DAILY SURVEY - Nr. 51 / 414 - Belgrade - Prepared by: Z. Bucin

- EU GENERAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL FORWARD SERBIA’S APPLICATION FOR EU MEMBERSHIP TO THE EC / REACTIONS

SERBIA’S EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION TO BE REVIEWED BY EC

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - The General Affairs Council of the EU adopted the decision to ask the European Commission to prepare an opinion on Serbia’s readiness to begin negotiations on EU membership. The conclusions from the meeting state that Serbia is expected to provide full cooperation with the ICTY. The council reminds that Serbian President Tadic submitted the membership application Dec 22, 2009, adding that each new phase in Serbia’s accession will be preceded by a review of its cooperation with the ICTY and will require a unanimous agreement between the ministers that the country is providing full cooperation. The council also states that it will carefully review all ICTY reports on the issue. The conclusions also note that the ICTY cooperation requirement is integrated in the SAA with Serbia, as well as the Interim Trade Agreement, stressing that it is the key condition for EU membership. The council calls on Serbia to implement the recommendation by the ICTY chief prosecutor from his June 2010 report to the UN SC. The prosecutor requested Serbia’s support regarding any ongoing trials before the tribunal and when it comes to apprehending Mladic and Hadzic, the two remaining ICTY fugitives. Based on the EU enlargement consensus expressed in the European Commission conclusions from December 14-15, 2006, the council confirmed that the future of the Western Balkan countries lies in the EU, adding that the progress of each country depends on their efforts to fulfil the Copenhagen criteria and the conditions from their SAA. A constructive approach to regional cooperation is of key importance in the process, the council stated. The conclusions also call for a dialogue between Serbia and its breakaway province of Kosovo, with the EU as the moderator. The council also welcomed the UN SC resolution from September 9, describing it as a factor of peace, security and stability in the region.

JEREMIC: IMPORTANT DAY FOR SERBIA, BUT TOUGH JOB IS STILL AHEAD

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic commented on the forwarding of the Serbian EU membership candidacy application to the European Commission (EC) by saying that it was a very important day on the road to a full membership in the European Union, but pointed out at the same time that Serbia should not be overwhelmed with euphoric feeling since it still has plenty of hard work ahead. Jeremic told TV station Pink that Serbia now has to show that it has the strength to make reforms, stating that the country’s ability to create a successful interior policy will be in focus at the moment. "Tough times are ahead of us, but I am politically optimistic since we have shown that the path towards the EU is open and that the membership is possible," the foreign minister said. Answering the question whether Europe eased up because Serbia had made a change in its policy regarding Kosovo, Jeremic stated that such policy change had never taken place. "Our policy towards Kosovo has never changed, but it is true that we have managed to create a situation in which the dialogue can begin. Belgrade and Europe are ready for this, and now we are just waiting for Pristina to come prepared," Jeremic underlined. He believes that the dialogue should be conducted in a tension-free atmosphere, where the focus would be directed away from political issues. Jeremic stated that the positive atmosphere for the dialogue has been made possible by the joint diplomatic efforts of Belgrade and the EU. The minister pointed out that the country is doing everything in its power to find and arrest the two remaining fugitives of the ICTY.

CVETKOVIC: CONFIRMATION THAT SERBIA IS ON RIGHT PATH

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Cvetkovic said that the decision of the EU foreign ministers to unblock the process of Serbia’s EU membership candidacy constituted proof that Serbia is on the right path and that it has achieved much so far in the European integration process. This decision demonstrates that the EU has recognized Serbia’s endeavors, he told Tanjug. Serbia must intensify its endeavors in the future by filling the questionnaire and meeting all the pre-conditions for getting candidate status, including full cooperation with the ICTY, Cvetkovic emphasized..

JEREMIC & SCHWARZENBERG: IMPORTANT DECISION FOR SERBIA

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Foreign ministers of Serbia and the Czech Republic, Vuk Jeremic and Karel Schwarzenberg, said that the Council of the EU decision was very important for Serbia, and that the two countries saw it as their joint success. Jeremic stated after the meeting that a very complicated period lies before Serbia. The country will have to do a lot of work, and it will need seriousness and dedication to reach the EU, he noted. Schwarzenberg thinks that the council decision opened the door to the EU for Serbia. He pointed out the benefits of EU membership, like new jobs and better economic and security situation, all based on his country’s experience. Jeremic said Serbia would do everything to get the status of a candidate for EU membership as soon as possible. He hopes that will happen during 2011. Schwarzenberg is on a one-day visit to Serbia. He is set to meet with Prime Minister Cvetkovic as well.

DEJANOVIC: SERBIA’S EFFORTS FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGED

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Serbian parliament speaker Djukic Dejanovic said, after the EU foreign ministers decided to unblock Serbia’s EU candidacy process, that all of the country’s efforts have finally been acknowledged, but that more work on meeting EU standards is ahead. "I am very happy and satisfied that all of Serbia’s efforts have finally been acknowledged. It is our duty to keep working seriously to meet these standards so that the process can continue in the desired direction," Dejanovic told. She said that a number of circumstances will affect the process.

DACIC: POSITIVE NEWS FOR CONTINUATION OF EU INTEGRATION

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated that the EU foreign ministers’ decision to unblock Serbia’s candidacy represents the positive news which is significant for continuation of Serbia’s EU integration. Dacic told that Serbia is ready to meet all the conditions set by the European Commission in the continuation of the proces of EU integration. He expressed expectation that the future decisions of the EU, in relation to the continuation of Serbia’s EU integration, will not take so much time and that they will be less painful. According to Dacic, the EU foreign ministers’ decision also places responsibility on the Serbian government to apply itself to work and do everything in its power to meet the set conditions. Dacic reiterated that Serbia is not doing that for Europe, but for itself and added that the acceptance of European values would be to the advantage of its citizens.

DJELIC: NEW ERA IN SERBIA’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic expressed pleasure over the decision of EU Council of Ministers to forward Serbia’s candidacy for membership to the European Commission for analysis. This opens the new era in the European integration process, he said. The goal of Serbia is to open the negotiations about the accession to the EU immediately after receiving the candidate status, Djelic told the press in Luxembourg. Belgrade will have to prove full cooperation with the ICTY and realize important reforms in ten key sectors, Djelic emphasized. Serbia would have to implement these reforms anyway, as they are not only pre-conditions for EU integration, but also for better life of the people, he said. He also expressed satisfaction with the fact that the decision on candidacy has been passed unanimously. Serbia is doing everything in its power to meet the condition set by the Netherlands and bring the cooperation with the ICTY to completion, he said. Unity will be needed next year, when the ministers, presidents and prime ministers meet again to decide on candidate status, Djelic said. If unity is achieved today, everything will be much easier next year, he said. He also welcomed the provision contained in the EU Council of Ministers conclusions that the process of Serbia’s EU integration cannot be halted until the European Commission presents its opinion.

DACIC: SERBIA READY TO FULFILL CONDITIONS FOR EU ACCESSION

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Dacic said that Serbia is ready to fulfill the conditions for access to the EU, noting the example of the requirements for the visa liberalization which were met successfully earlier. "Had we not issued the 2.7 million new biometric passports we would not have got the visa liberalization," Dacic told the RTS, adding that it will be the same when comes to all other conditions that Serbia needs to fulfill on its road to the EU. Dacic said that all the countries which were close to joining the EU in the past had to deal with the issue of bogus asylum seekers just like Serbia has to deal with the problem now, but stressed that the countries to which these people go should clearly point out that they will not be providing political asylums since they view Serbia as a democratic country, which automatically excludes the grounds for receiving the asylum.

DJELIC: SERBIA TO GET EU CANDIDATE STATUS LATE IN 2011

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Djelic has stated that Serbia is expected to get the EU candidate status late in 2011. "I expect that the EC will draft an opinion in September or October 2011 which will enable the European leaders to render decision on Serbia’s EU candidate status," Djelic said for the RTS, adding that Serbia’s goal is to have formal talks on the country’s EU accession opened. According to him, the candidacy status will enable Serbia receive about 30 percent more funds from the EU budget, that is EUR 60-80 million, and offer an opportunity for Serbia to get more involved in the EU operation. Djelic said that the next steps are forwarding of EC’s questionnaire to Serbia and Serbia’s answers to the questions by the end of the first quarter of 2011 at the latest.

DELEVIC: FORWARDING OF EU CANDIDACY IS IMPETUS FOR SERBIA

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Director of the Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Milica Delevic has stated that the forwarding of Serbia’s EU candidacy application to the EC is a great impetus for the reform processes in Serbia. "This is an exceptionally important step since the EU is beginning to see Serbia as a country that is approaching the EU candidacy status," Delevic told adding that the EC is now expected to send a questionnaire to Serbia. She expects that the questions will be adjusted to specific economic and political situation in Serbia, adding that experience of other countries, which have already completed this task in the EU integration process, may be very helpful. According to her, Serbia should expect additional questions and visits of numerous experts of missions, who will try to determine the situation in the field with regard to certain areas. "All this will be an additional stimulus to focus on the aspect that makes the EU integration process utterly important for citizens, that is the adoption and implementation of laws which may improve their lives," Delevic added. She pointed to the importance of fulfillment of conditions related to speedy termination of cooperation with the ICTY. "This issue is more important for Serbia than it is for the EU, since the country has to face its unpleasant past of the nineties,".

DULIC: GREAT STEP TOWARDS EU

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic said that the Council of the EU decision to allow move forward with its EU integration was a recognition of the good work. In his address to the parliament, Dulic stated that Serbia had a lot of work still left when it comes to EU integration, adding that the parliament will be the place where some core reforms are going to be decided in the future. He wished the parliament success in its future work on EU integration. "It is a great step on the path towards the EU and a recognition of our good work. We have a huge task ahead of us," Dulic noted.

MALOVIC: SUCCESS FOR SERBIA, JUDICIARY HAS MUCH TO DO

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said that the decision of the EU foreign ministers to unblock the process of Serbia’s EU membership candidacy constituted a great success for Serbia. She also noted that the greatest job is yet to be done by the judiciary sector. Expressing her satisfaction with the EU ministers’ decision, Malovic described it as another in a series of steps in assessing Serbia’s achievements so far in the EU integration process. As for the judiciary sector, its greatest job is yet to be done, she said. The questions regarding the judiciary are one of the most difficult sections on the chapter 23 of the questionnaire, Malovic told. The judiciary sector did not wait for the start of negotiations with the EU, but took steps forward, such as the reform underway, she said. A decisive battle against organized crime and coruption is underway and assets gained through criminal activities are being seized, she said. The Justice Ministry will continue on the EU integration path, she noted.

DEGERT: QUESTIONNAIRE TO BE SENT SOON

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Head of the EU delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert stated that Serbia can expect to receive the European Commission’s (EC) questionnaire very soon, perhaps already in one month. It is necessary for Serbia not only to give answers to the questions from the EC’s questionnaire, but also to provide proof to support the answers, Degert said in a statement for B92 on Monday evening, adding that results must be achieved in reforms. He pointed out that, upon receiving the answers, the EU will need to make sure that the situation in the field is in accordance with how it was described in the answers. The EC must make sure that Serbia is ready for membership negotiations, he stressed, adding that Serbia could become an EU membership candidate already in one year. Regarding the cooperation with the ICTY, Degert assessed that Serbia has made progress, and that the final result should be the arrest of Ratko Mladic. Degert added that the EU expects the constructive talks between Belgrade and Pristina to begin soon, which will bring about the improvement of the quality of life of all Kosovo inhabitants.

ASHTON WELCOMES FORWARDING OF SERBIA’S CANDIDACY

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton welcomed the decision of the EU General Affairs Council to forward Serbia’s application for EU membership to the EC. Ashton said she has already conferred with President Tadic and conveyed to him her satisfaction with the decision taken earlier in the day by the EU foreign ministers. Belgrade and Pristina should now start as soon as possible a dialogue on practical issues to make life easier for the people, she told.

FUELE: SERBIA-EU RELATIONS ENTER NEW STAGE

BRUSSELS, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele welcomed the decision by the Council of the EU to forward Serbia’s membership application to the European Commission, adding that it opened an important new stage in the relations between Brussels and Belgrade. The commission will start preparing its opinion on Serbia’s application immediately, said Fuele in an announcement after the decision. The Serbian government will receive a questionnaire to help determine the country’s readiness to start accession negotiations, Fuele noted. According to him, the commission will put together a detailed opinion on whether Serbia has fulfilled all three groups of the Copenhagen criteria, the political, economic and the ones determining its readiness to take over the obligations stemming from EU membership. The council’s decision is an expression of great support for Serbia and its leadership, but it is accompanied by equally great expectations, said the commissioner, adding that Serbia’s cooperation with the ICTY would be critical to a positive opinion. Fuele hopes Serbia will be able to convince the ICTY chief prosecutor during his next visit to the country that it has increased its efforts since June. Serbia has achieved significant results in the past years, and it will, hopefully, complete the final stage as well and find the remaining two ICTY fugitives, Fuele noted. According to the commissioner, Serbia will have to continue its reforms, particularly in the legal system, and the November 9 report on its progress in EU integration will point the way clearly. There are high expectations also when it comes to good relations and cooperation with the surrounding countries, Fuele stated. Serbia has made a series of important steps forward in that sense, and it will, hopefully, establish a constructive dialogue with its breakaway province of Kosovo, he added.

KACIN: BRUSSELS’ POSITIVE AND VALUABLE SIGNAL TO SERBIA

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin welcomed today’s decision of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council to forward Serbia’s application for the EU membership to the European Commission for analysis. Decision of the Council is an exceptionally positive and valuable signal Brussels is sending to Serbia, which encourages Belgrade to continue its constructive policy that has led to today’s decision, Kacin said in a statement. He also said that this important moment should be used fully to remove the remaining obstacles which are slowing down Serbia’s EU integrations. Kacin underscored that the Council’s decision, which was adopted with a clear request to Belgrade to complete its cooperation with the Hague tribunal, enables Serbia to formally start implementing the program of moving closer to the EU. I hope that Belgrade will soon manage to close the chapter on its cooperation with the Hague tribunal and thus be in a position to focus its strong and insufficiently utilized capacities to carry out concrete reforms, said Kacin. As of this moment, Kacin said, the pace of Serbia’s moving closer to the EU fully depends on Belgrade and not on EU institutions and member states, because the necessary criteria and tasks should be fulfilled by all three branches of the authority in Serbia. Introduction of the firm rule of law and fight against corruption have to be the priority tasks in the coming years, said Kacin, adding that this is the day for optimism which should still remind us of how much should still be done on Serbia’s way to the EU.

ZAGREB WELCOMES THE DECISION ON FORWARDING OF CANDIDACY

ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Croatia welcomed the decision passed by the EU Council of Ministers to forward Serbia’s candidacy for EU membership to the European Commission. The forwarding of the request to the EC for analysis is a crucial step on Serbia’s road to Europe, not only in technical sense, but also in terms of affirmation of the EU perspective of Serbia, reads the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and EU Integration of Croatia. This decision of the Council of Ministers gives a positive signal to other countries of Southeastern Europe, which are in various stages on their roads to the EU. That is a contribution to the further stabilization of the region, which is Croatia’s continued commitment and which is in the strategic interest of all the countries in Southeastern Europe, it is underlined in the statement signed by the Spokesman of the Ministry Mario Dragun.

VANACKERE: DECISION REWARDS BELGRADE’S CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Belgian Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere said that the Monday decision by the EU General Affairs Council (GAC) to forward Serbia’s candidacy to the EC for opinion is a very positive signal for Serbia which represents a reward for Belgrade’s constructive attitude in the last few months. This is a very good day for Serbia and also for Europe, Vanackere told the press in Luxembourg, adding that the EU clearly shown what it had already said in Sarajevo earlier - that the future of the entire Western Balkans is in the EU. He also said that the decision to forward Serbia’s application represents the continuation of the process the country launched about nine months ago, when it submitted its candidacy application. The recent positive steps and the constructive attitude of the Serbian government regarding regional cooperation cannot go unrewarded, and therefore a clear positive message has to be sent to the country, he underlined. Vanackere said that the Monday agreement between the EU member states was reached because it was clearly pointed out to everyone that the positive signal does not mean the EU will stop demanding from Serbia to fully cooperate with the Hague Tribunal, since this is a very important condition for every next step Serbia will be making towards the EU. Vanackere said that the EU is calling on the Serbian government to continue working on establishing full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Vanackere said the differences with the Netherlands regarding the issue were resolved through dialogue. The Belgian EU presidency has for the past few weeks worked a lot to persuade all EU member countries to reach an agreement on the issue that it satisfied with the result achieved, he added.

ITALY WELCOMES SERBIA’S PROGRESS TOWARD EU

ROME, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Italy welcomed the decision of the EU to request the European Commission’s formal opinion on opening talks on Serbia’s membership. The decision of the EU foreign ministers was the right signal and it had arrived at the right moment for Serbia and the Balkan region as a whole, the ANSA quoted the Italian foreign Ministry saying in a statement. It is a concrete signal for the European future of the state, which was strongly encouraged by Italy and Frattini himself, it was said in the statement.

BILDT: IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO SERBIA AND REGION

LUXEMBOURG, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt expressed his satisfaction with the decision of the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council to forward Serbia’s application to the European Commission for analysis and, in particular, with the positive wording of the decision. I am very much satisfied that a better wording was achieved for the forwarding of Serbia’s application to the European Commission, said Bildt, adding that it is up to Serbia to work on technical aspects and up to the Commission to prepare its opinion. We shall return to this issue in not so distant future, Bildt told reporters after the meeting. This is an important message on the importance of the process of European integrations not only to Serbia but also to the region as a whole, said Bildt.

LIBYA SUPPORTS SERBIA BECOMING EU MEMBER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Libya would like to see Serbia become a full member of the EU as soon as possible, Libyan Prime Minister Ali al-Baghdadi al-Mahmudi stated during the talks with Parliament Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic. Al-Mahmudi said that the nature of problems in Kosovo is not religious, the parliament speaker’s cabinet stated in a release. The Libyan minister pointed out that the people in his country will never forget the strong support their country received from Serbia when an embargo was imposed against Libya, and added that constant contacts on all levels will help preserve the deep and sincere friendship between the two nations. On Monday, Djukic-Dejanovic ended her three-day visit to Tripoli, during which she conferred with Libyan President Muammar al-Gaddafi.

SHAHUMI: EVENTS IN KOSOVO UNACCEPTABLE FOR LIBYA

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - The Libyan parliament’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs Suleiman Shahumi pointed out during a meeting with Serbian parliament speaker Djukic Dejanovic that Libya finds the events in Kosovo unacceptable, the speaker’s office said in a statement. Yugoslavia stands as an example of secession for the whole world, and the events in Kosovo are unacceptable for Libya, said Shahumi, who called his visit with Djukic Dejanovic an extremely important step in the two countries’ relations, and the cooperation with the Serbian parliament a bridge towards cooperation with other parliaments in the Balkans. The officials agreed that cooperation should improve across the board, and that the Serbian and the Libyan parliament will play an important role in the process. Djukic Dejanovic thanked Libya for the recently signed agreement which abolished visas for the holders of diplomatic and official passports, and supported Libya’s initiative to terminate visas for regular passports as well. At a meeting with the Serbian heath minister and the chairman of the Libyan-Serbian Joint Committee, it was pointed out that there is good cooperation in health care but that there is room for improvement. The Libyan side expressed readiness to form two education centers where medical workers from Libya could learn and train with their Serbian colleagues. The officials also discussed the possibility of holding the Days of Libyan Culture in Belgrade, to present the history, heritage, food and music of Libya to the Serbian people. Also on the table was the idea of increasing the number of flights between Belgrade and Tripoli, in order to encourage the exchange of people, goods and services.

- SERBIA

TADIC: SERBIA WILL FULFILL ITS INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS

PARIS, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - President Tadic has stated that the current Serbian government is doing all it can to locate and arrest the ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic. In an interview for the International Herald Tribune (IHT), Tadic also drew attention to the fact that the task of arresting Mladic is not an easy one. Ratko Mladic is not an ordinary fugitive, but an experienced soldier with considerable war experience, Tadic told the IHT and added that the information Serbia has obtained indicate that the individuals who were previously involved in shielding Mladic are former or retired soldiers themselves, and are also highly experienced. Most of them used to work in intelligence or security services and had been trained exceptionally well, which makes Serbia’s task (of arresting Mladic) all the more difficult, Tadic said. The Serbian president noted that all efforts aimed at catching Mladic are being carried out in coordination with European partners. He expressed belief that Mladic will be successfully located and arrested in time. When asked what makes it so hard to find Mladic who has been hiding for 15 years now, and why he has not been extradited to the ICTY, Tadic regretfully said that political will for Mladic extradition was not present at all times in the course of the past 15 years, and that Mladic did not even have to hide untill 2000. The Serbian parliament adopted a law on cooperation with the ICTY as late as in 2002, and it was only in 2008, when the current government was constituted, that political will and operative potentials for Mladic’s arrest became the country’s priority, the Serbian president stated. According to Tadic, the previous governments did not seem to attribute any special importance to this matter. Tadic reminded that Radovan Karadzic, another ICTY indictee, was arrested soon after the constitution of the current Serbian government, which is a clear and unambiguous indicator of the country’s commitment to arresting Mladic as well. The Serbian president expressed belief that the majority of Serbian citizens support the policy that all war criminals must receive a just punishment although, as he said, there are also those who deny the accounts of gruelling crimes with which Mladic was charged and treat these facts as a conspiracy theory aimed against Serbia. Serbia will fulfill its international obligations, Tadic asserted. Even if the ICTY stopped working, the government will continue searching for Mladic and use all available means to this end, because the state considers this task as its moral obligation to innocent victims and because it is the only way to reach reconciliation among the nations in the region, Tadic concluded.

DACIC: SERBIA NEEDS TO HARMONIZE ITS LEGISLATION WITH EU

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic said that harmonizing Serbian legislation in the area of intellectual property with the EU, which the country is hard at work on, is important for further EU integration. After meeting with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Francis Gurry, Dacic pointed out that police has achieved significant results in this area and formed special units to fight high tech crime. He also announced that the WIPO director and Serbian government officials will sign a memorandum on cooperation in this area.

MEMORANDUM ON SERBIA-WIPO COOPERATION SIGNED

BELGRADE, Oct 26 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Cvetkovic and Francis Gurry, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Serbian Government and WIPO. Cvetkovic told at the Serbian Government that protection of intellectual property is very important for Serbia, which is on its way to get accepted in the EU and World Trade Organization, The prime minister said that the essence of the Memorandum is to strengthen the capacities of the real sector, particularly small and medium-size enterprises, in taking advantage of all their rights in the area of intellectual property protection and to strengthen the capacity of the scientific and research institutions in Serbia. According to him, the Memorandum will contribute to the strengthening of Serbia’s administrative capacities, promotion of the legal framework in the area, and raising awareness of citizens about the importance of the right to intellectual property. Gurry underscored that the signing of the Memorandum is important because it is a sign that the issue of intellectual property in Serbia is treated at the highest level. It is a sign that Serbia takes seriously the issue of intellectual property, underscored Gurry after the signing of the Memorandum. The WIPO is a specialized agency of the UN, established by the WIPO Convention in 1967 with a mandate from its member states to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations. It is dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual property system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest. Serbia, as the successor of the FRY and SFRY, is a member of the organization.

SUTANOVAC & NAMOLOH SIGN AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and his Namibian counterpart Charles Namoloh signed an agreement in Belgrade on Monday on cooperation in the area of defense. At a joint press conference, Sutanovac and Namoloh expressed satisfaction over the signing of the agreement, whereby cooperation between the two countries will be restored after more than two decades. Sutanovac stated that he proposed that the area of future cooperation should be military health care, pilot training, engineering, as well as education of Namibian military officers, adding that many Namibian military officers completed their military education in Serbia. Sutanovac announced that the Namibian Defense Ministry delegation will visit Jugoimport, a state-owned company trading in military equiment and technology, and the Military Technical Institute, so as to get acquainted with the range of products offered by the Serbian military industry. He added that he also suggested cooperation in military industry through joint investments, but also through placement in the third markets. Namoloh said that the agreement envisages mutual cooperation, adding that Namibia has experience in training and participation in peace-keeping operations that it can share with Serbia. He pointed out that it may be beneficial for Namibia to cooperate with Serbia in the area of military medicine, engineering and technical capacities.

- KOSOVO & METOHIJA

REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI RECOGNIZES KOSOVO

PRISTINA, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - The Kosovo Foreign Ministry announced that the Republic of Kiribati, an island nation in the western part of the Pacific Ocean, has recognized Kosovo’s independence, making it the 71st country to recognize Serbia’s breakaway province. "The Republic of Kiribati has recognized Kosovo’s independence. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kiribati informed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo in a verbal note of the decision to recognize the Republic of Kosovo’s independence on October 21, 2010," says the announcement. The document also calls for better political and economic relations between Kiribati and Kosovo.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ASKS GOVT VIEW ON KOSOVO ELECTIONS

BELGRADE, Oct 25 (Tanjug) - The Serbian parliamentary committee for Kosovo asked Monday the Serbian government to state its stand on the elections scheduled by Pristina interim authorities. The committee also asked for more information from the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija regarding the the drafting of a bill on the Kosovo bonuses, and from the Ministry of Finance on the allocation of funds from Serbia’s budget to Kosovo. It also requested information on political and security situation in Kosovo, power supply and restoring telecommunications.

For further information: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia