DAILY SURVEY - Nr. 51 / 378 - Belgrade - Prepared by: Z. Bucin

- SERBIA - 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF OCTOBER 5

TADIC: OCTOBER 5 - MOMENT OF ESTABLISHING DEMOCRACY

BELGRADE, Oct 5 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic stated Tuesday that October 5 is the moment of establishment of democracy and democratic institutions in Serbia. In the opening address at the annual conference ’Serbia on the road to Europe - 10 years later’, Tadic underlined that the difference between the Serbia of today and the Serbia before October 5 is huge. Before October 5, political murders in Serbia were usual occurrence and the core of the society was criminalized, and therefore the changes that the date brought about were great," Tadic underlined, adding that nevertheless, much more could have been done. Tadic said that he also believed that Serbia will move faster on its EU path. "Nowadays, the policy of Serbia within the EU has no appropriate alternative, though it would be good to have one. By joining the EU, Serbia will become a modern and well-established society," the Serbian president said, and pointed out that Serbia does not seek for privileges, but would like to get an equal treatment on its way to the EU. Speaking of the people who took part in October 5, Tadic said that Zoran Djindjic played the key role. "Zoran Djindjic is no longer among us, but he had the key role in October 5. His part is immeasurable, as well as the one of Vuk Draskovic, who initiated a mass protest against the rule of Slobodan Milosevic on March 9, 1990," Tadic said. According to him, another important figure was Vojislav Kostunica, who was able to secure an election victory over Milosevic. "We should always remember Resistance (Otpor) and other NGOs, as well as the workers of Kolubara mines, all of whom made October 5 possible," Tadic said, adding that he is aware that today, people in Serbia are not satisfied with the quality of lives. The conference ’Serbia on the road to Europe - 10 years later’ is dedicated to Serbia’s EU perspective and regional cooperation in Southeast Europe, and the closing note will be delivered by Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Serbian Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic, Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vensen Degert, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Mikulas Dzurinda will also take part in the conference. The meeting is organized by the EU Integration Office, the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence and the Balkan Trust for Democracy.

EU CONGRATULATES SERBIA ON 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF OCTOBER 5

BELGRADE, Oct 5 (Tanjug) - The European Union (EU) has congratulated Serbia the 10th anniversary of democratic changes that took place on October 5, 2000, while the office of High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton stated that the EU will continue to support Serbia on its EU path, in both political and economic sense. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of democratic changes, we would like to congratulate the citizens of Serbia on the progress they have made in view of democratic reforms and improvement of economic situation, Ashton’s spokesperson Maja Kocijancic stated for the Cologne-based broadcaster Deutsche Welle. According to her, all these changes laid the foundations of Serbia’s EU integration process. We are aware that this process is lengthy and not easy, but it is the one which will bring real and concrete changes to the citizens, Kocijancic said. Chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for South East Europe Eduard Kukan believes that Serbia has done a lot in the previous ten years, but that it could have done more. Serbia has done a lot in the previous ten years given that it has managed to achieve the position of a future candidate for the EU membership. The country has had difficulties and problems on the way, but now it is accepted by the international community as a future EU member, and that is quite an achievement, Kukan stated for Deutsche Welle. He stated that the complicated situation in the country’s internal policy prevented Serbia from making even better results, and took an example of the Kosovo issue as one of the chief obstacles.

- SERBIA

TADIC: SERBIA IS STRONGER THAN ANY CRIMINAL STRUCTURE

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Serbia today is stronger than any criminal structure, but that its institutional capacity for efficiently combating organized crime was not fully mobilized until this year. "In Serbia today, all prominent mafia bosses against whom criminal proceedings have been completed are in jail. Court proceedings are starting against several more people involved in organized crime, and they will end up in prison sooner or later, because the state is more powerful than any criminal structure," Tadic said. Opening a ministerial conference on strengthening regional and transnational cooperation as a precondition for the successful fight against organized crime in South Eastern Europe, the Serbian president said that Serbia will remain a regional leader in the fight against crime. "Serbia will not desist from combating organized crime, this country is an enemy to organized crime and we will continue to be the firing pin in this fight - this will be one of our key goals," Tadic pointed out. According to Tadic, it was only in 2010 that the country reached the full institutional capacity and the full political commitment needed to fight organized crime, because "organized crime no longer has access to political parties." The Serbian president assessed that the European Union does not fully realize the importance of regional cooperation in the Western Balkans in the fight against crime, and that its assistance to the region in this area is insufficient.

