LOCAL PRESS

 

Drecun: Nikolic and Vucic conducting identical policy on Kosovo and Metohija (B92)

The Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun told TVB92 news broadcast that the Serbian President and government conduct an identical policy as regards Kosovo. “That policy rests on the parliament resolution from 2013. The question is only whether all Serbian institutions should be abolished only after the Union of Serb Municipalities is established, since the survival of the Serb population in Kosovo could not be secured in any other way,” said Drecun. He opines that President Nikolic wishes to go ahead of the events so we don’t find ourselves in a “take it or leave it situation”. “Recognition of Kosovo is a limit that we cannot cross. As far as I understood President Nikolic, he wishes a 3D solution. One should take care of the Albanians who don’t want to live in Serbia, a solution for the Serbs in the north is necessary, but also for those living in the enclaves south of the Ibar River: It is better that we find a solution on our own than to have it imposed on us. I expect Nikolic to offer soon his platform that the government will probably adopt and then it will be forwarded to the parliament,” said Drecun.

 

Stojanovic: Kosovo budget not to fulfill Serb expectations (Tanjug/RTK2)

Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Branimir Stojanovic assessed the adoption of the Kosovo budget for 2015 as a step backwards as not even 5% of the funds have been envisaged for the Kosovo Serbs. He said that the Kosovo Serbs would be constructive in the work of the Kosovo government to the extent their demands are met. He told RTK 2 that, in talks they had with international representatives and others in the government after the adoption, Kosovo Serbs had been given guarantees that that would be changed in the budget implementation, but that remains to be seen yet. Members of the Serb (Srpska) List left the Kosovo Assembly session as not even 5%, of the 1.7 billion euros of the adopted budget for 2015, are envisaged for the local self-government with the Serb majority and there is no budget for the return of displaced persons either.

 

Vukcevic: Truth about KLA crimes soon (Blic)

“The Serbian War Crimes Prosecution is still investigating Strpci, Srebrenica and crimes in Kosovo and Metohija,” War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic tells the New Year edition of Blic. After eleven years at the helm of the Prosecution, Vukcevic will most probably retire on 29 January. “We will soon inform the public about the crimes committed against Serbs by the KLA, but also about all the investigated crimes against Serbs in the former Yugoslavia. The main problem is the lack of access to witnesses and suspects who are in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, up to 90 percent of them. When somebody is arrested on our warrants abroad, they are not delivered to Belgrade, but to Pristina.”

When will the investigations be opened?

“We have advanced far in the investigation into the murder of Albanian prisoners in Dubrava, but we have had to stop. I was looking for an expansion of capacities, but this was not done, so the cases are significantly slowed. We need more people. In B&H 100 work for the prosecution, while here there are five deputy prosecutors, two advisors, as well as four investigators.”

 

Davenport: EU not conditioning EU integration with recognition of Kosovo’s independence (Dnevnik)

The Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport claims that the EU is not conditioning the further course of Serbia’s EU integration process with recognition of the self-declared Kosovo, as President Tomislav Nikolic has been saying in his latest statements. “The EU position is clear and has a united stand – Serbia is not requested to recognize the self-declared independence of Kosovo. Belgrade and Pristina are expected to consistently put into practice everything that had been agreed with the Brussels agreement and to contribute to the joint goal of comprehensive normalization of relations,” Davenport told Dnevnik. He assesses as untrue the stories that the EU will place Serbia before the choice “either the EU or Russia” as a condition for continuing EU integration. “I don’t see any argument that would support the thesis that Serbia would be placed before the choice – either the EU or Russia. Serbia expressed commitment to become an EU member and received the candidate status. The negotiating process started in December 2013 and this is an unstoppable process,” said Davenport.

 

Czech veteran from Kosovo refused NATO medals: I am ashamed to have served a criminal organization (Beta)

A former Czech doctor, a veteran from the missions in Kosovo, B&H and Afghanistan, requested the Czech Defense Minister to take away from him the NATO medals. Lieutenant Colonel Marek Obrtel sent this request because he disagrees with the policy of the West towards Russia and because he is ashamed of the Western military alliance as a “criminal organization”. “An impulse for this move is the current political developments,”Obrtel told the Mlada fronta Dnes. “I have always served as much as it was in my power, because I think that such service cannot be done partially. But already then, especially in connection to the conflict in Kosovo, I started to doubt that our path was correct,” Obrtel wrote in an open letter. He requested that four NATO medals be taken away from him, because, as he wrote, he is ashamed to have served a “criminal organization” that is, with the US at the helm, “imposing its interests on the world and provoking armed conflicts”. Obrtel opines that the US, allegedly because it is economically decaying, wants to provoke a world war with Russia and to abuse the territory of Europe for these purposes. The Czech Lieutenant Colonel commended the Russian and Czech Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Milos Zeman respectively, who, in his opinion, are calling things by their real names and reminds the Czechs that Russia is part of Europe. “In the new cold war, I stand on the side of President Putin,” wrote Obrtel. The Czech Defense Ministry told Obrtel that there is no regulation according to which it could take away the medals from him and that if he wanted to give up the medals he needs to return them.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Ivanic: I expect changes in perception of politics in B&H (Fena)

I would like for the new year to start with the process of slow change in the perception of politics in B&H. Politics should become the most boring thing in people’s lives and they should concern themselves with other, more important issues, Chairman of the B&H Presidency Mladen Ivanic told Fena when asked about his expectations in 2015. He wants for politics to become more monotonous, as in other parts of the world, and not something you go to bed with at night and something you wake up with in the morning. He points out that politicians mostly contribute to this. “I hope that people will live at least a little better than today because it would be the most valuable thing that the New Year can bring,” said Ivanic. For him as a politician, 2014 will be remembered as the year of elections. He thinks that election results in the RS are especially interesting since there is noticeable polarization of the electorate. “At the level of the Council of Ministers and the B&H Presidency, we from the Alliance for Change won, while the RS Government and the President will remain the same. Hence, 2014 will remain a year of polarization in my memory. If only another 3,500 people voted for Ognjen Tadic instead of Milorad Dodik, he would have won. Another thing we learned from the elections is that every vote counts and that the saying ‘my vote will not change anything’ is not true,” says the current Chairman of the Presidency.

 

Osmic: Defense structures of B&H have reason to be proud of what they achieved (Fena)

Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Armed Forces of B&H (AF B&H) proved to be a stabilizing factor in B&H in 2014 and a leader on the path to NATO, assessed Minister of Defense of B&H Zekerijah Osmic in an interview with Fena. ”Defense structures of B&H have many reasons to be proud of what they achieved in 2014. Level of training of B&H AF gets better by the day. Level of interoperability with NATO gives new opportunities for cooperation with our partners, members of the Partnership for Peace, and NATO members,” said Osmic. When it comes to activities related to solving surplus weapons, Minister of Defense of B&H emphasized that great progress has been made with forming of a Strategic Committee for Weapons, Ammunition and Explosive Ordnance (NMiMES) in July 2013, whose goal is more efficient, faster and transparent operations in that area. ”Implementation of the EXPLODE project, which was launched by MoD and B&H AF in cooperation with the European Union (EU), OSCE Mission to B&H and UNDP, around 1.000 tons of ammunition and explosive ordnance was destroyed in 2014, which reduced the total amount to 16.000 tons of MiMES, whereas there are 40.000 pieces of weapons,” said Osmic. At the same time, he emphasized they plan to solve “the surplus” by 2020, adding that “implementation of SECUP project improves conditions of storing MiMES, and at the same time it improves security degree, which is the primary aim.” Reflecting on participation in peacekeeping missions, Minister Osmic stated that infantry unit of 45 members participated in NATO ISAF Mission in Afghanistan, and that there are eight headquarters officers in north of the country. Minister Osmic also emphasized that priorities for 2015 include solving “extra” mobile and immobile property, fulfilling international commitments, bilateral, regional and wider international cooperation, implementation of demining plan and participation in operation “Resolute Support” in Afghanistan, in missions in Congo, Mali, and training, admission of young officers and soldiers, assisting population… ”We also expect the issue of perspective immobile defense property to be solved, which would give B&H a chance to participate in Membership Action Plan,” said Minister of Defense of B&H. He also emphasized that meeting NATO standards is priority aim, stating that NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo and EUFOR Command assisted in development of independent and self-sustainable capacity of training commands and units of B&H AF and that the cooperation will continue in 2015. ”Current geopolitical situation in the Western Balkan region is positive in regard of possibilities of further enlargement of NATO and the EU to this area and we as Ministry of Defense of B&H are ready to give our contribution in the years to come,” said Minister of Defense of B&H Zekerijah Osmic in an interview with Fena.

 

Izetbegovic: HDZ can get only five ministerial positions in FB&H government, SDP and SNSD main culprits for the bad situation in the country (Dnevni avaz)

Bakir Izetbegovic, deputy president of the SDA, when speaking at a New Year’s press conference of the parties rated the year behind us, as very difficult, with many accumulated problems that have escalated with spontaneous rebellion of citizens. He said that the dissatisfaction of citizen’s, above all, was caused by the parties that promised economic progress, the fight against crime and corruption, and have done nothing, labeling SDP and SNSD as the main culprits for the bad situation in the country. Referring to the statements of the HDZ B&H leader, Dragan Covic, that this party should receive one additional ministerial position in the FB&H government, Covic said that it is an unfounded attitude. “Five ministries belong to the HDZ B&H, but they seek sixth. The DF is for now satisfied with 3 to 4 ministerial positions, which means that the HDZ B&H can get only five positions in the government. He said that Covic’s statement that the coalition at the state level is mathematical and it will not be sustainable, is not a good statement. Although Izetbegovic with his partners from the B&H government reassured the public that they would form the government at all levels by the end of the year, Izetbegovic said that the Council of Ministers could be formed in mid-February, alongside with the Government of the Federation. He admitted that in Sarajevo Canton and in Bosnia-Podrinje Canton they still have problems with forming the government. It is interesting that the New Year's press conference was not attended by Adil Osmanovic, Vice President of the SDA, who was nominated for the mandate holder for the Council of Ministers. This is another proof of the SDA shaky relations within the party, after the party proposed Denis Zvizdic for the mandate holder.

 

119 war crimes indictments in Bosnia this year (Tanjug/Fena)

The B&H Prosecution has announced that it indicted 470 persons during 2014, 119 of whom for war crimes. In a statement, the prosecution explained that it has jurisdiction in cases of war crimes, organized crime, corruption, financial crime and tax evasion, international drug and people trafficking, and terrorism. “In an exceptionally dynamic and working year that is behind us, the Prosecution of Bosnia-Herzegovina achieved exceptional results, the best so far in the history of this institution,” said the statement. Fena further quoted it as saying that the prosecution will next year “certainly have even better results” - when prosecutors and other staff intend to make “maximum efforts to establish the rule of law in the upcoming period of the country's European integration”.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Kosovo: Progress Falls Victim to Deadlock (BIRN, by Nektar Zogjani, 31 December 2014)

The political logjam following the June elections resulted in important processes being put on hold - but there was good news in sport. 2014 was a year in which elections overshadowed almost every other political and economic development in the country. It took six months for the new government to be established amid bitter wrangling between the parties over the top posts.

As a result, a number of processes that were supposed to be completed in 2014, such as the creation of the Kosovo Armed Forces and a Special Court for war crimes, were postponed until next year. In addition, Kosovo wasted time in advancing relations with Serbia and Europe. The EU-led dialogue with Belgrade was suspended in the absence of a government, and the important Stabilization and Association Agreement process with the EU was left in limbo, along with the promise of eventual visa liberalisation for Kosovars wishing to travel to Europe.

Kosovo also saw a number of citizens joining the sectarian war in Syria and Iraq, which prompted the authorities to push a new law, banning Kosovars from fighting abroad.

However, a much larger number of mainly young citizens left for the Western Europe, for purely economic reasons. The year was also marked by corruption scandals in the EU’s rule of law mission. A EULEX prosecutor, Maria Bamieh, sparked an EU investigation into the mission after she accused a former EULEX colleague of taking a cash bribe to release a person accused of murder. The year ended with good news, when the Kosovo Olympic Committee became a full member of the International Olympic Committee, which means that from now on, Kosovo athletes will now be able to compete in the Olympics under their own flag.

Political deadlock lasts months

Parliament was dissolved in May after the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo, PDK, led by the then Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, filed the request for dissolution. An agreement to dissolve parliament followed talks between Thaci of the PDK, Isa Mustafa, leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, Ramush Haradinaj, of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and Mimoza Kusari - Lila from the AKR. At a joint meeting with President Atifete Jahjaga, the party leaders discussed the recent blockade of legislation in the Assembly. The decision to dissolve the Assembly came after MPs failed to resolve two key issues: the transformation of the existing Kosovo Security Forces into the Kosovo Armed Forces and reserved seats for ethnic minorities in parliament. Ethnic Serbian parties in the Assembly conditioned their support for a vote on the Kosovo Armed Forces with the maintenance of the existing system of reserved seats for minorities. At the June snap election, Thaci’s PDK won most votes, despite the damage caused by the departure of two of deputy chairmen, Fatmir Limaj and Jakup Krasniqi.

However, an opposition coalition bloc fought over which party had the right chose the speaker of the assembly. This delayed the establishment of other central institutions, including the government. The opposition coalition at first agreed after the elections that Mustafa, leader of the LDK, would be the speaker of parliament, with the promise of the presidency once Jahjaga left office in 2016. But a ruling by the Constitutional Court in August wrecked that deal, annulling Mustafa’s election as speaker and confirming that the PDK, as the largest single party in parliament, had a right to the nominate the holder of the post. In the aftermath of the court ruling, which effectively allowed the PDK to stall the formation of a government indefinitely, the post-election coalition failed to reach a new power-sharing agreement. Finally, in late November, Thaci’s PDK and Mustafa’s LDK reached a deal which paved the way for a new government to be established. The deal provided for a rotation of the government leadership: Mustafa became Prime Minister, while Thaci was made his principal deputy and Foreign Minister. While the country awaited the new parliament and government, a number of important issues were left unresolved. MPs were supposed to vote on transforming the security forces into an army in spring 2014, but this was delayed because of the early general elections. The Special Court on war crimes that would investigate alleged crimes committed by Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, was meanwhile to have begun work in January 2015 but has also been delayed because of the political disputes. The court will hear cases arising from the recent European Union Special Investigative Task Force report, which also said that unnamed former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters could face indictments for conducting “a campaign of persecution” in the 1990s against Serbs, Roma and Kosovo Albanians believed to have collaborated with the Serbian regime.

The court will operate within the Kosovo justice system but will have a chamber outside the country in order to enhance witness protection and overall security. The EU and international partners, including the US, will appoint the international judges and prosecutors.

Kosovo-Serbia dialogue falters

The Kosovo-Serbia talks that started in 2012 slowed down in 2014 as a result of elections in both countries. While Kosovo, Serbian prime ministers have met just a few times, the technical teams in charge of implementation of the agreements reached in the EU-led talks continued to meet sporadically. A report produced by BIRN Kosovo and the Belgrade-based Center for Transparency, Research and Accountability, CRTA, suggested that only four of 16 accords reached in the talks had been fully implemented. Although both Kosovo and Serbia experienced a shift of power, with other parties coming to the helm of the respective governments, they reconfirmed their commitment to continuing the dialogue on normalizing relations.

Extremism rears its head

Kosovo became a collateral victim of the Middle East conflicts. Dozens of Kosovars were reported dead in Syria and Iraq after becoming involved in the conflicts there. By the summer, international agencies said around 150 Kosovars were present in Syria and other countries involved in the conflict. Kosovo authorities confirmed the figures. Dozens of Kosovars were arrested in a number of operations by the Kosovo Police on suspicion of involvement in terrorist groups and undermining the constitutional order. In one operation alone, several imams were arrested and accused of supporting and propagating religious extremism and jihad. In July, President Jahjaga met security bodies after photographs were posted by a Kosovo Albanian jihadist of him allegedly beheading a young soldier in Syria. “It is our responsibility as institutions and as a society to condemn these ugly phenomena. We must distance ourselves from these brutal acts of criminals and we must denounce them and treat them as such,” she said.

The government adopted a draft law sanctioning the involvement of Kosovars in foreign wars and conflicts abroad on December 19. Those sentenced, according to the draft, face up to 15 years of imprisonment. Parliament has yet to approve the law, however.

Economic flight continues

The second half of 2014 saw a growing trend of Kosovars fleeing the country in order to seek asylum in Western Europe. Despite calls by both international and Kosovo authorities for people not to flee the country, explaining that asylum will not be granted, as Kosovo is not considered as an unsafe country, the trend continued. Buses packed with mainly young people and families have been using Serbia as a transit route to reach Western Europe through Hungary. Footage showing Kosovars fleeing the country was shown almost every evening on Kosovo media.

On December 16, a plane with 30 passengers was forcibly returned to Pristina Airport. Others were also returned by force. Western officials warned that asking for asylum was a waste of time.

Allegations shake EULEX

Testimony by a EULEX prosecutor, Maria Bamieh, published in the Kosovo daily Koha Ditore about corruption scandals in EULEX shook the credibility of the European Union’s largest mission abroad. Bamieh accused a former EULEX colleague of taking a bribe of 300,000 euro to clear a man accused of murder, as well as seeking another bribe in a corruption case against a transport ministry official. Bamieh has since been suspended. She also claimed that EULEX initially failed to investigate her claims and instead targeted her for being a whistleblower.

The EU ordered an investigation into the prosecutor’s allegations. However, the rights organisation Human Rights Watch shed doubts on the likely success of the probe, noting that the EU expert appointed to investigate the claims had been given only “a limited role”.

Good news about Olympics

Kosovo ended the year with a positive development. The Kosovo Olympic Committee was granted full membership of the International Olympic Committee in early December.

This means that Kosovo athletes can compete in their own national team in the next Olympics in Rio, Brazil, in 2016. So far, Kosovo has been unable to field a team for the Olympics as it was not a member of the IOC. The former province of Serbia declared independence in 2008. Majlinda Kelmendi, a world champion judo competitor from Kosovo, represented Albania in the London 2012 Olympics. Another positive development in sport came when FIFA allowed the Kosovo football the right to play friendly matches. The Kosovo national team has since played a number of matches against teams such as Turkey, Haiti and Oman.

 

Serbia to assume OSCE chairmanship on January 15: Serbian Foreign Ministry (www.turkishweekly.net, 30 December 2014)

The first conference of the Permanent Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) under the Serbian chairmanship will be held on January 15, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said. "The first conference of the Permanent Council of the OSCE which I will chair will be held on January 15," Dadic told reporters on Monday. Following the conference, a series of bilateral meetings will take place, the minister added. "We will do our best to be a reliable chair, trusted by all sides, and to take appropriate measures for de-escalation of the conflicts existing all over the globe, from Vladivostok to Vancouver,” Dadic vowed. The OSCE presidency rotates annually and the post of Chairperson-in-Office is held by a Foreign Minister of one of the organization's 57 participating nations. Currently the OSCE is chaired by Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter. Last week, OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier stated that Serbia may become "an honest broker" as it is "very engaged on the European road with traditionally strong ties with Moscow." Dadic has repeatedly stated that de-escalation of the crisis in Ukraine will be the main priority of Serbia's chairmanship of the OSCE, which plays an important role in mediating the negotiations between Kiev and the breakaway regions in the country's south-east.

 

German police has detained several refugees from Albania and Serbia (Albeu, 30 December 2014)

The German police has detained during December 250 people who did not have any documents to stay in this country. A citizen of 42 years from Serbia did try to help 8 Kosovo Albanians enter Germany while another Serbian did the same thing with five Macedonian citizens.

While on Sunday the police detained a woman, Macedonian citizen (38 years old) and a man, a Serbian (39 years) who did try to help enter Germany seven other Kosovo citizens, writes the "Neue Passauer Nachrichten.de", transmits "albinfo". Most people who tried to enter Germany were detained mainly in the Austrian border.