Belgrade, May 5, 2010

SERBIA – ADRIATIC-IONIAN INITIATIVE CONFERENCE IN ANCONA, ITALY

JEREMIC: RIGHT MOMENT FOR REG. RECONCILIATION BUT IT MUSTN'T TAKE TIME
ANCONA, May 5 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic stated that he believes that there has never been a more opportune moment for the nations of the Balkan region to sincerely come together, as partners, in peace and reconciliation, and create a better, more inclusive era for all in a free and united Europe. Serbia is absolutely committed to joining with its two key Balkan neighbors - Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina - in working to attain comprehensive reconciliation and lasting stability, Jeremic said addressing the participants of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative conference in Ancona, Italy. "This will take vision and courage. But it mustn't take time. Too much of it has already been wasted, and too many are still held hostage by the burdens and divisions of the past," he added. Jeremic stressed that the vicious circle must be broken and that divesting the three nations of mutual recriminations should become the focal point of the work. "We mustn't ever forget our history, but equally, we mustn't ever allow it to circumscribe our ability to achieve a peaceful and prosperous future for us all," the minister underscored. Pointing out that in terms of geography and heritage there is no doubt that the Adriatic and Ionian area represents the cradle of European civilization, Jeremic said that the paradox is all the greater that a subset of the Balkan region is the last part of European geography proper where integration remains incomplete in the face of outstanding issues. "Some have suggested that only limited progress in the Balkans is possible, that we suffer from a sort of 'Balkan disease' of too much history and no responsible leadership. Others have used the term 'Balkanization' to describe regional processes characterized by perennial political fragmentation, arbitrary injustice, and recurring warfare," the minister stressed. Jeremic said he believes that Serbia has a historical duty to fundamentally re-define the meaning of this term, and that the three countries that make up the pivotal Balkan triangle - Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia - have a particular obligation to lead in the drive for change. He said that this is undoubtedly a tall order, for the task at hand is to transform the very essence of the relationship between the three nations, as this is not only a policy priority, but a strategic and moral imperative. We should be encouraged by the fact that things have been moving in the right direction of late, Jeremic pointed out, adding that Serbia's bilateral relations with Croatia have begun to improve, despite profoundly different assessments of the 1991-95 conflict. According to Jeremic, the most profound and complicated challenge facing the Balkans is how to assure a better future for Bosnia-Herzegovina. "We are absolutely committed to Bosnia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as we have made clear time and again," the minister emphasized. Addressing the conference, whose overall aim is to promote regional integration, Jeremic said that Serbia has taken great strides in the pursuit of full reconciliation.

SERBIA – NORWAY

TADIC INVITES NORWEGIAN COMPANIES TO INVEST IN SERBIA
OSLO, May 4 (Tanjug) - President Tadic invited the leading Norwegian companies to follow the example of Telenor and invest in Serbia, pointing to the country's comparative advantage in the form of customs-free export to a large market of around 800 million people. While opening the Serbian-Norwegian business forum in Oslo, Tadic presented the Norwegian businessmen with the possibilities of the Serbian economy, adding that they and all citizens of Norway are welcome in Serbia. Serbia has free trade agreements with the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) countries, with Russia, Belarus and Turkey, as well as the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU. This means, Tadic stressed, that it is possible to export products from Serbia without paying customs duties if 51 percent of the product was manufactured in Serbia. As the Serbian delegation, Tadic informed the Norwegian partners and officials that Serbia has prepared a detailed development strategy for the next ten years. He stressed that the strategy envisages large investments in infrastructure, primarely in Corridor 10. The state and economic delegation, headed by Tadic, also includes Trade Minister Milosavljevic and President of the Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Bugarin. During the forum, which ends on May 6, representatives of Serbian and Norwegian companies will hold numerous business meetings, the PKS stated.

TADIC LAYS WREATH AT MONUMENT TO YUGOSLAV PARTISANS
OSLO, May 4 (Tanjug) - President Tadic laid a wreath at the monument to Yugoslav Partisans on the Vestre gravlund cemetery in Oslo. During World War II, the prisons and camps in Norway were full of people from all parts of occupied Europe, including 4,113 citizens of former Yugoslavia, mainly the members of the Partisan movement deported to Norway in the course of the war. Only 1,741 of them survived captivity due to harsh conditions. It is written on the memorial that more than 3,000 Yugoslav Partisans were killed during the war fighting for Norway's freedom and independence, the Serbian delegation, told. Apart from the memorial complex in Vestre gravlund cemetery and Falstad concentration camp, there are fifteen more sites related to the killing of war captives of Serbian nationality.

