SERBIA DAILY No14

W Daily e-newspaper

• N° 14 • Belgrade, May 16, 2016

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WESTERN BALKANS e-MEDIA GROUP

No "Modification" of Requirements for Serbia The European Commission dismissed claims that it is "mildly modifying" its requirements for Serbia due to Croatia's blockade of Serbia's EU accession talks

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he conditions for opening Chapter 23 in the talks remain unchanged.

"Our position remains the same," European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told Tanjug.

Quoting an internal document of the German Federal Foreign Office, Deutsche Welle recently reported that Brussels is "mildly modifying" its position and that it will be accommodating to Croatia in terms of opening Chapter 23 with Serbia.

Croatia is the only EU member state that has refused to give the green light for opening the chapter due to its reservations over a law on Serbia's regional jurisdiction in trying war crimes, guaranteed parliamentary seats for the Croat minority in Serbia and Serbia's full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Since the very start of the Brussels talks, it has been clear that the German government has a major interest to support Serbia on its European path, says Serbia's Ambassador to Berlin Dusan Crnogorcevic.

Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister: On behalf of the Serbian government and my own, I congratulate to the people of Republika Srpska and all political actors on the democratic political capacity and potential they have demonstrated

Kocijancic: "Our position remains the same"

In an interview published by Frankfurtske vesti, he expressed confidence that the issue of Croatia's veto of Serbia's EU accession talks will be solved because, as he said, neither Serbia nor Croatia need new problems.

The year 2013, when the Brussels talks began, was a turning point, because a readiness was shown to help Serbia the largest Western Balkan nation - to become stable and contribute to

Snezana Bogosavljevic-B Boskovic, Minister of Agriculture: Serbia has excellent conditions for its agricultural products to compete with products from Europe and the world. The government has recognised the importance of agriculture for the Serbian economy

regional security, he said.

"Serbia is a small country with eight neighbors and Germany is a large country with nine. Good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation are crucial for the stability and prosperity of any country. That is why we must look to the future and turn our region into one of development and cooperation, rather than a region of problems and conflicts," Crnogorcevic said.

Peter Ptassek, German Department for European Affairs: The bilateral relations between Serbia and Germany are good, and Germany supports Serbia's EU integration, and Germany will continue to provide help and support in the negotiation process

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Pace of Implementation of Agreements Slow In his latest report on the work of the UN mission in Kosovo and the situation there, UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon has expressed concern over the slow pace of implementation of agreements in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue over the past year.

"Much work remains to be done in Kosovo to promote greater tolerance and reconciliation among its communities, to ensure the protection of minority rights, to facilitate the return of the displaced, to uphold their property rights and to safeguard religious traditions without impediment or stigma," Ban wrote in the report, which covers the period from January 16 to April 15, 2016

and will be presented at a UN Security Council meeting today.

"I am pleased to note the commitments expressed by the President and the Prime Minister (of Kosovo) to the process of normalizing relations between Belgrade and Pristina taking place under the auspices of the European Union. Nevertheless, I note with concern the slow pace of implementation during the past 12 months and hope that the positive steps already taken under European Union facilitation will be matched by energetic efforts to complete the remaining steps, " reads Ban's report, published on the UN website.

Dacic to Attend UN Meeting Serbian First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic will attend a UN Security Council meeting in New York today, on the work of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

The Security Council will discuss UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's report

on UNMIK for the period from January 16 to April 15, 2016, the Serbian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

In his address, Dacic will reflect on Ban's report, presenting Serbia's assessment of the situation in Kosovo and the work of UNMIK.

Daily

Markers

BY EMIR SALIHOVIC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Runners Prepare Their Start

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erbian Radical Party leader, Vojislav Seselj, the hard-liner and nationalist who returned to political scene in Serbia after being acquitted in The Hague for war crimes charges, is the latest of the well known political figures in Serbia who announced that he will run for the presidential position in elections in 2017.

Before him the same was announced by the current president, Tomislav Nikolic, then the Social Democratic Party of Serbia leader Rasim Ljajic, and Socialist Party of Serbia leader Ivica Dacic.

Need not to say that the presidential elections will be an interesting event, but one has a feeling that it will not bring about so much excitement as the general, parliamentary elections, as it is obvious for quite some time that the presidential function is of far less importance and executive power as that of the Prime Minister.

Personally, I wouldn't bet much on either Seselj or Nikolic, especially as Nikolic derogated the position of president significantly during his term, and lost a lot of public support due to his lack of diplomatic skills and many statements perceived in public as inappropriate or na?ve.

However, both Dacic and Ljajic are politicians who manage for many years now to sail the stormy seas of Serbian politics without serious harms. Regardless of Dacic's changing popularity among the populace, his SPS party still has significant number of supporters, and either he or Ljajic may be seen as satisfactory alternative to pale and inefficient president Nikolic.

Nikolic explains his candidacy saying that Aleksandar Vucic still needs him, and that one more term would be needed as support to his ex-party colleague.

It would be good, though, if some independent candidates show up too, non-aligned to any political party, but people of respect and honor among the citizens in Serbia due to their personal achievements in arts, business, sports or any other field.

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PINION Belligerent "Patriotic" Competition The only thing we know after the rally Saturday in Banja Luka is that the same raging horse of separatism and nationalism is being spurred by the government and the opposition alike

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verybody was relieved on Saturday when two rallies peacefully ended. There were no incidents in Banja Luka - the Serbs didn't fought among themselves, which was feared and which was even encouraged by tactless statements and disinformation.

After the rally Saturday, the sense of fear is replaced by a less intense one - concern. At the moment when citizens in entire BiH - Republika Srpska included - pay the price of quasi-patriotic policies by enjoying poor life quality, people and developments are being taken 25 years back. The rallies in Banja Luka were marked by striking disrespect for the state-legal frame of the country in which they were held. War criminals were glorified in both rallies, and the entity president shouted three times: Republika Srpska is a state!

Several thousand of his followers were in a trance with him. They didn't just demonstrate a lack of geography knowledge, but also a willingness to heighten ethnic and political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Dodik's exclamations were the high point of anti-Bosnian, antistate nature of the rallies in the RS capital, and the opposition leaders weren't shy about it.

For the opposition as well, Bosnia and Herzegovina was an unknown word and fact for an hour and a half, although their representatives are paid by that state for representing Serbs in the state institutions. Their mother is Serbia, as they pointed out.

Since the people who participated in the rally organized to support the entity government were also chanting "Serbia", Serbia's government is the only one that can be satisfied after Saturday, as well as the supporters of the Greater Serbia idea, which isn't dying out three decades after its adventurist quest in the countries of exYugoslavia. Therefore, the response from Belgrade will be interesting - if there was any - to Banja Luka ralliers, citizens and politicians, to seek happiness in their country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serbia's leaders are obliged to do that, according to the Dayton Agreement, since it was co-signed by Serbia's representative. Because, the Banja

BY VLASTIMIR MIJOVIC EDITOR

Luka rallies were drastically oriented against the letter and spirit of that agreement, against those in charge of the agreement implementation.

That probably won't happen. I also doubt that the gross denial of the Dayton Agreement will be sanctioned by the institution that has the authority to do that, the Office of the High Representative.

Glorification of the most notable Serb war criminals, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, was a particular episode. In their "patriotic" competition, both Dodik and the opposition recruited a descendant of one of the two - Karadzic's daughter and Mladic's son - in a bid to demonstrate loyalty to the separatist, and war-oriented, cause. But, they seem to have not thought about the fear they spread by doing that, demonstrating that they don't respect the court ruling or ethic norms. Judging by their Saturday appearance, they would turn BiH into a river of blood again.

Are the RS citizens (because others weren't mentioned at all on Saturday) ready to experience another Golgotha of that kind? Are the lessons of the Bosnian war, in which mothers on all sides grieved their killed sons, forgotten?

If it was up to politicians, Dodik and Bosic alike, they would wage war tomorrow. Because, those that instigate and generate wars don't fight in the trenches. They observe the bloodshed from a "ceremonial" stage or a luxurious underground bunker.

The Saturday rallies in Banja Luka didn't cause incidents and conflicts of "brothers", but they did generate unease in the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I believe that the Serbs also nervously contemplated the prospect of war trumpets as they listened to the passionate speakers.

They know very well how they fared in the last bloodshed, how much damage they suffered in an attempt to impose their will on the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They also know that they don't have anywhere near the power and the international support and assistance (from Serbia, Russia...) that they had in 1992. And they still didn't win that war. They definitely wouldn't win today.

Will their common sense and willingness to talk and reach political consensus kick in - that question doesn't have a reliable answer. The only thing we know after this Saturday is that the same raging horse of separatism and nationalism is being spurred by the government and the opposition alike.

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Party Urges Authorities to Sue Croatia for Genocide The Serb People's Party (SNP) has asked the Serbian authorities to urgently file a genocide lawsuit against Croatia "before international and national courts

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he party, led by Nenad Popovic, is a member of the pre-election coalition gathered around the Progressives (SNS) that recently entered parliament on their election list, Tanjug reports.

In a statement, the SNP said that Croatia is "the undisputed successor of the NDH and the youngest member of the EU." The Independent State of Croatia (NDH) was a Nazi-allied entity ruled by the Ustasha regime, that existed from 1941 until 1945.

The SNP said their request came on the 75th anniversary of the signing by NDH Interior Minister Andrija Artukovic of an order, known as RAVSIGUR - which represented "the legal basis" for outlawing some two million Serbs and tens of thousands of Jews and Roma.

It is known, said the statement, that the statute of limitations does not apply to the crime of genocide, and that extermination of the non-Croat population in the territory of the NDH was a planned, systematically designed and implemented enterprise, "as evidenced by the names of the first legal acts brought by the Ustasha regime in the spring of 1941."

These were legal provisions relating to issues such as "race, protection of Aryan blood and honor of the Croatian people, work of the Racial-Political Commission, order on determining race

Nenad Popovic

of government and self-government officials and of holders of free academic titles, and order on employment of women in non-Aryan households."

On the other hand, said in the SNP, the NDH adopted an order on a privileged legal position of "the German ethnic group" in its territory.

The statement added that Ante Pavelic, the head ("poglavnik") of the NDH, an entity that killed almost a million Serbs, died ten years after the the Second World War "safe exile in the West" while the name of Pavelic's ideologue and

Serbian Police Banned 120 People from Traveling to BiH Authorities in Serbia say they have banned 120 people from traveling to Bosnia to take part in parallel rallies last weekend of opposing Bosnian Serb political camps, reports Associated Press.

Interior Minister Nebojsa Stefanovic said the aim was to minimize the possibility of incidents Saturday in the town of Banja Luka, where an opposition alliance and the Bosnian Serb government were both

holding rallies. Serbia's Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has warned of possible violence.

Stefanovic said the authorities in Serbia " do all we can so that nothing happens there." He adds that "we won't get involved in politics, but we want peace."

Any violence in Bosnia is potentially explosive, following the 1992-95 war there that claimed some 100,000 lives.

Vucic Has Not Discussed New Cabinet The SNS party announced that their leader Aleksandar Vucic did not discuss the issue of the formation of Serbia's new government with anyone.

This applies to SPS leader Ivica Dacic and LDP leader Cedomir Jovanovic, a statement said, adding that Vucic also did not speak on this subject "with anyone else from any party."

"We plead with those who have been fabricating news these days not to do that anymore, while we will, as we have done before, inform citizens about everything in an orderly and timely fashion," the Progressives (SNS) reported.

This statement came after some media reported that Vucic had met with some party leaders over the past days.

role model, "the father of the Croatian nation" Ante Starcevic - known for saying that "Serbs should be treated like animals" - still adorns squares and cities across "the European Croatia."

The party concluded by saying that had Croatia been put on trial for genocide after WW2, "genocide would not have been repeated in the early 1990s - and the latest epilogue for the Serbian people would not have been so tragic: according to the 1991census there were 600,000 Serbs in Croatia, while a decade later, there were only 200,000."

Seselj to Run for President Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader Vojislav Seselj was named the party's candidate in the 2017 presidential elections in Serbia.

The decision was taken unanimously by the SRS Central Fatherland Administration at a session in the party's Belgrade headquarters, chaired by Seselj.

The agenda included personnel issues, an analysis of electoral results at all levels in the wake of the recent polls in Serbia and reports on the party's state of affairs for Montenegro, Republika Srpska and the exiled Republic of Serb Krajina, the SRS said in a statement.

Milovan Bojic was also unanimously appointed SRS deputy leader.

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FIFA Admits Kosovo

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FIFA's annual congress in Mexico City voted 141 to 23 to accept Football Federation of Kosovo's, FFK, application for membership despite strong opposition from Serbia

riday the 13th was no jinx for Kosovo football. The Kosovo Football Federation was admitted as the 210th member of the world football organization FIFA one week after being voted into the UEFA, reports BIRN. Kosovo's teams can now take part in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

UEFA is now tasked with defining the integration process into the preliminary competition for the Kosovo teams.

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaci said,

"Europe is too small for our great talents."

"During our 25-year isolation, we have provided national teams around the world with many of our talents. Starting from today, they will have a place on the Kosovo team," Thaci added.

Prime Minister Isa Mustafa also expressed his satisfaction at the successful bid.

"Soon we will have other good news.

2016 is our year," Mustafa said.

Before the vote, Serbian Football Association president Tomislav Karadzic

repeated what he said ten days before, at UEFA's congress.

"Kosovo is the first case of UEFA giving membership to a country that is not member of the United Nations," Karadzic said.

An unveiling of the country's flag at the announcement that 86% of the members voted for Kosovo's membership signaled Kosovo's admission into the global football league.

Last week, UEFA admitted Kosovo as its 55th member.

Lunacek: I Am Not Enemy of Serbia, but Kosovo is Condition European Parliament Vice-President and rapporteur for Kosovo Ulrike Lunacek told Tanjug that she was not an enemy of Serbia, but it was certain that Serbia would not join the EU without recognizing Kosovo, not because she said so, but rather because of the experience that the EU had with Cyprus.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Civil Society Forum Belgrade, organized by

the European Fund for the Balkans and Erste Foundation, Lunacek said she was not, as some saw it, an enemy of Serbia just because she was rapporteur for Kosovo at the EP. She said she was very fond of Serbia and its people and that she actually thought the country had made a lot of progress in EU accession.

Lunacek pointed out that in its recent history, the EU had approved the

accession of Cyprus, a country that had no clearly defined boundaries because of the Turkish occupation.

That is why I am certain that there would be no Serbia's accession to the EU without recognizing Kosovo, Lunacek said.

And it will be so not because of me, but rather because of the fact the EU only accepts countries that have clearly defined boundaries, said Lunacek.

Patriarch Calls on Serbs to Stay in Kosovo, Urges Returns Patriarch Irenaeus of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) called on Kosovo Serbs to remain in the province, urging its displaced population to return, reports Tanjug.

Following a liturgy he served in St George's Cathedral in Prizren, Kosovo, he said that "Kosovo will remain ours if we carry it in our souls."

The patriarch and bishops also consecrated the renovated building of the

Saints Kyrillos And Methodius religious school in Prizren.

"We pray to God to save our Patriarchate of Pec, the Visoki Decani and the Gracanica monasteries and many other holy sites that have survived, as well as the walls and ruins of those that have been burned down or razed, in the hope that they will be rebuilt", Irenaeus said.

The liturgy was attended by many

Christian Orthodox worshippers, Kosovo Serb representatives, Serbia's Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic and the head of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo Marko Djuric and his aides.

A regular meeting of the SPC Holy Assembly of Bishops officially began at the Patriarchate of Pec on Saturday and is scheduled to continue in Belgrade today.

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Adriatic-Ionian Regional Strategy Launched in Dubrovnik

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EU members Greece, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia and non-EU states Serbia, Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia have agreed to work together on a joint development strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region

reece, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, Italy, Serbia and Slovenia have agreed under the coordination of European Commission to create joint projects designed to boost sustainable economic, infrastructure and tourism growth.

The Foreign and EU Integration ministers of the eight countries meeting on Thursday in Dubrovnik, Croatia, agreed the first annual forum of the EU macroregional "Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region", EUSAIR, signing a joint declaration of collaboration.

The initiative aims to boost regional projects in four key areas: blue [maritime] growth, transport, environmental quality and sustainable tourism.

The strategy is not covered by a separate fund but the Commission will promote the coordination of structural funds and those of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, IPA, among other European sources in order to finance the joint projects.

European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu said the strategy has potential not only to increase competitiveness and connectivity in the region but to aid integration.

"EUSAIR promotes cooperation between EU and non-EU countries alike, to ensure that no one is left behind on the path to prosperity," she said.

Cretu emphasized that one of the main aims is to reduce the disparities and inequalities between EU and non-EU countries in the region and treat every country that is part of the strategy on the same level.

Dubrovnik

"I assure you that there is not going to be any discrimination [in projects run between countries], we really want to help the Balkans and make it more stable, as this very important for the Europe as a whole," Cretu said, answering a question from BIRN on how the decisionmaking for projects will be made within the EUSAIR countries.

The foreign ministers of the non-EU countries said during the forum that working together with EU countries and the Commission to create a single strategy in key sectors will help their integration into the EU. Albanian Foreign Minister, Ditmir Bushati, however, said it would be important for the strategy to include Kosovo and Macedonia as well.

"Their inclusion is important for creating

territorial cohesion in the region, more than having good access to the Adriatic and Ionian coast," he said.

Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac said countries in the region need to share the same vision of the future in order to create jobs and economic growth.

To enable the strategy's implementation, ministers agreed to create supporting bodies such as national coordinators and steering groups alongside the stakeholder platform that will reflect the opinions of professionals from all the EUSAIR countries for the four pillars of the strategy.

Greece will chair the EUSAIR from June 1 and in the next year ministerial concrete projects between eight countries will be discussed.

Serbian and Croatian Ministers Meet Informally The Serbian minister without portfolio in charge of EU integration had an informal meeting with the Croatian foreign minister in Dubrovnik.

Jadranka Joksimovic and Miro Kovac "exchanged arguments on the issue of Croatia's blocking the opening of Chapter 23 in accession negotiations between Serbia and the EU," Tanjug reported.

Serbia is not shying away from talks and is being very constructive, and our position here is clear as we have met all the criteria set out, and it now rests with the European Commission to make the next move, Joksimovic, who had a

meeting with Kovac before the start of the First Forum of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region (EUSAIR) in Dubrovnik, told Tanjug.

Asked if Kovac had told her something to assume from it that Croatia would continue to rigidly adhere to its position, Joksimovic said that the meeting had been informal and brief, reiterating that the Netherlands, who chairs the Union right now, and the remaining 26 EU member-states, had stated that Serbia was ready to open Chapter 23 and 24 and that Croatia remained isolated in its position.

Joksimovic also said on Thursday that Serbia was interested in concrete results and would make use of all available funds within the framework of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative for projects important to our country and the region.

We are very active and we want to be oriented to concrete results and projects. We want to use all the money available, whatever the amount, for specific projects that are good for both Serbia and the entire region, Joksimovic told Tanjug during a break in the gathering in Croatia's seaside resort of Dubrovnik.

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International Agricultural Fair Opens in Novi Sad

This fair for decades was a window of opportunity for introducing new technologies into Serbia and marketing Serbian products outside the country

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he 83rd International Agricultural Fair opened in Novi Sad, bringing together around 1,500 exhibitors from 60 countries and the most prominent businesspeople from the Serbian agriculture industry and other sectors.

The fair is traditionally the region's most significant event of this type and for decades, even in the toughest of times, it was a window of opportunity for introducing new technologies in Serbia and marketing Serbian products outside the country, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic said at the opening ceremony.

"I am particularly pleased that companies from countries that had withdrawn from the market temporarily are exhibiting again - the reason behind that is Serbia's huge potential, particularly Vojvodina's," Nikolic said.

Serbia has redefined its strategic goals in agriculture, launching projects that should maximize the use of export potentials and accelerate the development of the entire country, he said.

The fair is a link connecting the economies of Serbia and Italy, this year's partner country and a European leader in the manufacture of food and

wine industry equipment, Nikolic said.

On its path towards the EU, Serbia will face the most significant market competition, and the agriculture and food sector is the best player, said Minister of Economy Zeljko Sertic.

Serbia is by far the biggest food exporter in the CEFTA region and the only net exporter, he said.

Serbia has great conditions to make its agricultural products competitive with those from Europe and around the world, said Agriculture Minister Snezana Bogosavljevic Boskovic.

Regional Stability Key to Economic Results One of the significant conclusions of the EBRD conference held in London is that the Western Balkans needs regional stability to be able to achieve better economic results as a whole, and that is what Serbia insists on, Vladimir Krulj, economic adviser to the Serbian government, said to Tanjug.

"Quality and quantity-wise, it has been proven that your neighbour's development also has direct economic conse-

quences for you. Through the role of the leading player in terms of regional stability, Serbia is attracting good investmenttype vibrations," Krulj told Tanjug on the fringes of the EBRD annual conference.

Commenting on the bank's estimate that Serbia's 2017 GDP growth could reach 3.8 pct in case of a planned output growth at the Smederevo steel mill, Krulj said that other factors can also bring better prospects.

It is good that investments in infrastructure grew in the first months of this year, being one of the most significant elements of growth, he said.

Krulj, who is also a professor at the University of Leuven, Belgium, noted the significance of small and medium enterprises for the economy.

"SMEs are believed to be generating the most jobs, while also stimulating real growth," he said.

Chinese Firm Enters Serbia's Wind Energy Market China's Huayi Wind Energy Co. Ltd (HEAG) opened its regional office in Belgrade, marking the company's official entry into wind energy market in Serbia and the Balkans.

An opening ceremony was held at the regional office, located in Belmax Center of the Serbian capital. It was attended by Serbian government officials, officials from the Chinese

embassy to Serbia and other diplomats.

At the ceremony, Zhang Xuemin, general director of HEAG, expressed confidence in the regional office's development.

"Based on our thorough evaluation, Serbia and the region have a great potential in the field of wind power, which is why we come here in Serbia", he said in a speech, adding that the

company's arrival in Serbia is of great importance for its further expansion in the European market.

HEAG, founded in 2002, has been engaged in the design, manufacturing, sales and maintenance of wind turbines and wind farms.

Serbia is exerting itself to the development of renewable energy to meet European Union standards.

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Public Enterprise Reform "Not Going as Planned" Fiscal trends in Serbia in the first four months of the year were "satisfactory - but delays in public finance reform were worrisome "Sustainability of the achieved fiscal results and the success of overall fiscal consolidation hinge crucially on public enterprise reform, which, based on available information, is not going as planned," the Fiscal Council said in a report on fiscal trends in March and April, Beta agency has reported.

The report stressed that power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) had not yet adopted changes to the collective bargaining agreement which would enable the laying off of redundant workers and which, according to the plan, should have been finalized by the end of 2015, and noted that the announced electricity price hike had been delayed and that the latest statistical data showed that salaries in the power utility were not under control.

The council further said that the rightsizing of state railway company Zeleznice Srbije had stalled, while reforms in state gas outfit Srbijagas had seen the least progress, as "not even a relatively painless unbundling in line with Energy Community demands has been completed."

"Further delays in reforms in major public enterprises and possible shifting of their

Rightsizing of Zeleznice Srbije railway company had stalled

huge debt to the state would certainly annul all the efforts so far toward public finance recovery," the council reported.

Other important reforms were also running behind schedule "the planned rightsizing at the general administration level has hardly begun, while the biggest companies slated for privatization will certainly remain under state ownership even after the expiration of the state's protection from debt enforcement," the council said.

"For (copper mine) RTB Bor, there are studies showing that this company could be profitable following rightsizing, appointment of a professional management and

securing of additional working capital, but there have been no concrete steps forward. As regards (underground coal miner PEU) Resavica, there is no clear plan in place, while solutions have not been found for several other companies which stood a relatively good chance to be privatized, such as (agribusiness) PKB and (pharmaceutical company) Galenika," according to the report.

The council further said that if the state continued to directly or indirectly assist these companies, it would cost the state budget EUR 200 million on an annual basis.

Expensive Fees Make Citizens Abstain from Court Cases Less and less people in Serbia is in position to indulge in long lasting and expensive court cases, so the number of litigations diminished for some 25 to 30 percent, Vecernje Novosti report.

Besides attorneys, people get to pay for court taxes and expertise. Even when attorney does not demand payment in advance, lots of them are short for rest of duties.

"Just today I was with two clients who gave up suits", Jasmina Milutinovic, President of the Chamber of Attorneys from the town of Cacak says. "The value of the case was 100.000 dinars, and I was ready to sign a contract that I am willing to accept payment after the case is done, if won. But when they heard that the tax at the Court is 12.800 dinars, and that the same amount applies for the judgment, and expertise, they just waved hand and went out."

Vesna Jovic gave up suit in Sremska Mitrovica as well, although she was unjustly damaged for some 25.000 dinars. Five years ago she sold her flat, but the new owner did not transfer the utilities to her

name. Vesna at some moment received announcement from the executors that her debt will be taken from her bank amount.

"I was told that we missed legal deadline for eight days, and were never in a position to submit an appeal for the decision we did not even receive. Executor then advised us to try with litigation. Since we already paid her debt, we did not have money for the suit", Vesna Jovic says.

For the same reason she didn't want to sue the City of Belgrade, since the attorney asked 50.000 dinars to file a suit for being bitten by the dog. However, people who get the money needed and pay get no better than her.

"On the advice of the attorney we sued our employer for due salaries and contributions. He owed 5.000 Euros, or approximately about five million dinars per a worker. We sued him when he did not follow the agreement we previously signed with him, in which he accepts all his debts", an employee of former metal works company "Bane" from Sombor says

to Vecernje Novosti newspaper.

During the trial, the company was in the process of liquidation. Employer did not contest the charge in the Court, but he asked for delay to be able to pay the interest. He was selling the machines at the time, and claimed that he had no means to settle it.

"Neither I nor my colleagues ever got a dinar for our salaries and contributions, nor the Court charged us from 15 to 35.000 dinars per person in the end for Court expenses", this Sombor citizen says.

Jasmina Milutinovic admits that work disputes, which should be solved urgently according to the law, are especially hard.

"In practice, however, they last that long that there is always a risk that the sued company may be blocked or under bankruptcy before the end of the suit. People now rarely even get employed, so there is nothing for the dispute. Sometimes a larger group of disputes appears, as in the case when parents were sued about the kindergarten, but when such cases pass, then silence comes", Milutinovic says.

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

9

New Government Likely to Mirror Old One Although they exchanged harsh words during the campaign, Progressives and Socialists will probably be the core of the new Serbian government "I never believed in Dacic's loyalty, nor do I believe in it today. I worked with him not for his loyalty, but for the future of Serbia." That is how Prime Minister Aleksander Vucic, president of the Serbian Progressive Party, SNS, characterized his relationship with coalition partner Ivica Dacic, president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, SPS, in his recent appearance on TV Pink.

This statement is likely to set the tone of Serbia's government. According to high-ranking members of SPS, the core of the new ruling majority will again be formed of Progressives and Socialists.

"In the high circles of the party they are mentioning that SNS will again call us to be part of the new government," a highranking member of SPS, speaking under condition of anonymity, told BIRN. "Their plan is to strangle us like a snake strangles a frog before they make a decision. Their aim is to humiliate us completely."

According to many, one of Vucic's goals in April's general election was to maximize his party's lead and get rid of his Progressive Party's alliance with the Socialists. The plan didn't work, however.

SNS's position has weakened a bit, which makes ditching the Socialists harder than before.

By Sasa Dragojlo BIRN

portal Krik which showed him - when he was interior minister - having a relaxed chat in a bar with a well-known criminal.

In March 2016, participants in a popular television reality show discussed his alleged affair with a starlet. Dacic replied by threatening a lawsuit.

During his term as prime minister (201214), Dacic allowed Vucic, who served as his first deputy prime minister, to dismiss two ministers from the Socialist Party.

Vucic's most recent slap in Dacic's face was taking over the Socialists' traditional coalition partner, the United Pensioners Party, PUPS - on the eve of the election.

Dacic apparently learned that PUPS had defected to Vucic from media

Democratic Party (LDP) and the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV), won 13 seats in the election. Coalition members have been widely seen as potential partners for Vucic.

Rejected Coalition Speaking on May 11th, however, Tadic rejected any chance for a coalition with Progressives. Tadic publicly called upon LSV and LDP to declare their intentions.

"They should finally say whether they will they accept the status of the opposition party or cooperate with the government of Aleksandar Vucic," Tadic said.

Jovan Najdenov, spokesman for LDP, told BIRN that his party is determined to work on the consolidation of the proEuropean opposition parties. "The differences between Progressives and us are

Unlikely Cooperation SNS's broad coalition won 131 parliamentary seats out of 250 - 27 seats less than in the 2014 election. After Vucic's coalition partners are seated, SNS will hold just 97 parliamentary seats.

According to Belgrade based daily Danas sources close to SNS, the other reason for partnership with Socialists is SNS's assessment that Socialist assistance is needed for forming a government in Serbia's northern province, Vojvodina, and in the big cities and local municipalities which are important to Progressives.

Just a few months ago, such cooperation seemed unlikely as relations between the two parties were shredded to pieces with mutual accusations.

SPS was under constant fire from highprofile SNS leaders who questioned their loyalty to the government after highranking Socialists criticized Vucic's policies.

In October 2015, Dacic survived the release of video footage by the web

reports - and publicly accused the party leader, Milan Krkobabic, of behaving unfairly.

However, it looks as if political calculations have again triumphed over political principles.

"They do not have a lot of options. To secure their own power, SNS will have to work with us," a Socialist Party member told BIRN. Additional unlikely partners are potentially hidden among some opposition parties too.

Although they have criticized the Vucic government's autocratic tendencies, several pro-European opposition parties have indicated through hazy statements and reluctant post-election behavior that they could eventually make a deal with the Progressives.

A coalition led by former Serbian President Boris Tadic and made up of the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal

too big, so there will not be any cooperation," Najdenov said.

However, leader of LDP, Cedomir Jovanovic, said in a press conference that he is open for talks with Vucic about the future Government.

LSV also was not so decisive on the matter. High-ranking party members did not respond to BIRN requests for an interview for several days, claiming to be too busy.

On March 16th Nenad Canak, leader of LSV, compared LSV's odds of entering the government with a meteor strike.

"There is a possibility," he said. "Just as there is a possibility of a meteor striking the earth: a 1 in 24 billion chance."

According to regulations, the Serbian government is to be formed by June 4th.

Then we will find out if a political meteor strike blasts the Serbian political scene or if the new Serbian government will, practically, be the old one.

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10

Kosovo's Visa Victory Leaves Serbs Feeling Cold Kosovo Albanians have welcomed the European Commission call to extend visa-free travel to Kosovo - but Kosovo Serbs fear they may be left out of the benefits

B

lue balloons with yellow stars flew as celebration parties took place in Kosovo, both on the streets of the capital but also in the office of President Hashim Thaci, after Kosovo was finally placed on the so-called White Schengen list.

"To Europe. Freely. With love," the slogan of the Kosovo Foreign Ministry read, referring to the newly won right of Kosovo nationals to travel into the EU's Schengen zone without visas.

However, the benefits do not extend to all members of one section of the population in Kosovo, namely the 100,000 or so members of the Serbian community.

Since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which Belgrade has vowed not to acknowledge, Serbia and local Serbs in Kosovo have rejected Kosovo-issued documents, including passports.

As a result, most Serbs in Kosovo - and those who fled Kosovo earlier - hold passports issued by the "Coordination Administration of the Serbian Interior Ministry".

By Branislav Krstic BIRN

They believe this is one more sign that, step by step, both they and Serbia are being forced to accept Kosovo's independence.

"The border crossings have been fortified and the impression is that Serbia has already decided on the future status of Kosovo," Zvonko, a businessman from the North Kosovo town of

in the visa-free regime is Serbia's own obligation.

When Serbia joined the visa-free regime in 2009, this was subject to exclusion from the regime of its citizens who lived on the territory of Kosovo, however.

The explanation for this was given in the decision of the European Commission in 2009. This said that the passports of Serbian citizens from this territory would be treated differently due to the "potential for illegal immigration".

Visa Liberalisation "When visa liberalization was granted to citizens of Serbia in 2009, as a citizen of Kosovo, with my travel documents issued by the Coordination Administration in Belgrade, I had to go to get a visa in the foreign embassies in either Pristina or Skopje," Katarina Djuricic, a student from Northern Kosovo, populated mostly by Serbs, told BIRN. "When citizens with Kosovo-issued passports are granted visa liberalization, I hope this does not mean that only we Serbs from Kosovo have to apply for visas," she added.

Since 2009, citizens of Serbia, except those living in Kosovo and those who fled Kosovo in 1999, have had EU requested biometric passports. These were a precondition set by the EU for visa liberalization.

"Let me be clear on that. Only Kosovo passports are recognized. So, it is very, very clear," the EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, explained.

For many Serbs, however, taking a Kosovo passport means recognizing the independence of the former Serbian province from Belgrade, although many of them already hold Kosovo IDs.

Downtown Pristina with flags celebrating visa free regime

Leposavic, told BIRN. Adrijana Hodzic, head of the municipal administration in Northern Mitrovica, told BIRN that the number of questions about Kosovo-issued documents had increased lately.

Serbia, meanwhile, has announced that it will ask the EU to ensure that visa liberalization for Kosovo "includes Serbs who live in Kosovo, regardless of their documents".

Milica Andric, program director of an NGO in Mitrovica, Aktiv, said the question of visa liberalization for passports issued by Serbia to its citizens living in Kosovo was merely a political issue, however.

Dual Citizenship Kosovo Serbs have a right to dual citizenship under Kosovo's constitution Article 155.2 and the Law on Citizenship, Article 3.

This is why Andric says including passports of the Coordination Administration

Experts also emphasize that there is a layer of citizens of Serbia who may be entirely excluded from the visa liberalization regime if the passports of the Interior Ministry's Coordination Administration are not included in the visa-free regime along with passports issued in Kosovo.

This refers to people who lived on the territory of Serbia but at one point, after 1999, married and changed their place of residence to Kosovo.

As Kosovo does not recognize marriages that were contracted after 1999 in the Serbian system, these people cannot obtain personal documents in Kosovo.

In the Serbian system, they hold passports of the Coordination Administration.

This is confirmed by an example from the North Kosovo municipality of Zubin Potok, where Daliborka Rakic, though a councilwoman in the Kosovo system, is not a citizen of Kosovo because her marriage concluded after 1999 is not recognized there.

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11

Future Looks Bright for Cricket in Serbia

Almost a decade after it first emerged in Serbia, cricket has become increasingly popular - among men and women, as well as schoolchildren "We wanted to play cricket, but it was impossible in Serbia, as there was no cricket club back then. So we realized we have to set it up here as a new sport," Haris Dajc, president of the Serbian Cricket Federation, told BIRN. He recalls that it all started in 2007, when he and several of his close friends, cricket-lovers all, decided to bring the Commonwealth's favourite sport to Serbia - where it has never been played and was virtually unknown.

None of these cricket pioneers are professional players - each has a day job.

Dajc teaches at the history department at the University of Belgrade, while some of the other cricket pioneers - Nenad Dugic and Darko Ivic - are a vet and an architect.

But cricket remains their biggest passion.

In September 2007 the men established the very first cricket clubs in Serbia - Stari Grad and Mirijevo. In the years to come, Stari Grad would become the most successful club in the domestic league, with eight cricket cups.

2009 was a very important year for cricket lovers in Serbia. Apart from establishing a club outside Belgrade - in the west-central city of Cacak - the group formed the Serbian Cricket Federation. That was also the year Serbian cricket clubs competed in the national championship.

Two Leagues How did Serbians react to a brand-new sport?

"What helped us the most was a place where we held training days -

By Ivana Nikolic BIRN

Kalemegdan park.

That attracted people, and they were watching us," Dajc says.

"We were also calling people from our faculties, so from the very beginning we had people to whom cricket was a very interesting new sport, but who already had their vocations," he added.

Today, nine years after cricket was born in Serbia and seven years after the establishment of the national championship, lots of things have changed, Dajc says.

"We have made several faculty teams, so cricket has become a well-established academic sport for students," he says. "We also have women players.

They play together with the men in the domestic championships. A few of the girls are also playing for the national team. There is no women's league currently," he says.

There are two cricket leagues in Serbia at the moment, each consisting of four clubs. The Belgrade clubs dominate both leagues, Dajc says.

However, he claims the most important thing for the Federation is the fact that the Serbian Roma population has fully embraced cricket, with two clubs playing in both leagues.

"We have a club Bodrog Jeleni from [the northern province of Vojvodina village of] Backi Monostor. They have been playing in the first league for two years now," Dajc says. "The whole team is made up exclusively of Roma players."

Another Roma club, Crni Mustanzi

(Black Mustangs), comes from the village of Sonta, also in the province of Vojvodina. The Mustangs are supposed to play in the second Serbian cricket league.

Nice Future It is not just university students who play cricket in Serbia.

Elementary pupils and high school students in three Belgrade municipalities train in the sport for free. This arrangement has led up to the establishment of the Serbian cricket championship, consisting of several children's clubs.

"The Belgrade championship finished in March. It gathered about 50 kids under the age of 15, both boys and girls - they play together," Dajc explained.

After all these years, the Serbian Cricket Federation has about 200 players.

Approximately one-third are expats both foreign students and people working in Serbia.

Dajc says both have been very helpful in establishing cricket in Serbia, especially the ones coming from traditional cricket countries like Britain, India, Australia, Bangladesh, the Caribbean islands, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The British and Indian embassies in Belgrade have been helping since the beginning.

"Cricket in Serbia has a very nice future.

We managed to popularize it among the domestic population and to spread cricket culture in a place where it has never been played before," Dajc observes.

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