Bosnia and Herzegovina interested in Azerbaijan’s oil and gas

An adviser to the Bosnian presidency has said that Bosnia and Herzegovina would like to import energy from Azerbaijan and develop cooperation.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina are interested in benefiting from the energy resources of Azerbaijan as we place particular emphasis on exploring new energy routes,” presidency adviser Saifuddin Hajic said in Baku today.
He is in Azerbaijani to attend the 35th meeting of the board of governors of the Islamic Development Bank.

Hajic praised Azerbaijan’s economic development, saying it made the country “attractive from all points of view”.

He also touched upon relations between Azerbaijan and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Our visit is very important in terms of developing our bilateral relations. We’ve had a meeting with Azerbaijan’s economic development minister, Shahin Mustafayev, and discussed the prospects for expanding relations.”

However, Hajic expressed regret that “economic cooperation between our countries is falling behind what we want it to be”.

“But we do hope that we’ll develop cooperation. We can build good relations with Azerbaijan in the field of construction, for example,” he said.

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Turkey, Bosnia, Croatia to set up group for Mostar projects

World Bulletin (Turkey),  22 June 2010 16:16

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that they decided to establish a technical working group for projects in Bosnian city of Mostar and in adjacent areas.
Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia came together at a tripartite meeting on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Summit of Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

Davutoglu said at a joint news conference following the meeting, “a tripartite mechanism was established among Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia in Zagreb. This is the third meeting following the gathering in Ankara. This tripartite mechanism aims at strengthening our cooperation for regional stability.”

“During today’s meeting, we decided to establish a technical working group for projects in Bosnian city of Mostar and in adjacent areas. We want Mostar to become a symbol of peace in the Balkans,” he said.

Turkey’s top diplomat said that the next tripartite meeting would be held in Sarajevo in August or in September.

“Meanwhile, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic proposed to host a tripartite summit in Zagreb. This is a very good and very positive proposal. We are also planning to hold a tripartite economic forum in Zagreb in September,” he added.

Croatian Foreign Minister Jandrokovic said at the news conference that they would remove visa requirements for citizens of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“Stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina is of vital importance for stability in the whole region. As one of parties of the Dayton Agreement, Croatia will make significant contributions to development of Bosnia-Herzegovina,” he said.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sven Alkalaj of Bosnia-Herzegovina said that Turkey and Croatia assisted Bosnia-Herzegovina in its NATO membership process.

He added that they would come together again in September prior to the elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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Local concerns rise as Nato downsizes troop numbers in Kosovo

By ZELJKO PANTELIC AND AUGUSTIN PALOKAJ
EU Observer   |   09.06.2010

Several Nato countries are considering faster cuts in their engagement in KFOR, the Alliance’s mission in Kosovo, and financial concerns are becoming a compelling argument to withdraw troops sooner than military authorities might advise.

The local population would like the Alliance to keep a strong presence on the ground. KFOR enjoys the approval of both Kosovo Albanians and Serbs. Authorities in Kosovo and Serbia are also not keen to see Nato troops go.
Kosovo’s president Fatmir Sejdiu warned against a cut-down of KFOR numbers in his speech to Nato ambassadors a few months ago. A similar warning followed from Dragan Sutanovac, Serbia’s defense minister. Some Nato diplomats share their views, pointing to the recent upheaval in Mitrovica, a northern Kosovo town divided between Serbs and Albanians by the Ibar river. While ethnic clashes were prevented, many see the recurring protests as a sign that the security situation remains fragile.
Yet the Alliance seems determined to continue its drift out of Kosovo. Nato Secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen recently said that the first phase of KFOR’s transformation was successful. Nato is heading towards achieving its goal of “a smaller, more mobile deterrent force” in Kosovo, Mr Rasmussen explained.
After the first cut, the mission now has a little less than 10,000 troops. If Nato proceeds with its plans to decrease the number of soldiers, the next phase will see a reduction to 5,000, and later to 2,500 people. In public statements, this is justified by “significant improvements of the security situation in Kosovo.”

The presence of other security players is the main argument for reducing troop numbers in the territory, long contested between Serbs and Albanians. Some of KFOR’s functions were inherited by EULEX, the European Union’s rule of law mission. The Kosovo police and security forces are also taking over in some areas, after years of training. Even the protection of some Orthodox Serb cultural and religious sites has shifted from Nato to the local police.

Another argument for downsizing appears to be financial constraints. Arguably, this is the reason for Italy’s alleged refusal to take command of KFOR from Germany. Not even the US could convince the Italians to move to the helm of the mission. The topic was recently discussed in Washington by Italy’s foreign minister Franco Frattini and James Jones, advisor for national security to US president Barrack Obama. Mr Frattini remained unconvinced, according to the Italian media, attributing the lack of enthusiasm to tightened military budgets.
Still, Italy is ready to take responsibility over KFOR’s activities in the North of Kosovo, which is the most challenging territory, inhabited by an ethnically mixed and short-tempered population.

“As far as I know, the command of KFOR will be run by Germany for another year. We are ready to take command in the North-West of Kosovo, since we have good relations with Serbia,” Mr Frattini told Italian daily Corriere della Sera last week. Currently, there are 1200 Italian soldiers in KFOR, but Rome plans to reduce its participation by half.
KFOR numbers and the speed of the mission’s transformation will be discussed by Nato defense ministers on Thursday and Friday in Brussels. A lively political debate can be expected, sources from inside the organisation say. There appeared to be two “schools of thought” on the mission’s downsizing, they said. While Germany, Italy and the US advocate a cautious approach, France and the UK are among those pressing for speedy reductions.
Nato entered Kosovo exactly 11 years ago after a 78-days-long air offensive against the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

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NATO forces in Bosnia under new commander

U.S. Brigadier General David Enyeart assumed command of NATO forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina ( BiH) on Wednesday, reported the Bosnian news agency Fena.

After the formal handover of duties at NATO headquarters at Camp Butmir, outside of Sarajevo, Enyeart said that NATO command in BiH would continue to provide the same level of support to the BiH Ministry of Defense and to its armed forces. He also confirmed continued cooperation with the European Union’s police mission in BiH (EUFOR).

Enyeart underscored two objectives of NATO under his command: maintaining a secure environment and working toward the realization of BiH’s NATO aspirations. He stated, however, that this latter goal could not be achieved single-handedly.

“Our mission in Sarajevo is teamwork,” said Enyeart. “No one alone can achieve the goal of BiH becoming a NATO member, because that requires continuous teamwork of the entire community.”

Enyeart replaces U.S. Brigadier General John Ballard, who during his farewell speech outlined the progress BiH had made in the spheres of defense reform and security that were recognized when NATO offered BiH to join its Member Action Plan (MAP).

Prior to coming to BiH, Enyeart was deputy commander of the 41st Infantry (forward) Brigade, and 41st Infantry combat team during two peacekeeping tours in Afghanistan.

Source:Xinhua

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Serbia must be returned to industry

Alexandra Popovic – 08.06.2010
 
“Serbia must be returned to industry” is one of the major objectives of the Spatial plan of Serbia. For the past two decades, the share of industry in GDP has fallen from 41.6 percent to 15.6 percent. The industry today is even less than 600,000 people 1990th year. At the same time the number of large industrial centers, which employ more than 20,000 workers, with nine – fell to two. Of 17 secondary centers of 10,000 to 20,000 employees, four survived.
 
- Serbia must be restored before all manufacturing industry – said Boris Stojkov, director of the planning.

 
- It is essential that we have processed raw materials and export the finished product. That is achieved through higher prices. We have to turn hi-tech industry, but taking into account local resources. Must not repeat the mistakes of the past and finally make viticultural foundry.
 
Serbia, according to the draft spatial plan, you need to recover the industry, increase its sectoral and territorial competitiveness and employment. It is possible to affordable infrastructure and premises.
 
- Spatial plan of Serbia opens the possibility that each municipality and each city may on its territory to organize an industrial park or industrial zone – explains Stojkov. – This initiative requires municipal involvement of municipalities about land preparation, and encouragement of the state. You must look at all the local resources that can serve the industry and to attract investments that would provide a higher level of technology and products primarily intended for export.
 
To each end of Serbia could become an industrial center and it is necessary to develop infrastructure, primarily transport. High environmental standards to protect the natural environment and resources.
 
- The construction of industrial zones will be impossible in small municipalities that do not have the capacity, but it will give priority to networking of municipalities, so that they jointly build – added Stojkov. – An important factor is the shift from greenfield to brownfield investment. The reason for the preservation of agricultural land and the use of abandoned buildings. I know a little place in Austria, with barely 1500 inhabitants. In the old factory building made components for navigation “Erbasovih” aircraft. One village has a product to the highest level.

Spatial plan of Serbia will present four municipalities – Vrbas, Kikinda, Pirot, Rovinj, a candidate for the status – of the city.
 
- Do not run it by size, but because of their position – says Boris Stojkov.
 
The data show that the relevant institutions are now located in Serbia, and plans a total of 250 industrial and investment site of 13,136 acres in 81 municipalities and Belgrade. Of the means of the National Investment Plan announced the construction or utility equipment 64 industrial zones and industrial parks in 50 municipalities.
 
Source; Capital,ba

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Croatia, Serbia ink landmark military deal

By IGOR ILIC, Reuters  |  08 June 2010
 
ZAGREB – Former Balkan foes Croatia and Serbia signed a military cooperation deal on Tuesday in another sign that the region of former Yugoslavia is overcoming the legacy of ethnic wars fought in the 1990s.

The agreement came almost 20 years after Croatia declared independence from communist federal Yugoslavia. This prompted its ethnic minority Serbs, backed and armed by Serbia, to start a war that ended with Zagreb’s military victory and a massive Serb exodus from Croatia in 1995.

“This agreement has a professional and political importance. It is well known that Serbia and Croatia still have a number of open issues and the agreement provides an impetus for better cooperation,” Serbian Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac said.

Branko Vukelic, his Croatian counterpart, said the agreement also had an economic component.

“The agreement is important because of a possible cooperation of our military industries, which are quite complementary. It is possible they will jointly appear on foreign markets,” Vukelic told reporters.
Sutanovac said Serbia’s military industry had considerable commercial potential and was hoping to earn one billion dollars from military exports this year.
Serbian defence industries have stepped up production in the past three years, mainly exporting to Iraq, Libya, the United States and Myanmar. The total value of export deals in 2009 exceeded $650 million.

Relations in the Balkans took a turn for the worse after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which prompted Belgrade to cool relations with other former Yugoslav republics.
However, a series of multilateral meetings this year has given hope that one of Europe’s poorest regions could overcome ethnic and historic rivalries.
Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic, heads of the two biggest ex-Yugoslav states, have met several times this year in a symbolic resumption of ties.
Josipovic told Reuters this week the military pact was “a serious sign of normalisation and a good prospect for the future”.
But a number of issues remain unresolved, including the fate of those who went missing in the war, the return of refugees and property, borders and protection of minorities.
Croatia joined NATO in 2008, while Serbia is not seeking membership of the alliance, which bombed it in 1999 to halt Belgrade’s repression of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
“Serbia is in NATO’s Partnership for Peace. For now, this is a good enough framework for cooperation,” Sutanovac said.

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Radical Muslim Influence on the Increase in Kosovo

 
06. Jun, 2010 by Jeremy Reynalds in Christian news
Within the last couple of months, Christians in Kosovo have been victims of what has been described as the increasing influence of radical Muslim groups.
Kosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. Kosovo borders Central Serbia north and eastward, the Republic of Macedonia to the south, Albania to the west and Montenegro to the northwest. The largest city and the capital of Kosovo is Pristina
In an e-mail obtained by ASSIST News Service, Pastor Artur Krasniqi said a church member from a town in the western part of the country was recently brutally beaten.
Two days after the attack against the church member, Krasniqi said, Kosovo Police arrested a group of five people believed responsible for the attack.
In addition, Krasniqi added, one of his church’s buildings in Prishtina was recently vandalized.
In addition to the attacks, Krasniqi said, he is worried about Islamic influence. He said, “Muslim radicalization of our country has become our serious concern, as it will impact not only our democratic values and freedoms but our safety and well being too.”
Krasniqi asked that those concerned about the plight faced by his fellow believers write to both the Prime Minister and President of Kosovo expressing their concerns.
Krasniqi said people wanting to know more should go to www.kishaprotestante.net, or e-mail kishaprotestante@ipko.net

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Thousands of ethnic Albanians and Serbs in standoff in Kosovo’s ethnically divided town

By: The Associated Press   | 
30/05/2010 6:34 AM

MITROVICA, Kosovo -
Riot police are using tear gas and pepper spray to separate hundreds of ethnic Albanian and Serb protesters in the divided town of Mitrovica.

About 2,000 ethnic Albanians are demonstrating against Serbia’s local elections held in the Serb-dominated part of the town.

The protesters, led by veterans of the 1998-1999 war against Serbia, see Sunday’s vote as a breach of Kosovo’s sovereignty. Serbia doesn’t recognize Kosovo’s independence.

Hundreds of Serb counter-demonstrators threw stones and fireworks as police struggled to keep the two sides apart.

Police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse Serb protesters trying to charge across a bridge splitting the town into a Serb north and Albanian south. NATO peacekeepers were also deployed on the bridge.

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Push for German Investment in South Serbia

Balkan Insight  |  Vranje | 21 May 2010 | Nikola Lazic 
German Ambassador to Serbia Wolfram Maas has called on German companies to consider investing in southern Serbia, a region actively seeking new sources of economic development.

Speaking on Thursday in Vranje, which is in the centre of the region, the ambassador said he would recommend to two German companies to build factories in Vranje and the nearby town of Leskovac.

“South Serbia has good business potential, and people are full of good business ideas,” said Maas, who was visiting the region as a member of a delegation that included representatives of 14 embassies in Serbia.

Perica Jankovic, who is in charge of business development in Vranje’s local government, explained on the occasion that two German companies dealing with textile and manufacturing cables are interested in investment in southern Serbia.

“I still have not made direct contact with representatives of these companies, but we expect that to happen soon,” he said.

“We will do everything in our power to create the conditions for these companies to invest here. We will provide a free site and free the investors from paying local taxes,” Jankovic told Balkan Insight. He called on the country’s authorities to encourage potential investors with affordable credit conditions.

The mayor of Vranje, Miroljub Stojcic, noted that the city was one of four in Serbia to receive a favourable business environment certificate, awarded by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development.

“We offer investors European business standards, and the certificate we have confirms that is worth investing in Vranje,” Stojcic told journalists.

Southern Serbia is among the poorest regions in Serbia. Some 10,000 out of 90,000 people in Vranje are officially unemployed while those who do have work earn on average €250 a month, which is €100 less than the average salary in the country.

Offering reasons to invest in the region, the authorities in Vranje cited a high-quality and cheap labour force, proximity to road and rail Corridor 10, which connects Western and Central Europe with the southern part of the continent and the Middle East, and also proximity to three international airports located within a radius of 100 kilometres.

The visit of the diplomats to the region was organised by the Regional Chamber of Commerce Leskovac and Vranje, which brings together 2,300 companies and 13,000 shops, with a total of 80,000 employees.

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Serbia’s future lies in EU, NATO: Rasmussen

20 May 2010 | 18:19 | FOCUS News Agency
 
 

 
Sofia. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged Serbia Thursday to consider joining the transatlantic military alliance and the EU, saying the Balkan country’s future lay in greater integration with Europe, AFP reported.
“We all know that for understandable historical reasons, there might be some scepticism in Serbia as regards of a relationship with NATO,” Rasmussen said during a one-day visit to the Bulgarian capital.
“I would urge not only the Serb political leadership, but the Serb people to look into the future, to consider the situation carefully and to draw the conclusion that the future for Serbia lies within integration with the euro-atlantic community — NATO and the EU.”
Public opinion in Serbia is strongly against NATO membership, mostly due to NATO’s 1999 bombing campaign. The alliance bombed targets in Serbia in a bid to halt the crackdown of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic’s regime on ethnic Albanian rebels in the breakaway Kosovo province.
Since then relations with NATO have improved but Belgrade — which has close ties to Russia — adopted a policy of military neutrality in 2007.
In a recent survey released by the TNS Medium Gallup agency in February, more than two-thirds of Serbs still oppose any future NATO membership.
“Serbia is a European country, its future is within that community and I will do my utmost — I know it has to be a step-by-step approach driven by demands from the Serb side — but I would very much like to see progress,” the NATO chief said.
Rasmussen, who became NATO’s secretary general last August, said his mission “is to see all countries in the Balkans integrated in the euro-Atlantic structures NATO and the EU.”
There were already plans for Bosnia and Hercegovina and Montenegro join the alliance.
And “I hope to see progress in our relationship with Serbia as well,” he said.
As for Macedonia, “it’s not for NATO to facilitate further progress,” Rasmussen said.
“We have made the decision that we are ready to start negotiations with Skopje once a satisfactory solution to the name dispute has been found. But this is primarily a question between Skopje and Athens.”
Bulgaria, which joined NATO in 2004, could play a “crucial” role in getting other Balkan countries to join, he continued.
It could “give advice within NATO and can engage the relevant parties in the Balkans,” he said.

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