EU-DIGEST

War crimes/Bosnia - "CIA protected Karadžić"

A former Hague Tribunal insider has added her comments to claims that Radovan Karadžić enjoyed support from the United States. Former Hague spokeswoman Florence Hartmann told the Belgrade daily Blic that the UN war crimes court's prosecution on several occasions gave the U.S. exact locations where the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs was hiding. But, Hartmann says, "they did nothing".

"Information about the fugitives' whereabouts was abundant, however, it would always turn out that one of the three countries – the U.S., Britain or France – would block arrests."

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, CIA, EU, Karadžić, Serbia

The Karadzic trial should only be the start - by Jelena Subotic

Radovan Karadzic's appearance before the UN war-crimes tribunal in The Hague today is a welcome and important step for international justice. It is also a huge boost for the new Serbian government. The international community is showering praise on its leadership, and the European Union has indicated that after years of isolation the country is finally on the road toward Brussels. Serbia, we hear, has at last “turned the page” on its nationalist and violent past.Just like the Serbian government did in the case of Mr. Karadzic and his military sidekick, Ratko Mladic, the Croatian government claimed for years that it had no knowledge of Mr. Gotovina’s whereabouts. But when the EU suspended accession talks and showed it was serious, the Croatian government miraculously discovered Mr. Gotovina in the Canary Islands and promptly delivered him to The Hague.

Labels: EU, Radovan Karadzic, Serbia

Radovan Karadzic arrives in The Hague for trial at UN war crimes tribunal - by Marlise SimonsLess than two weeks after the police pulled him off a bus in downtown Belgrade, Radovan Karadzic, the onetime psychiatrist turned warmonger who hid from the law as a peddler of New Age medicine, has now taken on a fresh persona, that of prisoner of the United Nations war crimes tribunal.

Labels: Radovan Karadzic, Serbia

Serb ultranationalists plan pro-Karadzic rally - by Dusan Stojanovic

Ultranationalists are planning a huge anti-government rally in Serbia's capital Tuesday evening, and Radovan Karadzic's lawyer predicted the government will try to whisk the arrested war crimes suspect off to the U.N. tribunal before the protest. Belgrade was rife with fears there could be clashes in the streets Tuesday evening as the ultranationalists plan to prevent the extradition of the ex-Bosnian Serb leader to the U.N. tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands. The rally organizers — the right-wing Serbian Radical Party — are busing Karadzic's supporters in from all over Serbia and Bosnia where Karadzic is revered by many as a wartime hero who helped create the Bosnian Serb mini-state after the bloody 1992-95 war.

Labels: Serbia

With Karadzic’s Arrest, Europe Sees Triumph - by Steven Erlanger and Stephen Castle

Europe on Tuesday welcomed the arrest of Radovan Karadzic not just as a victory for international justice, but as a vindication of the Continent’s favored political doctrine: soft power. “This is a big success for Europe,” Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said on Tuesday after meeting his European Union counterparts here, the group’s headquarters. Europeans have certainly had to wait to claim success. Mr. Karadzic escaped capture for more than a decade, and two other genocide suspects — notably Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb general — remain at large. At the same time, the political situation in Belgrade remains precarious in the aftermath of Kosovo’s declaration of independence in February, which has enraged many Serbs. But Europe’s approach has worked.

Labels: EU, Radovan Karadzic, Serbia

Dutch agree to sign EU pact with Serbia but attach strings - by Vanessa Mock

The Netherlands has yielded to pressure to sign a pact offering Serbia closer ties with the EU, but has insisted that key demands must be met before the deal comes into force. EU foreign ministers leant heavily on the Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen to sign the pre-membership pact, which they hope will sway Serb voters to support pro-Western parties in next month's elections.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said. Slovenia currently presides over the EU. But The Hague says the pact is just a symbolic gesture given Mr Verhagen's insistence that Belgrade must cooperate in the hunt for war crime suspects before it is ratified.

Labels: EU, Netherlands, Serbia

EU (plays politics)and cracks door for Serbia in advance of vote - by Stephen Castle and Dan Bilefski

With a fresh round of tight elections looming in Serbia, the European Union on Tuesday signed a pre-membership pact with Belgrade in a bid to help pro-Western forces avoid defeat by nationalists at the polls May 11. European ministers overcame sharp internal divisions over the Serbian government's failure to hunt down war crimes suspects and signed an agreement giving the clearest signal yet that Serbia can eventually join the 27-nation bloc.

The gesture could help turn the elections next month into a test of whether Serbia wants to join the EU - the world's largest trading bloc - or adopt a nationalist path more closely aligned with Moscow. Under a compromise among EU governments, Belgrade will not receive the benefits from the trade and assistance accord with the EU until it is judged to be cooperating fully with the United Nations war crimes tribunal.

Labels: Elections, EU, Serbia

Serbia’s new part to ratify oil/gas agt with Russia–President Tadic

Serbia’s President Boris Tadic has not reconsidered his attitude to the ratification of the inter-governmental oil and gas agreement with Russia. “It will be a new Serbian parliament, having the full powers, that will ratify the energy agreement with Russia, which envisages the construction of a trunk pipeline,” Tadic said at negotiations with Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is in Serbia on a brief visit in the capacity of co-chairman of the inter-governmental committee for trade and economic, scientific and technological cooperation. “This gas pipeline will be vital for our economy and industry and for bringing gas to Serbian households,” the presidential press-service quoted Tadic’s statement as saying.

Labels: EU, Russia, Serbia

Serbia Denies 'Secret Iraq Arms Deal'

Serbia's state-run arms exporter has rejected claims that the Iraqi government secretly arranged to buy substandard weapons from Belgrade. "All Iraqi officials were acquainted with all the contracts that have been concluded with us," said Stevan Nikcevic, general director of the public company Jugoimport-SDPR, which deals with the export and import of arms and military equipment. Nikcevic said the New York Times article was full of false details regarding the contract the Serbian company had concluded with Iraq's Ministry of Defence. According to the report by the United States-based paper on Saturday, the deal, which was signed without the knowledge of senior Iraqi leaders, was previously worth $833 million but was later reduced in size to $236 million.

Labels: Iraq war, Serbia

Serbia pulls envoys from Hungary, Croatia, Bulgaria

Serbia is withdrawing its ambassadors from Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria in response to their recognition of Kosovo as an independent state.
The three neighbors on Wednesday dealt a blow to the Serb campaign to overturn Kosovo's month-old independence by announcing they would establish ties with the new republic. “Following official notification the Foreign Ministry has given orders to the ambassadors in Croatia and Hungary to leave their posts,” said ministry spokeswoman Vesna Sekerezovic. “The ambassadors have 48 hours to return to Serbia.”

Labels: Croatia, EU, Hungary, Serbia

Eurovision Song Contest Serbia 2008 - Tonight: Bosnia & Herzegovina's song presentation

Tonight in a special BH Eurosong 2008 TV show programme in which the public will hear Elvir Lakovic Laka's song Pokusaj (Try It) for the first time. Laka will represent Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 53rd Eurovisin Song Contest in Belgrade on 20th May 2008 in the first semi final. After he spent seven days in Zagreb, recording the final version of the song Pokusaj in the studio owned by one of the most popular and most productive rock producers, Denis Mujadzic - Denyken, on 16th February Laka had a mini-concert in Profil Megastore in Zagreb, within the promotion of his first album Zec, published by Menart productions in Croatia.

Some 120 million television viewers across Europe tuned in to watch last year's winner, 23-year-old Marija Serifovic from Serbia, take home the crown with "Molitva", a love song about the uncertainties between God and man.

In May, the eyes of Europe will be focused on Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, for the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest. A record of 43 countries take part in the 53rd running. Schedule - First Semi-Final: Tuesday, 20th of May; Second Semi-Final:
Thursday, 22nd of May; and the Final: Saturday, 24th of May

Labels: Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Euro Song Festival, Eurovision, Serbia

Rioters Set Fire to US Belgrade Embassy Amid Massive Protests

Scores of Serbs broke into the American embassy in Belgrade and set it ablaze on Thursday, Feb. 21, amid mass protests against US and EU support of Kosovo's declaration of independence. Smoke billowed from the US embassy in Belgrade on Thursday, Feb. 21, as hundreds of thousands massed in the Serbian capital for an emotive rally against Kosovo's declaration of independence.

Labels: EU, Serbia

Eurovision Song Contest Serbia 2008 - parties in The Netherlands and Belgium

On Friday, February 29 a Eurovision party will be held in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The party will be organized by www.songfestival.web-log.nl, OGAE Netherlands, www.12points.tv and songfestivalcafé. It's the perfect chance for fans to meet up and dance all night long to old and new Eurovision hits. Besides that, Bea Records will be present as well. Bea Records can be considered as the world's biggest on-line shop for Eurovision music.

The Dutch party will be held in De Grote Catacomben, Oudegracht 219, Utrecht. Doors open at 21.00 hrs and admission is free until 23.00 hrs. After 23.00 hrs the admission price will be € 3,00. For further information you can send an email to ogaenl@live.nl

Labels: EU, Eurovision, Serbia

EU slams Serbia for blocking agreement

The EU has been forced to postpone Thursday’s signing of an interim political agreement with Serbia following a veto from one of the country’s largest political parties. “We regret the obstruction by politicians blocking the signature,” said enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn on Wednesday. “They have failed to hear the voice of the Serbian people, which is in favour of citizens’ rights. Politicians have put power games over citizens’ interests.”

Labels: EU, Serbia

Exit Polls Show Pro-Europe Tadic as Winner of Serbian Elections

According to exit polls and his own Democratic Party, Serbia's incumbent pro-European President Boris Tadic wins re-election in the run-off with ultra-nationalist opposition leader Tomislav Nikolic. Pro-Western Boris Tadic headed for a second term as Serbia's president on Sunday, preliminary results showed, sparking celebrations on the streets of Belgrade despite fears over Kosovo's looming independence. Tadic’s ultra-nationalist opponent Tomislav Nikolic conceded defeat at a rally of his Radical Party in the Serbian capital. "I am inclined to inform you that Boris Tadic has most probably won these presidential elections with the advantage of around two percentage points," Nikolic told supporters. "If this (result) is proven, I congratulate him on this victory," added the former ally of late autocratic Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic.

Labels: Serbia

Kosovo Independence "Within Days" of Serb Election, Says Thaci

Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci announced Wednesday, Jan. 30 that the Serbian province will declare its independence within days of this weekend's Serbian presidential elections, regardless of who wins the vote. "The developments in Serbia do not have any influence on Kosovo," Thaci, the leader of the ethnic Albanian majority in the breakaway Serbian province, told journalists after meeting with senior police officials. "The independence of Kosovo will happen in the next few days, regardless if Tadic or Nikolic wins." Reuters news agency reported Wednesday, quoting unnamed sources, that Kosovo would declare independence after the Serbian presidential election on Feb. 3 if the nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic wins.

Labels: EU, Kosovo, Serbia

European Union nations have agreed to ask Serbia to sign a political deal days after the presidential election. The political framework agreement offers Belgrade closer trade relations and relaxed visa requirements. EU ministers were keen to give Serbia a positive message before Sunday's election but could not agree to a full pre-membership accord with Serbia. The Dutch government said that should wait until Serbia handed over war crimes suspects to The Hague tribunal. Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic is among those indicted on genocide charges.

Note EU-Digest: the EU should not be making any deal with Serbia until they hand over the war criminals or show some evidence that they are actively pursuing their capture. Up to now Serbia has acted in a defiant manner, which does not give any confidence as to their sincerity in this matter.

Labels: EU, Serbia

Serbia - Dutch to Block Serbia's Bid for EU Trade Pact, Balkenende Says - by Chris Burns and James G. Neuger

The Netherlands will block Serbia's appeal for a faster route to European Union membership due to the Belgrade government's failure to round up war criminals from the 1990s, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said. Balkenende said the Dutch government will prevent the EU from signing a trade agreement with Serbia on Jan. 28 and dismissed concern that the snub would strengthen an anti-EU candidate in Serbia's presidential election next weekend. ``The essential issue is that a state must not be willing to protect war criminals,'' Balkenende said in a Bloomberg Television interview late yesterday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Most EU governments plan to grant diplomatic recognition to Kosovo after it declares independence in February, and the EU plans to send teams of police and judges to take over the management of the province of 2 million from the UN.

Note EU-Digest: Mr. Balkenende is totally correct in the statement he made. The EU must not embrace countries which protect war criminals.

Labels: Balkenende, EU, Netherlands, Serbia

Russia, Serbia Close Ranks as EU Mulls Next Move

In the presence of Tadic and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's state-controlled oil concern Gazprom and Serbia's NIS signed an agreement granting Gazprom control of 51 percent of the Serbian company for 400 million euros ($586 million). On Thursday, the current holder of the EU presidency, Slovenia, said the bloc hoped to sign a Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia on closer integration "in the coming days." But an SAA could be delayed as the Netherlands and Belgium are blocking such a step until alleged Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic is handed over to the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague.

Labels: Energy, EU, Russia, Serbia

Greece on Serbia's EU prospect

Greece on Monday reiterated its support for "fastest possible" approach by Serbia towards the European Union, with the Greek foreign minister noting, in fact, that this is a "strategic choice" for Athens. FM Dora Bakoyannis made the statement after her meeting here with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who arrived for an official visit to the Greek capital a day after the first round of presidential elections in Serbia. A closed-door half-hour meeting between the two foreign ministers was followed with a session that included participation of delegations from both sides. "I reiterated that Greece supports Serbia's course towards European and Euro-Atlantic institutions … We believe that a European Serbia will offer its people prosperity, so they (people) can look to the future with optimism," Bakoyannis told reporters after the meeting. She also noted that the thorny issue involving the Kosovo province's final status is at a crucial juncture.

Labels: EU, Greece, Serbia

Nationalism Rising in Serbia? - by DEJAN ANASTASIJEVIC

While the presidency of Serbia is a largely ceremonial role, electing the President has become a barometer of popular — and thus political — sentiment. In the first round of voting on Jan. 20, ultra-nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic won the most votes, 1.6 million or 39.4% of the ballots cast. The incumbent President, pro-Western Boris Tadic, came in second with 35.4% or 1.4 million votes. The contest is now headed for a Feb. 3 runoff.Even if Nikolic wins the runoff, he will not be able to change Serbian politics dramatically or immediately. Kostunica and his moderate nationalism are likely to hold sway even if he and Tadic decide to call it quits. Kostunica's parliamentary bloc, while numerically small, is an essential ally to any larger party seeking to form a ruling coalition. Meanwhile, parliamentary elections are not scheduled until January 2011. "The government would probably survive, at least for a while, even with Nikolic as President", Svilanovic explains. "But Serbia's road towards the E.U. membership would certainly become much more complicated at best."

Labels: EU, Serbia

Ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic wins Serbian election

Preliminary results from Serbia's presidential elections indicate a victory for the ultranationalist Tomislav Nikolic. The partial results give Mr Nikolic 39.4 percent against 35.4 percent for the incumbent Boris Tadic. As neither candidate won a majority, a second round of voting will be held in two weeks time. The seven other candidates did not win enough votes to play a role in the election. A record number of Serbians cast their ballot in today's vote. Around 60 percent of the 6.7 million eligible voters went to the poll, the highest percentage since the 2000 democratic revolution. The vote is seen as crucial for the Balkan state's future. Both candidates oppose independence for Kosovo but Mr Nikolic favours closer ties with Russia and is opposed to NATO, the US and the European Union while Mr Tadic wants Serbia to join the EU.

Note EU-Digest: this spells big troubles for the stability in the Balkan region.

Labels: Elections, EU, Serbia

Serbia bans US and British election monitors - by Vesna Peric Zimonjic in Belgrade - by Vesna Peric Zimonjic

Serbia's electoral commission has barred US and British observers from monitoring its presidential elections in protest over the countries' support for Kosovan independence. A member of the commission from the ultra-nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Slavoljub Milenkovic, said yesterday that the US and Britain would be prevented from sending monitors for the 20 January elections "because their countries want to destroy us and grab Kosovo away from Serbia". The US and most EU nations back independence for Kosovo, which is populated by some two million ethnic Albanians. It has been run by the UN since 1999, when a Nato bombing campaign forced Belgrade to end its crackdown on an armed insurgency of Kosovan Albanians. After more than two years of internationally sponsored negotiations, Serbia, backed by Russia, still fiercely opposes the imminent independence of Kosovo and has refused any solution other than broad autonomy.

Labels: Elections, EU, Serbia

Serbia considers retaliatory steps against West if Kosovo breaks free

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica condemned the United States on Wednesday for supporting the independence of Kosovo as Parliament debated a measure that would sever diplomatic ties with Western countries that recognized the province's statehood.The measure in Parliament, proposed by Kostunica's government, rejects the idea of the European Union's setting up a mission in Kosovo before the status of the breakaway province is resolved. The resolution threatens to halt Serbian integration into the European Union if Kosovo gains statehood, and denounces NATO and the West for their alleged support of separatists in Kosovo.

Ethnic Albanians, who make up about 90 percent of the two million people in Kosovo, have said they will proclaim independence early in 2008.The leader of the opposition Liberal Party, Cedomir Jovanovic, who does not oppose Kosovo's independence, said the resolution represented "a blow to Serbia's ambitions to become a EU member."

Comment EU-Digest: Mr. Jovanovic is right and on top of that the Serbs have also not delivered Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic and Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic to the International Court of Justice. Serbia's war against Bosnia and Croatia between 1991 and 1995 was characterized by appalling acts of systematic violence against civilians. The use of ethnic cleansing and other genocidal tactics by Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic as a policy tool for partitioning Bosnia and Croatia and establishing a new population balance favorable to the Serbs in ethnically-cleansed territories shocked the international community.

Labels: EU, Genocide, Kosovo, Poltical, Serbia, US

AKI - Serbs elect moderate as new president

According to preliminary results from Sunday's election, Kuzmanovic, a member of the ruling Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), won 45 percent votes, followed by Ognjen Tadic of the Serbian Democratic party (SDS) with 33 per cent. The rest of the votes were distributed among small political parties, the central election commission said on Monday. The biggest election surprise was a low turnout of less than 36 percent, which showed voter apathy and mistrust of local politicians, analysts said.

Labels: Elections, Serbia

Serbia offers 1 million Euros for capture of Mladic - by Dusan Stojanovic

Serbia has offered a €1 million (US$1.4 million) reward for information leading to the capture of war crimes fugitive Gen. Ratko Mladic, an official said Friday. Rasim Ljajic, who is in charge of Serbia's cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal, said authorities have also offered €250,000 (US$355,000) for the arrest of each of two other suspects believed hiding in Serbia.Mladic and Karadzic are accused of orchestrating the 1995 massacre of up to 8,000 Muslim boys and men from Srebrenica, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II, and besieging the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, for three years. The other two fugitives believed hiding in Serbia are Goran Hadzic, a former leader of rebel Croatian Serbs, and Stojan Zupljanin, a wartime commander of Bosnian Serb police.

Labels: EU, Massacres, Ratko Mladic, Serbia

Darren Ennis

Referees will stop all matches in which soccer fans shout racist abuse at players, starting with Saturday's European Under-21 Championship final, a senior UEFA official has confirmed. The announcement follows the launch of a UEFA investigation into racist chanting and a fight in the players' tunnel after England's 2-0 win over Serbia in the European Under-21 Championship on Sunday. Serbia face the Dutch hosts in today's final in Groningen.

Labels: European Soccer, Racism, Serbia, UEFA

Labels: EU, Serbia

Pentagon to open liaison office in Serbia

The U.S. armed forces will open an office in Belgrade in a bid to widen military cooperation with Serbia, Belgrade media said Wednesday. Lt. Gen. Zdravko Ponos, head of the Serbian army general staff, this week met in Washington with U.S. Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Serbia's RTS radio-television reported.

Labels: Serbia, USA

Serbia: Appeasing Serbia hurts EU - by Natasa Kandic and Mabel van Oranje

This month has been a bad one for the cause of human rights in Europe, as Serbia was allowed to begin its six-month presidency of the Council of Europe, the Continent's oldest political body.

With Serbia at the helm, the Council, which aims to promote human rights and the rule of law, is now overseen by a state that thumbs its nose at the Genocide Convention and harbors an indicted war-crimes suspect, former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic.

Labels: EU, Serbia

Serbia Rules Out Territorial Concessions

Serbia will never give up its sovereignty over its southern Kosovo-Metohija province to gain membership in the European Union, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said Saturday. “The government is fully united and categorical in its stand that Serbia will never agree to usurpation of Kosovo-Metohija province for the sake of integration in European structures,” said Serbian Premier in an interview with the Tanjug news agency, adding that “the government’s priority is to take care of Serbia’s interests.”

Labels: EU, Serbia

Serbia Approves Pro-Democracy Government - by Dusan Stojanovic

Serbia's parliament approved a new pro-democracy government Tuesday, overcoming efforts by anti-Western ultranationalists to derail the vote and force new elections.

The 133-106 endorsement of the coalition government came only a half hour before a midnight deadline to approve the government or call new elections. Parliamentary elections in January produced no clear winner, and months of bickering followed.

Labels: Democracy, Serbia

Serbia With "Prayer" Wins Eurovision 2007 Song Festival

Europe voted in Eurovision 2007 festival and gave the winning vote to Serbia. Serbian singer Marija Serifovic performed the song "Prayer" which became favorite of the European voters. Top 5 of Eurovision 2007 are shared between Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and Bulgaria. The Fins organized the contest in a highly organized, friendly and spectacular way. Twenty four contestant countries, mostly from Eastern Europe competed for the vote of European music lovers.

France voted in an interesting fashion, giving 10 points to Armenia and 12 to Turkey. Last year Turkey gave high point to neighboring Armenia. Two countries do not even have diplomatic relationship. This year, Turkey again amazed everyone by giving the highest 12 points to neighbor Armenia. Armenia gave no votes to Turkey.

Note EU-Digest: More than 100 million people watched one of the world's largest music events, a state-funded potpourri of ethnic rhythms and bubble-gum pop that is the Eurovision Song Contest. Contestants from 42 countries travelled to the Finnish capital to compete in the flagship of the European Broadcasting Union's light entertainment programming on Saturday night. To host the event Helsinki pulled out all the plugs and was transformed for this year's event with giant outdoor screens erected for fans not lucky or rich enough to secure a ticket to the final at the Hartwall Arena.

Labels: Eurovision, Serbia

EU Eases Visa Requirements on 3 Balkan Countries

The European Union signed on Friday an agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro on visa facilitation, making it easier for the citizens of the three western Balkan countries to acquire EU visas.

Macedonia, which has completed talks, and Serbia, who is in the final stages of negotiation, are expected to sign similar agreements in the near future.

Labels: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, EU, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Visa Requirements