REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

 HISENI LOBBIES FOR NEW RECOGNITIONS OF KOSOVO IN NEW YORK

SERBIA

TADIC: SERBIA UNAVOIDABLE FACTOR OF STABILITY IN THE REGION

CUPRIJA, May 26 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic said there was no doubt that Serbia represented an unavoidable factor in the establishment of stability in South-East Europe and that members of the Serbian Army had an important role in that. Tadic, who attended an exercise of Military Academy graduates at a training field near Cuprija, underlined that Serbia pursued an independent policy of peace and that it would continue to do that. Pointing out that the geo-strategic position of our country required a higher level of responsibility of our armed forces, Tadic reminded that the strategic goal of our country was EU accession, and added that as far as our security was concerned, Serbia was a member of the PfPeace programme. Congratulating the students of the Military Academy for the success they had achieved,Tadic expressed satisfaction over the successfully performed manoeuvres, assessing that the demonstrated level of the graduates’ capabilities had been impressive and that the techniques which the Army had at its disposal been used in the best possible way.

TADIC AND RADMANOVIC FOR OBSERVING DAYTON ACCORDS

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic and BIH Presidency Chairman Nebojsa Radmanovic stated that the observation of the Dayton Peace Accords is a prerequisite for the stability in BiH and the entire region. After the talks with Radmanovic, Tadic said that Serbia, as a guarantor of the Dayton Peace Accords, strongly supports all political implications of the document, including BiH integrity. Tadic underscored that the special ties that Serbia has with RS do not impose any threat to BiH integrity, and added that Belgrade officials are interested in establishing special parallel relations with the BiH Federation as well. Radmanovic said that Serbian-BiH relations are unfortunately still burdened by the events from the past, which should not be an obstacle in the cooperation that is of interest for the future of both countries. According to him, the problems in the internal functioning of BiH are the consequence of different interpretations of Dayton Accords and also of the dominant role of the High Representative of the international community, whose jurisdictions, according to Radmanovic, are inappropriate for a European society. Tadic and Radmanovic agreed that it was unsuitable for a ranking official, such as Komsic, a member of the BiH Presidency, to demand the issuing of an indictment against former FR Yugoslavia presidents Cosic and Lilic over alleged crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina. "Such statements are aimed at a further radicalization of the situation within BiH itself and the country’s relations with Serbia. This is surely not something we need in BiH," Radmanovic said.

CVETKOVIC: SERBIA BACKS A WHOLE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - Premier Mirko Cvetkovic said that Serbia backs a whole BiH and that, with regards that country’s internal relations, it will support everything the three constitutive nations agree. Speaking at joint press conference with BiH Presidency Chairman Nebojsa Radmanovic in Belgrade, Cvetkovic said that Serbia is prepared to sign an agreement with the BiH Federation on special permanent relations, similar to that signed with RS. Cvetkovic said that there are possibilities for the promotion of cooperation between Serbia and BiH in the sphere of trade and mutual investments, adding that today’s talks demonstrate Belgrade’s wish for good regional relations and cooperation.The Serbian premier expressed satisfaction that BiH has not recognized the self-proclaimed independence of Kosovo, noting that he expects it to remain firm in its refusal not to recognize the independence of Kosovo. Radmanovic said that good political relations between Serbia and BiH are a condition for good economic cooperation. He underscored that Serbia is one of BiH’s major foreign trade partners. Radmanovic recalled that in the past dozen years Serbia has invested almost one billion euros into BiH.He welcomed Cvetkovic’s announcement about the possible signing of the agreement on special ties between Serbia and BiH.

SERBIA & BOSNIA TO FOSTER PARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic and Chairman of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Radmanovic said that fostering of parliamentary cooperation is in both countries’ interest, especially as regards better ties with the EU. Bosnia wishes to foster cooperation with Serbia in all sectors as the two countries should focus on the future and leave the past to historians, Radmanovic said. Djukic-Dejanovic said she is ready to visit Bosnia, following a recent successful visit of a Bosnian parliamentary delegation headed by Speaker Beriz Belkic, in order to contribute to the fostering of parliamentary cooperation, the parliamentary press service said.

OIC DOES NOT CALL ON RECOGNITION OF KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

BELGRADE, May 26 (Tanjug) - Political Director in the Foreign Ministry Borislav Stefanovic reiterated that the resolution adopted at the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) session in Damascus does not call on recognition or support to the independence of Kosovo. Representatives of Kosovo interim government in Pristina and Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha stated that OIC adopted a resolution which calls on OIC member states that have not yet recognized Kosovo to do so. Stefanovic said that the resolution, which was adopted in preparatory committee and later at plenary session of OIC, contains amendments that Serbia has arranged through its friends in the Conference and that it does not mention the request for recognition of Kosovo. "Minister Basha’s statement represents an attempt to pull down Serbia’s diplomatic success in Damascus before the elections in Albania by twisting facts. His nervousness is instigated by choices and efficiency of Serbian diplomacy, which prevented the resolution that requests acknowledgement of Kosovo’s independence, so he who loses has a right to be angry," Stefanovic evaluated. He added that resolution excluded the proposal of Saudi Arabia for urgent recognition of Kosovo by all OIC member states, as well as providing full support to the independent Kosovo and its institutions. "The resolution also excluded the suggestion that Kosovo be included in international organizations, which was also one of Saudi Arabia’ requests," Stefanovic added.

DACIC: PROMOTION OF POLICE COOPERATION WITH CROATIA

RIJEKA, May 25 (Tanjug) - Interior Minister Ivica Dacic has told that the agreement on police cooperation between Serbia and Croatia, signed in the Croatian Adriatic city of Rijeka, will promote the two countries’ cooperation in all spheres, including the border and criminal police forces. Dacic stated that he has proposed to his Croatian counterpart, Tomislav Karamarko, that a regional center in set up in Belgrade for fighting organized crime and that its directors are changed on a rotating basis. "It is evident that it is possible to reach organized cime only with the good cooperation between all the police forces and the interior ministries," Dacic set out. According to him, Croatia and Serbia have agreed that they should be the leaders in the fight against organized crime and that they should "stimulate and pressure" other countries to get involved in their joint struggle. It was also agreed that the Croatian and Serbian ministries and the other corresponding resources, should reach agreement on issues linked to the existence of arrest warrents for certain nationals of both countries in order to remove the obstacles for the normal travel of these persons so that they should not fear for their safety and whether they would be arrested, Dacic stated.

MEETING OF FRENCH AND SERBIAN EDUCATION MINISTERS

PARIS, May 26 (Tanjug) - Education Minister Zarko Obradovic met his French counterpart Xavier Darcos, in scope of his official visit to France with the aim of establishing stronger cooperation in the area of culture and education. This visit is a part of a broader policy of connecting the two countries, said Obradovic, the first Serbian Education Minister who came to a bilateral visit to France in the past twenty years. Darcos underscored that France is particularly interested in opening a French-Serbian lycee in Belgrade, and commended the initiative of the Serbian government which is committed to finding a site and funds for its construction. The ministers also discussed the harmonization of educational systems, particularly in higher education.

SRECKOVIC EXPECTS LAW ON DIASPORA TO HAVE WIDE SUPPORT

BELGRADE, May 26 (Tanjug) - Minister of the Diaspora Srdjan Sreckovic stated that he expects the bill on diaspora and Serbs in the region, which represents the foundation of a new national policy towards more than three million Serbs living abroad, will receive wide support of all political factors. "I expect that the bill on diaspora will receive wide support, because I think this is one of the issues over which we can achieve a broad social and state consensus," Sreckovic told the reporters in the parliament. He thinks that policy towards diaspora should not depend on the interest of political parties, on daily political events, or on the fact which parties constitute executive authorities. Sreckovic stated that assembly of diaspora and Serbs in the region will be formed of 44 delegates.

NEW JAPAN’S AMBASSADOR TOSHIO TSUNOZAKI WITH OPOSITION LEADER

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - SNS leader Tomislav NIkolic said in talks with Japan’s new ambassador to Serbia Toshio Tsunozaki that he is certain that the ambassador would find a way, at the time of the economic crisis, to additionally stimulate both the Japanese government and Japanese businessmen to help Serbia. Nikolic stated that he and the Japanese ambassador had discussed possibilities for Japanese businessmen, who are scheduled to come to Belgrade in the next couple of months, to get better acquainted with the possibilities for Japan to produce in Serbia and sell these goods in other countries "especially in the Russian Federation." According to him, if all friends of Serbia worldwide did at least something to aid, "it could easily and faster than others expect, emerge out of the crisis."

SERBIA – EU

SERBIAN & GREEK FMS CONFER IN ATHENS

ATHENS, May 25 (Tanjug) - Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic discussed issues related to EU enlargement and Serbia’s European accession prospects, as well as bilateral economic issues. Jeremic expressed hope that visa liberalization issue will be resolved by the end of this year. Bakoyannis expressed Greece’s support to integration of Balkan countries in the EU. Jeremic said that Serbia is endeavoring to join the EU and noted that in keeping with its Constitution, Serbia cannot recognize Kosovo’s independence, which is why this issue has been taken to the International Court of Justice.

DJELIC: EC ISSUES POSITIVE REPORT FOR SERBIA

BELGRADE, May 26 (Tanjug) - Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic stated that the European Commission (EC) has issued a positive report in view of the visa regime liberalization, but that Serbia has not still received it. Djelic told B92 that there are still "a few elements left" for Serbia to deal with in the following period as a part of the visa liberalization process, one of them being the procedure of issuing passports to the people whose place of residence is in Kosovo. "We have, of course, made it clear, pursuant to our state policy and our Constitution, that as a state will not recognize the independence of Kosovo in any indirect manner by saying, for example, that someone who lives in Kosovo cannot get a Serbian passport," Djelic said. He said that this is not a political issue and that no one is pressuring Serbia to recognize Kosovo indirectly so as to join the White Schengen List. Djelic said that a dialogue on the issue is under way between the EC and EU member states and that once they have presented their remarks, Serbia will be able to "adjust certain matters".

MAJORITY OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN SERBIA WISH INTEGRATION IN EU

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - The fact that 80 percent of young people in Serbia support the country’s integration in the EU demonstrates their open views of the future, member of the Serbian parliament delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Konstantin Samofalov told. A poll carried out by the Atlantic Council of Serbia (ASS) with the help of the Norwegian embassy in Belgrade as part of the Serbian Youth Today and Tomorrow project shows that young people in Serbia believe that integration in the EU would improve political stability and security in the country and that they believe in a better future for themselves and the country. The poll shows that 77 percent of the participants aged from 18 to 26 oppose Serbia’s accession to NATO due to its illegal air raids on the former Yugoslavia in 1999, and that 40 pct of them gave the unresolved issue of Kosovo and growing pressures by the West as the reasons for their rejection. The fact that a majority of young people support Serbia’s participation in UN peace missions is also encouraging, Samofalov said after a debate at the Belgrade School of Political Science. The Serbian Youth Today and Tomorrow project shows that young people are very concerned for their own and Serbia’s future but that they are also very hopeful, ASS Executive Director Tijana Andric told Tanjug.

EC PRESENTS REPORT ON PROGRESS TOWARDS VISA ABOLISHMENT

BRUSSELS, May 26 (Tanjug) - The European Commission (EC) presented a report to the EU member states on West Balkan countries’ fulfillment of conditions for visa liberalization, and the EC Vice-President Jacques Barrot announced that he will as soon as possible put forward a recommendation for abolishing visas to country or countries that have fulfilled the conditions. The original report from November 2008 was complemented with new information gathered by EC expert missions during their stay in Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first three months of 2009, the radio Deutsche Welle reported. EC Vice-President and Commissioner Responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security Jacques Barrot commended the efforts of the West Balkan contries in the process of carrying out the EU roadmap, as well as their cooperation with the European expert missions. Barrot pointed out that he will put forward recommendations for abolishment of visa regime as soon as possible for the country or countries that have fulfilled the conditions envisaged by the EU roadmap and added that visa liberalization is a likely perspective to all WB countries.

TERRAL: FRANCE BELIEVES IN BORIS TADIC’S SERBIA

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - French Ambassador to Serbia Jean-Francois Terral said, prior to the official visit of Serbian President Boris Tadic to Paris, that Serbia is the backbone of the region in every way and that this position gives Serbia a specific predisposition for EU integration. The aim of President Boris Tadic’s visit to Paris on May 27-28 is to help Serbia make progress, particularly on its path towards the European future, Terral said. France wants firm partnership relations in all areas, especially in the area of political dialogue, economy, security and culture, because France trusts Serbia as a partner and because it believes there is a lot that the two countries can do together, Terral said in an interview for Tanjug. Serbia’s future is in the EU, there is no alternative, and that is just one historic move that concerns all European countries, the French ambassador pointed out. Serbia is no exception to this nor can it be in any way, he said. On the contrary, Serbia is and will continue to be the backbone of the region due to its economic potentials, demographic structure, administrative capacities, geographic position, culture etc, Terral underscored.

ROMANIA SUPPORTS SERBIA’S ACCESSION TO EU

BUCHAREST, May 25 (Tanjug) - Romanian President Traian Basescu reiterated Monday Romania’s support to Serbia’s accelerated accession to the EU, as well as to visa liberalization for its citizens, the presidential administration said in a release Receiving the credentials of the new Serbian Ambassador to Bucharest Zoran Popovic, Basescu stressed the importance which Romania attaches to the implementation of European standards as regards the rights of minorities, to enable the Romanian minority in Serbia to enjoy the same rights as the Serbian minority in Romania, Agerpres agency reports.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

SOUTH STREAM ROUTE DEFINED BY ECONOMIC PARAMETERS

NIS, May 25 (Tanjug) - The main route of the South Stream gas pipeline through Serbia was defined by economic rather than political parameters, Srbjagas Director Dusan Bajatovic said meeting Nis city officials and political party representatives. The pipeline will enter Serbia near Zajecar rather than Dimitrovgrad as originally announced, as the construction of that, shorter, section towards Belgrade will be much cheaper, and will lower the price of gas for end-users in Europe by up to 10 percent, he said. Only the decision to have South Stream pass through Serbia was a political one, all others were commercial, he said. Reacting to protests by Nis opposition party activists against the decision to have South Stream bypass Nis, he said that the city will not sustain any losses, as it will get sufficient gas supplies and remian a junction for gasification of southern and eastern Serbia and for distirbution to Kosovo and Macedonia.

SKUNDRIC IN BRATISLAVA ON STRENGTHENING ECONOMIC COOPERATION

BRATISLAVA, May 25 (Beta) - Mining and Energy Minister Petar Skundric discussed economic cooperation between Serbia and Slovakia with Slovak Economy Minister Lubomir Jahnatek. The issues of energy and the possibility of bilateral cooperation in that sector dominated the ministers’ talk, the Slovak Ministry of Economy announced after the meeting. Slovak companies see business opportunities in the energy sector and want to participate in the reconstruction of the Serbian economy and infrastructure. Trade is continuously growing and while it amounted to EUR290.6 million in 2007 and EUR417.9 million last year, there is still a large trade imbalance in favor of Slovakia. During Skundric’s two day visit to Slovakia, he will participate in a Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) conference. Visits to a petroleum and gas plant in Slovakia, a windpower plant, a heating plant in Trencin, as well as the Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant near the village of Jaslovske Bohunice are also planned.

GREY: COMPLETION OF CORRIDOR 10 MAKES SERBIA MORE COMPETITIVE

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - Head of the World Bank Office for Serbia Simon Grey stated that Corridor 10, which represents the backbone of the economic and technologic development in Serbia, is immensely important for the market and regional integration of the country, and the whole south-east Europe as well. The realization of this extremely important project, which will be supported by the World Bank (WB), will give Serbia an advantage over the other countries of the region and make it more competitive after the global economic crisis is over, Grey said at a Belgrade meeting dubbed "Corridor 10 - A New Road of Business and Development". Grey said that it was wise that the Serbian government decided to invest in this project in this difficult period for the whole world, which would bring considerable advantages to the country in the long run and harness the consequences of stagnation. We expect the global economic crisis to last until 2010 when the effects of these investment should be noticeable, he underscored. However, Grey pointed out that Serbia should observe all procedures in terms of expropriation and environmental preservation in the course of Corridor’s construction. According to him, WB representatives will monitor the construction work and make sure that the measures for the environmental protection are implemented.

EBRD CONSIDERS LOANING 150 MILLION EUROS FOR CORRIDOR 10

LONDON, May 25 (Tanjug) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is considering providing a loan of 150 million for the construction of a new section of road Corridor X from Nis to Dimitrovgrad (E-80), located in the south east of Serbia towards the border with Bulgaria. The section has a total length of 83 km. The EBRD loan is part of a larger project, with parallel financing coming from the World Bank (WB) in an amount of 117 million and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in an amount of 300 million, totalling 786 million euros. The project presents continued support for the development of Serbia’s key road transport infrastructure which is Corridor 10, which is the main north-south corridor running through the country and as such is essential for trade and regional integration. The client is the government of Serbia. The executing agency is Corridor 10 Company (K10), a daughter company of Public Enterprise Roads of Serbia. K10 was established specifically to manage the construction of motorways on sections of Corridor X.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

SERBIAN MINISTER & EU OFFICIAL CONFER ON KOSOVO

BELGRADE, May 25 (Tanjug) - Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic conferred with personal representative of the EU high representative in Belgrade Peter Sorensen and with Director for Western Balkans Zoltan Martinus on the problems Serbs and other non-Albanians are facing daily in the province. They discussed means of resolving these problems, the ministry said in a release. The topics included freedom of movement, return of displaced persons, visits by Serbian officials to Kosovo, rule of law, customs service and return of Serb police officers to the Kosovo Police Service. Bogdanovic expressed hope that cooperation with the EU mission will be fostered in the future on the basis of the principles on which Serbia insists, the release says.

ALEXEYEV ON INVALIDNESS OF KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE

MOSCOW, May 26 (Tanjug) - Head of the 4th European Department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexander Alexeyev has said that the document which Russia has forwarded to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) represents a legal analysis of the invalidness of the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence which is being examined from the point of view of both international law and the UN Security Council resolution. The Russian document is a political paper which has no political statements or elements of any other nature, Alexeyev said in daily Politika. The document demonstrates the invalidity of the (Martti) Ahtisaari plan and it examines the contradictions of current international relations, the relation between two principles of European security - territorial wholeness and inviolability of borders on one side, and the right to self determination on the other. He added that the declaration of Kosovo independence, due to its political functionality, represented a direct violation of international law. This is very dangerous not in terms of international law, but also in terms of internal law, because such an act and its principles of political functionality violate the law, the former ambassador to Serbia said, noting that nothing good could come of that.

HISENI LOBBIES FOR NEW RECOGNITIONS OF KOSOVO IN NEW YORK

PRISTINA, May 25 (Tanjug) - Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hiseni is in a visit to New York, where he will hold at least 30 meetings with representatives of the states that have not recognized the independence of Kosovo, the Pristina media reported. In the UN headquaters, Hiseni intends to influence countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo independence to do so. Kosovo Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the only aim of Hiseni’s visit is to lobby for recognition of Kosovo as a state, the paper reports. Hiseni’s visit to New York in being held immediately after the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Damascus, where the resolution tabled by Saudi Arabia that the Conference member states should acknowledge the independence of Kosovo was rejected.

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Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia