LOCAL PRESS

 

Drecun: Vehicles only with status neutral license plates (RTS)

Vehicles from Kosovo and Metohija can move through Serbia proper only with status neutral KS license plates, the Chairman of the Serbian parliamentary Committee for Kosovo and Metohija Milovan Drecun told journalists in the Serbian parliament, noting that Pristina is interpreting the agreement on insurance in a way unacceptable for Serbia. Drecun said that license plates were treated with the previous technical agreements when it was decided that vehicles from Kosovo and Metohija can move through Serbia proper with KS-Kosovo license plates that are status neutral. He adds that Pristina now wants to tie to this agreement the vehicles that are using license plates that are not status neutral and have inscribed on them RKS-Republic of Kosovo and for these vehicles to move through Serbia proper, which was not the subject of agreements and talks. “Such vehicles cannot move through Serbia proper and this is a political maneuver with which Pristina is now trying to receive some points and resolve the insurance issue in a way unacceptable for Serbia,” said Drecun, noting that Serbia will resolve this problem in the following days for the benefit of citizens who are crossing the administrative line, regardless of their nationality. He says this will be an issue for the teams that are resolving technical details. Drecun says that Pristina is trying to introduce through the small door, with the Agreement on Insurance as well, the status issue in the process of normalization of relations, i.e. to abandon the status neutral framework of the Brussels agreement.

 

Protest in Rudare: Kosovo border police announced seizure of Serbian license plates (KoSSev)

Several hundred vehicles have headed towards Rudnica after several dozen of citizens gathered in Rudare, Zvecan municipality. They are protesting after the announcements that arrived from the integrated border crossings from the north that vehicles carrying Serbian license places with Kosovo towns (PR, KM, PZ, PE) will be banned from entering and leaving Kosovo and Metohija. The citizens are announcing the blockade of roads if this decision is implemented. Together with the citizens is Zvecan Mayor Vucina Jankovic who points out that his duty is to be with the citizens while talks are underway between the representatives of Pristina institutions and most probably, as he said, Serbian government representatives, including customs representatives from the checkpoints in the north. German soldiers within KFOR, as well as two EULEX vehicles are in Rudare. Traffic, regulated by the Kosovo police is unhindered at the moment. “According to information that I as mayor have received from the Kosovo border police, instructions were given according to which all Serbian license plates with Kosovo towns will be confiscated,” said Jankovic. He also confirmed that other mayors have also been acquainted with the instructions from the border crossing, that they are all in contact and waiting for the outcome of the meeting that is underway. He couldn’t specify where the meeting was taking place. Asked what steps will be undertaken by the local self-government from the north if vehicles with these license plates are stopped and license plates seized at integrated crossings, Jankovic says his duty is to be with the citizens and to respect every decision they pass. On the other side, the president of the provisional Zvecan municipality Dragan Nedeljkovic told KoSSev that the roads will be blocked if they start seizing plates. “The citizens are dissatisfied. All of them travel to Serbia every day and they will not allow this,” he said. Nedeljkovic also said his duty was to be with the citizens.

 

UNESCO: Kosovo’s application has not arrived (Novosti)

Novosti was confirmed in Paris that the UNESCO Secretariat has not received Kosovo’s application for membership. Pristina announced seven days ago that this application was sent, Novosti writes. Because of this intention of Kosovo officials, Serbian diplomacy has been trying to ensure for countries that are undecided in regard to their support for Pristina to vote against and not to abstain, because they would thus indirectly pave the way for Kosovo’s membership. The aim is to prevent passage into this organization, because otherwise all Serbian monuments under UNESCO protection would be “attributed” to Pristina. This time, mathematics is not on Belgrade’s side since 33 members out of 58 of the UNESCO Executive Committee have recognized Kosovo. Rules stipulate that a simple majority is enough for the Pristina request to reach the UNESCO General Conference that will be held in mid- November. Serbia doesn’t have a representative in the current composition of the Executive Committee, while it includes states that recognized Kosovo – Albania, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, US… If Kosovo’s request reaches Paris, and UNESCO Secretary General Irina Bokova forwards it to the Executive Committee, it will be sufficient for one or two members of this body to request to include Kosovo’s candidacy on the agenda and to vote on it at this level, Novosti writes. The next step is the Conference, and according to Pristina, it has 111 members that recognized Kosovo out of 195, while they also rely on the votes of the states that do not consider them a state but supported them to join other international organizations in the past. However, according to diplomatic circles, not all countries that consider Pristina independent are willing to let it join UNESCO, while there is also uncertainty with an opposite example of Greece that is publicly promising Kosovo to vote for it even though it doesn’t recognize it.

