LOCAL PRESS

 

Vucic: We don’t have control over one inch of Kosovo (B92/Tanjug)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said that the Serbian authorities have no control over even one inch of Kosovo and Metohija, and that this is why our situation is difficult. “Our situation is not easy at all, when you depend on the will of Pristina and whether they will respect the law or not. If someone behaves unjustly, your possibilities of acting are limited,” said Vucic at the opening of a factory in Zrenjanin. On the other hand, he added, he is happy that the Serbs have risen and woke up and understand how much they are affected by these measures and that in a civilized and reasonable way they showed the difference between themselves and those who introduced those measures. Speaking about today’s meeting with representatives of the Serb List, Vucic said he will ask them to continue with peaceful protests, and the state leadership will continue internationally to point to the detriment of Pristina’s decisions, which profoundly destroy peace. “I hope there will be reason and strength in the international community to exert pressure on those whose to whom implementation of unlawful activities has become an everyday activity,” he concluded, but also added that he does not believe that Pristina will eliminate the 100 percent tax on Serbian products soon. Asked by a journalist about Haradinaj’s claim he is ready to recognize Kosovo in exchange for a part of its territory, Vucic asked what he should say at all, and whether he had any need to deny these allegations made in the text, which has no particular weight, except to insinuate something about the relationship between Serbia and Russia. “I have better things to do. They mention the Russians every time they attack Serbia. We are proud of our friendship with Russia. Only thing is, I don't know why Hashim Thaci was running after Vladimir Putin in Paris, and elsewhere,” Vucic said, adding that it would be good if they agreed on what their stance towards Russia is. He also said that our stance towards the United States is crystal clear, and underlined that he was confident that any compromise would be the best solution. “They are not even ready to withdraw the (100%) taxes, they say they will not give up statehood and sovereignty at any price, which means that the negotiations are ad acta (filed). They will talk about their sovereignty, we about our rights. We will continue like that for a few years, instead of looking to the future,” Vucic said in a critical tone. He added it made no sense to talk about the capabilities of Haradinaj’s adviser to write that letter. According to Vucic, the article’s purpose was to demonstrate the connection between the Serbs and the Russians to the American public - and not much more. “I don’t care about the internal strife and the good cop-bad cop game,” he stressed, possibly referring to Pristina politics.

 

Dacic: We don’t need a verbal reaction, but for taxes to be abolished (RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has told the RTS morning news that there is Pristina’s grudging when it comes to the decision to introduce taxes for goods from Serbia. He says that many analysts state this is a struggle for the survival of some politicians in Kosovo, but he sincerely doesn’t believe in this. “Perhaps we believe more that there are differently distributed roles and whenever Pristina wished to avoid the fulfillment of some obligation, there was always one who was pretending to be milder and the other was sharper,” says Dacic. “Here you have an extremism that has already spread to Albania, because this is one logic – if we are doing well, since we are already in quicksand, then we will drag others into the quicksand as well,” says Dacic. He says Pristina, with this decision, has dragged itself into quicksand. “There is no rational exit out of this without one decision, and this being to abolish this decision, and the abolishment of this decision would be one unsuccessful move, according to their terms,” said Dacic.  When it comes to reactions from Brussels and Washington, Dacic says that they reacted but we don’t need a verbal reaction. “What will Brussels and Washington say to such a move that is unrecorded on both the political and economic scene…We don’t need a verbal reaction, we simply need Pristina to withdraw this measure,” said Dacic. Asked in what way can Pristina be forced to such a decision, Dacic thinks this can be done only with pressure. “They are on a button. We have no dilemmas. Wasn’t it Haradinaj who said they don’t have a foreign policy, but the US foreign policy. If that is so, then turn on or off this button,” says Dacic. “The good thing is that Serbia is sending good messages, it is not allowing to be dragged into this quicksand of that crazy policy. We have sent a clear message that we don’t want the deteriorating of the situation, we don’t want to contribute with some of our moves for somebody to say that both sides are to be blamed, but of course we are waiting for a reaction,” says Dacic. “They have created, you have created a monster, you need to control it and to manage it or otherwise it will drag everyone into quicksand,” said Dacic.  Asked whether the US wished to take control over the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, Dacic says he doesn’t believe that it wishes to take over control, because this is not the main issue for the US since they have other crises they are dealing with. “They are getting involved, but they are getting involved more to open the door so this can be discussed, but they are not taking part in the process just as neither Russia and China are taking part. The EU continues to moderate this dialogue. We are ready to take part in the dialogue, but there is no dialogue with such decisions,” said Dacic.

 

Dacic: Pen is not a tool Haradinaj uses best (TV Prva/B92)

 

Commenting on Ramush Haradinaj’s op-ed in the Washington Post, Ivica Dacic says the text was written by someone else because pen is not his tool. Asked how Haradinaj came up with that claim, Dacic said that it was above all a great surprise that the text has been published at all, because the pen is not the tool Haradinaj uses. “Somebody wrote it for him,” Dacic told TV Prva. “He led the KLA and murdered people, he is free because of lack of living witnesses that he has in the meantime killed. Now he’s making up reasons to justify the situation he is in, and that is that they have fallen into the quicksand, and the more time passes, the more statements they make, the deeper they sink,” he said. Asked to comment on another interview also given to US media by Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, and who said there would be no agreement between Serbia and Kosovo without defining the borders, Dacic pointed out that we have one dilemma - are Thaci and Haradinaj really in conflict or is it a game. “There is information that (Thaci) had persuaded Haradinaj to impose taxes of 100 percent (on Serbian goods), while he allegedly only wanted 30 percent,” Dacic said and reiterated that Serbia does not want to make the situation tenser. Speaking about today’s meeting of representatives of the Serb List and the
President of Serbia, but also about the next moves of Serbia, Dacic said: “We are waiting to see how long this therapy will last... The diagnosis is difficult, it takes that long for the drugs to work. They’ll hardly change their decision so easily. They actually put a foot in the door with the desire to take up a new political space – let’s start from here, the taxes are now 100%,” said the minister. These are bluffs and they will not pass, Dacic said, adding: “If they cannot discipline Pristina, then what should we talk about?”

 

Djuric urges EU to help stop escalation of situation in Kosovo and Metohija (RTS/Tanjug)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric urged the EU and the entire international community today to make the Pristina reasonable without delay and to make it respect the domestic and international law and all signed agreements, and to help stop any further escalation of the problem. At an extraordinary press conference, Djuric said that we are witnessing threats by Pristina authorities that they will breach the Brussels agreement, abolish Serb municipalities and take over the north. Serbia and the Serbs reacted peacefully and responsibly to the provocations, he said noting that Serbia and the Kosovo Serbs do not want any kind of conflict, but it is clear that Pristina wants to do exactly that with its actions. Serbia urges the international community to react, we will not take any steps other than peaceful protests that Serbs are holding in Kosovo these days, demonstrating a peaceful struggle, he said. According to Djuric, today we saw a demonstration of verbal aggression and the new threat of Pristina when they said they will breach the Brussels agreement. The Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, as he pointed out, suspended participation in Pristina institutions, because Pristina violated the agreement and put a political, economic and security loop around the neck of the Serbs.

The new escalation would be dangerous and therefore we are reacting and appealing to the international community, because Serbia is a responsible country, which is considering several steps in advance, Djuric said.

 

EP adopts resolution on Serbia (Beta)

 

Members of the European Parliament adopted in Brussels a resolution in which it is estimated that Serbia has made progress in economic reforms. It has been stated that it is crucial that tangible results are achieved in judicial reform, anti-corruption and media freedoms. The European Parliament has also adopted six of the eight proposed amendments to the document compiled by European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister.  The adopted resolution "welcomes Serbia's continued engagement on the road to joining the European Union." It also highlights "some progress" in judicial reform and asks that the Serbian authorities speed up the rule of law reforms, in particular to ensure the independence and efficiency of the judiciary and strengthen the fight against corruption. The resolution relies on and considers this year's European Commission's Progress Report on Serbia and welcomes efforts to normalize relations with Pristina, with the view that "any agreement on this can be acceptable only if both sides agree on it and if it preserves the stability of the region and international law." MEPs "point to ongoing debate and statements on possible border corrections between Serbia and Kosovo, including land swaps" and "emphasize the multinational structure of Kosovo and Serbia," saying that "ethnically clean countries should not be the goal in the region." This document "underlines the importance of creating the association/community of municipalities with a Serb majority" in Kosovo, and the implementation of all agreements, including the agreement on energy. The document "irrevocably condemns the murder of Kosovo Serb politician Oliver Ivanovic and stresses the necessity of cooperation between Kosovo and Serbian investigators, as well as international support, in order to bring perpetrators of the murder to justice." Serbia is urged to gradually harmonize its foreign and security policy with EU policy, including the policy towards Russia, and to align its visa regime with the EU gradually.

 

NATO commander warns Kosovo it could face isolation (Tanjug/B92)

 

Kosovo is facing isolation after imposing a 100% increase on taxes for goods from Serbia and Bosnia, US Admiral James Foggo has warned. Foggo, who serves as commander of US Naval Forces Europe and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples, has commented on Pristina's recent move. “What is really intended to be achieved by that tax?,” Foggo asked after a ceremony in Pristina when Lorenzo D'Adario took over from Salvatore Cuocci as KFOR commander, Pristina-based daily Gazeta Express is reporting on Wednesday. The general NATO also mentioned the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, saying that Serbia and Kosovo, with whom the EU is negotiating in a separate process, should strive for Euro-Atlantic integration for the benefit of both nations. “The 100 percent tax that Kosovo has imposed on goods from Serbia risks the isolation of Kosovo,” Foggo said.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Crnadak: Brussels’ reaction to Pristina’s decision to introduce 100 percent tax on goods from B&H and Serbia will be essential (TV1)

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor Crnadak confirmed that Kosovo’s decision to introduce a 100-percent tax on goods from B&H and Serbia was the main topic of his recent meeting with the Serbian leadership. He stressed that B&H and Serbia could certainly respond to this measure together, but the question remains if that response would be efficient at all. Crnadak commended the B&H Council of Ministers for adopting the conclusions with regard to this issue unanimously, according to which Kosovo’s decision was condemned and EU institutions were urged to take a clear stance about it. “I think it is good that we and Serbia did not immediately introduce some kind of countermeasures, we did not contribute to this chaos over the past days and we made it possible to try to correct things in relatively normal atmosphere. However, reaction of foreigners – primarily Brussels – will be essential. I do not think what we heard – only condemning statements – will be enough, although it was certainly good to hear them. It is especially good that we heard (US) Secretary of State (Mike) Pompeo yesterday (Tuesday), who also urged Pristina to abolish that decision, but it will be very important what will happen after 10, 15 or 20 days if it is not withdrawn. I also think it will be very, very important what kind of decisions and stances Brussels will adopt in that case,” Crnadak said. In the meantime, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini spoke on the phone to Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Wednesday afternoon. Mogherini underlined that the decision of the Kosovo government to increase the tax on goods from Serbia and B&H by 100% only complicates the situation further and does not bring any solution to people's problems or to Kosovo's aspirations for its present and its future. Mogherini noted that this is a measure that does not help building good neighborly relations and it should be revoked.

 

Leaders of SDA and DF Izetbegovic and Komsic meet; DF refuses to form coalition with SDA, SDA to try to find solution with smaller parties (Hayat)

 

Leader of SDA Bakir Izetbegovic and leader of DF Zeljko Komsic met on Wednesday to discuss authority formation at the Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) level. Komsic stated that all future decisions regarding authority formation will be made within the so-called ‘BH Bloc’ made of SDP, DF and ‘Our Party’ (NS). He announced that this bloc could appear in the next elections together. ˝We appreciate that the colleagues from SDA accept such a stance and position that we, as a party, do not enter any sort of negotiations by ourselves. Any sort of decision, and we as a bloc did not discuss anything yet, will not be made by ourselves but exclusively in cooperation with these two parties,” said Komsic after the meeting. Izetbegovic stated that he wanted a strong coalition that could stand against the forces of disintegration. He expressed his wish for the ‘BH Bloc’ to enter coalition with SDA. Izetbegovic pointed out that SDA and DF have the same stance on the events in B&H and the region and they are aware of dangers and needs of the future. He announced he will invite the entire ‘BH Bloc’ for a meeting. ˝I believe this would be a solution for B&H. We hope for such an outcome. However, if things go on like they are going now, where the authorities are formed by negating the will of thousands of voters who voted for SDA, SDA will have to turn to other solutions” said Izetbegovic. He stated that the other solutions are smaller parties. Komsic stressed that they are aware of the fact that it is possible to make other combinations at the B&H level after all. He stated that, according to the numbers, some combinations show that even SNSD is not necessary for authority formation. He concluded that they did not make any concrete decision regarding this. Izetbegovic stated that SDA, HDZ B&H, SNSD and the ‘BH Bloc’ are the election winners and the authorities need to be made of HDZ B&H and SNSD as well.

 

Deadline to submit lists of candidates for B&H HoP and RS CoP expires, SNSD to have most reps in Serb caucuses (RTRS)

 

Deadline for parliamentary political parties to submit lists of their candidates for posts of delegates in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) House of Peoples (HoP) and the Republika Srpska (RS) Council of Peoples (CoP) expired on Wednesday. The RS CoP delegates will be elected at a session of the RSNA scheduled for December 5. According to some assessments, SNSD should have at least three out of eight delegates in the Serb Caucus in the RS CoP. When it comes to B&H HoP, SNSD will have two delegates in Serb Caucus that consists of five delegates. Leaders of SNSD’s lists for B&H HoP are Lazar Prodanovic, Dusanka Majkic, Nikola Spiric and Sredoje Novic.  Parties supporting SNSD should also have two delegates. Candidate of PDP for post of Serb delegate in B&H HoP is Mladen Ivanic, while SDS’ candidate is Mladen Bosic. Leaders of SNSD’s lists for the RS CoP are Jasna Lukic, Dragoljub Davidovic, Milica Markovic and Dragana Ristic. RTRS unofficially learns that SNSD’s future delegates in the RS CoP could be Davidovic, Markovic and Lukic, while delegates in B&H HoP could be Novic and Spiric. Also, SDS’ leader Vukota Govedarica is candidate of this party for the RS CoP. When it comes to Bosniak Caucus in the RS CoP, SDA will have six delegates. SNSD’s candidate for Bosniak delegate in the RS CoP will probably be Igor Bosnjak.

 

HR Inzko: Dodik’s request for closing down of OHR is unrealistic (Glas Srpske)

 

High Representative Valentin Inzko assessed Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency Chairman Milorad Dodik’s request for closing down of the Office of the High Representative as unrealistic. “There are a number of reasons, and especially because I received support in the UN Security Council from Russia, among others. How would the Dayton Agreement be interpreted if I am not there” Inzko told the Voice of America.

 

B&H Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies informs Dodik that no police agency other than Directorate can secure Presidency members (FTV)

 

Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H sent a letter to Chairman of the B&H Presidency Milorad Dodik (SNSD) on Wednesday in which they stated that there is no possibility for another agency other than them to provide security for the B&H Presidency members, in line with the Law on the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of B&H. Dodik stated that he will nonetheless demand protection from armed Republika Srpska (RS) police officers. Dodik said that he will not give up his intention to be guarded by the RS Police because he trusts only them. Sources noted that, unless Director of B&H Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies Mirsad Vilic revokes his decision, Dodik might even decide not to come to B&H Presidency building. RS Minister of Interior Dragan Lukac stated that the Law on Directorate provides grounds for the RS MoI employees to be security guards of Dodik upon his request because people who are currently guarding him have been with him for the past 20 years. “In this case, the Directorate is depriving him (Dodik) of security and is trying to impose people on him he had never seen”, Lukac said.

 

Cvijanovic: I have no confidence in B&H judiciary (Srna)

 

Republika Srpska (RS) President Zeljka Cvijanovic has emphasized that she absolutely does not trust the judiciary of B&H, and that she is not optimistic when it comes to the forthcoming pronouncement of the second instance verdict to Naser Oric, the commander of the so-called B&H Army in Srebrenica, and his comilitant, Sabahuddin Muhic, charged with the killing of three Serb prisoners of war in Zalazje, Lolici and Kunarac. Cvijanovic has told that she is traditionally distrustful towards the B&H judiciary, not because it is her political decision or position, but that previous experiences show no justice in those institutions. "I have witnessed many examples. We had a lot of evidence, witnesses and situations ... These are the people who were being released by the international and local judiciaries, and we witnessed how it went" said Cvijanovic. She has pointed out that, in spite of everything, RS institutions have to take certain actions in every case and the file /related to war crimes/. "We are always directed towards the suggestions of the RS Research Centre of War and War Crimes and other institutions are responding based on its suggestions," said Cvijanovic. The source of the Principa portal claims that Oric and Muhic, whose were subjected to re-trial after the Appellate Panel of the B&H Court revoked the first-instance acquittal and ordered a new hearing "due to substantial violations of the criminal procedure provisions" will again be acquitted of crimes committed against Serbs.

 

Parliament to debate historical revisionism in Croatia (Hina)

 

Parliament will debate the SDP-sponsored interpellation on the work of the government on Thursday, in which the opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP) accuses the government of not confronting historical revisionism in Croatia. SDP requests a parliamentary debate on that topic and asks the government to undertake actions that will prevent the use of symbols and salutes that are banned in Croatia by the Constitutions, laws and obvious court practice. SDP proposes that parliament should adopt a conclusion defining the said salute as the official salute used by the Ustasha and WWII Independent State of Croatia (NDH) totalitarian regime. The opposition party asks the government to remove the plaque for HOS volunteer fighters, which has the salute "For the Homeland Ready," incorporated in it. The plaque has been put up in Jasenovac, the site of a WWII death camp, among other things. The plaque erected for eleven HOS Homeland War defenders with the salute was taken down in September 2017 in Jasenovac and relocated to the Trokut memorial site in the nearby town of Novska. In September last year, the government said that it proposes to the parliament not to endorse the conclusions put forward by SDP. The government said then that the claims by the SDP that the government was downplaying Ustasha crimes were not correct. The government wholly rejects the arguments in the SDP interpellation and one of the fundamental starting points of its programme for the 2016-20 period is the condemnation of all undemocratic systems which in the past century caused the persecution and execution of political opponents, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said then, adding that the government had clearly said that on many occasions.

 

The reconciliation body still has not discussed "reconciliation" (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

The reconciliation body still has not discussed "reconciliation" Without a specific framework for a possible selective amnesty for the suspected in the April 27 events, a few minutes before the first session of the Coordinative Body for Reconciliation, which was sitting behind closed doors, ended. According to the preliminary information, no text is still being offered as a framework around which could be discussed the possible amnesty, as well as the proposal expected by the new independent parliamentary group, which stood behind the government's proposal for accession to constitutional changes. At yesterday's session, according to the information, it was agreed to form three working groups - on integration, reform and reconciliation. The reconciliation group is likely to agree on the details of a possible amnesty that would include those who were not organizers and direct participants in the violence on April 27. Other groups, however, would be engaged in reaching a consensus on reform laws that require a two-thirds majority, which are part of the EU criteria. The Coordinative Body for Reconciliation will meet again on Friday, when Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is also expected to attend. Today's session, according to the information, was mainly aimed at determining the methodology of the work of the body.

 

Bundestag: Macedonia needs to accelerate reforms (Nezavisen vesnik)

 

Macedonia is making progress on the EU path, atmosphere in the country has been positive and it is well prepared for the start of the accession negotiations, but still not ready for Union membership, heard a debate Macedonia Between Hope and Anxiety in the German Bundestag, organized by the Southeast Europe Association, Deutsche Welle reports. Matthias Luttenberg, head of the Division for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe at the German Federal Chancellery, saluted the courage of Prime Minister Zoran Zaev in solving problems with Bulgaria and Greece at the start of his term. He said Germany was committed to the settlement of the dispute with Greece, referring to the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel prior to the referendum, and “is now prepared to provide support through advice and financial support.” “We want to support the future. We will send advisers to the Macedonian government. We want the country to be stable and make progress,” said Luttenberg. He expects similar support from the EU towards Macedonia’s economic recovery, but also to make the country more attractive for foreign investors, in which the rule of law is the main prerequisite. Reinhard Priebe, chair of the EU Senior Experts’ Group on Macedonia, said that if the Prespa Agreement is not ratified in Greece, then EU must open membership negotiations regardless of the name dispute, urging Skopje to resume with reforms. Christian Hellbach, director for South-Eastern Europe, Turkey and EFTA states at the Federal Foreign Office, said failure of the Prespa Agreement would be bad news for the country, since loyalty to the country among a portion of the population in Macedonia depends on the country’s Euro-Atlantic progress. “I fear that nationalistic or ethnic narratives will resurface. Stability will suffer if Macedonia fails to make progress,” warned Hellbach. Regarding Nikola Gruevski’s escape and his asylum in Hungary, he said the case could make the position of current VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski easier. “There are signals coming from Mickoski that he would support the Prespa Agreement,” said Hellbach.

 

Independence Day, Albanian state leaders divided (ADN)

 

The highest state leaders held on Wednesday homage to commemorate the 106th anniversary of Albania's Independence. President of the Republic Ilir Meta, and Prime Minister Edi Rama, as well as Speaker of Parliament Gramoz Ruci and other representatives of the ruling majority were in Vlora, where the flag raising ceremony took place. Meanwhile, the head of the Democratic Party (DP) Lulzim Basha, former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, former President Bujar Nishani and other opposition MPs are paying homage to the 'Deshmoret e Kombit' cemetery in Tirana.

Kosovo's Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj congratulated on Wednesday all Albanians on the occasion of the Flag Day, by saying that we were, we are and we always will be together. Haradinaj also recalled the birthday of Legendary Commander, Adem Jashari and the establishment of Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) that coincides with Albanian Independence Day. "Dear compatriots, Today, we are together by heart, just as we were and will always be. Flag Day, marks our recovery, reminds us over the centuries of who we are and keep us together as a nation. On this special day, coinciding with the KLA's establishment and the birthday of Legendary Commander Adem Jashari, we recall the sacrifice of many generations and honor the work of those who gave their life for national freedom, independence and dignity. 'Blessed November 28' is our glorious history and our goal for the common future in Euro-Atlantic values," said Haradinaj.

 

Meta honors former Croatian President with 'National Flag' decoration; Mesic reacts against the border correction for Kosovo (ADN)

 

President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, decorated on Wednesday the former President of Croatia, Stjepan Mesic with the "National Flag" decoration, on the 106th anniversary of the Albania's Independence. According to Meta, this honoring comes from the ongoing efforts of former President Mesic to protect the interests of Albanians in the Balkans. "Today we remember all those friends who helped us realize our national ideals. So we are gathered to decorate President Stjepan Mesic and express gratitude for all he has done for the Albanian people. The President is an irreplaceable friend who has protected the rights of Albanians for more than 50 years. In the toughest moments of the Albanian nation, where the Milosevic regime against Kosovo strongly opposed, President was a strong voice against the massacres and ethnic cleansing, which accompanied this war," said Meta. The Head of the State added that Mesic is an unremitting advocate of protecting the voices of Albanians in Macedonia and in the Presevo Valley.

Mesic, has reacted against the border correction for Kosovo by mentioning the Balkan "butcher's" regime of Slobodan Milosevic. According to him, his goal was to expand the borders and through this he wanted to create the Greater Serbia. This declaration came after being decorated by the President of the Republic, Ilir Meta, with the "National Flag" decoration.

"Today I accept this decoration for what I have done, but also for what I have to do. As you know, I have been President of Croatia for 10 years. I worked and cooperated with Albania and the rights of Albanians in the Balkans. Milosevic, who did not accept the federation and the confederation, was in charge of Serbia. He was a supporter of the Big Serbia. He has been against any agreement becoming a wartime initiator and extending the borders with over 100,000 dead bodies. One cannot say who can take other territories because of national minorities," said Mesic by meaning that the idea for Kosovo's border correction is not good. He added that the one thing which he can be engaged these days, is the acceleration of the road to the EU.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini speaks to President Thaci of Kosovo (EEAS, 28 November 2018)

 

Federica Mogherini, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, spoke on the phone to President Hashim Thaci this afternoon to review the latest developments in the context of the EU facilitated Dialogue for normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The High Representative underlined that the decision of the Kosovo government to increase the tax on goods from Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina by 100% only complicates the situation further and does not bring any solution to people's problems or to Kosovo's aspirations for its present and its future. This is a measure that does not help to build good neighbourly relations and needs to be revoked.

 

Kosovo’s prime minister: We will not accept Serbia’s violation of our sovereignty (The Washington Post, by Ramush Haradinaj, 28 November 2018)

 

Ramush Haradinaj is prime minister of Kosovo.

My country, Kosovo, is being asked to make an impossible choice that would cheapen the sacrifice made by U.S. soldiers, undermine the stability of the region and threaten America’s allies. In the face of sustained attack from Serbia meant to undermine our sovereignty, security and prosperity, there are some who would like Kosovo to engage in so-called “peaceful” ethnic cleansing in the Balkans. This is a shortsighted attempt to give in to a bully in the hope that the bullying will stop. We will not do this — we will instead stand up against those who would seek to take advantage of us, while simultaneously working toward a long-lasting and comprehensive peace. Following a genocidal campaign of terror, Kosovo won its independence from Serbia through hard sacrifice, supported by the United States and NATO. Since the 1999 war and our declaration of independence in 2008, we have built a modern state committed to democracy and integration with NATO, the European Union and the United States. As of today, more than half of the United Nations’ members recognize our independence. However, Serbia and its ally Russia have refused to recognize our sovereignty and fought to block our joining the United Nations. In violation of the Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations, Serbia has worked to block our path toward E.U. membership, as well as membership in many international organizations. Last week, our effort to join Interpol was undermined, helping organized crime and hurting internal law enforcement. Now, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, backed by Russia, has made us an obscene offer: Serbia will recognize Kosovo if we give it part of our territory. Serbia wants to create an ethnically “pure” state, stripping people of their citizenship and expelling them from their homes. This is too high a price to pay. We will not violate our constitution, give up our sovereignty and destroy our territorial integrity just to have Serbia recognize something that is already a fact. We will also not set a dangerous precedent that will destabilize the wider Balkans and those countries fighting for their own territorial integrity, such as Israel, Ukraine and India. The vast majority of international experts oppose this idea. It has also been soundly rejected by the Kosovo people – with 77 percent voting against it in a recent poll. As the country’s prime minister, I would never support such a trade. More fundamentally, we also have no confidence that Serbia will honor its commitments, given its history of acting in bad faith. Serbia has failed to implement any major agreement it has entered into with Kosovo including the Ahtisaari Plan, the 2013 Brussels agreement on the normalization of relations, and the 2013 and 2015 agreements on power supply. The E.U. and the United States were guarantors of these agreements, demonstrating how Serbia ignores international pressure when it is applied. In violation of these agreements, Serbia was recently caught blocking Kosovo from joining Interpol. Furthermore, Serbia has been actively lobbying the E.U. to further delay granting visa-free travel rights to Kosovars, despite Kosovo reaching agreement with the E.U. and implementing more than 95 reforms. Shockingly, Serbia is using money generated from unfair trade with Kosovo to fund these lobbying campaigns against our very existence and economic development. For too long, Serbia has abused Kosovo’s market and violated the terms of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA). Serbia has regularly dumped underpriced products in Kosovo and violated rules related to public procurement, labeling, health standards and customs enforcement. Enough is enough — in the name of fair trade, national security and our vital national interests, my government has imposed a 100 percent tariff on all Serbian goods. These measures will remain in place until Serbia stops its efforts to undermine our sovereignty and begins honoring its commitments. Despite these tensions, I know the only answer is peace, and I still wholeheartedly support the creation of a long-term comprehensive peace deal with Serbia that addresses all political, security, economic, trade and cultural issues. To be successful, such an agreement must have the support of a majority of both Serbia and Kosovo’s peoples so that it is durable and can survive long-term. This agreement must result in Kosovo’s recognition by Serbia, entry into the United Nations and a rapid path to E.U. and NATO membership. As long as the final agreement achieves these goals and does not violate our constitution, sovereignty and territorial integrity as this ill-conceived land-trade idea would, I will support it and urge all others to do so, as well. Thinking creatively and working together, Kosovo and Serbia can move past their current disputes and insulting proposals to create a lasting peace that benefits all of our people.

 

Former UN president Jeremic backs indicted Hong Kong businessman (AP, by Jim Mustian, 27 November 2018)

 

A former president of the United Nations General Assembly Vuk Jeremic said Tuesday that he never witnessed “anything improper” on the part of a prominent Hong Kong businessman on trial in New York on charges of bribing government leaders in two African nations to land lucrative business deals for a Chinese oil and gas conglomerate. Vuk Jeremic reported to the indicted businessman, Dr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho, when he worked as a consultant for CEFC China Energy. Jeremic told a federal jury that he connected Ho to high-ranking officials in several countries and opened diplomatic doors for CEFC as it expanded its business around the globe. But in an interview following his hourslong testimony, Jeremic said he never had concerns about Ho’s dealings. “I have never witnessed him say anything improper in my life” he said outside a Manhattan courtroom. Jeremic provided The AP a letter from the U.S. Justice Department that said even though he was called to testify, “he has neither been charged with nor is alleged to have committed a crime.” Jeremic under subpoena described doing work for CEFC while still PGA. As soon as he left he started the process to sign on as a CEFC consultant at $333,333 a year. This require a waiver from Serbia, where he had been foreign minister. But the UN, then as now, has NO cooling off period. Inner City Press asked Jeremic about it during the court's lunch break. He said he had complied with rules - Serbian rules. Jeremic, who leads the opposition party in Serbia, said he has been “vilified” and faced “brutal” criticism in his home country over his involvement in Ho’s proceedings. “It’s been portrayed as if I were on trial,” he said. “It was very important for me to clear Serbia’s name.” Jeremic also sought to distance the United Nations from the criminal proceedings, even though one of the officials Ho is charged with bribing, Sam Kutesa, Uganda’s foreign minister, also served as president of the U.N. General Assembly when Ho sought him out. Jeremic’s remarks came on the second day of Ho’s trial. Ho, a former home affairs secretary in Hong Kong, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, money laundering and violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Among other allegations, he is accused of paying a $2 million bribe to the president of Chad, Idriss Deby, in an attempt to steer oil rights to CEFC. Ho’s defense attorneys have argued the payments amounted to charitable donations and that they were legal and documented.