DAILY SURVEY - Nr. 51 / 436 - Belgrade - Prepared by: Z. Bucin

- SERBIA – EU

* CVETKOVIC & DEGERT: GREAT PROGRESS IN SERBIA - EU RELATIONS

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert delivered the annual report of the European Commission (EC) on Serbia’s progress towards the EU to Prime Minister Cvetkovic, and they agreed that Serbia has made great progress in the relations with the EU in 2010. The Serbian prime minister said that the EC report was generally positive, but that it also mentioned certain areas in which progress was unsatisfactory. Cvetkovic underlined that that an action plan will be made so as to secure progress in these areas and thus enable Serbia to receive the EU candidacy status by the end of 2011. Degert said that the year of 2011 will be a good chance for Serbia, but added that there are much more challenges and tasks that the Serbian government and the parliament have to resolve. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic said that by this report Serbia has got a chance for a new rendezvous with Europe, adding that this is a promising rendezvous that may entail granting of the EU candidate status and an opportunity for the opening of the EU accession negotiations. According to him, Serbia is faced with comprehensive reform process that should be completed if the country wants to receive the EU candidate status by the end of 2011 and begin talks on joining the EU.

* DJELIC: ACTION PLAN WILL BE ADOPTED NEXT WEEK

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Bozidar Djelic stated that he expects the government to discuss the report by Head of Delegation of the EU to Serbia Vincent Degert and adopt a 10-point action plan next week. Djelic said in a statement with Serbia’s state-owned Radio and Television of Serbia that those are "European commandments" that represent something that is good for the citizens and that the EU Commission will next year give an opinion on whether or not Serbia should be granted the candidate status for the EU membership. Degert is scheduled to present to Prime Minister Cvetkovic the EU Commission’s annual report on Serbia’s progress towards its EU integration in 2010 Djelic confirmed that EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule will arrive in Belgrade on November 24 to hand a questionnaire to him and Cvetkovic, announcing that the questionnaire will be completed by the end of the first quarter next year and that this will be followed by "technical missions in the field and an opinion next September or October."

* EC: SERBIA ADVANCING TOWARD EU, WEAKNESSES IN DIFFERENT AREA

BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government is stable and there is a consensus on EU integration, Serbia is fulfilling its obligations in regional cooperation, but there are serious problems and deficiencies in judiciary reform, the fight against corruption, the mandate of independent regulatory bodies and media regulations, it is said in the annual report of the EC. The report detailing the progress of countries aspiring to EU membership notes that in terms of democracy and the rule of law, Serbia has come a long way in the implementation of its new constitutional framework, but that laws regulating public property and property of the autonomous province of Vojvodina have yet to be passed. When it comes to regional cooperation and international obligations, the report notes that Serbia is meeting its international obligations to a great extent. Despite Serbia’s active cooperation with the ICTY, two indictees remain at large, concludes the report noting that Serbia has continued prosecuting war criminals in its own courts. Regional cooperation has improved and Serbia has made considerable progress in bilateral relations with the other countries involved in the enlargement process, above all Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, while maintaining good relations with its neighbors that are already in the EU. However, regional cooperation is threatened by the lack of agreement between Serbia and Kosovo regarding Pristina’s participation in regional meetings, notes the EC. The report points out that steps have been taken to improve the work of the Serbian parliament by adopting a new Law on the National Assembly and new Rules of Procedure. Additional efforts are needed to improve the quality of legislative work, and electoral legislation must be fully harmonized with that of the EU, the report says. The government remains stable and there is a consensus on strategic priorities, such as European integration.

* FUELE: SERBIA’S EU ACCESSION DEPENDS ON COOPERATION WITH ICTY

BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fuele said in Brussels that the European Commission (EC) has concluded that Serbia has initiated important steps towards regional reconciliation. Cooperation with the ICTY remains the main pre-condition for Serbia’s progress towards accession to the EU, he said. Two weeks ago, the EU Council forwarded Serbia’s application for candidate status to the EC, which took it into consideration immediately and intends to make public is opinion in the second half of 2011, he said. Serbia is capable of meeting the conditions set out in the SAA and is pursuing its cooperation with ICTY, which remains the main pre-condition for its progress towards EU accession, Fuele said presenting the EC report on Serbia.

* DEGERT: SERBIA SCORES SUCCESS, ESPECIALLY IN REGIONAL COOPERATION

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert stated that the EC has noticed Serbia’s success, especially in the domain of regional cooperation, but he also noted that the country still needs to do a lot of work on its EU path. The EU has noticed the success Serbia achieved in regional cooperation, which is of essential importance, Degert said in an interview for the television B92, commenting on the EC report on progress of the countries in the region on their EU path. Among positive assessments included in the EC report, Degert especially pointed out regional cooperation and reconciliation, as the categories that bear greatest importance to the EU. Serbia has made a number of positive moves, starting from the ones which have a symbolic value, such as the adoption of the Srebrenica Declaration and the visit of the President Tadic to Vukovar, to the more practical steps, such as the efforts invested in the search for missing persons, state border demarcation and other matters. Degert expressed belief that the objections which the EC stated in the report on Serbia’s progress should be viewed more as a challenge than as criticism. Challenges are very important and they need to be faced, since next year the EC will state its opinion on Serbia’s readiness for becoming EU candidate, Degert pointed out. Degert assessed that the greatest challenges for the country lie in the domains of judicial reform and fight against corruption.

* DJELIC: EC REPORT ON SERBIA POSITIVE

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - The EC gave a positive report on Serbia, with ideas for reform and a menu for next year, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic assessed. It is also positive that by fulfilling these criteria, Serbia will get EU candidate status and be able to start the membership negotiation process, Djelic said. Djelic also said that the report covered ten key topics, from judiciary reform to the need to pass a restitution law, further economic reform, strengthening of regulatory bodies and the problem of MP seats. "Still, these are all conditions that will allow Serbia to get candidate status next year and start negotiations for joining the EU," Djelic told. "Next year, we expect to correct everything that needs correcting based on these suggestions, and go from having our application forwarded to the EC to getting candidate status in one year," Djelic pointed out. When it comes to Kosovo, Djelic said that the report "brings up the issue of good neighborly relations, but with Kosovo still presented in light of Resolution 1244 in every part of the document." "This confirms that the report is status-neutral and that, if we speak about dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the topic are everyday issues that Serbia is ready to discuss, in line with the resolution it submitted to the UN in September," Djelic explained.

* DELEVIC: EC’S REPORT GENERALLY SHOWS SERBIA’S PROGRESS TOWARDS EU

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Director of EU Integration Office Milica Delevic has assessed that the report of the EC generally shows that Serbia has made progress towards the EU. "It is no surprise that there are certain areas which are believed to have insufficiently progressed, since the closer Serbia gets to the EU, the more its implementation of laws is being assessed," Delevic stated for daily Blic. She believes that the report will not threaten Serbia’s situation regarding the obtaining of the EU candidate status, adding that it shows which issues need to be resolved so that Serbia could hope for a positive decision on receiving EU candidate status.

* DULIC SATISFIED WITH EC REPORT ON PROGRESS IN ECOLOGY

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic said that he is satisfied with the European Commission’s (EC) report on Serbia’s progress in ecology, noting that the document points to key deficiencies in this area, namely the lack of experts and funds for environmental protection. Dulic told reporters in Kraljevo that experts are particularly scarce at the local level and that Serbia needs to work on this problem next year. Dulic declined to comment on the report as a whole, saying that Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic received the report Wednesday and the government will issue an opinion. The annual EC report, which was published Tuesday, says that the Serbian government is stable and there is a consensus regarding European integration. Serbia is fulfilling its obligations in regional cooperation, but there are serious problems and deficiencies in judiciary reform, the fight against corruption, the mandate of independent regulatory bodies and media regulations, notes the report.

