Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia: daily survey of 8 January 2009

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

 EU TO TAKE STAND ON INCIDENTS IN KOSOVO AFTER INVESTIGATION

SERBIA

TADIC: SERBIA COLLATERAL VICTIM OF RUSSIA-UKRAINE CONFLICT

BELGRADE, Jan 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Boris Tadic has said that the state is doing everything to supply citizens with heating in spite of the suspended gas deliveries from abroad. In a statement carried by Radio and Television of Serbia RTS, the Serbian president expressed hope that the measures being undertaken could yield results already today. Tadic, who attended the First Orthodox Christmas Liturgy at the Cathedral of St Sava earlier today, said Serbia is a colateral victim in the Russian-Ukrainian energy conflict. The Serbian authorities have made contact with Hungary in an effort to bridge this situation with emergency shipments of gas from depots in the territory of the northern neighbor, Tadic said. "We immediately intervened with our partners in Gazprom in the Russian Federation. We are seeking an urgent intervention in this case," the Serbian president said. He announced the Rusaian government will consider the situation in the Balkans at its session today. "Our crisis headquarters and the government are in session and, together with the government, I am in permanent consultations," Tadic said. The Serbian authorities have entered into negotiations with the Hungarian partners, requesting that this situation should be bridged by Serbia "receiving emergency deliveries of gas from Hungarian depots, so that our system could remain operational," Tadic said.

CVETKOVIC: NORMALIZATION WITHIN NEXT FEW DAYS

BELGRADE, Jan 7 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said on Wednesday evening that the gas supply will be normalized over the next few days, having in mind all the negotiations that are under way on this topic. "The situation is not critical, but not quite good either," Cvetkovic said, addressing a news conference following an emergency session of his government dedicated to the energy situation in the country. Speaking about the negotiations in Hungary earlier today on a possible gas loan, Cvetkovic said the Hungarian representatives said their country does not have sufficient quantities, but that they offered to release gas from their reserves provided certain quantities of gas are released from Russia. Serbia has asked Russia to send it a part of the gas supply through an alternate route, through Belarus, Cvetkovic said, but "that route is overburdened and is working at full capacity." "I expect that we might get certain quantities of gas that way, but this will be known tomorrow," the Serbian prime minister said. The country’s electric energy system is stable, the prime minister said, and it is functioning well. Serbia has sufficient quantities of heating oil and the government has recommended to electric power suppliers to cut down on the public lighting in cities until the gas supply problem is resolved.

JEREMIC: ICJ TO DECIDE IN 2010

BELGRADE, Jan 6 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic has stated that the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) will decide about Serbia’s request for assessment of the legality of Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration next year. "I believe that we will get that decision in 2010. But, we will not let the problem of Kosovo be pushed aside in the international arena. We will do everything to prevent accession of Kosovo by international organizations," Jeremic said in an interview published by Press. Minister Jeremic underscored that Serbia’s foreign policy has three priorities: continuation of diplomatic fights for preservation of the constitutional order, acceleration of the process of European integration and situation consolidation in the region.

MORE THAN 650,000 MEDICAL EXAMS IN 2008

BELGRADE, Jan 6 (Tanjug) - In 2008, more than 650,000 patients were examined, of whom 38,000 were hospitalized, at the Military Medical Academy. According to the VMA data, more than 20,000 surgeries, , including two liver transplantations, were performed in 2008. The VMA, which will mark its 165th anniversary this year, started the new year with the ISO 9001 Certificate, which it received late last year after it was evaluated by a German-based body that it meets all of the requirements for this quality standard.

KOSOVO AND METOHIJA – SITUATION, REACTIONS

KFOR, EULEX REACTED SPEEDILY AND EFFICIENTLY - FRANCE

PARIS, Jan 6 (Tanjug) - France on Tuesday expressed concern over the spread of violence in Kosovo, but concluded that Kfor and EULEX have reacted "speedily and efficiently" in the latest incidents. We are concerned over the incidents which took place in Kosovska Mitrovica on Dec 30 and Jan 3, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier told a press conference. We believe that Kfor and EULEX reacted speedily and efficiently, added Chevallier, who is also the special advisor to French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Chevallier said that they are well aware of the warning by the Serbian president that EULEX and UNMIK had failed to react in time to prevent the increasing attacks on Serbs in Kosovo. He underscored that France believes that the reaction of EULEX and Kfor was "adequate and proportional." The reality is that (this reaction) helped to halt the violence, Chevallier stated. It seems that the Serb authorities’ assessment exists and that that we should talk (to them) to explain our position, which is very clear, about what was done (to prevent the spread of violence)," Chevallier said.

EU TO TAKE STAND ON INCIDENTS IN KOSOVO AFTER INVESTIGATION

PRISTINA, Jan 7 (Tanjug) - The European Union (EU) Presidency will take a stand on the developments in northern Kosovo when it sees the results of the investigation, and it cannot rely on the stands of certain countries or governments, Czech Ambassador in Pristina Janina Hrebickova has said. It is the task of the KFOR, EULEX and the Kosovo Police to carry out the investigation, said the ambassador of the country which took over the rotating EU Presidency on January 1. The EU cannot say anything without the investigation results because that would be speculating, she said. Every country and every government has its stand on these developments. The EU Presidency is working together with the other members within and outside the EU on what kind of stand should be taken, the Albanian-language Pristina daily Koha Ditore quoted Ambassador Hrebickova as saying. The EU has not received a letter from Serbian President Boris Tadic in connection with the latest incidents in northern Kosovo, she said. The EU Presidency is constantly and carefully following the engagement of EULEX in Kosovo and it will support Kosovo’s process of stabilization and association with the EU, Ambassador Hrebickova said.

For further information:

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia