DAILY SURVEY - Nr. 51 / 430 - Belgrade - Prepared by: Z. Bucin

- SERBIA – CROATIA – VISIT - REACTIONS

* TADIC,JOSIPOVIC: RECONCILIATION TO CONTINUE DESPITE BARRIERS

VUKOVAR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic and Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said in Vukovar on Thursday that they are determined to continue the reconciliation process, despite the fact that the two countries will still need to tear down many barriers, and added that determining the fate of the people who went missing in the war is the first and most important step in that direction. After a meeting with representatives of Croatian associations of war victims, which was also attended by Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Tadic and Josipovic said that the decision to visit Ovcara and Paulin Dvor, sites where crimes against both the Serbian and the Croatian people took place, shows that nothing will stop them from completing the reconciliation process. "No politics can stop the two of us from continuing the process. It is a matter of our future, the future of our children and our countries," Josipovic said. Tadic and Josipovic agreed that the two countries have shown unquestionable commitment to doing everything in their power to shed light on the fates of missing persons, regardless of their nationality. "We are sending a message not only to our compatriots and citizens, but to the international public as well, in the desire to prove to everyone that this is a region that respects common values, and that with this act we have reached the highest level of our common civilization but also of our individual cultures, and proven we share in the European system of values," Tadic pointed out. Tadic noted that in addition to a personal apology, durable reconciliation requires that the two states make certain moves, including an out-of-court settlement of the mutual genocide lawsuits filed before the International Court of Justice. When Croatian reporters asked if his visit to Vukovar is an indirect admission that Serbia committed aggression against Croatia, Tadic said it is up to legal experts and historians to determine what happened during the 1990s, and that his duty was to make a personal gesture in the memory of the innocent victims.

* TADIC TURNS OVER DOCUMENTS ON VUKOVAR HOSPITAL TO CROATIA

VUKOVAR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic presented Croatian officials with documents on the Vukovar hospital hailing from 1991, which had been in Serbia’s possession until now, saying that Belgrade will continue to look for other documents that could help in the search for missing persons. Tadic turned over the documents at a meeting with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor and representatives of the associations of missing persons and victims of the war in Croatia. "There is no reason nor lack of political will to keep us from ascertaining the truth," Tadic said. He stressed that any time committees for locating missing persons suspect that a location might contain remains, Serbia will immediately start excavation at the site. Tadic said he is deeply convinced the Croatian side will do likewise. Josipovic said this is the most important issue in the relations between Serbia and Croatia. "Every mother’s heart cries equally for her missing son or daughter. The will is there to do everything to arrive at the truth about missing persons," Josipovic said.

* JOSIPOVIC APOLOGIZES TO FAMILIES OF VICTIMS IN PAULIN DVOR

PAULIN DVOR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Croatian President Ivo Josipovic said Thursday that those left behind by the victims of the crime in Paulin Dvor deserve an apology and pointed out that Croatia will prosecute every crime regardless of who committed it. Paying his respects to the victims in Paulin Dvor near Osijek, where 18 Serb and one Hungarian civilians were killed in December 1991, Josipovic and Serbian President Boris Tadic expressed belief that all crimes will be punished and that this policy will bring reconciliation in the region. Josipovic said that there is no statute of limitations on crime and that Croatia, as a country which respects domestic and international law, will prosecute every crime regardless of who committed it. "I believe that every crime will be punished and that this policy will bring reconciliation among nations," said the Croatian president. Paying his respects to the victims, Tadic said that all those who thought in the 1990s that they were working for their own nation by causing harm to another, were sorely mistaken. "In fighting for the rights of our own people, we must always protect the rights of other peoples. Only a Serbia that defends the rights of all the peoples in its territory is a country that can defend the rights of its own people wherever they live," said the Serbian president. Tadic said that he payed his respects to the Croatian victims in Ovcara, like he had previously done in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and will do in the future anywhere where there are innocent victims. "I am deeply convinced that this is the way to build the foundation for reconciliation and living together, and to open new perspectives," Tadic concluded.

* KOSOR: IMPORTANT EVENT FOR TWO COUNTRIES

VUKOVAR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor expressed her satisfaction with everything that Serbian President Boris Tadic said in Ovcara (eastern Croatia) Thursday, and stressed that the event represents an important moment for the two countries which will open a new page in their relations. After meeting with Presidents of Serbia and Croatia and representatives of veterans associations, Kosor said that the event certainly represents an important moment for both Croatia and Serbia, adding that she believes it will help strengthen new forms of cooperation. She also expressed her satisfaction with the fact that Croatia on Thursday got back the documentation from the Vukovar hospital, and praised the dignity with which the representatives of Croatian war veterans associations welcomed the arrival of Serbian President Boris Tadic to their country. She said that Croatia is already a NATO member and will soon become an EU member as well, and that it will then be in position to offer support to its neighbors, including Serbia, on their EU pathway. The translation of the EU questionnaire that Croatia gave to all its neighbors is showing the country’s interest in providing this support, Kosor underlined.

* KOSOR:GOVT DOES ITS BEST TO FIND VICTIMS AND RETURN REFUGEES

ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Tanjug) - Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, who attended the meeting between the Serbian and Croatian presidents and the representatives of the Serb community in Vukovar on Thursday, stated that the Croatian government is doing its best to find and honorably bury the earthly remains of the persons of Serb nationality who went missing during the Operations Flash and Storm. Kosor said that the topics of the meeting also included the return of the refugees and the forthcoming donors’ conference, the electronic media reported after the meeting. "I mentioned the fact that everyone is entitled to return to their homes and that the return must be voluntary. As far as Croatia is concerned, it has made considerable efforts and allocated over EUR 5 billion from the state budget for assisting the returnees and for rebuilding their homes," Kosor underscored. She said that the apology and compassion expressed by Serbian President Boris Tadic in Ovcara are important for Croatia, as Vukovar is Croatia’s symbol of resistance, defense and unbreakable human spirit. She added that "as a NATO member today and an EU member in the future, Croatia does not only show willingness to support its neighbors, but also proves that on a daily basis."

* TADIC: MLADIC, HADZIC WILL BE ARRESTED IF THEY ARE IN SERBIA

VUKOVAR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic said in Vukovar on Thursday that fugitives from the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, will be arrested if they are found in Serbia. Serbia has so far extradited 44 indictees, Tadic told Croatian reporters, emphasizing that there are no hindrances to that process. Mladic and Hadzic should have been arrested already, and Serbia is doing everything to complete that process, Tadic added. There is perhaps some prejudice in Croatia regarding Serbia’s readiness to complete its cooperation with ICTY, Tadic said, stressing that noone should doubt that Serbia is doing everything to that end.

* TADIC, JOSIPOVIC: MEETING WAS NOT FORCED ON US

VUKOVAR, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic and his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic denied in Vukovar on Thursday the media speculations that Brussels had forced them to meet. When asked whether Brussels forced them to meet, Tadic replied that coming to Vukovar, eastern Croatia, was his personal decision. Tadic stated that he would not have come to either Srebrenica or Vukovar had it not been his personal decision. Responding to the question of whether Serbs and Croats might reconcile their views on the conflicts that took place not so long ago and read the same book of history, Tadic said that this is inevitable, but that a lot work needs to be done if the two countries want to reach the level of understanding France and Germany have already achieved. "Reconciliation requires both sides to recognise misdeeds, to offer and accept apology, and to forgive," the Serbian president said. He noted that the 20th century saw both bad and good deeds, but pointed out that personal gestures of good will are also needed. "One of such gestures was made today, but this also entails a legal procedure," Tadic said and reminded of the lawsuits Croatia and Serbia have filed against each other with the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Tadic said that truth will surface in the process, and added that he will not interfere with the ICJ’s activities. He also noted that he has "proposed the withdrawal of lawsuits, but given the current state of affairs, it is up to lawyers and historians to establish what exactly happened in the territory." "There is no Washington, Brussels or Madrid that can force us (Serbia and Croatia) to do what we did yesterday, what we are doing today and what we will do tomorrow, and that is completion of the reconciliation process," Josipovic pointed out.

* USA WELCOMES TADIC’S VISIT TO VUKOVAR

WASHINGTON, Nov 5 (Tanjug) - The United States of America welcomed on Thursday Serbian President Boris Tadic’s visit to Vukovar and commended the progress that Belgrade and Zagreb have made in the reconciliation process. The United States welcomes the visit of Serbian President Tadic to the city of Vukovar and his meetings with Croatian President Josipovic and Prime Minister Kosor, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley stated at a news conference. Crowley assessed that the visit demonstrates the continuing efforts of Croatia and Serbia to strengthen bilateral relations and to address the legacy of the tragic events following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. We commend Serbian and Croatian leaders for advancing reconciliation and look forward to a common future in the European Union with regional relations that benefit all, Crowley said.

* FRANCE WELCOMES TADIC- JOSIPOVIC MEETING IN VUKOVAR

PARIS, Nov. 04 (Beta) - On Nov. 4, France welcomed the meeting between the presidents of Serbia and Croatia, Boris Tadic and Ivo Josipovic, in Vukovar, as a contribution to reconciliation in the region, it was announced on the website of the French Foreign Ministry. "France welcomes the meeting between the two presidents, because it will contribute to reconciliation among the countries of the Balkan region," the ministry’s spokesman, Bernard Valerot, told reporters in Paris, adding that the meeting was held in Vukovar, "a martyr town, which was destroyed by the Yugoslav army." The strengthening of cooperation between Croatia and Serbia, according to Valerot, "is the key element in the stabilization of the region and in improving their association with the European Union." "France reiterates its full support to the European prospects of these two countries," said the spokesman of the French Foreign Ministry.

* FUELE WELCOMES TADIC-JOSIPOVIC MEETING

BRUSSELS, Nov 5 (Tanjug) - European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood policy Stefan Fuele on Friday welcomed the Thursday meeting between Serbian President Boris Tadic and his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic in Vukovar and Paulin Dvor, calling it an important step towards reconciliation in the Western Balkans. Places such as these in eastern Croatia should become symbols of reconciliation and an example for the entire Western Balkans, Fuele’s office quoted him as saying. The EU attaches special significance to good neighborly relations as part of the stabilization and association process. Over the past year, Serbia’s and Croatia’s leadership have done a lot to this end, including the signing of several important bilateral agreements on police and defense cooperation and on extradition of persons suspected of involvement in serious crimes. The Union expects they will carry on the good work in the future, Fuele said. The European commissioner believes that the fresh impetus to the Serbian-Croatian relations could help resolve the issues between the two countries in a true European spirit. The future of both Croatia and Serbia is in the EU, and reconciliation is one of the main principles the Union stands for, Fuele underlined.

* PAHOR: TADIC IS DOING IMPORTANT WORK

LJUBLJANA, Nov. 04 (Beta) - Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said on Nov. 4, in Ljubljana, that Serbian President Boris Tadic was "doing important work" in his Nov. 4 visit to Vukovar. "What Tadic is doing today is positive," Pahor told a news conference after a government session. Asked about his recent visit to Serbia, Pahor conveyed Tadic’s position that war crimes never became obsolete and that the victims of war should be remembered with reverence. Pahor also repeated Tadic’s belief that "the scars of war should be healed by action" and in that context pointed out his Nov. 4 visit to Vukovar. Tadic, who went to Vukovar on Nov. 4, toured the Ovcara farm, where he apologized to the families of all innocent victims killed there in 1991. Members of the former Yugoslav People’s Army and Serb paramilitary formations on Nov. 20, 1991, murdered more than 200 Croatian prisoners and civilians at Ovcara.

* SERBIAN, CROATIAN DEFENCE MINISTRIES EXCHANGE HR EXPERIENCES

BELGRADE, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Delegations of Serbian and Croatian Defence Ministries have began talks in Belgrade on Thursday, with the aim of exchanging experiences and learning more about human resources management systems. The two-day talks will focus on personnel, career guidance, military service regulations, sending soldiers to peacekeeping missions, education and training, the Serbian Defence Ministry released. The Serbian Defence Ministry has recognised that reforms in the domain of HR management system are an important part of defence reforms, pointed out Head of Human Resources Sector and Assistance Minister for Human Resources Brig. Gen. Sladjan Djordjevic, who is attending the meeting with the Croatian military delegation. "Good cooperation between Serbia and Croatia and their military forces is necessary for the future development of the entire region," Djordjevic said during the meeting with the Croatian delegation, headed by Director of Human Resources Directorate in the Croatian Defence Ministry Nenad Smolcec. Djordjevic added that the Agreement on Defence Cooperation, which the two countries signed in Zagreb in June 2010, represents an important step in the process of stabilisation and normalization of the two countries’ relations. The two-day visit of the Croatian delegation to Serbia was organized as part of the two ministries’ military cooperation plan for 2010, the Serbian Defence Ministry posted on its website.

- SERBIA

*SERBIA TO OPEN EMBASSIES IN AZERBAIJAN AND KAZAKHSTAN

BELGRADE, Nov. 04 (Beta) - At its Nov. 4 session, the Serbian government brought a decision to open embassies of the Republic of Serbia in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. So far, Serbia has been present in these countries on a nonresidential basis in Azerbaijan through the Serbian Embassy in Turkey and in Kazakhstan through the Serbian Embassy in Russia. It was not mentioned in the statement when the embassies will be opened.

* SERBIA’S MEMBERSHIP IN WTO CONFLICTS WITH EU INTEGRATION

BELGRADE, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Serbia is in a complex situation, because it wants to join both the EU and the World Trade Organization (WTO), which uses different measures of market protection, according to what was said at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce on Thursday. Speaking at a conference on the advantages and drawbacks of Serbia’s membership in the WTO, State Secretary for Economy Verna Arsis explained that Serbia should first become a member of the WTO and then the EU, although there is no legal obligation to do things in that order. Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Erwin Hofer agreed with Arsis, adding that his country had decided to stay out of the EU precisely because the WTO rules were more suitable for its needs. Serbia and Switzerland are both small countries whose chief international partner is the EU, he remarked. Switzerland has been helping Serbia become a WTO member for seven years, and the most important thing right now is for the country to boost its export, which currently makes up a very small portion of the GDP, Hofer stated. Serbia has the potential needed to increase export, but it has to improve standards and raise the quality and quantity of its goods.

* GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS COOPERATION

BELGRADE, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - There are great opportunities for strengthening Serbia’s business ties with Spain in the sector of trade, but also tourism, agriculture and energy, Minister of Trade and Services Slobodan Milosavljevic stated after today’s meeting with members of the Confederation of Employers and Industries of Spain (CEOE) in the Serbian Government building. "We also discussed the interest of small and medium-sized companies from Spain to enter Serbia’s market, as well as the cooperation with the countries with which Serbia has signed free trade agreements," said Milosavljevic. The Ministry of Trade and Services said in a statement that during the meeting, Spanish Ambassador to Serbia Inigo de Palacio Espana underlined that this is the first time Spain has sent such a high-level business delegation to Serbia. The business delegation was led by Jose Luis Gonzalez Vallve, a board member of the CEOE, and it consisted of representatives of Spanish companies engaged in engineering, industrial construction, eolic energy, control systems and electric power infrastructure.

* AMBASSADOR BUT: SLOVENIA LACKS MORE SERBIAN INVESTMENTS

BELGRADE, Nov 5 (Tanjug) - Slovenia lacks more Serbian investments, whereas Slovenian businessmen have invested a total of EUR 1.7 billion in Serbia so far, Slovenian Ambassador to Serbia Franc But said Friday, adding that the greatest potential for the two countries’ business cooperation lies with small and medium enterprises. In the first nine months of this year, Serbia’s exports to Slovenia amounted to USD 305.63 million, while imports from Slovenia were worth USD 332.95. At a business meeting in the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS), Ambassador But pointed out that around 1,400 Slovenian companies, which employ around 22,000 people, are currently doing business in Serbia, which makes Slovenia the third largest investor in the country, while Serbia is ranked as the tenth most important Slovenia’s economic partner. The ambassador stressed that Slovenia is probably the biggest supporter for Serbia’s accession to the EU. PKS representative Mitar Przulj pointed out that the two countries have a common interest for a joint access on third markets, especially on the large market of Russia, with which Serbia has signed the Free Trade Agreement. He noted that Serbia has a trade deficit with Slovenia, but added, however, that the overall level of trade between the countries has increased since 2002, when it stood at USD 125 million, to USD 1.12 billion in 2008, before the economic crisis. Przulj noted that the aim of the PKS Bureau for Regional Cooperation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, who organized the meeting of businessmen, is promoting economic cooperation.

- KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

* ROMANIA REAFFIRMS STANCE ON KOSOVO’S INDEPENDENCE

BUCHAREST, Nov 4 (Tanjug) - Romania will not change its stance regarding Kosovo’s independence, because it is a matter of principle, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi said in Bucharest. A unilateral act cannot turn an area into an independent state, Baconschi said at a briefing for European journalists. Along with Spain, Greece, Slovakia and Cyprus, Romania is one of five EU countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence. With the exception of Cyprus, these states are also NATO members. Minister Baconschi noted that things in Kosovo cannot go back to the way they were, but that Romania hopes Belgrade and Pristina will be able to cooperate and normalize relations for the benefit of stability in the Western Balkans, reported Rome-based news agency Apcom.

* EC: SMALL PROGRESS IN KOSOVO, SERIOUS PROBLEMS REMAIN

PRISTINA, Nov 5 (Tanjug) - The European Commission (EC) has assessed that small progress has been made in Kosovo concerning the adoption of bills, and added that there are still some serious issues such as organized crime, corruption and shortcomings in law implementation. In its annual report on the progress in Kosovo, the EC concluded that, in effect, there is no freedom of speech without journalists being threatened for the job they are doing. The Pristina-based daily Koha Ditore adds that the report will officially be presented on November 9, and that no changes are expected to be made. Kosovo public administration’s capacities are still weak. The rule of law remains a reason for serious concern, the report reads. The EC acknowledges that there has been a certain progress in the reform of judiciary, prosecution, Kosovo Judicial Council and Kosovo Prosecution Council, adding that the law on courts brought about a new salary system, which significantly improved the situation of the courts. The report also mentions political interference, particularly in the appointment of judges and prosecutors, as an alarming issue.

For further information: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia