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The expulsion of Koposova and the extradition of Gnjot would signify support for Putin and Lukashenko

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The Regional Academy for Democratic Development demands that the competent authorities refrain from expelling Russian Elena Koposova and from making a decision to extradite Belarusian journalist and opposition activist Andrej Gnjot to the dictatorial regime in Belarus. The reasons for their threatened expulsion from Serbia and extradition to Belarus are legally non-existent, undemocratic, and violate basic human rights.

Elena Koposova has been living in Serbia with her family for four years and in 2022, she signed an anti-war appeal, which was the reason the Security Information Agency marked her as a threat to Serbia’s security. Journalist and well-known opponent of the dictatorial Belarusian regime, Andrej Gnjot, who was detained by the police the moment he stepped into Serbia and has been in the District Prison in Belgrade for four months, was not even summoned to the court for a hearing when the Belarusian request for his extradition arrived.

We remind that this would not be the first time Serbia extradites political prisoners to undemocratic regimes. Despite the opposition of the United Nations and decisions by the European Court of Human Rights, individuals have been extradited to Turkey and Bahrain, where they face persecution, torture, and death. Just a few days after the murder of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the expulsion of Koposova from Serbia and the extradition of Gnjot to Belarus would be a message that the regime in Serbia supports the persecution and inhumane treatment of critics of dictatorial regimes in Russia and Belarus.

Novi Sad, February 22, 2024.

 
 
 
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Vučević and SNS Promote War-Mongering Narrative

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The Regional Academy for the Democratic Development strongly condemns and expresses deep concern over the statements and actions of the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Serbia and President of the Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević, who has posted a self-promotional video on his official social media profiles posing with the flag of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, which represents the Greater Serbian aggression on Croatia in 1991, with the words “today a new dawn rises, a new time awakens”.

The establishment of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, an entity whose entire political leadership was convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity, marked the beginning of wartime horrors in this region, war cries, incendiary speeches about Serbian lands, all Serbs in one state, followed by columns of refugees, destroyed cities and villages, tens of thousands dead and hundreds of thousands expelled.

Today, one of the most significant figures in the country and the president of the largest political party in Serbia, from the position of the Minister of Defense, is reviving this narrative and repeating the nationalist message that Serbia sent to the region during the 1990s. The words he speaks in this video remind us of the incendiary speeches given at that time, and it is clear that the regime in Serbia shows that it is ready to continue to maintain the memory of the shameful historical role played by the criminal regime of Slobodan Milošević.

In Novi Sad, 13.02.2024.

 
 
 
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Balsa Bozovic: Vucic supports Dodik’s policy of secessionism

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The presence of the state leadership, highest state officials, and personal congratulations from Aleksandar Vučić, Ana Brnabić, and other state officials on the so-called Republic of Srpska Day, which the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has declared unconstitutional on several occasions, is a clear indication that Aleksandar Vučić and his regime are actively working to destabilize the region, deny the sovereignty and integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support Dodik’s policy of secessionism.

At the ceremonial academy organized to celebrate the date that marked the beginning of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the bloodiest conflict on European soil since World War II, alongside deniers of genocide and war crimes, descendants of individuals convicted of genocide, and those who advocate for new wars and desire new conflicts, were the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, numerous ministers in the Government of Serbia, and the President of the Serbian Progressive Party, Miloš Vučević.

In the celebration of war, genocide, war crimes, city sieges, the murder of 1601 children only in Sarajevo, the celebration of killing civilians, ethnic cleansing, destruction of homes, families, and lives, the entire regime in Serbia enthusiastically participated. This year, the support for the policy of celebrating war crimes is even more evident, as Aleksandar Vučić and Milorad Dodik agreed to organize a joint fireworks display across the Republic of Srpska and in Belgrade.

With this, Serbia unequivocally demonstrates that it is once again assuming the shameful role it had in the region in the 1990s. The concept of Greater Serbia has been replaced by the “Serbian world,” which, evidently, has become the official state policy, with the sole aim of further destabilizing the region and ultimately moving away from the European Union.

Novi Sad, January 9, 2024
 
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Balsa Bozovic in Ideas on Democracy in the Western Balkans by Forum 2000

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CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN THE WESTERN BALKANS AND THE ROLE OF THE WEST

Serbian nationalism, historically aligned with Russia, instigated four wars in the 1990s against Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and NATO. Although Slobodan Milošević was ousted in 2000, the nationalist elite responsible for the wars has never been removed from power. Post-2000, a coalition between the nationalist elite, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and Russia gave rise to the “Serb World,” aligning with the security and foreign policy of the “Russian World” in the Western Balkans. Nationalists in Serbia acknowledge neighboring countries’ territorial integrity but deny their sovereignty, advocating that only nations possess sovereignty, making borders relative. President Aleksandar Vučić considers himself the leader of all Serbs, adopting a doctrine of limited sovereignty. This nationalism asserts the right to intervene where Serbs reside under the pretext of protecting Serbian rights, mirroring the Russian narrative in the Ukraine conflict, and fostering a centralized, corrupt regime with anti-European sentiments. This regime cannot create strong and independent institutions; only para-states influenced by Russia.

Western efforts to redirect Serbia’s allegiance from Russia to the West are misguided. The “Serbian World” aims to prevent neighboring countries, particularly those with Serb populations, from joining the EU, advocating for Serbs to be unified in one place and not divided between the EU and Serbia. Belgrade prevented a pro-EU government from being formed in Montenegro and supported pro-Russian factions entering the government, seeks to destabilize Bosnia and Herzegovina through Russian and Serbian proxies in Republika Srpska, and provokes ethnic conflict in Kosovo.

Potential solutions

Democratization and decentralization of Serbia: Centralization and autocracy are powerful tools of aggressive Serbian nationalism. Until Serbia undergoes democratization, freedom and democracy for its citizens, and peace for neighboring states, will remain elusive.

Baltic model of EU integration process: This model involves strong partnerships between Western Balkan countries and stable EU democracies that have no specific political agendas in the region. During the 1990s, when the three Baltic states embarked on their path towards EU membership, three Nordic EU member states partnered with them. They trained their public officials, and helped harmonize laws, build institutions, and introduce necessary decision-making and implementation procedures. They also facilitated their communication with EU institutions. To this day, it is considered the most successful integration into the EU since 2004. Partners for Western Balkan aspirant states cannot be the largest EU members, nor the states too close to the region. The reason is the latent danger that the neighboring states have their political agendas in the region, leading to a distrust among the citizens of the Western Balkan countries in their bona fide intentions. In summary, the six EU member states, partners to the Western Balkan countries on their path to the EU, should all be stable democracies without specific political agendas in the region and have a strong EU orientation.

Bosnia and Herzegovina as a civil state: Propose a democratic constitution for Bosnia and Herzegovina, initiating electoral law reforms based on universal voting rights rather than ethnicity.

Kosovo’s NATO integration: Facilitate Kosovo’s NATO membership and establish the Association of Serb Municipalities without executive powers.

Montenegro’s EU membership: Liberate Montenegro from Russian and Serbian influence through its accelerated accession to the EU.

You can read entire publication HERE

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Balsa Bozovic at Forum 2000 in Prague

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Chair of the Executive Committee of the Regional Academy for Democratic Development Balsa Bozovic was invited to speak at the 27th Forum 2000 in Prague. He was one of the key speakers at the panel devoted to the situation in Western Balkans. The panel entitled “Lessons from civil society in Western Balkans conflicts” dealt with the most pressing issues in the region. 

Persisting ethnic disputes not only undermine stability in the Western Balkans but also create opportunities for nationalist and populist politicians across the region to build up their popularity by instrumentalizing these divisions. The session will focus on possible alternative strategies for the long-term resolution of such conflicts from the perspective of civil society. CSOs’ experience from the ongoing dispute between Kosovo and Serbia, currently the most pressing regional issue, would serve as a case study for developing more general ideas that could be transferred to other post-conflict settings in the Western Balkans and beyond – these are just some of the issues that panel where Mr. Bozovic was a speaker dealt with. 

The Forum 2000 was founded in 1996 as a joint initiative of the late Czech President Václav Havel, Japanese philanthropist Yohei Sasakawa, and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel.

The Forum 2000 conferences and other events organized by the Forum 2000 Foundation are held in Prague, Czech Republic. Since 1997, Forum 2000 organizes an annual conference which has attracted a number of prominent thought leaders, Nobel laureates, former and acting politicians, business leaders and other individuals, whose common denominative is experience with bearing responsibility. Prince Hassan bin Talal, Yohei Sasakawa, Frederik Willem de Klerk, Bill Clinton, Oscar Arias Sánchez, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Henry Kissinger, Shimon Peres, Mario Soares, Hana Suchocká, Shirin Ebadi, Sergey Kovalyov, Nicholas Winton, Madeleine Albright, and Wole Soyinka are just a few of those who have attended the Forum 2000 events.

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Vučić is the absolute culprit for the terrorist act in Kosovo, this scenario has already been seen during the consecration in Cetinje

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In a shooting that occurred on September 24th in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo, one police officer of Albanian nationality was killed, while at least two others were injured. Four attackers were killed in the exchange of fire. Balša Božović, the President of the Executive Board of the Academy for the Development of Democracy, stated in an interview with City RTV that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić knew from the very beginning what was being planned and is the absolute culprit for this terrorist act.

Božović believes that Vučić tried to downplay the recent terrorist act in every possible way, despite the involvement of individuals armed with automatic weapons and various types of vehicles, including off-road and armored ones. Božović pointed out that several wounded individuals had reported to a hospital in Novi Pazar, and the police had not taken any action to investigate or detain them, suggesting a deliberate attempt to allow the events to unfold.

According to Božović, this situation is not new, but the international community still insists on preserving peace at any cost. However, this two-year-long policy has not borne fruit.

Božović explained that similar incidents were visible earlier when some members of the Montenegrin public, particularly those affiliated with Vučić’s regime, were convinced they were being paranoid during the consecration in Cetinje. Božović emphasized the importance of knowing the identity of the armed individuals involved and who sent, armed, and paid them, as well as their intentions.

Under Aleksandar Vučić’s regime, Božović noted that it has become normal to support those who killed a police officer from another country. There is a constant sense of revenge and a narrative suggesting that the situation is not over, implying that others around the world may reconsider their stance on supporting the Albanian leadership in Kosovo. Božović warned that these threats are alarming and indicate that human life is not valued highly by this regime, and it will continue to deal with those who have different opinions, both within and outside of Serbia, in this manner.

Božović believes that tensions will persist as long as Aleksandar Vučić remains in power, not only in Kosovo but also in the broader region. He concludes that the only way to achieve peace in the region is through the democratization of Serbia.

Source: Portal Analitika

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Balša Božović at the first regional trade union academy for young members of the GS UPOIP INDEPENDENCE

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As part of the project “The Youth Voice is the Voice of the Future,” organized by the Association for Education and Development from Montenegro, the Youth Development Center from Serbia, the Union Center for Education and Training from North Macedonia, and the Union Educational Center from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus Plus program, the First Regional  Trade Union Academy was held. The academy brought together 50 young union activists from 7 countries, including Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina (both the Federation and Republika Srpska), Slovenia, Greece, and Turkey. The event took place at the Montenegro Hotel in Čanj from September 15th to September 19th, 2023.

  • The First Regional Union Academy took place in the context of informal education, which the activists encountered for the first time. Through brief theoretical lectures, but primarily with excellent trainers:

    • Balša Bozović, Human Rights and Association, Institute for Youth Development “Kult”
    • Aleksandra Knežević, Youth Development Center
    • Aleksandra Mirković, UGS NEZAVISNOST, in a panel discussion on labor rights and collective bargaining.

Dynamic work in small groups, knowledge and experience exchange, panel discussions, case study analyses – all of these activities allowed the youth to acquire knowledge about union activism as a distinct category of youth participation. They also gained insights into human rights and freedoms, along with essential skills for further union work, such as communication, presentation, organizational skills, and many

The First Regional Union Academy was focused on the Unions of Public Administration and Judiciary from all 7 countries, with the intention of transforming this concept into a traditional educational activity in the future.

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Balša Božović: Institutions must urgently react due to the attack on Predrag Voštinić

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The attack on Predrag Voštinić, one of the founders of the Local Front, which occurred last night in Kraljevo when a car first pushed him off his bicycle onto the roadside, and then turned around to knock him down, demands an immediate, severe, and uncompromising response from all relevant institutions, primarily the prosecution, which must approach this shameful incident in the most serious manner possible.

Any attempt to downplay the significance of this event, treating this attack as a mere traffic accident, or similar efforts to diminish its importance, will signify support for all those who take the law into their own hands and believe that it is permissible and desirable to confront political opponents in this manner.

Predrag Voštinić is one of the most prominent opposition activists in Serbia, and therefore, we will closely monitor the responses of the relevant institutions and inform international bodies about the actions taken.

President of the Executive Board Regional Academy for Democratic Development

Balša Božović

Novi Sad, September 11, 2023.

 
 
 
 
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Scandalous Behavior of the Government of Serbia towards Jovana Marovic

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The Regional Academy for Democratic Development calls on the relevant authorities in the Government of the Republic of Serbia to urgently take action to allow Jovana Marović, a citizen of Montenegro and former Deputy Prime Minister of Montenegro, to regain her freedom of movement and to promptly return her personal documents.

Such treatment towards Jovana Marović, who has been denied entry into Serbia on the grounds of “protecting the security of the Republic of Serbia and its citizens,” is unlawful, undemocratic, and constitutes a clear retaliation for her freely expressed political views regarding the role of Vučić’s regime in destabilizing the region and undermining democracy in Serbia. This is not the first time that the regime in Serbia has targeted individuals with differing political views in this manner, and the international community must respond urgently and firmly to such a position taken by the regime in Serbia.

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ADD signed support to Bundestag Resolution “Supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina as it embarks to a better future”

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The Parliamentary groups of SPD, Bündnis90/Die Grünen and FDP have proposed a resolution on Bosnia and Herzegovina titled Supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina as it embarks to a better future.

We the undersigned believe that this resolution comes at truly important and challenging time for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We applaud the party groups’ initiative and welcome the resolution’s content.

The resolution is laudably comprehensive, listing numerous challenges which Bosnia and Herzegovina and its citizens face at the present moment. It draws its observations and recommendations on the basis of  comprehensive and clear analysis of the 25+ years of postwar reconstruction and peace implementation in BiH. It will also assist the latent constituency for dignity and democratic accountability in a state which functions in service of all its citizens.

We support the content of the resolution in its totality, but in this letter, as citizens of the region, we would like to underscore three elements:

We believe that Bosnia and Herzegovina can become a stable and functional democratic state based on the rule of law. Its constitution should guarantee protection and equality to all citizens and facilitate social integration rather than ethnic polarization. Serbs and Croats are integral and essential to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s social fabric, rent so viciously and wantonly beginning 30 years ago. Their agency and engagement, along with Bosniaks and citizens of all self-identification, is essential to progressing out of Dayton’s evolutionary dead-end. At present, group rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina precede individual nrights of its citizens. Politicians treat citizens as subjects, rightfully “theirs” based on their presumed (or proclaimed) ethnic identity. It is high time to proclaim that this stopgap system is unsustainable. Bosnia and Herzegovina requires a radical recalibration of its social contract, allowing it to join a now rejuvenating alignment among liberal democracies, committed to defending fundamental values.

We support the resolution’s call for Serbia and Croatia to be helpful neighbors to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is in the interest of citizens of Serbia and Croatia to live alongside a stable Bosnia and Herzegovina. BiH’s protracted instability, which Germany and the rest of the democratic West can confront, has put wind in the sails of the most reactionary and irridentist elements in these two neighbors. These relationships were better 19 years ago than today, when the door to EU membership formally opened to the region at the Thessaloniki 2003 summit. This defies the prevailing presumption of progress. Supporting the destructive policies of Serb and Croat ethnonationalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia work against the interests of their own citizens who predominantly and overwhelmingly want peace, stability and prosperity at home and in our neighborhood.

We find the intention to promote cooperation with liberal democratic civil society extremely important.

We also hasten to add that civic actors in BiH have lessons relevant to established democracies now confronting a rise in identity-based polarization, often driven from above. European leaders wrongly focus on contacts and cooperation only with party leaders and elected officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina, who are often responsible for the for-profit politics that yield endemic corruption and state dysfunction, driving citizens to Germany and beyond – impoverishing BiH while contributing where they settle – and thereby reinforcing the dominance of the party leaders.

We hope that this resolution passes with wide support in the Bundestag. It should inspire more democracies – particularly in the EU and NATO – to make similarly principled and well-informed declarations by cross-party groups as wide as feasible. Principled and forward-thinking European leaders should make an effort to reach out and strengthen partnerships with actors throughout society in Bosnia and Herzegovina who take initiative to entrench the rule of law and strong accountable democratic institutions. By focusing on cooperating predominantly with corrupt ethnonationalists, European officials undercut and demotivate those envisioning and pursuing an order based on individual dignity, political  and legal accountability, and civic agency. Expanding a network of contacts and channels of support to progress-oriented actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina contributes to their capability to confront corruption and the lack of the rule of law, and aids their potential to challenge existing ethnonationalists.

You can read the Letter of support on the following link:

Pismo podrske rezoluciji Bundestaga

You can show your own support by sending email at: office@regionaladd.org

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