Daily Survey

DACIC: LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP NEEDED

BELGRADE, Feb 2 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated in New York that police of Serbia and USA should have long-term partnership relations because both countries are faced with the same type of problems - organized crime and terrorism. During his meeting with New York City police commissioner Raymond Kelly, Dacic said that the MUP had so far had good cooperation with representatives of the U.S. police and security services. The MUP said that during his meetings in New York Dacic underscored that exchange of experiences in the fight against organized crime and corruption, drug trafficking and fight against terrorism would be useful for both sides. The minister said that the Balkans is a good ground for recruiting extreme Islamist groups and that the information exchange would be necessary to prevent "exports" of white Al-Qaeda into America, which is the potential target.
DJELIC VISITS BADEN-WURTTEMBERG PROVINCE

STUTTGART, Feb 2 (Tanjug)-Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bozidar Djelic spoke in Stuttgart with Prime Minister of the Baden-Wurttemberg province Guenther Oettinger on bilateral relations, preparation of the Danube strategy and Serbia's projects in the area of oil and gas industry and electricity production. "We have considered three isues. The first is bilateral relations, and it was agreed that the economic delegation of Baden-Wurttemberg visits Serbia in May. We should emphasize that Baden-Wurttemberg, even at the time of a large crisis, is still one of the three most successful regions in Europe, with a very strong export economy. The second issue was the preparation of the Danube strategy, the drafting of which was initiated by Baden-Wurttemberg, through its influence in Brussels and Germany," Djelic told. Djelic will speak at the opening of the conference on the EU's strategy for the Danube region to be held in the German city of Ulm Tuesday, which will be attended by the EU commissioners for regional policy and ministers from the Danube countries.
OBRADOVIC & JASNA MATIC: SERBIA PRESENTS FACEBOOK EDUCATION PROJECT

BELGRADE/PARIS, Feb 1 (Tanjug) - Serbia's ministers of education and telecommunications, Zarko Obradovic and Jasna Matic respectively, presented a project about using Facebook in education at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, which is meant to provide new options for the entire education system. The project will be promoted by UNESCO in the future, as Serbia's contribution to improving education and implementing new technologies, Obradovic told, stressing that the programme was labelled very interesting by experts. "The fact that Facebook is one of the largest networks in the world and that Serbia has a great number of Facebook users allows for it to be used to improve education in a new way and inspire students' interest in studying," Obradovic stated. He explained that the programme is practically free, meaning that the use of Internet and Facebook are the only prerequisites, and he also announced that Serbia might organize a conference about higher education in September, which would be attended by UNESCO officials.
MESIC PRESENTS NGO ACTIVIST SONJA BISERKO WITH MEDAL

ZAGREB, Feb 1 (Tanjug) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic presented Sonja Biserko, President of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, with a medal in Zagreb. Mesic explained that Biserko earned the medal "because of her great contribution in the fight for human and citizen rights of Croats and other ethnic minorities in Serbia and in building the foundation for normalizing the relations between Croatia and Serbia." Mesic stressed that Biserko was one of the first people to publicly condemn "the ultra-nationalist policy of Slobodan Milosevic's regime," according to the Croatian News Agency Hina.

SERBIA – EU
DELEVIC: SERBIA'S CITIZENS WILL BENEFIT FROM AGREEMENT WITH EU

BELGRADE, Feb1 (Tanjug) - Director of the European Integration Office Milica Delevic told that the official start of the implementation of the ITA between Serbia and the EU means that Serbia and the EU have entered a contractual relationship which will benefit consumers and producers in Serbia as well as foreign investors. ITA should within six years lead to the creation of a free trade zone, counting 2009 as the first year of its implementation, she said. Serbia and the EU now have a two-way contractual relationship binding for both sides, she said. The process of trade liberalization was until now based on statements of good will by both parties - autonomous trade measures taken by the EU and unilateral implementation of ITA by Serbia, she said. The EU is now expected to continue to grant Serbian exporters free access to its market and Serbia is expected to continue to reduce customs duties on imports from the EU, she said. This is the second year of trade liberalization and Serbia is harmonizing its legislation with EU laws, she said. There are now bilateral bodies which will supervise the implementation of ITA, she said. As regards foreign investors, coming to an environment under contractual relationship with the EU would mean much more to them, she said. This also secures predictability of that environment, she said.
LJAJIC: NO ONE HAS INFORMATION ON MLADIC'S WHEREABOUTS

BANJA LUKA, Feb 2 (Tanjug) - National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY President Rasim Ljajic said that no one has any information on ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic's whereabouts. In his statement with the Banja Luka-based Alternativna Televizija, Ljajic said that no one has reliable information and facts about his whereabouts. "The moment Mladic gets located, if in Serbia, he will no doubt be transferred to the Hague tribunal," said Ljajic.

SERBIA – ECONOMY
CIRIC: PRIVATIZATION WILL END BY YEAR'S END

BELGRADE, Feb 2 (Tanjug) - Privatization of the socially owned capital in ser slowed down in 2009 due to the world economic crisis and it will be completed by the end of 2010, State Secretary in the Ministry of Economy Nebojsa Ciric stated, adding that there are about 100 socially-owned companies left to be privatized. Ciric said that about 2,100 companies had been privatized over the past ten years, but that 507 contracts had been declared void because new owners did not observe the contracts, while income from the privatization amounted to three billion euro. In a broadcast by the RTS, Ciric said that he might grade the privatization process with a grade between three and four (on a scale from one to five), pointing out that the privatization process lagged behind in the past ten years, due to the fact that the transition process was not accompanied by a systemic reform.
MINISTRY OF ECONOMY: IKARBUS & BREDA DO NOT REACH AGREEMENT

BELGRADE, Feb 1 (Tanjug) - Agreement on business and technical cooperation between Italian and Serbian bus manufacturers Breda Menarini & Ikarbus was not reached, because the Serbian Ministry of Economy did not agree to the intermediary in the deal, Interser Export l.l.c., the Ministry of Economy told. Until a new strategic partner is found for the Serbian company, the ministry will propose that the government amend the "old for new" subsidized car purchase program to include buses. Buses produced in Serbia could then be bought with a discount of up to 30%. Ikarbus and Breda Menarinibus were supposed to sign a contract on Dec 21, 2009, but the signing was postponed until Jan 20, in order to "iron out the technical details". After a meeting of representatives of the two companies, only a preliminary agreement was signed. According to the contract, the Italian company was supposed to lease Ikarbus for a period of two years, and produce 250 to 300 buses a year. Around 700 Ikarbus workers went on strike in summer 2009, until their demand to terminate the contract of sale with the Russian company Avtodetal-servis was met. The new tender for the sale of Ikarbus is expected this year, but only after production is revived by the "old for new" program and conditions for finding a suitable strategic partner are created, the Ministry said.

KOSOVO & METOHIJA
ACTING BODIES CONDEMN PRISTINA & PIETER FEITH'S PLANS FOR K.MITROVICA

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Feb 1 (Tanjug) - The acting bodies of the municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica have condemned most harshly the plan of the Kosovo government and the ICO headed by Pieter Feith for the north of Kosovo which is in contradiction with Resolution 1244 and Serbia's constitution. President of the Kosovska Mitrovica acting bodies Ivica Mirkovic stated that at the last session of the acting bodies, it was stated that the plan for the north of Kosovo is aimed at, not in accordance with Resolution 1244, integrating the north of Kosovo-Metohija into a system of an illegally proclaimed Albanian state. "The main goal of this anti-Serbian and antidemocratic plan is closing down of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia and imposing of illegal and illegitimate institutions of the so-called republic of Kosovo. The announcement of the formation of a local community office, a preparation team for the municipality of Kosovo Metohija and advisory councils for the remaining three municipalities in the north of Kosovo-Metohija is an attempt to create chaos through divisions and psychological pressure and destabilize the north of Kosovo-Metohija," Mirkovic expressed the stands taken at the session. The stands imply that the possible running and holding of elections by the unrecognized institutions of the so-called republic of Kosovo would be opposite to the provisions of the Constitution of Serbia and Resolution 1244 and the elections would be unacceptable for the Serbian and non-Albanian community. At the same time, all political subjects and individuals of the Serbian and non-Albanian community are urged not to take part in the elections, formation of the local community office, the preparation team and the advisory councils since that would violate the Constitution of Serbia and Resolution 1244 and give legitimacy to the institutions of the so-called republic of Kosovo. The authorities of Serbia are called on a more determined fight, full support to the preservation and strengthening of the Serbian institutions and a clear and unambiguous attitude toward those who violate the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia. The representatives of KFOR, UNMIK, EULEX and other international organizations are required not to go beyond their mandate, maintain a neutral status and secure peace and safety for all citizens, Mirkovic stated.
UNMIK IN NORTHERN KOSOVO FOR INDEFINITE TIME

PRISTINA, Feb 2 (Tanjug) - Head of the UNMIK Lamberto Zannier has said that the UN mission in Kosovo will continue to function in accordance with Resolution 1244, but will retain its neutral position towards the unilateral proclamation of independence in the province. In an interview given to Koha Ditore, Zannier said that, in accordance with the document, the UNMIK office in the north of Kosovo will not be closed for an indefinite period of time, but will remain open until another long-termed solution, acceptable for all the communities, is found. UNKIM's office in North Kosovska Mitrovica is a tool which makes possible for local administration, accepted by the people, to function and it also provides connection with the Kosovo budget, he underscored. Zannier pointed out that he is personally concerned over the North (of Kosovo), since, as he put it, he feels there is a potential for instability. The key for progress is promoting of ethnic reconciliation and enforcement of multiethnic institutions, and therefore, according to Zannier, the presence of UNMIK is necessary.