LOCAL PRESS

 

Mogherini meets Vucic (RTS)

 

EU High Representative Federica Mogherini met in Belgrade with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Mogherini arrived in Belgrade after returning from a conference in Tashkent to discuss the future of the dialogue with Pristina with Vucic, after the arrest of Marko Djuric in Kosovska Mitrovica and his expulsion from Kosovo. Mogherini voiced regret over yesterday’s events in Kosovo and Metohija. “What happened yesterday, must not repeat. The EU expects preservation of peace along with a wise and restrained approach,” said Mogherini, as announced by the Media Relations Office of the Serbian President. The two interlocutors agreed to find new ways for continuing work and resolution of problems between Belgrade and Pristina in a peaceful manner. They acknowledged that it is in Serbia’s national and state interest to preserve stability, peace and progress on the EU path. Vucic told RTS that he had an open conversation with Mogherini about the events in Kosovo, that he presented our view of the entire situation and that “both sides” are not mentioned anywhere any further. He says that he had showed her documents that speak of the fact that Djuric did not violate the procedure when travelling to Kosovo. “As for the conversation with Mogherini, both sides were mentioned in the first reaction. Now that is not in the statement, because it's the worst kind of hypocrisy to talk about disproportionate use of force. It was an unlawful use of force... I am hearing from our political opponents and reading in the media various nonsense... We were talking only about the facts and to me the intention was completely clear. I can talk about how the entire north of the Serbian province was surrounded by Kosovo forces, they created a complete ring in order to show what they want it to look like. There were no deaths and serious casualties. We did not give them a chance to take the north of Kosovo; we did that by conducting a sharp, smart and wise policy and we made it clear that neither the Serbs nor Serbia can be played with. I am fascinated neither by their strength, power, nor their brains, so the situation has been made easier for me,” said Vucic. Asked to comment on media reports that he intended to raise the Army, Vucic said he would not speculate on this - but that according to the Constitution, he is in charge of commanding, and his job is to protect our people and citizens of our country. “Kosovo and Metohija is a part of Serbia’s territory according to the Constitution, we have special rules, but others have to respect them, too, and that is that there are no long guns and no armed force in northern Kosovo. I have not made such a decision, when I do - and I hope that I never will, and I’ll do my best to never do - it is understood that’s one of the possibilities, when the country and the people are endangered. I said that my words are not a joke, that I adhere to my words when they are serious and responsible. It seems to me that some have understood it well that this is no time to play with Serbia, that Serbia is not as weak as they would like it to be,” Vucic said. As for the decision of the Serb List to leave the ruling coalition in the self-proclaimed state, Vucic said they would join the opposition and act as people’s tribunes who will receive support from Serbia, but he also noted that the Serbs never want to join together, or feel sorry for Djuric in Kosovo or Vucic in Srebrenica.

Vucic talked by phone with US official Wess Mitchell and they agreed that preservation of peace is the key precondition for continuing any kind of talks on the region’s future.

 

Djuric: Serbs will not give up ZSO despite threats (Tanjug/TV Pink)

 

The Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Marko Djuric has stated that the Serbs in Kosovo will not give up the formation of the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO), despite the threats arriving from certain ministers in Pristina. “The Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija will give up the ZSO because this is our right and also international law. With the signature EU representative Catherine Ashton, the ZSO became part of the EU foreign and security policy, and not only Pristina’s obligation,” Djuric told TV Pink.

 

Pristina given three weeks to start forming ZSO (Tanjug/B92)

 

Representatives of Serbs in Kosovo on Monday gathered in Kosovska Mitrovica and presented the coat-of-arms of the future Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO). Councilors from ten Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo and Metohija also unanimously adopted their conclusions. They announced establishing the ZSO themselves, unless Pristina took concrete steps in the next three weeks to do form it. The councilors are also demanding that those who gave the order to attack the participants of an internal dialogue on Kosovo meeting in Kosovska Mitrovica on Monday be punished, and are asking international missions to increase vigilance and act preventively in the event of attacks on members of the Serb people. The meeting was declared open by the chairman of the Municipal Assembly of Northern Kosovska Mitrovica, Dejan Guresic, who said the session was called in urgent procedure "due to the situation."

On behalf of all councilors from the ten Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, he strongly condemned Monday’s vandal act of inappropriate use of force against Serbs and their political representatives, as well as the kidnapping of Marko Djuric. The session is attended by 120 councilors, with the logo of the ZSO shown on the stage. b92.net reporter said that loud speakers were install in front of the venue, Mitrovacki Dvor to allow those Serbs who gathered in front of the building to hear what was being said inside. Kosovo Minister of Local Self-Government Ivan Todosijevic assured Serbs in Kosovo that "our state Serbia will help us, as will God, because justice and law is on our side." “Brussels agreement is not being implemented for five years, which is how long we have been asking for the ZSO to be formed. The ZSO is a blood political issue for us,” Todosijevic said. He recalled that the ZSO is an international obligation, and not a Serb whim. “However, the West and Pristina are not ready to form it, and the ZSO, unfortunately, is still used to blackmail Serbia and Belgrade. If the West and Pristina do not want to form the ZSO, we have a completely legitimate right to take our destiny into our own hands and form the ZSO ourselves, to decide ourselves about our lives,” Todosijevic underlined.

Serbs, Guresic added today, are determined, despite pressure from Pristina and the EU. “We have heard that they will arrest us. Let them arrest us, if they can arrest us all. We are committed to peace, our position is dialogue, conversation, and peace,” Todosijevic said. He criticized EU representatives for not showing up at the gathering. Ksenija Bozovic from GI SDP, whose leader Oliver Ivanovic was shot to death in Kosovska Mitrovica early this year, said the representatives of Serbs should have gathered in this way when Ivanovic was killed. She recalled that on several occasions, even from jail, Ivanovic said that Serbs should organize themselves and create the ZSO. GI SDP condemned the incidents during which Marko Djuric was arrested, Bozovic said, and told other party leaders to come out among the mothers and the citizens and see how scared they are. The meeting was attended by representatives of all ten municipalities with majority Serb population - mayors of Klokot Bozidar Dejanovic, Partes Dragan Petkovic, Novo Brdo Svetislav Ivanovic, Strpce Bratislav Nikolic and Ranilug Vladica Aritonovic. Mayors of Gracanica Srdjan Popovic, Leposavic Zoran Todic, Kosovska Mitrovica Goran Rakic, Zubin Potok Stevan Vulovic and Zvecan Vucina Jankovic were also there. At the request of Serb List leader Goran Rakic, the meeting symbolically began at 12:44 pm, a reference to UN Resolution 1244, and had only one item on the agenda - the political and security situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Round table on cultural heritage held as part of internal dialogue on Kosovo (Beta)

 

The 26^th round table as part of the internal dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija was held in Belgrade, gathering figures from the areas of culture and education. Deputy Head of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Dusan Kozarev condemned at the conference, held at the Palace of Serbia, the 26 March bandit attack in Kosovska Mitrovica and the kidnapping of

Marko Djuric. Kozarev said that despite everything, we continue to symbolically demonstrate the victory of a peaceful policy and extended hand, and that the Serbs were capable of defending their state and people in harder conditions. “Culture and its variety must be a basis for the merging and understanding of peoples, and not new clashes and the deepening of old ones,” Serbian Minister of Culture Vladan Vukosavljevic told the gathering and added that the Serbian state must be the carrier of preserving and protecting heritage in Kosovo, in association with international cultural and other institutions. “The question of Kosovo and Metohija is of primary importance and applies to the past, present and future of the Serbian people,” Vukosavljevic said and stressed that any approach to solving this question needs to take into account the fact that Kosovo and Metohija are the cradle and unique historical expression both of the Serbian state and the culture of the Serbian people. Representative of the Office for Serbia’s Cooperation with UNESCO Goran Milasinovic said that Kosovo is not looking to gain membership in UNESCO to protect cultural heritage, but to take hold of Serbian holy sites, show them as its own and thereby root out centuries of Serbian existence.

 

Moscow and Washington react to events in Kosovo (Beta/Tanjug/B92)

 

Russia and the US have both reacted to Monday's incidents in Kosovska Mitrovica and the arrest of Serbian official Marko Djuric. Both countries have condemned these events, Tanjug is reporting. Moscow decisively condemned the arrest of Marko Djuric, calling it an act of intimidation. “We strongly condemn this situation aimed at intimidating the Kosovo Serbs and lawlessness with regard to Djuric,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. It added that it was unacceptable for international forces to openly condone [the arrest]... and just watch what is happening from the sidelines. The international forces "did not fulfill their mandate, they did not make an effort to prevent the illegal actions of Kosovars and did not secure peace and stability in the province," the statement said. "The conclusion is that Pristina, the EU and U.S. have absolutely no intention of taking the rights and interests of Serbs into account but are fiercely repressing their efforts to defend their legitimate interests," the ministry said.

The statement also said that Kosovo Albanians were following the example of their patrons in the U.S. and Europe and undermining the foundations of international law and behaving according to the principle of no holds barred. “That is an exceptionally dangerous line, which threatens a relapse into an armed conflict in Kosovo and destabilization in the Balkan region as a whole. The continued efforts of Pristina to establish control over the Serb population will evidently heat the situation up and annul long-term efforts by the international community for a peaceful post-conflict solution,” the document said. The Russian ministry called on all who could influence the Kosovo authorities to realize their responsibility and contribute without delay to the de-escalation of tensions in Kosovo.

The United States strongly condemns yesterday’s events in Mitrovica, which unnecessarily heighten tensions and threaten regional stability. We urge all parties to avoid further escalation of the situation, and to act calmly and resolve disputes peacefully. To create lasting peace and stability in the Balkans, both Kosovo and Serbia need to focus on normalizing relations through the EU-led Dialogue. The United States stands ready to support all parties in Dialogue negotiations.

 

EULEX denies having taken part in police action on Monday (Tanjug)

 

EULEX did not take part in the action of the Kosovo police on Monday, said the EULEX Head of the Media Office Dragana Nikolic Solomon on Tuesday. She told Tanjug that the Kosovo police was the first intervention instance for all security incidents in Kosovo, and that EULEX carefully follows the situation and has patrols in north Kosovo in accordance with its mandate, as the second intervention instance. Nikolic Solomon said that an agreement existed on official visits, reached within the dialogue of Belgrade and Pristina, which both sides have to respect, and added that EULEX did not process any official requests for the visits of Belgrade and Pristina representatives.

 

Serbia will not expulse Russian diplomats (Novosti)

 

Serbia will not be joining the US and EU in the expulsion of Russian diplomats as a punishment measure for the alleged involvement of Russia in the poisoning of former Russian double spy Sergei Skripal, Novosti on Wednesday writes. “Belgrade will refrain from making any declarations until the circumstances of this case are investigated and revealed. For, apart from the accusations that Moscow stands behind it all, London still hasn’t presented concrete evidence that the Kremlin had organized the alleged poisoning. The Serbian leadership will very carefully measure every following move in circumstances of increasing pressures from the Western centers of power concerning Kosovo and our relations with Moscow,” it is added.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

B&H Foreign Ministry: B&H has not been requested to expel Russian diplomats (N1/TV1)

 

Russian diplomats like many other countries do, including the EU member states, regardless of the recently adopted B&H Foreign Policy Strategy that implies the country’s obligation to follow the EU restrictive stances on third countries. “No country or international organization or institution has requested the B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs to join such measures, whether as a sign of solidarity with the policies of those countries or a measure of adjusting the county’s foreign policy to their policies,” reads a statement issued by the B&H Ministry of Foreign Affairs. B&H Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak confirmed on Tuesday that B&H will not expel Russian diplomats in support to the UK, over the recent affair regarding the poisoning of Sergei Skripal, Crnadak stated that B&H authorities are monitoring this case closely, but so far there was no need for B&H to expel its Russian diplomats. Croat member of the B&H Presidency Dragan Covic wondered why B&H would follow the stances of the EU that has hardly had a common stance on any issue lately. “We are ahead of the EU with regard to some issues,” Covic assessed.

 

Cormack, Wigemark meet SBB B&H delegation (TV1)

 

US Ambassador to B&H Maureen Cormack, Head of the EU Delegation to B&H Lars-Gunnar Wigemark and members of SBB B&H delegation, led by SBB B&H leader Fahrudin Radoncic, held a meeting last night at the US residence in Sarajevo. A brief statement was made by Radoncic: “We, members of SBB B&H, myself and Mr. (Damir) Arnaut, have talked with our hosts this evening about the current political situation in B&H. The fact that the US government and the EU took an interest in getting to know the real state of things in B&H shows all political leaders in B&H that they must work much more so that the reforms in B&H are implemented faster. That is really all I can tell you, with the emphasis that SBB B&H was never a problem and that we were always a part of a ‘constructive factor’ on the domestic political scene”, stated Radoncic. Asked if he could reveal more details from this meeting and whether the proposal of DF leader Zeljko Komsic was discussed, Radoncic said that he cannot reveal any more details, but that he can confirm that the Election Law of B&H was the main topic. When asked about the topics of this meeting and whether the same things were discussed at this meeting as they were at the previous meeting with leaders of SDA, SDP B&H and DF, Cormack responded: “We talked this evening about a number of the key issues facing B&H. We did talk about the Criminal Procedure Code and the Conflict of Interest Law and then, as we did last week, we also focused on the very important need to reform the Election Law, in line with the Ljubic ruling of the Constitutional Court. As both the EU and the US have said, we believe that local politicians have the responsibility to address this issue. Solutions do exist and the US and the EU are very happy to facilitate conversations, convene, both individuals and groups, but it is the responsibility of local politicians to solve this issue and they are quite capable of doing so.” Wigemark also made a statement and said: “I think that the meeting today was a part of a series of conversations we are having with all political party leaders. I think it is clear that any solution that can be acceptable to all political parties and, I think, to all peoples here in B&H, will have to involve a compromise.” Asked if the proposal of DF leader Komsic was discussed at this meeting, Wigemark stated that no specific proposals or models were discussed, but they did discuss Radoncic’s interest in playing a constructive role in finding common ground.

 

Niksic on changes to Law on Elections: SDP will not accept any solution that would be in collision with Constitution of FB&H (Vijesti.ba/Dnevni list)

 

SDP President Nermin Niksic commended in an interview for Vijesti.ba the EU Delegation to B&H’s and the US Embassy’s involvement in changes to the Law on Elections of B&H, adding that B&H politicians have several ideas how to solve the issue, whilst representatives of the international community have a certain solution. “However, we promised not to go public about concrete solutions until it has been presented to other parties,” stressed Niksic. Asked what is the ‘red line’ for SDP when it comes to changes to the Law on Elections, Niksic replied by saying SDP will not accept any solution that would be in collision with the Constitution of the FB&H and which would introduce new discriminations. Asked to comment statement of SDA President Bakir Izetbegovic that he (Izetbegovic) is prepared to accept solutions that HDZ B&H would agree with civic parties, Niksic said SDP has not taken part in any talks with HDZ B&H. “(…) SDA is the only party that has directly negotiated with HDZ B&H. Maybe it would be nice that they officially say what they agreed, if anything,” added Niksic. Commenting statement of HDZ B&H Deputy President Borjana Kristo, who said she expects the EU Delegation and the US Embassy will stand more strongly behind implementation of decision of the Constitutional Court (CC) of B&H, Niksic said SDP has no dilemmas and that the CC’s decision should be implemented as it was said in the CC’s decision. According to Niksic, the CC’s decision reads it has to be resolved in the B&H parliament, stressing that HDZ B&H and SDP have completely different views on how the decision should be implemented, arguing that “HDZ B&H wants to return us to Middle Ages”.

 

EC welcomes submission of B&H’s answers to Questionnaire (Hayat)

 

The EU-B&H Stabilization and Association Committee held a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. On this occasion, the EC welcomed submission of B&H’s answers to the EC’s Questionnaire, as well as preparation of the action plan for implementation of the strategy of reforms of the justice sector. The EC also welcomed preparation of amendments to the strategy for work on war crime cases, and called on the authorities in B&H to deal with issues of reconciliation. Participants of the meeting concluded that B&H has achieved minimum progress and registered many more problems. The rule of law, the Sejdic-Finci vs. B&H ruling and two schools under one roof were assessed as the biggest obstacles in this context.

 

Russian diplomat persona non grata in Montenegro (CDM)

 

The government of Montenegro has made a decision to declare a diplomatic representative accredited to the Embassy of the Russian Federation as the persona non grata and to withdraw the consent for the work of the honorary consul of the Russian Federation to Montenegro, the government said. “The Embassy of the Russian Federation in Podgorica has been notified about the measures and given the seven day deadline for its diplomatic representative to leave Montenegro. Montenegro makes this decision in coordination with its allies, in line with the measures taken by the EU and NATO member states regarding the actions of Russia and the nerve gas attack in the territory of the United Kingdom, which the government of Montenegro, in solidarity with our British partners, condemned,” the statement said.

 

Albanian Alternative supports Djukanovic in the elections (MINA)

 

Albanian Alternative (AA) will support the candidate of the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Milo Djukanovic, in the presidential election on 15 April, the party presidency decided.

AA stated that the party was convinced that Djukanovic was a guarantee of Euro-Atlantic integration, good relations in the region and multi-ethnic democracy in Montenegro.

The party also added that it was convinced that the foreign policy of the ruling coalition had contributed to the improvement and strengthening of good relations between Montenegro and Albania and Kosovo. Bosniak Party (BS), Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI), Democratic Party (DS) and the Social Democrats of Montenegro (SD) earlier announced that they supported Djukanovic.

 

Ivanov: Decision to expel Russia diplomat hurried (MIA)

 

The Republic of Macedonia, being an EU candidate-country, follows the Union policy and consensus-based decisions. Taking into consideration that the decisions to expel Russian diplomats have not been harmonized among all EU member-states, the move by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hurried, the President's Office said on Tuesday. "The President urges for restraint from hasty steps in foreign policy, towards preventing possible damages to the achievement of Macedonia's strategic objectives," reads the press release. It adds that the President expects an official information regarding the circumstances in the case.

 

Zaev: Macedonia’s decision to expel Russian diplomat shouldn’t disrupt the relations with Moscow (MIA)

 

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev confirmed Tuesday the information of Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov regarding the decision on expelling a Russian diplomat, which was based on documented evidence and made in compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and national laws. “We were, via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also in touch with President Gjorge Ivanov, who has own stance on the matter,” Zaev told a press conference.

He considers that Macedonia’s decision to expel a Russian diplomat should not disrupt the relations with official Moscow. All diplomats in Macedonia, across the globe are aware that they should respect the Vienna Convention and the national laws of the countries they are accredited to, Zaev said.

 

Five of indicted for 2017 parliament incident detained again (Republika)

 

Five persons indicted for the violent events in parliament on 27 April 2017, late Tuesday were detained again and transferred to investigative prison, after their detention was replaced with house arrest the same day. As Republika learns, they were brutally detained again after midnight in front of their family’s eyes (which the same rejoiced at the release from detention of their loved ones): ex-Interior Minister and Director of the Director of Bureau of Public Safety, Dusko Lazarov Chief of the Public Order and Peace Unit, Mitko Pesov Chief of the border police, and two persons from the parliament security Popovski and Gosevski.

 

Russian diplomats expelled from Albania, US Embassy reacts (ADN)

 

The US Embassy in Tirana reacts over the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs to declare non-grata in Albania two Russian diplomats. "The US call on Russia to accept responsibility for its actions and demonstrate to the world that its capable of living up to its international commitments and responsibilities as member of the United Nations Security Council to uphold international peace and security," stated the US embassy in Tirana.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Majority of citizens against exchanging Kosovo for EU membership (EurActiv, 28 March 2018)

 

Although almost half of Serbia's citizens think that Kosovo is lost, especially the younger population, 81% of those surveyed would not accept the independence of Kosovo even if it was a condition for the EU membership, according to a study conducted by the European Affairs Institute in cooperation with Ninamedia Research House. According to the results of a survey published on March 28, Serbia's citizens are almost divided in terms of Belgrade-Pristina relations, while between the EU and Kosovo, the vast majority chose Kosovo. A possible partition is supported by one third of citizens, while half opposed this idea, but most would not accept independence, although this would speed up the integration process. Out of the total number of respondents, 45% think that Kosovo is not lost for Serbia, while 43% think that it is. Younger citizens, about 50% of them, think that Kosovo is lost while the same goes for about 30% of those over 60 years of age. As the level of education grows, the number of citizens who think that Kosovo is lost is growing. The citizens are very little informed about the so-called internal dialogue, and only 3.4% of them say they participated in it, while 94% did not.

A quarter of respondents believe that this or the next Serbian government will recognize the independence of Kosovo. 81% of citizens would not support Kosovo's independence even as a condition for the EU membership, while 11% would accept that offer. Men more than women feel that independence should not be accepted as a condition for the EU. According to results, it is a complete division of Serbian citizens, even on the question whether Serbia can again achieve full control and sovereignty in Kosovo in the future. 45% of them believe it is not possible for Serbia to ever have full sovereignty in Kosovo, while 42% of the respondents consider it possible.

The survey was conducted from March 16 to 20 on a representative sample of 1,203 individuals.