Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia: daily survey of 7 November 2008

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA - MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS DAILY SURVEY

 IVANKO: INTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS ON UNMIK RECONFIGURATION

SERBIA – CONFERENCE “ SERBIA & EU, STRENGTHENING OF EU PERSPECTIVE ”

LEHNE: EU WILL NOT FORCE SERBIA TO RECOGNIZE KOSOVO BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - The European Union will not force Serbia to recognize Kosovo’s independence but expects its cooperation regarding the deployment of the EULEX mission, EU Council Director for Western Balkans, Eastern Europe and Central Asia Stefan Lehne said addressing the international conference Serbia and the EU - Strenthening Serbia’s European Perspective. The stand of the new Serbian government is now more positive and endeavors are underway to get Belgrade to agree to EULEX deployment, he said. Kosovo is an unclear issue from various aspects and will be a great challenge to the international community in the future too, he said. The EU expects Serbia to enable Kosovo to take part in regional initiatives and to encourage Kosovo Serbs to take part in Kosovo institutions and thus end their self-isolation, Lehne said. The situation is not good, but Kosovo Serbs will have to establish dialogue with Kosovo Albanians and Pristina institutions sooner or later, he said. State Secretary in the Ministry for Kosovo-Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said that the only way EULEX could improve its image would be to investigate the crimes committed agains Serbs in Kosovo.He pointed to the importance of improving communications between Kosovo Serbs and Albanians, in which the business and civil sectors can play a crucial role. The creation of Kosovo Defense Forces can be a potential source of problems, he said, noting that NATO was wrong to sponsor something that Serbs cannot trust.

MIREL: BRAMMERTZ REPORT ESSENTIAL FOR SERBIA’S ROAD TO EU BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - Director for Western Balkans in the European Commission’s Enlargement Directorate General Pierre Mirel said that the next report of Chief Prosecutor Brammertz will be of key importance for Serbia’s future progress towards the EU. At the international conference dubbed "Serbia and EU" Mirel said that the Hague becomes the key point in the enhancement of Serbia’s relations with the EU. He said that there is no doubt that Serbia has the administrative capacities for joining the EU and that it is good that different ministries in Serbia are joining this process. Mirel assessed that Serbia has a strong economic growth in the last year and made significant efforts in establishing market economy.

TERRAL: KOSOVO RECOGNITION NOT A CONDITION FOR EU MEMBERSHIP BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - French Ambassador to Belgrade Jean - Francois Terral said that the recognition of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija is not a condition for Serbia’s accession to the European Union. Speaking at a conferene dubbed "Serbia and the EU - Strengthening European Prospects", Terral said that the EU has a constructive stand on the deployment of EUlex in Kosovo, with the acceptance of the conditions set by Serbian President Tadic. The EUlex mission has nothing to do with Ahtisaari’s plan and does not prejudge the status of Kosovo, Terral set out, expressing hope a solution would be reached that would pave the way for further progress. According to him the issue of the deployment of EUlex in Kosovo is fundamentally important, because it represents the rule of the law. Terral set out that Europe views Serbia as the backbone of the development of the entire region and that this is why Serbia should use its position, as its development promotes the entire region.

URSTAD: SERBIA HAS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Norwegian Ambassador Hans Ola Urstad, head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, said that Serbia has a unique opportunity to start building democratic institutions, having in mind the progress realized in that area over the past eight years. Serbia has to do much more on building democracy, Urstad admitted, and there is not much that citizens can be satisfied with. Serbia is in fact facing problems that are typical for all young democracies, he said. In the first place, there is the problem of corruption, he said. Much greater transparency is needed and conditions must be set for citizens to take greater participation in the work of institutions, and this depends on the professional competence of the organs of local self-government, Urstad said, speaking at a conference "Strengthening Serbia’s European Perspective". Ambassador Urstad listed as other weaknesses of Serbian society the inefficiency in the work of the Serbian parliament and government. This is evident in the very slow process of the adoption of numerous laws, he specified.

SERBIA – EC / EU / EULEX

DJELIC: IT’S TIME WE CONCLUDED OUR COOPERATION WITH ICTY BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic has said it is time we concluded our cooperation with The Hague, since this is the only condition for Serbia’s further progress towards the EU."Serbia is capable and ready to fulfill the conditions, but uncertainty rests with the key condition - finalisation of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. This has been going on for years and it’s time we got it over with," Djelic pointed out for daily Blic.He said that Serbia is capable of fulfilling all the other conditions that the European Commission had put forward in its report."I have only one thing to say - Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz told the EU foreign ministers, which was also confirmed in my talks in France, that Serbia should do all in its power to round up its cooperation with the ICTY. In this context, I called on the Europeans to unfreeze the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement at the end of the French presidency" over the Union, Djelic said.

DJELIC: SERBIA CANDIDATE FOR EU IN 2009

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Deputy Premier Bozidar Djelic said that the European Commission (EC) report on Serbia’s advance in its integration processes with Europe confirmed for the first time that Serbia could become a candidate-country for membership in the EU in 2009, provided it meets the condition of cooperation with the ICTY in The Hague. Addressing a press conference, Djelic underscored that the report confirmed Serbia could be placed on the White Schengen List next year with the realization of administrative reforms. The deputy premier underscored that the EC also confirmed the global financial crisis will not afffect the awarding of aid worth one billion euros from the EU pre-accession funds for the period from 2007 to 2013 to Serbia. EU Enlargement Directorate GenDir in charge of the WB Pierre Mirel, who officially presented the report to the Serbian government today, underscored that no additional conditions will be set before Serbia in its progress toward the EU.

MIREL: EU WANTS AGREEMENT ON EULEX

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - EU WB Director in the Enlargement Directorate, Pierre Mirel, told that the EU wants to reach agreement with Serbia about the deployment of EUlex in Kosovo in the interest of all citizens of Kosovo, but that this is not a condition for Serbia’s accession to the European Union. EUlex is not a condition for the implementation of the SAA, the condition is only cooperation with the tribunal in The Hague, said Mirel. Mirel recalled that the EC’s latest report on Kosovo strongly criticized the judiciaries and clearly stated that the situation in the judiciary and rule of the law is bad. This is why I believe that the EU judicial mission is very important for Kosovo, especially the protection of minority rights, and a Serbia that understands this should do everything it can to reach an agreement on EUlex, Mirel set out. He agreed that there is a real possiblity that during 2009 Serbia will get EU candidate status and be included in the White Schengen List, but underscored that this will depend on the fulfillment of the conditions of full cooperation with the Hague tribunal and the introduction of the necessary reforms. He rejected Belgrade’s comments that Serbia has been treated in a different way than other countries of the region on the EU accession path. The accession conditions are the same. Serbia and some other countries have an additional element of stabilization - i.e. the need to face the past and stimulate reconcilliation. This is a key element that leads us towards cooperation with the Hague, Mirel stated.

TERRAL: EU READY TO ACCEPT UN SC CONFIRMATION OF EULEX

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - French Ambassador to Belgrade Jean Francois Terral, whose country currently presides the European Union, told that the EU is ready to accept confirmation of EULEX mandate by the UN Security Council and that Kosovo is not a pre-condition for Serbia’s progress towars EU integration. The EU also accepts that EULEX should be status netural and that there should be no references to Martti Ahtisaari’s plan, Terral said. Despite various allegations, the EU will not ask Serbia to recognize Kosovo, he said. Logically, however, a solution for the Kosovo issue and Kosovo - Serbia relations will have to be found in coming years, he said. This will take time, but the European integration processes are closely linked with regional stability and something that can lead to destabilization cannot be ignored. These are, however, separate processes, he said after attending the international conference Serbia and the EU.

PACK: EULEX WILL NOT PREJUDGE KOSOVO’S STATUS

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Chairwoman of the European Parliament Delegation for South East Europe Doris Pack told that the EULEX Mission would be operating in keeping with the Martti Ahtisaari plan, but that it would not prejudge the status of Kosovo. The mission will arrive on the basis of Resolution 1244, but its activities will be based on the Ahtisaari plan, she said, adding that the plan would be realized in the field of decentralisation, judiciary, minority protection and other important matters. In the statement with Tanjug, which she gave during a break of the International Conference on Serbia and the EU, Pack assessed that it was in the interest of Serbia and the Serbs that lived in Kosovo that Belgrade reached an agreement with the EU on the deployment of the EULEX Mission. If the Serbian government is truly interested in the wellbeing of Kosovo Serbs, it should reach an agreement with the EU about the arrival of this mission, the European parliamentarian said. She voiced belief that the mission would be deployed in Kosovo in December, as EU High Representative Javier Solana had already announced, assessing that if that was not to be the case, Serbia would be faced with certain problems, but did not say what problems she exactly had in mind.

SERBIA

DEJANOVIC CONFERS WITH PORTUGUESE PRESIDENT

BELGRADE/LISBON, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - The process of Serbia’s approaching the EU and its gaining the status of candidate country, as well as economic cooperation and the issue of Kosovo and Metohija, were the main topics of the Thursday talks in Lisbon which Serbian parliament speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic had with Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva. Dejanovic, who is paying a visit to Portugal, also met with the country’s foreign minister, Luis Amado, the Cabinet of the president of the National Assembly released. During her visit, Dejanovic also conferred with Portuguese parliament Speaker Jaime Jose Matos de Gama at the Sao Bento Palace in Lisbon. The Portuguese parliament speaker pointed to the support his country was giving Serbia on its path toward EU membership. Dejanovic thanked the Portuguese official for his hospitality and invited him to visit Serbia.

MINISTERS ON ECOLOGICAL COOPERATION BTW SERBIA AND CROATIA

ZAGREB, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Croatia’s experience can help Serbia along its pathway toward the EU, but also help it to avoid any negative experience of other states, Serbian Minister of Environment Oliver Dulic said after talks with Croatian Minister of Environmental Protection, Physical Planning and Construction Marina Matulovic Dropulic. Minister Dulic pointed out the necessity of cooperation between the two states, because, as he pointed out, issues of environmental protection do not recognize borders. Permanent contacts between officials of the two ministries have been agreed at today’s meeting, Dulic said. Dulic expressed confidence that Serbia will soon adopt laws pertaining to the environment and spatial planning, and said that this will be even more prominent in 2009, when it is expected that Serbia will be given the status of a candidate-country for admission to the EU.

SERBIAN AMBASSADOR HOPES TO REMOVE UK RESERVATIONS

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - The newly appointed Serbian Ambassador to the UK Dejan Popovic said that fresh endeavors are needed to remove the British political establishment’s reservations towards Serbia’s accelerated integration in the European Union. Addressing the Serbian parliament foreign policy committee before his departure, he said that the Serbian embassy in London has the important and delicate task of fostering relations with the UK, as the starting point is quite low. The UK is not one of EU member states which would support Serbia’s accelerated integration in the EU even if full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia is realized, he said. The UK is also one of the most "motivated" advocates of recognition of Kosovo’s independence, Popovic said. In this stage of the Kosovo crisis, an attempt should be made to get the UK to support the endeavors for placing the deployment of the EULEX mission within the framework of the UN SC, he said. Serbian Radical Party MP’s asked Popovic how relations with the UK can be improved if its stand on Kosovo is unchanged. They also criticized the sending of an ambassador to a country which was among the first to recognize Kosovo and which supports EULEX deployment. Ruling majority MP’s said, however, that relations with the UK should be upgraded and that Serbia needs a brave diplomatic approach precisely to the countries which played a crucial role in recognizing the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR BUSINESSMEN IN SERBIA

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - Serbian Minister of State Administration and Local Governance Milan Markovic said that the government had decided that four ministries should send to government for adoption within 30 days draft laws that would ensure the introduction of the one-stop-shop system for investors in Serbia. Speaking at a news conference after the government session, he said that the introduction of the one-stop-shop system for businessmen was important for Serbia’s competitiveness and attractiveness to foreign and domestic investors. Markovic said that it was necessary to unify and simplify the businessmen’s access to state bodies and make it possible for them to realise their rights quickly and easily in order for them to realise an investment in Serbia. The minister said that Serbia would thus become fully competitive regarding administrative capacity to all states in the region for the acceptance of domestic and foreign investors. He said that the draft laws would be sent by the Ministries of Economy, Finance, Labour and Health Care.

TEAM MADE FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON ENERGY AGREEMENT IMPLEMENTATION

BELGRADE, Nov 6 (Tanjug) - The Serbian government formed a team for negotiations on the realisation of the energy agreement with Russia, Serbian Minister of State Administration and Local Governance Milan Markovic said. Addressing a news conference after the goverment session, he said that the government team was made up of experts and headed by State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Regional Development Ciric. Serbian Economy Minister Mladjan Dinkic said on October 31 that the Serbian government had sent an official letter to Gazprom, inviting the Russian company to negotiations on the completion of the energy arrangement with Serbia. Dinkic said he expected that a contract on the energy arrangement with Russia should be concluded on December 15-20 this year, if the Russian side accepted the invitation. The letter of invitation was signed by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Dinkic. The energy agreement between Russia and Serbia, envisaging the building of a pipeline through Serbia and an underground gas storage in Banatski Dvor as well as the modernisation of the Oil Industry of Serbia, was signed in Moscow on January 25.

DJELIC: NEGOTIATIONS WITH IMF TO BE CONTINUED OVER WEEKEND

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that the negotiations with the IMF delegation would be continued over the weekend, that the final meeting would be held on Monday, and that a press conference was scheduled for November 11. Addressing journalists, Djelic pointed out that it was in the interest of Serbia to obtain support from the IMF, since that would be a signal that our country was stable and safe for investments, and also open the door to additional EU funds. He noted that at the recent meeting with the European commissioner for financial and economic affairs, it had been confirmed that Serbia’s agreement with the IMF would make it possible for the EU to offer macro-financial assistance to our country.

JELASIC CERTAIN THAT SITUATION WILL BE NORMALIZED

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - National Bank of Serbia (NBS) Governor Radovan Jelasic expressed belief late on Thursday that the situation on the domestic financial market would be normalized, which the signing of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would also contribute to. "I am convinced that we will reach agreement with the IMF over the weekend," the NBS governor said. He noted that the agreement would not refer to the dinar exchange rate, and added that it would be the government that would decide on the document and that that it would be available to the public. In a live broadcast by TV Studio B, Jelasic once again reiterated that drastic changes should be made in economic policy, that is that public expenditure should be reduced, pointing out that salaries and pensions could not be financed from budget revenues.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

DJELIC: ACCEPTABLE SOLUTION SHOULD BE FOUND BY NOVEMBER 11

BELGRADE, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic voiced hope that a solution acceptable to all will be found until the November 11 session of the UN Security Council, which will be focused on the deployment of the EULEX mission in Kosovo. Djelic told journalists that negotiations are underway under the auspices of the UN and that the solution must be found in New York. He said that Serbia remains committed to the policy of defending its territorial integrity in a peaceful, diplomatic way and that it will never recognize an independent Kosovo, as well as that it wants to accelerate its progress towards the EU, and that this represents the unanimous state policy.

IVANKO: INTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS ON UNMIK RECONFIGURATION

PRISTINA, Nov 7 (Tanjug) - UNMIK spokesman Alexander Ivanko said on Friday that UN officials Lamberto Zannier and Andrew Ladley had launched intensive negotiations with Belgrade and Pristina so as to find a solution for six itms of the plan for the reconfiguration of international presence in Kosovo. UNMIK Chief Zannier is taking an active part in the consultations with Belgrade and Pristina, Ivanko told Tanjug.Yesterday he was in Belgrade, where he had talks with representatives of the Serbian government, and he will be returning to Pristina to discuss the issue with all relevant participants, he said.We will continue to work on this issue, but we have nothing to say when it comes to the content of the talks, because they are of a very confidential nature, Ivanko pointed out.The UN Security Council has postponed for November 11 its session at which it is supposed to discuss the situation in Kosovo on the basis of a corresponding report of UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and the session will be focused in particular on the deployment and start of EULEX’s functioning.Before Ban’s report is made public, UNMIK, Belgrade and Pristina are supposed to reach agreement. The condition for Belgrade to accept EULEX is that this EU mission be status neutral, that it be approved by the UN SC and that it does not implement the Martti Ahtisaari plan.One of Belgrade’s demands is also that before the UN SC discusses the EULEX issue, an agreement be reached on the relations between UNMIK and the Serbian government in respect to the status and rights of Kosovo Serbs. This agreement should also be accepted by the representatives of Kosovo institutions.Ivanko was not able to say whether the agreement on the Serbs’ status in the Kosovo police, judiciary, customs and other would be reached before the Tuesday session of the UN SC.As I already said, we are working on that, he said.Of course, we hope that progress will be made, but this is a difficult process and we need time to finalize it, Ivanko concluded.

For further informations:

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia