After a short pause, the Office of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) in BiH continued with the project “Local Community Takes Initiative” with the twelfth debate on local development in the city of Stolac.
Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and EUSR Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, who hosted the debate, said that Stolac has many natural landmarks and a rich cultural and historic heritage, which form its extraordinary potential for the development of tourism as well as that in other sectors.
“We are here to talk with the citizens of Stolac about all the issues related to the process of European integration but also to hear their opinion about the EU”, Wigemark said.
He added that, so far, he has spoken about EU integration with the political leaders, but that, including local community and citizens in the process, is also essential. As it was announced in the EUSR press release, the Ambassador of Croatia to BiH, Ivan Del Vechio, also attended the debate and pointed to the importance and role of youth in the process towards EU integration.
“University and high school students are those who must know about all the tools and advantages that the EU gives them”, Ambassador Del Vechio said and highlighted that motivation is the ‘key’ factor for the engagement of youth.
Speaking about the importance of the project and possibilities that the accession process gives to local communities, regional expert Daniel Mondekar stressed the huge potential of the agriculture sector.
“The EU policies in the sector encourage the development of agricultural entrepreneurship and production of more quality products”, Mondekar said.
He also highlighted the essence of advisory services for farmers. The citizens of Stolac were interested in the possibilities for connecting and co-operating with business people, over the establishment of business clusters and about strengthening the overall capability of their municipality.
Following the debate, attendees had the opportunity to visit the informative-education fair organised by the EU co-funded projects which are directly contributing to the economic and sustainable development of local communities, including Local Integrated Development (LID) funded by the EU and implemented by UNDP and EU ProLocal – the Programme for Local Self-Government and Economic Development in BiH funded by the EU and German Government, implemented by the GIZ.
Within the “Local Community Takes Initiative” project, the Office of the the EU Special Representative is holding public debates about the challenges and opportunities of the EU integration process and supplementary programmes in 15 local communities across BiH…. / IBNA
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VMRO-DPMNE anti-government protests, Mickoski: No change of name, requires new elections
We will not support the change of the Constitution due to the change of the constitutional name, said VMRO-DPMNE’s VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristijan Mickoski yesterday at the anti-government protest in Skopje.
He criticized the government for poor economy, education, health, emigration of young people and demanded early parliamentary elections.
Mickoski requested early parliamentary elections to be held together with presidential elections in spring. According to him, the elections should be organized by a technical government, 100 days before the elections.
He said they were opposed to the law on languages that gave greater use to the Albanians.
During the protest, video messages were sent with support for VMRO-DPMNE by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and European People’s Party President Joseph Dol.
After the protest, SDSM reacted accusing Mickoski of repeating messages of divisions, of returning, and which continued the way of Gruevski. SDSM said they were the favorites for any elections, but the country has important priorities./IBNA
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The crimes of President Ivanov
By Erol Rizaov Columnist Nezavisen Vesnik
President Gjorge Ivanov is still in office under unclear circumstances, probably only because the competent institutions and prosecutors, court instances and the Assembly do not initiate proceedings to apply the constitutional provisions. This man that has been at the helm of the state for nine years, after quite questionable elections, after all the crimes that he has done, continues to ruin the state, and harasses the public with decisions every day, and threats to disturb the interests and reputation of Macedonia. If he is not placed on the defendant’s bench soon, those who tolerate him will be held accountable, and thus become his accomplices.
The Macedonian constitution has provisions on what to do, what solution to acquire for the incalculable and misconduct of the president of the state, and for his flagrant disregard of justice and the rule of law. In a lawful country, party-made abolitions and canceled abolitions and pardons for suspected high-ranking officials and politicians, gathered in a criminal mission against their own citizens, cannot go unpunished. The acts of violation of human rights and freedoms, invocation and incitement to execute a coup by violating the constitution, and denying the majority to constitute the Assembly and the government after a credible election, are never obsolete, and as a direct consequence there is bloodshed and attempts to murder lawmakers in the Assembly. Can President Ivanov’s decisions go unpunished, which directly cause disruption of the social order, and disrupt the future of Macedonia and its citizens?
The president of the state, if the rule of law actually works, will face serious charges of violating the Constitution by not signing laws passed in parliament in a democratic procedure by voting “in favor” for the second time. Finally, there are members in the constitutive law, who anticipate appropriate procedures when the president is not in his right mind and makes harmful decisions, although he publicly admits in fron of TV cameras that he is not informed what is happening in the country. Ignorance of the laws due to the ignorance of the president does not relieve the offender of responsibility, nor his accomplices.
Gjorge Ivanov with his hasty threats with some kind of veto, like a coward’s egg deposited in his cabinet, with consequences like Macedonia not joining NATO and the EU, is the last alarm that dramatically warns that we are talking about a medical case in which the patient is under severe stres,s and is not aware of his great responsibility, which means that Macedonia remains out of the two largest political, economic and military alliances in the world. The president, through his cabinet, although he claims he is not informed about the negotiations with Greece, with his threats of veto, even before he receives all the information firsthand, indecent for a president of a state, publicly decided to fail all of Macedonia’s decades-long efforts for Euro-Atlantic integration. If he at least waited a while, maybe that service would be done by our neighbors who imposed the problem.
In the last nine years, President Ivanov has greatly contributed to the “stolen” time of the Macedonian citizens’ lives, which is in fact our biggest defeat. So far, 27 years have passed in vain in constant justifications, with good prospects Ivanov and his followers to prolong the agony for another 27 years, or rather, until the final disappearance of Macedonia.
Ivanov’s verbal commitments for Macedonia’s EU and NATO membership, expressed by the position of president of a nuclear super-power, were caricatured and were followed by ridicule in the political cabinets, even by our friends and supporters. This policy of ignoring the relations with the great powers and interests was most often qualified as: “Ignorant, plus incapable.” The end result would be the desperate gesture by President Ivanov to fulfill his colleague’s desire, Greece’s President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, for the negotiations to fail, and then blame the citizens of Skopje.
I do not know what the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov told the President of the state, and whether he told him something more than what he has said to the public. But, despite that, President Ivanov is obliged to publicly reply to the crucial question – what is the sustainability of Macedonia as a state, if it does not join NATO and the EU, and where does he see a perspective, if the negotiations fail because of his threats to erga gomnes.
And more importantly, President Ivanov should show to the Macedonian public what his responsibility is, if he hinders the most important strategic goals and priorities of the state. Is this man who was pulled out of a sleeve as a Joker card to become president of the state, a sound assessment or analysis of the Security Council which he handles, or warnings from the intelligence services about what will happen to Macedonia, if all the neighbors get to their goal, and we remain isolated. It does not take much analysis to conclude that after 200,000 Bulgarian passports, that is, Bulgarian citizenships, there will be at least as much Albanian and Serbian citizenships. No one can prevent this unless the most important strategic interests of the state are implemented. If the president does not know this, he should be told by the competent institutions under his authority and responsibility. If it does not help, he needs to find out in the investigation against him, which should first be raised in parliament, and then in the competent court.
It is strange that President Ivanov, one year before the end of his term, and after nine years of party activism and propaganda, without a word, even without the slightest attempt to be the president of all citizens, did not decide on an alibi resignation this time. Such a thing is expected. It would be like him to act like a hero, even when he cowardly runs away from facing the problem, and make the most significant decision for the future of the state and citizens./IBNA
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VMRO-DPMNE rally: Zaev will carefully listen to the messages
The opposition, headed by VMRO-DPMNE, announced a protest in front of the government of the Republic tonight at 20:00.
Opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski, who spoke about this protest after becoming the leader of the party, called for attendance.
-Our people are looking for light and hope, because what is currently happening in the country is neither light, nor hope. A new morning has broken, the new tomorrow that will bring new hope for Macedonia, and for the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, said Mickoski.
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev with a careful attitude said that he has nothing against the opposition’s rally, and that he will carefully listen to their messages.
-Any opposition is very important and has a role in society. I will carefully listen to the messages that will emerge from this very protest because in the normal democratic, free state the opposition is the one that criticizes and gives suggestions on how to improve the overall work in the Republic of Macedonia, said the Prime Minister today during the inspection of the construction works for the construction of the expressway Stip-Radovis./IBNA
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Still no talks between Zaev and Tsipras, working groups draft technical details
Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Saturday that he has still not talked over the phone with Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras regarding a possible solution to the name issue.
PM Zaev told reporters at an event launching the construction works on express road Stip-Radovis there are certain technical problems that need to be resolved by both sides.
“You know I have been an optimist since the beginning and would refrain from presenting details. I believe we will reach a solution and the telephone conversation will take place as soon as these technical problems are removed. I also believe we will announce the agreement to the public very soon, so that we reach the June deadline before the European Council, because it will decide on the start of Macedonia’s EU accession talks. Therefore, we are entirely focused and committed these days to the provisions of the agreement, details that matter,” said Zaev.
He added that once an agreement is reached, its signing will take place in Prespa, because this has been a wish even since the Davos meeting between the two PMs back in January.
“The signing event will be held there, this has been a wish since Davos. The aspects discussed by the countries’ foreign ministers should now be transformed into a legal document., while PM Tsipras and myself should come to a decision. I am prepared for this conversation, I know he is too. It is of course important to explain this to the Macedonian opposition so that it accompanies us,” noted Zaev,
According to him, the most important thing is to explain to the citizens of fYRO Macedonia, but also the opposition and citizens in Greece.
“Every agreement aims not only at removing a certain problem, but also to represent a tool for increased friendship between two nations. I believe both sides will embrace it as such and see it as an incentive for increased mutual cooperation in all aspects,” said Zaev.
The PM failed to comment on Greek media reports regarding proposal Republic of Northern Macedonia.
“We will inform the citizens as soon as we decide on names, adjectives, qualifiers,” added Zaev./IBNA
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What does Turkey want in the Balkans?
Turkey’s relationship with the Balkans and southern Europe has always been a matter of interest for some. What does Turkey want in the Balkans? What is its so-called ‘grand plan’ for the region? An important meeting in Ankara organized by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) this week sought to answer these questions. No need to panic: the answers are good for everyone.
Those who never stop making up stories about Turkey’s Balkans policy need to know what Turkey is trying to do there. Let me give it a try with a few points.First of all, Turkey shares a common geography of mind and heart with the Balkans. Ever since the Balkans joined the larger Muslim world, Turks saw the region as their own home, building cities, roads, schools, hospitals, bridges, mosques and et cetera.
The various nations of the Balkans saw Turkey and the Ottoman Empire as part of the same geo-political imagination. This may seem too romantic or idealistic to some but the reality is that Turks, Albanians, Bosniaks and others built a culture and civilization that went beyond the frontier lines of the region.One cannot study and understand Ottoman cultural, religious, artistic and political life without recognizing the major contributions of literary, scholarly and political figures of Balkan origin.
Among many others, Turkey’s national poet Mehmet Akif Ersoy and the prominent Turkish poet Yahya Kemal Beyatlı were from the Balkans. Several key members and founders of the Union and Progress Party were also from the Balkans. Şemsettin Sami, the great linguist and the author of the first major Ottoman dictionary, was from Albania.
No Turk considers Sarajevo, Mostar, Pristine, Skopje or Novi Pazar distant places. Balkan Muslims feel the same about Istanbul, Bursa, Konya and cities in Anatolia.
Secondly, Turkey invests in all Balkan countries without discrimination in regards to ethnic and/or religious identities. Turkish government, state banks, private companies and nongovernmental organizations have carried out hundreds of projects across the Balkans and continue to do so.
Turkey does not see any contradiction between developing good relations with Serbia on the one hand and Bosnia-Herzegovina on the other. Turkey’s efforts to have the state of Kosovo recognized by the international community help rather than hinder peace efforts in the region.
In recent years, Turkish state banks have opened new branches in the Balkan cities and increased their credit lines for all farmers and businessmen. Turkey exports livestock from Bosnia to help animal farmers. The Sarajevo-Belgrade highway will be completed by Turkish companies and serve as a “peace road” in the Balkans.
TİKA has completed hundreds of small and medium projects across the region and helps with capacity-building and technical aid. Turkey trains the security forces of several Balkan countries and provides for their needs. Last but not least, Turkey supports the NATO and EU membership process of Balkan countries.
These are just a few examples of Turkey’s political and economic engagements in the Balkans. With this in mind, we can sum up Turkey’s Balkan vision under three main headings: political stability, economic development and cultural flourishing.
Turkey has supported all initiatives to keep the Balkans politically calm and safe. The political stability of the region is of extreme importance not just for Europe but for the world. In a world of growing interdependence, no conflict is local anymore. They all have a spill over impact and can be deadly at times. So Turkey develops good relations with all parties to maintain political stability and security for all.Economic development is the cornerstone of Turkey’s Balkan policy. Performing under their true potential, Balkan countries need serious and equal business opportunities rather than relations of dependence. Turkey has invested and encouraged its private sector to invest in all fields including trade, finance, communications, infrastructure, construction, energy and agriculture. Currently there are hundreds Turkish companies doing business in the Balkans, employing thousands of local people.
The third dimension is culture and arts where Turkish and Balkan traditions merge in a shared legacy. Ottomans built many of their great works of architecture in the western lands of the empire and this includes southern Europe and the Balkans.
A cultural flourishing is key to remembering the tradition and recognizing the realities of modernity. One does not have to come at the expense of the other.
Having a vibrant cultural and artistic tradition, Turkish, Bosniak, Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovenian, Bulgarian and Greek authors, poets, painters and other artists can learn from each other and create works of great art by fusing their respective horizons. Turkey supports such programs to create a common space of reflection and creativity.
It is in this context that Turkey provides educational scholarships for Balkan students and hundreds of them get a good education in Turkey. Religious education is of particular importance because Turkey’s record on this issue is an insurance against such aberrations as violent extremism, radicalism and terrorism.
Turkey opposes al-Qaida and Daesh with their ideology and understanding of the religion of Islam. Though these terrorist organizations have some members from the Balkan Muslim communities, they have not been able to penetrate the society. But one cannot be too careful here. That’s why Turkey supports educational programs to make sure that Islam is taught properly.
Another danger is the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) terrorist network in the Balkans. Given its pervert and cultish belief system, FETÖ poses a threat not just to Turkey but also to the Balkan countries. They function under the guise of such innocent terms as service, education and interreligious dialogue and tolerance but everyone should know their true face.
They not only infiltrated the Turkish state but also staged the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. They have caused damage to the faith of Islam as much as al-Qaida and Daesh terrorist groups. Everyone in the Balkans must be vigilant against this threat.
Turkey’s goal in the Balkans is not to seek influence but to ensure political stability, spur economic development and support cultural and educational activities. Turkey opposes micro-nationalisms of all kinds. It also opposes foreign intervention. National and local issues should be led and owned by local people and national authorities. A strong Turkey is good for the Balkans and a stable and prosperous Balkans is good for Turkey and the world./IBNA
İbrahim Kalın is special adviser to Turkish President and the presidential spokesperson of Turkish President
Source: Daily Sabah
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