Serbia and Kosovo i Metohija

Russia’s foreign minister Sergej Lavrov stated that circumventing UN Resolution 1244 in an attempt to resolve the Kosovo issue was a “gross violation of international law and may lead to destabilization in the Balkans”. In an interview with the evening news, the minister reiterated that Russia will not recognize the “self-proclaimed” independence of Kosovo adding that Moscow will continue to act within the boundaries of the international law. Asked about the trafficking of human organs in Kosovo, Lavrov answered that “without an impartial and diligent investigation into the illegal trade of human organs, reconciliation and normalization in the Balkans will be hard to achieve”. Russia supports Serbia’s proposal of a special investigation regarding illegal trafficking that would be carried out under the guise of the United Nations. Answering the question regarding U.S. plans to deploy missile defense systems in Romania, Lavrov explained that such actions illustrate that the U.S. will go in with its plans regardless of Russia’s worry about said implementation. Lavrov asserted that Russia was willing to prolong its dialogue on missile defense with the U.S. adding that Russia was forced to protect its security should Russia be ignored in the future.

Kosovo, meanwhile, has started to issue biometric passports which counts as one of the conditions for visa liberalization. At the ceremony, interior minister Bajram Redžepi stated that citizens will receive their passports 15 days from the date of application. The ceremonial issuing of passports was held in attendance of prime minister Hašim Tači as well as a “large number of foreign ambassadors”. Tači stated that the issuing of biometric passports was an important step for Kosovo.

KFOR removed the barricades that were erected by Serb citizens by the Brnjak administrative crossing only to be re-erected later by those same citizens. Such circumstances did not unravel by the Jarinje crossing. Serb citizens, according to Politika Online, were especially nervous regarding a rumor that the barricades were to be removed upon an agreement reached between KFOR and Belgrade. KFOR, meanwhile released a statement stating that all actions undertaken on the border are carried out upon consent with Serbian officials.

“Kfor uklonio barikadu, Srbi podigli još veću”. Politika Online. accessed November 5, 2011. www.politika.rs/rubrike/tema-dana/Kfor-uklonio-barikadu-Srbi-podigli-jos-vecu.lt.html

“Kosovo počelo da izdaje biometrijske pasoše”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 1, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167635.html

“Lavrov: Moskva ne menja stav o Kosovu”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 1, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167677.html

“Lavrov: Zaobilaženje rezolucije 1244 vodi destabilizaciji”. Smedia. accessed November 1, 2011. www.smedia.rs/vesti/vest/79157/

Serbia

Serbia needs to maintain privileged relations with Russia as economic cooperation amounts to nearly as much as does Serbia’s and the EU’s, as was declared following a meeting on economics last week in Belgrade. Aleksandar Konuzin, Russia’s ambassador to Serbia, stated that cooperation is especially high in the energy sector. Russia’s goal is, according the Konuzin, that Serbia become the main exporter of energy in, as well as well as beyond the region. Konuzin stated that Russian investments to Serbia were the highest since the inception of cooperation between Belgrade and Moscow pointing toward a greater cooperation in the future. ABS Holdings president and vice president of the Democratic Party (DS) Nenad Popović stated that Serbia’s relations with the EU would be better if Moscow – Belgrade cooperation were stronger adding that wise economic policies will preserve and maybe even further Russian – Serbian relations in spite of closer EU – Serbia relations.

“Konuzin: Saradnja s Rusijom približava Srbiju EU”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 1, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167634.html

Sandžak

According to Blic, the Serbian government refused to sign an agreement of reconciliation between the two Islamic communities brought to Belgrade by the Turkish foreign affairs minister Ahmed Davutoglu. The reason for Belgrade’s refusal, as Blic writes, was that only one muftiat was to be led by a person that is close to Adem Zilkić while five six spots were reserved for people close to Muamer Zukorlić. “Nothing would be achieved except the elimination of the Islamic community that is based in Belgrade would such an agreement be signed”. According to Blic, neither Serbian president Boris Tadić nor minister Vuk Jeremić wished to support such an agreement. The six mufti’s would be present in Novi Pazar, Tutin, Sjenica, Prijepolje, Priboj and Nova Varoš. However, president of the Islamic community of Serbia Samir Tandir denied these allegations asserting that nobody in the government was foreseen to sign the agreement. Tendir told Beta that these allegations are the result of somebody’s “nerves”.

Mufti Muahmed Jusufspahić of Serbia stated that secularism should be respected suggesting non interference of religion into politics as well as non interference of politics into religion when he was faced with the question of a Serbian – Turkish mediating role between the two Islamic communities of Serbia. Answering the question of Wahhabism in Serbia, Jusufspahić said that there about 300 “expressed” Wahhabis in Serbia who “cannot” pose a problem to the Islamic community of Serbia. He pointed out that not every “so called” Wahhabi is a terrorist while, however, there are enough terrorists among them. Jusufspahić added that there are also “plenty” of criminals within the ranks of the Wahhabi movement.

As Politika Online reported, assistant police director Saša Mitrović warned a few months ago that there are signs for possible attacks by Wahhabis in the Balkans. The two most influential “radical Islamist Bosniak factions” are the so called Nesretis and Tekfiris. The Nusretis are under the command of Nusret Imamović from Maoče, BiH. The Nusretis reportedly insist on Jihad, a topic that is a frequent topic in the group’s sermons. According to conducted investigations following the attack on the U.S. embassy last week, there is information that Jašerević worked in Maoči having travelled to Austria often. From this, Politika writes, one can extrapolate that Jašerević belonged to Nusreti’s group. Leading the Tekfiris is Nedžak Balkan from Austria. The group has decided not to preach Jihad while not ruling it out completely. Relations between the two factions are allegedly not good while they plan on improving them. Politika further reported that, according to “reliable sources”, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrived in Belgrade this past week so as to investigate the terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Sarajevo. The FBI reportedly sought to cooperate with the Serbian ministry for the interior. Upon arrival in Belgrade, the investigators are thought to travel to Novi Pazar so as to gather information regarding last week’s shooting. According to Politika investigations, the FBI plans on meeting Ivica Dačić, minister of the police, so as to obtain information Serbia has gathered thus far about radical Islam in the Balkans.

“FBI istražuje vehabije i u Novom Pazaru”. Politika Online. accessed November 5, 2011. www.politika.rs/rubrike/tema-dana/FBI-istrazuje-vehabije-i-u-Novom-Pazaru.lt.html

“Jusufspahić: Principi IZ su čisti i jasni”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 2, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167758.html

“Tandir: Razgovori nisu prekinuti”. B92. accessed November 1, 2011. www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2011&mm=11&dd=01&nav_id=554109

“Propao sorazum o pomirenju dve Islamske zajednice”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 1, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167675.html

Serbia and the EU

Jerzy Buzek, president of the European Parliament, welcomed the Commission’s decision to grant Serbia the status for EU candidacy while sending a message that Serbia must continue its dialogue with Kosovo as the crisis following violence in northern Kosovo was unacceptable. In Buzek’s words, Serbia is very close to candidate status and the start of membership negotiations. The key, however, are normalized relations with Kosovo. “It it is a requirement”. For instance, free movement of people and goods must be guaranteed. Minister for Kosovo i Metohija Goran Bogdanović meanwhile asserted that Serbia will not withdraw Serbian institutions from Kosovo as this would represent a “quite ethnic cleansing” of Serbia’s own people. Answering on Serbia’s withdrawal of institutions as part of the EU’s conditions, Bogdanović stated that this is inacceptable as Serbian citizens are only held in those parts where Serbian institutions exist.

“Bogdanović: Srbija ne odustaje od institucija”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 4, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167934.html

“Buzek: Neophodno nastaviti dijalog s Prištinom”. Ekonom East Media Group. accessed November 3, 2011. www.emg.rs/vesti/srbija/167823.html