LOCAL PRESS

 

Brnabic: Serbia deeply committed to joining EU (Beta)

 

Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said yesterday in addressing the Bled Strategic Forum that Serbia is deeply committed to joining the EU, as well as to regional stability and cooperation among countries of the Western Balkans, primarily through economic integration. Speaking at the central event of this forum, Leader’s Panel, Brnabic pointed out that economic growth and development of the whole region is the most important, which is absolutely impossible without open dialogue, which Serbia is strongly in favor of. She pointed out that digitization is the government’s priority, because it is a way for modernizing the work of the state administration, introducing a modern approach to administration towards citizens and the economy and a complete change of work that must come from within. She added that digitization is a chance to accelerate economic growth and seek chances in non-traditional branches that can provide greater and faster growth. An example is the IT sector in Serbia, which has already shown significant potential for growth even without strong support from the government. She underlined that the role of the government is to provide conditions for IT sector to show its potential and be even more successful, and announced that she will work on that with her team in the government, on creating a society that supports those who have potential for growth. In that way, we will all move forward, she underlined. Speaking about foreign policy priorities of Serbia, she said that the EU is our strategic commitment because joining the EU actually means self-improvement. The reforms that we implement are the best for us, because in this way we are changing our society for the better and at the same time approaching the EU, Brnabic pointed out, adding that Serbia’s position is military neutrality and cooperation with all countries that respect that. In the discussion held at the panel which dealt with changes that the modern world is facing and the question of youth integration into society, Brnabic spoke about the importance of open communication and cooperation with young people, the civil sector, experts and the economy, because the openness to hearing a different opinion brings the best solutions that are much more inclusive than the solutions that come from only one side.

A two-way communication with the young is very important for any society that wants to go forward, because we cannot create changes for the better without actively listening to those for whom we are creating the future, Brnabic stated at the Strategic Forum held in Bled, Slovenia, which brought together high-level officials from the European Union, countries of the region and international organizations.

 

Brnabic: Serbia made it perfectly clear that it is military neutral (RTS)

 

Asked about the meeting she had with US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hoyt Brian Yee on the sidelines of the Forum, Brnabic told RTS that they discussed relations between the US and Serbia, as well as regional stability and regional connecting. Reflecting on Yee’s earlier statements in which he warned about Russia’s interference in the Balkans, Brnabic confirmed that Russia was discussed at her meeting with Yee in terms of regional stability and influence in the Balkans. In this regard, she emphasized that Serbia made it perfectly clear that it is committed to military neutrality. She made a remark saying that Serbia is not just declaratively military neutral, adding that the country actually performs more military exercises with the US i.e. NATO than with Russia. Asked whether she learnt at the meeting with Yee that the US intends to engage in dialogue on Kosovo, she stressed that the US is interested to hear what the internal dialogue on Kosovo involves and what it is expected to yield but they did not mention anything about the US becoming involved. She highlighted the importance of continuing the Brussels dialogue and the implementation of the agreements made, first and foremost the need to establish the Community of Serb Municipalities as soon as possible. She reiterated that Serbia is against Pristina’s unilateral moves, but that despite that, it remains committed to dialogue.

Brnabic also reflected on a meeting she plans to have with Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar focusing on investment. Brnabic concluded that Serbia respects territorial sovereignty and integrity of all countries in the region, just like it wants them to respect its own.

 

Dacic: Serbia committed to resolving all disputes in region (RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has stated that EU membership is one of Serbia’s top foreign policy priorities, and that the perspective of membership gives a strong impetus to the comprehensive reforms we are implementing. At an informal meeting of foreign ministers of the South-East European Cooperation Process, Dacic said that our reform process is carried out primarily for the benefit of ourselves – our country and citizens. We are aware that, compared to other candidates, the Serbia’s negotiating process is further burdened by the conditioned progress in negotiations within Belgrade’s dialogue with Pristina. This process depends on both sides, he stressed. As he stressed, all issues in the region that are disputed should be dealt with by direct stakeholder through talks, and the EU negotiation process should be exclusively based on harmonization with acquis and positive EU practice. A series of forums dedicated to regional cooperation – the South East Europe Cooperation Process, the Western Balkans Six, the Brdo-Brioni Process, the Berlin Process – shows that there is political will for reconciliation and that it is supported by clear views of citizens who want a prosperous future and a better quality of life, Dacic said

 

Belgrade will work on strengthening Serbian institutions in Kosovo (Beta)

 

In a meeting with rectors, deans and representatives of student organizations of the University of Pristina, with a temporary head office in Kosovska Mitrovica, Belgrade representatives said that the state would continue working on strengthening Serbian institutions in Kosovo and Metohija. "We conveyed a clear message that this university is part of the higher education system of the Republic of Serbia and that it is equal in all elements to the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac, and Novi Pazar," said Vesna Mandic, Assistant Education Minister for higher education.

Deputy Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Zeljko Jovic said that the state's readiness had been demonstrated to invest in this region through coordinated work.

The president of the Student Conference of the University of Serbia (SKONUS) Milan Savic said that they had received assurances that their university would continue to operate like other universities in Serbia.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Brnabic says to Inzko that Serbia wants to continue cooperation with B&H (N1/TV1/Srna)

 

High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko and Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabic met on sidelines of the Forum. On this occasion, Brnabic commented on the announced declaration on protection of the Serb people stressing that the declaration does not represent a signal of hostility towards anyone, but it is just a logical connecting of Serbs in the region with an aim to preserve the Cyrillic Letter and for Serbs from the region to learn more about their motherland. She stressed that she sees the declaration as a positive step in terms of regional cooperation as well. Brnabic told Inzko that Serbia wants to continue its cooperation with B&H as one of important economic partners. Brnabic said that the cooperation can be improved by increasing investments, implementation of infrastructural projects and joint appearance at the third markets. They also discussed the situation in the region and agreed that political stability and frequent dialogues are crucial for development of the Western Balkans. Brnabic told Inzko that Serbia wants continuation of fruitful cooperation with B&H, the country it considers to be one of important Serbia’s economic partners. Furthermore, Brnabic said that Serbia is satisfied with good economic cooperation with B&H and the fact that the foreign trade exchange between the two countries is constantly growing. Statement issued by the Public Relations Office of the Serbian Prime Minister reads that Brnabic expects political dialogue with all levels in B&H to intensify, and she added that she hopes two countries will continue supporting each other on the EU integration path. The High Representative said that the situation in the region is improving, and that he expects it to improve even more after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s upcoming visit to Sarajevo. Commenting on his meeting with Brnabic, Inzko said that they had exchanged an opinion “about the number of issues in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere”.

 

Cerar, Pahor, Erjavec call for respect for international law (N1)

 

At the opening of the Bled Strategic Forum, Slovenia's top-ranking officials promoted respect for international law, promising that Slovenia would find a way to implement the ruling by a court of arbitration in the border dispute with Croatia. In his opening speech to the conference that had brought together some 1,000 delegates from 70 states, Prime Minister Miro Cerar said there could be no compromise regarding the rule of law, and that there could be no democracy without respect for legal norms and principles.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec also underlined the importance of respect for the rule of law, saying that members of the EU had to set an example as to how to fulfil what has been undertaken.

Slovenian President Borut Pahor joined the appeals for the respect of international law, explaining that it was a prerequisite for a successful EU, and that Europe should offer a model for the rule of law.

 

Osmanovic: Minister Grubesa does not have right to interfere with issue of Peljesac Bridge (Klix.ba)

 

B&H Minister of Civil Affairs Adil Osmanovic told Klix.ba that B&H Justice Minister Josip Grubesa does not have the right to interfere with the issue of construction of the Peljesac Bridge. The portal explained that this statement followed the letter of Grubesa sent to competent Croatian Minister Oleg Butkovic and the EC denying claims from the letter that Osmanovic had sent before. Osmanovic said for the portal that he did not present the stance of the B&H Council of Ministers (CoM) in the letter that he sent but he reminded Butkovic that there are serious legal obstacles with regard to beginning the construction of the Peljesac Bridge. He also said that the B&H Justice Minister does not have any competence with regard to this issue and he added: “…I do understand him from the political aspect. HDZ B&H leader Dragan Covic confirmed in media that the B&H Justice Minister received the order to send the letter. This shows lack of responsibility since the B&H Justice Minister does not have the right to demand anything when the Peljesac Bridge is in question.” Asked to comment on criticism of B&H CoM Chairman Denis Zvizdic whose Ministers send different answers to institutions of the EU and Croatia respectively, Osmanovic replied that Zvizdic exerts efforts so that consensus on this issue is reached. Osmanovic stressed that Zvizdic cannot ban anyone to address other Ministers in neighboring countries regarding the areas that they are in charge of, but it is questionable why the Justice Minister interfered with the issue which is not under his competence.

 

HNS Presidency holds session; Covic expects changes to Law on Elections to be adopted by end of year (Hayat/BHT1)

 

A session of the parties gathered around HDZ B&H (Hayat referred to a session of the Presidency of the Croat People’s Assembly-HNS) was held in Mostar on Monday. The parties emphasized their standpoint that changes to B&H Election Law are necessary for the future of B&H, which will in their opinion secure election of a Croat member of B&H Presidency from the Cantons where Croats represent majority. The parties requested application of nearly the same model for election of delegates in the FB&H House of Peoples (HoP) and B&H HoP. Hayat reported that it is almost certain that the amendments will not get necessary support and this will mean, as Chairman of the HNS Main Council Bozo Ljubic said, “crossing over the Rubicon”. During Monday’s session, leader of HDZ B&H and President of the HNS Dragan Covic did not comment on the aforementioned claim of Ljubic, but he stressed that obstructions for adoption of the amendments come exclusively from the Bosniak political milieu. The reporter noted that “crossing over the Rubicon” probably means changing of relation of parties gathered around HDZ B&H towards their coalition partners. Covic underlined that every solution which means that Croats will elect their political representatives is acceptable for the HNS. Speaking about the NATO path, Covic said that the Membership Action Plan (MAP) will be activated in the next three months. Covic stressed that no one can block the NATO path of B&H, despite of speculations in the public. He explained that everyone in B&H share the same stance about the MAP including the Serb parties, unlike their efforts to follow the stance of Serbia when it comes to NATO.

Covic rejected statements of Ljubic related to consequences of possible failure to reach an agreement on changes to the Law on Elections of B&H and added that he will not speak about what Ljubic or anyone else from HDZ 1990 thinks or about what might happen in case the changes are not adopted.

Asked to comment the upcoming Vucic’s visit to B&H, Covic told press that he expects the cooperation to be such that communication between members of B&H Presidency and the Serbian President can be established at any moment so that any of issues can be solved in an acceptable way. Finally, Covic said that the parliamentary majority has been lost at almost all levels but this does not affect the work of B&H Presidency because this body still fulfills all tasks. Covic specified that Vucic will meet with B&H Presidency on the first day of his visit while, on the second day, the Serbian President is expected to meet with representatives of the Council of Ministers (CoM) and the B&H parliament. According to Covic, there are many open issues between B&H and Serbia so B&H Presidency members met with representatives of executive authorities last week to harmonize stances on key issues. On this occasion, Covic announced an initiative for holding a trilateral meeting of B&H, Serbia and Croatia.

 

Berton officially takes over duty of Head of OSCE Mission to B&H (Oslobodjenje)

 

Ambassador Bruce Berton took over the duty of the Head of the OSCE Mission to B&H on Monday. “Ambassador Berton will carry on the Mission’s work in its key areas of responsibility; building sustainable democratic institutions, strengthening good governance and human rights principles, and supporting development of inclusive society”, the OSCE Mission to B&H stated.

He started his diplomatic service in USA in 1987 and he worked in Sofia, Caracas, Moscow, Bermuda islands, Hong Kong, Rome, Mexico, Frankfurt and Warsaw. He performed a supervisory function in the Operative Center of the State Department as well as the function of the Director of the Office for Management Innovations of the State Department, where he received numerous awards. Berton was the Principal Deputy High Representative and Supervisor of Brcko District for the past two years.

 

Grabar-Kitarovic: I am worried about processes in B&H (RTL)

 

President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic stated for RTL that she is worried about processes in B&H, pointing out the stalemate in B&H’s accession to the EU and the NATO as well as the stalemate in reform processes in the country. “I am worried about processes in B&H simply because a stalemate is visible in every aspect. There is a stalemate in process of B&H’s accession to the EU and the NATO, and on the other side there is a stalemate in process of reforms”, she emphasized. Grabar-Kitarovic further noted that she cannot welcome the recent rhetoric from B&H, adding that this does not contribute to solving of open issues and to good neighborly relations between the two countries. She emphasized that Croatia is a friend to B&H and it supports B&H’s territorial sovereignty and integrity as well as its Euro-Atlantic road. She concluded by saying that Zagreb will strongly fight for constituent equality of Croats as one of the three peoples in B&H.

Grabar-Kitarovic confirmed that Vucic was invited to visit Zagreb. “The official invitation has not yet been sent, but the oral invitation has been,” she told RTL. She and Vucic agreed that “this should not be another protocol meeting,” but it had to be focused on solving specific issues, Grabar-Kitarovic said.

 

VMRO-DPMNE will not support the election of a new Attorney General (Meta)

 

VMRO-DPMNE will not support the election of a new General Attorney because it is contrary to Article 8a of the Electoral Code and at today’s session, they will oppose such an initiative by SDSM, said MP Ilija Dimovski regarding the announcement for the election of a new Gernal Attorney. Dimovski announced that the parliamentary group of VMRO-DPMNE will submit three laws through a fast track procedure – a law to increase the minimum wage for administrators by 5%, a law on debt collectors, and a law which will grant vouchers to students for computers. He also emphasized that if SDSM have a fair approach to the proposals made by VMRO-DPMNE, then they will also be fair and constructive towards their proposals.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

German-Turkish Feud Threatens EU Role in Balkans (BIRN Team, 5 September 2017)

 

If the dispute between Germany and Turkey worsens, President Erdogan will be tempted to try to undermine the EU in the Balkans, experts warn.

Turkey’s escalating crisis with Germany may prompt it to become a factor of instability in the Balkans, forcing powerful Muslim communities in the region in particular to choose between their loyalty to the EU and Turkey, experts say. Turkey could get closer to Russia, for example, which would upset the geostrategic balance in the Balkans, or it could start using refugees as a bargaining chip with both the EU and Balkan leaders. Either course could destabilise the Balkans and jeopardise those countries’ EU and NATO aspirations, experts say. The long-brewing crisis with Germany took a fresh turn for worse in recent weeks in the run-up to the German elections.

In late August, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of failing to take EU accession talks seriously – and said Turkey would never be a member of the EU as long as Erdogan governed it. Earlier, Erdogan called on ethnic Turks in Germany not vote for either main party – the Social Democrats, the SDP, or Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, the CDU, in the elections on September 17. “Do not support the CDU, the SPD or the Greens. They are all the enemies of Turkey,” Erdogan declared after Friday prayers in Istanbul on August 18. He accused all three parties of being “enemies of Turkey” as a part of a race for votes ahead of the ballot. “We will not tolerate any kind of interference,” Merkel responded to Turkey at a campaign event in the western city of Herford, while her Foreign Minister Gabriel described the remarks as “unprecedented” interference in Germany’s sovereignty. Additonally, during the elctions campaign TV debate on Sunday, Merkel said "Turkey should not become a member of the EU", adding she will reach a joint position with her colleagues in the EU to end ongoing accession talks. Relations between two major trading partners and NATO allies have been strained since last year’s failed coup attempt. Since then, the Erdogan regime has sacked or suspended more than 160,000 people and detained more than 60,000 people. They have included some German citizens. According to the German newspaper Heilbronner Stimme on August 25, based on German Foreign Ministry sources, 10 German citizens including German daily Die Welt’s Turkey correspondent, Deniz Yucel, and the human rights activist, Peter Steudtner, were arrested in Turkey following the failed coup. While Berlin’s growing spat with Turkey – a key player in the Middle East – troubles the EU and NATO, it may also have negative consequences for the Balkans, experts say. “The crisis is not only between Germany and Turkey. It is a European crisis that will have certain consequences for the Balkans,” a Turkish foreign policy expert told BIRN on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.

 

Crisis is expected to get even worse:

The diplomatic feud is a direct result of last year’s failed Turkish coup and the Erdogan government’s reaction to it. In the eyes of Germany, Erdogan has used the clampdown since the coup as a pretext to quash all domestic opposition. “According to Germany, Erdogan is an authoritarian leader whose roots are in political Islam and who accuses Germany of anti-Turkish, anti-Muslim sentiment,” the same expert added. In April, Turkish voters narrowly backed Erdogan’s demand for even wider powers in a controversial referendum. Before the referendum, the German authorities infuriated Erdogan by preventing Turkish politicians from speaking in his favour at rallies they wanted to organise in Germany. In response, Erdogan compared the German authorities to Hitler’s Nazi regime and later blocked German lawmakers from visiting their troops stationed in Turkey so that Germany had to relocate them to Jordan. Since Erdogan’s most recent statements, Merkel has delivered one of her harshest warnings to Ankara, ruling out EU expansion to include Turkey or a customs union. The same expert cited earlier said the crisis between Germany and Turkey would likely continue, as the political situation in and between Turkey, Germany and the EU is not expected to change sharply. He feared the EU-Turkish crisis would, in fact, escalate because of the EU's growing internal and external problems, including the UK’s planned departure in 2019, ongoing terrorist threats and the continuing war in Syria.

“The EU faces the departure of a member country [Britain] and now Turkey ... does not act like as an EU-candidate country; this is a first-time experience for the EU,” he said. “On the other hand, Erdogan has positioned Turkey somewhere against the EU and its values,” he added.

 

Ankara may play spoiler role in Balkans:

Dimitar Bechev, a non-resident senior fellow at the US think tank the Atlantic Council and director of the European Policy Institute think tank in Sofia, told BIRN that while Turkey cannot derail the EU’s overall policies in the Balkans, it could play a spoiler role. Turkey could intervene more strongly in divided Bosnia on behalf of the Muslim Bosniaks, for example, exacerbating the existing conflict between the Bosnian Serbs and Sarajevo. Erdogan’s quarrels with Germany and the EU could also undermine the EU’s image in Bosnia and in other countries with a significant Muslim population, Bechev said. Turkey already has become a significant player in the Balkans over the last decade, and has established closer economic and cultural links with all countries there. The image of Turkey resonates especially strongly among Balkan Muslims and their leaders. However, Bechev said the Balkans was not a priority for Turkey for the time being. “Turkey’s attention is directed towards the war in Syria and, of course, towards events at home. Policies in Southeast Europe are way down the to-do list,” he added. According to Bechev, neither Kosovo President Hashim Thaci nor Bosnian Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic is very beholden to Erdogan, as they have their own internal issues. Meanwhile, DOST, the Erdogan-backed Turkish party in Bulgaria and BESA, an Albanian party in Macedonia, which is known to be close to Erdogan, are not significant local players. Bechev said the EU remains the only long-term option for the Balkan states. “Neither Russia nor Turkey are full-blown competitors to the EU. They don’t have as much to offer – such as market access, money, and political capital. But both have opportunities to play the spoiler role, which Russia has demonstrated in recent years,” he concluded. A Turkish expert on EU-Turkey relations told BIRN on condition of anonymity that Ankara could make use of Balkan frustration with the slow pace of EU integration and accession. “Now the enlargement process takes more time … and no one knows when it will be concluded,” he said. In this situation, where Balkan hopes of EU enlargement keep being weakened because of the EU’s own problems, Turkey has room to undermine these relations further. “If Turkey loses its EU ties, Erdogan may try to use its influence in the Balkans, to show his strength and to prove that Turkey is an important country. “In that case, the Balkans will be a playground for Erdogan and Turkey might follow an aggressive foreign policy against the EU in the Balkans,” she said. For instance, she added, “Erdogan could use the refugee crisis against the EU in the Balkans and force Balkan countries to work with him over it, since the refugees have to cross the Balkans in order to reach Europe.” The same expert said that, in his clashes with the EU and with Germany, Erdogan would also make use of his influence with leaders and with Muslim communities in the Balkan region. “Erdogan has good relationships with other leaders like Aleksandar Vucic in Serbia and Macedonia’s ex-premier, Nikola Gruevski, based on self-interest. “They may not have that much in common but they can work together when they see a common interest, as in a refugee crisis, or for economic or political benefit. For instance, Serbia and Turkey continue to improve their trade in spite of their conflicting statements,” she said. The same expert said that if Erdogan works with other authoritarian leaders who have the same interest as Erdogan in a kind of “league of authoritarians”, it would be bad news for the EU in the Balkans. She added that any escalation in the Turkish-German crisis could also push Turkey and Russia even closer together, changing the balance of power in the region. “Turkey and Russia cooperate well when they see a common interest … and Russia has already tried to undermine the EU [in the Balkans] and may help Erdogan if he decides to play the spoiler in the region,” she suggested. “Russia plays the spoiler role well now, and could play the role even better and more effectively with Turkey. In that case, we can expect reforms and EU integration to slow down, liberal democracies to weaken and anti-EU sentiments to rise in the region.” She concluded with a warning that the Turkish crisis had the potential to be “a great test for the EU”, which it needs to pass. “Otherwise, EU integration in the Western Balkans might be doomed.”