By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

HANNOVER, Germany – During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the opening of the Hannover Industry Trade Fair, the world’s biggest industry show, on Sunday, the Chancellor called on Moscow to give non-governmental organizations (NGOs) “a good chance in Russia.”

In a speech to the trade fair in Hannover, Merkel said in front of Putin that while Germany wants to encourage Russian economic diversity and innovation, NGOs are a healthy component of that plan.  “We believe this can happen most successfully when there is an active civil society,” she said, “We must intensify these discussions, develop our ideas, and we must give the NGOs, who we know as a motor for innovation, a good chance in Russia.”

Throughout Putin’s visit, protestors rallied against his recent policies.  Outside the trade fair, some protestors showed their support for NGOs, while others carried Syrian flags or wore devil masks, waving images of Putin dressed in a prisoner’s striped uniform. One banner read, “Stop political terror.”

President Putin defended the ongoing Russian investigations into NGOs on German television, claiming Russians had a right to know which NGOs were receiving foreign funds “and for what”.

Russian authorities have conducted a storm of unannounced inspections of NGOs in Russia, which appear intended to intimidate these groups.  In the last weeks, more than 200 Russian NGOs, as well as foreign organizations, including Amnesty International, Transparency International, and at least two German political foundations, have received surprise inspections by Russian police, tax inspectors, and prosecutors.  The crackdown on Russian civil society has drawn widespread international criticism.

The two German NGOs: the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) in St Petersburg and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) in Moscow, are of significant political importance to Germany’s political parties because the KAS think tank is linked to Chancellor Merkel’s Christian Democrats, while the FES is particularly close to the main German opposition, the Social Democrats.

While Germany has maintained a close relationship with Russia in many areas, including business and trade, foreign investment, energy security, and cultural issues, Chancellor Merkel has previously emphasized the importance of human rights and the rule of law.  She has furthermore come under pressure to address her concerns to Putin, not only on the NGO inspections, but also regarding Syria and Russia’s criticism of the German-orchestrated financial bailout of Cyprus.  As explained by Human Rights watch, Russia’s domestic repression of NGOs erodes the foundations of its foreign relationships.

“Trade fairs are about doing business, but Merkel should make clear to Putin that it cannot be business as usual for Germany’s relations with Russia until the attacks on civil society stop,” said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

President Putin is also scheduled to visit Amsterdam on Monday.  Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has also been called upon to demand Putin halt the NGO inspections.  Germany and the Netherlands are Russia’s biggest trading partners.

Williamson further said, “This is the worst crackdown in Russia in 20 years. It is admirable to promote deeper understanding between Russia and the Netherlands, but this has very little meaning if vital parts of Russian society cannot express themselves freely.”

For further information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Merkel Chides Putin Over NGO Inspections – 7 April 2013

BBC News – Angela Merkel Tells Vladimir Putin – Russia Needs NGOs – 7 April 2013

Returns – Russia Needs Active Civil Society, Merkel Tells Putin – 7 April 213

The Local – Merkel ‘Should Push Putin for Reforms’ – 6 April 2013

HRW – Russia: Merkel, Rutte Should Press Putin on Rights – 4 April 2013

By Madeline Schiesser
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

BRUSSELS, Belgium – On Tuesday, E.U.-brokered normalization talks in Brussels between leaders from Serbia and Kosovo broke down early after a final 12-hour negotiation session.  Although many countries have recognized Kosovo, a former Serbian province, since its declaration of independence in 2008, Serbia has refused.  As both sides failed to come to an agreement, mediator and E.U. foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, released a statement saying that the gap between the two was “very narrow, but deep.”

Tuesday’s session concluded the eighth in several EU-guided rounds of talks since October 2012. Both Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci intended to return home and consult with colleagues about what further steps could be taken.

Serbian Prime Minister Dacic explained to the Serbian media, “Despite all these long meetings, we do not have an agreement at this moment.”

The critical sticking point between Serbia and Kosovo is the political status of ethnic Serbs in Northern Kosovo.  Kosovo’s proposals, in accordance with its laws and constitution, were aimed at integrating all citizens, including ethnic Serbs, into Kosovo.

However, according to Kosovo’s Prime Minister Thaci, Serbia was not ready to agree upon this term and requested more time. “Unfortunately from the Serbians, we still have hesitation and stances which are not based on principles,” Thaci said. “They have asked for additional time and additional consultations which is within their autonomous authority.”

However, after a meeting of the Serbian leadership, Serbian Presidential adviser Marko Djuric said that it was the ethnic Albanian officials from Kosovo who rejected the Serb proposals during the Brussels negotiations.

Serbian officials desire a high level of political autonomy for Kosovo’s Serbs, including police and judicial authorities particular to the Northern Serbs.  However, Kosovo would consider this arrangement to be an unacceptable de facto partition of the country, which would risk the North eventually breaking away.

Even so, Kosovo’s government in Pristina already has a tense relation with its ethnic northern Serbs.  Some 50,000 people in and around the divided city of Mitrovica identified ethnically as Serbian, do not follow the authority of Pristina and instead have created parallel institutions, e.g., hospitals and schools, which are financed and supported by Serbia’s capital, Belgrade.  The tension in this region has led to violence in recent years, particularly along the border shared with Serbia.

The E.U. has attempted to mitigate conflict in the region by playing a supervisory role through its Eulex rule-of-law mission.  Furthermore, soldiers from E.U. states have been deployed in Kosovo as part of the K-For peacekeeping mission.

The ultimate success of the normalization talks is particularly important to Serbia because in order for Serbia to join the E.U. it must normalize relations with its neighbors, including Kosovo.  Normalization includes not only resolving issues such as trade and border control, but also establishing the status of northern Kosovo and acknowledging whether or not the region will be under the authority of the government of Kosovo in Pristina

There is still hope that an agreement may be reached within the next days.  Nevertheless, mediator Catherine Ashton said last Tuesday was the last formal meeting she would call between the parties.

“They will now both go back and consult with their colleagues in their capitals and will let me know in the next few days of their decision,” She said in a statement.

If an agreement is to be reached, it will need to be arrived at by April 9.  Apparently, the E.U. in Brussels has suggested a compromise to the countries, but this proposal has not been disclosed to the public.  However, speculation from a Serbian newspaper is that the compromise would be based on the 1995 Erdut Agreement with an interim E.U. administration for the northern region.  However, if accurate, the result of such an agreement would be that the northern region of Kosovo would temporarily have a different status in the community of Serb municipalities in Kosovo until it accepted Pristina’s authority.

For further information, please see:

b92 – Belgrade to decide on EU’s offer by April 9 – 4 April 2013

RFE/RL – Serbia Blames Kosovo For Failed Talks – 4 April 2013

RFE/RL – Serbia-Kosovo Talks End Without Deal – 4 April 2013

Al Jazeera – Serbia-Kosovo Talks End Without Accord – 2 April 2013

BBC News – Serbia-Kosovo Talks Fail to Reach Accord in Brussels – 2 April 2013

RFE/RL – Serbia, Kosovo Resume Normalization Talks – 2 April 2013