On 19 April 2021 at 15:00, the Initial Appearance of Pjetër Shala will take place in the courtroom of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague.
Pjetër Shala (“Mr Shala”) was arrested on 16 March 2021 by the Belgian authorities and transferred to The Hague on 15 April 2021, on the basis of a request for cooperation in the execution of an order for arrest and transfer from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
The confirmed indictment alleges that Mr Shala is responsible, under various forms of individual criminal responsibility, for the war crimes of arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder committed in the context of and associated with a non-international armed conflict in Kosovo. The alleged crimes with which Mr Shala is charged took place between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukёs Metal Factory (Albania) allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The Initial Appearance of Mr Shala will be a public hearing. During an Initial Appearance, the Pre-Trial Judge ensures that the rights of the Accused, including the right to legal representation, are respected, and that the Accused understands the charges against him.
The Initial Appearance can be viewed online in Albanian, English and Serbian with a short delay at https://www.scp-ks.org/en/streaming. The hearing can also be followed from the public gallery of the courtroom on the premises of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Due to measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, seating in both the public gallery and the media centre will be very limited and pre-registration is required. To pre-register, please send an email to public@scp-ks.org by Friday, 16 April 2021 at 16:00. The email should include full name, date of birth, citizenship and passport/ID number, affiliation (e.g. general public, accredited diplomat, NGO/civil society) any other relevant details.
Main image: Detention Facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
On the 9th April 2021 in Brussels, the Republic of Uzbekistan has been awarded the status of a beneficiary country of the EU’s General System of Preferences Plus GSP+. In order to mark this joyous occasion, a press conference with the participation of the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade and the EU Delegation in Uzbekistan was held to commemorate this event in Tashkent.
The head of the EU delegation to Uzbekistan, Charlotte Adrian, noted that:-
“The application of the GSP + system of preferences in relation to Uzbekistan is as timely as possible, especially during the country’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. This is also a good incentive for the further implementation of reforms in Uzbekistan related to the implementation of 27 major international conventions on the environment, human and labor rights, as well as good governance.”
This is the main requirement of the European side for the provision of GSP+. Interestingly, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has since released scores of political prisoners and independent media activity has been improved. Attention has also been given to limit forced labor in the cotton fields. The fact that the Republic of Uzbekistan has applied for the EU’s GSP+ is a clear indication of president Mirziyoyev’s ambition to reform the country’s economic structures and to construct the “new Uzbekistan”
Uzbekistan began to put into motion what was needed to obtain the status of a beneficiary country of the GSP+ in early 2020. After the completion of the internal approval process, Uzbekistan submitted an application to the European Commission for the “GSP+” status on 9th June 2020.
Uzbekistan received the status of a beneficiary country of the EU’s General System of Preferences Plus.
Prior to obtaining GSP+ status, Uzbekistan used the basic General System of preferences (GSP), under which the republic exported 3,000 items of goods to the EU countries without customs duties and 3,200 items of goods at reduced rates. Whereas the GSP+ provides for a significant expansion of commodity items for duty-free access. Uzbek producers and exporters will be able to enjoy unilateral tariff preferences when exporting their goods to the European market. At the same time, the number of commodity items that can be exported duty-free to the EU countries can estimate up to 6,200 commodities.
The textile industry alone will make it possible to increase exports of products of approximately $ 300 million per annum. It is understood that Uzbekistan is seeking to join the World Trade Organization.
The Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Benelux countries, Mr Dilyor Khakimov has indicated in a very detailed interview that for Uzbekistan, Europe has traditionally been a source of advanced technologies, knowledge, investment, and innovation in the economy, as well as an important partner in the formation and strengthening of democratic institutions. The development of parliamentarism and civil society, the principles of a market economy, key sectors of public life, health, education as well as many other areas.
When asked how much Europe is aware of the reforms in Uzbekistan, Khakimov responded that in 2020, despite the severe restrictions associated with the pandemic, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the Benelux countries held more than 55 information events. This included briefings, round tables, conferences, presentations, both in offline and online formats, during which information was provided on various aspects of the reforms being implemented in the republic. And this is only through one diplomatic mission. He further mentioned that if the events organized by all the diplomatic missions of Uzbekistan in Europe were taken into account, it would be become very clear that the visibility of Uzbekistan in the information space of the European political establishment is very solid and the partners from the Old World are well aware of the processes taking place in our country.
Shell is implementing a project for the production and processing of natural gas from the “Mustakillik 25” field in the Surkhandaryaregion. Lummus Technology (formerly a McDermott division) is implementing a project on modernization the Shurtan Gas Chemical Complex and others.
A real success story was the project to build a super-modern greenhouse complex using Dutch technologies in the Khankinsky district of the Khorezm region. The total area of the greenhouse of the 4th generation is 6 hectares. By the way, all over the world the area of such greenhouses does not exceed 50 hectares, 6 of which are in Uzbekistan.
Despite the pandemic, the Embassy has organized a number of important bilateral visits during the year. So, in January, the delegation of Uzbekistan, consisting of representatives of the Presidential Administration and the Ministry of Agriculture, visited the Netherlands. During the visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture, meetings were organized at Plantlab and the world’s leading agricultural university – Wageningen University. A presentation of the potential of Uzbekistan in the field of agriculture was held in The Hague with the participation of representatives of more than 40 leading Dutch agricultural companies.
Regarding the WTO, the Ambassador went on to say that the issue of joining the World Trade Organization is also in the center of attention of the Head of State, and there is an order to intensify work on joining the WTO.
Brussels and The Hague are the world capitals of multilateral diplomacy. The Ambassador noted that both Brussels and The Hague represented very dynamic and unique poles of diplomatic work. Uzbekistan is a member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which is headquartered in The Hague. In March 2020, the Republic became a member of The Hague Conference on Private International Law. In addition, the issue of joining the Permanent Court of Arbitration is currently at the final stage of consideration.
The ambassador indicated that also that the country is interested in cooperation with such structures as Eurojust, which unites the judicial authorities of the EU countries, the European Institute of Public Administration, the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities, and many others.
The interview concluded with the question asking what kind of work the embassy is doing to develop relations and cooperation with compatriots living in the Benelux countries. The Ambassador mentioned that the Embassy provides all possible support to their citizens. Among the most memorable cases, he personally would like to mention the Uzbek aerial acrobats Kristina Vorobyova and Rustem Osmanov, who were injured during a performance at the World Christmas Circus show in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) in January 2020. The diplomatic mission provided all-round assistance to their artists, and also ensured the arrival of K. Vorobyova’s mother in the Netherlands.
The diplomatic mission also provided much needed support and assistance to dozens of compatriots who were in a difficult situation due to the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, they were provided with financial support and assistance in departing on charter flights to Uzbekistan.
The GSP + scheme will offer broader opportunities to increase trade between the EU and Uzbekistan, as tariffs will be lifted on a number of important export commodities such as textiles, clothing and plastics. In spite of relative proximity to the EU market, the trade potential has not yet been fully tapped, as the EU is only seventh on the list of Uzbekistan’s export destinations.
The Uzbek Deputy PM Sardor Umurzakov is of good faith that GSP+ will give a powerful impetus to investors and the private sector, primarily from the EU countries, to the implementation of promising projects in Uzbekistan, as well as form a solid basis for diversification and swift development of trade and economic ties between Uzbekistan and the EU countries.
Kudos to Uzbekistan for the well-deserved success, so pleased to see you accomplishing great things.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — 15 April 2021 — The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Dutch construction company Dura Vermeer yesterday signed the main construction contract for a new facility – the OPCW Centre for Chemistry and Technology (“ChemTech Centre”). The contract was signed by the OPCW Director of Administration, Mr Christopher Buck, and, on behalf of Dura Vermeer, by Mr David Snelleman. The contract signing was overseen by OPCW Director-General, H.E. Mr Fernando Arias, and CEO of Dura Vermeer, Mr Job Dura.
The Director-General stated: “By entering into this contract, the OPCW has taken a significant step towards the establishment of the ChemTech Centre. This facility will strengthen the Organisation’s scientific capabilities, critical to our mission of safeguarding the Chemical Weapons Convention. In Dura Vermeer, the OPCW has found an experienced and reliable partner for turning the ChemTech Centre plan into reality.”
Director-General Arias also expressed his gratitude to the OPCW Member States and other donors that have supported the project so far. He further emphasised the important role the ChemTech Centre will play in developing the OPCW’s ability to address the threat from chemical weapons use and enhance capacity building activities to the benefit of all 193 Member States – in areas like analytical chemistry skills, chemical safety and security, first response, sampling techniques, and emergency management.
Mr Dura commented: “Dura Vermeer is proud to start work for the OPCW, the global leader in the effort to rid the world of chemical weapons, and to join the Organisation in realising its ambition to establish the new ChemTech Centre. We hope the Centre will be a source of pride for the community and for the OPCW. Our enthusiastic team is keen to embark on this new flagship project.”
The ChemTech Centre is an important upgrade to the OPCW’s research, analytical and capacity building capabilities in support of Member States. It will bring together the OPCW Laboratory, Equipment Store, and a range of state-of-the-art training facilities. The Centre will also serve as a knowledge repository to tackle chemical threats worldwide as well as a platform to promote expert dialogue, exchange, and collaboration in the field of peaceful uses of chemistry. In addition, a new logistics centre and training facilities will significantly enhance the professional development of OPCW inspectors, mission preparations, and support deployments.
The building will be located on a 6,400m2 plot within the Heron Business Park in Pijnacker-Nootdorp, outside The Hague. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer and the Centre should become operational at the end of 2022.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Ambassador Dr Mohammad Faisal – Picture by Embassy of Pakistan in Germany.
Tuesday, 13 April 2021, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany: Pakistan shall open a consulate general in Munich, Bavaria, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced in the framework of his visit to Berlin.
Talking to media personnel in the German capital, Foreign Minister Qureshi said Pakistan and Germany had great prospects for cooperation in trade and investment, and expressed confidence that a new consulate general would expedite matters in this regard.
The foreign minister said a consul general will be appointed at the Munich mission to supplement the diplomatic efforts of the country’s embassy in Berlin.
He said Pakistan was committed to properly formulating the Strategic Engagement Plan of Europe and added the country could explore cooperation with Germany, particularly in the areas of information technology, solar energy and electric vehicles.
He expressed satisfaction that around 5,000 Pakistani students were currently studying at various educational institutions in Germany, adding that the nation’s visionary poet Allama Mohammad Iqbal also studied at an institute in Munich in Bavaria.
Mr Qureshi said efforts would be made to expand the scope of cooperation in the education sector by engaging the Higher Education Commission so that Germany could become a top destination for Pakistani students.
The foreign minister also visited the Pakistani embassy in Berlin where Ambassador Dr Mohammad Faisal and other diplomats received him warmly. The Minister reviewed different sections of the embassy, including the consular section, and expressed satisfaction over the facilities, and services provided therein.Â
H.E. Ambassador Hidenao Yanagi at the Representation of North Rhine-Westphalia. Picture by NRW Landesvertretung-Michael-Setzpfandt
Tuesday, 13 April 2021, Berlin-Tokyo:Â Â Germany held its first foreign and security policy consultations with Japan, a partner with shared values. The talks took place in 2+2 format, with each country being represented by its Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defence
Foreign and security policy consultations between Japan and Germany are a new form of cooperation between the two countries: Nipponese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi participated on the Japanese side, and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer on the German side. The Federal Foreign Office was the virtual host of the joint video teleconference.
The 2+2 Japan-Germany consultations, as they are called, are a tangible result of the German Government’s Policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific, which it adopted in the autumn of 2020. In these, Germany declared its intention to play a stronger and more active role in the Indo-Pacific region, which stretches from the eastern coast of Africa to the western coast of the Americas.
A key part of this strategy is to diversify and deepen Germany’s relations with countries in the region.The Indo-Pacific region is the fastest-growing economic region in the world. Viêt Nam and China are among the small number of countries in the world that recorded economic growth in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indo-Pacific accounts for a large share of international trade. However, the region is also seeing an increasing amount of conflict and geopolitical rivalry. Global challenges, such as facing down the pandemic, tackling climate change and the equitable shaping of globalisation, cannot be tackled without the countries of the Indo-Pacific.
Japan is among Germany’s oldest and closest partners. This year, the two countries are celebrating their 160th anniversary of bilateral relations. Japan is the oldest democracy in East Asia and, like Germany, is an export-oriented, high-tech country. We therefore have a number of things in common: We share fundamental values, face similar challenges and have the same interests in many areas.
On 16 March 2021, the Belgian authorities, acting on the basis of a request for cooperation in the execution of an order for arrest and transfer from the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), arrested Mr Pjetёr Shala in Belgium.
On 15 April 2021, Mr Shala was transferred to the Detention Facilities of the KSC in The Hague, the Netherlands.
The Pre-Trial Judge, Nicolas Guillou, confirmed the indictment against Mr Shala on 12 June 2020. The redacted confirmed indictment has now been made public in accordance with Rule 88 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. For security reasons, the Pre-Trial Judge ordered the indictment to be made public with redactions.
The confirmed indictment alleges that Mr Shala is responsible, under various forms of individual criminal responsibility, for the war crimes of arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder committed in the context of and associated with a non-international armed conflict in Kosovo. The alleged crimes with which Mr Shala is charged took place between approximately 17 May 1999 and 5 June 1999 against persons detained at the Kukёs Metal Factory (Albania) allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Information about the date and time of Mr Shala’s initial appearance before the Pre-Trial Judge will be announced in due course.
The Hague, 14 April 2021 – The Trial Chamber at the Hague Branch of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), composed of Judges Burton Hall (The Bahamas), presiding, Joseph Masanche (Tanzania), and Seon Ki Park (South Korea), today concluded the hearing of the parties’ closing arguments in the case of Prosecutor v. Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović. The closing arguments were heard from Monday, 12 April, until Wednesday, 14 April 2021.Â
In his final remarks, the Presiding Judge expressed appreciation to the parties and to all those who assisted during the retrial, while acknowledging that the Mechanism has been able to successfully complete the hearings in this case at a time when the global COVID-19 pandemic is still deeply affecting everyone’s life.
Conclusion of closing arguments in Prosecutor v. Jovica Stanišić and
Franko Simatović
Following today’s hearing, the Trial Chamber will deliberate in private and will issue in due course a scheduling order for the pronouncement of the trial judgement. Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović are currently on provisional release until a date to be determined by the Trial Chamber at the time of scheduling the delivery of the trial judgement. Â
This is the first retrial held before the Mechanism. Stanišić, formerly Deputy Chief and Chief of the State Security Service (DB) of the Ministry of Interior of the Republic of Serbia, and Simatović, formerly employed in the Second Administration of the Serbian DB, were charged before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) with having directed, organised, equipped, trained, armed, and financed special units of the DB and other Serb forces, which were involved in the commission of murder, persecution, deportation, and forcible transfer of non-Serb civilians from large areas of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina between 1991 and 1995.
Conclusion of closing arguments in Prosecutor v. Jovica Stanišić and
Franko Simatović
On 30 May 2013, an ICTY Trial Chamber found that Stanišić and Simatović could not be held criminally responsible for these crimes and acquitted both accused of all charges. Following the appeals proceedings, on 15 December 2015, the ICTY Appeals Chamber quashed the ICTY Trial Chamber’s decision and ordered a retrial and the immediate detention of the accused.
The retrial commenced before the Mechanism on 13 June 2017 with the Prosecution’s opening statement. The Prosecution case was closed on 21 February 2019. A total of 51 witnesses were heard in court for the Prosecution. The Defence case commenced on 18 June 2019, and a total of 29 witnesses were heard in court for both accused.
Tuesday, 13 April 2021, Berlin, Germany: The first personal meeting between German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin focused on current challenges in security and defence policy. The political focus lied on the transatlantic relationship, the role of NATO, the engagement in the Indo-Pacific, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and joint operations.
The retired Army General was the first member of the new Biden administration to visit Germany for a personal meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to chart the course of the new US administration and to discuss a new transatlantic agenda in the field of security and defence policy.
Both parties emphasised the long friendship and partnership between Germany and the USA. German and American soldiers stand side by side in many missions.
Kramp-Karrenbauer welcomed the relaunch of the transatlantic security and defence policy. The current challenges require more than ever a joint shoulder-to-shoulder approach. Germany is aware of its central role in the future orientation of NATO.
“I am particularly pleased about the intention of my US counterpart not to reduce the US forces in Germany any further, but even to increase them by about 500 additional forces,” Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasised. The US soldiers are planned for the United States European Command. The two defence ministers agreed that in view of the current Russian exercise activities and troop movements in the border region with Ukraine, they wanted to proceed in a coordinated and joint manner.
Kramp-Karrenbauer and Austin explored cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. “This region is becoming increasingly important for international stability,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer as per statement below. Â Germany also has vital interests there.
The deployment of the frigate “Bayern” in the second half of 2021 is a sign of the visible implementation of the Indo-Pacific policy of the German government. Germany is seeking close dialogue with the USA. The goal is a sustainable engagement beyond 2021.
The German Defence Minister and the American Defense Secretary considered a withdrawal from Afghanistan by 30 April 2021 to be unrealistic. Germany would coordinate closely with the USA and all other troop contributors on how to proceed.
Tuesday, 13 April 2021, Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Germany: The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Germany, Tomáš Kafka, was welcomed by Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte for his inaugural visit to Bremen City Hall.
Among other things, the Ambassador’s visit to the Research Centre for Eastern Europe (FSO) at the University of Bremen was a topic of discussion. The FSO’s extensive archive contains more than 100,000 documents, photographs and works of art by dissidents from the former Soviet Union, Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.
Ambassador Kafka very impressed by the estates of several dissidents who were important to him in his personal and diplomatic biography. “I was particularly fascinated by the documents of Czech-Polish Solidarność,” says the top Czech envoy. Founded in 1982 in the midst of the “Cold War”, the FSO today studies the Eastern Bloc and its societies with their culture, as well as analysing current developments in the post-Soviet region.
Mayor Bovenschulte emphasised how important the exchange with a diplomat from Central Europe on the pan-European situation was to him. Further appointments took Ambassador Kafka to the Bremen City-State Diet (Landtag) as well as to the Bremen Chamber of Commerce (IHK for Bremen and Bremerhaven).
In his highly absorbing keynote, His Excellency President Vella focused on the Euro-Mediterranean and its promising prospects.
President Vella covered a wide array of issues concerning the Mediterranean region, including prospects for and improvement of existing channels of dialogue and cooperation, the ever-changing dynamics of the region, an assessment of the developments in the Western, Central and Eastern parts of the region, and the roles of the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) in addressing the Mediterranean’s challenges. This text is a brief recap highlighting the key points of the Maltese President’s intervention at the Vienna Process March’ event.
The President of the Republic of Malta, Dr. George Vella.
President George Vella then urged us to ask ourselves a very pressing questions, “what the EU, which is ideally placed to positively influence developments, is actually doing?” He stated that he welcomes “the launch of a new agenda for the Mediterranean which clearly states that a strengthened Mediterranean partnership remains a strategic imperative for the EU.” He further highlights the importance of addressing the gap between theory and practice. Here, he refers to the New Pact on Migration and Asylum in the EU; Excellency explained that what truly matters is not what is written in agreements, but rather what is implemented, pointing out that “questions still very much remain on the fair and equitable implementation of its [the New Pact’s] provisions.”
Finally, President George Vella closed his highly absorbing keynote by informing the conference participants that Malta is bidding on a non-permanent seat in the United Nation’s Security Council during the term 2023-2024 in order to be a “voice for dialogue, sustainable growth, [and] equality in the Mediterranean and beyond.”
Congratulating to Vienna Process partners on their sustained work in promoting the cross-European dialogue and understanding, and especially to IFIMES for the role played by its Euro-Med branch headed by Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, Malta went even further. This important southern EU member state already expressed its wish to host one of the planned Vienna Process conferences on Europe and its neighborhood in a due time.
*the above article is based on the informal transcript and conference recordings, which may have nonintentionally caused minor omittances or imprecisions in the reporting. Ms. Rola Elkamash also contributed to this text.
Main picture: Malta President George Vella. Credits: Published in Newsbook by Amy Borg Feb 13, 2020.
About the Author:
Eugene Matos De Lara, publisher of the academic journal Border Crossing, he is an International Private Law specialist of the University of Ottawa, Canada.
[1] This leg of the Vienna Process titled: “Europe – Future – Neighborhood at 75: Disruptions Recalibration Continuity”. The conference, jointly organized by the Modern Diplomacy, IFIMES and their partners, with the support of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, was aimed at discussing the future of Europe and its neighbourhood in the wake of its old and new challenges.
This highly anticipated conference gathered over twenty high ranking speakers from three continents, and the viewers from Australia to Canada and from Chile to Far East. The day was filled by three panels focusing on the rethinking and revisiting Europe and its three equally important neighbourhoods: Euro-Med, Eastern and trans-Atlantic (or as the Romano Prodi’s EU Commission coined it back in 2000s – “from Morocco to Russia – everything but the institutions”); the socio-political and economic greening; as well as the legacy of WWII, Nuremberg Trials and Code, the European Human Rights Charter and their relevance in the 21st century.