 

Eparchy concerned over seizure of land from Visoki Decani Monastery (Tanjug)

The Raska-Prizren Eparchy of the Serbian Orthodox Church voiced deep concern over the recent decision of the Appellate Chamber of the Kosovo Supreme Court whereby, as stated, it annuls the right to property to the Visoki Decani Monastery over 24 hectares near the monastery. This annuls the decision of the Supreme Court from December 2012, the Eparchy stresses. It is stated that over the past seven years the Kosovo Supreme Court has confirmed several times its jurisdiction on this issue, which makes the latest decision by the Appellate Chamber illogical and legally unfounded. The Eparchy notes that it hired a legal team that is working, in cooperation with international experts, on finding legal measures aimed at protecting property interests of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

 

Joksimovic: Serbia receives support in continuation of talks with EU (Tanjug)

Serbian Minister without Portfolio fin charge of European Integrations Jadranka Joksimovic has stated after the informal meeting of ministers and state secretaries of European affairs in Luxembourg that Serbia had received support for the reforms, and the government’s policy for regional stability is praised. Everybody has expressed their support to us, and added that by the end of the year we should start opening the negotiating chapters, Joksimovic said. She told Tanjug that the messages of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, after the recent incidents in B&H, and his invitation to their presidency to come to Belgrade, have received excellent comments. It has been recognized that Serbia is exercising the responsible policy of stability in the region, concluded Joksimovic. Luxembourg is chairing the EU until the end of the year, and the meeting was attended by the representatives of the member-states and candidates for the membership.

 

Athens irritated with Serbia over Kosovo and Macedonia (B92/Beta)

Greece is irritated by Serbia’s position regarding Kosovo and Macedonia, Beta is quoting an article published on the SKAI website. The Greek media outlet quoted unnamed foreign ministry circles who said that Serbia lately made a series of incomprehensible moves, exerting pressure in the EU to settle the Macedonian name issue. According to this, Athens is also troubled by information about the alleged pressure on Greece to recognize Kosovo. The article said that due to recent provocative moves of Belgrade related to Kosovo and the FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) name issue, Athens has already lodged official protests. On the issue of Macedonia - which Serbia recognizes under its constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia, while Skopje is a member of the UN as FYROM - SKAI said that diplomatic factors stressed that Greece’s European partners, despite Serbia’s interventions, recognize Greece is approaching negotiations with willingness to compromise, and stress that Skopje must overcome irredentist mentality and retreat from rigid positions that prevent agreement. When it comes to Serbian reports about Greece’s intentions regarding Kosovo - the unilaterally declared independence of which Athens does not recognize - the Foreign Ministry circles stated that the policy of Athens is entirely about implementation of agreements signed between 2000 and 2013, which has been done for years, and which is absolutely known to the Serbian government. The circles then pointed out that in practice, Serbia has in fact sought closer relations with Kosovo, despite the public image it is creating on the home front. The sources went on to say that recognition of Kosovo is not the issue of this moment - but Athens conducts its own foreign policy, guided by national interests. The Greek Foreign Ministry officials pointed out with dissatisfaction that Athens has for seven years supported Serbia’s candidacy for EU membership, while Belgrade was quick to recognize FYROM based on narrow interests.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

SDA and Party for B&H agree positions, agreement signing in August (Oslobodjenje)

Delegations from the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Party for B&H (SB&H) agreed on certain positions and in August a signing of an agreement to form a new coalition in the Federation could be expected. “Many things that we thought were difficult we agreed on. Those are issues of how to provide the missing funds for the IMF, then issues of the energy sector in terms of developments in mines and so on,” said Besim Imamovic, SB&H Vice President, said after the meeting. There was no mention of the SB&H members’ positions in the FB&H government at the meeting, which, says Imamovic, would be tossed up as a crown at the signing among future coalition partners. The signing at the Federation of B&H level, said Asim Sarajlic, SDA Vice President, could be expected in August. “In terms of the future of the country, the SDA and SB&H are never far in that they have an almost identical view… I think the SDA and SB&H may or may not be in the coalition, but will always be in the frame of preserving the country,” said Sarajlic. In order to form a new coalition, he confirmed that the SDA is not seeking parties just from the shelter of the Bosniak people, adding that the SDA is discussing with the HDZ and with smaller parties that should support B&H’s reform path. Among the minor parties, aside from the SB&H, are BPS and A-SDA, said SDA secretary Amir Zukic before the meeting. “If we want to work on important issues, we need a stable political majority of 55 to 59, or as broad as possible in the Federation parliament. This requires this moment in which we find ourselves, that is, forming a government of national salvation to resolve these issues,” concluded Muhidin Alic, member of the SB&H presidency, after the SDA-SB&H meeting.

 

Bosniaks initiate procedure to prevent referendum in RS (Dnevni avaz)

The Bosniak caucus in Republika Srpska (RS) Council of Peoples initiated a procedure of protection of the vital national Interest which, as it claims, is jeopardized by the RS parliament’s decision to call a referendum on the B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office. It also launched an initiative to determine whether the RS parliament’s decision is constitutional and legal. Those procedures are constitutional mechanisms the Bosniak caucus can use in order to prevent or delay the referendum. Caucus whip Mujo Hadziomerovic said they expect the RS Constitutional court to reject their initiative, but that this will create conditions for addressing the B&H Constitutional Court, which has already said that B&H Court and Prosecution are constitutional.

 

RS government calls for urgent agreement on B&H coordination mechanism (Oslobodjenje)

The RS government called for urgent agreement on a coordination mechanism in B&H in the process of European integration. Taking into account the importance of the European Union’s financial support to B&H through funds from the IPA II instrument, and in order to overcome the identified problems in the programming process for 2015 and the urgent need for the process of European integrations in B&H to develop in accordance with its constitutional structure and distribution of responsibilities among all levels of government, the RS government reiterates its call for urgent agreement on the coordination mechanism for European integration processes in B&H in accordance with solutions and principles agreed in 2013, which were confirmed by the RS government on 23 May 2013 and the conclusions of the RS parliament on 4 October 2013 and 11 February 2015. In session, the entity government accepted information on the process of development and adoption of sectoral planning documents and packets of IPA action documents for 2015 without the participation of representatives of the RS institutions. “The RS government expresses concern over the issue of validity and implementation of sectoral planning documents and packets of IPA action documents for 2015, which were adopted without the participation of RS institutional representatives, because the aforementioned documents, by their content, subject, scope, and substance of those who made them must firmly rest on the constitutional structure of B&H and the constitutional distribution of responsibilities, which is only possible through the appropriate mechanism of coordination in the field of European integrations,” the entity government said in a statement.

 

RS government adopts reform agenda (Nezavisne)

The RS government adopted a 2015-2018 reform agenda for B&H. “Intensive consultations were conducted in the past few months between representatives of the B&H Council of Ministers and the governments of the RS and FB&H on the content of this document whose passage is one of the crucial conditions for further progress of B&H on its European path,” says a press release from the RS government’s PR Office. The RS government expressed particular gratitude to the EU Delegation to B&H, headed by Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, for efforts made towards reaching agreement on all open issues.

 

Oric’s attorney considers suing Dodik (Nezavisne)

Former B&H Army commander in Srebrenica Naser Oric did not attend the commemoration in Srebrenica on July 11, when Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic was attacked, said Oric’s lawyer Vasvija Vidovic. She commented recent remarks by the RS President Milorad Dodik who said that Oric came in disguise in Srebrenica and participated in the attack on Vucic. “Oric was not in Srebrenica because, due to the restriction of movement ordered by the Court, he must not leave the Sarajevo and Zenica-Doboj Cantons. There is ample evidence and witnesses to confirm that. The police, for example, can determine from where he made phone calls that day” said Vidovic. She said that they are now considering suing Dodik for his remarks.

 

Moscow officially supports referendum in RS (Nezavisne)

Moscow has officially backed the decision of the RS authorities to call a referendum on confidence in B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office. “Poor efficiency of the judicial system in B&H has been recognized by the political forces in B&H and by the international community. State level institutions are bias against one nation – Serbs,” reads a statement of the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry Aleksandr Bikantov published on the Ministry website. He said that RS is thus forced to resort to democratic instruments in order to ensure the realization of its legitimate interests. Bikantov reminded that the referendum issue was raised a few years ago, and the situation then was overcome through negotiations, but that “they were not very productive, not by the fault of the RS.” “However, we assume that the problems that exist in B&H, including functioning of the judicial bodies and the removal of ‘national’ mistakes in their work, should be addressed within the framework of equal, productive dialogue between all participants of the political process in B&H, in accordance with the Dayton Agreement,” statement reads. Russian Foreign Ministry believes that, avoiding discussion on fundamental issues with the RS, as well as unilateral interference by the High Representative, would only destabilize the situation in B&H. RS parliament adopted recently decision to call referendum asking people whether they accept the authority of B&H Court and Prosecutor’s Office on the RS territory. Referendum should be held within six months. EU foreign ministers strongly condemned the announcement of the referendum.

 

Interview with HR Valentin Inzko (Dnevni avaz)

Dnevni avaz: The RS parliament adopted the decision on referendum. The OHR reacted by pointing out that it was a violation of the Dayton Agreement. Other international organizations and embassies reacted too. Yet, the public is alarmed. Will the OHR react by concrete measures, as it was determined exactly when this decision will be implemented? What about the available instruments, i.e. Bonn powers?

Valentin Inzko: There is absolutely no doubt that the RS National Assembly adopted a decision that goes beyond its competencies despite being clearly warned in advance by the International Community not to do so. Voting against essential parts of the General Framework Agreement for Peace is irresponsible to say the least and can cause no good – quite the opposite, it can only drive the RS into deeper isolation and the whole country into an even deeper crisis and nobody needs that. One half of the country cannot vote for the country as a whole. OHR retains the necessary instruments to uphold the GFAP. PIC Steering Board Ambassadors have also been clear on this issue. Rest assured we are fully aware of the gravity of this situation.

Dnevni avaz: Do you believe that this act additionally destabilized the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), as it came after the attack on Serbian Prime Minister in Potocari?

Valentin Inzko: These are completely separate issues and should be addressed separately. Regarding the attack on Prime Minister Vucic, which I again use this opportunity to condemn in the strongest possible terms, I expect the B&H institutions to be proactive in finding and prosecuting the perpetrators.

Dnevni avaz: What about the referendum? Everyone has condemned the act, but no one is doing anything about it…

Valentin Inzko: Regarding the referendum issue, I find it interesting that the SNSD and its partners have chosen to once again attack the competencies of the state level institutions to deal with corruption.  Ordinary people need not only reforms to improve the socio-economic situation, but also support for all judicial authorities that must lead the fight against corruption and this includes the State-level  Court and Prosecutors Office. Clearly the way forward is to strengthen and not to weaken institutions at all levels that participate in the fight against corruption, including those at the State level. This is what the people want, regardless of where they live in B&H. It is very simple, citizens want corrupt officials and politicians going to prison. Such attention diversions serve no other purpose but only to show the seemly endless capacity of powerful elite to do everything for themselves, and nothing for the people and I hope that the citizens can see through those efforts.

Dnevni avaz: Is the international community being too tolerant when it comes to anti-Dayton actions coming from the RS, concretely from Dodik, which act as an obstacle for the European path of B&H?

Valentin Inzko: Over the years, the approach of international community in B&H has changed. Our firm belief is that the country’s leaders have to do their jobs  Some would argue that was a premature decision of the international community and could use, amongst other things, this most recent challenge to the DPA as an argument to support such a claim. I, on the other hand, believe that the international community cannot forever do what elected leaders willingly said are their jobs.

Dnevni avaz: What do you think will be fate of the structural dialogue on judiciary, which was initiated in 2011 precisely because identical assertions by Milorad Dodik?

Valentin Inzko: There are legal avenues within the domestic system to improve the efficiency of the judiciary at all levels. That is the proper way to address these kinds of issues. The State-level judiciary is regulated at the State-level and this is where improvements should be made.

Dnevni avaz: What is your comment on the political crisis in the Federation of B&H, which is also somewhat of an obstacle for the European path of B&H?

Valentin Inzko: Once again, party interests have been more important than dealing with the problems citizens face. It seems that they have chosen to ignore what they were told by the citizens not least during the during the 2014 February protests. I think the view of the International Community is clear – starts delivering the concrete results you have signed up to support under the Written Commitment and the reform agenda.

 

INTERNATIONAL PRESS

 

Skopje Revamp Forges Ahead Despite Heat (BIRN, by Sinisa Jakov Marusic, 24 July 2015)

As Macedonian authorities warn people against exposure to scorching summer heat, construction workers plough on with the government-funded Skopje 2014 revamp project. Amid searing temperatures of about 40 degrees Celsius and health warnings to stay home, hundreds of construction workers working on the massive revamp of the Macedonian capital are still baking away in the sun daily. Construction sites in and around Skopje’s central area on Thursday were brimming with workers, even at midday. While some placed new cobbles on the main “Macedonia” square, working in short shifts to avoid dehydration, others carried out masonry work or climbed on high scaffolding on the nearby buildings that form part of "Skopje 2014". Some were not even wearing safety helmets and other safety equipment. “It all depends on how conscientious their employers are,” Robert Hot, head of Macedonia’s chamber of construction companies, said. “I believe that most of them [employers] are aware of the situation and are granting longer rests for their workers. Some have moved workers out of direct exposure to the sun.” The city authorities and doctors have warned ordinary citizens to stay home and avoid exposure to the sun from 10am to 5pm. The authorities have also advised employers to exempt older persons and pregnant women from the obligation to come to work. Formally, the authorities have yet to proclaim a heat "alert" in Skopje and have not banned work in the open, however. For that to happen, the law says that the temperature in Skopje must reach 41 degrees Celsius. The temperature on Thursday on a hill near Skopje was 36 degrees, the Meteorological Centre said. But the temperatures in the concrete and asphalt-filled city centre were clearly much higher, and more like 40 degrees. “Working in these temperatures endangers the health of the workers as well as their safety, bearing in mind that many of them work on scaffolding that is not very safe,” Dejan Lutovski, from the leftist “Lenka” movement, told Radio Free Europe. Drawing inspiration from the architectural styles of Classical Antiquity, the Skopje 2014 project, which was launched in 2010, envisages the construction of more than 100 buildings and tall sculptures, including museums, theatres, concert halls, hotels and offices. Many other bronze and marble statues are also being erected to adorn the surroundings, including a triumphal arch, about 15 equestrian statues and a memorial complex dedicated to fallen heroes. The piece-de-resistance is a 22-metre-high bronze equestrian statue of the Ancient warrior, Alexander the Great, standing on top of a white marble fountain in Skopje’s central square. While opponents deride the mainly government-funded project as bad taste and pricey for a small, poor country, others insist that it is benefitting the once shabby-looking capital. The temperature on Thursday on a hill near Skopje was 36 degrees, the Meteorological Centre said. But the temperatures in the concrete and asphalt-filled city centre were clearly much higher, and more like 40 degrees. “Working in these temperatures endangers the health of the workers as well as their safety, bearing in mind that many of them work on scaffolding that is not very safe,” Dejan Lutovski, from the leftist “Lenka” movement, told Radio Free Europe. Drawing inspiration from the architectural styles of Classical Antiquity, the Skopje 2014 project, which was launched in 2010, envisages the construction of more than 100 buildings and tall sculptures, including museums, theatres, concert halls, hotels and offices. Many other bronze and marble statues are also being erected to adorn the surroundings, including a triumphal arch, about 15 equestrian statues and a memorial complex dedicated to fallen heroes. The piece-de-resistance is a 22-metre-high bronze equestrian statue of the Ancient warrior, Alexander the Great, standing on top of a white marble fountain in Skopje’s central square. While opponents deride the mainly government-funded project as bad taste and pricey for a small, poor country, others insist that it is benefitting the once shabby-looking capital.

 

Bosnian Police on Alert Following ISIL Cell Revelations (Sputnik, by Anastasia Levchenko, 23 July 2015)

ISIL terrorists might be setting up training camps on Bosnia.

MOSCOW – State police in Bosnia and Herzegovina are closely monitoring its northern region following reports of Islamic State militants setting up training camps on its territory, the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) told Sputnik on Thursday. "Considering that a certain number of persons of interest are located in the area of Osve, SIPA constantly collects, analyzes and exchanges intelligence with other law enforcement agencies regarding possible planning, preparing, organizing and recruiting for terrorist attacks," SIPA spokeswoman Kristina Jozic said. The isolated village of Osve received media attention following last week’s UK media investigation revealing ISIL militants secretly buying land with a view to use it as a staging ground for future terrorist attacks in Europe. In a written statement to Sputnik, Jozic reaffirmed that "all human, material and technical resources are made available to the fight against terrorism." By setting up operations in Osve, ISIL fighters are reportedly exploiting the high level of youth unemployment in Bosnia – estimated by the World Bank to have been over 60 percent in 2012 – to recruit new militants. The Balkan region is also known for its multi-ethnic composition and tensions between ethnic groups residing in the country. Bosnia saw major clashes between Bosnian Muslims, Christian Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats during the country's civil war in 1992-1995. Two-fifths of the Bosnian population is Muslim, around 30 percent are Orthodox and some 15 percent – Catholic. Over 300 Bosnians joined Sunni militant organizations in Syria and Iraq in 2015, according to the findings of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization at King's College.