SERBIAN ECONOMY WANTS PARTNER RELATIONS WITH NORWAY
OSLO, May 4 (Tanjug) - At a Serbo-Norwegian business forum held in Oslo, a Serbian business delegation showed that it wants to establish partner relations with the Norwegian economy, President of the Chamber of Commerce (PKS) Bugarin has told. The business forum is a good signal showing that Serbia and its economy are not only the receivers of Norwegian donations, but that they now want to respond to a highly developed country such as Norway in a partner-like manner, Bugarin said. He pointed out that the forum was attended by 16 Serbian companies from the field of electrical power industry, metal industry, construction industry, IT sector, environmental protection and renewable energy sources. Bugarin evaluated that the response of Norwegian companies was very good, pointing out that the meeting was organized by PKS and the Oslo Chamber of Commerce.

SERBIA

JEREMIC: SERBIA BACKS FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF NPT
NEW YORK, May 4 (Tanjug) - Serbia supports the full and consistent implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and it strongly believes that the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty can serve as a key complementary document to the NPT, Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said in New York. "We support the full and consistent implementation of the commitments set forth in the NPT," Jeremic underlined while addressing the participants of a ministerial conference at the UN Headquarters in New York, which was held on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the NPT's coming into force. " We believe the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty can serve as a key complementary document to the NPT. Serbia therefore warmly welcomes Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's initiative to host a ministerial meeting to bring it into force as soon as possible," Jeremic underscored. He also called for intensification of talks for concluding a treaty on fissile materials in the near future. "I wish to underscore that even between 1992 and 2000, as my country suffered under a harsh sanctions regime - one that strongly affected average citizens while destroying our economy - we continued to respect all our obligations under the Treaty," Jeremic pointed out. The minister assessed that one of the effects of global interdependence is the increasing awareness of countries to show heightened regard for each other's security interests. "The consequences of a mushroom cloud will not stop at a state border. This has also been said, of course, of the recent volcano eruption in Iceland, the hurricane season in the Caribbean, or even the environmental degradation that is contributing to climate change across the world," Jeremic stressed. Minister Jeremic noted that modalities should be agreed upon to enhance the verification function of the International Atomic Energy Agency and that special care must be taken to ensure that its work is not subjected to undue politicization. The foreign minister welcomed the recent signing of a New START treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States, but voiced concern over the slow pace of progress at the Geneva Disarmament Conference. Speaking about the Treaty's third core objective - peaceful use of nuclear energy, Jeremic said that Serbia has taken a number of concrete steps to enhance nuclear security in the Western Balkans, by focusing on safe, civilian applications of atomic technology in fields such as medicine. Jeremic reminded that In May 2009, the Serbian parliament adopted a Law on Ionizing Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety in order to completely harmonize the domestic legislation with the strictest international standards. "Our safety - perhaps our very survival - is at stake, and no single country can do it alone. What is required is a universal global vision, the courage of leadership, and strategic foresight. What we need is action, for I believe there is no downside to eliminating the threat of nuclear annihilation," Jeremic concluded. The conference in New York is attended by the foreign ministers of all the parties to the 1970 Treaty, which gathers all the member states of the UN, with the exception of India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea.

DJELIC: COOPERATION FOSTERED IN ENERGY, TELECOMMUNICATIONS
BERLIN, May 4 (Tanjug) - Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic told that he and German officials reached agreement on fostering bilateral cooperation in energy, telecommunications and local infrastructure sectors. The first day of his visit to Germany, Djelic said that he and German officials also agreed to hold a meeting of the inter-state commission for economy and technology on August 24 and 25 in Berlin. The commission has not held a meeting for three and a half years. Agreement was also reached to sign a bilateral inter-state agreement, he said. The Fraunhofer Society, a research organization with 59 institutes spread throughout Germany, each focusing on different fields of applied science, and employing over 14,000 researchers, plans to open an office in Serbia, he said. This will help foster bilateral scientific and technological cooperation, he said. Germany is a leading power in Europe and the world in this sector, he said.

KOSOVO – METOHIJA

JEREMIC: TALKS ON KOSOVO POSSIBLE ONLY IN 1244 FRAMEWORK
NEW YORK, May 4 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told that negotiations on Kosovo-Metohija are possible only within the framework of the UN SC Resolution 1244 and if they are held in a transparent manner. Serbia has always advocated resolving the Kosovo problem through peaceful dialogue, that should result in a compromise based on international law, he said. This is the only way to secure lasting and sustainable regional stability, he said. However, such negotiations can be held only within the framework of the Resolution 1244 and in a transparent manner, in keeping with the democratic mandate the Serbian government has received from its citizens, Jeremic emphasized. He was referring to indications that the international community is preparing for a resumption of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. It is crucial for Serbia not to react to provocations and pressures, which are expected to grow, he said. Serbia must remain committed to principles and keep calm, with a clear vision how to pursue the resolving of the Kosovo problem, he said.

KOSOVO'S STATUS STILL OPEN
BELGRADE, May 4 (Beta) - State Secretary for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said that Kosovo's status was not a done deal but a "completely open" issue. "Those who tried to persuade the Albanians that the question of status was solved, are now trying to convince them that the question is not solved," Ivanovic told KIM radio. He said that negotiations between Serbs and Albanians could take place after the ICJ ruled on the question of the province's declaration of independence, this fall. "What the format of these talks will be and what will be discussed first, depends on joint agreement, but both require the ICJ's ruling beforehand. In addition to status, there are numerous other technical issues such as electricity, telephones and other things that are important for everyday life,".

HYSENI: KOSOVO WILL TAKE PART AT GYMNICH MEETING IN SARAJEVO
STRASBOURG, May 4 (Beta) - Kosovo will take part at a conference of the EU and all West Balkan countries, scheduled to take place in Sarajevo, in June, if it is an informal Gymnich meeting, like meetings regularly held by the EU, Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni said in the European Parliament. Hyseni added that he had notified French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, as well as Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini previously. In conversation with members of the European Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee, Hyseni did not specify if he believed a representative from UNMIK should also take part in such an assembly. He stated that Kosovo had "normal relations" with its neighbors and wanted similar relations with Serbia, as the future of the entire West Balkans was in European integration. Hyseni stated that, in the interest of regional cooperation and the European journey, there can be cooperation, based on mutual respect, even without recognition. Gymnich meetings, proposed by Frattini as the model for the Sarajevo assembly, host free and thorough talks about a limited number of topics, but no formal conclusions are subsequently issued.

MICUNOVIC CONFERRED WITH JAGLAND AND VON SYDOW
BELGRADE, May 4 (Tanjug) - Serbia's parliament permanent delegation at the Council of Europe discussed during its Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) session in Strasbourg a draft resolution on the situation in Kosovo and the role of the Council of Europe. At the second recular PACE session last week, Natasa Vuckovic was elected vice-president of the socialist group, Elvira Kovac vice-predsident of the Group of people's parties and Milos Aligrudic rapporteur for fostering democracy through reducing voting age to 16. Delegation head Dragoljub Micunovic conferred with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland and PACE Political Committee President Bjorn von Sydow on the destruction of telephone transmitters of Serbian operators in Kosovo-Metohija. At the initiative of delegation member, the text of a declaration condemning the destruction of telecommunications equipment in Kosovo was presented to PACE. The delegation also conferred with the new Monitoring Committe Rapporteurs for Serbia Sinikka Huskainen and Davit Harutyanyan on future monitoring activities and post-monitoring dialogue.

BOZINOVIC: WE WILL NEVER RECOGNIZE KOSOVO
VIENNA, May 5 (Tanjug) - Serbian Ambassador to Austria Milovan Bozinovic has stated for the Vienna weekly Zur Zeit that Belgrade will never recognize the independence of Kosovo, as Kosovo is in Serbia's territory. "We are aware how important it is to find a sustainable solution to this issue, not only for us but rather for the entire region. A further step will be taken in the following months when the ICJ gives its advisory opinion," Bozinovic said. He pointed out that even after the ICJ delivers its opinion, Serbia would certainly not be prepared to recognize the independence of Kosovo. "We will never be ready to recognize Kosovo. Kosovo is a part of our territory and that is what is written in our Constitution. Of course, we know that there are problems in Kosovo, that people who live there have a different view of their political future. That is legitimate, but the solution can be achieved only through dialogue, not via a process initiated from the outside," Bozinovic underscored.

KACIN: TRANSMITTERS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DESTROYED
STRASBOURG, May 5 (Tanjug) - Vice-President of the European Parliament Delegation for Southeast Europe Jelko Kacin said during a meeting with Kosovo Foreign Minister Skender Hiseni that the closure of Serbian mobile operators in Kosovo-Metohija could have been resolved in a more satisfactory way, Kacin's office released in a statement. Transmitters could have been switched off, and not destroyed. This would have preserved the possibility of a compromise solution that would benefit Kosovo Serbs, Kacin said, adding that such actions do not contribute to stabilizing the situation in the field. As noted in the statement, Hiseni pointed out that what lay behind the shut down of Serbian operators were not political motives, but rather the need to establish the rule of law. During his talks with the Kosovo official, which was held on the sidelines of the session of the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kacin emphasized the importance of fighting organized crime and corruption in the Serbian province and throughout the region and the necessity of cooperation between EULEX and the Kosovo institutions on that issue. He assessed that a kind of short circuit happened in the communication and cooperation between EULEX and the Kosovo government, and asked for a more detailed response from both EULEX and the competent authorities in Kosovo in relation to their joint struggle against organized crime and corruption.

KRASNICI ACCUSES EULEX OF DISCRIMINATING KOSOVO INSTITUTIONS
PRISTINA, May 5 (Tanjug) - Kosovo parliament speaker Jakup Krasnici has said that the search of the Kosovo Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications carried out by investigators and the police of EULEX was an unprofessional and political intervention, and added that it represented an effort to discriminate the Kosovo institutions. The case is delicate, said Krasnici, because the intervention was carried out in the state institutions. Realistically, the material confiscated during the search could have been seized in a much more professional way. In the end, it is a public and legal material which can be found in three or four state institutions, Krasnici has told the Pristina daily Ekspres. The way the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications was searched was more like some kind of a show, Krasnici pointed out. Krasnici is the first Kosovo official to comment on the last week operation of the EULEX, undertaken on suspicion of misappropriation of great amount of money in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Telecommunications.

SERBIA – EU

DJELIC AND BRUDERLE DISCUSS EUROPEAN INTEGRATION
BERLIN, May 4 (Tanjug) - Germany's Minister of Economics and Technology Rainer Bruderle met with Deputy Prime Minister Djelic in Berlin to discuss the economic cooperation between the two countries and encourage Serbia to continue its efforts in getting closer to the EU. Serbia came a step closer to the EU with the visa liberalization in December 2009, Bruderle noted, adding that the future pace of the integration process will depend on Serbian government reforms. According to a press statement by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology, Bruderle encouraged Serbia to continue its policy in getting closer to the EU. Bruderle stated that the economic relations between the two countries are good, according to the announcement, which adds that Germany is one of Serbia's most important economic partners, since the trade between the two countries is at EUR 1.8 billion, while German investments are at about EUR 1.3 billion. German companies have a strategic interest in energy, infrastructure and telecommunications among other things, Bruderle remarked. Djelic also met with Germany's Minister of Education and Research Annette Schavan today, with whom he discussed the potential for cooperation in research and development.

DEGERT: SERBIA'S SIGNIFICANT STEPS TOWARDS EU ACCESSION
NIS, May 4 (Tanjug) - Head of EU delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert stated in Nis, that the country made significant steps on the EU pathway in 2009, adding that there is yet more work to be done for its EU accession. Degert pointed out that the decision on visa liberalization took effect at the end of last year, adding that Serbia applied for EU membership and that free trade agreement was reached. I cannot say how long negotiations will last, Degert said in the talks with the students of the University in Nis, organized on the occasion of Europe Day (May 9). On average, negotiations last from three to seven years, he stressed. Degert said that the EU is now present in Serbia through various types of assistance and cooperation, whereby it is already investing in Serbia's EU membership. He said that the quality of the pre-accession process is very important and that many EU programmes are carried out in the process before formal accession. Each country that accepts the EU values can be its member, said Degert and encouraged the young people to take initiative.

MLADENOV: BULGARIA WILL HELP SERBIA TO JOIN EU
SOFIA, May 4 (Tanjug) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov has said in Washington that his country will cooperate closely with Serbia and will help the country's accession to the EU, Bulgarian media reported. In a speech at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Mladenov stressed that one of Bulgaria's major tasks is to help countries that have not yet joined NATO and the EU to accede to these organizations. The Bulgarian foreign minister is currently on a seven-day visit to the United States, where he already met with congressmen and advisers at the cabinet of US President Barack Obama. Mladenov had talks with Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, and met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. After the visit to the United States, Mladenov will go on a mini tour of the Balkans, and will visit Belgrade on May 7, where he will meet with Serbia's top state officials, it was announced in Sofia. As noted, the Bulgarian minister will meet with representatives of the Bulgarian community in Serbia at the Bulgarian Consulate in Nis on Saturday. Serbian-Bulgarian relations turned particularly dynamic at the end of April, when Serbian parliament Speaker Djukic-Dejanovic visited Sofia at the invitation of Bulgarian National Assembly Chair Tsetcka Tsacheva, and were continued one week later by the visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to Belgrade.

KRISTER BRINGEUS: "TWO SIDES AT WAR CANNOT JOIN THE EU"
BELGRADE, May 4 (Beta) - Finance Minister Dragutinovic and Swedish Ambassador to Belgrade Krister Bringeus signed an agreement on developmental cooperation. The money will be used for programs in the process of EU integration. Dragutinovic thanked Sweden for setting aside aid for Serbia even in times of crisis. "Thanks to that aid, data processing in state statistics has been harmonized with EU standards, the registry of donations to Serbia, which have so far totaled EUR 3.2 billion, has been established, the work of the judiciary and police has been enhanced, and projects for environmental protection and aid to refugees and the Roma have been implemented," Dragutinovic said. Sweden, as Bringeus put it, supports Serbia's EU integration, which "requires a great deal of political energy in Serbia." He underscored that it is in Serbia's interest to have good relations with Kosovo and not to have a "black hole" in its neighborhood, pointing out that "two sides at war cannot join the EU."

POVEJSIL: NATO MEMBERSHIP NOT REQUIRED FOR SERBIA TO ENTER EU
BELGRADE, May 5 (Tanjug) - NATO would like Serbia to become a close ally, but it is not conditioning its EU membership by having to become a NATO member first, Czech Ambassador to NATO Martin Povejsil said. Neither NATO nor the EU have stated any requirements as to how close Serbia gets to NATO, Povejsil told TV B92, but added that the processes of getting closer to NATO and the EU have some common points and are based on similar or identical values, like democracy, respect for human rights and market economy. He denied that Serbia might be required to join NATO in order to become an EU member, explaining that the two processes are not a requirement for one another. According to Povejsil, NATO cannot leave the Balkans out of the integration process, because it has a strong sense of responsibility for that part of the Euro-Atlantic space, and it shares that responsibility with the countries of the region.

SERBIA – ECONOMY

SERBIA & CZECH REPUBLIC SIGN PROTOCOL ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION
BELGRADE, May 4 (Tanjug) - Minister of Economy Mladjan Dinkic and Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Vladimir Tosovski signed a protocol on economic cooperation between the two countries. "The first project which the two countries will realize together is modernization and reconstruction of the Corridor 10 railway line Nis-Dimitrovgrad," Dinkic said, and added that the Czech Export Bank will grant the Serbian government a loan worth EUR 120 million for the electrification of this part of the railway track. He stressed that the construction works will be undertaken by a consortium of Serbian and Czech companies, which will provide employment for the leading enterprises of the two countries, as well as a better sale of the construction material necessary for the reconstruction of the railway section. Dinkic underlined that Tosovski told him that the Czech Republic advocates and strongly supports Serbia's EU accession. Serbian minister of economy and regional development pointed out that he and Tosovski also discussed the possibilities for new Czech investments in Serbia, especially in the field of chemical industry and the production of parts for the energy sector, as well as the possibility to exchange experiences in the use of EU's pre-accession funds. Tosovski underscored that there is a number of areas in which the two countries can share experiences and boost economic cooperation. He said that it is possible to boost the cooperation in industry, tourism and other economic fields.

SERBIA & SWEDEN SIGN AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION
BELGRADE, May 4 (Beta) - Finance Minister Dragutinovic and Swedish Ambassador to Belgrade Krister Bringeus signed an agreement on developmental cooperation, which envisages Swedish aid to Serbia worth EUR 12 million by 2012. The money will be used for programs and projects in the process of democratizing the society, human rights and environmental protection, as well as sustainable development, gender equality, and EU integration. Speaking at a news conference after the signing, Dragutinovic thanked Sweden for setting aside aid for Serbia even in times of crisis. The country donated EUR 106 million to Serbia between 2001 and 2009, the minister stressed. "Thanks to that aid, data processing in state statistics has been harmonized with EU standards, the registry of donations to Serbia, which have so far totaled EUR 3.2 billion, has been established, the work of the judiciary and police has been enhanced, and projects for environmental protection and aid to refugees and the Roma have been implemented," Dragutinovic said.

MEETING OF SERBIAN AND TURKISH ECONOMIC DELEGATIONS
BELGRADE, May 4 (Tanjug) - The goal of the meeting of Serbia's and Turkey's economic delegations was better transfer of Turkey's experience with free zones in terms of the European integration, Chamber of Commerce Vice-President told. "We highly value Turkey's experience in negotiations with the EU, given the fact that in the process of accession to the EU, many states had to give up the benefits that free zones provide," he said. According to him, Turkey is just the right example of how to attract both foreign and domestic investments in free zones.