* TADIC: JUDICIARY REFORM SHOULD BE UP TO EU STANDARDS

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said that the justice system reform should be completed in accordance with EU standards and encouraged the officials to continue the process. The EU has achieved high standards in judiciary and that is the model Serbia wishes to follow, Tadic said. All government institutions should protect the rule of law, but the EU standards are not simple to achieve, because of the collapse of social values during the turmoil in the former Yugoslavia back in the 90s. "We have violence and hate in relations between people and at sporting events and political forums. That must not tolerated, and the government should respond by punishing the guilty," Tadic explained.

* MALOVIC: EC’S CRITICISM WILL BE STIMULUS FOR SERBIA

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - Justice Minister Snezana Malovic thanked the European Commission (EC) on the positive assessments given in the report on Serbia’s progress in its EU integration process, but also welcomed the criticism, which will, as she said, be a stimulus for adequate solving of the problems. Malovic stated that she expected that the EC report will contain numerous open questions regarding the judicial reform, taking into account that this is also the problem that other regional countries are facing, such as Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) and Montenegro. The Justice Ministry will be proactive. In certain areas such as corruption Serbia has already taken some steps, and the bill on financing political parties is already in procedure. Serbia also plans to send its representative for judiciary issues to Brussels, which will make the communication more efficient, Malovic underscored. According to her, the ministry is primarily committed to supporting independent institutions for the fight against corruption, as well as to constant dialogue with the EC and judicial associations, with the aim to carry out a complete reform of the judiciary.

* JUDICIARY REFORM TO BE COMPLETED IN LINE WITH EU STANDARDS

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Justice Minister Snezana Malovic announced that the High Judicial Council will remedy all shortcomings indicated by the European Commission and that the judiciary reform will be completed in accordance with the European standards. In an interview to Wednesday’s daily Politika, Malovic said that there is no doubt that Serbia is investing all its efforts to extradite ICTY fugitives Goran Hadzic and Ratko Mladic. "I am not sure whether it is possible to do more, but it obvious that they have to be arrested. The only satisfactory outcome is the two of them in The Hague. Any speculations on when that could happen would be counterproductive, but I am sure that we have to send an adequate message to future generations whose fate depends on the arrest of The Hague fugitives," Malovic underlined. She reminded that Serbia adopted "a clear and strong institutional and judiciary framework" for successful fight against corruption, and that now the country has to enact the anti-corruption laws and work on the strengthening of independent institutions. "It is impermissible that corruption be endemic in the most important public institutions, on which the fate of the citizens depends," said Malovic and underlined that in order to be successful the fight against corruption has to be tackled from the very top.

* FUELE: SERBIA SHOULD INTENSIFY FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - EU Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele believes that Serbia’s EU accession depends only on the country itself and that Serbia should continue the fight against corruption and organized crime with double intensity. The key is in a determined continuation of reforms, and the published report of the EC on the country’ progress will serve as a roadmap to the Serbian government, according to which it will direct its activities and reach a consensus on many crucial issues so that it could carry on improving Serbia’s EU chances, Fuele stated for daily Blic. He underscored that cooperation with the ICTY and the arrest of the two fugitives must remain a top priority. This is not only an international obligation, but rather a basic step towards reconciliation both within Serbia and in the whole region. I do not doubt the Serbian government’s committment to this goal. Now everyone expects it to make a final effort and bring the two fugitives to justice, Fuele underscored. Other priorities include the rule of law and judicial reform, fight against corruption and organized crime and independence of regulatory bodies, he added. Serbia has already done a lot, but the efforts must continue. Fight against corruption and organized crime should continue with double intensity, sparing no effort. Non-biased and efficient judiciary is a precondition for the functioning of democracy. This is a vital factor which ought to assure the Serbian citizens in the reliability of the judicial system in their country, Fuele pointed out. The enlargements in 2004 and 2007 considerably contributed to the unification of the European continent both in political and economic sense. But I believe that the enlargement project should not be completed before Serbia and the entire Western Balkan region join the EU.

* SERBIA’S EU PATH NOT JEOPARDIZED BY FAKE ASYLUM SEEKERS

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - The fake asylum seekers from Serbia who are living in Sweden illegally will be deported but this will not jeopardize the visa liberalization and Serbia’s European path, Swedish Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy Tobias Billstrom said.In a phone conversation with Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, Billstrom stressed that Sweden considers Serbia a democratic country, adding that the asylum requests are unfounded, so the applicants will be sent back to Serbia in the shortest possible time frame. Dacic and Billstrom discussed possible solutions to the problem of the 5,600 illegals from Serbia who are seeking asylum in Sweden, most of them Roma, the Ministry of Internal Affairs said in a statement. Since the start of the year, Serbian citizens have filed more asylum requests in Sweden than the residents of Somalia or Afghanistan. Billstrom pointed out that Sweden supports the visa liberalization and Serbia’s European path and that the problem of fake asylum seekers will not affect Sweden’s position on these issues. Dacic expressed readiness for cooperation based on the readmission agreement signed by the two countries, and stressed that Serbia will intensify control at the border with Hungary. In the talk with Billstrom, Dacic stressed that police will also investigate travel agencies and individuals who deal in transporting the illegals to Sweden. The ministers concluded that the two countries will work together to find a solution to the problem, it is said in the statement.

* ONE-YEAR PROJECT ON MIGRATION ISSUES COMPLETED

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - A project dubbed ’Technical support to Serbian Commissariat for Refugees in strengthening the capacities for migration management’, which was organized by the EU, has been completed by issuing certificates to a group of about 30 Serbian officials, the EU Delegation to Serbia said in a release. The certificates were given to officials from a number of ministries and the Commissariat by EU delegation’s official Jose Gomez, the release says, adding that the event marked the completion of the one-year project on migration issues. The EU financed the project with EUR 200,000 in view of improving joint understanding of migration issues among institutions in charge of migration management. A total of 12 seminars were organized in scope of the project, dealing with the problems of illegal migration, asylum seeking, border management, social integration of migrants and a number of other related issues. Part of the project included translating more than 200 pages of migration documentation, aimed at establishing a comprehensive migration management policy within the scope of Serbia’s EU integration process. The project was carried out by the consulting company Ethnos Challenge in cooperation with the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees, the release says.

- KOSOVO – METOHIJA

* SERBIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT URGE KOSOVO SERBS TO VOTE

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - The conditions have not been meet for the Serbian government to urge Kosovo Serbs to vote in the early parliamentary elections in the province, the government said in a statement. The government issued a statement in relation to the early parliamentary elections which have been announced by the Kosovo institutions, saying that it cannot not call of Kosovo Serbs to go to the polls. "The Serbian government holds that it is important to start a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina as soon as possible and arrive at a sustainable and durable solution for the Kosovo issue, that would be mutually acceptable and lead to a historic reconciliation of the Serbian and Albanian people, as well as ensure durable peace and a European future for the whole region," reads the statement.

* FEITH: BELGRADE - PRISTINA DIALOGUE WILL START SOON

PRISSTINA, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - Head of the International Civilian Office in Kosovo Pieter Feith said that dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina will start soon, but that there might be a delay due to Kosovo elections. He was visiting Dragas, the southernmost municipality in Kosovo, inhabited mainly by the Goran ethnic community. He invited them to take part in the forthcoming elections, noting that the central authorities are capable to organize them fairly and abiding by the law. Asked about structures in Dragas which function according to Serbian laws, especially in the education sector, Feith said that everyone should be educated in the language they need, and that all abnormal situations in education will be ovecome soon. There is no room for parallel structures in Kosovo. They will disappear in time.

* EC REPORT ON KOSOVO’S PROGRESS TOWARDS EU

BRUSSELS, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - The annual report of the EC regarding Kosovo’s progress toward EU membership reads that Kosovo has made progress as regards to the political criteria, whereas the capacity of the public administration remains weak and the judiciary is not functioning effectively. Kosovo has strengthen its commitment to the EU agenda and policy reforms and established a Ministry for European Integration, the report said, adding that the government has ensured the successful conduct of the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) dialogue with the EU. Rule of law remains an issue of serious concern, even though cooperation with the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) has improved and the authorities have launched a number of anti-corruption operations. The EC noted that Kosovo has made significant progress in decentralization, and added that however, concerns remain with regard to northern Kosovo where a number of violent incidents have occurred. More needs to be done to ensure the integration of all communities and the delivery of public services in all municipalities. Support from local communities is important in this regard, including a constructive role in consolidating the rule of law. Parallel structures continue to operate hampering the decentralization process, the report reads. Although the constitution guarantees human rights and the respect for and protection of minorities, the institutional step-up and the lack of political will hamper the effective implementation of legal standards in this area. The authorities need to do more to address the key concerns such as access to property, missing persons, returns and education, the report said.

* KIM MINISTRY CALLS ON EULEX TO ENABLE VISITS

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - The Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija (KiM) called on EULEX to provide conditions for Minister Goran Bogdanovic to visit the southern Serbian province without problems. The ministry’s statement says that the authorities in Pristina have tried on occasion to stop the minister from visiting Kosovo. Bogdanovic was set to visit the village of Priluzje near Oblic on Wednesday to break ground for eight apartments, whose construction will be financed with RSD 12.4 million from the ministry’s funds, and attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a new daycare center, also paid for by the ministry. The Pristina authorities did not authorize the visit, so Assistant Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Dragan Petkovic will go to the village instead of Bogdanovic, adds the statement.

* IVANOVIC CONCERNED ABOUT PLANNED REDUCTION OF KFOR TROOPS

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - State Secretary with the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic expressed concern over the planned reduction of KFOR troops, as he believes the Kosovo police cannot assume the responsibility of protecting Serb enclaves, monasteries and churches. Ivanovic voiced his concern to KFOR Commander, German General Erhard Buehler, with whom he met in Kosovka Mitrovica, the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija said in a statement. He also told the KFOR commander that the security of churches and monasteries is very important to the Serb community, and that should the number of KFOR solider decrease, the remaining ones need to focus on protecting Serbs in isolated communities and monasteries. General Buehler informed Ivanovic that KFOR recently turned over the Zociste and Budisavce monasteries to the local police, and that it will soon do the same with the Gorioc monastery near Istok.

* BUEHLER: SECURITY IN NORTHERN KOSOVO IMPROVES

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - KFOR Commander Gen. Erhart Buehler stated that the security situation in northern Kosovo has improved. According to KFOR release, Buehler expressed determination to continue conducting active security operations in cooperation with EULEX and the Kosovo Police Service (KPS), and called on the citizens in northern Kosovo to contribute to greater security and safety. People in Kosovo should know that KFOR will help establish lasting stability and security in the region, Buehler said and added that Kosovo citizens also need to show support so that stability and peace could be established through joint efforts. KFOR commander visited the armed forces in the Kosovska Mitrovica region, and had several informal meetings with local representatives and Mayor of southern Kosovska Mitrovica Avni Kastrati. During the visit, the KFOR commander also conferred with Serbian State Secretary for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic.

* AUSTRIAN ARMY PROLONGS ITS STAY IN KOSOVO AND BOSNIA

VIENNA, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - The Austrian government prolonged the participation of the country’s army in the UN Peacekeeping Missions in Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Golan and other areas until the end of 2011. Austria is, with more than 1,000 soldiers, among top five EU countries according to the number of soldiers put at the disposal of the UN missions, Austrian Minister of Defense Norbert Darabos said after the government session. According to the government, up to 600 Austrian soldiers will take part in the Peacekeeping Mission in Kosovo, and up to 400 in Bosnia. A military reserve counting 250 soldiers that can be activated at any moment was also established for the needs of the Mission in Kosovo, and the participation of Austrian army in the so-called Operational Reserve Forces for the Western Balkans, in which some 230 Austrian soldiers had already taken part, was also authorized. The area of Western Balkans remains the focus of Austrian security policy, Minister Darabos pointed out. Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindeleger welcomed the decision of the government and said that Austrian soldiers in the Balkans contribute not only to the greater stability in the region, but also to the greater security of Austria. What is especially encouraging is that the presence of KFOR in Kosovo, presently including 470 Austrian soldiers appointed through the Partnership for Peace Program that is aimed at improving security situation in the region, can be gradually reduced, Spindeleger underscored.

* CEFTA NOT APPLIED FULLY DUE TO KOSOVO

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Head of the EU mission in Serbia Vincent Degert drew attention to the fact that presently the CEFTA Agreement is not being fully applied due to the status of UNMIK/Kosovo within that document, and underlined that it is necessary to remove that obstacle in order to enable a free flow of goods and services in the future. The UN asserted Kosovo’s status as neutral, deeming that it would be acceptable for all member states, Degert recalled. He emphasized that economic cooperation between the CEFTA countries is the best way to deploy economic potentials, achieve political stability and speed up the EU integration process. Commenting on the issue, German Ambassador Wolfram Maas underscored that CEFTA member states should focus on economic tasks and prevent politics from meddling.

* AMBASSADOR WEI: CHINA AGAINST KOSOVO’S INDEPENDENCE

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - China strongly supports Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and does not recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence, Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Wei Jinghua said. Our position on the Kosovo issue is clear: we support Serbia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and do not recognize Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence, Wei said during a lecture on contemporary China and Serbian-Chinese relations at the Academy of Diplomacy and Security. He stressed that respect of a country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is still one of the key principles of international order, and that China does not support Serbia out of friendship alone, but also because this principle of one of the most important elements of its foreign policy. China’s foreign policy is independent and founded on the principle of peaceful problem solving and not meddling in the internal affairs of another country, he noted.

- SERBIA

* JEREMIC TO ATTEND SESSION OF COE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic will pay a one-day visit to Strasbourg on Wednesday, and take part in a session of the Council of Europe (CoE) Committee of Ministers, the Serbian foreign ministry announced. During his stay, Jeremic will confer with CoE Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland, the statement said. The CoE previously announced that Turkey will assume the presidency over the CoE Committee of Ministers from Macedonia at the session. On the occasion, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will present six-month priorities of the Turkish presidency.

* TADIC: LANGUAGE OF HATE MUST NOT BE TOLERATED

BELGRADE, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - President Tadic said on the occasion of the International Day against Fascism and Anti-Semitism that the language of hate must be replaced by the language of cooperation. Opening a ceremony marking the admission of the first generation of the Judicial Academy students, Tadic said that the entire Europe is fighting against violence and hate and that Serbia should join in. Anti-Semitism and Nazism constitute the worst and most disgraceful forms of institutional violence that were committed by some states, which is why the whole world rose against them, he said. There is violence and hate in relations among people and at sporting events and political forums. That must not tolerated, and the government should respond by punishing the culprits, Tadic said.

* INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST FASCISM MARKED IN SERBIA

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic stated that Serbia must never again allow for racism, xenophobia and nazism to find fertile ground in the Balkans and entire Europe. At the marking of the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism, Djelic pointed out that the fight against fascism and anti-semitism is one of the highlights in the history of the Serbian people. "Our ancestors contributed to the fight whose results are incorporated in the foundations of what Europe is today," Djelic said, adding that Serbia should be proud of that. The central manifestation, held at the National Theatre in Belgrade, was attended by the representatives of the Serbian government, parliament, veterans’ associations, religious communities and the diplomatic corps. The International Day Against Fascism was established in the memory of the pogrom against Jews, which began 72 years ago in the Nazi Germany.

* DACIC: SERBIA AND GERMANY SHOULD WORK ON POLITICAL BONDING

MUNICH, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic has assessed in Munich that Serbia has good economic ties with Germany, adding that the two countries now need to work on political bonding. Speaking at the Serbian Consulate General in Munich, Dacic underlined that Serbia should put the past behind and that "there are no permanent friends or enemies, only interests." Dacic stated that he will hold meetings with Vice-President of the Bavarian State Parliament Franz Maget on Wednesday and with Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann on Thursday. According to Dacic, he and Herrmann will discuss the issue of asylum seekers from Serbia, as the number of such people in Germany has reached about 2,000 since the beginning of the year. Most of the asylum seekers are Roma. "This issue must be taken seriously so that the visa liberalization would not be called into question," Dacic stressed.

- SERBIA – REGION

* FUELE: ENLARGEMENT IS IN EU’S BEST INTERESTS

BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said in Brussels that enlargement is in EU’s best interests, and that countries aspiring to EU integration should be encouraged to reach Europe’s economic and political standards. According to him, EU enlargement is the best way to make this happen. The expansion was successful in the past and can remain such in the future. Europe needs a strong and credible enlargement policy as it strengthens peace and stability. Enlargement makes Europe stronger and better equipped to promote its values and interests in assuming its role as a global player, he said while presenting annual reports on the progress of the Western Balkans countries, Turkey and Iceland, on their EU pathway. Stating that the report represents the first package prepared since the Treaty of Lisbon first came into force, Fuele warned that a successful enlargement policy has to be credible as well. Credibility means rigorous conditioning of applicants. Applicants can be admitted into the EU only when fully prepared. The same rules apply evenly to all, meaning that the candidate countries need to develop the capacity to meet all the requirements and this is non-negotiable, Fuele said.

* MRKONJIC: CORRIDOR 11 TO HAVE REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

ROME, Nov 9 (Tanjug) - Minister of Infrastructure Milutin Mrkonjic told that Corridor 11 and the railway from Belgrade to the Montenegrin port of Bar will get regional significance because neighboring countries, Italy included, are very interested in faster construction and revitalization of these traffic routes which can contribute to Serbia’s development. Mrkonjic announced that an Italian state and business delegation will arrive in Belgrade in late November to define the roles of Romania, Italy, Montenegro and Serbia in the construction of Corridor 10 and sign a protocol. On the sidelines of the G8 ministerial conference on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Rome, Mrkonjic said that representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure held well received presentations on Corridor 11, which will connect Bari (Italy) with Bar (Montenegro), Cacak (central Serbia), Belgrade and Timisoara (Romania), and the reconstruction of the Belgrade-Bar railway, in the presence of five Western ambassadors. "Corridor 11 is extremely important for Serbia’s economic growth," Mrkonjic stressed and expressed expectation that the project will be certified by the EU and that international financial institutions will provide part of the funding. Serbia is one of the signatories of the declaration adopted at the G8 ministerial conference in Rome, in which 29 countries pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emission levels by five percent annually until 2020.

* DINKIC: COMMON INVESTMENT MARKET SHOULD BE SET UP

BELGRADE, Nov 10 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy Mladjan Dinkic stated that the most important task of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) member states is to set up a common investment market. At the opening of a CEFTA Week, Dinkic said that the bad image the region countries have is one of the main obstacles for new investments and that all countries should invest efforts in promoting cooperation and creating a predictable economic market by regulation standardization. He underscored that Serbia had a surplus of one billion euros in trade with CEFTA countries in the January-September period this year and that the surplus is expected to reach EUR 1.3 billion by the end of the year. The problem is that semi-finished products, agricultural products and raw materials are marketed in our trade with region countries, Dinkic, who is also deputy prime minister, pointed out.

For further information: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia