SERBIA DAILY No20

W Daily e-newspaper

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WESTERN BALKANS e-MEDIA GROUP

• N° 20 • Belgrade, May 24, 2016

Socialists Open to Alliance with SNS, Democrats Rule it Out

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The position of the Socialist Party of Serbia is that continuing the cooperation with the Serb Progressive Party (SNS) "is still in Serbia's best interest"

owever, "no discussions have as yet been held on this with SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic," SPS leader Ivica Dacic said.

"Anyone could also give a few reasons against the idea, but only one - the future of Serbia - is the most important one," Dacic told reporters after consultations with President Tomislav Nikolic on the new government.

Dacic noted that that he has nothing new to say after the consultations because it is well known that the SNSled electoral list has won the parliamentary majority in the recent elections.

"We are very satisfied that our two electoral lists - the SNS and the SPS, as representatives of the government policy have won that many seats, which confirms that the policy we have pursued is correct," Dacic said.

Be it in the government or the opposition, the SPS will not change its priorities, which are good relations with friends, a modern Serbia and continuing public finance reforms focused on the country's development, Dacic said.

Miro Kovac, Croatian Foreign Minister: Personally, I am an optimist and I think we will find a solution. Croatia is very positive and works constructively to find a solution for continuation of Serbia's accession negotiations with EU

Ivica Dacic and Aleksandar Vucic in Parliament

Asked if he believes that Vucic will ask him to join the government, Dacic said that it is a question for Vucic.

"It is in Serbia's best interest, but whether it will actually happen is not up to us," Dacic said.

Democratic Party (DS) leader Bojan

Ljubomir Maric, Kosovo Minister: The position of Serbian List is that the ZSO should be formed in accordance with the agreements from Brussels, but Kosovo's legislation must create a basis for it. This means a decision by the Government of Kosovo

Pajtic said in a statement to reporters after Monday's consultations on the new government that he explicitly told President Tomislav Nikolic that "being in the government with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) is the last thing" on the Democrats' minds.

Sulejman Ugljanin, Party of Democratic Action of Sandzak: There were rumors about whether we had been invited into government. We said we had not been invited and that even if we had been, I personally would not have accepted it

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Nikolic Hands Mandate to Vucic The government will face many challenges, including the situation in the EU, the migrant crisis, the rise of far-right parties across Europe, the economic crisis and the need to ensure sufficient investments in Serbia, says Nikolic

Tomislav Nikolic and Aleksandar Vucic

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erbian President Tomislav Nikolic said that he has handed to Aleksandar Vucic, who leads the "Serbia is Winning" electoral list, the mandate to form the new government after Vucic convinced him that he has the parliamentary majority required.

Vucic was the only one who presented a programme on how he thinks the future government should conduct itself and what priorities it should seek to fulfill, Nikolic told a press conference following consultations with representatives of the electoral lists that made it to the parliament after the recent elections.

"Everyone who came was aware that (Vucic's) Serbian Progressive Party won the most seats and that it will rightly seek

the mandate to form the government," Nikolic said.

The government will face many challenges, including the situation in the EU, the migrant crisis, the rise of farright parties across Europe, the economic crisis and the need to ensure sufficient investments in Serbia and enough products to compete in foreign markets, as well as develop the agriculture, Nikolic said.

"In a time of major political turbulence, when everyone is against the government, these are all challenges for the government. I wish success to the government - whoever wins the majority has the right to form a government and be wished success by us," Nikolic said.

Jeremic in Debate at Doha Forum At the invitation of the Qatari government, President of the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD) and Serbia's UN secretary-general candidate Vuk Jeremic took part in a debate of candidates for the most senior post in the international organization at the 2016 Doha Forum.

Jeremic spoke about the need to reform the UN to address the challenges of the 21st century.

Without carrying out vital reforms, the UN will not be able to effectively implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and will not be able to come up with a plan for a new generation of peacekeeping

operations in the regions of the Middle East and Africa. It would strategically undermine the efforts aimed at creating a more organized, strengthened and more inclusive multilateralism platform, said Jeremic.

Jeremic presenting points from his own platform for his candidacy for the post of UN secretary general, which contains 53 specific proposals that he said he was ready to start implementing from day one if he is elected to the position, the CIRSD said in a release.

Doha Forum is one of the most important annual high-level meetings in the Middle East, featuring the participation of influential guests from the world of international politics and economics.

Dacic in Paris Today First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivica Dacic, is participating in a meeting of foreign ministers of the Berlin Process in Paris today.

This event is one of the crucial prepara-

tory meetings for the Western Balkans Summit to be held in Paris on 4 July.

This summit is a continuation of the Western Balkans summits that were held in Berlin in 2014 and in Vienna in 2015.

Daily

Markers

BY EMIR SALIHOVIC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dialogue is Skill to be Learned

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resevo valley at the south of Serbia had been a hot spot for long time now.

Populated by Albanian majority, and sitting next to Kosovo, made it an area of turbulence even since the early days of Albanian protests in Pristina in 1980s, and especially since the war in Kosovo and declaration of independence in 2008.

However, the calls by some Kosovo analysts and opinion makers that the issue of Presevo valley should be included into the ongoing talks between Belgrade and Pristina seem to be pushing a bit over the line.

Not because it is not an issue to be discussed, but because first things must come first. Neither Pristina nor Belgrade still didn't reach consensus on many issues related to Kosovo itself, and Serb minority in the north, so it would be too early and counterproductive to raise new sensitive issues already.

As much as Belgrade government is interested in situation of Serbs in Kosovo, so it is understandable that Kosovars are interested in Albanian minority at the south of Serbia. However, both sides must be ready to deviate from their original positions and reach at least some compromise in order for negotiations to yield any result.

The call by the leader of the Albanian Party for Democratic Action, Riza Halimi, that ethnic Albanians should be represented in the new Serbian government sounds reasonable, and as much as Albanians want to be heard about their problems, they should be also ready to listen to issues raised by Serb minority at the north of Kosovo.

True dialogue involves change of one's position, not to overwhelm the opponent beyond any possibility of a win-win situation.

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PINION

Why Montenegro is Joining NATO? For Montenegro, membership is about making a choice to be Western. For NATO, it's about closing a gap

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ontenegro signed an accession protocol with NATO. 28 foreign ministers from the alliance's existing member states signed the treaty earlier this month to clear the way for the Balkan state's entry.

Expanding the alliance at a time when tensions with Russia are high due to the Atlanticist ambitions of another country in Eastern Europe - Ukraine - might strike some as unwise.

Montenegro, with a population of 600,000, also seems to offer NATO little. It has just 2,000 soldiers along with two frigates and four light ground-attack aircraft inherited from the former Yugoslavia.

So why is Montenegro joining NATO? Let us explain.

For Montenegro's leaders, it's about choosing to be a European and a Western nation. They are in talks to join the European Union as well, a process that requires significant economic and political reforms from the country.

Milo ?ukanoviĂŚ, the long-time prime minister, tells Politico, "There is a battle going on in Montenegro and across the Balkans, between the past and the future; between those who want to keep Montenegro and other Western Balkan countries in the old matrix even though that brought us to the bottom of Europe."

GDP per capital is around 6,000 EUR, higher than in neighboring Bosnia and Macedonia but far below the European average of 28,000 EUR. Since Montenegro opened negotiations to join both the EU and NATO, foreign investment has risen, helping its economy expand.

Liberalizations as well as regulatory and judicial reforms that are a precondition of EU membership should help Montenegro's economy expand further.

There is also a security component. ?ukanoviĂŚ says that "as long as countries of the Western Balkans are left wondering between the East and West there will be no secu-

BY NICK OTTENS ATLANTIC SENTINEL

rity and stability in Europe."

Russia has been meddling in the region, particularly on the side of the Serbs, a fellow Slavic and Orthodox Christian people. The German Foreign Ministry has warned that Moscow is engaging in "public diplomacy with clear pan-Slavic rhetoric" in the Balkans. Elmar Brok, a German conservative who chairs the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, told Der Spiegel that Russia's "goal is to exert so much pressure on Balkan states that they either back away from EU membership or that, once they become members, influence EU resolutions in a pro-Russian manner."

Montenegro, with its large ethnic Serb minority, would feel less vulnerable to Russian machinations once it is under the NATO umbrella.

There is a risk of aggravating Russia, which genuinely considers NATO expansion a threat, but Edward P. Joseph, a senior fellow at Johns Hopkins' School of Advanced International Studies, argues in Foreign Affairs magazine that the benefits of bringing Montenegro into the alliance outweigh this risk: It closes the possibility of a Russian naval basing in the Adriatic; It would anchor a country that was once under the grips of pro-Russian Serbia into Western institutions; and It promises to spur EU enlargement in the Balkans, which has flagged in recent years.

No former communist country has joined the European Union without first joining NATO, Joseph points out, and EU accession is a central plank of America's strategy to press Europe to confront its Balkan backyard.

Finally, as Ryan Bohl has reported for the Atlantic Sentinel, Western Balkan states send hundreds of thousands of immigrants to wealthier Europe every year.

Coming on top of the refugee flow from North Africa and the Middle East, that influx is proving too much to bear.

Better to improve economic development and security in the region and expand employment opportunities there than have the Balkans send all their youth westward.

Publisher: WESTERN BALKANS e-MEDIA GROUP z POENTA d.o.o. Sarajevo, Augusta Brauna 3 z Editor - in - Chief: Emir Salihovic z Editors: VLASTIMIR MIJOVIC, AMRA ZIMIC, RASID KRUPALIJA, DANIJELA MRKIC, SANJA LJUBICIC z Director: Amra Zimic z Office Assistant: VERICA GRAOVAC, MUSTAFA BAHTANOVIC, DTP: Bekir Tvrtkovic z Marketing: KAROLINA MIHAJLOVIC z GSM: 00 381 61 2768568, 00 381 11 4086 992, serbiadaily@sbb.rs

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Consultations with Radicals in 30 Seconds

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After SRS delegation called on Nikolic to resign, President left the meeting after only 30 seconds

he Serbian Radical Party (SRS) has no intention of joining Aleksandar Vucic's government, SRS official Nemanja Sarovic said Monday after consultations with President Tomislav Nikolic on the new Serbian government.

Sarovic said that the SRS delegation called on Nikolic to resign and that he left the consultation session after 30 seconds.

"Nikolic did not have the patience to hear what the SRS delegation had to tell him, but got up after just 30 seconds and left the consultation session," Sarovic told reporters.

Sarovic said that he urged Nikolic to resign because he is "entangled in many scandals, he has acquired many real estate properties and has a fake faculty diploma, while his wife runs a foundation from the Presidency building."

Asked if the president told the delegation why he left the consultations, SRS official Natasa Jovanovic said that they

Nikolic leaves the consultations with Radicals

insisted on presenting all their arguments and that they should have been given the 30 minutes to do so.

"The president told us that he had heard the SRS position that it will not join the government," Jovanovic said.

Right-Wingers Ask for Pro-Russian PM Representatives of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)- Dveri coalition have made their two requests clear to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic during Monday's consultations, calling for an end to vote-rigging and irregularities and urging him to give the mandate to someone who is less of a Eurofanatic than Aleksandar Vucic, Dveri leader Bosko Obradovic said.

The coalition will demand that the parliament set up an inquiry committee to find the truth about the recent electoral process, but also changes to the election

laws, so that electoral frauds do not happen again.

The second request is that the primeminister designate be someone who is less of a Eurofanatic than Vucic, as changes took place and Euroscepticism is a dominant sentiment in the bloc itself.

"We need a prime minister that is less proEU, but more pro-Russia," Obradovic said.

The DSS is against any change to the Constitution, the party's leader Sanda Raskovic Ivic said, underlining the need for a referendum on Serbia's EU entry.

Vojvodina Hungarians Want Cooperation with SNS The Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (LSV) wants to continue cooperation with the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), SVM leader Istvan Pastor said after a consultation meeting on government that he had with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

Pastor told reporters that there was an agreement in principle with SNS leader Aleksandar Vucic concerning that cooperation, adding that when conditions were created for making it more concrete, they would make the next move.

Asked if he had talked about it with

Vucic, Pastor said he talked with him over the phone on two occasions and had had contacts with SNS representatives, but primarily to discuss issues concerning the Vojvodina province and local authorities.

Pastor added that he expected Vojvodina's parliament and the provincial authorities to be set up by mid-June.

Asked what would decide if the SVM would be part of the provincial government, Pastor said that it depended on the position of the SNS about it and it was a question to ask the SNS.

Asked why SRS leader Vojislav Seselj did not attend the consultations, Sarovic responded that it was a protocol meeting and that Nikolic and Seselj should meet in another place and at another time, in the presence of reporters and the public.

Radulovic Complains About Rule of Law Leader of the Enough is Enough (DJB) movement Sasa Radulovic said he had told President Tomislav Nikolic that the party believed there was no rule of law in Serbia, describing the state of the economy as grave, and the media situation as concerning.

Radulovic told reporters after consultations with Nikolic at the Serbian government building that the president told him that leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic had assured him he had secured a majority to form the next government.

The DJB leader shared with Nikolic his doubt about the regularity of the recent electoral process, to which the president replied that the movement should get access to the data it required from the national electoral commission.

Radulovic called the media a mouthpiece of the ruling party, and Nikolic agreed there was a problem with the media, but also with the rule of law.

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Presevo Valley Topic at Belgrade-Pristina Negotiations?

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Analysts and opposition in Kosovo believe that the issue of Presevo Valley must be part of the talks for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia

osovo and Pristina have announced that in the next meeting between the two governments, they will discuss on the situation of Albanians in the Presevo Valley, writes IBNA agency.

Analysts and opposition in Kosovo believe that the issue of the Presevo Valley must be part of the talks for the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

Analyst Halil Matoshi told IBNA that the problems of Albanians in the South of Serbia must be discussed in the Brussels' talks.

"I believe that the Presevo Valley should have long been part of the agenda of talks between Pristina and Belgrade, especially in the domain of collective political rights, then culture, education, etc. But governments of Tirana and Pristina doesn't serve the interests of the citizens", Matoshi said.

Matoshi says that the meetings between the governments of Kosovo and that of Albania are a mere farce, because no great political idea or serious economic and cultural project has come out of them.

Kujtim Sadriu, head of the Center for Research and Monitoring in Presevo told IBNA that the Presevo Valley must be part of the talks between Pristina and Belgrade.

"Like the North of Kosovo, the Presevo Valley must also be raised as an issue in the Brussels talks. The European Union is using double standards and is not treat-

Albanian PM Edi Rama welcomed by Albanians from the Serbian town of Presevo

ing the citizens of Western Balkans in an equal way. Why should the Serbs of Kosovo have their association of communes, while the Albanians of the Valley do not even have the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Serbia", Sadriu says.

Meanwhile, founder and MP of Self Determination Party, Albin Kurti says that Albanians of the Presevo Valley do not deserve to be ignored.

"The interest of the government of

LDP: Politics Has to be Different Cedomir Jovanovic, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and a representative of the SDS-LDP-LSV coalition's Alliance for a Better Serbia list, said that if Aleksandar Vucic invited him to be in government, he would discuss it with him, adding that seeing a different politics pursued was much more important to him than having a governmental seat.

"We are interested in a politics that has to be different. The issue of government is not just an issue of seats, but rather the ability to provide answers to all the questions left open by the outgoing government," Jovanovic told reporters after a consultation meeting he had with

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

The LDP leader said that the people of Serbia could expect of them an uncompromising fight for European integration, stability and peace in the region and democratization of society, adding that he was not sure if Aleksandar Vucic was pursuing such a policy at all times.

Asked whether he talked with Vucic about his possible entry into government, Jovanovic said he had not and that he would inform the public about it if and when it happened.

"I think it would be normal for them (the Serbian Progressive Party) to talk to me and to others, and what the answer would be, I'm afraid I cannot tell you that," said Jovanovic.

Kosovo about the Valley is shown by the fact that the Serbs of the North are discussed in the Brussels' talks, while the Valley is not. Serbia offers millions for the Serbs of the north, including the construction of roads, schools, universities, hospitals, universities, hospitals, while the government of Kosovo is not able to secure not even school books for Albanians there, let alone other things", Kurti says.

Zukorlic Ready to be Part of Government Leader of the Bosniak Democratic Community (BDZ) Muamer Zukorlic said that his the party was ready to be part of the government, adding that he had addressed the issue in initial talks with leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic several days ago.

"We had initial talks several days ago which went in the direction of formulating the principles of cooperation and some models of participation in the government. There is readiness in principle to be part of the ruling majority, with responsibilities yet to be defined," Zukorlic told reporters after talks with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.

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Unregulated Position of Workers in Serbia Some 50.000 people work through employment agencies in Serbia, having no basic workers' rights. The continuity of their employment is questionable, there is no paid meal, and salary depends on employer's good will, reads Vecernje Novosti newspaper

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egulations which will lay down rules for leasing work via specialized agencies are, even after several months since workgroup has been formed, still in its starting phase. Although it should regulate the jobs, some 50.000 interested employees will have to wait at least till the end of this year.

The greatest problem is that these employees are in no way certain how long they will remain in the company, getting meal is out of the question, and payment depends on the humors of the agency. They get engaged this way by the employers because it is cheaper to pay a provision than to be obliged to provide vacation, pension, or sick leave.

Syndicates participating in making of this law insist that those things which are not legal now, must remain illegal, while temporary and part-time jobs should be defined, and it has to be avoided that agencies which are virtually same as National Bureau of Employment exist at the same time as agencies for mediation of employment.

Zlata Zec, executive secretary at "Independence" syndicate claims that they will not give political support to the Law on Agencies for temporary and part-time employment while they don't receive convincing response with arguments on how this law will help solve the matter of unemployment. The question is also what kind of interest employers will have to pay to the employees via these agencies, rather than through the National Bureau.

"How is it possible that agencies can work better and more efficient and that

"I work, but with no money" reads the sign at worker's desk

they have better databases than National Bureau and all of its branch offices, after enormous budget has been spent on it by the State?" wonders secretary Zec. "Independence" syndicate will not vote for this regulation if guarantees are not given that this law, if passed, will be respected and followed. It is important to them that all social partners, if they accept to participate in its making, syndicates notably, have completely equal status.

"It is our position that requirements for starting the agency have to be as concrete and restrictive as possible, and it is imperative to have rules as to who is permitted to establish the agency", Zec states. "Along with defined requirements for establishment of an agency, we must insist on specific formal and financial, banking guarantees. The Law must provide equal conditions and rights to

all the workers on similar jobs with different employers".

Ivica Cvetanovic, President of the Confederation of Independent Syndicates explains that various models of employing people have entered through backdoor already.

"Such proceedings must not become usual, but only exceptions for certain jobs, and have to be defined as timelimited, so that the employer will be obliged to receive such worker to a regular position when the deal is done ", Cvetanovic says. "They have to have a possibility to organize into syndicates, negotiate collectively, to have similar salaries for the same type of job, which was not the case until now. At the moment, employees have not their rights protected".

The panel talk about flexible models of employment in Serbia and in the region will take place on May 27th in Belgrade.

Swiss Support Public Administration Reform Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government Kori Udovicki and Federal Chancellor of the Swiss Confederation Walter Thurnherr exchanged signed copies of the agreement on cooperation in public administration reform process in Serbia.

Udovicki explained that it concerns support to the implementation of the Action Plan and Strategy of Public Administration Reform - reform of local self-government from 2016 to 2019.

Noting that the reform solutions are simple, she stressed that the aim is the distri-

bution of responsibilities between the two levels of government - central and local, as well as improvement of planning that has to be systematic and coordinated.

According to Udovicki, the Law on Administrative Procedure was recently adopted and its aim is to simplify administrative procedures, since in Serbia there are too many regulations that regulate certain fields.

Serbia does not have an oversized administration, Udovicki noted, stressing that reorganization of work within the public administration is necessary.

State Secretary of the Ministry of State Administration and Local SelfGovernment Ivan Bosnjak said that sustainability of local governments is one of the main strategic objectives.

Thurnherr emphasized the great importance of local governments, since 70% of the EU legislation is applied in practice at the local level.

The ceremony at the Palace of Serbia was attended by Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Daniel Ruch and a delegation of the Swiss cantonal ministers who are on a study visit to Serbia.

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EIB Reliable Partner for Serbia

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European Investment Bank (EIB) is interested in the development of public-private partnership in Serbia, but also for the development of regional projects and roads within the European transport network

eputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure Zorana Mihajlovic said during a meeting with Head of the Department for Western Balkans of the European Investment Bank (EIB) Matteo Rivellini that Serbia's partnership with this bank is on an upward trajectory.

Mihajlovic pointed out that during the previous government, the European Investment Bank was a reliable partner, and expressed the hope that the good cooperation will continue.

She reiterated that the Serbian govern-

Rivellini and Mihajlovic in Belgrade

Education System to be Adjusted to Needs of Companies

Vucic at meeting with NCR delegation

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic expressed satisfaction during the talks with a delegation of American company NCR with cooperation with this company which is a global leader in the production and sale of devices for financial transactions and in the provision of many services to clients worldwide.

Vucic voiced hope that NCR, which is currently employing about 1,500 workers in Serbia, will soon expand its operations.

The representatives of US company expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Vucic for the support of the

Serbian government to their business in our country and presented plans for further cooperation.

At the meeting it was concluded that it is necessary to reform and adjust the educational system in Serbia to the needs of companies for skilled labour, among other things.

It was also stated that the establishment of a direct flight between Belgrade and New York operated by Air Serbia will significantly contribute to increasing the interest of American investors and tourists in Serbia.

The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador to Serbia Kyle Scott.

Dinar Steady Against Euro The dinar remained steady against the euro, making the official medium exchange rate RSD 122.6305, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) said in a statement.

The national currency rose by 0.2 percent against the eurozone currency compared to a month ago, dropping by 1.8 percent compared to a year ago. The dinar has dropped by 0.8 per-

cent since the beginning of the year.

The dinar-to-dollar indicative exchange rate rose by 0.2 percent to RSD 109.2574.

The dinar dropped by 0.5 percent against the US currency compared to a month ago and by 1.1 percent compared to a year ago, rising by 1.8 percent since the beginning of the year.

ment is satisfied with the cooperation with the financial institution, noting that our country is open to all new projects.

Mihajlovic and Rivellini also touched on active projects in Serbia involving the European Investment Bank, as well as future cooperation.

Rivellini pointed out that the EIB is interested in the development of public-private partnership in Serbia, but also for the development of regional projects and roads within the European transport network, where the route Nis-MerdarePristina is especially important for Serbia.

Gecic Law Advises on Sale of Zelezara Smederevo Assets Gecic Law firm has advised Zelezara Smederevo and the Government of Serbia on EU, regulatory, and corporate matters in connection with the EUR 46 million (USD 52 million) sale of Zelezara Smederevo assets through a public tender procedure to China's Hebei Iron and Steel Company (HBIS). As reported previously, BDK & Asociatii advised HBIS on the deal, working in association with China's JT&N Law Firm.

Speaking of the transaction, Bogdan Gecic - who led his firm's work on the deal - stated that "the investment and revitalization of the steel mill will have a huge economic impact on Serbia in terms of exports and overall GDP." The Gecic firm reports that "Zelezara Smederevo is Serbia's leading producer of steel and is the second largest Serbian exporter and is currently responsible for nearly 1% of Serbia's GDP," and says that, "the company, which was formerly owned by US Steel, having been acquired through the privatization process, was sold back to the Government of Serbia in 2012, marking the exit of US Steel from the country."

Gecic commented: "We wish to congratulate HBIS on this precedent setting transaction. We enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with their team, the Government of Serbia, the team at Zelezara Smederevo and our co-counsel on this transaction. This collaboration will be tremendously beneficial for Serbia and we hope will open the doors for other Chinese investors in Serbia and the region."

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Draskovic: Kosovo is Independent State

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Serbia should condemn the 'politics of crimes and defeat' as post-World War II Germany did, says Vuk Draskovic

uk Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) which participated in April general elections in coalition with Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), said that he had supported SNS leader and current Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic as early as in 2012 "due to his strategic position that the European integration is the only reasonable path for Serbia".

The SNS coalition won the elections with 48,25% of the vote.

"I couldn't and I did not want to be opposition to myself and to everything SPO has stood for with great sacrifice since it was founded", Draskovic, former Serbian Foreign Minister, said in the interview for Ekspres daily.

In general, Draskovic is 'satisfied' with Vucic's politics. However, he stresses that Serbia cannot go to Europe 'with cadres of JUL' (Yugoslav United Left, now nonexistent party led by Mirjana Markovic, spouse of Slobodan Milosevic in 1990s).

"It's undeniable that they completely support the prime minister and praise him. And this is the most dangerous‌ Aleksandar Vucic should side with those who suspect everything and who don't approve anything ungrounded and without reason", Draskovic said.

When asked if he strives for Kosovo's inde-

Vuk Draskovic

pendence, Draskovic said that 'Kosovo is recognized by the vast majority of EU and UN members" and that he 'respects this reality', adding that Slobodan Milosevic was responsible for it.

"Kosovo is independent. Kosovo is a state, regardless whether Serbians like it or not. There is not any guilt in this truth for me, besides if I'm guilty it would be for not denying the truth",

Draskovic underlined.

In his words, Serbia should condemn the 'politics of crimes and defeat' as postWorld War II Germany did. Draskovic stressed that 'the crimes of Milosevic regime' should not be denied, just like the crimes of others against Serbs. The enmities created by the Milosevic regime should be turned into friendships, he concluded.

Kosovo Jails Hard-line Imam for 10 Years Zekerija Qazimi, an imam from Ferizaj suspected of recruiting for ISIS and inciting hatred, was found guilty and jailed for 10 years by a first instance court in the town.

Qazimi was accused of recruiting for terrorist organisations and of inciting hate. According to the prosecution, he was responsible for recruiting several Kosovars to join ISIS, some of whom have died in battle.

"The evidence... confirmed that Qazimi inspired several persons to go to Syria, some of whom have died," prosecutor Elez Bakaj said during the trial.

Qazimi denied involvement in recruiting Kosovars to go to Syria, arguing that if he thought that participating in the Syrian conflict was necessary, he would have taken up arms himself.

"If I considered jihad a personal obligation, I would not be here today but rather in Mosul or Raqqa, because it is forbidden for a religious leader to

instruct others and not follow the same instructions himself," Qazimi said.

At the same session two other suspects, Ilir Berisha and Sadat Toptani, on trial together with the imam, were jailed for eight and seven years and six months respectively.

The imam was arrested in June 2014 while hiding in the woods, according to a police report at the time.

He was also accused of making jihad the main subject in many of his ser-

mons, reportedly comparing one hour of jihad with 30 days of prayer.

He was also accused of being a mentor to the notorious Kosovo ISIS fighter Lavdrim Muhaxheri and of being close to the current leader of the Kosovar fighters in ISIS, Ridvan Haqifi.

According to the indictment, Qazimi had such a high profile among Albanians that have joined ISIS, that he changed the command of Kosovar fighters for ISIS himself, from Muhaxheri to Haqifi.

Albanians Want into Parliament Making Serbia's ethnic Albanians a part of the parliamentary majority is the fundamental issue, the leader of the ethnic Albanian Party for Democratic Action Riza Halimi said after consultations with Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic on the new government.

The parties that have formed parliamentary majorities in the past were not

interested in ethnic Albanian participation, Halimi told reporters.

"Our basic demand was that the position on southern Serbia, which has an ethnic Albanian majority, be changed and that the approach to solving problems be changed through the government and other executive authorities," Halimi said.

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Serbia's Nazi-Backed Leader "Did Not Kill Jews" A historian who testified at a rehabilitation hearing for Milan Nedic argued that the Nazi-backed WWII-era puppet government leader was not directly involved in killing Jews

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istorian Bojan Dimitrijevic told the Belgrade-based Higher Court on Monday that the Nazi backed WWII-era puppet government led by Nedic never physically murdered any Jews, as killings were only carried out by German occupation troops in the country at the time, reports Sasa Dragojlo for BIRN. "The Jewish question was not within the competence of Nedic's government, but rather the German forces. In implementing this policy, Nedic's government merely made statistical records of the Jews in Serbia," Dimitrijevic said.

"All the activities of arresting [people], putting [them] in concentration camps and killings were carried out exclusively

by German forces," he added.

Anti-JJewish Propaganda Asked by the judge whether the Nedic government published anti-Semitic posters, Dimitrijevic admitted that it did use propaganda against Serbia's Jewish community.

"There were some elements of that, but that is not the same as killing people," Dimitrijevic said.

According to Dimitrijevic, Nedic's government was only focused on fighting against Communist Partisan forces and the Chetnik Ravna Gora movement.

Serb ultra-nationalists support rehabilitation of Nedic

and his allies are hoping that the court will posthumously clear his name.

They argue that the Nazi-backed Serbian premier gave refuge to 600,000 Serbs from across the Balkan region who fled to Serbian territory dur-

Milan Nedic headed the so-called Government of National Salvation, a puppet government in Serbia during World War II that operated from August 1941 until October 1944.

After Germany took over, Nedic was appointed as the leader of the country. He made a speech on the radio claiming that he wants to save Serbians' lives by accepting occupation and called on people not to resist, as the Nazis would kill 100 Serbs for each German soldier's death.

During his rule, Belgrade was the first city in Europe to be declared 'Judenfrei' free of Jews. By the end of the war, about 90 per cent of the Jewish population in Serbia had been murdered.

"Nedic's government did not had a political programme or democratic legitimacy, it only served to fight against the rebels," he told the court.

The only ideology that Nedic and the Nazis was shared was anti-communism, added the historian, who was expelled from the Democratic Party at the end of last year because of his support for the WWII prime minister.

Nedic, who was prime minister from 1941 to 1944, was declared a war criminal by the Yugoslav Communist authorities after the Nazi occupation of the country ended, but his great-grandson

ing WWII, thus ensuring their safety.

They also claim that Nedic was actually a victim of persecution that his suicide in 1946 was murder. The Communist authorities said that he died after throwing himself out of a window.

At the previous hearing on March 14, a former detainee of a WWII concentration camp said that Nedic's government helped to free her and her family after the Germans transported them and other Serbs from Sarajevo to Belgrade in 1941.

Monday's hearing again attracted

both opponents and supporters of Nedic's rehabilitation to protest outside the court.

Long Controversy People opposing his rehabilitation, such as women's rights group Women in Black, the LGBT Movement and several anti-fascist groups carried banners with slogans like "Death to fascism, freedom to the people".

Nedic's supporters gathered on another part of the street, chanting his name and waving flags with pictures of the WWII leader.

Decades after his death, historians and the Serbian public remain split over his role during the Nazi occupation of the country. Some believe that he took the role of prime minister in a bid to ensure that he was in position to help people and prevent German reprisals in retaliation for an uprising in Serbia.

Others believe however that there is no excuse for a man who collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces in any way and presided over a regime that helped impose repressive rule over the country.

The next hearing is scheduled for September 19, when Dimitrijevic's testimony will continue.

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10

Russian 'Soft Power' Wins Over Serbia's Youth

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Belgrade think tank director Jelena Milic says Russian-backed media, NGOs and parties are winning over the young in Serbia

new study by the Centre for EuroAtlantic Studies, "Eyes Wide Shut Russian Soft Power Gaining Strength In Serbia - Goals, Instruments And Effects," says Russia is deploying its "soft power" to destabilize the Balkan region, stop democratization and EU accession processes and demonize cooperation with or membership of NATO. "We are focusing on Russian soft power because we have concerns that this has an appeal to youth structures in Serbia and we consider this to be the most concerning thing that is happening below the radar of genuine prodemocratic forces here," CEAS director Jelena Milic told BIRN. She cited findings that highlight the success that Russian soft power has enjoyed in reaching young citizens and in re-shaping their views on authoritarian regimes, civil society, human rights and justice.

As a result, she said, the younger generation is increasingly confused about its preferences for the West or the East.

Positive Image CEAS research shows that 70 per cent of young people in Serbia aged 18 to 35 are more oriented towards "Western countries", such as the EU and US, when it comes to entertainment, culture, education or job opportunities, while only 27 per cent chose Russia.

The general image of the EU member states and the US is also much more positive than the image of Russia.

However, 57 per cent of the same age bracket in Serbia support the presence of Russian military bases in Serbia and 64 per cent support Russian foreign policy.

Most also believe that an alliance with Russia would improve employment opportunities, travel and education, foreign investment, the political stability of the country and the region, and even democratization of the country and Serbia's image in the world.

Milic said the primary goal of the study was to present the Serbian public with new trends in operations by the Kremlin articulated through the application of soft power.

In the report, CEAS listed the full range of organizations, 105 in total, which, according to their findings, represent the infrastructure of Russian soft power

organizations in Serbia.

These include 16 political movements and parties, six student organisations, 10 Russian media portals, up to 15 Serbian but pro-Russian web portals, as well as up to 25 civil society organizations working on strengthening ties between Serbia and Russia.

and expectations, as well as the definitions of what pro-democratic, pro-EU modern rulers and structures are".

Russia's understanding of soft power, according to the CEAS study, differs from the old definition of using soft power "as addition to the traditional public diplomacy".

Russian President Vladimir Putin "himself defined soft power as instruments and methods of achieving foreign policy goals without using military power, only through the means of information campaigns," Milic said, citing the report.

Information Wars

Jelena Milic , CEAS director

CEAS researchers found that the main methods of spreading Russian influence in Serbia are: a marked increase in bilateral visits between Serbian and Russian officials, even when Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia; support for the narrative of traditional relationships between Serbia and Russia through the media; the creation and support of conservative and nationalistic youth organizations and structures promoting close ties between two countries; growing collaboration between the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches.

Milic told BIRN that the rise of Russian soft power had contributed to a slide in Serbia towards authoritarianism, right under the nose of the West, which is failing to react.

She described an "unfortunate synergy of interest organized directly by Russia and among structures here in Serbia, which use and abuse this fake narrative of significance of cooperation with Russia.

"We have an absurd catch-22 situation where, in order to anchor Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic with the West, the political West is lowering its standards

According to the CEAS study, Moscow is increasing its activities especially through propaganda and information wars, which are routine instruments of its foreign policy.

The report especially focused on the Serbian-Russian Humanitarian Center in Nis, registered in Serbia as a non-government organization, which significantly grew since 2015 both in terms of members and the number of projects and other activities.

According to the CEAS report, the multimedia service Sputnik, an agency owned and controlled by the Russian government, is one of the main instruments of Russian soft power in Serbia.

The report states that a number of media outlets in Serbia, including those owned by or under the control of the government, create their content following a discourse defined by Sputnik's output.

"I am fully aware that Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe, or Voice of America are state-funded media outlets. But, I still refer to them as media outlets because they report news and then put news in a context. You know what you are dealing with. From Sputnik we don't get basic info. We just get propaganda," she said.

"When we were investigated after cyber bullying attacks against us, we realised that Sputnik articles had been used by other media outlets to attack us," she noted.

"Serious media are understaffed and don't have resources for fact-checking.

The other angle is that there is this genuine trend towards bringing Russia, and bringing nationalism and violence, into mainstream discourse", Milic says.

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11

International and Local Music Stars Gather in Mitrovica (Photo by J. Duncanson)

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The "North City Jazz & Blues Festival" is a highly acclaimed jazz and blues festival which is basically a revival of a previous jazz festival, first held in 1989

he "North City Jazz & Blues Festival," held near Mitrovica in Kosovo, is an annual and international multi-day event, recently held this year between May 18 and 21. Since the festival's inception in 2003, thousands of local and international music lovers have attended a number of moderate music venues located in the city of North Kosovo Mitrovica, North Kosovo, and Zvecan a small town located two kilometres north-west of North Kosovo Mitrovica.

The highly acclaimed jazz and blues festival is basically a revival of a previous jazz festival, first held in 1989 in the 'House of Culture,' Zvecan. Sadly in 1990 the festival could not continue as it fell victim to the political upheavals and conflicts in Yugoslavia.

After a 12 year absence the foundation for a new Jazz festival was laid when three local musicians and jazz enthusiasts, (and former members and supporters of The Big Band Sound) Nebojsa Avramovic, Nenad Ilic and local jazz guitar legend Petar Rakic masterminded a Jazz and blues revival.

Established Musicians In 2003 the first "North City Jazz & Blues Festival" was announced and on Friday, June 06, a buoyant crowd cheered as they celebrated the return of the jazz and blues music scene to the House of Culture in Zvecan.

Now in its 14th year event organisers have managed to maintain the appearance of established and proclaimed musicians from all over the world, including Russia, Cyprus,

By John Duncanson

of the band, is an ardent follower of Glasgow Celtic Football Club.

SERBIA DAILY CONTRIBUTOR

Holland, Italy and North and South America.

This year's festival headliners, which was observed by more than one thousand music fanatics, included American bluesrock guitarist Eric Gales (AKA Raw Dawg), who is often billed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix. Gales took time away from his current tour of the USA to entertain a high spirited House of culture audience. Also appearing (Soho Bar) from the USA was Mary McBride, who received noteworthy acclaim for her performance of "No One's Gonna Love You like Me," a soundtrack of the Academy-award winning film Brokeback Mountain.

Other international artists invited to the festival, which was not strictly limited to jazz and blues music, included Croatian violinist, guitarist and composer Marko Ramljak, Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin, a Russian jazz trumpet and flugelhorn player; Juan Garcia Herreros, a Columbianborn bassist who is famed for his use of a 6-stringed electric contrabass guitar and his collaboration with a plethora of superstars including Christina Aguilera, Al Jarreau and Elton John.

Also appearing at the festival was Serbian stars and perfectionists of traditional Irish folk music (sung in English), Orthodox Celts; famed for their renditions of such folk classics as 'Rocky Road to Dublin' and 'The Irish Rover.'

Orthodox Celts also perform original material, with lyrics mostly written by the band's lead vocalist Aleksandar "Aca Celtic" Petrovic who, like the rest

Opportunity to Shine I had the absolute honour and privilege of being invited to Kafana Kovin in Zvecan where I joined the band, for a more than hearty lunch, before their outstanding and pitch perfect, Irish accents and all, performance at Soho Bar in Mitrovica. As a Scot and native English speaker I was completely transfixed by the commanding presence and flawless vocals of singer Aleksandar Petrovic, who certainly knows how to control an audience.

The North City Jazz and Blues Festival is a festival which offers local and talented musicians the opportunity to shine in amongst the bigger named artists. One local band who absolutely shone is the up-and-coming 'Bright Side,' a young and eager 5 piece rock band and a product of the Mitrovica Rock School.

The burgeoning sound of Bright side entertained outside cafĂŠ bar Incognito, in Mitrovica, where patrons and passers-by were treated to an array of contrasting music and the husky vocals of the band's confident lead singer, Jelena Drazevic.

The festival came to a close last Saturday, when world renowned musician and composer Sanja Ilic and Balkanika, performed to an engrossed audience at Zvecan's House of Culture.

Sanja Ilic's compositions, played with traditional instruments, are a representation of the cultural heritage and music of Serbia; the perfect way to end a perfect festival.

TODAY IN THEATRES NIGHT OF B.B. KING Concert in cooperation with Rock Radio Location: ATELLIER 212 - MAIN STAGE Time: 20:00 hrs

DOGS Author: CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON Location: THEATRE CARTE BLANCHE Time: 20:00 hrs

BIG DRAMA

THE BROKEN JUG

Author: HEINRICH VON KLEIST Location: YUGOSLAV DRAMA THEATRE Time: 20:00 hrs Time: 19:30hrs

Author: SINISA KOVACEVIC Location: NATIONAL THEATRE MAIN STAGE Time: 19:30 hrs

NEW IN CINEMAS

Cineplexx - TC Usce

Roda Cineplex

Bulevar Mihajla Pupina 4

Pozeska 83a

18:30 Angry Birds

20:00 X Men 20:30 Ban Neighbors 2 21:00 Captain America: Civil war

22:35 Death in Sarajevo 20:45 Our Kind of Traitor 22:50 Mon Roi

Takvud Sinepleks Kneza Milosa 7

Dom sindikata Decanska 14 16:30 Ahora o Nunca 18:15 Mon Roi 22:00 Youth

Cineplexx - Delta City 15:10 Book on Jungle 3D 21:10 Captain America: Civil war 21:50 Mother's Day 20:45 Our Kind of Traitor

WEATHER OUTLOOK Biometeorology situation will adversely affect the chronically ill and vulnerable people. Particular caution is advised to cerebrovascular patients, as well as asthmatics and rheumatics.

Headaches and sleep problems are possible.

Jurija Gagarina 16/16A 19:30 Mother's Day 20:15 Our Kind of Traitor 21:30 Captain America: Civil war

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