SERBIA DAILY No10

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WESTERN BALKANS e-MEDIA GROUP

• N° 10 • Belgrade, May 10, 2016

Nikolic Lays Wreath on Victory Day Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic laid a wreath on the occasion of the day of victory over fascism in World War II at the Monument to the Unknown Hero on Mt. Avala "Serbia has more right than some other countries to mark this day as its own. All our battles, rebellions, wars were fought for the freedom of the country and people. This has been and will be the case," the president Nikolic said.

A day before, a gun salute at Belgrade's Kalemegdan Fortress marked the start of celebrations of the Serbian Armed Forces Day and Victory Day, after which President Nikolic organized a reception for top military officials.

Serbian Minister of Veteran and Social Policy Aleksandar Vulin said on the occasion yesterday that the Serbian people had never been on the wrong side.

The minister said that 71 years ago Serbia had been on the right side of the world, among the countries that won the war.

"The Serbian people has never chosen the wrong side, has never been on the side of evil, so any attempt at rewriting history and rehabilitating quislings is the biggest insult to the Serbian people and history, the families of the vic-

Jadranka Joksimovic, Minister of EU Integration: I expect that we will be completing these steps on the EU integration path at a faster and more successful pace. People of Serbia had given their support to the pro-European course and politics

tims and the future of the Serbian people," Vulin said.

Serbia has not become part of Europe today, but it was the day Serbia was on the side of the Allies, those who fought for good, those who fought against the Jasenovac and Auschwitz death

Tomislav Nikolic, President: I have not seen the serious signs of what should be changed in the Constitution, which parts. However, I do know what we will not change - the preamble that says Kosovo is a constituent part of Serbia

camps, he underlined.

Also laying wreaths were representatives of the defense ministry, the Serbian Armed Forces, the City of Belgrade, veteran associations, members of the diplomatic corps, including Russian Ambassador Alexander Chepurin.

Ivica Dacic, Deputy Prime Minister: The priorities of our country include cooperation with key partners in international relations, development of good neighborly relations and maintaining stability in the region and the construction of a modern Serbia

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Davenport: We Support Any Government Willing to Reach EU Faster Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said that he was confident that the EU Delegation would be able to efficiently work together with any new government in Serbia that wanted to step up the pace and efficiency of Serbia's European path

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peaking at a press conference in Belgrade on the occassion of Europe Day, Davenport told reporters that he hoped Chapters 23 and 24 would be opened as soon as possible.

The European Commission has already given its recommendation on these chapters. It now rests with the memberstates to make a decision about them. I hope that we can expect opening them as soon as possible, and I believe the priority at this moment is to implement the action plans for the chapters without delay, Davenport said.

Asked about the pace of Serbia's EU integration, Davenport said that it depended on a combination of capacity and political will.

The pace depends on Serbia. Serbia

Michael Davenport

has the capacity, and I think that the political will is there as well and that the people of Serbia want Serbia not just to become an EU member-state, but also to be a successful country that respects and guarantees all fundamental rights, said Davenport.

Belgium Supports European Path of Serbia Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic received a letter of congratulations from Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel regarding the victory in the recent parliamentary elections in Serbia, in which he expresses the desire for continued cooperation and support to the European integration of our country.

Charles Michel "I would like to extend my sincere congratulations on the occasion of your impressive

election results.

The trust that you have received from the people to continue with your programme of economic and political reform is very welcome.

As a founder and loyal member of the European Union, Belgium will continue to cooperate with Serbia so that it could strengthen its progress on the European path," reads the letter of congratulations of the Prime Minister of Belgium.

Nikolic Sees Europe as 'Necessary Evil' Serbian head of state Tomislav Nikolic has described Europe as "a necessary evil" in an interview with Serbian-language SputnikNews.

He has asserted that it is impossible to govern the country without cooperation with both Russia and the EU. "There are no eurofanatics in Serbia... there might be Russophiles indeed, but true eurofanatics - no," he has explained.

"Because to everyone of us is clear that Europe is a necessary evil- that we are in Europe, that we are surrounded by the European union, that since World

War Two Europe has meddled in Serbia's affairs, that many of our people work in Western Europe, they come from there telling stories of the way of life, of development and security, laws and the judicial system," according to Nikolic.

"Europe knows we are not breaking our relations with Russia and backtracking when we say we will not introduce sanctions. The EU did not insist on it," the President has said, adding his country would work on all conditions set by the EU, but would never recognize the independence of Kosovo.

Daily

Markers

BY EMIR SALIHOVIC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Money Talks, But It Says Goodbye

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t's been reported that shoppers in Belgrade apparently go shopping more often than a year before, but they buy less items - in other words, they go shopping regularly, but buying only things related to daily necessities, like food and hygiene.

It is not a secret that average income in Serbia is sliding down for quite some time, and that there is more and more of those who barely succeed to manage their life expenses each month, in contrast to a minority which seems to become richer and richer as every year pass by.

That created the situation when the majority in question do not make big shopping tours once or twice a month, buying all kinds of things they may need, but limited by thin wallets they rather go and buy one tiny thing each day, whatever they may need at the moment: five eggs, toilet paper, half a bread, 100 grams of salami‌ That makes people go to local stores more often, but spending less in general. Also, it makes small little shops, mostly in suburbs, visited more often than big shopping malls.

However, it doesn't seem to be an obstacle for investors to construct new, huge shopping malls, as there is at least one underway.

Unless they have some generally unknown information about the sudden recovery of average Serbian family budgets, it remains a mystery how do they think to attract customers who are more than ever careful where they are going to spend their hardly acquired dinars.

Unfortunately, there seems to be many more places in Serbia where people can spend their money, instead of making money: like factories, production venues, businesses‌

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PINION

Memorial Service to Labor Day If Vucic and Nikolic could publicly announce their faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were also obliged to demonstrate their faith in the resurrection of the living and working situation of a million Serbs, whose situation has never been more difficult

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hy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic did not congratulate May 1 to the citizens of Serbia?

Why the President of Serbia Tomislav Nikolic did not do that either, but both did not miss the opportunity to send Easter greetings to Orthodox believers?

If Vucic and Nikolic could publicly announce their faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, they were also obliged to demonstrate their faith in the resurrection of the living and working situation of a million Serbs, whose situation has never been more difficult.

Vucic, as the leader of the SNS, was very busy with the post-election actions with "census coalition," but that's no excuse to miss opportunity to send a message of support to mass of unemployed or those who are employed but denied their basic rights, including the fight for a society of equal opportunities.

Vucic on the eve of May 1 promised to personally deal with the problem of employees in "Yura" factory case, which has become a paradigm of social oppression, and failure to congratulate them the Labor Day created the perception that he lines up with the great capital from abroad and not with the workers of the country he leads.

Tomislav Nikolic also surprised me, but not that much.

Regardless of his resistance to everything "red", or his private church enthusiasm, he is the President of all citizens of Serbia. It also means workers or leftists.

The President could only look up at his "second mother": Vladimir Putin was also at the paschal service, but May 1 was still celebrated in Russia. Tens of thousands of people marched in Moscow's Red Square in celebration of Labor Day. Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Aleksandar Vulin, congratulated May 1, what probably writes in the description of his duties, but in the time we live in his words that the state of Serbia serves no other purpose than to take care of its citizens, "in the first place about the people who live from their work", sounds pathetic.

BY BOSKO JAKSIC POLITIKA

It turned out that the 1st of May in Serbia was the celebration of the few parties of the left, which laid wreaths at the monument to Dimitrije Tucovic at Slavija square in Belgrade.

Ivica Dacic, leader of the Socialist Party, a lonely left party in the new parliament, was among the few who congratulated the holiday and said that "nobody has the right to withdraw from the fight for a fairer world", although it remains an enigma if the message was addressed to those who remained silent on this subject .

It was nice to hear that SPS supports the creation of a society in which workers' rights would be respected in order to have the level of social justice "at a high level, as in the EU," but Dacic in that way underlined the discrepancy between a passive 1 May in Serbia and active workers' protests in Europe.

A few red flags, a small group of leftists dominated by their grey hair, it all left a sad feeling to which Vucic and Nikolic further contributed by failing to act in solidarity with the call for equality, solidarity, social justice and the welfare state.

The impression of the marginalization of Labor Day by the state leadership was strengthened by the trade unions too, who abandoned the traditional protest marches and gatherings and urged workers to sit at home - because of Easter. To think about the powerful employers, dismissals, reduction of wages, undeclared minimum wages and unpaid overtime within their family circle and without "the pressure of the masses".

The leader of the New Left, Borko Stefanovic, was right when he said that the trade union organization in Serbia almost completely died out, while the position of workers is getting worse... while he was laying wreath in an environment that was more reminiscent of a memorial service to deceased May 1 than the celebration of an important international holiday.

True, union organizing, one of the achievements of European democracy, has long been stalled over here.

Unions were intentionally divided, and some of their leaders compromised their ideals and built them into purchase contracts by accepting the Labor Act or silently watching how the position of workers increasingly deteriorates.

Vucic's and Nikolic's disregard for 1 May is a serious omission.

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Future is in Enlargement

The future of Europe lies in enlargement into Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, which is now surrounded by member-states of the Union, says Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovic

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ember of the European Parliament (EP) and Vice President of the 'Friends of Serbia' EP group Franc Bogovic expressed the hope that current candidates for membership in the European Union - Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo - would all be admitted to the European family by the end of 2020.

"I believe that the future of Europe lies in enlargement into Southeast Europe and the Western Balkans, which is now sur-

rounded by member-states of the Union," Bogovic said in a statement on the occasion of Europe Day, Tanjug reported.

Bogovic said that Europe was born based on the vision of its creators, Robert Schuman, Konrad Adenauer and Alcide De Gasperi, who suggested employing a new type of political activity based on cooperation and integration of European states and solidarity among European nations in post-war Europe.

Ensuring lasting peace, economic development and well-being of citizens are the basic principles that are still hold the people of the European Union closely connected. We want to continue to foster the basic idea of our united Europe, despite all the difficulties in reconciling differences to maintain a common European policy and tackle the often very complex challenges at the level of all 28 member-states of the Union, said the MEP from Slovenia.

"Serbia in EU with Kosovo - or Not at All" Serbia is firmly on the path towards full membership in the EU, but wants to enter Europe as an integral whole either that or nothing, says the President of Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic.

The President made this statement as he addressed the central ceremony marking Armed Forces Day and Victory Day in Zrenjanin, northern Serbia.

"Some representatives of the EU are hinting that Serbia's entry into the European community of nations might be conditional on recognizing Kosovo.

If it really be demanded of us, it means that they do not want us. Serbia, a UN member, wants to enter Europe as a whole - it's either that or nothing. That is the principle Europe was built on and that is a Europe we want. Our ancestors entrusted us with our fatherland Serbia in its entirety and we must keep it that way and preserve it for our descendants unbroken," said Nikolic.

Serbia is committed, by word and deed, to honoring the principles of freedom, understanding and coopera-

tion, accepting differences and keeping the peace in the country, the region and the world, the president said.

He also told those gathered that "we must never forget that a crime has been committed, and we owe it to the victims to remember them with reverence forever."

Nikolic said that Yugoslavia was the third on the list of countries in Europe that emerged from the Second World War with the greatest number of victims, and that among them a large majority were Serbs - "those who carried arms, and those who died in two German and many Ustasha camps, the only concentration camps in the world specialized for the pogrom of Serb, Roma, and Jewish children."

"With the desire that it never happens again, I am convinced that there is no villain who would take part in it today, and I call on our neighbors to turn toward the future, since Serbia wants to cooperate with all countries in the

region," the president said.

Nikolic also stated he was "proud to see the central Victory Day celebration taking place in Zrenjanin, a city that had always been an example of how people of different nationalities could live together in harmony, a symbol of joint resistance to countless enemies and an emblem of perseverance, acceptance of differences, understanding and one of those cities that we could proudly call historical and cultural centers of (the province of) Vojvodina and Serbia."

The celebration in Zrenjanin was attended by top state officials, citizens, foreign military representatives, and members of the Serbian Army (VS).

The Defense Ministry announced earlier that 1,300 servicemen would take part in the parade, showing 40 combat and other vehicles, as well as aircraft and vessels.

May 9 is marked as Victory Day over fascism in WW2, and also as Europe Day.

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"Immortal Regiment" Parade Held in Belgrade

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Victory Day this year saw the first Immortal Regiment march organized in Serbia

everal hundred Russians and Serbs, including Russian Ambassador Alexander Chepurin and veterans who arrived from Moscow, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, took part in the Immortal Regiment march through the streets of Belgrade to mark the 71th anniversary of Victory over Nazi Germany.

During the event, which was started in Russia's Tomsk in 2012, people carry photographs of their relatives who participated in the Second World War. They were given loud greetings and shouts of hooray from Belgraders.

Though the parade blocked traffic in downtown Belgrade, passers-by greeted the parade on their way from the Cemetery of Liberators of Belgrade across Terazije to the Russian Center of Science and Culture with a thunderous applause, and sang Russian songs, such as 'Katyusha', together with the marchers.

The Russian flag was waved from a motorcycle at the head of the Immortal Regiment, made up of several hundred people speaking Russian and Serbian and occasionally shouting "hooray" together.

Upon arrival at the Russian Center of

Dacic Congratulates Victory Day and Europe Day Serbian caretaker Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic wished the citizens of Serbia a happy Victory Day and Europe Day, stressing that today, we were facing attempts at relativization of the crimes of fascism and making victims and villains equal.

"Today's date, May 9, has multiple significance. We are marking Victory Day and Europe Day. To our country, it is a great holiday, reviving primarily the memories of the joint fight against fascism, the greatest evil of the twentieth century," the Serbian Foreign Ministry cited Dacic as saying in a release.

Today's European Union, the union of European states and peoples that Serbia belongs to and aspires to full membership of, was created based

on the ideas of anti-fascism, freedom, justice and peace, following tragic World War II, said Dacic.

Europe Day is also a day when we celebrate victory over fascism and an opportunity to face the challenges of today that could put what has been established through peace in jeopardy, Dacic said.

"But today, we are also unfortunately faced with attempts at relativization of the crimes of fascism and making victims and criminals equal, and with revamped ideas of hatred and intolerance whose tragic consequences have been felt by the generations of our fathers and grandfathers. It is our duty not to allow such attempts at historical revisionism to succeed," reads the statement from Ministry.

Science and Culture, the marchers were addressed by Ambassador Chepurin, who wore diplomatic uniform.

Also taking part in the march were Serbian Minister of Labor and Social Policy Aleksandar Vulin and Serbian Progressive Party officials Bratislav Gasic and Aleksandar Jovicic.

The celebration continued inside the "Russian House", and all those who gathered in front of the building were invited in.

Immortal Regiment marches have been organized in 50 countries this year.

Completion of Corridor 10

by Mid 2017 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic stated that the completion of construction of Corridor 10 is getting closer, and announced that the last section through Grdelica gorge will be finished in the first half of 2017.

Visiting the Predejane tunnel and the Caricina Dolina-Vladicin Han section on the southern branch of Corridor 10, Mihajlovic underlined that 34 kilometres of the motorway are left to be built on the route of this corridor to the Macedonian border.

According to Mihajlovic, the construction of Corridor 10 is the most important infrastructure project in Serbia and there is no dilemma anymore on whether that road will be completed.

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Balkan Route Closed - Migrants Continue Arriving in Belgrade

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More than 100 new refugees arrived in Belgrade, 90 percent of them families from Syria, Info Park for refugees reported

hese refugees were all stopped in southern Serbia and Nis as they did not have the documents stating their intent to seek asylum in Serbia, which made traveling by bus and train difficult. Still, they managed to reach the capital with the intention of continuing toward the Hungarian border.

Most are families from Syria, and the rest are Kurds from Iraq, as well as Afghanis.

All have entered Serbia from Macedonia.

This is only one of the new, large groups of refugees that have continued to arrive in recent weeks from the eastern and southern borders of Serbia.

According to Info Park estimates, there are between 300 and 500 refugees in Belgrade at any one time - at least half of whom newcomers, while a number of migrants from Afghanistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Pakistan and African countries have been forced to stay longer in the capital looking for ways to continue

their journey illegally.

Info Park also stated that the families that arrived during the night were "in a terrible condition - children without shoes, some only in their underwear wrapped in blankets, grown-ups wearing completely wet clothing and footwear." For that reason Info Park obtained clothes and shoes for those most in need from the storage of the recently closed Miksaliste.

"Due to a large number of hungry people we distributed nearly 500 packages of instant soup, over 200 cups of coffee and hundreds of cups of tea.

Colleagues from the Refugee Aid Miksaliste distributed shoes, clothes, hygiene kits, and 84 packets of dry food in the afternoon hours," the network set up to help refugees in Serbia said.

They point out that in the evening, Refugee Aid Serbia (RAS) distributed 180 hot meals, reaching a total of 660 food packages given to migrants during the

previous day in the park at the arrival terminal of Belgrade's main bus station.

By the end of the day a large number of people left the park, most heading toward Subotica. More refugees than in recent days went to the asylum camp in Krnjaca, where close to 200 persons stayed last night. Commissariat for Refugees and Migration of the Republic of Serbia employees, who are on duty in the park near the Bristol Hotel, told Info Park that if this trend continues, they are considering adding one more free bus to Krnjaca, alongside the ones departing at 15:00 and 19:00 CET. Info Park is a joint project of B92 Fund and the Trag Foundation that has been for nine months - under the auspices of the International Refugee Committee (IRC) - providing refugees in transit through Belgrade with every type of humanitarian aid, food, clothing and essential information related to the stay of refugees in Serbia.

Serbia Committed to Resolution of Migrant Crisis Serbian Minister responsible for EU integration Jadranka Joksimovic and Director General of the International Center for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Michael Spindelegger underlined the importance of taking a united stand on migration-related issues, for both EU member states and candidate countries.

In a conversation with the Austrian politician, Joksimovic said Serbia was committed to finding a comprehensive

European solution, adding that Austria could continue to count on partner relations and Serbia's responsible approach to the migrant crisis.

Migration is yet another reason why the EU should open Chapters 23 and 24 with Serbia, the minister noted.

Joksimovic and Spindelegger discussed further concrete steps and the assistance that the ICMPD could provide, notably those that could be taken at local level in an effort to find sustain-

able solutions for integration.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic also met Spindelegger to discuss challenges of the migrant crisis. Minister Dacic congratulated Spindelegger on taking office, underlining the center's importance in the circumstances of huge migrant inflows to the continent.

Dacic and Spindelegger agreed a common EU decision on how to manage the migrant crisis would be the key to solving the current situation

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Serbian Buyers Reluctant to go Shopping

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There are fewer customers now in Serbia who go to large shopping once a month. At the same time, there are more and more people who have more trust in local products than foreign ones

ig shopping is history in Serbia, reported Vecernje Novosti newspaper. Our buyers now go more often to shops, but they buy far less, according to merchants. Our customers now mostly follow actions and bargains and are planning budget more strictly.

People act more rationally today, they buy less, only for basic needs and when needed, shopping malls report.

Citizens mostly purchase their daily groceries in smaller shops. Larger shopping companies felt that very well as lower traffic and turnover, and are orienting to "smaller purchasing format", easier for customers. Prices remain adjusted to shallow pockets.

"Customers are shopping more careful-

ly, more often but smaller number of items, and according to that we are programming our actions and offers", says Marijana Kristic, director of customer care sector of "Mercator C".

Experts say that besides food, even drinks, chemistry, personal hygiene items are bought more often in smaller shops. Changes are visible, and it is a trend which is probably going to stay.

"I get necessary daily needs on few places for some time now, cheese, eggs and pie crusts in specialized shops, it is cheaper that way at least for one fifth, sausages and meet when I find actions, as well as sea fish", says Marija, a Belgrade lady. "I visit green markets in afternoon when prices for fruit and vegetables go down. Saving can

be serious that way".

The difference in price between small and large shops diminishes for groceries and other stuff, which is "logical reaction to dire straits", shops explain.

Although small markets are gaining importance for now, large companies will survive, but only those who are well positioned and who offer some extra value to their customers, such as fun, extra commodities etc.

Last year there was a notable lessening of citizen's consumption, more than 10 percent with more lasting items. Still, companies which gave meaningful discounts and other benefits succeeded to retain same level of turnout or even gain minimal growth.

Electricity Debts Come With Restitution People who waited for restitution of their property for more than half of century now have to pay previous tenant's electricity debts, reported Vecernje Novosti newspaper.

There is an extreme case of a certain Belgrade family which has got back their basement of 12 square meters, but with it they also got 300.000 dinars "heavy" charge for electricity bills which were not previously paid.

Although all other leftover bills can be charged to those who made them, EPS (Electricity provider) charges anyone whom they can find to demand money from.

According to director of the Restitution Agency, Strahinja Sekulic, during the

process of returning the property to old owners this institution was often confronted with this problem.

"Some 5000 objects has been returned, and people already complained to enormous bills left to them by previous occupants", SekuliĂŚ says. "This case of 300000 dinars electricity debt is actually the worst one, for this family simply cannot pay it. Most often people discover 50.000-60.000 dinars debts and then, happy that they finally got their property returned they accept to pay bills made by others. EPS is not charging those who should be charged, but anyone whom they can reach."

People, SekuliĂŚ added, are left to

cope, for the only instance they can address is the Court.

"Our Agency cannot help them, for that object is now private property. It is all on the shoulders of restitutes, old owners, and their resolution to fight with EPS, and make fine alignment. They would win in court, but most of the people have no money or time to wait."

There are no other legal solutions, "Electroprivreda" explains, and the debt is being treated as any other debt on any other object. Regulations say that the owner has to bring the legal restitution verdict and proof that all previous debts has been paid. Only then one can sign a new contract with the company.

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Serbia Promises EU to Intensify War Prosecutions

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To boost its EU membership bid, Serbia has promised to prosecute all possible remaining war crimes suspects and reform its war crimes institutions, but rejected Croatian demands to change its legislation

erbia has pledged in a new action plan to reform its justice sector during its EU membership talks, vowing to do more to deal with unprosecuted war crimes and to step up the fight against organised crime, writes Marija Ristic for BIRN. The Serbian government's recently published, 415-page action plan for Chapter 23 of the EU legislation that Serbia needs to adopt to gain membership - the chapter focusing on the rule of law - lays out the promises that Belgrade has made to Brussels on judicial reform.

"The Republic of Serbia is fully committed to the process of European integration and aware that this process requires substantial and fundamental changes in the judiciary, the anti-corruption system and the protection of fundamental rights, both at the normative and the implementation level," the government action plan says.

In the document, which the government adopted on April 27 and the justice ministry published last Friday, Serbia for the first time detailed its plan to adjust to EU standards.

Proper Investigation In the section dedicated to war crimes, it says it will "ensure that all allegations about war crimes committed in former Yugoslavia during 1990s are properly investigated and subsequently prosecuted and tried".

The plan lists what actions the authorities aim to take during the accession talks, but doesn't pledge to change the Law on the Organisation and Jurisdiction of Government Authorities in War Crimes Proceedings, which Croatia says is a key issue that Serbia needs to address before opening its Chapter 23 talks with Brussels.

Zagreb wants Belgrade to change the law because it gives Serbian courts the jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes committed anywhere in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s wars, which it fears could be used to target Croats.

As a result, the Croatian government has on several recent occasions blocked Serbia from opening talks on Chapter 23.

The new strategy, which will be developed over the course of this year, aims to set criteria to determine which cases should be launched first, but will also finally specify ways to prosecute high officials alleged for war crimes.

A total of 435 people have been prosecuted for war crimes so far in Serbia, but none of those convicted have been army or police generals or state officials.

Complete Access

Special Court for War Crimes in Belgrade

This obstruction has caused anger in Belgrade. Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic insisted that the government has "fulfilled all the conditions for the opening of the Chapter 23 talks" and called on Croatia to drop its objections.

Serbia's justice ministry told BIRN that many countries within the EU have universal jurisdiction over war crimes, so Brussels cannot demand that Belgrade change its law "just for political reasons".

The EU told the Croatian government last month saying that Zagreb should resolve its differences with Belgrade over the war crimes legislation through bilateral talks rather than blocking Serbian negotiations.

In the section of its action plan that deals with war crimes, Serbia pledges to "ensure that all allegations are properly investigated and subsequently prosecuted and tried".

It aims to do this by "gradually strengthening the capacities of War Crimes Prosecutor's Office".

The office currently has eight prosecutors and limited recourses; prosecutors have often complained of a lack of support and about political pressure on their work.

In its efforts to meet EU standards, Serbia adopted its first ever war crimes strategy in February this year.

The new action plan also envisages also the adoption of a strategy for the investigation and prosecution of war crimes in Serbia.

The government document also says that Serbia wants complete access to the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) relating to war crimes in the whole of the former Yugoslavia, including documents not only from Serbia but also from Bosnia and Croatia.

So far, according to Serbian government, access was only allowed to some of the UN tribunal's documents and testimonies.

During the EU accession period, the action plan also envisages the preparation of a report by the War Crimes Prosecutor's Office saying what has been done about all criminal charges since 2005 and determining "whether all allegations of war crimes have been investigated appropriately".

The government further pledges to reform its police units dealing with war crimes, the War Crimes Investigation Unit and the War Crimes Witness Protection Unit.

Both have been criticised by both international and local human rights organisations because some of their members used to be part of units that allegedly were involved in war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

In the case of perceived delays, setbacks or other problems in the implementation of the action plan, in addition to its regular reports, the EU Council can issue a warning which will also go to the head of the accession negotiations team.

Despite Croatia's objections, Serbia still hopes to open the two chapters next month.

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Work on New Competition for Science Projects Started The Ministry of Education begun to work on a new competition for scientific research projects for the next four-year period, as the Serbian government canceled the earlier competition as unlawful, writes Politika newspaper

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nofficially, at this Government session only the Minister of Education, Srdjan Verbic voted for the competition to remain, while four government members abstained.

The news about the annulment of competition and the proposed technical resignation of Education Minister caused a positive reaction among the scientific community, although this decision has not brought relief to scientists who worked on new projects until the last moment. The President of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences, Vladimir Kostic, supported Verbic, while Belgrade University Rector Vladimir Bumbasirevic, who also supported Verbic before the annulment of the competition, did not want to give statements after this decision of the government.

According to the media, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said that the new government will have at least six new ministers and added that the critical ministries are those of education, health and agriculture. He, however, said that he already has replacement for some ministers, but not all of them, which gives hope toVerbic that he may still remain the head of the department of Education. Verbic, on the other hand, as Politika unofficially finds out, would accept this function again only if the ministry can get larger budget than before.

Only Possible Move Director of the Institute of Political Studies Zivojin Djuric supported the government's decision as "the only true and the only possible move" and said that such a move confirmed that all processes must be carried out in accordance with the law and the statutory procedure.

President of the Parliamentary Committee for Education and Science Aleksandra Jerkov, who is also the spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said that after the annulment of the competition the science in Serbia will lose its funding, although immediately after the session of the government Minister Verbic denied it, saying that scientists should not fear for their salaries.

Also, the government's decision to annul the competition clearly states that the financing of the projects will continue until the end of 2016.

Vladimir Orlic, a member of the Main Board of the Serbian Progressive Party, also reacted to the statement by Aleksandra Jerkov and added that the President of the Committee on Education and Science at least showed ignorance, because the funds allocated in the budget for research projects will be duly paid.

He added that the new competition will include a greater number of actors in educational and scientific community, and that they will have available larger money fund. The possibility to increase the budget for science, which remained the same as six years ago, was announced last Friday by the Minister of Education. Verbic also said that the new competition will be also confirmed by the future National Council for Science and Technological Development, and added that he believed that the Council would be formed immediately after the formation of the new government. The fact that the key documents vital to science were adopted without this body, was the legal basis for which the competition was cancelled in the first place.

Immense Dissatisfaction The deeper reasons lie in the immense dissatisfaction of the scientific community with the new criteria, which were supposed to introduce order into this area. The scientists on the other hand

felt that this move was leading toward privatization of science. They complained that the right to compete would also have researchers from private, non-accredited academic institutions, and criticized the unequal treatment of social sciences and humanities, and differences in salaries between scientists from institutes and those from universities.

The Association of Institutes of Serbia had more than 30,000 complaints about the competition, and according to Aleksandra Pavicevic from the Ethnographic Institute of Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciencies, only 10 percent of those were accepted.The government's decision was also supported by the director of the Institute of Comparative Law, Jovan Ciric, who said that there was a suspicion that someone wanted to quickly push for imposition of some personal or group interests through the abolished competition.

"It was two years late with the announcement of the competition, and then it was done at the last moment, in the midst of the election campaign.

More than 90 percent of the scientific community were very dissapointed with the work of the Ministry and it is my personal opinion that just as many scientists support the government's decision. At the last moment it was done what was possible to save what could be saved, and it is up to us now to find the best possible solution," said Ciric.

S e r b i a D a i l y, M a y 1 0 , 2 0 1 6

10

Kosovo - Going Nowhere Fast

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Kosovo is not, by itself, a sustainable economic or political entity.

Waiting for Serbia to recognize Kosovo as independent (in order to enter the EU) would still leave Kosovo by itself. Even then the international factors would have to remain in place for the conceivable future

ecently, Kosovo has marked another anniversary of its independence from Serbia (in February 2008), and chosen a new president. The government in Pristina can boast that it has been recognized by over 100 countries.

Yet it is also true that Kosovo has been under the supervision of the European Union since the UN turned over its mandate for rule of law in late 2008. The UN itself remains in Kosovo with a key role in maintaining the international presence under UNSCR 1244 in the Serb-majority north. NATO also remains, under the UNSCR 1244 mandate, with a force of a few thousand under command of a major general. Two members of the UN Security Council - Russia and China - are among the countries still not recognizing Kosovo as are EU members Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain.

The new president was chosen by the Kosovo parliament through clouds of tear gas thrown by members opposed to the continued international involvement in Kosovo affairs. Once again, it was the United States that decided who that president would be: Hashim Thaci, the empty suit long preferred by Washington over more representative Kosovo Albanian leaders such as Ramush Haradinaj.

European Agenda Kosovo has not changed much since the EU took on "the pivotal role in realising the European agenda in Kosovo with the aim to promote Kosovo's approximation to the European Union" and "in the reconstruction and development of Kosovo." Under the EU, and according to the CIA, "Kosovo's econo-

By Gerard M. Gallucci TransConflict my … is still highly dependent on the international community and the diaspora for financial and technical assistance. Remittances from the diaspora … are estimated to account for about 15% of GDP and international donor assistance accounts for approximately 10% of GDP." Also, while there has been some growth, "Kosovo's citizens are the poorest in Europe … [with] an unemployment rate of 31%, and a youth unemployment rate near 60%." This "encourages emigration and fuels a significant informal, unreported economy…. [where] most of Kosovo's population lives in rural towns outside of the capital [and where] inefficient, nearsubsistence farming is common." The CIA also judges that "high levels of corruption, little contract enforcement, and unreliable electricity supply have discouraged potential investors." Kosovo continues to use the Euro and has apparently generated not just migrants to the rest of Europe but also jihadists to the Middle-East. Meanwhile, the EU's rule of law mission - EULEX - has been accused of negligence in pursuing cases of corruption and impunity and of internal corruption.

The EU's most "effective" recent action was to remove from play the Kosovo Serb leader most willing and able to work within Kosovo institutions for the benefit of his community, Oliver Ivanovic.

In all, Kosovo is going nowhere fast. The Germans and Americans have lost patience with the Kosovo Albanians. In secret, they might admit that perhaps "independence" was a mistake. The EU

would love to wash its hands of Kosovo as the US has essentially done (except for keeping the Albanians from sinking into civil war). EULEX itself is up for mandate renewal this year but there is really no choice. Given everything else the EU is facing at the time, it cannot afford to abandon Kosovo to becoming a black hole in the Balkans. So, what to do?

Few Choices The choices facing the EU and US are few.

Kosovo cannot be left on its own. It is not, by itself, a sustainable economic or political entity. Waiting for Serbia to recognize Kosovo as independent (in order to enter the EU) would still leave Kosovo by itself.

Even then the international factors would have to remain in place for the conceivable future. But unless they are ready to do so forever, there needs to be some strategy for an eventual exit. Possibilities include partition or association. Partition, in which Serbia retains the area north of the Ibar, would make Kosovo a more exclusively ethnic Albanian entity.

Provision could be made for voluntary resettlement for those Serbs south of the Ibar and Albanians north of the river wishing to adjust to the new situation. The resulting Kosovo might be then allowed to enter an association with Albania or to merge with it. A Greater Albania might be more stable than a lone Kosovo. Or, Serbia and Kosovo might form an association of sovereign entities as together they entered the EU. Serbs in Kosovo could retain links to Serbia and Albanians in Serbia the same with Kosovo. The economies of both would function as one (with the Euro) and traffic, travel and business would face no internal barriers.

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11

European Film Festival in Eight Local Cities

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The festival will be opened by the Serbian film A Stinking Fairytale, directed by Miroslav Momcilovic

he 5th Festival of European Film, organised by the EU Delegation to Serbia, the EU Info Centre and eight partner cities, will begin at the Novi Sad Cultural Centre on May 12.

The festival will be opened by the Serbian film A Stinking Fairytale, directed by Miroslav Momcilovic.

This year, the festival will feature 18 of the latest European films and, as in the past, entrance to screenings will be free of charge.

The festival will take on a new character as it will be held in eight cities across the country, rather than in Belgrade only, the organisers announced.

The two-part event will take place from May 12 through July 5 and in the autumn. In the first part, citizens of Novi Sad, Nis, Sabac, Valjevo, Prijepolje, Negotin, Prokuplje and Uzice will enjoy contemporary films from Denmark, Portugal, Cyprus, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Belgium, Greece, France, Estonia, Croatia, Italy, Netherlands and Serbia.

Every film at the festival will, in a way, represent the country it comes from,

Days of Moliere Begin in Serbia A literary festival titled "Days of Moliere" begun yesterday, with the program unfolding in Novi Sad, Belgrade and Nis until May 12, the French Institute in Serbia reported.

The festival is due to welcome big names of the contemporary French literature: Pierre Assouline, Mathias Enard, Alexis Jenni and Emmanuel Ruben who will explore the approach toward the world, foreign countries, borders and other people.

On the first day of the event, Enard, Jenni and Ruben were the guests of the Matica Srpska Library at a panel discussion.

The day later, the Nis-based Faculty of Philosophy will host Jenni, and the French Institute in Belgrade - will host Enard.

Tomorrow, under the auspices of the Goncourt Academy, students from Belgrade, Kragujevac, Nis and Novi Sad will choose their winner from the latest shortlist of four titles for this year's Prix Goncourt.

The Branko Jelic award, granted for the best translations from French into Serbian by the French Institute, the Association of Literary Translators of Serbia and International Center for Literary Translators in Sremski Karlovci, will be presented on Thursday.

Djokovic Claims Madrid Open Title The world number one tennis player Novak Djokovic of Serbia triumphed in the Madrid Open for a second time in his career.

He outplayed Andy Murray of the UK 62, 3-6, 6-3.

It took Djokovic 126 minutes to up his head-to-head career record against Murray to 23-9, and win a record 29th Masters title.

The prize money of the Madrid Open totals EUR 4,771,360.

Novak Djokovic

said Michael Davenport, the head of the EU Delegation to Serbia.

EXIT Lineup to Include David Guetta

David Guetta

David Guetta, "the world's most influential music producer and DJ, will perform at the Exit Festival on July 8," the organizers announced.

In a recent Play Radio opinion poll, Serbian music fans voted Guetta "most wanted performer" alongside Adele, The Prodigy and Coldplay, Tanjug reported.

Guetta, the author of the official anthem of the upcoming EURO 2016 football championship in France, "will treat Novi Sad with the most spectacular stage show of his career," the festival organizers said.

TODAY IN THEATRES MILANKOVIC Drama Location: MADLENIANUM THEATRE, Zemun Time: 19:30hrs

MEN Comedy Location: BITEF THEATRE Time: 20:00hrs

WHO SINGS OVER THERE?

NORA

Author: VOJISLAV VOKI KOSTIC

Author: ELFRIEDE JELINEK

Location: NATIONAL THEATRE -

Location: YUGOSLAV DRAMA THEATRE -

MAIN STAGE

LJUBA TADIC STAGE

Time: 19:30hrs

Time: 20:00hrs

NEW IN CINEMAS

Cineplex - TC Usce Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 4

17:00 21:00 20:30 22:00 22:30

Zootopia Captain America Mr. Right Hunter and Ice Queen Clan

Takvud Cineplex Kneza Milosa 7 17:00 Book on Jungle 3D 20:30 Bourek 18:30 Hunter and Ice Queen 22:00 Mother's Day

WEATHER OUTLOOK

Expected biometeorology conditions will affect relatively positively the majority of chronically ill patients.

Some caution is advised for people with heart and respiratory problems. Possible reactions are mild metheopathic symptoms as sleep disorders and headaches.

Dom sindikata

Decanska 14 18:15 Book on Jungle 3D 18:00 Criminal Mind 20:00 Bourek

Cineplex - Delta City Jurija Gagarina 16/16A 18:20 Bourek 20:30 Mr. Right 22:30 Clan

Roda Cineplex Pozeska 83a 20:00 Mother's Day 21:00 Captain America 22:15 Mr. Right

BELGRADE TODAY