DEGERT: ORGANIZED CRIME THREATENS BALKANS’ STABILITY

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert warned on Monday that organized crime and corruption represent a threat to the stability in the western Balkans and an obstacle to EU accession. At the opening of a two-day ministerial conference on strengthening regional and transnational cooperation as a precondition for the successful fight against organized crime in South Eastern Europe, Degert said that fight against organized crime represents a big challenge for the international community. Pointing out that organized crime and corruption are a threat to the stability in the western Balkans and an obstacle to EU accession, Degert noted the two negative social phenomena are also a big blow to weak economies, and added that regional efforts in the fight have so far been successful. As a positive example of cooperation in the field Degert quoted the cooperation between Croatia and Serbia, as well as the talks with Montenegro, since the region of the western Balkans is often used as a route for drug smuggling and human trafficking. Head of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Serbia Dimitrios Kypreos assessed that the fight against organized crime cannot be carried out without political will and that regional cooperation is an imperative for success in this task. Kypreos expressed belief that today’s conference help fight organized crime, and added that the OSCE wishes to provide technical support to Serbia to that effect.

TADIC CONGRATULATES DODIK ON ELECTION RESULT

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic congratulated Monday to Milorad Dodik, the leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and a candidate for the president of the Republic of Srpska (RS), on the election result achieved by his party and he himself, the President’s Press Service released on Monday. The current prime minister and the SNSD leader won the majority of votes in the presidential elections and got twice as many votes as his opponent Ognjen Tadic of the Together for Srpska coalition, it was reported in Banja Luka. Dodik’s SNSD triumphed in the elections for the RS parliament and secured its seat in the parliament of BiH.

DACIC SIGNS DEALS WITH MINISTERS FROM MONTENEGRO, MACEDONIA

BELGRADE, Oct. 05 (Beta) - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and his Montenegrin counterpart Ivan Brajovic on Oct. 4 signed an emergency situations agreement between their two ministries. Dacic said no country in the region had the capacity to fight natural and other disasters on its own, adding that cooperation in that area was necessary and fundamental, the Serbian Interior Ministry said. Dacic emphasized that the deal would unite the two ministries’ available resources to help minimize the consequences of emergency situations for the people. On Oct. 4, in Belgrade, Dacic also signed a readmission agreement with Macedonian Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska. The deal makes possible the mutual extradition of persons who are in either country illegally. Dacic also stated that the two ministries had proposed to their countries’ governments to consider the possibility of allowing all citizens to cross the Serbian Macedonian border carrying only an ID card.

SERBIA WANTS CLOSE RELATIONS WITH BOSNIA, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

BELGRADE, Oct. 05 (Beta) - Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said on Oct. 4 that relations between Serbia and Bosnia Herzegovina would not change following the Bosnian elections and reiterated that it was in the interest of Serbia, as a guarantor of the Dayton Accords, to forge the closest possible relations with Bosnia Herzegovina and Republika Srpska. Dacic said that Serbia’s attitude toward Bosnia could not be expected to change and added that the only thing important to Serbia was that the Dayton Accords were respected and that any amendments to them were done with the agreement of both entities and all three peoples living in Bosnia. "It is important that the elections in Bosnia took place in a democratic atmosphere and that the peoples in that country had the chance to make their opinion known," said Dacic who added he expected that atmosphere would also enter political life in Bosnia and that all problems would be solved peacefully and through dialogue. He said that, as the president of the Socialist Party of Serbia, he was pleased with the good results achieved by leftoriented parties, especially Milorad Dodik’s party.

TSVETANOV: EXCELLENT COOPERATION BETWEEN SERBIA AND BULGARIA

SOFIA, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said Monday that the police cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria was excellent. Tsvetanov told the Bulgarian media that his meeting with Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic focused on organized crime. According to Tsvetanov, the two police forces are going to work together in their fight against organized crime. Tsvetanov is in Belgrade, attending the 2nd conference of interior ministers from southeastern Europe.

JEREMIC AND ESPOT ON BILATERAL RELATIONS AND EUROINTEGRATION

ANDORRA, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who is on his first visit to the Principality of Andorra, conferred on Monday with his counterpart Xavier Espot Miro on Serbia’s eurointegration process and on promoting economic cooperation. The two ministers also discussed the Kosovo issue in connection with the coming Belgrade-Pristina dialogue. Andorra did not recognize Kosovo’s unilateral proclamation of independence. Jeremic and Espot expressed the two countries’ readiness to improve economic relations and foster tourism, it was posted on the website of Andorra’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Institutional Relations. According to the website statement, the ministers discussed the possibilities in language learning cooperation, such as organizing the learning of Catalan for a number of the Belgrade University students. The diplomatic relations between the Principality of Andorra and Serbia were established on June 1, 2007. Jeremic will also meet Prime Minister Jaume Bartumeu and General Syndic of the General Council Josep Dalleres Codina.

- SERBIA – BAVARIA

TADIC: SERBIA WANTS TO START NEGOTIATING EU MEMBERSHIP

MUNICH, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbia wants to begin the negotiations on its EU membership by late 2011 or early 2012, President Boris Tadic said in Munich on Monday. Tadic met with Bavaria’s Prime Minister Horst Seehofer and the two held a joint news conference afterwards, where Seehofer supported Serbia’s EU integration. According to Tadic, 2016 would be the fastest time by which Serbia could become a member of the EU. However, the negotiations are important not only for reasons of procedure, but because they would speed up Serbia’s reforms as well, the president stressed. "The date is not essential, it is the process of reform and changes within the society. We need to conduct reforms and improve our people’s quality of life as soon as possible," Tadic explained. "Our goal is to get all Western Balkan societies to push strongly towards the EU, without asking for special treatment or insisting on a faster process, but by meeting standards," Tadic remarked. However, EU integration must not be slowed artificially either, said Tadic. Seehofer supported Serbia’s integration into the EU, adding that reconciliation between the people of the Western Balkans was a key issue in the process. Tadic stated he was proud that Serbia and Bavaria were marking 40 years of economic cooperation, adding that he and Seehofer had discussed a development strategy for the Danube. The two attended a meeting of the Serbian-Bavarian Committee. Bavaria’s Minister for European and Federal Affairs Emilia Mueller was also at the meeting. The committee was established in 1970 to stimulate and improve cooperation between Serbia and Bavaria. Bavaria accounts for about a third of Serbia’s trade with Germany, and there will be more discussions on how to better economic cooperation during a number of business meetings that are scheduled in Munich for the coming days.

RECEPTION MARKING ANNIVERSARY OF SERBIA-BAVARIA COMMISSION

MUNICH, Oct 5 (Tanjug) - Representatives of Germany’s real sector and Serbian diaspora held in Munich on Monday a reception on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Serbia-Bavaria Commission which was also attended by Serbian President Boris Tadic. Addressing German and Serbian businessmen, Tadic underscored that Serbia has a free-trade agreement with countries that together have a population of over 800 million and that Serbia may serve as a bridge for Germany’s businessmen. "The idea is to have the little country such as Serbia become attractive for investors from Germany and that is why a stable political area is needed in Serbia," said President Tadic. DINKIC: LEONI TO HIRE 700 MORE WORKERS IN PROKUPLJE

MUNICH, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - The German company LEONI will increase the number of employees in Prokuplje, in southern Serbia, from 800 to 1,500, and additional 1,000 people will be employed if the company closes a deal with Fiat, it was confirmed at a meeting of Serbian Minister of Economy Mladjan Dinkic with the management of the LEONI company in the Bavarian Chamber of Commerce Monday. Dinkic confirmed that he has conferred with the management of LEONI and added that company is initiating the construction of a new plant in Prokuplje, which will provide jobs for 700 more people, in addition to the 800 already employed. He noted that in the course of 2010, LEONI has recorded EUR 20 million worth of export. Dinkic opened Serbia’s national stand at the 13th international property fair Real Expo in Munich on Monday. The fair is an excellent opportunity for Serbia to present itself as a stable and a lucrative destination for property investments. Dinkic attended a business forum organized by the Munich Chamber of Commerce, where he presented Serbia’s economic and investment potential.

GERMANY IS SERBIA’S MOST IMPORTANT ECONOMIC PARTNER

MUNICH, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Priority sectors of economic cooperation between Serbia and Bavaria are automotive, electrical, food, machinery and metal-processing industries, information technologies, health-care and river tourism, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Milos Bugarin said at a Serbian-German business forum in Munich on Monday, noting that German investments in Serbia in the past 10 years amounted to EUR 1.5 billion. During the business forum, held as part of the manifestation dubbed ’Days of Serbian Economy in Bavaria’ at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria, Bugarin pointed out that ever since first it was established in 1970, the Serbia-Bavaria Joint Commission has greatly contributed to fostering bilateral economic cooperation. Some of the biggest Bavarian companies, such as Siemens, Osram, Linde, Bayern, have been doing a very good business in Serbia for a number of years, and the priority sectors of economic cooperation include automotive, electrical, food, machinery and metal-processing industries, information technologies, health-care and river tourism, Bugarin pointed out. "In the past 10 years, German investments in various economy sectors in Serbia amounted to EUR 1.5 billion. With the EUR 700 million of economic cooperation and development aid that Germany has given to Serbia from the year 2000 to this day, the country has become the biggest bilateral donor in Europe," Bugarin underscored. The ’Days of Serbian Economy in Bavaria’ are the result of a joint organization by the PKS and its Frankfurt-based branch office, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria, the German Chamber of Commerce office in Belgrade, and the manifestation’s purpose is promoting Serbia’s economic potential in Germany. The Serbian-German business forum, the 24th session of the Serbia-Bavaria Joint Commission and Serbia’s pavilion at the Expo Real 2010 Trade Fair for Commercial Property and Investment are all part of the ’Days of Serbian Economy in Bavaria’ manifestation. The ’Days of Serbian Economy in Bavaria’ are held on October 3-6, in the scope of which Serbian President Boris Tadic will attend the solemn session marking the 40th anniversary of the Serbia-Bavaria Joint Commission.

- SERBIA – EU

CVETKOVIC: SERBIAN GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO EU INTEGRATION

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated that he is satisfied with the Monday meeting held with members of a European Parliament (EP) delegation, and expressed expectation that this visit will contribute to strengthening of political dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. Cvetkovic reiterated the Serbian government’s commitment to the EU integration process, adding that the cooperation with the EU over the Serbia-EU Resolution on the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) adopted by the UN General Assembly, cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, active stance toward regional initiatives and bilateral cooperation with the regional countries, as well as Serbia’s contribution in fight against organized crime are the best examples of the government’s support to intensifying of Serbia’s EU integration process. The prime minister also underlined that he is still convinced that a dialogue is the only way to a solution for Kosovo-Metohija, the Serbian government’s press office released. Chairman of the European Parliament’s Delegation for South East Europe Eduard Kukan said that Serbia has made significant progress in many areas, and underlined that the goal of the visit was to get a better insight into the situation in Serbia and the region so as to offer stronger support to Serbia’s EU integration process in future. Cvetkovic also welcomed the formation of the EP informal parliamentary group ’Friends of Serbia’.

KUKAN, KACIN: CONTINUED SUPPORT TO SERBIA’S EU PATHWAY

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - The European Parliament (EP) officials Eduard Kukan and Jelko Kacin stated in Belgrade on Monday that EP will continue supporting Serbia’s EU integration, adding that Serbia must make additional efforts on that path. After the talks with Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and Justice Minister Snezana Malovic respectively, Kukan and Kacin commended their respective ministries for everything they have achieved so far in Serbia’s EU integration process. Kukan, who is the Chairman of the EP’s delegation for South East Europe, pointed out that it is clear that Serbia has made progress regarding the judiciary reform and the fight against organized crime and corruption. Kacin, EP Rapporteur for Serbia, stressed that Serbia must be congratulated on everything that it has achieved so far, primarily on the coordination of efforts between both ministries, which is rational and effective and which accelerates Serbia’s EU integration.

KUKAN: SERBIA MAKES PROGRESS TOWARDS EU

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - The European Union and the Serbian parliament and government said Thursday that Serbia made great progress in the European integration process in the past year and expressed the expectation that similar results will be achieved this year as well. The latest developments and Serbia’s progress towards the EU are obvious and the EU really appreciates this, said Eduard Kukan, chairman of the European Parliament’s (EP) delegation for South East Europe. At the fourth antiparliamentary meeting between the Serbian parliament and the EP, which began on Monday and is to be completed the next day, Kukan said that the EP members are more than willing to help Serbia achieve a European future. Serbian parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic said that the National Programme for Integration of Serbia into EU has been largely completed, but added that much work is still ahead. The parliament Speaker stressed that Serbia is committed to regional cooperation, joint establishment of a region of peace, security and economic development, resolving all disputed issues, common fight against corruption and organized crime, further implementation of reforms and fulfilling obligations under the EU "road map." Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said that the European Commission will on October 13 present the new draft report on Serbia’s progress and expressed the hope that it will be the most objective indicator of the progress in implementing reforms so far. He added that an EP report on Serbia will follow soon afterwards. Director of the Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Milica Delevic expressed hope that Serbia will step up its pace on the EU path next year and that it will prepare answers to the questionnaire and begin negotiations for membership. Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said that Serbia should be committed to resolving six major issues in its progress towards Europe, which include full cooperation with the ICTY, including the arrests of the remaining indictees, strengthening of impartial and independent judiciary, fight against organized crime and corruption, and regional cooperation.

SAMPAIO: SERBIA HAS WAITED LONG ENOUGH AND DESERVES ENCOURAGEMENT

BELGRADE, Oct 4 (Tanjug) - Portuguese Ambassador in Belgrade Luis de Almeida Sampaio stated on Monday that Serbia has waited too long in the process of European integrations and deserves a special encouragement on her EU path. We truly sympathise with Serbia, which has waited long enough and needs a special encouragement, Ambassador Sampaio stated in Belgrade at the presentation of the book ’Europe Recast: A History of European Union’ by Irish author Desmon Dinan, which has recently been translated into Serbian. He assessed that although the process of Eurointegration is not an easy one and is often unpopular, it is important in many ways, including the development of economic relations. Sampaio said that Serbia is the key country in the western Balkans, and pointed out that long-lasting peace, prosperity and good neighbourly relations can be ensured only through integration.

For further information: Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia