(17/04/08) Balkan Review

• 2008-04-22
• Europa in de wereld

Serbia

A new issue has risen between the DS and the DSS, each with their respective coalitions. It started with PM Kostunica putting the energy agreement with Moscow on the government's agenda, so that the government could send it on to the parliament to be ratified. The DSS says the agreement is very important and it should be ratified as soon as possible, but the DS and G17 Plus say that a technical government cannot ratify the agreement. On April 4 the proposal was rejected by the government for the Parliament to ratify. DPM Djelic explained that only ongoing tasks could be carried out by the government. President Tadic expects the next parliament to ratify the agreement.

In addition to the energy agreement, there has been a lot of talk about the Stability and Association Agreement (SAA). PM Kostunica and the DSS are very against the signing of the SAA, unless there is something specifically said about Kosovo is Serbia in the document. PM Kostunica said, "Before it is signed, the text of the agreement has to include only one sentence _ that Kosovo is an integral part of Serbia." Hesaid, "We can see that, suddenly, considering Solana agreement, the government is no longer in technical mandate and that this was the argument only in the case of the energy treaty with Russia." Dragan Sutanovac, the Defense Minister and the Vice-president of the DS, said, "We will sign the SAA if offered, because we have the full capacity to do so and I am convinced that the majority of citizens of Serbia expect us to do it. We owe this to 2,3 million voters that voted for the European way of Serbia, that is for Boris Tadic on the Presidential elections." It is reported that the EU will offer the SAA for Serbia to sign on April 28. President Tadic has been threatened with impeachment by PM Kostunica and other nationalists because there have been reports that he will sign a pre-entry deal with the EU.

Finance Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that only Kosovo Serbs in enclaves will receive double wages, which comes from the state budget.Although the number was not specified, "more than seven" policemen of Serb nationality returned to the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) and received their police badges and weapons.

Political leaders in Serbia are very upset with and decry the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj, the former Kosovo prime minister and one of the former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), by the ICTY. Some of the charges against him included rape, destruction of property, cruelty, and persecution based on race or religion. Many talk of the injustice, while those in Kosovo welcome the acquittal. Idriz Balaj, former commander of the UCK Black Eagles Special Force, was also acquitted. But Laji Brahimaj, charged with cruelty and torture of two people at the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), received a six-year sentence. Serbian President Tadic wants the Hague Tribunal Prosecution to appeal against the decision on Haradinaj. Prosecution spokesperson Olga Kavran said that the Hague Tribunal will decide whether to enter an appeal after studying the verdict. Nine witnesses against Haradinaj were killed during the case.

The European Commission is going to have a plan ready by the end of April for the liberalization of the visa regime, including what Serbia would need to do to allow the lack of visas when travelling to the EU, according to European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. A financial agreement was signed between Serbia and the EU, wherein Serbia will receive aid of 165 million EUR. DPM Bozidar Djelic said this aid would be used for 36 projects that will directly benefit the lives of Serbians. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon's report on the situation in Kosovo will be debated in the UNSC on April 21. The head of the Serbian delegation at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Milos Aligrudic said that Kosovo will never become a CoE member.Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov said on April 10 that Russia desires to have Belgrade and Pristina begin negotiations again to find a solution.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Vuk Jeremic met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and then said, "The most important result of this meeting is that I was confirmed that the General Secretariat has decided to positively respond to our written request dated March 18 for the launching of an investigation into the events in Mitrovica (occurred on the March 17). The investigation will not be carried out by UNMIK, but rather it will be conducted from the highest position, directly from the UN headquarters, which is extremely important for its integrity."

The Constitutional Court ruled that national minorities' parties have to get 10,000 signatures, instead of the 3,000 that it has been previously allowed of minority groups, to have an election ticket. The ethnic Albanian parties are not sure if they will be able to gather enough signatures, but representatives of the Hungarian Coalition and Bosniak Ticket for Sandzak said this ruling was not a problem for them. A joint concept on the Hungarian minority's autonomy in Vojvodina was presented by the representatives of the Hungarian Coalition in Budapest. The center of this autonomous region would be in Subotica.

The Elections Commission (RIK) decided to hold local elections in Kosovo on May 11. In a draft letter to Serb minister Slobodan Samardzic, Joachim Reucker, said, "These elections will have no validity. Based on Resolution 1244, UNMIK is the only body that has the authority to organize elections in Kosovo." But he also said that UNMIK will not do anything to prevent the elections from happening. Although, UNMIK said that Serbia could hold parliamentary elections on May 11. The Kosovo government is against having Serbian local elections held in Kosovo. The Movement for Self-Determination is against both parliamentary and local elections and is holding a demonstration on May 9.

Representatives from the EU, UN, and International Civilian Office in Pristina are part of working group to find out how to transform UNMIK and eventually lose its role completely. This is so there will not be overlapping of competencies come June 2008.

Kosovo

On April 9, Kosovo parliament adopted the Constitution, which will come into force on June 15. Official languages include Albanian and Serbian. Last week Pieter Feith said, "Kosovo will have a modern Constitution guaranteeing full respect of individual and community rights, including those of Kosovo Serbs, under the rule of law. The right to local self-government is firmly anchored in the Draft Constitution." Kosovo Serbs said they would only respect the Serbian Constitution and asked that Belgrade declared Kosovo's constitution null and void. It is expected that Kosovo institutions take over competencies from UNMIK soon since the new constitution has been signed.

In calling for integration of these groups, Ambassador Tim Guldimann, the Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, said, "The Kosovo Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities continue to face marginalisation and discrimination in the region. The OSCE Mission is committed to support these communities in solving the remaining challenges: access to basic human rights and services, integration and effective participation in political life."

Government Vice President Bozidar Djelicsaid that Serbia would have a hard time keeping Kosovo out of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).On April 8 the US Office in Pristina became the US Embassy and diplomatic relations at the level of ambassadors was established with Slovenia.

Countries that have said they will not recognize an independent Kosovo: Portugal, Argentina, and Mexico

Montenegro

Filip Vujanovic, of the ruling coalition Democratic Party of Socialists, won the presidential election, getting 52.3% of the votes cast. 69.7% of the electorate voted. A protest note was sent to Macedonia by Serbia because Macedonia has formed a technical commission to demarcate its border with Kosovo. On April 15 a deal was signed with the EU to support Montenegro's membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Macedonia

A bilateral agreement was signed with the US on military-technical cooperation. A bilateral agreement on investments protection was signed with Kuwait. On April 14 Foreign Minister Milošoskisigned a bilateral double taxation agreement in Ireland. The agreement was signed under Macedonia's constitutional name, which the Foreign Ministry in Skopje takes as Dublin's "official" recognition of its name.

The parliament was dissolved (70 of the 120 deputies voting for it) on April 12, at the DUI's initiative, and early elections will be held on June 1. Mr. Stefan Lehne, Director for Western Balkans at the Council of the EU, said that Macedonia's integration process could be slowed due to the early elections.

Albania

It is expected that Albania will send more peacekeeping troops to Afghanistan. 100 is the number that is being discussed right now.

Bosnia - Herzegovina

The upper house of parliament approved the bill on police laws, after the lower house approved it last week. The country now hopes to sign the SAA in the weeks to come.

Croatia

The EU has told Croatia of some areas that it needs to improve on.On EU accession, State Secretary Janez Lenarèiè talked about the importance of the border dispute with Slovenia and also said, "On this point, I would like to underline in particular the judicial and administrative reforms, the fight against corruption, economic reforms, minority rights, refugee return and full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)." Only 2 of 33 negotiating chapters since accession talks began in late 2005 have been closed. Croatia wants international intervention while Slovenia wants bilateral action to solve the border dispute.