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The Balkans Today
The Balkans Today: 22nd - 28th February 2016
Our team brings you live updates of the most important events and developments in the Balkans as they happen.
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Serbian Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar has signed a contract to purchase an apartment from the wife of Sretko Kalinic according to a report from the Network for Investigating Crime and Corruption, KRIK.Sretko Kalinic is a notorious hitman for the Zemunski clan, one of Serbia's strongest criminal organizations.KRIK claims Loncar did not answer questions about how he got the apartment. -
Haris Ascalic, a young Bosnian IT programmer, has modified his virtual assistant computer program Cadence to work as a teacher in primary schools."I programmed Cadence so that she can talk with students and teach, for instance, how to program, English language and many other skills necessary for computers. Ideas like this one are already realised in other developed countries and people have well received them, so why shouldn't we do the same," Haris told N1 television. -
Đukanović #Montenegro: we need #infrastructure to link us decisively with the EU, to drive economic growth & stand on our feet #EBRDwbby tenatweets via twitter 2/22/2016 11:55:59 AM -
Macedonia does not want to close its border to refugees but insists on thorough screenings of those who pass, the Interior Ministry told journalists at a briefing on Monday, adding that the country does not plan to build refugee camps on its soil.
Meanwhile, over 600 migrants from Afghanistan are still stranded after several days at the Macedonia-Serbia border crossing of Tabanovce, after Serbia closed its border to Afghani citizens fearing they would not be able to travel further to Croatia.
Refugees remain stranded at the Macedonia-Serbia border crossing
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An Albanian MP arrested for his role in an armed conflict over fishing rights in September 2015 returned to Parliament today. Armando Prenga, a socialist member of the ruling coalition, participated in the parliamentary commission on National Security.Prenga was released by a court in Tirana on Friday, while other people involved in the conflict remained in jail.
Armando Prenga while was taken by Police | Photo: LSA/Malton Dibra -
All vehicles are traveling freely through the Bulgarian-Greek border on Monday following a month of blockades by protesting Greek farmers. Bulgarian truck drivers staged a “counter-blockade” on 16 February, a move which increased tensions at checkpoints between the two countries for nearly a week.
However, while traffic has resumed today, neither of the protesting sides have announced a permanent end to the blockades. The Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is meeting with Greek farmers on Monday in an attempt to reach an agreement on their demands.
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The Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama cracked jokes in an exchange with his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic during the Investment Summit by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London."EU is more careful with them [Serbs] since we [Albanians] don't have the Russia. EU doesn't give Kosovo citizens free visa regime and it says to us [Albania]: You have done well, but still remains to be done. He [Vucic] flies in Russia and EU opens accession negotiations with them," Rama said.
Western Balkans Prime Ministers in London | Photo: Twitter -
The Belgrade and Ljubljana Stock Exchanges confirmed their intention to join SEE Link, an EBRD-supported regional network for trading securities that will help to integrate domestic stock markets, Reuters reported Monday.SEE Link was started by the Bulgarian, Macedonian and Croatian stock exchanges with the aim of creating regional infrastructure for the trading of securities listed on those markets.Serbia and Slovenia's intention to join SEE Link was confirmed at the Western Balkans Investment Summit in London. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) supported the initial phase of the project with a 540,000 euro grant for order-routing in July 2014. Participating stock exchanges also provided 80,000 euros to SEE Link.
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The Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has released Slobodan Pavlovic, owner of Pavlovic Banka, as well three of his collaborators, into house arrest. The four were arrested on February 11th by SIPA and indicted for money laundering, abuse of power and forgery of official documents.Pavlovic Banka is at the center of a controversy over a villa in Belgrade bought by Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik in 2008.
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The Bulgarian government has axed Nikola Kazakov, head of the State Agency for the Refugees (SAR), it announced on Monday. Kazakov’s dismissal comes a day after Nova TV broadcast an investigation proving that the state agency has been buying food for the refugee centers at higher than market prices even though SAR’s refugee centers are almost empty.
The food had been purchased without a public tender due to “emergency reasons." A the end of January, SAR reported that only 625 asylum seekers were living in the camps it is managing which have a total capacity of over 5100 places.
This is the second time Kazakov has been fired from this job. He was dismissed at the end of 2013 by the former government of Plamen Oresharski over the agency’s failure to provide even minimal standards for the thousands of refugees entering the country. However, he was restored to the top of the agency in early 2015 by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. -
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The EU-brokered summer crisis agreement in Macedonia is not dead, but it will reach a point of no return today, US Ambassador Jess Baily told the media.
Baily said this while it is still not certain whether Macedonia's parliament today will postpone elections planned for April 24, after both the EU and the US said the country would not be ready for free and fair polls by then.
US Ambassador to Macedonia Jess Baily | Photo by: MIA
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EU ambassador to Macedonia, Aivo Orav said that the political parties on Tuesday need to find a solution over the disputed April 24 early election date.
"Tomorrow is the last chance" he wrote announcing the arrival to Skopje of MEPs Ivo Vajgl, Richard Howitt and Eduard Kukan who will try to facilitate inter-party talks over possible postponement of elections.
Photo by: BIRN
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A new corruption evaluation report by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) on Bosnia and Herzegovina, notes some progress but also cites much needed work in the country.The report, released on Monday, focuses on the prevention of corruption amongst members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. According to the report, that while some positive steps have been taken, shortcomings remain, most notably the fragmented and uncoordinated judiciary system of the country, and a lack of political will to fight corruption. (Full report available here)
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Montenegro will have to close its borders to refugees and migrants to avoid being overwhelmed if other nearby countries do so, the country's prime minister Milo Djukanovic told Reuters.
"If the European countries dealing with the consequences of the migrant crisis opt to close their borders, what else is there for a country like Montenegro to do," Djukanovic said.
PM Djukanovic | Photo: gov.me -
Clemens Toennies, owner of German meat producer Toennies, confirmed in Belgrade Tuesday that he intends to set up a meat production operation in Serbia. Toennies and Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic agreed that the acquisition of work permits and training for local staff are the most important steps in preparation for the company's arrival in Serbia.An agreement with the company is being prepared for June, Vucic told a press conference.
Clemens Toennis with Serbian PM Vucic | Photo: Beta -
The trial against a group of armed gunmen involved in the bloody shootout with police last May resumes today amid tight police security at the Skopje Criminal Court.
Twenty-nine ethnic Albanians accused of involvement in a shootout that left 18 dead in the town of Kumanovo face terrorism charges at the trial that started earlier this month. Journalists were not able to get access to the courtroom as it is too small for such a large trial.
Photo by: MIA
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The Constitutional Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ruled on Tuesday that a newly approved labour reform law is unconstitutional and must be sent back to Parliament to be voted on again.The law was approved in the House of Peoples of the Federal Parliament without the possibility to present any amendments in July 2015. The Court is requiring the bill be allowed amendments.
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Opposition Macedonian ministers and deputy ministers said they would leave the interim government if there is no parliamentary decision today on the postponement of early elections on April 24th.
The announcement comes after the EU and the US said Macedonia would not be ready for free and fair polls by then to resolve the country’s deep political crisis.
Macedonian Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski | Photo by: MIA
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Montenegro has the worst air quality among European countries, according to a new global study carried out by American universities of Yale and Columbia.
The Environmental Performance Index assessed countries' environment according to 16 criteria, including water consumption and pollution, La Libre Belgique newspaper quoted the study on Tuesday. -
Bodies of two Serbian diplomats slain in US air-raid in Libya were brought to Belgrade late on Tuesday. Sladjana Stankovic and Jovica Stepic died during airstrikes on an ISIS camp in northern Libya where the two were being held. Bodies will be taken for further autopsy, as initial examination done by Libyan authorities failed to determine cause of death. -
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Moscow will not exert pressure on the Montenegrin government on the issue of joining NATO, Russian Foreign Ministry’s official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in an interview with "Argymenty i Fakty" newspaper published on Wednesday.
"The political elite in Montenegro is, to be honest, under the influence of their Western patrons," Zakharova said commenting on Montenegro’s plans to join the North Atlantic Alliance. -
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Kosovo's government is blaming what it calls "paramilitary anarchists" for setting fire to a car owned by a minister's family, AP reported.
The government issued a statement on Wednesday denouncing what it called "an unprecedented criminal attack ... aiming at creating an atmosphere of violence and fear."
The car, which was burned overnight in Pristina, belonged to the family of Agriculture Minister Memli Krasniqi. The statement suggested the incident was part of a pattern of actions by its opponents. -
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Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik confirmed that there's currently an investigation into him and his family.
"This is a regional investigation," explained Dodik in a long interview with the Anadolu news agency, adding that the investigation started with an order from the State Prosecution Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the interview, Dodik claimed that this was all planned by "somebody you all know ... who are working to prove some kind of criminal activities. They tried with the Bobar Banka, they tried with the Highways … but they don't have anything to find. Now they have decided to find something [against me]. I think this is the most comprehensive investigation against somebody's family in Bosnia," Dodik told Anadolu.
For several weeks, frenzied rumours of an imminent police operation against Dodik have roiled Bosnia. On February 11th, SIPA arrested Slobodan Pavlovic, the owner of Pavlovic Bank and three of his collaborators. The Bank was linked to a suspect 750,000€ loan to Milorad Dodik in 2008.
Milorad Dodik | Photo: SNSD -
Bosnian Security Minister Dragan Mektic said Bosnian authorities "are taking seriously" threats made to Husein Kavazovic, head of the Bosnian Islamic Community. "We are looking for our citizens that have joined IS," said Mektic, adding that Bosnian authorities have issued 67 INTERPOL warrants against citizens who have joined jihad in the Middle East.
At least 200 Bosnian citizens have joined IS and 26 are reported to have died according to Bosnian authorities.
Husein Kavazovic | Photo: Rijaset.ba -
Albanian President Bujar Nishani met with the members of the Bosnian Presidency during his one-day official visit to Bosnia. "My desire is that Bosnia recognizes Kosovo," said Nishani during a press conference after the meeting, adding that "the position of Albania is that Bosnia's recognition of Kosovo won't damage any other country, but will increase stability in the region."
Bosnia and Herzegovina still refuses to recognize Kosovo as an independent country, a situation which is provoking huge problems to the economies of the two countries.
Albanian President Bujar Nishani (second from the left) with the three members of Bosnian Presidency | Photo: Anadolu -
Hungary will hold referendum on EU migrant quota, prime minister Victor Orban said on Wednesday.
"Quotas seriously undermine Europe's ethnic and cultural landscape. So far, no one asked the people of Europe whether they want quotas. Hungary has now decided to ask people about this, just as we asked them whether they wanted to join the EU," Orban said. -
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Serbian Labour Minister Aleksandar Vulin warned “any attempt of migrants to enter Serbia through Bulgaria is considered illegal," news agency BGNES reported on Wednesday.
Serbian police authorities advised Bulgaria on February 21st to boost its border protection, as Serbia will only let refugees and migrants through Macedonia. Others entering from elsewhere would be sent back.
Afghani men who entered Serbia through Bulgaria in the last 24 hours have been arrested and promptly deported according to the network of refugee info aid centers “Info-Park."
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Serbs have no one closer than Croats, Serbian Orthodox Church Patriarch Irinej told Orthodox believers during a visit to Jasenovac and Pakrac, Ustashi concentration camps where thousands of Serbs, Jews and Roma were killed during World War II.Patriarch Irinej called for peace, adding that "what happened between peoples must be a warning," and urged "cooperation for a better future."
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The Croatian Parliamentary Committee for Defence approved the purchase of 16 used US military OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters for the Croatian army on Wednesday.
Military chief-of-staff Drago Lovric said that, while helicopters are being donated by the US army, Croatia has to pay around 38 million euro in VAT, as well as additional equipment and shipping costs.
The regular market price for the helicopters is 189 million euro.
Kiowa Warrrior. | Photo: Wikimedia Commons/SSgt Shane A. Cuomo, US Army -
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Kosovo opposition boycotted the parliamentary session on Wednesday, as three parties continued anti-government protest in front of the assembly building vowing to prevent a vote on the new president.
Prishtina Insight reported that ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo started to collect votes necessary for an extraordinary session of Parliament. PDK's leader Hashim Thaci is expecting to be elected Kosovo's new president.
Photo: Prishtina Insight. -
Reducing the flow of migrants is a "question of survival" for the European Union, Austria's interior minister said Wednesday at talks in Vienna with Balkan countries on cutting the record influx, AFP reported.
"I am optimistic that we can reach a joint EU response. The question is when," Johanna Mikl-Leitner said. "We have to reduce the influx now. This is a question of survival for the EU." -
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Kosovo opposition leader Ramush Haradinaj blamed the ruling parties for "smuggling" the vote for president into the Parliament. Haradinaj's remarks came as the opposition boycotts the parliamentary sessions.
Haradinaj argues that possible vote on president would plunge the country in to deeper political crisis.
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