonia to abide by the Skopje agreement, which was brokered by Hahn himself and signed on June 2, and to be used as the foundation for reaching a final agreement so as to put an end to the political crisis in the country. “EU Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn handed me a report for the Republic of Macedonia with urgent measures, which is scheduled to be reviewed by the EU General Affairs Council next week,” Besimi said speaking to MIA’s correspondent in Brussels. The report, according to Besimi, is several pages long and covers several areas, first and foremost independence of the judiciary, adequate reforms that are necessary in the state security services, reforms related to the electoral process and freedom of the media and expression. “The EC report is updated with the latest developments in the country that also includes an analysis by the EC expert Reinhard Priebe highlighting the priorities, which need to be fulfilled by Macedonia as soon as possible,” the Macedonian Deputy PM stressed. Also on Wednesday, Besimi met with MEPs Eduard Kukan, Ivo Vajgl and Richard Howitt as well as with EC officials Christian Danielsson and Jean­Eric Paquet. “The main point of the meetings I have held in Brussels today is that the EU is seriously concerned about the events in Macedonia related to its political situation,” he said adding that his interlocutors had called for restoring focus on EU integration reforms and political dialogue. “Macedonia in Brussels has the support to implement EU integration reforms, however they want to see concrete steps being made and to see success being made in view of political dialogue. They consider the June 2 agreement to be valid and urge the political parties to stay focused on implementing this document, which is of key importance for the reform process in Macedonia paving the way toward EU integration,” Besimi concluded.

Johannes Hahn’s office has issued a press release after his meeting with Deputy PM Besimi saying they discussed the current political crisis in the country, with a view to support progress in the dialogue of political parties involved. “The Commissioner repeated his call addressed to all parties – in the interest of their country and its citizens – to find a lasting political compromise, building on the agreement they had already reached on 2 June. They also discussed the urgent reform priorities for the country, which the Commission will monitor closely in coming months,” reads the press release.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo Urges Slovenia to Free Former PM (AP, 18 June 2015)

PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa says he has urged his Slovenian counterpart to speed up the return of former guerrilla turned politician, Ramush Haradinaj, detained on a 2004 international arrest warrant issued by Serbia. Mustafa said in a statement on Thursday he told Slovenia's Prime Minister Miro Cerar there is no reason to hold Haradinaj, who was returning to Kosovo after an official trip to Germany on Wednesday. Haradinaj told The Associated Press in a phone conversation his passport was seized pending legal procedures but he was free to move inside Slovenia. The former prime minister is wanted by Serbia on charges of committing war crimes against Serb civilians during the 1998-99 war, including kidnappings, torture and killings. A U.N. war crimes tribunal cleared him of similar war crimes charges.

 

EU Counts 185,000 Asylum Seekers, Led by Kosovo, Syria (Bloomberg, by James G Neuger, 18 June 2015)

The European Union counted 185,000 applicants for political asylum in the first quarter, little changed from the previous quarter but up 86 percent from a year ago. People fleeing Kosovo -- generally seen as “economic” migrants with a tenuous claim to refugee status -- made up 26 percent of the total, seeking to live mainly in Germany and Hungary. Some 16 percent, the second biggest group, were refugees from Syria’s civil war, the EU’s Luxembourg-based statistics office said on Thursday. Syrians’ bids for asylum have been looked on more favorably by European governments. The statistical snapshot is likely to stir the debate at next week’s EU summit over how to cope with Europe’s biggest influx of migrants since the early 1990s.

Germany, Hungary and Greece were among countries to record a quarter-on-quarter increase in applicants. Notable decreases were in Sweden, Britain, the Netherlands and Italy. EU interior ministers deadlocked on Tuesday over proposed national quotas for housing refugees from Syria and Eritrea, forcing the question onto the agenda of a June 25-26 leaders’ summit.

 

'Shock and surprise' over Hungary's plan to build fence along Serbian border (AP, by Dusan Stojanovic, 18 June 2015)
BELGRADE, Serbia -- Hungary's plans to build a fence along the border with Serbia to stop a flow of migrants reaching the country were met with criticism both in the Balkans and the European Union on Thursday, with the Serbian prime minister saying he was "shocked and surprised" by the project that could isolate his country. Aleksandar Vucic said "walls and fences" are not a solution for the crisis that has seen tens of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa crossing the western Balkans, trying to reach the European Union as they flee wars and poverty in their home countries. Announcing the plans, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Wednesday the 4-meter (13-foot) -high fence along the 175-kilometre (109-mile) southern border with Serbia wouldn't contravene any of Hungary's international legal obligations. "We don't want to live in an Auschwitz," Vucic said, referring to the Nazi-run World War II concentration camp. He told state TV that Serbia must not be blamed for the refugee crisis, because it is only a transit country on the migrants' route from EU countries like Greece and Bulgaria. "We don't know what this is all about," Vucic said, adding that he will discuss the fence plans with Hungary and EU officials. "We are not guilty and all of a sudden a wall is to be built." EU spokeswoman Natasha Bertaud also was critical of Hungary's plans. The EU "does not promote the use of fences and encourages member states to use alternative measures," she said. "We have only recently taken down walls in Europe; we should not be putting them up." What has become known as "the Western Balkans route" is seeing a dramatic increase in refugees and migrants, mostly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. Some are registering for asylum in the Balkans when they get caught, others are heading onward. So far this year, more than 53,000 people have requested asylum in Hungary, up from under 43,000 in 2014 and 2,150 in 2012. If they reach Hungary and are not caught, most migrants use the privilege of open borders and head to richer European states like Austria, Germany, Switzerland or the Scandinavian countries.

Associated Press writers Jovana Gec in Belgrade and Raf Casert in Brussels contributed.

 

Serbia-Turkey Ties Crucial for Balkans, Experts Say (BIRN, by Igor Jovanovic, 18 June 2015)

Serbia's relations with Turkey are crucial for the Balkans, experts told a forum in Belgrade on Wednesday - although they did not all agree on Turkey's future role in the region.

Good relations between Serbia and Turkey are important for the stability of the entire Balkan region, experts told a forum, "Current Serbia-Turkey Relations," organized by the Belgrade Institute for International Politics and Economy. Ali Resul Usul, head of the Center for Strategic Research in Ankara, said that cooperation between Turkey, in the eastern Balkans, and Serbia, in the west of the peninsula, was improving and aiding stability and prosperity in the region. "There is a synergy in our relations that has helped us to create a platform for the establishment of peace and stability," he said. Branislav Djordjevic, head of the Institute for International Politics and Economics, meanwhile said Serbia and Turkey were the most important countries in this part of Europe. "Nothing has happened in the region into the past and nothing is going to happen in the future without their participation," Djordjevic said. He also said that Turkey could help Serbia build better relations with both Bosnia and Kosovo, and positively affect relations with Bosniaks living in southwest Serbia. However, the status of Kosovo and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina are seen as sticking points in relations. While Turkey has recognized the independence of Kosovo, Serbia has not, and still considers Kosovo its own province. The Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, has repeatedly meanwhile accused Turkey of taking an anti-Serbian standpoint in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Professor Jovan Teokarevic, from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, said Turkey would not continue to play such an important role in the Balkans as it did from 2009 to 2011. "The reason for this are numerous changes in the internal and foreign policies of Turkey and the Balkan countries in recent years," Teokarevic said. Teokarevic said the EU's failure to quickly integrate the Western Balkan countries had boosted Turkish influence between 2009 and 2011. "But the key processes in Serbia and the other Balkans countries now are being continued without Turkish participation. These are the talks between Serbia and Kosovo and the new [EU] initiative for resolving the crisis in Bosnia," Teokarevic said, adding that the EU had again assumed a dominant role in the Balkans. According to him, Turkey's position in the Balkans was now being limited also by the emergence of new players in the region, such as China and some of the Arab states. Djordje Pavlovic, from the Faculty of Political Sciences in Belgrade, said that Bosnia was a crucial factor in relations between Serbia and Turkey, and the three countries should continue to work on their relations and hold more frequent meetings. Pavlovic noted that relations between Serbia and Turkey, after a period of ups and downs, had worsened after the then Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, while on a visit to Kosovo in 2013, said "Kosovo was Turkey and vice versa". Didem Sarıer Ekinci, from Cankaya University in Ankara, said there were many opportunities to boost economic cooperation between Serbia and Turkey. "Turkish businessmen investing in Serbia have another advantage - which is Serbia's agreement on free trade with Russia, and it should be used," she said referring to Serbia's trade agreement with Russia. Serbia and Russia signed a free trade agreement in August 2000, which allows for the favorable export of the goods to the Russian market.

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Court Indicts Twelve Suspected Islamic State Fighters (Hetq Online, 17 June 2015)

A court in Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved the indictment of 12 people for funding terrorism and fighting for Islamic State (IS) forces in Syria. The indictment, confirmed by a Bosnian court last week and announced by police yesterday, is the latest step in a long investigation into extremism which began with a police operation in September 2014, dubbed Damascus. That operation saw police raid properties in the northeastern village of Gornja Maoca, a key foothold of the so-called Salafi community – a group of Islamic fundamentalists who follow a strict interpretation of Islamic teachings. Since the Bosnian war of the 1990s drew Muslims from the Middle East to come and fight on the side of Bosnian Muslim factions, the small Balkan country has struggled with the issue of extremism. Attention to the topic has intensified since the Syrian civil war began in 2011 and the eyes of the world turned to the activities of IS. Salafi members found themselves the center of attention as authorities accused some of providing support for IS by recruiting young men to fight in Syria. In September's raids in Gornja Maoca, police arrested 16 people and uncovered a cache of weapons, explosive devices, ammunition and unauthorized military equipment. All those arrested at the time were released after questioning – except for the informal Salafi leader Husein Bosnic, who is now on trial over charges of recruiting for IS. After September's operation, an intensive investigation continued, say police. Then, on May 15, the Prosecutor's Office sent an indictment to the state court to formally accuse 12 people of organizing a terrorist group. That is the indictment which has now been approved. It names Fatih Hasanovic, Mirza Kapic, Adem Karamuja, Ibro Delic,Enes Mesic, Jasmin Jasarevic, Emin Hodzic, Salko Imamovic, Fikret Hadzic, Enver Lilic, Samir Hadzalic and Mehmed Tutmic. Hasanovic is also charged with illicit possession or transfer of weapons or explosive substances, and Kapic, Karamuja and Delic are accused ofthe illegal possession of weapons or explosive substances. Some of the defendants – Hasanovic, Mesic, Hodzic and Karamuja –had been arrested in the September operation. Prosecutors say that those indicted have been raising money for the recruitment of young men to ISIS over the past two years. They also allege that the defendants illegally crossed into Syria through Turkey with the help of unknown Turkish accomplices, where they then collaborated with IS forces. Of all the defendants, only Fatih Hasanovic has been held in detention, likely linked to his suspected involvement in a separate case – a terrorist attack in the eastern town of Zvornik which shocked the country on Apr. 27.

 

Macedonia, Greece Mull Steps to Rebuild Trust (BIRN, by Ivana Kostovska, 18 June 2015)

Macedonia and Greece are to consider a series of steps aimed at kickstarting ties between the two neighbours, frozen as a result of the long-standing ‘name’ dispute. Greek Foreign Ministry officials are expected in Macedonia on Thursday to determine a list of steps towards greater bilateral cooperation, a source from the Macedonian Foreign Ministry told BIRN. Among the measures for cooperation being mulled, which will be presented later this month during the visit to Skopje of the Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, are the opening of a new border crossing in the Lake Prespa region as well as improving transport links between the towns of Bitola and Florina. Further steps under consideration are improved cooperation between the two parliaments and between other institutions. A foreign diplomatic source told BIRN under condition of anonymity that the boost to bilateral cooperation could indirectly help solve the years-long dispute over Macedonia's name to which Athens objects. “The two ministers [Greece’s Nikos Kotzias and Macedonia’s Nikola Popovski] met several times and agreed to work on the proposed-measures for building trust. Ideas from both sides should help us better understand each other in future over the 'name,'” the source said. Greece blocked Macedonia's accession to NATO in 2008 and is also blocking Macedonia's attempts to join the EU in connection with the dispute over Macedonia's name. This is despite the fact that Macedonia obtained EU candidate status in 2005 and although European Commission reports have recommended a start to Macedonian membership talks since 2009. Largely owing to the "name" dispute, relations between Athens and Skopje remain log jammed and the two sides have not signed a single bilateral treaty since 2007. The same foreign diplomatic source told BIRN that Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is interested in solving the "name" dispute, although the proposed trust-building measures are not going to be directly linked to the dispute. “I do not exclude the possibility of pressure on both sides to solve the dispute, no matter if the mandate of a possible transitional government in Skopje is completely different,” the diplomatic source said, referring to the political crisis in Macedonia. Talks between Macedonian opposition and government parties are ongoing over the possible formation of a transitional government that would prepare snap elections. Prime Minister Nikola Greuvski is under pressure to step down after being accused of orchestrating the illegal surveillance of over 20,000 people. The last round of UN-sponsored name talks took place last July, when the veteran mediator in the talks, Matthew Nimetz, arrived in the region. However, he admitted that he had not come with any fresh proposals. Last November, BIRN revealed a potential name that Nimetz had suggested for Macedonia earlier, in April 2013 – "Upper Republic of Macedonia".

 

* * *

 

Media summaries are produced for the internal use of the United Nations Office in Belgrade, UNMIK and UNHQ.  The contents do not represent anything other than a selection of articles likely to be of interest to a United Nations readership.