Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia: daily survey of 11 May 2009

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

 LAJCAK: SLOVAKIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KOSOVO

SERBIA – SAR

JEREMIC CONFERS WITH LESOTHO COUNTERPART

PRETORIA, May 8 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic conferred in Pretoria with his Lesotho counterpart Mohlabi Kenneth Tseko on bilateral relations and fostering of economic cooperation. This was the first of a series of meeting Jeremic during his visit to South Africa. Tseko was invited to South Africa to attend the investiture of its new President Jacob Zuma. Jeremic is due to confer with top South African officials and heads of delegations, mainly from African countries, who are visiting Pretoria for the same purpose. The talks will focus on bilateral relations and fostering of economic cooperation. South Africa, a leading member of the African Union, has not recognized the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence and supports Serbia in its endeavors to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in international forums.

JEREMIC: SERBIA WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR PRESERVING KOSOVO

JOHANNESBURG, May 9 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic stated that the inauguration of South Africa’s fourth democratically elected President represents "an important political event for the entire African continent" and that this is also an opportunity for Serbia to secure South Africa’s support for preserving its territorial integrity and to improve bilateral relations with this country. " Serbian delegation will meet the new South African officials and President Jacob Zuma," Jeremic said. "We will use this opportunity to hold numerous meetings with the representatives of other countries as well," he added. According to Jeremic, two topics will prevail at these meetings - "the support to Serbia’s fight against Kosovo secession and bilateral cooperation, above all the economic one."

JEREMIC: SAR WILL NOT CHANGE DECISION ON KOSOVO

PRETORIA, May 10 (Tanjug) - South African Republic (SAR) will not change their decision not to recognize Kosovo independence, Foreign Minister Jeremic stated after the meeting with the newly elected SAR President Jacob Zuma and other SAR officials. In a statement for Serbian state radio and television RTS, Jeremic pointed out that SAR’s attitude concerning Kosovo "is crucial to the African continent." "Serbia is grateful for the support and consistency of South African Republic not to recognize Kosovo’s self-proclaimed independence. This kind of attitude is the central point of our diplomatic battle in the African continent and of our strategy to fight for preserving Serbia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty through peaceful, legal and diplomatic means," Jeremic underscored. More than 100 delegations headed by presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers attended the inauguration of President Jacob Zuma.

SERBIA – EU – EUROPE DAY

TADIC: EU MEMBERSHIP SEEMS FARTHER AWAY THAN BEFORE

SAINT GALLEN, May 9 (Beta) - President Boris Tadic said at the 39th Saint Gallen symposium in Switzerland that EU accession was Serbia’s strategic priority, adding that today membership seemed farther away than five years ago. "Because of the unfortunate combination of the postLisbon constitutional mess and the global financial crisis, the impression is that the EU at this time is simply not prepared to accept states from the Western Balkans at the pace that we would all desire," Tadic said at the symposium called "The Renewal of Political and Economic Borders." He added that the most responsible thing that Serbia could do now, considering that the current circumstances were out of its hands, was to continue strengthening regional cooperation, opening domestic markets and harmonizing its legislation with EU laws. "Even in times of uncertainty caused by the financial crisis I want everyone to know: Serbia is staying on its European path. We will continue to be devoted to achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves. We will remain a leader, politically, economically and culturally in this part, our part of Europe," Tadic said at the conference which was devoted to political and economic ties in the world. Tadic said he deeply believed that Europe should not be considering an "exit strategy" where the Western Balkans were concerned. "If it is reserved, it will cost more to extinguish the occasional hot spot than the expense of rounding off integrative processes. A joint effort toward integration is the only road that leads forward," Tadic said. He said that the EU would be safer if the Western Balkans, with Serbia as its hub, joined the EU, and that Serbia would not regret the effort of establishing European norms and values. TODAY’S MEETING BETWEEN JEREMIC AND MIREL POSTPONED

BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - The meeting between Foreign Minister Jeremic and European Commission (EC) Director in charge of the Western Balkans Pierre Mirel has been postponed because the EC official has been prevented, due to technical reasons, from coming to Belgrade at the scheduled time, the Foreign Ministry has said in a statement.

DJELIC: ECONOMIC CRISIS WON’T EFFECT SERBIAN EU INTEGRATION

BELGRADE, May 9 (Beta) - Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic said that the economic crisis has led to institutional problems in the EU and a slowing of the enlargement process, but that the future of the region and Serbia in the EU is not at risk. "The economic crisis has effects, but as we see according to the statement of not just Mr. Rehn but also other European officials, the future of the Western Balkans, especially Serbia, in the EU, was never brought into question," Djelic told Radio Television Serbia. Djelic said that European integration is a complicated and longlasting process which remains the strategic priority of Serbia, even though earlier deadlines have been slowed. "We decided in October 2008 to implement the SAA and that is something that is important and which helps us get, for the sake of argument, one part of the aid from a budget worth EUR 100 million, which Olli Rehn mentioned last week and which no Western Balkans country has received yet," Djelic said. Djelic added that there is less money in the budget currently because custom taxes are a lot smaller than planned since the implementation of the SAA, but reminded that the EU has been allowing Serbia to export its products now for eight years without any customs. "If we did not have this customs liberalization we would have to pay EUR35 million of taxes to Europe, which is seven times more than we are losing currently," Djelic said. He reiterated that Hague Chief Prosecutor will be in Belgrade on Monday and Tuesday, and will be reporting to the UN SC on Serbia’s cooperation with the Tribunal on May 15. "We all know that we are doing everything within our power to complete cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. That is the only condition, there is no other, and if he states that there is full cooperation, then there could be an unblocking of the SAA by the EU," Djelic said. EUROPE DAY CELEBRATED IN SERBIA

BELGRADE, May 9 (Beta) - Serbia marked Europe Day and the victory over fascism on May 9 with the placing of a wreath to the monument to victims of World War II and many other events. Deputy Prime Minister Djelic and the chief of the European Commission’s Serbian delegation Josep Lloveras opened the "European Street" in Belgrade, stressing the importance of Serbia’s European integration. There were also stands put up all along Belgrade’s pedestrian zone of Kneza Mihailova street for various EU memberstates, with information on the culture, traditions and history of these countries. The entrance into European Street was an improvised gate painted in the colors of the EU flag. Programs offering scholarships to accomplished students as well as classes at Belgrade University were also presented at the stands of the EU countries and institutions. Djelic and Lloveras also attended a conference entitled "The effects of Serbia’s integration into the EU" which was organized by the Economy, Finance and Administration University at the Sava Centar in honor of Europe Day. Defense Minister Sutanovac, serving as an envoy for President Tadic, placed a wreath on the monument of the unknown soldier in Avala. Wreaths were also placed by Belgrade Assembly Speaker Aleksandar Antic and officials of the Labor and Social Policies Ministry, Defense Ministry and ambassadors of the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Belarus at the monument cemetery of those who freed Belgrade in 1944. A simulation of the work of the European parliament was held at the national parliamentary buildings, on the topic "Putting Serbia on the White Schengen List," with the participation of about 80 university and high school students from Serbia.

DJELIC HOPES FOR POSITIVE HAGUE COOPERATION ASSESSMENT

BELGRADE, May 9 (Beta) -Deputy Prime Minister Djelic said that he is convinced that the report of Serge Brammertz on Serbia’s cooperation with the Tribunal will be positive, and that this will be the basis for the implementation of the SAA with the EU. "I hope that Brammertz’s report will include the famous phrase ’full cooperation with the Hague.’ Serbia is doing everything within its power to complete cooperation," Djelic said at the "Effects of Serbia’s EU integration" conference. At a conference in Belgrade’s Sava Centar held in honor of Europe Day, Djelic said that the Serbian government is trying to convince Holland to change its stance, adding that the condition for continuing the integration process will be the arrest of the two remaining indictees. Holland is the only EU memberstate, of 27, which insists on the arrest of Ratko Mladic as a condition for unblocking the implementation of the SAA. "We are working on having all the EU memberstates vote for the implementation of the agreement. We will do everything we can for this to happen as soon as possible, but all the cards are not in our hands," Djelic said. He announced that Serbia will submit its candidacy for EU membership by the end of the year. Speaking of visa liberalization, the Deputy Prime Minister said that he hopes that the European Commission and the Council of Ministers will give their stances in June, and that in the fall, they will send a report to the European Parliament which will give their opinion on the issue, and by the end of the year, the Council of Ministers can decide on abolishing the visa regime for Serbian citizens. Chief of the European Commission’s Serbian delegation Josep Lloveras said that Serbia must continue its reforms despite the crisis. "The global economic crisis showed that no country can solve the problem on its own. The global crisis demands a global solution. European integration is an effective answer to the crisis," Lloveras said. He added that the EU has not left Serbia to face the crisis alone, but has given it EUR100 million of help from the budget by way of the IPA (Instrument for Pre Accession Assistance) Fund.

DELEVIC: CRISIS HAS NOT CHANGED EU’S OPINION ON ENLARGEMENT

BELGRADE, May 9 (Beta) - Director of the government office for European integration, Milica Delevic, said that the EU is not questioning the enlargement of the EU onto the territory of the Western Balkans during the time of the economic crisis. At the conference "Effects of Serbia’s EU integration", held in honor of Europe Day, Delevic said that Serbia has to "concentrate on what it has to do, which entails adopting European laws and standards." Serbia expects a positive signal from Europe in the form of the unfreezing of the implementation of the SAA, Delevic said, adding that Serbia is losing EUR5 million every month in customs as a result of the unilateral implementation of the plan. "Regardless of the fact that the implementation is unilateral, products in Serbia have a preferential treatment on the EU market with the implementation of autonomous trade measures," Delevic explained. DUTCH AMBASSADOR SAYS ARREST OF FUGITIVES CONDITION

BELGRADE, May 8 (Beta) - Dutch Ambassador in Serbia Ron van Dartel said that full cooperation with the ICTY and the location, arrest and extradition of two remaining ICTY fugitives were Holland’s conditions for supporting Serbia’s European perspective. "My country supports a European perspective for the entire Western Balkans, including a European perspective for Serbia. I think that we have made it clear that when all the conditions are met, we will support Serbia’s European perspective," Dartel told a rostrum, "Serbia and Europe Diversity and Equality" held at the Cvijeta Zuzoric Center in Belgrade. He said that Ratko Mladic needed to face trial at the ICTY as soon as possible, if for no other reason than for the execution of 8,000 people in Srebrenica. This is not just Holland’s exclusive interest. This interests other countries as well. If this question is not solved, it will burden the reconciliation of other countries in the region and make Serbia’s further development more difficult, Van Dartel said. He reiterated that Serbia needed to locate the remaining suspects and added that chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz was working on an evaluation of Serbia’s progress in cooperating with the ICTY and that Holland believed that Brammertz’s opinion was important. The Dutch ambassador said that Serbia was not the only country that had to face clear conditions and criteria. "We do not only have words of criticism, but are also striving to support your country in a constructive way," he said, adding that from 2000, Holland had granted Serbia EUR 50 m through different bilateral programs and that a EUR 25 million program was in progress right at this moment. Office for European Integrations director Milica Delevic said that there was no disagreement between the Serbian cabinet and Holland on whether or not suspects should be caught and extradited to the ICTY. Delevic said that the Serbian Cabinet had done enough to make it to the next stage "which will at least mean the unblocking of the transitional trade agreement and the ratification of the SAA." LJAJIC: MLADIC ARREST BY END OF YEAR

BELGRADE, May 8 (Beta) - Rasim Ljajic, Minister of Labor and Social Policy and head of the National Office for Cooperation with the ICTY has said that no changes will be made to the Constitution before the end of the year, nor will new elections be held, although necessary, unless Mladic is sent to the ICTY first. Ljajic told the Blic newspaper prior to the arrival of International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz in Belgrade, that Serbia had met all of the ICTY’s demands with the exception of Mladic’s transfer to the court, and that he hoped that Brammertz’s evaluation would note Serbia’s full cooperation. He said that it was not possible to predict when Mladic and Goran Hadzic, the other remaining fugitive, would be handed over to the ICTY, but that he hoped that the authorities’ huge efforts on this count would produce results. "They cannot hide forever and if they are in Serbia it is impossible that they will not be found by the end of the year, given the activities that we are undertaking. We are gathering and checking all information and there are some very interesting reports. One thing is for sure, that there is an increasing number of pieces in the mosaic that we have been assembling," Ljajic stressed.

MIREL: EC WITH SERBIA ON ITS PATHWAY TO EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

BRUSSELS/BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - European Commission (EC) Director Pierre Mirel, in charge of the Western Balkans, made a statement ahead of his visit to Belgrade, saying that he will convey to Serbian officials the support of the EC along Serbia’s pathway to integration with Europe. Mirel said he was coming to Belgrade to express the strong determination of the EC to be with Serbia on its progress toward European integrations. He said he would encourage the local leaders to continue with the reforms and to fulfil the conditions that would make this future real. The EC director will meet with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. During his visit, Mirel will also meet with Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic to discuss different issues, said a statement by the EC Delegation Belgrade. Tomorrow, Mirel will take part in a session of the Enhanced Permanent Dialogue between the EC and Serbia. Participants in the meeting will consider Serbia’s progress in the process of its integration with Europe, in particular regarding the fulfilling of political criteria, the EC Delegation statement said.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

TADIC: COMPLETION OF CORRIDOR 10 IS CRUCIAL TO SERBIA’S DEVELOPMENT

BELGRADE, May 10 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic stated that the completion of Corridor 10 will be of crucial importance to Serbia’s future economic development, but that it will also raise the country’s European potentials as a key and central part of the Balkan region. At the opening of the works on Corridor 10 route through Serbia near Novi Sad, Tadic expressed belief that the current Serbian government will be the first in Serbian recent history to complete the capital projects that it had initiated. "The EU is not complete without Serbia in it, Serbia is the central country of the South East Europe and that is why, if we do not build roads, we lose not only money, but also the credibility and potential for the influence of our country in the world," Tadic said. The President pointed out that in the next three years approximately 200,000 Serbian citizens will have jobs owing to the construction of Corridor 10 and added that the government’s economic measures make sense only if they enable the creation of new jobs. He underscored that in the following years the traffic at the Corridor 10 railway will be improved by limiting speed to 110 km/h in the most difficult sections, that is to 160 km/h in the rest of Corridor 10.

TADIC: FARMERS WILL RECEIVE WHAT THEY WERE PROMISED

NOVI SAD, May 10 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic announced, during a brief visit to the 76th International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, that farmers will receive what they have been promised, in spite of financial difficulties. Serbian President, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, was welcomed by Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Sasa Dragin. According to Tadic, it is extremely important to preserve the so-called big corporations in order to remain competitive on the global market. One of them is agriculture, which has displayed vitality in difficult circumstances. "There were about 1,600 exhibitors at the fair, many of which were from abroad, which is a confirmation that our agriculture department has great potential. Apart from the climate and geographical position, we have human potentials, so we can justifiably expect that this year, in spite of the crisis, will be fruitful," Tadic underscored.

CVETKOVIC: INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE CREATES NEW JOBS

BELGRADE, May 9 (Tanjug) - Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic stated that in times of global economic crisis investing into infrastructure projects is one of the most reliable methods of creating new jobs and added that this is the reason why the completion of Corridor 10 and other significant traffic projects will be Serbian government’s top priority in the next four years. At a conference on the reform of traffic sector and improvement of Serbia’s competitiveness, Cvetkovic underscored that connecting with regional traffic routes is the precondition for Serbia’s future economic development. The Prime Minister specified that the estimated cost of Corridor 10 highway project is approximately EUR 1.65 billion, and that in the following few years the financing of the most urgent railway traffic projects will require about EUR 300 million. Cvetkovic announced that the Corridor 10 infrastructure project will bring new investments and hire domestic companies. Cvetkovic pointed out to the great significance of works on Corridor 10, evaluating that this infrastructure project not only employs the existing work force. At the opening of the works on Corridor 10 motorway near Novi Sad, where the construction of the 10 km stretch towards Horgos began, Cvetkovic specified that more than 40 km of motorway will be completed by the end of the year.

DJELIC: SWITZERLAND TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO SERBIA

BELGRADE, May 8 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister for Integration in Europe Bozidar Djelic and General Director of the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development Martin Dahinden signed a joint statement on financial assistance to fostering social inclusion and reduction of poverty in Serbia to the value of 250,000 euros. The donation will help implement programs of new measures for coping with the global recession, Djelic said. A Serbian government team will work with local authorities to prevent extreme poverty and maintain coherence and cohesion during the crisis, he said, Switzerland is one of the largest donors to Serbia, earmarking 10 mill euros annually for resolving priority problems in Serbia, he said. The signing was attended also by the Swiss Ambassador to Serbia Erwin Hoffer.

DJELIC: FOREIGN INVESTMENTS IN SERBIA AROUND 1.5 BL EUROS IN 2009

BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic, in charge of European integrations, said that direct foreign investments in Serbia in the first quarter of the year stood at around 625 million euros and expressed confidence that they would reach around 1.5 billion euros by the end of the year. Opening a two-day seminar on investments in eastern Europe, Djelic said it is very important in these times of crises that the foreign investments in the region are not reduced. The Serbian government priorities this year will be major infrastructure projects, Djelic pointed out, and said the overall investments in Corridor 10 in Serbia will amount to more than 1.6 billion euros.

AGREEMENT SIGNED ON 250 ML EURO EIB LOAN TO SERBIA

BELGRADE, May 11 (Tanjug) - An agreement between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Serbia on the founding and activities of an EIB Regional Office in Serbia and an EIB loan worth 250 million euros to help small and medium-sized businesses in Serbia was signed at the Serbian government on Monday. Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic in charge of European integrations and EIB Vice President Dario Scannapieco signed the agreement between the EIB and Serbia on the founding and activities of an EIB Regional Office in Serbia. Finance Minister Diana Dragutinovic signed a Framework Agreement between the EIB and Serbia, and a financial agreement between Serbia, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), and the EIB entitled APEX Loan for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises worth 250 million euros. The opening of the EIB Regional Office, the first of its kind outside the EU, presents a clear signal of the European future of Serbia, Djelic said. The EIB Regional Office will be opened when Serbia presents its application for EU membership, Djelic said, and expressed confidence that this will take place in the course of this year. Scannapieco said this loan presents one of a series of financial operations within which the EIB will aprove for Serbia loans worth a total of 1.4 billion euros as assistance in overcoming the effects of the economic crisis and as assistance to Serbia’s accession to the European integration processes. The Framework Agreement between the EIB and Serbia will serve for the financing of projects in Serbia in the areas of energy, infrastructure, health, education, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and research, Scannapieco said. Finance Minister Dragutinovic said the budget rebalance for this year envisages that Serbia will issue EIB guarantees worth 100 million euros for project loans worth 1.1 billion euros - for projects within the National Investment Plan, Corridor 10, small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure, education, and environmental protection. Serbia’s public debt to the EIB currently stands at 110 million euros, Dragutinovic said, and guarantees worth around 400 million euros have been issued. NBS Vice Governor Ana Gligorijevic, who signed the 250-million euro financial agreement with the EIB on behalf of the central bank, said small and medium-sized enterprises in Serbia will be able to get funds from this loan under favorable conditions - with an interest rate from 4.2 to 6.9 percent at an annual level, with a repayment period from 7-15 years, and a long grace period.

SERBIA

TADIC MET WITH MERZ AND ILVES

SAINT GALLEN, May 9 (Tanjug) - President Boris Tadic met with President of the Swiss Confederation for 2009 Hans Rudolf-Merz in Saint Gallen and they discussed the two countries’ experiences in reaction to the global economic crisis, as well as the possibilities of strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly the economic one. Earlier, Tadic also met Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves at the international symposium held at the Swiss University of Saint Gallen, dedicated to global political and economic relations. Tadic said that it would be beneficial if Merz and Ilves would visit Serbia despite different attitudes that they have concerning Kosovo-Metohija.

TADIC: REGIONALIZATION CRUCIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT

HORGOS, May 10 (Beta) - President Boris Tadic expressed the hope that by the end of the present government’s mandate, new elections might bring the implementation of constitutional changes with would enable steadfast regional development, decentralization, and thus also the country’s integration. "At the end of this government’s mandate, which will, hopefully, last another three years, I believe that, together with new elections, we can pass a new Constitution which will provide a steady regional development which, in the end, integrates Serbia," Tadic said. After visiting works at a part of the Corridor 10 highway near Horgos, Tadic said that the issue of the number of MPs in the parliament is not irrelevant, but that the most important question for Serbia is the way in which it will provide steady regional development.Tadic also said that the issue of MPs is related to the state’s professionalization, the reduction of costs and a more efficient work of the parliament, adding that regionalization is much more significant for the country’s future so as to make it more functional and costefficient. "Regions are developed for the integration of a country, as it was done in the EU countries. Every country which accepted regionalization and decentralization did not succumb to disintegration," Tadic said, stressing the significance of constitutional changes which should enable the mentioned.

THREATENING AUSTRALIAN AMBASSADOR

RUMA, May 8 (Tanjug) - The Municipal Court in Ruma launched an investigation against Damir Dokic (50), the father of tennis player Jelena Dokic, on charges that he had been threatening the Australian ambassador to Belgrade via the local papers, and sentenced him to 30 days in custody. Dokic has been detained because it is likely that he will repeat the crime, i.e. that he will continue to send threatening messages to the Australian diplomat, Investigative Judge Branislav Rakicevic, who conducted the hearing, told. The investigation against Dokic will be carried out for the crimes involving jeopardizing of security and illegal possession of weapons, Rakicevic added.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

IVANOVIC: PRISTINA’S ULTIMATUM COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

GRACANICA, May 11 (Tanjug) - State Secretary at the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic on Monday qualified as counterproductive the ultimatum by which the Serb members of the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) had been demanded to return to their jobs by mid-May. Kosovo Interior Minister Zenun Pajaziti called on all the suspended police officers of Serb nationality to return to their jobs until May 15, or else they would be fired. According to Ivanovic, such an urging by the representatives of the authority in Pristina is senseless and counterproductive, because, as he assessed, Serbs cannot be blackmailed, especially not because such an attitude creates new tensions that will not make the policemen rejoin KPS. "There will be no yielding, and they have to realize that it is possible to integrate these people into the system only if they get what we have been asking for - that the chain of command goes via international representatives. Without this, our people will not return to KPS," Ivanovic underlined. If things are not the be settled in this way, we will have consequences on all sides, Ivanovic warned, pointing out that if there were no Serbs in uniforms in the small settlements south to the Ibar River, that would threaten the Serb community and continue to make it feel unsafe. Ivanovic said that representatives of Kosovo institutions could not blackmail or threaten anyone and that with its unilateral proclamation of independence, the Kosovo government had caused a reaction of the Serb members of the KPS. "Unilateral independence has brought about certain consequences and they had to count on that. It cannot be that they expected the Serbs would accept it just like that. I think they will concede, because this is a serious matter," Ivanovic said. The call for the members of the police who have been boycotting the work of the Kosovo police since last year and who demand that the KPS operates as part of the command chain of UNMIK or EULEX, was conveyed by Kosovo Police Director Seremet Ahmeti.

IMF OFFERS MEMBERSHIP TO KOSOVO

WASHINGTON, May 8 (Beta) - On May 8, the International Monetary Fund offered Kosovo the opportunity to become the organization’s 186th member, the organization announced on its site. The IMF’s executive board ratified a vote by the Board of Governors offering membership to Kosovo. Kosovo will become a member of the IMF when its authorized representative in Washington signs the agreement. Before signing, Kosovo must officially accept the terms of the agreement and all conditions stemming from the Board of Governors’ decision and confirm that it has taken the necessary steps to meet all the commitments in these two documents. The proposed quota for Kosovo is 59 million special drawing rights (SDR), or US$88.64 million. The IMF currently has 185 members with total quotas of 217.4 billion SDR or US$326.6 billion.

LAJCAK: SLOVAKIA WILL NOT RECOGNIZE KOSOVO

BANJA LUKA , May 11 (Tanjug) - Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak has said that his country has just acknowledged the fact that Kosovo was admitted into the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but that it has no intention of recognizing Kosovo. This government does not intend to recognize Kosovo because there are two crucial elements that are missing in this process - the first being an agreement between Serbia and Kosovo, and the second a joint position of the international community expressed through a resolution of the UN Security Council, Lajcak said in an interview for the Banja Luka daily Nezavisne Novine.

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Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia